Chapter Text
If you’d asked her about it, Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta, Princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman, and Catco Magazine’s most Beautiful Woman Alive...would tell you to stop bringing up the Catco thing. If you’d asked her about her current work placement though, she’d talk at length about how gratifying it was to be working in Washington, D.C again. Not that she had any love for politicians--in fact, her barely contained disdain for most of them was one of the many reasons that governance was left to Nubia instead--but rather that she found that keeping a proximity to power was wise for someone of her stature and aspirations for the future of the world.
It was also nice to be working specifically at the newly reopened Amazonian Embassy, especially after that nonsense with “The Sovereign.” Old fool. Truly, she appreciated her friends in the Justice League for protecting her sisters while she dealt with the heart of the issue. That ridiculous lasso. It had been politically costly for some of them perhaps, but her disdain for politicians has already been mentioned.
Anyway, so far it had been delightful, she’d spent most of the early weeks answering any questions that the new ambassadors had for her, providing words of affirmation to those of her sisters who were not entirely confident in their mission and placement, listening into strategy meetings, and offering her insight where appropriate. It had been some time since she had felt so fulfilled outside of her tiara. Truly, while she never saw her duties as ‘Wonder Woman’ as a burden, the rolling disaster that had been her recent relationship with her gods had weighed on her. She couldn’t hate them for it, and not merely because she was mostly incapable of the emotion. She knew that the gods were what they were, representations of their domains, and no matter what choices they made, they would reflect that. The only difference was that some were more conscientious and creative with how they expressed their domains than others. She really did appreciate Aphrodite in particular for being more relaxed than she’d been in the past, it was truly helpful. Ares continued to try to get his immortal life together, and while that may have been hard to watch, she did prefer it to fighting him.
Once she realized that she’d been considering the gods, she quickly tried to banish any thoughts about them from her consciousness, lest they--
Margret, a young girl from Ohio with big dreams of working in public policy--rushed over to her desk, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
“Ms. Diana, um. Your mother wishes to see you?”
Diana quietly cursed her wandering mind. She was happy to see her mother of course, but she knew that Hippolyta wouldn’t have visited her at work for a mere social call.
This was bound to be more divine nonsense. She sent Margret back to fetch her mother.
Hippolyta looked good, because of course she did, she always did in life, and now she was a goddess on top of it. Her armor shined impossibly, and her rich lavender cloak was so smooth and fine that it almost resembled liquid. She took a seat across from Diana with all of the grace and decorum she’d once taught her daughter.
“It is good to see you.” She said simply.
Diana smiled, genuinely, despite the concern lurking under the surface. “You as well. Especially under less…vexing circumstances than last time.” She shot her mother a pointed look. “...I assume?”
Hippolyta sighed. “You are not even going to allow me to pretend for five minutes?”
Diana smiled apologetically. “Can we have a nice moment after? I’ll just be waiting for the other shoe to drop otherwise.”
Hippolyta thought for a moment. “‘Shoe to drop’? Is that…a reference to hanging someone?”
Diana hesitated. “...You know. I have never really thought about it. Like waiting for the shoe to drop from the recently deceased as they swing lifelessly?”
“That was my first thought. Though I suppose I am from…more violent times. Well, more violent in the ways that the average person understands.”
Diana hummed. “Well now I have to look this up…wait, wait no, you have news, you cannot distract me.”
Her mother groaned and leaned back in her chair. “Fine. Hades seeks an audience with you.”
Diana purposefully had a reinforced desk made for her office. She had immense self control, but it was nice to be able to lean on something carelessly and not worry about breaking it when she sneezed. But, it did still crack slightly when she slammed her fist down on its surface. “He dares? He attempts to sack Themyscira, then he dares demand my attention?”
Hippolyta sighed. “Yes, well, I assume that is part of the reason he asked me to deliver the message myself.”
“Why would you accept? You personally fought him off!”
“I am aware. Hades is powerful, but causing you harm is not politically viable for him right now. If he were to break the truce, Olympus would come down on his head to absolve themselves. Instead, he claims he has a peace offering, and though I am not sure I believe that…I do believe that he has something that you want. He had that look in his eyes, the kind a man gets when he is so sure he knows what your heart's desire is, and believes he alone can satisfy it.”
