The Competition Part I
A/N: Okay the funniest thing I've noticed from watching the Hercules tv show is all the references they make to spring in front of Hades, and to top it off he sits next to Demeter in all of the meetings. Like it's hilarious! Some kind of foreshadowing they were planning, I figure, but it just never worked. I kind of wish they did put Persy in the show, but eh, maybe it's better that way.
Alright back to the fic.
Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys are so punk rock!
In this chapter we are going under the sea, and trouble is on the horizon as things start coming full circle with all the pieces on the board coming together.
This will be my last chapter for a while as I go back to school. So I should be back in May, till then enjoy!
Also long A/N at the end. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: Chapter 1
"Done my time and served my sentence,
Dress me up and watch me die,
If it feels good, tastes good,
It must be mine,
Dynasty decapitated,
You just might see a ghost tonight,
And if you don't know now you know,
I'm taking back the crown."
-Emperor's New Clothes, Panic at the Disco
"Athena! Goddess of wisdom I beseech thee!"
I'm in the middle of something important," Athena mentally cursed, hearing the voice of her baby brother echo through her brain. Oh how she loathed these name summonings! Of all the times too!
Turning to Nemesis, the grey-eyed goddess sheepishly smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear, but I'm going to have to take this call. I'll be back in a flash."
"Alright," the olive green goddess started to seethe, but her head cocked to one side suddenly. "Wait, I'm getting a call too…"
"Oh, what a coincidence," Athena sighed with a momentary feeling of relief. Being rude was not something she was particularly known for and she hoped this instance would be the only exception. "Very well, I'll see you soon then," she waved before disappearing in a flash of blue light and reappeared in front of a distressed looking Hercules.
The brawny hero flinched at the appearance of the seething goddess, and quickly bowed before getting back on his feet. "Oh, Athena thank the gods you're here!"
"Alright what is it?" Athena groaned, she was behind as it is and the competition started in an hour and a half. "Is Kore getting cold feet? Because if she is I am ready to drag her down to Hades and back myself if I have to!" The goddess looked behind Hercules, scanning the field only to see Pegasus and no one else.
It didn't take a sphinx to figure out what was going on now.
"Hercules," Athena exclaimed through a tight-lipped smile. "Where is Kore?"
"That's what I'm asking," the demigod nearly shouted, gesturing out to the uninhabited isle. "Look we got here early- like you said. We checked Demeter's house, asked her nymph friends, checked the beach. Pegasus and I even flew over the entire island looking for her, but she just isn't here!"
"But that's impossible!" Athena argued, putting a worried hand to her agape mouth. "Kore can't teleport she's practically stuck here!"
"Well then where in the world could she be?! I was here early like you asked." Hercules momentarily paused before he continued, taking a moment to watch Athena furiously pace and talk to Ibid.
"It's been three hours, Athena. She's not here, and the only place I haven't checked was where the end of the tunnel in one of the holes goes."
Athena froze.
One look was shared between owl and goddess before both sets of eyes met Hercules' confused expression.
"She's in the Underworld," Athena stated, earning a surprised:"What?!" from Hercules.
"That has to be it. I was the one who told her the tunnel led there and that curious, stupid girl took a look," Athena cursed, putting her face in her hands. "Oh my goodness, Hercules would you-"
"It would be my pleasure."
Persephone had to give it to Pain and Panic. They really were committed to 'saving her.'
Taking the form of moles, they had dug a tunnel all the way down to where she had been collecting Minthe's remains- I mean mint sprouts. Then they'd gone full commando and turned into a two headed dragon only to find a confused goddess putting said sprouts in a jar of dirt.
It didn't take very long for the imps to connect two and two together, and it just made Persephone's life a whole lot easier to not talk about what had just occurred.
She was a little spooked about the whole encounter and the way things had ended up. Yeah, she felt bad for Minthe but she had come to this place for the sole purpose of getting a piece of her aura back- only to find out there is no way to get it back.
Now she had a couple of clues on where it had ended up, excuse me, used up, but it didn't make any sense!
Minthe had mentioned something about Hercules being my brother, but that's impossible unless of course Hera was my mom, but that was insane in itself.
There had to be a better way to explain that, but she really couldn't put two and two together, or rather, Kore refused to consider another aspect about the sharing of fathers, but then again she isn't the most intelligent when it comes to basic biology and well, Zeus' obvious philandering.
So it was almost comical how much Kore went in circles trying to figure things out.
Demeter is my mom- not Hera- hello! There was no way in- well, Hades, that that goddess was her mom. After all, Demeter had the same based powers as me, and boy did she remind me every day of it.
Now, Hera, she saw rarely and barely got much of a, "Hi," out of her before she was whisked away to talk to more important gods.
Unless…
She was purposely kept away from her because she is her biological daughter. That could explain the similar aura and skin tone. But why would she give away her daughter?
Oh my gods it made sense!
But then some things didn't.
Now she was back where she started in this whole mess of thinking. Gosh, that nymph was so difficult, and that's really saying something when you're only friends with nymphs- particularly the dryad and naiad variety, but they were all the same in the end: gregarious creatures who loved having fun, but this one?
