A/N: How's it going, everyone? Well, off the heels of that massive storyline with some Norse Mythology flavoring… we still technically aren't done with dealing with gods at the moment, as you can probably guess by the title. No, it's time to get some time exclusively for some of the gods themselves. Don't worry, it's not for the WHOLE chapter as our main characters ARE still here, but I figured it was about time we get a pretty significant godly meeting going on to give some context as to why all of these mythological-scale events are happening. Plus… well, let's just say that it's time to truly meet… the monkey. With that, let's get started! This is…
Chapter 65: Deific Presage
…..
Orson had seen everything, just as that other-worldly witch had. The battle had been furious, desperate, and above all else, unprecedented for the young, mortal heroes at this juncture. It was obvious that they had been taken off their guard by this "Salem's" sneak attack, and for that, they had paid the price. But they also learned a valuable lesson; to not take times of extended peace lightly. For, as the wandering king had known for thousands of years now, peace only lasted so long before conflict began again. Of course, that didn't mean he nor they could take peace for granted either, as there were many things that could be done in that time.
"…But at the end of the day, evil and malevolence does not rest forever." The old man murmured to himself, earning a concerned whinny from his noble steed. "Hmhm, I know, I know." He pat Sylvester on the muzzle, making the horse nicker softly. "I shouldn't be so pessimistic about it…" Orson trailed off as he heard distant crowing in the sky, leading him to see his ever-loyal ravens come swooping down to greet him. "Ah-ha, there you two are. So… see any interesting birds why you were there? Hehe…"
In response, the pair flapped up onto his shoulders and began nipping at his ears, which oddly enough, only made his laugh more. "Ahaha! Alright, message received; sarcasm is unappreciated…" Not a second later, the loud rumble of thunder graced his ears next, bringing his sights back up. "Ah… and here we have another visitor."
Sure enough, off in the sky, a trail of lightning was arcing through the dark overcast, before it collected right above Orson and came CRASHING down right in front of him. The man neither flinched or blinked as he stared at it with only his sunglasses as protection. The very next moment, he saw his pride and joy standing before him, the God of Thunder crackling all over with electricity. He bowed his head with a respectful smile. "Hello… father."
"Hmhmhm…" With a low chuckle, Orson… or rather, Odin, reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing a single visible blue eye, the other one covered up by a dark brown, leather eyepatch. "Well done, my boy. Aiding the young heroes in fending off Loki and his Jotunn force was incredibly admirable."
"Thank you, though in comparison to myself, those young men and women put in FAR more effort on their part." Thor responded, pointing back off to Bellwood in the distance. "They were incredibly livid over what Salem did to their town, and I honestly cannot blame them."
Odin shook his head with a sigh. "Hah, nor can I, my son." He placed his hands behind his back, strolling across the field as he pondered the state of things. "It would seem that Midgard is changing far more than even we anticipated nowadays. Parallel universes, creatures of pure darkness and witches who control them." Odin put a finger to his chin. "You would think this would be something out of one of our pantheon's tales, but no!"
Thor hummed as he went over to a nearby tree, sitting down near its base. "Indeed. Though I do think that Salem is a much lesser threat compared to a free Loki." The Thunderer rested his elbows to his knees, lacing his hands together to rest his chin upon them. "One who seems determined to start Ragnarök by any means necessary." He furrowed his brow to his father seriously. "Tell me… how long do you intend to stay in Midgard? Surely you're needed back home in Asgard with something this serious going on."
With a curt nod, Odin affirmed that. "Oh, I have every intention of returning to Asgard, my son… eventually." He turned back toward Bellwood, watching as smoke billowed from the buildings while mobs of people came flooding back into the town. "However, there are still matters of which I wish to observe here. These heroes require a steady, guiding hand, which I believe I can assist them with…" But then, Odin's eye shifted back to the tree. "Of course… unless someone else who's a fan of people-watching wants to take that position for me, hm?"
That made Thor do a double take. "W-Wait, me? Hah, father, I am the Guardian of Midgard and nothing will ever change that, but I doubt I'd be an ideal "guiding hand"."
"Ahaha!" A mirthful laugh passed Odin's lips, only confusing his son more. "Oh-hoho, I wasn't referring to you, my boy—though you'd do well to give yourself more credit. After all, you've raised your own children well." Thor gave a small, appreciative smile before Odin pointed up above his head. "But no, I was addressing your old friend… the one who destroyed the Jotunn's ice structure and led Loki away."
"H-Hold on, WHAT?!" Thor whipped around and snapped his head up… only to see nothing in the dark shade of the tree. …Nothing except for a small, inquisitive woodpecker that stared back at him. It even seemed to have a smirk on its beak, which only served as a dead giveaway. "BAHAHAHA! Well, what do you know?! Mr. Pi Ma Wen himself has decided to grace us with an appearance in the flesh!"
The woodpecker threw its head back and laughed as well, squawking up a storm before flapping its wings and taking to the air. …But only for a brief moment before it before it flipped around and transformed their very eyes. From almost out of nowhere, the same red iron staff with golden studded clasps from before reappeared, spinning through the air and landing straight up in the ground with a surprisingly powerful THUNK! Then, the bird's wings and legs grew and changed from being feathery to furry, with powerful hands and black-booted feet emerging.
The body of this new person was entirely donned in gold armor mail, with matching tunic overtop of it one adorned with ornate, red detailing throughout. On his legs, the being wore vibrant red pants with a tiger-skin pelt wrapped around his waist, and around his neck he wore a short, red cloak that had golden edging. On his spikey-furred head, he wore a crest that had two long, red feathers sticking out the back, which only added to the overall regality of his ensemble.
…But his most prominent features were his physical ones. The aforementioned fur was one of them, his body covered almost entirely in it. But of course, there was also the long tail that poked out from his pants, too. But, most notable of all, were his facial features. They were somewhat of a mix between humanoid… and primate, more specifically, a monkey's. He had curled lips that almost made him look like he was constantly smiling, his nose was a bit flatter than that of a normal human's, and his forehead also quite prominent thanks to his widow's peak and thick, black eyebrows. His red eyes gleamed in the night, almost as bright as his sharp, pearlescent teeth as he smirked at them.
"Hoo-hoo, nothin' gets past you, does it, All Father?" The seven-foot-tall monkey whooped as he landed on top of his staff, balancing on the balls of his feet as he squatted down and wrapped his tail around it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he lifted his chin up at the disguised god. "Then again, wouldn't expect any less from a fellow wandering trickster." But then, his expression changed to a deadpan glare as he pointed to Thor. "Also, Thor, I know we're buds, but you know you're pushin' it by callin' me that disgraceful name, right?"
"HA! Why do you think I do it? I always look forward to our once-a-century spars." Thor threw his head back as he approached the monkey, bringing his hand back to clasp it with the longer-fingered primate's with a hearty SMACK! "But truth be told… I was very glad to see that you made an entrance to aid us in the battle. It was much appreciated."
"Hmhm, well, I have been keeping a sharp eye on everything, oh Great Sage Equal to Heaven." Odin bowed his head in respect. "You honor us with your presence… Sun Wu Kong."
Wu Kong returned the bow without even falling off his staff, chittering again with another laugh. "Eeheeheehee! Oh, it's always an honor of mine to see you guys, too." He made sure to give Thor a wink. "And besides, getting the chance to screw Loki over? You'd better believe I'm always up for that! Heehee!"
Thor joined in on the laughter as well, so much so that he had to wipe a tear from his eye. "HAHAHA! Oh my word, the look on Loki's face when that happened is one that I will remember for a LONG time to come…" But then, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But… wait, how did you lose him? I'm surprised he hasn't followed you."
With a cheeky smile, Wu Kong reached up and tugged at one of the hairs on his head. "Hehehe… who ever said he was chasing me?"
…..
-Several Miles Away-
Loki's eyes burned with hatred as he FINALLY closed in on his target; the Monkey King who had given him so much grief in the long distant past. The one who was able to not only out-trick him, but outsmart Loki's own trickery. And, of course, beat him up while doing it. But not this time. Thousands of years of being strapped against that blasted rock and having serpent venom dripped into his eyes had hardened him to the point where he let his anger take over in a battle. And, as a result of that ferocity, he knew—HE KNEW—that he would achieve victory this time. He saw the Monkey King's silhouette backed by the full moon, and for some reason, he had come to a stop in midair. So, this would be where the battle would be, eh? So be it…
"YOU!" Loki screamed, but Wu Kong didn't even flinch or turn at his voice. "Have you SERIOUSLY been waiting all these millennia JUST to screw me over AGAIN?! REALLY?!" Once again, the celestial primate didn't even acknowledge Loki, which only made him tremble in rage further. "DO NOT IGNORE ME!" Loki's raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and made a fireball appear in his palm, throwing it at Sun Wu Kong's back.
