by Michael Todd
Whoever it was banged on the door again, this time rattling the mirror on the wall. Juntto scooted to the edge of the bed and growled. There was someone on the other side yelling at him in a language he didn’t recognize. “What the fuck?”
He wandered to the door in a fog, more confused than angry. “Who knew that drinking the bar dry gave you such a fucking headache?”
He reached for the handle of the door and pulled it open. As he lifted his hand to his eyes to block the blinding light, a fist hit him so hard that he flew back into the room and slammed into the wall. The mirror wavered and teetered, but didn’t fall.
Pandora strutted into the room. She was completely at ease in her body, and her eyes were a boiling red as she looked around. She spat at him in the demon tongue. “Nice to know your standards are still the same—low and disgusting.”
Juntto lay on the floor, groaning. He raised a hand and felt blood oozing down his chin. Pandora walked over and kicked him in the side lightly. Juntto groaned and doubled over. “Heard you were back in town. Almost threw up when I heard, but whatever. Listen… Are you fucking listening?”
Juntto fought through his hangover fog, wondering how things had gone so badly so quickly. He mumbled something and nodded angrily.
Pandora smiled. “Good. I have a deal for you, one that gives you a chance to really cut loose. You interested?”
Juntto stood on shaking legs and looked at himself in the mirror. “Fuck my frozen ass.” He raised his hands to either side of his nose and jerked it to the left. There was a sharp crack as his broken nose straightened. The blood trickling down his face was dark-green, and it stained the carpet wherever it landed. He popped his nose a little to the right. It was already starting to heal, so he had to work fast to make sure he put it back in the right place.
When he was done, he took a deep breath through his nose just make sure it was in working order. He held up a finger, telling Pandora to give him a second, and stumbled to the bathroom. He grabbed a towel off the sink and wiped the blood from his face, then looked Pandora up and down with a grin she wanted to smack right off his lips.
He could tell he was getting to her, but that was one of his favorite things to do. He chuckled and tossed the towel into the bathroom, standing there in all his glory, which didn’t faze Pandora in the least. “Ah, still mad about that last remark, Lilith? I’d have thought you would have gotten over that by now.”
Pandora gritted her teeth. “No. You let it fester, asshole.”
Katie wasn’t comfortable with how things were going, but she had to keep her faith in Pandora. Why exactly are you being so arrogant right now? Aren’t you the one who said not to do anything to piss him off?
No. I told the military not to do anything to piss him off. Arrogance is the only language Juntto understands. I could really care less if it makes him mad.
Katie looked at him through Pandora’s eyes. He looks like he enjoys it. Can you have him put pants on?
Hush. I’m working here.
Pandora picked up the ID on the dresser and looked it over. “So here’s the deal…uh, Peter Cavanaugh. Shitty name, by the way. If we kick your ass, you work for me. You kick our asses, well, we’ll probably try again.”
Juntto chuckled. “That’s what I’ve always appreciated about you, Lilith. You were willing to tell the truth…almost.”
He took the ID from her and walked out the door. He glanced around the corner and saw a rank of soldiers with guns staring at him.
Calvin took one look at the naked man and shook his head. “Fuckin’ Pandora.”
Juntto yawned at the guns and went back inside, crossing his arms over his chest. “We have, what, six infected humans and you?”
Pandora shrugged, keeping her face neutral. “I’m infected too.”
“I’m not even sure how that works.”
“It’s a long fucking story, one you don’t need to worry about. It has nothing to do with you and never will.”
Juntto smirked. “Man, you’re still that same bitter old bitch you always were.”
Pandora growled, “I am not old.”
Pandora? About those pants?
Nope. I have him at a disadvantage.
He doesn’t look disadvantaged.
Juntto walked closer to Pandora until he was pressing himself against her leg. “What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good fight. I’m in. Where are we meeting?”
Ew. Ew. Ew.
It’s all part of the plan.
Leviathan dick on my leg is part of the plan?
It’s a very complicated plan.
