Author's Note:
Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter of Earth's Mightiest Huntsman. But before we get to it, a few housekeeping things. First, please don't leave reviews on this story (or my other stories) asking about updates for this or any of my stories. I promise, I'll get to them when I get to them. Second, let's answer a few reviews.
SuperSaiyanFever: If you think Weiss has it bad, just wait until you see where some of the others ended up.
RedMist86025949: I do have plans for Raven, though they won't come into play for a long while yet.
GothmogOnslat: I've definitely already worked out where everyone else ended up, and I can't wait to get to those adventures-though I think I'm most excited about what happened to Yang and what she's going to be up to.
Thank you all for your continued support. Now lets get back to the story.
Asgard
Jaune paced around the edge of the rainbow bridge, his mind racing. Frankly, he was still trying to take in everything. Not only was he on another world, far, far away from Remnant, but he was in a place filled with warriors. Warriors that were already known as heroes.
He again wondered if he would ever become a great hero like his ancestors. Yes, he had been making great progress at Beacon—even after forging his way in—but would it ever be enough? Especially since there probably wasn't a Beacon Academy anymore?
He had seen it in the eyes of the soldiers back on Remnant before his team's encounter with Ultron. None of them seemed really confident that it was a fight that they were going to win. And with most of the Academy's top students gone, who was left to stop Ultron?
Of bigger concern to him was where the rest of his team was. If they weren't on Asgard, where could they be? Thor had mentioned a place called Jotunheim, but had warned that being stuck there would not be a good thing. He hoped that no one ended up there—especially if the Frost Giants were as strong as Thor claimed.
The problem was that none of them were in good condition following the fight with Ultron. Their Auras had been all but depleted, and they were almost out of Dust. If they were attacked, wherever they had ended up, they wouldn't stand much of a chance.
"Be safe, guys," he thought. "As soon as I can, I'm coming to find you."
With a BOOM, Thor returned, landing right in front of Jaune and causing him to stumble back several paces. "What's going on?" Jaune asked, noticing the angered look on Thor's face. "What happened?"
"Jotunheim has attacked," Thor explained coldly. "Heimdall is injured."
"And Heimdall is…"
"The guardian of the Bifrost. He sees all that occurs. Without him, we will not know if another attack is coming."
"Oh, so he's the one that beat me to a pulp."
The corners of Thor's lips turned up slightly. "If that is how you wish to see it." He started walking for the palace again, Jaune quickly following behind him.
"What are you going to do now?" he asked.
"Come morning, I will lead Asgard's best warriors to Jotunheim to deal with the biggest threat there."
"And who's that? The king of the Frost Giants?"
"Nay," Thor answered. "Our biggest threat there…is Loki."
"Loki?"
"The God of Mischief. A master of deception, illusions, and magic. He has attempted to take control of Asgard on multiple occasions based on a deluded notion that he was meant to rule Asgard. And he is also…my brother."
Jaune stopped short. "Your brother?"
"Aye. A long time ago, my father, Odin, took Loki from his true parents, the Frost Giants, and raised him as his own. Loki was driven by spite because of his true heritage, and swore vengeance upon Asgard. Now, he plots and schemes with Asgard's enemies so that he may assume the throne."
"Hold on, hold on," Jaune said, "back up a second. Gods? Magic?"
"Aye," Thor confirmed. "Do you not have gods and magic in your world, Jaune Arc?"
"Well…we have old stories and legends. But they're not actually real."
"I see. Well, Jaune Arc, magic is very real, as are gods. I am, for example, the God of Thunder. My brother is the God of Mischief. And we must find him before he has the chance to put his plan into motion."
"We?"
"Yes," Thor answered. "If you would like, you may accompany us on our mission."
"Oh—uh—" Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know…"
"You have said you are a hero in training. I would be honored if you were to fight by my side."
"Come on, Thor, do you really think that I'll be able to do anything?" Jaune asked. "I don't know anything about fighting Frost Giants or gods or anything like that."
"You have a warrior's spirit, Jaune Arc," Thor told him. "You may not feel confident in your abilities yet, but I see greatness in you, even if you don't."
