Chapter Two:

-Curiouser and Deadlier-

Entering her bedchamber, Persephone slammed the door shut. "I can't believe that jerk! All because I didn't want to be his side-piece!"

Ripping off her scarf, she threw it on the floor, and with an aggravated groan, she collapsed on her bed.

"Okay, what happened?"

Persephone saw her sister lean over her. "To make a long story short, Des, Hades is an entitled sleaze-ball. If I hadn't sworn otherwise, I would've ripped him to shreds with my bare hands."

The nails on her right hand sharpened into claws before retracting to normal, and then sharpening again. Her eyes glowed red, and she gritted her teeth, a low growl escaping her lips.

"Calm down, Percy." Despoina placed a cool hand on her forehead. "You're not gonna get anywhere being upset. What exactly did he say to you?"

"Hades had this whole romantic date planned, and while it was pleasant at first, he got way too forward." Persephone hugged her arms around herself. "I turned him down, and he threatened me, saying I was just his minion and that he owned me because of our deal."

Despoina shook her head. "You smacked him for that, right?"

"Somewhere in that ballpark." She sat up. "And the idiot actually fell for my decoy."

The vial of pink liquid appeared in her hand.

"What's that?" Despoina said.

"A potion that can turn gods mortal." Snapping her fingers, a metal suitcase appeared at Persephone's side. "This'll prove interesting for my research, but I'll keep it as insurance for now."

Entering a code, the suitcase opened, and inside were vials filled with various liquids. She took an empty one, and using a syringe, transferred the potion. Setting the new vial in its slot, she discarded the old one and locked the suitcase.

Persephone's stomach gnawed at her. Even after taking two doses of her serum, the itch in her veins remained, and her fight with Hades only agitated her further.

Despoina furrowed her brow. "Are you okay?"

"No matter what I do the virus remains a part of me." Persephone stared at her hands and flexed them. "Even my serum is failing."

"But without that–" Despoina said.

"I know what'll happen, but don't worry." She smiled. "I'll figure something out."

"You better." Despoina turned away. "You've survived too long to end up like me."

Persephone's eyes watered. She always had to remind herself that her sister was dead and existed as nothing more than a haunting shadow.

She sighed. "This undead purgatory isn't a cake walk either."

"But you have a chance to live again, Percy." She lowered her head. "You deserve to after everythin'."

"Thank you, Des. I love you too." Persephone placed a hand under her sister's chin and kissed her forehead. "You should go. I need to feed."

Despoina pouted. "Do I have to?"

She nodded. "You know I don't want you to see me like that. We can talk later."

"Okay." Her ghostly form vanished.

Persephone secured her room with a barrier before moving her bed out of the way. Waving her hand, the floor opened to reveal the men, and she glanced over each of them while they squirmed and moaned like lab rats in a cage.

She smirked, her voice becoming distorted. "You have every right to be afraid, for I see all of you as you truly are."

Persephone pulled one of the men out of the hole and resealed the floor. The man tried to crawl away, but she snatched him by his left leg and bent it until it snapped at the knee. He let out a muffled cry, and she threw him at the wall, crippling him further. She watched him cower into a fetal position before stalking over to him like a skilled predator.

"Do you want me to stop? Show you kindness?" She kicked his face. "Did you afford the same to the innocent travelers you killed!"

Her nails elongated into large, sharp claws, her skin peeling back to make room, and with her index claw, she carved the man's crimes onto his body. A light shone from each letter, the words imprinting on his soul.

"Consider this judgement day." Her eyes glowed red. "And pray that Lord Hades will be more merciful than me."

Swinging her claws down, the man's screams came to an abrupt end, and the room fell silent save for the subtle squishes of devoured flesh.

….

"Boss, we swear we didn't!"

Hades scowled at Pain and Panic while he dangled them over the Phlegethon, just out of the souls' reach. Their skin was covered in bruises from the torture he had sentenced them to, but that did nothing to relieve his stress. No, the only thing that would bring him satisfaction was casting his so called, loyal minions into the pits of Tartarus.

"Kore knew about Hercules. She destroyed my secret room, and you're the only ones who could've told her!" His flames flared around him. "I've had it with your incompetence!"

One of the souls managed to grab onto Panic's horns, making him screech. "Boss, Lord Hades, please. We didn't betray you!"

"Is that why you left me trapped in the river for three months! If Kore hadn't shown up, I'd still be there! Now you expect me to believe that you didn't blab all of my secrets to her!" Hades lowered the rope slightly. "Enjoy your swim, boys. Once you reach the pit, you're gonna burn right down to your bones."