The Monkey King merely swung his staff and batted the ball away, peering over his shoulder to smirk mirthfully.
"G…G…GYAAAAAHH!" Loki burst forth, screaming bloody murder as he reached for the Monkey King's neck. Sun Wu Kong didn't even attempt to stop him as he let it happen… and then…
*POOF*
Loki's eyes were flooded with pink smoke the second he touched Wu Kong's neck, coughing and sputtering while flying out of the fumes. "HAK-HAK! W-What in the—AH!" The God of Mischief gasped as he realized… Wu Kong wasn't there anymore. Instead of wringing his furry, monkey neck in his grasp, Loki instead held… a single strand of monkey hair. He held it up in front of his face with his fingers, his left eye twitching in disbelief. Falling straight to the ground on his knees, Loki clenched the hair and SLAMMED his fist into the ground in rage.
…The Monkey King had bested him again.
"NNNOOOOOOO!"
…..
Thor and Monkey were whooping and hollering in utter hysterics, the former's belly laugh making his large gut jiggle while Wu Kong held his head in his hands. "HAHAHAHA! Oh—OH! It's the oldest trick in the book and he FELL for it! AHAHA!" It was at that point that Wu Kong couldn't hold his balance anymore, falling to his back as his legs kicked the air above him. "EEHEEHEEHEE! Oh, it's too good! It's WAY too good!"
The Thunderer was weezing at this point as he too took to the grassy floor, though he instead sat cross legged. "AHAHAAA! By Valhalla's halls, Monkey, you have not changed at bit."
"Hahah… ah, c'mon, you know that's not true." Sun smirked knowingly. "After all, I went on a whole JOURNEY to change my ways, am I right?"
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Thor smacked him in the shoulder good-heartedly. "For Odin's sake, we only met AFTER that whole journey ended, remember. Which reminds me, how are Tang and the others? Enjoying Heaven, I presume?"
"Ah, you know it." Sun affirmed, reaching for his staff to place it over his shoulders as he sat up. "Tang's pretty much in the Buddha's official court at this point. Couldn't be happier. Sha Wujing recently became a bodhisattva about a thousand years back and Zhu Baije's… well, he hasn't exactly moved up the Buddhist ladder, but he's pretty happy. Free leftovers for all of eternity and all that." Wu Kong chuckled and shook his head. "Hehe… miss the lot of 'em, honestly."
"Then why not return to Heaven once and a while to visit, hm?" Odin suggested. "I'm sure that the Great Fighting Buddha would be warmly welcomed."
But Sun shook his head, standing up and planting his staff in the ground. "Ah, I do visit a couple times, but I really can't stay up there for long. Achieving Nirvana is great and all, but I'm the Victorious Fighting Buddha for a reason." He flicked his hand and a golden light shined in his palm, before, of all things, a golden phone appeared in his hand. He opened up a browser and showed off several news articles in many different languages, all relating to a "mysterious tailed crime fighter". "You guys have any idea how much crime I've stopped all across Asia in the last thirty years? Ben 10 can't be everywhere on Earth all at once, ya know… hehe, unlike myself."
Thor and Odin stared at the articles incredulously, the latter raising an eyebrow to Monkey. "So… what you mean to tell us is that you have become a crime-fighting Buddhist monk."
His son scratched his head with a sigh. "Hah… I have to say, on top of being immortal eight times over and probably having some of the most overpowered abilities of any of us deities, I have to say, that's quite impressive, Sun." But he also raised an eyebrow at the Monkey King. "But that leads me to ask… how have you been awake for so long and yet we've only just awakened in the last decade or so?"
Monkey scoffed as he leaned against his staff, wearing a confident grin. "Hehe… Thor, I've got one word for ya…" He leaned in and whispered; "…Anime."
Thor grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, yes, how can I forget? Your tale managed to inspire probably THE most quintessential piece of Japanese media to ever exist." He huffed and folded his arms. "Meanwhile, I didn't see much mainstream popularity until Marvel decided to adapt my comic counterpart. …And then people wonder why I'm so much less handsome than Hemsworth and it irritates the HEL out of me!"
"…Woah, might wanna vent your feelings more on that, man." Sun pointed out before waving his hand. "Anyway, I doubt Dragon Ball is THE most quintessential media over there. I mean, last I checked, Goku doesn't have a two-hundred-foot statue of himself in Japan." He rolled his eyes and threw a hand in the air. "No, they gotta save that for a fully articulated GUNDAM. Sheesh, I've gotta ask Amaterasu why her people love their giant robots."
"Oh, I doubt that she'd be able to answer you, great Monkey King."
The three men did a double take when they heard the sudden female voice enter the conversation, the two warriors taking up their weapons. "Who goes there?" Thor called out. "Come and show yourself!"
"At ease, Thor." Another feminine voice spoke up, this one accompanied by a noticeable accent. From behind the nearby tree, two seemingly mortal women appeared before the group; one with long, flowing blonde hair and wearing a white dress while the other had dark, straight hair, stormy eyes and wore blue jeans, a black jacket and a white undershirt. However, it was clear that both of them were radiating with an unmistakable godly power, belying their mortal disguises. The latter woman took to the front and nodded to the three of them. "We come with no ill intent, as you can probably guess."
Needless to say, the trio were taken aback by the duo's presence, not expecting to see them here. "…Athena?" Thor turned his head toward the blonde. "And Aphrodite? What are you…"
"Hmhm, you boys aren't the only ones who've taken an interest in these children." Aphrodite gave the Thunderer a wink. "How've you been, Thor? Making sure to stay out of daddy dearest's territory, right?"
Thor rolled his eyes at that. "As much as possible, yes. I remember the terms we agreed on."
Sun Wu Kong slung his staff across his shoulders, hanging his arms over the pole as he raised a brow at the disguised love goddess. "Now hold on, what's with all this "daddy dearest" stuff? Aren't you technically Zeus' sister?" He put on a cheeky smile as he wiggled a finger toward her. "After all, you were born when his cut Kronos'—"
"WE don't need to talk about that!" Aphrodite interrupted, zipping over to press her finger to the Monkey King's lips, silencing him with a harsh glare. "Right?" Wu Kong muffled an agreement as he bobbed his head, where Aphrodite pulled a one-eighty and beamed with happiness. "Excellent! Which reminds me…" She pulled her finger down and began tracing it across the Monkey King's pec, giving him a sultry gaze. "Even after all this time… I hope you know that offer's still on the table, oh Great Sage Equal to Heaven."
Monkey couldn't help but smirk down at her. 'Ah, yeah… this again.' Despite her advances, though, Wu Kong shook his head. "Heh… I get where you're coming from, Aphrodite, really… but allow me to remind you that I'm a Buddhist monk. I left desires of the flesh behind a long time ago. Barely had any interest in them in the first place, really. Too interested in fighting."
Aphrodite pouted and spun around, stamping her foot upsettingly. "Oh, poo! Is there really nothing you think about OTHER than fighting and killing demons?"
"Hey, I USED to kill demons." Monkey emphasized. "Not anymore. Besides, even if I said yes, your husband would be pissed at me."
The Goddess of Love tilted her head to the side, admitting; "Mmm, true. My beloved Ares WOULD do his best to rip you limb from limb if he found out."
"Yeah… and I'd probably kick his ass."
Promptly, Aphrodite whipped back around and pointed at his face. "Alright, NOW you've asked for it, Monkey Boy!"
But before she could do anything, Athena stepped in and pulled her back by the shoulder. "Aphrodite, no. We have not come here to get into petty quarrels. We have business here, remember?" The blonde grumbled and crossed her arms, turning her head up in a huff while the Monkey King giggled. "And that goes for you, too, Wu Kong." Athena admonished.
"Pssh, jeez, always the spoilsport, Athena." Sun gave a shrug and shook his head. "Ya never change, do ya?"
"Ahem, all that aside…" Odin started as he stepped forward, giving the two goddesses a respectful bow. "I am quite privileged to be graced with your presence, Goddesses of Olympus. But I must ask, what are you doing here?"
