"Nobility"
A string of explosions rocked the Netherworld. Citizens panicked and buildings burned. Fighter jets filled the air. Hordes of soldiers clashed on the ground.
"Hadea!" yelled the Phantom while running toward the palace. Seconds later, the force of an explosion threw him off of his feet.
Inside of her chamber, Hadea stood calmly before a video screen, arms crossed and eyes alert.
The woman on the screen looked much like Hadea herself, though her hair was white and her face was older. "This will be the only warning, my dear. I've instructed my forces to show mercy today. But the next time they attack, there will be casualties, and each and every one of them will be on your head."
The screen went black. Moments afterward, the enemy forces began retreating.
Hadea heard a ruckus just outside of her room. Upon opening her door, she saw a number of men being carried to treatment. The Phantom was among the injured.
Hadea trembled. A chill stirred her spine. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and composed herself as best she could. The people around her needed their queen to be strong.
She walked alongside the Phantom's cot, taking one of his hands in hers.
"Who are they?" he groaned. "Who's attacking?"
"The Netherworld is one of several subterranean kingdoms. We're being targeted by the leader of another."
"Who?"
Hadea turned her head. "My mother."
In the days following the attack, Hadea had chosen to contact an outsider for help. Few knew how to reach this person, but the queen had kept a close eye on her for many months now.
A subject approached the throne and dropped to one knee, then informed his queen that her guest had arrived.
"Show her in," said Hadea.
The Phantom stood quietly by Hadea's chair. He'd been uncomfortable with this plan since the moment he'd heard it.
She reached over and briefly held his hand, then looked forward as the door was pushed open again.
A dark figure stood at the shady entrance. Moments later, Rachel Walker stepped into the light. Her cape was parted down the middle, just under her chin, and her hood rested behind her thick black locks.
She hadn't planned on coming at first. However, she'd ultimately decided that doing a favor for Hadea would mean doing a favor for the Phantom.
The queen looked the girl over. "Thank you for coming."
Rachel nodded, then turned to the Phantom and did the same.
He quietly returned the gesture.
"This is the point at which you should kneel," said Hadea.
Rachel slid her hands into her cape's pockets. "I'll stand. Thanks."
Hadea rolled her eyes, then directed Rachel's attention to a nearby wall. An image of a white-haired woman appeared on a screen. "This is my mother, Lillien, the previous ruling noble of the Netherworld. When I was young, my parents abandoned this land and returned to the kingdom where my father was born. Upon their arrival, my mother seized control and had my father killed."
The Phantom looked utterly stunned. He wondered why Hadea had never shared this story with him. Either she'd been too ashamed, or he'd been too distant. He tried telling himself that it wasn't the latter.
"Lillien's kingdom is currently in need," said Hadea. "She's attempting to conquer the Netherworld in order to steal our resources."
Rachel held quiet, absorbing what she'd been told.
Hadea's eyebrows lowered. "I want you to travel to my mother's kingdom. I want Lillien brought here, alive or dead. You'll be provided with a map, weapons, and anything else that you may require." She leaned back in her seat, taking a deep breath. "In return, I offer you my ultimate prize: Rulership of the Netherworld once I step down."
The Phantom turned to her in shock.
Rachel appeared equally confused and stunned.
"My original heir has a kingdom of her own," said Hadea. "As you know, your sister is the Queen of Mongo. Therefore, I'll need someone else to take my place — you. That will essentially keep rulership within the family." She let herself smirk a little. "Queen Rachel Walker. It has a nice ring to it, does it not?"
Rachel turned her smitten gaze to the Phantom, then looked back at Hadea.
"Of course, you'll be welcome here in the years before I step down. This would also be an ideal place to hide your son, Daniel, if the need ever arises."
Rachel flinched, stepping back a tad. "How do you know about- -"
"I have my ways," said the queen.
The Phantom's jaw had lowered a little. He hadn't been aware that Rachel had a son — and that Jedda had a nephew.
Hadea crossed her arms atop her lap while looking at Rachel. "What is your answer?"
Rachel sighed, then looked down at the floor. She held quiet for what seemed like quite a while. "I imagine that your mother lives in a bright and shiny palace too. What kind of guards would I be going up against?"
"Her security is similar to mine."
Rachel nodded. "Then that means three guards at the gate, five shooters on the roof, four soldiers in each hallway, a camera in every chamber, and four more guards at her door." She swung her gaze across the room. "Plus those six or so men that you've got lurking in the shadows over there."
Hadea and the Phantom glanced at each other in a bit of awe, then slowly turned back to Rachel.
The young woman shrugged. "I pay attention to things." She'd also noticed a few hover crafts lined up outside, one guard sitting in each circular vehicle.
"That's...good to know," said Hadea.
"I don't imagine that I can just walk into that kingdom," muttered Rachel. "Do you know where some of their transport vehicles can be found? I mean a craft of theirs or something else that I could hitch a ride on."
"Yes," said Hadea. "I'll have you delivered along one of their routes."
The Phantom stepped forth. "I'll go as well."
"You're hurt," Rachel murmured, shooting him a compassionate glance. "And this is a stealth mission. It's the kind that only one person should undertake." She quieted again, getting lost in her thoughts. Then she looked up and addressed Hadea. "There are a few things that I'm going to need."
"What are those?"
"Binoculars, handcuffs, and explosives."
Queen Lillien sat in a well-lit throne room on the top floor of her palace. Several rows of armored knights were kneeling before her.
"I've reached the limits of my patience," said the queen. "Since Hadea has failed to respond, we will now take action against her."
