Eternal Thor Part III

"Push forwards!" Astron roared, as he stood upon the corpses of the followers of Kronos. A flag bearing the symbol of Ouranos's followers held in one hand as dozens of Eternals rushed forth, chasing after their retreating enemies.

Victory was theirs once more.

Five years this war had waged, five long years that had seen the Eternals clash in bloody conflict after a bloody conflict. In the beginning, things had been equal, Kronos had many more followers and his power was vast, some say surpassing even the original Eternal, Makkari. Ouranos on the other hand had been following the third mandate set forth by the Celestials, expelling all excess Deviation.

He had been upon the frontlines for many years, hunting any Deviant force that attempted to leave their hold. Unlike Kronos, Ouranos did not possess vast powers, but he possessed experience in war.

He knew how to lead men, how to rally soldiers to his cause and how to win battles.

For the first three years, the two sides had clashed, neither one seemingly gaining an advantage big enough to turn the war in their favour. Ouranos and his forces won victory through superior skill and tactics. Kronos and his forces winning through the power and sheer numbers.

Their victories equalled one another out and despite exchanging territory back and forth, neither side gained an advantage. But then eventually the break came the moment in which everything changed.

Many of the Second Generation Eternals who had long since held reservations about following the orders of the Eternals, eventually withdrew from the war. They took a stance of neutrality and while both sides were affected, none were hit harder more than Kronos. He lost a good portion of his army when the Second Generations left and without overwhelming numbers on his side, Ouranos was able to gain the advantage needed.

Ever since then, it all came toppling down.

Kronos was losing power with every loss he suffered.

Ouranos on the other hand was gaining power with every victory he gained, more and more of the Eternals that had taken the stance of neutrality, turning to him as the new leader. Not out of loyalty, but purely for survival, attaching themselves to the head of the new regime before it became too late.

Victory was theirs, it was only a matter of time now.

-X- Line Break -X-

Looking upon the woman laid out before him, Thor didn't know how to feel. Part of him was saddened that such a kind and caring woman had been stripped from the world. Another part was angry, the old bloodlust he had suppressed desiring to be quenched.

Yet mostly, he just felt numb.

Daina, wife of Kronos and mother of Donar, Zuras and A'Lars was dead.

Gathered around her corpse, Zuras and A'Lars wept. Behind them, Kronos stormed out of the room, unable to be near the body of his dead Gann Josin. Thor himself was the only one who remained calm, unsure of how to articulate the way he felt.

"Do you feel nothing?" A woman's voice asked, a whisper in his ear. Her breath cold like the winds of Jötunheimr, haunting and sinister, yet also enchanting. It was a voice that had haunted his dreams for many nights, one he remembered vividly.

"Lady Death." He greeted, looking upon his frozen brothers, the world around him completely still, time frozen in place. A showcase of power so simple and yet so terrifying in the reminder of how powerful the woman was. "I did not think you would come all this way to collect a single soul."

"Normally." She replied simply. "But the Eternals worship no God of Death. And I have come here for other reasons."

"And I assume it is something to do with my task?" It was rhetorical, Thor highly doubted that Lady Death of all people came here purely to have a chat. "I have every intention of saving my people, but I need strength first. I have barely recovered even a quarter of the original strength I once possessed. With this little power, I would hardly be of any use to my people."

"That is not why I have come. I have come to ask why you do not save the Eternals?"

Thor looked to her, a brow raised. "Why should I? I have kept my interference with the Eternals as limited as I could to ensure I do not change the future. I distanced myself from Zuras and A'Lars the moment they appeared to follow my example of not believing in the Celestials. I'm allowing the Eternals to do what they would have done in the original war."

"Perhaps you are, but the other you has not taken such an approach. As a result, the war between the Eternals and the future war between them and the Deviants has forever changed." Death explained.

"You brought more of me to the past? Why?"

