A Nascent Kaleidoscope.-Chapter 598:

Loki POV

Another sibling.

I shouldn't have expected anything different.

Of course when I'm finally acknowledged, when I'm the one sitting on the throne, there is someone else to kick me off of it.

Some…Midgardian, or whatever she was. How long had it been since a mortal was taken to the golden city like she was? Invited, welcomed even. Mother was always gentle about it, but Father was adamant that Asgard was not a place for mortals.

Yet, against that, Mother brought one here and…adopted her. Was I the same? Was I some pity project that they simply felt bad for?

No, in her case, she was worthy.

It was no secret that Mjolnir was a temperamental weapon. Not even Father could wield the hammer without it showing resistance. And I would have had to be blind to not see the enchantment he added to the hammer when he tossed it to Midgard together with Thor.

Not only did the weapon accept her, a monumental feat that only a handful could truly claim. But Odin also acknowledged her even by accident.

She was worthy.

And the hammer wouldn't even budge for me.

I was not worthy.

Of course, I shouldn't have expected any different. I was the monster under the bed, the stories that fathers told their children so they would behave.

A Frost Giant.

How comical that a Frost Giant held Asgard together with both King and Prince away. Who was it that handled all the diplomats that came strolling in when they heard about Thor's banishment and the All-Father's Odin Sleep?

Who was it that showed the Nine Realms that Asgard is still capable, despite the ridicule under their innocent smiles?

In just the several days away, I had to quell several near uprisings from various places in the Nine Realms that thought it was the perfect opportunity to get out from under Asgard's thumb.

Not to mention the questions on Asgard's continued strength from our supposed allies.

It was the Frost Giant who made sure that Asgard's relations remained strong. That we still showed strength and guile when needed.

And did I get any respect or acknowledgment?

Mother was playing with her mortal.

The others steered clear of me while I sat upon the throne, fearful or mockingly.

And even Thor's friends directly went against my orders.

Did they think I wouldn't recognize the signs of the Bifrost being activated? I could be anywhere on Asgard, and I could feel the magic and cosmic power reverberate throughout the entire realm.

"Loki."

"Mother," I acknowledged her presence as she entered the throne room.

"You look good on that chair." She said with a bit of a smile.

In any other circumstance, I would have been over the moon at such a compliment, but right now, it had been soured.

"Mother." I said again, closing my eyes. "I think it's best that you tend to Father while he sleeps."

She seemed surprised. "Loki? What do you—"

"Mother." I cut her off. "Do you think I don't know?" I asked her, and she went silent. "Your mortal has left." And her eyes seemed to flash with acknowledgment. "As have Thor's friends. Against my explicit orders."

"Loki…."

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"What is the normal punishment for directly disobeying an order from the king, Mother?" I asked her, and she decidedly remained silent. I let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Mother, go tend to Father while he rests."

Mother also let out a sigh, as we both know the answer to my question. "Until your father awakes, I will go tend to him." She stated, turning and going to the chambers where the All-Father was in his Odin Sleep.

If it were anyone else, they would not have been forgiven.

However, Thor's friends won't receive the same mercy from me. Who knows how long The All-Father will be sleeping this time? Recently, his Odin Sleeps have been getting longer and the time between shorter. And it doesn't help when he pulls upon a large amount of cosmic power, usually accelerating the need for another Odin Sleep.

Regardless, I needed to secure my rightful spot.

Once he awakens, once he sees what I have accomplished, he will acknowledge me for more than a stray pup he took pity on while in Jotunheim.

A rightful king of Asgard.

A Worthy King.

I just needed any variables out of the way.

(Line Break)

"My King." Heimdal greeted me as I approached.

"Am I? Your King?"

He slowly turned to look at me, his all-seeing gaze shining bright. "You are the king."

"I question that, Heimdal." I told him, "For you see, I gave an order, as king, that you were not to open the Bifrost."

He turned back around, gazing out towards the stars. "I did not disobey your orders."

"No." I acknowledged that much. There were loopholes that were easily exploitable; I just didn't think he would be one to do so. "But you knew that it went against my wishes."

"Perhaps." He spoke calmly. "Just as I allowed you to venture into Jotunheim against the wishes of the All-Father."

His tone told me a lot.

"...Did you know all along?" I finally asked him, as it felt pointless to carry on the charade.

"Who in Asgard possesses the same ability to hide from my sight?" Heimdal asked back. "I do not believe the Queen Mother to be one to bring Frost Giants into Asgard for a jest."

"Then why did you let us go to Jotunheim?"

"I see many things, young king. If I focus, I can even see the strands of fate woven by the Norns." He spoke cryptically.

".....You can see the future?" That was something even the All-Father couldn't claim for all his power.

Heimdal laughed. "You overestimate me, young king. I can see but small pieces of a greater puzzle."

