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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 7: Echoes of an Old Life
WHOOPS: Sorry, folks. I reformatted my story by amalgamating the multiple smaller chapters into fewer bigger chapters. Apparently, when I reformatted my story, I somehow didn't repost this chapter. That's my bad. But here it is.
7
Echoes of an Old Life
Kratos found himself in the infirmary of Avengers Tower, in a bed. Across from his was an operating table with a body laying on it, a sheet covering its form. He got up from his bed and approached the table. He reached for the sheet and removed it from the body's face. It was Tamara, cold and dead. Kratos went to replace the sheet, but before he moved, her eyes opened, black and empty.
"Kratos." Her mouth opened, blood spilling from her teeth, black liquid spilling from her blackened eyes.
"Failure." Her words echoed through the room.
/
Kratos sprang up in his bed in a cold sweat. Another damn nightmare. He looked about his quarters and rubbed his clenched jaw. He had been contemplating his battle with Thanos for some time. For once, in his 2300 years on this earth, Kratos felt...old. His body could once heal from any damage, and now it took a day or two to recover from near-fatal injuries. Had his half-human side begun to catch up with him?
He rose out of his bed and looked around his quarters. On the table, at the foot of his bed, he saw a suit of white matte tactical armor. The outer plates were made from Dyneema ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene while the inner layer was a kevlar bodysuit. On top of the suit was a note that said: "Meet on party deck". He put the suit on and walked down the hall. Avengers tower had changed substantially since his last visit. What was once the research and development floors of Stark Tower was now turned into the tactical headquarters of the Avengers. The low orange lighting of the old tower was replaced with the blue crisp lighting of the new. The helipad had been replaced with a launchpad for an old S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, and the Stark symbol on the side of the tower was replaced with the Avengers symbol. Kratos entered the party deck of the tower, where everybody was assembled: Tony, Thor, Steve, Bruce, Natalia, Clint, and Mimir, who was sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. They all turned to watch Kratos as he entered the room.
"Look who's up!' Tony announced. "Welcome to the family reunion. We were all just discussing what we did on our vacations. Sparkles, I think we were just getting to you in the circle."
Thor stood from his seat. "In my time away from Midgard, the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim attacked Asgard and threatened the safety of the nine realms. They were defeated. I refused my claim to the crown of Asgard and now stand here ready to defend the realms against whatever may come."
"Okay, right on. Stopping the… dark elves, which exist apparently," Tony said as Thor sat back down.
"Ah, yes, the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim." Mimir began, "I could tell you stories of the battle between the Light and Dark Elves. Did you know that the light of Alfheim has changed hands no less than-"
"Hey, Nearly Headless Nick, don't you start with another one, please. Please? Just for now?" Tony interrupted.
"I'll just pick this up later then…" Mimir said, sounding wounded.
"As for me, I defeated a terrorist who was powered by a chemical which caused him to breathe fire, so that's a new experience for me." Tony continued. "What about you, Casper. Any war stories?"
"No," Kratos replied.
"Oh come on, you fell through a magical vortex into my lap with...the talking head." Black Widow said, pointing to Mimir.
"I have a name, my dear."
"I would rather NOT...discuss it," Kratos said, still embarrassed by his defeat.
"Did anybody just...relax during their time off? Maybe meditate? Have a pot of chamomile?" Bruce asked, looking around the room.
"I saw my family," Hawkeye said, raising his hand and pointing at Bruce.
"Okay, cool, I'm not the only one then. You know, taking a mental health day is good for you once in a while, guys. Take a break...once in a while." Banner said, shrinking into his chair. "Buuuut look who I'm talking to…"
"Hydra doesn't take a break," Steve said to the group. Bruce made a smug expression and mouthed the words 'here we go'.
"I spent my time discovering that Hydra has infiltrated every level of S.H.I.E.L.D." Steve continued, "As a result, S.H.I.E.L.D. has recently collapsed, which means we are on our own from now on. Fury has gone to Europe to find any Hydra bases that may still be out there, which brings us as to why we're all here." Steve pressed a button on the remote he was holding. The screen on the wall sprang to life, showing a map of a country in Eastern Europe.
