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Chapter Text

"So that's it?" Kratos, Freya, and Mimir turned around to see Sindri looking at the murals.

"You just get to start your journey and I and Brok, who helped you so much, don't even get any kind of happiness?" Sindri snarled as he marched towards Kratos.

"Sindri-" Freya began, but Sindri abruptly conjured what seemed to be a huge treadmill. It had several runes woven in it.

"Now, you listen to me. I built this device so I could go back in time and save Brok, but spending a week after killing Odin made me realize I can't change the past to be better, but your son can." Kratos's eyes widened at the idea of traveling back in time.

"Let me be honest, I would have screwed you guys offer, but then I realized that's not what I want, even after everything you cost me. So here's the deal. You're gonna call back Atreus and get his ass here so we could send him back through time, or else..." Sindri said coldly, his eyes hard and his face having a sneer on it.

"Sindri!" Kratos turned around to see Atreus running towards him. "I got your message. What do you-"

"You listen up. I am not going to just let things end this way. Brok deserves better, and so do I. What right do you have to just enjoy your happy ending while I have nothing?" Sindri shouted as Atreus looked away mournfully.

"Look, Sindri, If there's anything I could do-"

"Your father's going to harness his power to activate this device, and you'll go back in time and fix things. Or else I'll go back in time myself and screw you over. You'll have to kill me if you want to stop me." Atreus's eyes widened.

"Sindri-"

"I can go back in time with this? I can fix things!?" Atreus declared immediately, his eyes hopeful.

"Atreus! Going back in time is not always a good thing." Kratos declared as he stepped forward.

"But if we can make things better, then I'm willing to take the risk!" Atreus protested as he turned at Sindri.

"Look, before we go ahead with this insane plan, let's talk about how we're going to fix things and what we want fixed." Mimir stated neutrally.

Sindri gave a deep breath. "Fine, go ahead. I'll be waiting for you back at the Realm Between Realms. I'll give you 24 hours before I screw you guys over and go back in time myself."

With that, Sindri and the treadmill vanished.

"Okay, lad, so first of all, obviously if we're thinking of doing this, we ain't gonna be falling for Odin's trap. But the problem is how we would be able to start things without actually going through all that? As much as I hate to say this, it was Brok's death that gave Kratos the incentive to start Ragnarok. Without it happening-"

"Actually, it's possible. You just have to convince Kratos to lead the rebellion against Odin, and then work to gain allies. I think I could cast a spell to store the memories of our current self so you could restore it to us and we could help you. Angrboda, too, could use that." Freya stated in response to Mimir's argument, her eyes showing some teasing as Atreus blushed.

"Okay! But can you also cast it on Sif and Thrud?" Atreus said softly. "Thor... He may have done terrible things, but he was a victim of Odin's. Baldur was too. He should deserve another chance to atone, to make amends."

Freya nodded solemnly, the mention of Baldur and his tragedy seeming to convince her.

"Did someone just say my name?" Atreus turned to see Thrud and Sif walking forward, curiously watching them.

"Yeah. Sif! Thrud! We got a plan to travel back in time and make things better. And we sure would like you to help."

Sif's eyes narrowed. "How?" 

"Freya here can cast a spell so you could regain your memories of what we went through. That way, you could help us convince Thor to turn against Odin before it's too late." Atreus said simply.

"Wait, so you're saying we'll remember all this and be able to help? And I could save my dad?" Thrud said, her eyes immediately looking hopeful. 

"Are you sure this'll work? I miss Thor, and I would very much want to have him back, but I don't want to risk giving Odin another chance to win." Sif argued, looking torn between hope and reluctance.

"It won't happen. Trust me. Besides, maybe you two could get some bonding time while you work together to get it through Thor-"

"If we were to do this, just turning Thor against Odin won't be my only priorities, Loki. I also got to prepare for things to ensure it would work out better in the end." Sif said as she sighed.

"Look, mom, you trusted Loki in the end when even I didn't. Things may not have gone all that well, but we could fix that!" Thrud said as she stared at her mother hopefully.

Eventually, Sif sighed and nodded.

"Very well. You have my and my daughter's support."

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Angrboda stated, staring at Loki with doubt as he excitedly went to Jotunheim and greeted her with the whole time-travel plan Sindri had came up with. An enchanted sphere to contain memories and crush them to restore the memories of current time.

"Yeah. And I'll also be taking Realm Seeds with me, so you could join us up much sooner. We've defied fate. My father is still alive, so we could do it again!" Atreus stated optimistically as Angrboda gave a fond sigh.

"Alright then, Loki, but be sure to contact me as soon as possible. We need a lot of planning to make sure this turns out well."

Atreus beamed at her. "Great! Let's go!"

Entering the Realm Between Realms was always something Angrboda enjoyed, the greys and the air of Yggdrasil sounding right with just about anyone. Apparently, even Odin himself enjoyed the World Tree's environment.

When they reached Sindri's home, they were immediately greeted by Sindri with the device that would apparently activate the time travel.

"Ah! Young Master Atreus!" The Squirell of the World Tree called out excitedly. 

"Hello, Ratatoskr!" 

"Master Sindri informed me of your plans. I must confess this is quite the endeavor, but nevertheless, I have been given reason to put my faith that you and your father would be able to do things right. I must also request that you do not kill Madam Níðhögg this time. I have came up with this device to allow you to communicate with her and make her understand why you must remove the roots of Yggdrasil binding Madam Freya's curse." Ratatoskr said as he handed Atreus a tablet inscribed with runes and filled with energy.

"Okay, so we now have all the people our memories could get. What do we do now?" Sindri went inside the house in response, and a few moments later, he was dragging a body that froze Loki and Kratos at spot. Angrboda knew who she was, so she too was quite surprised.

It was Loki's mother, but there was no life in her. She was struck by a painful memory of her father's corpse and the funeral she held for him, but kept it at bay.

"I went to Jotunheim, and I reconstituted her body from her ashes. Figured you'll need her to guide you and your old man, so here she is. I also enchanted the body with a spell of eternal life by burning dozens of Idunn's Apples." Sindri said curtly, although his eyes and expression seemed to have softened.

"I've also went to Niflheim and managed to get Sinmara's assistance, as long as it's limited to her and Surtr participating in Ragnarok without being merged together. We needed the spark of a Primordial as the final ingredient. So now here's the sphere containing Sinmara's memory." Sindri said as he handed Atreus a blue sphere that he placed inside his bag.

"Thank you, Sin, really." Atreus said softly. 

"Just fix things. Kratos here will be channeling his energy and power through the treadmill by running in it, and two space-time portals will be opened. One will be set shortly before your mother died, and another will be infused into this orb so after Faye is resurrected, you could go back shortly before you bury Fenrir." Sindri said simply.

Faye sighed softly as she laid on her bed for what would be the last time.

She had said her goodbyes to her beloved husband and dear son, and although it ached her that she could not experience the future they would bring, she knew her death was necessary to ensure her husband and her son's life unfolded as it should be.

Not decided by fate, but by their own decision. She had already foreseen it, and it brought her much joy with her preparations, they could not only become a true family, but also lead the Nine Realms to a new age-

Suddenly, a bright light emerged from the door, alerting Faye, but none more surprising when she saw who she recognized as her son, all grown-up, walk through that door. He smashed a sphere that conjured a protective barrier around the room and gave her a sad smile.

"Hey, mom. I need your help."

Chapter Text

"... And that's it, mom. We won. We beat Odin, but we lost Brok." Faye gave her future son an understanding look of sympathy. She may not have foreseen everything, as Brok's death made clear, but she knew enough that Atreus and the Huldra Brothers were good friends. To hear what happened to them was a tragedy, made worse by how they had reconciled, only to be torn apart by death at the unwitting mistakes of Atreus.

Faye could not in good conscience blame Sindri for his demands of Atreus to fix things. If anything, the fact he even had it in him to create a new body for her that was an immortal, securing her place in this new future among her family, was proof of just how deep down, there was still the good man the dwarf once was.

And there was also the whole matter of Atreus's desire to save someone like Thor. It was truly admirable, and Faye could not help but be proud of her son for having the heart to wish such a thing, despite how she once hated Thor for his slaughter of her people. And for all the bad Thor had done, it was not in Faye's right to deprive him of that chance if he could have it, especially as he had a wife and a daughter who loved him and his sons were killed by Faye's own family.

In the end, Thor was ultimately just a tragic villain, a victim of Odin. Odin was the one who deserved her ire. Even now, even with her future sight, Faye ultimately never understood Odin. He once had a legitimate love for one of her own people, who sired the mightiest of his sons, and yet he still hated her people.

Shrugging off such thoughts aside, Faye turned at Atreus. "Are you truly sure you wish to take this chance, my son? I will support you if that is what you wish, but you must understand that this is essentially putting everything you've accomplished before at risk."

Atreus nodded firmly. "Yes. I want to save Brok. I want to make things right. Please, mother, come with me. We could make things right and start over." 

Faye stared at her son's eyes, clearly having gone through so much yet still retaining an astonishing amount of his innocence.

She sighed heavily. "I have never thought I would be able to live my life alongside the two of you, being that I am not one of the members of my kind who were immortal, but it seemed this twist of fate has given me a second chance."

With a small smile, one she was sure must have looked melancholic, she turned to Atreus. "If there's one thing I know for sure, though, it is that I would do what I could for my family."

Atreus gave a cry of joy as he embraced her, and Faye shook a little as she tenderly embraced her son back.

So this is to be my second chance to be with my family and help the Nine Realms? Well, if so, then I would sure as hell make good use of it.

Atreus staggered as he felt heavy. Sindri had told him about how his consciousness would be send back in time, but had not have the decency to tell him to be ready to feel vertigo. So he was back shortly after he buried Fenrir, only this time he wouldn't have transformed into a bear.

Atreus sighed as he stared at Fenrir's grave. Although Fenrir would be alive here too once he could have Garm, but seeing the wolf he loved so much buried in the lake still stung at his heart.

"So this is where you turned into a bear, beginning to embrace the deeper nature of your powers, eh?" Atreus turned to see his beloved mother, resurrected and in a body perfectly alike to her original. He smiled solemnly. He really hadn't thought he could see his mother again.

"Yes, mother. I just lost control due to my emotions. I also discovered I could turn into a wolf. I've been discovering a lot of abilities ever since I learned I was a giant. Spells like being able to extract souls-"

"Patience, son. I know quite a lot about magic, so I'll be able to teach you when we reveal to your father about everything." Mother said kindly as Atreus smiled.

"Yeah! Let's go-"

"Actually, you return to your home first. I'll wait until Thor arrives and then I'll help your father." Atreus stared at his mother in confusion.

"Atreus... Your father has a VERY complicated past. He's not only had to kill his own father, but also had to commit many horrible acts. He's not going to be receptive so easily unless we give him a little push. Fortunately, I know how to push him to act. Trust me. Go back to home. I'll be coming back with your dad later."

Atreus had given his mother a solemn smile and a nod before he left.

He knew his father hadn't told him virtually everything, and he did wonder what exactly happened, but Atreus didn't want to push it. His mother definitely knew, but she wouldn't tell him unless Father was willing to let her.

And so when he returned, his father was still asleep. At least this way he would be in better shape to fight Thor. But while he couldn't sense it, Atreus went to Mimir.

"Hey, little brother! You okay? I'm sorry about Fenrir." Atreus gave a solemn nod at Mimir. 

"Listen, Mimir. This might overwhelm you, but do hang on, okay?"

With that, Atreus placed the sphere containing Mimir's memories and crushed it, causing vapors of gold to enter Mimir's head.

Mimir's head frowned as he shook his head before eventually composing itself. "Oh dear... You actually did it. You've done it-"

Atreus shushed Mimir. He didn't want to wake Father up yet.

"Good night, Mimir. We can talk tomorrow." 

With that, Atreus went to sleep.

He really hoped things would be better now.

When Thor finally arrived along with Odin, Atreus had to steady himself and remain calm as he was left with Odin, the man who he was foolish to trust and who had killed his friend, Thor sending his father flying away.

"Now, Loki, was it? Listen, from what I've gathered, you've been struggling with a lot of suppressed powers and also finding your place in all this, right?" Odin had said, repeating the very same words that he had said to him.

"What's in it for you?" Atreus replied frostily, not seeing any point in being polite at all. Surprisingly, this didn't offend Odin at all, who just looked amused.

"You want answers? You can come to Asgard if that's what you want. My Ravens, Hugin and Muninn, can take you there, but you have to be willing-"

"What makes you think I need answers?" Atreus had said challengingly, hoping to at least make Odin show some anger, only to be silently irritated when Odin simply smiled even more smugly.

"Speaking of which, I think I don't care about the secrets of the Jotnar anymore in Jotunheim. From what I could tell, you didn't seem to have learned much, otherwise you wouldn't have been struggling to find your place. And yes, I am well-aware of how you talked to Sindri about needing Tyr as the only one who would know about the secrets of the Giants and what you can do." Atreus internally cursed as he realized that Odin had been spying on him, so he would have definitely known about that much. That retort only allowed Odin to feel victorious.

With that, Odin and his Ravens left, placing an Asgardian coin for him to pay for the roof like he did. 

With a deep breath, Atreus returned inside.

"You alright, lad? So how are we supposed to start this time-traveling quest of ours?" Mimir had asked him calmly. 

"Well, mum said she'll help dad come along. We just need to be patient."

Kratos landed on the secret chamber of Tyr's Temple after having just managed to break free of Thor's grip.

"THAT was for Baldur! Now show me this Godkiller I've heard so much about." Thor had shouted as he attacked him ferociously with his bare hands.

"I did not seek that fight with your brother!" Kratos had yelled back in reply as he blocked and dodged the God of Thunder's attacks, swift despite his weight and fat and thrown with pinpoint accuracy and masterful skill.

As they continued to duel unarmed, Kratos found that Thor lived up to every bit of his reputation as the strongest of the Aesir and someone Mimir did not believe he could certainly win against. His strength was definitely above that of his brother's, each punch and kick causing him more pain than any attack Baldur had thrown before, but unlike Baldur, his bloodlust was more on the fight rather than to deliver suffering. That difference was backed up by also being more skilled in brawling than his brother, and speed comparable to that of Baldur's despite being significantly more overweight.

Kratos calmed himself down as he clocked the onslaught Thor unleashed upon him and delivered numerous blows in return, calling upon the training and skills that had made him a warrior without equal in Greece as well as the experience he had gained on the Norse Realm to fight back against Thor's aggressive but staunch fighting prowess.

Kratos grunted as Thor landed a brutal punch that send him flying, but immediately avoided Thor's next blow and grabbed and threw the God of Thunder away. Kratos did not let up, throwing more hits while Thor was down.

However, Thor quickly recovered and moved away using his lightning speed. "Not bad, but not good enough!" Thor declared as he began moving while empowered by his lightning, while Kratos was now being forced on the back foot, just managing to keep up by using his shield to block the relentless, lightning-quick attacks thrown at him. However, Thor was too fast for him to hit, the same as how his brother Baldur would use his light magic to move at speeds faster than Kratos could normally, and unlike Baldur, Thor was focused and would not stop using his lightning magic to amplify his speed. Any attacks Kratos attempted to deliver were easily avoided as Thor stepped away using lightning.

Growing impatient upon finally being struck with a vicious uppercut that send him dozens of feet into the air, the electricity of the blow further increasing the damage he took, Kratos allowed parts of his rage, focused and sharpened after years of training, and used it to amplify his speed. He easily blocked the next punch without his shield now, and retaliated, combining both the Guardian Shield and his martial arts to push back Thor. Even then, the God of Thunder proved his skills in battle were formidable by managing to still bypass his defenses at certain times while also blocking a decent amount of his attacks.

It seemed as though the God of Thunder had previously been holding back, and not just out of some kind of a love for battle. Whereas before Thor had only applied his lightning for busts of speed, he now channeled his lightning freely into parts of his body that Kratos aimed his attacks at, protecting himself from any significant damage, not to mention how his attacks now struck with powerful lightning qualities, equivalent to that of Zeus's own, making him feel the effects of electricity damaging him, much more potent than any lightning Thor's sons had threw.

Eventually, Kratos managed to push Thor farther back enough to summon his Axe. He immediately blocked a brutal hit from Thor, now using his hammer, using the Leviathan before ferociously punching him in the face with a burst of rage powering his fist.

The resulting attack managed to break Thor's nose, releasing a shockwave that rippled across the area, but before Kratos could follow up with another attack, Thor immediately struck him with Mjolnir with such force he was send flying far away.

More staggered and hurt by anything Thor had thrown at him before, Kratos barely reacted to Thor's attempt to smash his head with the hammer and locked his Axe with it as they grappled across the air. Thor attempted to grab and throw his head down, but Kratos managed to stop him by grabbing his hand as they landed on another corner of Tyr's temple. 

Breaking off, Thor gave a blood-thirsty grin. "This is what I've been waiting for!" 

And the battle continued, Thor wielding his hammer with outstanding finesse, easily shifting between offense and defense as he blocked at Kratos' axe and retaliated with skillful onslaughts that briefly pushed Kratos back before he regained his footing and pushed back in return, all while Thor freely made use of his other hand and legs, striking whenever Kratos was too focused on Mjolnir. 

Every blow that Thor managed to land with his hammer was truly quite damaging, as if Mjolnir compounded the already mighty force of the God of Thunder's blows to the maximum. Each attack seemed to echo all the deaths and destruction the God of Thunder had caused, the memories of such battles embedded into his hammer only seeming to improve Thor's efficiency.

Kratos delivered a brutal hook to the man's chin, only for Thor to retaliate by viciously grappling him into the air, Kratos breaking free of Thor's grip and delivering blows that made the God of Thunder stop the grapple, resorting to engaging in unarmed combat over the air, ending with both Kratos and Thor managing to deliver kicks on one another's stomach.

"This is for Modi!" Kratos landed down using his shield to cushion the landing, and noticing Thor preparing to throw Mjolnir at him, immediately threw his own Axe in response. The two magical weapons collided in mid-air, causing sparks of frosty lightning as the two mighty Gods circled around.

"You put him last, even in death!" Kratos shouted, unable to stop himself from showing his disgust at the extreme favoritism of the God of Thunder. 

"The FUCK you say!?" Thor snarled.

"Modi sought us in fear of YOU! And rather than challenge us yourself, you beat your own son to where he died of the wounds YOU gave him!" Kratos clarified with a growl.

"As far as I remember, you killed your own daughter and only now seemed to have sired a child you cared for, so you're not one to talk! A MODEL father, eh?" Thor shouted back with a sneer on his face. 

The reminder of his murder of Calliope sparked more rage from Kratos and he viciously summoned back his wife's axe to him, Thor summoning back his hammer.

The resulting clash threw them backwards and collapsed the lake, forming a chasm. 

"This feels familiar! Back then, on Vanaheim, I fought a fair-headed lady who used this axe! Ah... So that's your wife!" Kratos's eyes widened at Thor's words, realizing his wife had previously fought Thor.

"And I'll be glad to send you flying back to Asgard like I did before!" Kratos felt his mind pause at that voice.

The voice he thought he would never hear again, that of his wife.

Stunned, Kratos watched as in a blur of blonde, his wife, whose ashes he had spread on Jotunheim, delivered a vicious, ice-enhanced, punch at the God of Thunder, breaking his teeth off and sending him flying.

"Faye?" Kratos muttered softly, wondering if this was a dream.

Faye turned to look back at him, and gave him such a smile, the same as when they fought together to hunt down monsters, that Kratos could not help but feel this was no dream.

"So the two of you would gang up on me, eh? The God of War needed his "heroic" wife to save him?" Thor mocked as he got up and pulled out the broken teeth.

"Oh well, you sure are a God of War. Too bad we couldn't settle this here, but I suppose there's still a lot for us in the future anyway. Be seeing you! And I owe you a rematch for back then, Laufey the Just. I'll be collecting that rematch later, as I will with your dear husband!" With those parting words of challenge, the God of Thunder flew away.

Kratos approached his wife slowly. "Is it... Truly you?" 

Faye responded by giving him a kiss, and at that moment any doubt that this was an imposter faded. This was truly his wife, somehow back from the dead, but very much alive and not a ghost. The gentle touch of her lips, the soft caress of her hand at his back, it could be no other but Faye.

Faye gently pulled away. "We have many things to discuss, my love. In particular, to prevent a tragedy our son saw fit to travel through space and time to bring me back so I may help you."

"So you're really back, Faye!? I don't know how, but this counts for a celebration!" Sindri had declared, beside himself with joy, as Faye and Kratos climbed up into Tyr's Temple to return to their home.

"Could you focus on the pressing matter, bro!? Odin's with the kid. We shouldn't delay them returning to their home!" Brok admonished, although he then added "Nice to see you again, though."

Faye simply smiled, feeling hope at seeing her dear friends again. She hoped she could save them.

Now that Atreus had time-travelled, an entirely new future could be created. There would be difficulties and dangers.

However, Faye was optimistic back then, where she accepted her death so that it would allow her family to live on. Now that she was given a chance at eternal life, Faye would take that chance and undo any wrongs that she could undo.

As they reached the mystical gateway, Brok leaving them so they could talk in private, Kratos finally turned to address her. "You said our son time-travelled to bring you back. What has happened that would merit such a dangerous course of action?"

Faye gave a solemn smile. "Our son is actually already aware. I met him on the woods and told him about it, and he was escatic, but I told him I needed to gather a few things first. As far the answer to your question, darling, our son was rather vague about it, but he spoke of how you did not act quickly enough and that I should push you."

Kratos frowned. "Push me to do what?" 

"He did not say entirely, but he did clarify about how you could have set everything right by acting much sooner and that you shouldn't hide, but keep moving." 

