A/N (Please Read): *walks in from off camera and sits down in front of audience*
Ah, so… shall we begin again? Hello everybody and welcome back, to Ben 10 RWBY: Ultimate Omniverse! Feels good to be back, especially after the rather eventful few months that we've had. Of course, the big thing being that Volume 9 FINALLY came out! …And apparently, it's gotten pretty heavy with all the mumblings I've heard. Of course, I haven't watched the Volume JUST yet since I wanted to binge it once all 10 episodes were out… but unfortunately, some things WERE spoiled for me… some being unavoidable spoilers.
Now, I just want to make it clear; as per tradition, I will NOT be discussing spoilers until AFTER the Volume is over, since I'm sure that there are many in the same boat I am with that. Once April is over, THEN we will go into spoiler territory, but for now, let's continue where we left off, shall we?
Also, as a reminder; from here on out, updates will be going BI-WEEKLY, meaning that it'll be every other week from here on out. So the next chapter should be in two weeks' time. Hopefully this'll help me better when it comes to pacing with the story because I definitely wanna start picking things up a little and getting back on focus. So, with all that out of the way, let's start Season 3 off with a bang! This is…
Chapter 61: Beginnings Anew
…..
"Ooh! Blake, come check THIS one out!"
Already, Blake Belladonna was dreading the tone in which her partner said that. Usually hearing Yang Xiao Long like that meant one of two things; she was up to no good or she was genuinely excited about something… maybe a bit TOO much in the latter's case. And since the Blonde Brawler was currently in charge of finding a new wardrobe for HER… Blake wasn't too enthused. "Hah, alright Yang, what sort of horrifying piece of clothing did you find this time?" she sighed.
With a mirthful grin, Yang spun around and showed her. "Ah, c'mon, ya gotta have a bit more faith in me there." She held up a purple crop top with a scoop neck and short sleeves, making Blake's eyes widen. "So, whaddya think?"
"…I think you're trying to push your own wardrobe on me."
"Pfft, nah, this top isn't cut NEARLY low enough."
Blake facepalmed with an eyeroll. "Of course. Listen, I appreciate the thought, but I don't think a huge splash of purple is gonna help. …Does it come in white, though?"
Yang snickered and pulled a white version of the same top off the rack, passing it over to Blake. "Heh, alright Miss "Black and White Only", have at it. But at least TRY the purple top. For me, please?"
"Well… alright, I'll experiment with it." Blake relented. "I just don't want it to dominate the outfit, you know?"
That made Yang's eyebrows raise up. "Oh! In that case…" Yang reached down and undid her purple bandana from her leg, handing it to the catgirl. "Here, see if this works anywhere."
"You're… giving me one of your bandanas?" Blake was at a loss for words, so much that she immediately tried handing it back. "N-No, I couldn't possibly. You've had this bandana since before I even MET you. It'd be weird if you just handed it to me."
"Ah, I don't think so. In fact, I think it'd look pretty cool on you. Also…" She tugged at her orange bandana on her arm. "We'd be able to match!"
That idea made Blake soften up a bit. "Aw… that WOULD be cute. I'll think about it once I put my whole ensemble together." She craned her head over to the rest of the clothing that she and Yang had picked out, and they had settled on several different items.
First was a pair of tall, black boots that came up to her knees, which slipped over her new white capris pants. Admittedly, THOSE would be a first for her. Blake had usually tried to keep the lower half of her wardrobe black while the white was focused more on top. But now, she would be going in the opposite direction, with her white crop top going underneath a black biker jacket with long, slender sleeves. The jacket itself was light, and it had gold zippers and buttons, with the hem was just a bit longer than the crop top, ending right at her waist. She had tried it on and it moved rather well… but at the same time, it was pretty different from a lot of what she normally wore. "You're SURE that this whole change is necessary?" she asked her partner.
"Hey, new hair, new you, right?" Yang stepped behind her and pawed at her best friend's new hairstyle, giggling as she made it bounce a little. "Hehe, besides, your new 'do totally gives me "biker chick" vibes."
"Last I checked, you were the "biker chick". And please stop playing with my hair." Blake deadpanned as she put her hand up to her short locks apprehensively. "I'm self-conscious enough about it as it is."
But Yang simply waved off the thought. "Ah, you gotta have more confidence in your appearance, Blake. Sure, your mom has short hair, too, but you've got two TOTALLY different styles going on." The blonde gave her a wink. "And besides, pretty sure EVERYONE on the team thinks it's cute, and that goes for me AND Sun, too."
That got Blake blushing a little, curling a lock of hair around her finger. "W-Well… I guess, but…"
"Ah, c'mon, you two finally said the big "L" word to each other and you're getting cold feet?" Yang wore a challenging smile. "When Ben and I exchanged our first "I love you's" we were freaking jazzed, so you should be, too!"
"I-I am!" Blake insisted. "It's just…" She craned her head down as her shoulders sagged. "This is the first time since… since Adam where I felt this passionate about being in love, you know? And I fell OUT of love with Adam pretty quick." Blake shook her head. "I'm not afraid of falling out of love with Sun, but… it's still a big step." The catgirl locked eyes with her partner, asking; "Do you… think I'm ready?"
Yang simply smiled and reached out, placing her hand on Blake's shoulder. "That's for you to decide, Blake. I can't decide that for you. Lemme ask you something; who in the world makes you the happiest right now?"
"Sun, of course."
"Now, do you feel like you should be denied that happiness?"
"W-Well, no, but—"
"And there's your answer!" Yang grabbed Blake by the shoulders and suddenly spun her around toward the changing rooms. "So lemme tell ya something; now that you and Sun have got your feelings out there in the open, it's time that BOTH of you stepped up your game." She gave her best friend a knowing wink. "And the best way to do that and get a BIG up on him is to knock him dead with your new duds." Yang grabbed Blake's new clothes and shoved both them and her into the curtain. "So c'mon, kitty, let's see ya flex those claws!"
Sticking her head back out the curtain, Blake raised a single brow to her best friend. "Uh, 'kay, but aren't YOU gonna get changed, too?"
Yang titled her head at that. "…Whaddya mean?"
"Wait… you aren't getting anything for yourself?"
The blonde smiled as she gestured to the outfit she had been wearing for a good while. "Ah, c'mon Blake, I practically just BOUGHT this like, a month ago." She booped Blake on the nose. "You at least have the excuse that yours was destroyed when you mutated. Me, though…" Yang struck a provocative pose. "I'm still rockin' this!"
"Yeah, and you're probably sweating so much that you're swimming in that thing." Blake pointed out. "Yang, that jacket is fleece lined and those heavy black pants aren't doing you any favors. Dark colors absorb heat and sunlight really easily, you know." The catgirl stepped out of the curtain, crossing her arms defiantly. "So, I think it's only fair, since you're helping me, that I help YOU pick out a new summer outfit."
Yang scratched her cheek. "Well… I'm pretty sure I brought mine with me…"
Blake chuckled and shook her head. "Oh-ho, no, you're not getting off that easily. If YOU want me to find some new gear that'll get Sun's attention… let's see if we can find something that knocks Ben's socks off."
"…Did you have something in mind for that?" Yang asked hopefully.
Blake broke out into a Cheshire grin as she turned her partner around, heading back to the racks. "Hmhm, c'mon girl, let's find something that'll make you look and feel cool… and make him drool."
Yang liked the sound of that a LOT. "Ooh, I think the new hairstyle's brought out your wild side, Blake. Let's do this."
…..
As the girls were shopping, however, Nora was currently at the Tennyson residence… where things had succumbed to chaos. And for the first time in a while, SHE wasn't the sole cause of it. She, along with Rex and the SN boys, had fallen into playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. And it was certainly quite the experience… in just how competitive they all could get.
Ben was playing Mario, and was currently in the lead. "C'mon, almost there, almost there!"
"Not gonna get away from me THAT easy, Tennyson!" Sun proclaimed as his character, Donkey Kong, picked up a banana and immediately threw it behind him. "Hey, Neptune, got a treat for ya!"
The blue-haired boy in question could only gape as Luigi crashed after slipping on the peel. "Gah! C'mon guys, quit leaving me in the dust!"
"Sorry Neptune, mi amigo," Rex said as Link sped by the younger Mario Brother, "but you'll just have to kiss my exhaust fumes!"
Of course, the thrill of competition had gotten the boys all riled up good, and Nora was all too happy to revel in it as well. Gwen had been nice enough to loan her Switch out for some co-op action. "HA! Eat THIS, Wukong!" She was playing as Princess Peach, and had just picked up a Blue Shell and threw it straight ahead of her, making Sun spin out of control as she sped past him to up to catch Ben.
"AGH! NO!" Sun howled. "DK, don't stop now!"
"Better watch out behind you, Ben!" Nora sang in the hero's ear, making his eye twitch.
