Selena's Notes: Greetings everyone. I'm hoping to finally come out of my long hiatus and finish this trilogy once and for all. In the meantime, I hope anyone who wanders upon this story is entertained. I've put a lot of effort and research into getting everything just right. Also, as a warning, this story will eventually become a crossover with Resident Evil (games), but for now, the story is going to primarily focus on our star couple.
Chapter Zero:
-Two Sides; One Game-
Hades rushed out the small cottage at the sound of his mother's screams, and what he found made him freeze, his entire being filling with fear. His mother had been stripped of her clothes and was trapped underneath a dark figure. His five-year-old brain couldn't process what was happening, but he knew she was in trouble.
"Momma?" he squeaked out, his eyes watering.
Everything went silent, his mother and the figure turning their heads in his direction. Hades met the figure's gaze and gasped. It was a man he hadn't seen before, and yet, at the same time, he knew who it was. His father, Cronus.
"There you are." Cronus gave him a sick grin, his blue eyes piercing into his.
Hades trembled. He knew he should escape, but he didn't want to abandon his mother.
Her eyes widened with horror, and she seized Cronus' arms. "No. Leave him alone!"
"Silence!" He shook out of her grip with ease before backhanding her across the face.
Hades whimpered and stepped back.
His father held out his hand, wearing the same sinister smile. "That's it. Be a good boy and come with me, Son. I'm going to take you home where you belong."
"Don't listen to him!" His mother said.
"Enough! I've had it with your treachery!" Cronus kicked her in the stomach, making her cry out, and he turned with a snarl. "Come to me, boy. Now!"
Hades shook his head, his gaze shifting between his parents.
"Run, Hades! Get away from here!" Tears stained his mother's face, and she grabbed Cronus by the ankle before he could close in on him. "Don't worry about me. Momma will be okay. Just leave. Run!"
At her permission, Hades found the strength to move and ran as fast as his small body would allow. He heard his father's booming voice shout after him, but he didn't stop or look back. He would be killed if he did.
….
Hades' eyes snapped open, his heart racing. With a groan, he blinked a few times before taking in his surroundings. He was still trapped in the river, Phlegethon, and the weight of the souls kept him submerged.
Sighing, he closed his eyes. Yeesh. Of all the things to dream about, why that?
He preferred not to think of the past, or more importantly, his father, who was now imprisoned within the depths of Tartarus. Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and tried to focus on something less traumatizing.
How'd it come to this? One second, I'm on top of Olympus, and the next, I'm stuck in this death pit. Hades scoffed. I can't believe I let that little sunspot beat me, and in my own kingdom, for crying out loud. Oy, there goes my reputation.
He didn't know how long it had been since Hercules put him there, and at this rate, he was confident he'd never get out.
"Hello! Anybody! Pain, Panic, if you two whelps don't get me out of here, you're gonna regret the day you escaped Pandora's box!" he said.
Vines pierced through the green water and slithered toward him, but he couldn't see the source. They wrapped around his arms and shoulders, and briefly tugged, making sure he was solid. The souls tried to pick away at the vines, but the vegetative tendrils pulsated with an immortal glow, forcing them back.
So, those no good minions finally heard me. Hades let the vines pull him out of the river.
He felt his body slide against the rough shore, and he let out a haggard gasp, the shift from breathing underwater to humid air shocking his lungs. Ectoplasm dripped from his clothes until a small pool formed underneath him.
Skin turning red, orange flames burst from his body, and he jumped to his feet. "Pain, Panic! It's about time, you miserable yutzes! If he gets out… we'll see if you're still alive once I'm through with both of you!"
A low, feminine giggle echoed past Hades' ears, making him pause. His fire dispersed, except for the patch on his head that served as hair. It turned blue and slowly fluttered in the breeze. His skin returned to its normal gray hue, and his clothes dried from his outburst.
"Have you ever considered anger management? I bet it'd do wonders for you."
"Oh really, and who…?" When Hades turned around, his eyes widened, and his jaw went slack.
Standing before him was a goddess. Part of her dark hair was tied in a bun while the rest hung down near her feet. Her skin shimmered with a golden glow, the same one Hades had seen on the vines. His eyes traveled down her body, which was draped in a white dress that hugged her figure. Another giggle drew his attention back to her face. Her big, blue eyes watched him while flickering with amusement.
