(Video)

[deathisasalesman]

[Some time mid morning, all the mirrors flash and, should you happen to look at them you will see Hades standing in front of you.

Though...he seems a bit on the short side.

About three inches tall, as a matter of fact; standing on an upside down teacup as Merlin, Dreamfinder and Figment watch him from the background looking various shades of annoyed. Pain and Panic are on either side of him as cockroaches who seem desperately trying not to laugh.

The reason why is obvious, as, when Hades speaks, he sounds like a chipmunk]

To all you schmucks that helped out, we appreciate your services. Yada yada yada. The witches are gone and sealed away. No idea how they got out to begin with.

[this gets him the stink eye from the other two but he ignores them]

But thanks to you, the day is saved. Even if one of you idiots turned into a dragon beforehand and wrecked things. Yeesh. So the citizens? Kinnda a mixed bag. So try to be a little "Nicer" to them this month since, hey, you're living on their backs.

Dreamwhiner [Figment glowers at this ] Is fixing the portal thing so don't expect any fresh meat this month. Which is a good thing as you guys are pathetic enough as it is.

[Merlin clears his throat meaningfully and points a finger at the diminutive god, almost like a threat. Hades rolls his eyes and tries his best grin. It's a bit forced, almost as if crowbars are forcing his mouth open]

Point is, everything is more or less back to normal. Thank you and I'm s-- s-- PANIC [he snaps his fingers and the cockroach, now a teeny demon, hesitantly crawls up onto the tea cup and looks at the camera, knees shaking]

L-lord Hades apologizes for the inconvenience.

[Hades kicks him and he goes flying off the tea cup in flames, a small screaming meteor. Pain laughs and is suddenly flambéd too]

Any questions?

Comments

[beancounter]

Fenton found himself glaring furiously at the mirror. "You pulled us out of bed... out of a sound sleep, when you knew we'd be too tired and groggy to properly think straight! You played on our good will and desire to help for your own selfish needs, whatever they were!"

All the anger and frustration then just left Fenton like air out of a balloon, and he was just left tired and disappointed. "...and you don't even care, do you? You're not even sorry. This didn't hurt you. None of this meant anything to you. We're all just pawns to you." His frown deepened, and he shook his head. "You're as much of a bully as those witches. Nothing but a villain."

A super-villain, his mind provided for him. Like Negaduck and the Fearsome Five... only so much more powerful. A literal GOD, with much stronger magic than any of them had, who could pretty much do whatever he wanted to. He knew that there was no way he, or any other single Apprentice could do anything to him. Even as a team, like the Justice Ducks... Hades was so much more than anything they'd ever faced. He didn't like feeling helpless, useless, like this... but he also knew that there was really nothing he COULD do. Not alone. Not now. So he just frowned, disappointed, disgusted, disillusioned. He didn't want to see any more, he didn't want to hear any more... so he reached out and closed his mirror with a sigh.

Well, one thing was certain, out of all of this. He was NEVER listening to Hades, or blindly doing anything he asked ever again.

[deathisasalesman]

"Hey, justify it how you want. You had three days to change your mind. But you didn't. Don't act the wounded hero when you got sparks for your trouble. That's what you did it for."

But then there is a pause and he rolls his eyes, gesturing.

"Anyway, it's not like I planned this to happen. You think I'm spending all this time trying to repair this place only to have those furies destroy it? I thought we could, you know, it could be kind of like old times." That was the problem with nostalgia. It was always better in the past.

[beancounter]

Dammit. He hated when the bad guys had a point. Fenton folded his arms and huffed. "We did it because we thought we were helping the Kingdoms. The sparks are a nice bonus, yes... .... But I'm not going to compromise my morals for sparks again." If he's doing any missions for sparks again, he's making sure he knows just what he's doing, and why he's doing it.

He let out a small snort. "Somehow that sounds accurate. It would seem weird for you to say you're helping fight back the Corrosion, only to release something that hindered us from doing so..." He sighed. He didn't want to ask... he didn't want to know... "...and just what was the 'old times' like, that you wanted it so desperately?"

Dammit... he didn't want to know! He didn't want to humanize Hades (for lack of a better term)... it made being angry at him, and viewing him as a strict black-and-white villain, so much harder!

[deathisasalesman]

"Good luck with that. I bet you're the type to sacrifice an underworld worth of morals to save the life of a friend or someone in need. Heroic types." But he didn't scoff too much. They were useful after all.

"This place used to be big. You're only seeing a small section of a small town. We used to have everyone. Good guys, bad guys, dreams, nightmares. All just living together and doing their best to one up each other.

I mean, naturally I was gonna win in the end because, Hades, Lord of the Dead. Everyone comes to me eventually...

But good things. Bad things. That's what everything runs on. Ask your little Goth Princess. She's quick to hate me but, you know, bats and vampires don't really get invited to tea parties at the castle, you know what I'm saying?

The Sandersons were part of it. And they're the ones easiest to bring back right now. Thought it might help to give it all a little kick in the hindquarters. See if that helped. It didn't, but hey, I gave it a shot. Guess we're just going to have to do it the hard way after all." For now anyway

[beancounter]

Fenton stiffened a little at the 'heroic type' comment, his thoughts moving inward. Would he sacrifice his morals, if it meant saving someone's life? He'd never ever been PUT in that situation, thank God, but... if. IF. A shudder ran up Fenton's spine. He hoped he'd never HAVE to be put to that test, but... ...he had a feeling, if it meant saving the life of a friend, or someone in need... ...he would.

Body shivvering again at that all-too-real turn of the conversation, Fenton was glad Hades had kept talking. "Well, that's what we're here to do, right? Fight back the Corrosion, purify the lands, and whatnot?" His brows knit. "...maybe not in the past, but there's no reason why they can't NOW. I can't see anyone turning Lydia away from a tea party." She was delightful! Such wonderful company. If anyone didn't see that, then, well... their loss.

He frowned, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to loosen the tension from them, brows knit. "Give what a kick in the hindquarters? Maybe we're not moving as fast as you'd like in fighting the Corruption... but we're working at it. We're making progress." One brow raised, and that line-of-tension just wouldn't go away. "...And just what's the 'hard way'...?"

Maybe he shouldn't have asked that, either.

[deathisasalesman]

"Eh, you'll figure it out." He wasn't up to giving more information than that and was more than a little bored with the conversation. He'd given him a lot to go on already.