"Oh-ho-ho no you don't, Nora!" Ben went into his items and took out a Bob-Bomb, throwing it directly at Rosalina behind him. "Here's something from me to you!"
Nora screamed as the bomb blew up in front of her. "AH! No fair!"
Sun looked to her incredulously as Donkey Kong managed to catch up. "Oh, what, so you're allowed to BLUE SHELL me, but getting blown up ain't fair game?!" He focused back to the screen as he saw Mario appear on the track… but by then, it was too late.
Mario crossed the finish line and Ben was quick to jump up in celebration. "WOO! Aw yeah! TWO-TIME Mario Kart champ in a ROW, thank you very much!"
The others groaned in defeat, but it didn't take long for Sun to put on a wry smile. "Yeah, but… I still got more victories than you, bro."
"Well, yeah, but this is the last race overall. So who was the real winner here?"
"Ugh, does it matter?" Neptune rested his chin in his hands, feeling disappointed in himself. "I only won like, twice. You guys each got like four or five."
Ben and Sun wore awkward expressions, suddenly feeling fairly bad about the blue-haired boys loss-to-win ration. "…Yeah, honestly, in the long run, it doesn't matter." Ben extended his hand toward Sun with a smile. "But what DOES matter is that I'm glad that you two came over to play. Thanks, guys."
"Hey, no problem, man." Sun shook Ben's hand graciously. "Anything for helpin' me through some tough stuff back at base today, what with Lionheart and all that."
Rex gave a short sigh. "Man, hard to believe that all JUST happened. It's been what, a few hours?"
Nora gave a so-so motion with her hand. "Eh, give or take. But yeah, it's pretty crazy what we can experience in just a morning alone…" She stretched out in her chair and placed her hands behind her head. "And man, am I HERE for it! Experiencing stuff like this every day gives me LIFE."
Ben chuckled at that. "Hehe, glad you're getting used to it. Me personally, I wasn't thrilled when I had to deal with it at first, but I've learned to live with it." Ding-Dong! The Omnitrix bearer raised his head up at the doorbell ring, leading him to stand up and answer it. "Oh, coming!" He pulled the front door open… and was greeted by quite the sight indeed. He smiled knowingly down at the new arrival. "Ah… welcome back."
"Thank you. Mind getting him for me?"
"Oh, but of course." Ben assured before craning his head back to the monkey boy. "Sun! Come hither, please!"
The odd use of language only caught Sun's attention as he did a backflip up over the couch, landing on his feet. "Alright, what the heck is up with all the fancy ta—uuuuh…"
Sun's tongue got lost in his mouth when his eyes landing on Blake in the doorway, and for good reason. She was astonishing. It was unlike anything he had ever seen her in before; a slender, long-sleeved, black biker jacket with gold zippers and buttons that hugged her frame, the jacket itself open to reveal… a purple belly shirt with a scoop neck, along with a new necklace with her emblem as its charm. She wore a pair of white capris with a black leather belt, and tied around her right knee was a purple bandana that he was certain belonged to Yang at one point. Her new long, black boots went half-way up her leg, covering the hems of her pants. And of course, Gambol Shroud was strapped to her back. The fact that she was leaning up against the doorframe only added to her overall aura. It was like he was staring at a badass goddess, and it was almost too much for him to comprehend at once.
"So… you like?" Blake asked with a curious grin.
"I-I… I have no words." Sun managed to get out as he slowly approached her. "And here I thought the hairstyle was a big change."
"Well, Yang was insistent on changing up my general style a bit." Blake shrugged as she glanced down to her new outfit. "I'm not exactly a hundred percent on it yet, plus I gotta add some pouches for my gear, but I think it'll grow on me."
Sun let out a breath as he reached out, gently running his hand up her arm and to her shoulder, before going up and cupping her cheek. "Hah, well, I'll say this much; you look AMAZING." He brushed his fingers through her hair a little. "Beautiful, in every sense of the word. But then again, you've always been beautiful, so I guess at this point, I'm just being a kiss-up."
Blake couldn't help but giggle at the little quip. "Hehe, oh no, no, please, feel free to keep going." She leaned closer with a genuinely happy gaze. "But seriously, though, thank you. You have no idea how apprehensive I was about this change."
"I can imagine." Sun leaned in as well, pecking Blake on the cheek. "But it's safe to say you pull it off really well." That made Blake giggle again and this time, she tilted her head so that their lips met softly, eliciting a loving sigh from both of them as they fell into their kiss.
However, it was then that they remembered that Ben, Neptune, Rex and Weiss were all still there, especially when the latter coughed into her hand. "Ahem, not that this moment isn't cute as all hell right now, but um… where IS Yang, Blake?"
Ben poked his head out the front door, not seeing his girlfriend anywhere. Her motorcycle was there, so it was obvious that both of them had come back, but still… "Yeah, I didn't see her with you." He eyed Blake in concern. "Is she alright?"
"Oh yeah, she's fine!" Blake raised her hand, quelling their worry. "In fact… she might be closer than you think."
That only left Ben more perplexed… without noticing the head of blonde hair raising up behind him. "I don't think I foll—OW!"
"Hahaha! Gotcha, Green Boy!" Yang laughed as she pounced on her boyfriend's back, hooking an arm around his neck and shoulders. Of course, what came next was what she expected him to do; wrap his arms around her legs so that she was now piggy-backing him. "Hehe, did I surprise ya?"
"Haha… y-yeah!" Ben laughed, keeping himself from falling from the sudden force on his back. "Babe, how the heck did you sneak in here?"
"That would be my doing, actually." The group turned to see Raven entering the room, a sly grin on the former tribe leader's lips. "Yang called ahead and said she wanted to surprise you, so I was more than happy to help."
Ben sighed and nodded. "Yeah, had a feeling. So, why the surprise, Yang?"
With that, Yang hopped off of Ben's back and stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Why don't ya turn around and find out, hm?"
"Um… okay, I—"
Just like Sun before him, Ben was rendered absolutely speechless by the goddess standing before him. Yang, just like Blake, was decked out in a jacket of her own, only this one was brown and had short sleeves that ended at her elbow. The hem of the jacket was also very short, only just slightly longer than the yellow belly tank top she was wearing underneath—which, as usual, showed off her cleavage, as with most of her outfits. The zipper of the jacket was also partially zipped up, with Yang having separated the zipper near the bottom so she could open the jacket back up to show her belly. Below the waist, she had on a pair of black jean shorts, which accentuated her hips, and she had on her usual brown boots. Her neck was now adorned by her familiar orange bandana while her cowboy hat was atop her head, but on her knee was something new… a green bandana. One that seemed very familiar to the hero.
Overall, though, there was no denying it; Yang was breathtaking. "So, whaddya think, Mr. Hero?" Yang teased as she lifted her arms behind her head, striking a pose while sending a sultry gaze. "Does your girlfriend know how to pick 'em, or what?"
"Hah… definitely not "or what"." Ben managed to breath out, stepping forward to wrap his arms around the small of her back and pull her into his embrace. "You look absolutely bad ass and gorgeous… but then again, what else is new?"
"Oh, stop." Yang went up on her tip toes and locked her lips with Ben's for a few seconds, the duo grinning even as they parted. "But thank you. I like to think that Coco's not the ONLY expert on Huntress fashion."
Nora suddenly bounced over with a beaming smile of her own. "Ain't THAT the truth?! Ah! You girls look so freaking cool! You've gotta take me and the other girls out sometime, too!"
Blake and Yang both laughed with the redhead at that. "Haha, yeah, maybe we should." The catgirl agreed. "…Speaking of which, though, where's Weiss? I thought she'd be here…"
"Ah, she's gone to Gwen's house for some peace and quiet after the whole "us getting transformed into alien hybrids" thing." Rex mentioned. "Said the last thing she wanted was to hear us hollering over video games." He took out his phone and checked the time real quick. "Speaking of which, I'd better head over there soon. I promised her we'd head out on a date tonight."
"Huh, what a coincidence…" Sun reached out and took Blake's hand in his own. "I believe I promised you the exact same thing, didn't I?"
Blake nodded happily. "Why yes, you did." She pulled her hand up and instead locked her arm with Sun's, nudging her head toward the door. "So, shall we?"
Sun stepped in line with his girlfriend as they both stepped out the door. "Oh, for sure. I'm pretty sure I spotted a bookstore on the way here, so if you want we—"
TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP!
The Faunus couple stopped in their tracks and Blake's ears perked up at the loud tapping. It almost sounded like a rapid-fire hammer nailing into wood, though she wasn't sure WHY it was so close. It was evident that everyone else heard it too as they peaked out the front door. "H-Huh? What the…" TAPTAPTAPTAP! Blake craned her head up when she heard it again, and it didn't take her long to find the culprit; a red-crested woodpecker. "Oh, hah, of course."
