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God of War: World's End by claytron
 God of War & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Iron Man/Tony S., Thor, Thanos, Ancient One, Words: 119k+, Favs: 454, Follows: 474, Published: Jul 13, 2019 Updated: Jan 15  171Chapter 6: The Fall of Xandar
6
The Fall of Xandar
Kratos passed through the vortex, leaving earth behind. Before him laid a massive city. The green grass was greener than anything seen on earth, and the buildings stretched far into the sky, white and immaculate. All around, different species were mingling, reading, calmly going about their day. Droids were cleaning the streets, which were pristine and bright. Kratos couldn't imagine such a place being the scene of a battle. He had witnessed many cities fall, Athens, New York, but nothing such as this. The sky was cluttered with vehicles flying back and forth. Kratos had to reach the central government and warn them of the incoming attack. He had no idea where to start; every building seemed bigger and more important than the last as he walked down the streets.
"Hold it right there!" Came a voice from behind as multiple security drones flew towards Kratos. Several Armed security guards came running up, brandishing small arms and energy shields.
"I must speak to your commander!" Kratos exclaimed to the guard with what looked like the highest rank.
"You are under arrest for brandishing a weapon of mass destruction in public!" The guard replied. "Put down the angel weapon and get on the ground!"
"Maybe we should do what they say, brother," Mimir said from his belt.
"I do not have time for this". He unsheathed the sword and the surge of dark power returned to him. He could feel the sword spring to life as the blade glowed it's dark red glow and the arcs of lightning sprang from its razor edge. He looked around, looked at the faces of the soldiers around him. Young, scared, some were barely adults.
"Careful, old friend. we're here to save them, not kill them." Mimir advised. The Blade of Abaddon begged for death, but Kratos sighed and put the blade back in the sheath. The higher-ranking soldier nodded to one of his subordinates to cuff Kratos. The soldier approached the demigod, cuffs in his hand, but couldn't bring himself to come within arms reach of the huge pale man before him. Kratos scowled at the young soldier.
"I will go with you, but try to restrain me, and I will crush your skull with one hand." Kratos warned the nervous Nova Corpsman. The soldier nodded as Kratos began handing his equipment to him.
/
Kratos sat in his cell, an energy shield covering the entrance. The thoughts of his mission, of Thanos, of Tamara, spun through his mind. The door to the room opened and in walked a Nova Corps officer.
"Where did you get that weapon?" The Nova Corps officer asked.
"Release me," Kratos replied. "The attack may already be upon you."
"I'll ask again, where did you get that weapon?" The officer asked, more irritated this time.
"You must listen. Your world is under attack. The one known as Thanos is coming. He will destroy you and there will be nothing standing in his way."
"Thanos…?" The officer paused, then ran off into another room. Some time passed, then the door opened. An older woman, grey hair and in a clean blue uniform entered the room. Irani Rael, the Nova Prime, and commander of the Nova Empire's defense forces.
"What do you know about Thanos?" Irani asked.
"I know he is coming. He may already be here." Kratos replied. "I carry that weapon in service of your world, and I will need it back. When he arrives, I will stand beside you in battle, but you must release me."
"Madame Rael!" said a voice from the doorway. Irani turned and walked briskly to the door, let the officer whisper in her ear, then walked back to the cell.
"How did you know he was here?! Are you a spy?" She asked urgently.
"I am not. I am your best hope of defeating him." Kratos replied. "You have alread wasted too much time to ready your defenses."
Suddenly, a loud rumble shook the ground. Irani lost her footing, then stood back up and ran off into the hallway.
"RELEASE ME, WOMAN!" Shouted Kratos as she ran off. He scanned the cell for weaknesses. He tapped the wall. It was made of an extremely dense metal of some kind. Kratos punched the wall, making a hole in the surface. He pushed his hand through the hole and parted the metal, creating a man-sized rip in the cell wall. Whatever that metal was made of, clearly, it wasn't built for gods. He ran out of the room and down the hall.
