Chapter 8: The Unholy Man
Author Notes:
Hi everyone it's me your favourite author the Mandalorian terminator coming to you with another brand new chapter of my popular story Tales of The Wheeler Family! I got a LOT of positive reviews from my previous chapter and I appreciate it very much. I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews these chapters you are what keep me going. I did a lot of research into Greek Mythology, Hades and the Underworld for the previous chapter and it seems like it paid off and I'm very happy. This chapter will continue right where the last one left off with Billy showing up! What does this mean? How will Max react to seeing her dead stepbrother? The answers lie ahead. Please read and enjoy!
"Billy? Is that really you?" Max couldn't believe her eyes. Billy stood in front of her wearing the same leather jacket he had always worn. It was as if no time had passed for him. Max slowly approached him, her hand reaching out to lightly touch his shoulder. He was real.
Tears began to roll down Max's cheeks as a wave of emotions rushed through her mind. "I can't believe you're here." Max said as she hugged Billy tightly.
"I knew you'd come for me eventually, Max. That my stepsister would come to bring me back," Billy said his own voice breaking with emotions. "I'm ready to come back home."
"Billy I'm sorry but I'm not here for you," Max stuttered.
"What? No that-that can't be right. I'm your stepbrother. I've been waiting for you all this time. Who else would you be –" Billy stopped, noticing Lucas for the first time.
"Him?!You came here for him?" Billy's tone verged on being brutal.
"He's my husband," Max insisted. "I had to try. I'm sorry I didn't know you were here. If I had –"
"I waited for you, Max. All this time," Billy interrupted in an almost trance-like state. And then he lunged forward.
Winded, Max crashed to the floor. Instantly, like a wild, snarling animal, Billy was on top of her.
"I waited for you!" Billy snarled liked some mad professor.
Max screamed and thrashed about, praying one of her blows would make contact, but Billy was too strong for her. Slowly, deliberately he brought his hands to embrace her throat. "I waited for you!" He ranted. On contact he drove his thumbs into her windpipe and pressed firmly.
Choking and coughing, Max tried frantic to push her stepbrother off her but he was too large.
Watching all this from Hades's palace, Queenie turned to Hades, who had leaned back in his throne as if he were watching a football game.
"Get her out now!" Queenie shouted.
"Can't sorry. Your niece must face her demons alone before she can convince Lucas Sinclair to leave Elysium." Hades explained as if he were discussing the weather instead of a person's life.
"She's going to die!" Queenie insisted.
Hades shrugged. "What better place than the Underworld?"
Frustrated and incensed, Queenie took out her wand and pointed it squarely at Hades, who laughed.
"That piece of wood may be able to harm a mere mortal but me?" He scoffed.
"Not even the Killing Curse?" Queenie suggested pointedly causing a look of panic to appear on Hades's face.
They both knew Avada Kedavra was the most powerful of the three Unforgivable Curses but it was unknown if even Avada Kedavra could kill a God.
"Now listen to me and get Max out of there!" Queenie demanded.
Max felt consciousness slipping away from her. She knew that if she blacked out she was dead. She continued thrashing about, trying to either land a blow on Billy or to shove him off her.
"I…waited…for…you, Max!" Billy continued to rant to her as his fingers tightened over Max's windpipe.
Suddenly the ring Hades had given Max started to glow bright, and to her surprise, Billy let go of her. Max looked and saw Billy hunched in pain, looking at his fingers – they were blistering before his eyes.
"The-the ring. It protected me. You can't hurt me," Max realised as she looked at the ring then back at Billy.
"Look, this whole thing is probably some test I have to face before I can leave with Lucas. So here goes nothing. I hated you, you know growing up. All that anger and rage you had, I was so afraid I would become angry and hateful like you," Max said as she slowly approached Billy, who was still looking down at his blistering fingers.
"I know what happened to your mom, what Neil use to do to her. She left you. It's part of why you're so angry. You haven't been able to forgive her."
"DON'T!" Billy shouted, his voice raw with emotion.
"I've moved on. I'm no longer angry and scared like I was before. I have a husband who loves me and a baby to look forward too on the way. I'm happy now. And I'm sorry truly that you weren't able to forgive your mom. But you've got to let go of the stuff about the past, Billy because it just doesn't matter. What matters is what you choose to be. And I choose to be with my husband," Max declared.