What a babe. Hades' hair scattered across his shoulders, and he smoothed his hands over it. This is not the time for a flare up.
She took a step closer, her brow furrowed. "Are you all right? You didn't swallow too much water, did you?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I… uh…." He cleared his throat before walking over to her. "Hades, Lord of the Dead. Have we met?"
"No, I don't believe so." She shrugged. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me?"
He raised an eyebrow. "With what, exactly?"
"Perhaps we could go somewhere else and talk?" She looked around. "This place doesn't seem very appropriate."
They were standing in a small passageway next to the whirlpool of souls, and it looked like the tide was starting to rise.
He gestured toward the path ahead of them. "I'll take you to the palace… what did you say your name was?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled. "My name is Kore."
He glanced her over again. "Are you sure we haven't met before? There's somethin' very familiar–"
Hades' attention drew to the blue flower tangled within her bangs. He traced over one of the petals, a distant memory flashing into his mind.
"About you." His eyes slightly widened.
Kore stepped back and said in a shaky tone, "You must be mistaking me for someone else. I don't recall seeing you before, and you seem like someone who'd be hard to forget."
An awkward silence fell between them, and Hades looked away, feeling flustered by her comment.
Maybe it's a coincidence? He smiled. "Sorry, my mistake. Follow me, Kore."
The palace rested in the center of the river Styx. It had been structured into the shape of a large skull, and stretched on into the dark mist above. Reaching the shore, Hades was met with three, huge growling heads.
"Cerberus, what are you doin' all the way back here?" he said.
The middle head sniffed Hades before its ears perked up, and it let out a happy yelp. The other two heads followed suit, and all three of them started licking their master.
"Ugh, yuck, ew… hey, I got it, you're happy to see me." He held up his hands, blocking the onslaught of wet tongues, and his flames burst around him. "Okay! Cut it out!"
Cerberus whimpered and retreated back, all six of his ears folding down.
Hades grimaced at his clothes, which were now drenched in saliva. Great, this isn't gonna win me any points with– He glanced back. "Kore?"
She peeked out from behind a large rock. "Yes?"
Cerberus growled, making her retreat further into her hiding spot.
"Hey!" Hades glared at him.
Cerberus settled down but let out a low, deep growl that shook the ground beneath them.
"It's alright, babe, you can come out now," he said.
"No way." Kore shook her head. "He almost tore off my leg earlier."
Hades gave Cerberus a stern look and pointed in the direction of the Underworld's entrance. "Get back to your post now!"
Cerberus gave one last growl at Kore before returning to the gates.
She stepped out from behind the rock. "Thank you."
He nodded. "Don't worry about it."
Hades led Kore to the edge of the river and teleported them across to the dock at the base of the palace. They made their way up the winding staircase toward his throne room.
"After you." He opened the door.
She smiled. "Thanks."
Kore paused in the doorway, and Hades peered inside to find what caused her hesitation. The room was still dilapidated from the last time he was there. A magenta and green blur caught his eye, and he saw Pain and Panic playing ping-pong on the map in the center of the room.
Pain struggled to hit the ball back, his heavy stature slowing him down. The ball bounced past his paddle and rolled over onto the floor. Panic laughed and jumped into the air, his tiny wings allowing him to hover for a few seconds.
"Well, that's three to two. I win," Panic said.
Pain huffed, trying to catch his breath. "No fair. Let's try for five out of seven."
Hades walked past Kore and over to them. "Or even better, let's skip right to sudden death."
The imps froze before their heads cranked in his direction, and with wide eyes, they dropped their paddles.
Panic trembled, his chest heaving rapidly. "Boss, it's you! I'm so glad you're okay."
"Yeah, we were worried sick." Pain gulped.
"Is that so, boys? Cause if memory serves me correctly, you've been ignorin' me since I was trapped in that pit. And speakin' of the word if… such a funny word, isn't it?" Hades' skin tinged red, and the fire on his head crackled wildly. "Because it means there's a chance your scheme WILL FAIL!"
Flames erupted all over his body, and he shot two fireballs from his hands, roasting Pain and Panic on impact. The flames dispersed, revealing their charred, shriveled bodies, and they coughed out a puff of smoke before collapsing on the floor.
Kore walked over to them. "Friends of yours?"
"Minions, actually." Hades picked the imps up by their tails. "And lousy ones at that."
Panic pointed at her. "Who's she?"
