Well, this chapter boosts a word count of 2012, which I felt was oddly appropriate for the turn this story has taken. Read on, dear readers, and, as always, enjoy.
"Hades."
The god barely had time to turn around before he was jerked into the blackness. He sighed at the familiar mode of transportation, cracking his knuckles and waiting.
The god of the Underworld was rather disgruntled when he materialized in the Great Hall next to his nephew.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, crossing his arms. Apollo, standing next to him, wore a hard expression was set, his posture stiff.
"That's what I would like to know." Zeus, reclining on his throne, arched his eyebrow at his son. "You have called a meeting, son. What is it you wished to discuss?"
Apollo circled the room, making eye contact with every god. His eyes landed on Hermes, slouched over on his throne. His brother, his best friend, the one who used to be so cheerful, so full of mischievous energy, until that girl. That damn girl. The sun god's anger blazed. I have to do this right. I have to convince them like Hermes would.
"We were just gathered here, panicking over a serious breach in our laws, a mortal revealing information about the gods to other mortals."
"Yes, I believe we are aware of that," Zeus said dryly.
"You accused Lucy," Hermes winced, "the mortal Hermes has been…seeing."
"Did you call us here to summarize the last meeting?"
Apollo frowned. "No, I'm getting to it. Sheesh. Well, Hermes found Lucy."
There was neither movement nor sound from any of the gods. They were frozen, tense, waiting unwillingly for the newest information to completely turn their world around. They'd had enough of that in the past few hours.
"Or, more accurately, she found him. She apparently wanted to tell him something."
"What?" Zeus leaned forward.
"That she was in fact the one to tell the newspapers of Hermes and the rest of us."
Zeus smiled triumphantly, but caught sight of his son's miserable expression and the smile faded. Hermes didn't look up.
Hades sighed impatiently. "Are you going to get to the point any time soon? Why am I here?"
"Because, Lucy didn't just tell him that. She told him why she did it."
"Mm, is that so?" Hades rolled his eyes.
"Yes. She said she was acting on orders of her master."
Hera tilted her head. "Her master? I was not aware she had a master."
"She hid many things," Hermes said softly. They all glanced at him, momentarily falling silent until Zeus cleared his throat.
"And who is her master, exactly?"
Apollo faced his uncle, arms crossed. "Hades."
All eyes turned to Hades. The god in question, who'd been examining his fingernails in boredom, looked up sharply.
"What?"
Apollo glared at his uncle. "She told us everything, Hades. She told us about your plan. That you're going to reveal us to the mortals and then side with them against us. We know that you were scheming against us. Against your own brother. You wanted to overthrow Zeus in order to become the king. Do you deny that?"
"Yes!" Hades' expression was incredulous. "I didn't plan any of that! Although," he mused, "that is a rather clever idea. Hm." He tapped his finger against his chin before remembering his fuming audience. He quickly amended his statement. "I did not plan that, Zeus. I don't know what this boy is talking about."
Zeus' brows were furrowed. He leaned forward, steepling his fingers against his mouth. "This is disturbing news, Hades. I do not know what to think."
"I did not! Zeus, I admit that the thought has crossed my mind—" When Zeus exhaled angrily, Hades hastily added, "but I never actually planned anything! Why does everyone believe this girl anyway?"
"She says you're her master," Hermes said quietly.
Hades scoffed. "I am not her master. Believe me."
"We don't know who to believe anymore," Zeus sighed.
"Why would I go through the effort to become the master of a mortal? It's preposterous."
"Actually…" Athena spoke slowly and hesitantly, and everyone's eyes turned to her.
"Yes?" Zeus' eyebrows rose as he stared questioningly at his daughter.
"Well, we have established that the mortal occasionally displays abilities beyond the average human capacity, if I remember correctly?" She directed the inquiry to Hermes.
He nodded reluctantly.
"Well, what does that have anything to do with this?" Zeus asked impatiently.
"We all know how mortals are affected when they take masters of immortal form. I am merely saying that her having a master would explain these extraordinary facilities," she said with a shrug, settling back on her throne. Zeus hid his sheepish expression and turned back to Hades with a frown.
"Well? What do you have to counter that?"
Hades smiled gleefully.
"Ah, this I can explain."
When he said nothing more, Zeus exhaled impatiently. "Care to illuminate the matter for us?"
"Of course." With cards back in his hand, Hades' expression was of wicked amusement. "Ever since I'd…bumped into the girl," he grinned and Hermes—forgetting the events that had just occurred, the ones that had brought them all to this point—frowned, "I'd noticed that she behaved differently than other mortals. It intrigued me. So I researched her. It was very difficult, finding out what this girl was, but I finally discovered her secret."
After another lengthy pause, Zeus glared at his brother. "And what exactly is this secret?"
Hades smirked. "I'm sure you remember what you did to the spirits, Zeus? How you took away their physical states and forced them instead to find mortal homes? Why did you do that, anyway?"
Zeus was seething. "Because," he said gruffly, "I had to keep them in check. They were getting much too powerful."
