Author's Note:
Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter for Earth's Mightiest Huntsmen, and it's finally time to catch up with another RWBY character! This begins the Asgard arc, which I will say will probably be a bit shorter than the previous arc, technically speaking, although the final chapter for this arc will also be the first chapter of the next arc. But hey-Asgard!
As always, before we continue, let's answer some reviews!
SuperSaiyanFever: Perhaps there is. But I will say that, out of all of Team JNPR, Jaune got off easy. The others...well, let's just say for now that they're not in good places.
RXWriter: Oh, I am counting down the chapters until Thor gets to meet Nora. It's an encounter that I'm highly looking forward to, but sadly still has several chapters left before we get to it.
CRUDEN: I'm certainly looking forward to writing Jaune surrounded by heroes legendary to Asgard while he is still trying to prove to himself that he can be a great hero and leader.
Derder: I haven't really thought about the Champions that much, honestly not a big fan of most of those characters. But I will probably do an arc at some point involving younger heroes, though the characters I would use for that will probably be more associated with the Young Avengers than the Champions.
Thank you all for your continued support. Now let's get back to the story.
Asgard
Jaune let out a nervous chuckle, backing away slowly from the huge man in armor. "Hey, big guy," he said, putting his hands up. "Let's talk about this."
"How did you get here?" the man asked, pointing his sword at him. "No mortal has ever breached Asgard's defenses before."
"Okay, okay," Jaune tried to explain. "I don't know what's going on, or who you are, or where I am. How'd I get here? Where's Vale?"
The warrior didn't answer him. He instead swung his massive sword at Jaune, who backpedaled away. "Hey, I'm not a bad guy!" he protested. "I'm just as confused about all this as you are!"
The warrior once again swung at him. "It is my duty to guard the Bifrost from all trespassers. And you are trespassing."
"Right, right right right," Jaune said with a nervous chuckle. "And where on Remnant is Bifrost and Asgard? Somewhere near Atlas?"
"Your meaningless prattle will not save you, mortal." The warrior swung at him again. This time, Jaune raised Crocea Mors in defense, meeting the blade head on with a loud CLANG!
"I really don't want to fight you," Jaune said, still backing up, "I just want to find my friends and get back to Vale. Where are they?"
"If your friends are in Asgard, they will soon be joining you to face judgement," the warrior assured him before attacking again. Jaune raised his sword in defense, but the force of the impact sent him spinning back several feet.
Jaune was surprised as the strength of the attack. He didn't think that he had ever felt attacks that strong before, even from the Grimm. Even from Ultron himself, who was probably tearing Vale apart while he was…well, he still wasn't exactly sure where he was.
"Can't we just talk about this?" Jaune questioned.
The warrior once again ignored him, rushing at him and swinging his sword with all his might. Jaune raised his shield and blocked the strike, but, to his horror, the sword left a large gash in the shield, almost cutting it in half.
"Okay, that's it," Jaune decided. "I don't know who you are, pal, and I don't know how I got here, but if you're going to keep this up—"
The warrior's next strike hit Jaune square in the chest, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard and slid several more yards back. The instant he hit the ground, Jaune could feel his Aura shattering. It had already gotten low enough during the constant fighting against Ultron and his drones. The blow from this new enemy had finally pushed it past its breaking point.
Jaune grit his teeth and began to pick himself back up again, but the man was already upon him. The last thing he saw was the hilt of his blade slamming against his skull.
"Wake up." Strong hands struck Jaune's face, forcing him awake. He opened his eyes, groaning slightly to find himself on his knees in what appeared to be a golden throne room. Standing before him was another large, armored warrior, though this one was wearing lighter armor with a fur cloak draped along his shoulders. There were dozens of other armored warriors standing all around the room. To Jaune, they looked like the strangest huntsmen that he had ever seen before.
"Do you know where you are?" the man asked him.
Jaune would've rubbed his throbbing forehead if his hands weren't bound. "Uh…no?"
"Who are you? And how did you get into Asgard?"
"Uh…my name is Jaune Arc…and I don't even know what Asgard is."
"Heimdall said you mentioned you had friends. Where are they?"
"I don't know," Jaune replied. "One minute we were fighting in Vale, and then the next I'm landing here, wherever here is."
The man grunted slightly. "We shall see soon enough if you are telling the truth. And pray that he believes you when you tell him your story."
"He?" Jaune repeated. "He who?"
Thunder echoed outside the throne room. "He is coming," the man announced.
"Who's coming?" Jaune asked, starting to get nervous.
"The one that will decide your fate, mortal."