"Then why didn't you say anything? If you knew everything was going to happen like this, why didn't you stop Thor? Unless…you wanted Thor to go to Jotunheim and set everything in motion."

"You believe I have a scheme, or a plan." He chuckled again. "Once more, you overestimate me, young king. I didn't speak simply because it was not my place. Do you think the All-Father was unaware of your actions? Think, young king, how quickly the All-Father cancelled the ceremony to crown Thor despite all the glamor and revelry. And it was not only Thor who had a fate with Jotunheim that day, was it?" He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

I felt myself tense up for a moment before forcing myself back to my calm. ".....He didn't think Thor was ready."

Heimdal nodded slightly. "Your actions were merely an excuse for him to postpone."

Frightening.

He was truly a frightening god.

"Has the All-Father ever questioned your power, Heimdal?" I narrowed my eyes.

His grip around his sword tightened as the air tensed. "He has never had a reason to question me, for my loyalty has never been in doubt." He responded, and we both knew what was going to happen. "You went to the Relic Vault."

"Yes." I didn't deny it; he was an opponent that I felt oddly respectful towards.

"You are more alike with Thor than you realize."

"And how is that?" I scrunched my nose, being compared with him again.

"You both are often blinded by your own arrogance." He spoke still with a calm and cool tone. "Though, his arrogance comes with hardheadedness and pride."

"And where does my arrogance come from, Heimdal?" I asked him.

"Cunning." He replied without missing a beat. "It will serve you well as a king. But it needs to be tempered with humility."

"I will keep your words under consideration." I spoke honestly despite the tension.

And I was the first to move; I flung my cape back and summoned the Casket of Ancient Winters. The core treasure and relic of Jotunheim and the Frost Giants. The box can only be held and opened by a Frost Giant, and when legends say it is opened, it can even freeze a star.

Immediately, an indescribable cold burst out; it felt as if all light and warmth in the world died in that moment.

I sucked in a cold breath that wasn't due to the casket.

Slowly, I closed it and wiped away the blood dripping down my neck. I glanced to the side to see a frozen Heimdal, blade extended, pressed against my neck.

A fraction of a second too late and my head would have rolled.

It was a necessary risk. For my plans to succeed, I needed Heimdal to be taken off the board—at least temporarily.

I walked into the room that housed the Bifrost mechanism, and I aimed it at Jotunheim before activating it.

(Line Break)

It was no wonder that I'd never been concerned with the cold before.

And even the harsh winds of Jotunheim were…welcoming in a way.

I didn't need to trek through the snow for long. And they should be thankful that my patience was as generous as it was. I had the original thought to just open the Bifrost and point it at Jotunheim and allow this wretched realm to be destroyed that way.

"Laufey." I called out to the Frost Giant King, knowing they were watching me.

"You have the courage to return here, King of Asgard." The Frost Giant King mocked as his red eyes appeared behind the cold mists, stepping out from behind.

There were many more, hundreds, perhaps thousands, in the surroundings, watching.

"What courage? Aren't we back to a neutral standing after my brother was banished?" I quipped back. "At least the letters the All-Father sent were returned without any wordage of continued hostility."

The Frost Giant King remained unmoved.

"Or were you just cowed and looking for a reason to abandon that silly declaration of war?" I spoke again, earning a much more intense stare.

The sound of ice blades forming in hands was easily heard. And the King Himself conjured a large icy dagger and raised it just a hair's breadth from my forehead.

I looked him in the eyes and grabbed it.

He was startled as my skin began to turn blue, matching his own.

Yes, normally, a Frost Giant's icy weapons freeze someone inside out, an almost damning death and something unignorable even for a god if the Frost Giant was particularly strong.

"So you're the runt that went missing all those years ago." He wasn't the king for nothing, able to make several guesses in that moment. "The snake within the All-Father's court finally shows himself." He dropped the icy blade.

That's right, I'm the runt, the little Frost Giant no bigger than any other Asgardian. And as a babe, the All-Father took me back to Asgard when his war with the Frost Giants had him pushing them back to the heart of Jotunheim.

"Would you like me to call you father?"

I nearly scowled even making the joke, as it left a poor taste in my mouth.

Oddly enough, the Frost Giant King made a face that I nearly would have.

"Why have you come?" He finally asked.

"You didn't abandon the war declaration out of assuaged ego. It's a matter of survival; you're more than aware that you can't survive another war with Asgard." I summarized, noting his look and knowing I guessed correctly. "Of course, as king, you needed a proper reason to keep your people from seeking revenge for Thor's foolishness."

He didn't answer; he didn't seem like the type to talk incessantly, so I continued as was my forte.

