God of War... God of Hope
2013 [Side Note: Just to make sure no one has this image in their head anymore, Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black are not here. I am writing a fanfiction about fictional characters, not real people. We’ll pretend their fight never existed here.]
Thor walked into the training room looking for someone. Being a god meant that there weren’t many individuals out there that could properly challenge him. Even Raiden seldom made him feel the need to put effort into their fight despite his flurry of attacks. He had arm wrestled Superman in the cafeteria, which destroyed the table and shook the entire Colosseum, resulting in the Man of Steel not willing to try testing their strength on each other again. A couple of times Goku had asked to spar with Thor but even with Goku’s best attempts Thor failed to feel real thrill (Remember, this is pre-Super Goku). He had thought being in a place where fighters from different worlds could meet would mean he would find worthy opponents to challenge but the roster so far was very disappointing in that regard. The God of Thunder still had two more options though, before resigning himself to the boring future of needing to wait for strong new combatants to join them.
The first was the ex-assassin now Hellspawn, Spawn. Whose biggest claim to fame was killing both God and Satan. Thor had found him lying in a makeshift hammock made from his cape in the library reading some novels. He approached the Hellspawn with little mind of his personal space, placing a hand on one of Spawn’s shoulders.
Thor: Good morrow Spawn! Nice book thy got there. I must ask, is it really true thee killed both God and Satan?
Spawn: Let go of me you pretentious carpenter.
Thor: Carpenter? Oh it’s because of my hammer right? Haha, good one. Look, I just want to know how strong thee are.
Spawn and his cape hammock teleported a few feet away from Thor.
Spawn: Leave me alone. You want to take on someone with godly powers? Go find that Ghost that I fought against.
Thor: Ye mean Kratos? Well, he’s only a demi-god. A strong one at that but Ares’ is not the ruler of the heav-
Spawn: As far as I’m concerned he’s worth a god. Wanna talk strength? I simply banished my god while he murdered his entire pantheon.
Thor was taken aback by this revelation. When Superman gathered everyone in the cafeteria to play some ice breakers Kratos primarily kept to himself. He had only shared that he is the God of War in his world and that his world is ruled by the Greek pantheon. Thor could sense that Kratos was no god, yet when he tried exposing Kratos the Ghost of Sparta simply stated he earned his title through killing Ares. When Superman asked why he killed Ares, Kratos only responded with “He wanted to make me a great warrior. He succeeded.” A boast that drew shock from the likes of Superman, Raiden, Zelda and Batman, and awe from the likes of the TMNT, Starscream and Goku. Thor, while impressed, didn’t think too much of it at the time. But thinking back at it now, perhaps the death of a god would elicit panic in the rest of the pantheon. And so to prevent being schemed against, Kratos killed the rest of them.
Thor: How could he murder all the gods?
Spawn: Beats me. But if you wanna fight someone, go fight him. I believe he’s in the training room right now.
Murdering the entire Greek pantheon would include killing Zeus, the strongest of the Greek gods. Thor realised that Kratos’ strength might be more than meets the eye. Which brings us to the present. Thor had expected to see Kratos doing some strength or maybe weapons training when he arrived but instead he saw the Ghost of Sparta sandwiching his chains underneath Superman's bench press. The same one that could simulate the weight of the Earth. Kratos had set the machine at its maximum weight before leaving the Blades of Chaos behind. Thor was confused. Before Kratos could leave he stopped him in his tracks.
Kratos: Move! Unless you wish to be moved.
Thor: Ho there, mighty warrior! I was actually looking for thee.
Kratos: Hmph, I will not take another request from a god.
Thor: Not even a sparring match?
Kratos: Do you have a death wish?
Thor: I bet I can give thou a better fight than Zeus and the other gods did.
Kratos didn’t respond. He simply walked out of the training room, elbowing Thor out of the way. While it didn’t hurt Thor certainly felt it. Thor wasn’t going to let Kratos just walk away, not if this was to be his last chance of finding a worthy foe to fight. As Kratos made his way to the stairs Mjölnir flew by, brushing his head, before stopping just in front of the starwell. Kratos, enraged, turned to face Thor but instead of engaging in battle he simply shouted at the God of Thunder.
Kratos: Leave me alone!
Thor was stunned by this behaviour. The same guy who took over the throne of Ares and defeated Zeus and his brothers was refusing to fight. Before Thor could make a move a voice spoke from above the both of them.
