Chapter 9
A/N 1: Sickness in the family, daughter in 2 plays and more regional and state competitions than I can shake a stick at. I’ve missed this, I promise you more than you’ve missed reading. March looks to be even more busy, but I’ll write when I can. It’s my mental health escape from my Asperger’s and I need it. Enough about me, let’s go.
A/N 2: Apparently the fanfiction website is having an issue getting out alerts about stories right now. If you are interested, I am posting all of my work on my tumblr, davidcarner. You’re welcome to follow if it helps. As pointed out by several, Chuck is getting taken advantage of…A LOT…in this story. What does that say about my dreams? I don’t know. (Sorry Zac) This chapter…please remember this is a dream I had, it is Sci Fi, and don’t ask me to explain to you exactly how it all works because I have NO idea. Ch 9. Ride of the Valkyrie
Disclaimer: I don’t own Chuck, Terminator, Norse Mythology, Richard Wagnar, or Bugs Bunny…you all have seen What’s Opera, Doc…right…right?
Frigga watched the monitor as the status bar slowly loaded. It was currently at 89%.
“I thought this union was supposed to go smoothly?” she asked, becoming irritated…again.
“Well, he’s not dead,” the words came to the monitor. Frigga’s eyes narrowed.
“What about the third upload?” she asked, scared to hear the answer.
“I predict few problems,” the screen replied.
“Given your assurances about the other two, that doesn’t comfort me one bit,” she said, her head in her hand.
}o{
Ambulance on the way to Frigga’s headquarters
“Hogun, are we being played?” Valkyrie asked. She blamed herself for this. No, not her, Chuck. He wouldn’t quit, with his kindness, his heart, his love…he had caused her to lower her guard and now he lay there motionless. But could she really have prevented this? If she was honest, this was bigger than her. She felt things she didn’t know she could, and the fact this happened the day after she finally gave in to herself…she felt like she had to blame herself. She knew, deep down, if he was awake, he’d tell her she was wrong. He’d tell her what they had couldn’t be taken away. She knew what she had, and now, she didn’t have to wonder anymore. She would do whatever it took to get him back, she didn’t care who she had to go through. Hogun’s words pulled her out of her thoughts.
“I don’t get it, Valkyrie, IF Frigga is his sister-” Hogun said.
“We don’t know that she is,” Valkyrie replied, cutting him off. “All we know is that she never denied it. Actually we don’t know that, she may be setting us completely up.”
“You’re going to slice them from end to end,” Hogun said, not asked. Valkyrie looked at him, her blue eyes flashing.
“I going to send them straight to the gates of Hel if they’ve hurt him,” Valkyrie said softly, but intensely.
}o{
Frigga’s base
“That’s it, Systir, protect him,” Frigga said, smiling.
“You know that’s us she’s talking about sending to the gate of Hel,” the monitor read.
“Maybe that will make sure you don’t hurt him,” Frigga said testily. “How much longer?” The monitor popped the status back up. It was at 99%. “That last 1% could take an hour,” she muttered. No sooner than she said it, it turned to 100%
“You were saying?” the screen read.
“You may be more annoying without a body,” Frigga said.
}o{
Ambulance
“Uhhh,” Chuck moaned. Valkyrie grabbed one of his hands and put her other hand on his shoulder.
“Chuck?” she asked, worried.
“What’s that noise?” he asked.
“It’s a heart monitor,” Casey said.
“It needs to stop,” Chuck said, holding his head.
“Chuck,” Valkyrie began, but then she realized. She turned and looked at the heart monitor; it was off. She looked back at Chuck, he was looking back at her.
“That’s better,” he said. “Hi, Beautiful, sorry if I scared you. Thanks for turning that thing off Casey.” Sarah just stared at him.
“I didn’t turn it off,” Casey said, he was about to say more when the vehicle stopped moving. “We’ve stopped.” He looked out the back window and saw vehicles behind them and a stop light a block further down. “It looks like nothing’s really changed here, and it’s like it was before the machines came. We’re probably stopped at a stoplight.”
“I wish it’d turn so we can go on,” Chuck said. “I want to get this over with.” Suddenly they heard a squeal and a crash in front of them. Casey and Sarah shared a look.