"Ha! Man, I can't believe THAT made us jump." Sun laughed. "Didn't think woodpeckers could be that loud… huh?" The monkey boy suddenly did a doubletake as the woodpecker moved its head downward… and locked its eyes on him. Not two seconds passed before the bird spread its wings and, much to everyone's shock, swooped down straight onto Sun's head. "AH!" Sun leapt away as Blake recoiled, both baffled by the development. "H-Hey, what're you—" TAPTAPTAPTAP! "AGH! OW! OUCH! S-Stop it!"
The woodpecker began fiercely pecking at the blonde's head, leading Blake to take action. "H-Hey! Get away from him!" She leapt up as Sun spun around with his back toward her and she swiped... only for the bird to fly off quicker than a flash. SMACK! "AH! Oh no, Sun! I'm so sorry!"
Wincing from the unplanned blow, Sun instantly reached out and assured his girlfriend. "H-Hey, it's okay, Blake. You were trying to help…" He glared upward as the woodpecker landed on the branch again, its eyes still locked on him. "That little annoyance is the one who started this. What's the big idea, huh?!" As if to respond, the woodpecker threw its head back and started cawing rapidly… almost as if it were laughing at him. "Oh, you think you're TOUGH, huh?! I'll show you!" Sun took out Ryui Jingu Bang and vaulted himself up, thrusting an arm out to grab the bird… only for it to fly away again. SLAM! "UGH!" He landed gut-first on the branch, glaring up at the avian with a sneer. "Y-Yeah! You'd better run!" he shook his fist at the retreating, laughing bird.
…All while everyone else stared incredulously. "Uuum… what did we just see?" Nora asked.
"No freaking clue." Ben scratched his head as he watched Sun drop down and go sulking off, with Blake holding his arm to try and cheer him up. "First monkeys, then jaguars, now woodpeckers. Sun REALLY doesn't seem to have much luck with animals lately."
"Weird…" Neptune tapped his chin. "Never had problems with 'em before…" The blue-haired boy shook his head before grinning toward Ben and Yang. "Ah, something to think about for later. How 'bout we keep the video games going, eh?"
Yang nodded wholeheartedly. "Oh yeah, sounds like a great plan!" Her attention went back to Ben and she gave him a wink. "After all, we've still got that Arkham Asylum session you promised, right Green Boy?"
"Right you are, Goldie Locks." Ben turned back into the house, taking her by the hand. "C'mon, let's—ah!" But before they could get far, they were stopped by Raven, standing directly behind them with her arms crossed.
"Ahem, before you two get to that, I'd like to discuss something with the both of you." The Spring Maiden raised a brow down to the hero. "About the little… incident that happened back at base."
Both Ben and Yang were left concerned, with Nora and Neptune quickly stepping away. "Y-You heard about that?" Yang tugged at her jacket collar.
Raven didn't seem too impressed with the sheepish move. "I did. And might I say that I'm glad that it was resolved fairly quickly. Because if it hadn't…" She pointed to her daughter. "…and if you were still a plant alien, we'd be having an entirely different conversation right now." The woman raised her head at the two expectantly. "I hope I don't have to tell you what I'm going to say next."
The couple eyed one another before Ben made a guess; "…Make sure it never happens again?"
"Precisely. After all, I'd rather not risk my daughter turning into a plant permanently." Within a second, Raven's serious expression softened as her gaze shifted to Yang. "I know that I often come off as harsh, but I do care about your wellbeing, Yang. Being a mother is still new to me, but I just want you to—oof!" And just like that, Raven found herself on the receiving end of a hug, with Yang's head nuzzling against her shoulder.
"I know, mom." The blonde smiled up to Raven brightly. "And thank you… for saying that. It really means a lot."
Raven smiled back and gladly reciprocated the hug. "Hm, I'm glad to hear that. Now go on." She released her daughter and nudged toward the staircase. "I've kept you long enough. Go have fun." With a brief thanks from the teens, they all climbed the stairs up to Ben's room, there they'd no doubt be there for a while. Letting out a soft sigh, Raven walked out the front door and shifted into her bird form, off for an afternoon patrol.
…..
Meanwhile, in a far-off land beyond the reach of most mortal men and women, a group of seven people were trudging their way through a woodsy snowscape, where the trees… were just about as big as the people were. More accurately, the people themselves were MASSIVE, standing at least twenty feet tall and looming over any animal that crossed their path. Though no beast dared to do so, otherwise they'd quickly be killed and eaten. These people—these Giants—were absolutely monstrous in appearance, complete with big ears, dark eyes with gold irises, and gnarled, unhygienic teeth with large, pointed incisors that were about as sharp as their clawed nails.
What's more, their skin had patches of frostbitten blue all throughout, especially in their fingers, feet and lips. And to add to that there were also spots of their bodies where ice had frozen in either thick sheets of armor or large spikes, mostly on their shoulders and heads. They wore clothing, though it was all ratty and brown. Each of these seven giants also carried a weapon, some had clubs, a couple carried swords, the one in front even had a SPIKED club. Where ever they were going, they seemed to be looking to cause trouble.
"Grah, are we THERE yet?" One of the giants grumbled irritably. "We've trekked for days and STILL no luck."
"Relax." The lead giant turned around, his bottom incisors sticking out from his bottom lip. "We should be arriving at the next village soon. There, we will have a quick meal of the local inhabitants before being on our way."
Another giant groaned as he set his club down, creating a massive THUMP! "UGH! This is BORING! When will we finally reach the Thunderer and exact our revenge?!"
The leader furrowed his brow. "You expect luring out a GOD to be easy, brother? You assume too much." He sighed and set his club down before finding a seat on a nearby stump. "But, I suppose we can take a small break. Mark my words, though; once we create enough carnage, the Thunderer will have no choice but to show himself. Then, and ONLY then shall we seek our revenge upon him."
That made another giant let out a snicker. "Heh, if he doesn't kill US first. You DO recall how many of our kind he's slain with that damned hammer, right? If our ancestors couldn't do it, then what makes you think WE can?"
"Hmph, because the Jotnar of today are FAR more intelligent than the brutes of yesteryear, brother." The leader said with confidence as he smirked dangerously. "Back in the day, you'd be lucky to find ANY Frost Giant with a lick of intelligence. But with these centuries of dormancy, I'd like to think we as a people smartened up to the gods' tricks."
"Oh, is that so?"
The giants all gasped as a voice rang out through the forest, taking them off guard. They all took up their weapons and huddled up in a circle, each facing out toward the trees, ready to defend themselves. "Who goes there?! SHOW YOURSELF!" the leader bellowed.
A mirthful chuckle came from deep in the thicket before another response came. "Hmhm, now, now, settle down my fellow giants. I mean you absolutely no harm…" The wind suddenly picked up a little and, in a cyclone of ice and snow… someone appeared near the edge of the tree line. The giants couldn't see who stood before them clearly… but his silhouette was enough to render them all speechless. Long, flowing locks of hair danced behind a gold crested circlet on the man's forehead… which was also adorned by a pair of long, curved horns that curled upward. They could see the man's eyes burning red through the shadows as well, all while a sinister smirk shined through the darkness. "As you can probably see… I am a friend."
The Giants couldn't believe it. The man—no—the god in their presence could be no other… "O-Oh, Lord!" the lead giant bowed his head in respect and kneeled before him. "Great Trickster, w-we didn't expect it to be YOU! We… had assumed you were still imprisoned away from Jotunheim.
"Hmhm, perish the thought, my brethren." The god assured, stepping out of the light to reveal himself in full. He appeared to be a man in his mid to late thirties with long, blonde hair that wafted in the wind. He had very… pretty features, almost effeminate to a degree, with pointed ears and sharp eyes. However, the golden horn ornaments on his head made him resemble some sort of imp, and his goatee wasn't doing him any favors. Through it all, however, he was still fairly handsome. He wore a very regal outfit, one of bronze and white colors with gold detailing throughout, and he wore a long, dark green overcoat with black fur around the neck and wrist areas that flowed in the breeze. He kept his smirk about him as he set his eyes upon his brethren expectantly. "In fact… I think I have a way to help you get my… nephew's attention. I will send you straight to Midgard… there's a town I would like you to pillage, and I have no doubt that idiot will be there in a flash. So, what do you say, hm?"
"M-My lord… we thank you for this opportunity!" The lead giant stood up and faced his brothers, raising his club over his head. "BROTHERS! We have been gifted this chance by the Trickster God of the Jotunns himself! We must NOT waste it! We shall go to Midgard and dispose of the Thunderer, in the name of… LOKI!"
As the giants chanted his name, Loki himself felt his lips curl even further, steepling his fingers together in anticipation. "Oh, dearest "nephew", you're in for quite the surprise…"
…..