Aphrodite's mood once again shifted back to a more positive one as she explained. "Oh-ho, well, as I said before, you all aren't the only ones who've taken an interest in that group of young heroes. The Omni-Hunters, I believe they call themselves?" The three men nodded in affirmation. "Hmhm, let me tell you boys, it's been OH so fun to observe them—and by extension, their love lives—in the past few weeks."
The Goddess of Wisdom gave an eyeroll, placing a hand to her forehead. "Hm, indeed, because THAT is the most important part…" She put on a serious demeanor as she changed the topic. "But really, things have gotten quite serious when it comes to the goings on in Olympus and the Underworld. Monsters from our pasts have all started seeping out of Tartarus and working their way up to the surface… and we fear we know the reason behind such events."
Thor and Odin eyes one another while Monkey listened intently, the Thunderer drumming his fingers along Mjolnir's head. "…Do you mean…"
"Yes… he might be close to returning." Aphrodite confirmed, finally taking things more seriously herself.
"Father is still trying to confirm his suspicions, but if it is who we think it is…" Athena trailed off, taking a shaky breath as she recalled the last time they had to deal with him. "…Then the entire world could be in great danger. Though I see that we are not the only ones trying to prevent a great catastrophe given what happened last night."
"Hm, yes… Loki's escape is quite troubling." Thor concurred, only to give the war goddess a hopeful smile. "But there is still a chance that catastrophe can be avoided. A young woman has come into the possession of the Alpha Rune."
That managed to make all the deities present do a double take. "…Come again, my son?" Odin asked.
Athena's hand flew up over her lips in surprise. "You mean… the Rune we hid in this realm?"
Another nod came from the Thunderer as he answered; "Indeed. She is a native of Ledgerdomain. In fact, she is the current ruler there."
And that only managed to further astonish Wu Kong. "Huh! No kidding? So someone finally kicked the big turtle bum out, eh?" He spun his staff off his shoulders and slammed it into the ground, making the very earth below quake slightly. "Hmph, if you ask me, that guy deserved it. If I were able to get there, I would've come to deal with him myself. But with Ledgerdomain's true name hidden, I couldn't get there."
"Um… couldn't you have just, you know, asked the Buddha?" Aphrodite pointed out.
Monkey's eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he realized that, and he promptly smacked his head against the tree for his forgetfulness. "UGH! By the Jade Emperor's beard! For an immortal being, I'm getting REALLY freaking old in the head."
"AHAHA! Oh, don't worry, friend Sun." Thor laughed, patting the primate on the back. "I also tend to forget more things nowadays. We're practically ancient, after all." The redheaded god looked back to his father and the Greek goddesses. "But more to the point; with the current ruler of Ledgerdomain in possession of the Alpha Rune, we already have one essentially on our side. All we must do is make sure that Loki… or any other certain troublemaking deities… don't find out about the others."
"They're scattered across the nine realms, aren't they?" Aphrodite questioned. "How do you propose we go about collecting them?"
Odin, however, shook his head at that. "We don't have to, my dear. That is, not unless we make certain that they are well hidden and guarded from those who may intend on stealing them." The King of Asgard furrowed his brow. "Only if the time comes for them to be used, then and ONLY then should we collect them, otherwise we risk them falling into the hands of our enemies."
Athena was quick to approve. "Indeed, All Father. A very wise tactic. We shouldn't leave that possibility up to chance." She craned her head back to Bellwood, watching as the last of the smoke and fire stopped billowing from the town, which stood mostly intact. "Although… I still suspect we will need the help of the young heroes when the time eventually comes. Ben Tennyson and his team would certainly make powerful allies for the storm that is coming."
"I could not agree more." Thor echoed in agreement, raising a fist. "They all have such intense fighting spirit, especially the young women among them."
Aphrodite couldn't help but giggle at that. "Heehee, ah, yes, I couldn't help but overhear that group sing-a-long. Quite the… unique entrance, hehehe!"
"I-It's not a "sing-a-long"!" Thor denied. "It was a battle hymn! One that will surely be spoken of for ages to come!"
"Hmhm, of course, Thor." Athena chuckled herself, crossing her arms with an amused smile. "Though speaking as a Goddess of War, while I find your Valkyries to indeed be some of the greatest warriors in this world, don't you think it's a bit… unnecessary for them to sing before every battle?"
Odin cleared his throat, making his opinion known before his son could retort. "Ahem, well, as the old saying goes, Athena; different strokes for different blokes. I cannot blame your Greek armies for wanting to get straight to the point, but when it comes to the Norse, we like to add a little… flair to our battles."
Wu Kong, now recovered from his bout of self-deprecation, leaned back in on the conversation. "Heh, and I honestly can't blame em! War songs are pretty common throughout the world, ya know. China had 'em back in the day, too."
To this, Athena could only offer a shrug. "Mmm, I suppose you have a point. Apologies if I struck a nerve." However, she then smiled up to Thor with a raised eyebrow. "By the way… were you aware that my younger brother was here almost a week ago? I must say, you two seem to follow one another but always end up missing each other."
"HA! You must mean Hercules, right?" Thor guffawed. "Yes, I had a feeling he was here. Once I saw the Nemean Lion-skin pelt that young Pyrrha Nikos was wearing, I had a feeling he had made an appearance."
"Oh, did he ever!" Wu Kong confirmed, nudging his head toward Bellwood. "I was disguised as a fish in the river over there when Herc and the team fought the Hydra, too. Man, that was one hell of a battle, for sure."
The love goddess pursed her lips in curiosity. "Which reminds me, Sun… how long HAVE you been spying on these children?"
"Heh, almost exactly from the moment they came back from that other world." Wu Kong replied cockily as he lounged against the tree again. "I've been keeping up my disguises for WEEKS now. Heck, I even followed 'em when they went down to Mexico!" His grin grew wider and he cackled a little. "Haha! I ate the poor kid's banana and then chased him down as a jaguar. It was hilarious."
"…The "poor kid"?" Athena repeated. "Don't tell me… you're keeping a specific eye on your namesake, correct?"
Monkey swung up onto the lowest limb, reclining on it with another laugh. "Gee, where'd ya get that idea?" He glanced over to Thor with a knowing glint in his eye, all while reaching up to grab an apple from the tree. "But, at the very least, I know that I'm not the only one who's taken an interest in a specific hero. Ain't that right, Hammer Bro?"
"Call me that again and the hammer goes up your tailbone." Thor deadpanned, to which Wu Kong raised his hands. "Hmph… but yes, Nora Valkyrie has admittedly garnered my interest. The similarities were not lost on me when I first observed her, and I will say that she would make a fine protégé…" He glanced down to Mjolnir at his waist, pondering to himself aloud; "In fact… she may just be strong enough to…" But then, Thor shook his head. "N-Never mind. In any case, I'm certain that we must all have our favorites, right?"
With a sheepish smile, Athena gave a small shrug. "Well… admittedly, young Nikos HAS caught my eye. A young warrior prodigy who is incredibly wise for her age and struck the killing blow on the Neman Lion? Who wouldn't be impressed by that?" The goddess quirked a brow over to her "sister". "Meanwhile, THIS one has been constantly obsessed with ALL of their love lives, like the stalker that she is."
"Oh, come off it." Aphrodite handwaved. "Just because you've sworn off love doesn't mean you get to criticize my match-making techniques."
Athena grimaced at that. "Oh, so you're saying that starting a war over one woman was worth it, then? Bad enough both Hera and I got snubbed by Paris, but you pretty much instigated a decades-long conflict because of it."
That made the love goddess cough in her hand awkwardly. "Hmhrm—alright, admittedly… Paris and Helen were not the best match that I thought they were. B-But I've since learned from my mistake—"
"Have you now?"
"AND I'm willing to do better." Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at Athena, who returned in kind. "You'll see, my dear niece."
"Wouldn't I be your "sister", though, given what you said earlier?"
Aphrodite spun around and held her head up high. "Hmph, same difference!"
As the two women argued, Thor, Odin and Wu Kong merely watched the family squabble as it happened, the Monkey King remarking; "And THIS is how most legendary Greek wars are started, ladies and gentlemen. Take it all in…" He bent down and whispered into Thor's ear; "Also, really drives hope how jacked up the Olympian family tree is."
Thor shook his head. "Hah, indeed. At least ours is somewhat more coherent."
"What was that?!" the goddesses said in unison.