Diana sat back in her chair with a huff. “And what, pray tell, could Hades offer that I’d ‘desire?’ I have no use for any of his foul--”
“Daughter, his primary domain is over souls. Is there not a soul you would wish to have returned to you? That is what Athena and I assume this is about.”
Diana’s face darkened. “...Perhaps. Over the years there have…yes. But none of those souls should have come under Hades’ dominion, they were all bound for different afterlives. Besides, it’s vulgar to think that I’d be willing to rip a soul from their rest to soothe my grief. Tell him no.”
Hippolyta stood in one smooth motion, and her outfit fell perfectly into place, no adjustment needed. “If that is your desire, it is no trouble to me. However…I would advise you to at least know what you are refusing before you do. I will support your decision to refuse even if you meet with him, but…Hades is one of the three kings, and,” She lowered her voice, “easily the least foolish. He would not have been so confident unless he was convinced of its worth to you. It also may not be a soul, we merely speculate.”
Diana crossed her arms and looked away. “...Are you at least going to give me the obols for Charon, or do I need to take a trip to the vault?”
There was the distinctive sound of gold clinking on wood.
Diana groaned and reached into a desk draw to grab her phone. She unlocked it and started typing as her mother looked on.
“...Daughter, what are you--”
“‘In the tenements of New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century, apartments were built with bedrooms on top of one another. It was common to hear your upstairs neighbor take off a shoe, drop it, and then repeat the action. It became shorthand for waiting for something you knew was coming.’” Diana read off her screen.
Hippolyta nodded. “I see. That is considerably less visceral than I assumed, yes.”
“Admittedly, not as compelling.”
“No.”
Diana stood. “Very well. I will speak with Hades. I will even leave my blade on the surface as a gesture of good faith.”
“But you will bring your shield and lasso, yes?”
“Of course. If we have learned anything from the ‘Queen of Heaven,’ entering the underworld nude is a mistake.”
Her mother winced. “You really should not invoke Ishtar if you can help it.”
Diana shrugged. “She lets you get away with much if she finds you attractive.”
Hippolyta pressed her eyes closed and made a sour expression, and Diana laughed. “...In any case, that is my news. May we circle back to the ‘nice moment?’”
Diana smiled. “Of course.”
On the River
If a river was large enough, it would attract its own patron deity. The Oceanids, the enumerable daughters of Oceanus, were the nymphs who claimed these minor domains. Most were truly inconsequential, weak divinities that were so removed from importance that their powers were often inadequate to protect them from the advances of mortal men.
Styx however, was not an average Oceanid. She was the lady of the cold bleak water, of the river that flowed into the underworld and acted as boundary between the lands of the living and the dead. Such a responsibility came with power, and Styx was so implacable, so necessary, that agreements sworn on her flows were unbreakable, even by the greater gods. An oath on the Styx was not to be taken lightly, as the consequences for breaking it were so dire that at that point, no one even really remembered what they were, so long had it been since anyone had been foolish enough to test them.
Diana caught some of that ethereal chill as she sailed along, and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her shoulders. Styx was terrifying, yes, but from the safety of Charon’s silent skiff, Diana could appreciate the beauty of her dark waters, the clarity of their purpose and the truth in the images she reflected.
“You are…entertainingly romantic.” Charon said. His voice was like two bones being twisted until they splintered.
Diana looked over at his high, darkly robed back, for though he spoke, he did not turn to regard her. “In what sense?”
“Styx…is not often appreciated for her beauty. She is the rare nymph that is noted first and foremost for the dread she inspires. Few mortals truly appreciate the complexity she represents. Fewer gods even. She would never consider that a tragedy, far too proud for that. But…I have perhaps spent more time with her than any being ever has or will, and so I am…pleased when people look at her as I do.”
Diana smiled. “You sound almost smitten, grim traveler.”
