It was a hot muggy night in the big apple. People were in transit to either going home from work or they were on their way to work. At Central Park, it was almost empty except for a few people doing whatever it was from jogging at night, meeting up with someone or just taking a shortcut to get to wherever they need to be at. At the heart of the park, the street lamps flickered a bit all at once as if the power was being disturbed or that something was wrong with the power grid. A small black circular shadow had appeared on the ground with a swirling like affect to it. Then it started to get bigger rapidly til it was The diameter of an adult male can stand in it perfectly. A set of arms slowly emerged from the swirling darkness. On either forearm was old fashion styled Roman Bracers as the arms bent downwards and grabbed the ground. The arms took a firm hold onto the grass and soil, pulling upwards. The rest of the arms came forth and then then rest of the figure came through as if they were climbing out of a man hole that covers the entrance/exit for the sewers. Hades pulled himself out of the darkness and crawled onto the physical plain, coughing hard as he tried to take in the warm muggy and polluted air. His armor had many punctures through it and even a burnt mark over the chest section and back of the armor over the heart. It was covered in blood all due to the thanks of the liquid Mercury that kept the blood preserved. The blades of grass was damp as he crawled over towards a tree, with all the trees shrouding him in darkness thanks to their leaves and pines. Moving up to one of the trees, he slowly turned around and sat down, pressing his back up against the tree’s base. His eyes were closed as he tried to calm his pounding heart and his rapid breathing from coughing so hard.
His body throbbed with the pain that he had felt from all of the injuries that was dealt to his whole body. When he did open them, he looked through the trees and could see bits and pieces of strange things. Odd designs of buildings with lights coming forth from all of them. Carriages made of steel, designed differently from each other, colored oddly and without horses that these carriages were still able to stop and move on its own! “Poú eímai?” (Where am I?) he asked in old Greek lightly to himself. The senses of his body told him that there was those that weren’t like the normal humans (mutants) that were living amongst the peasants. One such person he could sense was moving at a fast pace towards his location. Sitting there still, he could hear the sounds of many feet running and the sounds of a strange language shouting. He couldn’t make it out, but how it sounded like, it sounded like an angry mob of sorts. Turning his head, he make out a group of figures, five of them, chasing down a lone female who looked like she had been beaten. Those chasing her were making howling sounds as a couple of them carried pipes made of metal and other objects on their person while wearing such strange clothing. Pushing himself up, he walked with weak legs to the edge of the tree line to get a better look at what was going on. The female mutant was backed up against a massive wall of stone, a boulder of sorts. He could see the panic on her face, feeling the fear from her sent shivers down his spine. Breathing it in like an exotic perfume, he could not help but to consume a small bit of it, and when he did, he felt some of his power coming back to him. Looking at the small gathering, one of the males rushed the young female and smacked her across the face with the pipe object. Blood splattered the ground as she cried out in pain. His strength grew when he felt her pain and ate it. Stepping out from the shadows of the trees, he walked out into the false lighting and one of the guys took notice of him. They all turned to look at him as they laughed at him, pointing their pipes and odd objects at him (handguns). When he didn’t respond to them, they all began to walk over to him as Hades stood there, looking at each and everyone of them.
One of the strange objects made a loud BANG and Hades stumbled backwards a bit with pain coursing through his right chest. Looking down at his right chest, he saw blood coming forth from an injury he didn’t know how it happened. He saw this as some sort of sorcery. He looked up at the, again as anger began to rise up inside of him. Raising his hands up from his sides, the lights began to flicker rapidly with the sound of the ground tearing open with darkness spreading forth from him towards the thugs. They all backed up away from him as something was coming forth out of the black abyss. Three massive dog like heads slowly began to emerge from it. It’s big front paws came forth as it rose from it’s confines of darkness. When it was fully out, it’s slick black fur shinned a bit with the lights flickering around them and all six eyes opened up to show pure red eyes. Deep primeval growls came forth from each head. As it took a step forward, it left heavy paw prints in the soil and padded on the asphalt of the walk way path. Three of the thugs aimed their guns and open fired on the massive three headed dog of the Underworld. Hades didn’t need to open his mouth to give the order. It lunges upwards a bit and came down upon them with the asphalt cracking all the way down to the dirt underneath it. From afar, the sounds of gun shots were heard followed by all of the thugs screaming in horror, fear and in pure agonizing pain. After a couple of minutes, everything went silent except for some sounds of bones crunching and loud gulps. The dog of hell slowly started to move towards the girl who was sitting on the ground pale as a ghost and was petrified at what she had just seen. There was nothing left of the thugs except for blood splatters all over the ground, the trees, the boulder, and a tad bit on the girl’s jacket that had an X inside of a circle with her backpack on the ground. Hades stepped forward and said one word and the dog stopped. “Cerberus.” Opening a rift through the darkness again, Cerberus looked down at her with all six eyes and then turned away, walking through the rift. Hades looked at the scared girl and tapped into her shaken up mind. He learned a little bit of the language here, but not enough for him to be able to hold conversations. Stepping towards her, he had seen that she was a student at a special school. A school that had students who had special abilities. “Go....home....young child...” He said in a bit of a harsh and raspy voice. Turning away, he left the scene. Leaving the girl who was a mutant with all of the blood and some of the weapons the thugs had which laid on the ground all dented badly and ruined.
Lyla was delighted to be back home for a bit. Her conversations with her mother were always funny, but whenever it got to talking about being in school, she didn’t know what to say. She’d never say she felt her mom had made the worst choice by sending her there. She couldn’t talk to anyone there without them getting a glazed look over their eyes when she would talk. Or how most thought she was strange for having to write things on a whiteboard because they didn’t know sign language.
