Jaune could barely believe what or who he was looking at. A figure as tall and imposing as a Grimm, completely out of this world, like a super villain from the comic books he used to read. This figure was the leader of the Collective, and he was dressed the part, like a warlord coming to conquer the next world he saw.
Thanos stepped forward towards the pair, looking both of them over before setting his eyes on Weiss.
"Rise daughter" he spoke. Despite his terrifying size and appearance Jaune found he spoke with a relatively soft and calm tone.
"Father, it is good to see you again" Weiss spoke as formally as she could. To hear her refer to this being with a parental term threw Jaune off to say the least, from what he understood from her story it appeared the leader of the Collective had become something of surrogate father figure for Weiss after disposing of her real one, which although Jaune could argue he deserved, made the situation feel a bit more darker than usual.
Weiss stood up as Thanos approached her, his giant hand softly reaching out and stroking her cheek.
"You look well daughter, you have accomplished a lot since I last saw you. I am so very proud of you."
"Thank you father, it wouldn't have been possible without you" Weiss responded softly.
Thanos' gaze then turned to Jaune who was still gracefully bowing on one foot "so you must be the boyfriend I have been hearing about" he said.
Yup, Jaune truly felt like this was a 'meeting your girlfriends dad' situation but only turned up to eleven. "Uhmmm…" he mumbled out nervously.
"Yes he is," Weiss interjected "this is Jaune Arc. My beloved."
The tone which with she spoke was too sweet that Jaune couldn't help but laugh and felt his heart jump a leap as she said it.
Thanos observed the young warrior up and down. "Stand up boy" he demanded, his tone still calm but the force behind his words very much clear.
Jaune did so, standing up straight and looking the giant right into his eyes. Thanos turned back to Weiss "does he make you happy daughter?" he asked.
Weiss stepped forward, wrapping her hands around Jaune's arm "yes he does. More than anything."
Jaune felt himself even more in an awkward position then he had probably ever been in his life, even wearing dress to the Beacon dance wasn't half as stressful as this one. He felt the giants eyes on him, silently judging him. Until he finally spoke.
"As long as he makes you happy, that is all that matters daughter."
Not the response Jaune had been expecting but ultimately the one he was most pleased to hear. He let out a sigh of relief as the titan placed a hand on his shoulder "nice to meet you boy" he said with a pleasant tone.
Weiss hugged Jaune's side tightly as he responded "same to you sir" in as polite as a tone as he could manage.
A good half an hour later dinner had long since happened. Jaune biting into his juicy steak like it was his last meal while Weiss silently cut hers as she sat next to him, smiling and laughing as he ate, Thanos sat opposite of them, enjoying a bowl of the specially made stew recipe provided by one of the chefs.
"Dinner is wonderful as usual daughter" Thanos said.
"Thank you father," Weiss replied "but with all due respect, you didn't just come here to compliment my cooks excellent culinary ability."
Thanos smiled as he took a sip of his own wine, Jaune didn't take the otherworldly figure to be so refined but then again he was more than a little surprised by all that was happening around him the past few days so he couldn't exactly judge.
"Observant as usual. But you are correct indeed dear Weiss, I have come here to discuss things of urgent matter" the titan told.
Jaune perked his head up at the sound of that before interjecting "urgent matters. If you want sir I can leave the room so you can discuss it privately."
Thanos raised his hand in response "very considerate of you boy, but that is alright. If Weiss trusts you, then I trust you," he replied "besides, these matters also sort of include you."
A curious Jaune asked "they do?"
"Indeed. Tell me Jaune, how did you end up here, from what I heard this is not your world?"
Jaune looked down for a moment, trying to recall how he ended up here, Weiss took hold of his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze.
"I…I don't exactly know. I was with my team and a portal just suddenly appeared before me and…I ended up here…this world is….like mine but…it seems…I didn't make it in this one."
"So I heard. After I encountered young Weiss she had told me about how her beloved had passed away long ago. So imagine my shock when you appear here right before her as if by a miracle" Thanos spoke.
"It was indeed a miracle father, but one that I am very happy with" Weiss interjected as she kissed Jaune's cheek.
Jaune had questions, multiple of them. In front of them sat without question a powerful person, not just physically but influential as well. One questions he wondered about the most.
"Sir, with all due respect but…how did you find Weiss?" Jaune asked.
Both Thanos and Weiss where surprised by that question, but the titan nonetheless spoke up "my organization is composed of unique individuals from many worlds. While researching this one I happened to stumble upon young Weiss," he gave a solemn look to the woman in question "the poor girl was suffering under the hands that fool that called himself her father, she was young, full of pain and grief, but also so much potential. So I did the one thing that I knew I could do. I made sure that sorry excuse of a man could not hold her back anymore."
Jaune nodded along "yes, she told me as such.."