Her husband looked away. "Our son wishes me to do battle with the Gods? To go to war with them? And that by not doing so, I created a doom?" Faye smiled slightly at that. For all of her husband's roughness and appearing to be unintelligent, Faye knew Kratos actually had great wisdom and intelligence. He had described at certain points how he solved puzzles.

"Well, we should talk with Atreus first, shouldn't we? Discuss what he had been doing and then do our duty as parents, which is to support him." 

Kratos stared at her for a while, before he grunted and continued to walk. "You know why I do not seek war with the Gods. And I never once believed you would have wished for me to become the man that I was back in my home."

Those words were spoken softly, but had certain doubt in it. Faye sighed as she knew her husband would be questioning of her secrets, but decided to drop this hint. "No. But who is to say you cannot be better?"

"I'm doing my best to be better. Although I mourned your loss heavily, I raised Atreus as well as I could, but it would seem you still knew better than me." Faye had smiled at that. Yes, Kratos had did his best.

"Indeed. You've progressed much. Don't be discouraged Kratos. Our son will have to forge his own path in the end, but we could still be there for him."

But then Faye took a more firm and assuring look as they neared the other side of the gateway.

"Kratos... You will not die. That which you saw in Jotunheim was not your true fate."

Kratos stared at her in surprise, but there was hope in his eyes. He nodded at her, and together they returned to the home they had built together.

"Remember, Kratos. Be patient. Don't alienate our son." Kratos grunted.

"He sought Tyr, according to what Odin had said. Did he tell you about it?" Faye's smile turned solemn.

"Yes. Our son had said that before he revived me. He told me that he wanted to find Tyr, but while you eventually agreed, you were too strict and unwilling to fight against the Aesir. That's why you failed, why our son had to attempt this."

"I will do my best, but you must remember, Kratos, that Atreus is not a normal boy. A God has responsibilities greater than normal beings, and Atreus wants to fulfill that. Don't try to deny him, but reason with him. Reason."

Kratos stared at her deeply for a moment before nodding. 

Chapter Text

As soon as Kratos opened the door, Atreus marched forth in a hurry. "Dad! Mom! Are you okay!? I was about to go looking for you-" Kratos softly cradled his son's chin, as Faye gave him a smile.

"Are you hurt?" Kratos asked in concern. His son seemed okay, but he did not want to test it.

"Are YOU? And I see you met mom." Atreus said with a smile at his mother, who smiled back. Kratos allowed them to hug for a minute, watching as his son was happier than he had ever seen him before, as even he felt happy at seeing his family now fully reunited.

"Now, shall we sit down and talk like a family, rather than a pack of tense allies?" Faye said gently as she gestured at the table. Kratos grunted and went to sit down.

"So YOU'RE Laufey the Just. It's nice to finally meet you. I must say I am grateful that you allowed me to be freed from that blasted tree Odin put me in." Mimir stated with excitement as Kratos simply hummed.

The Smartest Man Alive had practically told Kratos numerous times how he felt indebted to his wife for starting the journey that lead to his freedom, so it wasn't a surprise.

Faye simply chuckled. "It's fine. If anything, I'M the one who is indebted, since you had to keep my gruff husband and my son in check." A teasing smile at both Kratos and Atreus and while Atreus looked awkward, Kratos simply grunted. 

"Before we begin, Kratos, Atreus, let us welcome the complete resurrection of the newest member of our family, Mimir." Faye said with a smile as she opened an enchanted bag and revealed Mimir's dead body, healed of all kinds of rot.

Kratos and Atreus's eyes widened, but none like Mimir's. "Are you saying you could return me to a body!?" Mimir sounded shocked.

"Indeed. Giant magic. Please do be patient, Kratos, and watch as I work a miracle." Kratos nodded and watched as Faye took Mimir's head and body to a table, moving aside anything on it with a wave of her wand. 

For all of Faye's secrets, Kratos never doubted that she truly loved him and their son. The sincerity in her eyes were too much for it to be faked. The times they had together, the loving way which she cared for their son... None of it could be fake.

Now that she was freely showing all her abilities, Kratos wondered if she would be a better teacher for Atreus. He hoped that she would be open to him and their son fully now, although Kratos understood it would take time.

While Faye's quest put him and Atreus against the Aesir, was it not that quest that allowed Kratos to truly bond with Atreus as a father? Faye had good intentions, and Kratos trusted that in her.

A flash of light occured after a minute of Faye preparing the spell, using fire from the candle and water from a nearby source before reciting incantations, and as Kratos opened his eyes, there was Mimir, restored to his body, wearing a simple but efficient uniform suited for battle.

Mimir excitedly touched several things before touching his own body before breaking into a cry of joy. Atreus cheered as he went to hug Mimir, all while Faye stood beside Kratos and smiled. "You three have truly bonded, haven't you? Mimir may have been Odin's advisor, and still carries a lot of guilt, but he deserves a second chance in life. I'm glad you freed him." 

Kratos nodded simply as Mimir then walked slowly towards Kratos before hugging him as well. Kratos tensed, but gradually and briefly returned the hug before kindly removing himself. "Thank you, brother. I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for you."

Kratos gave Mimir a nod and a small smile. Over time, he came to truly appreciate Mimir's wisdom and councel and see him as a brother indeed. Although... Kratos wondered how he would have to adapt to Mimir now needing to consume resources with his corporeal body, but nevertheless, he was pleased to see that his friend was now at full shape. Mimir deserved better.

After a while, however, Kratos turned serious. "Why did you pursue Tyr?" Kratos asked Atreus curtly as Atreus tensed.

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have let me!" Atreus shouted in defense as Kratos felt his frustration only grew.

"So you decided to lie-" 

"Kratos." Faye had interrupted him firmly as Kratos gave a deep breath.

"Now, son, how about you explain properly why you searched for Tyr?" 

Atreus exhaled. "Well, in order for it to be proper, I think we should discuss this while traveling to the old temple in the Wildwood."

Before Kratos could comment, he was interrupted by Faye sighing. "Your future self did say your father needed to see rather than just hear. Besides, Fimbulwinter means any protection magic would no longer keep Odin and Thor away. We need to find a new safe place. Sindri and Brok have prepared a cabin for us. We should move there and plan our next course of action. For now, though, Atreus, show us what you know."

Kratos grunted as Faye made herself clear. He supposed he should go along with it. "Very well. But we should stop at the Dwarves first. Mimir should have something to defend himself with. And what about you, Faye? Would you like the Axe back?"

Faye simply smiled. "No, Kratos. It's yours now. I don't need it to defend myself. Haven't you seen what I could do without the Axe?" 

Kratos gave an amused huff as he stood up.

"Then we go."

"Now, the first thing is that Odin said the Giants could keep his secrets, which is disturbing, considering how long he's been hungering over them. Next thing is that Odin wanted to invite you to Asgard. Why is that? What does he want from you?" Mimir questioned as he walked alongside Atreus, Kratos and Faye leading from afar.

"There are several ways with which Odin could use Atreus. He is aware of Loki, the name that should have been my son's, only I accepted my husband's alternative name, to remind me that I would choose my family over fate." Kratos smiled at Faye sincerely at that as Faye casually mentioned it. 

"But back to seriousness. First, Atreus has special abilities, even among Giants. His uncommon capacity for languages are one of those factors that Odin could use. I've heard rumors that he is desperate to find someone with the ability to understand any language. Perhaps he seeks Atreus for that reason." Kratos frowned at Faye, but before he could say anything, he noticed several Raiders coming in.

"Step back, everyone. I think I could use a warm up." Faye winked at Kratos, who snorted.

And thus Kratos watched as Faye effortlessly disarmed a Raider of his sword while simultaneously kicking a Raider who tried to attack her from her back, before she then threw that sword at a Raider with a spell that caused it to spike ice, killing several Raiders at once. 

He expected no less. His wife had held her own against him in the past. A couple of Raiders were nothing. And she had even faced Thor before.

"Wow! Can I do that?" Faye smiled at their son's excitement while Kratos looked away. 

"Brother, I understand you are reluctant for the boy to follow this path, but you have to understand that this is what would have happened in the end." Mimir said wisely as he patted Kratos in the back. Kratos grunted but said nothing.

When they came across a few more Raiders, Faye kept dispatching them effortlessly, displaying the ability to create weapons made of ice and the skill to wield swords, spears, and bows and arrows with masterful skill. Despite everything, Kratos could not help but smile. His wife had always seemed reluctant to discuss her past, but now she was open with it. 

This was the start of a new chapter, and while there were problems with Atreus, Kratos was glad to see his wife by his side again.

However, problem arose when a Stalker managed to catch Kratos by surprise just as Faye and Atreus had lead the way, impaling Kratos at the same spot where his Guardian Shield could be manifested. Faye had dispatched it quickly, swiftly disarming it of it's harpoon with a well-aimed arrow and quickly jumping down and dodging all the arrows it launched before punching it down and snapping it's neck with ease.

"The battle with Thor had affected the Guardian Shield more than I thought. It's damaged." Faye said grimly as she checked it. 

"I do not need a shield to defend myself. We both know that." Kratos said simply, although he had to admit it was a lament to part with the shield his wife had given him.

"A weapon can be replaced and used any time, but family cannot. We have each other, and that's enough." Faye said encouragingly as Kratos smiled back.

He truly missed his wife, and no matter how it happened, the fact that his wife had returned was a blessing.

"Yeah, brother. Family is important, especially in these dangerous times. Freya is still hunting us, Raiders and Stalkers walk across our woods, and Thor and Odin can come in whenever we like, these woods are no safe haven now. We really need the Dwarves after this, no matter what." Mimir said grimly.

Kratos nodded and kept walking around.

There was no more enemies further ahead, and Kratos could now safely ask Atreus. "Why are we going there, Atreus?"

"Well, you remember all the Shrines we found, telling the history of the Giants? How the panel depicting their origin was the left and the panel depicting their fate was the right?" Faye gave Kratos a slight teasing smile at that as Kratos snorted.

"Yes, together we found many of them and you recorded them all excitedly." Kratos said with a bit of humor on his voice as Atreus pouted.

"Well, father, there's actually more to it. You'll find out when we get there."

Faye watched as Atreus unveiled the hidden shrine from Skoll and Hati's mural with a smile on her face.

"Faye? Is this safe?" Kratos asked in concern as Atreus rushed inside.

"Yes, it is. It's incredible. Who would have thought Atreus could have found it on his own. Amazing." Faye said with pride in her voice and face.

Kratos nodded as together they entered the shrine.

Faye watched as Atreus excitedly described the story of Skoll and Hati being on Vanaheim, although he was giving her odd glances, clearly trying to make her step in when the time came for Tyr to be mentioned.

"That's not Tyr, Atreus. That's... You, Kratos." Faye said softly as Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus turned at her in stunned surprise. 

Faye used magic to warp the scenery back when they had shown Gjallarhorn, and then made it more detailed, revealing a figure resembling Kratos more than Tyr.

"What does this mean, Faye?" Kratos said, his tone uncharacteristically reluctant. 

"It means, my love, that you are the one who will lead the march against Odin's army, but I cannot be certain. Perhaps we should free Tyr first. I know that he is alive, but where he is being held... That's the most dangerous mission we will ever undertake."

Atreus stared at her stunned along with Mimir, clearly not expecting the fact that Tyr was actually alive. Faye smiled softly at Atreus and Mimir, making it clear she knew what she was saying.

"So, what should we do now?" Mimir started.

"I do not know, but if freeing Tyr would shed light into this mystery, then I suppose we have no choice. Where should we go, Faye?"

"First of all, the Atreus who brought me back in this immortal body told me that you would have gone to Svartalfheim to free Tyr, but that was a trick made by Odin, who had never held Tyr there. Mistakes happened, and though you were able to emerge out of the battle, there were many losses that must be fixed. However, I have been aware that Tyr is held in Asgard's Prison, and I know a way to access Asgard. We must first go to Jotunheim, where a gateway to Asgard that Odin could never find exists." Faye said grimly and Mimir and Atreus stared at her stunned, while Kratos gave a grim nod.

"We must prepare. I am already coming up with something rather ingenious for the Dwarves to build. We need their help before we storm Asgard's prison. And we should teleport now to the Realm Between Realms."

Faye recited spells of realm-crossing and after a flash of blue light, there they were, at the Realm Between Realms.

"Wow! You can go to the Realm Between Realms without Mystical Gateways, mom?" Atreus said excitedly as Faye placed her hand on her head.

"Faye?" Kratos asked in mild concern.

"It's just I haven't used that spell for years. It could cause a headache when you aren't used to it. Don't worry, Kratos. I'm fine. Now, I think we should greet the Dwarves."

Faye concentrated on the location of Sindri and Brok's cottage and opened a portal there.

As soon as they stepped in, Sindri was there to welcome them. "Come in! Come in!" The Dwarf excitedly welcomed them as Faye smiled.

"We settled in the Realm Between Realms. While not much, it's safe from Fimbulwinter and Odin's eyes. The few is unbeatable when it comes to grey voids too!"

"Thank you, Sindri. I would also like to thank you for looking after Atreus when he tried to search for Tyr." Faye said with gratitude as Kratos's eyes narrowed.

"You aided my son in disobeying me?" Kratos asked coldly as Sindri stepped backwards in comedic fear.

"No. He looked over Atreus when he needed it." Faye declared firmly as Kratos grunted.

"Now, I'm aware you were planning on opening up realm travel. I would have to add in my personal touch, so that I could make it more practical. I also have certain weapons I would like you to build, if you may?" Faye asked both Sindri and Brok as they both nodded.

"Well, since the kid has grown up and an old pal is back, let's get this show on the road! What do you need?" Brok asked with more excitement than usual.

"First, we need to discuss this on a table. We are all family here, so we should talk this over dinner."

"WHAT!? Tyr... Is locked up in ASGARD!?" Sindri said in horror as he stopped himself from eating the stew Faye had generously cooked up for him.

"Yes. That was why you couldn't figure out truly where he is. Odin got him well-secured in his prison. Now, we need to prepare to free Tyr. We're going to siege Asgard, and for that, the first thing we need to do is arm ourselves." Faye asked grimly. 

Sindri gulped. He knew this would be tough work, but then realized it would be good to redeem the Dwarves, particularly him and Brok, from all they had given the Aesir.

"Well, how are we going to do this, then? What kind of weapon would you want us to build?" Brok said simply, unafraid at all, as Sindri looked at him in concern. Brok still didn't knew of the condition of his soul. How was he going to tell him?

"I think you have Draupnir? Take 6 of it's copies here along with the original. I think if this works out well, I MIGHT be able to create a very practical and brilliant idea for all of us." Faye said with a mysterious wink and smile.

"6 of the copies AND the original Draupnir? But why? Aren't the copies worthless?" Sindri asked with a surprised look on his face.

"To mirror an old friend here, what makes the thing useful is not the form, but the nature of the thing." Faye said with a smile at Brok, who snorted.

"Well, you heard her, Sindri. Go get Draupnir and 6 copies! Got to admit, I'm interested in seeing what she could do as a blacksmith." Sindri nodded anxiously as he went into the well to get what Faye asked him to.

As soon as he finished, Sindri carefully laid his treasure and the 6 supposedly useless copies of the ring.

Faye hummed as she delicately analyzed the copies. "These copies come from Draupnir, so in essence, it's possible to enhance them to replicate the same powers of the original, right?" 

Sindri's eyes widened. "How do you propose we do that? Giant magic is different than Dwarves, but the Giants were the progenitor of most magics. Are you saying you know how to replicate the enchantments?"

Faye simply nodded with an assuring smile. 

"Now, this is gonna be interesting." Brok said with a smirk.

"Can I borrow your weapons, Kratos?" Faye asked him as Kratos turned to look at her.

They were now in the bedroom Brok and Sindri had prepared for them.

"Faye, what are you planning to build?" Kratos asked as she simply smiled at him.

"I'll also be needing the Blades of Chaos." Faye whispered softly as Kratos frowned.

"Why do you need them?" Kratos asked, ever wary of those cursed weapons.

"Kratos, do you remember what I said about how we are not our failures and that we must be better? This would be another step to that. You used those Blades to kill your old family and destroy Greece, but you used them in this world to save our son. Now, it's time to purify it of it's sins." Faye said simply.

After a moment, Kratos gave her both the Leviathan Axe, formerly Faye's, and the Blades of Chaos.

"Be careful with those, Faye." 

"I will. By the time I'm done with this, you'll find yourself armed with weapons that are not only much more practical, but would symbolize the noble warrior you could become, my love. I promise." Faye said as she gently touched her forehead to his.

"I do not wish for you to be tainted by the blood of those blades." Kratos said simply.

"Neither of our hands are clean, Kratos. The world is simply impossible for anyone's hands to be clean of blood. For you, for Atreus, for our family, I would do so much more. Speaking of which, until we finish, I think you should train both Atreus and Mimir." Kratos stared at Faye curiously at the mention of Mimir.

"Has Mimir acquired a weapon, then?" Faye laughed.

"We had a discussion, and he was adamant on fighting too. He sees this as an opportunity to redeem himself of past sins. He did have a degree of combat training, but his greatest strengths is his brain. In the end, I decided to give him spellbooks, a magical dagger, and a wand-like staff." Kratos couldn't help but snort.

"Wisdom and intelligence would serve a mage well, don't you agree, Kratos?" Kratos simply nodded.

"Has Atreus learned to fight with a sword yet?" Kratos looked at Faye in confusion.

"A sword? He is an archer and a bowman." Faye simply laughed.

"You should start teaching him how to fight with a sword. Trust me. It'll be great."

2 Days Later

Atreus barely blocked the swift onslaught coming from his father's sword with his own.

Ever since his mother started working with Brok and Sindri, his father had been training him in using a sword, along with also helping him improve with a bow, only this time, his father personally sparred with him.

Atreus hadn't realized just how much he still had to grow until now. He knew he wouldn't be a match for Thor, Odin, or Freya, but he never thought his father could easily take him on with just a single hand. This was with father clearly holding himself back a lot.

Atreus gritted his teeth when his father disarmed him yet again. "You're improving fast, Atreus. I assume all that training to use your bow as a melee weapon helped you take into the sword faster than expected."

Atreus grunted. "I still have a lot of work to do if you didn't even break a sweat." It was true. Atreus had to put his all just to defend himself, while he barely got the chance to make any offense on his father.

"Do not be so hasty in your growth, son. You have become much better than I could have hoped within these years. In time, you may well be capable of surpassing me and your mother." Kratos stated calmly and more softly than usual.

"Well, we don't have much time! I wouldn't have been good enough in the future. I need to work on my skills more!" Atreus insisted as Kratos shook his head.

"Skill and strength must be developed and sharpened through experience, son. Be patient. In time, you will get the power and skill you need to succeed."

"Wise words, my dear husband." Atreus watched as his mother came out of the cottage with a smile on her face.

"We're ready, now. It's time for all of us to get new weapons." 

Atreus beamed in excitement as his mother was soon joined in by Sindri, Mimir, and Brok.

Sindri looked uncharacteristically nervous while Brok looked unusually excited, Mimir too.

"Well, time to speak with the Lady of the Forge, everyone! Hop up, kid. You're gonna get to see the most magical creature in all the kingdom of Svartalfheim!" Brok had said as his mother cut herself and formed a magical circle.

"Now, all of you, gather here. I'll transport us to the specific location in Svartalfheim with the coordinates Sindri had provided." His mother had said as Atreus, Kratos, Mimir, Brok, and Sindri all nodded.

A flash of rainbows, and Atreus found himself in a darker environment, with what seemed to be a lake outside of the ground they stood on, the water kept at bay by windows.

A few moments later, and Atreus found himself faced with a creature he had never seen before.

"The Lady, one of the few Celtic originating beings in our world." His mother had said with a soft smile on her face.

"Sindri? Brok? This is what you have been waiting for, right?" 

With an awkward smile, Sindri gave mother three bags that she proceeded to give to the Lady of the Forge.

The Lady stared at the multiple bags in curiousity, but mother spoke to her in a language even he didn't understand entirely, only able to make out certain phrases such as "You will be doing the world a great service, my lady" and "For new beginnings". 

The Lady nodded, and the bags were taken into the water. 

The Lady unpacked a bag, revealing the same ring Brok and Sindri showed before, a bow and a sword, and then began doing some kind of magic, mixing them in until the Lady then turned towards them.

His mother turned towards his father. "The blood of a mother and the blood of a father, both powerful, shall create the weapon that will keep their son safe." His mother said almost dreamingly. His father stared at her for a moment before he nodded.

They both cut themselves with a knife and then gave it to the Lady. The Lady mixed in the blood into the ring, the bow, and the sword, until she finally gave mother the ring.

Mother smiled as she gently fitted his finger with the ring. "Will the bow and the sword to appear. From now on, they shall be your weapons."

Atreus excitedly did as she said and imagine his surprise when indeed the bow appeared, transforming into a sword as soon as he wanted it to be a sword.

"Now, next would be your turn, Kratos. The blood of the wife and the blood of the son." His father looked somewhat regretful as mother gently cut his hand to draw some of his blood along with hers before turning towards the Lady.

The Lady mixed in the Axe, the Blades, a sword, a spear, a dagger, and also a bow and focused deeply as she seemed to put in much more effort into it this time. After a few tense minutes, the Lady finally did her work, and the ring was given to his mother, who gently gave it to father.

Father steeled himself before he wore it, watching in surprise as all the weapons likewise appeared, only the Blades now seemed purified somehow. 

"Your sins will be forgiven. Your family will be with you always."

Father looked more happy than he had ever seen him as he softly grasped the ring.

"And now, for your turn, Mimir." Mimir stepped forward with anxiety clear in his face, but by the time the Lady was finished, creating a ring that could transform between a staff and a dagger, he was practically excited.

"Oh, how this feels the same as the magic of the Mermaids in my homeland." Mimir declared softly.