Nova Corps soldiers were running back and forth, too busy to notice or care about the Spartan as he searched for the location of his sword and helmet. Above, rumbles and gunfire could be heard. The ceiling of the compound was leaking dust with every explosion. He followed against the tide of armed troops and finally, Kratos found the armory. The Sword of Abaddon and The helmet were sitting on a table in the middle of the room. He put on the helmet, pressed the button and let it engulf his head. He then took the sword and put it on his back.
"We must head for the surface," Kratos exclaimed.
"Of course, straight into the action then. Let's go!" Mimir said.
Kratos let out a confused huff as he looked down at his friend.
"Let's go kick some alien butt! Hi-ho!" Mimir shrieked as they ran off for the surface.
"You are unusually excited for battle, head." Kratos noticed.
"Well, I've pretty much given up staying away from fights when I'm with you. May as well enjoy it! You haven't killed me yet!" Mimir replied.
"...Very well." Kratos replied.
Kratos could see the light of the surface grow brighter as they went further and further up through the compound. Finally, they reached a control center on the surface. Outside the windows, Kratos could see the city. The once white towers now were black and crumbling, flames and smoke being pumped into the air. The grass grew dark as the sky became covered in ash and smoke. The once calm populace was screaming, desperately trying to run away from the craft that was strafing the ground with plasma fire. From the smokey cloud cover, a massive ship emerged, black and ominous. As it lowered closer to the ground, it began to fire its cannons into the surface of the planet, ripping up entire buildings with each shot. Kratos noticed Irani Rael in the room, barking orders through a communication device. Kratos ran up to her.
"What are you doing up here! Guards!" She yelled as he approached.
"I will escape again as before. Do not waste our time. Why is Thanos here?" Kratos asked.
Some Nova Corps soldiers came to Irani's call for help, but she waved them off.
"I don't know why he's here! Gods, first Ronan now this…"
"Why would Thanos attack your world! There must be a reason!"
Plasma fire strafed the side of the compound, sending dust and debris into the air. The windows of the control center shattered, hitting the eyes of one of the operators. He flew to the ground clutching his eyes and screaming, blood dripping down his face.
"There might be one reason, but no one except a select few know about it!" Rael yelled over the sound of battle raging outside.
"Tell me. I can defeat him if you tell me why he's here!"
"Madame Rael! He's deploying ground troops!" An operator called from across the room.
Irani Rael paused. She dropped her head.
"He's after the Infinity Stone."
"Infinity Stone?" Kratos asked.
"I'll explain it when we get moving, brother, but we should hurry!" Mimir yelled.
"Where are you keeping this stone?" Kratos asked Irani.
"In the main Nova Corps building, over there, see it? It's in the vault on the lowest level. Here. My clearance card." She took a card from her coat and handed it to him. "That will get you into anywhere."
"I will stop him," Kratos promised before he and Mimir jumped out the broken window in the battlefield below.
/
"The stone, head. What is its significance?" Kratos asked as he mowed his way through Chitauri ground troops. The Sword of Abaddon cutting through armor like melted butter.
"The infinity stones are six extremely powerful stones that were created by the Celestials eons ago- watch out behind you brother!" Mimir yelled as a Chitauri Outrider charged Kratos from behind. He turned to face the beast, caught it by the jaw and ripped its mouth open. The jaw snapped apart like a plank of wood.
"Target deceased." The helmet said, scanning the Outrider.
"This is very bad, brother. If this madman is trying to find all six, then he could do anything. He could destroy the entire universe if he wanted to!"
"Then we must stop him. MMMF!" Kratos grunted as he pried the spear out of a Chitauri's grasp and sliced its head off with the Sword of Abaddon. The glow of the blade vaporizing the blood of the beast as it sliced through its neck. The blade was beginning to change. With every swing, the sword glowed hotter, and the lightning grew more violent around its blade. Then Kratos felt something coax him to point the blade at a Leviathan above him. A blast of red lightning shot from the Blade, penetrating the beast's armor and shooting through to the other side. The monster roared in pain, then fell to the ground, crushing everything underneath. Not wanting to waste time, he ran from the battle towards Nova Corps HQ. He ran up to the door and pressed the key card against the pad beside the door.