"But that doesn't mean you don't want revenge, does it?" I asked, seeing a slight change on his face. I swung my cape back and produced the Casket of Ancient Winters, earning quick murmurs and excitement around me as every one of these Frost Giants could sense its authenticity. It was their Sacred Relic, the heart of Jotunheim, and if legends speak true, it's the source of their Cold. "If you help me, I will return this."

"What's to stop us from taking it here and now, King?" The thousands of Frost Giants all around me made their presence known.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you take me for an idiot? Do you think I would just come down here without any contingencies? I wonder how Jotunheim would fare if the Bifrost was opened fully, pointed right at your wasteland, and not shut off."

The king was no fool; he could recognize my threat.

The Bifrost was as much a weapon as it was a tool for travel.

"You would die as well."

"Would I?" I asked back, knowing that my reputation was known even here.

He pondered it for a long several moments. I admit, I didn't want to enact any contingencies that I devised. Mostly because it was not the time to use the Bifrost in such a way. And especially so because it would be quite difficult to escape unscathed.

"What are your terms?"

"My oaf of a brother is on Midgard, playing mortal. And my mother…my mother adopted another child, a Midgardian woman who could wield Mjolnir. Take the casket, and I'll send you and your lot to Midgard to cause havoc, and I want you to kill them both. Likewise, I want a group of your Frost Giants to attack Asgard. If you prove successful in killing Thor and the mortal, I will open a path for you after your job is done right to the All-Father's chambers so you can exact your revenge."

"You would kill your own family?"

".....They are no family of mine." I spat it out. "However, you will not harm the queen."

His lips curled up mockingly. "We have a deal, runt." He reached out his hand.

"...we have a deal." I grasped it as my hand turned the same blue as his, and I dropped the casket into the snow before walking away.

Relish your time well, monster. Attack Midgard, attack Asgard, then I will have all the justification I need, and everyone will recognize me when I destroy Jotunheim. If I save the All-Father from your assassination attempt, I will be a hero. Hundreds, thousands of years later, no one will even remember what a Frost Giant was.

(line break)

Wilhelm POV

Well, this was certainly a situation.

I admit, I resisted the urge to turn around and walk away. But my legs just seemed to carry me forward until I was in distance for Jeanne to throw herself at me, and I opened up for a hug.

Well, it didn't matter.

Now that I was in front of her, there were other things different. Her hair, while still in the same way, was done up a bit. And she was wearing makeup that was subtle but highlighted her natural beauty.

"You look beautiful." I said it with full sincerity.

"Ah? W-well…." She looked away with a growing flush.

It was the first time I'd ever seen her dress up like this.

"My friends!" Thor bellowed, running towards the others that came with Jeanne. It was because of his loud, boisterous shout that I realized everyone was staring at Jeanne and me.

"Mr. Schweinorg, we meet again." Coulson looked at me with that same smug smile. "It seems I found your companion."

"I've never met this woman before in my life." I returned without missing a beat.

"Neh!" Jeanne hit my shoulder. "Be nice to Mr. Coulson; he helped us come back!"

I think it was slightly, but I felt like Agent Coulson's smile grew just a tiny bit wider. "I did in fact do that. And we had a nice chat on the way back."

I looked down at Jeanne, and she looked back up at me with an expression like, 'Don't worry, I didn't say anything important!'.

It was cute, enough that I couldn't bring myself to sigh knowing that just broadcasting that was kind of just as bad.

But why did it feel like I lost against him?

Urge to pull Jeanne's cheeks were rising. But I also didn't want to mess up the makeup that probably took a lot of convincing to get her to wear.

So I kissed her forehead instead.

Our little reunion was cut short with the others running out of the building. Jane, Darcy, and Erik.

"I'm recording!" Darcy immediately shouted, her phone out, pointing at everyone.

"Please stop recording, Miss Lewis." Coulson said rather politely.

"It's my right! I'm recording."

"It is her right; she will record how she pleases!" Thor defended her.

I genuinely question if Thor even knew what he just said or the context involved in it.

Though Agent Coulson didn't even react, he just stood there with the same passive expression as if this were a normal day occurrence for him.

"Come, Lady Jane, meet my friends! This is Lady Sif, one of the greatest warriors of Asgard. And these are the Warriors three, my friends who have accompanied me on many adventures. Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg."

"Jesus Christ, you weren't making shit up." Jane blurted it out, and even Erik was sort of gaping.

"I thought we already acknowledged that with the Demon over there." Dracy quipped, gesturing right at me.

Suddenly, everyone turned to look at me.

"A demon!?" The woman, named Sif—presumably the goddess from myths—was the first to react. "A demon!?" She drew her weapon, as if to pounce on me, and the other three grabbed their weapons.

"Peace! Peace, Lady Sif!" Thor stepped in front of them. "Let us not make a misunderstanding. He is a friend."

They hesitated.