Superman: What’s going on here?
Superman floated down to stand in between Thor and Kratos.
Kratos: Tell him to scram.
Thor: There’s no need to be that harsh.
Superman: Thor, if Kratos doesn’t want to fight you then you shouldn’t force him to.
Thor: Fine. Have it your way.
Thor rolled his eyes in response and summoned Mjölnir back to him. The three then parted ways, with Thor heading to the elevator, Kratos heading down the stairs to the ground floor to go back to his world, and Superman walking into the gym. Kal-El approached his machine to get ready for a workout session and noticed the settings were tampered with. He was confused but didn’t put much thought into it as he began resetting the machine. All evidence that pointed to Kratos has since vanished as the Blades of Chaos had magically disappeared from beneath the machine and had reappeared back in the hands of its wielder the moment he returned to his world.
2015 September
[Incident 39]
Despite the large number of combatants the library is consistently the most peaceful place in the Colosseum. On this particular day it had turned into the most violent place in the building. It all started when an apprentice, despite death, still wished to return to his world with an apprentice of his own to try again at an overthrow of his master. He had failed to recruit his son so now he had turned to potential candidates in the Colosseum. However, only a few were worth turning to the dark side and he had only one chance to make this work. And today, when Superman, Goku, Thor and the other powerhouses were not in the Colosseum he chose to act. He had chosen to manipulate the anger of someone who had lost his family like himself and was forced to serve as a result of his crimes. But he made the mistake of thinking he could manipulate his anger.
Vader’s body was flung through multiple bookshelves before eventually crashing into a large bookshelf on one of the walls. Pushing himself off of the debris he reignited his lightsaber to quickly parry away two flaming chained blades flying in his direction. The blades were pulled back to their owner who then continued a relentless long-range assault with them. Whipping away at the Sith with no regards to the surrounding environment as he let his control slip and his rage took over. Vader blocked each and every attack but the barrage was only getting faster. Tapping into his own rage, Vader let out a cry that echoed throughout the floor, shattering glass and machinery but also launching the Blades of Chaos away, lodging them into opposing walls. With this opening he used Force Speed to rush at Kratos, who pulled his blades back just in time to block a thrust attack from Vader’s lightsaber. The two exchanged clashes at various ranges, with Vader using the Force to close the distance with Kratos who would then kick him away and try to keep him at a distance with his blades.
Eventually, Vader manages to parry both blades into the ground, with him standing between them. He faces his right palm down, while holding onto his lightsaber, and uses two fingers to command the Force to hold the Blades of Chaos in the ground. As Kratos tries to pry them up Vader extends his left hand toward the Spartan and brings him down to his knees.
Vader: Your anger is incredible. With the right training you could harness it to become stronger.
Kratos didn’t say anything but continued to fight against Vader’s hold on him.
Vader: You continue to resist? I am giving you a chance to seize a power beyond your comprehension.
Kratos yelled in pain as Vader began probing through his mind. Memories began flowing past his vision, almost too fast for him to register them. But Kratos needed only a glance to know what memories of his were being sifted through. His appointment as Ares’ dog, the death of his wife and daughter, the death of his mother, the death of his brother and the choice he made to leave Calliope behind rather than stay by her side forever. It was a necessary sacrifice but one he had not forgiven himself on. Memories of being together continued to flash by. Then, he was confronted with memories tainted by blood. The innocents he murdered on his crusade. Helpless and defenceless men and women. All laying on the floor as he continued to fulfill his vengeance. The memories of regret began playing alongside memories of his family until he found himself back at the village where he slaughtered his wife and child. When the sorrow of realising who they were hit him.
Vader: Your actions back then fuel your anger now. An anger that has led you to great power and can lead to even greater power. I have shown only a fraction of what that power looks like. Join me, and I will show you how to obtain it in its full glory.
Kratos: SHUT UP!
Kratos’ eyes shot wide open with rage. In one swift motion he stood back up, overpowering Vader’s hold over him and yanked him weapons from the ground.
Vader: What?