“Chuck me,” Casey said, opened the door, hopped out, and looked. The light was green in front of them, and from the way the two drivers were arguing in front of them, all the lights were green. Casey turned, his mouth opened. Sarah hopped out, holding Molly, and looked around. “He’s affecting electrical objects.”
“Casey, they said Ragnarok,” Sarah said. “Ragnarok is the battle between the powers of Hel led by Loki and the Aesir. That includes Frigga, and Odin. Is Chuck going to face off against his family?”
“Are those two really his family?” Casey asked.
“Really?” Chuck said, climbing down. “You two haven’t figured it out?” he asked, smiling. “It’s okay, if it wasn’t for whatever happened, I wouldn’t know,” he said as he pointed at his head. “The Norse terminology wasn’t used until the machines showed up. Their father, or…”
“Odin,” Sarah said, starting to understand. “They pulled him in. Odin is Orion.” Chuck nodded.
“Apparently Dad’s consciousness or something,” Chuck said. “They, well, the machines that Dad controlled, apparently took Ellie that day, but they named her Frigga.”
“Why?” Sarah asked.
“Best I can figure out, it was a truce between Dad and the machines,” Chuck said. “Ellie was put in charge of marriages, and family. This side of the world got to live normal, Dad would quit trying to destroy the machines. The only destroyed T-800 we know of is in the Governor’s sector.”
“So what does this mean?” Hogun asked, wary of Chuck. He assumed Chuck was in control of himself, but what if the machines…
“Hogun, if you try anything, I will personally end you,” Sarah said. Casey blinked. He wasn’t about to go after Valkyrie.
“Guys, I know where we need to go,” Chuck said. “We can end this. We can finish them, I just need one more update, and I need you two.” Sarah walked right up to him.
“I don’t like this,” she said.
“I am aware,” Chuck said grinning.
“You are soooo gonna owe me,” she replied, a smirk growing.
“I’ll gladly pay up, but I need the Valkyrie to ride one more time,” Chuck said. He looked up at Hogun. “You too, big guy.” Casey grinned.
“I get to shoot things?” Casey asked. Chuck nodded. “Of course I’m in!” The guards that were driving the ambulance were watching them, not sure what was about to happen. Chuck finally turned to them.
“Is there something else we can ride in?”
}o{
Over ten hours later, the team pulled up at their destination. Sarah, holding Molly, and looking less like Valkyrie every passing moment, was rolling her eyes at Chuck.
“I’m just saying, of everything to survive, Vegas?” Chuck said.
“The world’s ending, or so people think,” Sarah replied. “Where do you think most people will go in their last hours? Those that have families would go to them, but others….Vegas makes a lot of sense, one last hurrah before the world ends.” Chuck stood there nodding. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Inside these doors are either my family, that I thought was dead, or the most evil plan-” Chuck didn’t get any further when an ear splitting shriek hit them and the front door burst open. Before Sarah or Casey could react, a brunette blur hit Chuck right in the chest and grabbed hold of him. Sarah was about to pull the crazy woman off, when an arm grabbed her neck and pulled her in as well.
“You’re all three alive!” she cried.
“Ellie, you’re killing us,” Chuck choked out. Ellie let go and pulled back. Tears were in her eyes. She turned and looked at Sarah with admiration and love. Sarah nearly stepped back, but it was too late, she pounced again.
“Thank you!” Ellie said. “You kept him alive, you loved him, you protected him, and you gave him hope!” Ellie pulled away, looked at her, and pulled her back in again.
“Ellie, she is the Valkyrie, you might not want to upset her,” Chuck warned.
“Hush, Chuck, I’m hugging my sister,” Sarah said. Ellie squealed even more. Casey had his eye shut, wincing. “Meet your niece.” Ellie reached in and took the little girl. “This is your Aunt Ellie,” Sarah said. Molly cooed, and Ellie pulled her in again with her free arm.
“Holy hell,” Casey said. “I’ve seen it all.” Ellie broke the hug, handed Molly to Sarah walked over, and punched Chuck right in the arm.
“What did I do!”
“You didn’t get captured with me,” she said.
