What do we say to the God of Death? [Hades]

[Della Miller]

Ever since she started considering joining the staff of this fine institution after all, she had found herself almost patrolling the buildings, watching as progress was made and it had started to come back to life, up to the quickly becoming infamous bonfire night, and now...well...now she wanted to have a look around while classes were actually underway, just to get a feel for the place she used to learn in, get that full nostalgia trip...and for a while, it was pretty gratifying. She even found herself smiling without someone prompting her through pure adorability (thanks Giselle and Tori), or just being a fantastic friend (looking at you Westley and Merlin)...that was, until she caught sight of the bulletin board.

Despite all of the infighting nonsense going on, which of course involved Gaston, of course it did, there was only one name that really stuck out to her as she read over the memos...one that brought a chill to her veins, but fiery rage to her heart...

Hades. So. He had finally decided to show his evil mug around here, had he?

There were several instincts that were fighting over her brain. Storm the counselor room with guns blazing. Let her friends know immediately so they could come up with a plan. Run away to the portal room. Start making some negotiations. Just ignore it because this was a no win scenario, and unlike a certain Starfleet Captain, she did know there were no win scenarios. Though you couldn't quite blame him, the gods he met all turned out to just be aliens, or just need a damn spaceship. She knew the real deal...and despite how often she had wanted to confront him, she also knew her limits...

She was definitely going to need to figure this out, and she was going to need help...

...that was, unless Hades found her first...her stomach twisted, and she unholstered her gun, jumping and facing behind her as if she expected him to have popped up in a puff of black smoke...but no, nothing but a scared freshman, looked like. Her eyes widened and she lowered it. "I am so sorry, I thought you were someone else..." She shook her head and started to walk away, trying to get herself to calm down, and trying to speedwalk her way home so she could have a quick chat with Alyss and possibly other people, because she needed to rally the troops or something, figure out what the best course of action was...

...again, if Hades gave her that kind of time...

[Hades]

"Pulling a gun on a kid? Maybe you should seek some professional help, babe," said a voice from the shadows. Hades was leaning against a wall, where he'd been for a while. That sneaking feeling Della had, the one that she dismissed more as paranoia, a twist in the gut, the back of her head itching like someone's eyes were on it, that actually had some weight to it this time. Weight in the form of a grinning god just leaning there, a sly smile on his face.

He'd been tracking Della's movements for a while, mostly in relation to Panic. The demon had already made his deal, but Hades needed him to lay in wait for the time being. Hades had actually half expected Panic to go back to doing his normal thing: he'd almost thought about insisting as much. But it was more interesting to see what this girl who'd somehow earned the love of a demon and loved him in return. In point of fact, everything Hades heard reminded him of a certain bounteous beauty that he happened to see one fourth of the year.

"Oh how rude of me: we haven't properly been introduced," Hades stepped from the shadow, suddenly appearing in front of Della then. "Hades, school counselor," he extended his hand toward Della, putting on a wide, almost stupid grin as he did.

[Della Miller]

And of course he didn't. Of course he didn't give her any time. She was certain it was him from the moment she heard his voice and caught a glimpse of him from her peripheral vision, somewhere in a corner that really shouldn't have been so shadowy, a corner he probably managed to darken with his very presence. Fortunately she had managed to not leap back, had managed to not let out any screams. All she did was stop in her tracks, her breath hitching. It was hard to hide the dread from her expression, but she refused to speak to him until she had fixed her expression into something more dignified, more determined.

All right. So her plan to cook up a real plan had been waylaid by the very jackass she was trying to prepare herself for. What was her backup plan then? She managed to breathe her way out of looking fearful, which was just as well, because he was approaching her now, introducing himself. She swallowed...her best bet right now would be to pretend to have civil feelings towards the god. If he decided to poke the bear that had been growing hungrier and angrier for nearly two decades, however, all bets were off...even if she really desperately didn't want to die and wind up in his hands anyway, she wasn't going to let him frighten or bully her like he had done with Panic all this time.

"I figured that's who you were," she finally said...and she glanced toward his hand, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you'd make some snarky comment about how rude it'd be to not return the handshake." And so she did, and yes, she was aware that wasn't the most civil thing to say, but she had to shake the salt out somehow. "I also have a feeling you probably already know who I am." Took you godsdamn long enough... she almost wanted to say, but despite years of imagining what she'd say to him if she ever ran into him, she knew better than to pick the fight herself.

