Fenrir's Binding: The Queen and The Barbarian

Chapter Eight: Gods and Monsters

Fenrir's Binding: The Queen And The Barbarian

By evolution-500

Genres: Romance/Angst

Feedback: Always welcome

WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language and mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: Killer Instinct" is a property belonging to Rareware and Microsoft while "The Boys" is a property by Garth Ennis and Dynamite Comics. I do not own these characters.

Chapter Eight: Gods and Monsters

"Behold, I show you the Superman. He is this lightning, he is this madness."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Maggie felt the air become still as she regarded Tusk with newfound horror, her mind reeling from the giant bombshell that he had dropped on her.

The barbarian was motionless, his expression hard and stoic, giving away nothing.

Swallowing, Maggie struggled to speak, her own voice working against her as the celebrity kept her eyes focused on him.

"S-So," she said finally, her voice faint and soft like a whisper, "...what are you going to do now?"

Tusk said nothing, his piercing blue eyes staring into her own. Closing them, he exhaled.

"I'm afraid I have no choice but to inform Lord Nodens about this," the barbarian answered.

"And-and what? Y-You're going to just-just kill everyone?! You're not going to stand up against him?!"

Tusk sighed. "I will do what I can to persuade him, Maggie, but you have to understand - these are forces that are not to be underestimated nor trifled with. Nyarlathotep is a formidable enemy."

"And what will you do if Nodens actually gives the kill order? Are you really going to-to...murder an entire world over a few fuckups?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Maggie felt her heart stop as she heard his admission, feeling as if she had been hit in the stomach. Part of her wanted to throw up.

"...What?" she said in a smaller voice.

Tusk raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression dark and serious. "There have been...many occasions...where I had been called upon to perform my duty as watchman. I have slain many worlds and many, many more of its variants in other realities, when those dark forces found their way in."

She stared aghast, terrified by what she was hearing, causing the barbarian to falter.

"Maggie," he said slowly, "you have to understand, I take no pleasure in doing this! It is a necessary measure to ensure that the Old Ones and Outer Gods don't claim those worlds for themselves. Compared to the things that they would have done, my putting those worlds and realities out of their misery were acts of mercy."

Maggie struggled to maintain her composure, trying to muster up every ounce of courage and strength she had as Maeve as she clenched her fists, teeth and mouth. Christ, was this how Elena had felt when she saw the video of her and Homelander?

"A-And you-you think that justifies what you did?! What you do?! You think that makes it right?! This-this is insane!" she said with renewed anger. "I can't believe this! I can't fucking believe what I'm hearing! I thought you were a hero, but-but it turns out that you actually might be even worse than fucking Homelander! Why didn't you try to find a way to save those worlds?! Why couldn't you have saved some of those people?!"