A/N: Heya, guys! Huh, wow, this definitely already feels a lot different. Three weeks in and I'm actually rather enjoying the bi-weekly schedule. Ideas are coming a lot better, I feel like I have a lot more room to breathe, and… well, yeah, I'm feeling rather great about this new format overall. But we're not here to talk about that, we're here to get NORSE up in this place! Time to stop beating around the bush and get to some action! But before we do that… I think it's only right that I give Thor a voice. I've done it for every god I've introduced so far, so it's the fair thing to do.
So… taking into account that I had Chris Sabat playing Hercules (which I picture to be in his All Might voice), I think this choice in casting is only apropos…
Thor – Voiced by Patrick Seitz
So, let's get to it! This is…
Chapter 62: God of Thunder
…..
Of all the things that could've gone wrong tonight, the last thing Ben Tennyson would've guessed would be… well, everything, actually. The Ministry were making a move on his own home turf, Grimm were infesting the city, there were FROST GIANTS also laying waste to his beloved home, and to top it all off, he was pretty sure the God of Thunder himself was literally ON HIS DOORSTEP. And judging by that giant lightning pillar that blinded them all for a second, he must've just killed a Jotunn that was AT his house. Needless to say, Ben wasn't expecting to have so much crap piled up all at once.
"GRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!" The Jotunn right down the street, meanwhile, roared in bloodcurdling rage as he slammed his massive sword onto the ground, kicking up sparks from the street. "DAMN YOU, THUNDERER! That blasted hammer takes yet ANOTHER of my kin! I will NOT stand for—GAH!
WHAM! From under the Jotunn's legs, to everyone's shock, the Rustbucket came charging through, its front end extended in its battering ram mode. After knocking the giant down on its rear, the RV pulled to a stop and its bumper and grill retracted back in, before Max came out just a moment later. "Ben!"
"Grandpa!" The hero and his team rushed up to meet the old man, Ben giving him a serious look. "Am I glad to see you. Please tell me the Plumbers are already on the Grimm situation."
"They are." Max confirmed, placing a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Evacuations are already underway and Alpha Squad is currently engaging the enemy. But more importantly…" He craned his head back to the fallen creature. "What in Sam Hill is that?"
Sun gave a weary smile. "Oh, ya know… just a Jotunn."
The old Plumber's eyes widened. "A Jotunn… like, a Frost Giant?" He received several nods as his answer, his hand going to his head in disbelief. "Hah… okay, wow, that's a bit to take in. Guess that explains the massive lightning storm, though." His lips curled into a small grin. "I can only assume that we're about to have godly company."
"Yeah, about that, good news; he probably IS at my house and he's likely killed a Jotunn already." Ben grimaced at the next part. "Bad news is that he probably thinks I'M there and he'll be sorely disappointed that I'm not. Also, we've still got our own Jotunn to deal with."
"Does it have to be ALL about you, dude?" Kevin remarked.
The green-clad hero snapped his head toward him. "That's not what I meant, Kevin!"
Manny gave the Osmosian a serious look. "Yeah, I've got a pretty good feelin' that the Thunder God's got a good idea of this town's reputation of his own enemies are on the move here. He probably WOULD go to Ben's place first since he IS the big-time hero in these parts."
"THANK YOU, Manny." Ben shot Kevin a narrow-eyed glance. "See, it's not about ego here, Kevin, it's about logic."
Kevin simply rolled his eyes and absorbed the asphalt from the street below, ready to throw down with the Frost Giant. "Pfft, whatever, man. Let's just beat this giant dude to a pulp an' take him to the big man to finish the job."
"Sounds like somebody's jealous that THE God of Thunder didn't come to his house first." Alan snickered, the half-Pyronite unable to resist taunting Kevin a bit. Of course, the Osmosian grumbled, but Alan raised his hand to the main team. "But in all seriousness, you guys should probably head into town an' take care of those Grimm, plus any Jotunns that're there, too." He reached over and placed a hand on Manny's arm. "Me an' Manny have got this one."
Jaune became visibly concerned about that. "You guys sure? I mean, I know you guys fight great, but the two of you against that one massive beast is…"
"Don't worry, kid." Qrow stepped in, the Huntsman taking up Harbinger and slinging it across his shoulders. "I'll stay here an' help these two. After all…" He craned his head back and smiled to Evelyn, who was hiding behind the door just a few feet away. "It'd be selfish to just stay on the sidelines while that monster threatens the place… and people that've been kind enough to take me in." He could see Evelyn brighten up at that, and she gave him a supportive wave.
Kevin's lips curled up in suspicion. "…Yeah, sure. Thanks, Qrow." In his mind, however; 'I need to get outta here as soon as possible, because I can't be liable for what I do if he keeps THAT up.'
"I will remain here as well." Rook said as he pulled his Proto-Tool off his back, transforming it into its staff mode as he held it with both hands. "You can use all the help you can get." He nodded toward Ben and the other Omni-Hunters. "The rest of you, head into Bellwood and help mitigate any damages… collateral or physical." His eyes shifted to the Jotunn with an uncertain feeling in his stomach. "And… pray that there are not any casualties."
Ben's lips tightened at that, and in a few seconds time, he transformed into Fasttrack. "Right, thanks Rook." He nodded to his grandfather first. "Grandpa Max, you go help out with the evac, leave the action to us."
"Will do." Max affirmed before going back to the Rustbucket. "Good luck, Ben. We're counting on you all."
The group watched as the old Plumber drove down the street toward the city, the boys having all taken up their arms. "Alright, guys, follow me." Fasttrack took a ready position as he prepared to run like the wind. "It's time to show the Ministry what happens when you mess with Bellwood."
Rex pulled down his goggles and brought out his Ride, while the other guys all went straight to Kevin's car. "We're right behind ya, dude. Lead the way!" With Fasttrack speeding down the street and the others not far behind, they left Qrow, Rook, Manny and Alan to fend off against the Jotunn, who roared in defiance.
"BRRAAAAAGGHH! You DARE run from me, mortals?!"He slammed his sword on the street again, this time cleaving a massive crack in the earth below before he charged after them. "Come back and face me like REAL men—" THWACK! The strike of two fists against his mouth sent the Jotunn staggering back, his hand flying up to his sore jaw"AAUUUGHH! Who dares—ACK!"
Someone pulling back on his long, black hair was all the answer he needed. As after striking the giant in his ugly mug, Manny came flying down and grabbed onto the long, tied back hair. And, with a strong YANK, he brought the giant straight down onto his back. "HA! How's THAT for bein' a "real man"?" He spun around and immediately grabbed hold of the giant's head, pulling it up and then slapping his cheeks multiple times while he was still in a daze. "AHAHAHA! C'mon, that the best you—oof!"
But then, as if to prove him wrong, the Jotunn reached up and put his entire hand around Manny's body, throwing him straight into another nearby house. "Grrr… it will take more than THAT to stop me—" CHNK! "RRAAAAAUUUUUGGHHH!" The creature bellowed after Qrow had rushed up and stabbed Harbinger straight into its foot, pulling back on the segmented blade before launching himself and it straight up and latching onto the giant's arm.
"How's about THIS, then, Tons o' Fun?!" Qrow switched Harbinger into its double-barreled gun mode and shot point black into the hand, which was the same one the giant held his weapon in. And while the blast didn't penetrate the Giant's skin, it was enough to make him let go of the blade, sending it clattering while the Jotunn recoiled.
"GRAH! OFF ME!" The creature swatted Qrow away with a bat of his hand… but was left utterly baffled when the man suddenly transformed into an ACTUAL crow and flew right up into the sky. "Sh-Shapeshifter!" He reached down with his better hand, grabbing the sword and pointing it up to Qrow. "I should've known! You are one of Odin's fabled ravens, aren't you?!"
Qrow flew up to the roof of Kevin's house and gave the giant a confused gaze. "Uh… not sure what yer talkin' about, big guy. I don't work for nobody… not anymore, at least." He pointed Harbinger in the giant's direction. "But if I were you, I'd be more concerned about what's comin' next."
It was then that the Jotunn noticed… that things were starting to get hot. Like, incredibly—almost DANGEROUSLY hot. He could feel the ice patches on him melt by the second as he suddenly found it hard to breath, and before long, he found himself coughing and hacking, desperate for some cold air. But when he couldn't find any, he felt his legs give out from underneath him and he fell to the street… where he was met with Manny, Rook and Alan in his Pyronite form, wearing a small smirk.
"So… guess ya don't like fire that much, huh?" Alan cracked his knuckles as the others readied for the incoming pummeling. "Prepare to get punked, bro."
…..
Darkness. Total darkness. That was what Nora was experiencing at the moment, the young redhead so overwhelmed by what had happened that she had lost consciousness. A part of her mind was questioning if what she had seen was even REAL, even thought she knew that it HAD to be. Given the team's past experiences, there was no mistaking it; it really WAS him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Still, that wasn't enough to make her stir from her near comatose state… but then, she felt something. A sensation that she was very familiar with… a little tingle… followed by a deep, powerful voice;
"Oh-hoho, no… you're not getting off the hook THAT easily."
