Chapter Text
"Mom?"
Zagreus stumbled forward, falling as he rounded the bed.
"Mom!"
His arms immediately encircled the woman on the bed in an embrace. His arms went right through her. His non-tangible, astral projected - whatever new form of bullshit this was - wouldn't let him touch her, just as he couldn't touch people from inside the darkness. Still, it didn't matter. She was here! She was alive!
Zagreus knelt, squeezing his eyes shut as a rush of emotions overwhelmed him.
"God! Mom I - I didn't - I thought you - I'm so happy you're okay!" Zag's voice broke. It seemed even as some kind of ghost he could still cry, though the tears did not physically manifest, he felt the heat behind his eyeballs and the weight rolling over his cheeks.
Persephone stared at him. Her face was unreadable. Then she stuck her hand out. Reaching through him. She pulled it back in confusion.
"Mom?"
She stared at her hand. Eventually looking back up, her eyes unfocussed. "Who - who are you? How did you get in here?"
"What?" The smile on Zag's face slowly faded. "Mom... Mom it's me? It's Zagreus!"
Persephone tilted her head. Her brow furrowed. "Who?... why can't I see you?" Suddenly her face went pale. "Did Mother send you?"
"Did... what? Mom what are you saying?"
Persephone shook her head violently, her hands coming up to grab at her bangs in distress.
"Mom!" Zag reached towards her in alarm, but she jerked away from him.
"Get away from me! Who are you!?"
The machines by the bed began to beep loudly. Zagreus turned to them in panic, not understanding what was happening. Suddenly the woman on the bed began ripping the wires off of her body. She ripped out her IV line, causing blood to spurt out over the clean sheets and floor.
"Mom! Stop! You're gonna hurt yourself!" Zagreus tried to stop her but he could do nothing in this state.
"Don't! Don't touch me!" She flailed her arms wildly. If Zagreus had had a form right now she would have been punching him about the head and face. "I don't want this! I don't want any more treatments!"
"Mom, please! Please! I don't understand!"
"I - DO NOT WANT - THIS."
Zag's lip trembled. "I - I don't... "
"LET. ME. GO."
"What?... I didn't -"
"LET ME LEAVE!"
"Mom..." The incorporial tears were pouring down his face. He held up his hands in a desperate plea.
"Love... that's enough."
Zag turned to the new voice.
Hades stood behind him. His red eyes set like coals into black sclera.
He didn't so much as glance at Zagreus, his eyes fixed upon the terrified woman on the bed.
Persephone stared at him. Her confusion growing by the second.
"Who are you!?" She screached, attempting to pull herself up. Her bangs fell around her head like a messy halo. She raised her hand, and one of the plants by the bedside trembled before crashing to the floor, Its roots writhing and squirming like a sentient creature.
Zagreus stared at it.
"Tell Mother I won't do it! I WON'T GO BACK! I DON'T WANT THIS!"
"Persephone, your mother is not here. I will never let her anywhere near you, I promise."
Hades, reached out a large hand. Taking hers in his gently, and running his other hand over her head, soothingly. "I promise, you are safe here. She cannot hurt you ever again."
Persephone began to cry. Her wild eyes darting everywhere before they settled onto Zagreus who was still kneeling on the floor. His mouth agape.
Through her tears she glared at him. Her eyes shifting to his left eye.
"Why? Why won't you let me go? Why won't you just let me die?"
Zagreus felt like she'd stabbed him with a knife.
"Wh-what..."
"LET ME DIE!" She screamed, lunging towards him.
Hades stabbed the needle he'd concealed in his huge palm, into the side of her neck. Depressing the plunger, to administer the sedative.
Persephone immediately fell forward. Hades catching her before she toppled off of the bed. He sighed, Gently cradling her lifeless body for a moment before carefully placing her back in the bed, and rearranging the sheets around her.
"Zagreus." The giant man said. He did not take his eyes off of Persephone as he spoke. He was carefully tidying her hair, brushing her bangs out of her face, and rearranging her braid. Grabbing a baby wipe from on top of a table by the bed, he began cleaning the blood from her arm.
Zagreus stared up at him as he worked. Still in shock. Hades sighed, in annoyance.
"Zagreus. If you are speaking right now, shut up and listen. You are currently detached from your body, I cannot see or hear you, but I can sense you. You need to return..."
Zagreus exhaled. "Wh- what's why doesn't she remember me..."
