The time could never be determined in Hades domain. Nadri felt as if she had been enduring torture for days, maybe even weeks. It was hard to tell when she was confined to the darkness. Hades would come and go more frequently than he used to before. He would beat her spirit, try to stomp out the fire that she was so desperate to keep lit. Hades took his anger out on her, whether that was being spat at, meeting the other end of his cane or being brutally raped until she was nothing but an empty shell of a human vessel.
The sound of water dripping from the cell ceilings were enough to drive anyone mad and the screams and crying of tortured souls could resonate through your body to the point that you become numb to the sound of it. The sound of nails scratching at the bricks of the walls could be heard, what were once bright violet eyes were now a dulling purple as she stared aimlessly at the wall that she was dragging her fingers across.
Her breath was shuddering, as if she had been standing in the cold for hours. Her bare body was cooped up with her knees up to her chest, blood staining up and between her legs with the bruises littering along her delicate skin. Nadri had become used to feeling the power of being free, breathing fresh air of the outside world and now she was back into the dungeon that her soul was reborn in and in the same agonising pain that Hades had left her in previously.
Nadri's hair was matted with congealed red splotches, her bee stung lips were cut and blood had dripped down and stained along her chin. She could barely see through the blur of tears that she had been crying for the time she was confined in the cell. She was sore and tender all along her body, her stomach yearning for food and wishing she could feel the sunlight on her skin once more.
She felt her regret and guilt come and go in frequent waves. It could crash into her and drown her if it wanted to. She was stolen away from her freedom again. She was stolen from Killian after they had left their tension in the air, wanting so desperately to feel him again, feel him kiss her again. Nadri wanted him to be the one to break her curse, to be her true love.
Could it really happen?
The heavy, fortified door unlocked and creaked open and a figure walked through the doorway. Nadri faintly looked over at Hades strolling into the room before going back and resting her head against the cool bricks, swallowing and closing her eyes anticipating what would come next. It would only ever be more pain, it would never be death.
"I need you to get cleaned up." Hades voice was different this time, no longer sadistic and cruel but gruff and monotone. Nadri could barely raise her head, feeling weak as she looked up at him. "Have you suddenly become deaf overnight? I need you to get cleaned up."
"You don't need me to do anything." Nadri could barely talk, painfully resting her head back. "I'm waiting, Hades. Get it over with." The throbbing between her legs was constant, burning. Her body ached with handprints, dug into her skin to brand her.
Hades shook his head, growing annoyed merely at Nadri answering back. She sat there silently, closing her eyes and desperately wishing he would disappear into thin air.
"Get up."
"Good luck getting me to stand." She struggled and Hades crouched down next to her, grabbing her chin to forcefully pull her face into his direction for his eyes to meet with hers.
Her soul was broken.
"Look at me." His voice chilled her, she lazily opened her eyes to try and meet his. "Do you want to see the pirate again, hm?" Nadri narrowed her eyes at the older man staring down into her. She tried to pull her face away but he held onto her tighter. "Do you, hm?" Nadri refused to raise her hopes, knowing that Killian was looking for her above.
"Don't try to play with my spirit, hokzii." The dark-haired woman's words were stale and brittle as she spoke.
"My dear, this is me being nice. I haven't touched you today, hm?" Hades cocked his head at her, questioning eyes. Nadri gazed back at him, biting the inside of her cheek before he let her go, letting her head fall back against the cold wall. Dirt grazed across her face, hardly fazing her. "Look…I need you to get up. I need you to work with me." Hades grew more frustrated but Nadri couldn't help but detect a hint of helplessness in his undertone.
"Couldn't find the witch, right?" Nadri raised an eyebrow back, shallowing laughing under her breath. Slap. Hades had struck her face hard and felt the pain sting along her swollen cheek. She grunted with pain, pulling her head back to see Hades crouched next to her ready to blow up even further if she continued on.
"You don't want me to do that again, right?" Hades' voice had an eerie concern. "You are testing me, my dear. I need you to get up, before I drag you up."
