Checkmate || OUAT Fanfic || DISCONTINUED

Chapter 17; 99 Problems

"It's awful not to be loved. It's the worst thing in the world... It makes you mean, and violent, and cruel."

~ John Steinbeck, East Of Eden

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Malcolm's P.O.V

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    "How is he?"
    "He's fine."
    I flinch as the fire pit in the middle of the room roars, sending sparks flying everywhere.
    "Don't lie to your king, you useless coward!" Hades snaps, his hair flaring.
    Technically you aren't the king.
    "Answer my question!" he demands.
    "He's barely coping," I reply honestly.

    There's no point of lying to him. He'd torture the answer out of me if he even thinks that I'm lying. Perspiration drips down my back as the Lord of the Underworld glares at me.
    "When the two of you stepped into my kingdom I thought that I'd be welcoming the deadly duo. But no, instead I'm given an frail old man and a lovesick teenager," Hades mutters bitterly.

    He's better than you'll ever be.
    I bite my tongue, refraining myself from saying anything that would cause my grandson and I harm.
    Hades sighs, rubbing his temples as he does so. "I wish those blasted fates would stop ruining the best villains by introducing them to an impractical thing like love. It makes them soft, and weak."
    I actually pity you for not having anyone.

    "In all due respect, why do you care about Peter and I?"
    Hades leans forward in his throne. "Because, Malcolm, the two of you are quite well respected here. Word has gotten out that you two are the only known people who've survived the infamous Dark One's wrath. Not only that, you've somehow managed to remain in between the state of life and death for many centuries."

    "Your grandson is also equally as impressive. He had only started learning about the art of magic at such a late age and yet he's managed to strike fear in the hearts of grown men and he's only, what, twenty?"
    "He's turning twenty one," I answer.
    Hades waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. "That is still quite impressive for one so young. I can see why my subjects both respect and fear the two of you."

    "What's this about, if I might ask?"
    "The reason isn't important yet. I just need to know if the two of you are on my side," he says. "I need to know if the two of you will stand by my side when I need you or if the two of you'll just take off and run."
    "So you basically want us as your pawns?"
    "To put it bluntly, yes," Hades replies, nodding.

    "And what if we refuse?" I ask.
    "Well, then the two of you will find yourselves swimming in the river of lost souls," he replies.
    If the involvement of Peter didn't catch my attention, the mention of the river of lost souls definitely did. It was this river which would destroy your very existence if you just so much as touched it. There'd be no happy ending for you, just an eternity of painful suffering.

    Hades waves his hand in the air, causing a fountain pen and a contract to appear in front of me. "Feel free to decline my honest offer, but once you've made your decision, it cannot be undone."
    "I accept," I say, taking the pen and parchment. "but I can't speak for my grandson."
    Hades considers this for a second before nodding.

    "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the infamous Peter Pan does when the time comes," he says. "In the mean time, make sure he gets his act together. It's disgusting to see him so... Depressed all the time."
    I take a deep breath, keeping my temper in check. "I'll do my best, but I can't fix his broken heart."

    "The fates are really getting on my nerves for giving him a soulmate," Hades growls. "I was told that he was the most ruthless person since, well, since The Dark One. But he's acting like a lovesick puppy."
    I grit my teeth, forcing myself to keep a straight face as I sign the contract. If Hades wasn't a God, I'd have killed him many times over for what he's been saying about Peter. Love isn't weakness, it's strength.