Remnant's Mightiest Heroes!
Chapter 29: Dark Winter Part 3
[~][~]
November 18, 6:06 UST
S.W.O.R.D. Falchion en route to Korbinite Vessel
Team RWBY all sat down on seats inside the Falchion. While they wait for their arrival on the alien vessel, they are going over last-minute preparations. For this mission, they wouldn't be wearing their usual superhero gear. In front of them is a table with four spacesuits on top with a matching helmet for each. Standing next to the table is Monica Rambeau, also known as Photon, who is going over the specifications.
"These suits are designed to fit any person of all sizes," Monica explained as she picked up a suit and pointed to a button on the right breast. "After slipping into this suit, press this button to activate the vacuum seal. This triggers the suit to compress around your body. While you are wearing this suit, you will be protected from the cold, radiation, and low pressure in space. As we always try to anticipate a fight, the suit is woven with durable fabric to make it tear-resistant. I assume you can imagine what would most likely occur if that weren't the case?"
Everyone felt a chill at those words.
"Isn't the whole schtick that we suffocate to death?" Yang asked. "We saw some movies."
"To be precise, you will lose consciousness in approximately fifteen seconds," Doctor McCoy corrects. "During those precious seconds, you would be experiencing intense asphyxiation. Your lungs will rupture when the oxygen expands in your chest cavity. Blood and body fluids will boil and then freeze. Because of boiling fluids, your tissues will expand—"
"Doctor McCoy!" Monica Rambeau interrupted with a look. "I believe they get that fact that they'll die a horrible and agonizing death without the suits."
From behind his helmet, McCoy blinked as he looked over his shoulder at the teen's blood-drained faces. "My apologies Team RWBY. I assumed, as part of your education and training, that you would like to be aware of the 'specifics' of the perils of space."
"Oh, it's no worry. That was very educational Doctor McCoy," Weiss said as she had been eagerly taking notes. "I would love to go into further detail about this. This information will be helpful when we find Remnant. It will give us some warning before we attempt another space-based endeavor. Back then, they failed because Dust proved to be incapable of operating outside our planet's atmosphere."
"Ah, yes. I learned about that element when I perused your files. I would love to study calcified elemental energy," Doctor McCoy said before becoming sympathetic. "Allow me to offer my condolences to you and Team JNPR. S.W.O.R.D. has been making attempts to locate Remnant by sending probes. There's nothing definite, but we're holding on for any hints such as a shattered moon. I must point out that it astounds me as to how your planet isn't destabilized or suffering extreme climate fluctuations."
"Yeah, it is a miracle that hasn't happened," Weiss admitted with a shudder. She's glad that one of their moon's shards didn't start falling to Remnant. It would've been an extinction-level event that not even a cockroach could survive. Briefly, she wonders why that hasn't been the case. But she chalked it up to the Brother Gods having something to do with it.
"Probes aren't the only thing we've sent," Monica added. "Carol personally undertook a mission to locate your planet."
"Wait…she did?" Ruby asked, as surprised as her teammates were. They weren't told about that. All they knew was that Carol left Earth due to some mission in space.
"So that's why she asked us to look after Chewie?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, and I heard about what happened from Carol. I'm sorry that Chewie ate your stuff. She isn't usually like that."
Blake simply glowered at her. The cat Faunus still hasn't forgiven Chewie for eating her stuff. She spent a lot of money to replace everything only to find out that the Flerken could've spat out her stuff the whole time. It proved difficult to get her to cough them all up.
"You knew Captain Danvers?" Weiss asked. Monica gave a warm smile.
"Yep. I knew her before she became Captain Marvel. I'm the daughter of her best friend, Maria Rambau. Back then I referred to her as Auntie Carol and she called me Lieutenant Trouble. That was one of the names I considered using that name when I got my powers and became an Avenger."
"Wow! You're an Avenger too?" Ruby asked with wide eyes. To her surprise, Monica shook her head.
"It's more like an Ex-Avenger."
"What happened?" Ruby couldn't help but ask. Monica's cheerful smile fell at that question.
"Two words: Civil War," Monica answered darkly. Instantly, the atmosphere got heavy at those words. Like they suddenly received a death report. Briefly, the Remnantian teens wondered if that's going to be the answer they'll get when they encounter a former Avenger.
"So, what are your powers?" Ruby asked, trying to change the subject. Monica didn't want to talk about her experience. It would make sense given that the Civil War is a sore subject for any superhero who took part in it. Monica gave the silver-eyed girl a grateful smile. She stepped in front of the table and spread her arms out.
"Try to touch me," Monica challenged. Team RWBY blinked at her sudden request. The S.W.O.R.D. agent didn't seem to want to elaborate any further. The four huntresses-in-training looked at each other, wanting to see who would step up. Finally, Yang took up the challenge.
"Okay, I'll bite," Yang said as she stood up. She walks over to Monica and reaches out an arm to touch her shoulder. "Is this going to be one of those shock buzzers—"
Yang is cut off when her hand, instead of touching Monica's shoulder, her fingers went through it instead. Frowning, Yang tried again only to get the same result. It was like trying to touch air. All the while, Monica gave a smug smile.
"W-What? Why am I not touching you?"
"During an assignment, an exposure to extra-dimensional energy altered my body," Monica explains. "As you can see, I'm made of light. You can't touch me unless I allow you to. In which case I become solid light."
"You're made of light?" Weiss asked in amazement. She couldn't help her curiosity as she too got up and attempted to touch Monica.
"Does that make you a real-life Admiral Kizaru?" Blake asks with an impressed expression. Monica raised an eyebrow at that comment.
"Kizaru?" Monica asked with mock hurt. "I've had that comparison to that guy before and here's my two cents. Kizaru is a boneheaded monkey. I'll admit I share a few abilities like his. Like fire electromagnetic blasts of pure electromagnetic radiation without compromising body mass integrity, create holographic copies of yourself, and travel at the speed of light. But if he knew what he was doing, he would know he could do THIS."
At that instant, Monica vanished right before their eyes. Everyone looked around for the S.W.O.R.D. agent. Except for Doctor McCoy, who underneath his helmet rolled his eyes as if he was expecting this. After several seconds, Monica reappeared behind Weiss and Yang with a smug look on her face.
"The truth is that visible light isn't the only thing I can become," Monica explains. "My body can become any form of energy. Especially when it's along the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio waves, electricity, X-rays, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, gamma radiation, and even neutrinos. Scientists theorized that I transform by mentally shunting the matter of my body into another dimension from which I draw my energy and replace it with a corresponding amount of energy. What happened just now is that I mimicked X-rays to become both invisible and intangible."
"That's pretty handy," Blake said, already thinking of the possibilities. It's one thing to become invisible, but intangible as well. That's a powerset any infiltrator would dream of having. It reminded her of a character named Shadowcat from the X-Men comics. Shadowcat is a mutant who can phase through matter like a ghost.
"If anyone else tries to hit me with an energy attack, it gets rechanneled and absorbed into my form. I can join my force with other superhumans' energy signatures to empower their abilities like a living battery. I can also do this."
Monica's form became enveloped in white light. It wasn't bright enough to blind them but could obscure her form as she changed. When the light died out, they were looking at a second Yang Xiao Long. Ruby looked between her sister and her mirror twin, noticing only a few slight differences.
"Wow. You can turn into other people too?" Ruby asked as Monica shifted to Weiss, Blake, and then Ruby.
"While I can change my appearance, I can't change my physical shape nor can I emulate your biometrics," Monica said. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't have its use. Like when I want to evade a pursuer. Would you like to see me pull an Ant-Man?"
As Team RWBY nodded eagerly, Doctor McCoy called over his shoulder, "As much as they want to observe you condense your energy form, I must insist on doing it later. We're approaching the Korbinite Vessel. T-minus five minutes."
The atmosphere turned serious. It's almost time for the mission to begin. Monica took the opportunity to change back to her true form. She took a helmet off a nearby wall and walked over to the pilot seat. Team RWBY followed behind her. They peered from behind the S.W.O.R.D. agents to get a glimpse out the window.
The image back at the Peak didn't do it justice. The 62,000 metric ton Korbinite Vessel might as well have been a mountain to them. Ruby is ogling at the massive weapon emplacements. Yang had to hold her by her collar to stop her from bouncing all over the place. To their relief, the ship's weapons didn't lock on to them as they approached. Hell, they haven't moved one inch. They chalked it up to the ship's AI being offline to operate them.