Her mother would’ve understood the struggles in some form, but not on the level that Lyla felt. She had no idea of how to concentrate her power to only affect one person. Even whispering was a no go because anyone walking by that could possibly hear was in danger of it as well. And if that wasn’t bad enough she had to be so careful of what she said. But at night she could go wandering through Central Park without any fear of letting her voice out.
Placing her earbuds in she hit the play button on her youtube video to listen to the music. The beat and rhythm filled her senses as she began to sing out softly. She moved with the flow of notes dancing in her ears. Under one arm was her whiteboard and marker, the other waved in the air happily as she went about her way.
Her eyes closed for all of a few seconds, spinning when suddenly she felt herself hit against something and fall on her bottom. A soft ‘oof’ left her lips as she opened her eyes. The man before her was dressed differently. Almost like he was from another era entirely. Or he was just one of those men that loved Roman times. She remembered reading about their history from school.
Opening her mouth she almost spoke but stopped herself. The slight twinge of panic at just thought filled her for a moment. Picking up her whiteboard that had fallen she scribbled down something then showed the man pulling out her ear buds. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She looked at the armor again, noticing the holes and burns. Worry furrowed her brow as she stood up. Again she turned to her whiteboard, wiping the previous message to write her new one. “Are you okay?”
Walking slowly through the area that he was in, Hades could feel whatever pierced his armor was still inside of himself and it was bothering him with the pain coming from it. He needed to find himself what these people called a doctor or nurse, people who worked with medicines. But he had other injuries on him that needed to be treated as well from the betrayal of his younger siblings. Thoughts of that long battle rushed to his mind, it felt as if he was there again fighting them in a glorious battle of revenge and betrayal all in one.The Lord of the Underworld was thinking about digging his index finger and thumb into the wound and just pull it out until his thoughts were disrupted by a person who ran into him. Stopping at the moment, his eyes looked up slightly and saw he was looking at a young female blonde who dressed odd to him, then again, what wasn’t odd with where he was? She had made an oof sound when she hit the ground, but he noticed that she was bout to say something until she stopped and began to write on a board that was white. Tilting his head a bit, he saw her message and could understand it generally and bowed his head towards her. He found it rather odd that he had heard her, but she didn’t want to speak. So like before, Hades rached out with his mind and connected to her mind. He dug through her memories like an earthworm seeing everything through her eyes. Seeing that she had a special gift of able to sway people in a trance to do whatever she wanted by just saying a few words. This allowed him to learn a bit more of the language ‘English’ and even learned a bit of what was called sign language.
Hearing her getting up made him snap out of the connection, his eyes raised up with his head to see the new sentence which was her asking if he was alright. Looking down at his body and armor, he saw that he was still bleeding a fair bit. Looking up her, he raised his hands and began to do sign language. “I am fine young Siren, these old bones have felt worse in my time. Are you ok? I wasn’t watching where I was going as well.” He could see her looking over his armor which made him stand out with how everyone in this area called, New York, dressed. A slight groan came from him as he placed his left hand across his abdomen as the pain was starting to get worse for him. Hades was trying hard to stay up on his feet and keep a straight forward face looking at the young female before him who’s name was Lyla. With his one hand wrapped around the front of him, he decided to speak up to her. “I’m...sorry...I need a...heal...I mean...a...d-doctor as you...call them....one that is discrete since I...stand out a bit to you...all.” He said with a somewhat harsh voice, which betrayed him a bit as hints of pain could be heard as he tried to speak to her. “I also...suggest... to not go down...the path...behind me Ms. Lyla...”
...I don't take coffee, I take tea, my dear I like my toast done on one side And you can hear it in my accent when I talk I'm an Englishman in New York
See me walking down Fifth Avenue A walking cane here at my side I take it everywhere I walk I'm an Englishman in New York... - Englishman In New York, Sting
If there was one thing about New York that Sarah Lyell absolutely enjoyed, it was the twin freedoms of anonymity, yet to the Big Apple's club crawlers, she was exceedingly well-known, owning several nightclubs and bars across the Five Boroughs, all of whom served their purposes but most of all, they gave her the ability to move about her adopted city in ways that her pre-controlled scanningl life could never have afforded her.
It also gave her, as she paused on the sidewalk to take out an old photo of her and her sister Tamara taken years before back home in Calgary, a burning hatred for her twin sister; despite the years of commitment at Arkham North, Sarah had never forgiven Tamara for leaving her and the rest of their family back home and she had an especially burning hatred for that school to the north, the place Tamara now called home. Yes, Sarah thought, staring at the photo before putting it back inside her tan longcoat, despite the years spent locked up, the years spent learning how to channel and control these telepathic powers of mine, I haven't forgotten you, Sis, letting those thoughts go as she stepped inside a small cafe she regularly frequented in the Chelsea District of Manhattan.
Smiling to the waitress as she took Sarah's order, Sarah sat down and stared out the window, thinking of all the years she'd spent leaning to channel and control her telepathic scanning; like Tamara, Sarah was a mutant, both of them possessing the same power....unlike Tamara, who only learning about her powers by accident, Sarah had known long before they'd split apart form the other and had learned, in a rudimentary way back then, how to control it, to shape it, to mold it to her benefit...after all, she mused, how was I able to kill that bully in school the way I was able to, without putting a single scratch on him, pausing her thoughts as the waitress returning, setting down a large plate of blueberry scones and a cup of Ceylon Grey tea with a small pour spout of cream next to it. "Thank you," Sarah said in a quiet sounding yet cultured English accent, stopping as the waitress asked where she was originally from with the accent and all. "England," she lied, "grew up in Wittering, Cambridgeshire; thank you for asking, though; I get that question often, my dear," pouring a little bit of cream into her tea and taking a long sip before biting into one of the blueberry scones.