Memo to self, torture them later. Hades rolled his eyes before dropping the imps on the floor. "This is Kore. She helped me out of the Phlegethon while you two were goofin' off."
"But your vengefulness, we can explain." Pain pointed to Panic. "It was all his idea."
"What?" Panic glared at him. "No, it wasn't."
"Was too. I can't believe you'd be so disloyal," Pain said.
"Enough!" Hades flared up again. "Out of my sight!"
The imps ran and hid behind the map.
Hades smoothed a hand over his hair and sighed before looking at Kore. "Can I get you anythin', babe?"
She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine."
He took his place on his throne. "So, Kore," he drew her name out, throwing in a smile. "I take it you don't frequent Mt. Olympus often? Can't say I've seen you up there."
She nodded, looking away. "I don't get out much. Of course, being such a low level goddess, I'm not exactly needed around."
He chuckled. "Ah, come on, whatever terrain you govern can't be that bad."
"Well, I am the Goddess of Spring." She gave him a half smile. "Nothing really glamorous, but with Demeter as your mother, it's hard to be."
He stared at her. "Demeter?"
Hades tried to find a resemblance, but it was hard to tell. Kore's mother had red hair, green skin, and was very rotund even in her younger days. They did have the same eyes, but so did most of the gods.
"And your father?" he said.
"I don't know. She never told me." Kore bit her lip. "But onto the reason I'm here. I have sort of a personal vendetta to resolve. I assume you still hold a grudge against your brother, Zeus?"
He raised an eyebrow. "And why does that interest you?"
"I was thinking that we might be of some value to each other. You see–" Kore walked over to one of the pillars in the room and traced the sharp structure with her fingers. "I was banished from Mt. Olympus."
"Really?" Hades took out a cigar and lit it with the tip of his thumb. "You must've done somethin' pretty serious to receive a punishment like that."
He saw Kore's expression darken, and she narrowed her eyes at the floor, her hands tightly gripping the edges of the pillar.
"Zeus framed me. I was minding my own business, and he tried to–" Her nails dug into the stone. "Tried to…."
Tears swelled in her eyes, and her breathing was heavy. It didn't take much for Hades to put two and two together.
Of course, my brother's trademark move. Find a pretty girl and take advantage of her. He furrowed his brow.
"I fought him, but he claimed that I tried to assassinate him. He even held me on trial. He actually sat there with that smug grin on his face and humiliated me in front of everyone." She scowled. "That asshole!"
Kore punched the pillar, her knuckles cracking against the hard stone. Wincing, she quickly pulled back and cradled her sore hand.
"Sorry," she said.
"No, it's understandable." Hades took a drag from his cigar and let out a puff of smoke. "And what do you want me to do?"
"Like I said, I want revenge. On all of them, even my mother." Kore's gaze deepened into a dark glare, the tone of her voice lowering. "I want Zeus dead."
He stared at her, his lips losing grip on the cigar. Her glare was full of fire and malice and, combined with the delicate features of her face, made her alluring in a sinister way.
I think I'm in love. Shaking his head, Hades leaned back while letting out a small chuckle. "You and me both."
Kore's eyebrows raised, her expression wide-eyed and hopeful. "Then you'll help me? I could never achieve something like this on my own, and you're the only one who's ever dared to challenge Zeus. But if we work together, we could come up with a plan to get rid of him once and for all. So, what do you think?"
Hades stood and held out his hand. "You got yourself a deal, babe."
She shook it, and a light formed around their hands, binding the deal.
"Perfect. Where do we start?" Blinking, she let out a small yawn.
"Tired?" he said.
"Forgive me, but I've been up for three days straight." She stretched her arms. "I must be more worn out than I thought."
"No problem. I'll prepare a room for you," he said.
She held up her hand. "Oh, you don't have to go through all that trouble."
"Nonsense, I insist." Hades grinned. "Think of it as a little thank you gift for fishin' me out of the Phlegethon."
She smiled. "Very well."
"Be back in a flash." He disappeared from the throne room in a puff of black smoke.
….
Well, that went better than expected. Kore's smile dropped. I can't believe I slipped like that. Keep it together.
She walked over to one of the large, round windows. From there she could see the Styx, which was clear unlike the one she had pulled Hades out of. She watched the current drag the souls to another part of the Underworld, their screams echoing in the distance.
