father's day from hell

cow'ardīce n. conduct where common sense or self preservation overrules honor.

He couldn't see anyone amidst the smoke and gouts of flame of the cavern, but he could tell he was being watched again.
*What izzit with this guy?* he wondered *I kin unnerstan' wantin' ta keep track, but if that's the case, why don't he get the pooch ta keep an eye on me?*
He giggled.
*Scarybreath's certainly gotta nuff a them!*
He wandered past a screaming soul slowly being sucked into a quicksand pit.
"Need a hand mate?"
He stretched an arm out to the condemned soul. The man desperately reached up to the fingers dangling bare inches above.
"Oops, can't quite make it."
He watched the man disappear under the surface with a twisted grin on his face.
"Mebbe next time, huh? Now, where woz I?"
*Oh yeah, da weird behavior of the Lord 'a the Dead.*
He couldn't quite see why Hades wanted him around. Ares had asked (OK, actually demanded - Ares not really being into that 'asking politely' stuff) for him back but Hades had refused point blank. Sure it was within his rights, but what sane deity wanted the God of Mischief kicking around their domain getting into, well, getting into mischief? Even an anally retentive by-the-booker like Great Unc' Hades? Didn't make sense. And he kept damnwell watching him! Not by proxy or by magic, but in person. It was just plain...creepy.
*Imagine that, the Lord a' the Dead being creepy?*
Strife giggled at the thought.
"Something amusing Strife?"
"Arrggh!"
Strife leapt several feet up and away from the spot behind him where the deep tones had originated. He whipped around to glare at the tall blonde figure cloaked in shadows.
"Dammit ya tryin' ta kill me again!?! What's with this Big Brother shit? I ain't done no major property damage or nuthin'!"
Hades looked momentarily nonplussed at the incorrect familial assignation, then shrugged it off as yet another of Strife's speech oddities.
"I was merely ensuring you had settled in."
"Dead is dead. What's there ta settle in about? You been sneakin' round after me since I landed in this dump an' I wanna know why."
The King of the Underworld looked discomforted by his demand.
"Well, I was, er that is, I don't get much company down here, and I thought..."
"Oh, ya missin' 'Phoney, huh?"
Hades gaze chilled.
"I am looking forward to Persephone's return, yes."
"We talking 'bout the talkin' or the boinkin' part here? Hey, hey" he raised his hands in a peace gesture at the swift flush of outrage on Hades' face,
"Jus' tryin' to get on the up an' up, here, y'know? Make sure we're readin' from the same scroll? We talking 'bout the horizontal mambo here?"
The outrage blended back into confusion.
Strife continued with a nervous giggle "It ain't that I'm averse ta doin' the ol' bump 'n grind wid ya, y'know, but a guy's gotta right ta be asked by his stalker, er partner I mean."
Illumination dawned.
"No!" Hades almost stuttered "No, no, that's not what I meant!"
"What, I ain't good enuff for ya? Jus ' cos I'm from the House a War? Sheesh, even dead I don't get no respect! What's the..."
"No, Strife. Shut up."
Strife shut up.
Hades might be a by-the-book tightarse, but he was one of the Twelve. And therefore quite capable of making his afterlife eternally miserable. Bad intentions had been amazingly absent up til now, but that didn't mean it couldn't change. Strife had long since learnt not to trust in the kindness of the gods.
"What I meant was that I wanted to, to talk to you. Get to know you a bit."
He looked surprising earnest. Strife wondered if the six month stretches of solitude had finally driven Hades nuts.
"Get ta know me?"
"Yes."
The two gods stared at one another. There was a loud POP! as the condemned soul burst out of the quicksand beside them, then started to sink again, all the time wailing for mercy at the King of the Underworld. Hades sighed.
"Look, lets go somewhere more amenable."
He reached out with his power and transported them.