"I simply split your souls with every following Ragnarök. Where that soul ends up or what it does is of little consequence to me. I simply act based on the future I can see, but I am limited with what I can do. Just as I do not place all my hopes upon you alone, I also do not simply allow the future to play out without any interference from me." Death continued, Thor listening with rapt attention.

"The future of the Eternals and the Deviants is on the verge of shifting completely. The question I ask is, will you do nothing? Will you allow it to happen? Or will you step forth and save the Eternals from their imminent destruction?" Death asked.

"And which choice do you want me to choose?" Thor shot back, frowning after what he had been told. From what he could infer, Ragnarök had once again happened meaning that his future self had not yet saved his people and now the second fragment of himself was back in the past. Unlike him though, this fragment had no trouble making changes with the pre-established history of the universe causing unknown changes to the future.

"It matters little to me." Thor doubted that very much, she wouldn't be here if his decision didn't impact her in some way. "All I'm left wondering is why you allow the Eternals to suffer a fate not so dissimilar to the one your own people endure. Fighting and dying for a cause that will not reward them. The Eternals fight and die in service of the Celestials. You and your people fight in service of Asgard and the search of a glorious death."

Thor frowned angrily, fists clenching down by his side for reasons unknown to him. "The Eternals are not my people. I am not some glorious saviour or hero."

"You are in the body of an Eternal, are you not?" Death rebuked. "You have lived amongst the Eternals, have you not? In your old life, you were Asgardian. But in this life, you are born and lived as an Eternal. Whether your soul is Asgardian or not. Your body is an Eternal, you belong to both people? How can you save one if you cannot save another?"

"Enough!" Thor snapped, rounding upon Lady Death who showed a complete lack of fear or any type of emotion towards his anger. Even as the cosmic energy within him sparked to life in arcs of lightning that flickered all across his body, eyes glowing brightly, Lady Death simply stared upon him with no emotion. "Do not play games with me?! You split my soul for a reason! You came here for a reason! Why is it that you came here? Why is it that you want me to save the Eternals? Surely as Death, you should enjoy this war?"

Death for a moment was silent. "It is true, as Death, I enjoyed the act at one time. But after so many thousands of years. After so many souls collected, I am as disinterested in it as you are towards politics. Just because I am Death, does not mean I crave it. As Death, I have a duty to uphold the natural balance of the world, Life and Death go hand in hand. There can not be too much of one or else the world destabilises. The Eternals must live in order to preserve the delicate balance of the universe."

"You spared my life in order to save my people. And now you ask me to save the Eternals in order to preserve the balance of the universe? Why not simply let me do this alone? Why send other fragments of me across?" Thor implored.

"Because I do not place my faith on you alone. You are but part of a whole. I place the future of the universe on the whole, not the part." Death coldly answered, disappearing from view and the world resuming. The sobbing of Zuras and A'Lars filling the room once more, the raging and destruction being wrought outside by Kronos joining in a symphony.

Yet none of it registered in Thor's mind, the words of Lady Death the only thing filling his thoughts.

What choice did he make?

What choice could he make?

Abandon the Eternals as he had and thrust the entire universe into chaos? That would mean abandoning his people and plunging them into even greater danger and hardship.

Did he confront this other version of himself? Face him in battle and end a threat to his plans before their effect on the universe could become too great? Or did he find a way to ally with said fragment of himself, combining their powers and working together in order to save their people?

It was a possibility.

But at the end of the day, only really two of those options were viable in his mind now that he knew what would await. If he chose the former, he would only be putting his people in greater danger. That meant, either way, he would have to step out of his seclusion and join the Eternals in their battle.

Either way, he would have to save the Eternals, become the hero and figure he had once being when Prince Thor Odinson of Asgard. He would have to be what he was to his people, to the Eternals as well.

'Fuck!' He cursed, clenching his fists in anger, at what Thor couldn't tell. He was just angry and so, he stormed out much as Kronos had. He ignored the damage surrounding the home and pushed off the ground, it exploding beneath his feet as he took to the air, a boom sounding in his wake.

'Fuck!'