The ring again shone bright. "Me too Madmax." Lucas Sinclair said from behind.
Her face filled with relief, Max hugged and embraced her husband. "Lucas! Oh my god! Are you really you? Or is this some sort of trick?" She asked as she cast a suspicious eye over Lucas.
"It's me Max I promise. This place, Elysium, it's a paradise. It fills you with hope and happiness so you forget about everything else. No one wants to leave paradise but I do. I want to come back with you." Lucas announced.
"You-you're sure?"
"Absolutely. You and me Madmax against the world," Lucas said before turning to Billy who still was hunched over looking down at his finger, which had now cooled down.
"Billy you can come with us. We can all leave here together. Please. All you have to do is just forgive your mom," Max pleaded.
She could see her stepbrother going over the decision in his head. For a brief moment Max even though Billy would consider it. Then he struck.
His fist smashed into the side of her face knocking her down immediately.
"Max!" Lucas shouted before Billy lunged at him knocking him to the ground as well.
Billy stalked over to Max. "I'm sorry Max but some things can't be forgiven." He said as he brought his fist down on her.
Again.
And again.
Max struggled as she tried to block all the blows but they just kept coming. One after the after. "Stop! I'm pregnant you idiot! Can't you see that?" Max gasped.
But Billy either didn't hear or didn't care as he continued to pummel his stepsister. He's going to kill the baby, Max thought to herself.
No!
Max was not going to let that happen. She struck her own foot at his leg, knocking Billy to the ground.
Before he could get up, Max reached up and grabbed Billy's face –
"AAAARGH!"
The ring glowed bright and Billy screamed again, his face blistering too. Billy screamed and tried to throw Max off, but the blistering pain on his face now blinded him. He couldn't see anything; just feel the immense pain and the sounds of his own screams.
Groggily, Lucas heard a loud scream as he slowly started to come too. He felt like he'd been hit by a truck.
His face felt numb for second before he heard:
"LET GO!"
Snapping out of his grogginess Lucas spotted Billy screaming at the top of his lungs, his face blistering and burning while Max's hands reminded pressed on his face.
"MAX! Stop!" Lucas shouted over Billy's shrieking screams of pain.
"I'm sorry Billy but you had your chance," Max whispered as she wrapped her hands around her stepbrother's face. By now his face was an ugly mass of blotches and burns.
With the last bit of his strength Billy pushed Max away from him and then his body seemed to fade in and out for a few seconds before vanishing entirely.
"You dare try to kill a god in his own realm?" Hades questioned as he slowly backed away from Queenie who continued pointing her wand at his chest. "You must really have a lot of guts to try and do that."
"I guess I do. Now get Max out of Elysium," Queenie repeated.
Hades instead rolled his eyes and again snapped his fingers. In an instant Queenie's wand vanished from her hand and reappeared in Hades's grasp. "Did you really think that would work? Bit of advice for you: Never threaten a god in his own realm. It won't end well for you. Although fair play to you for actually doing it. I'm impressed. So congratulations. You passed the test," Hades declared absentmindedly throwing her wand back to her.
Queenie caught it and frowned. "Test? What test?" She asked confused.
"You are exactly the kind of person I need to do a little favour for me. Nothing major I promise just procure a particular item for me. What do you say?" Hades asked holding out his hand for Queenie to shake.
"And what makes you think I would do a favour for a god?"
"Wow! You really don't like us do you?" Hades gasped in mock surprise. "What did we ever do to make you wizards hate us so much?"
"Where to start! How about the fact that during almost every major wizarding conflict your kind have repeatedly refused to help my kind? The War against Sauron for example? Gandalf begged the Gods for help but they did nothing! Or how about the Great Vampire–Wizard War where again the Gods did nothing to help us fight against the Vampires. If it wasn't for the arrival of Rassilon wizards might have been wiped out completely. I bet your lot would've loved that to happen," Queenie snapped.
"If it wasn't for my kind as you put, my father would be ruling over this planet and trust me things would be a hell of a lot different."
"Oh the famous Kronos?" Queenie scoffed.