A loud BOOM echoed outside the chamber, followed by heavy footfalls. Jaune managed to turn his head to the doors to the throne room as they were thrown open.
The man who walked in wore armor, much like the rest of the warriors in the room, only there seemed to be something else about him, an aura that none of the others had. His blonde hair ran down to his shoulders, and his red cape flowed behind him. In his hand he gripped a strange looking hammer that was small and compact and seemed to spark with electricity.
"Behold!" the warrior in front of Jaune announced. "The son of Odin, and future king of Asgard: Thor!"
Elsewhere
A cold blast of air woke the huntress up. She let out a low moan, lifting her face up from the snow. Her crystal blue eyes suddenly widened as she realized that she was definitely not in Vale anymore.
"What—where—" That was all Weiss Schnee could say as she slowly got to her feet, looking around with a confused look on her face.
"How did I get here?" she thought. "For that matter, where even is 'here?' And where are the others?" She was completely alone. There wasn't any sign of her team or Team JNPR.
As for where she was, her best guess was that she was in the mountains near Atlas, based on the snowy peaks that surrounded her. But that still didn't explain how she even got here. Vale was practically on the other side of Remnant. Even with a working airship, it would've taken hours—and with Ultron's attack, there were no available airships to even get her here.
Which was beside the point all together, for Weiss didn't even know why she wasn't in Vale. She wouldn't have wanted to leave while the fight was still going on. Especially with Ultron…
She put a hand to her mouth as she remembered what happened. The fight with Ultron. Both her team and JNPR at his mercy. Then Ruby had smashed something…there was a flash of pink light…and then…
"Ruby," she said with a slight groan. "What did you do?"
Ruby, of course, was nowhere nearby to answer her. The only answer she got was another howl of wind and a blast of cold air to the face.
She shivered slightly, hugging her arms close to her body. With her Aura practically depleted, her outfit was far from ideal for protecting her from the cold. The only thing she could do at the moment was find shelter, rest, and, when her Aura was back to its full strength, start looking for help.
But help would be hard to find. She didn't have her scroll to call for help; they had all been confiscated at the start of the battle with Ultron to prevent them from being hacked by him. And she didn't know how Atlas was fairing against Ultron's forces. She didn't even know which direction she had to go to find a village or town or anywhere where she could find help—and her team.
Whatever Ruby had broken had to have been some sort of transportation device. Weiss had never heard of such a thing before; it certainly wasn't Atlas tech. Then again, Ultron himself wasn't Atlas tech. He wasn't any kind of tech that she had ever seen before. Regardless, the transportation device he had, when broken, had clearly transported her and the others away from one another. Perhaps even all over Remnant.
Another gust of wind broke her out of her thoughts again. "They're not here," she thought as she began to stagger forward through the snow. "What's important now is to find shelter, figure out where you are, and then try to find a way to find them."
Her foot stepped on something metal. Weiss looked down and saw that it was her weapon, Myrtenaster. "Well, at least I won't be defenseless," she thought, picking up the rapier and attaching it to her waist. The last thing she wanted was to be caught by surprise by the Grimm or Ultron's drones while she was all by herself.
Weiss pressed on, hoping to find a cave somewhere nearby to take refuge. She was so focused that she didn't notice the shadowy figure in the distance behind her.
Asgard
The new arrival, Thor, strode through the throne room. The warriors around him began to kneel in respect for their leader. He passed by Jaune and took his seat on the throne.
"Odinson, Heimdall has captured this mortal," the warrior in front of him began, pointing to Jaune. "We do not know how he managed to get into Asgard."
"I see," Thor mused, turning his gaze to Jaune. "Tell me, mortal, where are you from? Midgard?"
"What? No—I don't know what that is," Jaune stammered.
Thor leaned forward. "What is your name, mortal?"
"I already told you guys, my name is Jaune Arc."
"And how, Jaune Arc, did you come to Asgard? Are you working with Loki, perhaps?"
"Look," Jaune said, starting to get a little frustrated. "I don't know how I got here. I don't even know where here is! Where on Remnant are we?"
Thor frowned slightly. "I do not know of this 'Remnant.' Is that the name of your world?"
"It's the name of the world we're on. Unless, of course, you're here to tell me that this is a completely different world." Jaune laughed nervously, but stopped upon seeing the serious looks on everyone's faces.
"Oh come on—are you saying I'm not on Remnant?!"
"Aye," Thor responded. "But you have yet to answer my question, Jaune Arc." He stood up and picked up his hammer. "How did you manage to break into Asgard? No mortal has ever done so before."
"Look," Jaune said. "I was with my friends in Vale, we were fighting Ultron, then I—"
"Ultron?!" Thor looked concerned.