Kratos roared as his Spartan Rage took over and charged straight at Vader. Vader blocked in time but was overpowered by Kratos’ might. He was flung to the far side of the library, bashing through shelves and pillars as went. When he crashed he cratered the wall and was almost knocked out by the sheer force of the attack. Sensing incoming danger Vader quickly got on his feet, ready to parry the incoming Blades of Chaos. The two blades struck his lightsaber at the same time and Vader lost his grip on it. The Sith’s weapon flew out of his hand and hit the ground but before Vader could react Kratos launched himself forward to grab Vader by the neck and slam him into the ground. He continuously slammed Vader over and over into the floor, shaking the library in the process. The Dark Lord could do nothing as any attempt to use the force on Kratos was quickly overpowered by Kratos’ unadulterated rage. Vader’s helmet was slowly breaking, piece by piece as he was slammed down on the ground. Finally, Kratos let go of the Sith and brought both hands above him for a finishing overhead strike.
Now, one of the rules of the Colosseum is that combatants aren’t allowed to kill each other but with the kinds of characters Death Battle attracts that sort of rule is impossible to enforce through trust alone. Without any current explanation, the Colosseum is able to emit a sort of aura within it that dials back all the combatant’s bloodlust. And while this has prevented deaths it has not prevented the combatants from beating each other to an inch of their life. As long as they’re alive but still suffering it technically is not a violation of the rule.
Kratos intended to leave Vader crippled and disfigured, more than he already is. He brought his fists down at lightning fast speeds but just before they impacted Vader’s face they were suddenly stopped. Kratos struggles against this invisible force, not caring what it is, as long as he can break through it and get to Vader’s face.
???: Kratos, stop it!
Kratos’ efforts yield upon hearing his name. Looking up he sees the Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker, with his right arm holding out toward him, stopping his attack with a Force Barrier. His left arm supports his right while his knees are on the ground from dealing with the weight of Kratos’ attack.
Luke: You need to let go! This isn’t who you are.
With Luke’s words Kratos’ rage began to subside. Once he could see clearly again he looked down at his hands, scarred and bloodied, below them a barely conscious Vader, and around his wrists the Blades of Chaos glowed brightly from their recent use. Kratos’ breathing grew heavier and faster by the second. Before Luke could approach him he took off. Running out of the library and down to the ground floor. To get out of this place. Before he hurt anyone else. This incident would be the last time anyone would see Kratos for a long time.
2018 July
After the intense fight that was Samurai Jack vs Afro Samurai the TMNT wished to train under the legendary to learn how to better their skills. However, they couldn’t agree on who to train under, resulting in Jack and Afro taking up different Turtles as new students. Leo, ever the responsible and sensible leader, learned under both of them to gain a wider range of knowledge. Raph learned under Afro while Donnie and Mickey both learned under Jack. After one particular training session Mickey asked Jack if he could join him in the entertainment room to show him some games he enjoyed and Jack agreed. After securing a TV Mickey set up the Playstation.
Michelangelo: Okay there we go! Now, while I turn this on could you go get the games for us?
Jack: Oh, sure. What are they called?
Michelangelo: Okay so we’re gonna play three games today. The first is called ‘Devil May Cry’, the second game is ‘Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex’ and the third is ‘God of War’. You’ll find them on those shelves over there.
Jack nodded and headed over to the Playstation games. As he searched around he found the disk covers for ‘Devil May Cry’ and the Crash Bandicoot game fairly easily. A few seconds later he found the game title ‘God of War’. after gathering all the games he returned to Mickey. Mickey took the games but realised something was wrong with the ‘God of War’ copy.
Michelangelo: Huh? This isn’t the right game. Wait a minute, this is a new game!
Jack: A new game? I heard that new stuff comes in here anytime someone goes on a new adventure.
Michelangelo: Yeah! This means Kratos was gone on another journey. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t been here for years. He’s busy making new games for us.
Meanwhile down at the cafeteria a certain someone was drawing a lot of eyes on him. It had been 3 years since Kratos came to the Colosseum, to the point where many of the veterans tend to forget to mention him when talking about past seasons to newcomers. As such, to many newcomers, he just appeared out of the blue. His appearance was equally shocking to the older combatants. There were obvious differences, his new attire, the new weapons on his back, the beard that he grew but most importantly many of the older combatants could see that Kratos’ eyes looked… tired. Kratos ordered a meal before heading to a secluded area to eat alone but thinking he could pull that off is wistful thinking. Soon, a small crowd began gathering around him.
Thor: Oh ho, well well. Look who thou is.
Iron Man: Wasn’t expecting to see you here so suddenly. You come to show off the spoils of your latest fights?