"N-Nothing, nothing at all!" Thor assured, taking up Mjolnir by its handle. "I was just telling Sun that I should be returning to Asgard as soon as possible." Before leaving, though, he faced Odin once more, looking down upon the disguised All Father. "The offer still stands to return to Asgard with me, father. Mother Frigg would be delighted to see you again, I'm sure."
Odin smiled as he reached up and pat his son on the arm. "Thor, I'd love to, and I will soon enough. But for now, I really must stay down here and observe for the time being. These heroes need a guiding hand, and I believe I can help them in some regard…" He craned his head up, giving the Monkey King a sarcastic smile as the primate chewed on his apple. "That is, of course, if someone doesn't beat me to the punch first."
Wu Kong bobbed his head to the side, tossing the half-eaten apple over his shoulder. "Eh, no promises." He stood up and stretched his limbs out while balancing on the tree branch. "Gah… as for me, I'm gonna keep on doin' what I've been doin' until I decide it's the right time to reveal myself to those kids. Hehe, they're gonna freak out even MORE than they did tonight."
"Well, on that note, I suppose we should be returning to Olympus for now as well." Athena added, to which Aphrodite agreed with a nod. "No doubt father is going to want us there for the investigation into… you-know-what."
"Hm, give your father my best." Odin offered. "And tell him I look forward to our next meeting, whenever that may be."
Aphrodite and Athena bowed once more. "We will. It's been good to see you, All Father." She then winked over to Thor and the Monkey King. "And you boys have fun, alright? I'm sure our paths will cross sometime in the future."
The celestial primate smirked back at her. "Probably, though it's likely not gonna be as intimate of a crossing as you're hoping." As the goddesses walked off and disappeared in an ethereal, golden mist, Sun Wu Kong gave a salute down to Thor as he made his staff shrink down to the size of a pin, slotting it into the hair behind his ear for safekeeping. "Well, it was fun catchin' up, Thor! I'll see ya down the road."
"Same to you, my simian friend! Safe travels." With that, Thor disappeared into a bolt of lightning while the Monkey King backflipped off the branch and transformed back into the woodpecker, flying right back to Bellwood.
That left Odin—Orson—by himself once again, placing his sunglasses back over his eyes whilst mounting Sylvester to get on his way. But not before one last look down to Bellwood, wherein he pondered; "Hm… this is only the beginning, young heroes. Let us see if you are truly able to combat the winds of fate."
…..
Friday had come and gone without major issue, thankfully enough. The heroes had spent most of the day helping out where they could around Bellwood, cleaning up debris, helping people relocate themselves to their homes, among other things. Some of the team had even gone down into Undertown to make sure the residents there hadn't been affected by the attack, which thankfully they weren't. Not even any Grimm had gone down there, which was surprising to a lot of the team. And of course, the girls had finally started their Dungeons and Dragons campaign when all was said and done, with the boys reserving themselves to merely watching the event go down and provide color commentary… much to Gwen's chagrin.
~Friday Afternoon~
"So… Helen… you're the bard, right?" Manny had asked.
The Kineceleran girl tilted her head curiously. "Yeah, what about it?"
The Tetramand smirked and asked further; "Well, that means you come with ALL the perks your class has to offer, right?" He got a nod, which propted him to say; "Alright, I'm gonna be straight up with ya… you plan to get it on with a dragon or what?"
"MANNY!" Gwen exclaimed with a blush, all while the other girls' eyes widened. Off to the side, Neptune was also left noticeably wide-eyed as well. "This is a CULTURED D&D campaign. We are NOT going to be—"
"Weeeell…" Helen tapped her chin with a cheeky smile of her own. "If the situation calls for it…"
Gwen faceplanted on the table, scattering her twenty-sided die. "Uuuuugh, this campaign is already off to an awful start."
~Present~
Thankfully, Gwen had convinced Helen not to try seducing anything… yet. But, aside from that, things were relatively normal for the rest of that Friday. …And then Saturday came, which was when the news outlets began to report on EVERYTHING. No matter what channel they switched to, none of team could avoid the immense amount of coverage and discussion about what had occurred that Thursday. Some of it was actually quite in depth, with one news station actually having exclusive footage of the event thanks to a camera drone that had somehow survived the battle. And predictably, the anchors and talk show hosts were going on and on about it.
"I'm telling you, this is UNDENIABLE proof of what's been going on over this past month!" One man belted out, slamming the table as he argued with a woman from across the table. "The sighting of winged serpents down in Mexico, the strange events of last week where the docks were nearly destroyed, and now THIS!"
He gestured toward an image on the screen… which was clearly one of Thor swinging his hammer at an unfortunate Frost Jotunn. The Omni-Hunters were left stunned that such clear images had been captured. The image then changed to that of the silhouetted, tailed figure who had used his staff to plunge the roots of Yggdrasil back to whence they came, which prompted the woman to shake her head. "Oh, please! You expect me to believe that these beings are quote-unquote "gods"? These could've been aliens at war with one another for all we know!"
The man stood up and thrust a finger at her. "And I'm telling YOU that is complete conjecture! Just because aliens have been proven to exist doesn't mean that EVERYTHING has to be related to extraterrestrials." He placed his hands on his hips with his head held high. "Besides, we've seen with the arrival of the Remnantians that even PARALLEL UNIVERSES exist! So who's to say that gods of myth and legend can't, hm?"
The woman rolled her eyes and pushed her glasses up. "Because extraterrestrials and parallel universes can at least be scientifically proven. What you're suggesting is that there is also mystical and magical elements in our world, which is complete and utter conjecture."
"So you're saying that BOTH can't coexist in one world?"
"Exactly! If everything can be proven with science, then what place is there for magic?"
"What if magic is just a science that YOU don't know about yet?"
"Oh, NOW you're opening an entirely new can of worms—"
With that, Ben turned the television off, his expression soured as he shook his head. "Yeah… that's pretty much been the talk of everything since this whole thing happened." Thankfully, Saturday was also a free day for the team, so they had decided to all get out and do their own thing for the day. For Ben, Gwen, Rex, Sun, Ilia and Team RWBY, that meant coming to Plumber base to make a call over to Remnant and give them the full report of what had happened. On the screen, Cooper and General Ironwood were both left quite astonished by the argument they just witnessed, which prompted Ben to add; "Yeah, pretty crazy, right?"
Ironwood let out a; "Huh, I'll say." He gave Ben a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry that you kids had to go through all of that."
"Yeah, I wish we could've come to help out." Cooper agreed, his hand going to his neck. "Sorry guys."
But Rex just waved the two of them off. "Ah, don't worry about it. We know you guys are busy over there with your big "secret project"."
Sun couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at them. "Which, by the way, how's that going?"
"Oh, it's been—huh?" Cooper was suddenly cut off by… what seemed to be some sort of rhythmic clanging, followed by what sounded like energy being gathered up and a voice that called out;
ARE YOU READ—
*BOOOMM*
Everyone flinched as a sudden explosion came blasting through the speakers, with Cooper and Ironwood ducking for cover as something flew over their heads while screaming. The team could see bits and pieces of stuff flying everywhere along with smoke billowing from somewhere off screen, all while whoever was sent to the other side of the room crashed while hurling expletives… in Spanish. "Aye, cabron! Oh-ho-ho, you're asking for it now!"
Rex's eyebrows snapped up when he realized who that was. "Hermano? That you over there?"
The sound of clattering echoed through the call as none other than Caesar scrambled up and showed himself on the call, wearing a weary yet excited smile. "H-Hah… hey there, mijo! How's it going?"
"Uh… fine. You doing good?" Rex tried to peer over Caesar's shoulder to see what was going on. "Looked like you were just sent on the ride of a lifetime."
"Heh, little brother, you know that already happened when my pod got shot up into the stratosphere at terminal velocity, right?"
The EVO shrugged at his brother's point. "Eh, yeah. Guess going so fast that you time travel to the future IS the more notable ride."
Weiss couldn't help but inquire further, though. "Still, what ARE you working on over there, Caesar? And what was that noise?"
Exchanging an awkward glance, Caesar and Cooper both tried to cover themselves with forced smiles and waving the topic off. "Oh, it's not anything you guys should concern yourselves about." Cooper assured. "Just our project not being… agreeable with us at the moment. …It's been a bit slow going, to be honest." All the same, Cooper raised a determined fist. "But all the same, I have a feeling we're getting REALLY close!"