"This is Sokovia, it's the home of one of a large Hydra base, headed by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker," said Steve, as the map zoomed in and focused on a bird's eye view of a large military compound. "Our recce of the base have shown that they are using astronomical amounts of energy, nothing a small country like Sokovia could sustain. We've seen evidence of direct energy weaponry, armor and plasma artillery. We're assuming this means they have the scepter to power everything. We don't want them studying it well enough to start another war."
"So we go in, raise hell, take the scepter or otherwise disrupt their operations, then get out," Natalia added.
"We leave for Sokovia in two hours. Let's get some breakfast in us and move out." Steve said turning off the screen.
Kratos walked up to Mimir while the rest left the room.
"Hydra?" Kratos asked.
"From what I could tell, Hydra is some sort of evil organization bent on world domination through fear-mongering and authoritarian rule," Mimir explained.
"Like the gods..."
"If that's the way you want to look at it, then yes."
"Then Hydra cannot be allowed to continue their work. I will return." Kratos said as he left Mimir on the mantle.
"Not taking me? Oh, yes, don't worry about me then, I'll just sit here alone and count DOTS ON THE CEILING!" Mimir yelled as Kratos left the room.
/
The Quinjet roared across the sky, the small jet containing seven of the most powerful people on the planet.
"This shall be our first mission together," Thor said to Kratos over the sound of the engines.
"Yes."
"Will you prove to us that you can be trusted?"
"Worry about the enemy, not me."
"Forgive my worry, but you did break my face."
"And you shot lightning at me and hit me with a hammer."
The two paused, then Thor began to laugh.
"That is true. Then let us demonstrate for these Hydra fellows the wrath of the gods, together!" Thor exclaimed, smacking Kratos' back, throwing Kratos' off-balance. Kratos was tempted to flash Thor a scowl but decided against it.
"Very well, Odinson. Together." Kratos said, regaining his balance in the bumpy jet. "Are you prepared?"
Thor lifted Mjolnir to inspect it. "I am. You?"
Kratos patted his M134 Minigun. "Indeed."
"Okay, everybody. Two minutes!" Captain America signaled on the back of the motorbike which he insisted on bringing into the jet.
"Okay Bruce, time to go green." Widow said to Banner over the headsets. Bruce began to think hard, then started getting mad. Hawkeye put the picture of his wife back into his pocket while Iron Man let his faceplate flip down onto his face.
"Remember the plan everybody. Tony takes out the base's heavy artillery while the rest of us deal with the ground forces and advance into the compound." Captain America clarified. "And watch out for the plasma fire, we all know how much it sucks to get hit by that. Good luck everybody."
The rear door of the jet lowered over the frozen ground of Sokovia. Captain America's bike released from the floor and launched from the hovering jet, followed by Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and the now fully-formed Hulk. Kratos picked up his Minigun from the jet, attached the ammo to his back and jumped down. He watched the others charge away from the jet into the snow-covered forest. Once the jet landed, Window got out from the cockpit and sprinted out of the rear door.
"Come on, old man, we have a bit of a run to do before we get there." She yelled as she ran off into the forest herself.
Old man. He would show her old man. Kratos adjusted his ammo bag and began to run after the rest, quickly passing Widow and Hawkeye as he sprinted for the Hydra base. Widow and Hawkeye gave each other a look as he zoomed past them.
"We should get...a truck or something," Hawkeye said, in between breaths.
"Agreed." Widow replied also out of breath.
They both stopped and grinned at each other as a reconnaissance jeep full of Hydra soldiers came bursting through the forest, stopping in front of them.
Kratos caught up with Captain America on his bike. The captain looked over and did a double-take. There was Kratos, keeping up with him with a fully loaded M134 on his back.
"Okay, show off, push left and take a flanking position. Jarvis, what's the enemy situation?" Steve asked over the coms.
"You have armor and infantry coming up fast, there are some reconnaissance vehicles behind you as well. Bunkers and machine-gun nests in your way. Have fun down there." Jarvis' voice could be heard over Kratos' headset while Iron Man's armor roared overhead. Kratos leaped onto a cliff and took up a firing position. The base wasn't far, and he could see the Hydra forces moving up through the forest. He aimed at a group of infantry and pressed the trigger.
BRRRRRRRRRRT!
The roar of the M134 rang out through the forest, signaling everyone to open fire. Within seconds, plasma fire and shouts filled the forest.
BRRRRRRRT!
