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HM-09 Who Stole My Garm? - 01/01/2008

Written By The Writing Team Of Darrel James Vanwinkle & Joanna Leigh Vanwinkle

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When Hel discovers that something is amiss at the gates of Hela, its up to the current members of the Hazardous Materials team to return to the outer planes and solve the mystery of the stolen watch beast!

Coming up next on Hazardous Materials!

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Previously on Hazardous Materials...

In Mexico, Alex came down with a mysterious illness that originated from Ireland when he and Vicky visited there in Hazardous Magical Mystery Tour. Dr. Remedy informs Vinnie that only Alex's own people can cure Alex and the team were preparing to make the trip, when suddenly, Vicky rejoined the team just in the nick of time.

However, a few of the team members discovered that they couldn't make the trip with the others, so they were unfortunately left behind on Earth.

Two days after the expedition into space had begun...

Genie was seated next to the "Y" in the HOLLYWOOD sign gazing out over the city of Los Angeles. "It's not fair! I really wanted to go help Alex! Damn, I'm bored!"

At the Magic Mansion, Mark was sitting on a couch with a bowl of popcorn watching TV, while his sister had some girlfriends over and were causing a lot of noise. "I wish my sister would shut up. If only I could be with the others in space. In Space, no one can hear you bitch."

At a San Francisco recording studio, Andrew, the Moon Dog Bard, was just finishing up the recording of another of his flute songs... one he wrote recently to honor Alex, who he was sorely worried about. "Please come home safely, Alex. I miss you."

Trina, still being angry at her father, was expending a lot of energy in honing her already razor sharp skills. "You'll just exasperate the conflict," she said, mocking the words her father had said to her.

Erina and Pentacle had spent some time at the cottage that Alex and Vicky had stayed at, but neither of them had managed to find a source for Alex's illness.

Hel, having returned to Asgard to spend some quality with Garm, was bathing his faithful friend when he was shocked to the core of his godliness. "What in the name of Ragnarok?" he exclaimed. "Well, that explains a lot. I've got to get the guys." Then he vanished to locate his mortal friends.

Genie was sitting at the HOLLYWOOD sign when suddenly, Mark appeared beside her. "What are you doing here? Did you kill it?"

Mark sighed. "A sea storm ruined my parents trip so they came home. And then they had the gall to tell me that I could go join my friends. I about cussed them out, then I left. I am just so fricking mad at them. They made me babysit that bitch and I couldn't go support my friends. So... I came up here to sit with you."

Genie smiled. "Thank you, Mark. But if Trina sees you and me together alone at this sign, she will have a conniption."

At that moment, Andrew suddenly just appeared as if by magic! "Wow... that actually worked."

Mark blinked his eyes. "How did...? Why do you have magic, Andrew?"

Andrew replied, "I don't know. I just finished playing one of my new songs that I wrote for Alex, and suddenly, I heard one of those Moon Dog voices from Arvandor... it told me that I was ready to use my music magic to really rock the worlds. And yes, it said the worlds, plural. He told me to picture that which I wanted and to play the flute in a particular way. And all of sudden... I had learned a magical tune for teleporting. I don't know where it came from, but it works. I pictured you guys and played the tune and... I appeared here."

Genie smiled. "I'm impressed. They are finally doing something with you."

Just then, Hel appeared in a flash before them. "Garm is missing!"

Genie exclaimed, "He can't be, Hel! He isn't chained up in those shoddy elven chains anymore!"

Mark said, "And I am sure your sister would have seen someone swipe Garm with Ivan's Security System that he installed at her gates."

Andrew was more believing, however. "How long has he been missing, Hel?"

Hel sighed, looking distraught as he replied, "If my suspicions are correct, he's been missing since we dealt with the Haunted Toy Factory, if not before."

A loud roar from the parking area above the Hollywood sign signaled the arrival of a very expensive sports car. Then Trina came sliding down the hill toward them. "There you guys are. I'm so bored. Let's go hunt something."

"I don't know why I didn't realize that something was wrong when Alex said he kept seeing Garm," Hel continued. "Just the fact that he was being so quiet should have tipped me off. I've failed to do my duty," he finished, looking truly pained.

Andrew hummed. "So all those times that Alex swore he saw Garm... could have been Garm trying to call for help and he knew he couldn't reach out to you, Hel, so he reached out to Alex, who he knew would feed him and treat him good."

Mark said, "Of all the times for Alex to be out of commission... How are we going to find Garm? We don't have a single clue as to where to start looking."

Genie hummed. "Maybe we do have a clue, guys. Think about it. Where were all of the locations where Garm was supposedly seen by Alex. Maybe the places themselves is a clue."

Hel thought about it for a moment. "If I remember correctly, I think Alex only saw him two or three times. And I believe that each time was in a restroom. Once was definitely at the university where we kicked Dark Cult's butt."

Trina, who had taken a position next to Mark, thought about it for a bit. "Didn't Alex say that he saw Garm in a mirror in the restroom?"

Nodding Hel replied, "Yes, I believe so."

"So maybe Garm is in a dimension that can only be accessed by a mirror," Trina stopped and face pawed herself. "We had a mirror at our disposal in Mexico."

Mark said, "Wait a minute... he found a painting of Garm in England and purchased it and had it shipped back to his estate. I remember seeing it on his bedroom wall a few weeks ago. And it's literally Garm. He said he found it in the Myth Museum in London while he was having a lunch with Vicky."

Andrew hummed. "Myth Museum... that would be an M. University Bathroom... that would have been University Campus. U. And Adam Dalton had pictures of Garm, even though he supposedly had never seen Garm before. That would be a D. So... that is either MUD, DUM, UMD, UDM, MDU, or DMU. He also mentioned to me on the Japanese trip that he was seeing Garm in Mirrors, Pool Reflections, and in his Dreams. You know... that sorta sounds like MUD. Could Garm be held somewhere muddy?"

Genie hummed. "So where did that bring us?"

"An interesting theory, but he bought the painting AFTER he had seen Garm in the mirrors," Hel pointed out. "And as for Adam, he had pictures of all sorts of things he'd never seen. He's a fantasy buff."

"Wait a minute," Trina piped up. "If Garm is missing, who is the dog in his place?"

"Ah. I was wondering when someone would ask that question," Hel chuckled. "It is one of Garm's pups. Remember I told you all that Garm had litters spread all over. Well someone has swapped the real Garm for a pup that is almost a perfect match to him."

Andrew hummed. "I know he said he saw Garm in a pool of water in Japan. So if not M, then J. JUD or DUJ? Jud sounds like the name of something. I guess I'm just grasping at straws, guys. We don't have a single clue as to where Garm is. Only that he tried to contact Alex."

Mark looked to Hel. "When was the switch actually made, Hel? I know you had the real Garm just before the Mystery of the Old Lighthouse, but after that, the pup was constantly breaking the chain, until we solved the Mystery of Garm's Chain. Say... you don't think Lorelei knows something about this, do you? The real Garm personally never tried breaking loose from the chains at all. But the pup was breaking loose every few hours to days or so and going straight to Alex."