“Dad,” Chuck said, and Ellie nodded. “Crap, he sent those machines to get both of us. Before that we were never in a position, were we?”
“He was dying, Chuck,” Ellie said. “The machines were trying to keep him alive, but couldn’t. They needed him alive or his consciousness would float in those things forever, messing with them. I was the one they had to have, but they wanted you. If you had been here sooner little brother, this might already be over.” Sarah stepped up beside him.
“No it wouldn’t,” Sarah said. “He wouldn’t have us to watch his back.” Ellie’s smile was huge.
“You’re right, now, shall we go inside and continue the family reunion?” Ellie asked. They all nodded and headed in. “Dad was able to hold back the machines and keep this part of the world as it was. We let those crazy theories run wild in the rest of what remains of the US. It was awful, but we only had so many resources, and we had to try to win this war.”
“Is Dad going to survive this?” Chuck asked. Ellie took a breath, and set her shoulders.
“I don’t know, Chuck,” she said. “What I do know is he won’t rest until he fixes this mess.” Chuck nodded. “What we need you to do is dangerous.”
“That’s what being the trickster is all about,” Chuck said grinning. Ellie gave him a grin.
“I figured you’d be pleased to have the code name Loki,” Ellie replied. They all stopped as they reached the control room and saw the huge chamber that housed the body of Stephen Bartowski. Chuck walked up to it. There was a screen attached to the chamber.
“Glad you could make it son,” the screen read.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming that day?” Chuck asked.
“It was all I could do to control the machines, I didn’t have the ability at that time to send a message and do what needed to be done. I wanted both of you back, but I had to have Ellie to survive,” Stephen said. Chuck nodded.
“Dad, we need you to survive this,” Chuck said.
“Let’s defeat the machines, and then go from there, okay?” the screen read. “There is a third upload, the one that will give you the power to turn off the machines. What I need you to do is make sure to broadcast it over their internal communication hub to each other.”
“Are we gonna do Independence Day to them?” Chuck asked grinning. Casey grunted in confusion.
“It’s a movie where to beat aliens humans put a computer virus into the aliens’ systems, destroying them,” Ellie explained. “And, basically, yes.”
“So how do I get in?” Chuck asked.
“Why can’t you just upload the program since your already in the machines, Odin?” Casey asked.
“The program is incompatible with me in my current state,” Odin answered. “Look, Son, I’m not going to lie, this one…it’s going to hurt, and it may knock you out.”
“How long?” Sarah asked.
“Not too long,” Odin answered. “Two or three days, max.”
“TWO OR THREE DAYS!” she screamed.
“TWO OR THREE DAYS!” Ellie also screamed. Chuck had never seen a screen look nervous before, but he was pretty sure he it did right then.
“He’ll be alright,” Odin assured them. “Once the three merge, Chuck will wake up, we’ll attack the T-800, Chuck will figure out how to turn off the power to the T-800, and turn on the transmitter to infect the other seven machines.”
“That doesn’t sound quite so easy,” Chuck said.
“I don’t like this,” Sarah said, giving the screen a threating look.
“Breaking the screen won’t hurt him,” Ellie said.
“How many?” Chuck asked, grinning.
“Dozens,” the screen said. Chuck laughed.
“I’m the only one, huh?” he asked. “So ,what will happen while I’m out?”
“Supercomputer genius here thinks we should transport you to the site while you’re out,” Ellie answered.
“Not a terrible idea, he won’t talk as much during travel,” Casey grumbled. Chuck gave him a look.
“Think we can wait until morning?” Chuck asked. “I would really like some alone time with my wife before this…you know, just in case.” Sarah just looked at him.
“Don’t you mean your family?” she asked.
“Yes,” Chuck said nodding. “My wife, and daughter?” Sarah nodded. “And, Sister?” Sarah nodded again. “And, Dad?” Sarah nodded and gave him a look. “And my dear friend who is the older brother I never wanted, Casey?” Sarah smiled.
“What in the fresh hell did you do to her, Bartowski?” Casey asked.
