Hiya!
So, I hear some of you think us monsters for where we ended the last chapter.
I wish I could take credit for it, but it was a complete accident.
However, so many of you posted a review/comment that we wanted to reward our lovely readers with another chapter.
Forewarning, I foresee more disgruntled readers at the end of this chapter.
(insert devil smile here)
Lots of Love,
-Dark-
Screams and cries for help echo around him, getting louder with every step.
His exhaustion pounds at him, reminding him of the distance he'd just eaten.
His scars throbbed with forgotten pain, burning with an intensity he was positive even the herb wouldn't cover.
His stomach twists with a hunger that felt like he hadn't eaten in weeks.
Still, he forces himself to trudge through the nightmarish miasma that seemed to permeate the entire field.
The fetid smell of decay washes over him in windblown waves, carrying a voice along with the smell of death.
He wanted to fucking run. Wanted to fucking bolt.
Get the fuck out.
Leave. Hide. Curl up in a ball and die.
He'd never felt so utterly and completely alone.
His family would never forgive him for his failures.
He was worthless.
All he could picture was their backs as they walked away.
And he deserved it after everything he'd done.
The amount of blood on his hands.
The countless number of people he'd hurt.
Tortured.
Killed.
What was the point?
He felt like his heart was going to explode from his chest with how hard it was pounding.
"I find delight in the gruesome and grim. Black sorcery is my dish of tea, oh it comes so easy to me. 'Cause I'm the magnificent, marvelous, mad Madam Mim."
"Hooo." A familiar voice cuts through the witch's song, "Hey now, Firebug, ya wanna not slit a vein there."
Oh, thank god. Thank god. Thank god.
He blinks as a hand drops to his shoulder before he looks up in confusion.
Senior?
"What?" He asks, feeling like he was wading through a riptide.
"Yeah." The hand tightens, "I actually asked first. What are you doing?"
His head tilts to the side, what was he doing? He frowns before his eyes widen in concern, Deez!
"Shit D-" He looks around the empty gravel-strewn ledge for any sign of entry.
"Ready to drop the knife," Hades' far too bright voice asks, "now that you remember your life's purpose?"
"Knife?" He frowns before he looks down to find his wrist bleeding as his dagger dug into it, "fuck!"
He releases the blade as if it burned him.
Cover it now!
He winces at the order as he digs into his bag and yanks a roll of Weave from within.
"Much better." Hades wipes his hands to rid them of the dust, "because for a moment I thought you were trying to commit suicide," he turns from him and looks around, "which would be the wrong choice since my daughter is currently so terrified I can taste it."
"Yeah, well, you took your sweet ass time gettin' here." He glares at the god as he slaps the bandage on. "So, we goin' or what?"
"Mim has my girl, in her hovel of a witches lair, for nefarious reasons," Hades rolls his eyes, "why are we still out here talking?"
His fingers wrap around his blow gun, "great question." He loads a dart as he starts walking.
"Why did it have to be this witch?" Hades grumbles as he follows.
"Because it's D an' her luck's shit Now stop bitchin' an' let's go."
"Seriously, the last thing this place needed was a damn muse." Hades seethes before he drags his hands down his face, "ugh, this is going to be so much work."
"This is why you don't have friends." He rolls his eyes.
"I'm surrounded by the outcasts of society," Hades points out, "that's why I don't have friends."
"Oh, and I'm sure you were just drownin' in them before?"
"Ya know what?" Hades glares down at him, "Who was it that almost killed themselves just looking at the death stench cave?"
"Your only friend in this cesspit?"
"Who is supposed to be helping me. This," he points before gesturing widely in a circle, "whatever this is. Not helping."
"Cause callin' rescuin' your daughter work is?." He points out.
"It is going to be work, I'm not exactly playing with a full deck of powers."
"And I'm goin' in with a blow dart. Man up."
"Well, you never claimed to be my smart friend. Nor did I call you intelligent."
"Never claimed either. Now, seriously, stop stalling and move your ass."
Hades groans, "Fine… I'll be the distraction."
"Thanks," He nods, waiting for the god to enter before he follows.
This had to be the stupidest fucking thing he'd ever done.
But what choice did he have?
That didn't stop the pit dropping to the bottom of his stomach.
I'm sure, once this is over, I'll be able to provide a list of stupider things you've done.
And I'd appreciate it.
A high-pitched scream echoes down the tunnel, "Please! Someone! Anyone! Wake me up!"
He clenches his jaw when pain spears through his chest. Not sure he'd ever heard so much terror threaded through a scream.
He flinches when he hears the stone above him crumbling. When he looks up, he sees Hades picking gravel out of his nails.
"Let's go." The god seethes.
"No shit." He growls.
"OH MIMSY!" Hades calls out as they half run down the tunnel.
He braces as the ground under his feet rolls and groans.
Not again.
He swallows his whine.