Genie said, "Mark has a point. The switch had to have been made when the fake chains were being put in place. Lorelei must know something about this. She was pulling her crap since the Old Lighthouse."

Hel fumed. "That bitch! You guys feel like making another trip to Asgard? Lorelei is currently still being punished for her crap, so I know exactly where she is."

"All right! We get to have some excitement after all," Trina said, practically jumping up and down for joy.

"We can stop in Ireland and see if Erina has been having any luck," he added.

Andrew blinked his eyes. "Jud... Alex IS the last clue. A. A for Alex. JUDA. Sorry guys, I'm still grasping at straws. Let's go see Erina."

Mark grinned. "At least you're trying, Andrew."

Genie smiled. "Trina's right! A chance at some action!"

"JUDA?" Hel asked. "Well, Andrew, keep working on it. Who knows? You might actually be on to something."

The Team Arrives in Ireland

Then Hel transported the group to the Ireland cottage where Alex and Vicky had stayed. A light mist fell upon them, the wind off the sea sharp. A band of Connemara ponies stood off in a field on the edge of the bordering forest. Smoke rose from the chimney of the cottage in a soft grey wisps.

Trina shivered. "Not too fond of the weather," she commented.

Andrew felt a strange familiar feeling, as he stepped forward and played his flute in a strange way...

...and instantly, the wispy ghost like image of Alex came out of the cottage and walked out and down to the ponies, where he petted and fed each one. Apparently, he was giving them sugar cubes. Then he walked over to a clump of woods where he apparently relieved himself, and when he finished with that, something seemed to catch his eye, and he walked further into the wood for a brief moment. Not more than a minute later, he emerged from the wood looking quite dazed, as he slowly walked back up to the cottage, turned around and faced the direction of the rabbits and ponies, for there were rabbits in the field at that point. At this point, the wispy ghost like image of Vicky emerged from the cottage and joined him at the pretty view, they seemed to talk for a bit before Alex's cellphone rang, his father of course. Then both images hugged each other and continued back into the cottage.

...Andrew then stopped playing the flute. "Where... how... did I learn that tune?"

Mark smiled. "That was awesome, Andrew! Now we know what Alex did when he was here!"

Genie hummed. "He saw something weird in the woods. Maybe we better talk to Erina first. I wonder where her and her mother are? I don't see her stunt vehicle around and I don't smell any demon lords around, either."

The door to the cottage opened and Pentacle stepped out, followed by Erina. "I told you I heard a moon dog flute," Pentacle said softly.

"What are you guys doing here?" Erina asked, surprised to see her friends.

"Garm is missing," Hel began.

But before he could continue Erina exclaimed, "AGAIN?"

"Let me finish. Garm was never the one getting loose in Asgard. It is one of his pups. We were just on our way to Asgard to question Lorelei about it when Andrew played a new spell," he explained.

"Fascinating," Pentacle said. "Please, come in and I'll fix us all some tea," she indicated the warmth of the cottage.

Genie said, "You mean you actually live here? I thought your place was over on the other side of the Twinkling Vale. Where's that big husband of yours?" She headed inside the cottage.

Mark said, "You'll have to forgive her. Displaced spirit and all..." He also headed inside.

Andrew smiled and bowed humble like to Pentacle. "It is a pleasure to meet the mother of Erina." Then he proceeded to kiss her hand.

Pentacle smiled, "I like this one," she said to Erina. "As for living here, I don't. This is just a way station, so to speak. A place for weary travelers to rest and recuperate. The only reason we're here is because this is the only place Alex was when he visited Ireland. My husband," she smiled dreamily, "is busy with other planar business."

"I told you guys that I was going to try to figure out how Alex got sick here," Erina explained. "Unfortunately, we haven't had any luck."

Hel nodded, "Andrew may have just discovered something important to that investigation," he proceeded to explain what they had seen when Andrew had played his flute.

Pentacle frowned. "There were many rituals taking place the night before, but none in that part of the forest. I'm not sure what he would have seen that would have been interesting enough for him to get a closer look. Feel free to explore the forest all you like, but whatever was there then is most likely not there now."

Genie whispered to Mark, "When Pentacle smiles like that about her husband, she's thinking about his huge phallus." She winked with a grin.

Mark made a face. "I didn't need to know THAT!"

Andrew said, "Perhaps it was not a ritual that he saw in there, but something that is always there, yet you don't think about because you know about it and it's commonplace for it to be there."

"Neither did I," Erina grimaced. "You're talking about my Mom and Dad."

Pentacle considered Andrew's words. "Well, it's hard to say. There are many mystical creatures that roam the forest. And you're correct in saying that I've never paid them any mind before. Perhaps you should take a look there?" she suggested.

"Andrew, would you like to go with Erina while the rest of us go beat the snot out of Lorelei?" Hel asked.

Trina chuckled. "Don't you mean ask her about Garm?"

"Isn't that what I said?" Hel responded with a straight face.

Andrew sighed. "You mean I don't get to go to the outer planes? That's like saying that I don't get to go into outer space." He glanced at Erina. "Let's go, Erina." And he quietly walked off in the direction of the woods.

Mark hated to see Andrew like that, but maybe it was for the best.

Genie said, "If you want me to put my ghostly hand in Lorelei's chest and squeeze her heart a little, just let me know, Hel."

"If he hadn't already been to Asgard, I might feel badly about that," Hel responded. "It wouldn't work, Genie, she's immoral remember?"

"Don't you mean immortal?" Trina asked, laughing.

"That's what I said," Hel winked this time.

Mark said, "Okay, so let's go to Asgard and..." He paused remembering something. "Uh oh."

"What is it, Mark?" Trina asked.

Mark said, "We have to keep an eye on Genie in Asgard, or Hela will try to claim her."

Genie growled, "Oh, I forgot about her!"

"We'll be avoiding my sister," Hel explained. "I haven't told her that a puppy is standing in for Garm."

Mark said, "Okay, so where is Lorelei being punished at, Hel?"

Genie said, "Good, I don't want to deal with Hela. I'd rather deal with Sif."

Trina hummed. "You know, it doesn't make sense that Genie can't go into space, but she can go to the outer realms. What's up with that?"

"She's working on one of Thor's farms as punishment," Hel explained. "She has to make sure that the stables are kept clean, if you know what I mean."

Genie replied, "Grim explained that to me once. He said that the outer planes were literally Alternate Earths based off of our own original Earth. So while the surroundings and people there may be different from Earth, it is still Earth soil and Earth air that is spiritually tied to our Earth. In order for me to make a space trip, I would literally have to bring Earth soil and Earth air with me on the trip... much like a Vampire needs his native soil to retain his power. And I am sure The Count doesn't want me to become a Vampire."

Mark sort of grinned at that. "She's shoveling goat poop? Oh that's rich." He giggled, then continued. "What happened with her brother, though. I know Odin pardoned him for coming clean and helping us to catch his sister. But we haven't heard anything about him since then. Did he return to Arvandor or something?"

