Tenebris (Hades x Male!Reader)

Olympus

The heavens were golden; Olympus the supposed epicenter of all things divine. In its throne sat, perhaps, one of the least divine beings Hades had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

"Ah, Hades," Zeus greeted his brother with all the familiar joviality Hades had learned to resent over the millennia. "How rare a sight you are — here," he motioned his arms out in a grand arc. As if Hades had never seen the golden dawn breaking across Olympus and coveted it for himself.

The dark god grimaced, "Yes, it is a rarity. So, it should be of no surprise to you I come with a purpose."

"What," Zeus said, "it is not enough to visit me? You have to come prepared with a reason?"

Hades eyes — devoid of all light and color; black as the void — narrowed a degree, "Unfortunately, I do not have the time for mere cordial visitation. Even if it is to my youngest —" and most arguably spoiled, "— brother. I am kept quite busy with all my responsibilities. Something you would, of course, find difficult to relate to."

The smile on Zeus's lips lessened. "I know a jab when I hear one, brother."

Hades merely arched a brow, "At least your ears are functioning... but I digress. I did not come here to bicker with you. I require your thunderbolt."

Zeus canted his head back and laughed as if Hades was capable of telling a joke. "And what, pray tell, would you 'require' that for?"

"To slay Apollo's filthy half-bred spawn, a physician by the name of Asclepius."

"I reiterate," Zeus leaned back on his throne, lax, "why do you need my thunderbolt? Surely you could handle such a thing on your own. The mortals may praise me as king but they fear to even speak your name. I wonder who has all the power here. Truly."

Hades suppressed another grimace. Fear was a power in and of its own, but Hades, arguably, was one of the most powerless gods. His wrath might be incited but rarely did a soul come to the Underworld early. The god was not fond of altering the natural order — and it bound him and his magnificent power in chains of duty.

"I spoke with Hecate," Hades confessed. "She informed me only your thunderbolt is powerful enough to fell him."

Zeus did not question the necessity of his thunderbolt further. Hecate was never wrong. He did, however, question this: "And why would I do such a thing? Slay this Asclepius? What motivation do I have?"

Zeus's words prompted Hades to clasped his hands behind his back; a calculative gleam turning his dull black eyes a glittering obsidian.

"Asclepius is disrupting the natural balance. He is capable now of reviving mortals, bringing them back to life, with his putrid 'medicine.' As the guardian for all dead souls, I refuse to allow this to go on."

"This sounds like a problem for you alone," Zeus scoffed, unconcerned.

"No," Hades's eyes shined. "Perhaps you have failed to grasp what precisely I am saying, brother of mine. Asclepius has the power to defy the gods himself, yet I would hardly call him worthy of divinity. I'm not the only one who should be threatened by him."

At this, Zeus's expression went from relaxed to contemplative. Hades's lips upturned into a small, barely there smile. It was so easy, after all, to manipulate his foolish little brother. Zeus, as irresponsible as he was, would not care to preserve the natural balance but if Zeus felt threatened...

Hades need only wait.

"Where is this Asclepius? How will you find him?"

"So you agree to smite him?"

"Yes," the smile completely fell away from Zeus's face as if the younger god finally understood the implications of the demigod's supposed power. "Where is the demigod?"

"I have already lured him out by sending the Nosoi to inflict illness upon a few select villages," Hades admitted. "He is in Nysa, healing the villagers there."

Zeus rose from his throne.

"Let us venture out at once."

_____

A storm brewed over Nysa. Dark, angry clouds gathered, and when two extremely powerful divines descended, climbing up the steps of Demeter's temple, well... the goddess could hardly be described as "surprised."

She sat upon her throne, eyes narrowed and expectant. She was alone for once in the room as both Hades and her long lost husband entered. Rain began falling onto the roof, lashing at it. Demeter was one of the few immortals not intimidated by either of these gods.

"My dear husband," she cooed to Zeus, "have you finally found it within your heart to return to me? Or perhaps you are here to see your son? You remember, the one that you abandoned?"

"Why?" Zeus quipped. "Has he become any less worthless than he was a hundred years ago?"

The lines around Demeter's mouth tightened. She turned to address the only other occupant of the room. "Hades."

"Sister," Hades returned her greeting coolly.

"Why have you set foot in my temple?" she questioned. Her eyes were trained on Zeus.

"You are harboring a demigod known as Asclepius," it was Hades who answered, cold and detached. "He has been upsetting the natural order, taking souls from the Underworld... reviving them. I seek to put his impudence to a permanent end."

Demeter swallowed at the icy fury in the god's voice. Going against Hades — even angering him — was unwise. Even for her. Additionally, Asclepius was hardly worth the headache.

"I will summon him for you. Carissa!"

Demeter's priestess came rushing in.

"Fetch Asclepius," the goddess ordered.

Carissa was gone in an instant, off to do her master's bidding.

"He has been very helpful — the demigod," Demeter told the two. "He has managed to heal all of the villagers and since now I suspect it was you, Hades, who first had them afflicted with their illness, I must ask you... Do you plan to take the souls of those villagers he saved?"

"...No," Hades murmured after a pause. "You may keep your worshippers. They are not mine... yet."

Demeter acknowledged his words with a nod, relieved. A moment later, Carissa returned with Asclepius — and the latter was promptly subjected to a certain god's full power.

Zeus practically glowed as the heavens above opened up. A single, white-hot bolt of lightning descended, spearing through the roof of the temple, and filleting the arrogant demigod where he stood. It obliterated his flesh and dissolved his soul nearly. Debris from the broken roof fell, colliding with the tile floor drowning out the sound of Asclepius's own corpse collapsing.

Violent rain whipped in through the hole in the roof. Thunder cracked and rumbled, rolling far off into the distance.

When the electrifying power finally receded, nothing was left other than the ruined temple, the corpse at their feet, and the three gods who basked in the aftertaste of divine glory.

Zeus closed his eyes. "It is done."