The door beeped and opened, revealing pools of blood in the lobby. Everywhere he looked, there was another body, some were missing limbs, some missing heads, some split in two. He followed the trail of blood, which lead to the elevator. He pressed the bloodied pad beside the elevator and got in. The button leading to the lowest level was caked with a bloody fingerprint, much too large to be human. He looked down and saw the upper half of a Nova Corps guard, his body still intact, but his face was beaten into an unrecognizable mess.
"I think it's about time we kill this guy. These poor people…" Mimir sighed.
"Prepare yourself."
The door to the elevator opened, revealing a long hallway. Bodies and body parts were strewn about every which way, blood splatters caking the walls. The boots carried him quickly through the horror to the end of the hallway. The keycard opened the door, which opened into a large room. The room was empty except for the walls, which were lined with doors, all requiring a card and a key code to unlock. At the center of the room, a large armored figure could be seen opening a small box. Kratos could see the figure raise his left hand, which was encased in some sort of gauntlet. Kratos' eyes widened as the purple-skinned figure placed a purple stone in the gauntlet, releasing a powerful shockwave through the room. Kratos braced and was pushed back by the blast. He looked at the figure. It was him: golden armor, grimacing, purple skin coated with blood.
"Thanos!" Kratos called.
"Who are you?" The Mad Titan asked back.
"I am the God of War. That is all that concerns you."
"God of war? Which one? There have been so many, I lost track of which I have killed. But no matter, I'm sure you would like to test yourself against me, just as the others have tried...and failed." Thanos taunted.
Kratos unsheathed the Sword of Abaddon, the blade sparking to life.
"Warning, extreme power source detected," The helmet's voice spoke into Kratos' ear. "That guy is packing some serious heat, but I'm not sure what it is. Recommend immediate withdrawal."
"This brings me no joy, 'god of war'." Thanos said as he picked up his double-bladed weapon.
"Nor I. I must not forget to tell you. Stark says…'hi'." Kratos said.
Kratos charged across the empty room, Blade glowing red with angelic power. Thanos raised his blades to meet him. The two clashed, causing the air around them to blast the walls, creating cracks and bends in the metal. Kratos used his smaller stature to his advantage, dodging and rolling out of the way of Thanos' clumsy but powerful strikes. Thanos would swing downward, Kratos would roll sideways and swing, ripping Thanos' armor and shredding his purple skin. Thanos would swing sideways, Kratos would dodge backward and thrust. Thanos knew he was losing, and he was losing quickly. He couldn't land a single hit on this little 'god', but he had more power besides martial artistry. He swung into Kratos' blade, sending another shockwave through the room. Kratos' helmet sent out a warning that the purple stone on Thanos' hand began to glow. He looked down at the gauntlet and watched as Thanos let go of his blade, clench his gauntlet into a fist, and swung. Kratos tried to dodge, but the speed of the gauntlet was unexpected. Thanos' fist uppercut Kratos in the jaw, sending him through the ceiling. He felt each impact as he rocketed through floor after floor. Finally, he shot through the roof of the building.
As he was lobbed over the city, all he could see was nothing more than the rubble of war. Creatures of every size were scouring the surface of the sacked city, and small arms plasma fire was seen being shot everywhere he looked. He aimed himself for a Leviathan to cushion his fall, but his velocity sent him straight through the creature. The monster's intestines burst in an explosion of dark blood and armor shrapnel as Kratos blasted through the unsuspecting alien. When Kratos landed, his impact sent a wave through the ground of the planet, shooting debris in every direction. Nearby Chitauri and Nova Corps alike were blasted with a shockwave of air. Eardrums burst and internal organs ruptured, followed by a second wave of debris. Everything in a twenty-five-meter radius was instantly killed, and everything a few meters beyond that were knocked over, deafened or otherwise disabled.