Andrew and Erina's Adventure

Andrew walked along toward the nearby woods where he saw the mist image of Alex walking in at. "...all because I'm not a core member, I can't go with the others..."

Erina blinked. "And what am I?" she asked.

Andrew looked back at Erina. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you weren't a core member. It's just that... never mind... this is where Alex entered the wood, right through these bushes. Watch your step, just in case." And he began to head in...

"Cheer up, Andrew. You've already seen Asgard once. And if there is one thing about the outer realms, it is that they never change. Unless you just wanted to visit your moon dog friends?" she suggested.

Andrew said, "They don't live in Asgard, Erina. And they said that I had to earn seeing them again by perfecting this flute that they gave me and..." He suddenly stopped and forced Erina to stop just in time! "That was close, Erina!"

"What the Hel?" Erina exclaimed, stopping suddenly.

Andrew said, "I understand what Alex experienced now, Erina. I guess you don't spend enough time here at home. We almost walked into a clearing wide Faerie Mushroom Ring. It was night time when Alex walked into this, so he could have been transported literally anywhere, been there for days, months, or even years, then returned before a single night passed here. That IS the power of Fairy, am I right?"

"That is how the Fae work. But that doesn't explain how he got a disease from his home world here," Erina pointed out, examining the ring. "Also, the fairy rings are at power at night, during the day travelers are safe."

Andrew nodded his head. "Right. I guess it's safe to walk in then. I just didn't want to accidentally crush a mushroom underfoot." And he walked into the Faerie Ring and promptly vanished from view!

"What!? Andrew!" Erina called. She rushed into the ring after him.

Erina too promptly vanished, appearing where Andrew had gone.

It appeared to be a metallic chamber with a telepad platform. Andrew was standing over near a sliding door, holding a handkerchief over his nose and mouth. And Erina got a whiff very quickly why Andrew was gagging... something foul and rotting was somewhere in the place where they were.

"If Alex ended up here... lord oh lord... this air is rank."

"I think something must have died in here," Erina said, the smell, while pungent, not affecting her as it did Andrew. "Let's look around."

Andrew managed to muster his strength and he followed Erina. "Do you think that whatever is in this air... might have affected Alex?"

"We don't know how sensitive Alex is to certain things, and if this is related to his home planet then it is a distinct possibility," Erina replied.

As Erina and Andrew searched, they soon came across a fully functional pilots command bridge with two seats, both empty, of course. One of the consoles had a display showing an incoming message from Galactic Patrol that had been trying to contact the ship. Another console had a ships log dating back to when Alex would have been born (or hatched).

Andrew said, "Do you think whoever was piloting this ship crashed it here on Earth?"

Erina checked the message from Galactic Patrol. "I don't think the pilot crashed. I think he was forced to land, otherwise, they would have gladly answered this message from the Galactic Patrol asking if they needed assistance." Then she moved over to the ship's log. "And look at this," she indicated. "The last entry is from when Alex was 'born'."

Andrew suddenly got one of those looks in his eyes. "Erina... I just had a wild idea. It has nothing to do with the current mystery... but what if we were to clean up this shuttle, paint it and throw on some Hazardous Materials logos, and claim it for the team as the official Hazardous Materials Transport Vessel?"

Erina smiled. "That's a wonderful idea, but I think we'll have to find the source of that odor, otherwise, no one will want to ride with us."

Andrew said, "The odor seems stronger back toward the rear of the shuttle. Let's go see what got killed and see about giving it a proper burial."

Erina nodded. "Andrew, do you think you can handle it if what we find turns out to be the pilot? I don't want you traumatized by something like that."

Andrew replied, "Well, you can look into rooms first, and if there is no corpse, you can say it's okay to enter. But when you do find something, you can warn me so I can find something else to focus my attention on."

"That a good plan," Erina said. "Let's go!"

Erina lead the way down the corridor of the wrecked vessel. The stench had been strongest when they'd first entered and she had a feeling that whatever there was to find would be near there. Whoever it was had probably perished while looking for a way out.

Erina and Andrew had returned to the hold in which they had arrived. Again the stench of death assaulted them to turn their stomachs.

"Let's check out some of the lesser holds. Perhaps the source is within one of them," Erina suggested.

Andrew tied a cloth over his nose and mouth very tightly. "I can't wait to get this odor and likely corpse out of this shuttle."

Erina opened the first of the smaller holds and cautiously entered. She wasn't entirely sure that the smell was coming from a corpse but she didn't want to completely freak Andrew out so she had kept that thought to herself. She knew that there were things that were living or undead that could give off the same odor, although she found it hard to believe that something could actually be 'living' down here.

Suddenly Andrew let out a shout! "Erina! Watch out!"

And the putrid slimy muddy looking tentacle vines began reaching out of vents at Erina's ankles, arms, and head!

Erina spun and knocked the tentacles away. "OH GROSS!" she exclaimed. "I was hoping to find a corpse!" she continued as her eyes blazed and she shot fire towards the vents where the tentacles came from.

Realizing that the tentacles belonged to an Otyugh, Andrew exclaimed, "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! We have to get that THING off this shuttle and destroyed! That was HORRIFYING! It's inside the ship's ventilation shafts, but it's bulb has to be at a central location! The ship's hold maybe?"

"We came in through the main hold," Erina pointed out. "Perhaps it has nested in the energy core?" she wondered aloud. "Let's go," she led the way down another corridor.

Andrew hummed. "I just noticed that this shuttle seems a lot bigger than I first thought it might be, Erina. I mean, there are a LOT of doors in this corridor. Most are marked with a symbol that Alex once told me to mean... Laboratory... while others are marked with a symbol that Alex told me to mean... Intergalactic Zoo. I assume that manhole and ladder at the end of the hall leads to the energy core. I don't think this was a merchant ship, like we first thought, Erina. I think it was a research ship."

"That still doesn't explain what Alex's egg was doing aboard it, or what happened to the pilot," Erina pointed out, moving cautiously to the door to the energy core. "Be on your guard, in case this thing attacks us before I can get down to it. I may be able to transport it to a realm where it will feel more at home."

Andrew hummed. "I always thought that Alex's egg had been aboard a merchant shuttle. This is a research ship. Unless there is a docking bay on board someplace and the merchant ship is there..." Then he looked to Erina. "Okay, I'm on guard. Just get the putrid thing off the ship." Then it registered what Erina had said, "You mean there is a whole dimension dedicated to sewers and outhouse bottoms? Ewww...."

"Well, that's understandable," Erina explained. "No one really knows how he got to Earth. It was only assumed that it was a merchant vessel." Then Erina smiled over her shoulder at Andrew. "Of course. Every creature has a home dimension."

The moment Erina vanished down the hole that led to the central power core, Andrew could overhear the most putrid sounds, along with the following phrase... "Come to my lips, my pretty morsel!" and that was followed by horrible smooching sounds from the lips of the Otyugh.

Andrew felt sick to his stomach. "Eww..."

"I hope you enjoy being a citizen of the Land of Stench*!" Erina shouted as she recited an ancient incantation that was followed by a loud sucking sound. "Goodbye and good riddance," she muttered, sticking her head out of the hole. "It's safe to come down now."