Hugging her arms around herself, Kore shivered. I wonder what else is down here?
She turned her attention to the throne room. Everything was made out of dark stone with gothic architecture unlike the traditional look on Mt. Olympus. Even the throne itself was very plain with ghost-like curtains hanging behind it, a complete contrast to Zeus', which sat grand and golden amongst the stars and clouds.
Heh, Mt. Olympus. It's not that great. She frowned. Especially with such an idiot as a ruler.
Kore stood and examined the map. It depicted all of Greece and several parts of Persia. On one side, there were little figurines of Zeus and the other gods on Mt. Olympus, and on the opposite side, were figurines of Hades and various monsters in the Underworld.
Like a chessboard. She giggled.
"Ready, babe?"
He's back. Don't lose it this time. Remember, you're in control. She forced a bright smile before turning around. "That was fast."
"Didn't wanna keep you waitin'." Hades offered her his arm.
Kore paused, her eyes focused on his smile. Instead of regular teeth, he had two rows of sharp fangs, and on him, it was quite charming.
She placed her hand on his arm. "Lead the way."
As Hades guided her out of the room, Kore found herself staring at him. He dressed more conservative than the other gods, for she couldn't make out much of his figure except his broad shoulders. She diverted her gaze, and noticed that the bottom of his himation swirled out into tendrils of smoke, giving the illusion that he was gliding across the floor.
Hades looked at her. "How long has it been since my Titan escapade?"
"Uh…." Blushing, Kore snapped out of her thoughts. "I think about three months."
"Yeesh, I was down there for that long?" He frowned before smirking. "Hold on, this is perfect. Zeus probably thinks I'm out of the picture for good. He won't suspect a thing."
She furrowed her brow. "After my incident, I doubt it."
"Then we'll wait." He sighed.
Kore's fingers twitched against his arm. His skin was incredibly warm, and yet also soft.
And his scent…. Her nose scrunched, and a shudder ran down her spine. Like embers.
Nausea flooded her stomach, and she felt her whole body itch to the point of burning. Dark thoughts tempted her mind, making her cringe. She was overcome with a desire to rip apart his delicate skin, watch it bleed, and quench her appetite with his flesh.
Kore put a hand over her mid-section and steadied her breathing. Not here. You have to maintain control.
To her fortune, Hades didn't take notice of her behavior, and she hoped she could suppress herself until she got away from him.
"And what about your mother? She isn't gonna come searchin' for you, is she?" Hades said.
Kore shook her head. "No. I took care of it."
They reached the third floor and turned right. The torches along the wall illuminated the hallway, their cores emitting blue flames.
"Well, this is it." Hades stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it. "So, Kore, I was thinkin' tomorrow we could get to know each other a little better. You know, since we're gonna be workin' together and all."
She raised an eyebrow at his tone. It was flirtatious but very nervous at the same time.
He's hitting on me. Should've seen that coming. Kore bit her lip.
She knew what she should say, but she wanted to keep their exchange on pleasant terms.
"I…." She folded her hands in front of her and gave a shy nod. "Okay. Sure."
"Okay?" he said, "Really?"
Hades sounded surprised, like he had already prepared himself for her rejection. Looking at him, she could tell that despite his calm composure, he was elated by her answer.
"Uh, really." She laughed and stepped inside of the room. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, Of course. I, uh–" Hades paused, clearly at a loss of words. "How about you take the mornin' to get yourself situated, and then we can meet up for lunch. Whaddya say?"
"That sounds good." Kore furrowed her brow. "But I wouldn't want to trouble you. I follow a very strict diet."
He smiled. "It's no trouble at all. What would you like?"
"Well, I'm vegan. Only fruits and vegetables. A little bit of grain, but I try to keep it low. My mother loves to berate me for it–" She rolled her eyes. "But you've seen what she looks like."
"Uh, yeah. Don't need to tell me." Hades nodded. "Anyway, have a good night. If you need anythin', don't be afraid to ask."
"Thank you. Goodnight." She closed the door.
Leaning her back against it, Kore's smile faded, and she closed her eyes. She could still sense him, the scent of his vitality filling her nose.
She sighed. What have you done, idiot?
Her skin itched, and her heart rapidly throbbed against her chest. Hades' footsteps disappeared from the hallway, his scent leaving with him. Waving her hand, a syringe filled with green serum appeared in it. She tensed her left forearm, and after locating a vein, injected herself. Feeling the serum take affect, Kore exhaled and shivered off the tingling sensation. She focused her attention on the average size room before her, and it was as dark and gloomy as everything else she'd seen.
