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Maximos would have said something, he really would have but there was no point in about two and half seconds Tomorrow would see for himself.

Half the contents of the boat were gone, all of the rods, save for Maximos', all but two of the spears and the whole tackle box. But just as Tomorrow realized that, he would likely realize what Maximos had warned him about.

It came from all around them, a 300ft radius, a rumbling roar, making the water dance as if it was boiling before the culprit became visible. Around the rim of the 300ft radius, Tomorrow and Maximos would both be able to see a ferocious and bloody set of teeth, lips...a mouth.

It was came from beneath, straight up, mouth open, like a whale only with a single target in mind. There was no escape. While Maximos' boots allowed him flight, he wasnt wearing his boots and he hadnt the time to summon them and not even he could move out of the 300ft radius that fast. Tomorrow could likely try and leap, but the small boat had already taken a rather heavy impact it likely wouldnt be able to hold the wieght or force of his takeoff, something he would likely be able to feel.

Its mouth would rise like a massive wall surrounding both men, its teeth scraping at the sky as countless gallons of water poured into the pit and two men, two friends, two enemies, stood back to back ready to face this oblivion head on and crush it.

A smirk slipped on Maximos' face as the sun began to fade from view, blotted out by large lips.

Ready...?

He said in a tone Tomorrow might actually recognize from their days of old, a warmer tone that hadnt been presented to him in a long time. Though this really wasnt the time to reminisce on it.

Back to back they stood as the afternoon sun was clean out of the sky. This for any normal men would have been the end, but like the warriors they were, they stood ready for the worst. One wielding a fishing rod, the other a long metal spear against an ungodly monstrosity.



Tomorrow's shout boomed inside the fish, echoing off its fleshy membranes and reverberating the water as it tore outwards, searching, hoping.

There was silence for a moment, and then a rumble. A roar. From inside the fishes mouth the very scale of the roar was unimaginable, men of lesser constitution would have died. Maximos dropped the rod to shield his ears, Tomorrow would be wise to do the same, lest be made deaf.

And then...

Daylight.

The creature had heft itself upwards with a powerful thrust of its tail and fins, but even in water gravity existed and it would pull the creature back. Though as it did, the beasts mouth opened, the water was wild for a while as its lips and teeth descended but Tomorrow and Maximos were free. They would see the creatures eye looking at them rather sternly as it turned away, and a visible division of the water marking its escape, along with a low rumble. As if silently saying, "Yeah, you better be."

And yet, as he turned to Maximos all he saw was a blank look of shock. It wasnt fear, it was pure surprise. It was like Maximos was staring into the face of god. Or as if the meaning of existence had just dawned on him. His paradigm of reality was having its edges pushed.

In all my years...

His sentence died, his hand slowly rising and pointing straight behind Tomorrow.

It was silent.

Because it was effortless. Parting millions of gallons as easily as men part puddles with a footstep.

Tomorrow would see the giant fish lifted easily 200ft over the surface of the water by two enormous towers, easily skyscrapers. The catfish didnt even struggle, its spine had already been snapped, like a twig. You see these were no skyscrapers...these were tentacles. And were there were two, there were usually at least six more.

And one by one they showed themselves, parting the water and smashing into the shore, digging craters in the soft sandy soil as the beast used the shore to pull itself up, the fish was lowered into a gaping maw, easily 500ft around, the once seemingly massive fish was dropped into the impossible pit of teeth and immediately shredded into nothing turning the water to red and sending massive chunks of fish in all directions.

That was the sort of creature that existed only in legend, the kind of beast you have understand can exist but ignore, as its scale alone puts it on a different plane of being than your own. The two men were beneath its notice, and it seemed that was where they should stay.

That was until a voice ripped out from the shore, Logan's.

Yeah! Thats the one! Aint nobody fishin' no more! Get'm boys!

Was that a strategy? A plan? Did he hear that right, did that really come from that man?

Maximos was impressed, it was with great surprise he had to admit to himself he was actually thinking precisely the same thing. He smiled, and he smiled wide giving a stout nod to go along with his wily grin.

Indeed.

For a moment, for a second, he saw it. He had just about entirely lost hope, but in Tomorrow he saw flecks of the potential that had driven him to combat this man time and time again. For right now, he did not Thor, the god, object of his hatred and prejudice, he saw Johnathan Tomorrow, ally, rival....friend.

How could he not smile?

I wonder if Walter has a good recipe for kalamari...

He turned to face motor of the small boat and....and he stared. This was to be the faithful steed with which these warriors drove into the heat of epic battle. But for that, it needed to move. He had watched Tomorrow start it earlier, it was something involing a pull or a push? Or perhaps it was like a horse?

Maximos knew how to ride a horse. He would go with what he knew and briskly kick the engine shouting "Ya!" as he did so. Just once, before looking at Tomorrow with silent sort of "Can ya help?", look.

No.