Charon offered her a terrible, breathy laugh. “Perhaps. Eons ago I would have rejected the notion out of hand…but if you listen to mortals prattle on for long enough, you realize that Aphrodite’s domain is truly boundless. No amount of darkness can guarantee that you will be hidden from her gaze, not even here, in the pit of Gaia. I would be a fool to assume I am immune.”
Diana sat with that for a moment. “May I ask for further candor?”
“I know not what Hades has planned for you, not for certain anyway. Though…” He hesitated before turning to look back at her, his hood revealing nothing but the deepest of shadows and two glowing red points indicating his gaze. “...Yes, I suppose I can tell you this much. Some weeks ago he admitted a soul without the aid of Thanatos, Hermes or myself. Far be it from me to question his decisions, but it was striking to see him completely ignore his own bureaucracy. Lord Hades is partial to following procedure, at least his own. Perhaps this is related to your summons.”
Diana nodded gratefully. “Thank you, that was very gracious.”
Charon turned away from her once more.
“Yes, well, have a care when when you leave me: Hades...may not be so easily entertained."
An Audience
Diana kept Charon's warning in mind as she followed a formless, wispy shade through the long, cavernous halls of Hades’ palace. They were less talkative than Charon, though she suspected that wasn’t a personal decision on their part. In any case, the ominous silence gave her time to think on how she wished to play the conversation with the King of the Dead. Hades had extended his hand, and even if the gesture was hollow, she had to match that energy to avoid giving him grounds for upset. So she’d be cordial, agonizingly so, until he tipped his hand. She could be somewhat firm in rejecting him, but not in a way that insulted his generosity. That was unless the gift was so blatantly offensive that to pretend otherwise would be the real insult, at which point she needed to voice her indignity with enough force to gratify his desire to upset her, but not so much that he felt moved to escalate the conflict.
Ugh. At least she could just slap Darkseid.
Though to Hades' credit, at least he played the game of civility according to the rules, some gods were prone to knocking the entire chessboard over and ignoring tradition if it meant avoiding a loss. Hades had a tad bit more dignity than that.
On most days.
As they reached the comically large double doors leading into the throne room of the end, the shade dissipated and the doors creaked dramatically as they opened. Diana rolled her eyes. Hades could easily have had someone lubricate that, his predilection for spectacle was already beginning to grate on her.
Hades grinned as she approached, looking down at her from his enormous throne, which he matched by manifesting himself at the same impressive proportions. Recently, he'd taken to appearing bald, and with skin so dark grey that, well frankly in another context and with less well defined features, it would come off rather...offensively.
It was just him on the throne, Persephone was absent, which Diana quietly lamented. She’d hoped that Persephone’s presence would temper his willingness to be unreasonable. Thanatos stood at his feet, at a much more reasonable size, maybe a foot taller than her at most. He was beautiful, slender and well proportioned, with long dark hair framing a gently youthful face. His jet black wings flattened themselves closer to his back as she approached, and she wondered if that was a sign of anxiety. His expression was somewhat dour, but a dejected pout seemed appropriate for his duties, and what she knew of his personality. It was odd to remember that he was older than Zeus when she looked into his eyes and saw the wet vulnerability there.
She stopped some feet away from the base of his throne, the spot chosen so she wouldn't have to look up too much to address him. She crossed her arms behind her back.
“Hail, Lord Hades.”
He nodded respectfully. “Hail, Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta, Princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman…and Catco Magazine’s most Beautiful Woman Alive.”
She almost screamed. Almost. “...I am…impressed that you’ve kept up with…all of my titles.”
Hades chuckled, and the room seemed to subtly vibrate along with it. “I apologize, do forgive an old man for attempting to inject some…humor into his affairs.”
Diana inclined her head. “No need. I…appreciate levity, when appropriate.”
“Hmm. It is so nice of you to visit, my niece. Can I get you anything? Refreshment? A chaise for you to recline on while we converse?”
Diana bit her cheek and shook her head. “The gesture is appreciated, but I am well fed and generally prefer to stand if at all possible, especially in the presence of power.”
He breathed out a single, lifeless “ha” and sat back. “Very well. I do not intend to waste your time, I am aware of the magnitude of your duties. Your mother told you that I wished to offer you a gift?”
