Hey Descendants!
August can't get here fast enough! The Descendants 3 is shaping up phenomenally judging from the trailers. EEEE! Right?! Who are you most looking forward to seeing in the new movie?
Anyway, back to fan fiction while we wait. We hope you enjoy our latest update.
The next morning...
T's eyes snap open and instantly dart around in the dark.
What the fuck?
His pulse races as he struggles to make sense of his surroundings. Cold. Dark. Damp?
He wasn't home… Which was where he should have been. What the hell…
He cracks his head against a hard surface as a scream burns through his soul.
Hyades?!
His eyes widen as he jumps at the pitch. The night before floods back in a dizzying whirl. He'd won their latest game. They had been walking home. The pyre of a man in front of Deez. The waves of heat.
He shudders, his skin suddenly clammy.
Right. He'd gone to the ship to deliver her message and, after probably one or two many hasty apologies to a sad faced Gil, had made his way to the heathen god's temple to check on the demigoddess.
Had he really fallen asleep? He bites back a groan, his back cracking into place as he stands.
Another scream cuts through the darkness, and this time he knew for sure it wasn't a memory; Hyades was in trouble.
With the sleep out of his eyes, he crawls out from between the two slabs of stone he wedged himself between the night before, his feet racing towards the dying screams echoes.
What the fuck?! He frowns as he skids to a halt. Thankfully a quiet skid as he barely missed running into Hades Sr. and Deez. His mouth falls open and his eyes widen as he back pedals to hide behind a pillar, slamming against it while he slowly breathed through the adrenaline fueled lack of air. What the hell was going on?
He shifts to peek around the pillar. Hyades was on her knees at her father's feet, but it was the glow of her hands that caught his attention before he'd plowed right into them. They were a blinding white, and it looked like she was gripping the thick bracelet around one of his wrist.
"Come on, are you even trying?" Hades scoffs, "This should be nothing more than damn child's play for a demigod of my stock. Did you actually kill the wormy human you were cryin' bout? Or did you just singe his eyebrows?"
"It was an accident." Hyades cries as her eyes begin to shimmer with blue flames. "Just an accident."
T ducks back, hiding again behind the pillar at his back. What had Deez done, gone to her father?
"If you can take out a worm that easily one of my cuffs shouldn't be a problem. Come on... Put your soul into it kiddo."
At the inhuman noise that leaves Hyades, T can't help peeking again. His stomach flips and tightens, while his mouth goes dry when he sees what's causing the other girl to let out such blood curdling screams. He ducks his head back around the corner to cover his own curse.
Her skin was literally being peeled; flayed back as she worked to burn the cuff. He peeks again, disgust and rage swirling in his gut when he sees bone. Tears prick at his own eyes at the thought of the pain the other girl had to be going through.
"I can't… I can't-" Hyades cries through her own choked screams. "Dad. Please. I can't. Do it. Yet."
"That's because you don't want it enough pumpkin." Hades' chastise makes T's hair stand on end. "You're just not trying hard enough. Seriously, the work ethic on you kids today… You know I would have blown this chain to the River styx and back at your age."
"I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" Hades scoffs, "I'm sorry to call you my stock. Pull it together pumpkin! Are you a Hades or aren't you?"
"I- Please-" Hyades shakes her head, sending tiny droplets of flames to spatter and hiss out on the ground not to far from T, "I- Can't. Hands."
"Your hand? What about my freedom?!" Hades snarls, "I'll heal you the second you get these off. Hell, you're a god! You can heal them once I'm free." The god sighs before continuing in a hurt tone, "Don't you want your dear old dad free?"
"I… I… Yes. I do."
T flinches at the hesitation in the girl's tone.
"That's what I thought. It's the least you can do for your dear ol' pops after all I've done for you. After all do you really think these worms you seem to care so much about would have taken care of the abomination that you are? Not without my help. They only want to be around you because of my reputation."
