II. Gods and Monsters

28. The Fire and The Fury

Silence fell. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. Metatron was finally finished. But this was not the end. There was still one problem that needed to be solved. They all knew it.

Hades started a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"After everything that has just happened, you still feel the need..." he didn't even bother to finish, he just turned and started to walk away.

"You may have been innocent of one crime, but you must still answer for every other soul you have taken," Gabrielle replied calmly.

"I will not allow this!" Amadeus cried, standing directly between Hades and the rest of those present, spreading his arms out wide to shield him as much as possible. "You have hunted him over a crime he didn't commit for centuries. Do you honestly think that would not force him to take drastic actions?"

"Is that what you would call Charlotte's attempted murder?" The Rider asked.

Inside its head, Oli was surprised to feel Zarathos speak for the both of them.

"You think that when Carter saved her, the decision to try and burn his soul was simply made out of stress?"

Amadeus stood his ground. He clearly could not be swayed. He was too devoted to his master. To his friend. The Rider simply stood facing him. It was conflicted. Amadeus may have sided himself with the monster, but he himself was a good man. And he wasn't entirely wrong. Everything that had become of Hades was due to Metatron's murder of Gabriel. But the souls of the dead cried vengeance. All the innocent people Hades had destroyed in his own twisted journey for revenge. The human race had done nothing to him, but Hades had carved through them regardless.

"He must be brought to justice. No executions, no combat, simply a trial. He will be punished fairly," Zarathos decided.

"Who are you to make such claims? He is a demon, so as such..." Gabrielle attempted to argue.

"If your 'God' has a problem with this, he can come question us himself," Ghost Rider growled, gesturing its head to the mangled body of Metatron. "We're sure he'll see things our way."

"You think I'm just going to let you take him?!" Amadeus yelled, fury burning behind his normally peaceful eyes. "There will be no 'fair trial'. Any trial held will be judged by creatures like her! Creatures loyal to the being that has hunted my friend so malevolently for so long. You have all done enough. He has endured enough. Leave him be, or you will have to kill me."

The Rider's skull tilted a fraction of a millimetre towards the ground, silence falling over the room. It didn't want this, but there seemed no other choice. The man had to die.

Hades placed a clawed hand on Amadeus' shoulder.

"Amadeus. You are the most honourable being I could ever have hoped to call friend. I could not be more grateful. Thank you. For everything."

With that, Ghost Rider took a step forward, but no sooner had its foot hit the floor when, without warning, Hades shoved Amadeus aside and tackled The Rider through a ring of fire that had suddenly opened behind it.

****

They hit the ground hard, both tumbling into the opening Hades had moved them to. The very same one that he, The Rider and Metatron had had their three-way duel not so long ago.

"No more running, no more innocent lives lost. We fight for my freedom. Now!"

Blades sprung from each forearm as Hades gave a great, echoing roar. He charged The Rider down, blades whistling inches above his enemy's head as it ducked. Ghost Rider retaliated with a punch of its own that sent Hades rolling head over heels backwards. Ghost Rider closed the gap down in seconds, allowing the pair to trade blow after blow. A chain took a chunk out of Hades' armour, a blade sliced open The Rider's jacket, a fist crunched against Hades' jaw, a claw slashed The Rider's chest. The battle grew ever more intense by the second, each combatant snarling with animalistic fury, each attempting to eviscerate the other. Hades eventually gained the upper hand, landing a headbutt that allowed him some space between The Rider and himself. Hades took the chance to sprint into the woods, his enormous strides and unnatural speed allowed him to move at an incredible pace. But The Rider gave chase. A creature that large and burning so bright would not be easily lost. Through the trees they weaved, ducking branches and swerving to avoid the trunks. Hades wasn't gaining any distance, what was the point?