Chapter Forty-Three

The realm was so much darker in reality than it was in the hologram.

It was like all the color had been sucked from the world. Everything was gray or black. Even the grass appeared to be dried up tufts of gray sprouting from the black soil. The sky overhead was a blanket of thick black clouds with the occasional flicker of colorless lightning, the trees black charred skeletons clustered together in clumps for warmth against a bitter cold wind that howled as it sailed around the fortress ahead.

We appeared in the middle of the field between the mountain range and the fortress. Immediately the groups came together and Athena reminded everyone of their direction, choosing to join Hannibal in his battle against Atlan. I looked at the Savior while Athena gave our her orders. He was just as a soldier should be; rigid, ready for battle, attentive. And my eyes lowered to where Akin had laced their fingers together tightly, and my eyes went to Akin's face as he listened to Athena. He looked a little less ready than Hannibal, worrying at his bottom lip and eyes that kept glancing off to the side at Hannibal.

He was desperately trying to draw strength from his husband. And I noted that so, too, were the rest of Deliverance as they glanced at Hannibal, then at Athena.

"Alright," Lucifer said, turning to our group, "St. John-- Or. Uhm."

"St. John is fine," I answered quietly. He nodded, but he appeared uncomfortable now as he looked away.

"Lead the way to the tunnels. We'll go in a separate entrance than that of Satanika so we can stay apart, in case we're ambushed. Everyone do a tech check before we go down there in case we need to call in assistance," he explained. Everyone double checked their weapons and supplies to ensure their working order.

"Don't use your magic," I added when Theo snapped his fingers to start a spark, and he looked up with a scowl, "The less magic, the longer you'll last. Here, you must rely on your physical capabilities." Theo cursed, opening and closing his fists.

"Son of a bitch. You could've told me that before we left," he muttered, averting his eyes. I shook my head and went to my holster, unbuckling it and buckling it around his waist, making him frown.

"I won't need this. This realm doesn't harm me as much as it will you. Use what you can." He looked embarrassed with the help, but muttered something akin to "yeah whatever maybe thanks i guess probably". I shook my head before I double checked everyone else. The rest of the Hades clan appeared to have brought weapons of their own and communication devices that synced with the rest of the groups.

While everyone checked their own devices, I sought out Hannibal, who was allowing Akin to do his long black hair in a sleek ponytail over his shoulder. As I approached, Akin stepped back and Hannibal looked at me, curiously.

"I have to apologize before this begins," I said, making him frown, "I have avoided speaking to you directly for quite a while now when I have wanted nothing more than to hold you, in a purely platonic manner. I've known you for a very, very long time from a dream perspective. I was told not to interfere with you and your path, and it seems now that your path has been followed straight and true and I want to thank you... and apologize for not being able to save you." Hannibal gave his head that slight, questioning tilt. I smiled briefly at something that reminded me so much of his mother, Lea, who was currently punching Dania in the arm playfully as they made a joke.

"I met you in a vision in the future a very long time ago," I told him, watching him straighten in surprise, "You came to me in my darkest hour, you, your husband, and your mother. You gave me hope and you set me on my own path. And it killed me every time I dreamt of the pain you were suffering and I could do nothing, but watch. At times, being the most powerful creature in the universe, is not all its cracked up to be. My power can only reach so far before my wrist is slapped."

"I have faith in you, Hannibal," I said, swallowing hard for a moment before continuing, "I have faith in your power, because while the universe may speak my power so great, yours is so much greater. You wield a power that many covet above all else. And that power is Love. Wield her well and true and Atlan will bow to you before he dies." Akin smiled, his eyes shiny before he turned to look at Hannibal, who looked at him for a moment, studying Akin's face, before he turned to look at me.

"We should go for coffee sometime," he answered. I smiled at that.

"I should like that very much," I replied, and as Athena called everyone to their squads to begin the operation, I held my arm out to him and he took it, pulling me in for a shoulder bump, "Best of luck to you, Hannibal. Be vigilant and listen not to a single word that bastard says to you. I mean, seriously, do not listen to his words. He is a master manipulator and that is how he captured Xiphrus in the first place." Hannibal nodded.

"Good thing I'm not much for conversation," he said, "Blood and fists are more my thing." I nodded before stepping away from him to join my squad. I gathered them up and led them to the mountain range while Satanika's group went around to the other side near the stream. I led my group directly through the entryway of what used to be our fortress back during the first war. What remained was nothing more than ruins, scattered and broken, ghosts of the past cloaked in a gray blanket of death and woe.

I managed to find what was left of the entryway to the tunnel inside the main base. It took some moving rocks and other rubble before I opened the path and went inside first. I started to reach for my holster for a flashlight when I remembered I'd given my holster to Theo. A second later, Theo was at my side, handing me my flashlight. I raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed.

"I don't need it. I'll just take Ambro's. The fucker sees in the dark anyway," he added, then elbowed Ambrosius in the ribs. Ambrosius grunted, then rolled his eyes and handed his flashlight over to Theo, who made a show of pointing the thing in Ambrosius's face until Cerberus smacked him upside the head.

I shook my head at them. Though, I was relieved by their play. It lightened the mood, made everyone relax a bit more. While our guards were still up, it was best not to spend all our energy on being tense and anxious. The slightest sound could set someone off and destroy the fragile tunnels around us, and while a cave in probably would've kill us, it would hurt like hell and suffocating was never any fun.

"Stay behind me," I told him as I moved forward slowly, pointing the flashlight around the shaft, "These tunnels are almost as old as I am, but lack my strength. And listen carefully for the sounds of anyone else approaching us." The group nodded as a whole and we began our descent into the tunnels.

There wasn't much to say for the tunnels. Your basic shafts about seven by seven with thick wooden posts running along the walls to keep the ceiling and walls sturdy. Along the way were other hunks of wood, occasional boulders, scraps of fabric, the bones of creatures long since extinct since the early years.

We traveled in the direction of the fortress, but the tunnels were full of ups and downs, twists and turns, making it much more difficult to navigate, and they were purposely not directly in order to confuse anyone who didn't know how to use them.

We came into a large chamber full of black glassy obsidian. The temperature rose a good few degrees so sweat rolled down our faces. The glass glinted in the light of our flashlights, and every so often, there was a distant moan.

"What the hell is that?" Theo demanded, suddenly appearing at my side and pulling Cerberus up along with him, which made the overgrown artificial roll his eyes.

"Ghosts. Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts?" He asked, looking at Theo, who scoffed and shoved at him.

"Ghosts are my goddamn neighbors, asshat. It didn't sound like a ghost. It sounded like you when you eat Taco Bell."

"Little bastard--"

"It's not ghosts," I interrupted them, making them look at me, "There are no ghosts in this realm. Everything that dies here returns to the Source. What you hear may be the volcano we're walking on." Theo tensed, grabbing Cerberus again like he was prepared to scale his brother's body just to get off the ground. Cerberus looked down at the ground warily.

"Volcano?" Ambrosius asked uneasily. I nodded, waving the flashlight across the ground where it glinted off for a moment. I stopped the group briefly, shutting off my flashlight. A moment later, the deep guttural moan came again and this time, without the flashlights shining directly on it, the black glass beneath our feet lit up with a dull orange glow and heated.

"Holy fuck," Theo managed, stepping back, like that would get him off the glass. Cerberus actually jumped a full several inches while Ambrosius's eyes widened with fascination and he dropped down to touch the sleek hot glass that hissed at his fingers touched it. He drew his hand back and Lucifer quickly took him by the shoulder to pull him up away from the floor. Zeus appeared more interested in the reactions of the people in the room than the volcano, and Poseidon looked like he was in a candy store as he went to one of the walls, touching it before tilting his head back to stare up at the chamber's rounded walls and flat ceiling.

"This reminds me of the volcano we stuffed Typhon into," he said, glancing at Zeus, who frowned at that. I nodded.

"It is," I replied, making the brothers look at me in surprise, "All volcanos lead back to this one, in a roundabout magical sort of way. Volcanos are portals to this one here, the very first one, the oldest, and currently the grave of the beast Typhon, amongst others, of course. The Greeks weren't the first to stuff something that scared them into a volcano." Poseidon and Zeus shared wary looks and Theo made a noise of distress.

"Can we get the fuck out of here?" He asked. I nodded and led the way out of the chamber and further down the tunnel. As we went along, the sounds overhead suddenly became loud and furious. Bodies being slammed down into the ground, the sound of magic exploding and swords clanging.

"Looks like Hannibal found his target," Lucifer muttered. I nodded. We hurried along, until we came beneath what sounded like the fortress, given the metalworking apparently going on and scrambling of soldiers. We went along a little further, only to turn a corner and find ourselves at a dead end.