Kratos stood up from his impact site and looked for his enemy, who would surely not be far behind. He looked into the distance and saw the Mad Titan, Thanos, walking calmly towards him. The gauntlet's purple glow bounced off the shattered glass and bloodied armor of the fallen Nova Corps soldiers around him. Kratos readied his blade and waited for Thanos to make the first move. Thanos smiled, stopped and looked to the sky. He pressed a finger to his ear and muttered something. Kratos heard the horn of the ship above roar through the sky. He looked up and watched as the guns of the cruiser began to reorient towards him. He looked around and watched as the Chitauri forces began to mass around him. He turned to Thanos again.
"Helmet. Focus on the incoming ship attacks. I will focus on the ground forces."
"Very well." The helmet interface replied.
"There's a lot of 'em coming from behind, old friend," Mimir said with uncertainty.
"Let them come," Kratos said calmly. The Blade of Abaddon's red glow cried for bloodshed, and Kratos was ready and willing to accommodate.
Thanos stood as his forces began to wash past him in droves, charging straight for Kratos. Leviathans, Chitauri, Outriders and Chitauri Gorilla's all came, numbering in the thousands. The ship's weapons charged, creating an electrical imbalance in the atmosphere. The ground shook with the incoming forces. Kratos charged.
Each swing of the Abaddon Blade sent dozens of Chitauri to their afterlife. Limbs flew, bodies piled into hills, smells unknown to Kratos reached his nose, but he didn't care. He had to end this here and now. The Blade's glow grew with each swing. The arcs of electricity running up and down the blade began to arc to the ground and to the Chitauri surrounding him.
"Incoming rounds." The helmet warned.
Kratos pushed against the army surrounding him, sending Chitauri bodies flying in all directions. He jumped out of the path of the incoming round. The blast of plasma hit the ground, vaporizing hundreds of densely-packed Chitauri. Kratos swung his blade into the crowd of aliens as he landed, sending the stored energy of the blade into the ground. The ground burst into a liquid plasma of red electricity, vaporizing an entire battalion of outriders.
"He's more mobile than I assumed." Ebony observed.
"Call off the ship. If he can just jump away, there's no point in wasting ammo and fodder." Thanos ordered.
"At once, my lord." Ebony replied, giving a bow.
Thanos watched on as wave after wave of his army fell to this aging god. He frowned.
"And call off the troops. This creature deserves special treatment." Thanos added as he looked to his children. The black order all gave a bow and headed down the scorched hill for their prey. Thanos looked on before making his own way down the hill.
Kratos grabbed a hold of a Chitauri gorilla by the neck and drew his blade through its belly, letting its organs fall out before attending to another enemy. The Chitauri army began to retreat, and Kratos knew it wasn't for good reasons. He wiped the alien blood from his hands and grunted as the small cuts and bruises he sustained healed over.
"There are enemies still incoming. They are not Chitauri." The helmet announced.
Kratos turned to face the 4 aliens approaching him. A lanky priest, a massive armored monster, a war-hardened female and a hooded assassin. Kratos readied himself.
Cull charged past the others, swinging his massive war hammer downward toward Kratos. Kratos dodged and slashed Cull's armor, forcing him to recoil. Kratos followed by kicking Cull straight in the chest, sending him flying backward.
"Behind!" Mimir yelled. Kratos turned in time to move his head out of the way of Proxima's incoming spear. Kratos grabbed the spear and pulled Proxima towards him, headbutting her, and sending her back as well. Kratos went to charge Corvus but was stopped by an unseen force. He looked over to Ebony as he flicked his wrist. He could feel his arms being held back by something. Corvus took the advantage and stabbed at Kratos, but Kratos' godly strength allowed him to bend Ebony's telekinesis enough to dodge. Kratos tried to counterattack, but his blade was slowed by Ebony's powers.