From there, the tingle evolved into a full-blown SHOCK as energy rippled through her whole body, and her eyes flew open in an instant. "GYAaAaAaAaAaA!" She let out a surprised yelp as she felt a large weight on her chest, which was where the shock was coming from as well. Lightning was dancing across her body and thankfully, her Semblance was absorbing it, but it still affected her body to the point where she was VERY aware… especially of the massive man who was looming over her.
"Ah, good, you're awake." The man lifted his hammer off Nora's chest, with hints of a smirk on his bearded visage. He offered her his hand, speaking in a baritone that was both intimidating and yet welcoming at the same time. "Come, get up, girl. There's still work to be done."
Staring up at him with unbelieving eyes, Nora slowly reached up and shakily took the man's hand. "R-Right…" As she stood, however, a stray sense of doubt flew through her mind, making her ask him; "A-Are you… real? Is this ALL real and not just some surreal dream I'm having after getting struck by lightning? Because I've had that happen to me more than once, so…"
The man threw his head back and slung his hammer over his shoulder, his hand going to his large belly as he laughed. "HAHA! Oh, I can't blame you for thinking that, girl. But rest assured; I'm very much real and this IS happening." He kept a hold of Nora's hand as he shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last… Nora Valkyrie."
Nora's jaw fell to the road below. "You… YOU KNOW MY NAME?!"
"Yep. My father's been keeping a very close eye on Midgard since all of this insanity started happening. From even BEFORE you came to this world, in fact, his attention was garnered by the massive explosion that happened in this town a month and a half ago." He craned his head toward the town over yonder, his brow furrowing at the storm churning overhead. "Though unfortunately, it would seem that beings from other realms have managed to reopen the way to Midgard… grr, of all beings, why did it have to be the Ice Jotuns?"
The Pink Dynamo simply stared up at him in silent awe. It was there that she could finally take in more of his appearance… which was surprisingly well defined. He had burly, chiseled features and the hair on his head was cut short, sweeping forward and up naturally. His beard and mustache were also well trimmed, though it still reached down quite a ways down.
As for his garment, he wore tanned leather and fur almost everywhere on his body, from his shoulder pieces to his boots, and even his cloak. It was a good thing that it was chilly out, because otherwise, Nora would've bet he'd be cooking in those clothes. Interestingly, most of his upper torso was left exposed, namely his well-toned pecs and his rather large gut, though Nora could tell that it was a strongman's gut and not a beer gut. He was ALL muscle, and he had a bunch of Nordic tattoos in several different places.
But most fascinating of all were the parts of his garb that WERE actually armored; his gauntlets and his belt. The belt itself had metal plating going all around it, with various runes engraved all throughout. It was also MUCH bigger than any normal belt, almost to the point where it could've been a girdle. As for the gauntlets, they were very much the same as the belt, the armor covering his entire forearm, though the ends of his fingers were still left exposed.
Overall, Nora concluded that the God of Thunder was NOT someone to mess with… "AHEM! I believe she asked you a question, sir." …Which was why hammer-wielding huntress was left BAFFLED when Raven made the attempt. The Spring Maiden's eyes glowed as she unsheathed Omen and pointed it at Thor from across the way. "Just who in the world ARE you? And what is your business here?"
The god set his sights over to her and was about to answer when the front door swung open, revealing Helen holding two pistols and ready to fight. Next to her, surprisingly, was Carl himself, holding a big, green Plumber weapon that was aimed right at the Thunderer. "What's going on?! We saw the explosion and we… we…" Carl trailed off as he lowered the gun immediately, seeing the massive, eight-foot tall man with the massive hammer in his front yard. "Oh… my lord."
"Is… is that who I think it is?" Helen muttered.
Sandra peeked out to see what they were talking about. "What? What's all the—oh." Her eyes widened when she saw, putting on a nervous smile. "O-Oh… hello!"
"Hm, greetings." the god greeted, setting his hammer back on his hip. "You are the owners of this household, correct? The Tennyson family?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" Carl put the Plumber rifle down and immediately kneeled in respect. "W-What can we do for you, sir?"
"I seek your son. Is he home?"
"Oh… no, I'm sorry." Sandra apologized. "He's actually spending the night at a friend's place on the other side of town… or rather, he was until this all started happening."
Raven, however, wasn't as welcoming as the Tennysons. "Sandra! Carl! Would you please not give this stranger such information!" She admonished the two in a harsh, whispering tone. "We must be CAREFUL when it comes to deities, because we don't know if ALL of them are on our side!"
The redheaded god spoke up; "Um, I CAN hear you, ma'am." Raven flinched and spun back around, seeing him reach into a burlap sack that he had strapped to his back. "And I assure you that I AM on your side. Now, can I come in?" He produced a dark bottle from his sack and held it up, proclaiming; "I have MEADE!"
Blinking at the odd statement, Raven still stood firm. "Sir, you would not find me good company."
"Hmhm, oh, Miss Branwen… I think we'll find MUCH to talk about."
As the exchange went on, Gwen and the other girls all stood on the sidelines, watching nervously as it went down. However, the Anodite could no longer just sit by, stepping right up to Raven to add in her two cents. "Raven, I know that you're apprehensive when it comes to things like this, but believe me when I say this; it would be a BIG mistake to not show the God of Thunder hospitality. He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to help, so please… let him in."
"…Hah, fine." Raven relented, nodding to the large man. "You may enter, Mister…"
"Odinson." The god took a step forward, giving her a thankful grin. "Thor Odinson." Craning his head back to Nora, Thor nudged for her to follow. "Come, girl. We have work to do."
Nora saluted immediately. "Yes, sir!" Without needing to be told twice, she followed him inside, much to everyone's wonderment.
"Woah, um…" Yang scratched her head. "Has Nora ever been this…"
"Dutiful?" Pyrrha guessed. "No, not exactly. I mean, she follows Jaune's ideas well, but she's usually still… well, herself." The warrior focused on her teammate, noting how serious and straight-faced she was around the Thunderer. "It's like… she's almost a different person."
Gwen leaned in on the situation. "She's starstruck." the Anodite whispered. "Ever since we told her about Thor, she's been utterly enamored with his stories. And now that she's meeting him in the flesh, she probably wants to make a good impression on him." She glanced toward the usually bombastic girl as she stood by Thor's side, almost like she was his sidekick. "…Who wants to tell her that just being herself is good enough to get on his good side?"
Ruby eyed Gwen, eyebrow raise. "Aren't you good at doing that sorta stuff, Gwen?"
"…Fair point." Gwen admitted before ushering the other girls to follow her. "But come on, business first."
As they all entered the house, they watched as Thor took a look around the place, noting the well-kept abode. There were candles lit all throughout the room, which sent a wave of familiarity and nostalgia flowing through him. It was like the good old days. "Hm… nice place." he approved.
"Th-Thank you, Mr. Odinson." Carl gestured toward the nearest and finest chair. "Please, have a seat."
Thor gave Carl a smile and raised his hand. "Please, no need for formalities. Just call me Thor. And thank you kindly." He took a seat and unhooked his hammer from his belt again. "May I set Mjolnir down for a bit?"
"Y-Yes, please!" Carl watched in awe as Thor set the fabled hammer down on HIS coffee table, which he was thankful didn't break immediately. Nora was also staring at Mjolnir in absolute awe, watching as the runic inscriptions glowed throughout its head.
Thor chuckled at their shimmering eyes before setting his bottle of Meade on the coffee table, only to find Raven having seated herself directly across from him. And, not a moment later, Sandra came dashing in with two mugs, setting them down on the table in front of both of them. "Here, our finest, er… goblets." she smiled.
"Hehe, much appreciated." Thor pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured Raven's drink first, before then pouring his own. He set the bottle down and went for his mug, swishing the Meade around before taking a soft whiff of it. "Hmm… ah, that's the stuff." Thor went to take a swig… only to notice Raven hadn't touched hers yet, the Maiden still staring directly at him. "…Are you not going to drink?"
Raven glanced down to the mug of Meade before going back to Thor. "I'd rather not get drunk when there's a crisis going on outside, thank you."
"Hah, please, if you get drunk off of one cup of Meade, you're a lightweight." Thor gave her a challenging grin. "Come now, at least take a sip. And just to settle any fears…" The god brought the mug to his lips and took a long sip, letting out a satisfied "Ah…" after he was done. "See? If this were poisoned or spiked, even I would be incoherent right now. Go ahead, please."
Pursing her lips, Raven reached down and took up her mug, eyeing the golden ale inside. She took a brief smell, and her eyebrows perked up at the rather sweet scent. Almost like honey. Slowly, she sipped the drink… and the moment it hit her lips, her eyes widened. 'This is… oh my GOD.'
A smile came to the God of Thunder's visage. "Ah-ha! I knew it." He raised his arms to the teenaged girls surrounding them. "Ladies! It seems your guardian has come to admire a new taste!"
Many of the girls gave a collective; "Ooh!", along with a few knowing looks toward the Maiden before she lowered the mug and put on her best façade. "Ahem, it is… not bad, I will admit. You said this was… Meade, correct?"