Pandora smiled and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. “Those are the coordinates, and there are directions, too, in case you’re too far behind to understand coordinates.”
“You got jokes. It’s like foreplay.”
Pandora bared her teeth. “Don’t ever put me and you and foreplay in the same sentence again. I can feel the bile rising in my stomach.”
He grinned. “Okay, get out. I still need my beauty sleep. I’ll be there. I haven’t had a good fight in forever.”
“I think there’s a fly on my leg. Clean your room. It’s disgusting.” Pandora spun away from him and left the room. She slammed the door behind her.
Juntto smiled in the dark. “Literally…like forever.”
He plopped down on the bed and stretched out. Juntto was amused by what had just happened. Surprised, and amused. He really hadn’t thought he would see Pandora. He certainly hadn’t expected to walk away from that meeting with his balls attached.
He crossed his arms underneath his head and smiled. “Lucifer can suck it. That bitch will be mine.”
The choppers flew low and fast as they made their way to the open field where Pandora would take Juntto on. It was a good place, away from the public and from prying eyes. And there was ample space for them to use really ferocious weapons. It was exactly the kind of place Pandora would have murdered him last time he had come to Earth.
The choppers landed and dropped the crew off near new .50 caliber gun turrets and several crates of rifles and handguns. A generous assortment of weapons had been donated by the Swiss military for their use. They had made an agreement with the US and were happy to do whatever they could to get Juntto out of their hair.
Pandora was already in control of Katie’s body, with Katie paying close attention in the background.
She stood in front of her team. “All right, listen up. There are a lot of powerful weapons sitting here. They’re what we’ll need to injure this fool, but please make sure he doesn’t get his grubby hands on them. We’ll be completely fucked if he gets to the artillery, I promise.”
Calvin cocked one of the guns. “Is he a good shot?”
Pandora scoffed. “Uh, yeah. He could shoot a flea off a horse’s back from three hundred yards. And he’s a double-fister, and I mean that in a non-sexual manner.”
The guys wrinkled their noses, and Pandora chuckled. She loved messing with them. “Now, know this. The special metal probably won’t wound him worse than normal bullets, but it doesn’t hurt to try. The goal here is to beat him and not get fucking killed. He’s extremely dangerous, and not a demon. He doesn’t come from hell, he doesn’t take stupid chances, and he doesn’t have a conscience. He doesn’t care if he could use you later, he will waste you where you stand and piss on your body.”
Brock swallowed hard and gripped his gun tighter. “This guy sounds like he’s never gotten his ass kicked.
Turner agreed. “He sounds like he needs his ass kicked.”
Pandora smiled. “He doesn’t even feel pain the way you do. Don’t go toe to toe with him under any circumstances. Stay as far away as possible, okay?”
The team agreed, then set to work sorting through the weapons and gearing up.
Pandora snapped her fingers and waved to get their attention. “Almost forgot. One more thing. Don’t fucking shoot me, please. There’s nothing more embarrassing than friendly fire. If you aim
for him and I’m in the way, you don’t take the shot. It’s simple. He is Billy Badass, and I’m going to have my hands full. So don’t shoot my perfect posterior, okay?” The guys chuckled, but Pandora’s face was serious. “I want everyone to walk away from this. Promise me, please, that if I die, you’ll turn tail and get the fuck out of here. Do not try to save Katie or me, or you’ll all end up dead. Now, get comfortable. He likes to make a late entrance.”
Pandora sat in the snow, leaning her back against a .50 caliber turret. The guys were all sitting quietly, weapons ready, whispering to pass the time. It had been six hours since they’d arrived, and Juntto still hadn’t gotten there. Calvin shuffled to Pandora. “How long do we wait before we decide he isn’t going to show?”
Pandora, without looking, stuck up her hand and pointed into the field. “Speak of the douchebag. He’s here now.”
Calvin looked up to see Juntto, fully clothed this time, standing in the middle of the field. Pandora got up and stretched.
Calvin sniffed. “Are you gonna go talk to him or something?