She was so bitter.
Yes, that was the word, but with bitterness there came a strange sort of wisdom. And indeed there was a strange sort of wisdom that did come about with her words hinting about how she got to her sorry state.
The things about her former flame if she remembered correctly. His natural toxicity, his tricks and machinations? It almost made her wonder if she really had met Hades. It would make things a lot easier if she could finally attach a face to that name.
Whatever, she could save it for later, she needed her mental stability for the rest of the day and with all the things that were going to go on today from the competition to having to explain her actions to her mother- most likely the real one; it was enough to make the butterflies go wild in her currently empty stomach. It's funny how crazy a person can come up with things when they're bored and hungry.
Oh, Eubulus better be up by now.
He was not.
It was seven o'clock sharp when Persephone and the imps arrived back empty-handed, and all three had shared a silent agreement and decided to let him sleep.
But at this point Persephone was too hungry to care and had tried hunting down food, only to learn the kitchens were filled with worms, an empty bottle of nectar, and some kind of green fungus.
So lacking any kind of options, Persephone decided to make some, and by make some, she meant grow them.
It wasn't until she was back in Hades' office, a basket full of freshly grown fruit in hand, wearing a new un-torn chiton the boys scrounged up for her after seeing her state of dress, that Persephone decided if Eubulus wasn't up by now she was going to wake him.
Before she could set down the basket, the goddess tried to clear an area on the desk, but several scrolls were scattered about. Picking up just one was enough to cause six scrolls to fall off, with one of those completely unfolded that it reached halfway across the room.
"Why are you like this?" She mentally cursed herself.
Resigning herself to having to clean up her mess, Persephone placed the basket on the now cleared spot of the desk, and bended down to collect each of the scrolls and neatly placed them in a pyramid.
But when she went to pick up the last scroll (the one that was completely unrolled), the pink skinned goddess couldn't help but take a peak at what exactly was on this scroll.
"The Incoming Dead," Persephone read aloud. The date below the title was from four days ago, and the entire list was filled with names.
Now intrigued, she leaned against the desk, and started to read through the list.
Each name listed had a simple little checkmark next to each one, but when she reached the name: Sisyphus of Corinth, his box was unchecked. Though the name was something Persephone was not curious about, something was off because someone had circled it several times and written in a little note beside it which read:
"Refuses arrest. Slippery, and cunning, approach with all caution. First attempt was a failure, second attempt worse, going in for a third with magic chains. Oh, and Hermes please finish the rest, I'm going in for a surprise attack again wish me luck!" - Than
"Than? Who's Than?" Persephone mused, but as her eyes scanned the rest of the scroll, the remaining names had not been checked off. "Well this doesn't look good…"
If this is the list from a couple days ago, then the death gods are really behind. Wow is everything falling apart in the Underworld department or something?
Meanwhile, Hades groaned as he started to wake up, but especially more so as he felt his senses return to him and when his eyes shot open, he was instantly disgusted by the sight of flowers.
Oi he really hated flowers.
"Alright, who's the wise guy that-" he immediately shut up as his eyes scoped out Persephone's back as she leaned against his desk.
Holy Nyx, is that the same chick he made a deal with? That little sweet summer chick now clad in black and wowzah did it make her look good.
Oh, was this day already full of surprises.
"Well morning, sunshine. You've been asleep for awhile," Persephone turned to face him, a small grin forming at the corners of her red lips.
"Hey, I haven't had a night's rest in a long time, sweetness, give me a break," he admitted, even including those eighteen years of planning a Titan takeover. Oi all that perfect planning wasted, but now, he wasn't going to stop. Not now when a call reversal was just made, and oh did he have a wild card now.
A rather attractive one at that, he smirked.
"Alright, Sparky, you deserve it." Persephone rolled her eyes playfully, and turned her attention to the fruits in her basket. There was two apples, three pears, a vine laden with grapes, and one large pomegranate. "Now eat up, we gotta long day today, and this place needs restocking," she threw an apple at him, which he readily caught.
"Hey where'd you even get this stuff? Go topside this morning?" Hades eyed the apple wearily.
Not because it looked bad, nor his distaste for things that grow, but there's a reason he was Lord of the dead for so long, and that my dears would be caution.
Persephone snorted, grabbing the last apple for herself. "Don't you know? I can't teleport at all! Thank my mother for that. I grew these-" she gestured to the basket laden with various fruit "-this morning in some fields I found nearby."
Hades eyes went wide in realization and the apple in his hand burned and turned into a heap of ash.
"Wait, Persephone, don't eat that!" He appeared at her side and snatched the apple from her hand.
"Hey, I'm starving, here!"
"Starving enough to be stuck here forever?!" Hades normally grey skin turned a bright fiery red.
Persephone stared hungrily at what remained of her apple, "Alright, is there some kind of rule where I can't eat food down here, or something?"
"Oi, babe I am getting you an Underworld manual."
"They sell those?"
"In the gift shop, but that's not important," Hades waved off.