Kratos watched his tracers fly through the air and into another group of Hydra soldiers. He watched as several of the soldiers were ripped apart from the volume of bullets he was sending downrange. Hawkeye and Widow were catching up now, having stolen the jeep from the Hydra troops that crossed their path earlier. Now the avengers were fully in the fray, mowing down Hydra forces like they were made of melted butter. Kratos noticed some jetpack units entering the forest and took aim.
BRRRRRRRRRT! BRRRRRRRRRRRT!
One by one, the jetpacked soldiers blew apart like bloody fireworks, the M134 ripping them to shreds with each burst. Once he cleared the skies, Kratos turned his attention to the tank below him. He took aim and pulled the trigger.
*click wrrrrrrrrrrr*
The barrels hissed in the snow as Kratos dropped the empty weapon on the ground. He jumped down from the cliff, barely dodging a shot from the tank below him. Kratos landed on the tank, creating two dents where his feet landed. With one hand, he ripped the turret off the tank and with the other he pulled out the tank commander. The commander screamed for his life as the scowling Kratos yanked him out of his hole in the now useless hunk of metal. Kratos threw the turret at a machine gun nest, crushing the concrete structure beneath the impact, then turned his attention to the mortal in his grasp.
"Bože, prosím, nezabíjaj ma!" The tank commander screamed. Whatever he said, Kratos didn't care. Kratos took a grenade from the commander's vest, quickly snapped his neck and tossed him back in the tank. Screams of horror could be heard inside as the tank crew had their commander dropped on them. Kratos pulled the pin on the grenade and dropped it in the tank.
Kratos jumped off the tank and turned towards the base. A jetpack soldier flew in to hit Kratos with a volley of plasma, but Kratos saw him, picked up a rock and lobbed it at the soldier. The rock hit with the power of a rocket launcher, blowing the soldier's head apart and dropping the plasma rifle at Kratos' feet. He picked up the rifle and took aim at some soldiers who were beginning to open fire at him. A plasma round hit his shoulder armor, burning through the Dyneema plate, but not breaching it. He recovered from the impact and opened fire. Headshot. Headshot. Headshot. Headshot. Kratos allowed himself a satisfied huff as his skills slowly returned to him. He made sure each soldier was not getting back up, then ran to catch up with the rest of the team.
Iron Man was en route to the base, plasma fire targeting him from the main fortress. Just as Iron Man went to break through the defenses, he was knocked away from the base by a flash of blue light.
"SHIT!" Iron Man said over the coms.
"Language!" Captain America replied. Kratos could see Steve still riding his bike through the snow. "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?"
"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is far beyond any other Hydra base we've seen."
"Loki's scepter must be here!" Thor's voice replied over the headset. "Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it...at long last."
Kratos charged another tank, stopping it in its tracks, grabbing it by the base and flipping it onto the soldiers hiding behind it. He then looked to Black Widow, who was attempting to clear a machine gun nest. He leaped into the nest, grabbed a heavier soldier and used his body to knock away the other gunners, sending them meters into the air. He then threw his screaming, broken victim to the ground and crushed his foot into the soldier's face, spreading brains across the ground. Kratos noticed a soldier taking aim at Natalia while she was taking down two gunners. He picked up an artillery piece, pointed it towards the soldier and fired, vaporizing the soldier in a red and blue cloud of blood and plasma fumes.
"'At long last' is lasting a little long, boys." Widow quipped, shooting down another gunner
"Yeah, I think we lost the element of surprise," Hawkeye replied.
"What a sec," Iron Man said. Kratos could see him mowing down forces on the walls of the fortress. "No one else is gonna deal with the fact that the Cap just said…'language'?"
"I know," Steve replied over the radio. "Just slipped out…"
Kratos turned to a concrete bunker and approached it from behind. He readied his fist and punched into the concrete, collapsing the bunker, the soldiers inside coughing and yelling. As they tried to escape the bunker, Kratos grabbed one and punched his way through his intestines, disemboweling him. He then threw the corpse into the path of a passing jetpack soldier, knocking him out of the air and covering him in his comrade's blood. The next soldier, he grabbed by the arm and swung him over his head, slamming his frail mortal body into the ground, knocking him out and breaking several bones in his body.
"Sir, the city is taking fire." Said Jarvis. The plasma artillery aimed at Iron Man was arcing too high, the rounds landing far into the distance.