~Three Days Later~
Up on a hill overlooking the town of Bellwood, Cinder Fall stood with her team, preparing themselves for what was about to happen. Several days had passed since the heroes had returned to Bellwood… and the Ministry had stayed quiet that whole time. During the course of those days, things in the town had thankfully been mostly uneventful, with the worst being some small-time crimes down in Undertown that the heroes had dealt with handily. But Cinder Fall had made absolutely sure that nothing BIG had happened… all so that this moment would be all the more impactful. It was Thursday, almost ten o'clock, and once the hour ticked off… that would be when they'd make their move.
"Hmhm, take it in, everyone." Cinder said to her team as they gazed out to Bellwood, wearing her usual sinister smirk. "Soon, this little party will be getting started…"
"Oh, I've been lookin' forward to this!" Rojo whooped in anticipation, slamming a fist into her open palm. "Time for those idiots to be the ones taken off their guard."
Emerald chuckled to herself, ready to do some ransacking in the confusion. "The wait's killing me. I can already imagine their faces when we show up with all those Grimm."
"It's gonna be a BLAST." Mercury concurred, with Neo nodding vigorously next to him. "C'mon, let's get this show on the road!"
Exo-Skull and Thunderhog were of the same mind, the mutants padding the ground with their feet and raring themselves to go. "Yeah, let's blow this thing up!" The rhino man insisted. "I can already FEEL the carnage about to happen!"
"Now, now, boys, let's not get too hasty." Cinder halted, though she couldn't say she wasn't feeling excited about this herself. "After all, we're still on Salem's time, so we only go when she says so—huh?" FWOOM! Just then, however, a familiar purple vortex opened up behind all of them, revealing Salem herself on the other side. She stood between Eon and Viktor, the former keeping the portal open while the latter greeted them with a nod. Cinder and her crew immediately turned around and kneeled before their mistress. "Ah, Salem, your timing is impeccable. We were just discussing our attack plan."
"Very good, Cinder." Salem approved, briefly stepping through the portal and onto the greenery of Earth for the first time. She couldn't help but wince at just how much… brighter things seemed to be here. It was disconcerting… but fortunately, that could be changed. She would see to that. "Now, are you all ready?" Salem saw them all nod, and to that, she snapped her fingers, to which Eon opened several more portals.
Through them all, a countless amount of Grimm came piling through, at least a hundred max. There were Ursas, Beowolves, Creeps, even Deathstalkers, Beringels and a few Nevermores, too. It was a rather… unexpected amount. "Woah… you have spared no expense, Lady Salem." Subdora noted, the Merlinisapien stepping closer to Exo-Skull for protection.
"Indeed. After all, we want to make sure that this attack leaves a lasting impression on—" But then, Salem stopped herself when she felt… something. It was a familiar feeling, but also somewhat different, and it was coming from the opposite side of the city. Past all the buildings and homes, she saw… a massive, black storm cloud, one that seemed to carry enough energy to destroy anything in its path. It was then that she noticed that even higher up, the overcast sky seemed to be… spiraling, almost as if a different storm was brewing even higher up. There was a chill in the wind… and Salem didn't like it one bit.
"Salem? Is… something the matter?" Cinder asked hesitantly.
"…There may be." Salem reluctantly said, facing her Fall Maiden once again. "Whatever you all are planning to do, you should do it quickly while the Heroes are fending off the Grimm. …We may be seeing some unexpected company... of the deistic kind."
Rojo felt her stomach drop at that. "Oh god, don't tell me it's—"
"HEY!" All of a sudden, a loud roar caught the whole group's attention, their heads snapping back toward the portals. However, the voice was actually coming from behind the gateways, and it didn't take long for a rather large, imposing, fur-covered figure to show themselves. They were partially obstructed by shadows, but Exo-Skull, Thunderhog, Rojo and Subdora all gaped in shock and fear the moment they saw a familiar pair of blood red eyes. Cinder, Emerald and Mercury also recognized the beast; a certain Metalikanine who they hadn't seen in a long time.
Emerald set a cautious gaze onto the alien, shakily taking up her Thief's Respite. "Y-You've gotta be kidding me."
"What's he doing here?" Rojo muttered, bringing out her sword.
The alien dog beast didn't even bother glancing at them, though. His teeth were grit as his eyes landed on Salem, addressing her directly with his thick, southern drawl. "So… yer this "Salem" lady I've been hearin' so much about, right?"
"My, my… I wouldn't have expected to see you here." Salem craned her head up to meet the alien's gaze. "…Bashmouth, was it? To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Y-Yeah, we thought you booked it back here to get AWAY from the Plumbers!" Hog pointed out.
Bashmouth let out a low growl, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, that was the plan… until the lackeys I ended up recruitin' fer my new crime ring ended up gettin' nabbed by 'em." He narrowed his eyes at the town below. "I decided to give 'em a week to stew in there so they can think about how badly they screwed 'emselves over, but now, I'm fixin' to get 'em outta there… but I needed somethin' to make sure them heroes weren't on me." He craned his head back toward the army of Grimm behind him. "An' after overhearin' yer own plan… I think we can help each other out a little."
Salem merely narrowed her eyes at the alien dog. "I'm not in the business to make deals with common criminals… unless you're willing to offer your services to me in a calm, rational way."
"…Beg pardon?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, I was impressed with your rampage across Beacon while you were in Remnant." Salem raised a thoughtful hand to her chin. "However, I also recognized that you are very independent, and convincing you to join our group would not be easy. But, if you're open to consideration, perhaps we could help one another."
The Metalikanine huffed and raised a hand. "Ma'am, I've got no intention of bein' someone else's lapdog… but maybe we could work together in a more indirect way."
With a tilt of her head, Salem's curiosity was peaked. "Oh? How so?"
"I've got plenty of connections throughout the galaxy, an' usin' those, I can get ya anything ya need." Bashmouth explained. "All I ask is fer yer help gettin' my boys out, an' a small fee for any transgressions."
"Money is no issue." Salem assured. "And I can have your "boys" freed from that prison without any problems." A small grin came to the dark sorceress as she raised her hand. "I believe we've come to an agreement."
"You scratch my back…" Bashmouth gave a sharp-toothed grin in return as he shook Salem's hand. "An' I'll scratch yer's. Let's paint this town red."
Cinder, while still reeling from the suddenness of all this, wasn't about to be taken off guard for long. She raised her hand and summoned a flaming obsidian sword, pointing it straight toward Bellwood. "You heard the man—er, dog! Ministry, FORWARD!"
As Bashmouth and the Ministry pushed forward with the Grimm charging down with them, a familiar old man and his steed stood further back on the hill and watched as Salem walked back into the portal she came through. Stepping out from under the tree, Orson's gaze went from the closing portals, to the town, and then up toward the sky. His horse, Sylvester, followed suit, fidgeting at the sight. "Hm… something tells me that things are going to get chaotic down there, old friend." Orson heard Sylvester whinny in agreement as he eyed the approaching storm. "Hurry, my son… time is of the essence."
…..
Three days. Nothing major had happened for three days. To say that Ben was getting antsy was an understatement. For the rest of the team, they saw this as a moment of reprieve, perhaps even a reward for all the hero work they had been doing recently. No major bad guys or any world-ending threats! It was almost too good to be true… and that's what put Ben on edge. 'How is it that there's been nothing going on?' Ben thought to himself. 'Not even the MINISTRY has attacked! I mean, sure, SOMETIMES they take breaks from bugging us, but still…'
"Yo, Ben, you good?"
The hero snapped his head up and saw Jaune coming over to sit next to him, the blonde knight wearing a casual t-shirt and sweatpants. 'Ah, right, gotta remember where I am…' Yesterday, after their usual training sessions, the some of the girls had the idea to do a girls-only slumber party, which sounded brilliant… even though they ended up decided it would be at HIS place, so Ben had to head over to Kevin's place for the night. Thankfully, the guys had resolved to do the same idea, which Ben was in favor of. His eyes went out to the basement rec room where he saw Ren, Kevin and Rook all in conversation, all while Team SN, Alan and Manny were on the couch playing video games.
"Yeah man, you seemed like you were pretty deep in your own head there." Ben glanced up and saw Rex come over as well, both he and Jaune reclining against the wall on either side of him.
"Still thinking about how quiet it's been lately?" Jaune guessed.
Ben sighed and leaned back. "Hah… yeah. It's just been WAY too quiet, you know?"
"Eh, yeah, but at the very least I'm glad we got some semblance of a break." Rex shrugged. "I mean, aside from some petty crimes in Undertown, of course."
Jaune, however, was a little more wary of the situation. "Yeah, but at the same time, don't you think it's a little strange? Usually, we're up to our necks in big, life or death battles…" The knight reached back and scratched his neck. "Almost feels like we're spinning our wheels a bit…"
Kevin, overhearing this, gave the group a reassuring smile and raised his plastic cup to them. "Ah, don't get bugged out about it, dude. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?" Next to him, Rook raised a hand to speak, but Kevin beat him to it. "NOT a literal horse, Rook. It's an expression."
"Ah… right." Rook nodded. "Though I feel as if I must agree with Ben and Jaune on this. We must not let our guard down too much, or else the enemy will be able to take advantage."
"Perhaps this lull in activity is even intentional." Ren pointed out. "To get us all to do just that."
Ben pursed his lips, pondering on that. "A false sense of security…"
But then Manny broke him out of that thought. "Ben, bro, you need to learn to chill." The Tetramand, who was holding not one, but TWO controllers in each set of hands, glanced away from the television as he kept laying the smackdown on Sun and Neptune, both boys visibly fuming that they were on the receiving end of such butt-kicking. "Ya gotta take advantage of the downtime when ya can, man. You said yourself when we first joined the Plumbers; it doesn't come often, so make sure to enjoy it!"
Alan nodded, almost absent-mindedly as he watched Team SN's growing frustration. "Yeah, Ben, c'mon and join the fun. Wouldn't hurt ya to kick back with the boys a little."
"Dude, does it LOOK like we're having fu—" CRACK! The moment Neptune peered away from the screen, his character in the fighting game they were playing was knocked flat by one of Manny's characters, making his jaw drop as the game announced;
"K-O!"
"NNOOOOO!" Neptune fell to his knees and cried to the heavens in defeat, before immediately turning to Sun and grasping at his shirt. "Avenge me, dude!"
"I-I'm trying!" Sun grumbled, furiously button mashing to try and hold off both characters. "I'm being double teamed!"
Manny let out a laugh as he concentrated back on the game. "Ho-Ho, you are goin' DOWN, Sun!" And sure enough, a few moments later…
"K-O!"
The monkey boy threw his head back, groaning irritably before tossing the remote control onto the sofa. "UGH! Man, what the hell? I knew it was a mistake taking on your dumb challenge." He thrust a hand toward the double-controller-holding Tetramand. "It's like fighting in a handicap match… only in this case, the ones who're outnumbered got their ass kicked!"
The Plumber reclined on the couch, crossing his legs as he spun the controllers in his hands. "What can I say, Sun? I've just got some sick hand-eye coordination." Manny blew on the controllers like they were smoking guns before standing up and pointing them out to the rest of the room. "Alright, who's next?!"
Kevin slammed his hand on the couch and picked up Sun's controller. "Oh, you bet I'm game, man." His sights then went to Ben as he took Neptune's controller and tossed it over to him. "C'mon, Ben, help me beat his ass." He gave his best friend a thumbs up. "It'll distract ya from all these thoughts about you-know-who."
"…Hah, well, I guess I don't have much of a choice." Ben resigned himself before walking over to the couch, getting himself situated. Taking a deep breath, the Omnitrix bearer focused on the game and put on a smile. "Alright, you guys want fun? I'm game."
"Woah, woah, slow down there, kiddos." Before the next round could get started, Qrow and Evelyn came walking down the stairs into the room, the latter carrying a platter full of bowls which housed chips, dip, veggies and dressings. "Before you get TOO into things, don't forget to eat something." Evelyn said with a wink, setting the platter on the coffee table. "There's plenty for everyone, so don't be afraid to dig in."
"OOH! Snacks!" Rex nearly lunged for the platter and took up a chip, dipping it without question. "Thanks, Mrs. L!"
As the boys started gathering around the coffee table, Kevin smiled up to his mom gratefully. "Yeah, thanks mom. Much appreciated." He then gave a pointed look at the dusty crow. "Though YOU could've helped her out with that a bit, old man."
Qrow scoffed at that. "Hmph, I was spotting her, kid. Besides, you want ME to carry a platter full of snacks and dip down a flight of stairs?"
Kevin wanted to retort… but he knew that WAS probably a bad idea. "…Yeah, fair point. But again, thanks, mom."
Evelyn placed her hands on her hips. "You're welcome, though I hope you kids will at least consider going to sleep soon. Almost two hours to midnight, after all."
"Ah, don't worry, Mrs. L." Manny assured, flicking a chip up into the air and catching it in his mouth. "Pretty sure ALL of us have stayed up later than this. We'll be good."
"Well, maybe, but you guys should at least be prepared if you do." Evelyn pointed up to the small window near the ceiling just above the TV. "Forecast's calling for a really nasty thunderstorm soon, so don't be surprised if the power goes out for a minute." She eyed her son curiously. "Kevin, you've made sure to check the generator, right?"
"Oh yeah, should be workin' fine." Kevin waved off. "Ran it, checked all connections, everything. If we end up losing power, it should kick on automatically."
Evelyn smiled and pat her boy on the head before she and Qrow headed for the stairs. "Good to know. Okay, you boys keep having your fun and we'll keep an eye on the weather." Once they were up the stairs and out of earshot of the young men downstairs, however, Evelyn eyed Qrow with a knowing smile. "So… you ready for this?"
Qrow happily allowed her to lead him over to the couch. "Oh, yeah. Lay it on me…"
"Gladly…" Evelyn reached over… and grabbed the remote control, turning on the television to the food channel. "Time for another episode of "Beat Robby Filet"!"
"WOO! That man can COOK, by god!" Qrow cheered as well. He glanced over to Evelyn, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Say, you think the girls are havin' fun?"
Evelyn let out a laugh at that. "Ha! Oh, definitely. I remember when I was their age and I had sleepovers like that with my friends…" She began counting off on her fingers; "Talking about our boyfriends, pillow fights, gossiping, getting into trouble… well, hopefully not the last one in their case." She waved a hand to the man, giving him a wink. "I'm sure whatever they're doing, it's gotta be something interesting…"
…..
Meanwhile, over at Ben's place, things were… getting pretty interesting for sure. Gwen was sitting at the head of the dinner table while a cardboard prop-up was set right in front of her, allowing her alone to read from the book in front of her. She pushed up her reading glasses as her friends all set their sights on her expectantly, waiting for what was about to happen. "Alright, ladies, the preparations have been finished. Now, if everybody's all set… we can finally get this underway…" She and the other girls all broke out into smiles as she threw a hand into the air and proclaimed;
"Let the Lady Omni-Hunter's Dungeons and Dragons campaign BEGIN!"
Cheers echoed throughout the kitchen, the girls all clapping in excitement. "AH! This is gonna be so fun!" Ruby squealed in delight, ready to put her character to the test. She had chosen to be a Ranger—an archer, more accurately—and she was gonna make the most out of it. After all, it fit her perfectly. "Rosalina McGarden is ready to roll!"
"Same goes for me!" Yang pounded her fists together eagerly, and crossed her legs into a meditative stance on her chair. After all, she would be the party's Monk. "Fang Huolong is at your service."
Blake flipped her short hair, which she had grown into over the past several days, with a confident smile. "Hm, well this dashing Rogue is certainly ready." She raised her new jacket over her face as if it were a cloak. "Kathrine Evernight will see to it that the way is clear."
"Hm! Well, so long as you let ME handle all the magical know-how, we shouldn't have much trouble." Weiss nodded in affirmation. "Sorceress Whitney Snowfall should see to that with no difficulties."
"Ah, please, you won't NEED to cast any huge spells with the redheads in the lead!" Nora said confidently with a dynamic pose. "Barbarian Eleanor Tundra and Paladin Elaine Pallas will see to that!"
"Indeed!" Pyrrha stood up, raising her head up high. "You can rest assured that we will protect you…" The redheaded warrior sent a smirk down to the Kineceleran girl who had joined them for their sleepover. "Just so long as our Bard stays close and doesn't run off on us."
Across the table, Helen gave a laugh and waved her clawed hand. "Oh, don't worry about that, Elaine. Lena Acuila will see to it that she doesn't get ahead of herself." She set her sights over to Ilia, who seemed a bit more bashful than the others at the moment. "What about you, Miss Druid? You ready to be one with nature?"
Ilia swallowed dryly and gave a single nod. "Y-Yes. Iris Aponi will help see you through the wilds of this land."
Bouncing up from her chair, Penny gave a salute. "And you can count on Penelope Albero to make sure that you are all well! This Cleric shall do her part to heal you in times of need!"
"Haha, okay, I think we got the gist of your characters." Gwen laughed, feeling ecstatic about the experience they were about to have. It had been a while since she had been a part of a D&D campaign, admittedly. It was one of the things that a lot of her friends from school enjoyed when they weren't studying. However, this would be her first time being the actual Dungeon Master, so she DID feel a bit nervous. Still, she took a deep breath, steadying herself. 'It's alright, you've studied extensively for three days, you've got this…' Gwen reached out and picked up the dodecahedron die, ready to begin. "Alright, let's—oh? Ah, Vernal, what's up?"