Cull regained his footing and rejoined the battle. Kratos ripped his arm out of the telekinetic hold, and swung his blade at Corvus, but Cull side-checked Kratos at full speed, sending him shooting towards Ebony. Ebony pulled debris into a shield around him, but Kratos blasted through it, tackling Ebony into the ground. Kratos pulled back for a punch, but Cull was there to grab his arm, pull him back and swing him into the ground. The impact blasted Corvus and Proxima backward, but Cull didn't let go. Kratos swung the blade at Cull's arm, breaking the skin and slashing muscle. Cull groaned as his arm hung tp his body by a thread. In his pain and anger, Cull stomped Kratos farther into the ground.
Ebony saw the opportunity and tried to bury Kratos while he lay, sending debris and pieces of buildings down on top of him. Thanos, approaching the battle, watched as Kratos was buried in a mountain of rocks, concrete, and glass. He grinned.
"Good work, my children."
The Members of the black order stood for a moment. Cull looked at his limp arm. It was swinging by a few muscle fibers and was bleeding profusely. Proxima and Corvus looked at each other with embarrassment.
"Some help you both were!" Cull yelled at them.
"He was beyond any single one of you, children. However, together, you-"
Thanos was interrupted as the rubble burying Kratos began to shake. From the cracks in the concrete, a red glow was shining dimly.
"What-?" Corvus asked.
Just as he asked, the hill of rubble burst, shooting rocks and shrapnel straight for the Black Order. Ebony managed to put up a kinetic shield in time to stop most of the incoming material, but some rocks and shrapnel managed to hit Proxima and Cull. When the dust cleared, Kratos was standing, his arms wreathed in flame, his eyes glowing.
"Fascinating," Ebony stated, the corners of his mouth curling upwards with the promise of a challenge.
"What is he?" Cull asked in confusion, still gripping his wounded arm.
"Fine. I will handle this myself." Thanos said impatiently. The Black Order backed away as Thanos readied the gauntlet.
Kratos bent down and grabbed a large rock. With a roar, he lobbed it at Thanos at near mach-speed. Thanos managed to block the incoming rock with the gauntlet. With a purple blast, the rock exploded, leaving Thanos untouched. Kratos charged the Titan and jumped into the air. Thanos crossed his arms over his body as Kratos threw his fists against the ground, sending a shockwave through the crust of the planet. Thanos was set off-balance by the blast, but the stone gave him the strength to regain his composure in time to block Kratos' next punch. As Kratos threw his punch, the Power Stone sent out a blast of purple energy, launching Kratos backward. He pushed hard against the ground with his feet, stopping his backward velocity.
"I wonder what will happen if I punch the ground?" Thanos asked to Kratos with a sneer.
Kratos ran at Thanos, but the gauntlet had already made contact with the ground, and the planet's crust began to break apart. Magma erupted from the cracks in the ground, and the very geography of the continent began to reshape. As the stability of the ground failed beneath him, Kratos tried to find a way to use it to advantage. The helmet began to calculate paths through the maze of rock and magma. Kratos jumped from platform to platform as the ground began to give way to the ocean of lava that replaced it. Thanos was also trying to stay on top of the situation he put himself in.
The two met on one of the larger pieces of ground that was still intact. The two looked at each other for a moment.
"You are powerful, I will grant you that compliment," Thanos said.