[Hades]

A glance to the hand, a raised brow. Hades held his cheesy smile on his face, still reading the girl .Wow, she really did remind him of Persephone. The hair, the spirit that rose up within her. Good thing his wife wasn't around, because Persephone would probably talk Hades out of his plans in a heartbeat... and she was the only one he'd actually feel obligated to listen to. Then again, his plans really were the best course of action; even Persephone woudl see that.

"Of course!" he said, spreading his arm wide. "Why shake hands when you're going to be a member of the family?" Hades swept Della up in a hug then, lifting her up off her feet, using that element of surprise. "After all, I'm sure my little guy told you all about what he set up with me!" he grinned wide at her, looking every inch the proud papa meeting his son's girlfriend for the first time.

Hey, that was mostly true.

[Della Miller]

Honestly, Della had never been clear on what she anticipated if and when she finally encountered Hades. She imagined some evil scheme, some epic battle, or at the very least some kind of confrontation based off of exactly how she felt he treated Panic, because seriously, you're a god and you waste that eternity picking on a minion, don't you have better things to do with the whole god thing? She was ready for a fight, had been itching for one, in fact, even if she was trying to steer it away from anything that could leave her as a pile of ashes.

And just...sure, she had kind of expected he'd put his hands on her at some point, but that this quickly and not...not in this way...

...was...was Hades, the Lord of the Dead, the abusive father of her fiance, perhaps the one enemy that was most likely to murder her...hugging her? And talking about how she was about to be part of the family? She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying to think of what she could possibly say, and also trying to think if there was a way for her wriggle out of his grasp because something about this just felt wrong, but then...then she froze again when he mentioned that Panic had set something up with him? Something she presumed had to do with her?

That...that sounded ominous for something that came out of an eerily cheery guy...

"No, he's hardly spoken to me because he thinks he's going to accidentally kill me. I'm pretty sure that has something to do with you?"

[Hades]

Was it odd that she almost felt like Persephone? Maybe Hades just missed his wife; wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe he was seeing too many similarities here: bright, vibrant young woman falling for someone dark, someone who definitely hadn't done anything to deserve being loved. He set her down, his smile locking, looking almost pained as he met her gaze.

"What? That Panic," he chuckled, dusting Della's shoulders off. "You know our Panic. Lives up to his name in the worst way, am I right? He ever tell you how he messed up one of my most important plans? Just had to go kill this kid. Troublesome brat. Would grow up to be a real pain in the neck. He had an abusive dad, an absent, selfish mother. Real bad lot, this kid. So we were just gonna put him out of his misery. Small price. But Panic messed that up," Hades sighed, placing his hands on Della's shoulders. "Poor Panic."

He looked into her eyes. "But hey! You don't gotta worry a bit. He made sure that you'd be perfectly safe. Guaranteed it, in fact," his teeth showed in a smile then, "we shook on it and everything."

[Della Miller]

Della couldn't make heads or tails of this situation. She was being hugged, Hades was giving her this look like she reminded him of someone, someone whose memory was quite painful...was this what Alyss felt when...nope, we weren't going there because that would lead to associations she did NOT want to make, and besides that, unlike Alyss, she didn't have that level of loss. The biggest loss in her life happened for a split second and there was nothing about this that reminded her of Westley's almost-death. So fuck that shit, she had bigger fish to fry than why the "poor" God of the Underworld was looking sad.

As he started going on and on about Panic, she cared even less about why he might be sad, because what was coming out of his mouth was so despicable, where to even begin. How about the moment that made her quote Miranda Priestley in her head? Or the implication that his would be murder victim was both a troublesome brat, but of course killing him would just put him out of his misery? Or the fact that she found it really hard to believe the tragic story he was trying to paint as if that made trying to murder him okay? Or the condescending way he said "Poor Panic", especially since Hades made the unfortunate mistake in thinking he was allowed to touch her.

This whole "being civil" thing was wearing thin, but her life probably depended on it, and she still wanted some answers before she started her pathetic attempt to rip Hades a new one.

...but then he mentioned a deal he and Panic had made. One that was supposed to keep her safe. She narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?" Because there was no way that was all there was to it. She didn't trust Hades any further than she could throw him and there was no godsdamn way her safety didn't come with a price. "He's making deals on my behalf now? I'd be touched if I hadn't been in the dark..." What the hell did you make him trade?

[Hades]

"Wait a second, hold the phone a moment," said Hades, holding up his hand. "You mean he didn't tell you? Oh, our Panic," he laughed a condescending laugh, shaking his head. "He would forget to go and tell the girl he loved oh so much that he'd made certain they'd have their happily ever after." Hades took a deep breath, fluttering his face with his hand. "Look at me, I said I wasn't gonna cry, but it's just too sweet, isn't it? Demonic minion finds love in a hopeless place. Spirited girl loves demonic minion. Minion somehow finds the courage to cut a deal with his boss. Do a little tasks, serve faithfully, and wouldn'tcha know it?" he sighed. "Happy ending. White cottage, picket fence, everything."

Hades paused for a moment, stroking his chin, considering. "I guess that does technically mean that I own your soul? I mean, if we look at it from the whole promised a safe eternity with a demon thing. But I guess," he waved, "that's not so bad a price to pay for True Love, amiright?" His gaze darkened for a moment, curls of smoke starting to rise from his shoulders. "Some of us paid much worse."

[Della Miller]

What the hell was Hades going on about, about Panic making some kind of deal that they could...live happily ever after? It all would've sounded very nice were it not coming from someone like Hades, who just oozed slimy car salesman or drug dealer. After all, wasn't being able to start over with Panic, have a good life with him, one of her ideals? She knew it was a long shot from the get go, which was why for a decade she said she was just looking for closure, to just know what happened to him and if he still felt the same if he was still okay. If anything proved that happily ever after was a long shot, it was the fact that he clearly did, but refused to go anywhere near her because he couldn't control himself, most LIKELY because of the god who stood before her. So his claims that they'd have a happy ending just didn't sound right, or if he was telling the truth, there was some kind of catch, like...

...I guess that does technically mean that I own your soul? was the last thing she heard, and it unfortunately began to echo in her head, before utter silence fell in her mind. That...that was the deal Panic made?

Della stood, breathless, and she could swear she heard the rush of a tidal wave crashing over her, drowning her, deafening her, blinding her like the moment you took a fall, where all that existed was the pain, except it wasn't quite pain yet, only suffocated shock. She had yet to take a bullet (though she had come close on a number of occasions), but this was how she always imagined it would feel.

Yet she managed her next breath, her vision rushing back, her mind finding its voice...and she looked into Hades' eyes with the burning gaze of a volcano about to erupt.

"No." She almost didn't recognize her own voice, and yet she continued. "There is no way in your realm or any other you're going to own my soul. Panic can't stand his existence with you, there's no way he'd make me live it..."

A voice in her head whispered, Are you sure about that? Isn't this exactly what he said would happen? That he'd drag you down, that he was a worthless demon? This is exactly what a worthless demon would do? That voice was terrified in the midst of her anger, sounding like it was trying to talk her down, but her molten lava rage washed over it, tried to snuff it out into ashes, just as she would snuff out Hades' lies.

"So if you want to make me leave him, make me afraid, you're going to have to try again..."

[Hades]

Hades chuckled. "Oh, there are several ways I could end up owning someone's soul. Part of the fun of being a god of death," he rolled his shoulders, letting a little more of that smoke rise. Something about him seemed darker in those few moments, just a little of his divine presence leaking through his current frame. "You're right though: Panic really can't stand being around me for long stretches. My wife," he shrugged, "we all kind of love her. But who said the deal entailed living with me?"

He chuckled as if he could read the thoughts. He could see her face, the slight twitches. Plus, he had a feeling the same doubts would be surging through her. Would Panic do that? He was desperate, scared, and in love. People would do stupid things with any one of those conditions. All three rolled together was just asking for something to happen. But let her take those thoughts to fuel her rage.

Hades's hands drew up. "Whoa, whoa there, sweetheart," he said. "Why would I want you to leave him? I mean, let's think about it," he wove an image out of smoke, a scared looking little demon. "He's so frightened her runs from me. Meets you. Clings to you. Loves you," he paused, then raised a hand to shade his mouth, "as much as something like him can love, that is," lowered the hand. "So you're now his thing. His weak spot. The being he'd do anything for and do whatever it takes, including, as you put it, spending time with the guy he hates the most." The smoke was embracing a smoky woman, one who'd appeared, comforted him, shaped Panic into something like a human. Then it parted, Hades showing up, Panic pleading. Another happy scene: Della and Panic together, Hades simply looming over them. "Go ahead and leave him if you want," Hades said, meeting Della's eyes. "But you staying? That works so much in my favor it's not even funny." Hades laughed. "Well, it kind of is, since now I have leverage over you," he spun his hand, and there was that smoky Panic again, squirming in Hades' palm. "And we both know that you're smarter and sharper than him, don't we?"

[Della Miller]

She honestly still didn't want to believe this was something that was happening, but...but she was going to have to at least try to roll with it, get whatever answers she could get. There were few things Della hated in this world more than being thrown in for a never ending string of loops, and she wondered sometimes why she ever tried to talk to gods, they were experts on that. Mind you, she had basically been cornered here, so this wasn't even her vaguely confrontational tendencies' fault. So here she was, realizing that Hades seemed far too amused by her accusations and knowing damn well that basically spelled her doom in this conversation. She didn't know what exactly he was smirking about or how the hell this all could have happened (because of COURSE he was right, somehow he could very well indeed own her soul...), but she knew she was being screwed...especially if he was going to be all vague on what the fuck exactly owning her soul entailed.

Not that he didn’t try to paint it all very well, with the smoky figures meant to look like her and Panic, trying to show them having a happy moment, one so happy that she almost didn’t recognize them because…gods, they were almost never that happy, were they? Because Hades broke Panic, for want of a better term, and it was a miracle if she could ever get a smile out of him…not only that, but there was Hades, looming over them. No matter how happy they could possibly be, it’d still be with Hades’ permission…she would still be on his leash. And what was this about her helping with his “plan”, what fucking plan?

“Yeah, it’s the leverage I’m worried about,” she answered, barely containing a growl from her voice. “And I’m not even going to grace that question with a response, so let’s just focus on the whole leverage thing. Dare I even ask what the whole “you owning my soul” entails?”

Not that the answer really mattered. She was going to fight this, somehow. She had to, she just had to, and it was taking all of her gumption to stop her from having a full on anxiety attack right there over realizing this was very real, and very much something Panic agreed to, just…how could this have happened, how could he do that, no, no, no, Hades had to have twisted his arm, that’s the only explanation for why he would put her in this position…right?

[Hades]

"Technically speaking, he made a deal wherein you get to spend eternity happy and safe from everything that would bother you. I won't mess with you as soon as our plans are in order. I kept it pretty vague, so none of you deciding to stab yourself or sacrifice yourself valiantly. Yeah, you'll do that. Again: You're smart," Hades grinned, his joy seeming to growl with each growl that rumbled out from Della. "and if I outright own your soul, then that means that when you die, you go to me. Forever. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. I could actually use some power and effort to outright control your will, but that takes a bit more agreement from you then what I've got now."

Hades spread his arms. "So why go that far? Let's keep it simple. You work with me," he patted his chest, "and I won't have to lean on Panic nearly as much. We both know he can't take it. And he'll do whatever I say. See: he doesn't have a choice," Hades raised his brow. "I literally made him. My fingerprints are all over his scrawny little body. But, hey, like I said. Choice between my skittish, dodgy, whimpering demon and an intelligent woman who's driven and connected? Not really a choice, is it?"

[Della Miller]

Della scoffed a little because of COURSE that was the catch. Did Panic know that when he decided to sign her soul away without talking to her about it? That anger bubbled in her stomach, but she tried her best to focus it on Hades because…fucking hell, like she could really blame Panic for this… Except you can. Because Hades pulling this is to be expected. Panic just flat out betrayed you. As for them possibly stabbing themselves, well, if she was right about what this entailed, that would just be playing into his hands, wouldn’t it?

…although apparently there was the chance of doing that anyway. She was certain she was about to be sick. “Yeah, that’s not happening in your wildest dreams,” she snapped when he implied that he could control her will…but apparently Hades already knew that. At least something was working in this conversation…although honestly, why in the world should she trust anything that he was saying? It was possible he was just saying that to keep her complacent…she knew that tricky beings like this who just wanted to manipulate you right where they wanted you would say just about anything…that it would really be just a small price to pay, like a tiny locket or a ring…

The strangely vivid image of such things changing hands flickered in her mind…she almost lost her sense of where she actually was…but fortunately she kept her wits about her, dismissing that with a what the fuck? thought as she refocused on Hades, who was continuing to dismiss Panic, to diminish him, and no matter how hurt she was by Panic’s actions, she wanted to stand up for him…but there was also the matter of her still being essentially Hades’ puppet. She had a lot of things she could say about this…but one thought crossed her mind, one that she almost wanted to say, but she was still biding her time...but...

How the hell is it that he can't even make a minion that "works" with him, that he has to outsource the job to a being that had lived separately from him her entire existence...it's almost like...almost like he needs Panic a whole lot more than Panic needs him...almost like Panic is actually more powerful than Hades...because otherwise why WOULD he need him, he could easily wreak whatever havoc he's planning to on his own, right?

The realization all but slapped her in the face...but...she wasn't sure how well that would work for her. Because even if that were true, Panic barely listened to her when she said that he wasn't all bad, how the hell was she supposed to convince him that he was more powerful than Hades?

Her jaw set, she decided to just keep getting as clear a picture of just how royally fucked she was. "So...what? I'm helping you conquer the world or something? You keep talking about a plan." Because...clearly saying no wasn't exactly an option right now. That option had been snatched out of her hands. So she had to know what was up, so she knew exactly what she was fighting here.

[Hades]

She got it. she probably was reading into it, and Hades might have been overstating Panic's importance a little. Really the betrayal was just a sort of possessive thing... or maybe Hades just didn't want Panic to be happy because he wasn't happy. Hades didn't really have the time to stop and think about it. He just kept focused on the too-intelligent girl in front of him.

How the him had Panic ever won this creature over?

"Why is it that everyone's assumes I want the world?" Hades asked aloud, tilting his head. "Do I look like the world conquering sort? Got the whole armor and sword thing going on. Get me a throne, all that crap," he waved his hand. "No, it's simple. This world? I want it a mess." he gestured around. "Because I don't want Panic to want to come back here. Ever. Again," he lowered his hands, "and a place where my raping, pillaging, careless, selfish family gets to keep being selfish? Yeah, I don't think so," he was smoking now. "They got mine, and I'm going for that. But oh,' he pointed at her, "you're trying to get me monologuing, aren't you? We do so love our plans. But for now, Della, I just want you on Team Hades. We'll get t-shirts, hang out. Soon you'll meet some other people, similar situation to you. Start spreading word. Let them know about me."

Hades grinned. "Because I'll do the rest."

[Della Miller]

Della narrowed her eyes when Hades tried to claim that wanting the world wasn't what he was going for here...she supposed his explanation made sense, in the "bad guy" sort of way...and she almost laughed when he clearly caught her in her attempts to "get him monologuing" as he had put it. "I suppose I am. Just want to know what I've been dragged into..."

A more cynical Della would've pointed out that the world didn't really need Hades' help to become a mess, it already was, and yeah, one could argue that his family was at least partially to blame. Hell, she remembered a time, just before arriving at Avalon, where she pointed out that it was really weird that everyone thought of Hades as the bad guy when he was clearly not as terrible as either of his brothers...

It really went to show how godsdamn stupid she was as a teenager, but at least in this case it was just because she didn't know the whole story. Even if everything was true about his brothers, it didn't mean he had to be such an asshole about it, and one look at Panic had told her everything she needed to know about just how well Hades took to being brushed aside and bullied. That sort of shit didn't make her Team Snape, so why the hell would it make her Team Hades?

Unfortunately, again, her hands were tied for now, and while she wanted to feel really upset about that, she didn't have the time. She just needed to get through this conversation so she could live to plan another day.

And why wasn't she surprised that there were others like her...really made her wonder how many of his minions had been betrayed...no, no, no, don't think like that, what the hell was Panic supposed to do? And blaming him wasn't going to help a damn thing...

"Great...just great..." she muttered, and it really applied to just about every thought in her head right now.