"Yeah—big metal killing machine? You know him?"
"Unfortunately." Thor looked to the man in front of Jaune. "Let him go, Balder. I do not believe this mortal is any threat to us."
"Aye, Thor." Balder drew a sword and cut Jaune's bindings.
"Come," Thor gestured to Jaune. "Let us walk, and you can tell me everything."
"Uh…that sounds great," Jaune said, "but what about my friends?"
"Your friends?"
"Well, yeah," Jaune said, "If I'm here, then they're probably here too, right?"
Thor looked at Balder for an explanation. "We have not found any other mortals in Asgard," he reported.
"What?" Jaune questioned. "How is that possible?"
Thor raised a hand for silence. "Be at ease, Jaune Arc. Asgard is not easily breached by any means. But we cannot begin to figure out where your companions are until you explain everything that happened."
"I'm not even sure what happened!" Jaune protested. "We were fighting Ultron, then we broke this strange wristband that he had on, and the next thing I know I'm fighting a big armored guy on a rainbow bridge!"
Thor paused. "I see. I know not of what this wristband could be, but it is clear that, whatever it is, it is immensely powerful, powerful enough to breach even Asgard's defenses. How then, could Ultron have obtained such a device?"
"I don't know, and I really don't care," Jaune answered. "I just want to find my friends and get back to Remnant. They need us back there. Ultron has almost conquered Vale, and probably the rest of Remnant too. We need to get back there to help."
"Very well." Thor turned to Balder. "Balder, travel to Himinbjörg and inform Heimdall so that he may locate this Remnant."
"At once, Odinson." Balder bowed and left the throne room.
"As for you, Jaune Arc," Thor said, turning his attention back to Jaune. "We shall talk further at once about your world."
Elsewhere
The wind began to pick up once more, causing Weiss to shiver even more as she struggled to move forward. It was getting colder and colder out, and there was still no sign of any place where she could take refuge and rest.
What really concerned her was how she still hadn't seen any signs of civilization anywhere. Even this deep in the mountains, there were at least some signs of life, be it the remains of a transport or a wandering huntsman or even an abandoned Dust mine. Or, at the very least, a Grimm. Here, there was nothing. Just an endless, mountainous wasteland of snow and ice.
It was getting harder and harder to keep moving forward. The temperature was dropping faster, and with her Aura almost gone, she would freeze to death if she didn't find a place to get out of the wind and start a fire.
Luckily, she still had a few rounds of Fire Dust left. If she could find a place to hold out, she could try to use it to get a fire going. Once she had rested, she would set out again to find a settlement so she could call for help and try to find her friends.
Another strong gust of wind caused her to stumble back several paces, nearly losing her balance. She bit back a shiver, rubbing her arms for warmth. The weather was getting worse. If she didn't find shelter soon, she would freeze.
"Come on, Weiss," she thought, struggling to move forward once more. "You're not going to be taken down by a little cold."
As she continued, she suddenly had the sneaking suspicion that she was being watched. But when she looked around, there was no one nearby.
"Hello?!" she called out. "Anybody there?!"
The howling wind was the only thing that answered her. She shivered again, but pressed on. However, she was on alert now, her hand gripping Myrtenaster's hilt tighter. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone, or something, out there, watching her.
And if it was watching her rather than trying to help her, it clearly was a threat.
Asgard
"Your world sounds fascinating, Jaune Arc," Thor complimented as he and Jaune walked throughout the palace.
"That's one way of putting it," Jaune said back. "Monsters everywhere didn't make things easy, even before Ultron showed up."
Thor put a meaty hand on his shoulder, nearly knocking Jaune to the ground with his strength. "I promise you, my friend, that when we find Remnant, we will get you home and defeat that monster once and for all."
"Yeah, uh…how do you know Ultron?"
"I have faced him once before," Thor explained. "On Midgard, alongside the Avengers. He is not an easy foe to best, and it sounds like he has increased his power even further."
"No kidding," Jaune agreed. "Not even Pyrrha could stop him."
"One of your friends?"
"Yeah. Top of our class at Beacon. Part of my team."
Thor looked down at him. "You care about her."
Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Well—yeah. She's my friend."
Thor smiled slightly, but apparently decided to change the subject. "You pick your allies and your friends well, Jaune Arc, especially on a world full of heroes."
"Yeah, well…some of us have had to work harder than others."
"Becoming a hero is not an easy road to take," Thor told him. "It takes time and training. But I am confident that you will achieve your goal."
"How could you know that?" Jaune asked. "You've barely just met me."
"I see greatness in you, Jaune Arc, even if you do not yet. You will have your chance to prove yourself soon enough."