"Enough Talk!" Kratos roared back. His flaming fists clenched, he closed the gap between them with one jump and threw the first punch. Thanos blocked and counterattacked with a left hook, hitting Kratos in the right cheek. Kratos returned the favor with an uppercut to the jaw and a left and right cross straight to Thanos' stomach. The two became enclosed in an all-out close-quarters brawl. Both landing and taking punches, dodging and lunging at each other, to the point where the two were bloodied and beaten. Kratos could feel the rage inside him running out, but Thanos and his Power Stone weren't letting up. Eventually, the flames engulfing Kratos' fists died out, and Thanos threw one good punch to Kratos' gut. Kratos groaned, but stayed standing, and tackled Thanos to the ground. Kratos threw punches into Thanos' face, a left, a right, but Thanos' managed to land another good hit, knocking Kratos off of him. Thanos got on top of Kratos and pointed the gauntlet at Kratos. The Power Stone shot a beam of purple energy into Kratos' face, singeing his beard and burning his eyes. Kratos tried to land a punch, just grazing Thanos' shoulder. Thanos recoiled, groaned, then threw a punch in return, hitting Kratos square in the nose, breaking the ground beneath them. The magma opened up underneath Kratos' head, and he could feel the heat underneath him building up. Thanos grabbed Kratos' head with both hands and began to push him closer to the magma. Kratos pushed back, but the Power Stone glowed stronger with each second. He could feel the magma grazing the back of his skull.
"Just like the rest...unngh...of the so-called gods! You all eventually die." Thanos said as he struggled to push Kratos further into the magma. As his head began to submerge under the liquid rock, Kratos felt a strength return to him, and with everything he had, he brought his leg in, and kicked Thanos in the stomach. Thanos was sent flying back, barely stopping himself from hitting the magma as he rolled. Kratos pulled himself out from the magma, his godly beard a little scorched and his head aching severely. He went to get up, but he felt a force push him back down to the ground. Ebony was floating above him, once again pushing him down with his telekinetics. Kratos ripped himself from the grasps of Ebony's powers, but Thanos was up and was standing over him.
"Thank you, my child," Thanos said as he pressed a foot down on Kratos' chest and pushed. The combined push of Ebony's telekinesis and Thanos' foot started to bear down on Kratos' ribs. He could feel them start to crack.
"Don't worry, you will die...with songs sung of your heroism. I commend you...for your efforts." Thanos said in between breaths. Kratos felt the pressure on his ribs increase. It was time to fight dirty. With his free hand, he slowly got free of Ebony's push, grabbed a hold of Thanos' Achilles tendon through his armor, and pulled. Thanos screamed as Kratos' hand clamped around his leg and ripped his tendons from his body.
"Father!" Ebony exclaimed.
Thanos fell back and clasped at his bleeding leg.
"Perhaps a tactical retreat, brother?" Mimir asked urgently.
Kratos looked around. The planet was ash. The ground was almost nothing but lava, piles of the dead and crumbling buildings. He looked to Thanos, who was still clinging to his leg as it bled profusely. He slowly brought himself up from the ground, his ribs aching and his head throbbing from the heat of the magma. His vision was blurred, and sounds were muffled in his ringing ears. He dragged his feet across the ground towards the groaning Thanos, pure vengeance urging his battered body on. This madman had to die, but his advance towards the Mad Titan was halted as the helmet began to alert him to the oncoming presence of the Black Order, who had heard their father's roars of pain. Unsure of whether or not he could defeat Thanos and the Black Order in his state, Kratos pulled the Sorcerer Supreme's stone from his belt.
"Witch, I am done here."
As he spoke, a portal appeared before him. He tried to get up.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Ebony yelled. Kratos felt the familiar pull of Ebony's power. Weakened as he was, Kratos managed to rip free and step through the portal before Ebony's wall of sharp glass came flying towards him.
Thanos looked at his leg as it bled out. Ebony landed beside his father and began to assess the damage.
"Nothing I can't mend, my lord." Ebony stated.
"Do it. Ugh…" Thanos grunted.
"What of the survivors of this world?" Ebony asked.
"We have the Stone. We are done here." Thanos said, looking at the dead and smoking world around him.
/
Thor kneeled before Odin, upon his return from Svartalfheim and his victory over the Dark Elves.
"You once said, there would never be a wiser king than me. You were wrong." Odin said as he stood by his throne, staff in hand.
"The alignment has brought all the realms together," Odin continued, "every one of them saw you offer your life to save them. What can Asgard offer its new king in return?"
Thor looked up from the floor. "My life."
