Sunlight was sneaking through the blinds at the peaceful sleeping couple.
Weiss was the first one to open her eyes. Still finding herself in the same position as the one she fell asleep in, snuggled up to Jaune's chest. The empty feeling she had been waking up with for the last few years seemed to have disappeared like snow before the sun. Like part of her was missing, and that part of her was now whole once more.
It was hard to imagine then in two days' time her entire life had flipped and done a one eighty. From an acceptable state of living to a blissful wonderland where she was reunited with her beloved.
Tonight the collective's leader was coming over, he hadn't arrived for dinner in months and it was usually to discuss the matters of their plans at work with Weiss and how she could help in said endeavors. Basically whenever something needed to be discussed, which was rare but nonetheless very important.
Part of Weiss wanted to believe that the Great Titan also did it partially to see if she was doing fine, often noting Weiss' gloomy expression in the years after he had killed her father.
Weiss always found it difficult to explain to him how she felt, or the thing she was missing. The Great Titan was a pragmatist first and foremost and often didn't let his emotions get in the way of his goals, even though he admitted to her more than once he had a soft spot for her, saying she reminded him of his late daughter.
And as much as she would love to spend the entire day in bed with her lost love, she needed to get the work done before tonight and get the kitchen staff to make the dinner party as best as they could.
Standing up out of bed, Weiss took a glance over the still sleeping Jaune, leaning down and kissing his forehead.
"Together for all eternity my love" she softly whispered before she walked off towards her dressing room in order to get dressed.
Putting on her signature military attire, she found always it made her feel more powerful, better than the combat skirts and frilly outfits from her time as a teen, those days had been long gone. Now she was the commander of the Atlas military, one of the most powerful people of the land.
Stepping outside her dressing room and seeing Jaune still sound asleep, Weiss took note of his peaceful sleeping form, more at peace then he was since the entire rollercoaster that had been yesterday.
She walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge as she softly tried to shake Jaune awake.
Slowly he opened his eyes and took a look at the icy beauty before him "Weiss…" he mumbled "did we…last night."
"Yes we did," she finished for him "and it was incredible."
She leaned down and kissed him gently on his lips.
"I have to perform my duties for the military. You stay in as long as you like, you deserve the rest my prince" she said softly.
"Agreed," Jaune said nodding in confirmation "but what about dinner with your…well boss I would say. Am I expected to be a part of that."
Weiss solemnly nodded "I'm afraid you might be the reason he is coming" she told him.
"Wait," Jaune says slowly moving up out of the bed "he knows I'm here. How? Did you tell him?"
Weiss shook her head "no. It's kind of a long story."
Jaune replied with a smug "after the bombshell that was dropped on me yesterday I think I can handle a bit more about your boss who seems to be all knowing and or all seeing."
Weiss chuckled, she always did love Jaune's enthusiasm and often unexpected confidence.
"Well," she started "one of the Collective's highest ranking members has a very unique ability. His name is Vecna and he lives in an unknown and twisted parallel world from which he can see other worlds, through which he keeps tabs on every member, full-fledged or liaison of the Collective."
"Wow!" Jaune said "that sounds honestly really invasive."
"You don't know the half of it" Weiss scoffed thinking back to the times she cursed out Vecna for this.
"And that's how your boss knows I'm here…then why does this Vecna guy not just…I don't know…do something about it."
"Vecna is powerful but he is no match for the Great Titan and as such only does what he is told, just to watch and never to interfere unless necessary."
"Wow…this is a lot…" Jaune said as he slumped back into the bed, his head on the pillow as he processed the information he had just gotten.
"Just take your rest sweety, let me take care of everything" Weiss said as she gave him one last kiss and Jaune nodded and pulled the covers back over him to get some more rest. Weiss left with one last look at her lost love before leaving out the door for her duties.
Jaune awoke hours later, yawning loudly and stretching even more.
He had been in need of a long good rest since arriving in this mysterious new place which in all fairness he still couldn't wrap his head around. Another Remnant, a world where he had died, where he and Weiss where a thing and now she was desperately trying to recreate that thing. And he had sex with Weiss.
He had sex with Weiss!
Despite everything going on around him that part to Jaune was still the most surprising that had happened. A dream had come true but not in the way he had expected. And all the lingering questions associated with his current situation hadn't helped. How was he going to go back home? Would he even want to?