"Know that with this weapon and with the family you have proven worthy to join, you will find redemption." At those words, Mimir practically sobbed a little.

"Thank you, brother. I couldn't have gotten this far without you freeing me." Mimir said with emotion thick on his voice.

"Likewise, I wouldn't have completed the journey that formed my bond with my son without you, brother." Atreus smiled at his father's sincere words.

"Now, your turn, Sindri." Sindri nodded anxiously as the Lady did the work and formed another two of those rings, which turned out to contain a sword, a hammer, a fork, and a tomahawk. 

Sindri caressed the ring in his hands with awe as Faye then gave the other ring to Brok, who was looking just as stupefied and speechless as his brother was.

"And finally, my turn." 

Atreus watched excitedly as the Lady turned her attention into the final bag and the last ring. Mother gave both his father and his own blood to the Lady and she went into work.

By the time she was finished, her mother now wore a ring that could transform into the forms of the same type of weapons his father's ring could.

"And so we now have arms. Brace yourself. We will train for a couple of weeks, before we go to Jotunheim. Speaking of which, I have a... Girl I need to recruit that your future self was quite adamant that I include into the fold." 

Atreus blushed red as his mother winked at him. Father stared at him curiously.

But as they returned home, Atreus finally felt hopeful that they could change the future.

"You really worried me there, Faye." Sindri said with a deep breath as they both now were on the outside of his cottage. 

"I'm respecting your wish to keep your brother's condition a secret, but we both know you have to tell him in the end." Faye said firmly as Sindri sighed.

"I know. Just give me some time."

Faye smiled sadly at him. "You know, Atreus really spoke highly of you back then. He also wanted me to say that he was sorry... For not being as good of a friend as he could have. He wants you to know he really does appreciate all you've done for him." 

Sindri gave a goofy smile. "Well, happy to be of service!"

But his smile vanished when Faye looked remorseful. "Sindri, I truly hope you and Brok will be there in the world we will forge together."

Chapter Text

Odin grunted when Huginn told him that the secret temple of the Jotnar was unaccessable to it and it closed itself in a sudden flash of light.

Odin had been observing that boy, Loki, ever since he learned of him. At first, it was out of concern that the boy and his father could pose more of a threat than when he had killed Baldur and unleashed Fimbulwinter. He needed to know what the boy was capable of, as he already knew what the Ghost of Sparta was capable of.

However, Huginn and Muninn's reports were most interesting, so much so that Odin placed an invisibility spell on himself and spied on them. His beloved ravens told him about how Loki had an unnatural talent of mastering foreign languages and he was able to access parts of the temple of the Giants that he could not access, no matter how hard he tried when he found out about it.

It was at one particular evening during an argument between the boy and his father that Odin finally took a genuine interest in Loki. They discussed on the still unknown powers of Loki, and Loki then brought up how he managed to understand instantly the language of Muspelheim, Alfheim, and other languages of the Nine Realms, and he even spoke of Greek and Egypt dialect too, stating he mastered the latter from Tyr's Temple secrets.

Odin knew for sure that traitorous son of his didn't knew anything of his particular mask. He had even attempted a desperate temporary absolute compulsion spell usable only once and found out the best he knew of was that the Mask was seen by some Giants and it could "connect to the world". He interrogated Vanirs as they learned magic from the Giants and still hit a dead end. What he managed to discover was that the Mask seemed to hold ancient languages, but what it was, he couldn't understand.

That was what made Odin interested in the boy. What if Loki could unveil the location of the pieces of the Mask? Odin knew the writings on it were clues to the location of the pieces, but no matter how hard he tried, it hit a dead end.

He had seen Loki's alliance with Sindri, one of the Huldra Brothers. He didn't care much for them, but they crafted Mjolnir working together, a masterpiece on par with his own Gungnir, so he had to respect their talents. They discussed about Loki wanting to know more about Giants and yet it being impossible, as Tyr and Odin were the only ones who had any degree of knowledge about the Giants secrets. That was what made Odin give that offer to Loki. He hoped Loki couldn't resist.

But now it seemed something was wrong. It would appear that time travel was possible, a feat that Odin had never dreamt of. He had just been able to hear it from Muninn that the boy's mother, Laufey the Just, was taken into this timeline by a future self of the boy. There was no mention of how it was achieved, and it would seem that his gambit worked off in the original future, but not now. 

Would that mean in that future he achieved any degree of success at all with the Mask? Now that made Odin more curious, but at the same time, he had to wonder how was it possible they could vanish into nowhere. Did that Jotnar cast a spell to transport them somewhere so Odin's Ravens wouldn't reach them. That would mean they were at the Realm Between Realms, preparing something. 

Odin would have to keep his eyes sharp on Midgar and even other Realms. There was a chance that with a full-fledged Giant, Kratos and his son could now travel through Realms. He did not know if Asgard could be reached, but it may be a possibility. The magic of the Giants was something even Odin could never fully master or understand.

"It's truly an honor to meet you, Laufey." Angrboda said sincerely as they walked through the shimmering grey voids of Yggdrasil. 

She had been painting when Laufey arrived and smashed the sphere containing her memories of what could have been. It hadn't been that overwhelming, surprisingly, and so Angrboda had gladly agreed to go and help out the boy she had grown to love.

"I too must thank you for being there for Atreus, and I would like to say that I support your feelings for my son." The Just said casually as Angrboda blushed a little, realizing that as she had foresaw Atreus's true journey, she must have known what she felt towards him.

"Now, Kratos may be a little bit gruff, but he will come to approve of your feelings. He just needs time." 

And with that, they arrived at the house of the Dwarves, which had been generously lent to Kratos and his family.

Angrboda followed the mother of the boy she liked to the backyard garden, and saw Kratos, sparring with Atreus, Mimir, Brok, and Sindri simultaneously.

Angrboda had to admit Kratos's skill was truly every bit as legendary as her people had noticed. He seamlessly shifted between armed and unarmed combat with complete mastery and perfect form, transitioning between weapons and repeatedly disarming the four without much effort. He had only suffered 3 minor slashes

At one point, Kratos caught Sindri's hand before his hammer could hit him and tossed the hammer to the ground before easily knocking away Brok's sword with a single kick while dodging Atreus's sword slash and Mimir's staff swing.

"You are leaving behind too much openings, Sindri!" Kratos admonished as he easily knocked away the Dwarf's sword with a swipe of his own blade before sweeping kicking him to knock him down.

"I think that is enough for today, Kratos. Now, what flaws did you find in their skills?" Laufey asked casually as Kratos and the four stopped.

"Atreus is the best one off for managing to deliver swallow hits on me at all. However, he still needs improvement in his usage of the dagger form. Your blows would not be effective if your enemy is much stronger than you, but a bladed, edged weapon could allow you to deliver wounds with what strength you have. You should have relied more on the dagger form than the sword. We would work on your knife-fighting skills after this. Also! You need to keep an eye out for unarmed attacks." Atreus sighed heavily at his father's lecture.

"Mimir here knows his weaknesses and strengths, preferring to defend before countering and patiently waiting no matter how little chances came before striking at the few openings I showed. His staff and knife form is commendable, and his reliance on speed and agility is also good. Atreus could learn a little about patience and dexterity from him." Mimir let out a chuckle as Atreus glowered at Kratos's critical review.

"As for you two... Sindri!" The Huldra Brother in mention shot up instantly as he hastily nodded. "Your combat skills could use serious work indeed. You need to stop fumbling and be confident yet cautious. Your aggression and defense is sorely lacking. You should spar with Brok to refine your skills in close combat more."

"Ha ha! Well, Sindri has been relying on throwing objects from his bag before. He sure could use some real work!" Sindri glared at Brok.

"You, Brok, on the other hand, are at least decently trained and competent in your combat form. That said, you would need to develop your strength and master the art of fast-paced combat if you are to rely on aggression as you did." Brok simply smirked.

Just then, Atreus noticed Angrboda's presence, and scratched his head awkwardly as Kratos acknowledged her too. "This is the girl that our son wish to involve?" 

Kratos eyed her critically as she flinched but kept her gaze on him. "Indeed, Kratos. Your son and I... We... Have a relationship." 

She blushed red at that, just like Atreus, as Kratos hummed. "Hmm... Well, I suppose I see no reason whatsoever to deny you of the right for such relationship."

"Speaking of which, how about a practice between the two of us, Kratos? They could do well to observe from our staunch fighting skills how to improve indeed." Kratos gave the slightest hints of a smirk at his wife's casual request as he nodded.

And so they stood aside and watched as Kratos and Faye began to duel.

It truly was a sight to beheld, watching the greatest warrior of her kind fight her husband. Both effortlessly shifted between weapon forms and exchanged various combat techniques, shifting between offense to defense at whim and adjusting to one another's weapon style with seasoned skill. 

Kratos seemed to be more competent with the Spear, Sword, and Chained Blades forms, from how more diverse his techniques were and how deftly he handled Laufey's own greater competence with the Axe, the Bow, and the Dagger. For a couple of minutes, they seemed well-matched, swiftly reversing whatever upper hand they got on the other and returning to an even field.

Kratos's spear thrusts were counted by Laufey's knife skills, her knife deflecting aside Kratos's spear and Kratos having to put in similar effort in deflecting his wife's knife attacks as she could easily switch from one hand to the other and perform a varying set of moves with the dagger, just as how Kratos could easily switch his weapon hand and display a variety of skillful moves, both offensive and defensive, with the spear even against the smaller and more dexterous weapon.

Kratos's swordsmanship was matched by Laufey's bow, used as a quarterstaff, intense and overwhelming sword slashes and techniques being matched by skillful staff parries and whacking and blunt thrusts. As for Kratos's usage of his chained blades, they were matched by Laufey's axe, with a greater level of comfort and ease, as she easily deflected the blades no matter which angle Kratos threw them.

They also exchanged several unarmed combat techniques, and proved well-matched again, reversing tackles, freeing themselves from the holds of one another, blocking and countering punches and kicks.

But what made it rather fluffy was how Faye would tease Kratos and Kratos would respond in kind with more of a smile than he would.

"I don't know what to think about this... Like, really? That's how they would spar?"

Angrboda chuckled at Atreus's abashed expression.

"Well, lad, it has been a while since they sparred, so I think your father is enjoying himself." Mimir said wisely as Atreus shook his head fondly.

It was after a couple of minutes that they finally stopped, having reached a stalemate, as Angrboda clapped along with the others.

"Wow! I already am feeling rather inspired!" Atreus said with a smile as he hugged Laufey.

"Thank you, Atreus. Now, I think I would start training Angrboda here, while you four should practice your magic and accuracy with Kratos here. You two could... Woo each other out later."

Kratos let out an uncharacteristic snort while Atreus and Angrboda blushed red, before waving at one another awkwardly, resulting in Mimir, Brok, and Sindri all chuckling.

Atreus gritted his teeth as his father easily deflected every single arrow he fired while also dodging Mimir's spells, ranging from Bifrost to elemental, and Brok and Sindri's magical devices. 

His father had divided the training into three courses. The first would be close-range combat purely, where they would try their hand in taking him on in melee combat, and the second would be practicing their accuracy and efficiency in ranged combat skills by using Kratos as a target practice. The third would be a personal lesson, where his father would then teach them one-on-one based on their combat level what technique and combat style best suited them.

By the end of it, not a single attack from them managed to hit his father even once, and Atreus had to be both annoyed yet also awestruck for the 10th time by now just how skilled his father was and how he seriously underestimated Kratos's agility, speed, and reflexes.

Kratos seemed to be able to read what they were trying to throw, the sheer amount of intensity of the attacks, just by using his senses and then counter them all without much effort. He had seen his father's keen senses, but he never thought just how overwhelming it would be.

"Let us begin with Sindri first." With a grunt, Sindri walked forward as Atreus gave him a sympathetic look.

"Now, I have noticed you are actually quite quick on your feet and your accuracy is quite close to that of Atreus's own. I understand you must have had at least a degree of combat training before?" 

"Well, I did practice swordsmanship and hammer-fighting, but I am not much good at it. Brok's the better close-range fighter, while I'm the long-range dueler." Sindri said sheepishly as Brok laughed.

"Yes. I can see that. I suppose for now, we should focus on your long-range combat, while being able to defend yourself if needed in close-range."

And so Atreus watched as his father put Sindri through the exercise of both shooting at him and also having to look out for his attacks. Sindri was put through a bit of a tough ride, but surprisingly managed to improve a bit, as Atreus could tell.

He had to admit his father was really good at training others, but he supposed that was to be expected since his father used to be a general, so he would have been experienced in training.

A part of him wondered if he would have been much better off from the start had Kratos trained him alongside his mother.

"Adequate. We'll have to improve on that, but for now, it's Brok's turn." Sindri let out a few deep breaths as he returned to the group and Brok went to replace him.

"Huh. I guess I could understand why you said your dad was a hell of an effective teacher." Sindri panted as Atreus friendly patted him in the shoulder.

"Now, Brok, while you have greater skills than your brother, you lack his accuracy. Although fumbling and unconfident, your brother still had more grace and precision in his attacks than you did. You rely too much on aggression, even though you could defend yourself just fine."

"Well, what do you expect me to do with that? I ain't like Sindri. I fight directly!" Brok grumbled at Kratos's criticism.

"I understand. You and Sindri have different preferences and mindsets. You prefer to fight in close-range, while Sindri prefers to be ranged. For Sindri, what he needs to improve is his ability to apply his strengths where it's right, but for you, it's to overcome the weaknesses you have, since you already know how to properly apply your strong-points." Brok snorted at the subtle compliment.

"So what do you want me to do, boss?"

"I'm going to teach you a couple of precise sword and hammer techniques, as well as improve your defensive ability. When you get pushed into a corner, you would have to be ready. Do remember that we are storming Asgard, the territory of Odin and Thor. While I would be there along with Faye, if Thor were to get his hands on you, then you cannot show any flaws. You may call him "The Big Idiot", but in battle, Thor is a true master. Do not underestimate his skill and intelligence. I fought him once, and he was truly a terrifying opponent."

Even Brok flinched while Sindri and Atreus was left shaken at the grim indications.

That was right. Thor would still hate him for what he did to Modi, rather justifiedly. Modi was an asshole, but his father was right that he didn't deserve to die that way, believing he was unloved.

Back then, he could tell Thor was warming up to him, until Sif showed up, and even afterwards, Thor still talked about how Atreus almost convinced him and made him believe him things could change. It really hurt him that Thor couldn't redeem himself.

Before we could even talk, I would probably have to get into a scuffle with him at some point, but how is that possible when I couldn't even land anything more but a couple of shallow hits on my father?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Atreus hardened himself. He still had a lot of room to grow. He shouldn't be downgrading his abilities just yet.

Speaking of training, how about Angrboda? What would his mother teach her?

"So, apart from the magic of our kind, what else do you know of fighting?" Faye questioned as the two worked out at the front of the house.

"Well, I suppose I could defend myself if needed in close-range, but I am not that skilled." The girl who would hopefully be her son's wife replied, a bit nervous.

"Very well. Now, I wonder if you could manipulate the magics of ice of our people?" Faye asked gently.

"Yes, I could! Although I don't use it too often. I usually practice it at the lakes. I don't want to ruin the nature of Jotunheim by using too much ice spells, so I relied more on using paints for my magic." Faye hummed softly at that.

Jotunheim... Home... How she had missed it, even with her family.

"Very well then. I think we should start by having you construct weapons made of ice first. Can you do that?" Angrboda nodded and after moments of focus, formed a sword, a dagger, and a bow and arrow.

"I wonder why you never used it around Atreus when you definitely have had practice in it? I wonder if you wanted to let Atreus shine?"

Angrboda blushed a little at that. "Well, to be honest, I usually avoid fighting, so I am good with spells and I have some experience in fighting, but I'm not really a battle-hardened veteran or anything."

Faye smiled a bit solemnly at that. "You should be grateful for that. Children like you shouldn't fight at all if it could be avoided. Alas, circumstances force us to do so."

Angrboda looked pained. "My father once said that too, you know. He said I shouldn't use fighting as a last resort, but now I wonder if I have fought sooner, maybe it would have been better for me?"

Faye shook her head. "Never think that way. If we sink to the same lows as our sworn enemies, then how are we any better than them? We must be better, we must be willing to forgive."

"Now... Let us start by practicing your combat skills, shall we? Throw anything you could at me aside from spells?" Angrboda nodded anxiously before she then attempted to punch her, which she easily blocked.

Faye allowed a few minutes of the young girl trying to hit her, easily countering and dodging her moves unarmed. That wasn't to say she was incompetent at fighting. She certainly could mix in unarmed heymakers, kicks, and other martial arts with weaponry moves well enough. She particularly excelled in knive-fighting and was rather inclined and surprisingly competent with a sword.

It was more that to someone of Faye's level of skill, Angrboda's technique was rather predictable, rather than the girl herself being incompetent.

"That's enough." Faye called out as Angrboda stopped attacking. She noticed how Angrboda didn't seem to be tired, and nodded approvingly. 

She has quite the promising talent. Her combat foundation is already solid, despite being self-trained. I have confidence in time she, like Atreus, can grow into a powerful warrior.

"Now, we'll have a lot to do. Your foundation of combat is remarkable for someone self-trained, but it still needs to be fine-tuned until you can become a great warrior."

"Now, it's your turn, Mimir." Mimir gulped as he walked forward to replace Brok.

He had to admit it was amusing to see Brok gruffly struggle with precision and strategy, as Kratos forced him through several calculated but aggressive techniques and had him put up a solely defensive form as his training, resulting in several near-injuries as Brok struggled at first, earning him several laughs from Sindri, even though there was the brief silence that came with Kratos hinting they would have to fight Thor at some point.

While Kratos and Faye could reliably handle the God of Thunder, Mimir knew even if it was the four of them against Thor, they still couldn't hope to win, only injure him a bit perhaps or hold him off for a while.

As Kratos had put it plainly, Thor might look like an oaf, but when it came to fighting, Thor was really brilliant and great at fighting. Mimir had seen just how overwhelmingly strong the God of Strength was, attributed to being both a Jotnar and an Aesir God, Odin's son in particular, and that strength was coupled with not only Mjolnir, but also Thor's own impeccable fighting skills. He had been unsure who could win between Kratos and Thor, and it spoke volumes that Kratos was wary of the idea of a rematch.

In terms of combat, Thor was just as mighty as Odin himself was, his strength and staunch combat skill making up for his lack of magical spells compared to Odin. Odin may be no slouch at fighting, (Mimir had seen how proficient he was with that spear of his, Gungnir, and how despite his appearance, his physical prowess was still top-notch among the Aesir, having seen the so-called All-Father in the field butchering several enemies) but he was more adept at sorcery and much more suited for being a mastermind. Mimir was assured that in terms of pure fighting skill, Thor would be better than his father, and Thor's advantages of strength and fighting prowess would make him a conceivable match for Odin.

Those thoughts made Mimir rather melancholic. No matter how much he resented Thor before, it was still really outrageous that Odin killed him back then. He hoped that Thor would be redeemed.

"Mimir, you are overall well-rounded, being able to pack a decent punch with your weapons, quick on your feet, dexterous in your fighting techniques. Your fighting style focuses on adaptability, precision, and economy of movement. You're just as good as Atreus would be."

"Well, I may be more the Smartest Man Alive, but I do have my experiences and training." Mimir responded snarkily. Indeed. He had after all paid attention to Aesir training sessions and had been quite handy with a staff and a dagger after practising with some friendly Aesir warriors, not to mention from his time on his homeland.

Kratos chortled. "Indeed, you are. Now, I am going to have to train you on more aggressive techniques and how to mix in offense with defense. Are you ready, Brother?"

"Of course, I am!"

2 Weeks Later...

"So this is it then? Time for us to go and free Tyr?" Atreus asked cautiously.

For 2 weeks, Atreus focused much on training, be it with his mother, his father, or with the others. He had definitely improved, although still not nearly capable enough to fight Thor or Odin. 

From his father, Atreus learned much more about fighting in close-range, his father teaching him several sword, dagger, and staff moves, while his mother taught him how to focus more on his transformations, allowing him to voluntarily transform between a Bear, a Wolf, and gaining the ability to transform into an Owl too.

He was also excited to learn from Angrboda, who had teasingly agreed to teach him how to use magic outside of his arrows and summons, as well as ice control.

And well... If they shared a couple close kisses, that wasn't a secret. Even his father knew, and snorted in approval, while Brok and Sindri would laugh at him. His mother was much more congratulating, like Mimir.

The others had also definitely gotten stronger. Angrboda could now fight with weapons made of ice now! 

"Yes, Atreus. We're here." His mother had replied as they reached the end of the temple his mother and Angrboda had taken them into.

His mother gave a deep breath before she placed her hand on the right, forward, left, and backward walls in order.

After a while, a blinding light burst as a magical gateway opened up.

"Ready yourself. You have brought all the devices that could be useful, right?" Brok grinned as he nodded.

"Sound devices, explosives, ward conjurers, and all useful stuffs are here, Faye!" Sindri said assuredly.

"Then we march forward." His father stated as he entered the gateway, followed by his mother, Mimir, Brok, and Sindri.

Atreus took one good look at Angrboda. "Well? Woman first?" 

Angrboda chuckled. "Together."

Atreus smirked and held her hand as they walked together into the light.

"Still no news about Loki and his family and friends?" Odin asked Huginn impatiently as Huginn nodded.

For 2 weeks, and there has been no movement at all. I posed as Tyr in Svartalfheim for a week, and there was nothing. Did that mean they knew that Tyr was held in Asgard?

Suddenly, Muginn entered the room, and bore the astonishing news that Loki and the people Odin had been thinking about had just arrived on Asgard and were heading towards the prison where Tyr was being held.

Odin's eyes were wildly narrowed and his expression sour as he rushed out of his study. Thor's quarters. 

