By The Fires Of Hades {Darius}

[Zoe Harris]

ZOE:

Sitting on his obsidian throne in the dark Underworld, Hades smiled into the small crystal ball in his hands. Created by one of his many nieces as a Christmas present, the oracle allowed him to glimpse into the human world above, and he did so love the contraption. He could spy on presidents and get the local war-scoops, scope out potential souls to collect- any day now, and Prince would be HIS!- get up close and personal with the celebrity gossip of the month%u2026and maybe do some peeping on the side. Yes, he did love his Persephone with all of his black little heart, but during those horrible months when she wasn%u2019t by his side? Even love struck Gods needed some eye candy to pass the time. Tonight, he was watching his favorite slave take care of the souls he%u2019d ordered. Gods, it was just so much fun to see all that torment, that anger, frustration, bitterness and hardness creep out of the demigod%u2019s face as he forced wailing spirits down into the Underworld. Only he could see the bands around Aronus%u2019 neck, and he pinched his thumb and forefinger together, cackling in amusement when the slave fell to the ground gasping. He hadn%u2019t done anything to deserve such treatment, Hades knew, but he seemed to enjoy torturing the poor man, for some odd reason. It was probably his pretty-boy face. Gods, there was just something about those young looking ones that made him throw up a little in his mouth. Perhaps he%u2019d change tactics and put some scars on that face? But no, he didn%u2019t believe in damaged goods. What use would Aronus be, if he wasn%u2019t his slave? A foot stool? Hmm, yes%u2026perhaps that would do as well%u2026

From her position just inside the entryway of Hades' throne room, Zoe Harris arched a brow and stared at her uncle as he gazed into his ball and seemed to get unseemingly delight from torturing whatever poor sod he had his eyes on. As one of the only people allowed to come and go out of the Underworld with a free pass, yeah it did pay to be the favorite niece of the lord of darkness, she wasn't all that suprised that Hades hadn't yet noticed her.

Normally, she would have sent word ahead of her but today.. Today was a tad bit different. Today, she wasn't seeking sanctuary... She was seeking answers.

Deciding whatever poor fool Hades was tormenting could use a little break, Zoe strolled forward with her biker boots hitting heavily on the floor.

"Hey Uncle Hades... Whatcha doing?" she drawled out in her normal, dry tone. "Maimed or Tormented anyone interesting today?"

Plopping down on the stairs at his feet, she sprawled her lithe figure out negligently and then popped a sucker in her mouth. Her eyes were keen though as she gazed at the dark ruler and gave him a smirk.

"By the way... I met one of your slaves the other day... Some dude by the name of Darius? Whats his story?"



Hades:

With a distracted grunt, the Lord of the Underworld looked up from his crystal ball, and the writhing form of his slave etched into it. He scowled as his brain quickly tried to play catch up and recognize the voice, and once it did, his face immediately morphed into a look of sheer delight. What a treat; entertainment via his demi-god, and his favorite niece! Surely, the Fates were looking down on him with a kindness of late.

Which was always a nice reprieve...especially after what happened last Solstice with...eh...whatever her name was, who saw the future. Talk about an awkward morning...

"Oh, no one who should interest you," He said, looking down at her with a fond expression on his face. "Just a demi-god that I enslaved a few centuries back. He's just so much fun to torment. AND he's the son of Athena, too! The old bitch is still having conniptions over the fact that he's under my influence." With a happy laugh, he slapped a hand on his thigh in pure amusement. He could just see Atty's look of loathing, and it made him all fuzzy inside.

Ah, if only his beloved Persephone were there with him. He would have LOVED to show her what his happy mood could do for his stamina...

His crystal ball began to vibrate, catching his attention, and the God just shook his head with a martyred sigh. Whenever it started to do THAT little dance, it meant that his slave was saying very unsavory things about him aloud. With a little wave of his hand, he dealt out some retribution, then turned back to his niece.

And immediately frowned. "When did you meet Darius?" He asked, glancing back at the ball. "I'm surprised I didn't catch that. He's actually the one I was just speaking of; son of Athena and my favorite little toy, at the moment. Why do you ask? Has he done something wrong, my dear? I shall punish him for you, if you wish."

His hand raised again, prepared to dish out a more drastic form of retribution.



Zoe:


Hmmm... Interesting. Zoe was going to have to play this cool. Hades seemed to get to much pleasure out of torturing Darius so he obviously wasn't going to just let him go. She was going to have to put her plan into motion and hope that her uncle didn't figure out what she was up too before he agreed.

Pretending disinterest, the pretty daughter of Eros shrugged her shoulders and then gave another suck on her lollipop. Her gaze went to the crystal orb and then she smirked. "Oh Uncle.... I'd much rather deal out my own punishment. That one.. he has to much pride and he offended me with his snarky comments. I was hoping you'd allow me to take him off your hands so that I might teach him some humility. Would you believe he had the nerve to call me "Little Cupid"? Better men have died for less."

