"Atreus..."
The musclebound man took two tentative steps toward the son he had been searching for so long. His wounds visibly healing as he walked. Dropping to one knee, he reached out, cautious. Unsure what to say. And so he said the most important thing he could at that moment. "Are you well?"
"Uh... I've been better I think, but... Yeah? Are you—?" he boy didn't even get to finish his own question before Kratos pulled him into a hug. "Ow..." His grunt of pain didn't end it. Only softened it.
"You..." The girl beside Atreus paid no attention to the scene. Instead she looked past them, her eyes focused only on the pile of blackened bones and ash. "Father... You... You killed—!"
"No, child." A new voice joined them. A woman of chalk-pale skin and dark robes, with hair like the midnight sky. Gently, she blocked the girl's view as she held her. "He did no such thing."
"But—!"
"You should know in your heart as well as anyone, child," the woman continued to soothe. "He had ceased to be the father you knew when your mother passed. It was true of the man he was, and it was true of his life as well. Lord Hades still lived because he refused to die. Refused to relinquish what he saw as his duty, resigned himself to his fate. Lord Hades himself let go the moment he learned that fate was a delusion. No one killed him. He lost his will to live."
"Nyx...!" the girl sobbed, crying into the woman's the goddess of night's, embrace.
The scene held a strange stillness, the only sounds the sobbing of a daughter who just lost her father, no matter what he had become before the end. Meanwhile Kratos let his son go, looking at him, seeing the changes Atreus had gone through.
It was a pain Kratos didn't know how to process. More than six years had passed since they had seen one another. In his absence, Atreus had grown without him. So much time lost. So many lessons he had still wished to teach, and yet those precious moments had been lost to him. He had missed so much of his son's life. His childhood by choice, clouded by regret and fear for what he might cause, Kratos had kept his distance. And after finally connecting with his son, finally becoming a father who might one day be worthy of the title, he had lost his third and perhaps final chance.
But all of that was not a burden he would put on Atreus. Instead, he simply said, "You have grown in my absence. Though still as heedless of danger as I remember."
"Sorry," Atreus apologised out of habit. "I'm so glad you're here. I tried looking for you! Tried to find my way back, but—!"
"You would not have been able," Kratos interrupted. "It took more strife than I could have imagined simply attempting to follow you."
"Aye, e'en seein' it all comin' was barely a help. That big beastie outside is no joking matter."
"Mimir!" Atreus exclaimed, leaning around his father's side. "You're here too!"
"Aye, lad! Wild horses couldn' keep me away. Same for Brok an' Sindri!"
"They came too?!" Atreus looked around, searching for a sign of the dwarves. A fair concern. With other issues resolved for the moment, finding them had risen as a priority.
Yet Atreus found something else. "Kratos!"
Kratos' brow furrowed, wondering what had changed that the boy thought it appropriate to call him by name instead of 'father'. However the truth of the situation became clear as the boy moved around his side, kicking up dust as he ran to the fallen man in the distance.
"Atreus!" the man exclaimed, pained grunts escaping him as he sat up. He looked around in confusion. "Did I win?"
"Uhh..." The boy looked back at his father. At his real father. The pieces swiftly settled into place to understand what had happened. Another Hades. Another Nyx. Another Thanatos. "Well, that kind of depends on how you look at it?"
Another Kratos.
The god of war rose to his feet, turned and approached his son and the stranger with his name. As if sensing the impending danger, the stranger also rose and stood despite the pain it caused him.
"And who might you be?" the stranger named Kratos asked.
"I am Kratos, the boy's father."
"Uh, I'm afraid not, friend," the stranger said with a smile. A smile. "I am Kratos, the boy's father." The god of war could hear his son let out a quiet 'Oh no'. "You should find someone closer to your looks to impersonate, friend."
Kratos looked the stranger up and down. Bald. Muscular. Ashen skin. Granted he didn't have a beard, but still. "Our appearance are similar enough to my eyes."