Jaune still looked hesitant. "There is also a chance, however small, that one or more of your friends may have ended up on Jotunheim," Thor added. "They may be in trouble, or worse, caught up in Loki's schemes. He is not known as the Trickster God for nothing. He can talk anyone into doing anything, convince others that he is on their side before stabbing them in the back. It would be well if you were there to put them at ease and help them see through Loki's lies."
"Well, when you put it like that," Jaune said after a moment. "All right. I'll come."
"Excellent," Thor said. "I shall ensure that your weapon is ready."
It was then that Jaune finally realized that Crocea Mors wasn't at his side. "Wait—what happened to my weapon?" he asked.
"Your shield was heavily damaged by Heimdall," Thor explained. "I requested it be repaired once it was clear that you were not our enemy."
"Thanks," Jaune thanked him. "But be careful. Crocea Mors belonged to my great-great-grandfather. I don't want to see it damaged. Well, damaged further."
"Never fear, Jaune Arc," Thor assured him. "The smiths of Asgard are some of the greatest in all the Nine Realms, aside from the dwarves of Nidavellir."
"If you say so."
"Now then, let us find you some living quarters so you may get some rest," Thor suggested. "We will need to be at full strength if we are to prevail against the forces of Jotunheim."
Despite the worry on Jaune's mind about his friends and the state of Remnant, he was still able to get some sleep. He knew that he was going to need it, especially in an unfamiliar world with threats well beyond what he knew.
A pounding on the door woke Jaune up. With a low moan, Jaune rolled himself out of the bed and onto the floor. When the pounding came again, he crawled to his feet and made his way to the door.
An Asgardian warrior stood behind it, holding a small chest. "Thor sends his greetings," he announced. "And gives you this as a token of faith."
"Uh…thanks?" Jaune said after a moment.
"He also says to meet him at the foot of the Bifrost when you are ready to travel to Jotunheim."
"I'll do that."
The warrior gave him a cold nod as he gave him the chest before taking his leave. Jaune watched him go for a minute, then closed the door and opened the chest. He found Crocea Mors inside, the sword inside the newly repaired sheath. He picked it up and drew the sword. The blade itself felt stronger as he swung it to test its weight and balance. He extended his shield and found that the large gash that Heimdall had inflicted on it the previous day was gone. The entire shield was also reinforced with extra armor.
Under his weapon, Jaune discovered, was a set of new armor. The plates were slightly larger than his current armor and was tinted gold at the edges. The chest also contained a helmet that was stylized much like Thor's with the exception of the winged tips. There was even some leg armor inside, something that he had been lacking the entire time.
Jaune considered leaving the armor behind, not wanting to part with his own armor from Remnant. But in the end, he decided to accept the gift. He didn't want to seem rude, and if these Frost Giants were as tough as the Asgardians, he wanted as much protection as possible. He didn't want to find out too late that his armor would shatter like glass should his Aura fail him in battle.
The Asgardian armor, to Jaune's surprise, felt light as he strapped it on. He rolled his shoulders briefly to test the armor's flexibility. Once he was satisfied, he strapped Crocea Mors to his waist and slipped the helmet on his head.
It took him several minutes to find his way out of the palace, and another few minutes to get back to the base of the Bifrost. When he did finally make it, he found Thor waiting for him, alongside three more Asgardians.
"Ah, welcome, Jaune Arc," Thor greeted him. "I trust you appreciate the armor?"
"It feels fine," Jaune answered. "Thank you, Thor."
"Now, allow me to introduce to you three of Asgard's greatest warriors," Thor said. "They will be joining us on our mission to track down Loki. This is Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun, known collectively as the Warriors Three."
Hogun, a glowering looking warrior with a fur covered helmet and dark mustache, stared Jaune down. "This is the mortal?" he grunted. "Doesn't seem to look like much."
"Pay him no mind, mortal," Fandral, a dashing looking, blonde haired man. "There's a reason they call him Hogun the Grim."
"Enough of this talk." Volstagg, a fat Asgardian with a full face of red hair, munched on a turkey leg. "Let us be off!"
"Be prepared, mortal," Hogun warned as the group set off down the Bifrost "Jotunheim is a dangerous realm, even for Asgardians."
