M111- Giants!

Maria tilted her head back, looking at the glowing veins of magic running through the Vanaheim sky. "You think Meruem’s strong enough to take on Angels eventually?"

Nero chuckled as they reached the edge of a lake and sat. The water was calm, reflecting the sky like a polished mirror. He stretched his legs out, resting his weight on his hands. “You’re forgetting Meruem’s greatest ability,” he said. “Everything I told you was assuming he can’t steal their powers.”

Maria scoffed. “That’s a pretty big thing to ignore.”

“Not really,” Nero replied. “His ability isn’t an instant win. It takes time, exposure, and the right conditions. If he had a long enough battle, he could absorb enough of their celestial energy to close the gap. Maybe even surpass the Queen by the end of it.”

Maria pulled off her boots, dipping her feet into the water. “So you’re saying if he fought long enough, he’d become as strong as their god?”

“Possibly,” Nero admitted. “But that’s not a real plan. That’s gambling.”

Maria shifted her weight, reclining onto her arms, watching the ripples in the water. “And you’re not the gambling type.”

“Not when it comes to my people,” Nero said simply. “I’m not throwing one of my summons into a warzone, hoping he adapts fast enough to survive.”

Maria swirled her foot, breaking the lake’s surface. “So we wait.”

“We wait.”

Maria tilted her head, considering. “That’s gotta be frustrating.”

Nero shrugged. “Not really. Every day we wait, we get stronger. Every day we wait, we gather more information. Rushing in because we’re impatient would be the worst move.”

Maria watched him, eyes narrowing slightly. “So if Meruem wasn’t away, you’d consider it?”

Nero shook his head. “Not really. Meruem is too strong a force to suddenly appear on Earth. If I hadn’t sent him away, it would’ve raised too many questions and drawn attention we definitely don’t want. But if he were here, I had ways to make him stronger fast.”

Maria swirled her foot in the water. “Like what? Don’t tell me you’d just throw him into a warzone and hope for the best.”

“There are all sorts of unique powers on Earth,” Nero said. “For example, Spider-Man. Seemingly just a neighborhood hero, but he’s actually part of something bigger.”

Maria looked over at him. “Peter?”

Nero nodded. “Not that Peter knows, though.”

Maria leaned back on her hands. "That’s not ominous at all. What’s his deal?"

"Neith." Nero skipped a flat stone across the lake’s surface. "A cosmic force. Think of it like an entity that weaves fate itself, and Peter—well, Peter’s tangled in that web whether he likes it or not."

Maria watched the ripples spread. "So what, he’s got some kind of cosmic lineage?"

"More like an intrinsic connection," Nero said. "There are Spider-Totems—beings across dimensions chosen by Neith. Some are warriors, some are prophets, some are meant to die just to push the story forward."

Maria exhaled. "That’s messed up."

"Yeah," Nero agreed. "And Neith’s followers? They hunt them down. It’s a whole thing."

"And Peter has no idea?"

"Not really," Nero said. "Bits and pieces. His Spider-Sense? That’s more than reflexes. It’s precognition, tuned through the lens of instinct. If he ever trained it properly, he’d be dodging attacks before his opponent even decided to throw them."

She hummed. “Sounds like Observation Haki and Vongola Hyper Intuition.”

Nero nodded. “Same type of power, just different names. Though Spider-Sense is stronger than both.”

Maria leaned back, stretching her legs out over the smooth stone. “How so?”

“It works at a subconscious level. Peter doesn’t need to train it—his body reacts before his mind does. Hyper Intuition and Observation Haki still rely on awareness and skill. A person can be distracted or outmatched in Haki, but Spider-Sense? If it activates, it’s absolute. Even if he doesn’t know why, he moves.”

Maria nudged a small pebble into the lake with her toe. “And if he actually trained it?”

Nero smirked. “Then he’d be dodging attacks before his enemy even decided to throw them.”

Maria snorted. “So you’re saying he’s a bad decision away from being overpowered?”