"Well, we know Strucker's not gonna worry about civilian casualties. Send in the Iron Legion," Tony replied. Overhead, a dozen Flying humanoids came flying from behind the mountain peaks towards the direction of the city.
"Why do we tarry, Jarvis, have you not found a weakness we can use?" Kratos asked impatiently over the headset.
"I am trying to scan for one," Jarvis replied.
"We have an enhanced in the field," Steve called out. Kratos looked to the Captain's position and saw a blue blur coming towards him. The impact of the fast-moving figure knocked Kratos back a step, but the figure was knocked back much farther and rolled along the ground, stopping several meters from Kratos. The silver-haired man quickly recovered from his surprise and zoomed off again in a blue blur. Kratos brushed his shoulder nonchalantly and turned back to run towards the base. He saw Widow and Hawkeye on the ground, under fire from another concrete bunker.
"Somebody wanna deal with that bunker?" Widow called out. Before Kratos could respond, the Hulk jumped down from out of nowhere, roaring and raging. Hulk smashed into the ground and barged his way through the bunker, demolishing it.
"Thank you." Widow replied.
Kratos continued his advance towards the base, the walls growing larger in the distance. He charged a squad of Hydra troops, ripped a tree from its roots and swung it into the group of enemies. The bodies of the soldiers were flung backward hundreds of meters, slamming themselves on the wall of the base and falling into the trenches below. The soldiers in the trench, terrified after having human mulch dropped on them, retreated into the base, not even turning back to cover their comrades' retreat.
"Stark, we really...need to...get inside!" Steve said while fending off another Hydra squad.
"I'm closing in," Tony's voice said on the coms. "Jarvis, am I...closing in? You see a power source for that shield?"
"There's a power relay beneath the north tower." Jarvis replied.
"Great, I wanna poke it with something."
Kratos looked up to see Iron Man drop a missile on the tower, penetrating the stone. The energy shield began to shut down.
"Drawbridge is down, people." Said Tony.
Kratos charged his way up to the wall and shouldered the gate open, blasting the troops behind with splinters and shrapnel.
"Clint's hit pretty bad guys, we're gonna need evac," Widow called out through the coms.
"I can get Barton to the jet, the sooner we're gone, the better. You, Stark and Kratos secure the scepter." Thor said to Steve.
"Copy that" Steve replied.
"I shall hold the gate open for you, Captain." Kratos radioed to Steve as he brought part of the wall down on top of another tank, crushing the tank and some troops beneath several tons of concrete and steel.
"Find the scepter!" Thor said as he flew off to pick up Hawkeye.
"And for God's sakes, watch your language!" Tony jeered.
"That's not gonna go away anytime soon." Captain America sighed.
/
Kratos, after defeating the last of the enemy resistance, broke into the central building, Captain America following behind.
"I'll find Strucker, you clear the remaining Hydra troops," Rogers ordered.
"Very well," Kratos replied.
The place was a maze. Kratos walked through corridors left and right, trying to find the remaining forces.
Kratos…
A voice came from behind him. He turned to see a shadow move behind a corner.
Over here…
Kratos followed around the corner, the shadow just moving beyond his line of sight.
"We have a second enhanced, female, do not engage." Steve's voice rang over the coms. Kratos' ignored the warning and continued the pursuit.
Keep going…
"Show yourself, Athena…" Kratos mumbled to himself as he followed.
"Guys, I got Strucker," Steve said.
"Yeah, I got something bigger…" Tony's voiced cracked over the radio.
Kratos finally turned the corner and found a room full of artifacts and weapons. He entered the room and walked past the artifacts. Ancient weapons from the old world. Weapons from the Chitauri arsenal. Pieces of armor from different parts of the world. Pieces of scientific machinery, and a bloody chair. In the chair was a human corpse, held down by metal clamps, burnt to a crisp and still smoldering.
"Captain, they were testing alien and mythological weapons on live subjects in here." Kratos radioed to the team.
Back here…
Kratos turned towards the voice. He pushed a shelf aside to reveal something he thought he would never see again. Before Kratos, resting in a large glass container, was the armor he wore as the God of War, reassembled and reforged from the broken shards he left in Rhodes, all those years ago. The pauldrons decorated with the symbol of the ram, the symbol of Ares. The black chainmail was pristine and flawlessly crafted, and the maroon Pteruges hanging from the waist was sewn as if it were brand new. How did they find this? How did they fix it all? He opened the glass container, activating some mechanism inside. As the container opened itself, more compartments within the box began to open.