"That's what Thor said," Jaune answered.
"Thor puts a lot of trust in mortals. But you cannot even begin to comprehend the power of the Frost Giants, nor that of Loki himself. He will say and do anything to gain your trust before he stabs you in the back, as many have learned over time."
Jaune shrugged. "I don't know anything about any of this. But if Loki or the Frost Giants attack, I'll do what I can to fight them off."
"Do not worry, mortal," Fandral assured him. "Asgard's best warriors will emerge victorious once more. The Frost Giants won't dare to attack Asgard again once we're done with them."
"They will always dare to attack Asgard, Fandral," Thor spoke up. "Laufey is known for being stubborn and relentless. Odin's power is the only thing that has truly gotten him to stand down for long stretches of time."
"Then what chance do we have?" Jaune asked.
"We need only to send a message that will hold him back long enough for my father to awaken from the Odinsleep," Thor answered. "No more than a few days' time."
"I'm sure that Laufey will get the message to stay away from Asgard for now," Fandral decided. "After, he will have to face down Asgard's finest warriors."
"Let's get this over with then," Volstagg said, tossing his finished turkey leg away. "So we may enjoy a feast when we return!"
The Asgardians continued to talk amongst themselves as they walked down the Bifrost. Jaune eventually tuned them out, choosing to stare out at the stars that surrounded the bridge. He wondered just how many other worlds were out there—and how close Remnant was to Asgard. He wondered where his friends were—if they were okay, or if they had ended up on a world that was as hostile as Jotunheim allegedly was.
"They'll be okay, Jaune," he told himself. "They're all a lot stronger than you are. They're alive and well, no matter where they ended up."
They soon arrived at a circular building at the end of the Bifrost. Inside the building was a woman with dark hair, standing behind a large pedestal that had a massive sword in it.
"Has Balder reported in, Lady Sif?" Thor asked.
"He has," Sif confirmed. "There are no signs of any lingering Frost Giants in Asgard."
"Good. Better that there aren't any more foes here lying in wait. I have already doubled the guard on Odin's chamber, just in case. Now we just need to get to Jotunheim."
"I have already set the Bifrost to an area in the Snowstone Mountains," Sif told him. "It's your best chance to take Laufey and Loki by surprise."
"My thanks, Lady Sif. Open the Bifrost."
Sif turned the sword in the pedestal and a massive pool of white energy opened up on the wall. Jaune took an instinctive step back at the suddenness of the action.
"Do not worry, mortal," Fandral said, patting his shoulder. "Going through the Bifrost is simple." He confidently walked over to the portal and stepped through, vanishing instantly. Volstagg and Hogun soon followed him.
"After you, Jaune Arc," Thor told him, gesturing to the portal.
Jaune took a deep breath and stepped up to the Bifrost. "Okay, okay," he said to himself. "This is no big deal. No big deal at all." After taking another moment to psych himself up, he stepped into it.
Instantly, he felt himself being yanked through, finding himself instantly falling through a large tunnel of light throughout space. He let out a terrified scream as he tumbled, weightless and at the mercy of the Bifrost.
He was falling for what felt like hours, but it was probably only a minute. Eventually, he found himself slamming into the ground hard, bouncing up and into a snowbank.
He heard the Warriors Three laughing nearby. "Mortals are so amusing," Volstagg commented.
"Oh yeah, real funny, guys." Jaune spat out a wad of snow and stumbled to his feet. He looked behind him at the beam of light that was the Bifrost. The moment he did, Thor himself stepped out. As he did, the light vanished.
"Welcome, Jaune Arc," Thor said, gesturing to the snowy wasteland that was all around the group. "Welcome to Jotunheim."
Weiss woke up to find herself leaning against the wall of the cave that she had found refuge. The fire was out, and she was alone.
She got to her feet, looking around the cave. There was no sign of the man that had saved her the previous night. He was just…gone.
"Where did he go?" Weiss thought. "Did he just leave? Maybe he's gone to get help."
"Good morning." Weiss jerked her head to the mouth of the cave. Loki had reappeared, carrying with him a handful of strange looking fish. "I apologize," he said. "I thought it would be prudent to find you some breakfast. Mortals can be quite prone to hunger over too much time."