"Yep, good old-fashioned Nord Meade." Thor tapped the top of the bottle. "This is the stuff Vikings drank all the time. It is still made today, thankfully, but finding a good one is hard to come by." He set his own mug down, trailing a finger around the edge of it. "Hmhm, Raven Branwen… you seem like a calm and rational person… and I'm glad that seems to be the case."
"…If the situation calls for calm, then yes." Raven jerked a thumb over her shoulder to the snow storm going on outside. "But in case you haven't noticed, there is a blizzard happening in the middle of summer, so forgive me if I'm not at my calmest."
"Hm, and for good reason, I agree." Thor stood up and went over to the window, his brows furrowed as he watched the falling snow. "And unfortunately, you already know exactly why this storm is happening."
Gwen nodded and spoke up. "The Frost Giants, right? I didn't know that they were capable of creating storms THIS massive."
Thor shook his head. "They don't… not without a bit of help." He turned back to them once again. "You see, the Jotunns didn't come here through conventional means. The Bifrost has been closed to their kind for millennia… but through a certain god's aid, they were granted access to Yggdrasil itself. The stamping of their feet along the World Tree's branches was what created this storm in Midgard, and if they aren't stopped, the storm could be whipped up in other realms as well."
"A certain god…" Blake muttered, getting a bad feeling in her stomach as she recalled most of the tales that Ben and Gwen told them about the Jotunns. "You don't mean…"
"Yes." Thor replied grimly. "…Loki has escaped his imprisonment."
His words almost seemed to cast a shadow over everyone in the room, their concern spiking in that moment. "…Well, seems like the bad news just keeps piling up." Helen broke the silence as she counted the ways on her fingers. "First the Grimm, then the Jotunns… and now your brother—EEP!" She was caught off guard when Thor suddenly snapped his head around, his eyes glowing brightly as he zeroed in on her. "W-W-What did I—"
The Thunderer turned slowly and began to explain; "A common mistake yet a very irritating one. Listen well, young lady; Loki is NOT my brother. I'm grateful to Marvel Comics for many things, most of all rekindling mortal's love for the old stories that the Norse came from. But I still CANNOT excuse just how many things they got wrong." Thor sneered in disgust. "Most of all, the false information of Loki being my "brother", when in reality we are NOT related in the least!" Outside, a bolt of lightning struck a tree, splitting it in half seemingly from the god's own frustration. Once that happened, though, Thor took a few deep breaths and brought a hand up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, sorry, I… ugh, I just can't help but be annoyed whenever anyone makes that mistake."
Weiss came up and held onto Helen's trembling shoulders, hoping to ease her a little. "It's fine, we get it. Just… try to not scare us like that again, please? We've got enough on our plates to worry about and getting upset over mistaken relations isn't going to help." He pointed to her Kineceleran friend. "Also, please apologize."
"Hah… you're correct." Thor bowed to Helen profusely. "My humblest apologies, young one. My frustration was highly misplaced with you."
"O-Oh, it's okay, really." Helen assured. "The last thing I'd want to do is make you angry on purpose."
Ilia cleared her throat, garnering everyone's attention. "Ahem, not to rain on this whole thing, but we're kind of wasting time here."
"Ilia is correct." Penny agreed as her sights went straight to the window again. "By now, the Grimm are likely convening within the town itself, and the Ministry are no doubt right there with them. We must mobilize on them before it is too late."
Vernal nodded at that. "Yeah, and these Jotunns are probably gonna go where they can cause the most chaos, right?" She extended her hand out toward Thor. "So it's probably best if we all go there together."
"Hm, my thoughts exactly." Thor concurred before craning his head down to Raven. "That is, if your chaperone will allow it."
Raven opened her mouth to answer; "I don't think—"
But she was suddenly interrupted when Yang, Ruby and Nora all suddenly zipped up right in front of her, staring at her with pleading eyes. "Oh c'mon, mom, let us team up with Thor, PLEASE?!" Yang cupped her hands together, begging with her mother. "It's probably the only way we'll be able to save Bellwood!"
"Yeah! I mean, Ben probably COULD handle those Frost Giants, but who better to have on our side than the guy who kills them for a living?!" Ruby added with a hopeful smile. "So come on, Raven, please?!"
"I will LITERALLY do whatever you say from here on out if you let us team up with Thor!" Nora was practically on her knees and bowing at Raven's feet at this point. "PLEASE LET HIM IN!"
"Woah, woah, girls, I didn't even get a chance to finish!" Raven snapped her fingers, getting the teens to back away a little. "What I was GOING to say was… that I don't think it'd be wise to go into this battle without having all the help we can get." She gave a sidelong glance to the God of Thunder. "And as much as I was hesitant about him at first, and that little outburst nearly lost my good will… Thor HAS convinced me that he is on our side. So long as he can keep that temper in check, I will allow it."
Thor himself gave her an indignant look. "…You believe you're in a position to tell a god how to behave, Miss Branwen?"
"I might not be as powerful as you…" Raven's eyes flared up again with her Maiden Powers. "But I'm also a mother and former tribe leader who doesn't take shit from anybody. In other words; Try Me."
The two stood in silence for a few very tense moments… before Thor threw his head back and gave a hearty laugh. "AHAHAHA! Oh, now THIS is what I was hoping to see when I came here; true warrior spirits who are not afraid of confrontation." He extended his hand toward Raven. "You, good woman, have earned my respect."
"…Thank you." Raven shook Thor's hand. "Now, shall we go?"
"Indeed." Thor reached down and picked Mjolnir up, raising it high above his head. "Now, young Valkyries, go—" CRASH! The god's eyes widened and they shifted up… seeing the new hole he put in the ceiling. Sandra and Carl stared slack-jawed as Thor brought his hammer down awkwardly. "Ah, haha… don't worry, I'll repair that." He pointed his finger toward the girls. "Ahem, a-as I was saying—young Valkyries, go prepare yourselves for battle! We have a long night ahead of us!"
Nora, beaming from ear to ear, gave a salute. "Yes sir, Mr. Thor, SIR!" She slung Magnhild over her shoulder and pushed her teammates toward the stairs. "C'mon fellow Valkyries, you heard the God of Thunder! Let's armor up!"
As she was being pushed up the stairs, though, a sudden thought crossed Gwen's mind. "Hm… actually, this gives me an idea…" She stopped herself on the steps and called back down; "Excuse me, Thor, but is it true that Valkyries often sing when they go into battle?"
"Oh-ho, YES indeed, young Miss Tennyson." Thor raised his hands for emphasis. "The war hymns of the Valkyries have been well documented and sung within the halls of Valhalla many times throughout the centuries! Why do you ask?"
"Well… a little something-something just popped into my head. On that note…" Gwen sent a knowing smile up toward the others. "Ladies, how about we give 'em an entrance they won't soon forget? Weiss, how's you're singing voice?"
"Ah! I'll have you know it's in PEAK condition, thank you." Weiss feigned a insulted visage, placing a hand over her neck. "I've been making sure to keep it that way."
"Hm, yeah, it's great hearing THAT in the morning." Yang deadpanned.
Weiss just let that comment roll off her back. "Oh, you're just jealous."
"Hah, c'mon, I bet I could sing circles around you."
"Girls, girls, please!" Gwen gave them a smile of reassurance. "If my idea goes according to plan, we'll ALL get to sing." The group of girls could only stare at her skeptically at that. "I'll explain while we get dressed. Now come on, we gotta hurry!"
As they all disappeared into their rooms, Raven sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Oh gods…" She eyed Thor with a grimace. "What kind of idea did you put in that girl's head?"
"Hehe…" Thor chortled as he glanced down to the Spring Maiden. "I'm not sure, but if it involves singing, I certainly hope it's a war hymn worthy of the Valkyries!" He balled a fist and pumped it eagerly. "A song that is as powerful and glorious as Valhalla itself—"
"GRRAAAAUUUUGGHHH!"
The adults all gasped and whipped their heads toward the front door, hearing a powerful roar and massive stomping feet approach. They could also hear screams accompanying them… though they seemed more like ones of battle than of fear. Thor's face contorted into a scowl, flipping Mjolnir in his hand before making for the door. "Another Jotunn! And it would seem it's not alone!"
As he flung the door open, everyone was met with… quite the surprising sight. There was a Frost Giant alright… but it was currently being set upon by Manny, Alan, Rook and Qrow. The three Plumbers and dusty Huntsman were giving it a good walloping, too, with Alan particularly getting in some key shots on the Frost Giant with his fire. There were several severe burns, slashes and bruises all across its body as proof.
And yet, it was somehow still standing. "Gah! Come ON! How much punishment can this asshole TAKE?!" Manny shouted, punching the creature even more to blow off some steam.
"No idea!" Qrow slashed the back of its knee, making it buckle. "But we've got it on the ropes!"
"Yeah, I can feel it!" Alan agreed, blasting its neck with intense flames. "Let's go, just a little more!"
"I am uncertain if this is the correct course of action!" Rook interjected, watching as a fresh wound on the Frost Giant actually began to freeze over. "I… believe that it may not be as simple as we are thinking—AH!"