Odin stood, confused.
"Father, I cannot be king of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair. Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice, the lies...it changes you. I would rather be a good man than a great king. "
Odin listened. "Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?"
"When you speak to me, I never hear mother's voice," Thor replied. Odin let out a sigh of frustration.
"This is not for Jane, father. She does not know what I came here to say. Now forbid me to see her or say she can rule by my side, it changes nothing."
"One son who wanted the throne too much...another who will not take it," Odin said as he sat down in his throne. "Is this my legacy?"
"Loki died with honor. I shall try to live the same, is that legacy enough?"
Thor removed Mjolnir's strap from his wrist and presented the weapon to his father. Odin waved his hand dismissively.
"It belongs to you…" Odin sighed. "If you are worthy of it."
"I shall try to be. My only regret is that I did not tell Loki that his father yet lives. One final good thought for his passing."
Odin flinched, raising an eyebrow, then composed himself.
"I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good fortune."
"I know."
Thor turned to walk away.
"IF I were proud of the man my son had become," Odin added. Thor turned back around. "Even that I could not say. It would speak only from my heart. Go...My son."
"Thank you, father." Thor turned and left the room. As Thor left, where the illusion of Odin sat, Loki now was, sitting on the Throne, holding his father's staff.
"No. Thank you." Loki said, grinning from ear to ear. His father yet lived? It was an interesting development...for another time. For now, with Thor gone, it was time to rule Asgard as king.
/
Kratos awoke on a bed, The Ancient One looking over him. His ribs were still weighing down on his lungs.
"Mimir, tell me what happened so I can heal him." He heard The Ancient One say, muffled by his ears, ringing from the blows Thanos dealt him. He was tired and felt himself falling prey to unconsciousness.
"Thanos has the Power Stone! I've never seen a mortal wield them before without being ripped apart."
"Was it on a weapon?"
"It was on his damn hand, I swear!"
"Then he does have the gauntlet. Kratos, stay with us, do you hear me? Don't fall asleep. Stay wi..ss…."
Kratos' senses dimmed as his consciousness faded until everything went black. When he opened his eyes, he found himself floating in the darkness of space. He could breathe, or perhaps he could not, for he wasn't breathing, but he wasn't suffocating. Before him lay the vastness of the cosmos in all its splendor. As he floated, the stars began to move, the nebulas began to accumulate with the dust and the planets and the very blackness of space itself. All the heavenly bodies arranged themselves to form a face, arms, legs, and a vast cloak, lightyears in length. The eyes of the great face made of stars looked down on the infinitely small Kratos.
"KRATOS…." the being called out, its voice booming through the void. The voice was infinite in volume, such that the entire cosmos shook with its words, but it didn't hurt Kratos to hear it.
"Who are you?" Kratos asked. The face of the figure came closer, the universe quaking under its movement.
"I AM ETERNITY." The being announced, light from distant galaxies bending around its infinite gravity.
"I am dead then…" Kratos sighed. Eternity's frown weakened into a neutral expression.
"YES. BUT YOU ARE NOT FINISHED, GHOST OF SPARTA. YOU WILL LIVE ON."
"I never seem to be finished…why is it that I must live and die over and over again? Why must I watch my families, anyone I get close to, die as I live on?! Have I not suffered enough?!" Kratos demanded. Eternity's expression turned to anger.
"THERE ARE LARGER THINGS AT WORK THAN YOUR SMALL LIFE, KRATOS. THE BALANCE OF LIFE AND DEATH IS AT RISK."
"And why should I care about this balance?" Kratos asked.
"THE ANCIENT ONE HAS SHOWN YOU THE POWER OF THE INFINITY STONES. WITH ONE, THANOS CAN LEVEL PLANETS. WITH SIX HE CAN ERASE THE UNIVERSE. WHEN HE FINDS ALL SIX, HE WILL HOLD THE BALANCE OF THE COSMOS HOSTAGE. HE MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO REACH THIS GOAL. THERE IS A NATURAL ORDER TO THINGS, AND THANOS IS THE ANTITHESIS TO THAT BALANCE."
