Mouse vs. Anduriel

[RobReece]

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I couldn't find it.  Why is Nic/Anduriel so terrified of Mouse?  In SmF, Anduriel places himself between Mouse and Nic, ostensibly to protect Nic.  Not to mention that Nic, with all his knowledge and experience, didn't even recognize what Mouse is... Then at the end of SG, Anduriel freaks out when Mouse approaches, granted if Mouse approached me growling and glowing I would too, but I'm not a freaking fallen angel either...

opinions?

[dspringer1]

My guess is that Mouse can attack Anduriel directly.  Remember, mouse has those glowing fangs that can cause damage to vampires that is hard to heal.  It is not a big stretch to speculate that Anduriel (who manefests as Nik's shadow) can be attacked directly by those fangs and hurt. 

Not sure Mouse can kill Anduriel.  But I cannot imagine the fallen angel likes to feel pain.   

[Ulfgeir]

I think Mouse definitively can hurt Anduriel, and I think Anduriel realizes that Mouse cheats, and is much more powerful than he should be. Or that when he is protecting someone, then there will be no limits on how much power Mouse can draw upon if it is righteous. Sort of like an inverse of the Swords.

/Ulfgeir

[jonas]

I think Mouse is a genuine danger to Anduriels continued existence. They are on the same wavelength, I think mouse could easily maim or expel him easily, if not outright kill.

[wardenferry419]

I am confused. Mouse wasn't in Summer Knight (SK). I don't recall Mouse confronting Nico in SG. If he did confront Nico while living at Michael's house; he might be using TWG power as a basis for his own power. WOJ is that Mouse went from being the Thing at Harry's apartment to a Hulk level upgrade at Michael's house. Those that know Marvel comics know how significant that is.

[RobReece]

I am confused. Mouse wasn't in Summer Knight (SK). I don't recall Mouse confronting Nico in SG. If he did confront Nico while living at Michael's house; he might be using TWG power as a basis for his own power. WOJ is that Mouse went from being the Thing at Harry's apartment to a Hulk level upgrade at Michael's house. Those that know Marvel comics know how significant that is.

Sorry, my error, I've corrected it from SK to SG... and here's the quote.

(click to show/hide)

Suddenly, there was an incoherent scream from behind one of the vans, and the vehicle rocked, as if something enormous had smashed against it. A second later, Mouse stepped out from behind the van, where its bulk was shielding him from the immediate aim of the slowly recovering squires. The Foo dog’s head was low, his body crouched and tensed, hackles raised, gleaming, sharp, freshly bloodied teeth bared. He was no more than a few feet from Nicodemus’s back, and at his appearance, Anduriel’s shadow form went berserk, flickering and twisting in a dozen directions at once, like a panicked animal running to the ends of its tether.

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files (pp. 428-429). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

the emphasis was mine...

[wardenferry419]

 So, my guessing that Mouse, using Michael's house as a place of power, could be able to cheat a power boost from a home that has a large family, guarded by angels, and where a former KotC resides. No wonder Anduriel was screaming with fear.

[kazimmoinuddin]

I always thought nicodemus would go out with Harry grabbing the rope and force slamming him so hard his head pops off. Now, I am thinking that mouse gets the rope in his jaw a, and treats the Denarian as his own chew toy.

[wardenferry419]

Nice visual.

[SintraEdrien]

IIRC, in Ghost Story, Uriel addressed Mouse as "Little Brother" - at least in the context here, I see that as indicating Mouse to be an entity on similar to Uriel, lesser, restricted by rules/mortal bodily manifestation, but definitely able to interact with (aka, attack/hurt/harm/destroy) Anduriel.

Quote: "We* went through the door and were greeted by a low, warning rumble. A great mound of shaggy fur, lying beside the room's single, twin bed, rose to its feet."  Ghost Story, HC, pg. 467.

* the "we" is Uriel and Harry, operating in a certainly "spiritual/angelic" state of existence, differing from a "ghostly" plane of existence, yet one that Mouse clearly sees and operates on, and imo also the same plane of existence that Andurial exists on- at first, Mouse is warning the intruders with his growl, before he recognizes them. (possibly a hint of the kind of protection Maggie needs or might end up needing?)

Quote: " "What has begun must finish, little brother," Uriel said. "Your task here is not yet over." " ibid.

Uriel wouldn't use that form of address if it weren't truth. Also (as a side-note), Mouse is communicating with Uriel, but Harry still can't hear what he is saying, even though he gets to hear Uriel's answer.

[Mr. Death]

There's a few things at play here.

As pointed out, Mouse has a superpower that has, in the past, let him attack non-corporeal things. He's also, to some extent or another, holy. According to the RPG book, his powers work similarly to a Sword of the Cross in that he can effectively bypass whatever defenses and toughness his target has when he's glowing like that.

The other thing is -- given how Mouse's powers have to do with thresholds -- Mouse is way more powerful in Skin Game than he is in Small Favor. And the fight is taking place right on Mouse's place of protection. As Jim put it, Mouse went from The Thing to The Hulk.

And Anduriel was on the Hulk's doorstep.

Threatening the Hulk's kids.

I dunno about you, but I would sure as shit want to get the hell out of there.

[Mira]

   My guess is Mouse sees through the likes of Anduriel, so there is no B.Sing a would be recruit when he is around.  Not surprised that Mouse is stronger in Skin Game than he was in Small Favor, it takes longer for large breed dogs to fully mature both physically and mentally, and I bet that goes for power level as well, not unlike wizards...

[wardenferry419]

Not to mention an upgrade in power base resources.

[kazimmoinuddin]

We know mouse is said to cheat, what if he somehow learned to draw power from the threshold/wards of demonreach? That would give him an epic bite.

[wardenferry419]

I doubt Mouse would do that, Harry might; but, I feel Mouse would sense their purpose  and not want to tamper with those connections. Above all else, Mouse is a guardian animal and respects the idea of a prison.