Goku: Kratos, you’re back! Oh it’s so good to see you again.
Boba Fett: Been a long time since we’ve seen your face. What kept you busy?
Raph: Woah Kratos you’re back! What happened to you? You look like a hobo.
Sonic: Hey hey! Fancy seeing you here again. Why’d you leave us hanging all those years ago?
Sora: Woah! So you’re the legendary Kratos.
Android 18: Hmm, I thought you would’ve been bigger.
Black Ranger: So you’re Kratos. Yeah I think I’m lookin’ at a god.
Pink Ranger: Oh my gosh it’s so cool to be able to finally meet you!
Spawn: Thought you could ghost us?
Seeing that eating in the cafeteria in peace wasn’t an option Kratos banged his utensils on the table before picking up his plate and walking away, with the intention to eat in his old room.
Spawn: So you only came here for the food?
Superman: That’s enough everyone!
The crowd turned to Superman, who stood behind them all.
Superman: Let’s give Kratos his space. I’m sure he has a good reason as to why he hasn’t been back in a while and it’s obvious he doesn’t feel like talking about it right now. Let him be until he’s ready to open up.
Thor: Sigh, Kal-El. Ever the sensible killjoy.
When Kratos entered his room he was taken aback by how Greek it was. It had been a long time since he had seen his homeland and to see a portion of it preserved in the Colosseum filled him with a sense of nostalgia and sorrow. He sat down at his desk and began eating. Later, he would try to open up to his old friends.
2020 - 2024
Beerus: So you’re a mortal who became a god after killing another god?
Kratos: Hmm.
Beerus: Interesting. How ‘bout I ask for your time later to test your strength.
Kratos: …I have no interest in meaningless fights.
Beerus: Suit yourself. I’ll just go get more pizza instead.
—
Goku Black: If I could I would kill you right now.
Kratos: That is not a fight you would want.
Goku Black: Tsk, and why not? You really think you can beat me? Once a mortal always a mortal. Your godly status is an insult to us gods.
Kratos: That is why you would lose to me.
Goku Black: Huh?
Kratos: A god who thinks he is above everyone will isolate himself from those he is meant to protect. The strongest drives to fight come from those we seek to shield from danger.
Goku Black: Urgh, forget I said anything. Just know if I get the chance to kill someone here you’ll be one of the first.
—
Heracles: So I heard you killed me in your world, alongside the rest of the gods.
Kratos: ...
Heracles: Will you kill me again?
Kratos: Only if you give me a reason to.
Heracles: Hmm, fair enough. Why did you kill the gods anyways?
Kratos: It was their karma for their arrogance.
Heracles: I guess that's fair. None of us are perfect despite our divinity. I would know. Living among mortals gives you a better perspective of the divine.
Kratos: Hmm.
Heracles: Say, how about we test our strength against each other one day. I want to see if your Heracles is as great as me.
Kratos: ...As long as it causes no destruction.
—
Wukong: So you're Kratos. The one everyone's calling the god killer. And yet you are a god yourself. Tell me, how does it feel killing fellow gods?
Kratos: Empty.
Wukong: Oh really? How philosophical of you. Don't you at least get a kick out of the fights?
Kratos: Maybe I did before. Now, I fight only when I need to.
Wukong: Oh so I can't ask for a sparring match with you?
Kratos: ...I can allow it as long as it causes no destruction.
Wukong: Oooh okay! When are you free to do it? You see, I have other matches lined up that I gotta get through first like the two Gods of Thunder, this guy who somehow has the same name as me, the super boy, the talking cat, someone named after vegetables-
Kratos: Put me at the end and call me when it's my time.
Wukong: If you say so. Oh I can't wait!
—
Thor: Something’s different about you. I still sense that pain in you but something’s different with your anger.
Kratos: Hmm… What of it?
Thor: It’s still there yet it’s oddly quiet. What happened to our rage-filled god of war?
Kratos: …He is a god of war no longer.
Thor: Oh, you changed jobs? Well I guess I can’t blame you. All that bloodlust can’t be healthy anyways. So what role did you apply for this time?
Kratos: Hope.
