The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter XXI: Cerberus

Hercules alighted onto the beast's back, much to its chagrin, simultaneously seizing the ears of two heads in his mighty grip.  His muscles tightened with the strain this horrific game of tug of war. Hercules grinned as the dog bucked and roared in a bullish attempt to dislodge him. He jumped from its neck still holding its ears tight in his grip. He slammed the animal hard into the floor. It yelped in surprise and pain. Hercules ran to the side of the hull and then through a series of leaps was able to grab an enormous chain that dangled from the ceiling.

He swung side to side faster and faster to pry one end of the chain loose from the ceiling of the ship. The beast danced and bounded on the ground below him, yelping and snarling. The vessel quaked under the repeated impact of the monstrous hound.

It did not take long for the creature to lose interest in Hercules and turn its attention on much smaller prey. It began slowly stalking Cornelia its jaws vibrating with a deafening snarl as it edged closer and closer to her frozen figure. Hades cried out for her, awakening her from her fear. She looked around for some hiding place and ran toward the closest wall. She laboriously climbed up the jagged edges of the metal wall. Desperate to be out of reach. She could feel its hot breath on her foot as Hades pulled her out of reach.

Hercules continued to swing. He made strange calls trying to garner the attention of the monster as he worked. After several more tries, Hercules was able to wriggle the large chain loose. He swung on the chain to the other side of the room calling out a long warbling 'Aaaaaa' sound as he sailed through the air.

The effect was perfect the beast was completely distracted by the strange sound and charged him again. Hercules spread his legs wide his fingers outstretched and wriggling in anticipation. The beast's jaws loomed over him. Just as they were about to close on him, he leaped away, and again the creature only tasted his shadow. Hercules had jumped high in the air. He landed between its shoulder blades. The creature's heads spun and snapped at him. Gifted with an android's speed and agility, he was already gone. Still gripping the massive chain in his hands, he continued this motion creating a choker around each neck.

When as he tied the third neck he dove down to the floor. He spun around just in time to land hard in a powerful kneel. He pulled hard on the chain choking the beast and bringing it crashing hard to the metal hull below.

This time the creature did not get up. Instead, it whimpered and raised its legs to the sky, producing its vulnerable belly. Hercules pulled once more on the chain. He wrapped it around an enormous pillar tying welding the string together with his hands. He secured the creature to the ship and then sidled over to the beasts vast belly and scratched it loudly yelling "who's a good girl!"

The beast's tongue lolled out, and its leg thwacked the floor repeatedly as it happily accepted the attention.

Cornelia's jaw dropped as she clamored down to the ground and she slid down the ladder. Her legs crumbled under her as she landed. She ran to Hercules' side and attempted to stutter out a question about what just happened. "What is happening?"

Hercules looked up at her and smiled. "I love dogs! You show them who is the alpha, and then they are loyal forever." He beckoned her over. "Come give her a scratch."

"Her?" Hades questioned loudly from his side of the room. He was much more reluctant to approach the beast.

"Come do what now?"Cornelia said in shock. "That thing was trying to kill us. She held up her boot still coated in drool. Look! She was just about to eat us."