It was one of her few regular habits, a way to keep her mind focused as she planned out her day, stopping for a moment as a favorite song of hers' began playing over a nearby radio; leaning back, Sarah took a large bite of one of the blueberry scones and smiled, a rather Cheshire cat-like smile and once more pulled out the photo of her and Tamara from their youth and thought to herself, Hope you're enjoying your life, Sis, because when I get through with you, your next life will be spent with the evil bastard himself, Sis....
You know, I remember a time when things were a lot more Fun around here When good was good, and evil was evil Before things got so, fuzzy Yeah, I was once a golden girl like you And I was summoned to the halls of power in the heavenly court And I dined with the deities who looked upon me with favor For my talents my creativity And we sat beneath the palms in the warm afternoons And drank the wine with Fitzgerald and Huxley
And they pawned a biting phrase From tongues hot with blood And drained their pens of bitter ink Vainly reaching for the bottle full of empty Edens Branded special for the ones Who had come with great expectations To the perfumed halls of Allah For their time in the sun.... - The Garden of Allah, Don Henley
Last Edit: May 20, 2018 2:41:44 GMT by Sarah Lyell
“Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way. Some of us lose that, some stray from that, and some regain it.” ― Joss Whedon
Lyla noticed the fresh blood as she got closer. Her curiosity grew more as he signed to her and called her by her codename. She’d have to ask later about that. Seeing the dripping blood she pulled his free arm over her shoulders to help keep him balanced for the walk. She didn’t have time to explain as she began to walk back the way she came.
Her thoughts wandered as she thought of what he said. How he spoke was still strange, but she wanted to know how he knew her name. Unless he could read minds. That would make sense, but then for his attire he was from a different time entirely. Now she really wished she had brought a jacket to help block the bleeding.
If it wasn’t against the law she’d have probably taken off her shirt to use. She’d have to take him to a hospital. She’d have to use her voice to keep people from calling police. She’d have to catch a taxi too… she’d have to use it more than she wants. ‘But this is for helping someone, so it should be fine.’ She thought, but doubt still clouded around her mind.
The look on her face would give away to anyone how uncertain she was about this choice. Making it to the edge of the park cars drove by. Their headlights really the only thing you could see before they got under the light of a street lamp. Moving between two parked cars she held out her hand and waved to try and get noticed by a taxi driver. Finally one stopped by the two of them and she opened the door.
Helping Hades into the back of the taxi she slid in next to him. Getting up to the little window she spoke low and soft. “Closest hospital. Don’t run the meter, then forget you ever saw us in your car.” She said. The familiar glazing of eyes came over him and he turned off the meter before pulling back into traffic. ‘It’s okay… it’s going to be okay.’ She thought over and over. Her heart raced as she kept a watchful eye on the man next to her. Normally she was cold towards people. Always so pessimistic because she knew she’d never be able to really be with anyone. It was something she struggled with everyday. She only hoped that she could get this man to help soon.
She had took his free arm and wrapped it around her shoulders and turned them to walk the same way she just came. A somewhat steady dripping of blood ran down his body as they moved through the park and upnto what these people call car’s. She waved for such a vehicle as they were passing them by. Eventually, one person who had a brain, or lack of one to not question as to why the male was dressed like he had come from a theater or another time all together pulled up next to them and stopped. Lyla opened the back door and helped Hades into it. As he sat down, a sigh came from him as this seat felt comfortable to him. Resting his head back and holding onto his body a bit tightly, he slid his eyes downwards a bit to watch what she was doing. She was speaking lightly to the driver and saw that he was acting a bit, different. The driver turned something off, drove into traffic and was quiet. Looking at himself, he could feel her worried with her eyes watching him a good bit of the journey. Looking at her for a bit, he then turned his attention to the world outside of the car. Seeing that the world had changed so much since he was last awake. But he thought about the looks he would be getting when he walks into the building. So many questions will be asked, plus he didn’t have ID to show who he was. Trying to sit up in the seat, another painful groan came from as he winced at the pain.
“Do you think it would....be wise...to take me...there? I don’t have...what you call...Identification to prove...who I am....not to mention...” Looking down at his attire which was the armor and leather sandals that wrapped its leather thongs around his calf. “My attire....really want to...answer those questions? Probably not...do you know...anywhere else that could help...with my injuries?” Reaching the free hand up, he began to undo the leather straps holding the armor on his torso on his body. One by one, he peeled each strap from it until it was fully off, revealing his bloody body with many injuries now visible ofnthe front. Sitting there in his leather greaves, leather skirt and the metal shin guards that protected his calves. The bloody armor was dropped to the ground as stab wounds, broken arrow shafts, heavily bruised areas, burn marks and now the gun shot wound were all seen to Lyla. Breathing short intakes of air and letting them out in intervals, he looked at her with a look that said, you’d be making a mistake if you take me to the hospital and it looked like he was worried a bit. By the time he had finished doing all of this, they only had a a mile left to go until they reached the destination. The driver was bespelled by her voice, so he couldn’t tell him to pull over or to change course.
Leaning his head against the frame of the car’s door, he rested his head while he leaned his body over a bit. It was somewhat comforting to him to lay like this. Inside of the car, the scent of blood was starting to get thicker by each passing moment as the back seat was looking like a murder scene, not to mention the air conditioner was on. Looking down at the door, he lowered the window as air started to suck out the smell and was blowing in fresh warm air inside of the car. It was refreshing for him as he laid slump against the door. Lights of cars and buildings went past in motions of blur until they came to a red light.
“You all are nothing but dust compared to a god, for a god is an idea and ideas...are...immortal!”
Listening to this man speak she knew he was right… she was sure she’d be able to get everyone in the immediate area once they were there under a hypnotic trance but that still left those that hadn’t heard her voice. Scratching her head she tried to think for a moment before her head snapped up. She did know someone. Jessica would be able to help him.
