Trickster Wukong

"You're bold to appear before me, so vulnerable. Or perhaps just stupid."

Atop a platform that almost looked as if it were placed in the middle of the sky, Kronos hunched back and cloaked, stood below the throne which Hades sat atop.

Despite the bluish hue in the air, it did little to lighten the dark frown Hades' adorned on his face.

"Tell me, Kronos, has Tartarus taken away the little sanity you had left?" 

Hades spat, these words doing little to affect Kronos as he continued to stand with a straight expression.

"It's been a long time." 

"Not long enough."

Despite the old man's voice being hoarse and weak, unfamiliar to Hades, it still carried something that confirmed to Hades that this was truly his father, enraging him further.

"I've heard the nonsense you've been spouting to the boy."

"You aim to right your wrongs? Is that the best you could come up with?" Hades scoffed.

The more this went on, the more it seemed like it was a child given the opportunity to release everything he had on his chest without the fear of repercussions.

"Although, I do believe one thing you said. It's probably because of this prophecy you had that you thought to use this child to your advantage."

"That isn't…"

"A King…those words shouldn't even be coming out of your mouth."

Hades cut him off, recalling the conversation Kronos had with Illian after the Hydra fell.

"You don't know the first thing of what it means to be a True King."

"If you aimed to corrupt the boy while he was still naive, you've most likely succeeded."

"He was already on the path of a tyrant, all he needed was a slight nudge to follow in your footsteps."

"I've had a lot of time to…reflect. In a space where you have nothing to do but wander, not even a soul to speak to, one can either go mad or become clearer than they've ever been."

Kronos spoke, Hades scrutinising him as he continued.

"From my Father, Uranus, all the way to the sins of my children, I've analysed every moment of my long life."

"What I did, what I didn't do and what I could have done differently."

"And?" Hades asked, not convinced for a second but interested in what he had to say next.

"And nothing. Nothing I can say will make you change the way you think of me, nor, ironically, can I go back and change the things I've done. I must live with them."

"But just know…I have repented."

Silence descended as the two stared at each other.

But despite Kronos' seemingly sincere words, it did little to change Hades' expression.

"A leopard can't change its spots as a wicked being cannot change his ways." Hades raised his hand as he pulled it back.

"Live with these delusions you have and the sins of your past for the rest of eternity." 

He finished, prepared to swipe his hand through the air and send Kronos back to Brontes.

However…

-SHATTER!!!!

-BOOM!!!!!

The air above the throne room suddenly shattered as if space itself was overpowered. 

Out came a black pillar, shooting into the ground between Kronos and Hades with a BOOM.

Kronos remained stoic, Hades too until a tinge of dissatisfaction crept upon his face, evident by his knotted eyebrows and pursed lips.

-TAP TAP TAP

In the next second, this dissatisfaction only increased as Hades watched a boy step out from behind the pillar, an arrogant grin painted across his face.

"Hades, what an honour it is…"

He started his grin widening, his bright golden eyes a direct opposite to Hades' dark abyss for eyes.

"...For you to finally lay your eyes upon me." 

The corner of Hades' eyebrow twitched as Illian mocked him.

'Is he crazy?!'

Grimnar hid behind Ruyi, curled in a ball as he sweated heavily, listening to Illian speak.

He wasn't even looking at Hades and all he wanted to do was run due to the ominous aura in the air.

He didn't understand how Illian was so calm.

Grimnar remembered the last words Illian told him before they entered the throne room.

"How do you expect to survive till Persephone returns?" 

"That's easy…We stall."

Grimnar stared with a blank face as he pinched the bridge of his nose soon. 

He knew Illian well enough to know he wasn't joking.

"How the hell do you expect to do that?"

Illian grinned.

"That's easy. I do what I've always been good at before all this nonsense entered my life."

Standing before Hades, Illian stood stern before the throne, the grin never leaving his face.

'I bullshit.'

"I'm glad the Throne Room is less gloomy than your Private Chambers."

"Seriously, I thought you were going to play the part of a demon lord and be all emo-like." 

Illian joked, looking around the area where the bluish hue shone down from what seemed like the sky in the distance.

'Good, it's working.'

Illian noted, quickly glancing at the shattered space above, seeing it try to heal but unable to with Ruyi obstructing it.

A second of silence passed as Hades looked the boy up and down.

He didn't know what to focus on, whether it was the heavy scent of death exuding from the boy, concentrated around his sickly hands.

Or perhaps it was the fact his aura seemed to do little to the boy. 

'It must be the effects of the River. Since then, I've had a small connection with him.'

"So, you're the child who tricked Olympus." Hades, seemingly regaining his composure, spoke.

"I had no intention of interfering with the trickery you engaged in with Olympus, but I soon started to follow along with your adventure. You surprised me."

"It's nice to meet a fan. But wait, tricked? Why, I don't know what you mean." Illian shrugged innocently.