"Um, it's alright, Sif. He's Wilhelm." Jeanne shyly tugged on my sleeve, rubbing up next to me.

For some reason, Sif looked at me rather strangely, but slowly, she lowered her weapon.

I glanced at Agent Coulson, and he just gave me a little wave with that same smile of his.

Smug bastard.

I'm sure he was more than happy to just watch and hear everything that happened.

"If the princess says so…." Sif spoke, but it sounded like she was still unsure.

But I certainly caught some of that. "Princess?" I asked.

"Princess?" Thor repeated at nearly the same time; Thor's eyes also trailed down to what Jeanne was holding.

Particularly, she was holding a certain Hammer.

The fact that he hadn't demanded it or reached for it already must have taken substantial self-restraint with how he was screaming about it when we first met.

Sif held her head up high. "The Queen Mother adopted her."

Thor blinked, I blinked, and we both looked at her, then at Jeanne, who was blushing a little bit.

"I see." He spoke. "I had dreams, visions; I recognized you and saw you with Mother." He said, looking at Jeanne. There was a strange tone in his voice. "And you have my Hammer." He finally acknowledged the proverbial elephant in the room.

"Um… I brought it back for you…?" Jeanne held it up for him to take.

Thor's expression changed again. "You…are giving it up?" He asked incredulously.

"It's yours, isn't it?" Jeanne smiled warmly.

Thor was silent for several moments. "Mother adopted you because you can wield the hammer."

"Erm…s-something like that?" Jeanne seemed confused by it as well.

I, however, was completely in the dark about what was going on. But I'm sure I would get an explanation later.

"Mjolnir chose you." Thor whispered, slightly reaching out for it but pulling back and shaking his head. "Mjolnir chose you." He said it again, and it was like he was saying it to himself. "Keep the Hammer well, newest Sister. She is temperamental, but a greater companion you will not wield."

"Thor!?" Sif looked at him with surprise, same as his friends.

He smiled awkwardly and then let out a chuckle. "It's fine; I know my mistakes. Mjolnir chose someone else. Mjolnir chose her, yet she would hand it back to me so easily; how could I accept it?" He shook his head again. "I have been rude. I am Thor Odinson, my newest sister. May I hear your name?"

"J-Jeanne D'Arc." She answered, awkwardly unsure of what to do with the hammer.

…she didn't want the hammer.

I resisted the urge to facepalm.

It seemed like Thor was having a moment of maturity and growth from what little I knew of him at this point, so I didn't want to spoil it.

But I really wanted to hit him and tell him to stop being an idiot.

Thor still smiled regardless. "I am happy to have a new sister. If mother adopted you, then you are welcomed by me!"

Jeanne flushed again; I think she was still processing the whole 'adopted' thing in her head just as I was.

"Huh, you have the same name as that one famous chick from France." Darcy said rather casually. "The one that got burned and was a saintess or something? I remember from my French classes."

Sif turned to Jeanne. "You did not tell us that you were famous on Midgard. I wish to hear these stories."

"Ah!?"

"...Jesus Christ, are you that Joan of Arc?" Jane had the same reaction as before, looking at Jeanne.

Welp, that cat's out of the bag.

But embarrassed Jeanne is cute Jeanne.

Though, our visitors were completely oblivious to everything.

"Thor, you need to come back to Asgard right away." Sif finally began.

"What troubles are there in Asgard? Is Father still alive?"

"The All-Father is fine?" Sif seemed surprised by his question. The question that came about was because Loki tried to tell him that Odin was dead. "But it's Loki."

"...What about Loki? What trouble has he caused?"

"Well….we simply need you to come back."

"Miss Frigga said he was doing a good job ruling." Jeanne spoke up.

"....but he refused to let us come to you." Sif followed up.

"I was banished." Thor responded. "I am happy, believe me, my friends, but Loki was right. Father banished me for a reason; if Loki overruled that, what would everyone think of it?"

Sif and the others were staring at him strangely.

In fact, Sif started poking him rather aggressively.

"Thor, are you okay?" The big guy, I think Thor named him Volstagg? "Why are you not filled with righteous fury? You reject your hammer and return to Asgard triumphantly?"

Thor looked at his hammer again.

"I spoke to a mortal not long ago when I was imprisoned. The elder bestowed on me words of wisdom that forced me to think. He told me that when all one has is a hammer, all problems look like nails."

Was that when he got arrested and got a talking to by the sheriff?

How introspective.

I wonder if I can sneak off while everyone is paying attention to him. Take Jeanne and do a runner real quick.

"Ahem." Agent Coulson cleared his throat. Oddly enough, the other agents were…relaxed? Well, they were on guard, but they weren't tense. "I don't mean to disrupt your reunion, and it sounds like you all have a lot of important things to talk about. But I'm here representing the government. We would like to respectfully extend our hand in friendship and politely ask about your purpose and details of your stay on Earth."