"Why do you keep calling me a mortal?" Weiss asked in response. "You never explained that to me last night."
"I suppose that was because you passed out only a few minutes after you realized you were safe," Loki guessed, waving his hand at the ground and instantly starting a fire. "I did say that I would answer all your questions though, didn't I?"
Slowly, Weiss sat down. "Let's start with the whole 'mortals' thing," she decided.
"I take it then you have not seen a god before," Loki guessed.
Weiss snorted. "A god? Please. How stupid do you think I am?"
Loki smiled slightly. "Then I take it you have not even heard of Asgard from whatever world you come from then."
Weiss tilted her head. "Is that somewhere on Remnant? Some village far from the kingdoms?"
"No," Loki said with a shake of his head, beginning to cook the fish. "I have never heard of this 'Remnant' that you speak of. But I can assure you that you are far from your home right now."
"You called this place Jotunheim last night," Weiss mentioned.
"Yes. One of the Nine Realms—and one of the most dangerous," Loki explained.
Weiss tried to process this. "So you mean to tell me that I'm not on Remnant anymore? That I'm on some place called Jotunheim?"
"Very good, Weiss," Loki confirmed. "You are quite intelligent, for a mortal."
"Great," Weiss complained. "Thanks a lot, Ruby, for getting me stuck on another world."
"A friend of yours?" Loki asked.
"Yes," Weiss confirmed. "And our team leader. She broke some sort of device, and now I'm stuck here." She paused. "You didn't see anyone else out there, did you?"
Loki shook his head. "I'm afraid you were the only mortal stranded on Jotunheim that I could find."
"Wonderful," she muttered sarcastically.
"Perhaps we can help one another," Loki suggested after a moment.
"Help you?" Weiss repeated. "No offense, but I only just met you. I don't even know if I can trust you."
"Oh, trust me, my dear, there are far worse things on Jotunheim than an exiled god," Loki told her.
"Exile?"
"Yes." Loki leaned back, setting his scepter down. "Many years ago, I had everything I could've wanted. I was a prince, a leader—the rightful king of Asgard. Until my father decided that my brother Thor would be a better ruler in his stead. When I tried to make my case, they turned on me and cast me out. I was branded a traitor to Asgard—all for simply trying to show why I would be a better king than my arrogant brother."
Loki let out a small sigh. "I suppose sometimes family can be quite overbearing, and their sins can cause you nothing but trouble."
Weiss looked at him. "I…guess I know what you mean," she admitted. "My father is…well, he's done a lot of terrible things in his time."
"Really? Do tell," Loki said. "I guess we're not so different after all."
Weiss was quiet for a moment. "What do you want from me?" she eventually asked.
"Nothing much," Loki answered. "I'm merely passing through Jotunheim. I would welcome the extra company. The realm is a dangerous place, even for gods."
"Where are you going then?" Weiss questioned.
"Traveling between the realms is usually difficult unless you are from Asgard. But I have discovered in my travels several…shall we say, backdoors between them. I am heading to one such backdoor now. When we get there, I would be more than happy to send you on your way to a far more hospitable realm."
Weiss gave him a look. "You'd really do that for me?"
"It would be my pleasure. Far be it from me to leave a damsel in distress."
"Damsel?!" Weiss glared at him. "I am not a damsel!"
"Apologies, Weiss," Loki said. "But I believe you have a better chance at making it there with me guiding you."
Weiss considered her options, but had to admit that the mysterious man (god?) had a point. She knew nothing about which direction she had to go, nor did she even know what sort of a backdoor she would have to look for. She didn't even know which of these other realms was even safe. "All right," Weiss decided. "We'll work together. But I've got my eye on you."
"As you should," Loki said with another charming smile. "You can never be too careful with you who trust."
"Any sign of anything?" Thor asked.
"Nay," Fandral reported, getting back to his feet. "This area is clear. There is no sign of any Frost Giants, nor of Loki."
"What does that mean?" Jaune asked.
"It likely means the Frost Giants are gathering their forces in Utgard, the base of power of Jotunheim," Thor guessed. "It is a stronghold, almost impenetrable by normal means."