The girls all set their attention to the kitchen entryway, where they saw the former thief staring at them in confusion. Her eyes darted down to the table, seeing small figurines, cards and a large board all strewn about, leaving her even more perplexed. "Uh… nothing much? What're you girls doing?"
"Oh! We're getting started on our D&D campaign!" Ruby answered happily.
"We've been talking about getting it rolling for a while now." Weiss added. "Though we haven't had much time to really get down to it."
"But, thanks to this period of quiet we've had, we actually had some time to finally start it up." Yang finished before an idea came to mind. "AH! Hold the phone, V! You should totally join in!"
The girls were all left quite fascinated by the idea, mumbling to themselves while Vernal recoiled at the suggestion. "W-Wait, me? N-No, I couldn't possibly. I mean, I've got no idea how to play and I'd just be getting shoehorned in after you guys pre-planned this out." She shifted her eyes away from the group, her hand going up to her neck. "Besides, this seems a little… nerdy for me, in all honesty. I-I don't think I'd be able to get into it."
Gwen, however, wore a confident smile as she placed a hand to her chin. "Hmhm, you know, I said the exact same thing when I was first introduced to D&D. At least, something similar to that… but now look at me." She spread her arms out across the table. "I went from a humble Wizard to now being the Dungeon Master of my own campaign! It might be a bit last minute, but I think we could squeeze you in…" She reached down under the table and pulled out a spare character sheet she had. "Here, I'll even help you create a character. It'll take a little bit, but I'll give you the basic gist."
Vernal reluctantly took the paper and gave it a glance over, seeing what she had to fill in. It seemed simple enough. Name, class, species, background… and then her eyes trailed down further and saw all the OTHER stuff. 'Oh god, what am I getting into?' She shook her head and brought her eyes back to the group. "Listen, gals, I appreciate the offer, but I'm still not too sure…"
"Well, I think it's a great idea, Vernal." The young woman gasped as Raven practically snuck up from behind, giving her protégé an encouraging smile. "After all, Gwen's going out of her way to deal you into their game, so why not take her up on that offer?"
"R-Raven!" Vernal hid her blush behind the sheet of paper. "Y-You approve of this?"
"Of course. After all, it'd be a great opportunity to increase your bond with the team." Raven eyed her daughter and step-daughter in particular. "And besides, wouldn't you want to spend more time with your younger sisters?"
Vernal's eyes followed Raven's and she was met with bright, excite smiles from Yang and Ruby, the duo's eyes sparkling at the prospect. "C'mon, Big Sis! Let's go on an adventure!" Ruby encouraged.
"You'll be great." Yang agreed. "And we'll be sure to show you the ropes!"
The young woman sucked in her lips, feeling her hesitancy being tested by their infectious optimism. Before long, though, it didn't take long for Vernal to relent, giving a sigh as she took up a pencil. "Hah, alright… Gwen, please help me." The young Anodite was more than happy to assist as she Vernal went to work in the other room, helping her fill in the character sheet as she gave some pointers on how to build said character. Of course, Vernal went for something fairly simple, seeing as she had very little idea of what she was getting into. And, after about twenty minutes, two came back in and took their seats. "Alright, here's my character; I'm a human Fighter, and Outlander from a small town in an ancient forest."
"Ooh, sounds neat!" Ruby approved, raising her hand and urging her to go on. "And may we learn our new party member's name?"
"…It's April. April Ameyalli."
Over by the counter, Raven's eyes widened as she sipped her drink, and in a single second, she spat it out in the sink, coughing and hacking. "M-Mom?!" Yang got up and rushed over, while everyone else nearly shot up in concern as well. "A-Are you okay?"
"Hak-hak! Y-Yes, dear—HAK!" Raven gestured to her throat. "J-Just something went down the wrong way. Please, excuse me." The woman gave her daughter's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leaving the kitchen, though not without sparing Vernal a short glance. 'So… you're using that name, hm? Very bold of you, my dear.'
Once Raven left, Yang sat back down and let out a breath. "Phew, okay, well, if EVERYONE is ready now, how 'bout we get this going, huh?" She picked up the dice and started rattling them in her hand. "I'm ready to roll some Nat-20's or whatever!"
Gwen facepalmed immediately. "Ugh, this is gonna be a long night. Okay, before we roll ANYTHING, I've gotta get the story going, and I think you gals are gonna like how it starts." She cleared her throat and began reading off her notes; "We begin in ancient times, in the world of—"
CHOOM!
At that moment, the lights went out, and just as suddenly…
SHA-KOOOM!
Lightning flashed through the windows, the loud noise making some of the girls scream. "AAAAAAHH!"
"Oh, well, that's unfortunate." Penny piped up before raising a finger. "Give me one moment…" She blinked her eyes and they began shining a light like high beams on a car, brightening up the room instantly. "This campaign wouldn't happen to be starting on a dark and stormy night, would it?"
"Well, it is NOW!" Ilia exclaimed, wincing as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She could see Blake's own eyes through the pitch black as well. "Ugh, this is just fantastic. This just had to happen right when we were going to get started?"
"Can't control the weather, I guess." Blake lamented as well. "But hey, at least Katherine Evernight thrives in the dark."
Nora threw her head back in frustration. "Ugh! That's the ONE thing I hate about lightning. It's useful RIGHT up until it blows out the power."
"Don't worry, girls!" Carl called out from the living room, having retrieved a flash light as he and Sandra entered the kitchen. Sandra was also carrying both Romulus and Rema, keeping them as close as possible. "We've got a generator out back just for cases like these. It'll only take me a few minutes to get it set up, so keep on doing what you're doing." With that, Carl went straight for the kitchen door, opening it… and being met with a rather strong wind. "WOAH-HOHO! Holy crap, wasn't expecting that!" Bracing himself against the door, the Tennyson man shut it and started making his way toward the generator.
Sandra let out a breath as she watched the wind blowing outside. "Oh my word… I knew there was a storm scheduled for tonight, but I didn't think it'd be THIS bad… a-and wait…" She leaned closer to the window, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Is… that can't be. Is it SNOWING?!"
That made all the girls get up and rush over to the window, only to see that, yes, there were some snowflakes falling from the sky. "…You have to be kidding me." Pyrrha looked to Gwen for answers. "Gwen, I think it's safe to say that this ISN'T normal for your world, correct?"
"No, it is not." Gwen pursed her lips, just as worried about this as Pyrrha. "Snow in Summer just does NOT make any—"
"AWWROOOOO!"
A chill went through the entire room and the wolf pups were sent into a flurry of barks and whines, fearful of what they had just heard. "Ah! No, no, stay calm, sweeties!" Sandra knelt down and held them closer. "Please, stay calm…"
"…You all recognized that sound, right?" Ruby spoke up, her expression now quite serious.
"Yes, no mistaking it." Weiss concurred, only for the back door to open and Carl to come barreling through a few seconds later, breathing heavily with panic etched across his face. "Carl, did you hear that too?"
"Heard it? I SAW it!" Carl exclaimed. "It's on the freaking ROOF!"
SLAM! And just like that, everyone went silent as a large, black mass landed in the back yard, just outside the kitchen window. Everyone stared in horror as the white skeletal structure of the beast rose into view, along with its glowing red eyes. The Beowolf opened its maw and belted out a roar as it smashed its arms through the kitchen window, with everyone recoiling as it tried to get in. But, before it even could… an icy arrow flew past everyone and struck it in between the eyes, freezing over completely before it shattered a second later.
The girls and Tennysons snapped their heads back to see Raven, the Spring Maiden holding a bow made of ice. "Everyone, arm yourselves!" She swiped the bow and turned it into a massive ice sword, furrowing her brow to the girls. "We've got company in the front yard as well."
…..
CHOOM!
*Beep*
"Ah, see? Generator's workin'!" Kevin grinned as the lights came back on only a mere moment after they went out. "Not gonna be stumblin' around in the dark today—oooohh…" His eyes went back to the TV… and to the mortified faces of Ben, Rex and Manny. The PS5's power had been cut right in the middle of their game. "…Damn, forgot about that."
"NOO!" Manny threw his hands up, one pair flying up to his head in disbelief. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I was SO close!"
Rex, however, took issue with that. "Uh, dude, don't know if you were payin' attention, but Ben and I were actually holding our own pretty well."
The Omnitrix bearer nodded immediately. "Yeah, pretty much sums it up. Guess we'll have to rule this one as a draw for the time being."
"Oh, you'd better BELIEVE there'll be a rematch!" Manny jumped up and pointed to the duo. "I DEMAND it!"
"Woah, woah, chill, bro." Alan stood up, placing a hand on Manny's chest. "If you're gonna be frustrated at anything, do it at the weather. That's what screwed you over."
Manny grumbled, scrunching his eyes in irritation. "Ugh… yeah, I guess." Just then, a flash from the upper window caught his attention, followed by a loud rumble off in the distance. "Damn! D'you guys see that?"