Hades looked down towards him. Or towards where he assumed he was. "Lad... I have no inclination to beg you, but you just saw how unstable she is. Seeing you, in this state, will likely send her into another panic, and that- " With one of his massive hands, he pulled down the collar of Persephones' blood spattered gown, exposing the line of staples running down the center of her chest.
Zag's eyes grew wide.
"-that would be bad for her new heart."
Zagreus stared at his mother's breastbone. At the evidence of her having been ripped open and stitched back together.
"Lad. Please. I promise, I will explain all of this to you. And I swear to you, that she is safe here. She is recovering, but too much stress could cause her to relapse. Or worse, could cause the heart to fail. If you care about her as you say you do... if you love her. Leave. Your body is in my office. Just go out the way you came."
Zagreus pulled his eyes away from the line of staples, focusing on the red eyes of the vampire in front of him. Hades, for once, did not look contemptuous, He didn't look angry, or frustrated, or stoic. He just looked tired.
Slowly, Zagreus got to his feet. In a blink he was gone. Slipping back into the comforting warmth he so craved.
Hades sighed in relief. Then went back to tending to his wife.
The voices fell to a hush, as Zagreus pulled himself upright.
He looked around him. The aches and pains of his body, finally returning.
Achilles knelt by the couch in front of him, while Patroclus was next to him, his hands on his shoulders. Zag belatedly realized that his head had just been in the larger man's lap.
On the opposite couch, sat Director Nyx.
Thanatos and Megaera were nowhere to be seen.
"Lad." Achilles reached out to touch his cheek. Zag blinked, turning his gaze to his caregiver's concerned face. "God, Zagreus are you alright? What happened?"
Patroclus, wrapped an arm around him. "Why are you crying stranger?" He asked softly. Passing him a tissue.
Zagreus blinked, realizing that tears were still falling from his eyes. And based on how they felt, it seemed his body had been crying for a while. He grabbed the offered tissue in his shaky fingers. Using it to clean up his face.
"...she doesn't remember me." he muttered.
Director Nyx closed her eyes. Exhaling softly. Patroclus and Achilles glanced at each other.
Zag turned his red rimmed eyes to her. "Where is he?"
Nyx pursed her lips. "He will be back shortly. When the alert came through that her heartrate was spiking, he went to check. I assume you were the cause."
Zagreus stared at her, unblinking, then slowly, nodded. "What's wrong with her? Why did she tell me ... why can't she remember?"
Nyx opened her eyes, but before she could respond, a deeper voice answered.
"She has been through an incredible amount of trauma. Physically and mentally."
They all turned to the desk, where Hades now sat, Fingers folded neatly before him, as though he'd been there from the beginning.
His eyes met Zag's and he sighed. His expression turning grim as he looked away from his stare.
"As I said, I will answer all of your questions. Just know it may take a while..."
"I've got nothing but time." Zag murmured, his voice ragged.
The giant vampire nodded. "I'll be succinct all the same. She - Persephone is in recovery after a major surgery. She received a heart transplant roughly fifteen days ago, and regained consciousness eight days ago. Before that, she has been here, on life support. She has been in a medically induced coma for approximately three years."
Zagreus shifted. Staring between Hades and Nyx who both looked away from him. Neither willing to face the scrutiny of his gaze.
Hades was the first to make eye contact again. "So far, she is acclimating well to the new heart - We are observing her closely in case of rejection and she is on a wide array of medications, that I believe you - " Hades nodded towards Patroclus, who sat staring at him silently. "Have already seen the list of."
Pat exhaled. "I have... though I have many questions regarding the specifics of what you're giving her." Pat paused. "Although I am by no means versed in Dhampir biology- I have perused the Director's notes on the matter quite thoroughly. So I am incredibly confused as to why there are no immuno-suppressants or antibiotics listed in her treatment plan. If she were a full vampire, I would understand, as the presence of vampiric cells would make them redundant, but I was under the impression that the presence of human cells posed an issue too? Also, if I may be blunt, why the hell are you giving her Clozapine? I fail to understand why that is in anyway necessary..."
"Pat... please." Achilles sighed. He sounded exhausted. "Not medically trained. Nor is Zagreus."
The director raised her hand. "If I may interject. For the laymen here. Persephone is currently on a schedule of medications quite standard for human transplant patients. However her treatment excludes drugs that would suppress her immune system-"
Pat folded his arms. "Indeed, you mentioned fearing her body may reject the donor heart, so to not be giving her drugs to stop her immune system killing the organ, seems insane."