Diana looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. “I don’t believe the word ‘gift’ was used, but yes, she said you had something that I’d find interesting.”
“Hmph. Well, I assure you that what I have to offer is truly a gift, and a rare one at that. But as my kin, you are afforded special privileges. Also…I did perhaps miss a few decades of birthdays. Well more than a few. How old are you, again?”
“Lord Hades, I admit that I am anxious to see what you have in store, so perhaps…?”
Hades’ eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Very well. Thanatos, please fetch the boy.”
…The boy?
Thanatos nodded dutifully and spread his wings before vanishing into thin air.
Diana frowned. “Um, Hades--”
“You remember a sickly child who went by the name of ‘Jack Kole,’ yes?”
The warmth drained from Diana’s cheeks, and for an embarrassing moment she regretted not having brought her weapon. “...Yes. I remember. His passing was…recent.”
“Yes, interesting little fellow.” Hades met her gaze directly.
Diana glared up into his eyes. “Are you suggesting that you have him here? How? He did not worship you, his parents were beholden to a Semitic deity. Why would he come here?”
Hades smiled, his white teeth making a painful contrast with his shadowy skin. “Simply put? I asked. To Heaven he was simply another dead child, and once I promised that he would be treated to my approximation of paradise, they were not all that interested in holding onto him.”
Diana grit her teeth. “But why? Why would you go through all of the trouble?” In truth, she feared that she knew the answer already, or at least part of it.
“He meant something to you, his death brought you a respectable amount of sorrow, and as such his soul held more value to me than most. To be entirely transparent, I’d intended to hold him as collateral in case you decided to oppose my wishes at some point. But…he wouldn’t shut up. About you. He would talk to any shade that would listen about your deeds, and greatness, and the kindness you showed him in his last days. It was precious, sure…but not enough to maintain my interest on its own.”
Composure, patience, serenity, peace--
“Then...what was?”
Hades leaned forward and rested his arm on a knee, like he was about to share some truly outrageous gossip. “...He refused to drink from Lethe's waters. He’d suffered considerable anguish, both physical and emotional in his vanishingly brief life, and yet…he said he didn’t want to forget anything. Least of all you. Most are more than happy to live for eternity in ignorance. Not little Jack. I find that notable. It suggests a soul worthy of a rare opportunity.”
Diana opened her mouth, and in all honesty she was going to get as close to cursing him out as she could, but that particular disaster was headed off by Thanatos’ sudden reappearance. He stepped out a plume of smoke, and standing next to him was Jack, but different than she’d seen him last. He had hair for one: Shiny and auburn. He ran his fingers through it nervously as he made eye contact with her. She saw his throat tighten like he’d nearly spoken, but managed to stop himself. She had never spent time wondering what he’d looked like when he was healthy, she’d seen no point dealing with a version of him that was no longer real. So she was somewhat unprepared to see how much more robust he looked. He was still small, but his arms were fuller, his face less gaunt, his eyes brighter and more alert. It agonized her to become even more aware of the pain of his last days. He was dressed in the clothes of the dead, a simple, unadorned black chiton and nothing else. His bare feet fidgeted against the dark marble floor, and Diana wondered if he could feel the cold of the place. She kept the concern and irritation off of her face however, and smiled warmly at the boy. He matched her nervously.
“Hello, Jack.”
“...Hi.” He sounded close to tears.
She knew that she shouldn’t, that it would be better to hide her true feelings from Hades. But she knelt down and beckoned him forward anyway, and he ran into her arms. She held him close, felt the icy chill of his skin, and grit her teeth to maintain her composure.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered into her ear. His voice cracked as he clearly fought off a sob.
“I’m sorry you had to come here because of me.”
Diana rubbed his back and swallowed her rage before speaking. “It’s no trouble.” She kissed him on the top of his head before slowly standing again. When it was clear that he had no idea where he should stand, she gently grabbed his shoulder and brought him to her side. She looked back into Hades’ eyes, and found the expected smugness there.
She sighed. “...Fine. You have my attention.”
