Chapter 71 - A Flood of Memories II

Ethan felt odd as he woke up but as he blinked himself awake he realized he was not truly awake. It was another one of those dreams. The dreams where he would experience a whole life, everything from his birth to his death. But it was like someone was speeding through all the boring parts.

Which is why he was thrown off when the first experience in this dream was the creation and assimilation of earth into what was called the Kree-Human Grand Empire. Them joining hands threw the Earth into an era of transformation. Both one of cultural and technological transformation. It also caused the Kree to transform but mostly through cultural assimilation.

This version of Ethan was actually from a family who were activists acting on behalf of mutants to establish equality. When he was in High School he developed a relationship with a mutant called Illyana Rasputin, or sometimes called Magik. But before his graduation is when tragedy occured.

The Kree came to Earth to invade. After landing on Earth is when the humans learned that the Kree had only attacked because Asgard fell. The few Asgardian survivors joined the humans on Earth. While the governments fell, almost anyone that could hold a weapon did. No matter what race some were, they stood together to fight back.

Ethan ended up being part of a covert operations team. He met a range of people from heroes from legend to aliens who came to assist the humans in their time of need. One such person who he ended up catching the eye of was Warrior Sif. Sif was a famous friend of Thor and was from Asgard. But now she was a survivor and refugee in search of revenge for her destroyed homeland and deceased people.

What Sif did not to expect was to fall in love. After working together for a while she and Ethan began a carnal relationship that eventually evolved into a romantic one. After a few years of war they eloped.

Then Ethan was captured due a betrayal by another who was jealous of Sif and Ethan's relationship. Now twenty-three and a prisoner of the Kree he was brought to the Kree prison that was orbiting the Kree Homeworld. To serve as an example for the rest of the universe in resistance.

Which is when he learned two things. The first was that the Heroes from Earth and Asgard were also held there as examples, which included a number of soldiers that are recorded to have caused great harm to the Kree. The second thing was that the Kree had built a very intricate file on him, apparently he was quite famous in Kree tactical meetings and on the Kree Homeworld.

Later he learned another bit of interesting information, the Kree Empire had pockets of resistance appearing all over due to their war with the humans. The Kree Homeworld was no exception.

Due to his younger age there were very few heroes and soldiers among those who were captured that he could comfortably communicate with. But there were still a few as young as him: Ava Ayala the White Tiger, Miles Morales one of the Spider-Men, Doreen Green the Squirrel Girl, and Lorna Dane the Polaris. Then after a few months of getting comfortable is when he found an opening in the prison's security, one that most of the older heroes had already noticed but not taken advantage of.

So Ethan waited until an opportunity presented itself. The opportunity was a communication blackout surrounding the Kree Homeworld, apparently some resistance fighters had caused it. But Ethan noticed and pressed the advantage, turning the prison station into a crashing prison station.

After the prison satellite crashed into the planet the prisons divided and went into hiding. Resisting and fighting where they could. Ethan ended up with White Tiger, unfortunately she no longer had her totem so she could not transform. But he taught her the ropes of being a normal resistance fighter until a Kree resistance group joined them.

They fought on the planet for over a year. During that time Ethan and Ava had become much closer, developing a romantic relationship. Eventually they were joined up with others as they started taking and holding lands on the capital planet. After another half a year they had seized control and the Kree-Human war was over.

Unfortunately Ethan was stuck on the Kree Homeworld for a few years. Assisting in helping the Kree Resistance take over. While Earth was having similar issues establishing a global governmental body. So someone had a clever idea of combining the two.

Ethan was asked to stay as security for the politicians that would be coming through. But sitting around gave him time to think about what would happen after everything was settled. He was at a loss about what he would do. He was twenty-five now, but he had spent the last eight years fighting in a war only thinking about surviving to the next day.

As he went from day-to-day his relationship with Ava developed further but then Sif arrived. There was a brief few months of discontent when Ava and Sif discovered each other but eventually he was able to settle them down after a few months. Which somehow ended up with Sif encouraging him to marry Ava since there were no established rules for marriage yet.

Which is how he ended up married to both of them. Then as the politicians came through he recognized a few as heroes but he recognized one from his time in High School. Magik, Illyana Rasputin, his high school sweetheart. She had become a politician, or rather she had been pushed into it by popular demand.