"My father is many things, famous should not be one of them. He was a cruel, heartless person who didn't care about me or any of my brothers and sisters. If we hadn't joined together to imprison him in Tartarus along with the rest of the Titans, he would have enslaved all wizards and elves on Earth as well as who knows what else. Trust me overthrowing him was for the best including for Earth," Hades replied.
"Oh is this the same Tartarus that Kronos and the Titans escaped from? Some prison that turned out to be! And oh what about your nephew? Percy Jackson. The Gods couldn't wait to help him fight against Kronos and the Titans during the Second Titan War! Talk about favouritism." Queenie mocked. (1)
"It's unwise for a guest to insult the host in his own home, Miss Goldstein. You want to talk about favouritism how about the so-called "Boy Who Lived" Harry Potter who was lorded about by the Wizarding world all because of some prophecy? Or how about the Elves? They went from being a proud warrior race to being House-elves because of you wizards! You domesticated them into servants. What's your answer for that?" Hades shot back.
Queenie had no answer.
"I didn't think so. And then off course there's the Goblins rebellions in which wizards crushed the goblins. You wizards aren't as squeaky clean as you claim," Hades snarled.
"You're right. Wizards aren't perfect. I'll admit that. But that doesn't make up for the gods ignoring our pleas for help against Morgoth, Sauron, the White Witch, the Vampires, Morgana, Grindelwald and Voldemort. You could have easily stopped them before they each rose to power, saving countless lives. But no! Instead you all just sit back "oh this isn't our problem"." Queenie responded.
"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep. Gods gave Men free will, you would be wise to remember that. What you do with it is your business. You kill, you betray and you destroy. But do not try to question a God's reason. We are older and more powerful than you can possibly imagine. We have seen thing you wouldn't believe. We are responsible for the creation of the very ground you walk on. And despite what you think we have saved the Earth. Maybe not as often as you'd like but in certain situations we have stood with Men, often times to protect themselves from them self. The American Civil War, World War 2, even at the very beginning when the Andals and the First Men first encountered the White Walkers during the Dawn Age all those years ago." Hades lectured with a hint of self-righteousness. (2)
"Oh nice try but every witch and wizard knows the White Walkers don't exist. They're only a story, a tale to make children shiver. A if children didn't have enough to be scared of what with the stories of Sauron and Voldemort," Queenie said.
"Oh the White Walkers are real believe me. How do you think the Neanderthals died out? The White Walkers slaughtered most of them, leaving only a tiny amount left to compete against the vastly superior Homosapiens. My father and Odin formed an alliance to destroy the White Walkers after the slaughter. It was the first time a God and the King of Asgard had ever worked together since before then my father considered the Nine Realms and especially the Kingdom of Asgard to be his rivals. So they came to Earth together and fought against the White Walkers. They put up an enormous effort but in the end the White Walkers were no much for the combined might of the Asgardian army and Gods. After the battle was over, Odin parted ways and returned to Asgard but my father, unknown to Odin, kept a trophy of his victory. The Night King was taken back to Mount Olympus and kept as a pet. My father regularly tortured, mocked and even castrated the Night King, all for his sick amusement. I saw it with my own eyes."
"My father use to make me stand there and watch as he tortured the Night King. He knew how much I was afraid of it, those white, lifeless eyes. He enjoyed seeing the fear in me." Hades visible shuddered as if remembering some forgotten painful memory.
"Now the White Walkers are excitant. Considered little more than a fairy-tale, a made-up story, like the bogeyman to frighten young witches and wizards. But they were real. It's funny actually. My father did one good thing in his life and that was wiping out the White Walkers."
"You call genocide a good thing?" An incredulous Queenie asked in disbelief.
"In the case of the White Walkers yes I do. If they had been allowed to continue moving on Earth they would have wiped out the remaining Neanderthals and then moved on to the Homosapiens. Therefore mortals would not have existed and therefore wizards might not have existed either. Food for thought," Hades said thoughtfully.
"Genocide is wrong no matter how right you think you are." Queenie replied sharply.