"THOR! SIF! Stop staying at your bed and get your asses to the prison. Loki, and the rest of his family, have just arrived on Asgard and are heading there!" Odin shouted.

Ignoring Thor and Sif's shocked looks, Odin rushed towards the prison himself.

If they had managed to enter Asgard's Prison, that means they must be here for Tyr.

Odin felt both panic and curiosity at this unexpected setback, but he would have to get there to clarify.

Chapter Text

"How is this possible!?" Sif shouted as she rushed alongside Thor towards Asgard's Prison.

"I don't know, but if my guesses are right, that woman must have had a hand in it." Thor growled as he went ahead, ignoring the confused and terrified Aesir citizens. 

Sif gave those citizens assuring words and looks as she hurried towards Asgard's Prison.

"They murdered Magni and Modi... And now they attack our home!?" Thor snarled upon having left Gladsheim behind. Heimdall was absent, having clearly been asked by the All-Father to accompany him as well.

Sif felt a mixture of conflict and anger herself at those words. On one hand, her husband was perfectly right to be furious at those people. They had killed their sons. However, on the other hand, the real truth was that no matter how much Sif may resent them, she knew the All-Father was the true person responsible. 

That bastard grandfather of hers had thrown them into his problems and showed absolutely no regard for their deaths. He had abused her husband and turned him into his attack dog. Sif almost felt sick at the reverence she once felt towards Odin.

By the time they arrived at the specific part of the Plains of Ida, where the Prison was standing, they had found Odin there, tangling with what seemed to be a powerful magical barrier, several Einherjars and monsters having been killed.

"About time you got here! Thor, I could understand, but you, Sif? I thought you were more disciplined than that." Heimdall said with casual mockery as Thor merely scowled at him while Sif did not give Heimdall the pleasure of a response.

"What is the situation?" Sif asked curtly.

"All the guarding Einherjar has been killed, and even permanently, by whatever magic a Jotnar must have used, and a powerful barrier has been set up to prevent us from reaching the Prison. I assume they are here to free Tyr, as much as that failure of an Aesir was worshipped by lesser beings." Heimdall said with a scoff.

The conflict in Sif increased. So Tyr was alive? He had been held captive all this time. From Thor's expression, he didn't seem to expect this either.

"Since I always liked you more, Sif, I'll tell you this. Not even I knew Tyr was alive all this time, either-"

"Would you shut up and go and call in for our war-beasts!? We shouldn't waste our Einherjars when this time they cannot come back. Bring in the finest of our war-beasts! This barrier is breaking, but we don't know what surprises they may have laid with how long they have been inside. Bring in some reinforcements!" Odin shouted.

"I'll go and call the Einherjar, All-Father. Do enjoy a bit of a couple time, fighting the ones who murdered your sons. Seriously? You should have sent them under me, and maybe I could have beaten them to shape better than Thor did." With one last mocking bow, Heimdall rushed as Thor looked like he wanted to strangle Heimdall. Sif was no better either.

Now that Heimdall was gone, Sif allowed herself to process the thought of Tyr's survival. 

She had admitted ever since Magni and Modi died that she was a horrible person, a mother who didn't fully appreciate what she had been given, no matter how hard she tried, but even she too did respect Tyr and saw it as a great loss when he was killed off by the All-Father. At first, she tried to justify herself and resent Tyr like most Aesirs did, but after Magni and Modi died, she began to wonder if Tyr was right all along.

Was war truly the only war for the Aesir to prosper? How many more Aesir lives must be lost before the All-Father finally achieved his goals? Not only her daughter, she cared for her people.

Sif looked at her husband, who was now staring at the barrier that was indeed beginning to crack, looking unusually tense.

Sif felt surprisingly tempted to let them free Tyr, to have Tyr bring up a rebellion, and to convince Thor to stand up to Odin.

Was this the best way? Could Tyr get rid of Odin? Would their family and their people be better?

Despite her hatred towards the murderers of her son, Sif could not help but wonder...

"It's okay, Sif. We'll get our revenge on the ones who murdered our boys." Thor said softly as Sif gave him a pained look.

But her pain wasn't only due to the reminder of her sons death. Her pain was also due to how torn she was about the idea of what Tyr's release could do.

Was this what fate wanted for her? To wait until Tyr had done enough before she then convinced her husband to betray Odin?

Even though those people murdered her sons, Sif held the All-Father as the true culprit for their deaths. Should she team up with them and put aside her grievances with them for the sake of a better life and future?

Would it be what she must do for the sake of Thrud, her only remaining children?

"Has all the Prisoners been evacuated yet?" Tyr asked his saviors cautiously.

He had to admit he truly wasn't expecting this. He had never lost hope that one day, someone would overthrow his tyrannical father and finally bring peace and happiness to the Nine Realms, but to think he would be free before that could happen and would help in the process? It truly was a miracle Tyr was very grateful for.

Even so, Tyr could not abandon the people who had been unjustly imprisoned here by Odin. He demanded their release before he would leave alongside them. And so he, Kratos, and Laufey were standing at the entrance, ready to battle Odin and whoever he brought with him.

"90% of them have been evacuated!" One of the Huldra Brothers, Sindri, declared as he was beginning the process of unsealing the remaining prisoners, the rest having been evacuated through the Mystical Gateway opened by the other Huldra Brother, Brok.

"The barrier cannot hold Odin forever. How much longer!?" The boy named Atreus shouted.

"About 20 minutes more-!" 

Just as Sindri stated that, the barrier exploded as Odin, Thor, and Sif entered through the prison.

"How is this possible?" Odin asked, his tone and expression showing an uncharacteristic amount of panic and anger.

"What was it you said? You no longer care for the secrets of the Giants!? Well, too bad one of them included a one-way into Asgard, and we also already have an escape route." Mimir shouted as he finished unsealing his part of the prison and jumped into the fray as well.

"You got back your body?" Odin said and Tyr shook his head at his father's insatiable lust for knowledge, as his curiousity shone through even with his panic and rage clear in his eyes.

"Jotnar magic works wonders, Odin!" Mimir smirked tauntingly.

"How much longer, Sindri!?" Kratos yelled.

"We can't exactly hasten this process up! Just hold for 18 more minutes!" Sindri shouted back as he went back to struggling with the seals Odin put.

Atreus jumped into the fray as well and Tyr noticed Atreus stare at Odin with an odd mixture of anger and... Sadness?

Apparently, Odin noticed this too, because his face shifted from being angry and mocking to a more neutral one. "The little Jotnar... Loki... I assume you freed Tyr because you believe he would know the answers you seek?"

"No. He freed me because he wants to start a new Golden Age for the Nine Realms." Tyr interrupted as he stood before the boy firmly.

Odin chuckled mockingly. "But we both know you don't exactly have all the answers, do you?"

"No, I don't. But I intend to see this through." Leaving his father's gaze, Tyr turned towards Sif and Thor.

"Brother. Do you still not see the truth yet? Odin had sent Baldur and your sons to their deaths, and even called your sons worthless and acknowledged Baldur as ultimately just his finest tracker. How much longer must you serve him until you realize how his promises and words are false?" Tyr said appealingly. 

Thor's resulting glare of rage did not faze Tyr, as he simply looked at him sympathetically, seeing through him and noticing the sorrow at the mention of his sons, twisted by Odin's ways.

"Is this what you want for your daughter, Sif? I knew deep down, neither you or Thor are content with this. You have lost your sons, and no matter how much you abused them, I know you loved them. I knew you were just victims of circumstances."

Sif looked torn, her eyes unable to look at Tyr's.

"It's not too late to let it go. It's not too late to be better, for both of you. Please. Do consider this." Tyr said as he readied himself for battle, knowing fully well neither Thor or Odin would let him talk any further.

Tyr watched as Heimdall came in with several war-beasts. "Well, well, look who it is. The traitor, Tyr. You know, you really are insufferable, Tyr. Mortals still worship you as the greatest among us when you were the worst of us!"

Tyr simply looked at Heimdall coldly and watched as Brok and Angrboda came into the field as well. "About 90% of your prisoners are now fucking free. Got to admit, I'm really enjoying this, All-Fucker." Brok said with a nasty grin as Tyr shook his head at the insult.

"What did you call me?" Odin said, looking genuinely insulted. 

"And look! There's this sorry excuse, brutish oaf of a dad who got his own son fucking killed. Oh, how good it feels to finally insult you after all you did with the hammer we made." Brok said with a positively even more nasty grin than when he insulted Odin.

Thor's rage was more evident now, his body starting to emit lightning, as he looked like he wanted to smash Mjolnir into Brok's skull a thousand times for the insult. Even for Tyr, that was a low blow.

"So! The All-Fucker and his fucked up son as well as Lady Sif, eh? Lady Sif, AKA the mom who abused her kids A LOT. You know what, I don't care if I die, but at least I'll die insulting you. At least I'll die pointing out how your sons bit the dust because of you. If anything, I wonder if they died as karma for all the shit murders you committed with our hammer? You killed entire families, so I think it's only fair that you lose your sons, RIGHT?"

Tyr had never seen Thor this furious. He had to admit Brok did have some points, but he wasn't comfortable with it. Even Kratos, Laufey and Atreus did not look pleased with themselves for it.

As for Sif, Tyr noticed she was torn between icy rage at the mention of the murder of her sons and yet also self-reflection and depression over the fact that it WAS true to an extent.

In the end, Magni and Modi were victims of Odin just as much as Thor and Sif were. At the very least, it would appear there was still hope for his brother and sister-in-law.

With a snarl, Thor roared as he charged at Brok, with Faye blocking the attack. Giving Sif one last look of understanding, Tyr drew his sword and his shield as he took on Heimdall when he made to attack Atreus, while Kratos blocked an attempt by Odin to spear him with his own shield.

Atreus, Angrboda, and Brok were taking on Sif while Mimir dealt with the war-beasts Heimdall summoned.

"Something has changed in you." Heimdall frowned as he said that, as Tyr easily blocked Heimdall's attacks and retaliated, pushing him back.

"Your powers of perception are not as potent as you might think, Heimdall." Tyr said calmly. He had in fact devised a counter to Heimdall's foresight: By focusing on clouding his mind, it was possible to diminish Heimdall's effectiveness in anticipating his moves.

And Tyr knew that Heimdall was only untouchable when he could rely on his foresight. There was a reason why despite how overwhelming his foresight might be, he was not the greatest warrior in Asgard, a title that belonged to Thor and Tyr, and that would be while Heimdall's physical abilities were superiorly divine, as a son of Odin, he was actually the weakest of Odin's sons, although still formidable for others, and while he cannot be called a slouch in fighting, his combat prowess were not nearly as competent as that of Tyr, Thor, or even Baldur's.

Even if he were to be able to predict all of Thor's moves, it wouldn't take long before his more respectable brother could anticipate Heimdall's own techniques, as they were rather predictable in nature, meaning while Heimdall could put up a fight with his foresight, Thor's superior physical abilities and much more staunch fighting prowess would mean as soon as Heimdall tired and were not able to focus, the God of Thunder would destroy him with ease.

Easily countering Heimdall's moves, Tyr eventually came up with a solid plan to hit his so-called invincible brother.

He began to throw in sword attacks at a less predictable manner, while keeping his mental shields firm, pushing Heimdall back more and more, as while Heimdall could predict his attacks, his skills were struggling to block the way with which Tyr executed them.

Eventually, Tyr saw the opening he needed. After checking out how it was no trickery by testing Heimdall's usual methods of trapping his enemies, Tyr delivered a solid punch to Heimdall's face.

Heimdall staggered back, both in pain and shock over having been struck.

"You can predict my moves, but prediction won't mean much if you do not have the skill or reflexes to react on it, brother." Tyr said as he set himself on a neutral stance.

Heimdall growled, and Tyr took advantage of Heimdall's anger to look on how his allies were faring.

Thor and Faye were grappling across the prison, while Kratos and Odin were going toe-to-toe with one another. Mimir was handling the war-beasts remarkably well, for someone who had only just began to set himself on the field of battle.

What was more concerning, however, was Atreus, Angrboda, and Brok. They were holding their ground, but were struggling to do so against Sif.

Atreus's body felt like fire as he was hit by a vicious punch from Sif, narrowly escaping another hit from Thor's wife by Angrboda bombarding her with spells and Brok sneak-attacking her, which she countered with an astonishing amount of skill.

By this point, he was close to panicking. He really had underestimated Sif a lot. He had thought he could take her on without much trouble, but then he recalled what Mimir said about her.

As Thor's wife, the paragon of womanhood among the Aesir, Sif was a fierce fighter, but he didn't expect she would be this difficult to fight, even with Angrboda and Brok helping him.

Despite having no weapons on her, Sif was able to create weapons from the earth that she commanded as the Goddess of Earth and wield them with impeccable skill, be it a sword, a shield, or a hammer, the latter of which seemed to be her best skillset. She also didn't hesitate to resort to attacking with her free hand and legs, and was clearly very competent in unarmed combat too, parrying armed attacks and punishing them just as easily as if she had a weapon on her hands. 

By this point, Atreus was sure Sif's fighting skills were above that of any Valkyrie he fought with father apart from Sigrun, from how she easily deflected his arrows, even straight back at him, while using her limbs to repeatedly knock Brok aside as if batting away at a pest and even using a shield to block his arrows while the other hand used a sword to repeatedly disarm Brok while engaged with both him and Angrboda and would have killed him (She did come close, in fact) several times over had Brok's ring not allowed him to manifest another weapon to block her damning hits.

Angrboda was better off due to being a Giant and well-trained by his mother, but she was by no means holding her own well, getting tossed aside and disarmed just as much as Atreus had been, 7 times already, whereas Brok was proving to be not of much help, getting knocked away 10 times over, and relying more on magic rather than close-range combat to deliver the wounds she did.

She also could easily fight him, Angrboda, and Brok in close-range without breaking much of a sweat, her earth-conjured weapons and unarmed limbs parrying their combined efforts and punishing them with a no small degree of success. Sif's fighting style was fierce, but fluid and cautious, making hardly any unnecessary movements, refusing to resort to the more flashy and brutish moves of her sons, and unleashing an aggressive onslaught of attacks that left barely any openings, while being able to adapt to most attacks they tried and use different techniques to retaliate. She seemed to shift between offense and defense and change from one hand to another or from using a hand to a leg with little effort.

That was not even bringing up just how monstrously strong she was, made clear by how casually she could lift and use a huge sword and hammer, even bigger than Magni's, with just one hand, swinging them with enough force to break Angrboda's ice weapons and easily match a combined blow from both him and Angrboda, while repelling any of their attacks individually as if they were light-weight, despite how he was sure his and Angrboda's attacks were all-out and as heavy as he could make them. Sif's kicks and punches felt like being hit by dozens of hammers to the chest, ribs, and face, looking as though she could rip apart most monsters with her mountain-like limbs, sometimes fracturing or even straight-up breaking his and Angrboda's limbs.

Not only that, but Sif was also incredulously fast and agile on her feet and hands. Not only was she able to simultaneously fight all four of them, reacting to almost all of their attacks and punishing them with her own, but at certain times, she could zip in and out of the field using the same Bifrost-speed technique Odin used when he fought him along with his father and Freya. She sure as hell didn't hesitate to use that magic-augmented speed, dodging close blows, as few as it was, and effortlessly avoiding arrows and spells and covering the distance so fast all he and Angrboda could do was raise their weapons in defense.

She fights way more tactically than Baldur, and has a similar amount of strength and speed compared to him. I really underestimated her! I thought she would be hard to beat one-on-one, but who would have thought she could take me, Angrboda, and Brok on simultaneously and be on the winning side!

Leaving aside her speed and strength, Sif was extremely resilient too. The 2 bow smacks he dealt didn't leave behind a bruise, simply drawing some blood, and she sure as hell acted as if she didn't feel it from how her expression of cold rage didn't change. Brok's attack, when landed, didn't even make her bleed, not even fazing her, earning a few moments of stunned horror from the three before she retaliated by performing a sweeping kick so hard that Angrboda's weapons shattered just from blocking her attack.

What made things even worse for them was how not only was Sif that good in fighting, she was also skilled with magic. Numerous times when he, Brok, and Angrboda tried to bombard her with attacks from afar and made sure she couldn't have dodged it all, her response was to create runes of Bifrost energy and form them into shields around her that none of their attacks seemed to be able to penetrate. While she preferred to close in on them and beat the living daylights out, she was also fine with launching Bifrost spells and had no qualms unleashing earthquakes and landslides with her power over the Earth. 

Atreus narrowly dodged a swift kick from Sif, with Angrboda blocking the kick with her ice weapons, which was weakened enough that it shattered with a slash of Sif's weapon, but then Angrboda gave him a signal for one of their more harder teamwork techniques.

With only a few moments of reluctance, Atreus fired an arrow straight at Angrboda, who caught and subsequently impaled Sif on the shoulder with it just as she had cut Angrboda in the cheek. She didn't waste any time and encased her arms with ice and punched her two times with ease, actually managing to make the wife of Thor bleed.

However, the blood was only that of 2 scratches to her cheek and Sif snarled as she blew Angrboda back with a punch that made her cough blood, making Atreus briefly see red as he relied on that rage to just manage to push her back and stagger her with a vicious barrage of aggressive staff attacks.

Eventually, Atreus managed to stab her with a dagger to the gut, but even a stab wound seemed to only irritate her, as she simply glared at him with death, actually scaring him a little.

"A dagger... The same one that killed my Modi." Sif growled as Atreus flinched, but then watched as self-loathing and grief briefly clouded her eyes, actually making him hesitate and somewhat remorseful.

"I suppose as a terrible mother, I deserve this wound. His problems lead to his karmaic death, which I have to acknowledge as my fault, but now it's your turn, boy." With that, Sif's eyes hardened again as she launched a strike with her palms that Atreus barely managed to block by using both hands with his sword. 

Being pushed back 2 foots did give him the distance needed, and Atreus immediately cast the strongest Ulfr Hlaup he could afford to summon 30 wolves at her.

It seemed even Sif herself recognized this as a serious threat, as she slammed her hand into the earth and focused for a time. "Reiði jarðar!" With that spell, Sif conjured a massive wave of earth that easily dispersed his wolves, but it left her open long enough for Brok to sneak up to her and manage to stab her through the chest with his sword.

Brok didn't let up and dematerialized the sword impaled on Sif and moved to stab her at the neck, despite Atreus shouting at him to stop. He didn't want her dead after all.

However, he needn't have bothered. Sif easily knocked the blow aside with a conjured sword of her own and retaliated with a brutal barrage of punches, all of which hit Brok, breaking several bones and sending the Dwarf flying as he coughed up blood. 

Atreus roared as he charged at her, but his rage was no longer working and he lasted only a couple of minutes before he was sent flying with a fierce jab to the neck bizzarely reminding him of how he killed Modi, almost certainly intentional on Sif's part.

Atreus coughed up blood as he willed his focus into healing his neck before the wound became fatal, but Sif was not idle.

"Terra springa!" Before Atreus could react, Mimir had rushed forward.

"Vernd! Mimir's barrier fortunately held up against Sif's beam of earthly energy.

"You learned some new tricks." Sif commented cooly and Atreus shivered as he saw how she was using magic to hasten her healing, her wounds closing up.

"You alright, lad!?" Mimir said as he cast spells of healing too, not just at him but also at Angrboda and Brok.

Angrboda didn't seem to need it much, though, as her Giant healing was enough to have no lasting injuries from it, but Brok took it badly, struggling to get back up even with three spells of healing.

"She's a lot tougher than I could have ever expected." Atreus stated as Mimir nodded grimly.

"She's way ahead of both Magni and Modi, and it wouldn't be an overstatement to call her close to Thor's level. There is a reason why she is the second greatest female warrior in Asgard, under only the holders of the title Queen of Valkyries themselves. She's even better than normal Valkyries. She's not the Uncrowned Valkyrie Queen for no reason. We need to plan this through, laddie. What about it?" Atreus stared at Mimir in confusion before it hit him.

Mimir must have been wanting to restore Sif's memories so she would hold back on them and let them win this, but how? Odin was still nearby, fighting his father. There was no way he could crush the marble containing her memories without Odin sensing the magic. 

"We just have to be careful and take the right opening, lad. I don't see the four of us winning against her in normal circumstances. She's fairly close to Freya's level, and that's not without her Valkyrie wings."

"It was your father that mainly defeated Valkyrie Queen Sigrun, I see. Even after years of that battle, your skills would not have sufficed to take on a Valkyrie alone, or even with just backup from one of your comrades. You only killed Modi because he was too weak to fight back. Not only do you have my son's blood on you, but you took it when he couldn't defend himself. Coward. Your blood debt has been repaid by my strike to your neck, but my son's life has yet to be paid with yours."

Atreus clenched his fists at Sif's words, the mother of Thrud and wife of Thor almost mocking if it were not filled with contempt and hatred as she calmly walked towards them, but then he softened as he realized she was justified to treat him like that.

Sif was right. He couldn't have beaten Modi in a fair fight those years ago, and he ended up killing Modi in an utterly pitiable way.

"We have to do this, laddie." Mimir said encouragingly as Atreus hardened himself.

A couple of war-beasts were thrown at him, and Atreus watched as Tyr had cut them all down, all while fighting off Heimdall, who seemed incensed that he could only land 3 hits on his brother, whereas he had been on the receiving hand of what was clearly 2 punches and 3 slashes.

Atreus felt hope as he glared at Sif, who seemed unbothered by how poorly Heimdall was faring, even looking almost pleased at Heimdall's pathetic display.

As soon as Kratos had parried Odin's ruthless attempt to spear his own son, the fight had escalated, his wife and Thor dueling it out in the air, Faye flying using what seemed to be sparkles of magic to match Thor's way of flying with his hammer, while Kratos was pitted against the All-Father.