Ren and Jaune approached the window, the two boys awed after witnessing the lightning. "Yeah, we did… and it seemed dangerously close." The ninja noted, the seriousness in his voice prevalent. "As someone who's experienced lightning storms, I can just tell that this one's going to be intense."
"Heh, I'll bet." Rex smirked, winking toward him. "Being that close to Nora will probably do that." He saw a blush on Ren's face immediately, though he also shot Rex a narrow-eyed glare. "Hey, c'mon, dude. Tell me I'm wrong." …Ren chose to glance away instead of answer. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
"I'm just hoping no trees come falling down." Jaune added as he stared out the window. "The wind's blowing something fierce—" TAPTAPTAPTAP! "AH! W-What the…" The glass of the small window was being tapped on by something small outside, though Jaune couldn't tell what it was with how dark it was.
Neptune instinctively went for his weapon… only to realize he had left it upstairs. "Gah, what the heck is going on?!"
Sun, with his interest peaked, leapt up straight to the window and undid the latches. "Only one way to find—AUGH!" Without warning, the window was flung open and something flew in, knocking Sun down to the floor as the wind blew threw the room. And the culprit was revealed to be…
"…Ah, a woodpecker." Rook noted, the bird landing directly on his shoulder. He gave it a friendly smile as it chirped at him. "It would seem that it was merely seeking shelter from the—"
"AH! Get that thing outta the house!" Kevin reached for the wall and absorbed it, transforming his hand into a flat swatter. "Mom's gonna have a fit if she sees that!"
After shaking the daze out of his head, Sun's attention was brought up to the bird as well… and he instantly recognizes it. "AH! It's you!" The monkey boy did a kip-up and spun around, pointing an irate finger at the bird. "You're the little ass who pecked me on the head a few days ago!" He raised his hands to grab at the avian. "Payback time, ya dumb peckerface!"
Ben immediately slid in front of Rook, holding his hands up to both boys. "Woah, woah, okay. First off…" He pointed to Sun first. "Rude. Very rude. And secondly, how do you even know it's the same woodpecker?"
"Oh please, Ben, look at it." Sun thrust his hand to the cheeky bird, noting how it seemed to be… grinning? "It's clearly the same one! It's got "guilty" written all over that smirk… wait, smirk?" As if in response, the woodpecker threw its head back and crowed, mimicking the sound of laughing before flittering off Rook's shoulder and up the stairwell. "H-Hey! Get back here!"
But as the boys were going up the stairs, Qrow opened the basement door. "Boys! Get your asses up here, we got—ACK!" Unfortunately for the Huntsman, the woodpecker flew right into his face, scratching, clawing and flapping erratically only to then bounce off his head and into the living room. "Hak! Ptui! What the hell was—"
"Qrow! Don't let it get away!" The teens ended up storming past Qrow to get into the living room… only to see Evelyn staring at the TV in worry.
"Boys! You have to come see this!" She turned up the volume so that everyone could hear… but just from the sight alone, it was utterly harrowing.
"This is Will Harangue reporting to you LIVE from downtown Bellwood!" In a rare sight indeed, Harangue was in an utter panic as behind him… an army of Grimm were blasting their way through the city streets. The creatures of darkness were smashing up buildings, road signs and traffic lights as they went along… and they were also chasing people down at every given opportunity. The citizen's bloodcurdling screams could be heard as Harangue continued; "We are under attack, I repeat; WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! Th-These… demonic monsters have invaded our fair city from the west and they're leaving nothing but destruction in their wake! Th-They're even attacking PEOPLE, and—AAAUGH!" The group gasped as a Beowolf suddenly lunged at Harangue, though he was able to duck as both he and his camera man went into a mad sprint. "TENNYSON! I don't know where you are, but I'm betting this is YOUR fault! COME FIX YOUR MESS—" And just like that, the feed was cut, leaving the TV screen completely blank.
Ben's fist clenched, his anger undeniable. Of course, Harangue's usual blame game was one thing… bit his suspicions had proven correct. The Ministry had lulled them into taking them off guard in a quiet moment. "DAMMIT! I knew it!" He rushed over to the coat rack and took his green jacket, slinging it on without wasting a second. "Guys! Get your gear! The Ministry are making a big move on our home turf! We can't waste time!"
The boys all made a mad rush, with Sun and Neptune dashing up the stairs for their weapons while Jaune and Ren went to their backpacks near the door. "Gah, of course this had to happen." Jaune unhooked Crocea Mors from his bag and attached it to his hip. "And like a dumbass, I left my armor at home."
"Don't worry, you probably wouldn't have time to put it on anyway." Ren consoled, taking up Storm Flower and spinning them before holstering the guns at his hips. "Ben, what about the girls? Do you think they know about this already?"
"Oh, shoot, you're right." Ben took his cellphone out and started dialing Yang, all while trying to control his jitters. "Our generator isn't automatic, so they probably don't. Hold on…" The phone rang a couple times before he got through, much to his relief. "Yang? You there, it's—"
BANG-BANG! "Ah! Sorry Ben, kinda busy!" The hero's eyes widened at the sound of roars and conflict on the other end of the line, accompanied by loud static. "Bad news, there's a bunch of Grimm that're attacking your home."
"They're at MY HOUSE?!"
"You know they're here?!"
Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth in a panic. "Well, not there specifically, but we just saw a report saying that more are in town. The guys and I are headed there now. A-Are my parents alright?"
"They're fine, Green Boy." BA-BA-BANG! Ben bit his lip as several shots were fired off, but Yang kept assuring him. "Trust me, this group's easy pickings. We'll clear 'em out and then meet you guys in the city, okay?"
As much as Ben wanted to rush over there right now, he knew he was needed somewhere else. And, of course, he knew the girls could handle it. 'Those ladies are all tough as nails.' He took a deep breath, seeing Sun and Neptune come bounding down the stairs with weapons in tow. "Right, thanks, Goldie Locks. I love you, we'll see you soon."
"Love you, too, babe. Yang, out!"
Sun approached the hero and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How're they doing?"
"Okay, but the Grimm somehow got to my place." Ben sighed, putting on a resolute expression. "But the ladies have it handled over there, so our top priority remains getting into town."
Neptune pointed up toward the doorframe to the front door. "Well, we might wanna hurry up, because our friend wants out."
TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP! "CAW-CAW!"
Evelyn's eyes widened at the sight of the bird prodding its beat at her now slightly damaged door. "…Why is there a woodpecker in my house?"
"That's what WE wanna know!" Sun exclaimed before storming up and opening the door. "There! Happy now?!" The bird responded by flying straight out and then cawing once again, its sights glued down toward the other end of the street. "W-Wait… is it pointing at somethi—WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!"
At his shout, the others all followed Sun outside… and were left utterly slack jawed by what they saw approaching them. Not only were there a few Grimm on the streets… but they were actually being followed by something even BIGGER. Lumbering down the road was a massive, humanoid creature, about twenty feet tall from head to gnarled toe. Its skin was mostly blue and had massive teeth, its eyes dark as it glared the group down. It carried a large sword in its hand and also had patches of ice and frost all over its body, bringing with it a very chilling wind. It also wore an animal hide loincloth as its only bit of clothing, its broad pecs confirming that it was male.
The giant roared down at the Grimm, letting out a bellow of frosty air from his maw that actually froze the beasts solid within a second. And then, with a single swipe from his sword, he destroyed them all in one fell swoop. "GRAAAH! Beasts fall! Humans FALL! ALL will fall in the name of the Backbiter god!"
"Holy SHIT!" Manny took out his guns and aimed for the thing's head. "What is that ugly-ass thing?!"
However, Rex was more focused on what the monster actually said. "Wait, did it just say "god"?" The EVO glanced over to Ben. "Dude, what're the chances where just EVERYTHING gets thrown at us all at once tonight?"
"A lot higher than I'd like." Ben grit his teeth.
"But what'd he mean by "Backbiter"?" Ren asked. "What god has THAT epithet and commands giants like this?"
Ben, however, knew exactly what that was all about. "Ren, that's no ordinary giant… that's a Frost Giant. …A Jotunn." At the word, the cold wind seemed to blow faster, bringing with it a flurry of snow as all the boys stared at Ben in disbelief. "And knowing Jotunns, there's only ONE god that they'll answer to. …But if there's Jotunns in Bellwood, then that means—"
"Uh… Ben?" Jaune pointed skyward. "Over there."
The hero craned his head toward the east… where he saw a black, thunderous storm cloud approaching, lightning arcing from it in all directions. …And if he wasn't mistaken, it was almost certainly over his house. "…Damn. Well, I can only hope he's on our side like the others."
…..