"So how do we get in?" Jaune questioned.
"The direct approach." Thor raised his hammer slightly, the weapon crackling with electricity.
"What is that, anyway?" Jaune asked.
"This is Mjolnir," Thor answered. "Forged by the dwarves of Nidavellir. It possesses an enchantment so only those that are worthy may wield it. It has served me well for centuries, much like how your weapon has served your family for generations as well."
Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…I guess so."
"What troubles you, Jaune Arc?" Thor questioned, slowing his pace so he was next to him, letting the Warriors Three take the lead.
"It's nothing," Jaune insisted. "Nothing we haven't already talked about."
"Ah. You still have your doubts about your abilities."
Jaune let out a slight snort. "Is it that obvious?"
"You are young, Jaune," Thor told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You still have much to learn. You have said as much. Greatness does not come easy, and there will be many bumps on that path. I myself had to face the consequences of my rash actions many times. But I learned from these missteps and learned to come into my own. In time, you will as well."
"I haven't even unlocked my Semblance though," Jaune pointed out. "Sure, I've grown better at fighting—but that's mostly thanks to Pyrrha."
"You've spoken often of this Pyrrha," Thor noted.
"Yeah," Jaune sighed. "She's the only reason why I'm any good. She probably should've been the one leading our team."
"Sometimes it takes more that being a skilled fighter to be a good leader," Thor advised. "Perhaps, in time, you will learn why you were the best choice to lead your team."
"Thor!" Hogun's shout caused Jaune to turn his attention to the front. "We've got something!"
Thor strode forward. "What is it?" he asked.
"Movement," Hogun reported. "Along the mountain path."
Jaune moved ahead and squinted his eyes at the two distant shapes moving in the distance. Thor too squinted his eyes. "From the looks of things, they are heading towards Utgard."
"We must stop them before they reach it," Volstagg declared.
"Aye, Volstagg," Thor agreed, swinging his hammer around his hand rapidly. "I will halt their advance. Catch up from behind and block their escape." He took off into the sky, flying directly towards the two distant specks.
"Stand fast, warriors!" Fandral cheered, drawing his sword. "Today we avenge Heimdall!" He started running down the mountain, Hogun hot on his heels, with Volstagg bringing up the rear.
"Wait!" Jaune called, but the Asgardians were already far ahead of him. He let out a low groan. "Do these guys ever stop for anything?" With a shake of his head, he took off in pursuit of his allies.
Thunder boomed over the horizon. Loki turned his gaze skyward, a look of concern on his face.
"Sounds like a storm's coming," Weiss noted. She saw the look on Loki's face. "What, are you afraid of a little lightning."
"This is no ordinary storm," Loki told her, gripping his scepter tightly. "I suggest you find cover, before he arrives."
"He? He who?"
There was a loud BOOM as a large, muscular figure landed on the ground in front of them. "Loki," he growled, raising a small hammer and pointing it at him, electricity crackling within it.
"Thor," Loki responded with equal malice. "So nice of you to—"
Thor threw his hammer at him, slamming it into his chest and sending him flying into the mountainside. The hammer then, to Weiss' shock, flew right back into Thor's hands. "Save your lies, brother. Your scheme ends here."
Loki got to his feet with a slight groan of pain. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, dear brother."
"What the heck is going on?" Weiss asked, stamping her foot.
"My dear brother has come to hunt me down, it would seem," Loki answered, keeping his attention on Thor.
"Tricking more mortals into helping you in your schemes, Loki?" Thor questioned. "There is no low you will not sink to."
"Oh, Weiss and I were merely keeping each other company on our way to Utgard," Loki told him.
Thor's eyes flickered to her. "Weiss?"
Weiss pulled Myrtenaster out and pointed it at Thor. "I don't know who you think you are, but—"
"Apologies," Thor interrupted. "But I believe I know of you. I have—"
Loki, taking advantage of Thor's distraction, fired a ball of energy from his scepter, hitting him in the chest and sending him sprawling. "Don't let yourself get distracted, brother," he snarled.
Thor got back to his feet. "So be it, Loki." He flew directly at Loki, who blocked the hammer strike with his scepter, and the two began to fight.
