Remnant's Mightiest Heroes!
Chapter 28: Dark Winter Part 2
[~][~]
November 18, 01:41 UST
The Bar with No Doors, Manhattan
Doctor Stephen Strange wonders in amusement if it were more befitting to come dressed in a Hawaiian shirt.
Located deep beneath Manhattan is the Bar With No Doors. A place meant to serve as a place where sorcerers and magical beings can find camaraderie. Its location is hidden and can only be found by sorcerers. As the name implies, the bar has no doors. The only way to enter the bar is either with a portal or a teleportation spell. Rumor had it that the creator wanted to create a speakeasy that wouldn't be caught during the prohibition. Whoever they were, they did a good job of making sure this place was both hidden and secure.
Those who manage to find their way in are greeted with a torchlit tiki-themed bar. There are tiki statues, posters, mugs, and other objects that depict Polynesian ancestor figures. Exotica tiki music played in the air courtesy of a spell. It also wouldn't be a tiki bar if there weren't elaborate cocktails. Patrons would sit at the bamboo bar and drink cocktails underneath the straw roof.
But Stephen wasn't here just for the Mai Tai. There is no valuable pub in all of New York City when it comes to gathering information circulating in magical sectors. Odin's Vault has been emptied of its contents, no doubt by Loki using the repaired Destroyer. Artifacts of such power are bound to spring up rumors of their whereabouts. He was going over the list in his mind and it wasn't much. The Warlock's Eye. The Tablet of Life and Time. The Tuning Fork. The Casket of Ancient Winters. The Infinity Gauntlet.
When the golden gauntlet popped into his mind, Strange furrowed his brows as a troublesome thought occurred to him. While the gauntlet is useless without the stones, it poses a significant threat. Could Loki know who has a stone and where they've hidden it? If he does, the very universe itself is in danger. But he quashed that thought. Those who are selected to keep a stone and hide it made sure to never tell anyone. If Loki did know who had one, he would have to do a better job of sending them into a panic.
He went back to the artifacts stolen from Odin's Vault. Strangely, there is one artifact that remains in the vault. The Eternal Flame. The only reason he knew it was still there was because Thor told him. A mystical, inextinguishable fire said to be the source of the fire giant Surtur's power and capable of resurrecting the dead. Strange wondered why Loki didn't steal such a powerful artifact. But for the most part, he was glad that he didn't as there are many ways to misuse the power of the flame. For now, he should focus on finding the other artifacts.
Hopefully, with his lead, he can get closer to collecting one of them. A rolled-up parchment bearing a red wax seal appeared in the Sanctum. Back in Kamar-Taj, they studied dwarf runes enough to recognize them on sight. Briefly, Strange wondered if it was a coincidence that the writing is like Khuzdul, Tolkien's language for the dwarves. It would make sense if dwarves have visited Earth, or Midgard in their case, sometime in the past. But that is pure speculation. The language is what led him to deduce that the person he's meeting is a dwarf of Nidavellir and they've written that they've found one of the artifacts that they're looking for.
"Excuse me? Are you Doctor Strange the wizard supreme of Earth?"
As if the Vishanti wanted to confirm his suspicions, Strange turned his head and found himself face-to-face with the dwarf. Sitting down allowed him to meet him at eye level due to the latter's slim and short stature. Brunet hair is slicked back and tied into a ponytail. His beard is of medium length with the ends wrapped up in a fabric joining two locks. Another distinguishing feature is that he's the only one in the bar wearing elaborate plated-metal armor. Aside from being the only dwarf in the joint.
"I prefer the term sorcerer, but yes. I am Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme," Strange smoothly introduced while he extended a hand. Seeing the gesture, the dwarf took the offered hand and shook it. The sorcerer gestured to the seat opposite of him. The dwarf, after scrutinizing the seats, proceeded to sit down. Chestnut eyes darted to the counter in apprehension. Specifically, the jar containing a severed head.
"I'm sorry…but is that head in the jar the proprietor of this tavern?"
"Yes. Chondu runs this speakeasy," Strange confirmed, much to the dwarf's horror. "He and I are former enemies. But he knows how to make a good Mai Tai. I think it's a bribe to keep me coming here in case things get out of hand. Chondu, can I get another for my friend here?"
"You got it Stephen," Chondu called out. The disembodied head magically levitates a glass and a cocktail shaker. He begins pulling bottles off the shelf.
"I should point out that he makes an excellent Mai Tai," Stephen points out. "And before you can ask, no I wasn't the one who lopped his head off. It was own doing in a foolhardy attempt to transplant his body onto a numerous amount of bodies."
"That's…disturbing…" the dwarf muttered as he turned green. For a moment Stephen thought he was going to puke. Thankfully, he didn't as he recomposed himself. "Anyway, thank you for meeting me. I'm Sindri of the Huldra Brothers. You, uh, may know us for forging Thor's hammer Mjolnir?"
"I didn't realize I would've had the pleasure," Stephen said, eyes slightly widening in surprise. "But I've read that your King forged Mjolnir."
"That's the funny thing about stories," Sindri gave a wry smile. "As time passes, the story tends to deviate from the original tale. And the truth is that the finest dwarven smiths of Nidavellir helped forge Mjolnir, King Eitri included. You won't believe what it took for us to contain a Hel of a cosmic storm."
At that moment, a glass with a light orange liquid floated to their table. It settled in front of Sindri, who looked at it warily. Especially the min leaf garnish. Sindri gingerly picked up the glass and took a sip. He didn't say anything for a few seconds before his face lit up in satisfaction.