"Tell me why." Nadri croaked, bringing a hand up to rub away the stinging across her cheek. "Why should I help you, when you have kidnapped me and taken me back to this place? I was free. You could have given up my contract but power comes before everything else with you, Hades." She could just about manage, her lips dry and cracked. "I have been down here for days…weeks? I don't know anymore. You couldn't let me out again. You wouldn't." She shook her head, wiping her eyes as she felt the bubbling from within. "Leave me be, Hades. Just…leave me be." Hades watched as she shut down further, pulling himself up from his crouching position and his dark presence towered over her. The shadow against the candle lit loomed ominously, Hades gripping his cane to the point his knuckles turned white.
Nadri knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to slam that cane into her body, whack her across the face until she was breaking from the inside out from the anger that was pouring from him. Hades wanted her to do his bidding again, but what was the point? She was broken.
She was just a lost soul.
There was only one way forward.
"Zelena has been taken by our dear friend, Rumpelstiltskin. I…need you to go back to those miserable heroes to help me get her back." Nadri glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling with curiosity but the weariness kept her from believing any truth that left Hades mouth. Especially when Hades could never tell the truth, it was nothing but wicked lies. "You can go back to them. As long as I get Zelena back and if I don't? Well, you'll be getting used to the inside of this cell." Hades watched as Nadri fought her internal battle, still unable to even think of Hades telling the truth for once in his life.
"The witch that you took my power for." Nadri confirmed, her eyes still staring aimlessly at the dark wall. "That heartbreak you felt…was it worth it? Was it worth all the pain inflicted on me?" Her voice was angry and hoarse, suddenly looking up at Hades. She wanted to throttle him, by the Gods, she wanted to kill the man. Hades made his way towards the cell door, leaving Nadri burning daggers into his back. "You are nothing but a nikriin! All of this pain, this hurt on these souls because you had a broken heart. Poor you! You took everything for me. You manipulated me to murder! Why play with my mind further?!" Nadri managed to raise her voice, cracking between words from the swelling of her throat.
Hades stopped in his tracks, eyes glaring over his shoulder for a few moments as if he might have actually been touched by her words.
"I was strong!" She screeched, her voice croaking and coughed and spluttered violently. He brushed her words off, continuing forward and left the cell to meet two guards.
"Clean her up, perhaps put her in something snazzy for the pirate." Hades clicked his fingers hurriedly, the two guards silently moving forward into the cell and Nadri locked her body as much as she could, deliberately digging her heels in. It had to be a trick. She was manhandled up, trying to cover her modesty from the men as she was dragged her towards the doorway.
Killian had been on the edge of a breakdown for several days after Nadri had completely disappeared from the top of the Underworld. Regina had tried every relocating spell that she could think of but the spell would completely falter. Henry hadn't been able to write anything else about Nadri's whereabouts only that she was deep in the domain and Hades must have been hiding her close to the chest if it was becoming impossible for them to find her.
He had searched the forest, the streets of Storybrooke and even deep down in the mines at the risk of getting himself captured. Killian had attempted to get back into Hades' lair with Regina's help when they had devised a plan on working together but it was fortified with protection spells so complex that even Regina and Emma combined couldn't break through the magical force field.
It was almost like life had moved on without her around in mere moments, Ruby had been found looking for Dorothy down in the Underworld and did Snow White a favour by taking her out to protect her child from the other side. The heroes had come down to the Underworld for him to drag him back to a life he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to live anymore. Someone he loved and cherished was snatched away in an instant, he was wearing himself out by searching to edges of the realm for her.
He had become withdrawn whilst the others had been running around doing their own business when it came down to Zelena after she'd fallen through a portal with Belle. Killian was trying to keep his mind focused on Nadri and suggesting plans to the group but the best thing Regina had come back with after her revelation with the Wicked Witch was using Zelena to change Hades. Killian voiced his concerns until he was blue in the face but there was no response, they did what they wanted regardless of his input.