"Now look, once a non-Underworldian, that's you-" he shot an accusatory finger at Persephone. "-Takes one eensy-weensy bite of Underworld food- which so happens to be your deathly Underworld-fruits. You're bonded to this place for eternity, and I don't think you want a life stuck down here," he huffed, simmering down to his normal blue.
"Trust me no one does,"* he added. "Even you would want to go topside now and then." Hades cocked a curious eyebrow at Persephone's bemused face. "What'cha staring at?"
"Y'know you're glowing, right?"
Now it was Hades turn to get caught off guard. "Excuse me?!"
He was this close from looking down at himself to check to see if she was right, but then that would mean that he believed her.
"Aw look at that now you're blushing," Persephone couldn't help but boop him on the nose.
"Don't do that," he rubbed his nose in response, but seeing his glowing fingers as they wrapped around his nose, the god did a double-take. "Whoa… I haven't glowed since…since…"
Crap, when was the last time he glowed? Double crap why was Persephone not glowing again? I understand why I never glow, but she, oi, what is going on?
"Before you fell in the Phlegethon?"
"You could say that," Hades nearly whispered, looking at his hands as if seeing them for the first time with that awestruck look of wonder.
"Well I'm glad you're getting back to full strength," Persephone patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I can't imagine all that you've been through," her gaze momentarily left Hades' as she stared longingly at the remaining fruit in the basket.
She really is hungry.
"Forget about it," he grinned watching Persephone's hungry gaze at the fruit. "Hey, did you even look in the right place for some grub?"
"I've heard tales that kitchens are usually where food is stored."
"Ha, not down here, but your sarcasm is appreciated. Now I'm sure Pain and Panic can scrounge up some ambrosia after we meet up with Po-po. Because we need to go."
Persephone made a pouty face. "Fine, but if we don't get any food by the time we're walking out of Poseidon's, I'm going to force you to take me to get a gyro."
"Alright, fine. Hey, where's your scythe?"
Persephone twirled the snake armband,** she had learned her lesson to not put Praxidice out of sight and changed it into a bracelet. "Right here, Sparky, old boy."
"Great. Now shall we?" He extended his arm to her.
Nodding her head once, Persephone took his arm and briskly the two were out of the office and in the middle of the fields of Asphodel.
"Whoa, where's the ocean?" Persephone wobbled, trying to regain her balance, but with Hades still holding her arm she steadied out quickly.
"Persephone, sweetness, we're not teleporting into Po-po's palace. No, babe, we're gonna do it in style."
Hades released his hold on the goddess and snapped his fingers. Right before their eyes a black chariot pulled by a pair of menacing griffins appeared.^
"Wait, can't we just poof everywhere?" Persephone interjected. "I mean I can just grab onto you and like poof we're here, poof we're there?"
"Oh, c'mon, sweetness, this way's a lot more fun!" Hades cheerfully exclaimed. "Stretches the bones, we get a breath of fresh free air, and hey we can see why Zeusy likes the heavens so much." The god grinned, appearing already in the chariot, with the reins in hand.
"Where'd you get the chariot anyway?"
"I'm borrowing from that Hades guy. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Hades flashed her a knowing smirk.
"Eubulus this is stealing! You didn't even ask permission!" Persephone protested, all of her mother's lectures starting playing in her head. From the ones about not letting people commit evil and getting into chariots with strange men.
"Hey, can the real Persephone stand up cuz all I hear is mother dearest right now. Maybe you've heard of her she's kind of on the ditzy side, but whoa is she ambitious. Might even be bold if she stopped second-guessing herself," he winked, causing her to blush.
But Persephone crossed her arms in defiance, succumbing to the fluttering anxiety flowing through her veins.
"C'mon, babe," Hades continued. "What's stealing from a guy not even around? A little rule breaking never hurt anybody, and you, my sweet, need to live a little. You're going in for one of the toughest jobs of the cosmos, and guess what they're now hiring anyone."
Hades stretched out his hand, waiting for her to take it, knowing he had gotten to her as her shoulders loosened their tension.
"I mean, Persephone after making a deal with me you still don't trust me?"
Persephone sighed. He was being a real dork, right now, but damn was it working. She was taking a big risk going for a job that was out of her league, and she might as well start somewhere.
"Fine, dammit," she sighed, and placed her hand in Hades' open one.
"That's my girl," Hades leered, and helped her onto the chariot. "Now, please keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the chariot at all times, and if the need arises don't be afraid to grab on to me," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
If it was possible to blush an even darker shade of red, Persephone somehow achieved it. "You are such a dork."
"Ha, but don't forget you're the yutz who almost got dragged into this chariot."
"You wouldn't dare," Persephone challenged, teasingly putting her face inches from Hades' own. "You're a big softie, Sparky."
"Yeah, but this softie," he wasn't looking at her eyes anymore, oh no, her lips would be more accurate. "Doesn't take rejection well," he exclaimed in an unusually soft voice. "So, you'd be surprised."