He remembered Mimir's words on Odin's fighting abilities and kept it at mind as he attacked the King of Asgard with an onslaught of lethal and precise swordsmanship techniques, which was skillfully blocked by the All-Father's spear, Gungnir.

"I have fought Thor and seen his fighting style, his strength, and his powers. He was truly an overwhelming opponent, indeed, but I wonder about Odin." Mimir had nodded grimly.

"Don't underestimate that old-fucker just because he doesn't have muscles and his getup isn't like that of an open warrior's. He is first and foremost a sorcerer, and perhaps the greatest Combat Sorcerer in the Nine Realms. He has access to plenty of devastating dark magic skills with his Bifrost, not to mention he can control all kinds of elements."

"So his strengths lie in his proficiency in applying magic in battle?" Mimir shook his head at that.

"He also happens to be the King of Aesir, and he wouldn't have gotten that title if he isn't a damn good fighter. That spear of his, Gungnir, is a dwarven masterpiece created by Ivaldi, and you've seen what Ivaldi was capable of. That spear is on par with your axe and Mjolnir as the three greatest weapons in the Nine Realms. He uses it to channel his magic, making it stronger, although that ain't a necessity since he could blast things with his bare hands, but damn is he also very good at using that spear directly." Kratos nodded grimly.

"As much as I hate that guy and as much as he may prefer to be on the side-lines, he's just as deadly as Thor. His fighting prowess probably is only slightly below Thor, and he is above Baldur when it comes to both fighting and sheer strength, but combine that with his magic, and I don't see him losing even against Thor. If you do have to fight him, remain on your guard. Odin has plenty of magic and enough fighting skills to be a serious threat even to you, brother."

Kratos swung his sword with all his strength at the All-Father to confirm Mimir's words of Odin's strength, and affirmed it when Odin blocked it firmly, only stepping back a little at the impact. Kratos used his free hand to punch at Odin, but he quickly stepped away.

Kratos shifted into his Axe's Wrath of the Frost Ancient runic attack, launching a beam of ice energy at Odin, who easily blocked it by conjuring a barrier made of ice, but his eyes narrowed at the change of weapons.

Kratos reengaged his enemy in close-quarters as his axe met and was matched by Odin's spear swing to swing. Kratos occasionally attempted to punch or kick the formidable enemy whenever he saw an opening, which were deftly blocked by Odin's free hand, confirming that the All-Father had more than enough strength to counter his normal attacks casually and was indeed extremely skilled in the arts of combat outside of his sorcery.

"You could shift between weapon forms so easily with that ring! Those Dwarves must have used Draupnir! An endless replicated array of weapons! An ingenious idea. Never much cared for them, but their talent truly is incredible. That said, I could sense that ring reeks of Jotnar magic. Your wife must have done the job for you!" Odin shouted with what seemed to be critical approval and curiousity as he easily deflected the arrows Kratos threw at him with Gungnir using the bow.

Kratos rigged the arrows to readjust themselves and continue targeting Odin, whose eyes widened as he conjured a barrier made of Bifrost energy similar to, but definitely more intricate than that of Mimir's, to withstand the arrows as they exploded. It was one of the enchantments Faye had made for him.

Kratos shifted into the sword form and charged the sword with the magical lightning it could harness as he swung it with all his strength, with Odin meeting the attack by empowering Gungnir with what seemed to be a dark wind. The clash sent ripples throughout the prison, the two of them letting out a grunt as their weapons locked into one another.

Kratos took only a couple of moments to look upon his family and friends, noting grimly that while Faye and Tyr were effectively handling themselves, Mimir, Atreus, Angrboda, and Brok were struggling to hold off Sif, but Odin took advantage of even that brief moment of distraction, however, as he quickly delivered a hook on Kratos's face, staggering him, before using his spear to deliver a high kick on Kratos, sending him flying.

"Hey! Don't kill that boy! I could still use him!" Odin shouted as the wife of Thor just as she broke through Atreus's magical shield with a powerful kick, Atreus only being saved by Mimir launching several spells and forcing Sif to back away.

Kratos did not have the luxury to observe them for too long, however, aside from hearing a growl from Sif, clearly displeased, as the All-Father quickly moved to attack him. He avoided Odin's swift spear slashes before delivering a punch fueled by the energies of his wrath that sent the All-Father flying, just as Heimdall was knocked to the ground with a scream of pain, Tyr having impaled his shoulder and ran him through the wall before knocking him out with an elbow to the head.

"I can handle him! Help Atreus!" Kratos shouted as Tyr nodded and went to aid his son and their friends in their struggle against the wife of Thor.

"You know, I have to admit that Loki sure had good spirit and a strong desire to know, along with some serious intelligence." Odin nodded with what Kratos recognized as a manipulative tone as they resumed their battle, Kratos dodging several blasts of Bifrost and retaliating by shifting into his chained blades and firing a meteor of flame at the All-Father, who blocked the projectile with a shield of fire.

"I would attribute that to his mother's? She seems to be the wiser one while you would be the one to train him in how to fight, I suppose." Odin mocked him.

Kratos growled as he charged at the All-Father, exchanging powerful blows with his enemy once again, shifting between the various forms of his ring of weapons to change elements as Odin called upon various different elements to fight him off. 

Odin's fighting style, now that Kratos could truly clarify it, focused more on deadly precision rather than focused brutality like Thor's. He made excellent usage of various magics to supplement his close-range combat, imbuing his spear freely with fire, ice, wind, lightning, and bifrost and even channeling it through his hands with just as much comfort as he would with his spear.

The empowerment afforded by those attributes was made clear by how Odin's attacks, whenever they landed, which had been for 7 times by now, struck true with the freezing effects of ice, burning wrath of fire, deadly cutting powers of wind, acute numbing impacts of electricity, and the plaguing effects of the Bifrost, especially the latter with how the All-Father could even remotely control the Bifrost whenever it was stuck on Kratos to explode without having to hit him with another attack as Mimir did during their spars.

And that wasn't bringing how expertly Odin relied on such enchantments to amplify his physical prowess. He could easily shift between elemental forms for greater finesse in which area he wanted to improve, using lightning and bifrost to amplify his speed, which was made more dangerous by how both could leave lasting impacts, ice for greater durability by coating parts of his body that Kratos hit with ice to reduce the damage, and wind and fire for greater strength.

Not only that, Odin took full advantage and made good use of the enchantments to perform what Kratos recognized as simply normal attacks extended by their magic rather than intricate spells, the experience in such an excellent mixture of physical combat and magic evident by the ease with which he could unleash multiple slashes and blasts with just a single gesture of his weapon or hand.

However, Kratos could tell the All-Father wasn't actually trying to kill him, which further made Kratos wary as he realized he was acting that way because he wanted to negotiate with Atreus for whatever reasons it was.

Needless to say, Odin was definitely more skilled in using magical powers and much more versatile than any other enemy he had encountered before. However, while not a proficient mage, years of using numerous enchanted elemental artifacts had made Kratos exceptionally proficient in harnessing their powers, allowing him to withstand the All-Father's magics, and mastering shifting between those weapons was rather easy.

Faye had been working on upgrading the rings so they could harness all elements, but they did not have the time, as Faye feared Odin would execute Tyr rather than let him be free.

He had strictly taught his son, Brok, Sindri, and Mimir to capitalize on the strength of their rings as they could avoid being disarmed and keep fighting effectively and shift between various forms, and he supposed they were making good use of such skills, although not enough to fight their enemy on equal grounds.

Thor's wife, Sif, was stated by Mimir to be quite close to Freya with her Valkyrie wings unleashed, which would definitely put her ahead of the Freya he had fended off numerous times before, and from what he could observe, he was right to dread the idea of Atreus confronting her.

Atreus had seemed eager to confront her for some reason, stating he knew a way to persuade her from fighting him. When he confessed it was because he regretted killing Modi and wouldn't want to kill her and deprive Thor's other daughter, named Thrud, of a mother, Kratos understood. Seeing Atreus take responsibility for his actions were a good development. A sentiment which Faye had supported, stating the future Atreus had given her the means to do so and had given it to him, although she refused to tell him what it was.

But Sif wasn't making this easy, as Kratos knew.

"What about Thor's wife, Sif? You said that she would likely be one of those that would pose a serious threat?" Mimir gave a deep sigh.

"Now, you must understand, brother, that in the Aesir, being a woman means you have to be a fierce fighter. Sif earned Thor's attention not just due to being a beautiful woman. She earned his attraction by being one of the most dangerous warriors in Asgard. She had definitely helped Thor in training their sons, although to be honest, the way with which they raised them were quite brutal."

"Odin's approach to being a father to Thor was to force him through a rigorous amount of brutal training, trashing discipline inside him time and again. An utterly poisonous notion of manhood, passed down through generations. Imagine how hard it would be for a WOMAN there. Sif was raised strictly and harshly, and that developed her own approach. She often turned to drinking like Thor, and barely knew a moment of sobriety. The two were known to engage in drunk- Well, you know." Mimir said, stopping himself at the last part of his sentence. 

Kratos frowned as feelings of pity and disgust crawled through his heart at the mention of such a debaucherous culture. On one hand, he pitied both Thor and his sons for the way with which they were raised, but on the other hand, he was disgusted that Thor would mirror his father's approach and abuse his children in such a way rather than be better.

"But back to the main topic. Sif is probably the closest to the Queen of Valkyries without BEING a Valkyrie herself. Centuries of war, fighting in fields where she racked up a substantial killcount that was almost as fearsome as Thor's own before she semi-settled down and Thor became much more active than her while she raised her family, and relentless and constant sparring with Thor, where she would give him quite the run for his money before he won, made her skills top-notch. She is highly efficient in her skills, fierce but elegant, aggressive but beautifully fluid, and capable in both single-combat and fighting multiple enemies at once."

Kratos grunted grimly at the imagination. Considering how much of a formidable opponent Valkyrie Queen Sigrun was, if Sif was-"

"And yes, she is on par with Sigrun and probably falls short only to Freya herself, which is still rather close. She will be just as deadly of an enemy as much as she could be a formidable ally, brother. Although I think Atreus would go through quite a rough beating, considering how angry she is and how deadly Sif is, as the second greatest woman warrior in Asgard."

"She has a daughter... Thrud, was it?" Kratos questioned as Mimir nodded approvingly.

"Indeed. Perhaps if we reach out to her using her daughter, she would be open to convincing Thor to side with us. It would be useful." 

"So be it."

Kratos had did his best to prepare his friends, his son, and his potential future daughter-in-law, but 2 weeks wouldn't be enough to raise them to the level where they could fight with a warrior as formidable as a Valkyrie Queen. As expected, they were losing.

"What do you want my son's unnatural capacity for languages for!? What translation eludes the so-called All-Father who sees all?" Kratos asked as he delivered a ferocious punch that send Odin back several feet.

"Answers, Kratos. All answers, all truth! Tell me, what do you even know of godhood?" Odin replied as he retaliated with a spell named Glettings bára, unleashing a deadly wave of Bifrost energy that Kratos blocked by using his improved Guardian Shield and slamming it to the ground to create a protective barrier. Absorbing the energy into the shield, Kratos unleashed it back at Odin, who responded by shouting "Hvirfla!", unleashing a whirlwind of bifrost energy that seemed to take in the energy Kratos threw at Odin. 

Kratos was forced to avoid the spell, unsure if his attempts to stop it with the powers of his weapons would work, and he charged at Odin and tackled him out of the prison, intending to take the fight outside where it would not affect the battles of his allies.

With a snarl, Odin used all his strength to free himself just as they finally emerged out of the prison and into the Plains that he, his family, and his friends had fought through numerous monsters and guards to breach the prison.

"Being a god means that one must have the sense of responsibility to use their power only when necessary, rather than use godly powers to impose your will upon everyone else." Kratos snarled back as they eyed at one another cautiously. 

There didn't seem to be any backup, although Kratos would have to be careful. 

"Ha! Speaks the god who destroyed his own homeland out of a desire for revenge. A god should stand above all others and rule them to maintain order!" Odin retorted as he spun Gungnir, gathering bifrost energy and creating ravens from the dark magic, before he then aimed the ravens at him.

Kratos switched to the spear form and activated Vindsvalr's Windstorm to neutralize the ravens with cyclones of wind, before he attempted to resume close-range combat with the spear.

"How about this!? Mortals worships Gods and rely on us to give them meaning, but what about we, gods? What are we here for?" Odin shouted as he attempted to force Kratos back by firing a beam of ice with a spell named Issprengja, but Kratos quickly shifted to his chained blades and pierced through the beam with the full force of the fire from his blades, dealing the 10th blow on the All-Father since their duel began by striking him at the shoulder, although the All-Father responded by delivering a kick to the chest that blew him several feet back.

"We all know that the so-called "Divine Comfort" that people look up to us for is nothing but a sham. We are more than just protectors of mortals, and when we have questions, who could answer it?" Kratos simply narrowed his eyes as he and the All-Father circled one another.

"Not knowing how to answer?" Odin mocked.

"If what you want is answers, then why not try yourself, rather than include my son? I suppose the answer to that is that you can't." Kratos simply retorted back, which briefly sparked rage in Odin's eyes before he contained it and rushed towards Kratos.

No matter what his reasons are, I will NOT let him have my son.

Mimir shot Atreus a look as soon as his father tackled Odin away, and Atreus realized this was the opening they sought, as Tyr and Sif fought.

Tyr seemed to be having a slight edge over the wife of Thor, which could give Atreus what he needed.

Atreus heard distantly Sindri muttering about how he needed 2 minutes left, and looked at Angrboda, who nodded.

Atreus recalled a strategy his mother told him to carry out only as a last resort if Sif proved too strong for them to beat.

"Are you really sure that it'll work?" Atreus asked his mother in doubt.

"Yes. The blood of a giant and a god can be used to transfer the memories contained inside a mural into an enchanted weapon, such as this knive, but it would only last for a couple of minutes before those memories disappear. You don't have to aim it at a lethal spot or the head. Just stab Sif and made sure it's a clean strike, and those memories will flow into her head."

The two cut themselves with the enchanted knive his mother gave him and then stabbed the knive at the mural, causing it to stop glowing as the memories flowed into the knive.

"Tyr! Just hold Sif in place for a couple of moments!" Mimir shouted as Tyr had restrained the wife of Thor in a full nelson hold.

Atreus charged with all the speed his godhood and gianthood could give him, and just as Sif managed to break out if Tyr's grip, he finally stabbed her in the shoulder. He had aimed for her chest, but Sif moved fast enough to redirect it to her hand.

For a couple of moments, both Atreus and Sif froze, until the knife exploded, sending them both flying away.

When Atreus got up, it was to see Sif clutching her head in pain, a sign that the memories were being transferred into her successfully.

After a minute or two, she must have remembered it all, as when she stared back at him, it was a non-hostile look, as Tyr eyed them suspiciously.

"HEY! The gates have been opened! The portal will probably only last for 3 minutes more. Let's start running for it!" Sindri yelled as he and the prisoners ran towards the exit.

"MOM! We're done! Come on!" Atreus shouted at his mother, who was still fighting Thor, both of them bleeding in numerous spots.

At those words, his mother rushed towards him, but Thor was in hot pursuit, although Tyr rushed forward and punched Thor hard in the face, sending him flying.

"Let's go!" Atreus didn't even need to hear that as he ran out into the exit where his father and Odin were still dueling.

"Dad! All the prisoners have been freed! We're getting out of here! Come on! We only have 3 minutes before it closes!"

Kratos disengaged from a fierce blade lock with Odin as he nodded and began running for it, Odin in hot pursuit.

The last thing Atreus saw was Sif clutching her head in what appeared to be falsified pain, as Thor checked up on her.

Faye vaguely registered Sindri shouting at all the escaped prisoners to go through the light of the gateway, located in the edge of the Plains of Ida, as she and Kratos pushed back against Odin, who was forced into the backfoot as he could barely push back against them even with neither of them wanting to finish him off, retreating more and more into the Plains of Ida.

Faye had to admit it was the first time she fought in such a high-level battle, and she was fortunately not rusty due to sparring with her husband repeatedly.

The ferocity of the fight between her and Thor was even more than the fight she had with the God of Thunder in Vanaheim, with Thor now sober and focused, making him more dangerous than back then. He was also aware of her abilities now, and took her much more seriously from the beginning.

Whereas back then he was clumsy before gradually transitioning into seriousness that was held back by his drunk state, now Thor fought her with the focused brutality and well-honed aggression as the greatest warrior of Asgard was.

They had started the fight by grappling across the prison, punching, kicking, and blocking the attacks of the other, while flying in the air, Thor with his lightning and Faye with the magics of her people, before they seperated.

She could still remember how the fight began for real.

"There you are, you fucking red-haired woman! I've been waiting for this!"

With those words, Thor had drew Mjolnir while Faye had drew the axe form of her ring as they started to duel ferociously.

Whereas before, she managed to beat him, with him now fully focused, Faye was admittedly only able to reach a stalemate, as she had expected would happen if they were to fight with both of them at the height of their strength.

There was also the matter that after seeing what could have been the fate of the man she was fighting, her rage and hatred towards the butcherer of her people had faded considerably, replaced with pity and a sincere prayer for his soul to rest in peace.

In the end, Thor, the God of Thunder, the God of Strength, and the fearsome Champion of the Aesir, was truly just a tragic man who was never given the chance to think for himself, did horrible things in the name of pleasing his father, never got to fulfill that wish truly, regretted with all his heart what he had done to his sons, and ultimately died just before he could change for his daughter.

"Is that it!?" Thor shouted as he parried her axe slices with Mjolnir and attempted a hook on her face that she blocked with her free hand.

"I remember you packing more of a nasty wallop than this, or was your victory over me back then just because I was drunk?" Thor gloated as the two of them pitted their strength against one another, her axe colliding with Thor's hammer and her hand and Thor's locked in a grapple, causing fissures through the ground, fortunately not at the same corner where Sindri was fighting Odin's seal with an unsealing spell.

"I wonder if you taught your son to kill like a coward? And here I thought you were better than that, always attacking directly!" Thor snarled at those words as they disengaged.

Faye shook her head. "You know, Thor, you can blame me, my husband, and my son all you want, but we both know that the real truth is Odin was the one who send them to their deaths. While it was my husband who slew Magni fairly, my son's murder of Modi, while utterly despicable, ultimately served to free him from his suffering, and we both know that." Faye retaliated cooly as she unleashed spikes of ice at Thor, who swiped Mjolnir and unleashed a wave of lightning to destroy them.

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU SAY?" Thor shouted as he descended into fury and attacked her again.

"The wounds you inflicted on Modi would have either killed him or crippled him for life. He would have died in the end even had Atreus not killed him. As dishonorable as it was, it was actually a merciful fate to be killed with a stab to the throat rather than to die a slow and painful death from his injuries." 

Thor stopped at those words as he looked stunned for a moment. 

"And there he is. You see, in the future my son sought to avoid, he saw that for all your bravado, for all your cruelty, you're ultimately a tragic, broken shell of a man who was never allowed to think for yourself, whose flaws ruined his family, and you never found any happiness or peace. Even I, the last survivor of my people, now looking at you, can feel hardly any rage or scorn, only pity. You are no less mighty than your father, yet you cower before him."

Thor hesitated for a couple of moments, before he roared and intensified his attacks.

Faye flew up to re-engage Thor when the God of Thunder came rushing into the field, leaving Kratos to fight back Odin alone.

The two of them exchanged multiple ferocious attacks, Faye transitioning between weapons as she had before to push back against Thor. However, such a tactic, while successful in driving the God of Thunder back before, would not work forever, and the God of Thunder skillfully dodged the ever-shifting weapons before he retaliated with the hammer.

Faye blasted away at the balls of lightning thrown at her by Thor's bare hands with blasts of ice before she unleashed a beam of mystical energy that was blocked by the God of Thunder's lightning, also shaped into a beam, as Thor dismissed both attacks by snapping his hand backwards.

She deflected Mjolnir as it was thrown at her and avoided Thor's punch narrowly as he quickly traveled to it to close the distance between them.

Faye focused hard wind into her palm and thrust it at Thor, sending him flying with the force of a gale as she backed away more and more. Her goal was not to finish him off, but to keep him from advancing. 

She noticed Kratos mirroring her approach against Odin as he too fell back rather than continuing to engage the All-Father. The two laid eyes on one another, and nodded.

Faye slammed her axe into Kratos's shield, unleashing great amounts of force that were launched at the two, pushing Thor and Odin back a couple of inches, before they then slammed Faye's axe and Kratos's spear together, unleashing powerful cyclones of ice magic that Faye promptly ignited to further enhance. 

They didn't look back as they rushed towards the portal, arriving just a few seconds in time before it closes.

"Ástin, you sure you're okay?" Her husband asked her as Sif drank a cup of water.

"Yes. I'm fine, honey." Sif said softly. She was not only fine, but she was also filled with hope at the outcome of this day.

I have a second chance now. A second chance to save you, to save our daughter, to save as many of our people as possible.

"Tyr is out for real, now." Sif stated simply. "And the so-called invincible Heimdall got taken down a peg." She allowed herself a small smile at the humiliation of that man who had bullied her daughter, as even Thor snorted.

"Tyr's always full of surprise. Last time I saw him, he was venting out his frustrations at training dummies." Thor said with the smallest hint of a smile in his face.

"Serves him right." Sif said with a cruel smile on her face, as Thor simply nodded in approval.

"Hey, mom! Dad! I heard there was a huge battle out there. Who was it? Who could have attacked Asgard? I thought no one could gain entry!" Thrud said as she came into the room just as Odin too marched inside and went for his study, looking positively livid and maniacal.

Sif allowed just a small bit of a smile to grace her lips at the sight of her grandfather's panic. 

You have no idea what you're in for.