*A shout out to Labyrinth starring David Bowie

Andrew coughed once then said, "I think the air got a touch less rank, Erina. I'm coming down now. What all do we have down here?" he asked, as he began the descent into the power core.

Erina was carefully burning off the last of the sludge left behind. "There, that should make it much more bearable," she said looking around. "Do you see anything, Andrew?"

Andrew sighed, "Unfortunately yes, Erina. I think this poor guy might have once been the pilot of this research ship. There is only his bones left over. He will need some sort of proper burial."

Then Andrew brought out his moon dog flute and began playing a forlorn dirge, poetic, yet calming.

Erina looked over the remains to try to determine the pilot's race. She knew that would make a huge difference in what kind of burial ceremony they would need to do for him.

The species of the pilot appeared to be a raccoon of sorts, with an oriental quality.

Andrew continued his tune on the moon dog flute, which now oddly sounded as if it wasn't just him playing... but him with a choir of moon dogs in the background, as well.

Erina looked over her shoulder at Andrew and smiled. It was a fitting tune for the pilot.

When Andrew finished, he said, "How shall we give him burial? Or do we contact Galactic Patrol or what?"

Erina considered it for a moment. "I think it best we contact Galactic Patrol. This is something that they are definitely going to want to investigate. We need to know where this guy came from and why he came here to begin with," she answered finally. "Besides, this guy may not be the good guy. Come on," she beckoned as she led the way back to the control room.

Andrew nodded his head. "Okay Erina, but I still got salvage rights on behalf of the team for this ship. And if they don't want it... I'll keep it myself."

Erina led the way back to the flight deck. She began messing with the controls. "Erina Osborne to Galactic Patrol, come in."

Over the ship's radio came the reply. "This is Captain Fang-Scratch of the Galactic Patrol, Erina Osborne. Please state your emergency."

Andrew saw that the image on the monitor was that of an alien wolf wearing the Galactic Patrol uniform.

"Well, Captain Fang-Scratch, my colleague and I have come across a cruiser here on Earth. The pilot has been long dead and we cleaned up the, ahem, mess down in the core chamber," Erina explained. "What I'd like to know is, first of all, are you missing a cruiser; second of all, if there is some protocol to follow regarding the deceased pilot; and finally, if it would be possible for my colleague and I to take possession of this cruiser for the use of our team?"

Captain Fang-Scratch said, "We can send an official coroner to pick up the remains and no, we are not missing a cruiser. I assume you are friends of Vincent Cabriano, yes? If this is the case, then I see no reason why you two cannot use the cruiser for your interesting mystery solving group. It might come in handy. And yes, we've been hearing about how Hazardous Materials sank the British Isles for a while now."

Andrew grinned. "They even know about that in space! That's awesome!"

"That story has been largely blown out of proportion," Erina sighed. "I'll transmit the coordinates of the vessel to you. I'm not sure if you want to send anyone down to take stock of the records on board in some attempt to discern how it came to be here or not. We will, however, be conducting our own investigation while we wait for your people."

Captain Fang-Scratch nodded his muzzle. "Thank you, Erina. We'll be down shortly." And the screen image faded.

Andrew smiled. "Hazardous Materials are going to get our own research vessel! This is so exciting!"

The Team Questions Lorelei

"He's not completely off the hook," Hel continued. "He has to work in the forges. Granted, it's not as bad a punishment as hers, but like you said, he did come clean."

Trina nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. So how much farther to Thor's farm?"

"It is just ahead," Hel pointed out. "She should be in the stables."

Mark sniffed the air. "Odd that I don't smell any goats, Hel. Lorelei must be a good cleaner if she got rid of the scent that quickly."

Genie said, "Or Thor might have his main two goats out with him pulling his chariot. Without the main two around, it's not as stinky around here. Let's just go inside and see Lorelei, OK?"

"I never said anything about goats," Hel murmured, chuckling as they entered. "Lorelei! We need to have a word with you," he called.

Lorelei emerged from the hayloft wearing Daisy Mae Duke clothes and holding a pitchfork. In fact, she sort of looked like a old fashioned country girl. "Up here, Hel. Pitching hay and such. What do you want this time?"

Mark noted that Lorelei sounded annoyed.

Genie noted that Thor had a huge trio of draft horse stallions. When did Thor get three stallions? Jo Tanner better not find out about this, or she'll be up here in a heartbeat.

Hel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'this time'? This is the first time I've been to see you since your punishment was declared."

Trina was impressed by the size of Thor's farm, even though he is a god.

Lorelei replied, "You were just here a few days ago, Hel. How many male gods who are black on one side and white on the other exist? You asked me where I kept my books on canine health. I thought it was a strange request at the time because you know more than my books would ever know." She paused. "If it wasn't you, then what is going on?"

"So what did you tell 'me'?" Hel asked.

"If you thought it was strange why would you tell him anything?" Trina asked.

Genie said, "Trina... I get the feeling that Garm might be sick or something and 'Hel' came to ask Lorelei for help to make a cure." She winked knowingly, yet held a serious gaze in her eyes.

Mark was checking out Thor's stallions.

Lorelei replied to Hel, ignoring the mortals all together, "I told him that my books had been confiscated by Lord Frey and were currently in his Tack Room. Then 'you' supposedly departed. But if that wasn't you, Hel, then who is running around pretending to be you?"

"Can you think of no one?" Hel asked, not convinced that Lorelei knew nothing of it.

Trina looked at Genie and asked, "Is that even possible? Hel has never mentioned anything about Garm being sick. Ever."

Genie whispered back, "What if... Garm is pretending to be sick and the person who has him wouldn't know that, so they would come looking for a quick cure for Garm's condition. Garm is pretty smart, you know, and it would be likely that he would invent ways of sending an alert to Hel and the others to come rescue him."

Lorelei said, "The only other two gods I know who are built like you, Hel, are Lord Loki and Lord Frey. And if I didn't already know that Loki was being punished, I would have said that it was him. And Lord Frey is off with Heimdall and Vidar on a hunting trip in the Asgardian Wilds."

Mark hummed, as he decided to have a look around outside and walked outside of the barn. "If Lorelei isn't lying, then it could be possible that Loki has somehow escaped. He was awfully cooperative when we interviewed him the last time. Too cooperative, I think."

Trina considered that for a moment. "Wouldn't everyone in Asgard know that Garm hasn't ever been sick? That makes me think that whoever has managed to get their hands on him isn't a native of the realm."

Hel sighed, "Your information was as helpful as I'd hoped, Lorelei, but I will believe that is all you know. Be warned, however, if I learn that you have withheld anything from me, you will suffer a fate worse than even you can imagine." The expression on Hel's dark face was frightening.

Then he turned to the others, "Come, my friends, I need to go to my estate and change," he said grimly.

Lorelei said, "Worse than serving your sister or cleaning Odin's outhouse with a teaspoon? I somehow strongly doubt it. But I told you the truth, Hel. Someone who appeared to be you came to see me."