"Why don't you tell that to the Mad King or the rest of the Targaryen family huh? King Aerys II was going to burn everyone if he hadn't been killed during Robert's Rebellion. He's actually here in the Underworld you know. Dreadful person along with the rest of that disgusting family. I sentenced him to rot in Tartarus for the rest of eternity along with my father, the Titans, Morgoth and Sauron. Now that's what I call justice." Hades said with a smug look on his face as if waiting for Queenie's approval. (3)
"And during all this time we've been talking your niece seems to have faced her stepbrother AND convinced Lucas's sprit to return with back to the land of the living. Kudos to her." Hades suddenly pointed to the mirror and Queenie spun around to see Max embrace Lucas's spirit.
"She did it." Whispered Queenie with joy before turning to face Hades. "They can leave the Underworld now?"
"Of course. They're free to leave my realm. You, on the other hand, aren't. At least not until you agree to do my favour," Hades replied curtly.
"What?!You can't keep me here!" Queenie shouted.
"My realm my rules. If you want to leave the Underworld with your niece and her husband then all you have to do is agree to do me a favour. Honestly it's simple. Just shake hands and you're done." Said Hades shrugging nonchalantly.
"Why me? I'm an average witch at best. Hardly someone as powerful as some other wizards," Queenie admitted. She had received good marks at
"Oh this favour of mine isn't about how powerful you are, it's about how determined you are. And you Queenie Goldstein have shown you are very determined person given the right circumstances. And that's just what I'm looking for," Hades said eying Queenie with a smile.
"For what?"
Hades clicked his fingers and a copy of the latest addition of The Daily Prophet appeared in his hands. On the front page showed a picture of the Philosopher Stone and in big bold headline read:
PHILOSEOPHER STONE MOVED BACK TO GRINGOTSS BANK
"After much speculation and rumours the Ministry of Magic has at least announced that the Philosopher Stone, created and owned by the famous Nicolas Flamel, would finally be returning to Gringotss Bank after having previously been kept at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts Headmistress Professor Minerva McGonagall said she will be personally overseeing the transfer of the Stone from Hogwarts to Gringotts Bank.
When asked if anyone might try to steal the Stone the Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt replied,"I have already assured Gringotss that the Ministry is 100% committed to ensure the safe transfer of the Philosopher Stone from Hogwarts to the Bank. Professor McGonagall has already offered her assistance and the Ministry will be deploying the very best Aurors available to accompany and assist Professor McGonagall."
"The Philosopher Stone IS going to be stolen. I have seen in happen in a vision. I want you to go to Gringotss Bank and steal the Stone for me." Hades remarked.
"But you're a God. Can't you just teleport in and get it yourself?
"Gringotss Bank is enchanted with powerful spells that are so strong even Gods can't enter. And second it isn't the Stone I want, it's the Elixir of Life," Hades corrected.
"But Gods are already immortal. Why would you want the elixir?"
"My reasons are my own, Miss Goldstein. Besides this can help you. Imagine it: You stopping the theft of the Philosopher Stone will make you a hero, a celebrity even. It would surely go a long way in helping repair your relationship with your sister."
And there it was. The hook.
"How do you know about that?" Queenie asked.
"It's my realm I hear everything. It's such a sad story. Girl falls in love with a non-magical mortal. Girl wants to marry but can't because of laws prohibiting marriage between wizards and no-Maj's. So girl joins a fanatic who wants wizards and no-Maj's to live together. Then there's another world war and the girl finds herself on the wrong side and before she knows it is in prison. In your sister's eyes you will never be anything but Grindelwald's follower. But if you were to foil the theft of the Philosopher Stone…..I'm sure it would go a long way in changing her perspective of you. You can finally fix your relationship with Tina. You can have your sister back. All you have to do is stop the Philosopher Stone from being stolen and bring me the Elixir of Life. What do you say?" Hades once again held out his hand for Queenie to shake.
"I do want to repair my relationship with Tina your right. But I'm not going to do it by making a deal with you. So nice try but find a different sucker," Queenie replied after a brief pause.
Hades's face went absolutely livid. No one refused a deal with him. No one! His teeth clenched, he snapped his fingers and there was a loud thud behind him. Turning round Queenie saw her niece and Lucas laying on the floor.
