Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!

Trekking across the width of the cavern, Vikzel led me to a large, wooden shack that connected to the cavern’s wall. Pushing aside the curtain that served as the front door, an elderly male Catian looked up from his work and greeted us warmly. Setting down the Sonic Screwdriver he was polishing, he enthusiastically shuffled over to us and pulled the Ishi Tib into a hug.

“Vikzel, it is so good to see you! Is it already that time of the month again?”, the Catian inquired, looking at me for a moment. “Also, who is your friend here?”

(AN: Cat Planet Cuties.)

“Haha, I am not here to collect rent today, Zenrist. I brought a prospective customer who happens to be interested in the same types of things you are, odd and unusual items.”, Vikzel chuckled, motioning toward me, “This is Primarch Victor von Stark; he is from the Imperium of Man and is currently staying on Tatooine as Lord Tiure’s guest. We are here to look at your offerings and maybe sneak a peek at that unusual axe in your possession.”

“Well, thank you, I certainly do appreciate the referral!”, Zenrist laughed, giving me a friendly nod, “Please give me a few minutes to bring that relic out. While you are waiting, Lord Stark, please feel free to have a look around. We have items from all over the universe.”

Taking him up on the offer, I began to sift through his wares, hoping to see something of interest. Finding Ancient, Dalek, Forerunner, Gallifreyan, and many more groups’ tech lining the display cabinets, shelves, and walls, an excited smile began to form on my face. Picking up a Gallifreyan data vault from a shelf, I was shocked to discover it was still fully operational. Setting it down, I picked up an Ancient Phase Pistol and performed a diagnostic scan on it.

<Sir, a few relays and traces will need to be repaired, but it is otherwise completely intact.> (Jarvis)

‘No way… Is everything in this shop salvageable!?’, I thought, setting it back down and looking around the room.

With Jarvis and Luxion’s assistance, I was able to quickly determine that most items here were indeed still viable. Elated by this realization, my mind began calculating what a reasonable price for everything would be. Unwilling to let such a treasure trove of knowledge and technology slip through my fingers, I refused to let even the most mundane relic escape my grasp.

“Sorry for the delay, gentlemen; here is the relic you wanted to see.”, Zenrist remarked, pushing out a large repulsorlift. “My wives and I found this beauty over two decades ago in the Thochinda Debris Field. It was lying in a giant crater on one of the larger asteroids.”

“What is the Thochinda Debris Field?”, I inquired, setting down a Forerunner Antimatter Rifle and turning to them.

“Thochinda was a planet that existed over a thousand years ago in the galactic northwest of this galaxy. No one knows what happened, but overnight the entire world and its populace were obliterated.”, Vikzel answered, “Theories abound as to what happened, from the failure of an experimental hyperdrive to a retaliatory strike from the Imperium of Man. Whatever the case may be, most people say its destruction set in motion the founding of the Separatist movement. It revealed how little the Core Worlds truly cared about the Outer Rim, as no investigation was ever carried out, nor were any military forces sent to safeguard the region.”

Walking over to the repulsorlift, my jaw fell open as I saw a shattered Stormbreaker lying there. Reaching out to touch the axe head without thinking, Vikzel and Zenrist let out a horrified scream as they dove for cover. Stopping myself just before touching it, I glanced over at them with a confused look.

(AN: MCU variant, not the normal mallet-styled one.)

“Uh, what the hell was that about?”, I inquired, looking at them with confusion.

“I was about to warn you before you went to grab it. Any time someone tries to touch it, the relic releases a powerful blast of electricity. A few potential buyers and a researcher were electrocuted to death by it.”, Zenrist elaborated, with an apologetic smile.

As my armor was more than capable of absorbing an immense amount of lightning without issue, I see for myself what would happen. Grabbing hold of the axe head firmly, a vivid vision began forcibly streaming into my mind.

---Beta Bill Ray POV---

Tasked by Odin to investigate the unexplained deaths of trillions in a small section of the universe, my journey led me to the galactic northwest region of the Galactic Republic. Establishing a pattern based on the devastation left behind by an unknown foe, my calculations put the next attack somewhere in this region. Spending weeks scouring the area for the smallest of anomalies, I was beginning to think I miscalculated something when Stormbreaker sensed a sudden surge of intense evil energy. Following it back to its source, a vibrant world I had passed several times already was now a burning hellscape.

“Heimdall, I have found the culprits behind the attacks.”, I shouted out. “Tell Lord Odin to rally a strike force immediately. I fear my strength alone will not be sufficient to win this fight.”

Heading to the planet’s surface, before receiving a response, I dove headfirst into the enemy’s ranks to lend my strength to the defense of this world. Rallying behind me, we fought hard to reclaim ground against the endless hordes of enemies. Providing the civilians with much-needed breathing room to escape, they began to pile into evacuation ships while we held the line. Believing that we just might hold out long enough for Asgardian reinforcements to arrive, the situation changed in an instant when the enemy commander took to the field.