They were all standing together down by the fallen clock tower, night had thickened over Storybrooke and the group were making their way back to the Blanchard apartment. He wanted to stay hopeful to keep her spirit alive but doubt was beginning to flood his mind, even more so when Zelena had been sent off to find Hades because she truly believed they she could change him. He lost his mind at such an obtuse suggestion. It was almost as if they were living a completely different experience to what they were.
"True love does things to people." Regina protested, raising her eyebrows together in direction of Killian and he couldn't help but bitterly laugh. He couldn't believe that Regina was trying to compare him losing his mind over Nadri to Zelena trying to change Hades, it was ridiculous.
"You're comparing this to me? This is what happens when the person you care about is gone. She could be dead and you sent your sister off after her!" Killian continued to rage and David pulled him aside before he continued to get hot-headed. He was trying to push David away from him but David put a finger up, holding Killian in his place to scold him like his own child.
"I am on your side here." David warned Killian before he continued to act out further. "We've been looking for Nadri, we can't do anything as long as Hades is hidden away. The likeliness of her still being here-"
"Don't." Killian protested hurtfully. "Please don't.
"I think this is a bad idea too…." David drifted off and Killian couldn't bear to think of her being gone from the world. It couldn't be possible. "I know how it feels for the person you love to be gone, Hook." Killian looked down, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"The one you love is still around. She has been gone for almost a week. We're not trying hard enough and the last thing I'll ever do is trust that man. Do you know what he did to her?" Killian questioned David and the others. They stood amongst the ruined clock tower in an awkward silence, Regina looking down and shuffling her feet while the others weren't sure if they even wanted to hear it. "He beat her, David. He…he did unspeakable things." He couldn't bear to say the words, he didn't want to think of Nadri like that, he couldn't. "And you're delusional for thinking that Zelena will ever change that man. She's not changed and neither has he. The worst thing they could do is be together." Killian made Regina flinch with his raised tone.
"You'd think the ex-pirate with a rum habit would cut my sister some slack!" Regina angrily spat back. "I know Nadri has had a horrific ordeal-"
"So you want to throw her into the fire? You'd think that the Evil Queen would be smarter than to send the Wicked Witch to romance the most devious man alive." Killian fury shook him from within. He held his tense features in a frown, gritting teeth behind his longing beard. Emma stepped up to Killian, joining his side along with her father.
"We're not gonna win the war against Hades if we use all our ammo on each other. We're not going to get Nadri back either if we're too busy fighting and not searching. Killian you need to calm down. You have been pent up since Nadri-"
"That's because she bloody disappeared right under our noses and we didn't even know. You have no idea what we have both been through, don't you dare tell me to calm down."
"Well, she's not wrong, Captain." A voice that did not belong to the group was suddenly heard between the heroes. They looked behind them and saw the menace of their conversation appear in his dark coat, holding his cane. Killian's hands balled into fists, ready to storm up to him as a small woman appeared from behind the God. Killian could have fallen down at the sight, his knees buckling underneath him as he stumbled at the shock, almost feeling sick looking at her wounded expression.
The Lord of the Underworld was standing there with a stern face whilst the dragonborn woman that stood next to him could barely stand at all. She was like a wounded animal with her tail between her legs. Her face was blown up with swollen bruises, cuts all over her face and barely able to hold her head up. Her body was wrapped up in a smooth, thicker material that what she was wearing before. A black cocktail dressed wrapped tightly around her body, a deep V neck that highlighted her breasts as well as the deep jagged scar that ran down her neck and chest. She was wearing dark heeled pumps that she could barely stand in from the pain that she had endured all over.
"Nadri." Killian wasn't sure if he actually had managed to say her name, it had left his mouth as an eerie whisper. Nadri looked up beneath the curls that were still drying, eyes red and full of tears. He felt rage consume him, she had been a victim to his continuous beatings all over again and then some. He promised he would free her from Hades torture and he she was all over again.
"Killy." Her voice was timid, weak when she saw him.
