The Story of Kror Part I

It was calm.

They floated there in the endless recesses of space, the stars bright and the planets shifting. Everything was tranquil and peaceful, hard to believe that mere days ago, the Kree fleet had been destroyed here, the Citadel still floating within the centre of that wreckage.

The Majestor looked out, watching as ships moved around, collecting the debris and bringing them back. Only a handful of ships were in tact, a result of the much more controlled Stardust controlling her powers in the battle. However, Terminus and Star-Stalker did not, just tearing through everything in sight, uncaring of preserving some of the ships for later use.

However, Majestor already knew how is servants acted and had gathered many people who could work around those limitations. There was vast amounts of technology floating around them, the Kree were a militaristic race and even there commerce ships were outfitted with weaponry better than minor spacefaring races warships. As for their fleets and ships designed for battle, they were top of the line and outfitted with some of the most destructive weaponry in existence.

He'd be a fool to let that just float here aimlessly when it can be repurposed for later use. New ships could be built, a fleet of his own to accompany the Citadel, as well as new weaponry could be outfitted on the Citadel itself.

Hearing the door open, the Majestor slightly looked over his shoulders, seeing Makor entering inside. He was displeased, frowning deeply as he sat down on one of the chairs at the table, the one directly opposite the head of the table.

"You don't agree with my plans, Makor?" Majestor asked.

Makor scoffed. "It's less that I don't like your plans and more than I'm wondering why we aren't heading to Asgard itself. That was our plan, to avenge our loss there, to free them from their cycle of destruction, wasn't it?"

"I did not know that your opinion of Asgard had changed." The Majestor said, turning away and heading to the table. "You were just a warrior who fought wherever and whenever he could. You had no real love for Asgard, but I suppose that was how you were raised."

"Precisely," Makor stressed. "Kror, you and I are the same person. But we are fundamentally different. Your goal has always been to save Asgard, mine is simply to avenge my loss, both of them. I was by your side from the beginning, stuck by your side as we travelled the cosmos in search of power, collecting powerful servants who could aid us in our goals. Conquered worlds and forced races to submit to our rule. I've been there every step of the way, but it seems our goals are changing from what they were."

Kror nodded his head. "I know. You've been there from the beginning, but we both know that heading to Asgard now could spell chaos for us all. We finally have the location that had been wiped from our memories by Odin, but if we go now and fail, They will act and we both know there's not many cycles left. For all we know, this could be the last and in that case, whether it is or not, we have to venture carefully. Gathering servants and power is the best way to go about this, it doesn't matter whether we become too powerful so long as we do not fail."

Reluctantly, Makor nodded his head, getting to his feet and heading towards a small hatch at the side of the room. He pressed his hand against it and it slid open, revealing a pitch black chamber. His tail shot inside wrapping around something chained up, it clinking as he drags the figure out from the shadows.

"There's not many left anymore," Makor noted, Kror nodding his head. "We are close to the end in that case."

"That is why I am being cautious," Kror explained. "The Dark Gods know the location of Asgard, with them secured, all that's needed for us is to just gather more and more power. Then we'll strike, avenging your losses and saving Asgard."

"It's been a long time coming." Kror nodded his head in agreement, turning away as he went to once again look out upon space and the Kree fleet wreckage.

'Stror,' Kror thought to himself, thinking back upon the first man he has trusted in this new life of his. 'Your sacrifice will not be in vain, that I promise you.'

Closing his eyes, Kror allowed himself to relax, thinking back to when things all changed for him and how he began upon this path.

-X- Line Break -X-

From the moment he was born to the moment he died, everything he had done was for Asgard. He was raised, not in the golden palace, but in the humble abode of a small family. He lived as a commoner upon the streets of Asgard, loved and cared for by his parents.

For as long as he could remember, he played upon the streets with children his own age and older. He travelled to the markets with his mother, gathering food and clothes and just watching all the plays and acts going on. But also travelled with his father, a merchant who took him upon a journey to the many realms across the continent of Asgard.

However, he had never been normal.

It was only after an incident when the Wolves of Ravenswood attacked their caravan on the way to Alfheim, that everything changed for him. His father was killed, as was his mother who had come to accompany them. He survived and grabbed the sword from his fathers bloody and lifeless hands, and he attacked.

By the time a hunting party of Asgardians and Elves arrived, he stood alone surrounded by the dead bodies of the Wolves of Ravenswood. A pack descended from Sköll and Hati if the rumours are to be believed. Among the hunting party was the Crown Prince of Asgard, the Great General who had led Asgard to victory in a hundred battles, Tyr Odinson.

On that day, he unknowingly returned to his rightful place in the golden halls of the palace, gifted the name of Odinson, Thor Odinson. Adopted by Queen Freyja and King Odin, he was a new child raised alongside Baldur. Trained in the arts of war by Tyr and the greatest warriors in Asgard, Thor cultivated his unique gifts, vowing upon that day that his new family would never meet the same fate as his old one. He pushed himself further and further, always striving for more power in order to make sure that he could defeat anyone.

His goal was lofty, his aims high and his drive great.

All could see that and they loved him for it.

That was until Ragnarök came about.

The end of days, the end of all time, the end of everything he came come to love and hold dear. Thor upon seeing the sun and moon being swallowed rushed into action alone. He didn't gather the armies of Asgard, nor did he wait for Valhalla to open and allow its warrior to march to one final battle.

Despite knowing what Ragnarök meant to his people, Thor couldn't allow it to happen and so he marched alone. Joining him on his quest was an unlikely ally, the son of Laufey and King of the Frost Giants, Loki. A Frost Giant of unusual cunning and guile who marched his armies to aid Thor in avoiding Ragnarök. Their enemies were vast and powerful, but together they fought side by side, against the greatest of foes.