"And you would be correct doctor, if the heart was a donor but it is not. It was always hers."
"I fear I do not understand."
Lord Hades sighed. All eyes turned back to him. "The heart that we put into her, was grown. Here, in our labs. Using a combination of her own cells and... mine."
Patroclus looked gobsmacked, but before he could say anything Zagreus was already speaking.
"Why?"
"Why, what?"
"Why did you replace her heart?"
Hades looked slightly taken aback. "I assumed since you grew up with her, you were aware of her illness..."
"I am. That is not what I am asking you." Zag's eyes began to glow softly. Pat squeezed his shoulder, and Achilles squeezed his knee.
Hades sat back in his chair, his brow furrowing. "What exactly are you asking me?"
"Why would you? Why would you, Lord of nothing, and Leader of the Third Faction, give a singular shit about helping grow a new heart for a dying human woman? If she escaped from the cult, why would she come to you?"
Hades bared his teeth. "As I told you, boy, I care for her. Deeply. More than you could possibly know."
Zagreus bared his teeth right back. "And like I told you - She is MY mother. The hell business is it of yours."
"Because she is MY wife!" He snarled. His eyes ablaze like ignited magma.
Persephone threw her head back, laughing hysterically, as thick, thorny vines, whipped across a line of humans. Knocking them down like mere toys.
Ares smiled up at her, throwing his sword, in a precise arc that decapitated the next row.
They fell lifeless to the earth, their spears clattering about their headless bodies like toothpicks.
"You'd think they'd learn to not just run forward in a straight line." Persephone chuckled. Kicking one of the helmeted heads over towards Ares, who picked it up and after ripping the helmet off to examine the corpses eyes - tossed it away behind him.
Persephone giggled. She honestly could not remember a time when she'd had so much fun, or felt so free. "You know, given that I have never been in battle. I thought this would be challenging."
Ares tilted his head at her. "Sincerely? You have never experienced the thrill of battle? I find that hard to believe."
Persephone shrugged. "Mother would never have permitted it. She is so set on the idea that I be her perfect maidenly blossom, sat upon her gilded pedestal. Unsullied by the filth of this world."
She sighed.She was sure her mother would have a heart attack if she could see her current appearance. Her hair had long come loose from its braid, and now dangled haphazardly down her back. Her White gown was drenched red with blood, and her feet were as bare as when she'd been in the temple.
"It's too bad I was already born corrupted. My own father's filthy blood, is the reason I will likely not live to see the look on her face, when she discovers where I am. She'll never see how powerful I really am..." Persephone's face grew cold.
"You are indeed powerful. I must say, your technique is one I've never seen before. Aside from the Head of Cthōnos, I have never heard of one of our kind with such incredible control over their thrall. It had not even occured to me, that we could move plants to our will."
"Plants are living things Ares. Just like humans and animals. In some way they are far superior." She raised her hand, a row of thorny bushes sprouting beneath the feet of a group of running soldiers with bows. The thorns extended, instantly impaling their legs, in a manner more effective than any arrows they could loose.
Persephone grinned. Her eyes wide. She could feel her heart pounding to the rhythm of the war drums. Their screams forming a ballad to her sheer unbridled power. "They dig them up and cover them with stone, yet still they grow. They destroy their temples, their cities, their empires... And when the last human is gone they will still remain-"
Ares nodded. Though he didn't seem to be listening. "A poignant thought... but a moment. It seems re-enforcements have arrived."
Persephone glared at him for interrupting her monologue. "Re-enforcements? For what? I thought we were having fun here? Or did you choose a side while I wasn't looking?"
Ares laughed. "Well I suppose in some regard I have. My ultimate alignment is to myself. But... if Uncle is currently forming his own faction against Olympus, I suppose my preference for today is that sister's army be obliterated. It would be a nice change of pace for father to understand that Athena is not undefeatable." His eyes sparked with malice. Then suddenly his face fell. "Although... I would not want to upset her..." He put his fingers to his lips in thought. "Hmm."
Persephone raised an eyebrow. Her own eyes aglow. "Ares, as always, I have no interest in discussing your family matters. Kindly point me towards a real challenge, as I grow bored of these weaklings."
"Ah..." Ares pointed behind them. "...well I suppose the Cthonic army's humans tend to be more robust... Even their dead, fight with conviction."
"Great, is that them approaching?"