Although they couldn't help but be concerned. If the ship's AI had been damaged, why haven't there been any attempts to repair and reactivate it? If that were the case, the Korbinites on board would've responded to the Peak's hails. But it wasn't so. The answer to their questions cannot be found anywhere but onboard the ship which is the purpose of this mission.
"It looks like the ship from Space Battleship Yamato," Blake muttered. "But with this atmosphere, I feel like we're approaching the Nostromo."
"Will you stop bringing that up?" Weiss hissed, shooting her teammate a glare.
"That's enough of the parasitoid talk," Doctor McCoy cuts in. "Team RWBY, take this opportunity to don your suits and check your weapons. Photon, I'll need you to insert yourself into the vessel. Before we left, I downloaded a schematic of a Korbinite Warship. If it matches the one we're seeing right now, we should be coming up on the entrance to the hangar. I'll need you to operate the manual override inside."
The moment he used her codename, it was showtime. Monica nodded as she put on her helmet. She gave one last look to Team RWBY before she sank into the Falchion's floor. They stared at the spot where she vanished before looking at the back of Doctor McCoy's head.
"Could she—"
"It hasn't been tested if she can survive the vacuum in energy form," Doctor McCoy answered. "Nor would it be wise to experiment with a person's life at stake."
Team RWBY nodded in understanding. It's important to know your limitations.
"How long until our air runs out?"
"Each of our suits has a primary oxygen circuit containing a total of 0.54 kilograms of oxygen at 5,860.5 kilopascals of pressure, enough for a seven-hour EVA. If all goes well, which I'm more than inclined to assume that it won't, we should be able to insert ourselves into the ship, reactivate the Artificial Intelligence, and find out what happened. I'll need to guide Photon through the warship's hangar. I trust you'll have no difficulty getting suited up?"
Team RWBY didn't need to be told twice as they went to put on their spacesuits. Thanks to Monica's instructions, they weren't difficult to put on. It's like how they put on their superhero suits. Upon climbing into the suits, they pressed a button to activate the vacuum seal. Ruby is the fastest to get her suit on. Once she grabbed her helmet, she zipped over to a nearby seat and pulled out her scroll to play a game. Doctor McCoy briefly looked over his shoulder.
"It's a brief interval before the mission and you've chosen to play a game?" McCoy asked over his shoulder. His tone suggested disapproval.
"I'd rather call it getting to know Earth culture," Ruby said defensively, never taking her eyes off the screen. Weiss walked over to her with hands on hips.
"You said that about cartoons," Weiss said with her voice dripping with displeasure.
"And strawberry doughnuts," Blake added. Ruby shot her teammates a reproachful look. Yang clutched her stomach as she guffawed.
"I would take this opportune moment to expand your knowledge," Doctor McCoy said. "Like science and mathematics. Both are essential parts of our lives. Both encourage critical thinking, scientific reasoning, analyzing, evaluating, and the ability to solve quantifiable problems. These would be essential to your work as a superhero."
"You remind me of my teachers back at Horizon. Especially my mathematics teacher," Ruby groaned. Her tired look is immediately replaced with stars in her eyes as she shoots up from her seat. "Although one of them, Doctor Bradley, is my favorite. He would always go on and on about the glory and wonder of science. Once I was a wandering student in a wasteland known as ignorance. Then he showed me the light! Praise science! Ooh! I got a new idea for a science project!"
As Ruby continued to ramble on, she didn't hear Doctor McCoy mutter under his breath, "So this was when he converted her."
[~]
As Monica phased through the titanium alloy of the Falchion, she felt her weight become fade to nothing. It's a feeling that she had grown used to in her years as a S.W.O.R.D. agent. Something she and nearly every S.W.O.R.D. agent grew to enjoy as part of their job. They don't get to experience it as often as they could due to the artificial gravity generators emergence. The only time they could is they could exit the Peak or turn off the artificial gravity. Either option would earn them the fiery wrath of Director Brand.
Right now, she can fly amongst the stars. Thanks to her suit's insulation technologies, her body heat is kept inside. She felt as if she had been tucked into bed by her mother. She couldn't help herself as she performed a barrel roll in space. Her eyes took in the vast starry expanse with eyes filled with wonder.
With a single thought, she could convert herself into a beam of light and travel anywhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. Monica could help Carol look for Remnant. It's been a while since she and her friend did a mission together. How many star systems would have a planet with a shattered moon? She didn't voice that out at the risk of making the search difficult. The universe has a nasty habit of screwing with people after all.
Monica is broken out of her thoughts courtesy of Doctor McCoy speaking into her commlink, "I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment of the zero-gravity environment. It's time to get to work. I'm uploading directions to your helmets HUD."
"I'm on it," Monica said, narrowing her eyes. Rolling her shoulders, she flew towards the Warship. Her helmet's HUD highlighted a path for her to follow with dashed lines. As she flew past the ship's hull, she took note of the damage.
The directions brought her to a spot on the hull. Counting to three in her head, she drove through the alien alloy metal like it wasn't there. It is also that moment when artificial took hold. She willed herself to stay floating as she felt the pull of the ship's artificial gravity. Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor and let her feet touch down. The darkness reduced her surroundings' visibility. She pressed a button on her helmet to activate its built-in flashlight function.
What she saw can only be described as a disaster area. The S.W.O.R.D. agent had a feeling that the hangar had seen better days as the whole place looked like a mess. Korbinite fighters are scattered haphazardly. Alien-looking equipment on the floor either intact or in pieces. Bronze-colored metal walls had pieces ripped out, exposing circuitry and pipes from within.
Now that she was close to the ground, she noticed a distinct lack of Korbinite bodies. For a vessel that appeared to have been attacked, there didn't seem to be any corpses from a fight. Whether from an enemy boarding party or of the ship's crew.
"Doctor McCoy, I'm inside," Monica spoke into her comms. "But somethings wrong. If this ship was supposed to be attacked, then all I'm seeing is a ghost ship. I'm not seeing any Korbinite bodies."
"That is disconcerting," McCoy said. "I'm right in front of the hangar bay doors. Be on the lookout for a green lever. That's the manual override. In an astonishing twist, it seems that the Korbinites prefer to label their emergency apparatuses with green."
"You learn something new every day," Monica said as she scanned the hangar for the lever. The quiet in the hangar isn't as serene as space. Rather it felt as if she was walking into an actual haunted house. After a few seconds, she spotted it several feet away from her. As she walked over to the lever, she felt something crunch beneath her step. Looking down, Monica found tiny chunks of obsidian rubble. As she looked around the floor, there was more of it. There is one massive rock that she could've sworn looked like an arm.
Pushing her thoughts aside, Monica continues her approach to the green lever. Grabbing the lever, she pulled it down. She could both hear and feel the rumble of machinery working to perform their function. The S.W.O.R.D. agent almost imagined gears and cogs grinding together. Then it suddenly stopped. The hangar doors haven't opened at all. Frowning, Monica got back on the comms.
"McCoy, the override isn't working," Monica reported.
"Hang on," the S.W.O.R.D. doctor said. "I'm scanning the ship…and I found the problem. There are clusters of debris lodged into the mechanisms. Most likely from the attack. You'll need to get them cleared for the override to continue. One blast should be enough to see them dislodged."
"I see them," Monica said as her HUD highlighted the debris clusters. She counted four in total. "Quick question. Wouldn't opening the hangar depressurize it and send me back into space?
"It appears that the Korbinites developed some kind of environmental engine technology for their ships," McCoy answered. "They maintain the air pressure while allowing their spacecraft to enter. You don't need to worry about getting blown out of the spacecraft like a ragdoll."
Nodding her head in relief, she turned in the direction of the first cluster. Her HUD highlighted the cluster behind the wall. Raising a hand, she fires a blast of electromagnetic energy at it. Experience and training resulted in the blast striking true. The impact of the blast dispersed the cluster. Almost immediately, she can hear machinery working.
Giving a satisfied smile, she searches for the other clusters. Her eyes fell upon her second target which is on the ceiling. Just as she was about to fire another blast, her helmet sensors picked up a sound. Looking over her shoulder, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off as something being knocked down from the earlier blast, she returned her focus to the cluster and fired another energy blast, dislodging it. The whine of machinery grew. Monica swore she could hear the doors beginning the budge.