Back at Ben's house, the ladies were all outside and making quick work of the pack of Beowolves that decided to descent upon the Tennyson home. Granted, they weren't exactly all that thrilled about fighting outside in their pajamas, but thankfully no one else was outside. And, given that the wolf beasts were considerably weak, it didn't take them long to dispose of them. Once Ruby took aim and shot the last one in between its eyes with Crescent Rose, she let out a sigh and turned back to her team. "Phew… did we get ALL of them?"
"Fairly certain." Gwen closed her eyes, searching for any dark presences. "I don't feel any more Grimm in this area, at least."
"Good, then we'd better get ourselves dressed quick and run to town." Yang lifted her scroll. "I just got a call from Ben saying that he and the boys are already on their way."
Raven stepped forward, dispersing her icy blade with a flick of the wrist. "I agree that we should leave and defend the people, but we should also keep in mind that the Ministry are likely using this attack as a distraction." She made eye contact with all the girls, letting them know the severity of the situation. "They must have a higher motive behind this, considering they've stayed eerily quiet for the past few days… ugh, I should've seen this coming!"
"We all should have, honestly." Blake folded her arms, her ears folding down in shame. "The Ministry being quiet for so long usually isn't their thing. We should've been more suspicious, but we let the easiness of the past few days get to us."
Weiss craned her head up toward the sky as the wind and snow continued to blow through the air, along with the approaching lightning. "Do you think their plan involves this weird weather? Seems like too much of a coincidence NOT too, right?"
Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it does seem quite odd for the two events to line up. Perhaps some sort of weather machine?"
However, Gwen wasn't convinced. "No, I don't think so. There's… something in the air that I can't quite place." She closed her eyes, letting her magical senses expand once again. "It almost seems otherworldly. Like something brought this weather with it—AH!" Gwen's eyes snapped open and she gasped, her head whipping toward a set of houses. "There!"
"H-Huh? Gwen, what's there?" Ilia asked, focusing on the same direction. "I-I don't see anything…"
Penny's eyes readjusted themselves several times, first to night vision, then radar, and then finally thermal vision… and she was taken aback as well. "Oh… oh dear, Gwen's correct! There is something coming and… it's cold. Uncharacteristically cold."
Before long, a loud thumping could be heard in the distance, followed by the ground trembling beneath their feet. "Weapons up, ladies!" Vernal took a defensive stance, her Ver Laminae blades at the ready. "We can't let whatever that is get past!" The girls all followed her lead… and then what they heard next shook their eardrums.
"RRRAAAAAUUUGGH!" From across the street, a huge shadow leapt OVER the next line of houses and then came down with a mighty THOOM! The earth below shook and the pavement cracked, and the girls were all left gaping at the massive, blue-skinned giant that now loomed over them. Its repulsive appearance was only rivaled by how cold the air suddenly became once it arrived, and the fact that it was covered in ice patches and cold air billowed from its maw was all the indication they needed.
"Um… hazard a guess, but I think THAT'S the source of the sudden cold snap." Nora took up her hammer and snarled at the beast; "Alright, Mr. Snow Beast, I dunno WHO or WHAT you are, but you'd better back the hell off our property! Or else YOU'LL be on the receiving end of a beat down!"
"Grr…" The giant narrowed its eyes at the girl… before tilting its head. "…Wait, you Thunderer? That can't be…" He scratched his head in confusion. "Thunderer is man, and he a lot bigger than you… you copycat Thunderer Girl sidekick?"
The words he was speaking made absolutely NO sense to Nora. "Uh… 'scuse me, but what the hell are you talking about?"
Gwen, however, recognized the title of which the giant spoke… and the moment she felt her hair start standing on end, things began to click in her head. 'Frost Giant, Thunderer…' She craned her head up to the sky… and saw the lightning very rapidly getting closer. '…And a massive storm. …Oh no.'
*Insert: Epilogue – Bear McCreary*
The Anodite could sense a very powerful presence high up in the sky as she focused on it. And the second she saw a particularly white-hot stretch of lightning get a bit too close, she knew THAT had to be its source. "Girls… duck."
"Wha—"
"I SAID DUCK!" Gwen thrust her hands forward, setting up a mana wall to shield them from the lightning while also separating them from the Frost Giant, before leaping onto the front lawn and covering her head. The girls all went to follow suit… but then…
KRA-CLAAAASSHH!
The entire area went white as the bolt of electricity CRASHED down directly onto the Frost Giant, making it howl in agony as its entire body disintegrated. Some of the girls made it in time, but the force of the explosive impact was enough to throw some of them back and made them crash into the house. Some even had their auras broken by the force itself. Nora was among one of them, but even as her vision cleared, she wasn't down for the count just yet. She clenched her jaw and reached out, grabbing Magnhild just in case. …And she could tell that she WOULD need it the second she saw what had taken the giant's place.
Where its body once was now stood a massive, hooded figure, with lightning bolts dancing all around him. He had a rotund physique, but just by a glance alone, Nora could tell that it was all muscle. He stood about eight feet tall, quite imposing to be sure… but the atmosphere around him alone was enough to tell her… this was no ordinary person. She could hear her friends imploring her to stand back, to not go any farther… but if anyone was going to deal with this, it HAD to be her. She could take lightning, so it was only a given. With Magnhild in hand, she stood her ground and screamed to him;
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
…She wasn't prepared for the answer she got. For instead of saying anything, the man pulled back the right side of his cloak… revealing a hammer of his own hanging by his hip. However, it was MUCH different than hers. The hammer's head was larger and made of a mysterious material, almost as if metal and stone had somehow been fused together. It was covered in runes and was double-headed, its squared-off ends attracting the lightning to it. The handle was short and bound in leather, with the very end having a metal tip.
Her eyes now the size of dinner plates, Nora brought her gaze up just in time to see the man pull his hood back, revealing a face with stout features as well as a head and beard full of long, red hair. His appearance was intimidating yet also very staunch and powerful, his blue eyes glowing with power as he laid them upon Nora. But even as she stared back at him, knowing full well who he was… she still couldn't believe it. It was him… and she was starting to feel lightheaded for some reason.
"No… freaking… way." Nora then fainted soon after.
…..
A/N: To be continued… See? Told you that this season was gonna start with a bang! Or in this case, a clash of THUNDER! For indeed, we're getting the NORSE pantheon for our next round of godly intervention on the mortal realm! And judging by the ending, I bet you can guess which video game I was fixated on throughout my hiatus from this story. That's right… it was Persona 5 Royal. *starts boogying to Take Over*
But in all seriousness, God of War Ragnarök WAS a big inspiration for me wanting to get the ball rolling on Norse mythology in this story. I basically teased Orson for the longest time in Season 1 and in Season 2, he basically made NO appearances, so now it's time to bring that back around. But yeah, Thor, Loki, Jotunns, the works! This should make for an exciting season premier, to be sure.
…Though before you ask, that woodpecker that seems really interested in Sun is NOT part of Norse myth. Hm… why could it seem to want Sun's attention specifically, though? Well, guess there's only one way to find out in that regard.
But yeah, the Ministry's pretty much been quiet for the past few days in Ben's world while nothing really too eventful happened outside of petty crime. But you know what they say about peace; sometimes it's too good to be true and it's only temporary. Cue Salem hatching her plan to unleash dozens of Grimm into the human world and taking the heroes off guard. Expect this to continue with places OTHER than Bellwood, of course, and all at random intervals, too. Wonder if Salem can run the Omni-Hunters ragged?
Oh, and yeah, the return of BASHMOUTH, everybody! Remember when I said that there was a lot that I wanted to do last season that I couldn't get to? Yeah, following up on the Bashmouth plot thread and him being Fisttrick's boss was one of them. Unfortunately, I couldn't, so thankfully, it ties in neatly with what I wanted to do to start THIS season off! And it helps add onto the Ministry's allies as well, so that's not too good for the heroes either…
But, in terms of more casual stuff and what IS good for the gang, we see Yang and Blake getting new gear for themselves! Yang's outfit is kind of an update to her Volumes 1-3 attire but more… "Earthy", I suppose. Meanwhile, Blake's new duds are something original that I came up with to match her short hair. I actually really like what I came up with for both of them, honestly. Also, huzzah! Sleepover time for guys AND gals… but hoo boy, I can only HOPE I got the D&D jargon right for the girls starting their campaign. My knowledge of the game is completely second hand and based solely off of YouTube, so forgive me if I'm completely ignorant. Thankfully the campaign itself won't be seen MUCH, so that should save me some humiliation.
So, with that said, NEXT TIME! Nora comes to and is immediately greeted by the God of Thunder, before he is then welcomed in reluctantly by Raven. After explaining the situation, the girls all agree that they need to get to town fast to help out the guys… though unfortunately, it seems Cinder has decided to take the lead on the attack herself. Wonder how SHE'LL react to the Frost Giants taking advantage of the Ministry's attack? Well, stay tuned to find out! Thanks for reading everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there!