Pain whimpered. "We swear, your Maliciousness. We never told Kore anything. We spied on her last night because we suspected she was up to something, and she's trying to double-cross you!"

"Yeah, I know. She wanted info to black-mail me with, and you two helped her!" Hades snorted. Not that it did Kore any good.

"No, Boss. Kore's using you. We caught her scheming with someone. I think the name was… Despoina?" Panic said.

Hades paused. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint why. He watched the imps beg for mercy before pulling them up and dropping them on the ground. The rope restraining them vanished, and they groveled at his feet, turning themselves into worms.

"Thank you, Boss. We're not worthy," they cried.

Rolling his eyes, Hades grabbed the imps by the neck and brought them to his eye level. "Silence! Now, I'm gonna give you two one last chance. You're gonna tell me everythin' you heard, and it better be the truth. Or…."

His hands warmed up, burning the imps until their skin turned red. They screamed for him to stop, and after a few minutes, he released them.

"Now, start talkin'," he said.

Pain returned to normal. "We overheard Kore say something about researching the Underworld."

She told me she was a scientist, so I guess being intrigued by a place as dank as this isn't surprisin'. Hades folded his arms. "The other person you mentioned. Despoina. What'd she look like?"

"How do you know they're a she?" Pain said.

Hades resisted the urge to face palm. "Because it's a woman's name, and shouldn't you know?"

"Well, that's just it, Boss–" Panic stepped forward. "We didn't actually see anyone, but it definitely look liked Kore was talking to someone."

Pain nodded. "She also said something about finding a cure."

"A cure for what?" Hades said.

Panic shrugged. "She started acting strange, having convulsions, and then she ran off somewhere."

Convulsions? But she can't be sick. Unless… oh…. His eyes slightly widened, recalling Kore's encounter with Zeus.

Hades returned to the throne room without a word, the imps trailing behind him with caution. A loud ding graced his ears, and he saw a soul float past and into the hallway he exited. The numbers on the soul counter above flipped, adding the dead mortal to the Underworld's collection.

He stood before the large map and examined the figurines that comprised his makeshift chessboard. His army had shrunk thanks to Hercules, and all that remained were Cerberus, the imps, Charon, and a few relatives he kept his distance from.

Releasin' the Titans was the best idea I had, and my little, Nutmeg had to go all noble and betray me. Hades took his ex-minion's figurine and melted it before tossing it to the side.

Then there was the minor, or possibly, major change to his roster.

Kore…. What do the Fates have up their sleeves? I mean, several millennia alone, and they wait 'till now? He glanced at the imps. "Is that all the info you got?"

"There was one other thing." Pain placed his hands behind his back and shuffled his feet. "When she returned to her room, she had a bunch of men with her."

"Men?" Hades whipped around to face the imps. "What men?"

"We don't know. That was the last thing we saw before you summoned us for punishment." Panic gulped. "When we tried to spy on her again, she caught us."

Hades held up his hand, silencing the imps before walking over to his throne to sit down. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Clearly somethin' screwy is goin' on. He sighed. "Boys, you're off the hook for now. I'll deal with Kore tomorrow."

….

Persephone yawned and stretched against her bed. This time she awoke to a much more pleasant morning. The remains of her meal had been discarded in the fireplace, and she had redecorated the room to her tastes.

The ceiling, walls, and floor were now white marble, and all of the furniture shimmered like silver and were molded into swirled designs. A white canopy hung above, and her bed was adorned with embroidered, silk sheets and pillows.

Sliding out of bed, Persephone got herself ready for the day. "Let's see…. Should I stay cooped up in my room and focus on my research, or should I confront Hades? Decisions. Decisions."

A knock sounded off on her door, and Persephone's nose twitched at the scent of Hades' vitality. Her stomach gnawed at her, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Speak of the devil." She finished tying up her hair.

Persephone opened the door and glanced Hades over. He appeared calm, but something in his eyes read that he had a hidden agenda.

"Mornin', Kore." He smiled.

"Good morning, Lord Hades." She leaned against the door frame. "To what do I owe your antagonizing presence?"

"Aren't you the comedian?" He gave a sour laugh before clearing his throat. "Kore, I wanna talk."

"It better be an apology," she said.

"Yes, actually." He smoothed a hand over his hair. "I know I overreacted a little yesterday."

