The Kree.
Pure-blooded Kree possessed blue skin and humanoid features.
Born on the high-gravity homeworld of Hala, their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans.
Unfortunately for them, when compared to Asgardians, they were still at best junior partners.
At some point in the past, for reasons even they didn't fully understand, the Kree had stumbled into the Solar System.
Claiming it was a matter of 'resource occupancy,' they conducted a series of experiments on Earth's intelligent life.
The result of those experiments was the Inhuman race.
What the Kree never realized was that Earth was effectively Asgard's backyard.
They had been experimenting on protected land. That realization suddenly made Garfield freeze.
Something was very, very wrong.
Heimdall claimed he could observe every corner of the Nine Realms.
There was no way he hadn't noticed Kree warships entering the Solar System and conducting experiments on Earth.
And if Heimdall knew…
Then Odin knew.
And if Odin knew, then the Ancient One must have known as well. Yet no one had intervened.
Garfield felt a chill crawl up his spine.
I think I've accidentally dug myself into a pit again. Why had Odin ignored the Kree back then?
Was it because Hela's thousand-year campaign had severely drained Asgard's vitality?
No.
That didn't make sense.
Even if Asgard had been weakened, the Kree would never dare run wild on Earth.
And even if Odin chose not to act, Mephisto or the forces aligned with God wouldn't have stayed idle either.
Unless…
Unless Odin had deliberately chosen restraint. Unless Asgard itself had been lying low.
Garfield slapped his chest lightly and exhaled. "Scared me to death… scared me to death."
"As expected, I should just stay home and behave."
Then he remembered something else. Wrong again.
His 'home' was located in the city locals affectionately, a place so saturated with disasters that tossing a brick onto the street would almost certainly hit a superhero or a supervillain.
It was a city where battles happened daily.
What Garfield admired most wasn't the broad-minded civilians who somehow accepted this chaos, but the criminals.
They knew there were more active superheroes in the city than criminal gangs.
And yet they kept coming back.
From time to time, a hero or villain would appear and wipe them out like harvested leeks. And just like leeks, they grew back a few days later.
Decades of this hadn't eliminated them. Instead, they had flourished.
So much so that any traveler to the Marvel universe considered them the easiest source of a first fortune, second only to the great demonic capitalist himself.
As for punishing the Kree…
Garfield wasn't the only one thinking about it. Thor, despite being thoroughly drunk, hadn't forgotten either.
"Thor." Garfield said seriously, "Let's teach the Kree a lesson."
"Good!" Thor roared. "I've wanted to do that for a long time!"
"I already have a plan." He straightened up immediately, blazing with battle spirit.
"We'll use the Bifrost to descend directly onto Hala, strike their capital, eliminate all Supreme Intelligence controllers, and then let the Asgardian Grand Army take over their defenses!"
Thor stretched out his hand, summoning Mjölnir from his room.
"Stop."
Garfield calmly reached out a paw and pressed down on Thor's hammer-holding hand.
Thor blinked. "Garfield?"
"You're not teaching them a lesson." Garfield said flatly.
"You're talking about occupying the Kree homeworld." He continued patiently.
"When that happens, the Kree will fight to the death. Asgardian casualties will skyrocket. That's not punishment… that's a war of annihilation."
Thor frowned. "...."
"First, let Heimdall identify the locations of all Kree fleets." Garfield spread his claws and began calmly.
Thor nodded.
"Then we use Asgard's greatest weapon, the Bifrost, to plow through their forces outside their territory."
Garfield's tail flicked.
"Once their Supreme Intelligence and command structure realize that their fleets have suffered catastrophic losses, then you, me, Loki, and Angela descend directly onto Hala through the bridge."
Thor leaned forward slightly.
"After landing." Garfield continued, "You announce your identity, list their crimes, and declare their punishment."
He smirked. "The Kree won't be cowards, but you also can't let them be cowards."
"So you take your hammer and smash a few of their most iconic buildings."
Thor's eyes gleamed.
"After that." Garfield said calmly, "We support the Skrulls."
Thor blinked. "The Skrulls?"
"Yes. Give them backing, resources and legitimacy. Let them clean up the Kree over the next few centuries."
Garfield shrugged.
"Eventually, the Kree will experience what it's like to be betrayed by the very people they oppressed."
Asgard possessed records of nearly every civilization in the universe.
Thor, naturally, understood the blood feud between the Skrulls and the Kree, just as he somehow understood Groot's language.
Garfield had never figured out how Thor managed to extract full meaning from three pronunciations of 'I am Groot.'
Whatever divine talents Thor possessed, intelligence clearly wasn't the main one.
After thinking for a long moment, Thor nodded.
"It sounds good." He admitted. "But I'm worried about winning like this."
Garfield stared at him. Really.
"Thor." Garfield said earnestly, "You are the future king of Asgard."
"You're older than your… unstable sister. You can't let your temper dictate how wars are fought."
He leaned closer. "War is not about honor. It's about minimizing your losses."
Thor frowned.
"Don't worry about how history judges you." Garfield continued. "History is written by the victors."
"What?" Thor blinked.
Garfield pulled a cigar from his pocket, handed one to Thor, and lit it for him. He took two slow puffs before continuing.
"Human lifespans are short." Garfield said.
"But wars have existed since civilization began. Countless dynasties rose and fell. Do you know why none of them lasted?"
"Why?" Thor asked, smoke curling from his mouth.
"Because the fall of one dynasty marks the rise of another. And to stabilize their rule, the new rulers rewrite history."
Garfield exhaled. "They erase crimes, downplay atrocities, and vilify their predecessors… until the truth disappears entirely."
Thor still looked confused.
So Garfield made it simple.
"For example." He said flatly, "your father dies. Your sister kills you and takes the throne."
Thor nearly choked.
"To prevent history from recording that she murdered her brother." Garfield continued, "She rewrites Asgard's history. You become cruel. Stupid. Unworthy."
Thor slammed his hand down. "Asgard would rebel! And I don't have such a sister!"
Garfield only stared at Thor.
Thor's older sister did exist, she was on Earth.
And Garfield already knew how much trouble she could cause.
No matter how many evils Hela committed, Garfield understood one thing clearly…
He would bear responsibility for her.
That thought darkened his expression.
"Thor." Garfield said sharply, "If you are satisfied with the status quo, you will die. You must continue cultivating your divine power."
"Your potential surpasses Odin's. And Ragnarok is approaching."
"That's just a legend!" Thor stood abruptly.
"So is Asgard, to ordinary people." Garfield replied calmly.
Thor fell silent.
"This campaign against the Kree." Garfield concluded, "Is your chance to grow. Don't waste it."
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Seven Days Later
At the gateway of the Rainbow Bridge, four figures stood fully armed.
Thor.
Loki.
Angela.
And an orange cat whose eyes reflected the coming war.
Asgard was ready to strike.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream