Underground Angels

Chapter Forty-Eight || Be Brave

Chapter Forty-Eight

Be Brave

Noel felt as if she'd been reborn.

Everything ached, but it was as if air had never entered her lungs; she was breathing for the first time. She kept her eyes shut, and heard a dull, toneless chanting, crying – shallow breathing, by her ear.

"Come on Noel," Constantine was whispering in her ear. "Please, just...wake up, come on...wake up."

"I am." She tried to speak without moving her lips. "Help is on its way."

"But, who –"

"Cassandra."

Constantine grasped her hand, leaned down, hiding her face. Noel opened her eyes. "I thought you were dead."

"And Gabriel?"

"I don't know."

Moving her head ever so slightly, Noel just saw the end of Gabriel's hand, very still, fingers half unfurled. "No." she choked, reaching for him.

Constantine grabbed her, holding her still. "Quiet, please – he can't know you're awake."

Hades had his eyes open, but they were unseeing; the chant seemed to fill the air, make it heavy. Persephone was crumpled at his feet, a pomegranate split open in her hands.

Suddenly, the red sky began to fade; a hazy light washed over them, and figures began to appear on the rim of the bowl. Noel struggled to sit up, and Constantine helped; an essence of calm filled them.

"Hades." The frontal figure descended the cliff. He had wings so long they trailed the ground, and though everything about him was pallid, they were dark, the kind you find in the very end of a cave, where light can never reach.

"Thanatos." Hades lip curled, and the chanting stopped. "How lovely of you to stop by."

"Did you really think you could get away with this?" asked Thanatos, standing on the shore. His wings tinted red with blood, and the earth seemed to breathe with him.

"I am, actually. Funny," Hades gripped the skull containing Gabriel and Noel's blood tightly. "I don't remember inviting you to my little gathering."

"You should stick to what you know, leave death itself to me. You deal with your corpses."

It was like watching a ping pong game. They went back and forth, until Hades was suddenly struck, as if by ice; he froze, eyes widening. "Not. Him." He managed to choke out, and Thanatos laughed.

"The girl outsmarted you, Hades." He peered around Hades, looking at Noel. "Do you even know what you did, girl?"

Noel shook her head. "I didn't do anything."

"Well, I'm sure one day you will figure it out."

Another figure appeared, and Noel just knew he was Zeus – he was carrying a fucking lightning bolt. Oddly, he was wearing a pair of cut off jean shorts and a pinstripe blazer. "You interrupted my dinner, Thanatos."

"Apologies, but it's not every day that Hades tries to kill the entire planet."

Thanatos turned to the people behind him; a figure, draped in dark gold cloth shrugged. "I could put them to sleep?"

"Just wait Hypnos, we will be joined by a few others." Said Zeus; his voice sounded like rolling thunder.

"Not much else you're good for." Another laughed.

Hypnos scowled. "Shut up Aether, you make air. How useful."

Since Hades had not moved in quite a while, Noel scrambled out of Constantine's hold and pulled Gabriel to her, letting out a sound that could have come from an animal.

"No." she begged, running her fingers down his face. "Gabe, please. I never –"

"Noel?"

Lola stood above her, tears pouring down her face. Constantine and Stephan held her hands as she opened her mouth, once, twice: "Is he –"

"I don't..." Noel couldn't stop shaking, and reached for Lola's hand as she dropped to the ground beside her.

"You love him." Lola looked at Noel with teary, mossy eyes. There was nothing hostile or jealous in that look, only understanding.

Noel could only nod, and let her eyes carry over Gabriel's face. Was he breathing? She couldn't tell, the movement was so small. Her chest seemed to be imploding.

"May I assist you?"

"Dad." Gasped Lola, falling back; she reacted as if Apollo was the sun, and she couldn't stand to look at him.

"Hello, Lo. May I?"

"Please."

The God kneeled by Gabriel, taking his stiff limbs in his pale hands. "Hades really did a number on him." He glanced at Noel. "How are you even awake?"

"I don't know, honest." Noel was desperate, and she gripped Gabriel's other hand. "Please help him."

"I'll do my best." Apollo closed his eyes and placed his hands on Gabriel's chest. The only sound was breathing, the muted conversation of Zeus and the Fates deciding what to do with Hades.

And then there was life.

Gabriel sucked in a breath, choking on it as he did so. His eyes opened wide, and her turned his head to his friends, Apollo; he looked at them with such relief Noel began to sob again.

"Holy fuck." Stephan murmured, and Constantine let out a sigh of relief.

Lola was rocking back and forth, holding herself. "Thank goodness you're not dead."

Gabriel was gasping, eyes on the sky. "Is everyone –?"

"Fine." Noel said quickly, stroking his hair back. "Everyone is fine."

A/N: Just a little disclaimer, the Gods are my own creation really, personality wise. If something is irregular in what you know about Greek Gods, just - I know, okay? I'm just having fun.

Anyway, hope you liked it! Leave your thoughts, please!

Rose