And then slams his mouth shut when it feels like hundreds of bugs crawl over him.
Hades's hand on his shoulder helps him fight the feeling.
"She's sending waves of illusions down the tunnel," Hades whispers to him before he straightens up and yells, "like I can't see through those Mimsy."
He breathes out.
Great. Real or not real.
This was going to be a fun game.
Like they weren't batshit enough.
We're not like we were before. We're working together now. Both of us. Right now, all that matters is-
"NO!" Deez cries out before they hear a sharp scrape followed by another shrill scream.
Saving Deez.
Right.
Worst that could happen is them dying in the process. Deez's safety was more than worth that risk.
At least it seemed like they were both on the same page.
For once, I agree.
They follow the cave wall as it bends until they find themselves standing in a large opening.
The dim flickering of what looked like hundreds of candles on every surface throws light and dark into strange shapes on the walls.
The fetid smell of rotting flesh and sickly pungent herbs nearly makes him gag.
The air was thick with it, thick with a strangely shimmery smoke.
His muscles coil as a dark energy seems to crackle against his skin, making it crawl.
The unpleasant beat of a dull drum reverberates through him uncomfortably.
If this is how we're feeling-
His heart twists.
Then what the fuck was Deez going through? He grits his teeth as he holds the glass tube tighter.
If Hades didn't kill this cunt, he would, or die trying.
The thought revives his drive as he stomps down his trepidation.
He was the fucking Shadow. The Ghost. The gods damn fucking Spider.
A hero and the Isle's worst nightmare.
He could do this.
Fuck Mim. Fuck her twisted magic.
He lived through hell and came back.
He would force Deez to do the same if he had to.
Will it.
He wouldn't give her an option.
They'd save her. And take down this cunt along the way.
There's the T I know.
At the center of the cave on a small altar, surrounded by bloated and decaying body parts, was Deez.
Oh, god-
Jesus fucking Christ.
He hoped, prayed, she wouldn't remember this.
Her sweat soaked hair was matted to her face.
Her pure white skin glistened in the candlelight as she stared at the ceiling above her.
Her hoodie was ripped-
Cut, exposing her flesh in stark contrast to the black fabric.
Her skin so white it made the splatters of red stand out all the more starkly in contrast.
"I told ya, deary. Don't fight the pain. It'll just weaken you, and I need all of your strength." Mim laughs as she sprinkles more thick dark red liquid on the demigod laid out like an offering on her altar.
"Welcome, Lord of the Underworld." Mim smiles gleefully, "have you come to watch me bring the barrier down once and for all?" She drags the blade across exposed skin, making Deez scream in pain once more.
"Mimsy, I really remember only having one rule when it comes to this fucking cess pit."
"Oh yeah? And what's that, Deary?"
"Don't. Fucking. Touch. What's mine!"
Deez's head lolls to the side slightly, her brow furrowing when she sees her father squaring off with Mim.
But then she locks eyes with him.
She wasn't tied up.
What the fuck was wrong with her?
What the fuck had Mim done to her?
His eyes never waver from the intensity of her eyes, doing everything he could to will her to understand.
He was here.
He would do everything to get her out.
They loved her and would never abandon her.
He wanted to tell her that even if she couldn't fight, he would.
That he'd give it everything he had.
For her.
He wanted her to know that despite the pain, she wasn't alone.
Even here, in the darkest corner of the world-
In a cave of pure evil, with her clothes in shreds-
Bleeding-
Even in the midst of terror, Deez still manages to smile.
It was small, just the corners of her lips. But it was enough to let him know she understood.
He slips deeper into the shadows, lifting the straw to his lips.
If he could take out Morgana with Yensid, then surely he could take out Mim with Senior.
"Well, I would have asked if you ever came out of your temple," Mim pouts, "but with things being the way they are, I figured I'd be doing everyone a favor by bringing down the barrier."
"By killing my daughter?" Hades crosses his arms over his chest, "I don't think so Mimsy. End your spell or whatever, we're done here."
"What if this won't kill your daughter?" Mim offers in a husky voice, "what if she can survive it and I bring the barrier down?"
Oh, no. He frowns at the hesitation on Senior's face.
He couldn't be seriously considering- He wouldn't seriously let this continue, would he?
"That doesn't really help me," Hades flicks the bands around his wrists, "now does it?"
"But with her powers in me, I could remove the cuffs for you." Mim twirls her fingers through the air.
"I mean, tempting…"
Fucking Christ! Senior could be a such a fucking twat.
He doesn't give any warning as he spits the dart in the witch's direction.
"Not so fast child." Mim laughs as she holds a hand up in front of her, stopping the colorful dart midair. "Nice try though."
"Fuck off, you ugly whore."
"Now, now," Mim tuts, "there's no need for rudeness. Just wait your turn, Deary. I must finish up here."
His eyes widen as his feet are lifted from the ground.
"Why don't you hang out there," Mim points, "I'll be with you in a moment."