He really likes the creepy décor, doesn't he? Kore walked over to the window on the far wall and sat on the edge.
It overlooked a part of the Underworld, although it was hard to tell what. A thick fog hazed over the land, making it look like an endless abyss.
"Seriously, Persephone? What the heck was that?"
She sighed at the mention of her real name. She hadn't thought about creating an alias when arriving in the Underworld, and ended up giving Hades her mother's nickname for her instead. Thankfully, he didn't recognize it.
"I know. I know." Turning, she looked at her ten-year-old sister, who had appeared on the bed. "You don't need to chastise me, Despoina."
Huffing, Despoina folded her arms. "Why didn't you just tell him? He seemed to remember you."
"That surprised me too. I would've thought he'd forgotten, given how long it's been. I mean I barely remember." Groaning, Persephone clutched her head.
Her sister stood. "Are you okay, Percy?"
Tears fell from Persephone's eyes while she strained to fight off the dark memories plaguing her mind. After a few minutes, she was able to calm herself down.
"I'm all right." She held up her hand. "Don't get me wrong. You know reuniting with Hades is what I've always dreamed of, but things have changed. It would be childish of me to treat this situation like some fairytale."
Despoina scoffed. "Please, I doubt Dork-brain's changed that much. If you tell him what's goin' on, I'm sure everythin' will be fine."
"Perhaps. However, Hades has built quite the rep for himself, and not in a good way." She furrowed her brow.
"Judgin' by the way you way were starin' at him, that's not the only thing he's built." Despoina snickered. "And if you're so worried, why'd you agree to go out with him?"
"I agreed to get to know him." Persephone rolled her eyes. "If things go too far, I'll put an end to it."
"Right…." Despoina jumped back onto the bed. "Don't lie to me, Percy. I can see right through you."
Persephone shook her head and returned her attention to the window. "Des, I know you're trying to help, but please stay focused on why we're here."
"To study the dead and fix your little problem." Despoina quoted her fingers on the last word.
"Exactly." Persephone smiled. "If I can create a cure, I'll be free of this nightmare. Then maybe Hades and I can finally–"
Her breath caught in her throat, choking her, and she collapsed on the floor.
Despoina's eyes widened. "Percy?"
Persephone's coughing developed into a haggard wheeze. She tried to bring her hands to her neck, but her body froze in place. Her veins burned and tightened, and the nerves within her skin loss all sensation.
"Didn't you just take your medicine?" Despoina said.
"Yes…." Her blood-shot eyes found her sister, and she let out a painful gasp. "Why isn't it working?"
Persephone's eyes rolled into the back of her head, her mind splitting. Her skin itched, and her stomach filled with an insatiable hunger. The sweet lure of Hades' vitality swarmed her senses, despite him being so far away. Calling to her, begging her to lose control.
No, you can't. Resist! She gritted her teeth, tears spilling from her eyes. I have to return to the surface. Quick.
With the last of her strength, she fled through the window, and let the congregating scents of the mortals above lead her way.
….
Pain and Panic peeped out from a small hole in the wall of Persephone's chambers.
"Did you see that?" Pain crawled out into the room and changed from his tiny, mouse form to his normal one. "What should we do?"
Panic followed suit. "I don't know. Hades isn't gonna trust us after we screwed up this bad. I told you we should've fished him out."
"And I told you we should've cut our losses and ran." Pain folded his arms. "But did you listen?"
"Because he owns us. There's no where to run." Panic sighed. "But never mind that. We need to focus on this new problem."
"Forget it." Pain snorted. "You saw how hypnotized he was by Kore."
"Well, we have to warn him anyway. There's something off about her," Panic said.
"Yeah, she's a loon." Pain looked around the room. "Who was she talking to? There's no one else here."
Panic shook his head. "No, not that. I don't know, but I think Cerberus sensed it too. When we heard him getting all riled up earlier, it must've been because of her, but he doesn't get aggressive with gods."
"Yeah, that was weird." Pain furrowed his brow. "What do you think it is?"
"It was the aura Kore carried, and it felt stronger right before she ran off." Panic shivered and hugged himself, his tail curling around his body. "Like some other worldly evil."