But as suddenly as his suave demeanor had appeared it was replaced as his sharp teeth flashed her a wide wolfish grin, the last thing Persephone saw as his entire body disappeared right before her eyes.
"Eu-" she started to call out, only for her to feel a finger at her lips.
"Still here, sweetness. Oh and you can let go of my hand now, I need both for driving."
Persephone's eyes widened in realization, and quickly released his hand. Then she shouted the most rational thing she could muster amid her embarrassment.
Which in fact was not rational.
"I THINK I MIGHT HAVE COMMITTED MURDER!"
Hades paused. "You hid the body right?"
"Really?" Persephone desperately wanted to see his face to check if he was actually being serious. Sure his tone was sincere, but oh my gods! What a thing to say! "That's what you say, not: 'Oh my gosh you killed someone?'!"
"You're gonna be a Queen of the Dead, if you couldn't do it I'd have to do it. I'm just glad to see you're not the squeamish kind. Already showing back-bone and you haven't even won this thing now that's impressive," Hades explained in a, dare she say it proud tone. "Also backup, did you hide it?"
"If you mean turn them into a plant then yes, I hid it so well… but then I may have collected the sprouts and planted them."
"Wait a sec, turning them into a plant is not considered murder. Like I get that flowers and all that awful gardening are your thing, but they're technically still alive. Was this like a mushagana mortal, or a nasty nymph, or something?"
"A nymph, a sick one too." Persephone whispered, but with Hades close proximity he heard it perfectly.
"You might have known her," she added in an even quieter voice.
"Eh, probably. Wouldn't put it past me to introduce myself to people."
Noticing her downcast face, Hades lifted up her chin slightly. "Hey, chin up, sweetness, she probably deserved it if she got you that angry. Heck she got it easy reincarnating- skipped death and everything. Now, let's go this chariot was made for more than conversation! HYAH!"
The sound of a whip crack filled the still underworld air, and off the chariot flew and out to the land above.
Somewhere not far from there, if one listened hard enough, you could just make out another flapping of wings, not belonging to griffons, mind you.
That honor belonged to a pegasus and his rider, and they were catching up.
"Hermes, would you mind running down to me the details of today's competition?" Zeus ordered, gazing at the world down below him.
The townspeople of Olympia down at the base of Mount Olympus were especially motivated today, so was all of Greece really, especially so Sparta. Athens not so much, for obvious reasons, but hope was still alive in them too that their terror would soon end.
The people of Greece had shown their thanks by creating large baskets of offerings at each of the Olympians temples, one from almost each person or family he'd heard. More so were the offerings given to Ares' temple though, as his sons were the first to volunteer.
But before there had even been talks of a competition, the small shrines in the cemeteries dedicated to his baby brother were overflowing. It seems the people had realized something was amiss faster than the gods had.
A pity that every single problem that happened to the mortals they received it unexpectedly and it was up to gods and heroes alike to fix it if they ever noticed.
"Hermes?" He called again.
When no answer came again, the thunder god frowned, but decided to let the offense pass. "Oh Hermes, where are you my faithful messenger?!" He bellowed considerably louder this time.
After waiting patiently for a minute, Zeus couldn't help but shout, "Alright, Hermes this isn't funny anymore! I'm sorry for earlier-"
His own choice of words made the king of the gods freeze. Earlier had been yesterday afternoon. When did Hermes come back yesterday? By thunder did Hermes ever return?
Great, now gods were disappearing.
"Hera, dear, have you seen Hermes today?"
"Oh Nemesis came by with a note from him." Hera appeared beside him, showing him said note.
"Apparently, he's got his hands tied up at the moment, and probably won't be able to make it for the competition," his wife explained, resting a comforting arm around her husband.
"But on the bright side, everything is organized as is and all we need to wait for is all three competitors to show up. Apollo is watching from up high today, and other gods have already started gathering to judge for the collecting of the souls."
"Hmm, very well," Zeus considered his wife's words. "And the last category Ares wanted added?"
"It's up to you whether it is taken up you are the king after all, darling."
"You are right about that, dear," Zeus smiled. "To Athens then?"
"To Athens," Hera agreed.
"What is that?!" Persephone cried, unable to remove her eyes away from the giant monster that burst out of the sea seconds before.
They had been over the ocean for about five minutes now, and having the sudden appearance of this giant scaly monster burst out of the ocean was certainly causing an eye sore. The lower half of the red eyed- monster was a collection of abnormally large eels, mimicking an octopus' tentacles. Each one of the heads, including the one in charge let out a warning hiss to the approaching chariot.
"Oh, you mean the hundred foot tall serpent lady? Yeah, Po-po's ex. Scylla, I think," Hades guided the chariot away from the monstress and she soon was out of sight.
Ugh this should be around where the Titans had once been jailed. Ah, good times.
"Fun… You have any of those lying around?" Persephone cast a curious glance over at her companion, only to realize he still had the helm on. She really needed to stop doing that.
"Eh," Hades shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe two, but one turned into a tree- the other swore vengeance on me. Y'know, the yooj."
"Yeah, I know the feeling of striking out. I dated a prince for like a week before he got mauled to death by a boar," Persephone bluntly explained.