"A little?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I overreacted a lot, but understand, I really don't handle rejection well," he said.

"Sorry, but your anti-social issues are not my problem." Scoffing, Persephone tried to slam the door in his face, but he caught it halfway.

"Kore, you're absolutely right." He pried the door back open. "I'm incredibly ashamed for my behavior, which is why I wanna make it up to you. There's no sense in us being at odds with each other."

She narrowed her eyes. "I suppose."

"Great. Allow me to give you a private tour of the Underworld. Not that it's all that glamorous, but I'm sure you'd like to know your way around," he said.

If I'm going to conduct my research, I need to learn what resources I have at my disposal. She nodded. "Very well, but you better not try anything funny."

"You've got nothin' to worry about, babe." Hades headed down the hallway. "Now, come on. We've gotta lot of ground to cover."

While his back was turned, Persephone sealed her room with a barrier before following him. They walked in silence, and she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable by the awkwardness between them.

I wonder if he's up to something? I doubt he simply let yesterday go. She drew her gaze to the torches on the wall. I wish I could tell him the truth.

"Why?" A voice called out in Persephone's subconscious. "Do you really think that'll get you anywhere?"

She frowned at the voice. At least I wouldn't have to fight this alone. Hades could help me. We could….

"Could what? Live happily ever after once he rescues you from your damned existence?" The voice laughed. "All these years, and you've learned nothing. Hope is for fools, and you're only his pawn."

I'm not. Persephone mentally shook her head.

The voice scoffed. "Then why is he still alive? You should've killed him for his arrogance. You could do it now. It would be so easy."

Persephone felt her veins burn and sucked in a breath. She held a hand over her stomach as the gnawing sensation set in.

No. I don't care how much of a jerk he is. She cringed. I'll never stoop to that level.

The voice growled. "If you say so. I suppose it'll be fun to watch your heart shatter."

Persephone put a hand to her head, the voice's laughter ringing in her ears. She felt dizzy, and it took her moment to realize that Hades had stopped walking and was looking back at her.

"Are you alright?" he said.

She steadied her breathing and stood up straight. "Yes, I'm fine."

He didn't seem convinced but continued walking. They exited the palace and made their way down to the docks where a large row boat was waiting. Standing at the head was a tall, skeletal figure with an oar in hand. Judging by its bone structure, it was a male, and despite having no eyes, he could see Hades and Persephone approach him.

"Morning, Lord Hades." His voice was deep and gravely, and his eye sockets widened when he got a better look at Persephone. "Ah, and this must be the young lady you told me about."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Kore," she said.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Charon, the ferryman of the souls." He looked at Hades. "So where to, Boss?"

"Take the scenic route, Charon. I wanna show Kore around." Hades held out his hand. "Ladies first."

"Thanks." She let him help her into the boat, and sat down on one end. "But don't think this let's you off the hook."

"Of course not." Hades sat across from her.

Charon pulled away from the dock, and they began their descent down the Styx. Persephone turned her attention to the river. She had never been this close before, and seeing all of the souls float by was unsettling.

A soul grabbed onto the edge of the boat, their form dragging against the water. It was a young woman in a bridal gown. Persephone looked into the soul's eyes, and the name Eurydice flashed into her mind. The soul reached out, but when Persephone was about to take her hand, the soul was struck with a blast of fire.

"Hey!" Persephone glared at Hades. "Why did you do that for?"

"Protectin' you. Whaddya think?" he said.

"From what?" She gestured to the river. "They're only souls."

"Don't be fooled, babe." He folded his arms. "If you're not careful, they'll drag you under."

"But I think she wanted help." She furrowed her brow. "The poor thing was bitten by a poisonous snake before her wedding."

He stared at her. "How'd you know that?"

She folded her arms. "Let's just say I have a gift for reading people."

"What are you clairvoyant or somethin'?" he said.

"Not quite. I can read a person's soul and see every detail about them. The ability, unfortunately, doesn't work on other gods." She grinned. "Not that I need it for you. You wear your emotions on your sleeves."

"And let me guess?" He frowned. "That's how you got information from Pain and Panic?"

"Yes." She leaned back. "Although, their loyalty confuses me. Sure, they're under your service, but I detected true concern and admiration from them toward you. Maybe if you hadn't abused them so much, they wouldn't have left in the Phlegethon in the first place."

"I'll keep that in mind." Hades rolled his eyes. "And how much did you read off the imps exactly?"

