Killian's eyes cracked open. He was being carried—dragged.

He no longer felt pain.

He was pain.

His eyes screwed shut almost as quickly as he woke; the pain was blinding, ricocheting everywhere.

It took him a moment to crack his eyes back open. He sluggishly realized that the three-headed monster had only attacked him minutes ago, and he was being taken down a familiar dark tunnel.

Hades.

He was being taken to Hades.

After he tried to escape.

Absolute panic seized his chest.

He moved to fight the hold on him, but it tore harshly at his shoulder, and Killian screamed, sheer agony ripping through him.

The next thing he knew, he was blinking back to Hades' throne room.

Hades stood in the center of the room, waiting.

Killian was dropped carelessly, a wounded sound tearing from him. Fire, his shoulder was on fire—gods—gods it HURT—

"Isn't this exciting."

Hatred burned through him, just as hot as the agony.

"Well," said Killian, losing his breath in an instant. But he forced out the words, though they were as breathless as he was, tilting his head to look the God in the eye. "It will be," he rasped, "when I kill you."

Hades laughed, genuinely amused.

Killian hated him.

"Why does everyone say that?" said Hades. "You can't kill me. I am Hades. This," he gestured to the room, "is death."

Killian breathed hard, trying his damndest not to let any of his pain escape his clenched teeth. "Well," he huffed out, growling, "then I'll find out whatever's worse, and do it to you."

Hades just smiled like he thought the threat was cute and Killian resisted the urge to attack him then and there. But the act of keeping his eyes open and breathing past the pain of severely shattered ribs kept him from moving even an inch.

Hades cocked his head a little, eyeing Kilian's shoulder. With a glint of interest in his eyes, Hades took a few steps toward him, sinking down to his level.

Killian couldn't help a reflexive flinch, but paid for it when it pulled on a dozen injuries at once.

Hades ignored his recoil and reached for Killian's jacket collar. Killian felt his phantom heart race. But Hades didn't cause any more pain—this time—and just lifted the collar away from his wounded shoulder, making Killian hiss when it agitated the open and still-bleeding wound.

"I see you've met my pet," said Hades with a pleased smile. "You're about to find out," he said, his tone sending a chill straight down Killian's spine, "his master is not nearly as friendly."

Killian felt a blinding sort of panic rise within. He breathed hard, trying not to show his fear.

Hades' eyes narrowed.

Killian's phantom heart pounded.

"Because of you," said Hades, "a prisoner of mine got away."

Killian nearly smiled with relief that washed over his fear like rain in a desert.

She got away.

The lass was free.

Emma.

That firelight inside flickered back to life, the smallest wisp of hope keeping him warm.

Hades watched his reaction. His brow raised. "Now, now," he said, "don't get too excited, Captain. The girl might be free now, but that doesn't mean she'll deliver your message before my pet finds her."

Killian felt his expression fall slack in shock.

Hades grinned at Killian's reaction. "Didn't think I knew about that, did you?" he asked. "Yes, I know all about your savior coming down to save you. She's been running all over the damn place looking for her precious captain."

Killian went rigid.

Hades knew?

Hades smiled at his reaction. "Killed you and changed her mind," mused Hades. "Murderer's remorse?" He laughed at his own words. "I've never felt such a thing."

Killian shut his eyes, trying to fight the growing sense of despair. Part of Killian's hope had resided in the fact that he knew something Hades didn't. If Hades knew Emma was here…

That sense of despair grew and Killian fought to breathe through it.

"What's her name, again?" drawled Hades. "Ah," he said, as if remembering. "It's Emma, right?"

Hot anger burned through Killian the moment her name left the demon's lips. "How the devil—" breathed Killian, but Hades cut him off.

"This is my world, Captain," said Hades, gesturing with his hands and standing, a terrifyingly dark glint in his eyes. He glared down at Killian. "Nothing happens in my world that I don't know about."

"Except…" said Killian suddenly, a sly smile splitting the cut in his lip, "a prison escape, it… seems," he taunted raggedly.

Hades stomped his heel hard on Killian's chest, knocking him back to the ground, and igniting hot agony throughout his torso. Killian cried out, clenching his teeth immediately, trying to cut off his own voice.