"Congratulations Maxine! You managed to face your fears and convince your husband to return to the land of the living! Very impressive I must say. Lucas Sinclair's soul is now free to leave the Underworld and return to his body," Hades declared, his face a mask of rage.
Max and Lucas looked at one another, their faces full of relief. "You can come back." Max whispered. "It's over."
"Over for Lucas yes but not for you." Hades suddenly interrupted.
"What do you mean? You said we could go if Max was able to convince Lucas to return with her." Queenie
"But here's the thing. Technically Lucas is still dead which means a soul must replace his." Hades
"You never said that!" Max replied.
Hades shrugged then turned to Queenie. "You should have taken my deal. Because now I'm going to need a soul to replace Lucas's. A soul for a soul. I think you're going to like it here in the Underworld, Max Mayfield." A thin evil grin had spread across his face.
"You can't! She's pregnant." Lucas shot back.
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure the little brat will have loads of funny growing up in the Underworld for the rest of eternity," Hades said chuckling to himself.
"She's not even dead. You can't keep a living person trapped here!" Queenie shot back in desperation.
Hades seemed to nod in agreement, putting a surprised expression on his face.
"…Oh, oh dear…I'm ashamed to admit it but yes your right. I can't. If only she was already dead." Hades said in a manner that conveyed deep and stinging defeat.
"Oh wait…I can fix that easy!" Hades said in a manner that said he wasn't sorry in the slightest.
The blade came out of nowhere. Its steel tip glistered as Hades lunged forward towards Max who stood frozen, her eyes wide with fear.
Time seemed to slow down as the blade came forward and Max flinched, expecting to feel it contact with her chest. But it never came. Instead the sharp point had made contact with Queenie's stomach.
Max saw the blade protruding out of her aunt's stomach as blood began to erupt from the puncture wound and her mouth. Queenie had stood in front of Max's way and taken the blunt of the blade. The blade meant for Max.
"No! Auntie Queenie….what, what have you done!" Max bellowed as her aunt collapsed to the floor. Max immediately went to her side and gripped the blade and yanked it out of Queenie's stomach then proceeded to place her hands on the puncture wound to try and stop the bleeding.
"You have to stay with me, Aunt Queenie. Stay with me. We're just getting to know one another! Please!" Max said in desperation as she continued to put pressure on the wound.
Even Hades looked shocked. "Well this is an interesting turn," He said, as if he were a sports announcer at a game.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Max turned, rage in her eyes as she swung the blade at Hades, who scoffed and waved his arm, flinging Max to the side. "Oh please as if that was going to work," Hades said as he knelt down in front of Queenie.
"You're dying and right now I'm the only person who can save you. But only if you do that favour for me." Hades said with a smirk so unpleasant.
"Fine… I'll do it. But only if you promise to let Max and Lucas leave the Underworld unharmed." Queenie gasped.
"You have my word." And with that, Hades and Queenie shock hands as a white burst of light engulfed the room.
Max opened her eyes with a gasp. She and Lucas were lying on the floor of the lobby of the DOA Recording Studious. "No! We're back here! Charon!" Max shouted as she banged on the elevator doors trying to get in.
"Aunt Queenie! Can you hear me?!" She shouted as a groggily Lucas came to as well.
"Where are we?" Lucas asked as he looked around confused.
"The entrance to the Underworld in Los Angeles." Max replied as she started pushing the elevator buttons.
"Los Angeles? What happened to Hawkins?" Lucas asked.
"We travelled here. Look it's a long story just help me get this elevator open so I can go back to the Underworld and get my aunt. I'm not leaving here without her," Max said.
"Yes you are, Max." A voice suddenly interrupted. Turning Max and Lucas saw Queenie standing before them. Her face looked pale and sickly. The puncture wound from the blade was also gone.
"Aunt Queenie you're still alive!" Max said with all of her heart and soul, almost on the verge of tears.
"Yes I am. Hades is keeping me alive at the moment. Until I do his favour for him then I'll be free to leave the Underworld," Queenie explained.
"What favour?"
"It doesn't concern you. You rescued Lucas that's all that matters."
"But what about you? I'm not leaving you!"
"Yes you are. You came here for Lucas. You have him. Now take the Floo Powder and go back to Hawkins," Queenie urged.