It wasn't until she got to the fourth one that she encountered a problem. After she dislodged the debris, she noticed that it left significant damage to what appeared to be alien cables. A sharp piece of shrapnel likely severed the connection. It didn't take a genius to know that these conduct electricity among the vessel. And it's more than likely that these provide power to the hangar bay manual override given that the doors aren't opening despite her efforts.
Right as she was about to contact McCoy when an idea popped into her head. She gripped one of the severed ends with her right hand and the other with her left. Normally, doing something like this would be considered idiotic and would result in electrocution. But for her, it was a slight tingle as she channels the energy through her body like a circuit.
After a few seconds, the hangar doors begin to open. Slowly but surely, they slid apart in the middle. As they opened, a blue energy field flickered into existence. The air pressure remained the same as the gap between the doors grew wider. Wide enough to allow the Falchion room to enter. Slowly, the Falchion entered the hangar. Landing struts extended from beneath the ship as it landed.
The ramp extended from the belly of the Falchion. From within came Doctor McCoy and Team RWBY. The Remnatian team are dressed in their spacesuits. Their weapons are at their sides. The teens scanned the hangar with caution as McCoy led them toward Monica who was still focused on channeling the energy.
"I believe that'll be all Photon," McCoy spoke up. Monica looked over her shoulder at the S.W.O.R.D. doctor.
"What about the field?" Monica asked, jerking her head towards the blue field. McCoy gestured to the cables with his hands.
"Those cables help facilitate the door movements," McCoy explained. "We don't need to worry about the air pressure."
Monica stared at him for a moment before she removed her hands. Glancing back at the blue energy field confirmed that it didn't flicker out.
"So, what happened here?" Ruby asked, looking around the hangar. "Enemy attack?"
"Most likely from an enemy boarding party," Monica answered. "But you'd figure there at least be bodies from both sides. Not to mention there are no signs of any Korbinites."
"That is disconcerting," Weiss said. Part of her felt relieved that there weren't Korbinite casualties. But it begged the question as to what happened to them.
"Hmm…" McCoy hummed as he looked around. The doctor noticed the obsidian dust on the floor. Walking towards it, he knelt and took a sample of the dust. He placed it in a vial and inserted it into a device. After a few seconds, the screen lit up with a match.
"Interesting. It appears that these remains are composed of plutonic rocks."
"You mean these rocks are from Pluto?" Yang asks with a raised eyebrow.
"No. I mean that these are grains of volcanic rock Fl—Ignite," McCoy said, using Yang's codename as he stood up straight. "This is curious because I cannot imagine as to why the Korbinites would have it on board. Unless they brought it aboard for research purposes. Being a scientist, I could understand given the Korbinite Empire's reputation for being peaceful expansionists. But this hardly seems to be the appropriate place to undertake such scientific endeavors. I for one would keep them in a laboratory and put them under proper storage. And there's too much plutonic rock to be considered samples. The observational data and my thoughts led me to one hypothesis."
No one said a word at his implication. Suddenly, Team RWBY looked around the hangar with more alertness. They stared at shadows as if an enemy would leap out and attack. Blake's eyes, which are more accustomed to the darkness than her teammates, briefly fell on the volcanic effigy of an arm Photon spotted earlier.
"Let's look around. We need to get the full picture before coming to conclusions," Doctor McCoy said. He glanced at team RWBY as he said, "I'd suggest having your weapons out. Whoever has done this could still be here."
Team RWBY didn't need to be told twice. Yang's fists became covered with Ember Celica, her prosthetic shifting to combat mode. Blake pulled out Gambol Shroud's sword and held its sheath in her other hand. Weiss pulled out Myrtenaster and started inserting vials into slots. Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose into full scythe mode, her hands gripping it with the itch to use it.
Ruby has never used her baby's true form. To avoid killing people back on Earth, she opted to use the Crescent Roses Bo-staff form. The silver-eyed girl vowed to only use her scythe to fight any monsters like the Creatures of Grimm. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to harm another sentient being hostile or not. But the young huntress in training steeled her resolve for the sake of the mission.
Slowly, the party moved deeper into the ship. McCoy took the lead as he held the downloaded schematics on his pad. They left the hangar and proceeded down a long hallway. It's big enough for Ruby to swing Crescent Rose and has limited ways to ambush them. Some of them kept an eye on the ceiling for an attack from above. Overhead are more pipes streaming along the ceiling. They stepped over more piles of dusted volcanic rock with some shrapnel mixed in. The walls are covered in scorch marks.
Eventually, they came to another opening. The door is on the floor with a massive dent at the center. It had been busted down by something very strong. What that was is a very good question. They went around the metal slab as they entered the next room. Everyone's eyes went wide at what they saw.
"Gods…"
The room they've entered is almost as big as the hangar. The copper-plated walls have changed to cobalt blue. On the ceiling are power cables bunched together. Each of the walls has five rows of icy-blue rectangular containers. The room felt chillier compared to when they entered.
"What is this place?" Weiss asked McCoy as they carefully treaded through the room. The S.W.O.R.D. scientist looked down at his pad. Ruby suddenly approached one of the containers. Peering closely, she noticed that it was covered in frost. Curiosity overtook her as she reached out and rubbed her hand to wipe away the frost…
…And found herself staring wide-eyed at the face of an orange-skinned humanoid. In all her life she'd only seen one image similar.
"Hey! I found one of the Korbinites," Ruby called out to the group. They crowded around her to get a closer look, but not so much as to crush her. The group split off to look at the other containers. After rubbing the frost off, they confirmed that each had a Korbinite in them.
"There's a Korbinite here and a Korbinite there. Here a Korbinite, there a Korbinite, everywhere a Korbinite," Yang called while pointing with her finger. "I give up on counting. There's bound to be a thousand of them here."
"How about more than a thousand?" Weiss asked as her blue eyes scanned the chamber. "Given the cold and frost, would it be safe to assume this is some kind of cryobay Doctor McCoy?"
"An astute observation Bl—Snowflake," McCoy said, studying the pods with interest. "Each of the containers is a cryo-chamber. It's likely that before the Universal Neural Teleportation Network, the Korbinites would put their crew into these pods to be cryogenically preserved until they reached their destination. Before you ask it's an artificial network of generating wormholes, commonly known as Jump Points, to allow faster-than-light travel across the universe. Anyway, space travel is long and dangerous without it. Long voyages would use up a lot of resources and trying to keep everyone awake would only exhaust them faster. Therefore, it would make sense to put the non-essential personnel into cryogenic suspension for the duration of the voyage."
"That would make sense given that their ship is being run by an AI," Monica said then frowned. "But something doesn't add up here. If they're all here catching their beauty sleep and the AI is down…who's operating the ship?"
"AAAH!"
They abruptly broke out of their musings as Yang went soaring past them, yelling all the way. Everyone's heads followed her progress as she landed in front of the empty doorway. The yellow-clad heroine shot an arm upward to give them a thumbs up, signaling that she was okay. They didn't have time to make certain she was okay as another presence made itself known.
Stomping towards them is what appeared to be another Korbinite. Or a creature-like one as it has equine features such as hooves and a horse face. Compared to the image, it's much taller and more buff. The creature is dressed in high-tech gold and red armor. Diamond white eyes glared with a fury of suns at the intruders.
"Face me if you dare demons!" The creature growled, baring his teeth. "You have pursued me only to find death!"
[~]
Gormándur. 7 Days After the Seal of Bor's Sons Broke
Asgard, Royal Palace of Valaskjalf
Doctor Jane Foster, the Mighty Thor, stared hard at her reflection in the mirror. She's given a room in the Valaskjalf to stay in while she helps the Allfather's forces defend the Nine Realms. The goddess of thunder had gone on another Fire Demon subjugation mission with Thor and the Warriors Three.
Their mission took them to Svartalfheim, or the Dark World as most of the inhabitants are calling it. The Dark Elves call it Harudheen. The name is well-earned as the realm is almost completely corroded with dark matter. Turns out, they are also genocidal fanatics who want the universe to return to its primordial dark state. And there was a gathering of Dark Elves and Fire Demons. A match that should never be made in Valhalla. Her inner scientist was geeking out about the fact that the only visible source of light happens to be a black hole as well as the fact that the Dark Elves developed grenades that can create miniature gravitational singularities. But she smothered it for the sake of the mission. That and being sucked into a black hole is a horrible way to die.
