The Unchained Wolf

If Harry Vickers had been a normal man he would have been dead. Instead, as he sat up from being thrown through two walls by a demon, he merely wished he were dead. He used his hammer as a cane, standing up slowly, wood and plaster falling off of him as Reo and Gaku found their feet. Harry glared at the two Japanese men, trying to control his complete irritation.

“I thought you said the Seven hate demons, jackass!” Harry bellowed at his friend.

“They do!” Gaku shouted back, knocking some plaster off his shoulder with his magic bo staff. Another great peal of laughter emanated from the ruins of the Dragon’s Roar.

“Laughing boy seems to enjoy himself!” Harry shouted.

“Wait…what is it?” Reo asked, wiping his glasses and gazing into the smoke which filled the remains of the bar. A shape was rising from the debris, a laughing and howling monstrosity which stood double the height of a man, a mix of beast and human. Fur and muscle covered its body, and as lightning flashed through the rain it stepped out into the alley, light glinting off of the chains wrapped around it. It struggled against the chains, razor claws tearing at them, and the three exorcists saw the horrific grin of Smiler still living in the creature, only now it was stretched across a wolf’s monstrous muzzle.

“It looks like a werewolf, or…” Reo started to say, not recognizing the demon species before him. But Harry’s voice cut in, and the dread in the single word he said chilled his friends.

“Fenrir.”

“What?” Gaku asked.

Harry started rushing the demon, his hammer raised, panic on his face. “Move! Now! Before his chains…”

The snap of ancient metal combined with the next crash of thunder as links of chain whipped through the air. Harry ducked barely in time to keep from getting his head sliced off.

“Well, we’re boned,” Harry said as he crouched on his knees.

“What is it?!” Reo demanded.

“Norse. I saw one once. Took five exorcists to take it down. Only four came back home,” Harry said, the grim truth eating at his words as he recalled part of his world tour years prior.

“Well…this is interesting…” Fenrir growled, staring down at his hands, rain pooling in his palms as his claws extended. The world was a cacophony of sounds and smells, all of which were new. He turned his face to the sky and unleashed a howling scream which split the night. His grin returned, splitting his wolf face, making his teeth shine in the lightning.

“Why is he a foreign demon?!” Gaku screamed.

“Like I know!” Harry said, frustration pouring out. None of this made sense. Demons only appeared according to a country’s specific mythology. The kappa which had started this whole mess could only have come from Japan. Kappas did not appear in New York, and Fenrir could not manifest in Japan. People couldn’t simply shop for demons either. They chose human hosts. So the likelihood of Smiler being in Norway and contacting a Fenrir demon at the same time was statistically ridiculous.

“I’m Smiler…and Fenrir! Yes! I understand!” Fenrir said, the fog of the moments post-possession clearing. His yellow wolf’s eyes turned to Harry, narrowing as his grin widened. “Exorcist dogs, you look so lost. Obviously, Gouki desperately needs his book.”

“Only see one dog here, Scooby,” Harry said, standing straight, hammer in his hand. His face communicated everything he needed to say

Like hell you’re getting the book.

Fenrir charged, snarling and drooling, his claws digging into the pavement as he shot across the alley. The exorcists scattered like bugs avoiding a cat, vaulting over debris to escape certain death. Harry knew staying in the cramped space between the buildings would be suicide.

“The roofs!” Harry shouted, leaping up the side of the buildings, grabbing onto windows and pipes as his superhuman legs propelled him upwards. Fenrir leapt after him, snapping his jaws at his feet.

“Poor Harry! You’re so confused!” Fenrir taunted before letting out a brief howl of pain as Reo sailed through the air and plunged his katana through the demon’s torso. The wolf reached back, grabbing Reo’s arm and throwing him away like a rag doll. “Get off! I’m with Harry!”

Harry hit the rooftops, spinning to face the demon as he landed closely behind them, their feet kicking up rain as they began to circle each other. Fenrir's claws were bared, and Harry’s hammer was gripped tightly.

“So rude. My apologies, Harry. Now, where were we?” Fenrir taunted. Harry charged, his hammer swinging through the air as the wolf leapt over him, twirling as Smiler had. He whipped one of his chains, catching Harry in the legs, sweeping him to the ground with a pain filled grunt. “Right! I need the book!”

Reo and Gaku leapt over the side of the building, landing to the sides of Harry. Their weapons were raised, ready to strike at the first opportunity. Fenrir’s body was set like a wound spring, moments from exploding out in a flurry of fangs and claws.

“Why?” Harry growled, staring the monster straight in the eyes.

Fenrir shrugged, letting out a faint laugh. “Dunno.”

Harry’s grip grew tighter on his hammer. Fenrir’s ignorance pissed him off like nothing else. He didn’t even care why Gouki ordered him to merge with a demon and attack over a god damn book. Vague theories about D Day were enough of a reason. He simply followed orders. Like a good dog.

“My joke. Why did the world end? You ever think about it, Harry?” Fenrir asked, pointing a claw at him. His lips peeled back into a snarl and he lunged, barking and laughing. Gaku moved first, his bo staff thrusting between Fenrir’s legs, causing him to stumble. Reo dodged, leaving a red gash on the side of the demon’s body. Harry, however, remained steady, feet firm as he swung his hammer upward, the sickening crack of metal on bone nearly drowning out the rain and thunder as it connected with Fenrir’s jaw. The monster wolf flew backwards, landing on his back before instantly springing up again, blood flowing from his mouth.

He continued to smile.

“Something had to cause it! What?!” Fenrir spat the question out as if taunting them. Gaku and Reo charged again, Reo slashing at Fenrir’s arms to give Gaku an opening to deliver a vaulting kick. However, the beast moved too quickly this time, dodging the katana and grabbing Gaku’s leg. He slammed the exorcist into the roof with a bone rattling crunch, moving towards Harry like he had discarded garbage.

“It happened before. Why can’t it happen again? Simply gotta find the trigger,” Fenrir said. Harry knew the mythology around Fenrir. The monster who killed Odin, king of the gods, when the end of the world fell. Smiler could be bringing it up to be theatrical. He would be the type of psycho to do such a thing.

Harry wasn’t taking the chance.

He ran forward, but the roof was wet, his hammer was large and clumsy, and the wolf was quicker. Fenrir grabbed Harry by the head, holding him up to eye level.

“Harry…” Fenrir growled, looking pleased at catching his prey. Then, shockingly, he let Harry go, stepping back and roaring into the sky. “GIVE ME SOME ENTERTAINMENT!”

“Entertainment, huh?” Harry said, standing slowly. Reo lifted Gaku up on shaky legs. They were both still clearly in the fight. Fenrir glared down at him. The weight of this fight pressed on his soul. The book, the mystery of Gouki God damn Kageyama and his grandfather and what it all had to do with D Day felt overwhelming.

So Harry threw it all away.

In truth, there was only three things which were important at the moment. His hammer. A demon. And introducing those two things together. Harry Vickers turned his face to the sky and roared as well.

“I’LL GIVE YOU RAGNAROCK!” Harry screamed, and he rushed Fenrir, hammer in hand, and Thor himself could not have channeled an angry god better.