"Sweet…fruity…with a strong hint of rum," Sindri said, appraising the drink. Then his face grew serious. "Anyway, I didn't come all this way just to drink. I have something that may be one of the items stolen from Odin's Vault."
He reached into his bag. It appeared to be enchanted because Sindri pulled out a large casket from within. Gently, he sets it on the table between them. It was upon close inspection that the sorcerer recognized the object.
"The Casket of Ancient Winters…"
"Yep. It's a known fact among the Nine Realms that this fellow was locked up after the war between Asgard and Jotunheim. So, when I found this, I knew that the Vault had to be broken into," Sindri said before frowning. "But what's confusing is that my brother had it with him and I know he would never steal from Asgard. At least not without letting me know."
"Your brother had this?" Stephen questioned as he traced his fingers over the casket. He noticed immediately that his finger didn't feel any cold. This was strange given the casket's origin.
"Yes. I found it when I searched our workshop when he had been acting odd," Sindri said. "He wouldn't let me into our workshop. All he said was that he was working on a dangerous project. When he finally left, I went inside and found the casket. It was also cold. And I must repeat cold. Like a winter had blown in and nobody noticed."
"No doubt thanks to the casket," Stephen surmised when he asked the obvious question that's been hanging over his head. "Why didn't you go to Odin? Surely he would've been the better choice."
"Asgard is already occupied with fighting Fire Demons across the Nine Realms," Sindri refutes. "I was going to, but then one of the seers insisted that I go to you with the Casket. Said that it was vital for the future. I'm not going to argue with a seer. Besides, sunlight and dwarves do not go well together."
"Because you would turn to stone," Stephen dryly said as he cast a spell to appraise the casket. "I'm not sensing anything from the casket. Whatever power it had…it's not there anymore. Just what did your brother do to it?"
"I had the same questions myself," Sindri said somberly. His face became crestfallen. "Unfortunately, I fear they're not going to be answered. The dwarven army found him frozen in a block of ice. It's taking a long time to thaw him out…but they're saying that it's unlikely he'll be alive."
Sindri looked down at his lap while Stephen's face softened at the implications. He is no stranger to the pain and sadness of losing a loved one.
"If you want, I can save him," Stephen offered. "There are a few spells that I know that can help stabilize his condition as well as thaw him out. The title of 'doctor' is not without reason. My job is to save lives. No matter where they are."
Sindri stared at him for a moment before his face became filled with gratitude. "I would be eternally grateful if you could. Maybe this was the reason that the seer sent me to you."
"Be sure to express your gratitude to him," Strange said with a small smile. "I'm sorry to ask this while you're in your grief, but given your people's skill in crafting weapons, is it possible that Brok forged a weapon with the Casket's power?"
"Well, we did once make an Axe using the screams of twenty frost trolls," Sindri said. "But if Brok did make a weapon with a thousand killing winters…I'd say we're looking at a weapon that would be an ice version of Mjolnir."
That did little to ease Stephen's suspicions and fear. There is no question as to who gave Brok the casket in the first place. Given his infamy, there is no way that the dwarven smith would've crafted a weapon of such power willingly, so he must've been forced to. Likely enchanted into doing his bidding.
"I fear I may know what happened to your brother," Stephen spoke up as calmly as he could. "I have reason to believe that Loki may have given him the Casket and have him turn its power into a weapon he can wield."
"Loki?" Sindri yelped. "But I thought he's locked up somewhere!"
Several patrons looked at their booth at Sindri's outburst. Sindri realized what he'd done and shrunk in on himself.
"Nope. He's revealed himself to be free and still capable of mischief," Stephen revealed in a low voice to Sindri's horror. "By the way, he's also the one who emptied Odin's Vault. I suspect that he's the one who gave Brok to Casket to turn into a weapon. Knowing him, he must not have a choice in the matter. Following the timeline of Brok's behavior and the state you found him in, it's safe to assume that Brok finished creating the weapon and gave it to Loki. Under enchantment of course. I do not doubt that your brother would refuse under his own will."
"Of course, he will," Sindri insisted. "He would never give a weapon to Loki willingly."
"Regardless, Loki has a powerful weapon, and who knows what he's going to do with it."
At that moment, he felt a chill. No not a chill, a cold blow over him. He could tell not only because of the goosebumps, but his breath becoming foggy as it froze upon exhalation. Their drinks suddenly turned ice cold, completely frozen. Frost began to grow on the table as well. Drops of ma tai on Sindri's beard became frost in an instant. The flames of the torches grew small until they fizzled out of existence. They weren't the only ones who felt the sudden drop in temperature. Several customers raised complaints about this as they cast light spells to illuminate the bar.
"Why is it so freakin cold?"
"Didn't that head say this was supposed to be a tropical-themed bar?"
"Where did the heat go?"
That last one is a good question. Chondu should be keeping the place at optimal temperature with the spells he set up. Looking at the bar counter, the fluids keeping Chondu's head are frozen. Whatever is happening, it is not normal that much is true. Only one conclusion came to mind. This must be the work of magic.
Without knowing what drove him to this course of action, Stephen opened a portal to the Sanctum Sanctorum. To his shock, he saw that the foyer was frozen over. He stepped through the portal and ran towards the door, almost slipping on the ice. He heard Sindri speaking from behind, but he didn't respond to the dwarf. He made his way to the doors and attempted to open them. To his annoyance, they are frozen shut. Knowing Wong would complain about it later, he called upon the eldritch power at his disposal. He fired a blast of eldritch energy at the doors, the concussive force shattering them into pieces.