"We need to find a way to keep the energy contained so that we can use it in the way we want to." Caesar explained. "Then, once we have the necessary form of Dust, we'll use that in conjunction with the gathered energy to get the result we want." The inventor rotated his arm at the shoulder, his hand pressing firmly against it to loosen it up. "Besides, if I can pioneer a form of interdimensional travel, I can sure as hell get this fancy gearbox to work."
"A "fancy gearbox", huh?" Yang asked, pondering on what that could've meant. "So it's like, something small?"
"More or less." Cooper confirmed. "It's something that's easily portable, let's go with that. That being said…" He tilted his head toward Ben once again. "Has the crystal refinement machine that Azmuth got on loan from the Lewodans there yet? I know with all the chaos going on you probably haven't been able to keep track of that, but…"
Ben shook his head with a small wince. "No, nothing yet, Coop. Sorry. We think it might be running a bit late."
Cooper hung his head with a sigh. "Hah, I was afraid of that. Well, in any case, we probably won't need it yet anyway since we're still working on the main component." He gave Ben a smile and a nod. "Just make sure you get into contact with us once it DOES arrive, okay?"
"When it does, we'll send someone over with a surplus of Dust to try out on the machine to see if we get our desired result." Ironwood continued.
"Will do, guys." Ben returned. "And thanks for taking our call. Whatever that new gizmo you're working on is, we might need it if we're gonna be constantly dealing with gods and monsters coming to our doorstep." The hero grimaced as he was reminded of what else came to Bellwood that night. "…Along with Salem continuing her Grimm attacks on Earth if what she said is true."
That made Ironwood tighten his lips in concern and frustration. All of this carnage going on and he was still aiding in recovery efforts. People saw it as a valiant effort, to be sure… but he so desperately wanted to do more. "…Yes. Hearing her promise that IS very worrying. Hopefully with any luck, this new project will be able to give us more of an edge on Salem now that she seems to be more proactive in her approach." He took a deep breath and bowed his head to Cooper and Caesar in approval. "But I have the utmost faith in these two to get this new machine up and running. I'm sure it'll be very beneficial to our efforts."
The two younger men smiled back to the general gratefully. "Of course, general. Your backing of this whole project won't be going to waste." Cooper put a finger to his forehead and then flicked his hand up with enthusiasm. "We will soon have… the winning formula."
"Hmhm, I know you boys won't let me down." Ironwood faced the group of teens on the other side of the call once again. "But for now, we have to be heading out. There's still much we have to do, and I'm sure the same goes for you."
Weiss bowed respectfully to the man. "Of course. We understand, general. Hope things are going well over there."
"And give Professor Goodwitch our best!" Yang added with a wave.
The general grinned and gave a soft chuckle. "Haha, of course. I'll tell her you all said hello. For now, though, we'll be seeing you."
"Take care, hermano!" Caesar waved. "And say hi to the gang for me."
Rex gave a thumbs up. "I gotcha bro. Catch ya later!" With that, the screen went dark as the call was disconnected, leading Rex to sigh and rest his hands behind his head. All the while, he couldn't help but think on exactly what his brother and Cooper were working on. 'I'm probably the ONLY one on this team who knows what they're working on…' He glanced over to the others, seeing them already speculating on what the duo were trying to create. 'Gotta keep my mouth shut, though. Don't wanna spoil the surprise.'
"Okay, so what do YOU guys think they're building?" Yang asked.
Ben scratched his head, wracking his brain on what it could be. "I honestly couldn't tell you, Goldie Locks. It's been bugging me for a while about how secretive they're being about this." However, the hero was also quick to recall something from the call. "Though for some reason, I thought I heard a familiar sound before that explosion happened."
"So it WASN'T just me then!" Weiss exclaimed, pointing to Ben. "I heard it, too! I just can't place WHERE I heard it." Out the corner of her eye, she noticed Rex's gaze widen at her, to which she snapped her head around… and he swiftly glanced away. "…Rex? Do you know something we don't?"
The EVO scoffed and smiled as nonchalantly as he could. "Pfft, what? Nah, c'mon Ice Princess, you expect me to know what my bro's doing? Half the time I can't even understand the jargon that comes outta his mouth, let alone the idea's he's got cooking in that brain of his."
Weiss hummed, narrowing her sights at her boyfriend suspiciously. She was about to press the matter further when the sliding doors suddenly opened. In came Blake, Sun and Ilia, the former greeting her friends first. "Hey there guys. Just got off the line with Ironwood?"
"Heya Blake." Yang returned. "Yeah just. We gave him, Coop and Caesar the lowdown of what the hell happened here."
"Lemme guess, he's worried like hell?" Sun deduced.
Ben sighed and crossed his arms. "Big time. And honestly, I can't blame him. Between all of these mythological beings arriving at our doorstep and Salem amping up her game recently, things haven't been easy for us like they were in the past." The hero sat down in the nearest chair, pondering over everything that had happened. "And I have a feeling it's only going to get worse before it gets better. Salem specifically said that she has PEOPLE who know me. As in plural, meaning she's managed to recruit villains who know me personally."
Ilia went over and peered down over his shoulder. "Well, we know one of those is Eon… but who do you think the others could be, Ben?"
"Outside of Vilgax, who isn't very likely, I'm not entirely sure." With a frustrated groan, Ben's hands flew up to his head, ruffling his hair in irritation. "Ugh, I'm trying to think of any villains from my past who know a lot about me, but I'm drawing a blank. Animo's already with her, and even then, he doesn't really care about my personal life. Rojo's pretty much the same, Darkstar and Zombozo are in custody and last I checked, Albedo's still imprisoned in space."
"What about Khyber, though?" Yang asked. "I mean, he's GOTTA have met Salem at this point, right?"
Ben nodded, but still contended that point. "Well, yeah, but I doubt Khyber's been on my trail long enough to know EVERYTHING about me…" He lounged back on the chair, his head falling limp across the back. "Mmph… I can never catch a break, can I?"
Yang let out a short breath and walked up behind her boyfriend, reaching past the chair to gently massage his shoulders. "Maybe you DO need a break. A break from all the serious stuff going on like everybody else is." She lowered her head so that she was directly above his, their eyes locked. "Whaddya say you and me get on Bumblebee and get outta Bellwood for the day, hm? Maybe hit up some malls, do a bit of shopping, catch a movie?"
Ben let the idea sink into his brain, and before long, he started feeling a little better. "…Well… the new Transformers movie IS out."
"Wait, it IS?" Rex pulled out his phone to check, and his eyes widened. "Holy crap, it is! How'd we MISS that?"
The Blonde Brawler raised her hands in victory. "There we go, then! Riding, shopping and Transformers in one afternoon! That oughta cheer you up, right, Green Boy?"
At that point, Ben's smile returned and he spun around in his chair, getting up and instantly pulling Yang into a loving embrace. "Haha, you know what? Yeah, sounds like a perfect afternoon to me." He moved his head down and brought his lips to Yang's, keeping the kiss for about five seconds before pulling away. "You know me so well, Goldie Locks."
"Mmm, I've gotten pretty good at it, haven't I?" Yang ran her fingers through her boyfriend's hair, gently caressing his cheek and chin on the way down.
"I'll make sure to return the favor." Ben winked. "Tomorrow is your choice for a date. Anything, name it, it's yours."
Yang shook her head with an amused laugh. "Haha, you are WAY too nice to me."
Before the two could go on any further, however, they heard someone clear their throat, bringing their attention back to their friends. Ilia, it seemed, was the source of the cough, the chameleon girl eyeing them with a raised brow. "Um, not that this isn't incredibly sweet, but I feel like I have to remind both of you that you tend to get lost in your flirting… often." The group behind her gave a collective nod as Ilia smiled at the two, placing her hands on her hips. "If you're not careful, you could just say here flirting all day and not even GET to your date."
Ben and Yang were left stunned by the blunt statement… but also had to admit that it was very true. "…Yeah, fair." Yang relented.
"Hm, let's go then, shall we?" Ben concurred, only to then finally notice something. "Wait… hold on a sec, did anyone see where Gwen and Ruby went?"
"Ah, yeah…" Blake glanced toward the door with an uncertain tone in her voice. "They, uh… they went down to Solitary Confinement. Gwen's got some business down there with a certain someone and Ruby…" She hesitated for a moment, seeing Ben and Yang's curious gazes. "Well…"
"She said she was gonna do what she does best." Sun finished confidently, placing a supportive hand on Blake's shoulder.
Yang was intrigued by the monkey boy's words… but then, when she saw Ilia's knowing smile, she quickly put two and two together. "Wait, you don't mean…"
Ilia stifled a giggle, placing her hand against her lips. "Hmhm… yep. Your sister is off once again to make another unexpected new friend."
…..
Deep down below in the Solitary Confinement wing of the Plumber Prison, Charmcaster found herself lounging on her new and… surprisingly not bad bed. Of course, Charmcaster wasn't just a REGULAR prisoner, at least according to Gwen who fought tooth and nail with every magister in the base to get her some decent accommodations. The bed actually had a decent balance of firm and softness, the comforter was actually substantial instead of thin, her sink and toiletries were thankfully sanitary and every meal she had so far was actually very well prepared. It was… very jarring for her, to say the least. This was NOT what she had in mind when she said she'd turn herself in.
'If circumstances had been different, though…' That one thought managed to send Hope's mind in a thousand different directions, the "What If's" coming in droves. 'What if Gwen and I were still mortal enemies? What if I hadn't come here last night? What if I hadn't been completely honest with them?' She craned her head to the side, seeing the small mirror just above the sink on the other side of the room. Hope sat up and immediately caught sight of herself, her eyes just as sad as her expression. 'What if… what if I were still alone?'
That had been all she'd known for the past couple of years now. Living her secluded life as the ruler of Ledgerdomain with very little else. Sure, there were still people who were returning to the realm, and she had made sure to take charge in rebuilding it. But while those people were ready to follow her… she still distanced herself from them. She didn't trust herself to be around them. 'I… can't risk them being hurt.' Hope screwed her eyes shut, fighting back her tears. 'All I've done is bring pain and suffering to everyone who gets close to me. I've shunned my uncle, took the soul my only friend, and even my own father disapproved of me as a result…'
As these thoughts boiled in her mind, she approached the mirror, her fists balled and shaking in frustration. As she stared back at the girl in the reflection, she could only ask herself; "How can the people think I'm worthylead an entire realm back to prosperity? How am I deserving of ANY type of sympathy from her after what I've done?!" Hope brought her fist back, now glowing slightly as she prepared to punch the woman in the mirror, screaming; "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND ANY SORT OF REDEMPTION IN THAT?!"
Before she could punch the mirror, however, the heavy door suddenly hissed and it began shifting open, making Charmcaster yelp and change trajectory… right into the sink. From the other side, Gwen, Ruby, Rook, Agent Six and Max came walking in. "Good morning, Hope, how're… things?" the Anodite and her entourage were left perplexed when they saw the sorceress with one hand in the sink and one foot very much in front of the other, as if she had just thrust her hand into it mid-stride. "Uh… is everything good?"
Trying to ignore the pulsating pain in her knuckles as much as she could, Charmcater forced a smile to her face as she stepped closer to the sink and twisted the cold-water knob. "O-Oh, yeah, great! Never better, I was just washing my hands."
"Oh… I see." Gwen accepted, though she could tell that there probably WAS something else going on. 'We probably walked in at a bad time… but I'm going to roll with it.' She got things back on track by approaching her fellow sorceress with a soft smile. "Well, we decided to drop by and see how you were doing here. I… know this isn't exactly the BEST accommodations, but—"
"Ah, no, no, it's fine." Charmcaster denied, turning off the water and drying her hands quick. "Honestly it's a lot better than I was expecting. Sure, the all-metal walls aren't exactly ideal, but at least there's constant air circulation and I've got decent toiletries, so it's better than nothing." She grinned back to the redhead with a quirked brow. "Especially since, you know, it's SUPPOSED to be a prison and I willingly turned myself in."
Max came forward then, voicing his opinion on the matter. "And I'm very surprised you did, Charmcaster. At the same time, though, I'm quite impressed that you made such a decision. What led you to come to it?"
Charmcaster sat herself back down on the bed, cupping her hands together. "Well… after everything I've been through, between helping my uncle with his world domination plans, my own plans to get revenge on you guys in the past, and… well… the disaster that was my reclamation of Ledgerdomain, I've had a lot to think about over the years."
"Wait, disaster?" Gwen reiterated. "I thought you said Ledgerdomain was recovering well."
"I mean, yes, it is… but it's time we both start being honest here, Gwen." Charmcaster looked Gwen dead in the eye, her expression falling in remorse. "I… I killed you. I killed probably the only person I could ever have called a friend in this world, as well as many others, all for the sake of resurrecting one person."
Max, Rook and Six wore serious faces at the confession while Gwen pursed her lips, recalling the moment her soul left her body. "…Your father, yes. And then he sacrificed himself again in order to bring everything back."
The sorceress from Ledgerdomain hung her head in shame. "I was left devastated after that… and not just because my father left again. After that day… I realized that I had sacrificed everything close to me… for nothing… when I could've had something else instead." Her voice was choking in her throat as tears began trailing down her cheeks, unable to hold them back anymore. "I-I… I could've had friends. I could've had people to talk with and try to work out my problems in a better way! But instead, like a goddamned PSYCHOPATH, I decided that MURDER was the only way out!" Her hands flew up to her face as her sobs became uncontrollable, echoing through the large room. "Hic—I'm so ashamed! I feel so humiliated and disgraced after all I've done!"
"Hope, I—"
"Tell me!" Gwen recoiled at Charmcaster's outburst, the young woman almost hyperventilating as tears and eyeliner fell down her cheeks. "I… I don't understand… how you can forgive me so easily! Please, TELL ME!"
Rook began heading back toward the door for medical supplies. "She is in hysterics. I will retrieve a med kit and—"
"Wait! There's no need." Ruby insisted, stopping the Revonnagander from going anywhere. The Hooded Huntress looked back to the crying sorceress, who'd buried herself in her hands again, and made her way forward. She softly sat herself at the edge of the bed, Charmcaster not noticing until Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cloth. "Hankie?"
Charmcaster hiccupped in surprise, bringing her head up again and making eye-contact with Ruby. "H-Huh?" Her gaze trailed down to see the red handkerchief being offered to her, which after a few moments, she hesitantly accepted. "O-Oh… th-thank you." Drying her eyes and cheeks, Charmcaster fought hard to compose herself… only to notice just how much of her makeup had come off. "…Oh god, I must look like a mess."
Ruby shook her head, though. "It's okay. Everyone needs a good cry once and a while. Nothing good about bottling up emotions, right?"
"Y-Yeah…" Charmcaster handed the cloth back to Ruby. "Here… sorry…"
Taking it back, Ruby folded it up and slipped it back into her pocket. "Again, no problem. Best to get everything out now instead keeping all that baggage."
Hope was rather taken aback by how kind Ruby was being to her. Of course, this was the same girl who had smiled and waved to her when she promised Gwen that she would help save the world… but still. "You're… Ruby, right?"
"That's right!" Ruby hopped up to her feet, placing her fists to her hips as she puffed out her chest. "Ruby Rose, at your service! Future Huntress extraordinaire!" Her proclamation managed to get a little laugh out of the woman, which was what she was hoping for. She offered Charmcaster a bright smile. "And you're Hope, right? It's nice to meet you!"
"Oh, thank you… b-but it's okay if you want to call me Charmcaster. Pretty much everyone does."
"Hmm… nah. I'll stick with calling you Hope." Ruby denied brazenly. "It sounds a lot better, if I'm being honest."
Gwen nodded in approval. "She's right, you know. Besides, it'll help you shake off that "villain" stigma."
All at once, Hope's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, turning her head down from Ruby so she wouldn't see. "Oh… o-okay, I guess." Nevertheless, Hope couldn't help but feel confused about the whole situation she was in. She brought her head back up, giving Gwen a serious gaze. "…You still haven't answered my question, though. Why do you feel as if I'm worthy of forgiveness? After everything I've done to you and your friends?"
Gwen and Ruby shared a glance before the redhead answered. "Hm, I would've thought that was obvious." Sitting down on the bed with the other two, Gwen placed a gentle hand on Hope's shoulders. "Because last night, you showed everyone—not just me—that you had the capacity for change. In truth, I knew you were capable of being good since we first went to Ledgerdomain together… but last night, I could tell that you managed to impress my cousin, if only a little."
Charmcaster scoffed at that. "Psh, yeah, we'll see how long that lasts…"
"Hey, I'm sure he'll be able to give you a chance." Gwen assured, bringing out her phone to show a picture of her, Ben and Kevin all at Mr. Smoothie having a good time. "I mean, he gave Kevin a chance and look where they're at now. Best of friends." She received a questioning brow from the sorceress. "…Well, okay, you and Ben probably won't be BEST friends, but if you can manage to earn his trust, you'll be well off, trust me."