Without warning, the Jotunn suddenly flexed all of its limbs in an outward burst, with a huge explosion of icy energy erupting from its core and sending everyone flying back. Rook, Manny, Qrow and Alan all fell to the street, the former three covered in a fine layer of frost as the giant stood on its feet, slamming its sword down as its body became blue again.
"Hah… hah… is that ALL you puny mortals can DO?!" However, as the giant went to take a step, its leg buckled again, sending it onto one knee. "GRAGH! Grrr… I may be hurt, but I won't let a bunch of tiny creatures get the best of ME—"
KRA-CHAAAAMM!
Those were the giant's final words. A sudden flash of electricity had blasted straight out from behind the giant's head and enveloped it… and when it ceased, his head was just gone. Manny, Alan, Rook and Qrow were left slack-jawed and speechless as the body felt straight to its knees, its hand letting go of the sword before it toppled over entirely. The neck wound had even been cauterized in an instant thanks to the heat from the lightning.
"W…W-What was…" Qrow whipped his head around, and only then did he realize where they were… the fight had been taken all the way to Ben's house. And that meant…
"There, quick and painless." Thor strode up to the four, slinging his hammer over his shoulder while Raven, Vernal, Sandra and Carl stood behind him. His put on a smile and raised his hand in greeting. "Evening, fellows! You did well in whittling down that Frost Giant. I could tell, if he hadn't pulled out that trick, you very nearly would've had him!"
The three Plumbers were utterly stunned by his precense, Manny and Alan most of all. "N-No… way…" Alan pointed a shaky finger at him. "A-A-Are you r-really…"
"THOR!" Manny flew up to his feet and let out a massive laugh, pumping all four fists into the air. "HAHAHA! FINALLY! WE got the chance to meet a GOD!"
"This is… rather exciting, to be honest." Rook smiled and bowed his head. "Greetings, Mr. Odinson. I have done extensive research on several of Earth's pantheons, but I must admit, yours is one of my favorites."
Thor scratched his head. "Ah… thank you. I think?" He then gave a nod toward Qrow. "And Mr. Branwen! Glad you could join us as well."
"H-Huh?" Qrow narrowed his eyes at the god. "Wait, how do you know my—"
"Explanations can come later, Qrow." Raven asserted as she went up to him, taking him by the arm as she led him toward the house. "Now you boys come on, I have a plan that I need to share with ALL of you."
However, Sandra and Carl were still concerned. "W-Wait, what about Ben and the others?" the Tennyson matriarch asked. "Where are they?"
"Ah, don't worry." Qrow waved off. "Right now, they're probably kickin' ass and takin' names."
…..
And that, indeed, they were. Ben, now as Feedback, was currently storming his way through the town and practically blasting through any frail Grimm in his way, the hero searching for his primary target; the Ministry. Meanwhile, the others were not far behind, as Jaune, Ren, Sun and Neptune all took to the streets to clean up any of the bulkier Grimm such as Ursas and Creeps.
Kevin, on the other hand, was still in his car and plowing through Boarbatusks. He had shifted his ride into its more armored form, complete with guns popping out EVERYWHERE and blasting through any Grimm that got within range, including a few sky-dwelling Nevermore that dared to get just too close. "WOO-HOO! It's like shootin' fish in a barrel out here!" He noticed another Nevermore that was a bit too high before calling up; "Yo, REX! We got a straggler!"
"On it, man!" Rex acknowledged, swooping straight up with his Boogie Pack and bringing out his BFS. "Yo, Polly! Time for your CRACKER!" He shifted the BFS into its Battle Saw mode and buzzed straight through the giant bird, its two haves falling to the ground before disintegrating.
The boys made sure to save any people they could along the way, and so far, there thankfully were no casualties. But that didn't deter them from focusing on their main goal; getting to the source of the malice. "Keep going, guys!" Feedback encouraged, blasting several Beowolves straight through their heads with a single energy blast. "We find Cinder, we end this!"
"Any sign of more Jotunns?!" Neptune called out as he sliced a Creep's head straight off.
"Nothin'!" Sun returned, swinging Ruyi Jingu Bang around and blasting a few Beringels away. "It doesn't even feel AS cold here as it did out in the suburbs!"
Jaune leapt up and stabbed straight down into the back of an Ursa's head, his sword bursting right through its mouth before he brought it upward to cleave its head in two. "Well, keep a sharp eye out, guys! We've gotta make sure those giants go DOWN."
Ren was currently running across a few buildings, slashing through the Beowolves who were making themselves at home on their roofs. This also allowed him a good vantage point to see any oddities throughout the city. If there was anywhere that he'd be able to spot Frost Giants, it'd be up there… and he was pretty sure he saw something out of the ordinary right then. "Uh… guys? I think we found our Jotunns!"
"What's that, Ren?!" Feedback reached up to an overhanging flagpole with his tendrils and slingshot himself up to the building that Ren was standing on. "Okay, good, where are—oh." The Conductoid came to a stop and his eye widened at the sight before them. In the epicenter of the city, due west from their position, an absolutely humungous ice crystal was taking form, seeking to pierce through a swirling vortex of clouds just above it. And curiously, there seemed to be… branches forming around the crystal from its bottom, tangling all around it. "What in the hell are they doing?"
The green ninja could only take a shot in the dark. "My guess? They're looking to make Bellwood into their own winter wonderland."
The hero saw the logic in that… but still, there was something picking at his mind. "Probably, but… what's up with the giant tree branches?"
"I think those might be roots, actually." Ren pointed out toward the massive structure. "See how there are no leaves to speak of, and how they seem less ridged than a branch? Though why they're there is also beyond me…"
Feedback furrowed his brow, thinking it over a little more. 'Why would there be giant tree roots in the middle of… oh gods.' A horrified expression quickly took hold of his features at the realization. "Oh, good lord, those are the roots of Yggdrasil the World Tree!"
"Are you serious?!" Rex called out as he landed on the roof next to the two, staring off at the strange structure. "You mean that giant tree that's supposed to hold all the realms together? They've dragged some of its roots INTO our world and they're freezing them?!"
"Yeah, and my guess is that they're gonna do the same to a bunch of other realms if they can help it."
Ren pursed his lips, recognizing the conundrum they were in. "So what do we do? We need to stop the Grimm AND the Jotunns, but there aren't enough of us to handle everything at once right now."
Feedback nodded to both of them. "I know, and that's why we keep doing what we're doing for now." He craned his head off to the opposite direction, knowing that they'd be getting back up soon. "Knowing the girls, they're probably on their way here as we speak, and no doubt Thor will be right there with them."
"Yeah, probably best to wait on the expert when it comes to slaying giants." Rex agreed, though he was quick to note that his friend didn't seem opposed to the idea. "But I gotta ask… WILL you just let Thor kill them, dude? I know it's not exactly your style…"
The Conductoid raised his hands. "Hey, far be it from me to get in a god's way of what he does best. And considering its THOR, I don't wanna get in his way. That never ends well for ANYONE in the old myths." He glowered at the massive ice crystal once more. "Plus… these assholes made the mistake of coming to MY hometown to do this crap. As far as I'm concerned, they get what they get, and Loki can kiss my—"
SHA-KOOM!
All of a sudden, the building the trio were standing on was rocked by a powerful explosion, with bursts of flame and smoke billowing up from below. "AH! What the hell?!" Rex activated his Boogie Pack once more and grabbed hold of Ren as the building lurched. "Ben, we gotta move!"
"Way ahead of ya!" Feedback slapped the Omnitrix and transformed into… "Chromastone!" before flying straight up and off the roof. He wasted no time in darting right back down, though, knowing that something had to be up. "Grimm could've caused that explosion. Which means…" His suspicions were confirmed the moment he heard a familiar, nefarious laugh. "…I knew it." Chromastone landed on the road below, with Rex and Ren coming in right beside him. Jaune and the others wasted no time in gathering as well, with Kevin pulling to a stop behind them. "Look sharp, everyone!"
The boys were all glaring in the direction of a wall of flames… which then parted to allow the Fall Maiden through. She was floating on a gust of wind as Rojo, Neo, Emerald and Mercury all flanked her on either side… and they were followed by a battalion of Death Stalkers. "Ah-hahaha! Oh, well if it isn't the boys?" Cinder pressed her hands together as she raised a brow at them. "Don't tell me the ladies decided to strike out on their own, did they?"
"Ha! Quite the move if they did." Rojo remarked as she aimed Bloodstrike at the Omni-Hunters. "Makes things all the easier for us."
Cinder raised her arms toward the carnage going on around her. "Tell me, heroes, are you impressed with the handiwork our Grimm have wrought? I'd say this town's looking better already!"
"Heh, please." Neptune rolled his eyes. "You think you guys are the ONLY ones causing chaos tonight? Pretty sure you're being upstaged by a bunch of Frost Giants at the moment."
His statement only served to confuse the villains, with Emerald tilting her head. "Hold on, what? The hell are you going on abou—" She saw Rex pointing up and her eyes trailed up… and was left gob smacked by what she saw. The ice crystal had suddenly jutted up by about twenty feet or so, now just barely visible over the buildings. "What the…"
"Where the HELL did that come from?!" Mercury exclaimed as Neo rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Is THAT where this cold snap is coming from?!"