Jaune sighed. "Right now, all I really want to do is make sure my friends are okay. Are you sure they're not anywhere in Asgard?"
"I'm afraid not," Thor replied. "But worry not. If they are as mighty as you say, then they will be fine."
"As long as they don't get attacked right out of the gate," Jaune noted.
"I apologize for your rough treatment," Thor told him. "Asgard is always on edge when my father is in the Odinsleep."
"The what?"
"The Odinsleep," Thor explained. "It's a period of time in which my father, the king of Asgard, recharges his power my entering a deep sleep. But, while he does so, he and the rest of Asgard are left vulnerable. That is why I am here now. Otherwise, I would remain with the Avengers on Midgard."
Jaune tilted his head. "Why?"
Thor came to a stop. "My father and I have had…many differences over the centuries…including the time spent with the mortals of Midgard. Most times when he is in the Odinsleep, I do not even return."
"So, why come back now?"
"Because tensions between Asgard and Jotunheim are at an all-time high. The rest of the Nine Realms know that Asgard is vulnerable while Odin is in the Odinsleep. I would not be surprised if the Frost Giants tried to invade during this time."
"I…didn't understand any of those words," Jaune admitted. "What's Jotunheim?"
"The realm of the Frost Giants," Thor explained. "One of the more hostile races within the Nine Realms. Pray that your friends did not end up there. Frost Giants are not to be trifled with."
"Do you really think that they will attack?" Jaune asked.
"It depends on how bold Laufey, the king of the Frost Giants, is. He has not dared such an attack in hundreds of years. But, with tensions between us so strained, he might see this moment as the chance to strike."
"Thor!" Another Asgardian appeared. "Come quickly!"
"What is it?" Thor asked.
"Heimdall has been attacked!"
"Attacked?" Thor's face turned grave.
"Aye! Lady Sif found him gravely injured"
Thor swung his hammer around rapidly and, a second later, took off, flying back down the hall. The other Asgardian ran off as well.
"So, uh…do I just follow you?" Jaune called after Thor. When he got no answer, he said to himself, "I'll just follow you," before running in the direction that Thor had gone.
When he found the way out of the palace, he skidded to a stop once he realized just how far he would have to run. He could barely make out Thor in the distance as he flew over the rainbow bridge. He appeared to be heading straight for a building at the far end of the bridge.
Jaune let out a tired groan. "On second thought, I'll just…wait here."
Thor landed outside of Heimdall's observatory with a loud BOOM! "What has transpired here?" he questioned.
Inside the observatory, two Asgardians were lifting Heimdall up into a stretcher and were starting to carry him away. He looked pale, and there were several injuries along his head and torso.
"Someone attacked Heimdall," reported Lady Sif, who was standing off to the side with Balder. "He was like this when I found him."
"Who did this?" Thor demanded to know.
"I have a pretty good guess." Sif picked something off the ground. It was a giant ice club.
"Frost Giants," Thor growled, clenching Mjolnir tightly. "They will pay for this transgression."
"But how is this possible?" Balder questioned. "Asgard's borders are secure. How did the Frost Giants get in?"
"Perhaps the mortal let them in," Sif suggested.
"Nay," Thor insisted. "He has been with me this whole time, and Heimdall was still standing when he was captured. Jaune Arc did not do this, nor do I believe he would know how to even operate the Bifrost."
The group was quiet for a moment. "There is one that might have let them in," Sif eventually spoke up. "One that would know how to get in even without the Bifrost."
Thor's grip on Mjolnir got even tighter. "Loki."
"That sniveling coward," Balder growled. "He's working with his people again. He let them in. He could be here right now."
"Order a search of Asgard," Thor ordered. "Head that search yourself, Balder. Ensure that Asgard is secure, and there are no Frost Giants anywhere within our borders." He turned around and started marching back out down the Bifrost. "Lady Sif, remain here and guard the Bifrost."
"Where are you going, Thor?" Sif called after him.
"To gather a strike force," Thor answered. "We're going to Jotunheim."
"Thor, to get such a strike force ready, you won't be able to leave until the morning," Sif warned. "Especially if you want the Warriors 3 by your side. They're not due back until then."
"Then we shall wait for them, and leave once they are back," Thor decided. "We will need our best warriors if we are to defeat Loki."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Balder asked. "Odin will be waking by the end of the week. Once he has woken, our borders will be secure again."
"The Frost Giants will know this as well," Thor responded. "Loki will do doubt have them launch an attack before that time, in some sort of attempt to take what he believes is rightfully his. Eliminating Heimdall prevents us from seeing what he is up to. Therefore, we must strike first before his machinations come to fruition."