—
2025, 6pm, The day before Kratos vs Asura
Kratos was sitting in his room in the middle of the floor, meditating. While his journey through Valhalla had helped him greatly in reigning in his anger and helping him come to terms with his past he wasn’t free of his sins. The ashes of his loved ones still stained his skin and the Blades of Chaos were still by his side. Nevertheless, Kratos didn’t let these painful reminders of the past hold him back. He worked on further controlling his anger but also gathering his thoughts. In particular, the upcoming fight had him distressed.
The preview he had seen at the end of Imposter vs Fall Guy focused a lot on his moments of rage. Moments that were paralleled by Asura, who very much reminded Kratos of his younger self. All he could see in Asura’s eyes was blinding rage and the thought of having to fight an opponent like his older self shook him to the core. He had avoided a violent confrontation with his past self in Valhalla when he came to his senses and while Asura is no Kratos in regards to his looks and fighting style Kratos could see the same burning anger inside both of them. He needed to meditate to calm his mind. However, he had been meditating for an hour and he felt like nothing had changed. Trying to get his mind off the fight and empty it is proving to be a fruitless endeavor. What didn’t help were the boasts of a fellow Season 1 combatant early that week.
The wait for Kratos vs Asura was a long one so the combatants couldn’t spend that entire time talking about the fight. Conversations regarding it only picked up in the final week leading up to it. During that week both Akuma and Ryu had claimed to have fought Asura. The gist is that while Ryu simply stated that Asura is a powerful fighter Akuma brought attention to Asura’s cosmic strength. Stating how he had the strength to “shatter stars” and whatnot. Though these claims were met with skepticism since Akuma himself is nowhere near that strong it didn’t help Kratos’ case at all. The gods of his world were strong but he has learned that there are some combatants from other worlds that are simply stronger. If Asura is one of those combatants then he could face defeat at the hands of the anger that he once held. Kratos opened his eyes, unable to keep up the meditation. He figured all that was left to do now was go down to have dinner and then get an early night’s sle-
Kratos felt a familiar presence outside his door. A presence that blew out all the candles in his room, which still had some Greek aesthetics in it but also included features from his home back in the Norse world. This presence, while it once filled him with unspeakable rage, now gave him an odd sense of comfort. Though, it took a few years for him to feel that around him. Getting up from the floor Kratos walked over and opened the door. On the other side stood a tall warrior with a black cape and a black mask.
Kratos: What do you want?
Vader: Nolan asks for your presence.
Kratos: Why?
Vader: I suspect he has a surprise for you.
Kratos closed the door behind him before he and Vader walked up to the Season 9 floor together.
Kratos: How is your son?
Vader: Continuing to bring light to the galaxy.
Kratos: Even in death?
Vader: In death we grow stronger than ever.
Kratos: Hmm. How about you?
Vader: …
Kratos: Still conflicted.
Vader: You are fortunate enough to have lived through your redemption before coming here. Combatants are unfortunately forced into their most battle-ready form while here. So while I am a Force Spirit in my world I am still consumed by darkness here.
Kratos: Then why do you come back here?
Vader: Because my son comes here… The best we can do for our children, Kratos, is try. Even when we fail it is better to fail trying.
Kratos: Hmm.
Vader: How is the boy?
Kratos: He’s… ready to head out on his own.
Vader: Do not hold him back but do not forget your attachment to him.
The two arrived in front of Nolan’s room and Vader rang the doorbell to signal their arrival. The door opened and Nolan, dressed in a more casual attire opened the door.
Nolan: Ah, you’re here. Come on in Kratos. I wanted to host something special for you before your big fight tomorrow.
Kratos walked into Nolan’s room, followed by Darth Vader. Nolan’s room looked similar to his house back on Earth, if all the rooms were squeezed into one. On the dining table sat a buffet’s worth of food and another guest who had been waiting for them to arrive so they could start eating.
Bardock: Finally, you’re here. We can eat.
Kratos was never the social type but that didn’t mean he didn’t have those that he held close to him. He sat down at the table and began feasting with the others. They ate and talked (Mostly Kratos, Nolan and Bardock. Vader is at the table too but he’s mainly staying silent while eating with the feeding tubes in his helmet.) about many things. Their adventures, friends, fights and enemies. And just like that, the anxiety Kratos had felt earlier had been washed away. His mind too busy focusing on those around him to focus on that. Even when Bardock asked Kratos about his fight tomorrow Kratos could think of one response.
Kratos: I’ll be ready.
The night went on to be a pleasant one and Kratos would go to bed calm and content. Ready for the fight tomorrow.