"That blade was meant for me. Why did you step in and take it?"
"I didn't want you or your baby to be stuck in the Underworld forever. You didn't deserve to die."
"And you did?"
"If it saves a member of my family then yes. I would die to protect those I care about."
There was a pause before Queenie spoke again. "Now Hades says this is important. When you return Lucas will have to merge his soul with his body to be whole again. There will be some….side effects."
"What side effects?" Lucas asked.
"Hades said it will depend on the person. It may be as simple as just feeling an out-of-body experience from time to time."
"Now this is also important. Don't tell anyone about me, the Underworld, Hades or the magic. At all. Not your friends or family members. As far as the story goes there was a shooting at your home and that's it. Nothing else happened. Lucas was not shot. Understand?" Queenie asked sternly.
Max and Lucas nodded.
"Also Max don't tell Newt or Tiana about me taking you to the Underworld. Or that I was stabbed. I don't want them knowing."
"What do you mean? They're family." Max inquired.
"Just please Max. I don't want them to know okay?"
Max nodded. "Will I ever see you again?" She asked again almost on the verge of tears.
Queenie smiled at her before embracing her in a hug. "Never say never, sweetie." Looking to Lucas she gave him a warm hug. "Keep a tight hold on her Lucas."
She watched as her niece and Lucas left the lobby and walked back into the house opposite. There were two flashes of green light that engulfed the house before silence.
"Right then. I'm going to need a hotel. Then a flight to London. The Philosopher Stone isn't going to steal itself." Queenie said to herself out loud. (4)
Lucas felt as if he was being sucked down a giant sink hole. Falling fast…..Down and down he went, falling faster and faster… He closed his eyes wishing it would stop, and then – he fell, face forward, onto a cold floor.
Lucas got gingerly to his feet. Max stood opposite him, looking dizzy and bruised herself.
"Takes a while to get used to." Max said as she dusted herself off.
"I can image." Lucas replied.
They were back inside their house exactly how it was when Max had left. The police and even the ambulance still hadn't arrived.
"Right so do you know how to….merge with your physical body?" Max asked as she and Lucas approached the front of the house where Lucas's body still lay.
It was so eerie for Lucas; staring down at his own body. Seeing the dried blood that stained his shirt, the bullet castings that littered the grass, they made it all so real. He was dead.
"No….do you?"
"Of course I don't! I don't know any of this magic stuff!" Max replied.
Great, thought Lucas. "Well here goes nothing." He said as he motioned for Max to stand his body upright. She obeyed and then Lucas stepped forward into his body.
Max paused. Lucas's body seemed to twitch. Twitching became shaking. Shaking became convulsing. The convulsing became violent. As the convulsing increased, Lucas's body arched and his bones began audibly creaking. His body was almost thrashing around with great speed in ways that bodies cannot move.
Incoherent, inarticulate sounds issued from the sides of his mouth, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
"Lucas?!Lucas are you ok?" Max asked.
"It's me." His voice said as he tried to stand up but his legs almost buckling under his weight. Lucas would have to get use to physical legs again.
In her excitement, Max hugged Lucas's still standing form. Overwhelmed by this act and his emotions, Lucas closed his eyes.
"I'm back," Was all he could say.
No sooner had Lucas said that then the sounds of sirens filled their ears. The ambulances and police had finally arrived.
"Better late than never." Lucas whispered to Max as two burly police officers walked towards them.
"You called 911 about a shooting?" One of them asked.
Max nodded. "Yes our house was fired upon."
"And you said your husband had been shot?" The other officer said looking up and down at Lucas.
"Oh no! Sorry that was a mistake!" She said thinking quickly.
Lucas nodded. "It was just a flesh wound," He said off the top of his head.
The two officers looked unconvinced and promptly escorted Lucas and Max into the waiting ambulance to take them to the hospital.
A sign on the rusty chain-link fence read "Vought International Private Property No Trespassing". Mary ignored the sign as she drove into the restricted area. Their plane had arrived at Indianapolis International Airport an hour ago. Mary had driven them back to Hawkins explaining to Courtney she already had a "base" set up in the town.
She and Courtney got out of the car and walked over to a lopsided abandoned freight container, took out a key to unlock the container and then ushered Courtney inside.