"Thrud. I suppose I should start to train you now." Sif said softly as Thrud's eyes widened and Thor eyed her with shock.

"I knew you've been training behind my back with your father, and while I am not pleased, the way that things are, you're gonna need to be prepared. I'm still not going to let you try to be a Valkyrie, but you need to grow stronger more quickly than I want you to be." Sif said solemnly as Thrud stared at her with a mixture of excitement and disappointment, excitement that she was finally going to train her, and disappointment that she couldn't be a Valkyrie yet.

"BUT! From now on, I'll be reviewing your training. I won't have you push yourself beyond your limits." Sif said as her tone took a stricter, more serious tone. She made sure to reinforce her point by staring eye-to-eye with her daughter, who flinched, as she had never shown this much involvement before, even after she had finally firmly decided to go straight.

"I'll discuss with your father how much you have progressed and from it, I'll teach you skills that you could master at your level. And THEN! I'll put you through exercises and allow you to go into the field-" Sif coughed loudly at Thrud's excitement.

"WITH my direct supervision. You will have to grow step by step, and I'll make sure that you grow at a steady, but not overdoing, rate. When your skill reaches a certain level, I'll teach you something of that level and not a minute before. And you WILL listen to me when I said not to push yourself, or else I'll ground you for days and lecture you until you finally learn to listen. Do you understand?"

Thrud had stared at her with a mixture of annoyance and yet also excitement and joy. "Thanks, mom." Her daughter rolled her eyes, but the clear wonder was evident in both her eyes and tone. "When can we start?"

"Tomorrow. For now, both me and your father needs to rest. We fought high-class opponents."

Two kids, an advisor who just started to learn how to fight, and a blacksmith? If it weren't for how assured I am of how my skills remain as sharp as ever, then I would actually think that I have gotten rusty. However, the real truth is, even before I knew of all this, those four were admittedly considerably capable at fighting, although not so much for that dwarf, who was more of an annoyance than anything else.

Loki was definitely well-trained, enough so that at that moment, he actually would have stood a decent chance against Modi in a fair fight. His girlfriend was also remarkable, casting spells of astonishing potency that even had my guard up with ease and fighting with precision and physical abilities that were noteworthy.

Their teamwork was also formidable, unorthodox. Leaving aside how efficient they were at covering one another's flanks, be it with spells or physical combat, I really didn't expect it when the boy would shoot an arrow straight at his own girl, who would catch it and then stab me with it when I didn't see it coming. She would have had to be seriously training with her boyfriend before he could pull off that maneuver.

Mimir was also surprisingly much more competent in fighting than I had ever expected. Who would have though that "no-good big thinker", as my husband referred to him often mockingly of, could be such a formidable opponent. His magical skills and strategical mind saved those three several times and helped them land more of the solid blows they did.

His barriers and his spells of healing were astonishingly refined, as he protected his allies, healed them of wounds efficiently enough so they could keep fighting despite how much force Sif put into her attacks and the rage that increased it. He lead those three, shouting advices and pointing out openings and coordinating their efforts in a way that wasn't the same irritating cornerings it was in the first round, but rather genuinely dangerous attempts to disable her.

The few Bifrost spells he knew of, he made use in clever ways, something that even I had to give him credit for before I remembered what I must do. He was also surprisingly handy with a dagger and a staff...

Sif shook her head out of those thoughts. The fact that her distant allies were powerful enough to survive a considerable amount of period fighting her, one of the deadliest woman in the Nine Realms, and even managing to injure her, was something that would be good in the future.

As Thrud left excitedly, Thor turned to stare at her.

"Don't underestimate any of them. I wasn't joking, and you know it. Tyr may have bested me and let that boy cast that nausea spell, but he didn't wound me in the brief period we battled. They did." Sif stated seriously as Thor nodded.

"You wouldn't have much trouble if it was one-on-one, but if they were teaming up, then even you might have to be serious. I have to admit, though, that what's most surprising was Mimir. For someone who we both never really liked, he sure as hell packed a lot more punch." Thor snorted at that.

"But leaving aside that, we have much bigger concerns than those four. They may be much more capable than we estimated, but I would have won in the end. I even managed to avenge our son's murder by jabbing him at the throat, and he would have been dead if Mimir hadn't healed him." Thor gave a more satisfied smirk at that as Sif looked away.

While she still didn't particularly like either Kratos or Loki, she had to be grateful that it was due to them that she got this second chance, and she would do what she can to help them while ensuring her family and her people survives.

"Things are going to get really serious now. Tyr is out, and I think I know exactly why they freed him and what he can do." Sif said, keeping a neutral edge as she eyed her husband.

"How did they knew he was even alive? None of us knew." Thor said skeptically.

"It doesn't matter. Tyr was beloved by most of the Nine Realms, and even some of us still love him too. I can imagine he'll be able to start a serious rebellion against Odin. He was only held at bay because he still wanted to change us from the inside. Now that he's spend all those years imprisoned, he's not going to leave it at just that. He's got to be willing to take hard risks. I imagine it won't take long before an army of rebels springs up and starts taking back control over control from the Realms." Sif said solemnly, which wasn't faked.

While this chance was a blessing, there was still much to do. Many lives, especially on her people, were bound to be lost in the coming war, not to mention how Thor was most likely going to have to bloody his hands again, and Sif too, no matter how much she had long since grown disillusioned to such violence.

She would have to be very careful. She couldn't just slip up and straight-up tell Thor that he needs to betray Odin. He needed to learn the hard way. Kratos managed to make him see reason before with Thrud. She would have to find an opening to switch sides openly, plan to restore her daughter's memories, and then put Thor in a situation where she and Thrud could be there and make him see the truth.

For now, though, she allowed herself to enjoy her husband's company as he assured her that they were gonna win.

WE, not ODIN.

Chapter Text

"Hey, you okay?" Angrboda asked in concern as she watched Atreus groan slightly, still tired from the fight with Sif. Most of the injuries she and Atreus suffered had healed, but as Mimir said, a fight with another God could leave behind serious impacts, and since their opponent happened to be much stronger than them individually, while they had mostly healed up, some scars remained.

"I'll just be honest and say that the fact that the four of us managed to tangle with someone as good as a Valkyrie Queen and live, even giving her decent trouble, is something I'm satisfied about." Atreus said with a slight smile, which Angrboda returned, even though she knew that the reason why they were still alive wasn't all due to their own abilities.

To be honest, she was fully aware that while the fact that despite having only minimum training, they were able to survive fighting against the wife of Thor, almost as feared as her own husband is and mighty indeed, she knew that they had advantages over her. Sif didn't expect any of them to be as skilled as they were, enough to pose a degree of a threat individually, and she was also angry at Atreus for murdering her son, so she focused primarily on him and that left her a bit open at first to their teamwork.

As soon as she got over it, she overwhelmed them, just like how as soon as she adjusted to Mimir's tactics and skills, she regained the upper hand she briefly lost. In the end, it wasn't so much that their combined skills alone were enough to survive for as long as they did, but more like they took her by surprise and still would have lost had Tyr not came to their aid.

Angrboda was glad that Atreus managed to turn Sif over to their side, to be honest. If they had to get through her, then Angrboda didn't think that with the time they have to grow stronger, they would be able to beat her in an all-out match.

She had honestly never really thought too much about developing fighting skills or learning more spells. Her parents were peaceful and good people, who taught her to fight only when she had no other choice, and she cherished the moments they had even after they died and left her with her grandmother. But then she met the love of her life, and everything changed.

She had to grow strong. She had to become more capable. All to stand beside the boy who she couldn't think of a life without now.

And despite the difficulties, as she stared at Atreus longingly...

Before eventually taking the initiative and kissing him, causing him to yelp in surprise before returning it...

She realized it was worth it.

"So you freed me for the sake of uniting the Nine Realms?" Kratos watched as Tyr settled down on the dinner table, Faye stating she had some other things to do in Jotunheim and Atreus and Angrboda asking for a moment to themselves after the hard fight, while Brok and Sindri wanted to rest, thoroughly worn out from their near loss to Sif, leaving just him and the Norse God of War.

"Indeed. Faye mentioned that I was the one prophesized to lead the war against Asgard, and we should free you for you might know more of what must be done." Tyr gave Kratos a small smile at that.

"What you must do, Kratos, is to lead. Lead the Nine Realms into a new age of prosperity and peace." Tyr said simply as Kratos frowned.

"What do you know of it?" Kratos asked curtly.

"Well... The Giants had told this to absolutely no one, but they told me of a much, much more ancient prophecy than that of Ragnarok, tied to it, and it's truest form. It is said that after having experienced a bittersweet ending, a "son of the victorious, yet having lost much in exchange for victory" would travel back in time and bring back a "mighty warrior whose strength and skill is only matched by her capacity for love and forgiveness."

Kratos recognized who those two figures were easily. It was too obvious. The "son" mentioned was Atreus's future self, while the "warrior" would be Faye. Kratos knew very few as just and capable of love and compassion as his second wife.

"Together, they would stand by the side of "a warrior god, a general, with unmatched power and skill, hardened yet also wised by his many experiences with revenge, war, and the hollowness of it, who learned to take responsibility and wish for repentance towards his sins" as he did what must be done to save the Nine Realms."

"Me." Kratos said slowly. No matter how he still did not believe that Faye identified the man leading the charge against Odin as him, there could be no mistake. No one understood the costs of vengeance and war more than he.

"And so the family would unite the Nine Realms and usher in an eternal golden age. That is the TRUE Prophecy of Ragnarok, entrusted only to me for reasons the Giants refused to tell and enchanted so nothing, not even Odin's magic, could force the prophecy from my lips." With those words, Tyr gently placed his hand on Kratos' shoulder.

"You have committed many sins. I am aware. I have traveled to Greece before, and I know the legend of the Ghost of Sparta. I also talked with Faye regarding your past. However, it is BECAUSE you have failed, BECAUSE you have known and suffered due to war and vengeance, that you can be the one to bring in the Everlasting Golden Age of the Nine Realms. You know what to avoid, and you have also learned to listen to the plight and advices of others."

Kratos bowed his head, unable to deny the truth of Tyr's words. The God of War of the Norse lands was right in every way. 

He had experienced the full extent of what war and vengeance could drive a man to, had lived to regret it, had vowed to avoid it as much as he could. His experiences had turned him into a "warrior without equal" indeed.And Tyr was also right to say that Kratos had learned to finally show empathy towards the plight of others, to listen to what others could share with him.

"So, Kratos, I ask you this: Will you accept this duty, accept this responsibility? I cannot force you, simply tell you the truth." Tyr asked with nothing but genuine humility and true understanding.

Kratos thought of his son, of his expectations for him, of Atreus's desire to help people and save the Realms he now lived in. He thought of Faye, of her undying belief for him, of her capability to see the good and compassion in him. 

We must be better.

Kratos then thought of the suffering of Mimir, of the regret and desire for repentance of the man he had came to see as a brother. Mimir had wanted to repent. He had told him so, stating that after this, if Kratos would not take on Odin, then he would have to leave, because he wanted to repent for all that he had done for Odin.

I am not asking you to follow me, brother, but every man must take responsibility for his actions and work to make amends. I don't know what will happen, if it's possible for me to truly redeem myself, but I am willing to try.

And finally... Kratos thought of the state of the Realms he had seen, of how the poisonous mist of Niflheim was created by Odin, of how Midgard was desolated, of how many Giants and innocents had died due to the tyrannical leadership of Odin, and he even felt for the pitiable son of Thor that was killed by his own father and freed of what would have been a painful death by his son, for the tradition of abusive parenthood started by Odin and used by his people.

He also thought of his previous sins, how he had destroyed his old home. Was this his chance for true redemption? To use the skills, the powers that had once destroyed a world, to rebuild a world?

Kratos was not sure how long it took. He was only aware that in time, his thoughts affirmed itself and his heart was set. 

He looked at Tyr, who was looking at him expectantly, showing absolutely no trace of knowing what he would choose.

"For the sake of my family who gave me a second chance and of the Realms that Odin has ruined... I... Will be the general that the Nine Realms need. I will do my best to bring about the Everlasting Golden Age." Kratos said, his voice soft yet filled with determination.

Tyr smiled genuinely at Kratos.

"Then we should start by having you make amends with Freya. Faye is on her way to create a counter to the curse that keeps Freya from traveling between Realms. Now, you must face Freya and make her understand and forgive."

"I must say, your giant magic is truly a marvel, Lady Faye." Ratatoskr commented, the projection magic his newest guest taught him working effectively, as they walked through Jotunheim.

He had just been about to greet his "new" guests when Lady Faye came in and restored the memories he had of the bittersweet outcome of Ragnarok. It was quite painful to remember what had happened to Master Brok, how he had been unable to see through Odin's ruse and detecting his power only when it was too late haunting him, not to mention how shaking it was to learn of what could be with Madam Nidhogg's death and the temporary release of Garm.

His newest guest had then offered him the chance he never thought of: The chance to truly see the Nine Realms by way of creating an astral body. While his physical form would still be in the World Tree, he could create another form through magic. Needless to say, Ratatoskr was quite intrigued and agreed to use this magic and lend as much service as he could for the future of the Nine Realms and the sake of the World Tree.

"This form can experience and transmit back to my physical form the feeling of the nature and magic of my surroundings. I am also capable of using some of my powers too. What an astonishing masterpiece of sorcery." 

Lady Faye simply smiled. "Nice to hear that, Ratatoskr."

But then she stopped at an ancient shrine. "We're here. This is what you could help us in, a way to undo any curse, even one as powerful as the dark magics of Odin, a dormant ancient magic that requires the energy of the World Tree to manipulate."

With that, Lady Faye opened the door to the shrine, revealing it's insides to be that of a dusty room, but containing elaborate magic circles at the center of it.

"Now, please do stand at the center of the circle, Ratatoskr." 

As Ratatoskr positioned himself in the spot where Lady Faye asked him to, Lady Faye mixed several ingredients into an ancient cauldron, containing substances from every Realm with a Bifrost lamp as the binding agent, starting from the soil of Midgard, the sands of Alfheim, the primordial ice and fire of Niflheim and Muspelheim, Svartalfheim's metal, Helheim's stone, and herbs from Vanaheim.

After reciting several incantations, Lady Faye placed the cauldron carefully near Ratatoskr's feet. "Use the magic of the World Tree to grant an unrighteously imprisoned goddess freedom, Ratatoskr."

Ratatoskr smiled as he happily got into work. "With pleasure, Lady Faye."

"Lady Freya, I have news." Freya turned her attention towards Sigrun's incorporeal form, having finished the process of reabsorbing her Valkyrie wings only a few minutes later after finding them in the most unlikely of places, typical of Odin's treachery.

"Lord Tyr has been freed. Asgard's prison has been breached." Freya's eyes widened at the completely unexpected news. 

"Tyr is alive?" 

"Indeed, Lady Freya. I have discovered that the last adult Jotnar in the Nine Realms, Laufey the Just, a warrior on par with even you, my Queen, and Thor, has been revived through some kind of magic that allows time travel-"

"That's impossible." Freya muttered. It was true. No magic, not even Odin or hers, could allow time-travel.

"But it is. I heard that the boy, Atreus, has traveled back through time to resurrect his mother and place her here. It was due to her knowledge of the magics of the Jotnar that the seal on Asgard has been breached through the usage of a one-way portal in Jotunheim, and Lord Tyr freed, by the combined efforts of the Huldra Brothers, Atreus, and Kratos."

Freya eyed Sigrun, stupefied by all that her devoted sister had brought to her.

So Asgard wasn't as impenetrable as they might think, and Tyr was alive? Freya had thought him dead all this time, but to hear that the God that had once been the hope of the Nine Realms, including even her own home and people, was alive... 

Even if it was brought upon by the man that killed her son, Freya had to admit it was stunning news, even if not as much as the possibility that time travel was possible.

"Rumor has it they're starting an army to oppose Odin and the Aesir, with Tyr as the diplomat and Kratos as the general of the army-"

"Why isn't Tyr the leader? He is much more fitting than Kratos." Freya said, some of her anger returning at the idea of Kratos leading the army against Odin.

"I do not know, but-"

"Hello, my lady. Sigrun." Freya and Sigrun turned her attention towards Eir's sudden appearance.

"Kratos has asked me to tell you that he wishes to see you in his old home so he may put an end to the feud between you and him." Freya's eyes widened. For months, she had been pursuing Kratos and attempting to kill him with little success without her Valkyrie wings. He had not wished to fight her, much to her frustration, hiding behind his justifications, and resorted to non-lethally overcoming her efforts.

"He does not ask me to defend him or anything, stating simply to tell him he's giving you what you have persisted in wanting: A confrontation. He also asked me to tell you that he possesses defenses against restraining spells of Vanir magic, a defense crafted by Lord Tyr, as proof that he has not brought any unknown advantages in this incoming confrontation. He has no allies stationed around his house, and has even said that his son, Mimir, and the Huldra Brothers are still recovering from their near-death experiences after fighting Lady Sif, while his wife is away on other matters."

Freya got up without another word. If Atreus, Brok, Sindri, and Mimir had just fought Sif, then she knew for sure they wouldn't be capable of interfering with her. She had known the wife of Thor was almost as deadly as Freya herself and Thor. They had actually gotten along fairly well, back then, and Freya provided her the comfort of a decent mother, even if she didn't share it with Thor.

Sif too had lost her sons to Kratos, Magni directly by Kratos's hands and Modi due to Kratos's lack of care for Atreus's change, and for that Freya had to admit regardless of what Sif might think of her, she sympathized with her.

Even so, Freya had to admit she still liked Atreus and would not kill him. She wondered how he was doing-

"Please, Lady Freya. I understand you resent him, but is it worth it to lose someone who could well be the answer to ending Odin's reign of terror? Would you doom your home, your people, for revenge?" 

Freya hesitated at those words, but said nothing as she marched forward to finally meet the man who murdered her son.

Kratos stood at the entrance of his house calmly and firmly, waiting for the arrival of the woman who he had wronged even if it was to protect her.

He could still remember Tyr's advice on how to approach this matter.

"Do you know of any way to resolve this without a duel between me and Freya?" Kratos had asked the God of War as he was about to leave.

Tyr smiled solemnly. "Alas, I don't. Freya's rage is great indeed. Her love for her son, as twisted as it may have became due to the dark tragedies that hit her life ever since she married Odin, is great, and she will grieve for him enough that she wouldn't be willing to just accept you. You must prove that you have changed, that you ARE willing to take the fight against Odin, and show your sincere remorse and determination to be better by using the field of battle along with words of appeal. A mixture of both."

"After months, you finally stopped avoiding this." Kratos focused himself as he kept Tyr's words in heart, staring at Freya as she approached him, clad in an armor and with wings much unlike any other Valkyrie he had met before.

"Hello, Freya." Kratos said simply as he began to circle around, with Freya mirroring him.

"I must admit that you surprise me with this action-"

"I have realized that avoiding a full-front confrontation would only increase your rage until it would allow you to take out innocents without batting an eye, Freya, so no more. We settle this now. No allies from both of our sides, just the two of us."

Freya seemed to hesitate at the subtle reminder of how she had been willing to put Atreus in danger, even if she never really harmed him, before hardening herself.

"I heard your son, Mimir, and the Huldra Brothers took on Sif while you went to rescue Tyr. I can imagine they took quite a lot of beating. I don't care much about Mimir, but to think you would allow your son to take on someone of Sif's level?" Freya said, her tone containing both concern and anger that she believed to be righteous. That was understandable. Kratos knew Freya did still care for Atreus, and he supposed she saw it both as outrageous and another justification for her that he would allow his child to take on someone of such skill and strength.

"An experience that would help them grow, with or without me, as they realize what they must improve to face someone very close to your highest level. We are at war, Freya, and to learn to fight in one, even children must mature and improve faster than they should." Kratos said solemnly.

"Mimir has just gotten his body back and only had 2 weeks of training, and Atreus's experience and practice was nowhere near our millennia, so I would say I am proud of him." Kratos said simply, but noticed her concern for Atreus, even if she didn't seem pleased that Mimir was restored to his body.

"Is Tyr truly alive and well?" Freya asked, her tone less hostile.

"Yes, he is." Kratos said and as proof, he tossed the orb Tyr gave him, revealing images of him settling down at Yggdrasil.

"So that's why I couldn't find you for those 2 weeks as if you vanished into nothing."

"So be it. You and me, one-on-one. No one to help either of us." With that, Freya drew her sword as Kratos manifested his axe.

Freya's eyes narrowed as she stared at his ring. "What magic have you crafted?"

"One that allows me to store my weapons and bring them to me as I wish." Kratos responded simply.

"An invention of the Huldra Brothers, I assume. Those two had after all made Mjolnir, and I could only imagine how many damning war machines the Dwarves had made in the service of Asgard." Freya said with scorn that was surprisingly not directed towards Kratos as much as it was aimed towards the Dwarfs.

Kratos responded by shifting it into the sword, then into the spear, then into the bow, then into the chained blades, and finally into the dagger, showing Freya the weapons in his arsenal.

Freya stopped at that, but showed no signs of fear or concern, simply staring at him with cold rage. 

"I will repeat that I do not wish for this, Freya, but if this is the only way, then so be it. A fair duel."

"Then I suppose I would have to admit I underestimated you. I would give you that much." Freya responded curtly.

Without any other word, Freya charged towards him, Kratos meeting her sword with his axe.

"He did WHAT?" Sindri stared at Tyr incredulously, and Brok, Atreus, and Mimir weren't better, looking at Tyr's calm expression as if he has gone mad.

"Yes. Kratos and Freya are currently confronting one another in Midgar as we speak. This confrontation will end the feud between them, and allow Freya to see reason." Tyr said simply.