"I told you before, Hook, those who run get punished." Hades eyed up Nadri standing next to him, she could barely crack a painful glimpse of a smile when she saw Killian. "I didn't find you to hurt you. I came for your..." Hades sighed deeply, trying to search for the words inside of him. "Wow, this is hard…erm…your help." He finished and the group stared at Hades with complete shock, not only to what he had asked them but also to the state of Nadri.
"You aren't getting anything until you return her!" Killian jumped down Hades throat straight away before anyone else could get a word in, ready to pummel the God into the pavement and beat his face until he was choking on his own blood. Killian was full of a violent rage.
"Oh, easy there Captain. You're lucky she's even here right now." Hades retorted, turning to Nadri and gesturing towards the pirate. "I told you, didn't I? I do keep promises my dear." Hades continued to motion Nadri hurriedly and she struggled to limp towards Killian, the pirate rushing up to her and pulling her into passionate hug that she collapsed into. They both fell to their knees as he held a vice grip around her.
"I'm here, love. I've got you." He stroked her head, kissing her face as tears wet their faces. Nadri latched onto Killian as if it was going to be the last time she had ever hugged him. Hades looked at the two of them with distain, seemingly disappointed that he had let her go so willingly. "I'm here." Killian continued to whisper, his soul breaking at the sight of her.
"Consider that a gesture of good faith." Hades indicated to the woman he had let go reluctantly. "To be honest with you, she had gotten a bit…boring." He pressed his lips together.
"What kind of sick trick is this?" David boomed, looking between the woman in Killian's arms and then back at Hades, almost convinced momentarily that she was dead. Hades fumbled through his pocket for a crumbled piece of parchment that he held out for one of the heroes to take.
"It's not a trick. Like I said, a gesture. Please people open your ears."
"Gesture for what?" Regina advanced towards him suspiciously, snatching the parchment out of his hand before going back to their group, Nadri still being embraced in Killian's arms on the ground.
"I went to meet Zelena for our date and found this. You see, I want a deal and unfortunately…I think this is the only way you'll accept it." Hades announced as Regina scanned the page of the parchment and handed it over to Emma. "As much as I enjoy having Nadri for company…Since Zelena's return I only want one woman in my life." Hades' eyes narrowed down at Nadri who had finally pulled away from Killian and weakly hung off him as the pirate tried to lift her from the ground carefully, not wanting to hurt her any further.
"Zelena, she's been kidnapped by Gold and Pan." Emma read the parchment and shook her head before exhaling. "What do you want, Hades? What's this deal?" Emma accused, not trusting a single word that the God was saying.
"They're asking for a meeting tomorrow morning. I'll give them what they want, but I know the Stiltskins and their tricks. If Zelena gets out of this alive, I'm prepared to make some adjustments." Hades tone was uncomfortable, if he had his way this wouldn't be happening at all. "I've given you Nadri in good faith haven't I? All of the names can erased from the headstones...Nadri…can be free. All for Zelena's safety. That's it." Hades offered them, still leaning on his cane waiting for their responses.
"I don't believe this, you hunted her down to take her away and then suddenly give her back. I know Nadri's story, you wouldn't do this so willingly."
"I had a change of heart." Killian guffawed at Hades revelation as he held onto the cowering body in his arms. "My reasons are my own, Captain. Now, you can take everyone home. You can take Nadri home as free woman. As long as I have Zelena that's all that matters." Killian was still suspicious of Hades behaviour, seeing the pain that he had inflicted on the woman he felt so deeply for. Nadri and Killian couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth. He would happily give up some of the most powerful magic in the Universe for the woman he loved. The magic didn't compare to that of a God, but dragon magic was still an extremely powerful element that even the Dark One would be a fool to turn down.
There had to be a catch in some way or another.
"Nadri won't be free, not unless she has the stone. She made a deal with Gold to get everyone back in exchange for her bonds being free. Her contract is to be torn up." Killian's anger subsided long enough for him to speak in calm, logical sense. Hades bit his lip, still agitated. "If you are so desperate to be a new man, to be with Zelena, you'll burn Nadri's contract and she will be free."
"You do know what will happen don't you? If she's free." Hades stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Killian nodded strongly, looking down at the woman who was hanging on almost lifelessly. She'll be free and that's all that mattered to Killian.