A small, shaky lift within the container descended and the two women emerged into a large subterranean sewer area. Mary led Courtney through a bewildering maze of tunnels. They moved deeper beneath the town, the temperature dropping noticeably as they travelled lower and lower.
Hanging lanterns and glowing naked bulbs provided just enough light by which to navigate. Courtney was surprised –and troubled–to glimpse all sorts of activity going on in the tunnels. Children aged 19, their bodies gleaming with sweat, attacked the walls and ceiling with drills and jackhammers. Other children who looked liked they still belonged in school hauled away buckets of loose debris, squeezing through narrow cracks. Bags of powdered cement were piled high in the corridor.
The children stopped briefly to watch as Courtney walked past, only to resume their labours after a moment. The din of jackhammers echoed off the dripping stone walls of the tunnels before receding into the distance.
Another level below twin cataracts of clean runoff water gushed down into an underground river. A catwalk led between the spraying waterfalls, and Mary led a bewildered Courtney across the walkway onto a recessed platform hidden behind curtains of failing water. The cavernous space appeared to have been converted into an ad hoc command centre, complete with living quarters. Desks and file cabinets were crammed into the corners. Maps and blueprints papered the desks. A faded quilt of exotic design, spread out atop a large cot, provided an incongruously homey touch.
Mary gestured to the surrounding area. "Huh? What do you think? I had Vought build all this for me underneath Hawkins. It's not entirely finished yet mind you but it's our home."
"Our, ma'am?" A confused Courtney inquired still clearly taken aback by the vastness of the "command centre" as she had taken to calling it.
"The children and I. And before you ask no; they aren't slave labour. Believe it or not I rescued a lot of them. They were on the streets, runaways, in orphanages or from abusive households. I took them in, gave them clean clothes, food, taught them skills. They're my eyes and ears throughout Hawkins. No one ever suspects a child."
"Speaking of...Children! Gather round! It's time for your lesson of the day!" Mary ordered at the top of her lungs.
The children obeyed and one by one they all gathered around Mary expectedly.
"Children... which of you can tell me who has power?" She asked them.
A tall girl with brown hair raised her arm in reply. Mary noticed her and pointed to her direction. "Yes Abigail?"
"The government, mother." The girl-Abigail- answered.
"Correct, Abigail! We as people assume that power has a certain reality. Apart from comic books, where Superman has the power to fly, the only power real human beings have is the power they think they have. You see that sometimes in the collapse of a society. Why did the Soviet Union fall? Because one day the Kremlin gave orders and the soldiers said no, and the whole thing fell apart. It's a fundamental truth that Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., hit on, that power depends on the obedience of the less powerful. A leader is powerful only when he says jump and people jump. He has no actual power to make them jump. It's their belief that he has power. It's an illusion, a shadow on the wall. And sometimes people stop jumping, and then the world changes."
"Now there is something I must discuss with you all. Who was supposed to be watching the Sinclair house?"
There was silence until a hand at the back of the large group was raised. The children parted until only one child stood. He was older with pale skin and dark brown hair.
"Bartholomew you were the one watching the Sinclair House?" Mary asked as she slowly approached the teenager.
Bartholomew nodded.
"Because I distinctly remember leaving very specific instructions that none of the Party or their family were to be hurt in any way while I was in New York. And yet somehow there is a shooting at the Sinclair House. Tell me did you see who these shooters were?" Mary inquired.
"No, mother I didn't." Bartholomew replied his eyes cast down as he spoke-indicating he was lying.
"Nothing? At all? You were the entire time and you didn't see anything? Not even a car?" Mary continued to ask as she stood in front of Bartholomew, towering above him. She noticed his hands were shaking. No it wasn't nerves. It was something else. The closer she got to him the more she could smell it.
Cigarette smoke.
"You weren't there at all were you?"
Bartholomew swallowed nervously. "I was!" He anxiously replied.
"Don't…lie…to….me." Mary said in an unusually calm voice.
Bartholomew's face went ghost white.
"You were supposed to be watching their house like I instructed you too but you weren't. Instead you were at the nearby else would you have bought this?" Quick as a flash Mary had reached into Bartholomew's pants pocket and was now holding up for all to see a packet of cigarettes freshly open.
