A Monke's Well Deserved Chance

I'm currently in a white room, about as big as a middle-sized cave, sitting on the floor, thinking about what actually happened.

I died. I'm dead. And this is probably where I'll be staying for the rest of my afterlife, thinking back to what I did during my life, bad deed or not.

I then remembered the name chanted on the background by some voices of unknown origins: "Ras The 4th".

'Never heard before', I thought. It was strange as in the tribe names were something pretty taboo, as it was said that only the higher beings, called 'ancestors', are worthy enough decide who was worthy of a name.

Though it was rare, it has already happened over the centuries our tribe existed. An example of named members was our chieftain, named Ozzy, who was the only named monke of my and my parents time.

He claimed he heard the ancestor's voice, while he was at war against the Lions. He said the voices he heard were faint, as if coming from a land far, far away from where he was.

An now that I think about it, that exactly coincides with what happened to me. Wait, so that was my actual name?!

But before I could dwell further on the question, a luxurious table and two large red cushions at its side appeared. As I approached the table to identify it, or at the very least recognize the materials that made it, on the other side's cushion something appeared, no someone.

The person seemed short, but also rather muscular for his height. There were what I presumed to be war scars everywhere on his body, though the strange thing about those scars was that they shined of a shiny light green. And now that I think about it, I forgot the most important part, the dude is part of the monke tribe. I could see it through the mark found right below his right shoulder, on tge upper side of his arm.

The mark is basically a line of green and upside down red triangles that goes all around your arm. The guy's mark is the same the on I have, though a little fade, as if it had been through countless journeys along with his wearer, who is visibly telling me tu sit down in front of him on the other side of the table. Of course, I oblige.

"So." he said, "You must be Ras right? Nice to meet you."

"Indeed, it is me... Ras. But who are you? You seem from the tribe, but I have never seen you before, brother.", I responded calmly.

And he laughed: "Heh, of course you haven't seen me, I'm dead. It would actually scare if you did see me before now. My name is Nass "The Short" Motor, also known as The BIRD.You surely must have heard of me, the great Monke who flew from battlefield to battlefield, taking away thousands of his enemies to the underworld along the way! I lived around... When your great-grandparents were still kids, if I'm not wrong, so I'm not even that old!" He said with a little bit too much of enthusiasm, accidentally nearly sounding narcissistic.

"Nope, never heard of you. But more importantly, where are we, brother? As we are both dead I wouldn't actually be surpised if this is the underworld."

And... He laughed again: "HAHAHAHA, don't worry little brother, everything will be explained in due time! "

"And just when, is this 'due time'?"

"Now!"

"What?!" was all I could say before everything in the white room apart from the table and the cushions changed to a more vast space, a plane.

But it wasn't a normal plain, as it was a battlefield. Hundreds of thousands of what I could see were Monkes, even if they were much more imponent not only in their stature, which is to tell you the truth looks intimidating enough, but also their entire aura looked different from my tribes people, it was that of a warrior who has trained now for decades and that had so much battle experience that it gave the impression he could walk into a battlefield unhindered all the while slaughtering enemies with their foot, much like one would do to an insect.

At the other side of the battlefield, I could see some sort of reptilian-looking humanoid creature, one that i have never seen before. Those creatures are amongst the weirdest and most disgusting thing there was: they have two long pointed ears and red eyes that oozed out pure greed, obviously being the thing I find the grossest out of all.

They also have like several folds out in the skin, starting from their chin up to just below their mouth, all the while possessing a lean and athletic body visible thanks to the skin-thigh armor they wear, that almost seemed unfit with their face; the keyword being 'almost' as their bodies skin was also colored of the same shade of green as their bald head.

"These", began Nass, "Are the Skrulls, an alien race that can morph in any lifeform they want, though I don't really know the details of how it works"

"If I may ask you, those Skrulls... Why are they fighting our tribe? Why do they reek of evil? But most importantly... How come those Monkes are so strong? Never have I seen such strength from a Monke tribesman, even in the records of ancient."

"Boy, let me tell you a story, and it will pretty much answer every question you might have.

A long, long time ago, the Monkes were at the peak of what little hierarchy there was in the universe. They excelled in strength, speed, intelligence, they were at the forefront of technology, forgery, enchanting and everything you can dream off, if not more.

The Monkes were not but a tribe, but an entire race to be quite proud of. At the time, they were pretty bored as, you know, when you're the strongest in your universe, there's not much to do.

As a result, they attracted the attention of the upper echelons, those who rule the multiverse as a whole.

The Monkes were then assigned a duty, or more like a job, by the Living Tribunal itself! They were tasked to arm themselves and were given the power to travel the multiverse to invade and completly annihilate any force or race that disrupted the balance between good and bad at a universal scale.

Of course they obliged and began their work. Though difficult at the beginning, the Monkes got the hand of it after some measly centuries of struggling.

With the new techniques and tech acquired by the newly invaded populations, the monkes grew stronger and stronger, until they once more hit the peak, though this time it was the multiverse's.

The Monke population was yet again hit by another waive of boredom, one that they couldn't just annihilate their way through. After some internal fights and such, the entirety of the race decided to retire in a cozy, harmless planet, where no danger could ever reach them.

A few millennia later well, you know it. The tribe grew weaker and weaker with each year that passed, until the present times, where our power became so diluted we were trampled by some strange primitive little monkeys.

Hope for a new inheritor for the ancestror's powers quickly died down after the massacre, until you appeared.

You are a survivor, Ras, and it's not a coincidence. You have even been blessed with a name right before your death. I have confidence in your talent, Ras. I have confidence in you. And to honor that confidence, I will give you a chance: either you spend the rest of your afterlife here, in this room, or you can chase your most important dream! I will give you the power to not only to travel the multiverse, but also the powers necessary to make your dream come true! Now Ras, what will you do? Accept, or refuse?!"

"Nass... I obviously accept!" I respond, totally influenced by my emotions and getting a little emported by the flaw if I may confess.

"Good! That is what I want to hear from the one who will one day surpass me! It is a goodbye, Ras... But it is not the last. We will see each other again I am sure. Now go and make me proud, save these little kids!"-

Was all I heard before the white flash I've seen at the time of my death took one more time my sight.