"Thanos defeated me. His power was far beyond mine. What more can I do against him?"
"MUCH. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHEN THE TIME COMES. AND YOU WILL KNOW WHEN THE TIME HAS COME."
Eternity raised his finger to Kratos. Cosmic power shot from the finger in Kratos' chest, surging energy through his body. The energy transfer was intense like nothing Kratos had felt before.
"I GIFT YOU THE RAGE OF ETERNITY. YOU USE ANGER AS A TOOL IN BATTLE, LET THIS GIFT PROVIDE YOU WITH THE POWER TO COMPLETE YOUR TASK. GOOD LUCK SPARTAN."
Eternity's form dissipated back into the cosmos, the planets and stars returning to their places in the universe. Kratos was once again surrounded by nothing but the emptiness of space.
/
Kratos gasped and raised himself off of the cold metal table.
"Woah, Woah, big guy, calm down, you've been out a while!" Tony said, backing off as the Spartan adjusted to his surroundings. He was back in the medical bay of Avengers Tower. Bandages wrapped around his leg, his chest and his jaw.
"How…"
"Did you get here?" Tony finished Kratos' sentence, "You fell through a big magical orange hole, along with Marie Antoinette over there. Quite the chatterbox for someone without any lungs..." He pointed to Mimir, who was sitting on a desk. Mimir let out a chuckle.
"It's funny because I WAS beheaded, AND I have no lungs!"
Kratos and Tony looked at Mimir awkwardly.
"I'll just keep my mouth shut then…"
"We patched you up as best we could," Tony continued, "but you were clinically dead for a bit there. We were making plans to cremate you until you woke up...well, just now."
"Thano..." Kratos struggled to speak the name. Before he could finish his words, Thor entered the room.
"He survived I see. Stark, I would like a moment alone with the God Slay- with Kratos." Thor requested.
Tony looked at Thor, then to Kratos. "I want him in bed by 11, and no hanky panky." He said to Thor as he picked up Mimir and left the room. "And also, not blowing holes in my new tower, big no-no there. Adults resolve their disputes with words, not earth-shattering punches, thanks."
"You don't know Kratos very well, do you?" Said Mimir as Tony carried him out. "Let me tell you a story about Kratos and Mattugr Helson..."
Mimir began to recall his story. The door closed as Tony and Mimir left the room. Thor approached Kratos' bed.
"I…learned from my father that what you said was true. He admitted to attacking your village and killing your wife...to stealing away your child."
Kratos sighed and stayed quiet. Thor then hesitated to say what he had to say next.
"...Your son...was alive and well in Asgard for many years, under my very nose. Loki was the child my father stole from you. He was a Frost Giant, which means your wife was one as well."
Kratos' eyes widened. Faye was a Frost Giant? Why had she kept this secret? Why didn't she say anything? He could have kept her safe from Asgard if he had known. Loki was his son? The one who led the Chitauri armies at New York? Surely this couldn't be.
"Loki died with honor in Svartalfheim, defending the 9 realms and keeping them from falling into chaos. You would have been proud of him."
Kratos felt both relief and sadness in his soul. His son, dying with honor in battle. He never had the chance to meet him, to teach him the ways of his people, but to hear he died for a good cause was comforting. All Kratos could do was sit there and take it all in.
"I misjudged you, God Slayer. Perhaps we may be able to trust each other. Perhaps we may yet be able to work together. If your skills shown in our fight are any indication, you would be a worthy addition to our company." Thor chuckled and rubbed his nose were Kratos had broken it.
Kratos gave a weak nod. Thor turned to leave the room.
"Thor..." Kratos mumbled.
"Yes?" Thor asked. Kratos pointed to the remote for the TV. Thor placed the remote in Kratos' hand and left the room. He changed the channel to History. Reruns of Ancient Aliens. Amusing...
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