Prologue
The hard soled shoes clop across the cobblestone road, making their way to a five-star hotel in London. This particular man was a scientist of dreams from New York City. He was in London due to paranormal activity that his companion believed he could decipher.
The young scientist looks up at the stars as he turns to walk down to a coffee shop. That's when he notices that half of the constellation of Scorpio is missing. Instead, a cluster of stars is in its place.
"That…" the scientist sticks his pen in the sky, tracing the stars with it," That makes no-"
"Sense."
The scientist jumps as a dark, yet smooth voice emanates from the alley. Out of it comes a straw-berry blond man, fully dressed in black. He has a heavy winter coat. This confuses the scientist, for why would a man where a winter coat in the middle of July.
"Sir," he nods, "Who are you?"
The new man chuckles. "That's a good question. Who am I? I have many names. Morte, Shindeiru, Death. But, you may call me Hades."
The scientist takes a breath…and runs! But as he turns, he runs into a man who could not be older than his mid-twenties. His hair sticks out every which way and is bright red. His skin is snow white and his eyes are the same dark shade as the night around them.
"What do you want?!" the scientist pleads, reaching for his phone.
"Oh, nothing really," the boy shrugs, "Just one thing…" A sword explodes from the boys coat and stabs the cell phone. The scientist stumbles back. "Where is Hamato Leonardo and Raphael?"
"I don't know who you're talking about!"
The boy's lips twitch. "So be it."
The scientist tells as he's levitated into the air, and turned so he's facing Hades.
"Last chance," the death lord says, his skin peeling away to expose pure rotted bone.
"No, wait, please!"
"Finalized!" With nothing but a shock, black dust starts pouring from the scientist and goes into Hades. Hades smiles as his features grow younger and the scientist shrivels into a pear. When the scientist goes limp, Hades drops him and takes a new breath of life.
"That got us nowhere," the boy growls, running his fingers through his thick hair. "You killed our suspect! What are we supposed to do now, Death!?"
"Hades, if you please, Aro," Hades cautions, "It has a nice ring to it."
"Everything has a nice ring to you."
"Easy, young prince, I thought your father taught you not to play with Death."
"Enough! You're not at the top. I am!"
"In technical sense, Leonardo is at the top. You lost your throne to him."
"Save it, or I'll behead you."
"You can't kill death-"
"This isn't a nightmare, Death! This is a world of reality. You are a fable here!"
"As are you, Aro. But is that stopping you?"
Aro glares at Hades, "I can't stop. The nightmares are lost. I must find them before Leonardo or-"
"Or he'll be ultimate king. And you can't take that, can you?"
"He will not be corinated, Hades."
The man of death smiles, "To America?"
Aro turns from him and walks back into the street, "To America."
Hades rolls his eyes but walks after Aro.
In the hotel, a young women look out the window, looking for the voices she heard. But when she looks, no one is there. It was as if those voices were never there at all…