“In a minute. I’ll make him wait. He hates waiting.” She stood still and stared up at the sun. In the distance, Juntto raised a hand and waved to make sure she saw him. “All right, boys, stay safe. See you on the flip side.”
Pandora made her way to the open field and stopped a hundred yards away from Juntto. She didn’t trust him for a second.
He pointed to Pandora’s crew. “What, no army?”
Pandora grinned maliciously. “Why would I bring one? You aren’t that big a problem.”
Juntto slapped his hand over his heart and feigned shock, stumbling back. “You wound me, Lilith. I see the puny men and their puny weapons. I can only assume it’s you and me. Will they try to sting me?”
Pandora shrugged. “I guess so. Gotta give them something to do, right?”
“Right. Let me guess—you’re planning on pouncing me and pulling me back to hell with you.”
Pandora shook her head, looking innocent. “Nope, although I have to admit, the thought crossed my mind. I figured I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors, though.”
Juntto shook his finger at her. “You did that to Tiamat. I’ve been informed of your scare tactics. Poor Tiamat. You wounded her and then left her to Moloch. I mean, he fulfilled his promise, which was more than I would do, but he also sent her to her death. It was kind of fucked up.”
Pandora circled around the frost giant, sizing him up. “All’s fair, my friend. Besides, you’re the one who works for those backstabbing weasels. You know they’ll eventually do it to you, too. Poor Juntto never has any friends who stick by him.”
“They told me you’d become a real bitch.”
Pandora dug her heels into the snow and feigned injury. “Oh, no, someone squealed on me! That’s so disappointing. Kind of makes me taking you down all the sweeter, though, don’t you think?”
Juntto chuckled and crouched in the snow. “Only if you can do it.”
They both jumped at the same time, clashing together brutally. They dropped to the ground in a whirlwind of punches and kicks, then separated and got to their feet. Pandora used her speed to knock his feet out from under him, but he was up faster than she could turn. He slammed his fist into her face and shoved a knee into her stomach. As she bent over in agony, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and flung her thirty feet.
Now that they were separated, the team opened up. They fired on Juntto, trying hard not to hit Pandora. Calvin held a hand up as Pandora launched herself back at him. She was all over the place, and moving so fast they could barely see her. They weren’t getting as many shots off as they had hoped, but it was better than accidentally nailing their leader. The brawl moved from the field to a stand of trees.
Juntto lunged forward and elbowed Pandora in the nose. As she stumbled back, he spun and grabbed a fallen branch. He took a step toward the team and lobbed it as hard as he could at one of the guys.
They were spread out on the hill, so they were able to dodge the branch. But now Juntto knew he could reach them. Every time he got a good jab in on Pandora, he found something else to throw at the team. Calvin manned one of the .50s and let loose with a burst of gunfire.
“Ouch! Fuck! Those fucking bigger guns fucking hurt. I’m going to actually have a bruise on my skin for the first time in two centuries.”
Pandora laughed at his pain. “You don’t even know what’s coming. That up there is just a taste of what we could unleash on your pathetic ass. Put you in a room with our gas, and you won’t walk for three weeks. That is if I don’t kill you while you’re down.”
He growled and raced forward. She tried to dodge, but he slapped her as hard as he could. She wobbled on her feet but caught herself, refusing to go down by his hand. He skipped around her in a circle, laughing wildly. “Wishing you were back in hell yet?”
Pandora glared at him, wiping the blood from her chin and flinging it into the snow. She raced forward and jabbed him hard in the stomach, then juked far enough away so that he couldn’t easily retaliate. He choked and coughed, but there was laughter in his eyes. “I’ll probably just bend you over and take you in front of your minions, you little slut.”
Pandora growled and leaped at the frost giant. She ran through his flailing arms and grabbed him by the throat. She heaved and lifted him, only to slam him back down into the snow. She tried to move quickly away from him, but he grabbed her ankle and yanked her foot right out from under her, then bounced to his feet, dragging her through the snow.