They are taking a well-deserved reprieve before their next mission. Hopefully, it would take them back to Earth. When they came back, they got word from Heimdall that Earth was covered in a worldwide blizzard. But wait, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim are invading as well. So, there's that. The stoic guardian of the Bifrost tone was steady, but somehow she could tell he was scared. Her study of Norse Mythology recalled Fimbulwinter, the three-year winter to prelude Ragnarök. She hoped that she was wrong and that it was just freak weather caused by another supervillain. Frankly either one of them is terrible.
When Thor heard the words, he was all raring to go back to Earth. Understandable as not only is it being invaded, but his brothers are also there. His determination grew when Heimdall confirmed that Balder had not only found Loki but that he engaged him in combat before the winter began. He pointed out that Loki has a new weapon. A sword of frost that is likely responsible for engulfing the world in the deadly winter. The Bifrost guardian couldn't see more as the snowstorm was somehow blocking his vision.
Jane can empathize with her cherished friend. Especially given that Loki, with Heimdall's confirmation, has the Arrow of Hoder. The same arrow that killed him. She too wanted to go down there and go medieval on some evil ass. Jane did not doubt that they could take on an entire realm. But they need a reprieve to have clear heads after fighting Dark Elves and Fire Demons. Fortunately, she and the Warrior's Three were able to convince him to take a moment to recover their strength. Thor was reluctant, but even he knew the folly of going in on a period of exhaustion.
That gave her a moment to check on something that she didn't want Thor to know. In her hand, she held her mace Thunderstrike. Jane hadn't released it ever since she answered the call. She's even more afraid of what would happen if she released the power. But she had to know. She can't keep running from this. So, with great reluctance, she released her hold on Thunderstrike. The mace's fall caused a crack to form on the floor.
The effect is immediate. The moment she released her hammer, she transformed back into her mortal form, a pained gasp escaping her throat. Gone was the beautiful and powerful goddess of thunder. In her place stood a sickly gaunt woman. Her cheeks are sunken and dark rings encircle her eyes. Lucious dirty blonde hair became unkempt brown. She looked like she lost more weight than the last time she transformed.
As a former nurse, she knew that she was getting worse. Science and medicine didn't cure her, so when she got Thunderstrike she hoped that magic would be the solution. But each time she transforms it removes the chemotherapy in her system and speeds up her affliction. While she's the Mighty Thor, she feels as healthy as an ox. But when she's Jane Foster, she's reduced to a husk creeping towards death. How long could she keep this up? How much time does she have?
Jane didn't have time to ruminate further as there was a knock at her door.
"Jane?"
"I-I'm here. Just a second," Jane called, hoping that he wouldn't pick up the weakness in her voice. Quickly, she summoned Thunderstrike back into her hand and transformed back into her goddess form. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she walks to the door and opens the door. Standing outside is Thor with Mjolnir in hand.
"It's time. We make for Midgard before my father notices."
[~]
Thor and Jane left the palace, taking great care to not let anyone see them lest they report to Odin. They flew halfway across the Rainbow Bridge before walking the rest of the way. For Jane, it gave her a chance to marvel at the crystalline prismatic bridge closely. It wasn't hard to see where it earned its name 'The Rainbow Bridge'. The crystals conduct the Bifrost to the Himinbjorg, where Heimdall not only overlooked the Nine Realms and other regions of space but commanded the Bifrost. With his sword, Hofund, Heimdall can activate the switch to open the Bifrost Bridge and allow instantaneous travel.
This method of transportation will allow them to get to Midgard. Part of her is worried about the accuracy given that Heimdall's vision is obstructed. Nothing more dangerous than using the Bifrost inaccurately. But her thoughts shifted to Thor. The Prince of Asgard had a troubled look on his face.
"How are you feeling?" Jane asked.
"Feeling refreshed if I am being honest," Thor said with a nod. "But more importantly, I can finally pursue my brother after being denied for so long. Loki's madness has gone on long enough. Yet I can't shake this feeling of dread."
"I understand if it's because Loki is holding the very weapon that killed Balder the first time," Jane said. "But Heimdall said that he tossed it away in favor of drawing that new sword. Why would he do that?"
"Likely to test his new toy. Although I've seen him use daggers and sorcery, he is a formidable swordsman," Thor confirmed. "But forging a weapon capable of engulfing a realm in winter would take a master smith. Someone must've forged it for him. I'm more inclined to believe that he forced a dwarven smith with his foul sorcery."
"I wouldn't put it past Loki to do that," Jane commented. "Given that Earth is experiencing a new Ice Age because of it, could its power rival that of Mjolnir?"
Thor knitted his brows as he gripped his hammer. "From what Heimdall described of its power…it's very likely. Makes me curious as to what the smith used to create a weapon of such caliber."
"Maybe we can get the answer when we wring Loki's neck," Jane said. It was at that moment they reached Himinbjorg. At the center of the massive chamber stood Heimdall, the ever-vigilant sentinel of Asgard. His hands rested on his sword as he stared into the cosmos.
"Hail Heimdall," Thor greets. "How fares Midgard?"
"It stands fast against the Frost Giant Invasion," Heimdall answered, his golden orbs never looking away for even a second. "But if Fimbulwinter continues, I do not doubt that all life will perish before the month ends."
The two warriors of thunder noticed the term he used to describe the global winter. They desperately hoped that he was not suggesting that the winter plaguing Midgard/Earth is THE Fimbulwinter. Because if it is, then it could mean that Ragnarök is just around the corner.
"What of Balder?" Thor worriedly asked. It didn't make him feel better when Heimdall shook his head.
"If I may make a suggestion prince," Heimdall said. "When Loki and Balder's weapons clash, I have witnessed light becoming frozen. If you are to look for him, I'd follow the trail of frozen light."
"I will bear that in mind. Thank you Heimdall," Thor said gratefully. Before he and Jane could move around him, Heimdall raised a hand to stop them.
"Before you attempt to convince me to open the Bifrost," Heimdall said. "The Allfather has given me strict orders not to open the Bifrost without his consent. Especially you."
"Of course he would," Thor sighed in resignation.
"Which is unfortunate that I was on break and couldn't stop you from opening it yourselves," Heimdall added cryptically. Thor's head perked up in realization at what Heimdall was implying. His mind raced back to when the Warriors Three and Lady Sif defied his father's orders and sought him when he was banished. He simply left Hofund for them to use. It shows that the complicated man he can be, he ultimately puts the safety of Nine Realms above all else.
"Just a moment…" Heimdall called out, causing the two warriors to turn to face him. "I'm seeing a horde of Fire Demons numbering in the thousands. They are pursuing a Korbinite warship that is fleeing the Burning Galaxy."
"What?" Thor's head shot back in surprise. Only Jane is looking between the two Asgardians in confusion.
"I'm sorry, but what exactly is a Korbinite?" Jane asked. Thor gave her an apologetic look when he realized his mistake.
"They're a peaceful people of a powerful empire," Thor explained. "Unlike the Kree and Skrulls, they expand not through blood but through words. Of course, that doesn't mean they're not afraid to resort to war should the need arise. But to hear them fleeing out here is troubling. Heimdall, can you see what happened?"
"I cannot. My vision of the Burning Galaxy is blocked. Not by frost, but by flames," Heimdall answered. "It would seem that whatever happened only they can provide the answer."
By 'they' he means the Korbinites. The ones whose ship is about to be set upon by Fire Demons. The thought made their blood boil. It seems like every time they save one person, someone else dies. But even more reason to save as many as they can. Even if they could only save one soul, it would make everything worth it.
However, something about that conversation is rubbing Jane the wrong way. Namely how the Burning Galaxy is being obscured by flame. Part of her wondered if Heimdall meant it literally. Her thoughts are drawn back to that conversation in the library. Specifically, the Twilight Sword and how it is created. The thought of it felt like an iceball settling in her stomach.
"Heimdall, can you send us to the Korbinite Warship?" Thor suddenly asked, much to the surprise of Heimdall and Jane.