The air rushes from his lungs as his back slams into the jagged surface of the cavern wall. The back of his head cracks against the surface.
T!
I'll live.
Suddenly, his legs pin to the wall.
And then his hands.
The force sends painful vibrations along his bones.
But it was the sound of breaking glass that nearly kills him.
No.
He'd been holding the blow gun!
He manages to turn his head to look; maybe only part was-
His breathing hitches.
His palm was forced against the cave.
There were shards of glass on the ground, flickering sadly in the candlelight.
Blood was dripping down the wall from where he could feel shards grinding against his skin.
"You should have taken my deal, underworldling," Mim cackles as she raises the strange dagger over her head, "because now I'll be taking both of your toys."
"T!" Deez screams as tears leak from the corner of her eyes, "no! Let him go!"
"That's not how this works, Deary."
Why wasn't Senior doing anything?
Was he really going to let this, this hag, kill Deez?
Something flies from the corner of the room, glinting in the light as something metallic spins towards him.
Shit! He struggles against the force pinning him to the wall.
Not good. Not good. Not good.
"No!" Deez cries as blue flames erupt like an inferno.
The blade drops suddenly, inches away from his face.
Oh, thank god. He sighs.
Wait-
If the dagger stopped, that meant-
He turns towards Deez in fear.
Mim laughs gleefully as she slams the dagger down so hard the stone groans beneath it. "Finally!" She cries out in glee as the fire dances like an inferno along the blade before funneling into the hilt of the strange looking blade.
He snarls, growls, and spits as he struggles against the invisible force.
"Uh… Fuck. You really shouldn't have done that, Kitten." Hades groans before he plucks him off the wall and sets him on his feet, "this was your plan? Getting stuck and killing her?"
"Me?" He scoffs, "You thought I had a plan? Since when was that the fucking arrangement?"
"Since always? I was the distraction." Hades growls as he drags his hands down his face before he turns back to the altar, "if ya want something done right."
T- The book, you idiot. Go after the book. Or that bloody damn dagger. Fuck the bat.
Now? Now you fucking tell me that? Where was that two fucking minutes ago?
I needed time to assess you fucking oaf, now do it!
Mim laughs, patting the screaming girl's cheek as she twirls her fingers behind her, lifting a book from a counter, "I know it hurts." She sets a large book down, covering Deez from neck to thigh as it rests against the dagger buried in her, "but no worries, Deary, with your power I'll be able to bring down the barrier for good."
He glances around the room quickly. There had to be some type of magical bull shit to-
Put out the smoke-That might do something.
"Okay Mimsy, now I'm angry. And I'm taking my daughter."
Finally, something helpful.
He pulls two bombs out of his bag.
You got the layout?
I do.
This was gonna suck for him. Hopefully Mim. He takes a deep breath before he slams the bombs on the ground.
"Please, this is a very delicate-" Mim starts coughing as the smoke swirls with the herbs.
He doesn't hesitate as he races blindly at Faustina's direction to kick the bowls over to stomp out the embers.
Lavender magic flies in the air over his head.
Shit! He back bends to flip out of the way.
"T, I can't touch the blade, so um… I mean, I have two options here…"
He doesn't respond; instead, he throws another bomb at Mim before rushing to Deez, skidding into something he didn't want to know.
Motherfucker, he growls as his hand grips around the hilt.
Please still heal.
Please still heal.
"Sorry D," he whispers as he yanks the blade out, wincing at her screams before he slams the bloodied blade in his pocket, "but it's time to go."
He lifts Deez from the altar and throws her over his shoulder.
"I wanna wake up." She whispers so softly he could barely hear her.
"No, you really fucking don't." He promises, throwing another bomb in the witch's direction before he bolts.
"Give her here," Hades snaps as he runs beside him, "give or we're all gonna die."
"Right," he says as he shoves her into his arms, barely pausing his stride.
"Kitten," Hades sighs, "I know this is gonna sound bad, but if ever there was a time to really dig deep and get a cuff off, now is it."
He was joking, right? "Seriously?"
"I don't know if you noticed, but the bitch was blindly spelling in there like magic was candy to give away," Hades glares at him.
Damn it!
Motherfucking piece of-
"Fine." He frowns in distaste as they run side by side.
"Come on Kitten-" Hades holds her to his chest with one hand while he holds the other in front of her, "just try."
Mother fucker-
Shit just got fucking serious-
The fuck Sr?
You want D to fuckin' take off the cuffs in her state?
Which, seriously? Who was expecting Sr to show up?
Since when the fuck does he care about D's well being?
Not that I'm complaining-
Cause T, Harry, and Gil would've all ended up caught in that first safeguard, and then where would that leave us?
JFC though-
The fuck just happened?
What kind of dagger can pierce D?
Why was Sr so hesitant to touch it?
And no shit D, I'd wish it was just a nightmare too.
Much love and shit
-Twisted