"You liked the guy?" Hades quietly simmered. Thank the gods fire doesn't cast a shadow, but she certainly could feel the heat.
"Nah, he was a real schmo. Turns out I was backup because apparently he and Aphrodite once had a thing and Ares found out… It was really complicated, I'm kind of glad he died, though," Persephone admitted quietly.
The goddess winced when she realized what she just said. "Too vindictive?"
"Never enough, babe, never enough."
Persephone visibly relaxed at hearing this. He really was open-minded to people's flaws. Oh boy was his moral compass different from mother's. If those two ever met they'd probably kill the other… Well that is of course if she doesn't kill me for this whole escapade…
"Dating sucks doesn't it?" Hades voice drove her out of her thoughts.
"It really does," the goddess agreed. "Wooing's worse, though," she added suddenly.
"Y'think so?"
"Yeah, and it makes no sense. If you like someone just say it. Don't make it complicated. Courting is just a bunch of- of…" Oh what was the word?
"Mashugana?"
"Yeah that's it," Persephone nodded in satisfaction.
"Gotta agree with you there- the notes, the serenades, the flowers- blech," he gagged. "That schtick is for yutzes."
Persephone bit her lip, looking slightly embarrassed. "… I like flowers…"
Crap, should not have said that. Oi, she's literally Springtime personified.
"Well, not for everyone, babe!" Hades quickly backpedaled. "You- now you rock flowers. Not everyone can pull them off like you can, sweetness."
"Oh," Persephone blushed. "Thanks…" she absentmindedly fingered the poppies she'd woven in her hair when she'd bunched it together at the side of her head. One such poppy flew out of her hair amidst all the wind being up in the sky was doing, combined with flying above the ocean.
"Hey!" She tried to catch it, but something caught her eye. If she was an ordinary mortal she would have dismissed it as a speck, but with her divine senses she could clearly see it's true identity. "Oh look, it's Hercules!" Persephone exclaimed cheerfully.
"WHAT?!" Hades flared up almost instantly.
All of Persephone's divine sense screamed for her to duck, which she thankfully did right as a massive amount of flames were thrown in all directions. When the flames were rocketed everywhere, they were technically no longer on his person so it was visible to all watching eyes.
"Eubulus, he's a good guy!" Persephone screamed, grabbing at the reins he had momentarily released to throw his temper tantrum.
"I KNOW THAT! PAIN! PANIC!" Hades shouted.
"Yes, your most, invisibleness?" Pain and Panic appeared, floating about them as the chariot flew onwards.
"Eubulus, why are you flipping out?!" Persephone tried to steady the vehicle's course. She had never taken her driver's test, and watching an invisible guy steer wasn't exactly a great way to start. "He's just a guy- you're a god! Eubulus, he's a hero for Hera's sake!"
"A hero that destroys everything he touches!" Hades argued, a vein throbbed in his forehead. He was still very sore on how close he'd been to taking over the cosmos, and boy did he want to oust the guy muy pronto!
"Well," Persephone paused. "You're not wrong… that's kind of why we're in this mess, but think abut this logically because if you send the boys after him he's gonna know something's up. He can't see you," she added in exacerbation.
Pain and Panic shared a knowing look when Hades remained silent.
After hearing a tremendous sigh, one that sounded like it required a ton of effort to scrounge up, followed by a few nonsensical grumbles, Hades took the reins from Persephone's hands.
"Alright, fine I got an idea. You boys are gonna lead Jerkules on," he threw the reins to Pain. "I'm taking Seph from here. When you lose him, call me. Okay? CAN YOU TWO BOZOS DO THAT?!"
"Yes, your most level-headedness," Pain and Panic saluted, weakly smiling all the while.
"And no tricks, she better be whole when I come back!" Hades threatened.
Then without another word, his hands clasped Persephone's and the two gods were sent somewhere miles below the sea in a column of smoke.
Thankfully though, the two of them appeared in what appeared to be a dry spot.
Poseidon was smart enough to consider his visitors as a good majority were land lubbers and had designed his palace to be full of oxygen.
Not that Persephone minded with the affinity of plants, since they produced it, she could live without it, but it was Eubulus she worried about, he is the one with fire for hair.
But when Persephone regained her bearings, and found that the pair were hidden behind a column in a dark corner of the throne room, she practically ripped off his helmet.
She needed to see his face and by the gods was she going to see it!
"Eubulus, what the actual hell was that?!" She rounded upon him, her words were barely louder than a whisper, but it certainly was a harsh tone. "If you wanted to remain inconspicuous then why throw a temper tantrum the size of Tartarus? What has he even done to you?! It's not like you two even met!"
"Oh, that's rich," Hades scoffed, getting eerily close to her in order to make her feel small, but her tall frame did nothing but bring their faces closer.
"But you can yell at me?!" Hades tried to remain in a whisper like her, but knowing he was this close to seeing Wonder Breath, after the whole rearranging the cosmos thing went and then becoming a god! Oh did that kid have a death wish! And he'd be damned if he couldn't let off some steam.