Wow, they really have done something like this before, haven't they?

"...you stole Lady Jane's things." Thor pointed his finger at Coulson.

"Borrowed."

"Stole!" Jane accused him as well.

"Borrowed." Agent Coulson replied without missing a beat. "And it will be returned. Please understand our perspective and position, considering". He gestured to Thor and company.

Jane furrowed her brow. "I want a bribe."

Agent Coulson blinked. "...Pardon?"

"For keeping my mouth shut." Jane crossed her arms.

"Are you trying to extort the government, Miss Foster?" Agent Coulson looked at her.

"And I want my student loans paid off." Darcy added as both of them looked at her incredulously. "What? I deserve something."

"I deserve an apology." Jane crossed her arms, staring Agent Coulson down.

Coulson turned his attention back to Jane. "I'll talk to some people and have some grants sent your way with…no strings attached."

Oh wow.

Balls on her.

"As for the more pressing concerns." He turned his attention back to Thor, then to Sif, the latter of whom was looking Jane up and down as if to evaluate her. "Our visitors."

"Fear not, Mortal. We come not with sword pointed your way. We have come to retrieve the Prince and secure the Princess's return home." Sif spoke after a moment.

"Right." Coulson nodded along as if that explained everything.

"If you represent the mortals here, then know that any harm that befalls the Princess will be met with swift retribution by the full might of Asgard. So says the Queen Mother." Sif added.

Coulson looked at Jeanne and, with a rare bit of emotion, frowned slightly.

"Well, looks like we're not needed anymore!" I clapped my hands. "Why don't we get out of your way, and you can have your discussions in private?" I put my hands on Jeanne's shoulders in an attempt to pull her away, but she shot me a pout, and it made me lose all my strength.

"We have quite a few more questions for you, Mr. Schweinorg. Particularly, we had agents investigate the land you purchased in Nigeria."

I coughed awkwardly. "That's not mine."

"How strange; the deeds show your name and face."

"Will, what did you do?" Jeanne looked up at me.

"....nothing."

"What did you do?" She put her hands on her hips, looking at me accusatorily.

"I didn't do anything!" I looked at Coulson for anything, and he had that same smug smile as he looked back at me.

"You need not worry, Miss Arc; he didn't do anything…illegal." Coulson stated.

Jeanne lightened up, and I felt my heart relax. I don't know why, but Jeanne's look like that hits me in a very particular way that makes it hard to feign ignorance or bullshit.

Disappointed Jeanne was too strong for me.

Agent Coulson, I owe you one.

Before I could speak up again, I felt something strange. I immediately looked up to the sky, and I felt the space vibrate in a very familiar and specific way.

"Someone else is coming." I said, accompanied by a rainbow light hitting the street not far away.

"Who did you come to fetch us, Lady Sif?" Thor asked.

".....Heimdal said that we were on our own." She responded.

And very quickly, the temperature dropped drastically.

Ice began to cover the ground and streets. A misty, cold air burst out, accompanied by many sets of towering red eyes.

"Are those who I think they are…?" Fandral, I believe he was called. He pulls out his weapons with a short tremor in his voice.

They were tall, ranging from six to 10 meters in height. They looked like they were made from frost and ice, and they emitted a chilling air that literally froze the surroundings.

"Frost Giants." Thor whispered. "Laufey, what is the meaning of this!?" Thor bellowed as the Frost Giants parted, revealing one in particular that they all seemed to differ to.

'Odinson." The Frost Giant's tone was just as one would expect; just his words alone caused the temperature to drop slightly even more.

"You break the ancient treaties!" Thor threw his hand out in anger.

"If I recall, you broke them first." He responded with a menacing grin. "And here you stand, a god no more." His words were clearly mocking.

"More friends of yours?" Agent Coulson asked, pulling his gun out and gesturing to the other agents.

It wasn't just us around either; our presence had drawn a commotion.

Off the top of my head, I counted over four hundred of them, Frost Giants, that is. But that was just what I could see immediately in front of me; there seemed to be over twice that number in total.

One of the larger of their number swung his fist at a nearby building; it turned to ice and shattered, collapsing onto itself.

They were smaller—ironically enough—compared to the variant I was familiar with. Weaker too, but that was all relative, as they existed seemingly in a pretty large number.

"Son of a coul, take the other mortals and retreat; this battle is beyond your kin." Sif stated, drawing her blade in preparation.

"Well, that's going to be a little hard." He laughed decrepitly; behind us was turned to ice too, and quite a few more frost giants were there as well. "Anything we should take note of?"

"Don't let them touch you. Especially don't let them touch you with one of their ice weapons; you will freeze from the inside out." Thor spoke. "They have strength enough to match an Asgardian as well."