However, somewhere beyond the pain, Killian felt a wave of satisfaction; he'd struck a nerve. It was clear in Hades' face that he was no longer amused, and was genuinely angry that he lost a prisoner. And this just proved that it might be his world, but he didn't know everything that went on in it.

That meant that he was not all-powerful.

He had blind spots.

He could be beaten.

That firelight sparked again, growing a little warmer.

Trying to breathe past the pain and the pressure on his lungs, Killian forced his eyes back open to see Hades glaring down at him.

"The girl might have gotten lucky," snarled Hades, "but she will be punished when I find her. Let me give you a sneak peek at what she's in for when I do."

Hades pressed harder. A ragged, broken sound escaped Killian's clenched teeth, and he clenched his jaw harder, resisting the fear that snaked up his spine.

"I can assure you, Captain," snarled Hades, "even if your foolish savior finds you, she will not be saving you. She'll need to find her own savior by the time I'm done with her."

Absolute, frigid cold froze Killian's chest.

Not Emma.

No.

"Don't you bl—bloody touch h—" rasped Killian, but Hades pressed even harder into him, stealing his breath and breaking his voice.

Hades removed his boot, leaving Killian heaving for breath, just barely keeping himself from writhing as the agony laced like fire through his chest and ribs. Black danced at the corners of his vision and he desperately tried to blink it away.

"All in good time," said Hades, that genuine-looking smile back on his face as he leaned back down to where Killian lay. "But for now, you need to be punished, Captain."

Killian reflexively flinched, breathing hard through the fire.

"You took something from me," said Hades. "My prisoner, what's-her-name." Killian swallowed. "Now I feel the need to take something from you."

Killian's eyes widened, fear cold and sharp, remembering Hades' words from ages ago: "Perhaps I'll take the other hand."

Killian quickly slid his hand under his back. Fear began to tremble his muscles harder.

Hades just laughed. "No, not that." he said dismissively. "Not yet, anyway."

Killian shut his eyes to the wave of relief and terror that struck at once.

Hades raked his cold, calculating eyes over Killian's frame, making Killian nearly shudder.

"How about this," said Hades, grabbing Killian's left arm. Killian gasped, trying to yank it out of the God's grip, but it was a futile attempt to try fighting the demon's strength. The God's grip didn't budge, and Killian breathed hard, eyes wide with fear, terrified he was going to lose his whole bloody arm, pain preventing him from doing anything except watch as Hades detached his hook from his brace.

Hades released him, standing, holding Killian's hook in his hand; the metal was half-crimson, stained with Killian's own blood.

Killian only revelled in the relief that the God hadn't maimed him for a moment. A wave of loss and defenselessness struck Killian in an instant, watching the demon hold one of the only things that has ever made Killian feel safe.

Hades looked down at him, holding his hook like some sort of prize, and smiled. "Not so tough are we, now?"

Killian gritted his teeth, anger coursing through him like water about to burst a dam.

"Since you obviously can't be trusted to listen to simple instructions," said Hades, "you are going to be staying here with me so I can make sure you behave." Hades leaned down, using Killian's hook to snag the collar of his jacket, and promptly began dragging him across the floor.

The moment Killian was moved, his back skidded across the hard ground, and the lash wounds exploded in fire. He cried out a horrible sound, trying to lift himself off the ground but didn't have the strength for it. His vision went white and black and everything ended in a haze by the time Hades dropped him.

The God left him sitting up against something solid.

Killian didn't care what it was.

He blinked slow, trying to feel past the wildfire of pain ripping through every nerve like flames devouring trees of a forest. He was shaking with pain and fatigue, the damn trembles making the injuries hurt worse. He tried to stop shaking.

He couldn't.

"Look at me, Captain," said Hades, and Killian forced himself to reluctantly look up. He knew what happened when he didn't, and right now he couldn't bloody take one more physical blow. Hades was standing before him, hook still in his hand. "I'm going to run an errand," he said. "While I'm gone, you are not to move. If I come back, and you've moved even an inch," his twisted smile hinted at his lips, "then I take the hand."

A jolt of fear slipped down Killian's spine.

"Understand?" asked Hades.

"Aye," whispered Killian, so quietly it was almost inaudible.

But the defeat in his voice was loud and perfectly clear.

Hades smiled. "Good. I'll be back soon."