Mark was outside still, pondering something on his own. Loki must be in on this. He knows that if Garm is missing, then Ragnarök could still come and he would be free to fight with the others. Unless... Loki isn't where everyone thinks he is.

Genie looked to Trina and Hel. "Mark is waiting for us outside, guys. If Lorelei really is telling the truth, then there has to be someone else in on this plot. Maybe someone that none of us has figured on yet. Who all isn't accountable who might benefit from Garm being missing?"

"Rest assured, Lorelei, there are worse things," Hel replied as he walked away, his voice frigid.

Trina shivered at the tone in Hel's voice. "Is it just me, or is Hel getting really cold this mission?" she asked Genie. "It's almost like he's a different person."

Genie whispered back to Trina, "I think you're right. He's getting really cold. But how would you feel if someone kidnapped Mark and left an impostor in his place?"

Mark smiled when he saw Freke and Gere approaching. "Hey guys! Andrew didn't come along this time, if you're looking for him!"

Freke remarked dryly, "We are simply delivering a message from the All-Father to Hel. I assume he is inside? Never mind, he is emerging right now." He turned from Mark to Hel. "Lord Hel, Lord Odin and Lord Forseti are requesting your presence immediately at the Valhallan Corridor of Justice. Forseti looked a mite upset, if that gives you any warning."

Hel glared, "I really don't have the time for Forseti's petty problems. Let's go, first stop, my estate, then I'll see what Lord Odin and Forseti want."

Trina winked at Genie, "The imposter would have his throat ripped out."

Mark said, "I thought your estate was in Niflheim, where Hela's realm was located."

Gere dryly commented, "It is in Niflheim. But not in Hela's realm. Odin will be mighty upset when he finds out that Hel chose not to heed a summons. But all the more there is in fun to watch gods bicker."

Freke added, "Hel obviously wants to go prepare himself a drink. Did you have something else on your mind, Mark Merlin?"

Mark nodded his head barely, as he knelt down close to Freke and whispered in his ear, "I have a theory, but I need to pursue this without Hel tagging along."

Freke said out loud, "I need to borrow this boy that smells like a cat. Don't worry; you'll get him back in one piece."

Genie arched an eye. She knew that Mark and Andrew were infamous for getting in the most trouble during adventures.

"Hold your tongue, Gere," Hel snapped. "I will answer the summons once I have prepared for the confrontation that is no doubt awaiting my arrival. If Odin has a problem with that, too bad."

Trina looked at Mark questioningly. "Everything all right?" she asked, concerned.

Mark said, "Trina can come with us, Freke. It's okay. She has a keen hunting eye. And she's the cat scent you smell on me."

Freke arched an eye, then said, "Very well. Come along, she-cat."

Trina smiled at Freke. "Thanks, I think I will."

Freke's Escort Service with Mark and Trina

Freke took Mark and Trina where Mark was indicating for Freke to go... and that was directly to the place where Loki was being punished. And when they got there, they saw that Odin's Valkyries were busy investigating the entire area.

Freke said to a Valkyrie, "What is amiss here, Valkyrie?"

The Valkyrie replied, "Lord Freke. As Odin and Forseti know all too well, it was discovered that the trickster was not in his punishment. He had one of his followers taking the punishment for him. We are trying to find out where the trickster has foxed himself off to."

Mark rolled his eyes and sighed, as he turned to Trina. "Looks like I was right, Trina. Loki isn't where he is supposed to be. And it's my guess that he has Garm."

Trina sniffed cautiously. "But wasn't he still here at the time when Hel believes Garm disappeared? He would have to have some outside help of some kind, wouldn't he?" she asked.

Mark said, "If he had his follower taking his place all this time, then he probably also instructed the follower in what to say to anyone who came to visit him in the punishment."

Freke hummed. "If Loki is loose, then he is likely either plotting some form of mischief on Thor, or if he is involved with Garm, then he has to be keeping Garm somewhere where Hel would not think to look."

Trina nodded. "That makes sense. But there can't be that many places where he could hide, is there?"

Mark replied, "Think about it, Trina... whenever Hel is on Earth, why is it that everyone, Lorelei included, claims that they spoke with Hel? Loki is masquerading as Hel. And when Hel is around in Asgard, Loki is back at the hiding place. And that has to be where he is keeping Garm. It must be one of Loki's plots to make himself all powerful. He's done things like this before. Usually against Thor, who he hates more than anyone else."

Freke hummed. "That indeed makes a lot of sense, now that I think about it. And I think I know who to ask concerning Loki's whereabouts. And that would be Fenris Wolf. He's chained up, currently, but no less dangerous. Yet he may know where his father Loki is hiding out."

"Isn't he the one that bit Lord Tyr's hand off?" Trina asked. "I suppose we'll be ok as long as we keep our hands out of his mouth."

Freke replied, "Yes, he is the one who did that. However... he does enjoy getting visitors, contrary to what Asgardians will tell you. Fenris has little else to do, as you know. Meeting mortals, such as yourself, will make his day."

Mark said, "Sounds good to me, Freke. Take us to Fenris Wolf."

Freke nodded his head and took off at a galloping lope.

Freke arrived at Fenris Wolf's area of imprisonment, still carrying Mark and Trina on his back. "This is the place, my friends. And that huge canine chained up nearby is Fenris Wolf. And his chains are supposedly the same chain material that was supposed to be holding Garm to the gates of Hela."

Mark then got off of Freke's back and smiled. "He is a big one, all right." He then helped Trina off of Freke's back, too.

"Wow," Trina looked up at Fenris. "He's bigger than Garm. So does Loki always choose a giant to mess around with?"

Fenris Wolf lifted his head and glanced over at the two mortals and Freke. "Everyone knows that the best things in life come in the biggest packages." He then patted his groin with a naughty grin. "So what brings one of the one-eye's lap dogs and two mortals to me this day? My father, perhaps? I only hear from people when my father has done something stupid in Asgard."

Mark remarked, "Wow... he's not stupid. Um, I mean, yeah, Loki is up to something again. He kidnapped Garm."

Fenris grinned. "Perhaps he is trying to get to Midgard again. Like last time..."

"Last time?" Trina asked. "Which last time?"

Fenris grinned at Trina. "Loki, Hermes, and Coyote have a... I guess you might call it a Shrine... of humor on Earth. Before Loki was supposedly locked into a punishment, he and the other two set up the shrine where they could plan and pull off practical jokes on mortals. Now contrary to popular Norse belief... the bridge is NOT the only way out of Asgard, as I am sure your friends found out the last time you were here in Asgard. I mean, you did go pay Athena a visit, did you not? And Athena lives in Olympus, correct? That is just across the Arvandorian border, yes? And in Olympus, how does one leave Olympus to go to Earth?"

Mark sighed. "They climb down the mountain. In other words, Loki has been climbing down the mountain to leave Asgard to go to Earth. But if he can do that, then why does he need Garm?"

Fenris chuckled. "Who better to pin all of the Garm problems on than his own son? Loki favors Hela over Hel, and this is probably part of some scheme to teach Hel a lesson. Regardless of how much Garm likes Alex and the goodies that Alex shares with him. I like Alex myself. He smells very fine." He winked.