“Pretty much.” Nero leaned back on his elbows. “Not that it matters. Peter’s Peter. He’s not looking for a power boost, he just wants to help people.”

Maria glanced at him. “And that’s why you leave him alone?”

“More or less. He’s not in the game, and I’d rather keep him that way.”

Maria didn’t argue. She knew Nero had a way of keeping tabs on people while making sure they never even realized they were being watched. Peter was safe, and that was all that mattered.

A soft breeze rolled over the lake, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers from deeper in the forest. Maria let the silence settle between them for a moment before speaking again. "What’s the strongest power on Earth right now?"

Nero skipped another rock across the water. "That depends on how you define strong."

Maria stretched her legs out, tapping a finger against her knee. "Not potential, not hidden bloodlines, not ‘if they trained right’—just as they are right now. If everyone on Earth fought at full strength, who’d come out on top?"

Nero considered for a second. "Hulk’s up there."

Maria frowned. "Banner?"

"When he actually lets go, yeah," Nero said. "The angrier he gets, the stronger he gets, and there's no upper limit. His healing factor keeps up with almost anything, and even if you throw him off-planet, he’ll just come back worse."

Maria nodded slowly. "So what’s stopping him from wrecking the planet?"

"Banner," Nero said simply. "He holds back most of the time. If he ever lost control completely—fully lost it—there wouldn’t be much left standing."

Maria kicked a small rock into the water. "So he’s the strongest?"

"Physically, probably." Nero leaned back on his hands. "But raw strength isn’t everything. Jean Grey’s got the Phoenix Force. The Ancient One was capable enough to keep sorcerers in check for centuries. There are others too."

Maria dipped her foot, letting the chill creep over her skin. "Jean’s that strong?"

"The Phoenix Force is. If it fully takes over, it’s not even a fight anymore," Nero said. "It’s cosmic-level power, the kind that burns through stars and resets timelines. The only reason Earth hasn’t been a casualty is because Jean’s managed to keep it in check—so far."

Maria scoffed. "And if she doesn’t?"

"Then the planet’s fucked."

Maria tilted her head. "So, she’s holding back, Hulk’s holding back, and we’re all just sitting here hoping they don’t have a bad day?"

"That’s the best-case scenario."

She let that sit for a moment. "The Ancient One’s different, though. Magic instead of raw power."

"Yeah. She knows things no one else does. Has access to dimensions that would break most people’s minds." Nero tapped his fingers against the stone beneath him. "She’s strong, but it’s not just about power with her. It’s control. Knowledge. She could rip apart reality if she wanted, but she doesn’t need to. She wins before a fight even starts."

Maria hummed, kicking up a small ripple in the lake. "So between all of them, who’d win?"

"Depends on the fight," Nero said. "If it’s just a straight-up brawl? Hulk or Jean, no contest. If it’s about strategy and manipulating the battlefield? The Ancient One."

She exhaled softly, leaning into him as his arm settled around her. “No matter how many times you talk about it, I still feel small,” she murmured.

Nero rested his chin on her head. “The universe is big and dangerous. We need to grow slowly.”

Maria traced idle patterns against his forearm. “You think we’ll ever be ready?”

Nero tilted his head slightly. “For what?”

She gestured vaguely toward the sky. “Whatever’s coming. The things you don’t say out loud.”

Nero kissed the top of her head. "Soon."

They let the silence stretch, the sound of the water lapping against the shore filling the space between them. Then, the crunch of boots signaled the arrival of the others. Donald stretched his arms before sitting on a nearby rock, while Diego flopped down with all the grace of someone who had spent his energy fighting and had no regrets.

"How were the battles?" Nero asked.

Anthony grinned, rolling his shoulder like he was testing out a bruise. "Took down a few Vanir. Not bad, but I wouldn’t call them the best fighters I’ve faced."

Sofia leaned against him, arms crossed. "That’s because you’re too used to fighting people who actively want to kill you. A sparring match doesn’t hit the same."

