Uncle Hades
Hades and Percy remained staring at each other in silence while Percy processed Hades' words, finally realizing why Hades, the throne, and even Cerberus all felt so familiar to him. Back at Hogwarts, he had only thought his nightmares existed because, after all, there was a three headed dog guarding a stone that could make its wielder immortal inside the castle at the time. And he never really connected it with the lord of the Underworld taking revenge on him over an innocently stupid question.
The problem now was that Percy's gaze drifted slightly toward Hades' clothes, which were a completely dark robe, but one that revealed glimpses of faces trapped in eternal suffering. And a new question, maybe even more dangerous to ask, crossed his mind.
Hades' gaze, as if he could read Percy's thoughts, narrowed deeply; prepared this time to simply let Cerberus eat this insolent brat once and for all. Luckily, Harry knew his brother far too well and reacted before Percy could say something stupid.
"Sir… uh, Hades. We completed the quest and found your Helm of Darkness, just like you asked," Harry said trying to sound respectful enough. Maybe too respectful.
"Yes. I sensed it the moment you stepped into the Underworld," Hades said while finally stopping his stare at Percy as if he were a fly. Then he rose from his throne and stepped forward directly toward them.
By reflex, all four of them took a step backward, afraid of being stepped on by the enormous king of the Underworld. But that level of fear wasn't necessary, because the moment Hades started approaching them, his body began shrinking; to the point that by the time they noticed him standing in front of them, he was the size of a normal person. Though obviously still carrying the overwhelming aura of a god.
"Good. Then hand it over," Hades said calmly extending his hand toward Harry.
Harry was about to speak, but this time Percy interrupted him.
"Before that, Lord Hades… I'd like to ask you two questions, if that's okay," Percy said.
Which caused everyone in the room to look at him. Hades turned his gaze toward him and raised an eyebrow. Then motioned with his hand as if allowing him to continue.
Harry, meanwhile, was giving Percy a very serious look to stop him from asking something genuinely stupid because, knowing him, there was a very high chance he would.
"Were you the one who allied with Ares to steal the Master Bolt?" Percy asked seriously. "And start a war between Zeus and Poseidon?"
The moment he finished speaking, the silence turned icy; as if you could hear a needle drop.
Or the screams of souls being punished in the Fields of Punishment.
Hades stared at Percy while, suddenly, a look of complete confusion formed on his face, completely breaking apart the divine aura he had been carrying.
"Hah?" Hades said in confusion.
Seeing that confused look on the king of the Underworld made the others also show strange expressions; especially Annabeth, who had been the one most convinced that Hades had something to do with the theft of the Master Bolt.
"And why exactly would I want Zeus' bolt? More importantly, why would I want a war?" Hades asked while slowly recovering his calm. Though by now his regal aura had practically vanished beneath his confusion.
"Y… you are the lord of the dead. A war would expand your kingdom, wouldn't it?" Annabeth said cautiously, unable to stop herself from saying it.
This time Hades' gaze landed on Annabeth, who immediately turned pale as death the moment he looked at her.
"A daughter of Athena, supposedly known for intelligence. Apparently that isn't entirely true," Hades said with slight sarcasm in his tone. "Didn't you see the Underworld for yourself? Do you have any idea how many people die from natural causes every year alone? And you think there aren't wars happening across the entire world right now? You don't even realize how much my kingdom has expanded in just this last century. How many subdivisions I've had to open to handle all of that. Hiring workers, paying double shifts," Hades said in an almost annoyed tone.
"Speaking of that… Charon wants a raise," Percy added lightly while slightly raising his hand to interrupt. But the moment he said it, he realized maybe it had been completely unnecessary to add that right now.
Hades let out a long sigh after hearing that part.
"Don't even talk to me about Charon. He's become impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits. Supposedly he and the other department heads are meant to make my work easier, but somehow I always end up handling everything myself. A long time ago I sent them to build a mansion in Elysium, but to this day I still haven't had the chance to even see whether the furniture I ordered was to my liking. My wife helps me a little, but thanks to Hecate constantly visiting her, she spends more time with her new hobby watching images and videos of…" Hades looked at Percy and Harry for a few seconds. "Never mind. Now tell me why I would need something like that."