Weiss looked back and forth between them as they fought. Thor swung his hammer into Loki, who simply vanished, reappearing behind him and firing another blast from his scepter into his back. But Thor, evidently anticipating this, swung his hammer around, deflecting the blast before sending his own blast of lightning at Loki, which knocked him down. Thor then lunged at him, but Loki rolled to the side, causing him to punch the side of the mountain so hard that Weiss could feel the reverberations.
As she watched the fight, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned around and saw three more warriors running towards her. "More of Thor's friends," she thought.
"It appears that Loki has a friend," the fat warrior noted.
"Fear not, Volstagg," the tall one replied, leveling his sword. "I shall take care of her."
Weiss aimed Myrtenaster's tip at the warriors. "Stay back," she warned.
"You should not have thrown in your lot with the God of Mischief," the third of the warriors told her.
"I didn't throw in—he saved my life!" Weiss protested.
"That matters not. Now you shall have to deal with the Warriors Three!" the fat one declared.
Weiss couldn't help but snort. "The Warriors Three? What kind of a team name is that?"
"You shall learn to fear us, mortal," the tall warrior warned, preparing to attack.
"Stop!" a new voice cried out. A voice that Weiss instantly recognized. She looked past the Warriors Three as Jaune, wearing what looked like a new set of armor plates and a helmet, skidded to a halt, panting. "She's with me!"
"Jaune?!" Weiss asked in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," he wheezed, still trying to catch his breath.
Weiss had a million questions for him, all of them racing through her head at once, but the first one that came out of her mouth was, "Why are you with these guys?"
"Me? Why are you with Loki?" Jaune responded. "Did he hurt you at all?"
"He saved my life," Weiss explained. "But he told me all about his brother."
"What lies has he told you, mortal?" The fat warrior, Volstagg, questioned.
"Lies? What do you mean?"
"Weiss, Loki is the God of Mischief," Jaune explained. "Lying is literally what he does for a living. Whatever he told you about Thor wasn't true. The Asgardians are the good guys here. Loki's tried to kill them all multiple times."
Weiss turned her head back to Loki, who was still battling with Thor. All the pieces were finally starting to come together. Loki had seemed off from the start, and even then, Weiss had still nearly bought everything he had said. Her eyes narrowed in anger at him as she raised Myrtenaster once more and summoned a glyph right at Loki's feet.
The trickster looked down in brief surprise at the sudden appearance. That was when Thor made his move, launching his hammer into him, sending him crashing into the mountainside. The hammer stayed with him, pinning him to the ground. Loki tried to struggle, but he was apparently stuck fast.
"Now, brother," Thor growled. "You are going to answer for your crimes."
Loki let out a small sigh. "What crimes are you punishing me for this time, oh mighty Odinson?"
"Don't play dumb, Loki," Thor countered. "I know you are working with the Frost Giants. I know you attacked Heimdall yesterday."
Loki looked genuinely confused. "I'm…not sure what you mean."
"You lie!" Thunder crackled above the group. "We found enough evidence that proves the Frost Giants were responsible!"
Loki let out a slow laugh. "And naturally, you assumed I was involved because of my history with them and my knowledge of multiple hidden passages throughout the realms." He laughed again. "Oh, Thor, you always were quite gullible."
Thor grabbed his hammer in one hand and Loki's neck by the other, picking him up and pinning him to the mountain face. "No more games, Loki," he growled.
"Wait, stop!" Weiss shouted. "I don't know what's going on, but Loki couldn't have done anything yesterday?!"
"What are you talking about, Weiss?" Jaune asked.
"Loki was following me yesterday," Weiss explained. "He saved my life. He couldn't possibly be responsible for…whatever it is you think he's done."
"It's true, brother," Loki choked out. "I…didn't attack Asgard. You've been played for a fool."
Thor didn't remove his hand. "Ask yourself," Loki went on, barely able to speak. "If I were responsible, why would I leave evidence behind that would surely tie things to me or Jotunheim? Do you honestly believe I am that sloppy?"
Thor thought about it for a moment, then dropped Loki, who sank to his knees, coughing. "You're right," he realized. "You are smarter than that. Someone else is responsible." He turned around with a swirl of his red cape. "We must return to Asgard at once!"