Hades’ white teeth cut a nasty grin across his tar-like skin.
“Good.”
Diana frowned as Hades stood from his throne and started walking towards them. With every step, he became smaller and smaller until he was right in front of her, and closer to Thanatos in height. “...I am willing to release him back into the world of the living.”
To Diana, that had been obviously where this was going, and so she barely reacted. But Jack was eleven, and not versed in her world, so he hadn’t considered the possibility, and couldn’t stop himself from gasping.
“Really?!"
Diana winced.
Hades nodded. “Yes. It is within my power and truly isn’t difficult, but obviously I can’t do it for everyone. But I will make an exception for you, young Jack.”
Jack’s hand shook a little where it gripped Diana’s forearm. “T-thank you! Oh my god, uh, I mean, oh my…you…?”
Diana glared at Hades, her veneer of civility finally starting to crack. “What is your price?"
“If I charged for a gift, it would no longer be a gift.” Diana didn’t budge, and after a moment Hades sighed. “Alright, there are a couple conditions though.”
“There we are.”
“Hush now. There are two stipulations to Jack’s return. The first being that he agrees to hold this symbol of my power.” Hades pulled an ancient looking jet black key out of thin air and held it out to Jack.
Diana held Jack back a bit. “What is it a key to?”
“Jack’s continued life on the surface. The next stipulation is a bit more draconian I’m afraid, but if there is no sacrifice involved, well, I can’t have people thinking I play favorites.”
Jack cleared his throat. “W-what sacrifice? Do I…do I get to keep my hands? They both have different occupations, and It’d be kind of unfair to double one of their workloads, I think. Uh, Sir. Lord…Hades, sir.”
Diana and Hades both looked down at Jack in surprise. Both were stunned because it was clearly meant to be a joke, and for different reasons, neither of them would have ever assumed he would be the person to crack one at that moment of moments.
Hades actually laughed. Genuinely. “Oh wow. Alright, A surprise is truly a gift when you’ve lived this long. But yes, you can keep your hands. Your mandate is simply that you cannot return to your parents once resurrected.”
Diana’s mouth hung open in abject horror. That was…cruel in a way that she hadn’t expected. She didn’t even have a quick response, her outrage delayed by her genuine surprise.
Jack just held out his hand for the key. “Okay.”
Hades raised an eyebrow. “Oh. That’s…you don’t have any concerns?”
Jack shook his head. “It’s not like I’m going to get to see them if I stay here either. So. You know.”
Hades didn’t seem to know what to say to that, so Diana spoke up.
“Jack, just because he’s offering doesn’t mean that--”
“It’s lonely down here. Most of the people down here have families to reunite with or something. It’s just me. Everyone else is in heaven, I think. Well probably not uncle Scotty, I was not surprised when I didn’t see him there…”
Hades rallied and nodded. “Well, it seems the boy has made up his mind. Do take care of this gift I’ve given you, Diana. He’s precious cargo now.” As he uttered those words, the key shot out of his hands and embedded itself into Jack's chest. He didn’t react as if in pain, he was just a bit startled. Hades shot Diana a pointed look, and she realized that her hand was on her lasso and gripping it tightly. She settled back into a neutral position. Hades nodded. “Now the key is bound to your very soul. It will be very hard to misplace, and the connection does have some fringe benefits that I think you’ll enjoy when you figure them out.”
Diana had been so focused on Jack and keeping him safe that she’d forgotten that technically he was being gifted to her and with him being unable to see his parents again, that meant…
…Suffering Sappho.
Jack cleared his throat again. “Um. Thank you Lord Hades. Can…can I go home now?”
“Soon, you’ll have to speak to my wife about that. She’s grown fond of you and asked that I send you to her before you leave. Thanatos will take you to her garden.”
Diana had more to say, actually, but Hades had already turned his back. They were dismissed. She had to hold her tongue. Still.
Thanatos met her gaze, and she found genuine sympathy there. It was somewhat comforting and baffling that out of all immortals, the very hand of death was among the most human. He beckoned them to follow him, and they did. Diana refused to remove her arm from around Jack’s shoulder, in a futile attempt to warm him up. Jack didn’t resist, leaning into her instead. He was so small.