Illyana had spent the war using her mutant powers to help people. She had saved and protected civilians, moving whole towns in an hour before an attack. There were already heroes in the world, but she became an Icon. One that the Kree had constantly sought to destroy.

But now she was here after the war, being pushed into politics by the surviving humans. Making her a natural choice for establishing a whole slew of new laws. So they reconnected as she started on her new job.

But she was not the only one. There were five people of note that came to establish a new government. On the Kree side was Captain Mar-Vell, a Kree war hero who eventually turned on the Supreme Intelligence that was leading the Kree. There was the Skrull Queen Veranke, who has been fighting the Kree for years and joined the humans on Earth. The Asgardian Queen, Frigga, who had taken refuge on Earth. Then finally were two Earth born heroes, Magik and She-Hulk. Magik was chosen for her popularity while She-Hulk was a lawyer before the war.

It took a few months but eventually they had established the new Kree-Human Grand Empire. Its creation disturbed many others. But their rapid development and evolution saw the creation of one of the strongest militaries in the universe.

While that was occuring, Ethan returned to Earth with his two wives while starting a relationship with Magik at Sif's and Ava's encouragement. The world had changed drastically as he started reconnecting with old friends.

But a new issue started occurring, nightmares and PTSD. Now that he was 'safe' he no longer knew how to act. This caused him to eventually be dismissed from the military. Then once he was home he had no idea how to act and pass time.

Magik was the one that helped him through this the most. But he only really bit the bullet and got professional help when she revealed that she was pregnant. Eventually the professional help recommended that he find a hobby to keep himself busy.

This hobby ended up being sewing, oddly enough. But over time he developed better and more technology. This technology became a stepping stone that made him famous as not just a war hero but for making nearly indestructible clothes that were comfortable and breathy.

He turned just about everything from unstable particles to vibranium into clothes. These were useful especially for the heroes. But he did not really differentiate for profit's sake. Making money by selling to anyone he made an order, but he also did some pro bono work for the 'good' side so they would stay off his back.

Eventually he married Magik as well. Then soon after was when Magik's child was born. They lived in a remote mansion in rural New-New York which was part of the destroyed landscape that used to be New York City.

Sif became part of an organization to help keep the records of the Asgardian people alive. Ava became a hero that worked directly with the police, mostly as part of the new city's SWAT unit. Magik became a politician and a representative for Earth on the Kree-Human Grand Empire's council.

Everything was perfect in their life. Ethan was mostly able to work from the mansion so he was in charge of taking care of their newborn. While he was taking care of it is when the demon came. There was no warning or talking to the demon.

One day he was looking after his newborn daughter when the wall of their home was torn off. Before he even had a chance to process what was occuring he had a spear going through his chest, killing him.

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Jolting awake in his bed, he took several deep breaths as he felt around his chest where the spear had gone through. It took him a few moments to remember where he was and that it was only a dream.

That was never his life. That was the life of another Ethan Hilt. One that fought in wars but was murdered during peace. But by the same demon as the last one.

He was covered in sweat as he took deep breaths and started climbing out of the bed. He needed to process what just happened and the time only indicated that it was early in the morning.

"Ethan?" Felicia asked from the bed.

"Go back to sleep Fel, I need to get some water." Ethan told her as he climbed out of bed and walked toward the kitchen. The dream, if you could even call it that, felt far more real this time around.

Something was going on. But he had no control over it, this might drive him nuts if he does not get a lead soon.

Except he already has a lead, or rather he has a few leads.

That demon, he had to draw it before he forgot. Then he had to write down all the details of the version of reality before he forgot. Then he would make that sewing machine, which honestly did not seem like his style at all. But thinking about it now they were not just sewn designs, they were armors and designs he could use.

Then his mind was flooded with ideas. But more importantly he had ideas on making his own outfit. After all he could not just make do with what he had around all the time. After quickly drawing the demon and a general description he started drawing his own outfit. He worked through the night moving to his work room.

He did not even notice when Felicia came to check on him, nor did he notice the droid leaving. As he worked the emotions attached to those memories faded. But all he could think about was that it would likely happen again.