"What makes you think Freya will listen? Me, Brok, Mimir, and Angrboda working together could barely hold Sif off, and she's still a bit weaker than Freya. I could only imagine what would happen if the four of us would have to face off against her, as much as she seems to still like me enough to not want me dead. Not to mention she's ODIN's most dangerous enemy! She's probably around my mother's level, and my father won't give it his all against her!" Atreus shouted at Tyr.

"No, Atreus. There is no need for you to bring out the card of using the memories of Freya from the timeline which you came from to end the feud." Sindri swore his eyes widened more than it had ever been as he stared at Atreus incredulously.

"Yes. I am well-aware that rather than simply bringing back your mother, you too had traveled back in time, sending your consciousness into that of the body you had back before you began to fall into Odin's hand. Your mother told me."

"Wait a second, so you're the Atreus after Ragnarok?" Sindri asked his friend in utter shock, who looked torn.

A gentle hand grasped Atreus's hand as the girl named Angrboda made her way to his friend, and he finally sighed out loud.

"Yes... I am. I actually managed to bring back mum because you made an immortal body for her, and it was you who sent me back." Sindri gasped at the completely unexpected revelation of his hand in all this.

"Don't ask me why. It's... I want to forget it all and start anew, okay? And I'm sorry that I hadn't been a proper friend to you back at the time. I realized that." 

Sindri stared at Atreus, and noticed the utterly tired and remorseful expression on his face as he apologized to him.

He had to admit he had noticed the changes between Atreus's treatment of him compared to before, how much he seemed to try to be there for him, how more genuine his friend seemed to be, but what really struck it at Sindri was how Atreus's expression all but indicated they had a fell-out in that timeline.

"Okay. I won't ask about it, but are you sure you're alright? You look worse than ever." Sindri asked Atreus gently.

"I'm fine. I think I'm going to bed now."

Sindri noticed Mimir eying the boy sympathetically. No traces of surprise at all.

He too must have traveled from the future. He didn't even need to think twice before he realized that the girl, Angrboda, was the same.

They're all in this together. I knew it.

For now, Sindri would have to let it go, though, as there were other pressing matters.

"So we aren't going to send backup to Kratos? Are you really sure he could handle Freya alone? If it's Kratos giving it his best, then I don't doubt him. A hard fight, sure, but if Kratos won't fight her, then she could very well kill him, man." Sindri went back to the main matter.

"Rather than doing that, we need to go to Vanaheim. Are you up for another mission, my friends?" Tyr asked calmly. "I understand that neither of you have fully recovered from your battle with Sif that would have surely cost you your life had I not intervened, and I am fine to go alone-"

"No! I am fine! I can go with you!" Sindri replied quickly as he went to take up his bag.

"I have healed well enough to get going too, old friend." Mimir said as he gave his staff a couple of swings, causing Tyr to roll his eyes.

"I would love to go with you guys, but I still need a lot of rest. That damn Lady Sif almost killed me. I just want to say that Lunda is said to be around with Freyr, Freya's brother. Go and tell her my regards, would you?" Brok said as he grimaced, still feeling the broken bones he took several times from Sif.

"Alright. Let's go to Vanaheim. I would like to meet Lunda too. She'll probably like what we've been doing."

Chapter Text

"It is done, Lady Faye!" Ratatoskr stated as he finally finished pouring in all the energies required to complete the potion that would be used to free Freya from her confinement.

He had to admit it was truly a devious and despicable plan of Odin to use Nidhogg and the roots of Yggdrasil as the key to Freya's curse. The All-Father did not care in the slightest about the consequences of his actions, and he had resorted to many archaic pieces of magic to even temper with Yggdrasil. The way with which he tried to acquire the deepest secrets of Yggdrasil was truly despicable, and Ratatoskr had needed to step in and use the will of the Tree to expel him and create wards to prevent any such attempts again.

He truly did not blame Master Kratos or Lady Freya for what they had to do, as the blame was utterly Odin's, and now that it was possible to undo such a griveous wrong, Ratatoskr hoped that he could not only do so, but also do what he could to ensure Odin was defeated in a way that would be better for the Nine Realms.

"Then we must hurry to Vanaheim and meet Freyr and tell him about what must be done." Lady Faye said firmly.

"I can help you with that." With a deep breath, Ratatoskr focused upon the power of the World Tree, asking for it to conjure a portal to Vanaheim. After a couple of moments, the portal was opened.

"How-" Ratatoskr smirked at Lady Faye's awe. "You see, Mystical Gateways are a part of the World Tree. It was with my assistance that the Dwarves were able to set up connections to the Nine Realms needed to allow realm travel. That was also the power used by my emotional aspects to travel through the Nine Realms, and in this body, I too could make use of such power."

That was the greatest perk of being the Caretaker of the World Tree. He could channel it's power to perform magics most people could not dream of. Although the World Tree could decide whether or not to grant his wishes, but as Ratatoskr was doing this for the benefit of the Nine Realms, it was allowed easily.

"Then we must make haste." Ratatoskr nodded firmly and went inside along with Lady Faye.

Kratos focused himself into the battle as he blocked the various sword attacks that Freya launched at him with his own sword, much faster and stronger as well as more precise compared to their previous engagements. 

Kratos had noticed the clear difference between this battle and the previous scuffles they had before, even the ones that were actually prolonged, which perfectly made sense. Freya had spent millennia unable to engage in battle due to Odin's curses, so she must have started those months rusty, fighting with wild fury, a weakness made clear when she first attempted to kill him where he easily disarmed her numerous times. 

However, in time, Freya began to display increasingly greater prowess whenever he had to engage her in prolonged battles, but nothing like this. Her attempts to kill him had been balanced between either outright battles or her chasing him and Atreus as they returned to their home, the latter much more common as he only had to engage her in a duel of true skill and strength 3 times over the course of the year she had been hunting him for revenge.

Even that third time, however, paled in comparison to the amount of intensity and lethality of she was now using on him. Her attacks were aggressive, but she added in skillful grace and dexterity, aiming her attacks from various angles and being able to both attack and defend, making fully liberal use of unarmed attacks as she openly attempted to punch or kick him, even headbutting him when his focus was on his sword.

So this is the TRUE Queen of the Valkyries Mimir warned me about. Odin's deadliest enemy, unequaled amongst women in the Nine Realms.

Her attacks reminded him of the same power Thor and Faye had used against him, harmful even to the former God of War, and her skills were top-notch, perfectly on the same level as that of his extremely capable wife.

Kratos composed himself as he began to launch counterattacks. He had not used an actual sword in many years due to focusing more on his unarmed combat skills and later with his wife's Axe, but Kratos found his swordsmanship had barely lost it's glory. With skill that would be able to defeat 100 mortal swordsman through nothing but pure prowess, Kratos pushed back against Freya's assault, striking and blocking sword attacks while no longer holding himself back from fighting her.

It must be done. The cycle of vengeance should end here. He had intended to end it when he had killed her son, but it instead caused her to wish vengeance and effectively keep the cycle alive.

No more.

Kratos began to rely on more cunning and efficient sword techniques, aimed to disarm and even wound, but controlled not to kill, upon matching her assault instead of playing defense. He could tell Freya starting to show difficulty in countering those techniques, although it was minor enough it wouldn't be visible to most.

They separated from their clash briefly, and Kratos took this opportunity to bring out one of his reasonings.

"Your son had suffered for far too long due to your curse. Even had I allowed him to kill you, and even if afterwards he had managed to kill me and my son, he would have been so overwhelmed by the freedom to feel after so long of being deprived of it that he would have gone on a spree that would have slaughtered thousands of innocents. He would have aimed such feelings at your people to spite at your memory, but that would not be the end. He would spend years relishing in his freedom to feel, until the guilt of what he had done finally emerged upon regaining himself."

At those words, Freya stopped briefly, her eyes pained. "We both know that, Freya. I would admit I could have dealt with him without killing him, but that would only delay the inevitable. He would have still came after your people, descending upon them and taking down scores of them before finally being subdued by death, either by your own brother or one of your people, or he would have came for me and Atreus again and forced me to kill him. Your curse had left your son so broken that he would not have been able to live properly."

Freya looked like she had been struck by Kratos's harsh but undeniably true prediction of what could have been. He was not exaggerating, and they both knew that. 

"And what would you have done if it had been your own brother that struck her down? Would you have killed him for essentially freeing your son from his suffering?" Kratos appealed as Freya gritted her teeth but said nothing.

"I would not insult your feelings by apologizing because we both know it would not earn your forgiveness, but I implore you to think. Think of how your son had acted, how he had reacted to the removal of your curse. I appeal not to your ability to forgive, but your morality. I do not wish to fight you, Freya, but if I must to make you see reason, then I will." Kratos said firmly as he took a neutral stance, ready to take on whatever she could throw at him.

"You speak of what could have been? YES! Baldur had suffered so much that having the curse lifted would have indeed made things worse for him, and it was my fault. Your estimations of what he could have done were far from being inaccurate, had he been allowed to remain free, but I could have reasoned with him in the end. You could have just knocked him out, but you didn't! You took him from me when I could have saved him!" Freya snarled as her sword glew with her magic.

"I could have restrained him! I could have reached out to him! YOU TOOK THAT CHANCE AWAY FROM ME!" Freya almost sobbed at that scream as she charged forward with her sword.

"Would he even have taken that chance?" Kratos asked back as he avoided Freya's attack.

Freya, however, was done with talking. Rage seemed to have overcame her again as she charged at him.

"So you're saying that this could free my sister and let her return to Vanaheim?" Freyr asked the five before him skeptically.

He had to admit he really wasn't expecting this. Who would have thought that Tyr, the Aesir responsible for his survival and escape from Asgard back then and the only one worthy of any kind of respect and tolerance among the Aesir, would come to him along with a Dwarf, Odin's hated advisor, a Giant, and a talking squirell who claims to be the very squirell who attends to the World Tree, asking him for an alliance to start a war with Odin.

He would be lying if he said the idea wasn't tempting with how the war had clearly been against him, so he entertained their proposal. It was actually quite well-thought, and made even more intriguing with how Tyr revealed he knew of ways to enter Asgard, meaning rather than defending, an attack could also be possible.

But what was more stunning was their story of his sister, in regards to a nephew he never personally knew of. He had to admit he heard rumors of the curse his sister placed on her own son, a curse that Freyr would want on no one, not even Odin. That curse was easily the most potent of Vanir magic, and not being able to feel far outstripped it's benefits. 

Freya had been devastated when her son was killed, an experience Freyr wasn't surprised, with how he knew of her, and swore vengeance. That was also another reason why they came here. They wanted to break the curse on his sister while the foreign God named Kratos was fighting her to reason with her.

"Well, this sure is uncommon magic, and you do bring up solid points. Besides, I owe you one for saving my life back then, Tyr, so I suppose I'll hear you out." Freyr said after a few moments of thought.

Why not? These guys were offering him many things, starting from the return of his sister to the ability to strike back against Asgard.

Tyr nodded and he and Mimir sat down at the table along with Freyr while the Giant, the Squirrell and the Dwarf set out to the forest.

"Now, like I said, the goal here is to unite the Nine Realms against Odin. When Freya returns, we would work together to remove the presence of the Aesir from Vanaheim. I can see that you have only 5 figures with you. We would have to gather back more of the Vanir. Do you know where to look?" Tyr asked calmly.

"Well, I have maps where they were and some of them have been sending reports and offers to join up. There have been many who had been turned into Reavers-"

"For that, brother, we have the expert on the magic of the Giants to fix." Freyr narrowed his eyes at Mimir's statement.

"Before we move on to other things, there are a few things I would like to clarify first, Freyr. The first thing is that after the Aesir have been driven out and sealed away from Vanaheim, you would need to return to Alfheim. Things have grown much worse since your departure between the Light and Dark Elves." Tyr said as Freyr shook his head.

He had to admit he felt bad for leaving so abruptly, but he didn't have a choice with Freya marrying Odin. "How bad it is?"

"The war has restarted, the Light Elves now control the Light, and the Dark Elves have been forced to hide, while Alfheim grows worse by the day with how much they've been using the Light." Mimir said with a bit of a frown at him.

"That bad, huh? Alright, I'll do my best when I return to Alfheim. So we're gonna get my sister back, then we free the realm from the Aesir, unite the Vanir, and finally I go to Alfheim and unite the Elves?" Freyr said in summary.

"That's only the start of it. Next, we will head to Svartalfheim and free the Dwarves from Odin's grasp. Their mastery over crafting magics would be turned against the Aesir. Afterwards, we'll mount another offense on Asgard... To take some of the Aesir who wish to join our cause."

Freyr's eyes widen as Tyr gave a small smile. "Not all Aesir are evil. I've established contact with some sympathetic Aesir, and we're going to recruit them while leaving yet another impression that Asgard is no longer the invincible realm it is."

Freyr almost wondered if he was dreaming. This whole thing seemed too good to be true. "And the reason why you should be receptive to all of this, brother, is that it has happened before. In another time."

By the end of Mimir's explanation of how even in the previous future, Asgard was destroyed, even if it did need Freyr to die, Freyr finally came to terms that this wasn't a dream. Even his imaginative personality wouldn't have come up with such a firm explanation, from the man who had sold his sister to that prick in the name of the so-called peace much less.

"You really brought some real good stuff and news, alright. Well, where do we start?" Freyr said, not able to hide his smile on the idea of how even more badly Odin would lose in this future.

He had to admit...

This wasn't enough quite yet to make him forgive Mimir for what his sister went through, but it was a surprisingly decisive start.

"Hringur: Trylltur elding!" Kratos summoned a circle of lightning balls by slamming his sword into the ground and threw them at Freya, whose eyes narrowed at the unexpected usage of liberal magic.

Freya responded by summoning a circle of electric fireflies that neutralized his own circle of lightning magic before slicing at the air with her sword, sending arcs of energy that Kratos repelled by manifesting the sheath of it's sword and then putting the sword inside before quickly slashing it out, causing several slashes to neutralize her arcs of energy.

It was due to Faye's own input that Kratos would grow to further master the art of magic with weapons. He was able to replicate much of the magics he used on Olympus with Faye's help and refine it to levels that would be similar to or even superior to actual spells.

He had put it to good use against Odin, and now it was proving adequate against Freya as well. Both still had greater magical ability than him, however, as Kratos needed his weapons to perform magic while they could harness the power of the elements and energy around them as natural as breathing, invoking spells with ease.

"Like I said, Freya, the difference in this fight is that I am no longer avoiding you. I see that the only way to make you see reason is to see a fight to the end." Kratos said curtly as he shifted into his spear form.

"There is no Atreus for me to protect, just you and me, like I promised it would." 

Freya gave a warrior salute that seemed both bitter yet also acknowledging of what he had said. "Today, this all ends!"

With that, Freya cut her palm with her sword and with the incantation "Lögun blóðs í sverð!", a sword was made from the blood.

"You think you have the advantage just because you could shift between weapons, Kratos? Because you now are familiar with magic? Allow me to disagree!"

With that, Freya slammed both her actual sword and the sword made of her blood into the ground, unleashing a storm of poisonous wind, causing Kratos to focus the fires of his rage into his spear before swinging it out, unleashing a cyclone of fire that neutralized the storm, burning the poison of Freya's Seior magic.

However, Freya had not been idle and launched at him with her sword, Kratos meeting her attack with his own weapon.

"I see now how the All-Father forced Nidhogg into protecting Madam Freya's curse, a true diabolical craft of magic." Ratatoskr commented in distaste as he, Madam Faye, and Master Sindri stood in front of the Roots of the World Tree that were bound into a knot, preventing her from leaving Midgar by enchanting the Realms to repel her any time she tried to go to another Realm.

"So what are we going to do, boss? And where is Nidhogg?" Ratatoskr gave Master Sindri an assuring smile.

"The fault of the previous attempt to free Madam Freya of her curse was how she broke those Roots. Now, we are going to cure the corruption of the Roots by pouring this potion into each Root."

With that, Ratatoskr divided the potion into 8 bottles by conjuring the bottles and evenly splitting up the contents of the cauldron.

Without any further ado, Ratatoskr began by first freeing Freya of her inability to enter Vanaheim, that which had caused her to suffer for so long.

The image of Odin's knot being undone one by one was a true pleasure to Ratatoskr.

Freya gritted her teeth as she blocked another strong attack from Kratos, taking a step back from the pressure.

Kratos was now fully focused and determined, living up to all that he had said, and he fought her with the full intention to defeat her. Despite everything, Freya had to admit she could see now why Sigrun and Eir were so adamant that she join forces with Kratos. She had heard many rumors of his combat prowess and power, but now that she had experienced them herself, she had to admit Kratos was even more formidable than her expectations.

No matter how hard she tried, how skillfully she wielded her sword and unarmed martial arts into this battle, how strong and fast she attacked the man who had killed her son, Kratos was no longer just physically powerful, but also ingeniously accomplished in combat. He was so experienced, so strong, so fast, and so resilient that while Freya could hold her own, he was slowly but surely gaining the upper hand, keeping up with her with great focus and showing noticeably less strain unlike his previous showcases of struggle.

Her recovered Valkyrie wings served her well, allowing her to attack him from the air, but while such a tactic proved effective in pushing Kratos into the defensive, it did not last for long as Kratos adjusted and would throw in spears, accurately aimed to knock her off the air, which forced her to be much more careful in engaging him. Even the aerial attacks she was able to execute, however, no longer proved able to pressure Kratos as much as it did before, and Freya had to acknowledge Kratos's adaptability. While Freya had her magics and freely wielded them, Kratos's experience with mystical artifacts and powers allowed him to counter her pure spells. 

Despite everything, though, Freya had to admit it felt refreshing, to fight a serious opponent after so long. It reminded her of her wrath towards Odin and the Aesir, how she fought with all her might to keep them away from her home, but while those enemies were ruthless, Kratos was relentless but determined and fought with the glimmer of hope for something better.

Freya suppressed those thoughts as she drew her bow and focused all her magic into one of her strongest spells, one that not even Odin himself knew. "Glóðarljós!" With that spell, about 50 arrows were manifested, each 10 having either fire, electricity, energy, ice, or poison in them.

But Kratos's next response astonished her.

Kratos focused deeply, taking several breaths, before he then harnessed what seemed to be his own godly powers into the Draupnir Ring that he had, manifesting all the weapons it had.

Kratos then flowed the energy into his Guardian Shield, and Freya watched with wide eyes as Kratos focused deeply, looking almost overwhelmed as the arrows drew ever near, before he then let out his first roar and manifested several shields from the gauntlet of his hand before slamming them together.

The resulting burst of all elements clashed with her own 50 arrows, and after a struggle, the burst and the arrows cancelled one another out.

Kratos then charged at her, the first time she had seen him do so.

Caught off-guard, Freya narrowly blocked his axe slashes, only to be struck by a vicious punch to the gut. 

Reeling from the attack, Freya responded by hooking Kratos in the face, but that attack only left a small bruise on the former God of War.

The battle continued, now at it's final phase, and Freya was now truly overwhelmed in combat. She could still keep up and deliver her own share of hits, but Kratos seemed to hardly feel the pain as he shrugged off cuts to the cheek, stabs to the shoulder, and slashes to the chest and retaliated just as fiercely, aiming his attacks on precise spots to wear her down with small injuries, but nothing fatal.

Now, Kratos freely shifted through his arsenal of weapons, and though Freya was familiar with all of them, Kratos masterfully adapted his techniques and changed styles on a whim, concealing hidden attacks and weaving in unexpected tactics, making it difficult even for her to predict his moves.

Despite everything, Freya had to admit he truly was impressive.

If only-

A few minutes later, and Freya was finally forced to conceed defeat as Kratos disarmed her, pushed her hard, sending her several feet backwards, and aimed several arrows at her hands and legs, knocking her down and pinning her limbs.

Freya snarled as she tried to use her magic to pull them off, but then she felt what she had longed for so long.

It was the curse that kept her on Midgar. Freya had became so accustomed to the curses of that damned ex-husband of hers that she could sense their condition easily.

All of them were lifted. She was free to travel between Realms.

To return home? I can... Go back now?

Freya's thoughts were only cut by the time Kratos removed all the arrows that pinned her limbs.

"I have robbed you of the choice that wasn't yours to make with Baldur, yes, Freya. I regret that, but now I wish to give you another choice: We could work together to defeat Odin and start a new age for the Nine Realms, or you could refuse and walk away. I give my word that as long as you do not attempt to oppose my new commitment to make things better, then you would not be pursued."

Freya eyed Kratos in shock. While he may have freed Tyr, who would have thought that he would truly be dedicated to the cause of freeing the Nine Realms from Odin's grasp? He had been so cold, so uncaring before, but now Freya had to admit she realized she had misjudged him, no matter her anger at Baldur's death.

"I will give you time to think about it. This-" Kratos handed her a sphere. "Is a one-way gate into the home where Atreus and Angrboda are residing. Come there if you truly wish to join the cause that I, Tyr, and your people have started."

Freya's eyes widened. "My people?"

"Yes, Freya. The plan is we would consolidate the Vanir in Vanaheim, force the Aesir out of the realm, and then your brother would unite the Elves in Alfheim before we then storm Svartalfheim to free the Dwarves from Odin's tyranny. I assume your curse has been lifted by the means Faye and Ratatoskr have provided and Tyr and Mimir have made an alliance with Freyr."

With that, Kratos went to a nearby Mystical Gateway and opened the portal to Vanaheim without another word.

Leaving Freya alone and contemplating everything she had heard.

After a few minutes, Freya gave a deep breath before screaming into the sky, letting out her anger over the situation.

What other choice did she have?

"Shouldn't you be staying in your room, kids? Try and start fucking now that your parents are not around?" Atreus blushed red along with Angrboda as they finished healing up Brok.

Brok had taken the worse damage among them, after all. He still had a few cracked ribs, and Atreus and Angrboda were healing them now. Angrboda had taught him a few healing spells, which he used to mend the broken ribs, but it would still take time before he could move again.