Trina irked. "That is going to be a big mess when it comes right down to it. So should we go check out Olympus and see if anyone has seen them? I'm sure no one has, but there should be some signs of their passing through."

Mark hummed. "As long as we're not bringing Vicky with us to Olympus, they might allow our being there without too much hassle."

Freke giggled. "I am your ride, guys. So I am coming with you. Odin told me to make sure you had escort."

Fenris stretched a bit. "I welcome mortal visitation. I see the damned gods all the time. Mortals make being chained up more enjoyable. Feel free to pop in on me any time, junior detectives. And good luck catching Loki. You'll need it. He's not even in Asgard, at the moment. Hasn't been for weeks."

"I bet the Olympians would be just tickled to have someone like Vicky running around loose," Trina chuckled.

Freke was once again charging across the landscape of Asgard, heading toward the Arvandorian border where Magni and Andromeda chose to live, for reasons known only to them. Freke made a mighty leap and glided over the top of Magni's house, firmly landing in Arvandor as he continued his fast lope toward Olympus.

Mark said to Trina as they rode Freke, "I am surprised that there are no Elfquest* Wolfriders around here, you know?"

*Shout out to Pini's Elfquest.

Trina chuckled as she held on tightly to Mark. "If we do come across Cutter or the others, I'll probably have to leave you," she joked. "Those are some HOT wolf-riders."

Mark grinned. "If we come across Cutter, I won't be in the least bit upset if you go off with him. Though I would probably have to let some wolf or unicorn molest me then..."

Freke giggled as he galloped along, listening to the conversation at the same time. He _has_ mounted cute boys and cute girls before, so if Mark was implying him... sure!

Trina laughed. "How much further, Freke?" she asked.

Freke smiled. "We'll be leaping from Asgard to Arvandor in a few seconds..." And he made a leap and landed on the other side still galloping along. "...and now we're on the Greek side en route to the edge of Mount Olympus that Hercules loves climbing up and down."

Mark hummed. "I sure hope we're not wrong about Loki trying out this route to Midgard."

Trina agreed. "Well, better safe than sorry anyway."

Freke exclaimed, "Down we go, mortals!" And he leaped off the edge of Mount Olympus and started bounding down the mountain trail of sorts, with all the precision of an actual acrobat. Ororo might be impressed if she could see the wolf bounding from boulder to cliff to crag with real ease.

Mark simply held on tight. This was a fall that he didn't care to make.

Trina, who was more used to traveling under her own speed, gripped the big wolf's fur tightly and clung on as only one of feline blood can.

Gere's Escort Service with Hel and Genie

Gere headed off with Hel and Genie to Hel's home in Niflheim. Gere apparently thought it was funny to watch the male gods bicker.

Genie hummed. "Hel, pardon my saying this, but why has your attitude gotten so icy all of a sudden? And don't talk to me like I'm a mortal, either. I'm dead, remember?"

Hel stopped and turned a cold eye to Genie. "There are two reasons. One is because my best friend has been missing for an untold amount of time and I failed to notice his absence. The second is because someone has made a fool of me and I will have the retribution that is due to me. If it is another god that has done this, then there will be a permanent strife between that god and I. If it is another being, then I will do everything within my power to smite them." Hel then turned and continued leading the way to his estate through a back door into Niflheim.

Gere walked with Hel and Genie as they arrived at Hel's estate. "Been a while since I was last here. Kind of drab. I can see why Hel hangs out on Earth."

Genie hummed. "Question, Gere... if Hel hasn't been upkeeping his estate, then why does it look like someone has been taking care of the place... especially around that door in the rocks over there?"

Gere hummed. "That door leads into the wolven tunnels of Prince Mooncrest and his shape-shifting wolf pack. Although he really has nothing to do with Hel's estate. So perhaps someone else is using those caverns for another purpose."

Hel stopped and looked around, a frown on his face. "Someone has been here," he mentioned has he led the way to his lodge.

They entered the huge double doors and found themselves standing within a large open foyer decorated with shields, swords, and horned helmets. It was surprisingly warm inside. Hel turned to them, "You stay here, I will return shortly," and he left them, disappearing through a doorway.

Genie grinned at Gere. "Hel is off adventuring without us. All alone with a big stud wolf."

Gere grinned back. "Well... we could yiff."

Genie laughed! "I'm dead, Gere!"

Gere laughed, too... then grinned again as he sniffed Genie closely. "That's never stopped me before." He winked.

"Stand down, Gere!" Hel ordered, reappearing suddenly. He was dressed in leather that covered his body protectively and he carried a gleaming sword. "We must discover who has been making themselves at home here whilst I've been away. But first, I'd better see what Odin and Forseti's problem is."

Gere chuckled. "It was only a suggestion because Genie appeared to be bored." He winked.

Genie grinned. "Not THAT bored. Do I look like Trina?" She will get it later.

Hel transported them to Odin's hall. He wanted to get this encounter over with so he could find Garm. His frustration was growing the longer he was having to delay the search.

"Lord Odin, you summoned me?" Hel asked upon entering the main hall.

Odin shouted, "GUARDS! ARREST THAT MAN!" And Hel immediately found guards all around him! "We have you now... LOKI! You didn't think we wouldn't figure out that you were masquerading as Hel, did you? Now you will be taken right back to your punishment and chained to the spot this time!"

Genie glanced at Gere with an arched eye. Both knew there was about to be a LOT of shouting, so both backed away from the scene and into Freke and Gere's favorite corner to watch what happened next.

"You mean to tell me that I wasted valuable time coming to see what you wanted for this?" Hel demanded. "You're a bigger fool than I thought. I'm going to find my father and skin him alive," he growled, pulling his sword. "Get out of my way!"

Forseti exclaimed, "Sire... he does sound and act like Hel. What if this is really Hel and not Loki?"

Odin then called off the guards. "Forgive me, Hel. There had been a report of Loki entering your home with you exiting the home on the same day, just recently. Loki has been loose for months but we do not know what he is up to. But he only seems to masquerade as you when you are on Earth. When you are truly here, he is not to be found. We discovered his escape from his torture when I went to ask him about Gargoyle Castle in the realms of nether twilight. His follower told us that Loki had been loose since before the Hazardous Materials team came to Asgard. And that means that he has been up to some major scheme for months. If this rings a bell for you, Hel, I would appreciate knowing what you suspect."

Genie whispered to Gere, "There wasn't as much fighting as I thought there would be."

Gere whispered back, "Hel is a professional. Had he been Loki, he wouldn't have tried speaking to Odin in that manner. He would have attacked without recourse."

Hel scowled, "He has Garm. The real Garm. For what purposes, I do not know. But when I get my hands on him, he'll wish he'd never begat me."

Some time later as Hel, Gere, and Genie were out of Odin's throne room... Genie said, "Well... that was a dead end. Where do we go now?"

"Let us go speak to Prince Mooncrest. If someone has been coming and going from his caverns, he's sure to know about it," Hel said, more frustrated than before.