"After that I took her under my wing, learned her everything I could, so she could reach her potential and here she stands, the proud leader of the Atlas military."
A look of pride appeared on the titan's face, like a father being proud of his child for getting the highest score on a math test. Weiss smiled as well to this, clearly proud of herself and finding comfort in the fact that her surrogate father figure saw her success as well.
"Call me sentimental but she reminds me a lot of my late daughter" Thanos concluded with a solemn expression.
"I'm very sorry for you loss sir" Jaune responded.
"You're way too kind boy. My Gamora gave her life for my mission, to bring balance and stability to not just my world but every world out there. I can and will not fail her."
The titan's tone seemed almost somber, it actually made Jaune respect him, the loss of his daughter clearly affected him deeply.
"Your goal sounds very noble sir. How do you wish to achieve this universal balance?" Jaune asked.
Thanos expression didn't change as he told him "my mission started when I lost my home world of Titan. There were too many people, too many mouths not enough to go around, I figured out a solution, to indiscriminately wipe out half the population, unbiased, random, rich, poor it didn't matter. Half the population, restoring balance to my world. They didn't listen to me."
Any respect Jaune might have gained for the titan seemed to suddenly vanish as he heard of his ideals fully. He turned to Weiss, who didn't blink at the story.
"They called me mad…exiled me. But it was already too late…what I predicted came to pass and there was nothing left to my home. And I swore to not let that happen to any other world ever again!"
"YOU'RE INSANE!" Jaune suddenly yelled.
Weiss clasped her mouth shut after that outburst, looking at Jaune with fearful and terrified eyes. Thanos didn't seem fazed by it in the slightest.
"You're talking about genocide on a massive scale! They were right to call you mad! Who thinks mass murder is a good solution" Jaune yelled out as he stood up.
"Watch your tone boy" Thanos simply replied.
Jaune saw red, instinct took over and immediately he jumped over the table, grabbing the nearest steak knife in his sight and lunged forward towards the Mad Titan, with Weiss screaming in the background for him to stop but Jaune didn't hear her pleas, he only lunged forward, brandishing the knife.
But then he stopped.
His body didn't move, as if it was trapped in midair, he stared forward as Thanos stood up, the blue stone in his hand glowing.
"An unprovoked attack. I expected better of you boy" he said.
Weiss immediately ran over to where Thanos was standing and pleaded with him "Father please! He didn't mean to please don't hurt him."
Thanos turned to his surrogate daughter and spoke with a clear and direct tone "actions speak louder than words daughter and this unprovoked attack cannot go unpunished," he said as he looked between both Weiss and Jaune "but since you are so fond of him daughter I will allow for some leniency."
Jaune felt himself move closer to where Thanos and Weiss where standing and once he was close enough the Mad Titan moved in closer to him.
"I will give you a choice here boy so consider carefully. Number one, you apologize…" before he could continue Jaune interrupted with a stern "over my dead body! You're a murderer!"
Thanos grinned in response "option two it is then. A trial by combat."
Weiss gasped in shock and Jaune looked on with wide eyes "you want me to fight you?" Jaune asked.
"No, that wouldn't be a fair fight, I'd crush you into the dust in the time it takes you to blink. No…I will provide you with a different opponent…maybe…Collective number three."
Weiss' response was an immediate and bigger gasp than ever before "father no…he hates humans he will kill him."
"You told me that the Jaune you knew was one of the greatest swordsman to ever exist. I'm sure this one will be able to hold up just as well."
Greatest swordsman…that was new to Jaune.
"Father please I beg of you…give him another chance I'm sure we can make him understand your goal" Weiss begged with clasped hands to her surrogate father figure.
"If he survives tomorrow then all is forgiven, if he can prove himself worthy as a fighter and for you then I will see this action of him through."
With that Thanos turned around, the blue stone shining again as Jaune felt himself fall forward on the table, the knife clattering onto the ground and Weiss immediately running over to him. A portal appeared before the titan as he turned to give the pair one last look.
"Dinner was perfect as always daughter. I will give you this night, tomorrow the boy proves himself and we will see whether or not he is worthy" with those words spoken Thanos walked forward, disappearing into the portal which soon after closed.
Jaune was breathing heavily as a distraught Weiss wrapped her hands around him, trying to get him to calm down as the young warrior now fully understood the gravity of his actions and how tomorrow the consequences will come to follow him.
A/N: The story is getting heavier by the chapter. And you guys already know 3 members of the Collective with another arriving next chapter. Once again go and speculate who you think number 3 is? And who Jaune will be fighting in the next chapter? Let me know in the review who it is, join the fun.
But yes only 3 chapters to go plus an epilogue, glad you're enjoying this story, I enjoy writing it and very soon will conclude and then maybe make more sequels and spin-offs to this. Let me know what you would think of that?