He disappeared in a burst of blue flames.

Killian blinked long and slow.

And he did not move.

Killian didn't know how long Hades was gone. He'd long since given up trying to figure out how time worked here.

He still hadn't moved.

He was in the same position Hades left him in. His left leg was crumpled, his right laid out straight. His head canted back against whatever he was leaning against. Suddenly, two ticks sounded in the structure at his back, startling him a little, resembling the ticks of a clock. Too tired to care what it meant, Killian rested his head back against it.

He had given the idea of trying to escape a few seconds before deciding it was pointless. The entire cave seemed empty enough, but Killian had no idea if Hades had guards or traps set up. Not only that, if his pet was still there, which Killian wasn't exactly in a condition to bet against, there was no way Killian was escaping without losing a limb. Another limb, he thought bitterly, eyes flicking sadly down to his left arm, the empty brace now hidden beneath the sleeve of his jacket.

But even if there were no obstacles to his freedom, Killian knew with a painful certainty that he wouldn't even be able to stand at this point. Everything hurt. More than hurt, it was an absolute fire. Sitting still was fire. Every breath ground broken bones together. No shift of his body alleviated it, yet he's found at least four positions that made it worse. He'd given up trying to alleviate it, and simply tried to stay conscious. His nerves felt like severed, sparking power cables, or whatever Emma called those things in Storybrooke.

Emma.

The thought of her made him shut his eyes.

Hades knew she was here.

Killian knew Emma was an incredibly strong person, with and without magic, but the idea of her facing someone like Hades petrified him. She wasn't dead, which meant that Hades could kill her. Not just her, either; her whole family. What on earth was she doing coming down here and putting them all in danger for him?

He wasn't bloody worth it.

Killian let out a painful breath, gasping as it moved broken bones. Something caught in his chest and he coughed, making him see black for a few seconds. He blinked his eyes back to the room, tasting blood.

Gods, he wanted to stop hurting.

He wanted to be saved.

He didn't care if he deserved the pain. He knew he did.

He wanted to be bloody selfish and hoped against all damn odds that Emma found a way to get to him.

He just couldn't take this anymore.

Perhaps he was the coward after all.

Killian blinked tiredly. He so badly wanted to sleep, but the fear that he would move or fall while unconscious was enough to force him to stay awake. Hades had been right; the mere threat of losing his only hand was enough to scare him bloody straight. Killian knew he couldn't handle losing his right hand. The thought alone made his phantom heart race.

So, Killian remained as still as he could, and tried to breathe shallow.

When Hades did return, he appeared in a mass of blue flames in the center of the room. Killian flinched, startled, but managed to keep still otherwise. Fear prickled beneath his skin, but Killian tried his best to shove it down.

"Hm," said Hades, though his voice had a touch of anger mixed with the sarcastic tone. "Look at that. You can follow simple instructions."

Killian said nothing, too tired to respond.

Hades' brow twitched. "The prisoner you aided in escape," he began, making Killian tense. "She moved on from this realm."

Killian couldn't help himself. He let a lazy smile slip over his tired features. "Good for her."

Hades, however, reached into his jacket, pulling out some sort of tool. He held it by a wooden handle. The rest was straight metal. It looked like a club.

Ice slid down Killian's spine, realizing exactly what it was for.

Hades held it, smiling at Killian's reaction. Milking it.

Fighting the blinding urge to beg, because bloody fricken hell he cannot take any more pain, he forced every ounce of courage he had to growl, "Get on with it then."

Hades' lifted his brows in faux surprise. "Oh, this?" he asked, gesturing with the weapon. He stepped forward, approaching Killian, who tried his best not to flinch. "No…" said Hades. "No, this isn't for you." He laughed, Killian's fear amusing him. Relief coursed briefly through Killian's system until Hades said, "It's for your friends."

Killian's eyes widened a fraction.

Hades bent down to look Killian in the eye. Killian felt himself tense at the God's proximity. Hades held out the tool in front of Killian, gesturing for him to take it.

Killian felt his pride leave his soul as he obeyed. Lifting his arm made him wince, but he managed to curl his fingers around the handle.

Hades smiled, seeming satisfied with his acquiescence.

Killian felt hatred consume him. "What the bloody hell am I supposed to do with this?" growled Killian.

