Chapter 25: A Meeting of Gods

CORA

I wake up to the sound of him rustling around. He's not in the bed anymore, and I turn my head to where I hear his footsteps coming from. He's standing in front of the big mirror that hangs inside of the closet. He's got a pair of black pinstriped slacks on, shining black dress shoes and a white shirt. He's putting a tie on, and his beard is neatly trimmed. Hell, his hair is even combed. Well, as combed as it can be; it's away from the front of his face, tucked behind his ears, but it still looks like it can come cascading forward over his eyes. Still though, he looks sexy.

Damn sexy.

After he's done with the tie, he pulls out a pinstriped vest and puts it on, inspecting himself in the mirror. A vest, huh? Most guys don't wear three-piece suits anymore. Then he puts on his suit jacket, and the look is complete. He frowns when he looks at himself in the mirror, wiping his hand across his cheeks and turning his head.

I yawn. "You're looking spiffy. What's the occasion?" He jumps a little. Did I…startle him?

He clears his throat, walking over to his desk and picking up something shiny. Looks like a ring. He puts it on his right middle finger. So it is a ring.

He walks over to the bed and sits by me, taking my hand in his. "I have an important…business meeting today." He sounds anxious.

"Hey." I touch his arm, and I almost cringe – the suit feels ungodly expensive. I can't even imagine what the thread count is. He doesn't seem to mind, though. "You okay?"

He smiles down at me. "Not really, but I'll manage." He takes my hand and kisses it. "Thank you, Cora." I look at the clock on his nightstand, and it's 7:00 am.

I go downstairs with him, where Jim is sitting, already eating breakfast. He made a bowl of oatmeal for me. He may drive me up the wall, but I love this kid. Hank kisses me after Jim walks out the door. Seriously – how come it's taken me so long to find you, Hank?

He kisses my nose, too, and he smirks at me as he leaves. This guy, man – he really is somethin' else.

I wouldn't have him any other way.

JIM

Folkvarthr's in my backpack. He's gonna come to school with me. He says it's to 'protect' me or whatever; I think he's just doing it to annoy me.

"So, what's up with the suit?" Honestly, the guy seems tense as fuck, with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. Folkvarthr's asleep, sticking his little gray head out of the top of my backpack. Good – I won't have to hear his fancy fucking accent for a while.

"I have a meeting," he says, keeping his eyes stuck on the road.

"What kind of meeting?"

"An important one."

"Where?"

"A hotel."

"Why?"

"Jim." Now he looks at me, and damn, when he frowns, that scar looks 20 fucking times worse.

I shrug. "I'm just tryin' to make conversation." He sighs – groans, really – loosening his grip on the steering wheel. He's wearing a ring. I ain't ever seen him wear a ring before. It's silver, with a thick band, and a black jewel with some symbol carved into it that I can't make out.

We come to a red light. "What's the ring for?"

And no lie – he fucking glares at me then, pursing his lips and flaring his nostrils. Damn, it looks like he wants to kill me. It doesn't help that he's got tendrils of that creepy death-darkness swirling around him now.

"Not one more word, Jim. Not. One." The hell you so pissed off at, dude? He exhales, puffing out a loud breath from his nose.

And like always, I gotta push it right to the edge. "Hey man, I thought we were gonna talk." Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me.

He looks at me, jaw still clenched as all hell, but he looks less pissed now. Sorta. "…I'm… sorry," he says. "I am very…'stressed out,' as you mortals say." Oh, okay. Wait. Did he just apologize?

I grin at him. "Fuggedaboutit."

His lips kinda curl up at that, and he looks back at the road. "…The ring… carries the sigil of my house," is all he says after that. He seems like he's relaxed a little bit, but damn, not by much. I don't bother him again, 'coz I'm pretty fucking sure if I do, there won't be anything left of good ol' Jim Wells.

He stops in front of my high school. "We'll talk on the way back, Jim," he says, looking out of the window at me, and I give him a thumbs up. He drives off, still looking tense. Wherever he's going, whatever he's doing – it's got him anxious.

And that's scary as fuck.

HADES

Folkvarthr's decision to remain with the boy today has set me even more on edge. "I am the boy's guardian," he said, "I am not your queen's guardian. But do not worry yourself, Master Plouton – my bretheren will watch her." Useless animal. She will be out of my protection; in danger, and I will have no immediate way to reach her. Folkvarthr had woken me up this morning by jumping on my chest, nodding his head to a suit hanging on my closet door, with a pair of black dress shoes resting neatly at the bottom. Apollo had dropped off the clothes at the brownstone's front door, perfectly pressed and tailored. His note told me to comb my hair and shave. I only slightly obliged him.