"Yeah. Giants from Jotunheim have decided to come down to Bellwood and latch the World Tree into our realm." Ren explained. "So to say that there's a lot going on in this town is an understatement right now."
"I… I don't believe this!" Cinder snarled as her frustration began to rise, causing the flames around her to do so as well. "Are we SERIOUSLY being upstaged by a bunch of frozen BRUTES?! I will NOT allow this!" Her eyes began glowing as her Maiden powers kicked into high gear, rising her up further as she summoned a flaming sword in her hands. After taking a deep, calming breath, she settled her gaze upon the heroes once more. "Once we take care of you, I will dispose of those giants personally—"
POW!
Cinder let out a scream as a multi-colored laser shot out and blasted her right out of the air, powerful enough to send her flying back into a Death Stalker's claw. "ACK! Grr… Tennyson!" She stood up and hefted her fiery blade. "You dare to interrupt—"
"SHUT UP!" Chromastone stomped the ground after leaping over and landing in front of her, his single eye glaring in pure, unfiltered disdain. "Just shut up! I have had it up to HERE with your constant pontificating and you stroking of your own ego!" He stormed his way up to Cinder his voice filled with a venom that not even the Fall Maiden had heard before. Even Rojo seemed incredibly put off. "Do you even hear yourself most of the time when you do that? It's grating and redundant every single time! And guess what? Every time you do it, you get big headed and you FAIL!"
"I-I—"
FLASH! "I WASN'T FINISHED!" From out of nowhere, Ben transformed into Four Arms, the Tetramand now looming over Cinder as he continued in his deep, snarling voice. "Because guess what? This time? Not ONLY will it be like all the rest, but it'll also be TWICE as excruciating! Ya wanna know why?!" The Death Stalker behind Cinder went to jab its stinger down on Four Arms… only for him to catch it, twist the stinger tip off, and then jam it straight down into its own head, killing it instantly. "Because you and your mistress got the BRIGHT idea to mess with MY hometown, and you wanna know what happened to the LAST group of people who tried that?"
Cinder clenched her teeth and let out a scream, going to stab Four Arms straight in the gut with her sword. …But despite how intensely hot it was, Four Arms caught it in his hands and snapped it into several pieces. "I left 'em beaten, traumatized, and told 'em to never come back again." The hero reached up and twisted the Omnitrix dial, smacking it to anchor the device and transform himself into Ultimate Four Arms. "…So guess what I'm gonna do to you?"
Despite herself… Cinder felt genuinely afraid as the massive, blue alien glared down at her. Never before had she heard such venom in Tennyson's voice. But still, she would not back down, even in the presence of such danger. She whipped her wrist and refigured her broken weapon into a bow, aiming at his forehead. "I… I-I am not afraid of you!"
Ultimate Four Arms narrowed his eyes at Cinder. "…You should be." The Fall Maiden screamed again and let her arrows fly, only for Four Arms to raise his two, massive arms and block the attack with his thick wrist cuffs. He brought one fist down for a punch, only for Cinder to blow herself out of the way and then summon a bolt of lightning in her hand, throwing it at the evolved Tetramand.
Thankfully, Four Arms was quick on the draw, slamming his hands down and thrusting himself upward, avoiding the bolt without harm. And, while in midair, he thrust a single arm forward and let loose one of his rocket fists, taking Cinder off guard. "W-What the—AGH!" She was socked right in the gut and then slammed into the side of a building, which melted from the amount of heat she was giving off.
As Four Arms brought his fist back and went in for more close combat, the others could only stare on in utter disbelief. None of them had ever seen Ben Tennyson be THIS pissed off. "…I think we might've made a mistake making Bellwood our first target." Emerald spoke up.
"Oh, so you're just NOW realizing—wait, first?!" Jaune took up his sword and went to charge at Emerald to demand answers, only to be intercepted by Mercury blocking it with his leg. "Gah! What do you mean "first"?!"
"That's none of your business, blondie boy." Mercury pumped his leg and blasted a Dust round right in Jaune's face, knocking him back a few feet. "You think you're in a position to demand answers when we've got THESE staring you down?" He gestured toward the Death Stalkers, all of them snipping their pincers in anticipation. "On that note; SIC 'EM!"
The giant scorpions screeched all at once and began scurrying their way toward the team, though the boys weren't about to back down. "Guys, I'll lead some of 'em away! You take care of the rest!" Kevin called out as he started backing up at high speed down the street, with numerous Death Stalkers giving chase. And, once he was at a safe distance, Kevin started unloading everything his car had. "Eat THIS, Suckas!"
"Thanks, Kev!" With a delighted smirk, Rex pulled out his Blast Caster and began charging it with energy. "I'll handle the rest!" The EVO leapt into the air and immediately wrapped the massive whip around one of the beast's tails, sending a massive surge through it and making it explode. "Hehe, this is my favorite part! Guys, I'm counting on you to keep the Ministry busy!"
As all that was happening, Jaune, Sun, Ren and Neptune found themselves staring down the rest of Cinder's team, with everyone's weapons drawn. "Well, while those guys have their "fun"." Rojo pulled back on Bloodstrike's handle and shifted it into its sword mode, pointing it directly at Jaune. "How's about WE have a little fun, eh boys?"
Jaune responded by putting Crocea Mors into its greatsword mode and producing three vials of Lightning Dust. "I couldn't agree more." He opened the compartment on his blade and put in all three of them at once. Triple Dust: Loaded! ZANDAR THUNDER! The blade began glowing with a golden energy as electricity sparked along its edge. "Let's do this, guys!"
Sun spun his staff around and separated it into their separate gun-chuck modes, while Neptune transformed Tri-Hard into its rifle configuration. "I hear that! Neptune, lay down suppressing fire! Ren, you know what to do!"
"Hm, of course." Ren spun Storm Flower in his hands, zeroing in on his target. "Ready… go!" And with that, the two sides ran straight toward one another, with the green ninja going right for Emerald. The duo clashed in the middle, their blades going against one another in a battle of swift strikes and dodges that were just as quick.
"Hah, not bad…" Emerald suddenly performed a slide underneath Ren as he came at her, where she then shot out Thief's Respite's blades on their chains and they wrapped around his ankles, pulling him to the ground. "But I ain't about to fall for that ninja crap. GRAH!" Emerald tossed Ren straight over her head with all her might, intent on slamming him into the pavement, only for him to twist around in midair and use the momentum against her, pulling her with him. "AGH!"
Ren's landing wasn't exactly soft, but he at least was able to turn the tables on the greenette… as she was sent right into a light pole. He untangled the chain from his legs and aimed Storm Flower at her. "Mind repeating that?"
"Guh… like I said…" Emerald went to retract the chains and change her weapons into gun mode. "NOT falling for it—huh?" But unfortunately, the chains were still tangled together… and that resulted in her weapons being stuck now as well. She glanced between them and Ren, putting on a nervous smile. "Uh… hehe… time out? AH!" Emerald rolled out of the way as Ren went for a slash, making her snap; "Oh, come on!"
Across the way, Sun and Neptune were engaging with Mercury and Neo respectively, the four of them fighting their way through the blazing streets in a display of intense martial arts and gunfire. Neptune found himself growing frustrated, though, as every time he seemed to have Neo right where he wanted her… she would end up shattering and ambushing him from behind. "Grr! Lady, you are SERIOUSLY getting on my nerves!"
"Bro, wanna switch?" Sun called out, making sure to smirk at his opponent. "Let's face it; ANYONE can take out Merc here!"
"Oh please." Mercury kicked away an incoming gun-chuck with his foot, popping some muscles in his neck. "That was the old me. I've got a better handle on my anger now, thank you."
Sun gave a shrug. "Eh, true… but thankfully, we know your TRUE weakness!" The monkey boy took aim at Mercury's legs and shot off two rounds… only for them to ricochet off of them and instead go straight into some nearby buildings. Sun's eyes widened in disbelief. "Huh?! That usually works!"
Mercury's wicked grin increased at Sun's shock. "Ha! Like I said; I've changed… and gotten some upgrades." He pulled his pant legs up… and revealed a pair of brand-new legs. Unlike his previous ones, these legs were actually built to resemble a human calve, and were armored with shining, sterling metal. The boots, meanwhile, were built like his old ones, though now they had wing patterns on their sides. "Solid Infinitum! You like?"
"No! No, I do NOT like!" Sun yelped as Mercury lifted his leg and brought it down in an axe kick, making him put Ryui Jingu Bang back together to block it. "Neptune! I might've miscalculated!"
At this point, the blue-haired boy was getting frustrated with both Neo AND his best friend. "Oh gee, what was your first clue?!" He spun around and shifted Tri-Hard into its guandao mode, swiping at the monochromatic girl, only for her to land right on its blade and stab her umbrella straight at his face. "AH!" Neptune ducked and pulled back on the handle, to which she flipped and landed right behind him. Neo pulled her umbrella up and around his neck, looking to choke him into submission as she hopped up on his back. "ACK! AGH! Seriously?!"