Would she even let him?
This Weiss was clearly head over heels for him, saw him as a replacement for the Jaune she had lost. Which although he could somewhat understand also made him worried and somewhat uneasy at the prospect. He was stuck in this world, unsure of where to go even if he could get away from her.
But after tonight…should he resign himself to his fate or just…take the opportunity and leave while he could.
Getting dressed in a pair of sweatpants Jaune walked out of the bedroom and into Weiss' office. Which was still as big as when he first entered it, the walls littered with paintings, symbols, giant book cases with a variety of literature all beautifully brought together by the white paint surrounding all of it.
Looking over everything, Jaune knew he probably shouldn't be snooping around her office, but curiosity got the best of him and he couldn't help it.
As he gave his eyes a glance around the office he noticed nothing out of place since yesterday except for the small device on her desk.
Walking over to her desk he inspected the device. It was shaped in the form of a ball with a small round opening at the top. The light flickered silently.
Jaune picked up and observed it, wondering about its qualities. He saw a button on the side and pushed, waiting a few seconds but nothing seemed to be occurring.
And as soon as Jaune went to sit down on one of the chairs, he felt himself falling backward on the ground. Clenching his head as he fell, his eyes soon adjusted to see that he was now looking at the dark night's sky.
Jaune immediately stood up and looked around him, the device in his hand was gone and he was no longer in Weiss' office. Instead wherever he was, it felt almost…unnatural. The sky was dark and gloomy and so where his surroundings. In the middle of a clearing of a dark forest, spores in the air.
"Where am I?" Jaune wondered out loud as he took a step forward, the moment he did he heard an awful screech. Turning to his right he noticed a flock of what seemed to be bats darting out of the trees and into the dark gloomy sky.
"Jaune Arc…how dare you enter my realm" a voice suddenly spoke.
Jaune felt himself frozen with fear, his entire body aside from his head unable to move. He turned his head to the right, where the sound originated.
What he saw made him run if he could move his legs. In the distance stood…something, or someone. Whatever it was, it walked towards him, wearing a long greenish cloak, its face burned and looking like it had been set on fire long ago, and it's left hand…it was not a hand but a long elongated claw.
A force pulled on his neck and legs and made Jaune drop to the ground, seeing what it appears to be vines wrapping around his entire body, keeping him all but stuck to this spot as the mysterious being walked ever closer to him, his cloak dragging behind him as he was ever close to reaching Jaune.
He couldn't move, he was trapped…fear and panic overtook him.
"Weiss! Where are you! Help me! Anyone please!" he screamed out.
The being was now but a few inches removed from him, its cold ice blue eyes looking over the young trapped warrior in front of him.
"You dare interfere with the Collective's grand design" the being spoke.
Jaune panicked and yelled "I didn't mean too! Please I promise I won't! I'm so sorry!"
The being moved its long clawed fingers underneath Jaune's chin, gently but still painfully scraping it "your words mean nothing boy. You are a pest and I will not allow you to stand in our way even for a second…"
He raised his clawed hand and Jaune closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable.
But nothing happened. Seconds passed and nothing happened. Slowly Jaune opened his eyes to see the being's massive arm trapped with what seemed to be a glowing circle in midair.
A Glyph.
"Get away from him Vecna, right now!" a familiar voice called out.
Jaune looked and saw to his great relief Weiss appear out of the woodworks, Myrtenmaster firmly in her hand and pointing forward towards the being. Jaune looked as its hand was trapped in midair, unable to move by the power of Weiss' glyphs.
"You dare to interfere!" the being snarled at Weiss.
"Yes! I absolutely dare to interfere! I will burn you and this entire world of you to ash if you even lay one finger on him! Now let him go!" she yelled.
Jaune was relieved to see Weiss come to safe him from whatever situation he probably got himself into. The being just angrily scowled at the sword wielding general who moved forward without flinching even the slightest.
Jaune felt the vines around his neck and legs loosen as they came ultimately undone and slithered away, causing him to fall to the ground and gasp for air. Weiss ran to him and immediately held him.
"Are you okay my dear? Are you alright?" she asked worried.
"Yeah I'm fine…" Jaune muttered out, still gasping for air.
Weiss turned her eyes to the being, who looked at her with an indignant scowl. "You went too far this time Vecna, I can handle your wrath but Jaune is innocent and had nothing to do with this."