T's eye twitches, feeling the proverbial punch to the gut intended for Hyades. His palms itch to curl around the daggers at his hip… But, he bites his lip, to what purpose? What the fuck could he possibly do against a god? What the fuck had he been thinking last night when he'd fucking crashed here? Was witnessing this really worse than dealing with a crying Hyades? If only he knew that this was going to be his options.
"Sir!" Two unexpected voices chorus in the air above the echoing screams, the simple word filled with panic and fear.
T lets out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, the relief filling him at the two odd imps nearly palpable.
"Mighty lord Hades! Oh great and deserving ruler of all."
"Mighty lord of the underworld! Our greatest master!"
"WHAT?!"
"Mighty lord. You can't be free if she dies."
"Master of all. It would be such a waste if you had to start all over again."
"We wouldn't want you to have to waste more time."
Hades lets out a low sigh, "I do suppose your right. The last time was such a pain in the ass and the results were… Well poor at best. This one has promise, but who's to say the next one wouldn't come out even weaker."
"She will get there, oh mighty master!"
"We'll make sure of it."
"Oh yes, we will. She will make you proud next time."
"If you so desire her to have a next time."
After a long moment, the screams die.
"Be grateful I can feel your improvement. Or we would not be having this conversation."
"I. Will. Get. Better." Hyades manages to say between gasps for air, "I am stronger."
T winces, as he makes his way to another pillar away from Senior, careful not to be seen.
"You had better not fail me again." The sound of something hard connecting with a sickening crunch is followed by dust and debris falling from the very column T had been hiding behind, "I do not deal well with failure. All my dotting will vanish if I do not continue to see an improvement. We can rule together, father and daughter, or I can replace you. Your choice sweetheart. My little pumpkin." Hades laughs darkly before leaving the temple.
"Mistress HYADES!" Both the imps shout in unison the minute the coast is clear. They run over to the girl slumped over at the base of the column.
"Are you alright?"
"Did we stop him in time?"
"Let us see your hands!" They both insist, demand as they continue bombarding Hyades before she has the chance to respond.
"I'm fine guys." Hyades whispers, unable to even push herself up to an elbow with Pain and Panic fretting over her.
T stands perfectly still for another several moments, unable to help the shudder that finally frees him as the imps pressure Hyades to let them take care of her. What the fuck did he just witness? He squeezes the bridge of his nose. The image of the other girl's skin peeling away from her fingers to reveal bone was forever engraved into his memory, as were her screams.
"See, I'm fine." Hyades finally manages to sit up, holding her fully healed hands out in front of her, "It's just the price of touching it. Or something."
"Mistress Hyades-"
"But mistress-"
"I'll get better at it. Don't worry."
"But Mistress-"
"Mistress Hyades-"
"I said I'm fine." Hyades snaps, though her voice whimpers softly towards the end.
At the clipped tone, both imps stand at attention. "Of course mistress."
"Whatever our mistress says."
"Thank you for helping." She continues gently.
No shit. T thinks darkly as he tries to figure out what to do. He'd meant to just pull her to the beach to meet up with Gil after what happened last night… But now? He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. How often did Deez have to deal with that shit? And how the hell could he stop it… Without causing more problems for her? He chews his lip thoughtfully as his eyes grow dark.
Why couldn't he be stronger? Faster? Smarter? Braver? How the fuck was he supposed to stand up to the OV's? How were any of them? It was one thing to stand up to other people in his age group. Third and Junior being his preferred targets… But he looks down at his hands to find them still trembling. Though with rage or fear he was still unsure.
The only thing he knew for sure was he had to leave. Nothing he could say would help, and anything he did would only make things worse.
So what did ya'll think? Any one as surprised as T about what Senior was doing? Are you worried about Deez? Do you feel T's frustration at his inability to protect his friend? Please let us know! We live for your reviews! Please feed the starving writers! Also… Would anyone like a second update today? We got a lot of writing done yesterday, and I'm feeling a little bit of a writer's high. Also, I have my first day of work tomorrow, so please wish me luck surviving Orientation.