The sound of Thanatos’ voice startled her. While Charon’s was a terrible, cracking thing, Thanatos sounded like the smooth cool breeze of late winter, filled by a thousand kind whispers. In a way, it was almost more distressing than Charon’s.
“I will miss you, Jack. But I am happy that you have been given a chance to see the colors of the world again. My travels are always bittersweet, with bitter winning out a majority of the time…but I can never discount the beauty of the surface. I trust you will make the most of it.”
Jack nodded, and for the first time since she’d seen him again, Jack sounded a bit sad. “I’ll miss you too, Lord Thanatos. Thanks for…for being so nice to me.”
“Providing moments of comfort is the duty I cherish most.”
Diana was pondering the implications of Thanatos recognizing Jack as notable enough to engage with as they approached another pair of large doors. Less ostentatious than the one to Hades’ throne room.
“This is where I leave you. The queen’s garden lies beyond these doors. Heed her words, for she does not speak without intention.”
Diana nodded respectfully. “Thank you, Thanatos.”
And with a flap of his wings, he was gone.
The moment he vanished, Diana dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Jack again. “I am so sorry, Jack. This never should have happened, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make this right and to keep you safe, alright?”
Jack didn’t immediately respond, and he sniffled before he did. “I’m sorry you had to come here for me. But...thank you.”
Diana squeezed her eyes shut, and banished the tears that threatened to escape. She rubbed Jack’s back and stood up. “We’re going to be fine. Just fine. You’ve spoken to Persephone?”
Jack nodded. “Yes. She’s nice. Actually, Lord Hades is usually pretty nice too, I dunno why he was so…snarky with you.”
Diana chuckled quietly. “That’s a musing with a complicated answer. Come, let us speak with the Lady of the Underground and then leave this place behind.
Jack squeezed her hand. “Okay.”
In the Garden
Persephone had been waiting for them, Diana could tell by how the flowers in her immense garden became more vibrant as they approached them. She didn’t know the layout of the garden, but knew that the only outcome was to find Persephone. When they inevitably did, she was leaning against a tall, beautifully cultivated and shaped pomegranate tree. Her deep maroon dress made her marble pale skin even more striking to behold. Once they were close enough, she stood and moved to meet them. She was a good deal taller than Thanatos, but somehow it didn’t feel so oppressive with her. It seemed more like a natural state than a performance.
“That was faster than I’d anticipated, I was so sure that Hades would have wished to gloat for a bit longer, or perhaps that he would push you too far with his needling and you would attempt to bash his face in for a while. Perhaps we really are reaching a more civil age.”
Diana allowed herself a chuckle. “Yes, perhaps. I appreciate your attention, and the favor you’ve shown young Jack.”
Persephone nodded, before quickly and sharply switching her attention to Jack.
Diana felt herself tense as Persephone looked Jack over. Persephone was, on the scale of the divine, generally kind and courteous…but one never truly knew with the gods.
The great queen sighed after a moment. The flowers and sprouts and trees and vines that covered the garden almost seemed to sigh with her.
“...So Hades decided it was fitting to burden you with that accursed key after all. Ugh, my love, you can be so…extra, sometimes.”
Jack looked up at Diana with concern, and she stepped closer to him to place a hand on his shoulder. “Goddess--”
“Kore, is fine, niece.”
Diana nodded. “...Kore. What is the purpose of this key?”
Persephone shook her head. “If Hades did not explain, it was a conscious decision on his part, and I have no desire to contradict him on this day…at least not on that front. However…” She crouched down to get a better look at Jack, and to his credit, he was very brave and did not back away from her. “...I did tell him to bless you. He seems to believe the power of the key to be sufficient. Normally I’d accept that with some annoyance…but when I look into your eyes, I’m reminded of my firstborn, and…coincidence and familiarity are often The Fates trying to tell us something. So I will bless you myself.”
Jack beamed before Diana could signal him to be measured. “Really!? Like, are you going to give me plant powers?!”
Diana winced.