“I believe you called it being, Bartowskified,” Chuck answered grinning. Casey grunted and shook his head. For the rest of the night, the mission was dropped, a family reconnected, a new family was forged, and there was a growing belief this would not be a one-time thing. There was a true feeling that after this mission, this gathering would be a regular occurrence. As the night ended, Sarah noticed something against the wall she never had before.
“What is that?” Sarah asked, handing Molly to Chuck and walking over. Ellie smiled, and never looked in that direction.
“I believe you call it a sword,” Ellie said. “It’s made of a material strong enough to hurt the T-800. I don’t know if you could kill one with it, but you can sure make it mad.”
“It would be a good thing to have to give someone a distraction if they needed it,” Sarah said, looking at the sword in awe.
“That’s why you’re going to take it, you are the Valkyrie,” Ellie said, grinning at Chuck. Sarah’s face broke into a smile, she sprinted across the room, and hugged Ellie.
“This is terrible,” Casey said grumbling. Chuck winked at Sarah and handed Molly over to Casey as he continued his tirade about lady feelings. He never once thought about not holding the little girl. “I only hope that I can save you from this madness,” Casey ended his speech talking directly at Molly and having a huge smile on his face. He looked up, saw everyone looking back at him. He turned to Chuck. “I hate you.”
“Love you too, Big Guy,” Chuck said, his arms out for his daughter.
“Oh no you don’t,” Casey said. “I know what you two are going to do tonight, and you’re not corrupting her. I’ve got her for this evening.” With that, he picked up the little girl and headed off to bed.
“Your bedroom is on the farthest side of the compound,” Ellie said, a grin on her face that said she meant exactly what they thought she was saying.
“Probably best,” Sarah said, making Chuck’s chin bounce off the floor. She led him off, Chuck’s brain trying to reboot. “Just for the record, I’m still in the lead.”
“Just for the record, losing to you, really isn’t losing,” Chuck replied. She stopped and faced him.
“Chuck, I’d say you won,” she said, smiling.
“Thirty minutes of silence and then cuddling?” he asked, grinning.
“Can you be quiet for thirty minutes?” Sarah asked.
“OUT!” Ellie yelled at them. “I don’t want to have to scrub my brain!” The two left, leaving Ellie with Orion. “I hope this isn’t the last time we’re all together,” she said softly.
“If it is, those that make it will have to honor the others,” the words said on the screen. Ellie nodded, and went to lay down, a worried feeling in the pit of her stomach.
}o{
The next morning found them all gathering in the main room. Chuck’s hands were sweating like crazy.
“I need you to promise me something,” Chuck said. Sarah looked at him. “IF, this goes wrong, I need you to make sure you raise Molly. I can’t have you going out there being the Valkyrie and going on a suicide mission. She needs her Mom, and don’t give me that you’re not her Mom, because you are now.” Sarah nodded, tears in her eyes.
“Chuck Bartowski, if you don’t come back, I will haunt you the rest of your days,” she said, tears now streaming down her face.
“Sweetie, I don’t think it works that way,” he said softly. There was a glint in her eye.
“Trust me, Buster, it will,” she said. He believed her. He gave her a chase kiss and leaned his forehead against her.
“There isn’t a T-800, big enough or bad enough to keep me from coming back to you,” Chuck said.
“Damn, straight,” she mumbled. “Especially since I’ve got that cool sword to watch your back with. Be careful, Chuck, there are people here who need you.” With that she gave him a toe-popping kiss, smacked his backside, and walked over to the rest of the group. Chuck nodded, walked over to the monitor, turned to Ellie, and nodded.
“Good luck little brother,” she said. “When you wake up, you will definitely be the trickster they never wanted to see.” She pressed a button and the images flew. His eyes watched them all, and when it was over, he fell straight back. “I knew I forgot something,” she said, wincing at his crash.
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road,” Casey said. They all packed the gear, and Chuck, and departed, leaving Ellie, Molly, and the chamber holding the body of Stephen in the compound.
“He’ll be okay,” the monitor read.
“I hope you right,” Ellie replied. “If not, I’ll let you deal with Sarah.” She swore the monitor shuddered.
A/N: We’ve got one more chapter to go. Next up, Valhalla I Am Coming. Just go ahead and put Immigrant Song on repeat…Take care, see you soon
DC