Pain and Panic had explained to him all the nitty-gritty details of Hercules rejecting his godhood for little nutmeg, and now the two lovebirds were schmoozing it up in the married life all the while he was swirling in eternal damnation of his own creation.
Now he was here. Being yelled at by the babe who save him from said damnation. Life was cruel indeed.
"I'm the one calling the shots, babe, I don't see any of your ideas getting us anywhere! If I see something that could ruin this deal, I am going to smite it because that's what I do, capiche?! If you want go with Zeus' two favorite bumbling brats, go ahead I don't care!"
"Look here, Sparky, I'm not yelling at you for the sake of being angry, like you!" Persephone shot back. "You could have jeopardized this whole mission! He probably doesn't even know about you. Athena might've sent him when she realized I wasn't on Sicily this morning because guess what, Sparky? I'm here with you!" She jabbed her index finger against his chest.
"I'm taking the risk of trusting your instincts over hers and it was my instincts that saved us back there. Not yours.*^ " She stated without having to raise her voice this time.
Hades remained silent, but his eyes, the way they had widened suddenly and returned to normal only to stare at her as if seeing her for the first time was enough motivation for the goddess to get what she was trying to let him know.
"And guess what Sparky, I'm still choosing you. I can always walk out, that's how deals work, right?" She rhetorically asked.
"But I'm not." Persephone shook her head once, the fire in her eyes still alive and roaring. "Nope," she reaffirmed. "I'm gonna trust my gut again and it's telling me you're gonna help me better than 'Thena can. You can be angry all you want, but just know I didn't seal the deal to Rage, I sealed it to you and I'd be happy if you showed up right now."
How Hades reacted was the very opposite of how she expected him to react.
He smiled.
Yes, it was a crooked one, maybe a leer, perhaps a smirking one, his sharp teeth didn't help, but the intention was there.
Somehow amid all of Persephone's reprimanding, his rage had turned into a very different course. It was probably him being turned on, but it was something else. Sure, he got turned on just by seeing a babe in a tight dress, but this was significantly different.
Presented before him was a naive female, filled with thoughts of goodness and morality, an optimist who had not felt the sting of abandonment and betrayal.
She hadn't been corrupted yet. Her one flaw was her naivety, but nothing more.
You can scoff at a person's innocence, but there is something intrinsically true about them. They still see things as black and white, no grey. They are frank, and above all, they still know truth. As you grow up, the truth gets more muddled up with each passing day, but when all you are taught is all you know, there is very little fault in that.
For the people who teach you, they see things from many perspectives, from past experiences and the things they have seen, and all they do is cut the middle out and present the basic facts.
Persephone was still naive. Probably would be for a long time if she did not become sullied with bitterness, but being surrounded with scoundrels and rough necks for all these centuries, it was almost a relief to hear the only reproof from the only person who probably would care.
And to that Hades grinned for he knew he'd made a good choice for once in his damned life. A babe with a brain and looks, but she wasn't cruel. He'd had several flings who fit the description of evil queen, and all it did was made him bitter, but she-
"You, my sweet, are something else," he captured her chin in his hand, and before she could protest he slightly pecked her on the forehead. "But a damn good one," he exclaimed and pushed her out of the cover of the columns.
"Hey!" Persephone cried in surprise, but she had to keep it in as her magenta eyes locked with sea green ones.
"Kore?"
"Uh… Hi, Poseidon…" Persephone weakly waved, and quickly balanced herself in a straight posture. Her eyes briefly flitted over to the column where she and Eubulus were previously hiding. Half of her wasn't surprised to see he wasn't there anymore.
"Knock 'em dead, babe!" The goddess heard Eubulus oily whisper in her ear as her heart pounded in her chest.
"Easy for you to say," Persephone mumbled under her breath as she approached Poseidon and the giant tangerine octopus he was pushing into what looked like an in-ground swimming pool, but really that was the opening to the ocean.
Approaching the god, Persephone gave a slight curtsy to the fish-bearded deity as he successfully directed out the bothersome octopus.
"I wish I was here just to say hi, but I-"
"How's your mom? She doing alright? Asked about me, huh?" Poseidon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively all the while flashing her his own toothy smile.
Persephone tried to hide the grimace on her face, by replacing it with a smile but all it did was make her look slightly uncomfortable.
"Told ya so," Hades snorted quietly from somewhere behind her, wearing that invisibility helm, no doubt.
"Actually, yes," Persephone lied. "She was just asking about you and told me how much of a generous and wonderful god you've been to her."
"Ooo, look at that someone's learning a thing or two from me," Hades chuckled in her ear.
Persephone could practically feel him behind her. If she chose to take a step back she was sure she'd hit him! So she took this as an opportunity to elbow him in the gut, and made it look like she was flourishing out her hand.
"Really she said that about me?"
"Oh yes, you see it's why she sent me straight to you," Persephone smiled cordially.
"You see there's a competition for the new Underworld position that's going to be starting soon and I am one of those competitors, and I was hoping-" The snake armband slithered down her arm until it rested in her open palm and began stretching and turning into it's true form. "-that you could beseech my blade the ability to control the Underworld rivers."