Gere said, "This is Mooncrest's hunting season, though he allows passage through his caves as long as you show respect to the alpha hound himself while passing through."

Genie hummed. "If a foghorn went off every time Loki had a crafty thought, we would instantly know where he was. What I can't figure out is why he even needs Garm..."

"He probably wants to use him to get to Midgard," Hel explained. "You see, when I take Garm for his walks, I always take him to Earth. Granted, I use the bridge to get there, despite what everyone thinks," he actually grinned. "He is probably hoping to use him under the guise of taking him for a walk, but Garm can see people for who they really are, and he wouldn't dare tell Loki how we get back and forth from Midgard."

Genie said, "As long as Mooncrest's pack are not in heat, then I don't care where they hunt. Let's just get going already."

Gere wanted to chuckle at that thought. His pack are rarely in heat, as she put it. Though when they are, they prefer live mates, not ghost toasties, like Genie.

"Here we are," Hel said, as they approached the door into the caverns. "We'll have to visit Mooncrest on our way through, we can ask him about Garm when we do, and then we'll continue through to exit on the other side. You may be pleasantly surprised as to where we'll be when we come out."

Genie hummed. "Sounds like you've been this way before, Hel. Maybe you and Prince Mooncrest have played together when you were younger?"

Gere chuckled, "That is putting it lightly, Genie. Prince Mooncrest and Lord Frey have definitely 'played' together."

"I only just met Mooncrest when I built my estate," Hel explained. "But he was always civil to me and I to him. Good fences make good neighbors, you know."

Hel's Estate at the cave door entrance to the Mooncrest Pack Caverns.

Genie hums. "Hel? The door is actually unlatched and ajar. Is that normal?"

Gere sniffed the door. "I smell Loki's scent. Recently..."

Hel was silent as he approached the door and examined the latch. "Curse his eyes," he growled. "Let's go," he ordered, entering the cavern.

Genie and Gere quietly followed Hel into the caverns of Prince Mooncrest. It was unusually quiet in the caverns for a pack cavern and that sort of made Gere uneasy. Normally they would have been confronted by a patrol by now.

Genie was also looking around in a nonchalant manner. Being the resident ghost toastie, nothing could grab her.

Hel stood at alert, gazing down the long dimly light cavern. "Gere, do you smell any of the pack?"

Gere sniffed the air then said, "I can smell them, Hel. Smells like they are all down inside of their own dungeons. I can't imagine why though."

Genie exclaimed, "I can imagine why! If Loki locked them all up so he could pass through here whenever he liked, then no one could report his passages to Odin!"

Hel growled low. "Gere, make your way to the dungeons and see if you can free the pack. Genie, you come with me. Loki will be making his way through the caverns, and we'll cover more ground if we split up," he ordered

Gere took off immediately, as Genie darted down a passageway phasing through walls as she went.

Hel was sprinting down the caverns toward the main gathering chambers of the pack. He hoped to find Loki there. If not, they had a lot of caverns to search.

Finding Loki

Freke, Mark, and Trina landed on a ledge and saw their quarry just ahead in what looked like a sacrificial altar.

Loki had the big lug of a beast, Garm, tied up and chained down on the altar... he had a sacrificial dagger in hand, but at the moment, he appeared to be gloating over Garm. From what the teens and Freke could hear was...

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't find out that you were sending Alexander Hazard all of those mental calls for help?" demanded Loki, as he gloated. "Not that it will do you a lot of good now, Garm! In a few short minutes, Odin will have no choice but to launch Gotterdammerung! And then I won't ever have to be tied into a punishment ever again! If that stupid offspring of yours hadn't kept escaping from his post, no one would have been the wiser! Especially that bastard son of mine... Hel! Why couldn't he have been a My Little Pony?"

Mark whispered to Trina, "Time to pull a trick that Hel and I worked out a few months ago. As you know, there are no cell phone towers in the Outer Planes, but... we rigged up a couple of cell phones to function on magic instead. The moment I press this button, Hel will know I'm calling him." And he pressed the button.

Genie and Gere were busy freeing the pack and Prince Mooncrest from the dungeons, when a cell phone alert went off someplace in the caverns.

Gere asked, "What was that?"

Genie replied, "It sounded like Hel's cellphone. But I thought that there wasn't any cellphone towers in the outer planes..."

Garm, lying muzzled and chained to the slab, rolled his eyes. My Little Pony? You are SO dead. You just don't know it yet. And what's with the monologue? If you're going to kill me just get on with it. On second thought, I smell Trina, that must mean Mark is nearby also, and if they're here, then Hel can't be far behind. You're gonna get it now! he thought to himself, smirking inside the muzzle.

Hel pulled out his phone and checked the caller id. Seeing Mark's number, he frowned. "What did you find?" he asked after flipping open the phone.

Mark whispered into the cellphone, "Freke, Trina, and I are down on the Arvandor/Olympus mountain trail overlooking a sacrificial altar where Loki has Garm all tied down and muzzled. Loki is holding a big nasty looking dagger, but instead of doing the deed... he's been gloating over Garm... and he said some inappropriate things about you that I do not want to repeat over the cellphone. Also, there is a cavern opening directly below the cliff we're on, which seems to indicate that he came from there. So if you know where that cavern entrance is, and you hurry, you can catch Loki in the act... hopefully before he goes shopping for 'horsies'."

Gere, Prince Mooncrest, and the whole pack suddenly shuddered.

Genie asked, "What do you guys hear? I don't have canine hearing, you know..."

Prince Mooncrest replied, "Hel started growling. This is something you never want to hear him do on Earth."

Genie huhed? "What is so wrong about Hel growling?"

Without saying goodbye, Hel snapped the phone closed and returned it to his belt. He then travelled quickly he made his way to the cavern opening that Mark had mentioned. He flew out of the opening and over Mark and Trina's head, his sword drawn and ready.

"Father!" he challenged, "Release Garm, or you'll be worse off than Tyr!"

Garm chuckled, then opened his jaws wide, snapping the muzzle off of his snout. "He said he wished you were a My Little Pony!" he shouted. Maybe next time, Loki would be smart enough to get an enchanted muzzle also.

The sound that erupted out of Hel was enough to make the ground tremble and send chills down Mark and Trina's spines. Trina gripped Mark tightly as they watched Hel lunge at Loki.

Loki was taken off guard as Hel lunged at him, though Mark used that moment to teleport Garm up to the ledge where their little group had been positioned.

"Let's get the rest of these ropes off of you, Garm!" exclaimed Mark, as he worked on the knots and such. "It was really true that Alex was really seeing your image all this time?"

Genie, Gere, and Prince Mooncrest joined Mark, Trina, Freke, and Garm on the ledge at that moment.

"Here you guys are!" said the resident ghost toastie. "Did I hear the words My Little Pony really loudly just a moment ago?"

While down below... *SNAP* *CRUNCH* *SLASH* *BASH* *WARP* *BONG* *KER-THUMP* *OOF!*

Gere shouted, "Give it to him again, Hel!"