Rolling her eyes, she continued. "He strikes me as the type that would find being a goddess's boytoy as highly insulting. I'd love to rub his nose in it for awhile and bring him down a peg or two."


Tilting her head, Zoe eyed Hades and then gave an evil little grin. "You know, Uncle, Father told me that Aunt Persphone was wanting to do some shopping for her next visit down here... How about we make a deal and I'll make sure that your next reunion will be unlike any other you've ever had in all eternity? I've got some wicked new things in the store recently...."



Hades:

Yet another happy smile slid onto the God's face as he beamed down at his niece. What a thoughtful little thing she was! There was no doubt in his mind why she was his favorite, out of all the many relations he had. Her father might be a bit on the annoying side, and her mother close behind...but little Zoe had always striked him as someone less...comformative.

Her latest idea was just that. So, his niece was interested in a bit of torture, was she? Oh, she did so have his blood in her!

"My dear, I would be happy to let you torture him all you want," He said, reaching for his crystal ball. Once it was in his hands, he leaned forward, showing her the image inside. The stupid slave was currently being held in one of his dungeons down in the bowels of the Underworld, where thorny vines held his arms and legs, pulling them so hard, that they were liable to pop right out. The idiot was still screaming in defiance, and Hades let loose a martyred sigh.

Really, after so many years, one would think that he'd have beaten all of that silliness out of him. He'd just have to try harder.

"That Darius is still living in the dark ages...he certainly would find being enslaved to a Mistress as a harsher punishment than a beating." He clapped his hands in glee once again- which was a feat, given the fact that he still held the crystal ball- and leaned forward to pat Zoe on the top of her head.

"And your father always said that you took after him. How conniving you are! And how generous. Does your store still sell those special lotions with the sour flavors? And the dirty magazines? Oh yes, Persephone will have an open account at your store! But now, for the transfer..."

Reaching out, he held the ball in front of her, a malicious smile on his face. "I will loan my slave to you, but only for a month! During that time, he will be completely beholden to you. He must heed your every word and your every whim, if you use the words 'I command.' Now, to perform the transfer; put a little bit of your blood on the ball, and he will be yours. For a month."

He paused. "Okay, a month and a half, but that's all! And I expect to see evidence of the torture! Oh, and if you run out of ideas for the torturing, just let me know. I'm always coming up with really cool ones."



Zoe:

Yeah, her uncle was falling hook , line and sinker into her plan. Right up until he put a time limit on it. Damn it.

Pretending to be unconcerned, Zoe leaned back on the steps of his thrown and crossed her ankles. Her expression was cool and collected as she gave Hades a wicked look and then rubbed her nails on her shirt front.

"Come now, Uncle... surely you don't think my sort of torture could be done in a mere month in a half!! I've a mind to make him fall head over heels for me and watch him squirm. Think about how much better that will be when he comes back and mopes around cause he is seperated from me?? I'm Eros's daughter after all.... I'm going to need... at least... Say... Six months out of the year..... cause we wouldn't want him being to cozy you know.... Think about it this way... YOu could be doing to him what Grandmother is doing to you! Only worse because Aunt Persephone LOVES you.... He'll just be my boy toy...."

Shrugging her shoulders as if it didn't really matter to her, Zoe sat back up and eyed the toe of her boot. IT had a scuff on it. Damn it. Must of done that when she kicked the nippy hellhound outside.

[Zoe Harris]

Hades:

Hmm...how interesting. Hades regarded his niece with a mixture of delight and curiosity as he toyed with the crystal ball under his hand. His slave was still screaming curses as the bands around his neck, wrists and ankles burned him to the bone, and the God of the Underworld almost sighed in contentment at the sounds. He did so love a good torture session; it made him feel young again, in so many ways. But back to his lovely niece...she had never found an interest in such activities before. Even though she shunned her father openly, she still opened a shop that catered to the more physical aspect of love...most of which didn't even involve pain! So, what was her interest this time? Was it truly as...sexual in nature as she claimed?

Eh, either way, he'd been getting a bit bored of Aronus of late. Perhaps little Zoe could spice things up, and leave him with a hopeful slave, instead of the embittered mind he currently occupied. It was never fun to torture someone who actually WANTED to feel the pain, after all. If Zoe could give him back some hope of humanity, or even happiness of some kind...oh yes, that would be much preferred over the cursing, angry thing in the crystal ball.

"You may have him for six months, my lovely niece," The God declared, a doting smile on his face as he looked down at her. He picked up the fragile ball in one hand and passed the other over it. Aronus' previously writhing figure vanished from his sight, and with another fond smile, he passed the ball to Zoe.

"You must be careful with this," He said to her, placing it gently in her hands. "It is a...well, I guess you can say that it's a bit like Skype, but without the computers. Only you, as his ne owner, can summon, talk to and watch Aronus wherever he is, through this crystal ball. It collapses with a thought, AND it even comes with a very nice carry case!" From behind his throne, he whipped out a fashionable leather pouch and handed it to her as well. "If it breaks, you still own him, but it's just harder to find him, if he goes underground; you know how it is. Do me proud, my favorite niece! Torture the poor fool well."

