Author's Note:
This is actually the first of two interludes between Arc 4 and Arc 5. The next one was also uploaded today.
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Interlude – Hades
Bonds of brotherhood are broken today.
Hades
Hades's Temple
the Edge of Hell
June 30th, 1843
Hades stood in Everdark's chamber, awash with ancient evil. The walls were covered in the ornamentations of a twisted faith, relics from an ancient age in which the long shadow of death enshrouded the world. Hades felt a long, involuntary shiver run down his spine. He'd always hated this place. It reminded him that he was nothing but a placeholder, waiting for the day when the true Master of the Underworld returned. He tried to stay away from this chamber, most of the time.
Sometimes, however, it seemed like he was but a spectator to his own feet leading him here.
"You're not going to win," Hades said, trying to assume his typical air of nonchalance with the horrible statue that stood tall above him. His voice failed him and betrayed his weakness. Hades scowled and tore his gaze away from Everdark's form, focusing his gaze on a far corner.
"Master?" Lady Blackheart's voice sounded from the room's entrance. Hades turned and saw her standing just beyond the threshold, shrouded in robes of a midnight blue. "Intuition told me that I'd find you here."
"What makes you say that?" Hades said, turning and walking towards her, grateful for the excuse to leave this horrible place behind.
"You've had that fatalistic look in your eye all day."
They stepped into the torchlit hallway, and started to walk. Hades folded his arms behind his back and straightened his back a little. He was slouching more these days; sulking as he walked. It wasn't professional. It looked ungodly.
"Well, you'll have to excuse me, Marina. Fearing for my life has a way of bringing out my mopey attitudes," he said sarcastically.
"Don't take that tone with me," Lady Blackheart said, her heels clicking with each step. "I'm doing everything I can to try and avert this disaster. You, on the other hand, are not."
Hades stopped walking.
"What do you mean, I'm not doing everything I can? I can't leave this place, Marina. What, do you think conjuring," Hades gesticulated wildly, "I don't know, ghostly images of myself in front of the Cult of Entropy is going to stop them? Do you think sitting down for a chat with one of Everdark's servants is going to suddenly open their eyes to peaceful negotiations?"
"No," Lady Blackheart said pointedly, cutting into Hades's rant. "But I do find it absurd that you haven't spoken to the other immortals once since this entire debacle began. We need their help, Hades. We can't do this ourselves."
Hades turned suddenly and pounded a fist against the wall, the flames atop his head erupting in a fiery jet for a moment. "The other immortals? You think that the other immortals give a damn about me?"
"No, Hades, I don't think they give a fuck about you," Lady Blackheart said, her own voice rising to meet the deity's. "But I do believe that they will help you. Do you know why?"
"No, but I'm sure you'll oblige me," Hades snapped, sweeping past her and walking down the hallway at speed.
"Because they care about themselves, Hades," Lady Blackheart said, hurrying her pace to keep up. "Do you think Everdark is going to kill you, take your place, and then look at all of the other immortals and say, 'gee, I guess you guys are all fine?'"
"Of course not, Marina, because I'm not a goddamn fool!" Hades whipped around and jabbed a bony finger at her. "But do you honestly think we can say the same about the others?"
Before she could respond, he continued. "They're idiots! They don't know what matters! They haven't paid half a mind to Earth in the better part of a thousand years! I'd be surprised if they even knew what was going on!"
"I think that you just don't want to beg your brother for help!" Lady Blackheart yelled over him. As soon as she said the words, she wondered if she'd gone too far. Hades's eyes widened, and he fell silent for a moment. Then he turned abruptly and continued walking away, quickening his pace even more.
Lady Blackheart watched him for a moment, unsure. Then she started after him, practically jogging to catch up. "Hades! Hades, look," she said, coming up alongside him. "Look, I shouldn't have said it, that way, I didn't –"
Hades whirled on her and spoke, his voice surprisingly quiet, though not calm. "No, Marina. You were right the first time. 'Beg' was the right word. Because that's what it would be. Begging."
"But it doesn't have to –"
"Marina. I told him that I hated him. I said that I never wanted to speak to him again. I said that I would have been happy, if he had never existed. These are not the kind of things one can merely take back."
Lady Blackheart and Hades looked into each other's eyes for several moments. She saw his defeat. His exhaustion, his willingness to give up. She wasn't sure if it was Everdark he was thinking about at the moment.
"I never had any siblings," Lady Blackheart said quietly.
They stood now on a landing in the stairwell that led back up into the main floors of Hades's temple. There were both cast in flickering torchlight from above, their faces enshrouded by half in shadow.
"So I don't know what it can be like. I know that he humiliated you. I know that your brother is the reason you're imprisoned in the Underworld in the first place. And I know that you have plenty of other reasons to hate him besides. But listen to me very carefully. Hans is risking his life for you every day. When you tell him to jump, he asks 'how high?' He'd be willing to do anything to try and defeat Everdark. If you're trying to tell me that you're willing to let Everdark win because you were too prideful to ask your brother for help, then I'd like to offer you my resignation."
Hades stared at her for several long moments. His eyes glistened slightly, and he blinked.
"He would make me beg, Marina. I'd be proving him right."
Lady Blackheart's face softened a bit. She placed a hand on Hades's shoulder. "If that's the worst thing that you'll have to do before this is all over, I think that you'll be able to count yourself lucky, Hades. But desperate times to do not afford us the pleasure of selecting our allies. We need to take all the help we can get."
Hades slowly nodded, then once more with more conviction. "You're right. I won't allow my pride to doom us all. I'll call for the immortals to assemble at once."
Lady Blackheart nodded. "Thank you."
The two continued up the staircase in silence for a few moments before Lady Blackheart spoke again at the landing.
"And… I'm sorry. I said some harsh things to you, and not all of them were called for."
"Don't worry about it," Hades said, flicking a hand and shaking his head. "I needed it. All of it."
Lady Blackheart nodded. "So… you're good?"
"Yes, I'm good," Hades said. "I'll go contact the rest of the immortals."
He turned one last time and continued down the hallway, his shoulders slumping again as he did.