What greeted him was the sight of New York in a winter wasteland. In November no less! The streets are frozen over in ice. Snow heavily gathered on the sidewalks, cars, and rooftops. The wind howled as even more snow descended on the Earth. There is no way it could've happened overnight without magic.
Despite this, he spoke one sentence with a half-joking tone.
"Well, I'm glad I didn't go in an aloha shirt."
[~]
Present
The Peak
Geosynchronous Orbit, Earth
"Make way! MAKE WAY!"
That frenzied shout came from Ruby as she sped through the corridors of the Peak, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake. She passed by a couple of S.W.O.R.D. personnel scrambling to their jobs but she paid them no heed. Her mind is dead set on making sure the component in her hands makes it to its destination. It helped that she had a helper to navigate her way through this maze-like a classic GPS AI.
"At the next intersection, take a left!"
"On it!" Ruby affirmed. Just as the intersection came within her sights, she ceased using her semblance. She let her momentum carry her towards the wall. Kicking off it, she willed her body to the direction she wanted to go and activated Petal Burst again. The silver-eyed girl's hands are tightly clasped around a small object.
"You're almost there! Keep going forward!"
"I will!" Ruby declared as she continued to speed.
After Director Brand dismissed them, Teams RWBY and JNPR immediately began helping with the Peak. Sure enough, much to their horror, the cold is affecting the rest of the station. Sections of the massive station are losing power due to the frost affecting the power grid. Some of them happen to be key facilities that keep everyone alive in space. Life support systems. Communication systems. Health and exercise facilities. The docking ports. Even the artificial gravity is being affected.
What's worse is the alien life on board. Word had gotten around about the situation on Earth and Panic spread. S.W.O.R.D. considered keeping it under wraps, But what else were they supposed to do when the station was freezing? They haven't gotten to know the many species on board the Peak, but they know some of them couldn't handle the cold. The state of panic isn't helping matters either.
They didn't have time to ponder as their scrolls buzzed. They are connected to a person named Doctor McCoy. He introduced himself as one of the scientists of S.W.O.R.D.'s R&D division. Despite the jokes from Yang, much to his chagrin, McCoy made it clear that he's not Leonard McCoy from Star Trek. He did permit them to make the jokes after they helped get the Peak back under control and there is much to be done. So, they divided themselves to tackle different tasks.
Ren and Nora helped with crowd control. His semblance proved essential to calming down the panicking masses as well as Nora's bubbly personality. Yang, Jaune, and Pyrrha moved to the docking bay to help move crucial supplies to waiting Falchions. Weiss and Blake are helping to administer medical aid to anyone who was injured before or after the freezing.
As for Ruby, thanks to her semblance, she proved to be an efficient courier. With so many systems undergoing critical failure, the Peak is in danger of internal destruction. The S.W.O.R.D. tech specialists are working hard to repair everything affected by the cold. Fortunately, there are backup components that are not yet unaffected by the cold. So, her first delivery was to the tech experts fixing Active Thermal Control Systems. After delivering crucial components to other parts of the station, the heating to the Peak is restored.
Which leads her to her current delivery. Within seconds, she arrived at her destination. Two S.W.O.R.D. technicians, who are informed by McCoy to expect her arrival, are waving at her. Ruby ceased using her semblance and let her feet touch the floor. Her lingering momentum caused her to skid and almost let the component slip out of her fingers. Fortunately, she reaffirmed her grip on the component.
Also, fortunate that she stopped before the technicians. She didn't waste a second in handing the component to them. They quickly went inside a room with the door closing behind them. Taking a few moments to catch her breath, she took out her scroll.
"How is it looking, Doctor McCoy?"
"With the oxygen recycling system restored, Life Support is back in full circulation," Doctor McCoy answered. "Good job, Miss Rose. Any second late and the number of lifeforms on board the peak would've put a strain on our oxygen supply."
Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to imagine what would happen if she didn't get the component on time. The worst can be that everyone will die an asphyxiating death, but she banished the thought.
"Is there anything else?" Ruby asked, ready for another delivery.
"You've done enough for now. Take this opportunity to recover your stamina and your aura. We can't have everyone overworking, especially in a situation such as this. Am I correct to assume you are experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, sore or aching muscles?"
Even before she registers these words, she knows that McCoy is correct. She could feel her legs aching from the extensive running she did whenever she ran out of aura. The fear of what would happen if she failed to deliver provided her the strength to keep moving. She'll likely collapse without rest. McCoy seemed to have taken her silence as an answer.
"I thought as much. Please make your way to the mess hall. Your teammates as well as Team JNPR should be there. To preserve food, we're rationing our supplies. Would you like me to upload the directions to your scroll?"
"That will be much appreciated," Ruby said gratefully. It's curious as to how McCoy was able to get ahold of her scrolls number. But she chalked it up to S.W.O.R.D. having access to her file. Following the directions, she made her way to the mess hall. The place has tables and chairs lined up in rows. There is a long line of S.W.O.R.D. personnel in front of a counter where a guy is handing out MREs.
"Hey, Ruby! Over here!" Yang called from a nearby table where the rest of her friends were. Ruby nodded in acknowledgment before she got in line. She had to wait several minutes for her to receive hers. She made her way to the table with her friends and took a seat next to Weiss. Together, they followed the instructions on the labels for heating their meal using water from a nearby dispenser.
"Gods this is awful," Weiss recoiled in disgust.
"I don't know, Weiss. They're pretty good," Ruby said as she scarfed down a cookie.
"That's because yours has a cookie!"