The door behind the knights slowly opened, and a woman in servant wear entered the room. She walked slowly with a tray full of food.
Lillien had never paid much attention to the servants, and didn't intend to start now. She turned her icy gaze back to the men. "Hadea's greatest asset is her mind. That's why we need her to lose focus. An attack on her citizens should serve that goal. Therefore, we'll target the civilians first."
The girl with the tray moved past the knights and approached the queen.
"Afterward," said Lillien, "we'll direct our attack toward- - "
Rachel tossed the tray aside and yanked Lillien out of the chair.
The knights sprung up and drew their blasters.
Rachel stepped behind the queen and wrapped an arm around her neck. She drew a laser gun and pointed it at Lillien's head, holding it prominently for all of the knights to see. "Back off," she said, lifting an eyebrow.
The men kept their distance while spreading out and blocking the exit.
After a few moments, Lillien glanced over her shoulder and broke the silence. "I don't know how exactly you made it in here, but I can guarantee that you'll never make it out."
A huge window loomed behind Rachel and Lillien. Rachel whipped her gun backward and fired a series of shots, creating a large hole as the glass shattered. She tugged on Lillien, pulling her toward the opening.
"No..." said Lillien. "No!"
The pair dropped from the high floor, staying airborne for several seconds.
With a huge splash, they landed in the moat that surrounded the castle — the one that Rachel had noticed through her binoculars. Rachel surfaced, packing her weapon away. She wasted little time in pulling Lillien from the water.
The queen coughed and wheezed while being dragged across the ground. It wasn't long before they arrived at one of Lillien's travel jets.
"Inside," said Rachel, shoving her up the steps.
Lillien shook her head as they entered. "You'll never figure out how to get this plane off the ground." A second after she'd spoken, the queen flinched in surprise.
A timid pilot sat handcuffed to his seat.
Rachel pulled her weapon and fired a single shot, setting the man's bound hand free. "Fly," she said, holding the blaster on him.
As the jet began rising, Rachel shoved the queen into a passenger seat.
On the ground, a number of Lillien's soldiers began scrambling into hover crafts, each of which were easily capable of keeping up with the plane.
The queen smirked while turning to Rachel. "You'll never escape my pilots."
Just as the hover crafts began revving up, all of them were wracked by huge explosions. The pilots wailed while being thrown from their vehicles.
Rachel surveyed the blasts, seeing that the devices she'd planted had done the trick.
Lillien's jaw dropped. She became still and silent.
The jet began speeding through the air. Once Rachel had gotten the basics of flying it, she turned to the pilot once again. "Which of these is the eject button?"
The timid man lifted a shaky finger, pointing it at the plane's controls.
Rachel slammed the side of her fist down.
Seconds later, the pilot let out a long scream while flying through the air. His parachute opened as he dropped to the ground.
Rachel closed the plane's roof, then proceeded to guide the craft in the direction of the Netherworld.
Lillien was on her knees before Hadea's throne. Her wrists were bound and her head was hung low.
"You're going to be transferred to a prison far from here," said Hadea. "However, your kingdom has been warned that any further attacks on the Netherworld, or any other land, will result in your execution."
Lillien held silent and avoided eye contact.
"But before that happens...tell me something that I've wanted to know for a very long time." Hadea's voice lowered, and her tone lost some of its firmness. "Tell me why you abandoned this kingdom. Tell me why you abandoned me."
Lillien lifted her head. "I left to pursue that which I desired most: Power." There was no trace of remorse in her tone. "It's a pursuit that's driven me since before you were born. That's the reason I married a man of your father's stature. That's also the reason I sought to have a child. I needed someone to hold my place here while I pursued my ambitions."
Hadea did her best not to reveal any emotion. In her heart, she'd already known the answer to her question, but a small part of her had still hoped to be wrong.
"But I didn't simply pursue power for myself. By vacating the throne, I gave power to you as well."
After a bit more silence, Hadea closed her eyes. "Perhaps power is what you desired most, but what I truly needed was a loving family." She looked down at Lillien again. "Ultimately, you pursued your desires, and I pursued mine. And that is why we each sit where we are right now."
The former queen eyed her daughter with a perplexed look.
Hadea signaled for her guards to take Lillien away.
"What you chose to do was very brave, and it appears that your actions saved lives," said Hadea. "You're quite noble, just like the Phantom. You have the makings of a strong queen."
"Just like you," mumbled Rachel.
Hadea quieted a moment.
"So what happens now?"
"You can rest assured that I'll keep my word," said Hadea. "When I'm ready to step down, you'll be called back here." She held her chin while watching the woman closely. "And at the conclusion of a beautiful ceremony, I'll tap a sword atop your shoulders, I'll place a crown upon your head, and I'll declare you, young Rachel, the new Queen of the Netherworld." She smirked a little. "And I will expect you to kneel on that day."
Rachel eased her hands into her pockets, and flashed a grin of her own. "That day's a long way off."
Later in the evening, the Phantom eased down onto Hadea's bed, sitting beside her as she watched the floor. The queen was clad in a royal nightgown. The Phantom was wearing an evening robe. Neither had anything upon their heads.
"I'm sorry for the pain caused by your mother," he whispered.
Hadea raised a knee, wrapping both hands around it.
The Phantom placed a light kiss atop her shoulder.
"I have no mother. I never did." She hesitated, then quietly spoke again. "But I have you, and I hope that I always will."
He brought one of his hands over hers.
"Hold me," she said.
The Phantom pulled his arms around Hadea, easing her into the covers.
Hadea placed a kiss upon his lips, and slowly drifted off to sleep.