Mercury just kept on kicking as he laughed at their misfortune. "Haha! NOW who's easy to take on—" TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP! "AUGH! What the—ack! Hey!" The assassin's attack was brought to a halt when, from out of nowhere… a certain woodpecker swooped in and started pecking at his eyes and head, Mercury bringing his hands up to swipe at it. "The hell is up with this thing?! Get it outta my face!"
Sun's eyes widened, incredulous to how this was happening… but at the same time, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He concentrated on his Semblance and created three Via Sun clones of himself, making them swarm Mercury and latch onto him. The woodpecker flew to a safe distance before the clones blew up, sending Mercury flying back straight into a building. "Hah… phew." Sun breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the little bird come fluttering up to him. "Uh… thanks, little guy." Using one wing, the woodpecker… gave a salute in midflight before flying away once again. Sun blinked in absolute bafflement. "…You are NOT normal."
"Gkk, ach! You just don't give up, do ya, lady?" Neptune asked Neo, to which she gave a vehement shake of her head. "Hak! Well… okay… well how does THIS do it for ya?!" In an unexpected move, Neptune actually hopped and then dropped straight to his back, taking Neo off guard as he slammed her to the road and put his full weight onto her. Her grip on her umbrella loosened and Neptune shot up, taking Tri-Hard and pointing it right at her as he kept a knee on her chest. "HA! Gotcha, ice cream girl!"
Neo pouted at the dirty trick and tried to reach for her umbrella, only for Sun to use his staff to bat it away. "Ah-ah-ah, not today, Neo. We're wise to your usual tricks." The monkey boy narrowed his eyes at her. "And don't try to change your appearance either. We're not THAT dumb."
"Yeah, what he said. …Wait." Neptune eyed his best friend. "Whaddya mean by "not that stupid"?"
"Well, c'mon dude, we're a little gullible, you've gotta admit."
"Hah, speak for yourself! I'm WAY too smart to fall for something twice." Both Neo and Sun wore deadpan stares at Neptune's words. "…You know, I'm getting the suspicion that you don't believe me—" BANG! "AH!" Neptune ducked just in time to avoid a shot from Mercury's boot, the assassin having dug his way out of the rubble. This allowed Neo to reach up and grab hold of Neptune's collar, kicking her legs up to roll over and onto him instead. "Oh, for the love of—"
…..
"GOD, you people make me mad!" Jaune exclaimed as he and Rojo clashed their swords against each other. With every strike, Rojo's blade seemed to glow brighter and hotter, while Jaune's kept crackling with more and more lightning. "Bringing Grimm to Earth is one thing, but letting them rampage on Ben's own home town?!" Jaune pushed against Rojo with all his might and managed to push her back, swiping his blade so that a bolt arced out to strike her. The redhead was able to dodge the attack, though, rolling through and swinging Bloodstrike up to strike Jaune in the side. But with startling speed, Jaune brought Crocea Mors down and parried the attack with ease.
Rojo breathed out in surprise, doing a short leap back to give herself some room. "Hah, not bad, kid! You've been gettin' good…" She put both hands on Bloodstrike's handle and then pulled it apart, going into twin blade mode. "But you're NOT as good as me!" With renewed vigor, Rojo started applying more pressure to Jaune, her strikes coming in from several directions now.
Jaune was forced to back away himself, all while trying to keep pace. "Gah, you still haven't—AGH—answered my question!" He jumped away and pulled Crocea Mors out of its greatsword form, separating into sword and shield just in time for Rojo to come after him. He raised his shield, which was still coursing with electric energy, as the bounty hunter leaned into her attack. "Why come after Bellwood? And why wait three days?!"
"Ain't that obvious? To catch ya with your pants down, that's why!" Rojo swept her leg and took Jaune down to the ground, the impact coming a bit harder for Jaune thanks to his lack of armor. "You heroes always manage to do it with us, so now, we're taking a more proactive approach to see how much we can do it with you." Rojo squatted down and leaned in next to Jaune's ear; "And news flash, Mr. Knight… this WON'T be the last time."
Jaune's aura flashed to life when he heard that, giving him a renewed energy. "Not if I can help it!" He pulled his legs up and did a kip-up into an aura-infused headbutt, taking Rojo off guard and making her stagger back. "GYAH!" He rammed his electrified shield straight into her and took her back even further, before taking the shield and slipping it back over his sword. He pumped the lever on the greatsword and widened his stance for his final attack;
"Thunderstorm… AFTERGLOW!"
Rojo let out a scream as Jaune brought the blade down and a powerful lightning bolt arced through the air, striking her full-on and blowing her back several feet until she slammed into a nearby mailbox. With her eyes foggy and her head spinning, Rojo found herself stuck and unable to get up. There was only one person she could see… and that was Jaune, standing right in front of her with his blade pointed at her chin. She spat at him and mumbled; "Screw… you…"
"Right back at ya…" BAM! "Oh, and hey, your friend's here." Jaune's eyes trailed down as he witnessed a rather battered and bruised Cinder come straight through a building and land at his feet, her aura thoroughly broken and breathing hard as a pair of fists slammed into her.
"C-CINDY!" Rojo was horrified by the sight… but not as completely petrified as she was when she saw Ultimate Four Arms come out of the burning building. The fire behind him cast his form completely in shadow, only the green of his eyes visible in the darkness. His glowing blue hands returned to his wrists as Rojo snarled at him. "You… you monster."
"Only because SHE made me." The evolved Tetramand uttered, stepping onto Cinder to pin her beneath his two-toed foot. "In fact, ALL of you made me. YOU, Rojo, should know how I deal with people who attack my town and its people. You heard about what happened to the Forever Knights after they killed Pierce, right?" He received a silent glare in response. "Hmph, figured you wouldn't care about that." Four Arms shifted his attention back down to Cinder, who was trying to struggle her way out from beneath his foot. "And as for you, Cinder, I have a special message for your mistress; tell her to stay the HELL out of Bellwood, and while you're at it, take your stooges and get out yourselves."
Cinder coughed and sneered up at the hero. "Hak-hak! You… you think you've won just because you've beaten me?" Her lips curled into a nefarious grin. "…How naïve. After all, I would be MUCH more livid if that were the case. The Grimm attack was only part of our plan." The moment Cinder saw the Tetramand's eyes widen, she knew she had him. "Up until recently, it was only the primary goal; to catch you off guard and send a message. But, we've recently come into a new agreement with an old sparring partner of yours, and he's agreed to help us in exchange for a little something—gah!"
Without wasting any time, Ultimate Four Arms picked Cinder up, holding her firmly in his grasp as he brought her up to eye level. "WHO?! And where's the rest of the Ministry right now?!"
"Wouldn't YOU like to know?" The hero snapped his head back to see Emerald sprinting over, with Ren in hot pursuit. Even while fending him off with her tangled weapon, she wasn't shy about being defiant. "Like we'd ever rat them out to you!"
"Yeah, and besides, it's probably too late anyways!" Mercury suddenly came in and kicked Ren out of the way, all while ducking from Sun who lunged at him, resulting in the two boys piling on top of each other. Furthermore, Neo had led Neptune in as well, only to flip right over his head and kick him in the back, sending him sprawling onto the pile, too. "Now… we'd like our friends back, if you'd please."
The evolved Tetramand winced at the sight of his teammates all stacked up… but that quickly changed when they shot up to their feet, aiming their weapons at the villains. "Hah, you're not exactly in a position to negotiate, you know. You're still outnumbered…" Ultimate Four Arms turned his head back to see Rex and Kevin return, with no Grimm left in sight. "And it seems my pals here just obliterated the rest of your Grimm, so you've got nothing much to stand on. So, I'm gonna repeat myself once more, and I EXPECT an answer; where is the Ministry—"
THOOM! …THOOM! …THOOM!
Everything suddenly stopped between everyone as the ground began to tremor, and the sounds of large, heavy footfalls began to approach. Though where from, none of them could guess. "…Oh crud." Kevin muttered, getting out of his car and absorbing its metal. "Guys, stay sharp! Somethin' tells me we're in for some BIG company!"
Rex brought out his Bad Axes in preparation. "Aye, don't these guys take a break?"
"Not likely." Four Arms' sights went further down the street as the footfalls drew closer… and within moments, it appeared from around the corner; another Frost Giant. This Jotunn carried a massive, spiked cudgel and had a head full of wispy hair and an equally wispy mustache, almost as if he was thinning everywhere.
…And he wasn't exactly happy to see them. "GRAH! I thought I heard some mortals makin' a ruckus over here!" He began slapping the wooden part of his massive stick in his palm, ready to start busting heads. "I'll give you all a warnin' now; leave and MAYBE I won't eat ya!"
The five members of the Ministry were left utterly slack-jawed by the presence of the twenty-foot man-monster, while the Omnitrix bearer wasn't the least bit intimidated. "Sir, is the carnage on this street not a clear indicator of how things are gonna go down?"
"Oh-ho! A wise-aleck, huh? I'll teach ya some manners ya won't soon ferget! GRAAAUUGH!"
With his cudgel raised, the giant charged right at the evolved Tetramand, to which he loosened his grip on Cinder. "Kevin, keep watch on her, please."
