Chapter Text
Dundee hurried inside after Kratos had told him the news, the god of war went to prepare himself so the Australian decided to take Yuno someplace safe. “Yuno? Buddy? Wake up.” He said, gently prodding him awake.
“Huh? What’s up?” Yuno asked sleepily as he looked up to Dundee, the Australian gasping at what he saw. The once brilliant emerald green eyes were dull and pale green. How had he not noticed?! How had nobody noticed?!?
“I’ve got some business to attend to, so I’m bringing you back to the manor, okay?” Dundee said reassuringly, but Yuno just pouted. “But the manor is too loud and there’s too many people expecting too many things of me.” Yuno said sadly.
“I know champion. But they’ll keep you safe til I can come get you, okay?” Dundee said as he pulled him into a hug. “Things will make sense again soon.”
“Okay..” Yuno said with a sigh as he leaned into the hug.
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Yuno curled up by the fire pit in the manor, sleepily watching the flames dance. He’d felt more and more tired lately, something Lang had noticed as he brought over a blanket to tuck the hacker in. “Thanks Mr. Buddha.” Yuno said as he adjusted himself to be more comfortable.
Lang looked down, masking his worry with a smile. “Of course baby. If you need anything just yell okay?” He said as he headed back upstairs to where Tony was waiting. “I’m worried Tony, nothing is getting better.” He said in a hushed whisper.
“Mickey told me Yuno stormed off on him this afternoon after trying to get him to hack. I guess it didn’t go well.” Tony said as he looked down where the hacker slept. “Dundee seemed pretty freaked out about something too when he dropped Yuno off.”
“What if he never remembers?” Lang asked worriedly. “Or worse, he no longer wants to be part of our family.”
“Just believe in him Buddha, that’s all we can do.”
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Dundee drove like a madman away from the manor, his heart racing a mile a minute. Yuno didn’t have much time left and this was all his fault. He should have told Kratos sooner, he should have told everybody about Norman. Maybe everything would have turned out differently.
His tires screeched as he entered the Billabong and he saw Barry poking at the discarded practice laptop left in the garage. “This is harder than it looks.” Barry said with a laugh as he saw his husband step out of the car. “Dee? What’s wrong?”
Dundee shook his head and made a beeline for Barry to pull him into a bone crushing hug. “Dee? Come on, talk to me. What’s going on?”
“This is all my fault. I fucked up.” Dundee mumbled as he buried his face in Barry’s shoulder. “But I’m going to make it right, I won’t risk losing anybody else. I promise.”
“What are you talking about?” Barry asked as he gently returned the hug.
Dundee just sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “I didn’t tell you the truth about Norman.”
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A few hours later Dundee stood next to Kratos as they walked down the crypt stairs and towards a dark corner. “Once we get inside, don’t wander off.” Kratos said with a rumble in his voice. “I had hoped to never need this again.”
Dundee nodded and Kratos turned to the wall. He carefully pulled out a glowing blue stone from his pocket and the pile of rubble at their feet assembled into an ancient looking door.
“Oh shit.” Dundee gasped as Kratos opened the door revealing an otherworldly blue glow. The old god mumbled something under his breath in an ancient language and the door seemed to acknowledge him, glowing brighter for a second.
The pair walked through the door and the sight on the other side mesmerized Dundee. Everything had a faint blue glow and the ground beneath them was twisted old wood. A slight barrier along the path was made of more wood and strange blue crystals. “What is this place?” Dundee asked as he stuck close by.
“The World Tree. In the old days it was a way to travel quickly and an easy way to travel between realms.” Kratos said as a lighted doorway appeared before them. “When we get to Norman’s realm, go find your son. I’ll take care of Norman.”
Dundee nodded before taking a step through the light and into bright and cold world that Norman called home. He was thankful he’d grabbed his jean jacket instead of his old vest before they’d left. “NORMAN!!!” Kratos thundered as he strode into the vast expanse of snow.
Dundee stayed to the shadows as he snuck around, the sounds of fighting could soon be heard in the distance and Dundee started hurrying through the snow.
He spotted a cave and ducked inside to get out of the wind, as his eyes adjusted he noticed a faint blue glow further in the cave and followed it to a large crystal of ice.