"Hmph, easier said than done, I'm guessing." Charmcaster brought her legs up, hugging them close to her chest. "After all, I went to lengths that your boyfriend didn't even go to."
Ruby shrugged a that point. "Eh, true… but you wanna know what I think?" Seeing that she caught Hope's attention, she gave her the brightest, cheeriest smile she could muster. "I honestly think almost everybody has the capacity to do good, even if they don't think so."
"…Almost everybody?" Charmcaster echoed.
It was then that Ruby's smile faltered, admitting; "Well… there are a few exceptions. One of them being a certain person that I think BOTH of you can name without hesitation."
Charmcaster and Gwen locked eyes and, without missing a beat, said in unison; "Michael."
"Right on the money." Ruby deadpanned. "That guy is a butt."
"Pfft—hahahaha!" Hope couldn't resist belting out laughing at Ruby's childish insult. At the same time, though, she couldn't help but agree. "Hahaha, yes, he very much IS a butt." Calming herself down, she got things back on track. "I have to ask, though… why do you believe that everyone has the capacity to be good?"
A chuckle passed Ruby's lips and she gave Charmcaster a wink. "Hmhm, you don't need to look further from my step-mom to get that answer. You know my sister, Yang, right?"
"Tennyson's girlfriend, right?" Charmcaster guessed. "The blonde who likes punching things?"
"Yep! That's Yang! Anyways, her mom used to be the leader of a tribe of bandits who had a real "survival of the strongest" mentality. …And well, let's just say she's done her own share of taking lives in the past." Both Ruby and Gwen visibly cringed at the reminder. "In fact, it's how she got her Maiden powers in the first place… but she's been working hard to make up for her past transgressions!" Ruby's smile returned in earnest. "Yang's got her mom back and… hmhm… we technically BOTH got a new older sister out of the deal, too. Raven's an amazing ally to have, especially since she IS a Maiden."
Charmcaster was left quite surprised by that. Ruby was willing to give her once thieving and murderous step-mother a chance. 'So why not let her give YOU a chance?' She shoved that stray thought into the back of her mind as she voiced her opinion. "That is… both astonishing and a bit concerning." She craned her head around and raised a brow at Gwen. "And both you and Ben are alright with it?"
Gwen bobbed her head to the side. "Yeah, it took a bit of time, but Raven eventually managed to prove that she HAD changed. The more time she spent with Yang and after one particular confrontation with Salem, she's shown us all that she wants to change for the better."
"If you couldn't tell, we're a pretty forgiving bunch." Ruby affirmed, though she sheepishly rubbed her neck a bit. "…Even if some of us take a bit longer to convince than the others." She moved her hand over, setting it on Hope's shoulder. "And I have a feeling that Ben's just gonna be in that category when it comes to you. Give him time, he'll come around. If he can forgive my step-mom, he can forgive anybody… within reason."
"Hehe, I'll keep that in mind."
Just then, Six cleared his throat across the room, pulling back his sleeve and pointing to his watch. "Ladies, visiting time is almost up. You have five minutes."
"D'aw, seriously?!" Ruby cried out. "Come on, we were just getting started!"
The redheaded Anodite looked to her grandfather hopefully. "Grandpa, isn't there any way we could extend the time?"
Max's expression was sympathetic, but at the same time, he had probably two of the strictest rule-followers in the Plumber base flanking him. They'd probably shoot the notion down immediately, as would the higher-ups. "Ah, sorry pumpkin, but it's outta my hands. I gotta ask my superiors for that kinda special permission. But don't worry. Once I get that—and I'll fight tooth and nail till I do—you and Charm—er, I mean, Hope will be able to see each other as often as you want." The elderly Plumber focused his attention onto the silver-haired sorceress. "So long as she's granted and willing to follow the rules of probation, of course."
Hope couldn't help but wince a little. Probation… having been in a juvenile hall for a time, she was familiar with the concept. And while it wasn't the most attractive of options… it was her best one if she wanted to find some form of redemption among the heroes. "…If I can prove myself in ANY way… then I'll oblige to following probation should I be granted it."
Max smiled at the conviction in her voice. 'There might be hope for her yet… hehe, now there's a funny.' Doing his level best to not chuckle at his own joke, Max gave her a nod of approval. "Good answer. Now, if there's anything you girls want to get in before we wrap this up, I suggest you do it."
"Ooh! Ooh! Here, before I forget…" Ruby pulled up her cloak and reached into a hidden pocket, pulling out something that she kept close to her chest. She went back to Hope with a the giddiest of grins. "Okay, so I know that you're probably feeling better already after our pep talk, but just in case… TADA!" She extended her arms, presenting Charmcaster with…
"…Chocolate?" True to form, Ruby had a chocolate bar in her hand. And Charmcaster had to admit… she was tempted. "N-No, I couldn't possibly…"
"Aw, c'mon, who can say no to chocolate?!" Ruby asked as she waved the bar in front of Hope's eyes. "I sure know I can't! It's guaranteed to cure any slump!" With another wink and a flick of the wrist, Ruby tossed the bar onto Charmcaster's lap. "Take it, I insist."
Hope blinked in bewilderment before tentatively picking the bar up. "I… I don't know what to say…" Slowly, her lips curled into a happy smile as she looked up to the younger girl. "But I suppose a "thank you" would be a good place to start." Ruby nodded enthusiastically as Charmcaster took off the wrapping, only to then break off three small rectangle sections of the bar and hand them to the other girls. "Here… to a new start."
Gwen and Ruby happily took their own pieces before all three touched them together in a form of cheers. "Haha, to a new start!" Ruby approved.
"I'll take a cheer to that!" Gwen echoed as well. As the three girls bit down on their pieces, though, Gwen's Plumber's badge suddenly started ringing, much to everyone's surprise. "Hm? What'sh dat?"
"Gwen, manners." Max lightly chastised.
The Anodite swallowed her chocolate and hastily apologized to him as she got her badge. "S-Sorry, Grandpa." Tapping her badge, she immediately saw that it was Kevin calling her. "Gwen here. Kevin, what's going—"
"GWEN! No time to chat!" Kevin exclaimed, all while the sound of tires screeching and lasers firing came through the communicator. "I've got a situation here! Some weird alien hotrod is on my ass and it's BLASTING me! I'm headed to the base right now, so get anyone you can and PLEASE help me!"
All at once, Gwen and Ruby's demeanor switched to serious mode. "We're on our way. Keep whatever's chasing you distracted, Kevin. We're on our way." She hung up and nodded to Ruby. "You know what time it is, right?"
"Yep. Hero Time!" Ruby gave a thumbs up. "Let's grab the others and go!"
…..
Within minutes, Gwen and Ruby fetched the other members of their team and, along with Rook, Agent Six, and surprisingly, Bobo, they all went topside to find out what the deal with Kevin was. As they exited the hardware store façade of the Plumber Headquarters, however, they found that… no one was there, at least not yet. "Oy, great, not 'ere yet." Bobo bemoaned, gripping the handles of his pistols in frustration. "Was really hopin' to let off some pent-up aggression right out tha startin' gate."
Rex eyed his simian friend curiously. "Alright, I'll bite, what's got your fur in a knot, Bobo?"
"You wanna know what?!" Bobo snapped before swinging one of his guns into a nearby street sign… which put a dent in it. "When that giant canine bastard attacked, I was RIGHT in the middle a' one a' my soaps and now I've gotta wait til NEXT WEEK to see tha rerun! Gah! It's freakin' hell on tha brain, I tell's ya!"
But that only made Weiss and Rex more confused. "Wait, so… you don't record your shows?"
"I do… but tha fire cut off tha DVR."
"Oof, that's rough, buddy." Sun empathized.
Blake, however, was deadpanning at the entire conversation. "Not that this story isn't incredibly sympathetic, but could we maybe focus on what exactly Kevin's got himself into THIS time?" The cat girl set her eyes onto Gwen with a curious head tilt. "Gwen, are you sure he didn't give you any details on who was chasing him?"
Gwen shook her head. "No, nothing aside from an "alien hotrod". We'll probably know it when we see it."
"And when we DO see it, we take it down outta the sky." Ben stated firmly, taking to the front of the group as he looked over to Yang. "After all, we've got a date later on and I'd rather not waste the entire afternoon dealing with a bad guy."