"He dared entering my realm. Potentially hoping to find information about the Collective, I could not allow this. And you vouching for him will have severe consequences for you once the Great Titan finds out" Vecna spoke.
"Go ahead and tell him then! I don't care! I'll take whatever consequences he may deal out to me, but Jaune stays out of this you hear me!" Weiss yelled out.
Vecna didn't reply, instead turning around and proceeding to walk off.
"If you wish to risk all that he has given you for this man, I hope for your sake he's worth it! Because if he interferes again, he's mine" and with that he disappeared, and so did the dark gloomy skies around the pair.
Finding themselves back into the office, Weiss held Jaune tightly as she tried to get him to stand.
"My beloved are you alright? What happened?"
"I don't know…I'm sorry I went into your office, touched that weird device and then….then I was there and he was there and and…"
Weiss silenced Jaune with a deep kiss, giving him time to focus, as soon as their lips separated he proceeded to try and catch his breath and calm down.
Weiss took the device in Jaune's hand and placed it back on her desk.
"That thing is what is used to keep contact between all the members and liaisons of the Collective. My guess is Vecna saw you touch it and immediately went into attack mode, sensing a threat."
"So that…that was Vecna….the one that spies on everything?"
Weiss simply nodded in response.
"Seems like a lovely bloke…" Jaune tried to joke as he sat down on the nearby couch "Weiss I'm so sorry…I didn't want to get you in trouble, I understand if you're mad at me.."
Weiss interrupted him "I could never be mad at you my love. How could you have known, Vecna was out of line here…you did nothing wrong my love."
"But…" Jaune tried to argue until Weiss joined him on the couch and shushed him.
"No more butts Jaune…you're here and that means more to me than anything. I will be fine I assure you, and as long as you're with me I won't let them lay a finger on you."
Weiss embraced Jaune firmly, holding him close, unwilling to ever lose him again. Jaune silently embraced her back in silence. Despite still shaking about what he had just endured.
The evening soon came after Jaune had spent most of the day on bed rest after his encounter with Vecna. Weiss had dinner prepared, a fancy long table in the dining hall, adorned with the most scene stealing cutlery and plates she owned, various dinners being prepared by her best chefs in due time for the arrival of the Collective's leader.
Weiss was dressed in a beautiful elegant white dress that extended down to her legs, wearing blue heels and her hair all the way down. Jaune was dressed in a simple white button up and matching suit pants.
He was nervous…this almost felt like the equivalent of meeting your girlfriend's dad…which if Weiss was to be believed was almost sort of the case.
"I'm nervous Weiss…" Jaune admitted, wiping the sweat from his forehead as they stood and waited in the dining hall.
"Don't be my beloved. Everything will be fine I promise you" Weiss said with an assuring smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek for extra reassurance.
And suddenly a glowing portal opened, different from Raven's red ones. Giant footsteps could be heard as a giant figure's shadow appeared on the other end of it.
Weiss grabbed Jaune's soldiers and gestured at him to follow her lead. Weiss bend forward on one knee and Jaune followed suit "this is a way of showing respect" she told quietly.
The giant shadow passed through the portal into the dining hall and Jaune looked at the figure, like straight out of a comic book he was tall, like at least more than a head and a half taller than him, fully muscled with purple skin and a bald head. Dressed in what seemed to be a gold and blue armor set and most notably and a giant golden glove adorned with six colorful stones on his left hand.
"Jaune," Weiss spoke "let me introduce you to Thanos of Titan, the leader of the Collective."
A/N: Ah yes the ultimate reveal is there! Which I'm sure none of you expected, or maybe you did considering the signs and yes this is indeed a multiversal crossover story as you may have already guessed, thought about this concept for a while but tried to be subtle with it at the beginning of the story and I gotta say I really enjoy developing it into its own thing, introducing my favorite characters and villains as part of a multiversal organization and seeing how they interact with each other and the world around him, this story is kind of an introduction to that concept and seeing where things went from there.
As for the people who guessed that the Collective leader was another version of Jaune…I gotta admit it's pretty clever out of the box thinking, I love it! An incredible idea and I applaud you for the creativity and out of the box thinking but I think Weiss here wouldn't be half as possessive of our boy if another version of him was leading the organization she partly works for…but still love the idea and I applaud those who came up with it!