"Those aren't mine, mother." Bartholomew insisted.
"Do you take me for an idiot? I can smell the smoke on you. Because of your negligence some unknown person was able to shoot up Max and Lucas's house, possibly killing Lucas as well." Mary retorted as she continued to death stare at Bartholomew.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh god I'm sorry mother!" Bartholomew begged.
"Oh my dear Bartholomew you have gone and upset me." Mary said. There was a flash and Bartholomew seemed to topple over. Blood began pouring from his throat where Mary had cut it with her knife. Courtney was shocked. She hadn't even seen the movement of the blade it had been so fast.
"Disgusting things." Mary said to no one in particular as she tossed the cigarette packet into the spraying waterfall, then pushed Bartholomew's body down into the waterfall as well.
"I want you all to find whoever this shooter was. Search for anything connected to them; the gun, the car. No detail is too small." Mary ordered.
The children stared briefly at the murder then left to resume their labours after a moment. Mary absentmindedly wiped the blood off her knife, then took out a small remote control. She pushed it and several speakers surrounding the area including Mary's ad hoc command centre began to play the song "Feel It Still" by Portugal The Man.
"Got a good beat to it doesn't it?" She said to Courtney whose eyes were still glued to the spot where Mary had slit Bartholomew's throat.
"Poor Bartholomew. I always suspected he had a smoking habit. I'm sorry you had to witness that especially on your first day here. Can I get you anything to calm your nerves? Tea? Coffee?" Mary asked.
Courtney shock her head.
Mary heard a sound, heard it not so much with her eyes as with her mind, the sound of a nightmare. From a very distinct person. "I'm afraid Courtney that I won't be able to continue your tour. I must go."
"Go? Go where, ma'am?"
An evil smile crept over Mary's face. "To meet a very scared man still frightened of the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer." Noticing the confused look on Courtney's face, she added, "Will the Wise of course."
And done! Lucas is back and alive! And you all thought I had killed him off. I may have said he was dead but I never said it would stick! Ha!
Now regarding Billy I also loved the scene in Season 2 between Max and Lucas on top of the bus where she says she doesn't want to be like Billy, that she has an anger just like he does. So I thought what if Max would have to face Billy again after all this time? Hopefully I wrote it in a realistic and satisficing way that brings a close to Max and Billy's story.
Now Lucas. Yes he was dead and now he is back. Don't worry this plot point isn't going to be forgotten. As Queenie said there will be side effects affecting Lucas. Just what these side effects are you will have to keep reading to find out! Ha-ha
And yes we see more of Hades and boy is he a manipulator. I guess that's what happens when you have a terrible father and become the Lord of the Underworld. We also learn about his father Kronos and how he once fought the White Walkers with Odin! Sounds pretty epic doesn't it? And also how the White Walkers were the ones responsibly for most of the Neanderthals dying out. I really enjoyed writing all his dialogue with Queenie especially where he compares Gods to lions and wizards to sheep. And speaking of Queenie she died! Sort of?
And finally Mary. We are introduced to her lair and the children she has helping her. And what happens if you upset her. RIP Bartholomew. Don't worry we will be seeing MUCH more of Mary next chapter along with Will. What does Mary want with Will the Wise? Hmmm you'll have to wait and see. I also had a lot of fun writing her lesson about how power is only a belief and that people can choose whether or not they want to as Mary said "Jump".
(1) This is all taken from the Percy Jackson book where the Titans and Kronos do escape from Tartarus and Gods fight them causing the Second Titan War.
(2) The Andals, the First Men, the Dawn Age and of course the White Walkers are all from writer George R.R Martin's epic fantasy book series A Song Of Ice and Fire.
(3) The Targaryen family, King Aerys II and Robert's Rebellion are likewise taken from George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series.
(4) This refers to a one shot idea I have planned for Queenie that will show her trying to fulfil the deal she has made for Hades to get the Philosopher Stone. It may or may not also include Harry Potter I'm not sure yet I have written the one short yet but expect it sometime in 2021.
Please enjoying reading and don't forget to read and review! Also since this might be the final chapter I post until after Christmas I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas!