- Lucifer and Death's side -
The group returned to the palace. As the group was walking through the palace, Death nudged Lucifer.
"Something happened," Death whispered to Lucifer.
Lucifer made surreptitious glances around the group. "I just want one day of something not going wrong. Just one."
"I assume you two noticed?" Sabu quietly asked Lucifer and Death.
Sabu scratched his shoulder with three fingers, signaling the others behind him.
"Can't believe you actually dragged me the whole way here," Dimitri complained as he patted the back of his shirt.
"Yeah, sorry," Peter tapped the back of Dimitri's shirt twice.
Elijah was mumbling to himself, "Of fucking course."
Lucifer and Death approached Hades and Persephone. The two were done trying to be careful.
"Something's off with your guards," Death said.
"Off how?" Hades asked without turning around.
"Beings have died here recently," Death informed. "The fact that none of your guards have reported it, is suspicious."
"How do you know that someone's died?" Hades asked in an overly curious tone.
"It's part of my magic," Death's tone was getting colder. "I'll explain more after we deal with whatever is going on. I don't want to put Lucifer's team at risk."
While Death was speaking with Hades, Lucifer was scanning the guards with his eyes, looking for anything that might give them away. He didn't expect what happened next.
"They seem suspicious of us," A guard's voice said. "I think we need to move now before they do something."
"It's happening again," Lucifer said to Death while tapping his ear. "If what I'm hearing is right then they know we know," He spoke to Hades, "I'm going to take my team to the armory to get their weapons. Stay safe."
"We're more than capable of defending ourselves," Hades huffed.
"I'll take you there," Persephone said before turning to Death. "If anyone tries anything, please, snap their neck like a twig."
One of Persephone's eyes started filling with red. Hades tapped her on the shoulder.
"Not yet, dear. I'm sure whatever is going on will be handled quickly. And whoever is responsible for this will have their pathetic life stomped out like the traitorous insect they are."
"Keep it together," Lucifer said carefully. "Don't snap too early."
"Of course!" Hades and Persephone said simultaneously while smiling.
- Thanatos and Poseidon's side -
As Thanatos and Poseidon walked through the darkness, anytime they came into contact with one of the white lights it was as if they were teleported to a different world. One light turned into a massive field of black grass.
"Not this one," Thanatos said.
Thanatos waved his hand and the field changed back into darkness.
"You're sure you know the way?" Poseidon doubted.
"I'm sure," Thanatos said. "Don't question my knowledge of Erebos. You've only ever visited one time and you weren't even here that long."
Poseidon's grip tightened around Thanatos's shoulder. "Careful now."
Thanatos clicked his tongue. "I think I'm being very careful, given that I know the way back."
After that conversation, the two stayed quiet. They continued their journey through the darkness, occasionally opening up more of these different "worlds" as they went. The two came across a spectral landscape filled with dark pillars. Each pillar had chains jutting out from all sides that were piercing the bodies of different beings.
"This is it," Thanatos sighed. "What are you doing?"
Poseidon was trailing Thanatos. "N-nothing. I just think it's for the best if I speak with him from a distance."
"Good luck with that," Thanatos chuckled.
The two traversed further into the land. As they went deeper in, the beings that were chained to these pillars would look up at them. Their blank expressions seemed to light up for only a moment before they put their heads back down.
"We're here," Thanatos said.
Thanatos pulled out a long wooden box that had been strapped to his back. He opened it up and pulled out three pieces of what looked like a scythe. Each piece was heavily engraved with runes. As Thanatos assembled the weapon, a piece of writing could be seen on the middle section. It read "Let there be another"
Thanatos placed the weapon onto the ground and looked up at the figure that was hanging by chains. The figure had blue-gray skin with long wispy white hair that covered his entire body. The chains pierced into his hand and snaked around and through his arms.
The figure lifted its head up and peered through its hair with a white pupil surrounded by black. ["Why are you here?"]
["Ask him,"] Thanatos said, pointing behind him at Poseidon.
The figure's eye slowly moved to stare at Poseidon. ["You?"] his voice was almost a growl. ["Finally visiting? There was a time when I wondered how long it would take for you to come here again. Where are the others? I can't imagine you worked up the courage to come here alone."]
["I have an offer to make you, father,"] Poseidon said.
Chronos made a wheezing, raspy laugh. ["Olympus must be nothing but ash for you to come to me."]
- Ash and Sophia -
(Sometime in the future)
Ash got off the laga that the two were riding. "What the-?"
The area that Ash and Sophia had entered was littered with bodies. It was clearly the remains of a large-scale battle where one side had been slaughtered. Ash traversed the battlefield, receiving looks from the beings that were still standing.
"Allies of yours?" Sophia asked.
"No..." Ash responded.
Ash and Sophia continued their walk, receiving hard stares as they went. The hesitation of the beings told Ash that the fighting might not have been over just yet. Neither could tell if the other was hostile.
"I'm not doing this," Ash said. "I'M LOOKING FOR TONATIUH!"
"Good luck with that!" a man shouted back.
The man approached the two slowly. His black forearms had cracks of orange running through them. His face was covered by a mask of what seemed like bone.
"Did you kill him?" Ash asked.
"I will," The man's tone was condescending. "You're not one of ours, so tell me, why do you want to kill Tonatiuh?"
Ash looked around at the destruction and smiled. "Why does it matter? I'm not here for you so let's just stay out of each other's way."
"I don't think so," The man lifted his hand. "Ember, I know you have your reasons, but I can't allow you to interfere here."
"It's Ash now," Ash corrected. "And I'm not stopping for you, Tlach."
"It's Mezir now," Mezir spun his hand.
The other beings moved away and formed a large circle around Mezir and Ash.
"She's not an enemy! However, she's not an ally either and I have a feeling that she won't leave unless forced!"
Ash turned to Sophia. "I recommend getting a large distance away."
Mezir cracked his neck. "So, a game of hopu then?"
"I still prefer the name "pakad"," Ash chuckled.