Emma was the one to answer for the group, it was decided that she would help Hades by going down the pawn shop in the Underworld to meet Rumpelstiltskin and Peter Pan to complete her side of the deal. Hades had even gone as far as to write up a contract to promise his intentions to the group, including no more attempts at trying to steal Nadri back into his domain.
The deal was set for the morning.
Killian took her elsewhere this time around, going with Emma to her own home in the Underworld for extra security. Nadri sat on the sofa in the home, dust sheets still covering a lot of the furniture. Emma waved a hand in front of Nadri's face, the lasting damage done to her face and body was suddenly erased as the light magic touched her skin. Nadri felt as if she could breathe again, Killian seeing her sigh with relief.
"Thank-you, Emma." Nadri's voice was so softly spoken that it could barely be heard, seemingly still traumatised from her new ordeals. Emma nodded and gave her a friendly smile, leaving Killian and Nadri on their own without another word. Killian wanted to bring Nadri into a cuddle, only to receive a sudden flinch from the woman.
If his heart was there, it would have shattered.
"I'm sorry…I…I'm still…" Nadri trailed off, running a hand up her bare arm and resting on her chest. She bit her lip as she began to get lost in her thoughts. "I feel-"
"Nadri, I'm here. I'm not going to hurt you." He almost mimicked the same things he had said to her when he first kissed her, feeling the powering emotions all over again. His hand went to hers, seeking her radiant warmth. It wasn't there, it was like Hades had taken away every piece of light away from her. "I would never hurt you, on my life. We are going to get away from here, I promise you."
"Killian…we cannot trust him." Nadri reminded him, Killian shushing her and reaching for her face to stroke her cheek, to look into her eyes that he had missed being lost within. She eased into his touched from being so tensed up, unsure if she even wanted another man's touch on her skin.
"I've got you back, love. I've got you back and we will do what it takes to get out of here. I promised you that." Killian reacted with a sweet tone, brushing her cheek bone with his thumb.
"I don't know how much longer I can bring myself to live through this, raaviir." Killian kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug. "I don't know how long this fire will burn."
Killian just held her in his arms as they sat together on the sofa, Emma briefly peeking her head around the living room doorway to make sure that they were both still alive. Nadri was now lightly snoring in Killian's lap, completely passed out. Her energy was shattered from what she had been through the last few days. She watched on as Killian brushed hair away from her eyes, a ghost of smile on his face. He was happy that she was home, she was back where she belonged.
"I was thinking of letting her rest on the sofa but I don't want to disturb her." Killian whispered over to Emma, seeing her blonde hair appear from the corner of his eye. The Savior walked into the room quietly, her red jacket hung up so she was standing there in her black tank top and dark skinny jeans. "I'm sorry, Swan." He finally spoke, his voice thick with regret with how he had been towards his friends the last few days.
"We get it, kind of. You both have been through a lot down here. We just want you back safe." Emma accepted as she came over to sit down on the small armchair opposite the sofa. She watched as Nadri curled up tightly, her head resting on Killian's lap peacefully as if she hadn't just been through hell the last few days. "Hook if we get out tomorrow, my heart-"
"I don't feel right splitting your heart, Swan. There must be another way we can do this." Killian wanted to shut the conversation down quickly not wanting to get into another argument over the plan that Emma had come up with when she had first come to get him. "Let's talk about this tomorrow, eh? I've…I've had enough this week honestly." Killian rubbed his hand over his face, the dark circles rested underneath his eyes from the lack of sleep and stress that had gotten to him.
"I'll watch over her. She'll be alright with me, Hook. Go and get some rest you haven't slept in days."
"I don't want to leave her again. We'll be alright, love." Killian reassured his friend, Emma was still concerned and he smiled, brushing her off. "It's alright, I'll be alright. I just don't want her out of my sight." With that Emma had bid him goodnight, leaving him with Nadri on the sofa in her house as she crept back upstairs where Henry was sleeping soundly unknown to what had been going on in the last few hours.