Xenomorphic

Chapter 23: What Matters Most Part 1

"Asteria," he said shortly. She didn't respond.

The spirits of the dead milled around aimlessly. The Flock was still perched on the trees, but their heads had turned in this direction. Thalia and Annabeth were still unconscious.

"Asteria," Hades said with more force. She was still unresponsive. The God of the Underworld sighed to himself. This was the part where he always got labeled the bad guy.

Hades snapped out his hand, back handing his niece across the face. Asteria rolled, before springing up with a dead expression. No effect.

"Pathetic," Hades drawled. "What would the Flock say if they saw you like this?"

Asteria's jaw slowly unhinged while her eyes slowly widened. Light began to appear in those poisonous green orbs. The light of anger. She grits her teeth, grinding the bones together with almost enough force to crack them. Her tail whipped about in agitation. Her claws flexed.

'I want them to be placed in Elysium. They've suffered enough in life. Their afterlife shouldn't be as mundane as this.'

Hades stared at her. "And Angel? Does she deserve to live in paradise? After the things she did to herself-to you? Even if she inadvertently killed millions?"

Asteria met her uncle's gaze. 'I killed those people. I started the fire, I flew the plane, I let my powers loose and created a storm that destroyed cities. Angel's already paid for her transgressions.'

"And if I refuse to place your friends in Elysium?"

'Then I'll bring this entire cavern crashing down on top of both of us.'

"Indeed." Hades' eyes turned pitch-black, and Asteria felt the weight on the trees suddenly disappear. "It is done."

'Thank you, Uncle.'

"Get my Helm back, and then you can thank me, Niece."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After waking Thalia and Annabeth up, and apologizing for knocking them out, but not giving them an explanation as to why that happened, the girls travelled to the River Styx. Annabeth raised the question of how they were going to get across, and her inquiry was promptly answered by Asteria letting her wings form, and taking off with a couple of screaming females clutching tightly to her forearms.

After landing on the other side of the black waters, and after giving Thalia and Annabeth time to calm their racing hearts, the girls made their way back the way they came, where they saw Charon waiting for them on his boat. The trip straight up was short and sweet, with the Ferryman commenting that he had never taken someone out of the Underworld before.

Annabeth and Thalia didn't realize it yet, because they were just relieved that they were leaving Hell, but Asteria knew. Centuries from now, perhaps even decades, or just a few years, the story of this quest would go down in the history books on the same pages as Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus. Going into the Underworld, and coming out the same way without invoking the wrath of Hades, despite there being daughters of Zeus and Poseidon on this quest, was a huge deal.

The quest exited the elevator, and all three of them noticed something was off when instead of seeing the bustling streets of Los Angeles, they saw glowing white.

"Uh, what's this?" Thalia asked.

"The final stretch of your quest," Charon answered.

Before any other questions could be asked, Asteria took the hands of her friends, and took off at a brisk pace for the door, ignoring the protests of the other girls. Charon waved at them as they left. Asteria swung her tail, smashing the door open. The light was blinding, but when it faded, shocked looks were abound.