She gave him a coy smile. "If I told you that, it would spoil my fun, now wouldn't it?"

"I concur." He smirked. "Now that Pain and Panic told me plenty of secrets about you."

Persephone's eye twitched, but she hoped he didn't catch it. "Fine with me. I have nothing to hide."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow and pressed his hands together at the fingertips. "Then you won't mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Let's see where he takes this. She met his gaze. "Go ahead."

"The imps caught you sneakin' out of the Underworld, and when you returned, they said you had a bunch of men in tow." Hades sneered, his tone bitter. "Heh, I guess you weren't kiddin' about not staying pure. Somethin' about mortal men that strikes your fancy over a god?"

"First, if what you're implying was true, it'd be none of business. Second, I already told you I'm not that kind of girl, but since everything's out in the open, I'll confess." She took a deep breath. "I dabble in a little vigilante justice."

"Seriously?" He glanced her over, searching for a hint of dishonesty.

She nodded. "The other gods sit around while atrocities plague the mortal world everyday, but that life isn't for me. I want to help people."

"You didn't strike me as the heroic type," Hades said.

"Trust me. If you witnessed my handiwork, heroic would be the last thing to come to mind." Sighing, she rested her cheek against her hand. "The men Pain and Panic saw were criminals. Murderers, thieves, rapists…. I put them out of their misery, and then donate their bodies to science."

"To make a cure?" he said.

"Yes. The mortals die from such simple diseases." She smiled. "I figure I can provide them with some better medicine."

When Hades fell silent, Persephone's nerves stood on end. Would see through her lies, or rather, half-truths? Her gaze drew toward his face, and she studied his expression.

His brow was knitted in frustration while a thoughtful finger tapped against his chin. His eyes shifted in a few directions; although, they weren't focused on anything in particular. Muttering under his breath, he sighed.

He's so calculating. She looked away. Given what I've seen from him, he's more of the intelligent type than the other gods.

"And who's Despoina?" he said.

Only I can see her, so the imps didn't hear much. She shrugged. "I have a habit of talking to myself. Sometimes I make up names to not look as crazy, or at least, I hope it doesn't."

"Right. They mentioned they didn't see anyone else with you." He furrowed his brow, his gaze softening. "Are… are you feelin' okay?"

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Pain and Panic said you were havin' convulsions, and just earlier, you didn't look well." He glanced away. "Given your incident with Zeus, are you…?"

Seeing his eyes fixate on her stomach, she understood his implication.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm not pregnant. Oh, Gaia, I don't know what I'd do if I was carrying that asshole's… ugh, no."

"Hey, it's alright." He held up his hands. "Didn't mean to getcha worked up again."

"I know, but the thought of–" She shivered. "Anyway, I'll admit I haven't been at my best. I think it's the atmosphere. I'm used to being above ground with fresh air and sunshine, you know?"

In the distance, something caught Persephone's eye. Through the gaps in the rocky wall, she saw the green waters of the Phlegethon, and beyond the river was a thick, red haze.

"What is that?" she said.

"That would be the entry to Tartarus, the Underworld's personal dungeon for the worst of humanity." Hades frowned. "Only the Phlegethon flows into it."

She looked at him. "Why?"

"It's the river of fire and boiling blood." He cringed, reminded of his time spent in there. "It might seem harmless now, but once it reaches the pit, it won't paint as pretty of a picture. I'm lucky I was able to keep myself from sinkin' any further."

"Whoa." She smiled, her eyes shining with intrigue." Could we check it out?"

"What are you, meshuga? If you think the Underworld is depressin' now, you're not gonna like it over there," he said.

She shrugged. "I'm curious."

He snorted. "Curiosity killed the cat, Angel-face."

"Well, satisfaction brought it back, and what doesn't kill you, makes you formidable." She gave an uneasy laugh. "Or so I've been told."

He chuckled before giving her serious look. "I'd rather not. Tartarus isn't just an eternal torment for mortals. My father is imprisoned there."

"Oh." She furrowed her brow. "Sorry."

"It's fine." He thought for a minute. "I know somethin' you might like. Charon take a right and park it."

The ferryman docked on the river bank, and ahead was a tunnel that stretched on into a dark cavern. Stepping out of the boat first, Hades turned to help Persephone, but when she took his hand, something slimy and cold grabbed her foot. She tumbled forward, and they both crashed on the ground.

Stunned, it took her a few minutes to move, and she realized she was lying on top of him. Her face was against his chest, his rapid heartbeat ringing in her ears, and his hands were clutched to her waist. Blushing, she teleported a few feet away and stood to dust herself off.

Hades remained still, his shocked eyes closing, and a groan escaped his lips. Removing the flustered look from her face, she stepped closer, and noticed he was actually hovering above the ground.

She put her hands on her hips. "Thinking happy thoughts?"

He brought himself to his feet and gave her an amused grin. "Hey, you were the one fallin' for me."

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "I think one of the souls grabbed my foot."

"Whatever you wanna tell yourself." He headed into the tunnel. "This way. I got somethin' to show you."

I won't lie. He's definitely hiding an impressive physique under that chiton. She huffed to herself. What am I thinking? Stay focused.

They walked until Persephone saw something sparkle at the end of the tunnel, and when they reached the other side, she gasped. It was a cavern full of crystals and gems. They glinted from their hiding spots in the earth, and illuminated the area with different colors.

"Wow," she said.

"I figured you'd like it." Hades leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "Now, about our deal–"

"What about it?" She frowned. I knew there was a catch to this.

"You were right. You're not my minion, and I had no right to think you were. However–" He narrowed his eyes. "There's still the fact that you snuck behind my back and destroyed my personal property."

"I do whatever it takes to survive," she said.

"Well, you're not gonna survive long if you keep meddlin' in my affairs." His skin tinged orange. "This is my Underworld, which means, like it or not, you play by my rules."

"Alright, you may have a point." She sighed and sat down on a rock. "Maybe what I did was wrong, but I've learned the hard way that in the end, all you have is yourself. And after your behavior yesterday, I don't know if I can trust you."

"The feelin's mutual." He walked over to her. "Your story with the imps might check out, but you're still too much of a wild card."

"Look–" She stood. "I'm not proud of what I did, but my priority is to protect myself. So long as you don't give me a reason to, I won't go behind your back again."

"You expect me to believe that?" He offered his hand. "Unless you're willin' to shake on it?"

"No. One deal is enough." She stepped closer. "This is a test of trust."

He narrowed his eyes. "And why should I play this little game of yours?"

Persephone placed on a gentle hand on his face while the other rested on his chest, and standing on her tippy-toes, she brought her face so close that their noses were almost touching. Hades' eyes widened, and she saw his gaze lower to her lips. However, when he leaned down to kiss her, she teleported away from him.

"Because you can't resist." She grinned.

"Fuckin' tease." He scowled at her.

"Like I said yesterday, I can't be involved with anyone, but until we achieve our goal, this'll be an interesting partnership." She left the cavern, not caring if he followed, and once she was sure she was out of his line of sight, she held a hand to her stomach. Ugh, I took three doses, and my resolve is weakening already? This is going to be a long day.

….

That evening, Hades returned to his throne room and walked over to one of the windows. Persephone had proved to be the most enticing, and yet frustrating, woman he had ever met, and he was loving every minute of it. Tracing a finger over his lips, he could almost taste her and recalled her intoxicating scent. Feeling his body tense, he groaned and dropped his hand to his side.

Panic walked over to him. "What happened, Boss?"

"Looks like a false alarm, boys." He stepped away from the window.

"But, your Combustibleness, are you sure? Something about Kore still seems shady," Pain said.

"Are you sayin' my judgement is wrong?" Hades' skin flashed red, making the imps cower away.

Panic shook his head. "No, no, of course not, Boss. But maybe you could be more cautious? You know, as a suggestion?"

"Cautious of what?" He scoffed. "Just because Kore is a bit head-strong, cunning, intelligent, sweet but not sickeningly so, has a sense of humor, and is drop dead gorgeous? She's perfect, absolutely perfect, and I can't have her!"

Hades slumped into his throne and sulked, his finger thumping against the side of his head. It wasn't fair. Persephone was everything he wanted, but she was out of his reach. He knew if she gave him a chance, it'd work out.

"Yet." He smirked. "Accordin' to our deal, Kore promised to help me conquer Olympus, which means she must remain in the Underworld until then. And when the time comes, she'll be mine."

"I thought you said she wasn't interested?" Pain said.

"Kore wants to keep things professional, but that can change." He walked over to the map, and with a wave of his hand, created a figurine of Persephone. "If everythin' goes as planned, the Underworld… ha, the whole cosmos is gonna have a new queen as well as a king."

Hades placed the figurine of Persephone next to his own and smiled. It had been so long since he considered having a queen rule beside him, but something told him that she was the one.