Standing at towering twelve feet tall, the massive man glowered at us with his glowing orange eyes. Moving his arm faster than I could register, a powerful blast of air sent many civilians and defenders into the air while I slid backward a few feet. Turning his attention toward me, the moment our eyes met, a terrible chill ran down my spine as every fiber of my being began telling me to flee from him.

“Well, this is a disappointment. They sent a pseudo-deity this time to do their dirty work. I knew this would happen eventually; I just did not think it would be so soon.”, the man stated, observing me closely. “Hopefully your manners and strength are better than the last deity I killed. What is your name, xeno?”

“It is Beta Ray Bill, honorable warrior and stalwart defender of Asgard.”, I proudly proclaimed, with a confused look, “Now who are you exactly, and what did you mean by the last deity you killed? Are you a cohort of Gorr the God Butcher?”

“My name is Varrim Zephrim, former eleventh Primarch of the Imperium of Man. As for my connection to the God Butcher, he was slain by my hands when he got in my way.”, Zephrim told him, with annoyance, “Do you truly know nothing of those that were sent before you?”

“To my knowledge, I am the only representative of Asgard to investigate the devastation you have wrought.”, I answered, gripping Stormbreaker tightly.

Receiving a bloody sack from one of his armored minions, Zephrim tossed it at my feet and told me to open it. Promising to stay his hand while I had a look, I reluctantly bent over to retrieve it. Peering into the sack, as I hesitantly opened it, my body began to tremble violently as I surveyed the contents. Inside, the heads Athena, Erlik, Hela, and several other deities stared up at me with fear and tortured agony painted on their faces. Dropping the bag in shock, several of his men began laughing with glee as the heads rolled across the ground.

“This… this cannot be…”, I stuttered, looking back at him, “It should have been impossible for you to- “

Drawing a blood-red blade from its scabbard, my blood ran cold as I looked upon the All-Black Necrosword. Having only heard rumors of it from the Aesir, I never imagined that would come across it in person. Accepting that I could no longer continue this fight alone, I called out to Heimdall and my reinforcements for aid. Silently willing Stormbreaker to channel as much power as it could, my loyal weapon began crackling with power as we awaited the arrival of our allies.

“Well now, this is quite an interesting development. You are far more intelligent than your prideful colleagues; those fools waited until they were on death’s doorstep before calling for help.”, Zephrim praised me, “The Asgardians, as well as the other pantheons, are incapable of hearing or seeing you right now. To be more accurate, they lost track of you completely the moment we began our assault on this planet. It is a neat little trick I learned from a Gallifreyan unfortunate enough to cross my path several thousand years ago. Thanks to him, I can manipulate space-time to a degree for short durations.”

“Manipulate space-time? Gallifreyan? What are you going on about?”, I remarked, having never heard of these things before.

“As you are unlikely to understand the full explanation, I will boil it down to the simplest explanation for you. In a nutshell, this region and the rest of creation are currently out of sync by exactly two seconds. While it may seem insignificant, it means they are completely blind and deaf to events unfolding here right now. When my forces and I leave this place, time will resync, leaving only a barren world behind.”, Zephrim explained, with a devilish smile, “Well, pseudo-Asgardian, I am a merciful man. If you lay down your arms and surrender, I will end your life as quickly and painlessly as possible.”

“Beta Ray Bill is an honorable warrior in service to Asgard and Lord Odin. As long as I draw breath, I will never surrender!!”, I refused, charging toward him with Stormbreaker at the ready.

“I was trying to be reasonable, but have it your way!”, Zephrim said with a playful smirk.

Vanishing from view as drew near, I spun around anticipating an attack from the rear. Instead of attacking me, Zephrim used his blade on the valiant defenders I had been fighting alongside. Tearing them asunder with a flick of his wrist, the soldiers did not have the opportunity to utter a sound before their blood and guts painted the surrounding area a gory red.

“Cease this at once; I am your opponent, not them!”, I howled, willing the heavens to open and strike him down.

Feeling the atmosphere become charged with static electricity, Zephrim cracked a smile as he lifted his head toward the sky. Spreading his arms, as if challenging nature to smite him, he released a fiendish laugh as a massive bolt of lightning struck him head-on. Vaporizing the surrounding area in an instant, I thought I had delivered a devastating blow to him until a bright light began emanating from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder to see what was happening, Zephrim appeared with Hercule’s Golden Fleece in his left hand.

‘Shit…’, I thought, as he released my attack back at me.

(AN: There is very little information about the Golden Fleece in Marvel’s universe. In addition to healing, which is about all I found power-wise in Marvel, I decided to give it the same properties as the one in God of War.)

Unable to avoid or block his attack, I took the blow head-on. Launching me into the air, I was sent crashing through several evacuation vessels before coming to a stop within a hillside on the opposite side of the city. Staggering out of the crater, a bit dazed from the blow, Zephrim reappeared before me with his sword pulled back.

“Show me the strength of an Asgardian warrior!”, Zephrim cackled as he brought it down on me.