"Ah, wonderful."

A woman screamed, and out of one of the buildings, we could all see a human woman being dragged out by her hair by one of the Frost Giants; it seems he was taking effort not to immediately kill her as the icy grip of his stopped at freezing her hair at the immediate touch.

The leader, Laufey, smiled. "Our conquest will start here before we move on to Asgard."

She wasn't the only one; they were dragging over all the humans in the immediate area before they could scatter.

They all tensed, and ironically, it was the least expected person to make a move as a bullet hit the Frost Giant in the head, the one holding the woman.

It didn't do much; I wouldn't say it bounced off, but it was like the equivalent of a flick.

There was a strange silence as a bit of smoke wafted off Agent Coulson's gun, still leveled at that one particular Frost Giant, the one who gripped the woman's hair.

"Kill that one first." Laufey commanded.

The Frost Giants seemed capable of conjuring frost weapons. Many of them had bows and arrows—though the arrows were more like spears comparatively.

I met Jeanne's gaze, and she nodded at me.

The immediate concern was the humans in the area. As the 'arrows' went flying, everyone turned to look towards Coulson.

I took that chance to Shunpo to the Frost Giant holding the human hostage, and with Mirage in my hand, I cut off his arm and the hair of the human just below the frozen bits before slashing his head before he could utter a word.

Quickly, I did my best to get all the humans out of the area.

I looked back, and I saw Jeanne step forward, but to my surprise, Coulson stepped ahead of her and pulled her out of harm's way.

There was a scream, then several more.

"Princess!"

"Son of Coul!?"

A shield came up from Sif to block the next 'arrow,' and the sound of steel deflected a few more.

I reached through the air and snatched one of the last ones before it could find its mark because Jeanne was a little preoccupied holding Coulson in her arms after what just happened.

The Frost Giants stopped for a moment, perhaps because they had about two dozen heads of their kin tossed through the air and hitting the ground right in front of them from me.

I stood over Agent Coulson, who was now missing everything below his elbow on his right arm, which was turning blue and covered in ice.

He threw himself towards Jeanne in an effort to protect her.

I grabbed the stump of his arm as his comrades came swarming over, but I ignored them and started casting a strong healing spell to counteract the frost from where the 'arrow'—more' like a ballista shot—had just torn away part of his arm.

"Agent Coulson." I spoke to him with a strange silence in the air. I think they were surprised that a bunch of their kin had died so quickly that they were taken aback. "Rarely do I find a genuinely good-hearted person."

He smiled meekly; maybe he was in shock? The suddenness of losing his arm was probably still being processed mentally. "It's what we're trained to do." He responded despite the situation.

You know, when I helped Thor shovel horse shit earlier, this is not how I thought my day would go. I'm happy I didn't hurt myself in a way that couldn't be healed quickly from before.

The other agents with Coulson helped him up and began to do their own first aid as best as possible; Jeanne didn't stop them.

He wasn't going to die at least.

But now, I owed him a debt.

Would Jeanne have been okay? Most assuredly.

Did he know that? He did not.

Kindness like that needs to be repaid.

"Will, are you done?' Jeanne tugged on my sleeve.

Ah, she knows me so well.

"I'm done," I told her while everyone stared at us silently. At my words, a massive spell circle emerged below us. It was bright enough that through the cold mists, it shined brightly and expanded outwards. A large ethereal dome rose up from the ground and covered not only us but the Frost Giants as well.

The second shield sprang out of the ground around just us immediately to protect the regular humans in our little group.

"What magic." Sif whispered.

"You, a demon." Laufey spoke, directed at me. "I have no quarrel with your kind; why do you interfere?"

I hummed, stepping forward, and I intentionally stomped down on one of the severed heads of his kin, turning it into a bloody paste. "Funny, you say that after attacking someone I care deeply about."

He watched me cautiously, and his fellow Frost Giants tensed as well.

"Sister." Thor whispered, but I could still hear him from where I was. "You must use the hammer. Call upon the power of my lightning and thunder, only that way—"

Jeanne dropped the hammer onto the ground, abruptly cutting off his words, and simply smiled at him. She summoned her Servant Attire and Banner and immediately ran forward with a surge of strength and smacked one of the Frost Giants across the face, lifting him off his feet and sending him soaring into a nearby building.

"...Did any of you know she could do that?" Thor whispered to the others, and they all shook their heads.

But her actions seemed to serve as the start; the other Asgardians, bar Thor, rushed forward, and the Frost Giants attacked as well.

My barrier showed its prowess right away as it held off multiple stray attacks, or some directed attacks, while the regular humans hid inside.

Laufey still leveled his gaze at me.

I let the Staff of Magnus drop into my hand, and he finally reacted.