"It's clear by now you've had your own agendas for coming here. You were prepared."

"From freeing Kronos to knowing where the palace was and its infrastructure. How does a human know such things?"

Illian didn't answer, silent as he continued to watch.

"It's quite disappointing. A child with as much potential as you, yet you won't live long enough for me to see what you could have become."

"Not so fast."

Illian raised his hand.

"My arrogance isn't so large as to come here just to mock you." 

Hades did ask himself this, and had it been anyone else, he wouldn't give them the luxury to speak any further. 

But this time, his curiosity couldn't help but be piqued.

"Hades', I've come to bargain."

Hades raised an eyebrow as Illian said this.

"Let me save you your breath. I have no interest in your weapon."

"Or are you one of those who believe I want nothing more than to conquer Olympus for myself?"

"And what is it that you want? A way to dispel that peculiar curse on you, perhaps? The one that is going to kill you very soon."

Illian took note of this. 

He didn't know how long he'd been here, so he didn't know how much time he had left. 

And according to Hades, it wasn't very long.

Despite this…

"No, I already have a plan to deal with that."

"Then what is it? And what could you possibly offer me…"

"Persephone."

Hades paused as Illian cut him off.

"I can give you Persephone."

"What kind of joke is this?" Hades snarled, his dislike for the boy growing the more he spoke.

"It seems you don't know as much as I thought. I already have Persephone."

"Do you? Every god and their grandmothers know Demeter would do anything to have her return."

"Do you really want to look over your shoulder for the next aeon?"

Hades stared at Illian as the boy saw this, continuing.

"You know deep down if Persephone had the choice, she'd run without looking back. This relationship is one-sided, and you know it." 

Hades' expression remained the same, quiet as Illian spoke.

"What would a child know?"

To this, Illian puffed out his chest.

"My Grandpa taught me everything about love. How did he say it?"

"Ah, yes. Love? It's just a fancy word for a good time; we Hales have our share and leave the rest for the amateurs."

"From what I can see, you're an amateur. Let Daddy Illian help." Illian pointed to himself, holding back laughter.

Hades' face contorted as he clicked his teeth, unable to keep a straight face any longer.

"I'm surprised Zeus wasn't opposed to you leaving the Underworld and directly kidnapping one of his own." 

Kronos, a few feet behind Illian, added as Hades sneered at him.

Despite this, Illlian's smile instantly faded as Kronos' words repeated in his mind.

He slightly lowered his head as countless thoughts ran through his mind.

Those words were like a little nudge that toppled a chain of dominos.

"I'll enjoy watching you suffer in Tartarus for eternity. Your fun ends here…"

"It was Zeus," Illian muttered, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What?" 

Illian looked up, his arrogance gone as he met Hades' gaze with an expression of realisation.

"Zeus…he told you about Persephone. That's how you learned of her and that's why he turned a blind eye to what you did."

The rage in Hades' expression disappeared as it returned to its stoic self while Kronos stared at Illian, then turned to Hades and saw his expression.

As his father, he knew what that expression meant, prompting him to inwardly smile as he looked back to Illian, letting him continue.

"It all makes sense now."

From the second he entered Olympus, Zeus' treasury was something he constantly heard about.

Including the fact that Zeus was a sucker for collecting artefacts.

Coming to the underworld and speaking with Persephone only confirmed this further as she revealed Zeus and Hades often traded.

But above this all, Illian knew one thing. 

Zeus was petty.

There was no way he'd allow Hades' to run wild like he did.

"Unless he was bribed…or perhaps it was him who initiated the exchange in an attempt to obtain something you had."

Illian finished, unknowingly revealing everything running through his mind.

"That's all you have to go off? Circumstantial evidence that has not a single shred of facts behind them?"

"I don't need solid evidence. Because I'm a scumbag. And that's exactly what I'd thought of to get what I wanted." 

Illian snapped back, and as the seconds passed, he stared at Hades' straight face, the grin returning to his face.

"You're easy to read. Tell me, what was it that he wanted?" Illian's heartbeat leapt upon knowing he was right.

"Enough…" Hades muttered, his stoic expression faltering as he raised his hand.

"With everything you've done, it will be an insult to my honour to condemn you to anything less than eternal torture. Get out of my sight…"

"That's disappointing. I guess it's been about five minutes now, right?" 

Illian took a step back, pressing his shaking hand onto the staff.

"Shrink!"

-VWIP

Silence descended as Illian grabbed Ruyi with his tail, noticing the space above quickly heals.

"She…didn't do it," Grimnar muttered, wide-eyed and standing timidly a few metres away.

But Illian didn't share this sense of failure, instead standing with a straight face.

-TING!!!

-TAP!!!

'Yes!'

Illian grinned widely as two items dropped before him.

As Illian laid his eyes on it, so did Hades, prompting him to widen his eyes and almost leap out of his seat in surprise.

"Hades...I win!"