Strife checked out the room surreptitiously whilst Hades lay on the couch opposite and continued to study him over his wine glass. Unlike Ares, the God of the Dead didn't continue the theme of his temple in his personal quarters, and they were a surprisingly homey combination of pale terracotta walls, polished blonde wood furniture and bright jewel-colored furnishings. Probably Persephone's choice of decorating, Strife thought, then wriggled a little in pleasure at the warm sunshine that flooded throughout the room. He hadn't seen sunlight since his arrival, and whilst not the most daytime of people, hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until now.
"Cute trick wid da sunlight." he dropped into the uneasy atmosphere.
"Hmm, yes. Persephone got Apollo to work that one out."
"Uh huh."
"So. You've been settling in all right? Your quarters are comfortable enough?"
"Yeah! yeah, the rooms are totally ice. Much bigger than my one's back at Unc's place."
"Good, good."
Uncomfortable silence grew again.
"So. You've been getting on all right with Thanatos? And Charon?"
"Yeah. They're chill."
"You're not bored?"
"Nah, there's always something ta amuse me - or someone." Strife giggled.
"You can have visitors you know."
"Cool! Ya mean Cupey 'n Unc 'n Mom can come visit?"
Hades seemed to freeze with his cup halfway to his mouth.
"Not Discord. She has been banned from my domain."
"Really? Why?"
Strife was the recipient of a rather strange look.
"She...caused a lot of trouble last time she was here."
"Hehe, no kidding? Gotta love her. That's where I get it from."
"Yes. I would say so."
"So, what did Mom do?"
Hades gaped at him, then flushed, disconcerted by the direct questioning.
"Um, ah, well..."
*Obviously he don't get put on the spot often.* Strife mused, *Sheesh, it musta been somethin' pretty decent ta upset the old geezer like this!*
A message light suddenly blossomed next to Hades, one with a power signature Strife instantly recognized. "Sorry Strife, but I must go. Please, finish your wine. We can talk later."
Hades smiled at him in what appeared to be relief, then disappeared in a cloud of little black sparkles.
*Cool effect! Ain't seen that one before.*
Strife relaxed for the first time since arriving, and reached for the wine bottle.
*Wonder what Unc' wanted with him? Guess he hasn't given up on gettin' me outta this hole yet.*
His day suddenly brightened.

Ares turned from the scrying mirror to the figure beside him.
"You really aren't dealing with this well at all, are you?"
Hades glowered at his unlikely rescuer.
"He's not exactly the easiest person to get to know! Shades, his mind bounces around like a ball. I never know what's going to come out of his mouth next. Or whether I'll understand it!"
"Yeah well, that's our Strife." Ares smirked "'Bout time someone else got to man the butterfly net. Anyway," he continued, ignoring Hades' glare "I was talking about the other matter."
His Uncle sighed and turned to the mirror.
"I can't tell him Ares, you know that." he said quietly "Demeter would love any excuse to take Persephone away from me. If she found out..." He shrugged fatalistically "Can you honestly say Strife would keep his mouth shut?"
"I don't know."
"And that's the problem. You've known him for centuries, but even you can't tell which way he'll jump. He still resents his father?"
The God of War flicked a glance at his nephew in the mirror - he was currently balancing fruit in an upside down pyramid two feet off the side table.
"Yes."
Pain showed briefly in the God of the Dead's face before it smoothed to its usual stoic expression.
"Then I can't take that risk, no matter how much I would like to." he saw the storm gathering in his nephew's visage "I do love him, Ares - but Persephone...Persephone is the light of my life."
"I think you underestimate her. She isn't the flighty little goddess you carried off anymore. Don't you think she would understand? She deserves the truth. And Strife deserves a chance."
"No!" dark fire shone in Hades' hazel eyes "I won't take that risk."
Cold anger now showed in Ares'.
"I thought you had finally grown a little spine. That this was why you wanted him to stay here. I guess I was wrong."
"Nephew..."
"No, if you aren't going to tell him, why keep him? He isn't happy here and you have no claim on him!"
"He's dead! That makes him mine!"
"Oh, so you can acknowledge him as yours if he's dead, but not if he's alive?" the God of War sneered at the God of the Dead.
"You overstep yourself, Nephew." Hades' voice possessed the coldness of the Void.
"Do I? I'm the one who's been dealing with the consequences of your little fling with Eris. I raised him! I taught him! I look after him!"
"Really? If you look after him so well, what's he doing here?"
Ares made an abortive movement towards his sword.
"That was an accident." he hissed. "One you can correct if for once you're willing to actually do something for your child."
"I don't care about the energy expenditure! If it was anyone else they'd already be gone. But I want some time with him. You've had him for the last couple of centuries - I want to get to know him."
"But not as your son?"
"No."
"Fine. Let your cowardice keep you from having the family you always wanted. Strife will continue to be a son to me, and just a reluctant visitor to you!"
Ares spat the words at his Uncle, then disappeared in a loud crash of crimson lightening.
Hades sighed wearily. He turned to look in the scrying mirror just in time to watch the pyramid of fruit collapse.