Petty Vengeance
"...Move aside. We have no time for games," Kratos responds with a hiss, waving a disinterested hand through the air.
The tanned woman, known as Aisha, giggles as she steps up to the god, "Oh, come on. I promise it won't take long..." she says, raising a dainty hand to Kratos' chest.
Kratos catches the woman's wrist, his face stone cold as he stares down at her, "...I will not tell you again," he says.
Aisha hides a grimace as she glances at the vice that holds her. Kratos releases her wrist after a moment and she steps back, a frown contorting her lips, "Geez, alright..." she says. Her eyes suddenly drift to Atreus though, and that nothing-but-trouble smirk returns to her lips, "...What about you, little guy? I can smell that you're a virgin from here."
Atreus cocks his head back, glancing at his father before his eyes return to the nigh naked woman, "Uh... no, I think I'm okay," he responds.
A moment passes, and that smirk grows. Like a dancer, the woman moves swiftly towards Atreus, her hands stretched out to embrace the boy, "Oh, you don't even know ho-"
Suddenly, the woman is met with a smack to her cheek. She stumbles back again, raising her hand to the forming bruise as she stares at Kratos with a different smirk, "Oh... You'll regret that," she hisses.
Kratos stands with that same stone expression on his face, staring at the woman with cold eyes. After finding no reaction to her words, Aisha suddenly bolts towards the burly god, twisting her body and launching a long leg towards Kratos' head. Her ankle is caught by a rough hand, and the Greek God grimaces, "...Learn from this," his pale fist makes contact with Aisha's knee, and a blood-curdling crack echos through the streets.
Aisha falls to the pavement with an inverted leg. She opens her mouth to scream, but alas, the only sounds heard are small whimpers. The other woman, known as Samira, darts her vision between Kratos and Aisha, her face struggling between rage and fear, "What did you do!?" she exclaims.
Kratos stares at Samira, and her rage-filled eyes finally settle on him. Though the God merely looks away, stepping over Aisha and past Samira, "...Do not make the same mistake... Help your friend," he mutters, "Come, Atreus."
"Yes, Father," the boy responds, glancing at Aisha's mangled knee with a wrinkled nose, "...Ew," he mutters. Atreus catches up to his father quickly, and they return to their search for a bottle.
Kratos sighs as he walks, feeling that flaming rage leave him slowly. However, as the Greek God hears quick footsteps behind him, the flame explodes back into his mind with full force. Kratos grits his teeth and balls his fists up, turning in an instant to meet his attacker.
Samira launches herself towards the god, anger contorting her face as her fist flies towards Kratos' face. The Old spartan launches a lightning-quick uppercut in response, cracking the silver-haired woman's chin and knocking her a few feet into the air. He catches her ankle, spinning once again and slamming the woman into the pavement. An explosion throws dust into the air, and after a moment, it clears to reveal a bloodied corpse sunk into a crater.
Kratos pants, staring at the woman. His hands are still balled to fists as he attempts to tame that rage again. Atreus stands a few feet away, his eyes darting between the corpse and his father, "You... You killed her," he mutters.
Silence permeates the air, and the boy stares at Kratos, waiting for a response. The Ghost of Sparta releases a long exhale, looking to the sky and closing his eyes. He looks to his son after a moment, his eyes finally devoid of that rage, "Yes... Yes, I did," his deep voice flows through the streets.
Mimir suddenly sighs from his usual spot, "She did what she thought was right, laddy... It was just bad luck that her target was your da'," he says.
Atreus nods, "I know... But why didn't she just leave us alone? She could have lived if she just helped her friend," he responds.
Kratos walks around the crater, gesturing for the boy to follow him with a hum, "If someone were to hurt me, how would you react?" he asks as Atreus catches up to him.
Atreus scoffs, "I can't imagine anyone hurting you... Especially in this city," he responds with sarcasm.
"Humor me," Kratos says.
The duo passes under a street light, and Atreus hums, "...Well, obviously I would kill whoever hurt you," he says quickly.
Kratos nods, "...Do not make the same mistake as that woman though. She was clearly outmatched, and she knew it... But vengeance can blind even the most experienced warriors," he responds.
Atreus furrows his brows, looking up at his father as he walks, "But... I would never leave you if you're hurt. I would have to kill them," he says.
Kratos hums, "No. If I am ever injured to the point I can no longer fight, then you will flee. I will not allow you to fall into the pit of vengance," he says.
Atreus pauses, his eyes drifting to the pavement, "...Okay, Father," he mutters.
---
A door creaks open, and the father and son duo step through the threshold. A loud snore bogs their mind, and Kratos looks to that black sofa to see Dimitri sprawled across the cushions with the blanket covering his body. Atreus steps up to that desk, a lamp shedding light on a parchment with a key laid atop it, "A key for a bottle. Thanks for your business..." the boy reads the parchment and chuckles, "...Isn't he a little too trusting? We could totally steal everything he has right now."
Kratos hums as he stares at Dimitri, his eyes roaming over a bottle hanging from the Elf's hand, "...It seems so. Take the key and leave the bottle... We must take our rest as well," he responds.
"Okay," Atreus responds, grabbing the small metal key from the parchment and setting the bottle in its place. The duo exits Dimitri's office and arrive before that wooden door with the parchment still attached loosely. The door swings open, and similar to Dimitri's office, Kratos is met with a narrow staircase.
The steps fall away quickly under the duo's feet, and another door creaks open. Kratos is met with a large room, dimly lit by the moonlight leaking from the curtained windows. The walls are wooden and plain, and on the back wall, a fireplace is set into the wood with small logs stacked inside. Two red sofas face each other in the middle of the room, a wooden table set between them and a rug laid flat under it all.
"This seems to be the living area," Kratos mutters, his eyes roaming to two openings on either side of the room that leads to a hall.
Atreus studies the room while standing beside his father, his lips curled as a sparkle gathers in his eyes, "So this will be our new home," the boy says, walking towards that fireplace. He kneels before it, poking the cold logs with furrowed brows, "...This is a lot smaller than the one we had in Midgard," he says, remembering the fire pit set beside his bed in his old home.
"Atreus," Kratos suddenly calls from one of the sofas behind the boy.
"Hmm?" Atreus responds, standing and turning to face his father.
"Come here... I want to check those numbers on your back," Kratos responds, tilting his head as a gesture.
Atreus raises his brows, "Okay?" he responds, walking to that sofa and removing the tunic from his body. He turns until his back is facing Kratos and the cushions give way to his backside.
Kratos hums, setting a hand to his son's back. The boy jolts from the sudden touch, but quickly calms himself after, "Geez, your hand is cold," he mutters with a chuckle.
"Mmh. Endure it," Kratos responds, and after a moment, that familiar blue light permeates the room. The Greek God removes his hand and reads the numbers, which all read zero. Though there are some words beside and below the numbers that cause the God to furrow his brows. Kratos remembers copying the symbol for that fat elf, and his eyes roam to that wooden table to find a stack of parchment.
A moment passes, and that blue light reveals itself again. Kratos removes the parchment, "Turn," he says. Atreus follows his father's command, and Kratos hands the boy the parchment, "What does this say?" A pale finger touches the words.