Donald exhaled, stretching his legs out. "Some of them are good. Others are just playing warrior."

Diego let out a dramatic sigh. "Well, I didn’t fight to the death, but I did manage to impress a few lovely spectators. I call that a victory."

Loki smirked. "They were watching in the same way people watch an animal in a circus."

"Still attention," Diego shot back, tossing a small rock into the lake.

Nigel sat a bit farther back, taking in the view. "At least no one did anything reckless."

Sofia side-eyed Diego. "Yet."

Diego grinned. "There’s still time."

Nero leaned back on his hands. "We moving on or sticking around longer?"

Donald glanced at Loki. "You have a destination in mind, or are we just wandering until someone starts trouble?"

Loki twirled a small dagger between his fingers. "Oh, there’s always trouble. It’s just a matter of who finds it first."

Anthony looked between them. "If we're realm-hopping, might as well pick somewhere decent. Somewhere that won’t get us arrested within the hour."

Diego sighed dramatically. "You’re really taking all the fun out of this."

Maria, still next to Nero, glanced at Donald. "You want to go somewhere specific?"

Donald tapped a finger against his knee. "Jotunheim could be interesting."

Sofia raised an eyebrow. "You mean the place full of people who hate you?"

Donald nodded. "Yes."

Sofia shrugged. "Okay, just checking."

Loki sighed. "If we must, I suppose I’ll tolerate the cold for a little while."

Diego grinned. "And here I thought you’d enjoy returning to your roots."

Loki’s smile didn’t waver. "Keep talking, and I’ll leave you there."

Anthony stood, dusting his hands off. "Let’s go before this turns into another endless debate."

Nero gestured toward the sky. "We taking the Bifrost, or you have another dramatic way of getting us there?"

Loki sighed, already turning toward the path. "Bifrost, obviously. If you want theatrics, at least give me time to prepare properly."

Donald called for Heimdall, and soon, the Bifrost descended again, swallowing the group in a flash of prismatic light. When it spat them back out, the cold hit instantly.

Jotunheim was bleak, its jagged ice formations stretching into the distance, the sky a deep, endless gray. The air carried a sharp chill, and the ground beneath their boots was slick with frost.

Diego shivered immediately. "I think my soul just turned to ice. Someone light me on fire."

Sofia adjusted her gloves. “You were expecting a winter wonderland?”

“I was expecting a little less ‘stab you in the lungs’ cold,” Diego muttered, rubbing his arms. “Do frost giants even feel this?”

Donald stepped ahead, already moving like the cold didn’t bother him. “They don’t.”

Loki smirked. “They feel it, but they don’t suffer from it. Which, I suppose, is what truly matters.”

Diego side-eyed him. “Yeah? And which side of that are you on?”

Loki only smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Nero adjusted the straps of his coat, scanning the icy landscape. “We moving or standing here till Diego freezes?”

Donald gestured forward. “We need to head toward Utgard. If we’re lucky, they’ll let us walk in without a fight.”

Sofia scoffed. “And if we’re not lucky?”

Donald rolled his shoulders. “Then we fight.”

Diego sighed, already trudging after him. “Why is it always fighting?”

Nigel, the only one who looked completely unbothered by the cold, stepped in stride with Nero. “Because that’s how the Jotnar solve their problems.”

As they walked, the terrain grew more hostile—steep cliffs, icy caverns, and massive structures of frozen rock that looked like they could collapse at any second.

Sofia nudged Anthony. “This is your kind of place, right? Big, dramatic, definitely tries to kill you?”

Anthony smirked. “You’re not wrong.”

Maria leaned into Nero’s side as they walked. “How are you not cold?”

Nero pulled Maria close, wrapping an arm around her as Sky Flames flickered to life, surrounding her in warmth. "Sun Flames can push body heat higher, Sky Flames and Rain Flames keep the ice and cold at bay. Diego could just throw up a Storm Flame shield and disintegrate the cold completely. Nigel’s probably multiplying his coat’s insulation with Cloud Flames." He grinned. “Only your Mist Flames aren’t much help unless you illusion yourself into thinking you’re warm. But, y’know, then you might freeze without knowing why.”