"No…"
The Blades of Chaos, hanging from their chains, crusty with dried blood, revealed themselves as the container continued to open. A drawer opened to reveal two spiked metal bracelets.
Take them…
"I will not. I couldn't again..."
We both know you will…
"How many times have I thrown them away?"
How many times have they returned to you?
Kratos looked at the armor before him. At the blades presented to him. For all his efforts, he could never be rid of these cursed blades, as if the universe was playing some sick joke on him.
"Thor," Said Tony over the radio, "I got eyes on the prize."
You can't defeat Thanos without them.
"I will find another way. I will..."
Kratos looked at the blades. His hands once again shaking with anxiety. Thanos was powerful, and Kratos hated himself for thinking it, but he needed every advantage against him. Hesitating for a moment, he approached the Armor and began to take it, piece by piece, out of the container. The armor still fit, the welded cracks barely noticeable in the armor upon closer inspection. He felt all his old human frailty slowly leave him as the armor's godly magic enhanced his health and vitality. He turned to the metal bracelets in the drawer and put them on his wrists. Giving a small jerk outwards with his hands, the bracelets erupted in a cloud of white mist, revealing two giant metal gauntlets in the shape of a lion's head. How did they reforge everything? The cestus was destroyed by Zeus! Hydra must have some very powerful friends if they can reforge Olympian weapons. Kratos looked to the weapons that caused so much pain, so much death. His hands slowly pulled the Blades off the wall of the container, the chains wrapping themselves tightly around his forearms with a mind of their own. As Kratos turned to leave the room, a couple remaining Hydra troops charged into the room, surrounding the demi-god, weapons raised.
"Forgive me again, Lysandra…" Kratos muttered to himself in Ancient Greek as the flames of the blades sprang to life.
She never will...
"Strieľať!" a Hydra commander ordered. Before they could begin firing, Kratos released the blades from his hand, swinging them towards the soldiers. The flaming blades sliced through the shelves, burning through the metal like scissors through tissue paper. The first soldier hit by the blades was slit in half, his wounds sizzling and bubbling, and his clothes caught on fire from the heat of the blades. The blood spatter washed over the nearby soldiers, the horror of the scene sending them in full retreat. The other blade came slicing through another soldier, ripping his face in half and lighting his hair on fire.
The soldiers scampered through the stone halls, mindlessly running from the demigod as he closed in on them. One soldier tripped, screaming for help from his comrades, but they didn't stop to see who was screaming. The last thing the soldier saw was Kratos' cold unfeeling face, lit orange by the flames, ripping into his chest.
/
"Where's Casper?" Tony asked, counting everybody as they sat waiting in the jet.
"I think that's him?" Bruce said, confused, looking into the forest.
"Jesus. I mean...yeah, Jesus." Steve exclaimed.
Kratos appeared from the trees, covered in blood, cloaked in the ancient armor, the Blades of Chaos attached to his back.
"You find some new toys? Get a makeover?" Tony asked nervously.
"Tools for the battles to come, nothing more," Kratos replied solemnly.
"What happened?!" Widow said, looking at the blood that coated Kratos up and down.
"The tools performed well," Kratos replied as he boarded the jet.
/
The team sat quietly as the Jarvis flew the jet home. Tony took a look at the scepter in his armored hand.
"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but-"
"No," Interrupted Thor, "but this...this brings it to a close."
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?" Steve asked the group.
"Banner and I'll give it a once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" Tony asked Thor, who gave Tony a nod.
"I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying, right?" Tony asked.
"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels!" Thor replied, a wide grin on his face.
"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels? Captain?" Stark turned to Steve.
"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so, yes, revels," Steve replied. "And maybe a bath." He turned to Kratos, the blood drying over his armor.
"A bath would be desirable," Kratos replied, looking down at the stained fabric on his armor.
The armor.
Kratos' mind filled with questions about it. How did mere mortals repair such powerful armor? And the Nemean Cestus. Surely they didn't fix them on their own. Perhaps this Strucker they captured would have answers.