Poseidon's eyes were the size of saucers. His grip on his coral-colored trident tightened almost instantly and a sneer was forming upon his face. "Where did you get that twisted blade?"
"Babe, mention your agriculture thing, he'll settle down quick, and don't you dare mention Athena, he hates her," Hades suggested.
"Oh, um.. " Persephone racked her brain trying to come up with something. "This is a tool I use for cutting down grain for the harvest season. My mother uses a similar model, you see and not-"
"And not related to papa Kronos?"
"Definitely not. It's just a tool. Nothing more," Persephone assured him, but the glare he was sending her was giving her the message that he had not been convinced.
"Oh, crap he's getting loyal."
Persephone nearly turned her head around to see what he meant, but she knew she couldn't without getting Poseidon even more suspicious.
But thankfully, Hades caught on that she was confused by the way her shoulders tensed.
"It's his brother. He's getting sentimental, tell him-" Hades didn't get in another word as Persephone opened her mouth.
"Lord Poseidon, please," Persephone pleaded. "You of all people understand how much Hades put into his work, but he's being punished severely for his crimes for trying to take a job that didn't belong to him."
Somewhere behind her Hades flinched, but said nothing.
"I want to earn this job," she continued, "And if you can't give me this one power to send all the shades back to where they belong you're being more of an obstacle than actually helping."
"Well Kore, look you're a nice girl and all but," Poseidon stroked the fish tail that was his beard as he tried to find the words. "I don't see how that's a good idea. Why the last time someone tried to connect the Styx to the mortal realm, let's just say it was worse than my first few tries making dolphins."
"Just between you and me kid," Poseidon leaned in and gave her a wink. "The secret is blowholes."
"But- but…" Persephone's mind rattled trying to think of something but that's when it hit her. "Oh… That's okay I guess." The goddess sighed in defeat, allowing her shoulders to sag for an added effect. She had to sell this and sell it she would. "I get it. No one wants to help the rookie. Not even Athena would. Don't worry Poseidon I'll get out of your tail," she added, turning herself around to leave, but Poseidon's slimy fish palm lightly touched her shoulder causing her to pause.
"Wait a second, angelfish, Athena didn't want to help you?" His tone was more baffled than curious. "Why I thought you two were close?"
"Well, not close enough to help each other out," Persephone sighed. "But thanks anyway, Po-po-"
"Po-po?" Poseidon stared at her incredulously, but immediately his face brightened. "Hey! That's what Hades used to call me when we were still tadpoles!"
"Oh?" Persephone breathed out in befuddlement.
"Y'know what, angelfish, I've changed my mind," Poseidon nodded his head thoughtfully. "Something about you reminds me so much of my bro-bro, it's kind of uncanny, but you- you've got a heart, and that girlie is your mom's, so use this power wisely."
Pointing his trident at Praxidice, the scythe began to glow a bright turquoise light.
"That ought to do it. Now go run along! I'm sure you've got a busy day-"
Poseidon was immediately caught off guard, and cut off, as Persephone rushed forward and embraced him, picking him up in the process. It helped that she was taller than him.
"Oh, Poseidon thank you! You have no idea what this mean to me!" The goddess released him and planted a peck on his slimy cheek.
"Oh, don't mention it, angelfish." The god smiled. "It's yours to use as you please, think of it as my gift to the newest Queen of the Underworld."
"Thank you so much, Poseidon I'll never forget this!"
"And hey if you ever need a king, my son, Triton's still single," he winked at her.
Persephone laughed.
Hades simmered.
"Oh, thank you for the offer," Persephone blushed. "But the competition comes first. Thanks again!" The goddess waved good-bye.
"You tell that mother of your I said hello, okay?"
"I sure will," Persephone called back, as Praxidice transfigured into an armband once more.
Turning around once more, Persephone's hands found Hades' and just like that the two gods disappeared without a trace.
Only for them to appear at the true entrance of the Underworld. The dark cavernous opening that allowed the ocean water to race in to become the River Styx was especially foreboding today. Not that she'd ever been there before, but something about being here felt wrong.
All those feelings were dashed away as Eubulus reappeared by her side.
"Brava Persephone, brava!" He picked her up by the waist and spun the two of them around. " Wow I gotta say I haven't seen a performance like that since that Oedipus guy!"
He set her down again only for Persephone to return his gesture by wrapping her arms around his neck, and surprisingly he did the same instead of freezing up like last time.
"Oh my gods, I lied. Lied like there was no tomorrow, but I did such a good job, and you," she released him, so she could look at his face. "Your pointers were genius. I swear, I wouldn't have thought up any of that without you! "
Persephone began to glow again, and Hades only continued to smirk.
"Told ya babe, I'm the best," he winked at her causing her bubblegum skin to redden.
"You really are. Oh my gods," she hugged him again and pulled back slightly, but her arms were still laced around his neck. "I could kiss you," she froze at her own words, and quickly released him and walked several paces away. "But I'm not…"
"Oh c'mon after all I've done? Why not?" Hades smirk grew ever wider by the second.