Meeting his attack head-on, I brought Stormbreaker’s hammer side around to clash with All-Black. Unleashing a devastating shockwave as our weapons connected, the planet’s surface began to come apart at the seams as the core destabilized. Following his initial strike up with a flurry of blows, each more powerful than the last, I was forced on to the defensive as the air became filled with the terrified screams of civilians.

Having lost much of their evacuation fleet, the few remaining ships began to take off only partially full. Attempting to rapidly gain altitude, they were all quickly shot down by red beams of unknown energy. Watching the debris fall upon the survivors, I tried to push Zephrim away so I could save them but every attempt I made was brushed off with ease.

“Why are you doing this!?”, I shouted, unable to see what he gained from all this bloodshed.

“I do not expect you to understand, but each life we take is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good of the universe. Deities like the ones you serve are a plague on creation; their taint has set the universe on a downward spiral toward destruction. To save the universe, we must clear the board and carefully rebuild from scratch.”, Zephrim said, delivering a strike that caused the planet and Stormbreaker to crack.

“You are even more insane than the Mad Titan Thanos!”, I spat, having heard of his desire to snap half of all life from the universe.

“As I thought, you are too blinded by their honeyed words to see the truth in my words.”, Zephrim remarked, having already accepted this.

Lending me the full extent of its power, Stormbreaker and I surged forward, ready to unleash our full power and strength in a single, definitive strike. Resolving to meet me with the same level of determination, Zephrim charged forward as he and his blade began to glow a vibrant purple. Swinging our weapons at one another, a brilliant flash and ungodly roar ensued as they clashed once again.

---Victor POV---

Abruptly ending there, I already knew how that clash ended. While I was happy to know what Zephrim’s end goal was now, it made absolutely no sense to me at all. The Chaos Gods and other deities had done extensive damage to the mortal races, there was no denying that, but we would have eventually done it with or without their intervention. Knowing there had to be more to his reasoning than just that, I decided to have my intelligence network look into finding The Doctor.@@novelbin@@

“Lord Stark, is everything okay?”, Vikzel inquired, as Zenrist and he stared at me in concern. “You have been fixated on that axehead now for several minutes. Do you know what it is?”

“Yes, I do, but I doubt you would believe me if I told you.”, I answered, looking at the shop owner. “I would like to purchase this relic and everything else you have on offer. Will two hundred million credits be sufficient?”

“T… Two hundred million credits!?”, Zenrist gasped, nearly falling over in shock, “Lord Stark, my offerings barely equal three million credits…”

“I cannot, in good conscience, take advantage of naivety. Please allow me to pay you what I feel is a fair value.”, I said, transferring the funds to him before he could say no.

Hearing his tablet ding, Zenrist looked at his account and fell back into his seat. Relenting to my request, he thanked me profusely before rushing into the back room to grab everything else he had on his refurbishment shelf. Once that was done, he ran off to inform his wives of the good news.

“I suggest reconsidering telling your employer about the fortune he just earned.”, I warned Vikzel, noticing his gaze fixed upon the elderly man. “If anything should happen to Zenrist or his family, I will personally hold you responsible for it. You may not realize it right now, but the treasures he had here may likely be what saves the universe from collapsing.”

“What do you mean?”, Vikzel pressed me.

“Thochinda was not the only planet that was destroyed; it was just the only one in the Republic.”, I answered, stowing the items in my inventory. “Now then, there has been a change of plans. I need to meet with traders that deal in illegal goods like kyber crystals and raw materials.”

“Not a problem, we have several vendors down here that deal in goods of that variety.”, Vikzel remarked, motioning for me to follow.

Heading back into the underground, we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon procuring various difficult-to-acquire resources.

---Midafternoon---

Parting ways with Vikzel at the front door, I returned to the suite so I could head back to the New Genesis. Unlocking the door and heading inside, I found my wives, our comrades, and the hostesses in various states of dress. In the middle of trying on various lingerie, everyone turned to see who it was with a petrified expression. Realizing that it was me, they released a sigh of relief.

“I take it some of the staff have been hassling you?”, I asked, locking the door.

“Yes, one of Lord Tiure’s direct subordinates tried to barge in here a few hours ago.”, the Lethan Twi’lek remarked, making no attempt to cover herself, “Since you were out, he wanted to drag some of us off for his own personal enjoyment.”

“He has a strong attachment toward our Echani colleague here, Sheol.”, the lavender Twi’lek said, motioning to the pale-skinned, white-haired woman of their group.

“To clarify, did he get in or just try to?”, I inquired.

“He used his master key to break in.”, Mylene answered, with a flushed expression. “They wanted to try on some of our dresses, so we were- “

“No need to explain… I will be right back.”, I chuckled, with a murderous smile. “If you feel the ground shake, please ignore it.”

“Of course, dear!”, Mylene replied with a happy smile.

Walking back out of the room, I headed down to the front counter to have a heart-to-heart with the general manager about this matter.