"Hey! You eat what you get!"
"Whether they taste good or not doesn't matter, it's still food with proper nutrition," Pyrrha declares as she helps herself to her MRE's coffee. "They're meant to provide nutrition when normal food service is unavailable. They also have a long shelf life making them valuable for long-term emergency food storage. Just goes to show that you can't be picky."
"But they can do a better job of making their pancakes," Nora says as she wolfs down her freeze-dried pancakes. "I prefer mine soft and fluffy. Like Ren's pancakes."
"You have to wet them with water first before eating," Ren explained, taking a break from eating to point at the label on the plastic wrap. Nora looked at him and back at the half-eaten freeze-dried pancake in her hand. With a shrug, she finished it off.
"Anyway, how is everyone on their tasks?" Blake asked. "There were lots of people injured when the storm hit. Most are suffering from frostbite just by being exposed to the cold. S.W.O.R.D. medics taught us how to treat aliens that we're clueless about. We were able to apply heat and warmth to them with blankets and coats before the heating system was fixed. But S.W.O.R.D.'s medical technology can only do so much."
"There are some aliens who suffered the worst of it too," Weiss added looking down in sadness. "There are some who came from planets without winter. Therefore, they aren't used to the cold. Some of the patients I helped are suffering from third to fourth-degree frostbite. I don't want to imagine the pain they're going through. Some of them happen to be tourists. It's their first time coming to Earth, and this is their first experience."
Everyone at their table felt dread drop to their stomachs like a ball of ice. If it weren't for their aura, they would've been suffering the cold weather plaguing the station. A cruel reminder that not everyone has that luxury.
"We were able to load six rounds worth of supplies onto the Falchions," Jaune spoke, changing the subject. "There were only three available due to the others suffering from cold damage. Some of the parts must be picked up from Earth to begin repairs. Me and Yang helped, but Pyrrha did most of the legwork. Polarity proved to be essential to moving metal crates."
"That's not true," Pyrrha refutes. "I couldn't use my semblance forever and you two are doing admirable work moving. I heard the S.W.O.R.D. pilots betting if Yang could carry three crates or ten at once."
"Hmmm…I'll take that bet on ten," Yang grinned, flexing a bicep before turning to her sister. "By the way Ruby, thanks for helping with the lights."
"Aww, it was nothing," Ruby gushed while rubbing the back of her neck. "All I did was drop off an important part to the proper hands. I didn't do much. Okay, maybe I ran around the Peak to drop off more parts…but yeah…"
Everyone laughed at her bashfulness. Soon they resumed eating their MREs in silence. Every second one of them would look at the windows that showcase a view of Earth. It's still the same giant snowball floating in space. Seeing it made their thought drift to the situation on the ground. Last they heard from Fury it wasn't doing so well.
"You think they'll be alright? I feel like we should be down there helping," Ruby asked quietly. Her friends stopped eating to look at her.
"Fury is doing his best and I'm sure the Avengers are doing there's as well," Weiss said. "They've handled worst before."
"But what if they can't?" Ruby asked. "What if this winter goes on and on for the next month…or the next year? By then society would likely collapse. It feels like Operation Dark Winter becoming reality."
"Dark Winter? I remember Director Brand mentioning that. Do you know it?"
"It's an apocalyptic scenario I learned about it playing the Division," Ruby said, causing Weiss to furrow her eyebrows in annoyance.
"Ruby, just because something happened in a game doesn't mean it'll happen in real life."
"Dark Winter is a real-world exercise between June 22-23, 2001," Jaune points out, causing everybody to look at him in surprise. "Hey, I can play the game and do some research too. Dark Winter tested the emergency response to a bio-terror attack on the United States. It depicted a scenario with a covert smallpox attack on US citizens. It took place over fourteen days. But within a few days, the simulation spiraled out of control."
Everyone felt dread creep up their spine like an actual creep Grimm. "What happened?" Nora asked in a quiet voice.
"The operation predicted a rapid breakdown in essential institutions, civil disorder, and massive civilian casualties," Jaune answered grimly. "It revealed how vulnerable the US had become. We live in a more complex world. Oil. Power. Shipping. Transport. And the more complex it gets, the more fragile it becomes. Think of it like a house of cards. Remove just one, and everything falls apart."
"For example," Jaune raised a finger. "Let's say that a terrorist decides to create a deadly virus and spread it through dollar bills. Something that is fueling the system. We can spend ninety billion dollars in a single day of shopping and a hundred million people swarm their local stores on Black Friday. Fun fact, a flu virus can survive on the surface of a banknote for up to seventeen days. If someone does this, there will be a pandemic that will take advantage of Black Friday. A pathogen will jump from tainted banknotes to human skin, onto food, toys, children, and loved ones. By the time patient zero feels the first sore throat, millions of people will already be infected."
Jaune took a deep breath before continuing, "From that point, the breakdown will happen fast. Day One. Hospitals will reach capacity. Panic will strike. Day Two. Quarantined zones will be established, resources will be rationed, and transport will go into lockdown. Day Three. International trade will stop, the oil will dry up, and the stock market will collapse. Day Four. The power will fail. The shelves will be empty. The taps will run dry. And once hunger and despair take hold, people will do anything for survival. By Day Five, everyone will be a potential threat."
Meaning everybody will be going at each other's throats to survive went unsaid.
"And it's happening right now except it's a worldwide blizzard," Ren said grimly. "Think about it. Right now, we are on Day One. Eventually, the shelters on Earth will reach full capacity. If the winter continues and progresses to Day Five…"
"It will be the end of society as we know it," Weiss finished with wide eyes. She recalled the societal divide back in Atlas. Between the cities of Atlas and Mantle. Most of the resources flocked to Atlas while Mantle became destitute and neglected. The only thing they got is the regular update of the heating grid. If that were to go down, there is no telling what would happen when the last straw broke the camel's back. Then, a flash of realization dawned on Blake's face.
"Isn't this like Fimbulwinter?" She asked, becoming the center of attention. "Remember when Thor was talking to us about Ragnarök? With how before it began, Earth will be enveloped in a three-year-long winter without summer?"
"Where will everybody descend into a second dark age? Of course, we do," Yang said in an offhand manner. Then her eyes widened when she saw what Blake was getting at, "Wait…you don't think…"
"It's just speculation," Blake said quickly. "But what else could explain what just happened? In the span of a single night, the entire planet is covered in winter. And the cold is getting worse every second. Something that should be impossible by all accounts. But we're living in a universe where myths and legends exist. If we're going through Fimbulwinter right now…"
Blake let that sentence trail off, her cat ears drooping, afraid to finish it. Suddenly, they couldn't feel the heat of the repaired heating systems. Instead, they felt the air grow colder than they'd ever felt before. What Blake is suggesting is outlandish at best. They wanted to deny it. They NEED to deny it. But none of them could speak it aloud. If what they're going through IS Fimbulwinter, that would mean that they are in for three years of brutal winter. Three years of fighting tooth and nail against friends turned enemies. After that, what awaits them is…
They are broken out of their thoughts by an announcement on the intercom. Their reactions are varied. Weiss dropped the plastic fork she was holding, letting it clatter on the table. Yang banged her prosthetic fist on the table. Jaune nearly fell on his back. Blake clutched her ears. By the time they recovered, the announcement was repeating for the second time.
"I repeat, will Teams RWBY and JNPR report to the Command Center immediately."
[~]
The Remnantian teens made their way back to the command center. They are greeted by a holographic projection of Clint in a winter variation of his uniform. In his right hand, he held his bow. He was talking with Director Brand before he noticed them.
"Brand has been telling me that you've been helpful around the Peak," Clint said with a grin. "Nice job. I can't say that this is what we had in mind for your training though."
"We weren't expecting this either," Ruby admitted. "We did get to meet various aliens and learn a lot of things while helping. At least that's something."
"I'll say," another voice said. Another holographic projection shimmered into view as another person stepped into the feed. A woman dressed in a white winter uniform and wearing orange-tinted goggles. In her hands, she held a battle stave. The Remnantians noticed a lot of the Skrulls operating the monitors stiffening at the sound of her voice.
"And who might you be?" Weiss asked. The woman regarded her with a small smile.
"I'm Mockingbird. Hawkeye's wife. A pleasure to meet you all," she answered. At the mention of her name, the Skrulls comically leaped out of their seats. Many of them cowered behind their monitors, terrified eyes on the image of the woman named Mockingbird.
"Hawkeye's wife! Ooh, he's told us so much about you!" Nora gushed, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Clint would often tell them about his family. But that raised the question of what she was doing there. They heard she retired. Although they didn't get the chance to ask when Ruby asked a question on their minds.
"Umm…what's going on?" Ruby asked, pointing out the reaction the Skrulls were having. Mockingbird turned to look around the room. The Skrulls shrunk behind their monitors to avoid her line of sight.
"Oh yeah, I guess they didn't tell you," Mockingbird said. "Long story short, I was one of the unlucky saps that got replaced by a Skrull during the Secret Invasion. During imprisonment, I made sure they regretted ever doing that. Made quite an impression as the Skrulls bogeyman."
Unlike Jessica Drew, her face didn't betray anything, but they could see the dark meaning behind her words. So did the Skrulls who heard her. Some of them hanged their heads in shame at the travesty she suffered at the hands of their kind.
"Bogeyman? Does that mean you hid under their beds and closets to scare the crap out of them?" Nora asked curiously.
"Among other things," Mockingbird said before looking over her shoulder. "I got to go check on the rest of the team. It was good meeting you Teams RWBY and JNPR. Let's talk again when this winter is over."
There are sighs of relief coming from the fearful Skrulls as she steps out of the feed. Nobody wanted to ask what other things she did. They weren't even sure if they wanted to know.
"So how are things on the ground?" Ruby asked. At her question, Clint turned serious.
"Can't say it's getting better, but we're doing our best," Clint answered. "We're assisting with the evacuation efforts across New York. I'm more worried about the amount of food we can feed the shelters. We're going to be on the lookout, but in this weather, it will be scarce. But that's nothing compared to the Frost Giants roaming the streets."
"Frost Giants? You mean the residents of Johtunheim are on Earth?" Pyrrha asked, remembering their research into the Nine Realms. The residents of Johtunheim are bitter enemies of the Asgardians. Now they are on Earth. Someone among their group gulped. None of them knew who it was.
"Yes. We've engaged as many as I can count in the storm. Luckily, they shrink and weaken when exposed to heat. A crowd of them tried to assault Avengers Tower but we held them off. But more of them will likely try again. They have an advantage in this climate while we have to watch our body heat."
The Remnantian teens narrowed their eyes at this.
"Are the Frost Giants behind this?"
"Maybe. However, I believe I know what's causing this."
"Do you remember the artifacts stolen from Odin's Vault?" Clint asked. "One of them is the Casket of Ancient Winter's. Thor said it contains the Fimbulwinter of Ymir. Likely a frost giant's bad breath. It creates massive snowstorms if opened. I suspect that it's open again."