"On it, man." Kevin caught the weakened Fall Maiden and molded a pair of cuffs on her wrists. "Now, just sit back and watch, Cinder. Hope ya enjoy the show."
"I won't." Cinder spat back.
Both the Jotunn and Ultimate Four Arms belted out powerful roars as they collided in the middle of the street, making Mercury, Ren and the other fall back. The blows exchanged between the two were so powerful that it made the very air pulse in the aftershock of ever hit. It was then that the giant raised his cudgel and went to bring it down on Four Arms' head, only for the hero to catch it in his massive hands. Then, with strength that the Jotunn wasn't expecting, Four Arms threw him straight over and smashed him into the road below. The evolved Tetramand then took the cudgel, snapped it over his knee, and tossed it about five blocks away.
The Jotunn took issue with that. "GRAAAUUGH! I'LL SUCK OUT YOUR BONE MARROW!" The creature shot up and went to grab Four Arms, but the blue alien suddenly used his two massive arms to propel himself backward, right in an optimal position to launch both of his glowing fists at the giant. POW! POW! The fists flew purposefully right into the chest and stomach of the Jotunn, pinning him to the ground again before…
KA-BLAM!
An explosive pulse of energy erupted from both hands, blowing a massive crater into the street and sending the giant down into the hole as well. The rocket fists telekinetically returned to Ultimate Four Arms soon after as he walked up to the edge, seeing the giant… start to get up again. "Hmph, want more? Well, c'mon bud, I can do this all day—" BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! "…Oh for the love of—" FLASH! "…Okay, that one's on me." Ben admitted, now back in his human form. "Didn't realize the time limit was coming up." BAM! "AAAAUGH!"
The Omni-Hunters watched with slack jaws as Ben was punched straight across the street and into a street lamp so hard that toppled over, the Jotunn glaring at him with malicious intent. …And all while Cinder smirked in satisfaction. "Not so funny now, is it, Tennyson?"
"Hate you." Ben sputtered out. "Hate you lots. Rex, tag out, please."
"I'm comin', hermano! Hold on!" Rex activated his Punk Busters and leapt into the fray, bringing one foot forward and slamming it straight into the Jotunn's chest. "Alright, potata face, let's see how you handle ME—"
WOOOOAAAAAMMM!
However, before Rex could really get going, a new sound reverberated through the area, giving everyone momentary pause. It was… a horn. A low, baritone horn that managed to give everyone goosebumps. The Frost Giant flinched and backed up, almost as if he were familiar with the horn's call as he whipped his head up toward the sky, searching for something. "No… no, no, that cannot be! HAH!" He gasped when he spotted something on the rooftops; six shadowy feminine figures carrying bladed weapons. He could only see their eyes, but just by staring at them, he knew who they must've been. "N-NO! Th-The Valkyries! They are here!"
"Say what?!" Everyone, hero and villain alike, all brought their sights upward, only for the women to all suddenly jump down and cry out in unison;
"ATTACK!"
They lunged at the Jotunn with incredible speed and brought their blades in for swift, powerful strikes from all angles, leaving everyone with whiplash as they tried to get a good look at them. But then, once the six women came to a halt… the group was left even more surprised. Standing around the giant were Ruby, Pyrrha, Weiss, Blake, Ilia and Penny, the girls all crouched down and keeping their heads low. Upon seeing the giant again, their were now several new slashes and cuts across its body, and it fell to its knees clutching a massive wound on its chest.
"W-What the—"
Ben didn't even get to finish before hearing; "BANZAI!" He brought his gaze up just in time… to see Yang and Nora come flying in from out on nowhere and strike the Jotunn right in its jaw, knocking it back several feet down the road. The duo also landed in a crouch, keeping their faces hidden.
"…HAHAHA! Holy crap!" Sun exclaimed, practically dashing up to Blake. "Ladies! You're here! And that was freaking amazing!"
Jaune was beaming in awestruck amazement as Pyrrha and the others all went to stand up. "No kidding! You girls just swooped in and decimated that thing! That was… huh?"
Ben, with Rex's help, went over to Yang and Weiss, just as impressed as the others. "Hah, I gotta say, girls, awesome timing. You really—whaaa…"
"Uh…" Rex blinked to make sure he was seeing things right. "I'm sorry, but what?"
The ladies had all stood up and revealed their faces… which were now donned in a strange war paint. Nothing intricate, but it still took the boys by surprise. They all had a long, horizonal, black lines painted across their eyes, going from temple to temple and crossing the bridge of their noses. It was almost like a mask of sorts, and it helped to really emphasize their eyes. In addition, they also had a small, vertical line painted on their chins, which ended just before their bottom lips.
But the most jarring thing of all was… they didn't act like it was a big deal. "Hey, boys!" Yang waved. "Sorry we're late."
Ruby propped Crescent Rose up at her shoulder. "Yeah, we had to get ourselves together."
"Um, yeah, no problem." Ben nodded in understanding before gesturing toward his own eyes. "So… what's with the…"
"Oh, you mean this?" Weiss grinned as she ran her hand over her own eyes. "Just some traditional Viking war paint that our… special guest told us about."
"You guys will NEVER guess who showed up at the house." Blake added with a wink.
"Thor, right?" Kevin piped up, causing the girls to give him incredulous stares. "…Well, to be fair, we kinda guessed he was here after we saw that massive lightning bolt." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the giant. "Plus, ya know, the obvious Jotunns."
Nora gave a disappointed groan as she threw her head back. "D'aw, come on! And here I thought we'd be able to surprise you guys here!"
Ren gave his best friend a supportive pat on the back. "H-Hey, it's not like we WEREN'T surprised, Nora. I mean, you all showing up in Viking war paint? Pretty sure that was enough of a surprise."
That made the Pink Dynamo brighten up, giving him a cheery smile. "Aw, thanks Renny! BUT… there's still more to come, hehehe…"
"She's right, you know." Everyone's head turned as Gwen came into the scene, floating herself down on a mana platform. She was also decked out in the same war paint… though curiously, she was also carrying a portable speaker with her. "Trust me, the show is just getting started…" It was then that she noticed Cinder, Rojo, Mercury, Emerald and Neo all trying to sneak off, leading her to snap her fingers and create a mana cube around them. "And just where do you think you five are off to?"
"Gah, shit!" Rojo snarled in Gwen's direction. "So close!"
Emerald slammed her fists against the walls of prison, glaring at the Anodite. "You can't keep us in here forever, Gwen! We CAN break this, you know!"
"Maybe, but it'll take you a while before you do." Gwen turned her nose up to the quintet. "You'll be answering for your crimes later. Right now…" Her attention shifted back to the Jotunn, which was just starting to get back up. "We've got work to do." Giving nods to her companions, Gwen set the speaker down and took out her phone. "Ready, ladies?"
Ilia took a deep breath, steeling herself for what came next. "Ready as we'll ever be, I guess."
Penny, on the other hand, was very excited for this. "Eee-hee-hee! This will be sensational! I just know it!"
Stamping the butt-end of her javeline on the ground, Pyrrha stood firm as they all stared down the Jotunn. "Very well, then. Valkyries! In formation!" The girls all lined up, with Weiss taking the center of the line as Gwen selected the music she wanted on her phone. Soon enough, the area was graced with the sound of another deep horn, accentuated with powerful war drums…
*Insert: Valhalla Calling – Miracle of Sound*
With every strike of the drums, those with long-handled weapons like Pyrrha, Ruby and Nora stamped their handles on the ground, while the other ladies brought their fists up and gently pounded their upper chests over their hearts. And then, as the music picked up, the boys noticed that the clouds overhead began to swirl even more… and then, Weiss began to sing.
Ships on vigor of the waves are skimmin'
Barren summits to the verdant plains
Each horizon is a new beginning
Rise and reign!
With more intensity and fists up, Yang chimed in next;
Far from the fjords and the ice-cold currents
Ravens soar over new frontiers
Songs and Sagas of the fate determined
Shields and Spears!
Nora grinned as she began to feel her hair stand up on end, feeling the electricity in the air as she sang;
Vows of favor of the thrill of plunder
Pull together for the clan and kin
CLANK of hammers and the CRASH of Thunder
POUND WITHIN!
As the chorus came, the storm churred inward more and more, the Jotunn left paralyzed with fear. And that was when Ruby and Blake came in, backing up Yang, Nora and Weiss;
Oh~ho~oh
The Echos of Eternity
Oh~ho~oh
Valhalla Calling Me!
Oh~ho~oh
To pluck the strings of destiny
Oh~ho~oh
Valhalla Calling Me!
Valhalla Calling Me…
The music suddenly changed to include more guitars, the intensity of the instruments picking up even more. And, as if to respond, the storm overhead did as well, becoming a massive vortex of clouds and lightning as Pyrrha picked up the next verse;
Sails a' swayin' on the crimson rivers
Blood and glory in the fighting fields
Shields a' shattered into splintered timbers
Iron and Steel!
With exuberance to match, Gwen came in with the following line;
Fires are rising and the bells are ringing
Glory take us into Odin's halls
Golden Glimmer and the sounds of singing
ASGARD'S CALL!