"Mm, yes, I recall now." Hades drifted around the marble floor, looking and feeling completely comfortable with the attention of the Olympian gods focused on him. "You were afraid of them. Afraid of the spirits who existed solely to do their duties. They are not like us. They have no further ambitions, no plots against you. And yet you were so paranoid of your position that you punished them."
Zeus' hands were curled around the armrests of his throne, fingers digging grooves into the gold. "Get to the point, Hades," he spit out through gritted teeth.
Hades pretended to look disgruntled.
"Well, if you insist. There is a certain spirit that I found most captivating, Tyche. She is the spirit of fortune, chance, and fate, if you will recall."
"Yes?" Zeus was growing impatient and irritated.
"When Tyche finds a mortal host, side effects tend to occur, as they do when all spirits reside within a mortal. Tyche causes odd premonitions, brief glimpses into the future. The mortal within whom Tyche dwells often complains of headaches, strange omens, hunches about things that are nearly always proved accurate."
Hermes glanced up. 'She was talking about my premonitions. How I sometimes have feelings that something is going to happen.'
"Tyche, like all spirits, lend the mortal a bit of immortality in that the mortal is capable of actions not expected of a mere mortal. The mortal often finds they have hidden strengths or speed that is simply illogical for them to possess."
'I was very disturbed at the level it had advanced to. It was in one of the final stages, and she should not have been capable of the amount of work she was going at the time.' Hermes straightened in his throne.
"Also, mortals in whom a spirit is residing are resistant to godly charms or enchantments. They can break our spells easily."
He watched in shock as she effortlessly avoided his charm and walked away. Hermes leaned forward.
"That little mortal girl, Lucy, houses an extremely powerful spirit. Interesting, isn't it, that such a formidable spirit lives within such a fragile mortal?" Hades smirked, but a hint of genuine curiosity remained hidden in his eyes.
"Well no wonder you wanted to be her master." Hades turned slowly toward the calm voice, an incredulous expression on his face.
"You still believe that? Are you serious?"
Apollo raised his chin stubbornly. "Of course. I can see the fascination you have with her. It is rather evident. If you're right, then Lucy is a very rare specimen, and a very desirable one to you. You love power. And controlling Lucy would mean a great deal of unexplored power, would it not?"
"Fine, if I admit I have had thoughts about her power, than will you stop these preposterous accusations? I am not her master. I was merely curious about her power. Be honest, any of you would have been curious about it too, had you run into her in the circumstances I had. Also, I am not scheming to overthrow Zeus. Trust me, if I was, you wouldn't have found out about it."
Zeus looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Is that so, Hades?"
The god's eyes grew wide. "No, I didn't mean—"
Zeus stood, walking towards his brother to loom over him. "Are you planning a war against me, Hades?" The king's voice was quiet, dangerous in the atmosphere that was suddenly so tense none of the gods felt they could move even if they had wished to.
"I am not!" The brother threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "How many times do I have to say that?"
"Till we actually believe you."
"Well then," he muttered, "it's a good thing we're immortal."
"Hades, you have long complained about how we 'cheated' you out of a proper kingdom." Zeus rolled his eyes at the description. "You have attempted multiple times to overthrow me. And now we have direct proof from an accomplice incriminating you. With all this evidence against you, I have no choice but to proclaim you—"
"Wait!"
Zeus sighed in vexation and turned to the interrupter. Artemis fully materialized, sprinting into the Great Hall.
"Wait!"
"What is it now?"
"Father, do not charge Hades yet. You have not heard the entire story."
Hades' anxious expression dissolved into cautious excitement. Zeus' molded deeper into a frown.
"And what vital piece of information am I missing?"
"I have found Lucy."
"Yes, yes, we already know about that. She has talked to Hermes. We know this."
"No." Artemis stood resolutely in the middle of the Hall. "I have found her."
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Zeus asked with exasperation.
"It means I do not believe the Lucy that Hermes spoke with was the real Lucy."
Hermes spoke softly from his throne. "Of course it was. She was wearing the bracelet I gave her. It was the real Lucy."
"Her body, yes. But I have found something you may want to see."
"What do you mean, her body?"
"I'm not sure exactly. Not yet." Artemis made a face. "But I do not believe that we know all the information about this. Definitely not all we should know. There are still things in the shadows beyond our realization, things that are pertinent to this situation. Hades may or may not be responsible for these occurrences, but we do not know that for sure. Father, you should withhold your charge until you are fully informed."
Hades smirked. "Finally, someone is on my side."
Artemis rounded on her uncle. "Do not think for one moment I am on your side. I am not, nor will I ever be 'on your side.' I am searching for truth, Hades, not your exoneration."
Zeus, ignoring this, threw his hands in the air. "How much longer must I deal with this? This is what happens when my rules are disobeyed!"
Hera silenced her husband with a gesture and rolled eyes, shifting on her throne to draw attention to herself. The entire room quieted and turned toward the queen. She directed her own attention to the goddess in the middle of the Hall.
"Artemis, what leads you to believe that what we now believe is not the case?"
"I have found Lucy," she said stubbornly.
"And what relevance does that have with our dilemma? Where is she? Have you gotten her to confess?"
"No."
"Then why don't you believe she is guilty?"
"She's unconscious."
Mm, what ever is going to happen next?