Saspie: 24
Espark: 24
Oho such a short chapter we've got!
But it does explain at least something from the last chapter :P
Yes, it is SAMMY VALDEZ!
This chapter is mainly filler on how he came from the Underworld. I felt like this needed to be said before I continued onward.
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/Teens are mine.
XVII
SAMMY VALDEZ
Sammy Valdez was enjoying a nice stroll on one of the many beaches in Elysium. Originally, he had thought this was just called Heaven, but a few others corrected him immediately. They said it was rare that a regular mortal got Elysium (he had no idea what that had meant) so he should really enjoy it.
Sammy had just finished visiting his granddaughter, Esperanza, at her shop. He was so proud of her, though it felt really weird to see her the same age as he. Sammy chose to be in his adult form most of the time; upper twenties was a really good age to be here in Elysium, seeing as most who ended up here never reached that age.
Sammy kicked a rock into the shifting water. He wished he didn't have to spend eternity alone like this. His wife and children were probably all in the Fields of Asphalt or whatever these people called it. He had asked what made Esperanza so special and she had said that Leo was the son of the Greek god Hephaestus and said god had pulled some strings with Hades to get her here. Sammy had been informed of the gods, so hearing his great-grandson was related to one didn't surprise him as much as it should've.
Sammy looked out across the water, wishing Hazel could be here. He knew she was just like his little Leo, and that she had to be related to a god, too. She would have to come here eventually, right?
Yeah, okay, Sammy had a wonderful wife and a great family, but nothing ever compared to Hazel. She was always his biggest what-if. He had hoped that maybe they could spend eternity together here, to make up for what they lost in the world of the living.
But for some reason she had yet to appear. One of those gods had told him that her time would not be in his lifetime, so that meant she must be living in Leo's time. It had been a while now, though, and there were victims of this Giant War now living down here. Maybe Hazel was blessed a long life? Or maybe she was already dead and hadn't ended up in Elysium…
Just as Sammy was shaking the thought away, a stranger walked up to him. He was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, something Sammy rarely saw in his older years. As the man drew closer, Sammy could see the fabric was woven with desperate and screaming souls. His cane was encrusted with various jewels.
Sammy bowed, not knowing what else to do.
"Rise, Samuel Valdez," the man said. "I have come for you."
Sammy gulped. "Have I done something wrong, sir?"
"No." The god examined his cane like he was bored. "You have done nothing wrong. You're one of the quietest Elysium souls we have, which gives me less of a headache.
"No, I am here to deliver you to the world of the living."
Sammy's eyebrows shot up. "But I never asked to be reborn!"
The god shook his head and sighed. "Your generation was always jumping to conclusions. My daughter is in trouble and the only one who can help her is you."
"Your daughter?"
"Hazel Levesque."
Sammy blinked and nodded furiously. "If she's in trouble, I'll do anything to help! What must I do?"
The god waved his hand. Sammy shrank back into his teenage form—something he hadn't been for a long time. "Activate her key and travel with the present and future. When she is freed, I'll allow you a few minutes with her."
The Underworld around Sammy grew dim. Sammy could feel himself solidifying, his form becoming real. A heartbeat suddenly appeared in his chest and he felt the warmth of pumping blood course through him.
He collapsed. Exhaustion (something else Sammy hadn't felt in a long time) crashed into him and he suddenly felt like he needed a nice nap.
Before he passed out, he heard the god say, "Behave. Or I shall personally revoke your Elysium privileges."
A/N: Okay! That clear at least one thing up for you guys? :D