"Well, fuck," Theo declared.

"They must have covered it up when they made the fortress," Poseidon said, studying the structure of large boulders piled on top of one another. Zeus cursed and Lucifer grimaced before turning to me.

"Is there another way for us to go?" He asked. I shook my head, then glanced at Poseidon.

"There's a reason Poseidon is with us in particular and not Satanika's group," I answered. Poseidon arched a brow at me, then turned to the piled debris. He cracked his knuckles, cracked his neck from side to side, shook out his hands... then just blew softly on the rocks and they all crumbled into dust to the ground. Zeus gave him a droll stare.

"Trying to impress the Demon?" He asked. Poseidon wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Absolutely not. Dicks are your thing," he said, then paused and curled his lip at him, "And apparently so are brothers." He turned and headed through the tunnel. Zeus ground his teeth together, then growled when Lucifer knocked their shoulders together while passing in after Poseidon. Poseidon's comment, though muttered under his breath, was heard by everyone, and quickly sobered the group as they took turns passing Zeus with obvious hatred.

I came to a stop beside him, however, as he glared into the tunnel after them.

"Zeus--"

"I don't need your pity," he snapped instantly, making me raise an eyebrow, "I don't want it. Their reactions are exactly what I expected out of this whole thing. A therapy session won't fucking make this better." I shook my head.

"I wasn't going to comfort you. I was going to tell you to fucking move. The past is the past, and right now, here, in the present, Hades needs you. Focus on that. Forget everything else," I responded. Zeus frowned as I started into the tunnel, and he followed shortly after. We caught up to the group quickly as we came to a large wooden door with iron work holding it in place. It wasn't locked, which was mildly suspicious until we went through and came into a storage chamber. It was overstuffed with boxes of weapons and supplies. It was like walking through a maze to get through all the various twists and turns made by the boxes until we came to a door that led out into a stone designed hallway, where several soldiers were just running past as I peered through the door.

"Alright," I said, closing the door and turning to the group, "We've made it to the fortress. We're in the storage area. Looks like we either beat Satanika here or she was caught up in a battle. We'll check in when we find Hades. Right now, we need to get the lay of the place. And remember, do not use any more magic than you need to." Everyone nodded. I closed my eyes and felt through the physical layout of the fortress. The place was massive, and we were dangerously close to the soldier barracks, which explained all the stomping overhead. Soldiers leaping out of bed or showers to run into battle.

I located the cafeteria, the entryway to the castle itself, several other buildings of business, before I located a sealed off chamber not far from where we were, and directly beneath the castle.

"There's a chamber beneath the castle," I said, opening my eyes to look at the others, "It's sealed off. I say we check there first. It seems the most likely place." Everyone nodded. I opened the door a bit to peek out, confirming the coast was clear, before we ducked out and hurried down the hallway. With weapons in hand, we moved quickly and quietly. We paused at corners, double checking we were safe before continuing on. It was when we reached the sealed chamber where we met resistance.

"Halt, in the name of King Atlan!" A soldier barked, standing outside a pair of steel double doors. That confirmed that whatever was on the other side was more high tech, more modern, and more Hades's place of confinement. Unfortunately, there were a dozen soldiers standing guard. Two former humans, now immortals, several Atlantean vampires, and desdios. One of said desdios was the size of a goddamn tank too.

We clashed in the middle of the hall and I picked up the first vampire, swinging him over my head and slamming him down in the rocky floor before swinging him around and using him as a battering ram to slam into the massive desdios's stomach. They both grunted, and while the vampire fell limp to the floor, the desdios shook the attack off and lunged for me. I spun out of his way and bounced off the hallway wall to give myself momentum to leap up and land on his back. He snarled and swung around, slamming me up against the wall and I cursed.

"You fat fuck," I growled, grabbing at his head to twist it off. He managed to reach back, catching me by the leg and dragging me off his back so I went slamming into the ground. The landing knocked the fucking wind out of me and I choked, blinking rapidly against the darkness ebbing in on the edges of my vision. The desdios switched his grip to my throat and hoisted me up, slamming me up against the wall and pinning me there with his massive body.