"Again? Who opened it last time?" Weiss asked.
"A dark elf of Svartalheim named Malekith the Accursed," Clint answered. "He got his hands on the Casket and unleashed a winter like the one we're going through right now. Tony, Thor, and T'Challa tracked him down to the ruins of a Viking Fort in Norway. When they closed the Casket, everything returned to normal."
"So, if we find this Casket, we can stop all of this?" Jaune asked, hope tinged in his voice. Clint nodded his head.
"I've asked S.W.O.R.D. to go through their recent scans for any signature matching the one back then. With luck, we can find the damn Casket again and we can bring back autumn. Thor would be happy to know we've recovered an artifact on the list."
Clint looked over his shoulder, "I've got to go. We've got a distress call from another shelter and my team is close by. Keep up the good work at the Peak. It may become the basis for a supply chain if it takes long to find the Casket."
"Will do," Ruby declared much to her friend's agreement.
"One more thing," Clint said, his face growing solemn. "I want to tell you that even when things are at their darkest, there is always an inkling of hope. I know it sounds like an empty platitude and would sound better coming from Cap, but hope is what keeps us strong. It's what we fight with when all else is lost. Without it, we wouldn't be able to fight for what remains."
The archer let his words hang in the air. For the teens and everyone listening on the command deck, his words meant more than he knew. The fear of Fimbulwinter seemed to be melting away bit by bit. when the worst of the winter hit, there were still people fighting to restore law and order. The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., local law enforcement, and even the citizens they swore to protect. Everyone is fighting with the hope that this winter will be over.
"We will," Ruby said with a determined nod with the others in agreement. Clint gave them a salute before the feed cut off. The Avengers hologram shimmered before it dispersed. A glance at Brand showed that the S.W.O.R.D. director was giving them a proud look. Blake narrowed her eyes at her.
"Did you set this up?"
"You should be thanking Doctor McCoy instead," Brand revealed to their surprise. "He was checking up on you and overheard your conversation. You looked sad and pathetic so he asked if I could contact any available Avengers on the ground. As luck would have it, Hawkeye was available."
"I see…" Blake said. "We'll be sure to thank him. So…what do you think about…?"
"I don't care if this is some harbinger of Armageddon, I'm doing my duty," Brand firmly stated. "WE'RE doing our duty. To protect Earth these Frost Giants just put themselves under S.W.O.R.D. jurisdiction and we're going to show them what happens to invaders. Am I correct?"
"SIR YES SIR!" The command center shouted at the top of their lungs as they stood up from their seats. Brand waved her hand to put them at ease. At once they sat back down, working with even more fervor than before. The teenage heroes looked toward the director as they
"Does that mean…"
"It means that we will be conducting operations aside from supply drops on Earth," Brand clarified. "You're welcome to take part of course. And if Fury has a problem with it, he needs a reminder that I'm the director of S.W.O.R.D."
That brought smiles to the teen's faces. But then Brand added, "But don't get your hopes up just yet. We're still fixing the rest of the Falchions. The last thing we need is the loss of our remaining Falchions. We still need them for God's sake. Until then, I need your help with other tasks. In the meantime, we're going to keep scanning the globe for any energy signatures that would likely match this Casket we're looking for."
Teams RWBY and JNPR nodded in understanding. It felt hope-dashing that they'd be doing more than being glorified janitors only to be doing even more chores. But despite their frustrations, they are happy to be helping if only meagerly. Plus, they have been learning new things during their time. But right before they could leave to carry out their duties, something unexpected came up.
"Director! We're picking up a large object on our sensors," one of the operators announced from his station. "It's approaching Earth at seventeen kilometers per second."
"What?" Brand whirls around toward the operator. "Put it on screen!"
A holographic screen materialized in front of the glass view of Earth. It has a background of the starry cosmos of space. But at the center is a blurry object of questionable origin. The screen zoomed in three times until the object took up most of the screen. Luckily, the operators are already enhancing the resolution.
Displayed on the screen is a spaceship built for war. A heavily armored vessel that boasts impressive dimensions, measuring approximately 500 meters in length and featuring a sleek and streamlined design. It spoke volumes advanced technological capabilities it possesses. Its intricate architecture houses an array of advanced sensors, and scanners, both forward-fixed and turret-mounted energy cannons. No one can help but make a comparison to an Iowa-class battleship retrofitted for space.
The command center is silent as nobody speaks. It is so quiet they could hear a pin drop.
"That's a Korbinite vessel," one of the operators, a Skrull named Talos, finally spoke in surprise. He wasn't the only one. Kree, Humans, and other species were discussing among themselves this new coming vessel.
"What are they doing out here?"
"Far away from the Burning Galaxy no less?"
"This is the Peak to Unidentified Vessel. Please respond."
"Umm…will someone elaborate for those who don't know?" Jaune asked after raising his hand. Talos spared a glance at Jaune before nodding at the blonde's request. He pressed a button at his station. A hologram projected in front of them in the form of a big orange hairless-skinned humanoid. Aside from the skin color, the differences between them are the lack of a nose and a flat face.
"Korbinites are a highly advanced sentient species native to the planet Korbin," Talos began. "They've occupied the Burning Galaxy with their home planet Korbin as the capital. Their empire is strong enough to declare neutrality during the Kree-Skrull War."
"Wait, empire? As in another galactic empire like the Kree Empire?" Yang asked. A few people at the monitors flinched at the mention.