The Blonde Brawler smiled and nudged him with her arm. "Right. We take 'em out quick, lock 'em up, and then off to the movies. Sounds like a piece of—" *POW-POW-POW* Without any warning, the sound of laser fire permeated throughout the area, prompting everyone to snap their heads down the road.
There, they saw Kevin's car rounding a bend, its tires screeching as smoke wafted off the rubber. And following behind, about ten feet above the ground was… a car-shaped, floating vehicle that was certainly decked out like a hot rod. It was sleek, painted black, and had gold spikes adorning the front of it, with additional gold detail along the exposed air intakes for the engine and the boosters toward the back. But most prominent on the vehicle were a pair of MASSIVE gold exhaust pipes on each side, which, while not billowing smoke, certainly seemed like boosters of some sort. Toward the front, a pair of laser guns focused in on Kevin's car and then blasted with full force, a pair of energy beams striking the back of the car and sending it flying up and over the road.
The events almost played out in slow motion for the team as they watched, everyone horrified as Kevin's car landing upside down, crumpling the roof into the cab. "KEVIN!" Gwen screamed as she and the others made a mad sprint to the now burning vehicle.
"G-GAH!" Thankfully, everyone's fears were quelled when the driver's side door was kicked off, revealing the Osmosian alive and well, having absorbed the metal of his car. Ben and Rex reached in and helped him out, the others giving him space as he breathed hard. "Hah… hah… of course. JUST what I needed today."
"Kevin!" Gwen wrapped her arms around him, thankful that he was okay. "That was FAR too close."
"Yeah… you're tellin' me." Kevin settled an arm across Gwen's shoulders comfortingly as he set a sad gaze upon his totaled car, grimacing in pain. "Ugh… but there's still a lot of hurt." He pointed at his chest. "In here."
Ilia rolled her eyes, the chameleon girl in slight disbelief that Kevin cared about his car more than his own life. "We can worry about your car later, Kevin. Right now, we gotta know who's chasing you."
"Uh… I don't think we'll have to wait long to find out." Ruby pointed over to the alien hotrod as it came to a landing about ten paces away. The team all took defensive positions, readying their weapons as the red-windshield hatch on top began opening up. The only exception, though… was Kevin, who seemed to be trembling with fear. This didn't go unnoticed, mainly by Gwen, Weiss, Blake and a few others. Whoever was in there must've been a BIG deal. But, as the owner of the vehicle rose up and stood atop their transport… that wasn't the first thing that caught the team's eye. No, instead, it was who the driver was holding in their grasp; that being a certain grey-furred, spikey-haired bipedal alien rodent in an orange jacket and blue jeans. Ruby's eyes widened immediately when she saw him. "…ARGIT?!"
The second he heard his name, Argit noticed the Silver-Eyed Huntress and became incredibly sheepish in seconds. "O-Oh, uh… h-hey there, Ruby! L-Long time, no see!"
"Where the hell have YOU been?!" Yang demanded. "Last time we saw you, we got here from Remnant and then you just disappeared!"
"I-I've… been busy."
Ben furrowed his brow at that. "Up to no good as usual, I'll bet. Who's your friend?"
Kevin, however, seemed to be the most upset with Argit, especially considering who was holding the rodent alien. "DUDE! Seriously?! Tell me you didn't!"
"Gah, h-hey, I didn't wanna give you up, Kev!" Argit insisted, turning his attention up to his captor. "SHE made me."
It was then that everyone took in the appearance of Argit's abductor… and many of them were left completely floored by her appearance. She… was a Tetramand. A tall, slender, but still very muscley Tetramand with skin as red as the sands of her home planet. She wore a black one-piece that left her powerful legs and all four arms exposed, with gold detailing on the chest in a vaguely Y-shaped pattern. She also had her midriff wrapped in bindings, as well as furry shoulder pads and a fur pelt fastened around her waist for added protection. She wore a pair of black, fingerless gloves on all four hands which were also wrapped in bindings, and a pair of golden greaves on her shins, which were wrapped beneath said armor. The bindings extended to three of her four biceps as well. Her helmet was black with gold detailing along the edges, which included the tuning-fork-shaped horns on top of it. Overall, she was VERY much dressed like a warrior.
"…Good god." Ilia muttered with a slight flush. "That is a LOT of woman."
"Her thighs could crush ALL of our heads like melons." Sun affirmed.
Blake once again deadpanned at their shared comments. "Do you guys have any filter?"
Ben wasn't intimidated in the least, however, stepping up to the Tetramand woman's vehicle with his head held high and a serious scowl upon his brow. "Hey, lady! Mind telling me who you are and why you're after my friend?" Folded his arms over his chest. "Unless you went after him because you have business with me. And if that's the case, then you just made a VERY big mistake, because I am NOT in the mood today."
The Tetramand woman sneered in disgust at the presumption. "You are bold to speak to me in such a manner. I suppose THIS is the bluntness of Ben Tennyson I heard so much about. But I am not here to fight you, no." Her eyes narrowed toward the others, zeroing in on the Osmosian among them. "For I am Princess Looma Redwind of the Tetramand. And I am here to claim my husband; Kevin E. Levin!"
And just like that, everything went silent. Everyone let those words sink in as their eyes widened at the now guilty-faced Osmosian… and of course, it was Gwen who broke the silence. "…HUSBAND?!"
…..
A/N: Welp, Kevin's dead. If Looma doesn't kill him on their honeymoon then Gwen probably will for keeping THIS secret for a long time. And if SHE doesn't (because let's face it, she still loves him), then the OTHER girls will probably let him have it for lying to her. Kevin's just in an utterly losing situation here, ain't he? Ah well… at least Argit's back, so hey, there's something! Haven't seen HIM since the first volume!
But, focusing more toward the beginning of this chapter, we did indeed finally get a pretty significant meeting between a few gods of a couple different pantheons. We got Aphrodite and Athena representing the Greeks, Odin and Thor representing the Norse… and of course… the Monkey King himself representing all of Chinese mythology. Yep, here he is! Sun Wu Kong in full and not obscured by any teases! Of course, there ARE several other pantheons that will be covered in this story, but I think it's best to put the attention on the three most significant ones we'll be seeing.
But yeah, Monkey's pretty much characterized how you imagine him; a joking trickster who loves pulling pranks and fighting evil. And, can I just say, I'm utterly ASTOUNDED by how much attention that Journey to the West is getting in the modern age? Of course, you've got Dragon Ball being somewhat based on it, but then you have the likes of LEGO Monkie Kid making waves both here and in China as one of LEGO's newest and most successful brands! If you haven't seen the show, it's first two seasons and specials are up on Amazon Video if you have that. Highly recommended. But I ALSO recommend you guys checking out Overly Sarcastic Productions and their illustrated recaps of Journey to the West if you REALLY want to know about Wu Kong's tale. Red is able to take a 500 year-old novel full of prose and pretty words and condense it into easy-to-understand chunks that are sure to entertain you!
And… well, I probably don't have to mention WHO I would have Sun Wu Kong himself voiced by, but… yeah, it's gotta be Sean Schemmel. After hearing him in Monkie Kid, I can't NOT have him be the voice of Wu Kong here, too.
But aside from all that, it would seem that there's quite a bit of danger on the horizon when it comes to the godly worlds. Could we be seeing apocalyptic events unfold in the future? Well, we shall have to see. But in the meantime, it seems that Cooper and Caesar are still hard at work on their… little project, hehe. Wonder how THAT'S gonna turn out for them? Hopefully once it's ready, it'll be a big help in the coming battles.
But for the OTHER big focus of this chapter, we've got Hope dealing with some of her inner demons as she questions if she's really worthy of redemption or not. Thankfully, Gwen and Ruby are there to help reassure her and make her feel welcomed, even if the other members of the Omni-Hunters are still a bit hesitant. After all, when it comes to making instant friends, no one's better at it than Ruby Rose!
Now, for NEXT TIME! With the revelation of Looma coming to collect Kevin so she can marry him, this of course leads to a massive brawl, followed by Kevin explaining just HOW this happened in the first place. Unfortunately, Looma manages to regain the upper hand and is followed soon after by… an entire Tetramand fleet, headed by the King of Khoros himself. Will Kevin be wed to the warrior princess, or will someone come in to take his place… whether they know it or not? Stay tuned to find out, and of course, thank you all for reading, everybody! I'll see you in a couple weeks and, as always, stay safe out there!