"Balder is one of Asgard's finest warriors and can hold his own," Thor declared. "I'm certain that he would never forgive me for throwing away innocent lives when I could've saved them. I know I wouldn't. I'm certain Jane could go in my place."
"No, she won't," Jane denied bluntly.
"Jane, if we split up—"
"Not a chance," Jane insisted with a scowl. She walked up to Thor and jabbed a finger into his chest. "If you are thinking I'm letting you take on another swarm of Fire Demons, you are sadly mistaken. Given the fact that we have a horde of Fire Demons, wouldn't two Thor's be better than one?"
Thor met Jane's stare with his own. Neither of them is budging from where they stand. She had an even deeper reason as to why she was being stubborn. But she didn't dare voice it out loud. It will make Thor want to coddle her or keep her out of combat entirely.
"Besides, aren't you forgetting something?" Jane pointed out. "Down there, I'm certain that the Avengers are helping in the fight against the Frost Giants. Don't you think Loki deserves another thrashing from the Hulk?"
Thor's face broke into a grin as he relived that memory. When he told the story of the Chitauri Invasion to the children, they always loved the part where the Ogre thrashed the puny god. The green goliath bemoaned he didn't get another chance at Loki after the latter's takeover of the Nine Realms. After all he's done, he certainly deserved another. He turned to Heimdall.
"Heimdall, can you find a way to share your vision with Balder?" Thor asked. "Tell him that help is on the way. If you succeed, could you do the same for my fellow Avengers and inform them about Loki? Let them know Balder's position."
"I will do my best to deliver your warning," Heimdall said with a nod. Then the Bifrost Guardian stepped off the pedestal and walked past them. Hofund is still inserted for their use. Jane and Thor shared a look before the prince of Asgard approached the sword and activated the Bifrost. The Bifrost hummed with power as the gateway glowed with otherworldly energy, its vibrant colors swirling in a mesmerizing display. Taking a deep breath, Thor and Jane stepped forward. In an instant, they were gone.
[~]
It was like they were flying. No matter how many times used the Bifrost, they could not help but feel awe. It was like being whisked away on a journey beyond comprehension. The universe around them blurred into a kaleidoscope of cosmic vistas, stars streaking past like celestial comets. Time felt both suspended and accelerated as if the fabric of reality itself was bending to accommodate their passage. The sensation was both exhilarating and disorienting as if their very being was being stretched across the vastness of the Nine realms.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the whirlwind of motion subsided, and they found themselves standing onto of the alien vessel. A pattern-like marking is burned into the metal beneath their feet. Thanks to their divine physiologies, they can survive the vacuum of space without suffocating or popping like a zit.
Jane took a moment to admire the view of the vast void of space. Then she turned her attention to Thor who pointed at something. Following the path of his finger, she saw their way inside the warship. A crack in the hull. She guessed his meaning, as they couldn't speak in space, and nodded. She and Thor made their way towards their entry. As they walked, Jane took a moment to study the warship. It certainly lives up to the name due to the massive guns. There were scorch marks and other scars that decorated the hull, testifying to the tough battle it had seen.
The two gods of thunder encountered a slight setback when they found that their entryway was too small for them to enter. There is no sound in space, but they could imagine the sound of creaking metal as they peeled at the edges. They pulled back enough for them to jump through. She could hear their feet touching the floor. Briefly, she wondered how they weren't being blown out by the air pressure. But she just chalked it up to Korbinite technology.
"Okay, now that we can talk here's a question," Jane said. "How were we walking in a zero-g environment?"
"What do you mean?" Thor asked in confusion.
"I mean it's impossible to walk in a zero-gravity environment without external assistance," Jane explained. "It should be impossible, and yet we walked on the hull like we're wearing magnetic boots."
"Ah," Thor nods in understanding. "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say the answer lies in the ship's technology. I'm not into technology myself. But If Stark were here, he would no doubt want to take a crack at their technology. Korbinite technology has a reputation for being so advanced that most consider it sorcery."
"That would make sense. Arthur C. Clarke's third law states that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Jane pointed out. After that friendly bit of banter, they began exploring the ship. They exited what appeared to be a storage room and entered a hallway.
"Looks like the fighting wasn't limited to the outside," Jane commented as they took note of the signs of battle in the hallway. Along with the dozens of scorch marks that marked the floor and walls.
But they have seen the remains of Fire Demons. After several subjugation battles against them, they can recognize them on sight. Even if they are reduced to dusted piles of obsidian. Or volcanic rock as Jane would call it. Thor knelt to grasp a rock in the shape of a head.
"Fire Demons…" Thor growled as he crushed the rock in his hand. "Some of them found their way in."
"Only to find their death at the hands of their would-be victims," Jane added almost poetically. "But where are the Korbinites? I'm not seeing any of their bodies. Not that I'm complaining."
Jane let that sentence hang in the air. Thor's face softened at the implication. As a warrior, he's no stranger to death on the battlefield. And he is no stranger to failure. He has seen the corpses of those he couldn't save in time. Thor had a feeling that Jane, being a former nurse, had experienced patients she failed to save. He'd seen her treating any wounded when she had the chance. While she was able to prevent them from dying of fatal wounds, some were already at death's door. She tried to hide it, but he had known her ever since he first came to Midgard.
This brings him to the question of the lack of Korbinite bodies. While he's glad that there's no sign of deceased Korbinites, that raises the question as to where they are.
Any further musings were broken when his ears picked up a faint sound. Next to him, Jane shifted as she heard it too. It took a few seconds before the gods of thunder looked at each other with eyes wide in recognition. That was the sound of battle. Together, they raced down the hallway, willing their helmets to materialize around their heads. Whoever is fighting must be Korbinite survivors. Which means there's still Fire Demons on board. They need to help them.
They would later learn they were partly right. When they arrived at a spacious area with a drop in temperature, they encountered an unexpected sight. A Korbinite, or a creature like one, is engaged in battle with Team RWBY and two others. Ruby Rose, or Thorn, has unfurled Crescent Rose in its full scythe glory. Using her semblance, she darted two and through trying to attack the Korbonite. Being an experienced warrior helped Thor to realize that the red-garbed huntress was attempting to trip the creature up rather than make use of the scythe blade.
Her partner Weiss Schnee, Snowflake, isn't participating in the combat. Rather, she is using her semblance to conjure glyphs to act as barriers or propel her teammates. Some of the glyphs would form walls of ice or rock during intervals. Grasping her shoulders, much to his surprise is an old Avenger teammate named Monica Rambeau. He hadn't seen her ever since the Civil War. White energy is pouring from her fingertips and into Weiss. No doubt she's boosting her semblance with her energy. Thor knew because she did the same for Mjolnir once.
Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, Shadow and Ignite respectively, are engaged in close combat with the creature. Yang is actively tanking hits from their opponents' punches. She would use her false arms cannon to blind him giving Blake or herself an opening to exploit to wrap a ribbon around the creature's arm. With Yang's help, they restricted the arms movement. They are assisted by a hulking figure, whose features are completely obscured by the spacesuit. That figure proved to be inhumanly agile despite its abnormal size. Ducking a punch thrown by the creature, the figure used the other arm as a handlebar to lift himself off the ground. Wrapping his body around the arm, he locked it in place.
"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that's a Korbinite," Jane said dryly with a hand on her hip. "I'm not sure who the others are."
"While I'm unfamiliar with the big fellow, I know Monica of Rams Bow," Thor said. "The four girls are a group of huntresses named Team RWBY of Remnant."
"Remnant?" Jane shot Thor a quick look of surprise. "As in the planet with the shattered—"
"Yes."
"That is conquered by—"
"Yes."
"And they're—"
"Yes," Thor nodded for the third time, his expression as grave as the previous times. "We'll discuss this later. Right now, it's clear they trying to restrain and not hurt him."
"Sir, please calm down?!" Blake desperately yelled. "We're trying to help you and your people!"
"Your lies will not work, demon!" The creature roared.
"Do we look like we have horns and a pitchfork?" Yang demanded in exasperation with red eyes. The reward they got for their trouble was the creature yanking hard on the ribbon, throwing them into the air. With his free hand, he ripped the one locking his arm and threw it towards Ruby, who had come behind. She had just used her semblance to speed up only to crash from the impromptu projectile.