Darius

God, that really hurt, Darius thought, lying in a pool of his blood. He did his best to stay as still as possible, while trying not to think about the fact that he'd ruined yet another pair of silk sheets. After seeing Zoe in the bar, he'd quickly parted ways with her, not wanting to have anything to do with someone related to the Gods. Sure, he'd felt all kinds of turned on at the time, and that little show on the dance floor did nothing for his hormones...but he couldn't sleep with her. Not HER; daughter of the Pantheon that allowed him to be enslaved.

He couldn't move his fingers, which was kind of an annoying sign. Those damn bands must have burned right through the tendons controling their movement, he thought, and after some experimentation, the same thing was going on with his feet. Great, there went his Achilles heels...again. How the hell was he supposed to walk to the bathroom so he could throw up? His stomach roiled against the pain that wracked his body, and he glared at the ceiling as if that could make Hades burst into flames.

The band at his neck had burned away the skin and muscle, cleaving right on through his trachea, so he couldn't breathe. His lungs burned, his brain felt like it was about to explode, and with no means to get in air, he was just about ready to pass out. He wouldn't die, because his damn 'master'- fuck you, fuck you, FUCK YOU- wouldn't give him even a second's reprieve, so his only hope was that the bastard would get tired of his little surprise game in the next few minutes and let him heal himself. The damn bands even kept him from doing that, until Hades allowed it.

"I know you can hear me, you piece of shit," He thought at the ceiling. That damn crystal ball that the God was always toting around allowed him to hear Darius' thoughts, when he felt like listening in. Thank Zeus it wasn't often, or this would have been an hourly thing. "Go ahead, do some more damage. I'm never going to give into you, and when I get free, I'm going to come after you. I SWEAR IT!"


Zoe:


And so it was that Hades made "UNCLE of the YEAR" for 2010. With a gleeful smile, Zoe reached out and took the ball with all the excitement of a little child at christmas but it wasn't for the reasons that her uncle thought.


As the ball came to rest on her palm, she clearly heard all the nasty things Darius was saying and stared into the glass in wonder. Really, it was a marvelous thing what her uncle had done to keep track of his slave. Turning bright eyes to Hades, Zoe popped to her feet and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "YOUR THE BEST UNCLE EVER!! I ADORE YOU!!" she said with a wicked grin and then danced down the stairs in order to find somewhere private to play with her new "Toy". "I promise to be very very careful with it Uncle!! Thank you again!!" she called back, reaching the door and opening it to pat the hell hound on the nose and the cast Hades a wave. "LOVE YOU UNCLE HADES!!"

THen, with a little pop, she transported herself back to her apartments on top of the shop and grinned as she looked into the ball.

"MY MY Darius, my cute little demigod... Let me help with all that pain." she drawled out loud to herself before waving a hand in impish pleasure and turning his pain into instant health and the chaoes around him into instant order. "Make of that what you will, my lord!"

Then, setting the glass aside for the moment, Zoe made herself wait to summon him until she knew exactly what it was she was actually doing. Ducking into the bathroom and leaving Darius to wonder at his new circumstance, Zoe took a quick shower and dressed in her normal fighting leathers before pulling her hair up in a messy pony tail and checking the phone that she liked to call her "Spidey" cell for messages from the council. Hmmmm.. Nothing. It looked as if it might be a slow night indeed.

Again, her eyes were drawn back to the globe but she resisted the urge to peek into it and see what Darius was doing. While in hte shower, she'd come to the determination that this newest impulse of hers was merely to give the poor man some rest and nothing more. He was clearly in need of some down time from her uncle's torture so she figured she could at least give him that. Zoe would never admit it to another single soul but she truly did hate to see anyone suffer needlessly.

Even if she really did want to get real familiar with that sexy body of his.

No, she wasn't going to go there. She was not about to sex up a guy who couldn't say no if he didn't want her in return. Maybe she should just tell him to take a six month vacation to the bahama's or something. She probably would if she didn't think it would bring Hades down on BOTH their heads.

Turning to the kitchen, Zoe frowned and then reached for her phone. Placing a call to her favorite delivery pizza place, she took the time to sort out what she was going to do with her new "slave" and then place beer and the pizza on the table before turning back for the ball. "Here goes nothing.."She muttered to herself before plopping down with it and crossign her feet on her coffee table. "Aronus... I SUMMON THEE TO MY PRESENCE!"



Darius:

One minute, Darius found himself lying on his bloodstained sheets, trying to force air through his burnt trachea, and the next, he was curled up in a ball, sucking in oxygen like it was going out of style. His entire body ached from the lack of sustenance, and he clenched his jaw to keep from screaming. So, fucking Hades had let him heal a bit earlier than usual, did he? Must mean that he had something worse in mind, which was always fun. If he ever got a hold of that damn God, without these freaking manacles on...he relished the images that swam through his mind, as his body reminded itself how to breathe.