The Quinjet landed on the pad of Avengers Tower. Barton was the first to disembark, the doctors took him away to have his wounds tended. Maria Hill, now working for the Avengers after the S.H.I.E.L.D. collapse, greeted the returning heroes on the launch pad.
"Lab's all set up boss," she said to Tony.
"Uh, actually, he's the boss." Tony said, pointing to Steve, "I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler."
"Where is Strucker?" Kratos asked, an urgent tone in his voice.
"Who's this guy?" Maria asked, pointing at the blood-coated, pale, tattooed, bearded, six-foot-six-inch tall demi-god who was about to breach her personal space.
"New guy, he's intense but he's seriously just a big…" Tony paused, looking at the bloody armor, "...teddy bear." Tony returned his gaze to Maria with a forced smile.
"NATO's got him," Maria said to Kratos.
"Where?" Kratos pressed.
"That's classified, okay?" Maria asserted, becoming defensive.
"What about the enhanced?" Steve asked, trying to change the subject. Maria turned her eye contact from Kratos to Steve
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history…"
Kratos grew impatient and left the conversation, leaving for the party deck. He would have to find Strucker's location another way.
He passed by the infirmary, where Barton was being mended by Bruce, Natasha, and Doctor Cho.
"Spartan!" Thor called from the end of the hall. Kratos turned to him as he walked over.
"We did well today, Ghost. We have no doubt seen the last of those villains and their tamperings. The scepter is safe, and Strucker is defeated." Thor said, grabbing Kratos by the shoulders with both hands.
"One more threat to this world is defeated. But there are yet many more to face." Kratos said, recalling the black ships over Xandar.
"Then we shall face them in glorious battle and bring them to meet their ancestors," Thor replied enthusiastically. Kratos nodded solemnly.
"I must go. I have to clean my armor." Kratos said, releasing from Thor's grasp and continuing his walk down the hall.
"Of course. Will you be present for the feast on Saturday?"
"I do not know."
Kratos entered his quarters, where Mimir was waiting.
"Oh, thank god, you're here. They put me in here without even a TV remote and - you got a wardrobe change, I see."
Kratos closed the door and began to take off the armor. The left pauldron hit the floor with a thud, followed by the right.
"Might I ask where you got that? That's emitting a lot of energy."
"It was once mine, from many years ago when I replaced Ares as the God of War. I'm not sure how the mortals acquired it."
"Wait, aren't those…?" Mimir said, eyeing the Blades.
"They are," Kratos replied, the chest plate hitting the floor at his feet.
"I remember what you said when you threw them into the ocean. 'Never again shall I take up these blades for any. Reason. Ever,'" Mimir spoke in a gruff angsty impression of Kratos' voice. "I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like that."
"I know, but things have changed. Thanos is coming for the infinity stones. We need every advantage."
"I suppose."
Kratos sat down on his bed and sighed.
"I still see her."
"Who, Athena?"
"Yes."
"Who gave the gods permission to join the astral plane anyway? Look what they do with their time! Shout demoralizing words through the void at people. You'd think she'd have something better to do."
"Clearly she does not."
"Well, you know I'm always here for you, brother. You're not weak for letting her get to you. We'll figure it out." Mimir gave a weak smile. Kratos stood up from the bed and walked to the shower.
"Thank you, head, but I'm not sure what words will do, she's in my head now. She may never leave."
"Well, whatever she accuses you of, we'll keep proving her wrong then."
"Yes. We shall try."
/
Natasha sat in front of her computer. She never had an easy time learning to trust anybody. She couldn't help but feel uneasy with this new addition to the group. She learned the signs of a bad person quickly in her line of work, and this Kratos was oozing with 'bad guy' signs. She still had access to the old S.H.I.E.L.D. database, even with the collapse of the organization. She logged in, opened up the "superhuman" database, and searched for Kratos. His file popped up:
Kratos
Aliases:
The Ghost of Sparta
White Warrior
The God of War
The Servant of Ares
The Champion of Ares
The Slave of the Gods
The Fist of Ares
The Marked Warrior
Oathbreaker
Spartan
The Slayer of Gods
Destroyer of Worlds
Champion of the Gods
Sinker of Atlantis
Slayer of Ares
Killer of Argos
Cursed Mortal
Bastard Child of Zeus
Fallen God
Murderer of Gaia
Son of Zeus
Godslayer
Natasha continued to read Kratos' file, the myths and legends laid out in detail. The death of the Olympians, the destruction of the Colossus of Rhodes, the death of Zeus, the destruction of Mount Olympus. She was so enveloped in his profile that she didn't notice Kratos enter the room.
"Find what you were looking for?" Kratos asked, surprising Natasha. Her quick reflexes instinctively reached for her pistol beside her desk. Kratos was wearing simple gym clothes, shorts, shoes, and a t-shirt. No blades, no gauntlets, no armor. Natasha lowered her aim slightly.
"It's a lot to take in. You've been around the block, haven't you?" Natasha noticed, scrolling through the pages of information.
"I thought I was doing a good job of hiding. I guess I was wrong. They knew everything about me."
"You have a lot of bad history, Kratos. Seems to me like Thor may have been right not to trust you."
"He was. There was a time when I was young, brash, out of control. I did many things and killed many people, most of them for personal gain. If your death is what concerns you, or the death of the others, then worry not. You haven't done anything deserving of it."
"I don't know about that, I've done some pretty nasty things, some for me, some for others, all of them dirty. I'm trying to make it right, working for these guys, working for S.H.I.E.L.D., or at least I was until they collapsed."
"Then you understand the search for reconciliation. I too search for it. It is...hard to find."
"It really is."
"Maybe we shall find it together."
"Here's hoping, big guy. Hopefully, we can both prove that our personnel files aren't what define us."
"I require a favor of you."
"What is it?"
"I need to know the location of Strucker. Your access to the S.H.I.E.L.D. database may allow you knowledge of his location."
"What's the magic word?" Natasha asked with a shit-eating grin.
"...what?"
"What. Is. The magic word?"
"I am not a child, Natasha."
"Well, then use your manners."
Kratos felt every muscle in his face work against him. "P-pl-please…"
"There. Was that so hard?" Natasha asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Kratos looked away. "yes..."
Natasha began to open a window, pull up a search tab and typed the name 'Strucker' into the database. Kratos stood and waited as she worked.
"Got him, he's being held at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, in the main detention facility. Why do you want to see him?"
"He may have knowledge beyond his grasp. I want to know how." Kratos explained as he headed for the door.
"That sounds extremely vague. Well, don't tell anybody I helped you when you get caught."
"Hmmf."
/
The Quinjet landed on the tarmac of Camp Bondsteel, greeted by several armed marines.
"Halt! Advance one, and be identified!" One Staff Sergeant called out to the jet as the rear door opened. There was a discomfort in the air as the large pale man walked off the jet, wearing a cheap business suit and tie.
"I'm here on behalf of the CIA" Kratos replied, demonstrating a false ID. The staff sergeant approached Kratos and looked at the ID closely.
"We weren't made aware of the CIA coming in today, Mr...Smith."
"Things have changed. I'm here for the Hydra prisoner." Kratos said as he barged past the staff sergeant.
"Hey, wait! There's a protocol to all this! If you haven't scheduled a landing, then you can't just show up and expect us to let you in." The sergeant said, raising his rifle. The other soldiers looked at each other.
"It is not my problem that you and your superiors are incompetent, now let me see Strucker and all will be forgiven." Kratos said as he continued to walk away from the tarmac."
"I'm sorry, sir." The sergeant said, pulling the charging handle on his rifle. The other soldiers followed suit. "I can't just let you walk in."
"Very well…" Kratos said, still walking away.
"Hey, halt! We will open fire if you don't stop!"
Kratos kept walking.
"Get on the ground, now!."
Kratos ignored them.
"Shoot that fucker!"
The bullets impacted Kratos' skin, stinging and bouncing off. Kratos kept walking. A siren began to sound as the base sprang to life.
"Jarvis, where is the main detention facility?" Kratos asked through his headpiece.
"Head straight, then turn left at the next intersection on the road."
Kratos started running. He could see soldiers amassing in the distance. No need for casualties if he could avoid it.
"Turn left." Jarvis directed.
Kratos turned left down the road. Some Air Force officers walking down the street looked very confused as they got out of Kratos' way. A large concrete building with barred windows lining the walls came into view.
"Is that it?" Kratos asked.
"Yes, sir."
Kratos kicked the door in, severely startling the Military Policeman, no less than 20 years old, sitting at the reception desk. Kratos barged towards the corporal, grabbing him by the collar with one hand and lifting him off the ground.