Inside it, floating and shivering, was Yuno. The crystal seemed barely big enough to hold him and at the sight of Dundee he pressed his hands against the transparent wall. Desperate for human contact, for warmth, and for freedom. “Dundee..” Yuno whispered in relief.
“Yuno!” Dundee gasped and ran up to the crystal, putting his hands opposite of his son’s. “Don’t worry mate, I’m getting you out of here.” He said before he began pounding on the icy walls.
Yuno whimpered as he pushed against the walls. Freedom was so close, yet no matter how hard Dundee tried he wasn’t making a dent. “Hang on, I’m going to find a rock or something.” He said as he turned from the crystal to search.
“Dundee I-“ Yuno started to say before gasping in pain and hugging his sides tightly. Dundee whipped around to run back to his son. “No! Yuno. Yuno talk to me.”
“Boy. Stand back.” Kratos yelled, waiting for Dundee to move before throwing his axe at the crystal, shattering it upon impact.
Yuno’s pale soul collapsed into Dundee’s arms and the Australian gasped at how cold and light it felt. “He’s ice cold is that normal?” Dundee asked worriedly.
“We don’t have much time.” Kratos said as he put a hand on Yuno’s forehead, causing the hacker to flinch away and closer to Dundee. “Quickly, back to the door.”
“What about Norman?” Dundee asked as he followed his father. Kratos gave a confident grin back to his son. “He’s licking his wounds, and the pantheon will hear of his transgressions. We’d decided ages ago to never touch the descendants of another god, unless they had done a terrible grievance.”
“Aren’t I just adopted?” Dundee asked softly as they made it through the ancient pathway and back to Los Santos. Kratos hurried Dundee up the stairs and into the cool darkness of night.
“Even if you were ‘just adopted’, you are still my son. Family is family boy, I thought you knew that when you adopted yours.” Kratos said as he opened the back door to the car so Dundee could sit with the fragile soul still in his arms. “Besides, my blood runs in your veins.”
Dundee had pulled Yuno close to try and keep him warm in the car as Kratos began driving. Yuno’s eyes were screwed up tight in pain and it worried Dundee. It took him a moment to even register what Kratos had said and when he did he looked up. “Your what now?”
“Your mother never told you, but I see a lot of her in you. Janine was the first mortal I’d allowed myself to get close to in centuries.” He said as he sped towards the manor. “But you definitely inherited my beard and temper. I hope you’ll forgive me, I had to deal with something in another realm before you were born and when I returned you were grown and she was gone.”
“Does that mean I’m-“ Dundee started to ask but his son began to cling a little tighter to his jean jacket. “I’ve got you Yuno, we’re almost there.”
“No boy, you take more after your mother.” Kratos said with a smile as he stopped the car in front of the manor. “Be grateful you do. Quickly now, bring his soul to his body. It’ll know what to do.”
Dundee nodded as he got out of the car and quietly slipped into the house, easily spotting Yuno’s body under a pile of blankets. The shivering soul seemed to melt through his fingers as it joined back to his body.
Within moments Yuno’s eyes fluttered open, a bright and vivid emerald green once more. “There you are.” Dundee said with a relieved sigh.
“Rest, boy.” Kratos said softly as he approached the two. “You’ve been through a lot and need to heal, but you’re safe now.”
Yuno’s eyes closed peacefully, but not before using clumsy fingers to cling to the soft blankets.
A few hours later Yuno awoke with a start. Mr. Lang, is he okay?! He wondered and sat up. Dundee was asleep on the couch beside him and Kratos was asleep in the corner. Clumsily he stood up and took unsteady steps towards the stairs, each step feeling a little stronger till he was running up the stairs, sliding as he took the turns to Lang’s bedroom and stopping at the door
Nervously he opened the circular door and peered inside, he could see Lang’s silhouette on the outside balcony, casually smoking a joint. Tears pricked the edges of his eyes as he timidly stepped outside. “Mr. Lang are you okay?” Yuno said in a quiet voice.
“Yuno baby, did you have a bad-“ Lang started to ask before recognition dawned on his face. “What did you call me?”
“Mr. Lang?” Yuno repeated softly, looking almost scared to touch him, visions of being unable to stop his body from stabbing the older man replaying in his mind. But there he was, safe and sound. “I-I’m home.”