"Because we haven't won yet, you moron."
"Well, the river is at your command, m'lady," he bowed, flourishing his hand and everything.
"Oh right. Well here goes!" Praxidice appeared fully formed in her hands, ready for use.
"Lady Styx, come to me!" Persephone bellowed, striking her scythe into the earth below her.
The waves of the river started to form into a menacing looking woman, the likes of which she had never seen before. This was no nymph, it was a fully fledged goddess and it was by she that all oaths were sworn by. Styx the mother of zeal, victory, strength, and force was before them in all her glory, awake at last.
"By the power of my scythe I humbly request-"
"You order, we're not asking," Hades quipped.
"Okay, fine," Persephone shot a quick glare at the god, "I order you to flow into the mortal world!"
The dark ebony waters that formed the woman nodded her head, almost like it was a bow of respect. Then right before the watching eyes of the two gods the waters of the Styx rocketed out of the cavern.
Mingling together life and death forevermore.
"Nemesis, I'm so sorry for interrupting our little chat earlier, but something rather important popped up last minute," Athena appeared at the behest of the demigoddess' beseeching.
Now if only Hercules could find Kore, than everything would be going perfectly.
"Oh, it's fine," Nemesis seethed, absentmindedly transfiguring her hands to swords and back again. "But I didn't call you for that reason."
"Oh? But I thought you wanted to pay off your debt to me."
"You can ask me some other time, but you see I had some actual smiting to do," the demigoddess smiled sadistically. "Not errands like you. Isn't that right, Hermes?"
"Wait, Hermes?" Athena briskly turned around and could barely stop the gasp form spilling out of her.
"Hey 'Thena. You have no idea how happy I am to see you here," the god meekly laughed from where he was tied upside down in the middle of the low-hanging ceiling, missing both his legendary shoes and hat.
"Hermes?!" Athena now took reason to inspect the rather dingy room she was standing in. Why it looked like a place to store grain.
Wait grain!
"Oh, Athena," the round faced, motherly goddess exclaimed in a sing-song voice as she appeared in the room. The floral arrangement of her hair appeared to be in rather bad shape as the leaves were no longer a bright evergreen, but now they were in hues of scarlet and dried corn.
"Where is my daughter?"
*Alright guys, bare with me. Hades never eats anything in the underworld unless it's worms or something, but that got me thinking. Because he's thinking about moving up in the world he doesn't eat anything considered Underworld food, and it's shown in the show that every chance he gets he is stealing food, he's taking all the food he can so he cannot be stuck there forever, he has plans and doesn't want to settle there.
But there's another weird thing I noticed: he actually likes the underworld. Yeah he has monologues about why he hates the place and wants to move up, but it's growing on him, in one episode he called the Underworld, "his lady, his love," and the imps are like whaaaat? And he's like "Yeah I actually do like this place." And that's where the idea of his aura got me.
I've heard many theories on why he doesn't glow, but I started to wonder if it had to do with belief. Like maybe that's why he wants people to sell their souls and in effect spreads so much fear, because that's all he can get, resulting in his absent aura. I got the idea from Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians(btw does he remind y'all at all of Hades?) and notice he's one of the only ones who doesn't have any color- sure it's because he's fear and fear would have to be dark and stuff, but his eyes are just platinum, not even a real color. While the guardians, the ones who in a sense cast him out are these radiant colors. But idk you can do with that info how you like.
Now why Hades is glowing now, you can probably guess, but there are two definite reasons…
** snake armbands were popular in Ancient Greece and Rome and after seeing Aladdin again I was like screw it. Who knows there might be Aladdin cameos eventually. ;)
^idk, they were either going to be thestrals or griffins and I just went with the one that was considered greek.
^^it's a yiddish word, I heard it I swear a thousand times bc my sibling and I were so confused when Phil used the word when we were little and we honestly thought he was making it up. Well most words are made up- scratch that all.
*^Alright. I'm gonna level with y'all Hades is a freaking genius. He is the sanest of all Disney Villains, and the patience of his is incredible, like he planned out such a well thought out plan to rearrange the cosmos that he had the gods chained up without any such resistance, all of the gods. Even his brother who he teamed up with to defeat the Titans, but he has one major flaw. This flaw was especially brought out in the show and imma tell it now its his rage. Yeah it's obvious but I don't think y'all understand- what's the first thing he does? He explodes. He literally can't throw it away he has to do something to expel his rage and in turn he either doesn't think rationally and two he gets over-cocky and boom his plans blows up in his face.
But let me tell you when I outlined this story he was never planned out as an idiot- oh no he's the smartest in this entire fic. Also he is still very much a villain in this- an anti-hero if you want, but this guy holds all the cards and I'd be wary of how quick he is in further chapters. Who knows maybe his conversation with Pain and Panic will appear just to show you how cunning he is.
Well it's been fun guys, and gals, and pals and please keep up the favs and reviews, they have been beautiful! Oh and who knows I might update sometime in between!
Angel of H-d out!