“You know what’s wrong with you, Pandora? You think you’re better than you are. You think that queen title ever actually meant anything? It didn’t. You were just one of the lucky whores.”
She kicked at him, but Juntto held firm. He spun her in a circle and grunted as he let go, hurling her into a nearby tree. Her back slammed into it and she fell to the ground, coughing blood onto the snow and speckling it red. She slowly put one hand on the ground and pushed herself back onto her feet. She wobbled from side to side, beat the fuck up and barely standing. It was the worst beating she had taken since she’d come back to Earth.
Juntto was confused. She obviously wasn’t in his class. He was fucking her up, and something told him that she had expected it to be that way. He was powerful and from another planet, and she didn’t stand a chance against him. Why was she still fighting? He just couldn’t figure out what her angle was.
Juntto laughed loudly as Pandora stumbled toward him, wiping blood from her face. “No, please, don’t move. Just stand very still for a moment. You might fall over otherwise.”
She looked barely conscious. The frost giant snickered and ripped a skinny tree out of the ground. He slammed it against his leg and broke it into several pieces, then stuck the pieces into the ground like fence posts. He muttered under his breath, “Spears. Fuck you, Moloch. Spears are where it’s at.”
The guys watched from afar, not sure what he was doing. Suddenly, he ripped a piece of tree from the ground and launched it at them. Another. And another. The makeshift spears came crashing down around them, and they had no choice but to take cover. Splinters and shards of bark showered the team. Almost every single one of them was cut or impaled.
Juntto watched them retreating and knocked the dust off his hands. “I’m sorry, Pandora. Your friends fell back. They didn’t like it when it rained sharp objects. Too bad they didn’t love you enough to sacrifice themselves.”
While Juntto was facing Pandora, Calvin snuck around the field toward the trees. He was making his way closer and closer to them, trying to help Pandora. He caught her eye, and she mouthed, “The plan.”
Calvin’s face turned grim, but he nodded. He began making his way back to the team. Juntto, with a shit-eating grin on his face, turned toward Pandora. “The plan? That’s exciting, but I think I know what the plan was. It was for me to come here, beat the ever-loving shit out of you, get my rocks off, and piss Lucifer off because he can’t come here while I�
��m banging his wife.”
Pandora spat blood and held out both hands, steadying herself. She let herself giggle. “I’m not his woman. I divorced his ass.”
Juntto threw his hands up, not bothered by her admission. “Okay, his previous woman. He’ll still be pissed.”
Juntto went to the side of the field and yanked another tree out of the ground, roots and all. He gave a few practice swings as he walked back toward her. “Any last pithy statements before I beat you?”
Pandora spoke through a mouth full of blood. “I’ve been hiding a secret.”
Juntto set his tree on the ground. “What, you have a special weapon in your pants? I’ve had enough of that in my time. I’m not ruled by my other head, dear.”
Pandora laughed maniacally. “Oh, you are, but that isn’t my confession.”
Juntto smiled, liking the game. He walked closer to her and leaned in. “What is it?”
Pandora grinned maniacally, showing off the blood covering her teeth. The smirk faded off Juntto’s face as concern took over.
Pandora closed her eyes and let Katie come forward.
Juntto shook his head, not believing what he was seeing.
Katie was pissed. Her hand shot up, and she called her armor. In a heartbeat, she was clad in angelic metal. She stepped toward him, and the shock caused him to stumble. He dropped his tree.
Katie growled, “Spear, huh?” She extended her hand, and in another heartbeat her fist was gripping a gleaming golden spear. She moved like lightning. Her other hand grabbed Juntto by the shoulder, and she shoved the spear through his stomach and out his back.
His mouth dropped open. The frost giant wheezed wetly and ran his fingers down the long handle of the golden spear, trying to push himself off the thing. Katie grabbed the shaft with both hands and used it to pull him closer to her. She tilted her head to the side and hissed, “How dare you threaten to force yourself on my sister!” She rammed her armored foot between his legs.
Juntto grunted and would have fallen if he were not impaled on the angelic spear.