"And what of the mortal?" Sif asked.
"He will come with us to Jotunheim."
"Are you mad, Thor?" Balder asked. "Jotunheim is no place for mortals."
"Yet again you underestimate the potential of mortals, Balder," Thor told him. "At times, their determination rivals even that of Asgardians. And it is also possible that one of his allies may have been stranded there. It is imperative that we find out as soon as possible."
"As you wish, Thor," Balder eventually gave in. "I shall begin hunting for anymore intruders in Asgard."
"Very well," Thor told him. "But be warned: Loki's mischief may have left a few surprises for us. Be prepared for the worst."
Jotunheim
Weiss couldn't feel her fingers anymore. Even worse, the sky was beginning to darken. "Perfect," she thought. "Just perfect."
She took another trembling step forward, but lost her footing and fell to the ground, getting a face full of snow in the process. She bit back several choice words as she struggled to her feet. That was when she saw it: a small cave in the face of the mountain.
"Finally," she said, slowly making her way to the cave. When she reached the mouth, finally getting out of the wind, she slumped against the wall, panting.
"Okay, Weiss," she thought, "Now that you've gotten yourself some shelter, the next step is to get a fire going and get yourself warmed up."
She rubbed her hands together, trying to generate some amount of warmth through them. Once she could start to feel them again, she opened up Myrtenaster and pulled out one of the few vials of Fire Dust she had left and set it on the ground. She then aimed her weapon at the vial and pulled the trigger, intending on using another round to set the vial off and get a fire going.
Myrtenaster clicked, but nothing happened. There was no explosion of fire that would engulf the cave. It was almost like the dust didn't even fire at all.
"What the—" Weiss pulled the trigger several more times, but the weapon remained silent. She opened it up again, thinking that there was something wrong with the weapon itself, only to be met with Dust spilling out from the chamber that it had been broken in.
"How is this possible?" she thought. "The Dust—it didn't work? Why didn't it work? It's supposed to work!"
Without the Fire Dust, she didn't have any way of starting a fire, let alone maintaining one. And without a fire, she had no way of getting herself warmed up. "Great. Just great."
She threw her weapon against the wall in frustration before sinking to the ground, tucking her legs against her chest. Without the extra warmth, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't freeze to death. The odds were not looking good for her.
Still, staying in the cave was probably her best option. At least she was out of the wind.
Suddenly, the ground where she had placed the vial of Fire Dust erupted into flames, creating a small fire. Weiss jerked back with a surprised yelp.
"Hello there."
Weiss swung around to see a shadowy figure standing at the mouth of the cave. She couldn't make him out too well, but he appeared to have horns in his head and was carrying some sort of scepter.
She quickly scrambled for Myrtenaster, picking it up and pointing it at the figure, who chuckled slightly. "Apologies, my dear," he said. "I did not mean to startle you. I merely thought it was prudent to offer my assistance. Mortals are quite famous for being fragile when it comes to extreme temperatures."
Weiss didn't lower her weapon. "Were you the one following me?" she finally said.
"Yes, I do apologize for that as well," the man apologized. "I wasn't sure if you were a friend or foe, and most do not see me as a friend. Tell me, what is a mortal like you doing this far out in Jotunheim?"
"In—what?" Weiss asked.
"Perhaps we'll come back to that later," the man suggested. "What is your name?"
Weiss hesitated. "Weiss," she finally answered, choosing not to give her last name in case this stranger decided that having the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company could make him some money. "And who are you?"
The man took a step forward into the light, revealing his young face, dark hair, and green fur jacket. The horns on his head were part of a golden helmet, and the scepter that he held glowed at the tip with a strange power.
"Please to meet you, Weiss," the man said with a charming, albeit sinister smile. "My name is Loki."
Surprise! Not only does this arc feature Jaune, but this arc also features Weiss! While it would be cool to give each member of RWBY and JNPR their own special arcs before they reunite, if I went down that road, it'd be roughly 30 chapters or so before anyone reunites with one another. Plus, doing it that way would waste a lot of great Marvel areas right off the bat when they could be even more useful down the road with everyone together. So some characters will be doubling up in their introduction arcs. And it looks like Weiss has already encountered a certain God of Mischief. That can't end well.
I know this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it mainly serves to set up what's going on, such as showing off some of the Asgardians that will take part in this arc, such as Balder, Sif, Heimdall, and the soon to be arriving Warriors 3. But expect a longer chapter next time, with a few more surprises and a few very special surprise appearances.
But anywho, that's all from me. Until next time, this is Guest 1138, signing off.