Maximos said, standing up straight. His locking on to his friends. Mismatched black and white peering into blue.

We do this together.

He reached around his side pulling out his knife with a small "shink".

I've seen this sort of steel magic move faster and even restart from scratch when fed your sort of power. Give this device all the power it will handle and send us soaring into the beast head on.

It was a Tomorrow style strategy. But in this case it was most effective as far as Maximos could see. How could John hold off its tentacles from the shore? Could Maximos really pilot this thing with the skill necessary to dodge those massive pillars and launch an attack?

No.

They had come this far together and they would finish it together. He would rest his free hand on his friends shoulder.

Niether of us is as strong as both of us...

A slight pause, a twitch in his right hand.

...my friend...

The boat shot forward parting a streak of lake water as it suicidally powered toward the giant beast, a loud revving buzz of the engine filling the air. The rev, growing louder and progressively louder as well as systematically more chaotic.

Maximos could only laugh in agreement with the giant behind him. He had to drop to one knee with both hands on either side of the boat just to keep from flying away.

Tomorrow!

He shouted above the screaming engine, turning back over his shoulder.

If I'm not back in two minutes I want you to use this!

Maximos right arm extended to Tomorrow, black swirled in his hand along with a few dry cracks and crackles of almost electrical violet energy before a ball was formed, about 4inchs around with a frozen electrical storm in its core. Its surface seemed to be a cool glass, but it would crackle if the Aesir's fingers touched it.

It will be the only hope of crushing this thing.

Maximos hadnt the time to make sure Tomorrow took it. If he didnt outright accept it, Maximos would literally shove it at him and then turn back around, just as the engine gave in. The boat was slammed to a dead halt as one of the creatures loose tentacles rose from in the water serving as a seemingly immobile blockade.

Maximos flew, tossed into the air by the sudden jolt of coming to a crashing stop. His hand and feet were posed as if he was preparing to pounce as he soared across the distance.

The first tentacle was easy enough, he rolled to the side as it just barely missed him. The second was far harder....It came crashing straight for him, he had no real control over his placement in mid air, instead he stuck his blade out, snagging it on the edge of the limb ripping a bloody swatch around its length before he soared upwards.

Tomorrow however would have something of a harder time. As the engine died he was left sitting in the middle of the water with two tentacles coming crashing down right on his head. His massive weight would have kept the Aesir from flying away, but that did not change these fact the two tendrils wanted to see him flattened, a thridw. If he took the time to examine them it would almost look as if a series of buildings were collapsing on the mans head. Had he the muscle to hold them back?

Maximos soared through the air. But even he could not escape the wicked pull of gravity. He needed a boost with a smack his hand impacted a third tentacle, using centrifugal force to loop him around and on top of it. His bare hand covered in greenish black ichor, sweat beaded down his face.

He could smell the thing...like a thousand years of raw fish gone bad. He did everything in his power to kept for vomitting on the spot. He still hadnt reached his goal, The eyes above the concentric ring of gnashing, swirling, teeth. He could hear a splash in the distance, but Tomorrow was a tank, a monster of a man, he could handle himself.

He had one shot, and no time to think. As he leaped from the thrashing limb soaring toward his goal, he saw oblivion.

Like a man grows tired of a mosquito and after swatting at it finally decideds to crush it. It had finally decided to finish him. He had no wings, no jets, no flight, and no time to pull shadow, and a tendril was coming straight down at him. It was massive, there was simply where to move, no where to dodge. If he was hit, he was crushed.

For a single, primal moment Maximos felt deaths breath on the back of his neck again, and was proud to face a death in battle. He wondered if he would know the Reaper that came for him. He wondered if he was destined for the same resting place. He wondered if he would still be remembered.

He wondered...

---

Death, reached down from Tomorrow like a child picking a goldfish out of the bowl. He would be able to see through the remains of the boat, the hole in the hull where he had fell. He would leap for air, with trashing limbs chasing directly behind him. If he paused, if he stopped, if his power was an ounce less than that it actually was they would have him.

But a man like this thunder god was not one to be killed so easily.

He would break the surface tasting clean air again, the tentacles below him had not stopped. Just as Tomorrow might realize the very scale of the shadow he had just risen in. In the glare of the sun was a spec sailing forward. And beside it, death crashing down upon him.

---

...why it moved...why it avoided him?

Before he could think to question the divine he saw it. Tomorrow had just breached the surface of the water and as the bigger target, the one who proved more durable, it wanted him. Now.

The massive limb had avoided the shadow completely as the creature prefered the spider to the fly, and moved to squash the Aesir below placing him between a crushing death above, and thrashing limbs below.

In that moment, would he see it?

Luck, skill, and strength, but no one can be perfect everytime. Would Tomorrow care, when he saw that Maximos missed? When he saw that trail of black that was his darker sibling vanish into the gaping, thrashing maw of this unholy beast. When he saw a trail of red and green spittle spurt out from the vicious abyss of the monster?