Looking over his body as he had taken off his chest plate her eyes showed more worry. She scooted closer to the window. “Change of plans. Take us to 1301 North Avenue.” The driver looked up in the mirror she shut the window as he got into the other lane that would take them there. It would be secluded. No one around to question… except Jessica. She’d be so pissed about this. Pulling out her cell she texted her, just to make sure she would expect her and her “guest”.
Turning to the man she grew more concerned. Her heart and mind raced with panic and doubt that they wouldn’t make it in time. She wasn’t very good at comforting people in times of crisis. It was one reason she wasn’t on the X-team. The other was because she couldn’t concentrate her focus on one person. Hearing her phone ding she looked at it and yeah, she wasn’t happy. Lyla would deal with her anger later though.
Turning to Hades fully she signed to him, “It’s okay… I have a friend that can heal you. She’s a nurse who lives on being discreet. She can keep a secret.” She watched him carefully. This was so awkward and difficult. She signed again, “What’s your name?” She was curious since he already seemed to know hers. It was just something to make sure he stayed awake, and to get to know this mystery man.
Stepping out of the cafe - those scones were simply delicious, Sarah pleasantly mused - she walked quickly up the street, quietly nodding or saying hello to the occasional passerby, another sign to her of just how decadent this place was, how thoroughly corrupt it all was...its' a perfect place for people like myself, Sarah thought, as she turned the corner and headed down a side street, anxious to get about the day's business....
10 minutes later - inside a darkened room For what seemed like forever, Sarah simply sat and looked at the person sitting across from her; there was no else in the room and while they were sitting in very similar chairs, Sarah could get up out of hers while the other person couldn't due to the rope binding their wrists to the back of the chair. It was a distasteful part of Sarah's search for her twin sister but every person she "questioned", the closer her search took her.
After another long wait, Sarah pulled out a picture of Tamara Lyell and asked the man if he'd seen her; at first, the man shook his head somewhat nervously and said that he hadn't. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Sarah said quietly, looking at him from her own chair as she asked him again if he'd seen the woman in the photograph. "I asked you a question: have you seen this woman?" When he again refused to answer, she shook her head with a bit of a sadness to her and said, "Look, you see that door over there?" pointing towards the room door. "You have two choices and only one leads to that door....you can either tell me where this woman is," pausing to hold up the picture of Tamara Lyell up for him to see, "or I can kill you, have your body dumped in the East River and no one will ever find you again. Your choice," in a voice that would've made the Prince of Darkness shrink back in horror.
Getting up from her chair, she began to walk around the room, slowly starting to telepathically scan the other person's mind when he blurted out in distress, "I've seen her, I've seen her; stop! Stop!" Stopping in her tracks, Sarah looked towards a nearby window that faced out onto the street and asked, "Where? Where did you see her?"
"Up north, out of the city," he said, panting as if having run a marathon. "She teaches at some school in Westchester; I don't know where...now, please, let me go. Just...just let me go," pleading with her as if he were drowning and she had the last life-jacket available. Smiling as she turned to face him, Sarah's smile lightened a little and she said, "Westchester, huh? I always wanted to visit the country....I tell you what, sir," she continued, walking past him and lightly brushing her fingers along his jawline and across the back of his neck as if she were trying to comfort him instead of torturing him for information, "you've been most, most cooperative," walking past him. However, instead of letting him go, Sarah began walking towards a concrete stanchion, her mind beginning to lethally manipulate the other person's autonomic system...she could hear the other person shaking violently in the chair as their body tried to fight off the killing forces Sarah was telepathically delivering to him. "But I....I thought you were going to let me go!" the man cried out, desperately trying to fight the restraints binding him to the chair as his body's systems rocketed towards lethality.
Smiling once more as she stepped behind the stanchion, Sarah - with a Cheshire Cat grin's like tone of voice - said to man, "I lied," just as a series of quiet but liquidy pops could be heard, following by a gentle hissing sound and the virutal sounds of someone slumping onto their chair; glancing around the stanchion, she could see the now-dead man - minus his head, which was now scattered across the floor like so many pieces of chunky wet salsa - slumped in the chair. Taking one last glance, Sarah headed over to the door and walked out, leaving quite the mess for her goons to dispose of but also knowing she was one step closer to finding her sister...
“Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way. Some of us lose that, some stray from that, and some regain it.” ― Joss Whedon
Plans have changed as he could feel the worry just pouring off of her. Her mind was in a total uproar. While she spoke to the driver, Hades pushed outwards with his telepathic abilities, hearing so many voices at once was truly incredible to hear as he looked out the window. One voice he had heard was a female who planned on finding her sister and wanted to do evil things to her. Feeling the deep hatred and pain coming from this female, (Sarah) he would whisper into her mind, “I know how you feel young child...” When she was done talking to the driver and the driver changed lanes to account for the new direction he needed to go, he turned his gaze upon her as she went back to looking over his body once more and began to do it again, worry. She was signing away about how she had a friend who could treat his injuries and that discrete was how she did things. Slowly nodding his head, he saw her sign him a question this time, this time, she wanted to know know his name. Looking at her from the corner of his eyes, he didn’t know how to answer that one without scaring this very young female. Thinking on how he was going to say it, he said to her at first. “If I told you...you probably wouldn’t believe me, even if I said the name I was given by the Tyrant of a father I once had many life times ago...or, it might scare you for whom I am...” Pushing his body up, he would say to her as he fought off the pain as best as he could. Opening his mouth slightly to make it look like he was just breathing from his mouth, he would begin to consume her fear as he took in a deep intake of air into himself, feeding off of it, growing stronger from it. She would feel a bit better as the worries would start to slip away from her, unknowingly because of what Hades was doing.