"You're going to fucking burn," he sneered in my face, his breath reeking of what I was more than positive was cheddar onion Pringles, "Atlan will brand your pretty ass like goddamn cattle--" His disgusting little threat was cut short when a sword came plunging through the back of his head, through his open mouth, and the tip stopped just an inch from my face. Blood spurt across my face and I grimaced as the desdios slid down to the floor to reveal Zeus standing behind him, drawing his sword back and throwing the blood off to the ground.

"Did you have to do that so close to my face?" I asked, wiping around my mouth. Zeus smirked, then came close. Dangerously close. I tried to reach in me to find that quiet space, that cold place, where I couldn't feel... but I didn't have much time when Zeus dipped his head down and captured my lips in a quick kiss that caught me off guard. He pulled back to meet my eyes directly.

"We'll talk about your avoiding me later. I just couldn't wait to do that. Seeing you kick ass is fucking beautiful," he said. I swallowed hard at that, then felt eyes on us and peeked past Zeus to see Lucifer killing the final soldier and glaring at me. I cleared my throat and stepped back, bowing my head as I pretended to wipe the blood from my face while Zeus examined the bodies to ensure their deaths. Lucifer approached the double doors, grabbing them and throwing them open, tearing right through whatever locking mechanism was holding them shut.

The doors themselves snapped right off their hinges and fell to the sides haphazardly as Lucifer went into what appeared to be a laboratory. Zeus and I followed with the boys at our heels, looking around eagerly, but the room was completely empty. Several rows of stainless steel countertops with beakers, flasks, burners, and other research equipment sitting out in the open. Jars full of chemicals and body parts sat along the shelves on the walls. A door opened up into a bathroom, one that Lucifer barged right into, but of course, no one was there either.

"He's not here," Lucifer snarled, turning to us as he stalked out of the bathroom. I frowned, glancing around the room before my eyes followed Lucifer to make sure he didn't smash something else that could probably cause the room to implode on itself. As he went to the doors, and Hades's sons looked around with a disappointed sweep, I turned to see Zeus heading to one of the many shelves on the wall, touching the top shelf and dragging his hand along it.

"What are you doing?" Ambrosius asked him when he spotted him. Zeus frowned, drawing his hand back and rubbing his fingers together.

"This isn't right," he said, his eyes scanning the room suspiciously, "Why would Atlan set guards up outside an empty room?" Theo rolled his eyes.

"Because he's an asshole maybe?" He asked. Cerberus frowned.

"It could be a trap," he pointed out, "He set the guards up to make us think Hades was in here so he could lock us up too." Zeus shook his head and went along the other shelves, touching the tops and middle shelves.

"If it was a trap, we'd already be locked in. Atlan isn't stupid. There's something else going on here... Check the other shelves. Look for anything out of place," he instructed. The boys shared wary stares and then looked at me. I gave them an encouraging nod and they went to work pushing and pulling on the shelves, checking for dust trails. Lucifer watched them with obvious irritation, his hands opening and closing into fists. He was impatient. He didn't want to stop and look for secret passages or anything. He wanted to find Hades and he wanted to find him right this second.

Instinctively, I wanted to go to him, to make sure he was alright, but I resisted. He didn't want comfort right now, and definitely not comfort from me.

"I'm not seeing anything," Poseidon concluded from across the room near the line of shelves on the other side of the room, stepping back to frown at the shelves of jars full of dead creatures, or partial creatures. He wrinkled his nose and took a couple steps back as if just now noticing the things.

"Same. There's nothing here," Cerberus muttered, finishing with the last shelves on the opposite side of the room. Theo made a noise of absolute frustration and spun around to kick one of the cupboards in the counter, making Ambrosius grimace and jump back before making a noise of surprise when the countertop groaned and suddenly pulled backwards into one of the other countertops.

"I wondered why those countertops were off kilter," Cerberus muttered. Zeus quickly came over, followed by Lucifer and I as we watched the countertop slide beneath the others to reveal a narrow staircase that went deeper into the ground. Lucifer and I shared looks before turning to Theo, who looked pretty caught off guard himself before he quickly sobered and glared at us.

"What? I knew it was there."

"Sure, you did, squirt," Cerberus replied, dropping a hand on his head to ruffle up his hair. Theo growled and shoved him away before he glared at Zeus.

"You should be the first one to go down. You know. In case it's a trap," he added, making Poseidon smirk and fold his arms over his chest, the idea clearly amusing him. Zeus gave him a dry, uninterested stare before he looked down the narrow stairs. He started to go forward, but I put my hand on his chest to stop him and he looked up at me.

"Let me go first," I said, "I'm smaller and can move do quicker. I can secure the path for the rest of us. Unfortunately, there's no way Cerberus can fit down there. Sorry, big guy." Cerberus sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Whatever, you guys need someone to stay up here anyway to keep watch. I've got this place covered," he said.

"I'll stay with him," Poseidon added, reaching into his holster for a packet of cigarettes to light one up. Cerberus gave me a reassuring nod, which I returned, then turned to the stairwell. I stepped down, having to duck low to avoid smacking my head on the ceiling as I descended down on the steps that were so narrow, it felt more like I was wriggling my way down through a wormhole. I kept going, seeing a small sliver of light under what appeared to be a door of some kind. It wasn't long until I came to the door that I realized it was a grate that looked into a room that was completely sterile and cold.

Sitting inside at a desk, writing some kind of report, Hades sat with one leg outstretched and the other tucked beneath him, his head bowed down, long black hair hiding his face. Relief swept through me and I turned to look back up through the stairs to see the others looking down at me. I nodded and no sooner had I finished did Lucifer duck down the rabbit hole so damn fast, I almost got whiplash trying to keep track of him. In a matter of seconds, he was smashing into me as I managed to grip the grate and pry it off its hinges, setting it aside and climbing through the slot that let us right into the room.

Hades made a noise of absolute irritation and looked up from whatever he was writing to pin us with a withering stare.

"What now? I can't fucking fart without you people coming down here to make sure I'm not doing something inappropriate?" He demanded. Lucifer started to go to him, but I put my arm up in front of him and he glared at me in confusion as Theo, Ambrosius, and Zeus popped into the room behind us.

Something was off here.

Hades appeared entirely too comfortable where he was. The room was set up like a bedroom, with a bed, high end furniture, warm lights, even a bookshelf of scientific books and research. If anything, we were the ones out of place, and something in my gut sank as Hades's eyes flickered to each and every one of us for the longest time before those blue glowing orbs narrowed.

"Who the fuck are you people?" He demanded, getting to his feet. Lucifer went still, staring at him, distress turning his expression from angry to concerned. He shoved my arm away from him and stepped forward.

"Hades, it's us-- It's me. Lucifer," he said, waiting with baited breath after to see Hades's response. Hades frowned, studying him from head to foot, but there wasn't even the slightest glimmer of recognition in his eyes. He stood there, guarded, distrusting. Lucifer's hope shriveled and he sucked in a sharp breath as if he were in extreme pain.

"Hades, please," he managed, coming forward and Hades took a step back until he realized he couldn't go anywhere with the desk behind him, and the small enclosed room keeping him trapped, "Please, you have to remember me." Hades glared at him, putting his hands back on the desk. I watched his skittish movements, and I suddenly noticed more now that I wasn't entirely concerned with the memory issue. He looked paler than usual, weaker, more exhausted. His movements were slow and uncoordinated.

My eyes widened slightly and I snapped my head to look around the room. I spotted three other grates in the room before I turned back to Hades to see him reaching for something on the desk to use as a weapon.

"Shit," I cursed, grabbing Zeus, who looked at me in alarm, "We need to get out of here. Now. Grab Hades. If we don't leave this room in the next few seconds, we're going to forget everything."

"What--"

"Just do it! Now!" I ordered, gesturing for Ambrosius and Theo to run back up the steps. Zeus glanced back at me before he ducked out and Lucifer lunged for Hades, who grabbed a heavy glass model of the humanoid form and threw it at him. Lucifer dodged it and grabbed Hades, who suckerpunched him right in the nose.

"Fuck! Get off me!" He snarled. Lucifer cursed, but managed to grab Hades around the waist and throw him toward me. I caught him and wrestled him into the stairwell, which was not an easy feat. Hades was nearly as big as Cerberus, and he only seemed to get stuck in the stairwell, which was only made worse by his struggling to fight me to get back to the room. I grabbed him by the face and held him still for a split second, his eyes meeting mine.

"Go, Hades. Go up the stairs. Right now. Atlan needs you," I commanded. He hesitated for a split second. He clearly didn't trust me, but the mention of Atlan's name appeared to reach something inside him. He gave me a slow nod, then turned and went up the stairs the rest of the way. I turned to see Lucifer climbing back into the stairwell and shutting the grate before we scrambled up to the top where everyone was waiting. We moved the countertop back over the hiding place, and I coughed a bit, hoping to hack up anything I may have inhaled.

"What's going on? Why doesn't he remember us?" Ambrosius asked, glancing at Hades, who frowned at us curiously.

"It's a toxin," I answered, "It's temporary. It's why he was down in that room. Atlan can pump him full of it, enough to have him forget during his time up here before they stuff him back in the hole."

"That doesn't make sense," Poseidon spoke up with a scowl, glancing at Hades, before he looked at me, "He couldn't have been down there for more than a few hours. He was just kidnapped."

"Time moves differently here," I answered grimly, looking at Hades, who looked at me, "He may have just been kidnapped from Olympus a few hours ago, but he's probably been here for a couple days." Lucifer swallowed hard at that and Zeus cursed under his breath. Lucifer went to Hades, making him stiffen up and take a step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Lucifer said softly, and Hades gave pause at that, blinking like somehow Lucifer's voice was familiar to him.

"We've met before," Hades concluded, frowning as he scanned Lucifer again. Lucifer nodded, then came closer and Hades let him. Lucifer reached up to cup Hades's face in his hands and Hades blinked harder now. His eyes frantically scanned Lucifer's face and he breathed hard, reaching up with shaking hands to put his hands over Lucifer's.

"Please don't forget me, Hades," Lucifer whispered, brushing his thumbs over Hades's cheeks. Hades sucked in a sharp breath, slamming his eyes shut and ducking his head down. Lucifer tilted his head up so their foreheads touched, his celestial blue eyes shimmering with tears. A second later, I was stunned, as well as probably everyone in the room, as a tear slid down Hades's cheek and he opened his eyes to meet Lucifer's.

"Fuck," he whispered hoarsely, "Fuck, Lucifer." Lucifer nodded, smiling, brushing the tear away from Hades's cheek and leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips.

"It's me, Hades. I'm here. I've got you. You're okay. I'm here," he choked. Hades shut his eyes again and pressed his forehead against Lucifer's, breathing hard as he clenched his hands over Lucifer's on his face. Like he was desperate to feel him, desperate for him to be real.

And I watched, feeling a tight knot constrict in my chest. I had never seen Hades emotional before. It wasn't that I didn't doubt his emotions; I knew from reading his thoughts how emotional he was. It was that I'd never seen it on his face. I'd never seen tears fall down his cheeks, never seen him hold Lucifer so close to him, so afraid to lose him. Lucifer was choked up too, and while I'd seen him weep, this was different.

It was like seeing two halves of a soul come together. It was so powerful that I felt the Source around us ripple, as if pleased that we'd reached Hades, pleased that they had been reunited. I swallowed hard, truly amazed by the beauty and pure love and affection shown between them.

I blinked, wanting to give them privacy and turned my eyes to see Hades's sons staring at them, like they weren't sure what they were seeing either. It was a rare day to see Hades like this, especially for them. They were so used to the almighty powerful Hades who ruled the realm with an iron fist and took no shit from anyone, not even his own sons. Today, they saw the softer side of their father. Today, they confirmed that no matter how coarse Hades seemed to be, he could still feel, he could still love, and he could still hurt. Just like them.

Meanwhile, Poseidon appeared entirely too uncomfortable with the tender moment and shifted off to the other side of the room to tap another cigarette out of his holster. When I looked around, I realized Zeus wasn't in the room. Confused, I glanced toward the doors to the room and spotted Zeus standing out in the hallway, standing at attention and keeping an eye out for soldiers. Or so it appeared he was doing. In actuality, I could feel his pain reaching out to me.

Wanting to give Hades the privacy he needed, I left him to his family and went to Zeus, who didn't even bat a lash when I came to stand beside him. He stared down the hallway, his expression cold and closed off, his stance rigid and guarded and more than prepared to kill anyone who came near us.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"I'm fine," Zeus replied flatly, "We got out before we could inhale whatever toxin Hades was breathing in. I called into the other groups that we got Hades, and to keep an eye out for any poison they may have convinced him to make for them." I frowned. He misinterpreted what I said, and it wasn't on purpose. He honestly thought all I cared about was the mission at hand.

And that was the way it was supposed to be.

Focus on the mission at hand. Heal Zeus. Kill Atlan. Save the universe. I couldn't get deeply involved with Zeus. That wasn't part of the mission. That wasn't my job. My job wasn't to fall in love. My job was to help as many people as I possibly could.

And in the back of my mind, I could just hear Satanika calling me an idiot, telling me to fight for what I wanted on a personal level. Unfortunately, even if I was selfish enough to want Zeus, he could never want me to such an extent. Zeus's heart was small and fragile and there was only room for Hades there. And right now, his heart was breaking as he realized Hades and Lucifer were perfect together. They were meant to be together. He could hold out hope during every argument, but in the end, Hades and Lucifer would make up one way or another and fall back into place, in each other's arms.

And him on the outside looking in.

He was devoted to Hades.

And I was too selfish to share Zeus with anyone, even Hades.

It just wouldn't work. It wasn't meant to. When Zeus and I were together, sure. It felt magnetic and powerful and I wanted to spend hours with Zeus, even if it meant just watching him do daily tasks... It wasn't what Hades and Lucifer had. Or Hannibal and Akin. Menoetius and Arikos. What they had was perfect, it made sense, it fit the puzzle perfectly.

Right, I realized, blinking hard and reaching in to find my special place.

My job wasn't to fall in love.

My job was to make sure Zeus was healed, and we won the war.

"I was asking if you're alright in a different way, Zeus," I replied quietly, hoping the question came from therapeutic concern and not somewhere else. Zeus frowned for a moment, then glanced at me. He studied me for the longest time, then turned to face me fully.

"Why have you been avoiding me? You seemed more than eager to come back to the palace. I waited, and you never showed up," he said, but his voice lacked depth. He was also trying to reach inside himself to hide away from how he was really feeling, and unfortunately, that wasn't going to work for him for long. He hadn't been practicing it nearly as long as I have.

"So you invited Hades to come over," I filled in. Zeus's frown deepened.

"Yeah. Because you never showed up."

"And I apologize for that. I was caught up with some business that involves the war we're currently fighting," I answered. Zeus stared at me. He straightened, his jaw clenching hard and his tongue pressing against the inside of his teeth for a moment. He looked away.

"Forget it. There's no point in talking about it, especially not now. We need to get Hades out of here before Atlan realizes we found him," he muttered. I frowned, watching him turn to head into the room... at the same time a powerful force filled the air around us and Zeus stiffened, going still. The others in the room broke apart to look up and Lucifer cursed.

"Atlan!" He snarled. I spun around to see Atlan standing in the hallway behind me. Atlan smiled, looking smug and satisfied, like a cat that ate the canary, his battlesuit shimmering in the lights overhead. He didn't look too disappointed that Hades had been found... or very injured. Which meant Hannibal hadn't even encountered him, or Atlan had tricked him. I hoped it was the former, at least then I would know Hannibal and his team was safe.

"My, my, Joxeia, that was so cold," Atlan mused, making me narrow my eyes and grip the handles of my swords, and Atlan looked past me at Zeus, who glared at him as he fondled his own sword with eager anticipation, "It hurts, does it not? To invest so much time in someone and have them suddenly decide you are unworthy? As if they're the ones who are too good for you?" I clenched my teeth and Zeus narrowed his eyes, clicking his sword out of its holster to slide out with a clean slip of steel on steel.

"I'm King of the fucking Greeks, asshole," Zeus returned snidely, "Everyone fucking wants me." Atlan smirked, then looked at me, folding his arms over his chest.

"Really, Joxeia? Of all the creatures in the universe, you settled for that? A Greek pig?" He asked. I started to argue when a bolt of lightning suddenly exploded past me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and it shot right for Atlan, who caught it and crushed it in his palms, sprinkling little electrical sparks down to the ground. I turned to look at Zeus to see him breathing hard and I winced.

"Zeus, I told you not to use magic--"

"Shut up," he snapped at me, making my eyebrows pop up, and he looked at Atlan now, "At least us Greeks aren't all bark and no bite. All I've heard about you is how powerful you are, how badass you are, and yet all I've seen of you is you flapping your gums. Why don't you shut up and actually do something for once, asshole? Or are you so weak that you have to make people do shit for you?" Atlan's silver eyes flashed at that and his jaw worked hard, a tic forming there as he gave his head a slight cock.

"You are extremely irritating. Here I thought Hades was the one with the big mouth. Perhaps I was mistaken. Perhaps I should put that big mouth of yours to something more useful," he mused, and I tensed. A surge of disgust and fear and rage ricocheted through me so fast, so hard, that I didn't have time to think whether or not my next move was logical.

"Fuck off," I snarled, moving out in between them to block Atlan's line of sight, "Where's the hybrid?" Atlan smirked.

"Currently holding the body of his so-called master," he answered. I froze at that and Lucifer made a noise of agony, running across the room to go after Atlan, but Hades caught him and yanked him hard up against his chest, pinning Lucifer there so he wouldn't make the mistake of attacking Atlan. At the same time, Poseidon shot out to block Lucifer's path, should he escape Hades's hold.

"He's lying," Hades hissed, glaring at Atlan past Lucifer, who swallowed and looked at him helplessly, "He's a fucking liar, Lucy. Ignore the fucker."

"Oh, come now," Atlan chided, taking a few steps forward and I held my ground, watching him smile, "I don't lie. Everyone knows that. I speak the truth. He's still in the battlefield. See for yourself. The Source has already laid hands upon the master's soul." I clenched my teeth, my anger mounting at his words. He was lying. The Source would've told me if it had taken Akin. I would've felt it. And not to mention, Akin's death would've unleashed the beast inside Hannibal and we'd all be fucking dead right now.

But he was choosing his words carefully, I realized.

Holding the body of his so-called master?

The Source has already laid hands upon the master's soul?

"Akin's not dead," I spoke up, making Lucifer swallow thickly and look at me tearfully, "He's injured, but he's not dead. It's why Hannibal didn't go after Atlan, why Atlan probably gunned for him instead of Hannibal himself. He knew hurting Akin would put Hannibal out of commission."

"But, the Source--"

"The Source touched Akin's soul a long time ago," I announced, making Atlan smile slowly, "Akin was blessed from the very beginning. He isn't dead. Listen to the words he uses when he speaks. He may not be a liar, but he does use his words to make you think exactly what he wants you to think. I told you. He's smart only until you catch onto his ruse." Atlan nodded, giving his hands a clap before lowering them to his sides.

"Nice deduction, Joxeia. You've learned so well. I'm so glad you've been listening to me speak. It's nice to know that the person I admire most is paying attention to me," he responded. I tsked and finally withdrew my swords.

"Oh, please. Were it not for Lucifer's sanity, your words would've passed right in one ear and out the other. I personally don't give a shit what you say. And while I may not be able to personally kill you, I can savor the feel of your bones cracking beneath my blade. Time to stop talking and start fighting. It's time we end you once and for all." I lunged for him first and he spun out of the way, only to have to duck when Zeus came at him with his own attack.

Atlan dodged their attacks easily, then smirked as he glanced back into the room where Hades was still holding onto Lucifer and Cerberus, Theo, and Ambrosius took up position to protect them on either side of Poseidon.

"How cute," Atlan said, standing up straight and adjusting his uniform, "Your sons are so loyal to you, Hades. I must say, I'm a bit envious. Should my own children ever be so grateful... and even one of your sweet brothers." Poseidon curled his lip as he reached for his holster. Ambrosius narrowed his eyes and flexed his hands over his holsters, preparing for his own attack.

"We don't do it because we're grateful for anything," he said. Cerberus's eyes brightened and he held his hands out as his nails morphed into a healthy set of black claws.

"You're not loyal to someone just because they created you," he tacked on. Theo held a ball of flames in his hands, or what I thought was a ball of flames, until I realized he was holding a pair of flaming bombs ready to detonate.

"We do it because we're family, asshole, and that's just the way shit works," he declared, and Atlan's eyes darkened a second before Theo launched the grenades at him. Hades released Lucifer, who ran to duck behind something with Poseidon jumping down with him. Hades snatched Theo up around the waist and dove into the bathroom with Cerberus and Ambrosius. Atlan vanished just as the grenades struck the floor at his feet and everything exploded.

My hearing went out the instant the explosion went off, and my whole body was thrown back into the wall so hard, I felt the rocks of the wall around me crumble and fall to the floor. I choked, the breath knocked from my lungs, blood flooding my throat and filling my mouth as multiple organs were punctured by flying objects and shrapnel. I lost sight of Zeus the moment the rocks in the ceiling caved inwards. Dust and stones flew into the air as chunks of earth fell from the ceiling above and rolled out from the walls around us.

Everything went black second later.