I reach the hotel, taking my helm and cane out. I park, not handing my keys to the valet. If things get heated, I want to be able to leave quickly. 'When things get heated,' I should say.

As I walk in, I see my brothers there, talking with each other. They are standing by the front desk, and both of them are wearing suits. Poseidon spots me and waves his hand. Making my way over to them, I take in the luxury setting of the hotel – clean and sleek, and very modern. At least the gods will feel somewhat comfortable here.

I hope.

Poseidon shakes my hand. "It's been a long time, brother. You're looking well." His fiery curls are combed away from his face, but he has grown his beard out, and it is thick and trimmed. His eyes are as green as the sea.

"You as well." Hera and Hestia walk in, clothed in radiant dresses, along with Amphitrite. Hera stands by Zeus, nodding at me. Amphitrite does not acknowledge me, and instead whispers something in her husband's ear; I think it is something to the effect of, "The waters here are filthy. When can we leave?" Poseidon nods, taking her arm in his as he whispers something back to her. Hestia's black hair is tied in a braid, hanging over her shoulder, and her amber eyes smile at me. "My dear Hades," she whispers, touching my cheek with the back of her hand, "I've missed you, little brother."

"I haven't," Demeter's shrill voice says behind us, and I turn.

"It's nice to see you too, sister," Poseidon greets, snarky and deadpan. Demeter rolls her eyes, walking towards us. "My anger is not directed at you, Poseidon. Though I do not miss you much either."

I narrow my eyes and smirk at her. "Do not say our names so loudly, sister. People might actually mistake you for a goddess." She rolls her eyes again, sticking her chin out. "You're one to talk, brother. With your limp, you're more crippled than that poor boy Hephaestus. He's quite capable now; with his new brace, he could probably run circles around any of us."

Hera's eyes gleam like daggers, and Zeus wraps a protective arm around her waist. "That's enough, sister," she says.

"What? It's not as if you ever loved the boy, Hera. You did throw him off a cliff when he was born. It's a shame poor Ares has left you, isn't it? Now you're left with a son you never even wanted."

Zeus growls. "Silence."

Demeter shrugs, moving to lean by the counter. There are several mortals who have picked up on our conversation, and I feel a pull at my pant leg. I look down, and there is a small girl staring up at me.

"Hello there, little one." She looks to be about four or five, with dark brown eyes and skin and curly golden-brown hair.

"Are you Hades, like in the movie?"

I chuckle. "No, little one, I am not." I am most definitely not a movie character.

A woman comes rushes up, taking her daughter's hand and pulling her away. "Lizzy, come here! I'm so sorry, sir." The woman looks up at me, embarrassed and frantic.

I shrug. "Kids will be kids, right?"

She smiles then, thankful and gracious, and picks her child up, who looks back at me. I open the palm of my hand, briefly making green flames dance on my fingertips so that only she can see them. Her eyes grow comically wide in surprise and wonder, and she tries to make her mother turn around. I put my right index finger to my lips and wink at her, and she nods enthusiastically in understanding. When I turn around, my family is staring at me.

"What?" Poseidon puts a strong hand on my shoulder, squeezes tightly and chuckles. "It seems you've changed quite a bit, brother. It suits you." Demeter glares at me, darkly and angrily as she grips the edge of the front desk counter. I spot Apollo walking down from the hallway. "Athena, Thanatos and Hephaestus are done setting up. We just met Bast. She is quite lovely. The cats say that the other gods will be arriving soon," he whispers, adjusting the lapels on his gray suit. We walk into the ballroom together, with the king of the Greek gods arm in arm with his queen, and Poseidon and his wife following close behind them.

The one who is known as Bast greets my brothers and their wives first, until she finally reaches me. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hades," she says, taking my hand in hers. Her skin is dark, and her eyes are amber. As I look at her, her face changes, becoming more feline-like. Well now, that is quite interesting.

"The pleasure is mine."

She makes a sound, almost a purr in the back of her throat, and she smiles. "My father should be arriving shortly. In the meantime, please help yourselves to the refreshments."

There's commotion outside of the room, and shouts of distressed mortals. "Sir, you can't bring birds in here! Sir! Sir, you can't!" An old man walks in, with steely gray eyes and two ravens on his shoulders. No, wait – he is missing an eye. The other is glass. A much larger man walks in behind him, with a mane of fiery red hair and beard that puts Poseidon to shame.

"I appreciate your concern, young man, but my birds go with me," says the old man with one eye. His voice is silky and compelling, and the mortal nods, as if in a dream, walking away. The birds jump off of the old man's shoulders and fly around the room, and one dips low and stands on my lap; inspecting me briefly until it jumps off of my lap again, flying back to its master. He takes in a deep breath, sighing as the birds land heavily on top of his shoulders. "Thank you, Huginn and Muninn. I'll feed you when we get back, I promise." They squawk, and take flight again, perching atop the great chandeliers in the ballroom.

"Greetings, my fellow gods," the old man says, bowing. "I am the All-Father. You may call me Odin. This is Thor, the greatest of my many sons." He nods his head to the large red-haired man.

Thor grunts. "Pleasure." There are more sounds coming from the outside; plates crashing and people falling, and two women walk in, looking annoyed. Thor pinches the bridge of his nose with his very large hands. "I told you not to bring Loki, Father. I told you."

Odin shakes his head, scratching his thick, gray beard. "Go get him, will you? He's being an embarrassment."

Thor shakes his head, rolling his large shoulders. "It was your idea to unbind him."

"Just do it, Thor." Odin smiles at us. "My apologies. We're not usually like this." The women introduce themselves as Freya and Frigga. They are beautiful, striking and confident.

"No, we're always like this. Put me down, Thor." The man Thor is carrying has wild blond hair, and his body is lithe and slender. "Be quiet, Trickster, or I'll drag you back down into your pit where your woman and the snake wait." At that threat, the man they call Loki stops struggling.

Thor and Zeus shake hands, with Loki still hanging over Thor's shoulder. They seem wary of each other at first, but they grow friendly soon enough. "You Greeks don't seem so bad," Odin says, sitting beside me. His presence startles me. I have not been paying close enough attention. He pulls out a silver box and opens it, taking out a cigar.

He holds the box out to me. "Cigar?"

I shake my head and he shrugs. "Suit yourself." More gods continue to file in, with Bast there to greet them. A pale woman enters, and half of her face is rotted and corpse-like. Odin nods his head towards her. "That's Hel. Nice girl. A bit odd, but nice." She reminds me of a shade, and when she introduces herself, Demeter is obviously uncomfortable with her appearance. I like her already. "You're a quiet one, aren't you?" The smell from his cigar is making me light-headed, and his voice has a strange quality to it that I can't quite place.

"Sometimes," is all I manage to say. He seems to be enjoying whatever it is he is doing to me. Morpheus' words ring in my mind. Old One-Eye is quite…'charming'. Keep your wits about you. I stand, shaking away the fog that his built up in my mind. He grins at me and winks with his good eye, puffing out a large cloud of smoke in the shape of a hanging man.

Apollo, Hephaestus, Thanatos and Athena are seated with Thor, and he is throwing his large arms up in the air, talking jovially, and they laugh along with him. "So then, he said that when I was wrestling with the old crone, I was wrestling with old age itself. The king had tricked me, you see."

Apollo laughs, holding his hand around his mouth. "You remind me so much of Ares." Athena lightly slaps Apollo's shoulder. "Yes, if Ares was actually likeable." Hephaestus pays them no attention, preferring to tinker with another invention of his. And Thanatos, well...he is Thanatos.

I look back, and Poseidon has taken my place; he speaking with Odin, both looking serious and in contemplation. Bast continues to greet more and more gods as they walk in, and I spot a rather large man enter. No, not a man – he is an elephant, and though the illusion is strong, I can still see him. My two sisters are conversing with Freya and Frigga easily enough, but I spot Demeter standing by herself with her arms crossed. I feel Zeus' hand on my shoulder, his deep voice in my ear. "She knows nothing at the moment, Hades, besides the fact that this is a meeting of gods. When the boy is mentioned, be prepared."

"I will, brother. Thank you." I'm not sure what madness has compelled me to walk over to her, but I do not break my pace. She scowls at me, clenching her jaw.

"What do you want?" I lean back against the wall, holding my cane in both hands out in front of me.

"Could we talk?" Bast introduces her father, whose appearance shimmers between having the head of a man and the head of a hawk. 'Ra,' I think is what his name is.

"What on earth for, Hades? What have we to talk about?"

"Persephone, of course." There are several more gods that walk in, and looking past their illusions I can see that they have multiple arms and legs. My observation is cut short by a sharp slap to my face.

I can't say that I didn't expect that coming.

"Don't you say her name, you bastard. Don't you ever say her name." I rub my cheek, looking back to the other gods around the room. They don't seem to have noticed. I look back at Demeter.

"Was that really necessary, sister?"

"You took her away from me, and she died sacrificing herself for your pathetic life. I'll be glad if I never get to see your disgusting scarred face again, you wretched dog."

I cock my head to the side, grinning at her. "You're really pulling out the insults today. How long did you spend thinking up that one? A day? A year? Really, Demeter – you are not as clever as people give you credit for."

There's fire in her green eyes, and she raises her hand to slap me again. Just as she is about to reach my face, I catch her wrist, holding it tightly. "Bastard!"

I sigh. "If it's any consolation to you, dear sister, I do…apologize, for the pain I've caused you." Her face holds a fury that I know is reserved for me, and me alone.

"Let me go, Hades," she orders, controlled and measured. I do as she says, and she walks to our sisters.

"That didn't look very good," a voice says to my left.

I turn my head, and it is the girl who likes like a shade. She walks up to me, extending her hand. "I am Hel. You must be Pluto. I like that dog." …Dog?

"Some call me Pluto, yes. Most call me Hades," I laugh, "That is, when they deign to call me anything at all."

She smiles lopsidedly at me, and her shining silver hair falls in front of her eyes. "I like Pluto better. I will call you that."

"Call me whatever you'd like, Hel. I have many names."

She nods, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Don't drink the punch, Pluto. Loki did something to it. Oh would you look at that? A man with a bird-head. Isn't that interesting? I think it's interesting. I can tell you're curious about the All-Father and his lost eye. Don't be; he didn't lose it – he knows just where it is. He'll say those exact words if you ever ask him. By the way, what happened to your leg? What happened to your face? Did you sacrifice a portion of yourself like Mighty Tyr? Thor will turn this place into a mess if he gets drunk, so we can't let him, do you understand? The cat-woman is very nice. I like her, do you like her? I like her. Well, don't just sit there like a bump on a log, say something."

"I…"

She grabs my hand. "We're going to be friends, okay. These are dark times, and one needs friends in dark times. I'm going to introduce you to everyone here, so you can't be so quiet. People don't like quiet people. I would know. People don't like me. Do they like you? I would imagine so. You seem nice. You know who else seems nice? Thanatos seems nice. I like him. Do you like him? Are you two friends? Could you introduce us? I'm actually very shy. Oh! Look, an elephant! Isn't that exciting? I think it's exciting. Let's go introduce ourselves, Pluto. I like that dog. Do you like that dog? The humans named a planet after you, do you know? Well, actually, it's not a planet anymore. You've been de-planetized, Pluto, I'm sorry. It's okay, though; people still like you." This girl is starting to give me a headache.

She drags me to god after god, and past their illusions, I can see blue skins and multiple limbs and bodies of animals.

"Hello everyone, this is Pluto. He likes to be called Hades, but I like to call him Pluto. Say hello, Pluto."

"Hello-"

She pulls me to another set of gods, and the process repeats, though I do manage to catch the name of the god who looks like an elephant and a few others. Ganesha is his name, and he sits with one who is called Krishna, and behind them sits a woman with red eyes and a ferocious smile. They tell me her name is Kali, though she does not speak to me. She is not one to trifle with, and her piercing stare makes me slightly uncomfortable. Hel takes me to another group before I can say any more than "hi".

"Did you know Loki has children? I'm his daughter. My brother is the great wolf Fenrir, who is destined to kill Odin at Ragnarok, and Thor is destined to kill my other brother, the great snake that wraps around the earth. Is that exciting? We play chess on the weekends."

"That is actually quite… fascinating."

She smiles, and her hands are cold like a corpse. "I told you, Pluto. We're going to be great friends, I can already tell. Oh! Let's meet these other deities, they look interesting. Hello everyone! My name is Hel, and this is Hades, but I call him Pluto. What are your names?"

A woman answers, radiant and glowing like the sun. "Amaterasu."

"Fūjin, god of wind."

"Ryūjin." This one is a dragon, and he reminds me of Poseidon. He has an aura of the sea about him.

"Susanoo-no-Mikoto, at your service. The inferior one there is my sister Amaterasu."

"We've already been introduced, brother."

He shrugs. "You're still inferior."

Hel drags me away again before any real shouting can begin. "I think Loki would like Susanoo-no-Mikoto. They're both tricksters. Do you have any trickster gods? Loki is the father of lies, you know. But I'm not a lie. Your sisters are very pretty, don't you think so? I think so. Where is your wife? You're married, aren't you? That's how the myth goes, right? I'd like to meet her. Let's go sit over there, right at the front, so we can see every single god that gets up to talk and stare at them. I'd like to meet Osiris, but Bast told me that Seth killed him. Isn't that sad? I think it's sad. Then again, the All-Father did tear out the entrails of Loki's son and bound him to a rock, where he lays underneath a snake that drops poison onto his face. Loki is just too much of a menace. But he's here now. Maybe I'll be able to play chess with him. Do you like chess? I like chess. I wonder if any Sumerian gods will show up. They're very interesting. Oh! Do you know the boatman Charon? I was reading the Inferno a couple of nights ago, and he shows up for a small part. You do too. Do you know that? Anyway, what is he like? Are you friends? Can I meet him? Have you met Virgil? I've always wanted to meet Virgil, but he went to your underworld." Virgil, Virgil, Virgil…who is that? Oh yes, I remember. The Roman poet. If I recall correctly, Minos sent him to Elysium.

"Charon and I are friends, of a sort."

"Wonderful. I want to meet him. Can you take me to meet him? Should I bring a dog bone for Cerberus? Does he know how to play chess?"

"Uh…"

Thankfully, Bast takes the stand at the podium, and begins to speak. "Good afternoon, my fellow gods and goddesses."

"Good afternoon," the room of 300 plus gods replies in unison.

"Many of you were called to this meeting by my friends – the cats of the world. Many of you were shocked by the revelation that you and yours were not the only gods in this world; and shocked even more when you learned that there is a force threatening to destroy us all-"

"We'll beat the asses of these new gods into the ground!"

Bast smiles, but it is obvious that she is annoyed. "Thank you for your optimism, Thor. Now, Lady Freya and I have been very good friends for quite some time, thanks to our connection to our feline friends; consequently, we've known of each other's pantheons, but only relatively recently – within the last 600 years or so – have we begun to learn of these 'new gods' and the threats they pose. I trust you all know of the Creator now, and how this world is destined to end if we do not stop them, am I correct?"

There is murmuring and nods from the various gods. Everyone is anxious. Everyone is afraid. Well, perhaps not...everyone.

Odin gets up, and his white suit makes him stand out against a multitude of gods and goddesses. "Now wait just a minute, my fair lady. What of Ragnarok? If this is the end of the world, should we not let it just play out?"

Ganesha also stands, nodding his head in agreement. "Indeed – the universe destroys and creates itself in cycles. Who are we to try and stop the natural order of things?"

The murmuring gets louder, and the tension in the room grows. "Do you really want Ragnarok to happen, old man? My son is destined to kill you." Loki is standing now, too, with Demeter sitting beside him and looking increasingly uncomfortable.

Thor jumps up, growling and holding a bottle of…well, I'm not entirely sure what it is. I assume it's some form of alcohol. "And I am destined to kill your son, so be quiet, Trickster!"

"Oh no, Thor's getting drunk again, that's not good, not at all. No, no, no." Hel starts rocking in her chair beside me, putting her hands on her ears.

"Yes, and after that, you'll die too, you red-haired imbecile!"

"Who are you calling a red-haired imbecile?" That's Poseidon. This is not going well.

"Not you, you damn Greek!" The three of them look like they want to flay each other, and the gods in the room are all starting to shout and get up out of their chairs, ready to fight and kill.

Bast puts her hands up, and shouts, loudly. "People! People, calm yourselves. We did not come here to fight each other, we came here to help each other. Now. Get in your damn seats." Surprisingly, everyone listens; even Odin, though he does take his time sitting back down. He waves his hand. "Proceed, Lady Bast."

She gives him a forced smile. "Thank you, All-Father. Now, as I was saying – oh, what now?"

All the gods turn to the back of the room, where two figures are standing. No, not standing – they are floating. Their feet do not touch the ground.

"Good afternoon," Bast greets from the podium. "Would you gods like to introduce yourselves?"

They disappear and reappear in a flash of light on the stage next to Bast. They are beautiful, and completely androgynous in appearance. I cannot tell their gender... if they have any. "I am Raguel, and this is Dumah." The one who calls himself Raguel looks out at the crowd of gods. "We are angels, sent by the Creator."

The crowd erupts into a cacophony of shouts. "Angels?!"

Bast is doing her best to gain the attention of the crowd again. "Please, let's all sit back down." She turns to look at the angels, nervous and afraid. I am as well. Their power is immense. "Has…has the Creator sent you to assist us?"

Raguel shakes his head and his golden hair is unbearably bright. "We are merely here to observe. Please, do carry on." They disappear and reappear in back of me.

"Why, I do believe this is the one, Dumah. How did you spot him so fast?" I do not turn around, but I can feel their crushing presence around me. Gripping the pummel of my cane gives me little comfort.

Bast clears her throat, wipes her forehead. "Right, well. Where was I? Ah, yes – the reason why we are all here. Quite simply, to prevent the apocalypse of our world, and perhaps the universe."

"Against our nature and purpose," says the goddess Kali, crossing her arms. She has…four arms, which is something that I did not notice before.

Bast growls, and it is a tiger's roar. "Listen, these new gods have changed things. There will be no Ragnarok, no changing of cycles – there will be only the new gods, and they will destroy our homes and our people and our world, and things will not change or get better."

"How are you certain of this?" I turn to the sound of the voice, doing my best to try and keep from looking at the angels, and I spot something that astounds me. This god is very tall, and past his illusion, his body is that of a serpent's, with a feathered back and arms.

"Quetzalcoatl, please, allow me to explain-"

"I am the last of my kind, Bast; my fellow gods have either died or gone missing, and the humans no longer worship me – why should I care of what happens to me, much less them?" He shakes his head, sitting back down. He looks very weary.

"Uggghhhhhh. Can we please get back to the topic at hand?" That sounds like the Trickster.

"Don't drink the punch," Hel whispers, holding tightly onto my arm. "Loki did something to the punch."

Bast nods, trying to collect herself. She has handled things quite well; no one has threatened evisceration yet. That will probably come soon, though. "Right. Back to the topic, how many of you know of the Aether Soul?" Everyone in the room raises their hand. "Very good. Recently, the Aether Soul was born to a woman here, in the mortal city of New York. As you know, he carries the blood of the four major pantheons…perhaps more, but only four bloodlines are necessary. Now, when this boy matures, he will be immensely powerful. He is instrumental in winning this war-"

"Who said anything about a war? If we are to die, then let it happen; it is the natural order of things." I am not sure what god says this, but Bast roars in frustration.

"I am only going to say this one more time: we are the stewards of this planet; it is our responsibility to take care of it, and the people here. This will not be the apocalypse, cycle change, or Ragnarok of your pantheon; this will be the end of all of us. And there will be no coming back from it. Do you all understand?" There is anxious whispering, with some murmuring disapproval. The vast majority, however, do not want to die. We are not so different from humans.

"Good. Now, are there any questions?"

Odin stands up, raising his hand. Bast looks as if she is about to growl, but she restrains herself. "Yes, All-Father?"

"Ah, yes. I was, ah, wondering – who is this boy's mother? And for that matter, who is his father?"

Bast clears her throat again. "His mother is the reincarnated Greek goddess, Persephone, consort to Hades." There is a pained screech in the back. I am quite sure the sound comes from Demeter.

Odin grins, taking a drag from a new cigar. "And the father?"

"A mortal man, Leland Reznor. It's likely that he carried at least one of the godly bloodlines. Though at this point, it would be impossible to decipher which, as he is dead. Anything else?"

Odin shakes his head, smiling as he sits back down. "Rot, Hades!" There's Demeter again. Several gods look at me, including Bast, who eyes me with sympathy. I shrug, uncomfortably, and Hel's grip on my arm tightens as the angels laugh behind us. "Don't drink the punch. Loki did something to the punch."

Another god raises his hand. "Yes, Horus?"

"If we are to go to war, fair Bast – who will train the boy? It seems necessary that he must be trained, if he is to be of any use to us."

"Here's an idea: why don't we just destroy him? It seems like it would be much less trouble -"

"No one will be killing my grandson!"

"Who asked you, you old crone?" Loki and Demeter are yelling at each other. My headache is going to last for days. The gods are all starting to argue now, and power rises and undulates throughout the room as voices rise.

My leg is pounding.

My head is pounding.

My heart is pounding.

"ENOUGH!" The room stops, and everyone but my own family is staring at me in shock and disbelief. Hel is holding her ears, rocking back and forth in her seat. "That was too loud, Pluto. Too loud. I don't like loud noises. I don't like them. Not at all." My chest is rising and falling in rapid succession, and my hand is holding my cane in a vice grip.

The angel Dumah nods his head at me, and Raguel's eyes gleam. "Yes, Dumah. I do think this is the one."

I look out over the two angels, whose gazes I cannot meet. Even sitting, their feet stay off of the ground. "I will do it. I will train the boy," I say, gazing pointedly at the crowd. Demeter shouts something, but she is cut off by uproarious laughter from Thor.

"You? You will train the boy? You can't even walk." He stands. "I will train the boy. I am the most fit to do so."

I glare at him. "I have the most claim, Thor. He is my wife's –," another shriek from Demeter, " –son. He is my responsibility to train."

He crosses his arms, flexing the large muscles in his neck. "Claim means nothing here, Hades. He will learn how to fight like a Norse god, and we will win this war."

"Oh no, Thor's drunk again. That's never good, no, no, no."

Freya steps up to the podium, much to the relief of Bast. "Let us vote. Those in favor for Thor, say 'aye'."

There are many 'ayes' for Thor. I receive just as many. "A tie," Freya says, frowning. "How do you two wish to resolve this?"

I narrow my eyes. "We will duel," I say, and Thor holds his belly, laughing so loudly that others begin to join him.

"A duel? You must be joking. Look at you! I could crush you with my little finger. I could crush you with the hairs on my arms!"

"Are you going to stand there and blather on all day, or are you going to fight me?" He stops laughing, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.

"You must be as insane as the movies say you are."

I grin. "I must be."

He returns my grin, flashing crooked white teeth. "Very well. We will duel."

The chairs have been placed all around the ballroom, and the two angels stand on the far side, their feet never touching the ground. The center of the ballroom is empty.

Bast walks into the middle, and she is faced by gods from all sides. "Now, seeing as most of us are going to be staying here for the time being – or at least for tonight – I'm sure the majority of us don't want this place destroyed. Would someone please make a barrier for the room?"

Odin smiles, winking his good eye at me. I do not like this man. "I will do it," he says, walking to the center and holding his palm up towards the ceiling, where his two ravens still sit on the chandeliers. A wave of power pulses through the room, and the barrier is set. I look across to the other corner of the room, where Thor and his ilk stand. He has removed his suit jacket and shirt, revealing his enormous muscles. He thrusts his hips in the air, pointing at me. I grimace. He's more disgusting than Zeus.

"What's the matter, Hades?" he shouts, "Are you afraid to take your shirt off because you think I'll fuck you? I thought you Greeks liked that." Poseidon steps in front of me, blocking my vision of Thor and the other Norse gods who are uncomfortably laughing at his antics. Poseidon places both of his hands on my shoulders. "You don't have to do this, Hades. The boy isn't your responsibility." I quickly look at Zeus off to my right, with his arms crossed and a hard set in his jaw. "Yes he is, Poseidon." I shrug off my suit jacket and vest, followed by my tie and shirt, and Poseidon does his best to keep from staring at the scar on my chest. "I'll hold these for you," he says.

"Thank you, brother." He grabs the back of my neck, presses our foreheads together. "Kick his ass, Hades." And then he lets me go, playfully hitting my shoulder.

"Go Pluto, go Pluto, go!"

He winks, nodding behind me. "It looks like you've made a friend, Hades."

I gaze back at Hel, who is holding hands with Hestia, swinging their arms back and forth. I smile. "It seems as though I have."

I look at Zeus, and he nods at me, keeping Hera close.

Athena, Apollo, Thanatos and Hephaestus are sitting on the stage behind us, and the only one who has defected is Demeter, who stands in the corner of the Norse gods. Her hatred for me runs deep – too deep to ever change.

I walk to the center, limping on my cane as I go, and I hear laughter and hushed whispers and gasps all around me. Bast stands with Odin, who smiles brightly. "Right. Now gentlemen, here are the rules: the first to lose consciousness loses the duel. You are of course limited to the confines of this room, but the barrier that the All-Father generously provided will allow you to use your powers as you wish without destroying the lovely interior of the room – or the whole building. Don't kill each other. Any questions?"

Thor cracks his knuckles, shakes is large head. "I'm ready. Are you, Hades?"

I slam my cane down into the ground, and green tongues of fire dance around it, changing it into my staff. I breathe in, savoring the power and strength that returns to me.

Thor grins. "Nice trick, but I have a better one." He opens the palm of his right hand, and a heavy war-hammer appears in a crack of thunder and lightning. "This is Mjollnir, and she will be the last thing you see before I crack your skull in."

I shrug. "We'll see about that."

Bast and Odin walk out of the center of the room and into separate corners. "Ready, gentlemen?"

"Ready!" we say in unison.

"Fight!"

Thor moves first, throwing his heavy hammer at me. I just barely manage to evade it, and part of it clips my arm. He has drawn first blood, and his eyes flare in triumph.

"Hades, watch out!" My brother's voice and the sound of the hammer returning to its master's hand makes me duck. I roll my shoulder, feeling the bruised tissue there heal. In his next blow, he hits my bad leg, right where my injury is, and I cry out, clutching it. It feels as if I've just been sliced with my father's scythe there, and I almost retch. I am not sure what keeps me standing; what gives me the will to push through the agony, but I do. My cries of pain elicit laughter from the crowd, and from Thor.

"This is the mighty Hades?! Lord of the Underworld, who enriches himself with the cries of desperate mortal souls? You are pathetic!" I need to find an opening. He throws his hammer, but it returns to him too quickly for me to land a good hit. I will need to get closer. I spin my staff, closing the distance, and now we are on more equal footing. There are shouts from the other gods, each of them either praising me or Thor, and with each new parry a sound as loud as thunder booms throughout the room. My leg pounds as I move, and on one occasion I almost lose my balance, but the fight continues in a flurry of parries and blows.

Thor's next strike sends a course of electricity burning through my body as I block it, and I use my good leg to jump behind him. He reminds me of a feral animal, with his long red hair falling out of its tie and into his eyes.

"That's quite a scar you've got," he says, beginning to spin his hammer. "The one I am going to give you will be much worse."

I smirk. The pain in my leg is starting to make me feel light-headed, but I need to seem confident. "I doubt that." He roars, charging at me, and I sidestep him, beginning to whirl my staff, setting it ablaze with green flames. In my anger, the tongues of fire begin to turn black as I create a twister.

"Block this," I say, jumping and hitting the twister of black and green flames towards Thor, who knocks it away with his hammer. "What a weak attack," he says, laughing.

I smile. "That was the distraction," I say from above Thor's head, and he looks up at me in complete shock.

"How-?" I bring my staff down hard, right on his clavicle, and the force of the impact causes the ground and earth beneath us to rumble and shake. I even see some gods in the audience lose their balance and fall. He crumples to the floor, and his eyes roll to the back of his head. With my knee digging into his back, I grasp his hair, pulling his head up and looking directly at Demeter and Odin; who are standing beside each other now. "Your champion has been soundly defeated," I snarl. Odin nods his head in amusement, and Demeter only glares. Thor begins to regain his consciousness, and I roughly press his face into the ground until I hear the distinctive sound of his nose cracking and breaking, and he chokes on the blood that pours from his face. "Taste it, Thor. No. No. Don't you try to lift your head. No, no, taste it, you filthy pig. Taste it." I force his head down, rubbing his face in his own blood. "Can you taste it? Yes? That's the taste of defeat, Thor. Learn it, and remember it, and know that it was I who brought it to you." I dig my fingers into his scalp, and he grunts in pain as I bring my head down to his ear. "Know that it was a cripple who made you choke on your own blood." I stand up, slamming his head down again, and he makes one last grunt before finally losing consciousness. The gods stare at me with a mixture of fascination, admiration and horror, and the two angels simply observe, like always.

"Would anyone else like to challenge me?" I ask. I can't imagine how crazed I look. If my voice is any indication, I must look like…my father.

"I am Hades Aidoneus Clymenus Polydectes, and it is here that I stake my claim!" I roar, glaring directly at Demeter. "Persephone is mine, as is her son. He will be trained by me, and by me alone. And if anyone else–," I look around at the room of gods that has grown eerily quiet, "– has a problem with that, you can talk with my good friend Thor here." I take in a stuttering breath, compose myself, and walk back to my family when no one murmurs dissent. The gods begin talking amongst themselves, and as I look back, I see Odin glower down at his son in disgust.

"You disappoint me, Thor. Come on, let's get you up." He lifts his son, walking him back over to their corner, and sitting him down.

Poseidon slaps a hard hand on my shoulder and grins at me. "That was fantastic, brother!"

Zeus comes up and smiles at me, as does Hestia, and even Hera. "And saying your full name like that was a nice touch." I tiredly nod, clutching at my thigh. "I appreciate that, brother, I really do – but could someone please get me some ambrosia?" Poseidon laughs, grabbing a piece from inside of his jacket pocket and handing it to me. As I eat it, the throbbing pain in my leg recedes, to a point where it becomes bearable. "Thank you, Poseidon." He squeezes my shoulder. "Remind me not to challenge you to a duel, brother." I smile, but my leg spasms, finally giving out, and I fall forward. My brother catches me before the other gods in the room can notice. "Alright, alright, Hades, I've got you. C'mon, you old bastard. Hestia, dear, pull that chair out for him. Thank you, sister. Here you are Hades, sit. Drink." He gives me a bottle of nectar, and the bronze fluid relaxes and soothes me. I lean my head back against the top of the chair, my eyes half-open as I see Bast return to the center of the room.

"Well, uh, today went quite better than I think any of us expected. We will need to meet again to discuss more things, but for today the meeting is adjourned. Enjoy your rooms and enjoy the city. And let's try to keep things civil, shall we? We've already had one duel today – we don't need another one."

I look up at the chandeliers, and Huginn and Muninn stare down at me. "Thought and Memory like you, Pluto, yes they do. Thought and Memory like you. Don't drink the punch, okay? Loki did something to it."

I close my eyes, feeling the stares of the ravens and the angels and the one-eyed stare of the gallows-god on me. Let them stare; let them observe.

What are they possibly hoping to find?

A/N: Whew, long chapter here. Well, long for me at least. Now, there probably won't be an update for a week, because I'm going to be very, very busy. But I hope this long chapter will tide you over in the time being. Thank you for your lovely reviews and thoughts, all of you. I really appreciate that you take the time and effort to make them. Jim's playlist will come with the next chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this as I enjoyed writing it. Hades showed a little bit of his dark side here. :) And I love Thor. I'm not hating on him; but you know how he gets, guys. Maybe Hades and him will become buddies, you never know. :P Bahaha, probably not, but we'll see ;)

As always, leave your comments/ reviews in the review box! And thank you for taking the time to read my story!