Slowl, deep breaths, he told himself, gripping the sheets with his fists. After a few minutes, the pain began to subside, and he lay on the bed, panting. Hades usually gave him a few minutes' reprieve before laying on another bout of torture, but...huh, nothing came. Maybe Persephone was distracting him again; the wonderful woman. All he needed was a bit of sleep, and he'd be alright. Just some sleep...a few minutes...

Damn, he spoke too soon. Right when his eyes started to drift closed, he felt that nagging itch of a summons in his gut. Like a wildfire, it spread throughout his body, until he had to move or go insane. With a wordless roar, Darius pushed himself to his feet, using the bed for support. He needed rest after a night like this one, but did that bastard give a shit? Of course not. Gritting his teeth, he shifted through reality and let the summons take his body until he reached the source of the call.

...Where he proceeded to gawk.

"What the FUCK?" He couldn't keep the words in, as his brain took in the sight of Zoe sitting cross legged on some random table, with...FUCK, was that THE crystal ball in her lap? The leash to his fucking collar...in HER hands?! Hades passed him off to someone else, did he? Betrayal, hurt and anger roared through him, and Darius' face twisted into a mask of rage. His fists clenched so hard, that the manacles around his wrists practically bit into the flesh beneath him. As his new 'owner,' Zoe would be able to see the iron bands around his throat and wrists, especially now that his chest was bare. Barefoot and dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans, he stood before her, shaking with shame and anger.

Then, as quickly as the emotion flew onto his face, it was gone. Though his eyes practically spat fire, his face was a mask of neutrility...and resignation. "So, you're my new owner, are you?" He asked, voice dull. "Whatever. What can I do for you today...Mistress?"



Zoe:

Oh Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy. Mr. Sarcastic was back in action. It just made Zoe wanna do cartwheels. NOT!

Damn it all to hell, Hades hadn't been lying when he said he had been torturing the poor guy. He looked sort of like a horse run hard and put away wet even if he was still sexy as hell. His attitude, however, was as slurry as ever some maybe that was a good sign. Still balancing the ball on her finger tips, Zoe arched a cynical brow at him but didn't move other than that.

"Oh, sit down, shut up and eat would you? You can shove that Mistress crap right where the sun don't shine and knock off the hostility. I just risked my own ass to save yours six months of being Hades whipping boy." she drawled out, nodding to the pizza and beer on the table before waving her hand and allowing the crystal to disappear into thin air along with the bag. "A little thank you might be nice but since I try to have realistic goals... I'll settle with you having a beer and at least not snarling at me for a few minutes."

As she waited to see what he would do, Zoe kept her casual air even as she tensed for any sort of fight he might decide he wanted to have. All in all, she didn't blame him for the anger and fury that gleamed from his beautiful eyes but that didn't mean she was going to let him take it out on her either. Her home might be protected from Hades prying eyes but Zoe knew better than to let Darius think he could get one up on her at ANY time.

Sitting up suddenly, she pulled her feet from the coffee table and stapled her fingers as she gaze at him. "Look, I don't care if you want to try to fry Hades at some later point but I've managed to get you six months reprieve from any torture or torment he might give you. You can either spend it sulking like a child or you can use it to work towards finding a way out of your contract." she said levelly, making sure that he realized that she was serious. "And it turns out that I thought you might be interested in a little war going on here rather than pulling dead souls back into the Underworld... Here, there is a chance to battle, party and even the tiny possibility of putting yourself permanently out of Hades reach if you so choose... However.. If you like.. I can go back to Hades this very moment and turn the ball over to him... its your call but I would think that you'd rather use the time wisely because no one besides myself has a chance in HELL, no pun intended, of giving you another reprieve. "





Darius:

Okay...so this really wasn't turning out the way he'd expected. When he'd met her in her shop, then spent that cintilating couple hours with her at Screamers, he'd felt...alive, almost. He'd kissed her, been kissed by her, witnessed the look of pure possessiveness on her face, and felt like a man again. A man, not a slave to a God, because of his own ignorance hundreds of years ago. He'd closed himself off to everything but hate and bitterness, telling himself that life would be easier if he went through it as an angry schmuck...but in the span of one day, he'd wanted to change. He missed feeling that kick of excitement to start a new day, if only to see a coveted face in the sunlight. He missed the feeling of pride, when he recieved a smile, a blush, saw the twinkle in her eyes...he missed feeling like himself. Aronus, Guardian to the Gods; not the lowly slave, Darius.

For the first time in centuries, he'd felt that way with Zoe. He'd sworn off the Pantheon, for they had stolen his youth...but it was a Goddess who gave him back a spark of life.

When he'd seen her holding the crystal ball, the leash to his collar, he'd felt so betrayed. Once again, the Gods had deemed it fit to stomp him down; to remind him of his place. He'd fallen back behind that wall of anger that had served him so well, waiting for the harsh orders of his new Mistress. Would she demand that he kill for her? Bring her the souls of her enemies? Or just sink down to basic, animalistic urges and order him to fuck her? He steeled himself against the humiliation and the shame, bracing for what was to come...