The stranger laughed aloud, only to wince and cough. "A good jest, friend! But I'm afraid the days of having long flowing locks like these are far behind you!" The local Kratos tossed his head with a smile. Only to frown. Toss his head again. Then pat at his head. "Ah..." Rub it all over. "Ah...! AHHHH! What happened?! WHAT HAPPENED?! My magnificent mane of masculine magnetism! Where did it go?! Hypnos! Where did it go?!"
The white-haired, grey-skinned man in red, evidently Hypnos, shrugged helplessly. "Remember when Lord Hades bathed you in hellfire?"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A wail of despair as he fell to his knees despite his injuries. "It'll grow back, right?! Right?!"
"Uh..." Hypnos looked from one Kratos to the other. "Maybe?"
"Aughhhh! My hair! My beautiful hair!"
The newcomer to this world knew he wouldn't be at all prepared for what he would find here. Just the warning of Atreus being around familiar faces was enough to feed terror into his heart. Terror that held merit in the end. And yet... Meeting himself, an alternate of himself, was an experience he wouldn't wish on his most hated enemy. If he were able, he would have gladly grabbed Atreus and fled as fast as his body could carry him and done whatever he could to forget this encounter ever happened.
This was the tragedy of their new circumstances. That was no longer possible.
Mimir's laughter was not helping. And earned a quick swat.
"Sorry, brother! Hmhm! Hmhm-hm-hm!"
"Kratos! Kratos!"
Atreus' head turned. "Was that Sindri's voice?!" He immediately ran in that direction.
Once again into danger, as Kratos saw what had the dwarf so agitated. The winged figures moving their way. "Wait, boy!"
"Don't call my son 'boy'!" the other Kratos protested.
But the god of war ignored him, followed his son with axe drawn, ready to fight whatever these beings were if need be.
"Sindri!" Atreus exclaimed. "Brok! You're both here!"
"Oh thank Njord!" Sindri said as he huffed in exhaustion, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
By comparison, the blue dwarf was in much better shape. "Look at that! The little turd turned into a big turd! Got fuckin' tall, aintcha?"
"Stow your weapon, stranger," one of the winged beings demanded. The one in charge based on the absurd multitude of wings and how the others showed deference to him.
Kratos continued to hold his axe. "If your cohort relent with whatever magic they are aiming at my companions."
"He called us companions!" Sindri gushed.
"Shut up, idjit!" Brok whispered harshly.
The figure with twelve wings stared for a long moment, before nodding at his compatriots. In turn the many shafts of energy in their hands dissipated to nothing. Seeing that act of good faith, Kratos likewise returned the Leviathan Axe to his back. "You are invaders to this world. State your intentions."
"I would have your name first."
"... I am Raphael, an archangel in service to the Heavenly Father. And so I say again. State your intentions. I would not wish to assume they are hostile." The unspoken message was clear. He would if Kratos kept pushing.
"I am Kratos. I came to this world in search of my son who was stolen from me. The search led me here. Now that I have found him, I have no intentions as yet. I would stay, as an attempt to leave would result in certain death at the claws and fangs of the beast that resides in the Realm Beyond Realms."
"And them?" the archangel asked of the dwarves.
"My companions."
"He said it again—! Ow!"
The winged being seemed to consider the answer. "In that case. We would wish to speak with you further to determine the truth of your claims. You will come with us."
"I will not."
"He will not." The new voice came from the opposite direction. Two more winged figures, though this time closer to bat wings than bird wings. "Raphael," the male of the two, a man with green hair and observant eyes greeted the archangel.
"Beelzebub," Raphael returned the greeting. "Leviathan," he added, addressing the other bat-winged girl.
"Hi! Yeah, so what Ajuka said," the woman evidently named Leviathan responded. "You aren't taking them anywhere."
Kratos' fingers flexed, ready to call on the axe if whatever this was came to conflict.
"Serafall Leviathan," Raphael continued, "This is not a matter of disagreement between devils and angels. This is a matter of ensuring the safety of the world as a whole. Beings not from our world have come and now one of the Ten Strongest Beings is dead. They cannot be left to their own devices to do as they please when they clearly pose a threat."
"Oh, I don't disagree with most of that," Serafall answered, cheerful despite the tension in the air. "But see, there's a factor you aren't considering. Someone else already has dibs."