But ultimately, they failed.

Even with the armies of Asgard and its allies at their side.

No matter what they did, how strong they were or how fiercely they resisted, it was all for nought.

Ragnarök could not be avoided and it came about all the same, just as it was foretold. Asgard's fate had been sealed and there was nothing they could do to avoid it. Nothing he or anyone could do.

"Your drive is fascinating." Tearing his gaze away from the sunless and moonless sky, Thor laid eyes upon the haunting beauty of a woman. A figure he had seen many times in passing, throughout his life, always watching and looking upon him from a distance. "It is bigger and greater than any of the others who came before you."

"W-who are you?" Thor spluttered out, laid between the bodies of thousands, a mountain of corpses of all species, Asgardian, Æsir, Vanir, Elf, Dwarf, Giant and many more. In the distance, he could hear the battle of Ragnarök continuing to rage, Odin and Tyr still battling Ymir and Surtur. Thor having killed Fenrir and Jörmungandr avoiding the fate of Odin.

"Who I am is unimportant, but what I can do for you is." She crouched down near him, the battles and everything around him going still and silent. "I can offer you a second chance. A chance to avoid the never-ending fate and cycle of death and rebirth that your people suffer through. But never forget your drive."

She touched him, a light fleeing tap upon his forehead and suddenly, he found the world around him darkening till it was gone completely.

-X- Line Break -X-

With a gasp, Thor shot upright, a cold sweat gripping every fibre of his being. Breathing heavily, he clutched his face as the memories of his past life haunted him. They were getting worse, never stopping and always haunting him.

A constant reminder of how weak he was and how little he had accomplished in his second chance. The dreams became more vivid, more real and more horrifying, his mind-twisting the memories as to mock him for his weakness. But there was nothing he could do to stop them, nothing he could do to change things.

He was a member of the Kree.

A soldier given access to training and advanced weaponry, but it wasn't enough. Even if he were to travel to Asgard now, he could do nothing. He had failed to save Asgard at his full power, as he was now, even an Asgardian child at the beginning of his training would be able to beat him. The difference in physical abilities alone would make victory a difficult thing to achieve.

Unfortunately though, he had no opportunities to gain new power. The ruling body of the Kree, especially the Supreme Intelligence meant that any and all knowledge on possible artefacts that could have given him the power he needed was kept locked away. But he had to persevere, eventually an opportunity would present itself and if he could rise through the ranks, command a fleet of his own.

Before he could think on that further though, a siren sounded aboard the ship. Everyone in his dorm awakened. "All hands to stations, Acanti herd spotted starboard side."

"Fucking hell!" One of his fellow Kree soldiers cursed, everyone getting dressed in their armour. "I was a fucking soldier, not a fucking fisherman!"

The war between the Kree and the Skrull had been going on for as long as many could remember. Thor didn't even know the full reason as to why they were engaged in war, much like many things, the ruling body of the Kree Empire kept many things secret. This, much like many secrets was but another thing they kept from the rest of the world.

All they did know was that this was but one of the many moments of temporary peace that had befallen them. Though it was a peace not many were happy with, nor wanted.

After all, the Skrull Emperor, a megalomaniac madman suddenly caused the collapse of the Skull Empire. Many planets seemingly broke apart through reasons unknown to many, a destabilisation that spread throughout the entire empire and caused its collapse.

It was a lucky thing as well, the Kree had invested so many resources into the war against the much larger Skrull Empire that they had reached a limit. This reprieve, as unlucky as it was, was something they needed to recover and regroup. Even if many wanted to push on and capitalise upon the Skrull Empire's weaknesses. They themselves just couldn't sustain a war any longer and if they did, their empire would collapse in a fashion not too dissimilar to the Skrull.

Propaganda was hard at work trying to spin the tale that by not having their empire collapse like the Skrull was the same as winning the war. That it was through the action of the Kree, that the Skrull had broken apart and now it was time to simply watch their old foe fall into ruin.

Rushing down the corridors and up the stairs, Thor situated himself in a gunnery position, lining his sites upon the floating whale-like figures of the Acanti. A peaceful species whose internal bodily fluids made for an excellent fuel source. But they were sturdy and strong, incredibly difficult to kill and so their hides were often repurposed to act as a second layer of insulation and protection for many ships.

However, as Thor lined up his sights, he picked up something odd in the lead Acanti.

From its mouth, two figures burst free, one small and possessing purple skin with black hair. It was fast, rushing towards them at speeds Thor couldn't track. Another was large, slower than its counterpart, but still faster than he could properly see.

Before Thor could even say anything, suddenly his ship was struck and all air rushed out, Thor himself, sucked into the vacuum of space.

He spun through space, feeling his body freeze and air ripped from his lungs, slowly dying as he floated helplessly. All the while, watching as the Kree ships fired rapidly at the Acanti and two figures that they could not properly see. They just tearing apart the fleet with ease, tail cutting through ships, bodies smashing through them as two, thin beams of energy fired from the eyes of the smaller figure burned through the ships hulls with ease.

It was a massacre.

"Is this the one?" The purple-skinned being that Thor recognised to be Strontian asked, floating down towards him as his body began to freeze. Beside him, the large blue-skinned Dragon-like figure of the Makluan floated down beside him.

"He matches the description."

"I can't even tell them apart." The Strontian replied.

The Makluan snorted, tail wrapping around Thor's body. "I could say the same about your race."

"Whatever, let's go. He's dying."

"Weakling." The Makluan scoffed, both rushing towards the Acanti. Thor couldn't tell what was happening or why, but something about these two felt familiar like they were something he was looking for but had lost. And then, just as his vision began to darken, the mouth of the Acanti closed and everything went dark.