Hades seemed to completely explode into complaints; as if he had been holding everything in for a very long time, and one simple question had finally let all of it spill out.
The four of them stayed completely silent while listening to Hades complain; seeming more like a man utterly exhausted from carrying the entire Underworld on his shoulders.
"If I hadn't been so busy, do you think it would've been so easy to steal the Helm of Invisibility? That day I was so buried in paperwork that I stopped paying attention to that idiot head of security. And by the way, if it weren't for your mother's complaints and begging…" he said while looking toward Annabeth, "Persephone herself would've skinned him alive and then handed him over to Hecate so she could turn him into one of her pets," Hades finally added after bottling everything up for too long, though he immediately seemed to realize maybe he had lost his composure a little, so he let out a sigh to calm himself down.
"I assure you, I have plenty of reasons to start a war against my brother. But for the sake of my own peace of mind, and the world's as well, I learned to control my emotions pretty well. I don't want to deal with an avalanche of dead people flooding into my lands. Supposedly I'm the richest god of all because every mineral beneath the earth belongs to me, but these last few decades I've had to trade with those greedy goblins who, trust me, are a genuine pain even for me…"
Before Hades could finish what he was saying, Percy and Harry both spoke at the exact same time, causing even Hades' expression to become completely serious.
"Kronos."
Annabeth and Grover turned toward them, including Hades, who instantly cut off his complaints while his aura became far darker, more serious, colder, heavier.
"What did you say?" Hades asked, an overwhelming tone briefly escaping into his voice, completely dropping that more approachable side he had shown just moments ago.
"Kronos. He's the person who holds the greatest grudge against Zeus. After all, Zeus usurped his throne and sent him to Tartarus shattered into a million pieces," Harry said while thinking carefully.
"He's the voice I heard in my dreams. And when we got close to that pit, that's when the Master Bolt finally appeared inside the backpack. Because the whole time it had been getting sent there. That's why Grover's shoes malfunctioned and almost dragged him there too," Percy added. "The voice said that with my help, he would destroy Olympus."
The moment Percy finished those last words, Hades' expression became completely empty of any kind of emotion while staring directly at him; looking straight into his soul.
"Why don't you ask me for sanctuary?" Hades suddenly said with crushing seriousness while staring directly into Percy's eyes and then Harry's.
"What?" both of them said in confusion.
"If what you said is true, and Kronos wants your help, then you won't only have to worry about him, but Zeus himself as well. You have no idea how dangerous he can become when paranoia consumes him. You are not safe. Especially you, Perseus Jackson," Hades said coldly. "Ask for sanctuary and nobody will dare touch you. You, your mother, your aunt, the brainiac, and the goat come included. Consider it an extra gift."
Percy and Harry exchanged a look before turning back toward Hades.
"And what do you want in return?" Percy asked him.
"Nothing. I neither want nor need anything. You see, my wife seems to have grown rather fond of you, and I haven't exactly been the most exemplary husband lately, so I wouldn't mind giving you a place nearby where you could keep her company and hide until all the danger passes," Hades said calmly, his tone making it clear he truly expected nothing in return.
For a moment, both of them hesitated.
But not enough.
Harry and Percy kept staring directly at Hades before answering.
"I refuse," Percy said immediately.
"No thanks," Harry said at the same time.
"We're not going to hide while the world is being destroyed and our friends and loved ones are still out there," Percy held Hades' gaze without backing down.
"And we're not going to let a war start and destroy part of the world because of the plans of some guy who tried to use us," Harry added.
The moment Hades heard their words, his cold expression made the atmosphere grow heavier and heavier.
A crushing pressure descended across the entire hall, forcing everyone to their knees before him. The walls of the castle began trembling, and the ghosts of the Underworld let out fearful wails. The entire Underworld trembled alongside the emotions of its ruler.
Annabeth and Grover collapsed to their knees completely pale.
But Percy and Harry still remained standing, staring Hades directly in the eyes.