Swallowing her apprehension, Ilia summoned all of her courage to help sing the chorus with the others. In contrast, Penny was ready to go all in with it;
Oh~ho~oh
The Echos of Eternity
Oh~ho~oh
Valhalla Calling Me!
Oh~ho~oh
To pluck the strings of destiny
Oh~ho~oh
Valhalla Calling Me!
Valhalla Calling Me!
By that point, the storm overhead seemed like it was almost ready to explode, leading the girls to reach their hands up and sing out in unison; "VALHALLA!" The Jotunn let out a scream of fear as he spun on his heel and ran, seeing a massive bolt of lightning come crashing down from on high. But even as he ran, the blast changed course and went after him. And, as he peeked back over his shoulder, the last thing that the Jotunn saw before everything disappeared in a blinding white light…
…was that damned hammer.
SHA-KOOOOM!
The giant was gone, nothing left after the light dissipated except for a burning black mark on the street. And, standing over that mark, was Thor himself, letting out a sigh with a serious brow. "Hah… you knew what you were getting into, threatening Midgard like this, giant. Would probably have been better to not take Loki up on his offer." He hooked Mjolnir back around his belt and put his smile back on, raising his arms with a hearty laugh as he congratulated the girls. "AHAHA! Well done, young Valkyries! Truly, a fantastic heralding call!" He sent a knowing wink to Gwen in particular. "How did you know that was one of my favorite songs, Miss Gwen?"
"Oh, just took a lucky guess." Gwen returned the gesture, though not without noticing the jealous leer that Nora was giving her. She took that as a sign to go back to the boys, who were staring at Thor in amazement as he approached. "But let's get introductions out of the way. Thor, meet the boys; Jaune, Sun, Neptune, Ren, Rex, my boyfriend Kevin, and of course, my cousin Ben." She went over and pulled her arms around the latter two, pushing them closer to the God of Thunder. "And boys… meet Thor."
"Hah, I-I don't think introductions are necessary when it comes to him." Kevin reached out, his hand shaking. "N-Nice to meet ya, sir. Big fan of your work."
"Ha! Don't be so nervous, lad!" Thor heartily shook Kevin's hand. "It's an honor to meet all of you!" He then put his focus on Ben. "And you… young Ben Tennyson." He reached for a handshake from him. "I hear you've been taking on my job of protecting Midgard lately."
Ben paled immediately. "Th-Thor, b-by all means, if you want your job back, I won't stop you—"
"AHAHAHA! What did I say about the nerves, boy?!" Thor took Ben's hand and shook it by force, taking him off guard. "You've done a fine job in protecting the realm in my long absence. In fact, you're the latest in a long line to do so, and for that, I must thank you." He pulled his hand up and pat Ben's shoulder. "But we must save the formalities for later, I'm afraid." He pointed up, where more snow was beginning to fall from the clouds. "As you can no doubt tell, there is much more to be done."
Ren stepped up and told Thor about what he knew. "Right, we saw the massive ice crystal in the center of town with the World Tree's roots tangled on it. How long do you think we have until this place is iced over?"
Thor pondered on that before giving an answer. "Probably an hour at most. We must stop the giants before it's too late."
"We won't let you down, Thor! Promise!" Nora saluted dutifully, taking all the boys, especially Ren, by surprise.
"On that, we can agree." Swooping down from the sky, a certain pair of corvids came flying in, transforming into Raven and Qrow when they landed. The Spring Maiden went straight to Ben to update him on the situation. "Ben, I've received word from your grandfather, and I have good news; the town's populace has been safely evacuated."
"Some are injured, but thankfully, no casualties." Qrow added. "We sent Manny and his squad to go take care of any straggling Grimm while we handle the Frost Giant situation." He nudged his head toward the five trapped Ministry members, who were all still staring at Thor in wonderment. "I'm guessin' you've got them squared away?"
"…Not quite." Ben glowered toward Cinder as he walked over to the mana cube, wherein Cinder reciprocated in kind. "Cinder told me that the Ministry still had a hand to play, so we're not out of the woods with them yet."
Cinder stuck her chin out confidently. "Hm! Indeed, you aren't, Tennyson. Because any moment now… BOOOM! "…ah, there it is."
The Omni-Hunters gasped and began searching for where the sudden explosion came from, only to see fire and smoke come billowing up over the city skyline. Ben clenched his teeth and yelled right in Cinder's face; "What did you DO?! Tell me!"
"Hehe, seems to me that Bashmouth finally broke his boys outta the slammer." Rojo chuckled. "Meaning everything's goin' according to plan."
"BASHMOUTH?!" Everyone exclaimed, with Ruby rubbing her forehead. "Wow, haven't heard from HIM in a while. What's he doing here?!"
Nora clenched her hands around her hammer. "He's attacking Plumber HQ is what he's doing! Everyone there is in danger!"
Ilia gasped, her hand flying over her lips. "Swift!"
"Six! Holiday, and Bobo, too!" Rex activated his Boogie Pack and looked to the Omnitrix bearer. "Ben, permission to go?"
"Granted! Take Ilia and Penny with you, you'll need all the help you can get." He watched as the EVO, chameleon Faunus, and the redheaded android all prepared to take flight… only to see Weiss staring at him in concern. "…Weiss, you too. Your summons will be needed if Bashmouth is there."
The heiress smiled to him gratefully. "Thank you, Ben." With that, the group of four went to take off, flying toward the Plumber Base as fast as they could. But once they did…
POP!
From out of nowhere, the mana cube that the Ministry were being kept in expanded into a bubble before bursting all at once. The villains now free and the Omni-Hunters taken aback, Cinder was left just as surprised… but that only lasted a moment as the cuffs Kevin put on her suddenly disintegrated, and she could feel her power begin to feel restored. "Oh… oh, I don't know who's doing this, but PLEASE keep it up!" Cinder lit her hands aflame once again, feeling reenergized. "So, shall we continue?"
"What?!" Ben whirled toward his cousin. "Gwen, what happened?"
"I-I don't know, that wasn't me!" Gwen winced, feeling a bit of her power having taken a hit after that. "I… I feel weak." She leaned against Kevin for support as the villains all prepared to do battle once again… and directly behind them, a bunch of Grimm suddenly appeared in a flash of light, from out of completely nowhere. "W-What's going…"
"Oh, dear, I'm sorry…" Everyone was on high alert when a rather mirthful, conniving voice began speaking to them, though they couldn't pinpoint the source. "I just found these poor darlings on the other side of town, being harassed by a bunch of mooks in suits, so I decided to bring them home. No thanks are necessary."
Thor's eyes lit up in anger, his scowl deepening at the annoying cackle that followed. "…That voice."
SNAP! The sound of fingers clicking together was followed by a small flash directly above the Ministry… and there, a tall, blonde man dressed in green and bronze with impish, pretty features floated in midair. He was reclining nonchalantly, his horned head bobbing up and down with joyous laughter at their misfortune. "Ahahaha! Oh, this HAS been quite a bit of chaotic fun… but I believe it's time for things to come to an end… dear nephew."
With all the venom he could muster, Thor spat out the god's name. "…Loki."
…..
A/N: To be continued… also!
Loki – Voiced by J. Michael Tatum
If you've heard the man as Sebastian from Black Butler, you have an idea what I'm going for with Loki's voice. But yep! Loki's here in the flesh and he's pretty much initiated a little contingency plan to try and keep a lot of the heroes at bay while the Jotunns keep on freezing Bellwood. …As if things couldn't get WORSE for the team after the rest of the Ministry members made their move on Plumber HQ. If you thought things were nuts before, just wait until next time.
But that's a discussion for later. Right now, DAMN, did a lot happen in this one. We had the boys charging straight into the thick of things and engaging the Ministry, we had Thor arriving at the Tennyson household and inspiring ALL of them to don war paint and imitate the Valkyries, and… well, Ben pretty much taught Cinder a lesson in what happens when you attack anything that's precious to him. The lesson? You're gonna get your ass whupped no matter WHO you are.
Also, a few more highlights; Nora absolutely being star struck by Thor. You gotta admire the fact that she wants to impress him so much that she's pretty much following him around like a sidekick. Though that said, her attempt to impress might come back to bite her later on… Meanwhile, Jaune's holding his own in combat with Rojo fairly well, so he's improved greatly. And… that darn woodpecker again! Though this time it's… actually helping Sun out? What is the deal with this kooky bird? Oh, and Ben uses Ultimate Four Arms again! Want to be sure I use my original Ultimates as frequently as the canon ones, after all.
Oh, and also, yeah, I'm not being apologetic about how Thor slays the Frost Jotunns. He doesn't take any enjoyment in it, but that's not to say that he's not lacking in creative ways to destroy them. Mjolnir's got quite the number of capabilities in the hands of the Thunderer, after all. But, with all that said…
NEXT TIME! Bellwood devolves into utter chaos as things in town and at base become almost too much for our heroes to handle. With Loki taking a liking to the Ministry and Bashmouth letting Fisttrick and his boys loose, how will our heroes put a stop to all this, along the Jotunns plans? And in addition… where the HECK did that massive pillar come from?! All these answers and more next time on Ben 10 RWBY! Until then, thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all later. And, as always, stay safe out there!