"Yes, but unlike the Kree, they are peaceful," Talos answered calmly. "Their colonization efforts are known throughout the galaxy to be peaceful, and they rarely resort to violence. Their only known engagements involve the Kree's unsuccessful attempts to annex them."
They could feel the edge of satisfaction in his voice. The teens figured It must be nice for him to know that other galactic governments could be a peaceful empire and fend off enemies such as the Kree Empire. Although Brand kept her air of professionalism, there is a distinct look of pride.
"That still doesn't explain what they are doing in the Solar System," Brand said, steering everyone back to the present situation. "I'm going with my hunch that they aren't here to start an invasion with us for the moment. Talos, can you hail them?"
"I've been trying but the ship's AI isn't responding," Talos answered negatively. "The Korbinites have AI integrated into their ships. This allows the ship to operate and repair itself independently whenever the operators of the ship are absent or otherwise engaged. This leads me to believe the AI is down otherwise it would've repaired the damage it sustained. I'm highlighting the areas now."
Various windows popped up on the screen. Each of them displayed a section of the ship with an area highlighted in red.
"Scans detect traces of high heat from the damages. Almost as if it had been hit by focused lasers," Talos continued. He turned on his seat to look at the director with a grim look. Brand's eyes narrowed at what he was getting at.
"They've been attacked," Brand finally said. Talos nodded in confirmation. Any thoughts of a possible invasion went out the window. This vessel came under attack and limped its way to the solar system. Likely, whoever attacked the Korbinites cannot be far behind."
"There must be survivors that can tell us what happened. Can we spare any agents to assemble a rescue party?"
"Most of our agents are either on assignment or in the med bay," a Kree operator refuted. "At the moment, we can only spare one Falchion without disrupting the supply lines we've set up."
It took all Brand had not to curse at how shorthand they are now. The Earth is under attack from an alien force and there's likely another enemy at their doorstep. They can't have a war on two fronts. It will end up in a war of attrition that she knows they will lose. Unless they know who they are dealing with. The only information as to who lies with the Korbinite survivors on that vessel. If there are any that is a big if. Then, Yang stepped forward.
"Brand, why not send us?" Yang suggested. Brand turned to stare at her. Before she could say anything, the blonde brawler raised a finger and said, "Before you go telling us that we are not trained for this and we can get ourselves killed, we've got plenty of experience fighting Grimm and have performed rescue missions. I know it's not the same as what S.W.O.R.D. has done, but whatever attacked that ship most likely would be on board. Your best bet would be to send a team of us."
"While she could've worded it better, she does have a point director," Weiss added, stepping in next to her teammate. "It will spare pulling manpower from important operations. It would also benefit the main reason we were sent here. To improve our space power education. And I believe this may be an opportunity to learn more. With your consent of course."
The director of S.W.O.R.D. stares at the teens as she goes over her options. On one hand, she is sending her charges to a danger they are not yet prepared for. There are more dangers in space than aliens who want to kill you. On the other, most of their manpower is focused on the winter crisis. From the Fury Files she read on the Remnatians, they would make an excellent force multiplier for a rescue party. Maybe more than one of her S.W.O.R.D. strike teams. Plus, it would help if a few of her Agents showed them the ropes. The more she thought about it, the more beneficial the idea sounded.
"Alright, I'll allow it," Brand said. "However, I'm only going to allow one team to go. The other will remain on the Peak to help Agent Drew with Skrull Watch. I'm not going to risk losing all eight of you at once on my watch. I'll leave it to you to decide which team is going."
The teens looked at each other and back at Brand. They nodded in affirmation.
"A quick warning before you go," Brand said, her voice low. "If by some chance you become implanted with an alien parasite, we will have no choice but to put you down. Are we clear?"
Yang gulped at the implications. So did the rest of her teammates.
"That was meant to be a joke…right?"
[~]
"I mean, Facehuggers aren't real, so she's got to be joking," Yang muttered as she and her teammates were loading ammunition into their weapons. After they were dismissed, they went down to the armory to stock up on ammunition for their weapons. They exchanged the rubber rounds for lethal rounds and other special ammo.
"It's likely a common joke among S.W.O.R.D. agents," Weiss said as she inserted vials into Myrtenaster's revolving chamber. "Xenomorphs and Facehuggers only exist in movies. You shouldn't take them seriously."
"It's a big galaxy, Weiss. Anything's possible," Ruby says as she finishes loading an ammo clip filled with high-velocity ammo. "By the way. Did anybody notice how quickly team JNPR voted for us to be the away team?"
"Yeah," Blake agreed as she inserted an ammo clip into Gambol Shroud. "Jaune and Pyrrha aren't exactly fans of horror movies. Especially after watching Alien for the first time. Seeing the first chest burster put them right off the franchise."
"We've faced Grimm and supervillains and they're afraid of horror movies?" Weiss scoffed. "You wouldn't catch me screaming."
The temperature dropped as her teammates looked at Weiss. This didn't escape the white-haired huntress-in-training's notice. "What?"
"Is that so?" Yang quietly asks with narrowed eyes. "Then who was it that I heard screaming just by watching Friday the Thirteenth?"
"What? That wasn't—"
"Remember that time you stayed up all night because of Nightmare on Elm Street?" Ruby added stiffly. "You kept mumbling 'he's going to get me' repeatedly. I swear that you kept me up all night."