With one hand, I pointed the staff at him, and a large Magic Circle revealed itself, a torrent of fire unleashed in his direction. It was met with an equally large blast of frost that collided, creating a burst of steam.

In my other hand, I began casting other spells.

"Ebony Skin." Everyone around me was enveloped in an armor-like, shimmering magical construct that looked like Ebony from Skyrim. "Frost Shield. Fire Cloak." A second shield-like effect enveloped everyone, giving them a firm resistance against cold-based phenomena. Thirdly, their weapons were enveloped in magical fire.

Could I easily start a slaughter? Sure, but my main concern was still the bunch of normal humans caught in the middle.

So, I'll just play a support.

"Lightnin Rune." I cast far behind me as a Frost Giant stepped on it, causing him to get electrocuted and fall to his knees. One of the agents, who was about to be smashed into paste by him, then grabbed a knife from his boot and stabbed him in the neck with the added strength of my spell, killing him.

Besides, the friends that Thor claimed were actually doing very well. Sif, as a goddess, was doing her work to tear through the fodder. The other three, despite not being gods themselves, were much stronger than a normal human and were able to keep up as a group.

I let my spiritual power spread out, and I did my best to sense everyone under the dome. Besides us, there were still quite a few town residents stuck in with us.

And not all the Frost Giants were tunnel visioning just us.

I began calculating.

Dozens of new spell circles shimmered around as I played tug-of-war with Laufey and continued to release fire spells his way.

A fireball shot off towards the sky; it arced and hit the back of the head of a Frost Giant chasing after a man running down two streets to the right. Several more found him before a spike of Earth shot up and finished him off.

A hole opened up, enveloping another Frost Giant, then closing around him as he was about to stab a young lady a couple of buildings over.

I grasped with my hand, making a different Frost Giant trip with the use of telekinesis. A lightning bolt split and arced between the buildings before crashing into another. Bricks were transmuted into chains, dragging another two Frost Giants away. A palm of wind fell from the sky and slammed onto another, smashing him into the ground continuously.

A shield spawned up on the side of Fandral, blocking a stab of an ice dagger. He looked my way in thanks before stabbing his blade into another Frost Giant.

A blade of fire narrowly missed a particularly large Frost Giant that Volstagg was fighting, giving the Asgardian the chance to swing his large axe right into its groin, sweat pouring down his forehead.

The last one, he hadn't spoken, Hogun? The man was different than the other two; he was much more swift, not letting himself be put in a position where he was overwhelmed or forced into an engagement.

His weapons became enveloped in wind, becoming swifter and deadlier.

Thor, in his stupid but good-natured mind, thought it was wise to tackle a Frost Giant to the ground and start punching the ever-loving shit out of him. Of course, Thor was human at the moment, and after the initial daze wore off, the Frost Giant wasn't going to get beaten up in a brawl with a human.

Granted, he currently had an Ebony Skin spell cast on him, but that still didn't put him at the strength of one of these Frost Giants.

I let a random steel blade fly out of my storage and guided it to stab into the Giant. The Frost Giant let out a strange noise even amidst the chaos of the abrupt battlefield.

It may or may not have impaled him in the ass.

Thor ducked under a haphazard swing of its arm and grabbed the sword free. I almost choked as Darcy tried to tase the Frost Giant, distracting him again for Thor to get a few more stabs into its legs, finally bringing it down.

I'm impressed by the audacity, but likewise, I grabbed hold of her with a bit of telekinesis and gently threw her back into the safety of the shield.

Laufey pushed through my fire spell with the encompassing wave of frost crashing towards me.

"Greater Ward." I cast, spinning my staff, absorbing and negating it before launching the remainder of my carefully calculated spells.

Dozens of different effects were actualized; a flurry of lights and sounds erupted all together.

I let out a breath, leaning against my staff as a strange lull overcame the fighting.

Lots of bodies piled up, and the Asgardians were breathing heavily.

Just from size and strength, it seems that every Frost Giant was middle-class, more or less. Which is rather impressive considering there's a whole realm of these guys, and they didn't seem like the cream of the crop.

If my guesses were correct, an entire species where the minimum power of the middle class is a fearsome thing indeed, depending on their numbers.

The Ancient One did say they had enough to form an actual army in the past.

Jeanne stood at the front, many dead Frost Giants left in her wake, enough that everyone noticed that her side had been nearly cleared as she focused on Laufey alongside me.

At this point, I couldn't sense any humans within the shield that were immediately in harm's way.

"You are a fearsome sorcerer." Laufey spoke. "The speed and precision of your spells—I cannot name more than ten across the nine realms who could match it."

"And you have been sandbagging." I raised my staff, pointing at him. "You have confidence in something; I wonder what it is." I created a new runic circle. "Let's try this—Fires of Muspelheim."

One of my first created spells, it's very simple, but that's often only what you need.