“I once lived in a palace made of Obsidian...” Narrowing his telepathic scope down to Lyla, he began to project images into her mind of what he was saying to the point that she would hear him without him moving his lips. “I had many brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces...all who feared me since I was the eldest.” The images of every single Greek god and goddess as how they truly looked came to view inside of Lyla’s mind, making it seem like she was there looking at them. “I have seen many wars waged on for the countless reasons’s the mind decides to play...love...jealousy, hatred, greed, fame...many lives coming and going before my very own eyes.” Her sight would see of many armies clashing against each with Shields, swords, spears and armor. Blood spraying the air as men of all ages screamed out in pain. Then everything changed to be on top of a mountain with old structure designs that Lyla had seen in her history books of Ancient Greece. Hades would appear standing next to her. Before she could say anything, he held up a finger to keep her quiet and pointed ahead. Ahead of them, she would see Hades being led to a gathering of his kin where there was a line of people chained while on their knees. The women that were chained were pregnant as the one brother spoke to Hades who was now being held down by three men. One by one, each person was lied by the slitting of their throats. The memory Hades yelled at his brother. When the last female came up to be killed, a massive amount of darkness pulled her under as Hades broke free from his kin. “For three days and nights...” The blue skies above became black as night as the sound of thunder booming, explosions of fire blasted, wind picking up into gale strength speeds. “I fought my kin...” Showing the battle in a sort of fast forward motion. Those that had lost their fight against him were consumed by the darkness that emanated off of himself. “I was betrayed by the ones I loved and helped...” The scene shifted to him being dragged inside of a dimly lit tomb like structure by torches and was thrown into a casket. It was lowered into a hole in the ground and it was filled with Mercury.
It all turned to black as she could still hear his voice. “You want to know who I am? Do you want to know my name, Lyla? Then I shall tell you...” The sight of the Obsidian Palace was seen with creatures of different sizes and shapes were seen walking around the palace with a statue of Hades sitting on a throne in the heart of the palace. “I am...Hades. The God of the Underworld. The so called Tyrant of Darkness and fear. The devoured of evil souls. The overseer of the prison of the damned.” Everything faded to black and her sight went back to normal as Hades hasn’t moved from his spot. Just him looking out the window. What might have felt like hours watching all of this, only a few minutes had went by them as they kept traveling to her friends home. Using his vocal cords to speak, he would say to her. “Don’t believe all that you read about my kin...they were blood thirsty and tyrants in their own ways because of the powers they all had...I was the one who showed some kindness towards those that were to be judged at the end of my fork. And yet, I was the one who was banished into the never ending darkness because I wanted to be happy and have children of my own...” He said lightly with the warm night air going across them both from the open window.
Sitting in the back of the Lincoln as it weaved to-and-fro along the FDR Drive north towards Sarah's palatial brownstone in Marble Hill, Sarah's thoughts were on her getting her hands on her sister Tamara; she was a step closer to finding and putting paid to her account...and when I get a hold of you, Tamara, you bi--
....one voice he had heard was a female who planned on finding her sister and wanted to do evil things to her. Feeling the deep hatred and pain coming from this female, (Sarah) he would whisper into her mind, “I know how you feel young child...”
Suddenly Sarah sat straight up in the back seat of the Lincoln, looking around frantically and wondering, for a split second, who else was in the Lincoln with her and her driver..after satisfying herself that no one else was around, Sarah tapped on the divider to get the driver's attention. "Is something wrong, Mistress Sarah?" her driver said over the Lincoln's intercom. Sarah could detect no quiver in her pet Natasha's voice, only a slight lilting English accent that hinted at her country of birth, a country she would be able to return to so long as Sarah kept possession of her passport and identity documents.
"No, nothing's wrong, Natasha," Sarah replied. "When we pass the next exit, I want you to take the exit after that and double back so that you can get back on the FDR heading south. I simply forgot to stop by that boutique in the East Village, you know the one I'm referring to. Once we're close by, let me out; I can take a Uber back to Marble Hill. You, on the other hand, need to get ready for your weekend visit out at Master Bishop's estate in the East Hamptons," adding with a sly contralto tone, "you are looking forward to it, are you, my pet?"
"Yes, Mistress, much so," Natasha replied; Sarah could imagine the smile on her possession's face and pictured her in the hands of another dominant such at Master Bishop, who like Sarah, kept a small number of "possessions" that they and other dominants traded like so many baseball cards at a trading convention. That side of Sarah Lyell she kept well and truly hidden from public view - oh, there were the occasional rumor of just such a secret society in the Five Boroughs and Long Island but Sarah knew videotape quieted such rumors as good as anything else could.
After a few moments more, Sarah leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, trying to focus her telepathic scanning on the voice that had - in Sarah's mind - so rudely interrupted her thoughts. Whoever just spoke to me now, Sarah thought, sending her message out to whoever it was that'd spoke to her, tell me who and where you are....please...
“Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way. Some of us lose that, some stray from that, and some regain it.” ― Joss Whedon
Lyla listened to Hades as he spoke. At first she was confused, clouded by worries as he shifted. But those worries seemed to just turn to dust on the wind as she watched him. A gasp escaped from her lips as she saw the images in her mind. It felt as if she could really touch those obsidian walls of the palace. Then the faces of his family. Some of them looked like the drawings in her books she had read. She hadn’t ever told anyone about her love for history, the stories, legends, myths. All of it. It’s why she had chosen Siren as her codename. After the mythical creature that charmed men by her voice.
She had been scolded by her mother for it, one constant disappointment she always felt from her mother. Her eyes seemed to follow as the scenery changed to the armies. She flinched back from the screams and blood. It felt dizzying as things flashed again. She was about to comment on it when his finger stopped even her breath for just a moment. Her eyes turned as he pointed out.