He held his hammer up. "Lady Sif, open the Bifrost!"
"Brace yourself," Jaune warned Weiss. "This isn't very pleasant."
But nothing seemed to happen. Thor frowned. "Sif!" he yelled skyward. "Open the Bifrost!"
"Oh, I'm afraid Lady Sif is currently indisposed right now," a new voice spoke. Weiss turned around to see an Asgardian (at least she assumed she was an Asgardian, given her armor) standing just a few feet away, her black hair blowing in the breeze.
"Lady Sif?" the tall warrior asked in confusion.
Thor's eyes narrowed. "Nay, Fandral," he warned. "That is not Lady Sif."
The woman chuckled as she became enveloped in a swirling green mist. When it had faded, she was now dressed in all green and had long blonde hair. "Hello, beloved," she greeted Thor.
"Amora," Thor growled, pointing his hammer at her. "You were behind this!"
Amora chuckled. "I knew that you would easily believe that Jotunheim was behind any sort of attack on Asgard. It was all a matter of planting the right evidence."
"What have you done with Lady Sif?"
"Oh, she's still alive," Amora assured him. "She's just locked away in one of Asgard's cells."
"What is this, Amora?" Thor asked. "What are you trying to do?"
"Why, take over Asgard, of course," Amora responded, her red lips curling into a smile. "And with Asgard's greatest warriors out of the way, it should be an easy task to take the throne room and kill Odin once and for all."
"It will never happen, Amora," Thor told her. "You would need an army to pull that off."
"Oh, but I do have an army. An army that hates Asgard even more than Loki does. His only payment is something that is in Odin's vault—a certain casket."
Thor's eyes widened in horror. "Nay. Surely you could not be mad enough to trust Malekith the Accursed!"
A low chuckle echoed over the mountains as a new figure appeared. He was tall and regal looking, but Weiss almost recoiled in horror at his face. One half was a blueish-purple color, while the other half was pure black. "Trust, Odinson?" he laughed. "I am this plan's grand architect."
Lightning crackled above as Thor's rage increased. "Malekith! I swear, that when I find you—"
"Good luck with that, Odinson," Malekith mocked. "You are trapped on Jotunheim. The Bifrost is under the control of my Dark Elves. We are marching on the palace even as we speak. By the time you find your way back, it will be over. You have failed, Odinson. You left Asgard while it was at its most vulnerable on a fool's quest. And now, your people will suffer the consequences."
"Goodbye, Thor," Amora said, blowing him a small kiss. Thor, with a roar of rage, threw his hammer at the pair. Unfortunately, the two dissolved into green mist before the hammer could strike.
"This was a trap," Volstagg realized. "She tricked us."
"What now, Odinson?" Fandral asked.
"Now?" Thor lifted his hand, and his hammer flew back into it. Thunder boomed over the horizon.
"Now we strike back."
Surprise! It's actually not Loki that's the main bad guy in this arc (though he is going to stick around). Instead, it's none other than Amora the Enchantress and Malekith the Accursed! Because...come on, as Loki himself said, would he be so foolish as to leave behind evidence of who is responsible for an attack so brazen? Loki is no fool.
And now we finally have our first two RWBY characters reunited! It wasn't much of a reunion, due to all the chaos going on at the time, but there will definitely be more time for Jaune and Weiss to fully react and have time to talk about what happened. You'll see.
As I've been writing this arc, I've noticed that this is definitely more difficult than the last arc, mostly because Asgard and the things and characters associated with Asgard are certainly a lot more complex than what takes place on Earth. I'm doing the best I can, especially with personalities and dialogue, but it's certainly a more taxing task than before. Hopefully I'm doing a well enough job for you guys.
Also, because I can expect this to be a question: no, the repairs and modifications made to Jaune's weapon were not made of Uru metal. From what I could tell from my research, not everything on Asgard is made with Uru; some of it's just referred to as "Asgardian metal." Therefore, the repairs made to Jaune's weapon were done with Asgardian metal.
But anywho, that's all from me. Until next time, this is Guest 1138, signing off.