And when the Goddess opened her mouth to basically call him an idiot, it was safe to say that he had no idea how to react, save stare at her as if she'd sprouted another head. Which, he thought absently, was just about what happened. Was this some kind of trick? Was he hallucinating...or was Zoe offering him the semblance of freedom?

"Why?" He found himself asking, as he slowly sank onto a chair opposite her. He shook his head, confusion evident on his face, while he watched her warily. "Why would you risk Hades' wrath to help me? What do you want in return?"



Zoe:


As the truth seemed to register on Darius's face, Zoe couldn't help the smirk that stole over her full lips. Taking the toe of her boot, she shoved the pizza box across the coffee table to him and then took a long swig of her beer. Her eyes, however, never left his as she shrugged and settled back negligently against the couch.

"Call it my good Samaritan deed for the millennium. I don't like to see any decent man on his knees.. Unless its before me and doing naughty things to my person." she retorted smoothly before reaching for a piece of pizza and shoving it into her mouth. It was a long moment before she continued. "As for what I want in return? Its for you not to give me any reason to regret my charitable nature. Hades might be my uncle but I have this latent tendency to my Aunt Athena's teachings of Justice for all. I'd hate for a family war to start over this all seeing as Hades IS my favorite uncle and he does take my side against my fathers wretched meddling. As long as you keep a low profile and don't go drawing unwanted notice... I think we'll get along just fine. Hades will be peeking in on us from time to time so if I suddenly tell you to jump.. You better damned sure ask how high or we are BOTH going to be in a world of trouble. "

Stuffing another bite in her mouth, she chewed for a moment before eying him thoughtfully.

"I can't offer you another bedroom cause this place only has one but you can have the couch. It folds out into a hidabed so it should be comfortable enough. I'd offer you my bed but... I'm just not THAT much of a bleeding heart and I think you'd try to kill me if I offered to share it with you at this point..... Unless of course... You wanna get right to it and put your money where your mouth was the other night? No? I guessed not..." she drawled on before pulling her boots from the coffeetable and letting them drop to the floor. "Anyways, help yourself to the pizza and beer... The showers through there if you want to clean up and the TV is there along with a DVD player, Game Cube, and a playstation.... "

Getting to her feet, the petite brunette headed for the counter and picked up her weapons before arming herself and glancing back over her shoulder.

"I've got work to do tonight for the Council so..... "

[Zoe Harris]

Darius:

Well, call him surprised as all hell, and feeling as if she'd bitch slapped him with a dead fish. For a moment there, Darius could only look at her with a dazed and confused expression on his face, even when her words caused a snort of disbelief to escape him. Her good Samaritan deed...yeah right. She was trying to play...whatever this was off as nothing, but he knew for a fact that she was seriously risking her ass to help him. So, the question was; what was the real reasoning behind it?

His stomach clenched at the sight of the food in front of him, and he gritted his teeth against the need to fall upon the pizza like a rabid animal. Hades did so love to torment his playthings, and making sure that every bite they took tasted like ash was one of his favorites means of torture. The pizza's smell was enough to make him start drooling and, a little suspiciously, he slowly picked up a slice. His hands were practically shaking as he put it to his lips, and the taste that hit his tongue...holy hell, was that a mouth-gasm or what?

He did his best not to start devouring the slice like crazy, and forced himself to listen to her speak. He quickly finished off the pizza, licking his fingers with a look of complete rapture on his face. God, he wanted more, he thought, eyeing the square box. But he wouldn't eat any more until she left. Just the thought of her watching him as he took his fill was...too personal for him to stand.

"Believe me, Mistress, getting Hades attention is the last frikkin' thing I'd do," He said, the name flowing off of his tongue automatically. He tensed a bit at it, then did his best to ignore the feeling of unease that dogged him. Zoe was trying to help, or so it seemed. Perhaps not all of the Gods' shows of kindness came with strings?

Yeah...and maybe he'd shit gold and become a King. Gods, what the hell was he thinking?

When she mentioned his killing her, a shark-like smile slid onto his lips...and was quickly replaced by something less murderous. Before he could stop himself, his eyes slid over her reclining form, a subtle heat creeping into them. "What is the Council?" He asked suddenly, as if not wanting her to leave. Inwardly, he cursed the question, glancing at the pizza still splayed out in front of him.


Zoe:

Pausing in her assessment of her arsenal, Zoe cast a glance over her shoulder at him at his words and then nodded absently. As long as he grasped the basics of this arrangement then they'd get along just fine. However, that whole Mistress thing.. It might trip some women's trigger but .. She was more about mutual pleasure and the title did nothing for her. At least, not in the game of real life.

"The Council is the ruling factor here in the mortal realm. Its run by the most powerful of each species and the end game is to keep the humans from knowing we exist.... and the Name is ZOE... Remember it and knock off the Mistress crap. If I wanted a beck and call boy, I would have gotten one a long time ago. Besides, it doesn't really fit you well, if you know what I mean.... "

Slamming a clip full of specialized bullets into her glock, the temperamental godess looked down the barrel and then slide it into the sheath on her shoulder. Reaching for the leather jacket that rested on the back of a chair, Cupids daughter slipped it on to her slender form and then checked the lay of the fall to make sure everything was covered that should be. No need to attract unwanted attention for the civilian police, after all.


Deliberately keeping her eyes from where the other demigod was devouring the pizza, she let him have privacy to chow down on what she suspected was the first decent meal he'd had in decades while she turned to the laptop that lay on the counter. A few quick clicks and she had pulled up the "personal" web service that the Council ran and frowned as she scrolled through her emails.

One from another demigod caught her eye and she frowned as she opened it and read the message. Then, a low curse escaped her and she tapped her fingers against the counter as she digested the meaning of it. The body of a demigod had been found with ritualistic markings painted on her torso and it looked as if her powers had been stripped before the death blow dealt. That meant that things were escalating at an alarming measure and the war that had been looming was no longer theory but very real. The first shots had been fired and the body of a dead demigod was just a calling card to the natives.

Well, Happy Happy Joy Joy. If it was a fight they were wanting, Zoe was more than happy to give it to them. She might be the love child of Eros but she was also the niece of Hades and Ares...You didn't mess with one of them without messing with them all and this was a challenge that the gods would no doubt want answered.

Oh yes, tonight might just shape up to be interesting after all.

[Zoe Harris]

Darius:

Darius frowned, taking in the new information. There was a ruling council on earth? He'd never heard of such a thing, but then again, he'd been surrounded by four walls and an insane God for the past...gah, he didn't want to think of how long. Hades really hadn't been interested in what those in the mortal realm did in their spare time, as long as it didn't affect his personal interests, but it was surprising to know that the immortals had banded together to form a governing body. From what he remembered of the humans and their counterparts, everyone was out for themselves and their own spheres of influence. To actually band together and form a council like Zoe was describing...huh. Maybe there really was hope for the future.

Yeah, and maybe he was about to shoot flying monkeys out of his ass. Nevertheless, he was intrigued. He took a breath in, ready to question her about this governing body, but the little goddess just HAD to go and open her mouth, dashing whatever he had to say. So, there was actually a woman on this earth who didn't like being called 'Mistress,' was there? Damn, all these surprises were going to give him an aenurysm

"Tell that to your uncle," He muttered, glancing down at his feet while his cheeks tinted red. Fuck, if the woman didn't make him feel like a schmo with one little tilt of those lush lips. He was just so used to rebelling against his 'slave' status...aw, hell. He wasn't even going to begin to mentally hash out that shit, and especially not in front of HER.

With a mental shake, he did his best to tamp down on the flood of embarassment currently swamping his chest, and concentrate on the present.

The frown on her face made him a bit twitchy, and he felt the strange urge to peer over her shoulder, find the source of whatever was making her feel uncomfortable, and rip it to shreds. He shifted where he sat, doing his best to keep his lips clamped together, but in the end, he just couldn't help himself from asking. "What's going on? The world about to end right when I get the semblance of freedom? Figures."

He was eyeing the parts of her that were hiding weapons, and couldn't help a little nod of appreciation. Damn if she wasn't sexy when she was half naked, and even hotter when she was packing. He was a fucking masochist.



Zoe:

With her eyes still glued to the screen, Zoe gave a snort for the other demigod's benifit before hitting the back button and gliding over a the rest of the messages. One from Wulf himself caught her attention and she clicked it to bring up the message. It was short and terse in the Celt's normal pissed off tone but it made her laugh anyways. Leave it to the wolf to make the understatement of the year. "We are at war. Arm yourself and be ready for anything."

Really... No shit, Sherlock? She'd have never guessed with bodies turning up everywhere and magical creatures escaping through veils where there shouldn't have been openings.

However, knowing the ancient shifter, he was probably rubbing his palms with glee at the thought of a good fight and bodies hitting the floor. Those shifters were a psychotic bunch at best and they liked nothing more than a battle to the death. Wulf probably thought Christmas had come early this year.

Shaking her head, the goddess pulled back from the computer and sent Darius a look over the top as she closed the lid. Her eyes glimmered a bit with power as she gazed at him but her thoughts weren't focused soully on him. "Its nothing that can't be handled.... Just some random creatures showing up here and there and dead bodies turning up.... It seems that we've got someone pulling strings in the weave of things and the ramifications could be bad if we dont' figure out who and what is responsible. The Fae king and queen went missing along with an object of power a few weeks ago and while the new heirs have taken their thrones.... Its still a bad sign.... The dragon has also informed us that his former captor might be responsible for the reign of terror that is occuring and word has it that she might also be the one stealing powerful artifacts in order to take over all the Realms..... This can't be allowed to happen of course so.....Its my job to see that it doesn't... Hence why I'm about to walk out that door and figure out why the body of a dead demigod just turned up...."

With another check of her weapons, Zoe pulled out a silver object that resembled the helt of a sword. The moment she held it away from her, it expanded into a shiny silver blade that sparkled with magic. Sastified that the weapon was in working order, she quickly nodded and the blade disappeared. Slipping the now harmless handle into a sheath at her waist, the goddess glanced across at him before tilting head.

"If your afraid your going to be bored here... Your welcome to tag along.... Never know.... might run into a good fight to take some of that edge off that your sporting.....If not though... Your welcome to hang out here and get some rest..... Just don't answer the phone or the door and you should be just fine.... Nobody comes here except for a few of my girlfriends and they usually don't stop if they don't see my bike...."

Leaving that invitation hanging in the air, Zoe turned away and strolled for the door. She'd told him correctly when she'd said she wasn't going to order him around. Anything he decided to to in the next six months was his own call. That didn't mean, however, that she didn't put a little extra sway in her step as she headed for the entrance.

No one ever said she was an angel, after all, right?

[Darius 'Aronus' Tiberian]

Okay, so he was seriously getting tired of wearing the goldfish face, Darius thought to himself as he forced his jaw to shut. It seemed that every single thing that came out of the woman’s mouth just shocked the shit out of him, despite how much he readied himself! First, there was the fact that a relation to Hades had risked her life to ‘free’ him…which he still didn’t understand. Then, there was the whole ‘Council of Supernaturals’ thing, and the fact that Zoe was on it.

The image of himself standing in shining armor as he attending a similar meeting flashed into his mind, and longing shot through him. To be on a council again, with his input being important and feeling like he was in control of his life. It had been a long, long time since he’d even thought of such things. The look he cast on Zoe when he glanced back at her held a trace of gratitude, before he managed to tamp it back.

Setting the slice of pizza down onto the carton- gah, if his stomach didn’t protest the move…but he was used to the gnawing feeling- he pushed himself to his feet and cautiously approached. She was saying something about a dead demi-god, but the only thing going through his mind was whether or not she was really serious about his being free.

His hand shot out as she turned to go, grasping her arm in an iron-like grip, though he didn’t hold her harshly. He knew she had to go; the reasons she’d given him for her going out that night were certainly important…but he had to know.

”Why are you doing this, Zoe?” He asked, voice soft. For a moment, he let the mask drop and a mixture of confusion and wariness came onto his face. ”I need to understand…why are you helping me? I’m nothing to you…Gods, I’m an enemy, if you think about it. So why did you ask Hades for my leash? Please…please, just wait a moment and tell me.”

[Zoe Harris]

Damn if the man wasn't dense. What did he need her to do? Spell it out in alphabet soup for him?

Shaking her head, Zoe gave him her best "DUH" look before rolling her eyes. "Look, Tiberian.... I don't have an angle on this and I'm not expecting some kind of payback. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not such an unfeeling bitch that I don't go out of my way once in awhile to help someone out. You just happen to be the man of the hour. Besides, Hades is a prick and unless I'm way off base here... I doubt you deserve his sort of torment."

Softening her expression a bit, the goddess met his eyes and gave him a half smile. "Besides, it will due my uncle good to realize that his niece has a bit of trickery to her too. Hes entirely to confident that hes the only one in the family who can pull the wool over someones eyes. Never good to let him get the upper hand as I'm sure you know... "

Giving a delicate shrug that was at odds with the hard tilt of her smile, Zoe glanced down at the hand gripping her arm and let steel ring in her next words. "Now.. If we are done playing ring around the rosey... I've got a job to do and a killer to catch. You're free to do as you like as long as you stay under Hades radar and out of my way. I'm not used to having someone around all the time so don't be surprised if I come and go at odd hours. I also tend to run around the apartment in my underwear so if you got a problem with that.. YOu might wanna invest in one of those blindfolds or something downstairs. I'm not going to disrupt my normal habits just for your delicate nerves"


Then, giving him a smirk, she shook off his hand and strolled towards the door.

"Like I said.... Come and go as you like but make sure to stay out of trouble. I don't wanna have to worry about your ass while I'm taking out the bad guys. Distractions tend to get a girl killed and I like my head right where its at, thank you very much!! If someone gets the drop on me cause I'm protecting you... I'm going to be a very pissed off goddess and come back to haunt you."

[Zoe Harris]

Darius:

Tilting his head a bit, he glanced at her curiously. "Wulf? Who's that; another demi-god? Damn, but those freaks keep on multiplying, even if nobody believes in their asses again." Darius forced himself to shut the hell up after that, or risk getting himself hit with yet another lightning bolt. Or, better yet, a freaking gamma ray, thanks to Uncle Apollo. Now THAT was a bitch to explain to the locals...

He was doing his best not to think about the fact that they'd be sharing a roof, instead focusing on the new name drop and the next bout of information that came tumbling from her lips. For once, the goddess' voice seemed to be lacking its usual dripping sarcasm, and he realized he missed the play of emotion he'd seen on her face earlier. She was like an open book and he absently wondered if she knew that little fact.

But really now...him, living under her roof? That just spelled all kinds of trouble, given the fact that the last time they'd been relatively alone together, he'd practically glued himself to her front. The memory of how good her lips had tasted had his body reacting in all kinds of inappropriate ways, and he turned a bit sideways, hating the fact that his ears were glowing read. Oh, if only the situation was completely different...

He frowned; she did have a point about the flashing, but c'mon now. He'd been at the game for so long; she had to know that he had just a smidgen of experience at popping into abandoned alleyways and whatnot, so humans weren't about to catch a glimpse. And there was also the fact that he didn't flash the way other Gods did...but he'd keep that to himself. Whatever secrets he may have might give him an advantage, if he needed it in the future.

"It doesn't matter to me...but if we take bikes, I'm taking my own." He answered firmly. There was no way in hell that he was getting up behind her with his current...state. Mentally cringing, he strolled forward and ran an appreciative hand along the side of one of the bikes. It had been a few years since he'd ridden anything but the old jelopy that Hades had let him drive without making the engine falling out and the thought of going eighty down the street made his heart speed up. Oh yeah...if Zoe was telling the truth about this little 'reprieve' he was going to have a very good time.


Zoe:

At the thought of Wulf and demigod in the same sentence, Zoe couldn't help but burst out laughing. The very idea of the growly shifter being forced into the same ROOM with a bunch of them was hilarious. Wulf would no doubt chew a few up and spit them out because he cared little for most of their pompous asses.

"Uh... Negative on that one. Wulfgar Fenrisulfr is the singularly most temperamental diplomat you will ever meet. Hes the patriarch of the wolf clan and he isn't afraid to bash a few heads in if needed. On the flip side though, hes a fair, loyal and entirely devoted in making sure our kind live by some sort of law so that we all don't end up extinct."

Leaving Darius to look over things, Zoe headed for the peg board that held her keys. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him poised by the Ducati and had to laugh. IT was obvious he had a typical male appreciation for anything built for speed. Something they evidently had in common.

Picking up a set of keys from the board, she turned back to him and gave them a toss through the air. "Fine... but if anything happens to her... I'm taking it out in blood trade! Just sayin.."

Turning to her own sleek blue and black ride, she picked up a helmet and slipped it over her head. Dressed from head to toe in leathers and incased in protective gear, she looked like any other serious rider but there was no mistaking the female curves underneath said protection.

Sliding a leg over the bike, Zoe found her seat and then started the motor. As the cycle came to life, she gave Darius a challenging grin before hitting the garage door opener and gliding out on the exit ramp to the street. Once there, she waited impatiently for him to join her before closing the building up once more and sending him a challenging look.

Turning to her own sleek blue and black ride, she picked up a helmet and slipped it over her head. Dressed from head to toe in leathers and incased in protective gear, she looked like any other serious rider but there was no mistaking the female curves underneath said protection.

Sliding a leg over the bike, Zoe found her seat and then started the motor. As the cycle came to life, she gave Darius a challenging grin before hitting the garage door opener and gliding out on the exit ramp to the street. Once there, she waited impatiently for him to join her before closing the building up once more and sending him a challenging look.


"So.. you think you can keep up or do I need to pony you along? The crime scene is across town so we are going to be dealing with freeway traffic.... I generally don't let that slow me down though." she said with a grin before flipping her visor down and gunning the motor. "Stay with me if you can...."


Darius:

Wrinkling his nose, Darius looked back at her over hi shoulder. "A wolf shifter? HE'S you're leader?" Scoffing, he shook his head and went back to petting the bike. "I woulda thought you guys would be following someone with a backbone, not a butt-sniffer. Is the guy even immortal?"

Disbelief and just a smidge of dislike marred his voice. He knew he was sounding like an ass, but in his day and age, shifters like this 'Wulf Fenrisulfr' were second best to the Gods and their little pets. Hell, he himself had killed off a pack of them, when they'd threatened one of Artemes' favorite cities.

When the sound of metal chiming hit the air, he turned just in time to catch the set of keys sailing toward him. For the first time that day, the smile that slid onto his face was wide and genuine, as he played with the metal keys in his hand. He had to stop and covertly appreciate the sight of Zoe straddling that bike, and a mantra of 'Mistress, Mistress, Mistress' got him focusing enough to get himself on the bike. Oh, Ducati...it was more beautiful than a sunrise.

Before he could say more; maybe answer that little challenge, he was distracted by the beautiful purr of the bike's engine. He relished the vibration under him and disregarded the helmet at his side and shot forward when she exited the garage. Reluctantly, he stopped when he saw her waiting for him and yet another wide smile slid onto his lips.

"Baby...I won't break a sweat." And with that, he gunned the engine and shot passed her, toward the freeway. The wind in his face and the blurry sight of buildings he passed by had him laughing; the first true feeling of freedom he'd had in centuries. If Zoe wasn't on another bike, he'd have kissed the hell out of her.