Persephone laughed. “Oh dear, that detail really does confuse those of this modern age. I may have an affinity for flowers, but that is not my domain. Spring comes when I am with my mother, yes, but that is her doing. When I first came here I had no responsibility, no true power…and I have been here as queen long enough that, well…” At a gesture a shadow crept through the garden. The leaves and stems and buds wilted and decayed, a wonder of color and life quickly becoming a cold blight on the land. With it, Persephone’s gorgeous red dress darkened as well, eventually becoming so black that light itself did not pierce it. “...I am as much of the dead as my husband is.”
At this point, Jack was pressed up against Diana’s side, and she’d wrapped her arm around him. “Pers--Kore, please, you’re frightening him.”
Persephone nodded. “The truth is often something that greets us first with terror. But acceptance often brings light.” The ground next to her split open like an overripe gourd, and from it rose a stone column that held a golden orb that shone like the sun. Persephone picked it up, and regarded it gravely.
“When a demigod dies, more often than not, they do not ascend to Olympus. That light, that heavenly power, is frankly wasted here in the dark. But I collect it all the same. I bequeath to you a share of this grace, Jack, Son of Kole, Keybearer of Hades and Grim Warden. Be the champion that I foresee. In my own name.” With the blessing offered, she crushed the orb and hot light shot out of Jack’s eyes and mouth. He panicked, but seemed unable to scream, though he really did try. Diana was at a loss for what to do, and just held him until it passed.
When it did, things had changed. Persephone’s garden was green and living again, her dress that sumptuous red once more. And Jack? The veins in his neck and face, along with his irises, glowed the same gold of the blessing.
Diana cupped his cheeks, trying her best not to appear frantic, for Jack’s sake and to not upset the goddess who watched them like an owl. “Are you alright?”
Jack blinked a few times and seemed to test his limbs. “I think so? It didn’t actually hurt, I just got scared. Actually…I feel kind of nice? Like I’m lighter? I didn’t even realize I could feel heavy, cause I was kind of a ghost right? But…well. Yeah. Yeah I think I’m okay.”
She looked back up at Persephone, who had started peeling a pomegranate, perhaps to reward herself for her own kindness. “What did you give him?”
“A ‘Seed of Potential.’ It will grow with his deeds. He is not comparable to you or your other charges yet, he’s roughly equal to an average amazon of his age. However, if he proves his bravery and heroism, eventually he will become a champion in league with Hercules himself. But…smarter, I feel.”
The glow faded from Jack's eyes and Diana breathed a sigh of relief. “I see. When you say ‘deeds’ you mean--”
“Acts of heroism worthy of being spoken of for years to come. If he wishes to be a legend, he will have to labor for it.”
Jack beamed. Diana bit her cheek.
Is it not enough to be a child?
Jack surprised Diana by running up to the goddesses legs and wrapping his arms around them. “Thank you, Lady Persephone, you won’t regret this.”
Persephone looked a little surprised too, but pleasantly so. “I would never expect you to cause me regret.” She crouched down to cup his cheek. “...He would have loved you. Love others in his stead.” She inclined her head towards Diana and Jack nodded and padded back over to stand next to her again.
Diana exhaled deeply. “Much appreciation, Kore. Your grace is always--”
“Unlike many of our kin, I am not ravenous for flattery. You wish to return to the world of the living, yes?”
Diana smirked and nodded. “I would appreciate that, yes. I assume you are not going to make us bother Charon again?”
Persephone scoffed. “Oh no, that’s just for the dead, it’s for the drama of it all. I can just…” She gestured at her guests, and a glowing circle appeared beneath their feet. Upon inspection, Diana noticed that it was actually an intricate symbol, with hundreds of lines twisted together like roots. “...Speak your destination.”
Diana hadn’t considered that they'd be willing to just drop them off wherever. For a moment she considered that she came on her jet and would need to retrieve it…but that could wait, she was anxious to get Jack as far away from that place as possible, and into some less haunting clothes.
“...3303 Water Street, Washington, District of Columbia, The United States of America.”
Persephone’s eyes burned with power, as did the sigil.
“Well wishes, godlings.”