"Where is Strucker?!" Kratos asked, scowling at the small MP.
"Oh Jesus! Uh...I'll have to look, just don't kill me, man!" The MP replied, his legs dangling in the air. Kratos put him down and nodded his head towards the computer on the reception desk. There was the sound of helicopters flying overhead as the sirens continued. The MP clicked and typed.
"Should have been a fuckin' cook...okay, he's in cell D4, now please, just let me go!" The MP begged the monstrous demigod.
"You will give away my position if I let you go…" Kratos said in a whisper as he approached the terrified 20-year-old.
"Oh god, oh Jesus…" The MP whimpered, rocking back and forth in his chair.
/
Strucker was standing at his cell's window, looking down at the troops and helicopters as they scoured the base for something. Perhaps his comrades had found him and were mounting a rescue. The door to his cell banged. Strucker turned to see a ghostly hand rip the door open.
"You…" Strucker said, backing away from the door.
"HOW DID YOU REFORGE MY ARMOR?!" Kratos roared, quickly closing the distance between him and Strucker.
"Wh- What armor?! I don't know what you're talking about!" Strucker said as his back hit the wall.
"YOU KNOW WELL! NOW TELL ME HOW YOU REFORGED IT!" Kratos yelled as he took Strucker's neck and pushed him to the ground, pinning him underneath his weight.
"Who are you?!" Strucker screamed.
"I am the god of war! My armor was found in your base. It was shattered and now it is whole. You have something to do with it." Kratos pressed his knee on Strucker's ribs, causing him to groan in pain.
"The Ares armor? Rggh! We found the pieces emitting energy underneath a building in Rhodes! We dug it up and brought it back for research, and used the Ring of Hephaestus to put the armor back together. Urgh, get off!"
/
"Come on! He went in here!" The staff sergeant yelled as he directed his section into the detention building. They poured into the reception area and saw the MP, tied to the chair by the laces of his boots, his beret stuffed in his mouth.
"Where did he go?" The sergeant asked the restrained MP.
"Heef wen foo hee for!" The MP mumbled, his beret flapping up and down in his mouth as he tried to speak. The staff sergeant rolled his eyes and pulled the beret from the MP's mouth.
"He went to D4!"
"Cell D4, go, go, go!"
/
"The Ring of Hephaestus remained on Olympus when I slew its owner. No mortal can reach the fortress of Olympus. Not without help from the gods themselves…" Kratos said as his knee pressed harder on Strucker's ribs. The sound of soldiers could be heard charging through the halls outside of the cell.
"URRngh! When we brought the armor back, a woman in weird armor appeared in my room while I slept, offering me the Ring and the lion gauntlets in return for repairing the Ares Armor! She said she would bring more artifacts to experiment on if we did it! That's all I know, I swear!"
The soldiers were close now.
"He's in there, weapons free!"
Kratos picked himself off of Strucker, much to the Baron's relief. He kicked a hole in the wall, the concrete and steel falling 4 stories to the ground outside. He jumped down as the soldiers barged into the cell. He landed with a roll then ran for the Jet.
The helicopters in the air caught sight of Kratos and began to strafe his position. He darted left, avoiding the path of the bullets.
"Get back!" The guard guarding the Quinjet ordered as Kratos approached. Kratos grabbed the guard's rifle out of his hands and lightly shoved the buttstock into his face, knocking him out. An M1 Abrams appeared down the road, shooting a round directly at Kratos. Kratos took his fist and aimed it into the path of the missile. The round crumpled into Krato's fist, lighting the fuse, and igniting the explosive charge inside. The staff sergeant looked from Strucker's broken cell window as the explosion from the round engulfed the intruder, then dissipated. Kratos was still standing, his fist blackened but otherwise unhurt.
"Who is this guy?!" the sergeant asked no one in particular.
Kratos rubbed the carbon off his fist and entered the Quinjet.
"Jarvis, take me home."
"At once, sir. Please fasten your seatbelt for evasive maneuvers."
The jet lurched upward and shot off into the sky, quickly outrunning the jets scrambled to intercept it.
"What did you discover?" Jarvis asked.
"That there is an Olympian out there who yet lives. What this bodes, I do not know."
"Nothing good, I'm sure."
"Likely not."
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