"Alright, so you are from this new future, eh? And your girlfriend? Look, I'm not gonna ask you to spill the beans, but I do hope you realize that you can trust us lot. I don't know what you've been through, kid, but I do hope you can confess sometime."

"Brok, I-"

Before Atreus could say his reply entirely, the doors to the house opened.

But when Atreus and Angrboda went to check, it was Freya.

Atreus gave Angrboda a glance, and she nodded and closed the door, leaving him and Freya staring at one another.

"You're different." Freya commented as she eyed him particularly intensely.

"So you came around?" Atreus asked slowly.

"I suppose so. I... I never meant to harm you. I would never do that." Freya said slowly as Atreus nodded.

Now that he noticed, he was still angry with Freya a bit, the trauma of seeing her hold a sword to his father's neck not fully forgotten, but he knew she would come around.

"I know, Freya, and I believe you. Can I ask you to lower some of your magical defenses? I can give you back your memories in that future." 

Freya's eyes widened. "You remember?"

"Yeah. You packed the memories of certain individuals into orbs, so I could make people remember. I tested it out on Sif, and it worked out. She would have killed me, Angrboda, Brok, and Mimir otherwise. I guess I am grateful that you didn't go all-out against me. I wouldn't have survived for any more than a minute if you had wanted me dead." Atreus said, trying to joke a bit to lighten the mood.

"I- Very well."

After Freya gave him the get go, Atreus held out the orb containing Freya's memories and recited the spell to imprint those memories of the future on her.

Surprisingly enough, Freya only seemed minorly distorted, unlike Mimir. She recovered within moments, and didn't even take a few breaths like Mimir did.

"So it worked? We truly have a chance to make things right?" Freya asked simply.

"Yeah. Now, we need to discuss certain things too."

Odin slammed the table on his study as Huginn and Muninn delivered the news of Freya's curse being broken and Einherjars being forced out of Vanaheim.

Tyr was behind this, without a doubt. Odin had to admit despite everything he did have to begrudgingly admire Tyr's talents and capabilities. Once upon a time, he did try to make good use of it, and turn that disappointing son of his into being useful.

Now, things were steadily getting out of hand, and Odin needed a foothold to regain some control over the situation, but how? Not even the seal on Asgard could stop the assault on Asgard last time. Granted, it was definitely one from Jotunheim, and a one-use only, but Odin did not know what to make of this blasted situation.

That giantess, Laufey, was truly becoming an enormously unpredictable variable. Her knowledge of an alternate future from which her son sent her seemed to make her privy to things even Odin could have never anticipated. 

But then Odin's mind froze as he recalled the expression on that boy's face. He looked angry, yet there was a degree of attachment that shouldn't have been there yet. 

After a minute or two, Odin connected the knots.

Loki didn't just send his mother through time... He sent himself back too!

That would explain the boy's reaction to him before, much more wary than what he would have initially expected. He must have made a mistake in that future, but the seeds was still there.

How to sprout it, though, Odin wondered...

But then Odin sensed a disturbance in his study.

Rushing towards it, Odin found the Rift of Creation, seemingly widening.

Odin cautiously placed his right hand through, and was instantly bombarded with a vision.

He stood with the boy, alone, and the boy looked torn before he reluctantly accepted to go with him.

There was no presence of the boy's father, of his mother, of Frigg, or anyone.

There was another vision, however.

A vision that depicted Thor, Thrud, and Atreus in Muspelheim, with the mask on Loki's hand.

With that, Odin's hand was repelled from the Rift as it closed itself again.

Even so, Odin allowed a small smile to grace his lips.

Finally, something good came up.

Chapter Text

"Well done, all of you." Tyr said with a big smile on his face as he, Kratos, Faye, Mimir, Freya Atreus, Angrboda, Ratatoskr, and the Huldra Brothers all sat at the cottage they had built on the World Tree. 2 days had passed since Vanaheim was freed of the Aesir and Freya had joined them. They were now making plans for the future, and Tyr in particular had one plan he intended to have them all benefit from. "Today marks the start of the final war amongst the Nine Realms, one that will see the union of the Nine Realms and begin a new age of equality and prosperity."

"Well, the Vanir is definitely quite willing to offer support, even though they've grown weaker thanks to Odin being a bastard as always." Mimir said with a small, forced smile, which made Freya scoff. "The next thing we should work on would be gaining the allegiance of the Dwarves, don't you think? They were forced into Odin's service, but we could gain their allegiance by freeing them. I know how to do it." Tyr gave Mimir an encouraging glance as the latter looked down in clear shame.

"In that, you'll have our full support, free of charge, but not of supplies." Brok said grimly as Sindri eyed his brother in surprise. "What? Freeing Nidavellir and finally giving the Aesir their rightful dues? Heh, until the war is over, you don't need to pay us, just give us the resources you need. Do you mind about it, Sindri?" Sindri shook his head quickly as he looked visibly impressed.

"Freyr can get the Elves to work together again, and I have built something new from the Valkyries who spurned Odin and his ways. I've used impressive amounts of Seior magic to turn them into the Shield Maidens, giving them corporeal forms that can never be corrupted again." Freya stated as Tyr nodded approvingly. He hoped she had found true peace from the memories of a more bittersweet time.

"And as for me, the World Tree is and will always be welcome to you all! I have analyzed parts of Odin's magic in regards to blocking travel between the Realms, so there is a chance I could reverse-engineer it, allowing everyone BUT Asgard from entering." Ratatoskr said eagerly as even Tyr had to stare at the Squirell of the Nine Realms over that. "It will take a while, but I'm confident Vanaheim and Alfheim would be safe from any retaliation of Asgard, allowing us to safely build our forces in those two realms."

"Thank you, Ratatoskr. Now, before that, allow me to reveal to you the prophecy to end all prophecies. The truest prophecy of Ragnarok, unknown to all but me, enchanted to where it can never be forced out of one's lips by the world itself." With that, Tyr explained to them exactly what the prophecy was, what it meant for the Nine Realms, and the future that awaited them.

"Wow, got to admit, the Giants sure are crazy-prepared, even more so than Odin." Sindri said in awe as Tyr gave a small smile while Angrboda was visibly surprised. "Look, even Angrboda here doesn't seem to know anything about it, and neither do you, right, boss?" Ratatoskr humbly shook his head, while Faye was looking even more happy with herself at the idea of what awaited them next.

"Yes. However, before that, as champions of the new age, there is one last thing we should complete before the war truly begins." Tyr declared as he eyed Freya. "Have there been any side-effects that would keep the Shield Maidens up, Freya? Do they need time to get used to their new bodies?" Freya shook her head. "As skilled in your craft as you always have been. Then, we'll have the time we need to prepare for the trials ahead."

"What trials, Tyr?" Faye asked curiously. "I admit, I have never been told of this second prophecy, so I am curious as to what lies ahead. We will face it together." Tyr merely smiled as he nodded. "Despite all our differences, our past, today and from now on, we will stand united to bring the Nine Realms the Golden Age it truly deserves."

"We must travel to Valhalla." Freya's eyes widened, as did Faye. Even Brok and Sindri were looking at the Norse God of War as though he said something incredulous. Kratos, on the other hand, eyed Tyr calmly, which made Tyr nod appreciatively at the Ghost of Sparta. "We will go to the Spark of the World as soon as the Valkyries have regained their physical forms, and from there, we shall access an alternative method to enter Valhalla, a method that Odin can do nothing against, for he does not have any power over the primordial realms."

"And what, pray tell, necessitates us to travel to Valhalla, Tyr? Even if Odin cannot thwart us from entering Valhalla, I have no doubt he will be able to sense that we have entered Valhalla. He can send in men after us, so how are we going to-" 

"Regardless, it is still a trial worth undertaking. Neither of us are truly able to access the height of our character and abilities, the way we are now. If we are going to be the champions the Nine Realms deserve, we must undertake this journey. I have passed this trial once, and that is how I became the god standing before you. You all must complete the trials as well, both for the growth of your strength and for the clarity of your mind and heart. Besides, some of Odin's forces that you speak of, Freya, are, in fact, the people who could still be saved." Tyr assessed himself firmly as Atreus glanced at him with surprise and hope.

"Of course, you have the choice of completing this trial WHEN you have deemed yourselves ready to, but-" Kratos immediately stood up, shaking his head as he eyed everyone present, Faye giving him a small smile that Tyr returned, realizing the choice Kratos was going to make. "I assume you have made your decision, Kratos?"

"I confess I am... not ready, yet. I still have a few misgivings, a few blocks that would keep me from serving as the best general this revolution we are planning to undertake. Tyr, do you think Valhalla is capable of providing the opportunity of me to face my problems and overcome them?" Kratos asked as Tyr nodded with a small smile. 

"Indeed, Kratos. Faye here is the most emotionally balanced amongst you all, but she could still use some work. After all, there were some... past actions you are not proud of that you must face head-on." Kratos eyed Faye with some surprise, as she took on the face of "Laufey the Just" and nodded solemnly but seriously. "As for you, Freya, you have made some degree of peace, but the past still binds you. Your magic and skills are as strong as ever, but you can discover even greater strength if you go through this. You will face the past in it's purest form and overcome it." Some of the uncertainity lifted in Freya's eyes as she finally gave a small nod.

"Angrboda and Atreus are in dire need of self-reflection and self-development. Atreus, you are still struggling to find your place in all this and recent revelations have shaken your world. Angrboda, you have developed desires and feelings beyond what you ever imagined, but you still struggle to truly live up to it. The trials of Valhalla will give you what you need." Tyr stated sagely as Atreus looked down. Angrboda held his hand, but she too was clearly feeling a bit melancholic over it.

"Brok and Sindri, the two of you still carry guilt for your creation of Mjolnir and feel yourself responsible for what the Dwarves have done in Odin's name. You, Mimir, on the other hand, hold yourself responsible for all that the Aesir had done that was either inspired from you or were your own decisions. In conclusion, all of us could benefit from being able to access and test ourselves through Valhalla." Tyr said as he gave the three people he mentioned a glance of understanding.

"For now, though, you should rest. Ready yourself for tomorrow. Ratatoskr, I would like to speak with you." The Caretaker of Yggdrasil nodded in curiosity as he got up and followed Tyr into the outsides of this humble home. "Now, Ratatoskr, may I ask if you wish to come and follow us into the trials of Valhalla?"

Ratatoskr's eyes widened. "You mean, like directly fighting beside my cherished friends and helpers? While I am capable of interacting with the Nine Realms, I don't think I am a warrior. I will, of course, do my best to use the power of the World Tree for the good of the cause, but-"

"You misunderstand me, Ratatoskr. As you have become part of the World Tree, you cannot die unless the Tree itself is destroyed. You are the closest thing to being a true immortal, so we both know you do not fear defeat or death. I can give you the means to allow you to fight if you wish. It will also help you with certain issues regarding your character. Are you willing to take this chance?"

Ratatoskr looked down for a while, before he eventually nodded. Tyr smiled. "Good. Now, I think I owe my sister-in-law a visit in her dreams. There is also one more thing I need to ask of you..."

"Hello, Sif." Sif got up almost immediately to find herself in an odd terrain. She was in a misty wood with tablets of runic markings, each of the Nine Realms. This was a magic spell, Sif immediately realized. But who could have cast such a spell on her? "I'm over here, Sif." Sif's eyes widened as she recognized that voice. Without any further ado, she turned around to find none other but Tyr.

"Lord Tyr? What are you doing here? Is this a dream? You used the Walk of Sleep from afar, didn't you?" Sif said as she regarded the one Aesir who she always admired deep down in awe, the God of War of the Nine Realms, even greater in essence than both Thor and Odin themselves. He always had a way of commanding respect and appreciation from others.

"I am here to tell you what you should do next. Tomorrow, I'm going to enter Valhalla alongside Kratos and the others." Sif's eyes narrowed at that. Why would Tyr take them to Valhalla? Aside from Asgard, there was only one way to enter Valhalla and from what she heard, Odin had locked it to make sure Tyr couldn't travel there. "We will be entering through means that the All-Father would be helpless to block. Before the war begins, they need to go through several trials that could only be found in Valhalla."

"Is that even possible? And what do you require of me in this matter, Lord Tyr?" Sif said with wide eyes as she realized yet again just how resourceful Tyr truly was. "I can't break my cover yet. I have yet to gain the opportunity to allow Loki to restore my daughter's memories, and the people have yet to grown truly disillusioned with Odin. Thor is also still unable to break free of the All-Father's grasp. It's been just 2 days since you were free. I need more-"

"No, Sif. I do not need you to defy Odin. Instead, I want you to make sure you, Thor, and Thrud would be the ones sent to Valhalla." Sif's eyes widened at Tyr's calm words. "You three could also benefit from the trials of Valhalla. The doubts Thor had towards Odin would fester more, Atreus would restore Thrud's memories, and you would also get a chance to make amends with your failures of Magni and Modi." Sif's eyes fell at the mention of her two sons, who died because she was such a poor mother. Their souls were said to be in Valhalla, so maybe-

"This is what must be done. Do you trust me, Sif?"

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Sif asked after a while. "You know more about Valhalla than even Odin himself, and that's because you've been there. But how did you-" Tyr merely smiled. "Oh, let me guess, the Giants? They must have worked their magic on Valhalla. First, time travel is possible, and now it turns out, we can enter Valhalla without dying? Alright, but how do we do that? How do we enter Valhalla? I'm not sure I can count on Odin aside making him agree, so-"

"Don't worry. I will teach you the incantations needed. After you convince Odin, go to the gates of Valhalla."

"I assume that the fact that Muspelheim is one of the primordial realms is why we are here?" Kratos asked calmly as they exited the Mystic Gateway they used to enter. "You said we are going to access a shortcut to this "Valhalla". I assume that as Mimir and Faye have stated before that Odin's power does not extend in the primordial realms."

"Quite astute of you, Kratos. Yes, indeed. Leaving aside Vanaheim, which has currently been purged of Aesir's invasion, Jotunheim, due to my best efforts, and Helheim, which is well-protected due to Hraesvelg's presence and the very nature of the Realm of the Dead, the two primordial realms, Muspelheim and Niflheim, stand as the only realms that, while accessable to Odin, are hardly affected by his efforts to gain control." Tyr said approvingly as they traveled near a forge of some kind, dozens of swords clearly not made for battle.

"Damn, this is Surtr's Forge? These swords are actually pretty decent, but not the world-ending material we could expect." Brok said as he judged the swords one by one.

"We are not here to approach Surtr. Not yet. For now, Valhalla awaits. As long as we do not disturb him, he will not do anything to us. Come now, let us go to the Spark of the World." Tyr said as he approached a huge black gate and recited incantations, causing the gate to seemingly become intangible as he casually walked inside with Kratos and the others following through.

"Oh, we're going into the Spark of the World, aren't we? Got to admit, I've always been curious. You spoke to me at times about this place, but not much." Mimir said, looking uncharacteristically eager as they entered the cave. "The place where the primordial realms, Niflheim and Muspelheim, meet. You said it was full of primordial magic. I guess we're going to use that to our advantage?"

Tyr merely nodded as the cave finally ended to reveal the Spark of the World. It truly was a beautiful sight to behold, full of dazzling lights, power emanating through the location. It oddly reminded Kratos of the feeling he had when he commanded the Power of Hope, so long ago, as though this place was just as primordial as Hope itself.

"The sky represents the harmony of Fire and Ice, the primordial elements. Their union here would create the mystical life-blood of all creation: Ice became the first being in the form of Ymir, and then Fire became the second being in the form of Surtr. Ymir created the Giants, the Gods, the Man, and the Beasts from his flesh and union with Auoumbla, while Surtr birthed the sun and the stars with his primordial flame." Tyr explained sagely as he raised his hand and waved runes that Kratos recognized as originating from Egypt, creating a long series of platforms for them to walk on without having to jump.

"That's the magic of Egyptian Hieroglyphs, isn't it?" Kratos asked as Tyr turned around to face him in pleasant surprise, while even Faye was looking at him, impressed. "I have been to the lands of Egypt, once, and I remember coming into the Southern Lands before settling down here." Tyr nodded in approval while Faye playfully nudged him in the elbow.

"Wait- So you've been to other pantheons, Father!? What were they-"

"I didn't stay there for too long, and I avoided their gods as much as I could. I did pick up some of their knowledge, but not much. I'm not a scholar, like Tyr or you. I've always been more on the field of being intelligent and wise in the field of battle." Kratos said grimly as Tyr nodded in approval, although he looked down on himself at the idea of being "wise". Kratos supposed he would be capable of leading an army, but to become a ruler was a different thing entirely. Perhaps he was meant to just lead the armies whenever a threat happened while those like Tyr, Freya, and Faye would be the ones doing the leading.

"I understand, Kratos." Tyr said simply as they walked until they reached the seeming end of the Spark of the World. "Now, let us begin." With that, Tyr stepped down from the platforms, followed swiftly by Kratos, his family, and his friends as they eyed the edge of the Spark of the World, which seemed to be the brightest point of this entire place. 

"Ó, frumkraftar! Veittu hópi auðmjúkra stríðsmanna aðgang að sölum hins fullkomna stríðsmanns, svo við gætum hjálpað níu ríkjunum og heimstrénu sjálfu að fæðast að nýju!" It was a long incantation, one that Kratos could vaguely translate from his experience learning the language of these lands with his son's help, but he noticed Faye and Freya looking at Tyr in awe over what he was doing.

Suddenly, a huge gate appeared, one connecting to a glowing door with runes above and the statue of a winged, hooded woman looming over. "You really did it. You could open a gate to Valhalla all this time!?" Freya said, as though the feat was truly astonishing to her, while Tyr merely gave her a small smile.

"You might be one of the greatest masters of magic in the Nine Realms, Freya, but I have experienced not only a wealth of ancient knowledge of our home, but also that of realms beyond." Tyr stated humbly. "I have access to a plethora of skills foreign in the Nine Realms, as well." With that, Tyr turned towards the portal and calmly stepped forward.

"Ah... The feeling of primordial magic brings me back to Yggdrasil." Kratos turned towards Ratatoskr, who seemed to be breathing in the magic for some reason. "It makes sense, as this place is the most connected to the World Tree. It's purity is even on par with Yggdrasil's deeper reaches, surpassed only by the depths and heights where Nidhogg and I myself commonly occupy."

With a small smile, Ratatoskr turned towards them. "Well, gentleman, I believe we have trials to tackle. Let us march forward and hope for the best, shall we!?" With that, Ratatoskr walked forward as well.

Kratos turned towards his wife and son, who nodded with a small smile, and they walked together as family should.

"So we're really going to enter the Valhalla!?" Thrud said excitedly as she walked beside her and Thor. Sif nodded simply as she used all the centuries she had to practice her mind to remain calm, but it was getting hard as she knew what lay ahead of them would most likely be emotionally hard to swallow, both for her and Thor. "But how did those guys get into Valhalla in the first place?"

"It's not really Valhalla, in my opinion. The reason I was able to get Odin to let us be the ones to go in this mission is because Tyr, when he used to be- er, well, nice, dutiful, loyal- told me certain things he didn't tell anyone else." Sif said, admittedly somewhat stiffly. She never really insulted Tyr even as she got worse and worse over the centuries, and Thor looked like he was shocked to hear say it. "Anyway, we're not really going to Valhalla. We're going to a specialized pocket of Valhalla independent from the rest of it."

"We're not going to the neighborhoods where the Einherjar resides, but instead we'll be going through a gauntlet that requires us to "master thyself"." Sif said after a while as Thrud's eyes lit up even more, while Thor looked confused. "It's not just about us overcoming obstacles, but also about HOW we overcome them. We must demonstrate mastery over our powers, be flexible and ready to change our tactics anytime. The way we're going, we're going to run into them WHEN we've completed the trials and they've completed theirs."

With that, they arrived on the Gates of Valhalla as Sif gave a deep breath and held out the rune she had crafted swiftly, pointing it at the door. The rune had been instructed to her by Tyr to connect their trials with Kratos's own party. "Raoa Sjalfr Sinum Hattum." Sif recited the very words crafted on the entrance, causing the door to glow and open. 

"Now, Thrud, you are NOT going to go inside there without either one of us there helping you." Sif took on an authoritian attitude as Thrud pouted. "We're going to split up our tries in stopping whatever they're trying to do into four tries: The first will be you and I, the second will be Thor and you, the third will be Thor and I, the fourth and fifth try will have one of us individually, and the sixth try will finally have all of us together. The reason of this is because I think the reason why they're here is that they're not looking to jeopardize Valhalla."

At Thor's confusion, Sif gave a small smirk that felt bitter in the inside. "What is it you always said, Thor? Tyr is a preachy old shit? I don't entirely agree, but this is one of those times. Tyr probably wants them here so they could get stronger before the war really starts, and Valhalla is known... for bringing up old memories." Sif said almost warily. "Tyr probably wants them to find the same old stuff of enlightenment." At that, Thor snorted as he shook his head, but Sif eyed Thrud, who looked a bit torn and curious. She was still so young...

"This is also an opportunity to give our daughter here some experience, and the rules of Valhalla means they can't outnumber us 10 to 3. They'll have to split up. The maximum they'll be allowed is from 3 to 5. Considering only 2 days have passed, we should be able to take on the "weak ones" fairly easily. We just have to be careful about it. Now, Thor, stay here and let the two of us enter first. Be ready for your own turn. You could try and practice a couple of moves with your hammer for a warm-up."

"Will do." With that, Thor gave her one last nod that she returned before she and her daughter walked inside.

"Stay close to me, Thrud. Don't give me reason to ground you." Sif said sternly as Thrud nodded exasperatedly, but then she gently patted her daughter in the head. "But... Try your best and help me out too." Now, that made Thrud's face lit up as she nodded excitedly.