Maria huffed, pressing closer. “You’re basically my personal heater now.”

“Obviously.”

The official excuse of a diplomatic visit got them through Jotunheim’s gates without issue, though Nero suspected that was more due to Donald’s presence than any actual need for political courtesy. The frost giants weren’t exactly rolling out a red carpet, but they weren’t hostile either. A few wary glances, a couple of muttered words in their own language, but nothing that signaled immediate danger. That was enough.

The market in Jotunheim was livelier than expected. Stalls lined the icy paths, selling everything from weapons carved from frozen stone to meats grilled over strange blue flames. The frost giants didn’t pay them much attention—some curious glances, but nothing hostile. Business came first, apparently.

Diego picked through a tray of carved trinkets, holding up what looked like a tiny ice wyrm. "Alright, I expected more giant skulls and fewer artisan crafts. I feel misled."

Donald smirked, biting into a strange, frost-covered fruit. "Jotunheim isn’t just a battlefield, you know." He chewed thoughtfully. "Though you might not want to try this. Tastes like regret."

Diego scoffed. “Yeah? Then where’s the nightlife?”

Sofia handed a handful of coins to a merchant in exchange for a dagger that shimmered with frost energy. “I’d argue that ‘nightlife’ in a place like this is just a lot of bar fights.”

Anthony tested the weight of a short axe before tossing it back onto the stall. “So, like home.”

Donald looked at him. “Didn’t you just punch someone because they called you ‘Midgardian’ like an insult?”

Anthony shrugged. “Yeah, but I won, so it’s fine.”

Maria, leaning into Nero, examined a delicate ice sculpture of some massive beast. “Should we even ask what this is?”

The merchant, a broad-shouldered Jotun with a necklace of bones, grinned. “Ice wyrm. Big. Very angry.”

Diego gestured at it. “And you just… keep little statues of it?”

The merchant scoffed. “You keep paintings of people, don’t you?”

Diego opened his mouth, paused, then nodded. “Fair.”

Nero picked up a small metal sphere from a different stall, rolling it in his palm. “What’s this?”

The Jotun behind the counter grunted. “Throw it.”

Nero tossed it lightly. Mid-air, the sphere cracked open, unfolding into a jagged spear of pure ice before retracting back into itself and clattering to the ground.

Anthony let out a low whistle. “Okay, that’s actually cool.”

Sofia crossed her arms. “I want one.”

The merchant held up three fingers. “Not cheap.”

Diego elbowed Nero. “Come on, big guy. Buy us toys.”

Nero handed over the coins without argument, passing Sofia her own retractable spear.

Maria smirked. “You’re such an enabler.”

Nero grinned. “I’m practical.”

Sofia flicked her wrist, watching the weapon expand again before shrinking back. “You mean you just like seeing us cause problems.”

Nero didn’t deny it.

They left the market with more than just weapons. Donald had managed to negotiate a bottle of some Jotun alcohol, Diego had picked up a surprisingly well-made fur-lined coat (that he insisted made him look like a warlord), and Anthony was carrying a pack of preserved meats that he had sworn to finish before they left.

Sif caught up with them as they reached the outskirts. “You’re all still alive. Impressive.”

Donald raised an eyebrow. “You doubted that?”

Sif smirked. “Only Diego.”

Diego clutched his chest. “The betrayal.”

Maria adjusted the strap of a satchel she had picked up along the way. “Where to next?”

Donald thought for a second before glancing at Loki. “You pick.”

Loki smirked. “Dangerous choice.”

Anthony sighed. “We’re going to end up somewhere terrible, aren’t we?”

Loki hummed. “Probably.”

The Bifrost took them again, dropping them in a new realm before any of them could rethink their decisions.