Blake and Yang were flying toward Thor and Jane. Acting quickly, they moved to catch the teens. They landed safely in a bridal carry in their arms. Both are met with an unexpected shock upon looking at their rescuers. Thor gave them a broad grin.
"Hail young heroes!"
"Thor?" Yang asked quietly before giving a massive grin. "You son of a bitch! What are you doing here?"
"My mother is NOT a bitch," Thor scolded with a harsh glare. The blonde brawler flinched. Lavender eyes became unable to look at him.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It was just an expression."
"Well try finding another that doesn't insult one's mother," Thor said as he set her down. Jane did likewise for Blake, who was looking between her and Thor in confusion.
"Umm…who are you?" Blake asked.
"I'm the Mighty Thor. Goddess of thunder," Jane replied as she dematerialized her helmet. "But I'm also known as Dr. Jane Foster. A pleasure to meet you."
"Jane Foster? You're THE Jane Foster?" Yang asked in surprise. Even Blake's eyes became wide as she remembered Thor's story of his exile to Midgard. Where he met a brilliant scientist who helped him learn a lesson in humility. The undertone in his voice implied that he viewed her as something more than a friend. Something that made Blake blush as she remembered some of the myths she read. Namely about a god falling in love with a mortal.
"Dang, no wonder Thor is so taken with you," Yang let out a wolf whistle. "You've struck big Thor."
"If we can get back to the more pressing issue," Blake pressed with gritted teeth. She jerked her head at the ongoing battle.
"Oh yeah. Long story short, these Korbinite dudes dropped into our system. We came over to find out what happened. We found out there is cryostasis. That guy came out of nowhere and attacked us. Not sure if he's a Korbinite because he looks different. All I can say is that he's being difficult."
"He mistook us for demons," Blake added. "We assume that's who attacked him and his people. As you can see…our attempts at diplomacy failed."
"He's likely suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," Jane said, thinking back on her medical expertise. "You've done a good job making sure the other Korbinites are safe. While it would normally make it worse, we need to restrain him. He's become a danger to himself and his people."
"What do you think we've been trying to do?" Yang asked, throwing her hands up. "I swear that he's stronger than ten Beringels combined! And let me tell you, they are very difficult Grimm to face!"
Thor furrowed his brows. He and Jane had a distinct idea as to who the demons were. And they are coming to finish the Korbinites off. While he can understand the Korbinite's need to protect his people, he's focusing on the wrong people and unaware of the danger. The fact that he's proven to be unreasonable complicates matters. For the safety of the people on this vessel, they need to resolve this quickly.
There was one thing he could do. Drawing back his arm, he aimed and threw it. The timing is perfect. Ruby had just dodged another strike from the Korbinite before Mjolnir came flying. She wasn't aware that Mjolnir came humming past as she used her semblance to get clear of the Korbinite punch. With a loud clang, it struck the creature in the midsection of his armor. The force behind the blow is enough to send him flying. He landed a few feet away. He's confident that Mjolnir will keep him pinned for his and everyone's safety. Especially as it gave him time to announce his and Jane's presence to the others unaware.
"Hail friends."
"Thor?" Ruby squeaked in surprise, nearly dropping her weapon. Her partner was in a similar state.
"W-What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.
"Heimdall spotted this ship, and we came to investigate. Never thought we would encounter you and your team," Thor explained. "It's good to see that there a friendly faces aboard. How have you been Monica?"
"It's good to see you too," Monica said in a good-natured smile. "And I'm doing well working for S.W.O.R.D. Thank you for asking. Caught a few criminals trying to smuggle illicit items to Earth and some human traffickers. But I wouldn't say that it's been the same."
"Indeed," Thor said as he sadly recalls the event that caused her and many other Avengers to leave. The god of thunder fondly recalled memories of battles fought side by side with the founding Avengers. From the invasions of the Skrull and Kree to the Infinity War. He hoped that they would find their way back to the team. Especially when the Avengers are undergoing a restructuring.
"I'd say that it's fortuitous for you to come," The unidentified male spoke up as he approached. "Forgive me for forgetting to introduce myself. I'm Doctor McCoy. S.W.O.R.D. detected this vessel and sent us to investigate. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated in clearing up this misunderstanding."
"It is my pleasure Doctor McCoy," Thor said before looking over to the pinned Korbinite. "Mjolnir can only be lifted by the worthy no matter how strong they are. Hopefully, it will keep him contained until he calms…down…"
His sentence trailed off as he witnessed something he'd never thought possible. The Korbinite gripped Mjolnir's hilt and lifted it off his chest. As he stood up, lightning danced around his body, not harming him. Somehow, he seemed to be emitting a stronger air than before.
"This cannot be …" Thor said wide-eyed at what he was seeing. The son of Odin is aware that the magical enhancement only permitted the worthy to wield Mjolnir. Any who can lift it is sure to be a welcomed ally. But by the Allfather, why did it have to happen now with a confused and enraged Korbinite?
"Your weapon is mighty, demon. But now it belongs to Beta Ray Bill!"
The Korbinite, now named Beta Ray Bill, charged with Mjolnir in hand. Thor was too stunned to react as Beta Ray Bill swung his hammer. The force of the blow sent the prince of thunder flying back.
This act spurned the other heroes back into action. They all leaped back in readied stances. None of them made a move due to the fear of the weapon he held in his hand.
"I assume this means he's worthy?" Dr. McCoy asked.
"Not the time Hank," Monica shot.
"You've fought well demons," Beta Ray Bill said as he advanced on the party. "But now it ends."
Nearly everyone gulped. They had difficulty trying to beat Beta Ray Bill before he got his hands on Mjolnir. Now they have an even bigger problem. Beta Ray Bill went after the first person within his sight, which happened to be Dr. McCoy. The doctor evaded what could've been a fatal blow by flipping over the Korbinite. Using his feet, he turned Beta Ray Bill's momentum against him by pushing him forward.
"Hmmm…." Dr. McCoy hummed despite the danger as he stroked the chin of his helmet. "It has occurred to me that we now have four people physically gifted. Bu—Ignite, Dr. Jane Foster, Thor, and me. If we combine our strength and focus on his limbs, we can restrain him."
"We can't just restrain him," Jane insisted as she hefted Thunderstrike just as Beta Ray Bill turned around. "We're wasting time trying to reason with an uncooperating Korbinite when the real danger is coming. Lucky for us, he doesn't seem to know Mjolnir's full capabilities. We need to knock him out before we can talk some sense into him. Even with Mjolnir, he's not unstoppable. I know because I once saw Thor get knocked out by a rock troll when he wasn't paying attention."
"I've got just the thing," Yang said, patting her prosthetic arm. "The thrashing I got from him gave me a lot of energy to power my semblance. The power that I can pour into one massive punch to knock that stubborn son of a…Ursa. Yeah, let's go with Ursa. It'll knock him out. I call dibs on his right arm. But we're one man short for this job."
"I can go and grab him," Ruby said, raising a hand. "Hopefully he's not knocked too far away. But first, let's give Beta Ray Bill the slip. Snowflake!"
"That was surprisingly appropriate," Weiss said as she brandished Myrtenaster. Beneath the charging Korbinite's feet, a row of glyphs materialized. Beta Ray Bill lost traction as he slipped. The Korbinite warrior is taken off guard. His arms flailed helplessly as he slid towards his opposition.
The physically stronger heroes didn't waste the chance as each of them grabbed a limb. Yang went for his right arm, the one that held Mjolnir. Jane gripped Thunderstrike's hilt with both hands as she locked the other arm. Dr. McCoy wrapped his entire body around one of his legs. They are joined by Thor whom Ruby brought back in a flurry of petals. Informed of the strategy, he joined the others in restraining the Korbinite by grasping the remaining leg.
"I get a leg. Really?" Thor grunted.
"Oh, we can switch at any time," Jane said with sarcasm. Beta Ray Bill struggled in their grasp. Lightning sparked from Mjolnir but none of it hit the heroes. Rather, it channeled up the arms of Monica Rambaeu who had shimmered into existence.
"Nice try," Monica hissed. The S.W.O.R.D agent had been invisible to get close to Beta Ray Bill and redirect Mjolnir's energy to herself. Just in case the alien warrior somehow found a way to use Mjolnir's lightning.