Garm grinned, which was pretty terrifying since he had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. "I was just repeating what I heard," he confirmed.

Trina was actually still shaking. "I hope that Hel never has to do this on Earth."

"Of course Alex was seeing me," Garm continued. "He fed me a very nice steak the first time I met him. I figured he'd be the best one to contact."

Soon the battle was over and Hel stood over Loki, on Loki would be more accurate. One foot was on his crotch, the other on his throat. He had pinned one of Loki's arms done by pinning it down with his sword, the other with the dagger that he had been holding. "If you EVER touch my dog again, I'll make sure the eternal torture you endure will be ten times worse than anything even you can imagine," he growled. "Gere, make sure that Odin is appraised of the situation and have him send someone to collect my father."

At that moment, both Odin and Zeus were simply there. No huge thunderous boom or anything like that. They were simply there.

"As I told you, Lord Zeus..." said Lord Odin. "...vile Loki on your mountainous soil."

Zeus folded his arms over his chest and glared at Loki, then he grinned. "Artemis has a fitting punishment that Ares used to get once in a while, but perhaps it would have more meaning for your tricky little bad guy instead. She is quite fond of using those vorpal arrows of hers..."

Loki shouted, "NO!!! I've HEARD of that punishment! Lord Odin, please! Don't do that!"

Odin grabbed Loki and was gone in a blink of an eye.

Zeus looked to the rest of the group. "I think perhaps you should all go have a nice dinner someplace. Garm too... but then, he does have duties he needs to get back to. But I think he has earned a nice dinner. Don't you, Hel?" And Zeus vanished.

Wrapping Things Up

A few hours later, the team were in San Francisco at a private overlook that Blackstone owned, where the caterer had a very nice outdoor like Dining Emporium. And yes, Garm, Freke, Gere, and Prince Mooncrest were there, too.

Perhaps more interesting to tell... was the fact that Erina and Andrew were there, too, with a Researchers Star Cruiser parked nearby.

Grim suddenly popped in and said, "I didn't tell the others where you people were, but... the rest of your team just returned from outer space and... Alex has two home planet locals with him. I didn't want to know what the deal there was seeing as one of the two was a bright red female, while the other was blue and gold, to a degree. However... Genie..." He snapped her lent bracer back around her wrist. "Vicky said to tell you 'Thanks'. I am not sure how she used it though." And then he handed Mark his spare wand back to him. "You will want to recharge this."

Genie said, "You mean you aren't dragging me off somewhere this time?"

Grim said, "Not this time, Genie. The higher powers think they have come up with a solution to your displacement. They told me that they would contact me when they had it all worked out. So I don't know what they are up to this time."

"Alex is home?" Garm asked excitedly, his head snapping up. "Oh, Hel, may I go and say, 'Hello'?"

Hel, in his customary tan leather flap and knee-high boots, was leaned back against a mound of pillows, a tall, cool drink in his hand. He smiled and scratched Garm behind one massive ear. "Go ahead. Run loose for awhile. You deserve it." Garm bounded up and disappeared.

Erina had already told everyone about the adventure she and Andrew had had. "Captain Fang-Scratch was surprised by the condition of the vessel, but he'd already given it to us and Mom was standing nearby," she grinned.

Trina was curled up next to Mark, still thinking about the events that had seen and heard. She glanced over at Hel, who was laughing at something Prince Mooncrest had said, and shuddered, glad that he was back to the way they all knew and loved. She hoped they never had to witness the other side of him ever again.

Mark chuckled. "Is Garm going to land on Alex the way that offspring was always doing, or will he have more respect?"

Andrew added to Erina's statement about the ship, "...And I'll be living on board the Research Cruiser. I knew that living in Mikael's bunkhouse was a temporary arrangement, so... Erina helped me move my belongings from the bunkhouse to one of the cruiser's cabins, which in all due honesty... is like the size of Vinnie's apartment and then some. Loads of room to do things. Which reminds me, Hel... Pentacle suggested an idea when she saw the living cabins on the Cruiser. She suggested that we could arrange two-way portals between clearly marked doors with our names on them that would lead to any place we desired. So if you wanted your Cruiser Door to lead to your home in Asgard, you could have that, while Alex could have his door lead back to his unicorn home world, if he wanted. And similar places with everyone else. What do you think?"

Genie hummed as she replied to Grim, "Any time the powers get involved in something that you were supposed to have handled that you cannot handle, and in your defense, Grim, my conditions are not your fault... I've been unfairly picky about this; I love this team but I don't want to lose my powers nor not be available for them.... it seems to suggest that some sort of emergency has cropped up that they need an outsider's help with in which they themselves cannot interfere with. And by now, I am sure most of the Heavens and other planar Pantheons are all whispering, 'if you get on the bad side of Hazardous Materials, you will go down hard'. Therefore they know that this little team I am so fond of is very necessary in the grand scheme of events... so my guess is that they are going to 'TRY' to cater to my wishes and allow me to remain with the team... BUT on the condition that I and the team do something for them. What do you think, Grim?"

Grim stated dryly, "I think you reasoned that more than expertly. I was nearly thinking the very same thing. As I said, they are up to something. And your team must be involved in it."

"Garm is always well behaved," Hel responded. "He won't pounce on him, but he may give him a very large slobbery kiss. As for the portals, I think it is a splendid idea. I'm sure our resident mages can whip up the necessary spells. I feel it may very well take all of them."

Prince Mooncrest chuckled. "Garm is housebroken and very well-mannered. I mean, look who trained him..." pointing a paw at Hel.

Mark grinned. "Maybe Hel should train Trina then... none of the trainers that her father hires can control her at all. And speaking of that, Trina... how is the Elephant Alien Teacher doing these days? You haven't mentioned him in a LONG time... not since The Haunted Toy Factory mystery..." (See HM-02 The Haunted Toy Factory for more details.)

Genie handed Grim a martini and picked up one herself. "I would much rather deal with you, Grim. You and I understand each other."

Grim sipped on the martini. "Just like I like it. You do understand me."

Genie said with a grin, "Unlike some people, I can learn..."

Trina growled. "I do NOT need to be trained. And Teacher left without an explanation. Maybe I was too much for him," she laughed.

Freke and Gere looked at each other and started singing the My Little Pony theme song, sniggering and laughing as they did.

Mark chose that moment to grab Erina, Trina, and Andrew and teleport with them back aboard the Research Cruiser. "That is not a song we want to hear when Hel is around." And then he told Erina and Andrew WHY!

Andrew blinked his eyes and shuddered. "I always thought of Hel as a Care Bear, but I knew not to say that to him."

Grim and Genie also chose to vacate the scene, as two big wolves were likely about to get walloped.

Prince Mooncrest chuckled, as he looked up into the sky and said, "Okay, Credits Producer, take it away..."

And having said that, the ending credits for that episode began to scroll up the screen, as the scene went dark and the sounds of Freke and Gere being walloped by Hel were heard.

**End of HM-09 Who Stole My Garm?

Stay tuned for HM-10 Hazardous Panic**