"Oh, that? I was training myself to—"
"You also kept asking us if we're us after seeing The Thing," Blake added with a deadpan expression. "I chalked it up back then as to Skrull identification training but—"
"A-anyway, we should meet up with the S.W.O.R.D. agents that Director Brand is assigning to us," Weiss stammered quickly, seeing that she wasn't going to win this argument. She had Myrtenaster revert to its sheathed form and briskly walk to the armory's automatic door. Just before she reached it, the door slid open to admit a large man dressed in a S.W.O.R.D. issued space suit. Weiss wasn't looking when she walked right into him and fell on her butt.
"Oh, my stars and garters!" the man exclaimed, his voice reverbing from behind the helmet. The black tint prevented anyone from seeing his face. He kneeled to extend a large hand towards Weiss. "My apologies. I didn't intend to obstruct your path."
"It's alright, I wasn't looking either," Weiss said as she took his large hand and allowed him to pull her up. The strength of his pull took her by surprise. She dusted herself off and asked, "I and my team are ready to go. Can you direct us to the hangar?"
"Why certainly. I'm heading there myself. Am I correct to assume Team RWBY will be the rescue party?"
"We are," Ruby confirmed. "Are you one of the agents coming with us?"
"Yes. And I believe we're already acquainted," the man answered. "Allow me to formally introduce myself face-to-face. I'm Doctor McCoy. I was the one monitoring your progress in repairing the Peak. Given my interest in the technology of the Korbonites, I've volunteered to be one of your chaperones for this mission."
"Pleasure to meet you," Ruby greets, extending a hand. He took her hand, shook it, and proceeded to shake the hands of the rest of team RWBY.
"You got a strong grip," Yang commented. "Would you happen to be an alien?"
"Oh no. I can assure you that I'm earth-born and bred," McCoy assured. "You can say that I'm a…human mutate."
Blake's eyes narrowed at the last word with suspicion.
"Anyway, allow me to guide you to the hangar. Our compatriot should be meeting us at the Falchion" McCoy answered. "I've taken the liberty of personally crafting your space suits for this endeavor. They should be loading into the Falchion as we speak."
He turns on his heel and exits the armory. Team RWBY proceeds to follow him.
"You designed our space suits?" Weiss asked as they kept up with McCoy. "How did you get our measurements?"
"I looked over your files," McCoy answered as if it were obvious. "But even without them, I could accurately guess your measurements through the video monitors. Your suits should feel like a second skin when you put them on. I'll go over the rest of the specifics once we're on our way."
Together they made their way to the elevator. Waiting for them is team JNPR with their weapons. They haven't drawn them, but their stance indicates that they will at a moment's notice. No surprise given that they will be watching the Skrulls in their beauty sleep. Both teams' eyes met as McCoy pressed the button to summon the elevator.
"Make sure you come back. Okay?"
That small sentence came from Jaune. The meaning is not lost on them. They are treading into unknown territory. An unknown vessel likely filled with unknown enemies. In space no less. They are no stranger to the potential that they would lose their lives. That is to be expected of huntsmen and huntresses. Whether fighting Grimm or supervillains. But they're not used to it. They've lost classmates during Kang's invasion of Remnant. It is getting better with their therapy sessions, but they haven't forgotten. Nor do they want to experience it again.
"We'll be back," Ruby said to Jaune with the air of making a promise. As team leader, she must ensure that she and her team make it back.
"Those Skrulls better still be sleeping when we do," Yang added with a joking tone. "I'd hate to add a mass breakout on top of everything else that's happened."
"They'd likely be in cryostasis given the nature of the station," McCoy assures them. "Given the attire they're sleeping in, I'd bet that they would be begging to be back in their tubes the moment they feel the cold."
Both teams snickered at the thought. The doors to the elevator open to admit them. McCoy and team RWBY entered the elevator. McCoy pressed the button for the hangar. The doors closed, and the elevator descended. Within a minute, they've arrived at the hangar. Stepping out of the elevator, they follow McCoy to a Falchion waiting to take off.
Waiting for them in front of the Falchion's lowered ramp is a woman in a suit almost like Captain Marvel's. The difference is that the color scheme is black and white. Her hair is twisted with kinks and coils. She gave them a warm smile as they approached.
"Hello Team RWBY. My name is agent Monica Rambeau. In the field, I'm known as Photon. A pleasure to be working with you."
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
Even though things are at their darkest, or in this case coldest, there is always hope. Now we are heading into an exciting new territory as Team RWBY goes on a rescue mission. I hope you know what to expect from this mission as I'm not telling. That aside, McCoy is who you think he is. Now before you ask, no he's not going to be telling anyone who he is. Because it's not the right time. You'll have to wait until the X-Men arc to find out. Why? Because I'm such an incorrigible tease.
Now as I'm sure you know; I held a poll as to what fanfic I should work on following 'Start the Fire's' adoption status. Well, here are the results:
The Phantom Duelists - 5
Stealing the Hearts of Many - 3
Fighting for Freedom REDUX - 3
From Mob to Pirate - 1
A Marvel Isekai: The Evil You Made – 0
And the winner is…the Persona 5 x Yu-gi-oh! Arc-V crossover The Phantom Duelists! This crossover featured the Phantom Thieves fighting against the forces of Academia. They'll be stealing hearts through dueling!
To be honest, I'm glad that I'm working on something else aside from Fighting for Freedom REDUX. Why? Because I'm already stoked about the Energon Universe and the many possibilities it presents. I'm already liking the new Cobra Commander and would love to use him and Cobra-La in Fighting for Freedom. I'm also looking forward to the G.I. Joe team assembling. I'm going to wait a bit on Fighting For Freedom so I can continue reading for more material.
Anyway, please look forward to The Phantom Duelists. Thank you for reading. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page would be greatly appreciated.
Until Next Time.