"...Dibs."
Ajuka smiled. It was a polite yet obviously false expression. "Please tell me you weren't so busy staring at me, Serafall and Kokabiel over there that you forgot where we are? What faction everyone here belongs to? If you try to take them..." The bat-winged man looked to the sky where thunder roiled and lighting flashed. "... It won't be us you have to worry about."
Atreus' eyes widened. "Uh, Father! Try to stay calm!"
His son was giving advice Kratos was already giving himself. He was neither ignorant nor a fool. If they were speaking of the 'faction' that everyone here belonged to and also the one causing flashes of lightning... There could be only one arrival that was imminent.
And so it came, as one with the appearance of an old and bearded slab of muscle stepped out of a lightning bolt.
The axe leapt into Kratos' fingers against his will.
"Father," Atreus said quietly, pleaded.
Kratos knew. Consciously he knew. He could do nothing about old hatreds that reared their ugliness within him. As if striking down this Zeus would herald a more satisfying conclusion to his journey of revenge than the first one had. It was a sweet and vicious lie, and so with difficulty, he returned his axe to his back for the second time.
"Atreus, my boy! It's been too long since I last saw you ever since you began your journey with Kratos. I trust you've been behaving since Hermes had to intervene on your behalf?"
"Uh..." Atreus looked nervously at his father, still worried for what might happen. "Yeah. I mean..." He looked behind him, at the devastation left behind. "I tried to do the right thing."
"The right thing is always relative," Zeus said, not condemning the young god for his choices. "For example, I'm sure the archangel believes he is doing the right thing in trying to imprison my grandson. I'm sure he tells himself it's for the safety of the world."
"He is not your grand—"
"And," Zeus continued, interrupting the angel's correction, "I'm sure he, the fallen, and the devils thought they were doing the right thing when they encircled this battlefield. Ensuring none could escape until it ended. Ensuring at least one member of my family would die. And let's be honest, everyone thought they knew how this battle would go. And so they were well aware they were allowing several members of my family to die."
"We could not allow this battle to spill further beyond this area!" Raphael insisted. "Hades had already reduced an entire town to ashes!"
"And now..." With a gesture, a pile of ash and bones was dragged toward him to lay at his feet. "This is what is left of my brother." The god of the heavens looked at the pile for a long few seconds. "Hermes."
"Right away." Another figure appeared, urn in hand. The remains of Hades gently interred inside it.
"Lord Zeus—" Raphael tried to say. A more respectful tone than he had before.
"He was a surly, disagreeable sort, you know," Zeus continued. "He resented all of us on Olympus, especially Poseidon and I. He drew the proverbial short straw. And yet as dour and stoic as he could be, he was my brother. And now he's gone." For a long few seconds, the chief god of the Olympians said nothing, until, "You may leave now."
"... Lord Zeus—"
"LEAVE." Thunder crashed overhead. Lightning forked across the sky to strike downward into explosions of ash clouds. Electricity sparked off of the god's body, golden power and fury in his eyes.
The time for talking was done. The role of the biblical factions in this incident was over. The lesser angels fled as Raphael signalled their retreat. The devils maintained their polite smiles as they teleported back to the underworld. The fallen disappeared without any further intervention.
And so the power of Zeus receded.
"... So..." Sindri spoke up again, "Just to be clear, we're not getting carted off by guys with wings today? Because Valhalla never seemed like a good fit for me."
"No, short fellow," Zeus answered him. "But you will be returning to Olympus with all of us so that we might sort this mess out." He turned to Kratos. "So long as there are no further objections?"
"You are aware Atreus is not your grandson." Kratos said, wanting to clarify what the situation was and being entirely unwilling to play along with the boy's charade. Not that it would have survived much longer regardless.
"As the boy said, he tried to do the right thing. Whether he failed remains to be seen." The Olympian looked at the boy, then at Kratos, then at the other Kratos further away. "It seems my son Kratos had a son named Atreus. For the moment, that is how I choose to see it."
This was certainly different from the Zeus Kratos knew. And for that reason he wanted to correct him again all the more. Reasonable, respectful, cared for his family, even forgiving. Treating the two as one in the same was a grave insult to this one. Though the treachery of gods wasn't always so straightforward, and so a kindly introduction could be taken as only a lack of open hostility.
"Come. We will return to Olympus and come to understand all that has transpired."
Arrangements were swiftly made. Thanatos and Hypnos would be returning to the Realm of the Dead to oversee it in absence of a true ruler. Meanwhile all others would be attending the meeting upon Olympus.
Kratos watched his son as he talked with the girl. As he tried to comfort her for her loss. Melinoé. Hades' daughter. An understanding of how events developed this way came to him. He had missed more of his son's life than he thought. "I never got to teach him about... Women. About wooing." Though it seemed the boy was doing fine on his own.
"Don't take this the wrong way, brother, but that mebbe for the best. From what I understand, tha's a mortifying conversation for both sides and you're..."
"I am...?" Kratos prompted.
"Eh... A man of action! Strong! Proud! Masculine! Hard ta imagine ye tryin' ta woo a comely lass though."
Kratos rolled his eyes. An obvious attempt to say he must be bad with women. "You understand I was married to two wonderful women." To say nothing of his other encounters. "Atreus did not spring fully formed from my genitals."
"Aye, aye, I s'pose I stand corrected, that's a fair cop. Though, the lad seems to be doing alright for himself, doesn' he?" The two watched on for a moment longer, the boy grown into a young man, comforting a goddess who was clearly more than a mere friend to him. The head sighed. "Brother, I hate to bring down the mood further, but there's somethin' worth knowin'. Somethin' I don't believe anyone else knows enough to understand."
"Hrm?" A grunt, indicating Kratos was listening as he continued to proudly watch over his son.
"The Fates." And there were two words that ruined his good mood. "They're a mite different in your neck o' the woods, aren't they? Not like the Nornir."
"I would not know. I learned little of the Nornir, save for learning they were the Fates of those lands and therefore wanting to know nothing more of them."
"Aye. Ours, they didn't control fate as much as understand where things were goin'. Very frustrating to deal with, 'cause it was less about them telling you what you would do, as them knowing you'd do what you'd do. Because it was who you were. And from my admittedly limited understanding, your Fates were... Well, a bit more hands on in that department? Something about weaving threads?"
"Yes. They would determine what the future would be. Every being, mortal, monster or god, had a fate maintained by them. Through these threads of fate, they weaved a tapestry of events past, present and future." The memories of his encounter with them floated back to him. "With assistance, I defied their machinations and the role they had in mind for me."
"Aye. And that's my concern, brother. Because what we heard? Hades was given a prophecy. He was told that he wouldn't have any heirs, yet he had two children. He was told that he wouldn't have any heirs because they wouldn't succeed him. He thought that meant they would suffer and die before he ever would because he was too much of a stubborn bastard to give up."
"And we heard the Fates correct him on his misconception," Kratos nodded in agreement. "That he would not have an heir because his role was 'conquered'." A prophecy he didn't appreciate. He had no interest in becoming the god of the dead.
"Aye. Now. My question is, how did they know that?"
Kratos' brow furrowed. It seemed obvious. They knew because they saw it happen. But then... How could they see it happen? "They spin the threads of fate. But how would they spin mine? Or Atreus'? The Fates of the Greece I knew did not control the fate of the Nine Realms."
"And we've travelled well afield o' that kind of influence. If they had the power and influence to weave the fate of beings beyond their world, to a world that has an entirely different set of Fates, they would be the most powerful beings in all of existence."
"... They lied," Kratos concluded.
"Aye, that's my theory," Mimir confirmed. "Just like how you challenged prophecy before bringing Fimbulwinter decades early, now you're changin' fate here. Our presence here alone, no, not even that, Atreus' getting here before us changed everythin'. And now it seems like they might want to entangle you and your boy in their threads rather than let on things aren't goin' according to plan."
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A/N: This chapter seen very early by my generous supporters on THE GREAT FORBIDDEN P! FEAR THE P! LOVE THE P!