A hand covered her mouth as she watched. Every instinct in her wanted to run up and stop it, but it was just memories. Even if she did try to do something she wouldn’t have changed anything. She watched more intently, almost as if she was watching a movie trailer full of suspense and action. After finding out his name she was still in such disbelief. She didn’t know exactly what to think after seeing all that. But she knew that sadness…
Sympathy reflected in her eyes as she felt the vehicle slow to a stop. Looking out the window she saw Jessica standing at the door to her apartment complex. Opening the door Lyla waved her over. The red headed girl helped Hades from the seat as Lyla took hold of his armor and her whiteboard. Following Jessica they made it to her apartment where she laid Hades down on the towel covered couch. “Don’t move, it’ll break my concentration.” She simply said and placed a hand on his forehead. A bright yellowish orange light spread throughout his whole body.
The arrows were pushed out from his body as was the bullet. The burns and cuts healing seamlessly as if none of it had happened. The warm light dimmed once all the damage was healed. “There. Now you need to lay there for a few hours to let your body adjust and regain energy.” Jessica said, the words much more pharmaceutical advice than anything. “Lucky for you that Lyla was around.”
Lyla looked away from Hades as she placed his armor by a rocking chair. Once all the wounds had been healed she could see the hard muscles and she didn’t want to get caught staring. She wrote down on her whiteboard, “Nah, I’m sure someone else would’ve done the same.” Jessica just rolled her eyes, “Learn to take a compliment you insecure little shit.” Lyla’s cheeks heated and she stuck her tongue out angrily.
His eyes studied her expression as they looked at her. Her face and eyes said it all, shocked, surprised, and sympathy. The vehicle stopped in front of the apartment complex with a female with red hair standing outside, waiting. He thought to himself that it must be the friend she said about earlier on. Lyla opened the door and signaled the red head to come over and help them. Reaching his hand up onto the frame of the car’s door, he slowly was pulling himself out until he felt an arm wrap around him and saw it was the nurse. With her help he was able to get out of the car without any troubles. Walking through the apartment complex towards her apartment, he noticed how there was the lack of eyes watching them, which was a good thing. Getting inside of apartment, he was led to a couch that was covered in towels. Laying down onto it with a groan, he laid there as still as the dead. He simply watched everything by the movement of his eyes. She had told him not to move or it will break her concentration. Jessica’s hands glowed an orange yellow color as it coursed through out his body and made him light up a bit. From his skin, all of his veins were now visible as he laid there. Broken off arrow heads with portions of the shaft still attached to it slid out of the wounds (6 of them) along with the bullet as it popped out and rolled on the floor. It was a .45 caliber round, a lethal round.
Jessica told him he needed to lay there for a few hours to rest and to recover his energy. So he relaxed on the couch. She said that he was lucky that Lyla was there when she was. But he saw that Lyla was looking him over as he rested. Lyla wrote down that someone would have done the same without her there. Hades looked at Hades and signed at her, ‘I know you don’t believe that Lyla.’ But when he heard the attitude from her friend. Narrowing his eyes at her as she had her back towards him and was facing Lyla. His arm reached down to the floor as darkness spewed forth with the affect of water and slid his hand through it. His fingers took hold of four coins. Bringing his hand back forth to show him holding four golden coins. Closing his fingers around into his hand. Tapping into Jessica’s mind, he decided to make the hardy nurse a bit nervous. She would begin to hear in all parts of the room and apartment what sounded like hundreds of voices whispering to each other. Using his powers, he could feel a bit of fear and panic in her as he began to consume it and was regaining his energy which was lost to him. The voices would all say at once to Jessica in her mind in one whispervaffect ‘Turn around’ and when she did, Hades was seen sitting up with little to no effort. Taking two of the coins from his left hand, and handed them to the nurse. On one side was a Lightening bolt and on the other was the design of the Sun. The other two coins, he walked over to Lyla and handed them to her. At this point, he would hear that female voice trying to ask him who he was and where he was at. But when she said please, he felt it wasn’t genuine. So, he followed the voice back to Sarah Lyell as he went back to the couch and sat down, closing his eyes. He would speak to her while he pretended to be asleep, slowing his breathing to the state a person would have been for slumber.
“It amazes me how many people ask that same one question...who...I...am...I know what all of you have read about me in your history books. The tales that were spun of me being the monster that I can be.” As he spoke to her, he was slowly slipping into her memories. Seeing everything she had done, who all she had killed and how she was able to do it. As he did this, he began to show her a view of his realm. The screams of millions of voices crying out in pain would fill her ears from her mind. But his voice was louder. The image was of what looked to be Ancient Greece on fire with smoke pouring into the skies above. “I have been around to see Lords rise and fall. Kingdoms built and shattered. Armies formed and broken in mass slaughters.” He would take all the images, sounds and even the smells away so that she was seeing from her eyes of inside of her car, with one difference. The man she had just killed was sitting in front of her with his head back on. He was looking at her with a sense of calm about him as she would hear his voice as he spoke to her. “I know what everyone thinks and the sins they have done. I am the one who judges the soul before you cross one plain to the next. You’ve seen my realm, you don’t need me to tell you who I am...for one doesn’t pay the does of the Bone man of the river of Styx and not get away with it.” A pool of darkness came up next to the man as he reached into it. Bringing his arm back out of it, he reached his closed over to her and set two golden coins on her lap. When everything for Sarah came back to normal sight, she would feel and see the same two coins as the darkness where it was now dissipating into nothing. Hades opened his eyes after twenty minutes of ‘rest’.
The whispering stopped inside Jessica’s mind as Hades stood up and walked over to a window to look out at the night time city. His mind connected to her’s again as he began to lightly whisper into it as he had seen how she had talked to Lyla. “My young child, my power is vast and it’s extensive. I can drive a person mad with a single thought. I have judged gods and goddesses to a realm that you can only dream of in your darkest nightmares. I come from a time that words have just as much meaning as actions and even those have repercussions. I have seen how you talk to poor Lyla and I...am not pleased. I have a special place in my realm for people like yourself...” Instead of slipping the images, sounds and even smells gently into ones mind, he decided to take it a step further. Lifting his arms up from his sides, his power flowed forth from his body like a consuming black wave that consumed the whole apartment. Lyla would only feel as if she was in a sleep. But for the nurse though, she would see his realm. But her and Hades was in what looked like a fighting arena with massive bars engaging the top of it.The scents of smoke and blood was in the air. Bones scattered about the dirt and dried blood covered ground. On the one end of the arena, six red glowing eyes opened up from the darkness as three sets of deep, primal growls were heard. The ground vibrated as the creature stood up and moved out into the light. Jessica would see Cerberus coming forth from the shadows as it was chewing on six people who were screaming out in pain and pleading for help. Hades would hold his hand up and the massive dog of hell who stood over twelve feet up stopped in its tracks. “If I hear as much as a single word of you talking to Lyla that is less than friendly or family like...” His voice would sound harsh and evil as he stood there looking at Cerberus. Hostility could be felt from him as he continued, “you have a fate worse than death itself. I can be on the other side of the world...I will keep an eye on Lyla and on you as well. This...is not a threat. It is a promise, and I keep my promises!” Then everything went back to normal with Hades still standing at the window and his hands by his sides. Turning half way, he looked at the nurse with a stern look. But when he looked at the perhaps confused Lyla, he would soften his features and stance and smiled at her.
Lyla blew a piece of hair from her face as she sat in the recliner. She was happy to have made it to Jessica’s in time to help Hades, but she was still a bit uneasy. All of the information he dumped into her mind was replaying like a movie reel. It couldn’t really be the Hades she read about in her history books… could it? She watched though as Jess looked around nervously.
“I know you Lyla, but you’re sure no one else followed you here?” She asked, worry laced in her voice. Lyla nodded as if saying she was sure about it. Seeing Hades move out of the corner of her eye. It looked as if he had yawned, but he didn’t look all that tired anymore. A gentle smile graced her lips as the worry ebbed away for relief to settle in. She watched the swirling vortex of darkness with curiosity when his hand went through and pulled something out. When he stood up she felt an inclination to stand with him to be sure he wouldn’t fall. But he was fine and she felt silly for worrying so badly.
Jessica took a moment to examine the pieces of gold he had handed her, then Lyla did as well. She ran her fingers over the lightning bolt, then the sun. It was surreal to see money like this nowadays. Placing them in her lap she smiled up at Hades and signed, “Thank you but you didn’t need to pay us. Your recovery is as good a reward as any.”
Jessica watched the two carefully as Hades went and laid back on the couch. Seeing how Lyla looked it was obvious something had her friend interested in mister Roman Emperor there. But those voices...she wondered where they were coming from. They just kept whispering, it was maddening. Keeping a calm face she looked to the door. For minutes she stared at it, willing whatever was happening to stop. Lyla laid back in the recliner, uncertain of what to do next.
‘Maybe I should take him to the school… he could have a room there. He’d have privacy...hm, maybe not.’ Thoughts turned over in her head along with the feeling of wanting to know more. This man was still a mystery even with those images, the story. She was slowly starting to believe more and more that he was in fact Hades from the legends. After all Legends first had truth to them, it’s how they started.
Jessica had no idea what to do in this situation. She and Lyla watched as Hades stood again and walked to the window, but the voices had stopped finally and Jessica gave a pointed stare at Hades. She jumped when his voice sounded in her mind and her eyes widened some. She watched as the darkness flowed from him like a river of ink and overtook the features of her apartment. Looking at the new surroundings Jessica didn’t like it. “What the hell?” She more asked herself than Hades. Seeing that three headed beast was terrifying. She listened more and she felt fury along with her fear.
When everything turned back to normal Jessica glared at Hades. “Lyla,” she said and turned to her, “Did what I said earlier offend you?” She asked. Lyla shook her head and wrote, “I know you were joking Jess. Why?” Lyla looked confused as to why she would ask. Looking to Hades she blushed at the soft smile he gave her and she averted her gaze. “She’s been my friend much longer than you’ve known her.” Jessica stated. “Things have changed quite a lot.”
Lyla held up her hands to stop Jessica and she sighed. “I don’t take kindly to threats or promises of harm Lyla. You know that.”
Lyla wrote out on her whiteboard, “He’s not from this time. I’m sure it’s just because I helped him out that he’s being so protective. So put it in your juice box and suck it up.”
Jessica scoffed and walked away to her kitchen. Lyla knew she’d get over it in a few minutes, hours at most. Turning back to Hades she gave an apologetic smile as she signed. “I’m sorry about her. Sometimes her blunt truthfulness is a way of joking for her. She really wasn’t meaning anything by it.”
Staring out the back window of the Lincoln, Sarah sat ashen-faced - no, nothing had happened to her physically - but as she had slept all the way down from the northern end of the FDR Drive all the way down to Chelsea Market, she had finally made contact with whoever it was...and it had not been a pretty time of it.
Oh, it wasn't the words Hades had spoken to her that had so disturbed her but the visual imagery; as much as Sarah's mind toiled and played with the images of horror, violence and sadomasochism that normally were a part of her world, these messages, sights, visions and words of the man who called himself Hades had given her such a bone-curdling chill that, for the first time in her life, Sarah Lyell had actually - on a mental level - feared for her life. But the worst part, the part that had her ashen-faced, was seeing the man she had just killed with her mind sitting across from her in one of the Lincoln's rear-facing seats, his head looking like nothing had happened; as she looked at the man and listened to Hades' words at that point, it was all Sarah could do to not panic and reach for the doors in a frantic attempt to escape the man's thoughts as they invaded her. But I'm a Scanner, no one should be able to do that; whoever this Hades - if that is his real name, she thought with a now contemptuous thought, is, he should still have not been able to do this to me, to leave me ashen faced like this. "Who the hell are you, Hades?" she whispered angrily, "the Devil himself? Pfft....he is a myth, a creature of feeble human minds, but what....what if he is real?" she added, her voice now slower, more fearful; for the first time since being taken to Arkham North Asylum at the age of 15, Sarah Lyell knew what fear tasted like. It scared her, enough for her to feel it right in her bones, right in her soul...
"We're here, Mistress Sarah," her driver said; composing her thoughts, Sarah replied, "Drop me off here at the corner; now, you do what I said earlier, understood?" reminding her 'possession' of what she had spoken of earlier.
"Understood, Mistress Sarah," Natasha replied as the Lincoln came to a stop in front of Chelsea Market; as she got out, she hit the intercom button and said, "Oh, Natasha? When you reach Master Bishop's estate, have him destroy this Lincoln and find me another one, okay?" releasing the intercom button and exiting the vehicle before she could get a reply; walking quickly down the street, Sarah shook her head quietly and thought, as soon as I dispose of Tamara Lyell, Hades, you and I are going to have a long conversation....
“Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way. Some of us lose that, some stray from that, and some regain it.” ― Joss Whedon
As Jessica was pretty freaking out about what she had just witnessed, he could feel Sarah Lyell’s fear growing inside of her and this amused him to great deals for she thought in her mind that she was the Lady of the city. The big dog. His thought were disrupted when he heard Jessica leave the room and he looked at Lyla and saw her message in sign. He would say to Lyla in her mind. “Then I am sorry for what I have done then. This time era....is sooo....strange to me. I have much to learn still.” His head turned back towards the window as he watched the night life going on outside. Off in the far distance, it was nearly so faint of the sounds of sirens going towards Central Park. Thinking to himself, he had heard Sarah again as she thought to herself about how after she dealt with her sister, that her and him needed to have a long conversation. And the tone of these thoughts showed anger. He could also sense that she was conflicted as she was trying to figure if he was real or not. Narrowing his eyes a bit, he focused on her mind. Before, he had taken it gentle while he looked over her mind. But this time, he did it by force like a nail being slammed right through a plank of wood and he made his presence known to her as he dove through her memories and thoughts (Tamara would experience this discomfort as well. What Sarah hears and sees is what Tamara will also experience as well.). It would be an uncomfortable experience for her as she walked down the side walk. While probing her mind, he saw and heard every voice that was silenced by her own mind. How she had no remorse at what she had done. Playing tricks on the visual, hearing, and smell portions of the mind to make things seem real was a real fun pleasure. From behind Sarah, she would hear a heavy snort sound, one that was heard coming from a bull.
Behind Sarah, a black mass on the ground began to form and grew in diameter until it was six feet in diameter. Two hefty arms, ones that made body builders jealous of came forth from the darkness as it was pulling itself up. Then two long bull like horns came sliding out of it like two spears piercing a persons body. Then the head of the sound came emerging through and was looking right at Sarah. Pulling itself fully out, it’s legs were that of a bull’s much like the head of the creature. Sarah would be seeing if she turned around a minotaur was looking st her as it snorted again. Jets of steam visible as it came forth from its snout. It’s hooves thudded a dull sound as it stepped closer towards her. “Oh Sarah...Sarah...Sarah....it amuses me to see you think that You are in charge.” The Minotaur let out it’s roar that was a call signature of bull to state it was going to charge soon. It lowered its head as Hades made it sound like he was whispering right next to her right ear. “You are sadly....Mistaken.” The minatour aimed its horns for center mass and full on charged her. It’s heavy hooves on the cement sidewalk echoed down each of the ally ways it past, sounding almost like thunfpder as it ran towards her at a fast pace of speed. As it came upon her, it dispersed into a black cloud sweeping past Sarah harmlessly. Him laughing was heard in the depths of her mind as he learned all he needed to know. Then, there was silence for Sarah. Everything was normal, supposedly. Hades smiled as he stood in the apartment thinking to himself. Lyla would see his reflection as he signed. “I think I have over stayed my welcome here.” When he was inside of her mind earlier, he had seen she had a love for history, especially so of the time he came from and she had studied Hades more so than the other siblings he had.
Going to the rocking chair, he picked up the leather armor and slid himself into it and did the straps for it so it hugged his body again. Once done, he rolled his shoulders a it and walked right over to Lyla. Reaching his one hand out towards her, he looked into her eyes as his voice could be heard in her mind still. “You want to learn and see more? Come with me my child...I’ll gladly show you whatever your heart desires...Lyla, the alluring Siren.” As he said this, a black circular mass formed around his feet as it consumed his feet. He had a place in mind to show her first...the Obsidian Palace. It was one thing for someone to see an image of it. But it was a totally different matter when one was actually there to see it in person, to touch it and feel it’s smooth surface. “You have done me a service that I feel I cannot repay. So let me show you what it is you want to learn.” His voice was calm and gentle towards her. As for Sarah Lyell, he had a Big surprise for her later on that night. He wasn’t yet done with her yet. He was giving her the sense that she was alone and safe...for the time being. For tonight, it was going to be a living nightmare for her. A nightmare that was going to be shared with her twin sister unknowingly. But for now, he was focused on the lovely nineteen year old blonde in front of him as he still smiled softly down at her. If she asked his hand, he will have the darkness pull them under and reappear inside of the Obsidian Palace’s throne room. Sets of armor lined up along the base of each pillar that leads up to his black throne. A balcony was seen behind the throne with the place lit up via by old fashion torches on the walls. Above them is an old fashion style chandelier with red candles lit.