"Simple accounting, really." said Hades. "At first, I wanted your friends to leave. I really had such a smooth-running operation going on here before they arrived. But now, I've decided they've caused too much damage. First, you let my prisoner escape, then they help her leave my realm completely?" He tutted at it like it disrespected him.

Killian felt a buried emotion rise to the surface.

The lass found Emma.

Emma knew where he was now.

And wasn't that just like Emma, to save yet another soul?

But Hades went on, halting Killian's musing—"So," said Hades, the tone of his voice making Killian feel his fear rise back up full force, "my vindictive side—did you know I have one?" A twisted smile tilted his lips, and he leaned close enough to make Killian shiver as he said, "It wants to punish them."

Killian shut his eyes, fear pulsing harsher than the pain.

Hades stood. "So," he said, walking back to the center of the room, touching the air, "from now on, for every soul your friends free, one of them," he said, three blank gravestones appearing at his fingertips, "is going to have to stay here."

If Killian still had a heart, it would have stopped.

"And, Captain," said Hades with sick pleasure, "you get to decide who."

Killian couldn't breathe.

Hades watched him in silence.

When that silence spread, Killian's mind going frighteningly quiet with absolute dread, Hades said, "Oh, come on. All you have to do is choose three of your friends to stay here. Just carve their names."

Killian felt a burn behind his eyes.

No.

He couldn't.

"What's the problem?" asked Hades. "Is it the chisel? So unwieldy for the one-handed?"

He bloody couldn't.

"Or is it writer's block?"

NO.

Without thinking, Killian threw the chisel. It clattered on the ground a few feet away. Heavily, not knowing what the bloody hell the God was going to do to him for it, Killian said, "I'm not doing it."

Silence.

Absolute, stark silence.

Killian risked a look at Hades, seeing the terrifyingly blank look on his face.

Killian looked away.

He tried to quell the rising panic.

"I must say," said Hades quietly, making Killian jolt, "I'm not angry."

Killian's chest hurt.

He couldn't breathe.

"I'm disappointed."

Hades approached him again, bending down to his ear, "And on second thought," he whispered. Killian's body was so bloody rigid. "I'm angry."

Killian shut his eyes, bracing himself, panic rising like a tide.

"I guess it's off to solitary."

Without warning, Hades grabbed a handful of Killian's hair. He yanked hard, pulling him up by it, tearing a ragged cry from Killian's throat. Desperately Killian got his right leg under him to take the pressure off as Hades used his grip on Killian's hair to drag him, another yell scraped out of Killian's chest. He managed to get upright, and Hades released his hair to grab him around the back, making Killian's teeth snap together to hold in another cry as he tore on the lash wounds.

Hades dragged Killian toward the green river, the hissing growing louder the closer they got. Fear seized Killian's chest.

They stopped at the edge.

"Listen carefully."

Killian breathed hard, barely able to keep the pain out of his voice. He listed badly to the side, but Hades kept a death grip on him.

"This is the River of Lost Souls," said Hades, as if it were some tourist location. "Touch it," he whispered, "and it will make you lost, reducing you to a mindless, tormented husk."

Killian swallowed hard, his entire body shaking from strain and fear.

"So, please," Hades said, a smile in his voice, "keep all arms and hand inside the boat."

There was a small boat at their feet, resting at the edge of the water. Carelessly, Hades shoved Killian into it, making him collapse into the front.

Pain flashed white in his vision.

A slap to his face was the next thing he knew.

"Didn't know the history lesson was boring you that much," said Hades from behind him. Killian blinked slow, realizing he must have passed out for a few seconds. Black still danced around the edges of his vision. "Stay awake," said Hades in a low voice, "or you end up in the River early."

Killian's eyes widened a little, fear racing through him.

Early.

Hades was going to toss him to the River.

Killian shut his eyes, clinging desperately onto consciousness, even as Hades stepped in the back of the boat, and they started moving, wading through the hissing, neon-tinted water.

Emma.

He'd been so close.

He'd thought he was going to see her again.

Feel her again.

Tell her he loved her and how damn, bloody sorry he was for everything he's done.

And now….

The hissing grew louder, making Killian open his eyes. They were approaching a stone archway, words carved into it reading: "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here."

Killian swallowed hard, and began to do just that.