"Sorry buddy, but this is for your good," Yang said as she activated her semblance. A wave of hot air shot out as her hair became inflamed. She activated her arms 'Mega Punch' function. Her prosthetic gave off a burning yellow glow before she slammed it into the Korbinite's horse-like face.
[~]
"So, you have a mace version of Mjolnir?" Ruby asked as she gushed over Jane's weapon.
"Yep. Good ole Thunderstrike turned me into another Thor," Jane said with a smile as she showed off her weapon. The heroes have gathered around an unconscious Beta Ray Bill. In case he lashed out upon waking up, they restrained his arms and legs using cuffs that Dr. McCoy brought from the Falchion. McCoy assured them that they are heavily designed to restrain someone physically strong. Even Beta Ray Bill will have difficulty breaking free of them.
"So, Thor's dad can give magical weapons to anyone?" Yang asked with interest. Her arm had taken a lot of damage because of the recoil of her mega punch. She learned from its first use that it has a self-repair protocol. However, Tony warned her not to push it as there are limits. If the damages become too severe, then she may have to get a replacement arm.
"My father rewards people who've done great acts of heroism in defense of the Nine Realms," Thor said. He had already reclaimed Mjolnir from the unconscious Korbinite warrior. He and Jane stood guard at his sides to be ready in case he went berserk again.
"So, what are we going to do about him?" Monica asked.
"We'll wait for him to wake up," Thor answered. "Then we establish that we are friend, not foe."
"Are you sure?" An uncertain Blake asked. "He didn't seem to be in the mood to talk."
"He thought that we were an enemy that needed to be destroyed," Thor explained firmly. "We can't hold it against him for wanting to protect his people. Wouldn't you have done the same?"
While nobody said anything, it's clear that they agreed with him. One common fear that all life shared was fear of the unknown. Beta Ray Bill has no doubt never met people like them before.
"Well, the fighting did start because of a misunderstanding," Dr. McCoy said in agreement. "I for one had my share of them. You are sure that it will work?"
"We'll have to try," Jane said. "He's just scared and confused. The only way we can help him is to convince him to let us. Especially when we've got a Fire Demon attack to worry about."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Aye. The creatures of Surtur are wreaking havoc across the Nine Realms," Thor explained much to their dawning horror. "The forces of Asgard are stretched thin to defend those we swore to protect. We were about to fly to Midgard to deal with the winter when Heimdall spotted this ship. Heimdall couldn't see into the Burning Galaxy as it was obscured by flame. We got even more worried when we found out that more Fire Demons were coming to finish off the Korbinite survivors. We didn't know what happened but from Beta Ray Bill's words…"
His words trailed off, but everyone caught onto the meaning. Everyone paled at the implications of what Thor just revealed to them. Nobody said a word.
The silence was then broken as Beta Ray Bill finally started to stir and he slipped back into consciousness, drawing everyone's attention.
"Morning sleeping beauty," Monica greeted as peacefully as he could. "I trust you had a good rest?"
"Arg…what…" Beta Ray Bill muttered as he raised his head. He sat up groggily and tried to press a hand against the bruise on his face only to find that his hands were bound. Then his situation seemed to settle in as he became more alert. "RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT DEMON!"
He tried to stand up but was forced down by the two gods of thunder. They kept a sturdy grip on him to ensure he didn't shake them off.
"If you could calm down sir," Dr. McCoy said peacefully. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding—"
"Your words are wasted demon!" Beta Ray Bill snarled, practically frothing at the bit. "We know your kind! Isn't slaughtering my people? Destroying my planet enough?! Did not the screams of our women and children not satisfy your appetite?!"
"Korbin…is destroyed?" Thor asked in a low voice. Everyone is shocked by what Beta Ray Bill ranted. Their genuine sympathy seemed to enrage the Korbinite warrior even more.
"Don't you dare act so innocent demons! Make no mistake, once I get free—"
"For the last time. WE! ARE! NOT! DEMONS!" Yang punctuated for emphasis. She pointed her finger at the restrained Korbinite. "We have NEVER slaughtered your people. Hell, we are here to help everyone on board. And before you go into some ridiculous tirade about how we could be trying to trick you, which I reiterate we are not, have you ever seen a human before? Do we look like we came from Hell?"
"It can be a very clever disguise!"
"Beta Ray Bill, have we made any attempts to harm your people?" Ruby calmly cuts in while gesturing with one arm to the sleeping Korbinites. "When the fighting began, we never lifted a finger against them. I asked Snowflake to ensure that they are safeguarded against potential damage. We didn't want to risk any harm to your people. From ourselves or you. Would a demon do that?"
Pure white eyes stared into silver eyes. Then he turned his attention to his surroundings. His eyes scanned the barriers erected, some made of rock some of ice. While some have been broken to bits and pieces, cryo chambers remain unscathed with the Korbinites sleeping peacefully. To the superheroes' relief, Beta Ray Bill seemed to be deflating. His aggression faded slowly but not completely. That was a good sign.
"You…protected my people…?" Beta Ray Bill asked in disbelief. He squinted his eyes at everyone. "Odd. Now that I look upon you closely, your auras are different from that of demons."
"Aura?" Weiss asked with surprise. "You can see aura?"
"Yes. I can see auras," Beta Ray Bill answered as he focused on the Remnatian teens. "It's how I can tell who's a demon and who's not. They tend to disguise themselves you see. I'll admit that it's how I mistook you for demons. Although four of you are different from the rest. It's like your souls are…FREEZING SUNS ARE YOUR SOULS EXPOSED?"
"Umm…yeah," Ruby said, taken aback by his sudden outburst. "Aura is the manifestation of our souls. We unlocked it to—"
"YOU INTENTIONALLY EXPOSED YOUR SOULS?!" Beta Ray Bill screamed incredulously. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU FOOLS HAVE DONE TO YOURSELVES?"
[~]
5 Minutes Later
"SOUL INDECENCY!"
[~]
10 Minutes Later
"It was bad enough that they can reach down your throats to yank it out, but you made it so easy for them!"
[~]
21 Minutes Later
"SOUL INDECENCY!"
[~]
40 Minutes Later
"For your sake, you'd better hope that the demon breed doesn't get their hands on you four," Beta Ray Bill said as he finally calmed down. He took deep breaths as team RWBY stared at him wide-eyed.
"O-Okay," Ruby said simply. She wasn't the only one in shock from Beta Ray Bill's tirade. Weiss had a scandalous look over what was said by the Korbinite warrior. Blake had placed her hands over where her cat ears would be. Yang just gave a look that spoke 'meh'.
"Hear me, warrior," Thor said. "I am Thor. Son of Odin and prince of Asgard. With me is Dr. Jane Foster, the Mighty Thor. From S.W.O.R.D. we have Agent Monica Rambeau and Dr. McCoy. Forming Team RWBY are Thorn, Snowflake, Shadow, and Ignite."
"Thor?" Beta Ray Bill's eyes shot towards the god of thunder. "You're Thor? The Asgardian god of thunder?"
"You've heard of him?" Weiss asked curiously.
"The Korbinite people owe a debt to Asgard in safeguarding me people in the earliest stages of our imperial development," Beta Ray Bill explained. "But there came a day when we realized that we cannot count on their help forever. So, we got to work in creating our defenders."
"I believe I know the day you speak of," Thor said sadly. "That was when I destroyed the Bifrost to prevent a mass slaughter of an entire race. I'm sorry for what your people had to go through."
"It's no worry," Beta Ray Bill insisted. "It gave my people the opportunity to seek out our champions to defend our empire. I can say that our true test came when the demon breed attacked."
Everyone shared a look. Ruby carefully asked, "Can you tell us what happened? I-I mean if you're okay with it. I mean it wouldn't be okay because—"
"I have no fear of recalling Korbin's last days," Beta Ray Bill declared. "The demons were relentless. Killing and stealing my people away by the score. We were unprepared for such an attack. And then we saw it. Our star began to flare. We knew the end days had come. There was no other choice. We were forced to flee not just our home world, but the Burning Galaxy as the demons spread."
Beta Ray Bill paused. Thor is gritting his teeth in anger at the indiscriminate slaughter that the Korbinites suffered. Everyone had similar reactions. Especially Team RWBY, as they are reminded of not only the Creatures of Grimm that have plagued Remnant but also Kang when he conquered it. After a few seconds, he continued.