A wave of fire erupted, but it was much stronger than the normal fire I had been playing with before.

Though, I had no doubt he could survive this.

Laufey was the king of a race that fought gods. There had to be something he was relying on.

He held his hand out, and something appeared in his hand, and I immediately felt an intense sense of danger.

It was a box of some sort, and when it opened, immediately it felt like the world had all its warmth sucked out.

My flames were snuffed out like they were a matchstick inside a blizzard.

Dangerous.

That thing was immensely dangerous.

"Jeanne!" I shouted, slamming my staff onto the ground. With the quickest speed I could muster, I pulled everyone around us as tightly together as possible, not having the chance to be gentle.

"My banner, protect my brethren—Luminosité Eternelle!"

A cold air the likes of that could only be compared to the Winter Queen. No, it may be on a higher level than her cold.

Everything in the vicinity immediately froze solid. My barrier spells, they froze over and began to crack.

Jeanne's Noble Phantasm was the only thing keeping it at bay from the others, but even still, a layer of frost and ice began creeping up despite her holy light acting as a barrier.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters!" Thor yelled, the cold air making it hard to hear. "If it is left open, the entire world will be frozen!"

"It should be locked away in Asgard!" Sif yelled back, her shield lifted up in an attempt to keep the cold air at bay.

That was hyperbole, right?

Right?

Though, oddly, I felt like he wasn't exaggerating.

The sense of danger I felt from that thing was immense. However, I had no time to ponder it because the barriers around us completely broke apart, and even I was starting to get covered in frost.

Jeanne's Noble Phantasm wasn't going to last forever.

So I made a decision, putting the Staff of Magnus away.

A second sun appeared overhead as the Bow of Auriel entered my hands. A surge of warmth that could contend with the deathly cold that spewed out of the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Thankfully, we're in the middle of the desert, so I didn't have to worry about collateral damage.

The second sun turned into an arrow as I pulled the string back, and I could feel the intense gazes locked onto my actions.

Particularly, Laufey's glowing red eyes could be seen amidst the frost and ice being unleashed.

At one end, the sun erupted in a torrent of bright light; on the other, a deathly cold and winter threatened to consume everything.

Jeanne's Noble Phantasm finally dissipated, and in that moment, I released the arrow.

The force of it was enough that all the buildings that were just frozen ice had shattered. All the ice and frost along the path had evaporated immediately, and the arrow pushed through the flood of cold that spewed forth.

In front of us, everything was completely disintegrated; all the Frost Giants turned to ash as the Arrow soared down the street and off into the distance. For a single moment, all the cold completely disappeared until the arrow itself also disappeared from view, ending with an eruption of explosive fire that blanketed the horizon.

Laufey, the Frost Giant King, was no longer there.

The only thing that did remain was the Casket of Ancient Winters, and it was still open.

The deluge of cold didn't cease; it was a momentary respite brought about by Auriel's Bow being used, and as soon as the intense heat was gone, it resumed, ushering in a new ice age into the surroundings.

Maybe it was because it was no longer being 'controlled,' but it felt like the release of frost was intensified several margins because it wasn't being direct anymore.

I threw up haphazard spells as quick as possible, and almost as quickly, they froze and shattered. Each one that took me a fraction of a second to cast lasted for not even twice as long.

Fires I cast were snuffed out immediately.

Finally, I raised Auriel's Bow in front of me and pushed against the blizzard that made seeing a few feet in front of me nearly impossible.

The residual authority of the sun associated with the Bow, even without activating it, allowed for a reprieve, enough that I could take steps forward even as my body was slowly getting enveloped in ice and frost.

My Semblance activated to help fight against it; the lightning that surged within me did its best to counteract the cold that filled the world.

I had no idea what the hell this thing actually was, but it was enough that it could honestly kill me if left alone.

Each step felt excruciatingly slow, and the closer I got, the more intense the cold became.

It felt like the very concept of cold—winter—ice—frost was all gathering into a single box and used together.

I could no longer even see a few inches in front of my eyes as I took several more steps forward, pushing against the chilling winds.

Instinctively, I swung the bow forward and smacked something.

Instantly, the cold subsides, the source cut off as the box had been closed.

My legs wobbled, and I fell to the ground with a sense of exhaustion, letting out cold breaths. My heart was beating rapidly because I was honestly surprised at the appearance of this thing.

Cold, cold, cold.

What a terrifying weapon.

If I was even feeling cold, I couldn't imagine how the others were feeling.

Thankfully, Jeanne was there helping hold things off from her end.

I held my hands out and began to cast numerous fire spells into the surroundings to bring some warmth back around.

They seemed all concerned with each other, which was nice.

However, my eyes landed on the casket next to me.

Yoink.

This is mine now.

(Line Break)

A/N

Casket of Ancient Winters, op op.

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