"We had little time," Beta Ray Bill continued. "As many as the surviving Korbinites as possible were placed in cold sleep. I was chosen to be the guardian of my people. I underwent…modification. I became Beta Ray Bill. The pinnacle of Korbinite genetics and technology."
"So, you became a cyborg?" Ruby asked. It was long after Beta Ray Bill nodded that Ruby suddenly appeared in front of him in a burst of rose petals. "Does that mean you have built-in weapons? Can I see them?"
"You'll have to forgive my sister," Yang said as she yanked Ruby away from a stunned Beta Ray Bill. "She's a bit of a weapons geek. Please continue."
"Anyway, together my ship Skuttlebutt and I—" Beta Ray Bill continued before being interrupted by a chortle coming from Yang.
"I'm sorry, but Skuttlebutt? Yang asked with a chuckle. "That's the name of your ship?"
"It's a nautical term for a drinking fountain on a ship," Monica corrected with a sharp glare at the yellow-clad heroine who shrank. "Before you ask, I'm a former harbor patrol enforcer and boat charter businesswoman. Let's all assume that it has a similar meaning. Now are there any more interruptions? Or can we let Beta Ray Bill continue his story?"
"Right, sorry," Yang apologized. Thankfully, Beta Ray Bill is understandably accepting of her genuine apology.
"As I was saying, my ship Skuttlebutt and I fled. Only to find ourselves pursued by the demon breed. The fall of our world wasn't enough for them. So, we fought, ran, and hid until we could find a haven for my people."
Everyone became silent. Then, in a burst of petals, Ruby once again appeared in front of Beta Ray Bill and hugged him. The alien warrior is stunned by this sudden action he doesn't know how to react.
"Umm, sorry. I just figured you need a hug," Ruby said bashfully. "Do you have hugs on Korbin?"
"We do. It's just that my people usually reserve it to express familial love," Beta Ray Bill explained. "And perform it at wedding ceremonies."
"Wow. Your culture is different than I thought."
"I agree. But any talk of Korbinite culture and customs will have to wait," Thor said, his face grim. "Beta Ray Bill, I am familiar with the demons that attacked your people. I would tell you more, but first, you need to be warned. More are coming as we speak. Your people are in grave danger."
"What?" Beta Ray Bill exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that first?"
"Maybe because you were too busy reading us the riot act on our soul indecency?" Yang asked rhetorically with her hands clawing at the air.
"Untie me this instant!" Beta Ray Bill demanded. "I need to get back to the bridge!"
Thor looked at Dr. McCoy who nodded. Walking over, he inputted the unlocking code. No sooner had the restraints fallen that Beta Ray Bill jumped to his hooves and took off in a direction they assumed to be the bridge. The heroes are at his heels.
"If I may ask, how is the ship still running?" Dr. McCoy asked as they ran. "The Peak tried to contact Skuttlebutt. I hypothesized that the Artificial Intelligence is offline due to the damage and lack of power."
"Everything is running on emergency power," Beta Ray Bill explained. "After the last attack, the Fire Demons damaged Skuttlebutt's AI node, preventing any repairs to weapon systems. Power has been diverted from non-functioning facilities to important ones until the AI Node is brought back online."
"So why hasn't it been brought online?" Weiss asked.
"I was on my way before I found out about intruders onboard Skuttlebutt," Beta Ray Bill shot with a look over his shoulder. "But even with Skuttlebutt online, he wouldn't be able to repair the ship with insufficient power. The cryo bay is draining a lot of energy just to keep my people alive."
No one said anything else as they reached the bridge. Climbing the stairs, the Korbinite warrior took a seat as he operated a console while looking through the vast void of space. Everyone watched as well. Some of them are fingering their weapons or flexing their arms in anticipation. It is so quiet they could hear their breath.
Then, in the distance, they could make out something. It looked like a tiny cloud in the distance. They weren't sure what it was, but they had a feeling. That feeling grew as it got bigger and bigger. Eventually, they could see what the cloud was.
Thousands upon thousands of demonic-looking creatures. They look like they are sculpted from glowing hot volcanic rock. Despite the vacuum of space, they are flying with wings of flame. There is no sound in space, but they did not doubt that if there is, they would be hearing the screams of the damned.
"So those are fire demons," Blake muttered, amber eyes wide with fear. "That's a whole lot of them."
"I feel you. This reminds me of the breach back in Vale," Yang said as she placed a hand on her partner's shoulder. There were so many Grimm that day. It didn't help that it happened in the middle of the city. If the other students of Beacon Academy hadn't shown up, there is no doubt that Team RWBY would've been overrun. Now they're facing a situation almost similar. But this time they are facing thousands of monsters in space.
"Jane and I will go out and hold off as much as their forces as we can," Thor declared. "The rest stay here and protect the ship. Beta Ray Bill, can you—"
Thor is interrupted when the screen sets off an alert. Beta Ray Bill typed away at the console and enlarged the image. Skuttlebutts sensors detected another ship. This one is small enough to be considered a scout ship. The sleek hull is painted with a blue and orange color scheme. From the screen highlights of the ship's specs, it's propelled by a quad-engine propulsion system.
And it is flying towards the swarm of fire demons. From its sides, twin blasters open fire upon the fire demon horde. A barrage of yellow energy projectiles tore apart the demons in its path. Enraged fire demons broke off from the swarm and surged towards the ship. It would no doubt be torn apart if it hadn't evaded in time. Its movements are like a butterfly. It ducked, rolled, and zigzagged to evade the hellish creatures. At one point, it made two groups of fire demons crash into each other.
"Wow! Whoever has got to be Luke Skywalker or better," Yang whistled.
"Who are they?" Ruby asked turning to Beta Ray Bill. "More Korbinite survivors?"
"I've never seen a ship of that design," Beta Ray Bill said with narrowed eyes. "But they are fighting the demon breed. Skuttlebutts communication arrays are picking up a transmission from them. They are attempting to communicate with us. Perhaps they are allies?"
"I fully agree with you Beta Ray Bill," Thor said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. A fierce grin spread on his face as he said, "By the Allfather, I am familiar with the Milano and the people on board. You should accept that transmission Beta Ray Bill. I think you will find them to be most essential to our fight against the fire demons."
Although confused like the others, Beta Ray Bill did as he requested. Pressing a button, he accepted the transmission. A blue window popped up on the screen. To team RWBY's astonishment, they are staring at the face of a raccoon. A raccoon that spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent spoke.
"This is the Guardians of the Galaxy. I'd ask what your situation is, but I think we can skip the part where you yell 'We're under attack by fiery demons' part. Lucky for you, we're becoming very good at killing these things."
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
It's been a while. I meant to post this last month, hopefully on Easter, but alas things don't go according to plan. It never does.
To summarize, this chapter has RWBY and the company board the Skuttlebutt and have an encounter with Beta Ray Bill, the second most worthy person to wield Mjolnir. Of course, they also must deal with Fire Demons coming to finish off the Korbinites. But they will find unexpected help coming in the form of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
I'm also aware of Rooster Teeth's death. God rest their soul. They've done good animation. Camp Camp. Red Vs. Blue. Gen: Lock. Nomad of Nowhere. Especially RWBY which is the inspiration for this and many other fanfics. I can only pray that someone will have the courage to adopt RWBY and continue the adventures of Team RWBY and their allies. I hope that the posting of this chapter drives home the answer to any questions regarding this fanfic's continuation.
I've also been keeping up to date with X-Men '97, which makes me eager to start the X-Men arc. Personal opinions regarding shipping will not be said. Sadly, I have a long way to go. But here's the current roadmap for Remnant's Mightiest Heroes! (Update Pending):
1. Ragnarök Arc (Current Arc)
2. Spider-Verse Arc
3. The X-Men Arc
4. Galactus Arc
I hope this satisfies your curiosity and will close the discussion about when are the X-Men going to show up. As for why some of them, such as Beast, are showing up but not revealing themselves yet…you are going to wait until we get to the X-Men arc for that answer. Otherwise, it will be spoilers.
Now, I'm going to take a break for a bit and focus on bringing 'The Phantom Duelists' up to speed. I aim to complete the 'Homecoming Arc' before coming back to RMH. The last thing I want is to keep neglecting to update.
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.