"Yes... but -"
Persephone was already walking away, picking up a handful of dirt, and a discarded short sword as she went.
---
Before her were soldiers adorned in pitch black armor. She squinted. They looked odd... Their movements were... jerky. It reminded her of how the first vines she'd ever enthralled moved, uncertain and lacking elegance. As she looked closer the individual soldiers also lacked the same order in their formation as the golden armored ones.
She shrugged, humans were humans afterall.
She tossed the handful of dirt at her feet. Instantly, a carpet of clovers, moss and undergrowth began to sprout from it, thickening and spreading out towards the oncoming army. The mossy growth, spread over their feet, quickly climbing their legs and cementing them in place. Mushrooms began sprouting from them, as the undergrowth set roots into their rotting flesh. Persephone gazed in awe at the beautiful sculptures they'd become. Wondering why that hadn't happened with the golden clad army.
She shrugged. She didn't have time to ponder. Her heart was already straining as it was. Grinning, she lifted the sword, and began hacking.
Some time later, Persephone was still going strong. Dancing and twirling over a sea of moss eaten corpses. Laughing and slashing away at the neverending torrent of enemies surrounding her. Ares had been right. Even when she downed one of them, unless she also hacked off their limbs, they would get back up and continue. It was astounding. She guessed they were being controlled by someone. She wanted to find them and ask how they were able to enthrall dead things.
"ENOUGH!"
Persephone glanced up, panting from the exertion. Oh, it looked like she'd not have to go looking for the one controlling these corpses. As she straightened up, readying another handful of soil, she froze. Her heart began pounding for reasons aside from overexertion.
Before her was surely the most beautiful woman she'd ever laid eyes on. And her mother's attendants were all arguably attractive. But not one of them could hold a candle to this woman.
Her long hair fluttered around her like a raven's wings. It was as black as the night sky, and glittered with tiny diamonds like stars. Her eyes in contrast, glowed as gold as the sun itself, standing out against her pale face. Her high cheekbones and dagger edged brows made her look like a goddess. Persephone could certainly forgive herself for wanting to worship such a woman.
She was so immediately entranced, that she almost didn't notice the soldiers around her all halt. Falling to their knees. She glanced at them in awe and confusion.
"Who are you child?" The godly woman was suddenly in front of her. Persephone had to crane her neck to look up at her. Gods she was tall. The girl felt her heart flutter.
The woman clicked her tongue, as Persephone remained wide eyed and tongue tied. The sound made her cheeks redden. "I- I am - uh... hello." she squeaked.
The woman tilted her head. "Hello. I asked you a question girl. Where do you hail from? What is your purpose here?"
Persephone blinked stupidly. It was suddenly very hard to swallow. The woman did not seem amused. As Persephone continued to stare dumbly, the obsidian haired woman produced a long blade from behind her. The edge writhed like smoke, while the silver handle glinted in the sunlight. It was adorned by strange skulls, purple gems in their eye sockets. She pointed the blade at Persephone. "I will not ask again. Who are you? Are you Olympian?"
"N-no!" Persephone dropped her own blade, raising her hands in front of her. "I ... I am no one ma'am..."
The woman stared at her. Tilting her gorgeous head, which caused her hair to fall over her shoulder. Persephone stared at it. It was so straight, it fell like a black waterfall, unlike her own messy curls.
"No one? And why would no one destroy half my army?"
"Uh... I... I apologise. I did not know they were yours."
Suddenly a deeper voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Nyx! What are you doing over there? The Atheneans are that way."
The tall woman turned, her sword vanishing. Before them, a collosal man wrapped in a red cloak, ascended the slope of the hill they were standing on.
He wore little armor, save for a red and gold helmet, adorned by two massive horns. Between them sat three gold hound skulls. As Persephone stared, she realized his eyes were the same firey red as Ares', but they were set in sockets, pitch black. Persephone's mouth fell open. She'd never seen anyone that looked like either of these two. But even with her limited knowledge of the world, she could tell they were regal, beyond what she was used to. She suddenly understood why it was that the humans that frequented her mother's temple spoke of their gods with equal amounts - fear and adoration.
"Hades. The woman said. She sounded slightly irritated. "I was in the process of interrogating an interloper. Or would you prefer I simply ignore the one decimating half our army before we've even arrived at the battlefield?"
The huge man - Hades - scowled. "I do not understand why that is taking you so damn long. Eradicate the problem and be done with it - wait..." The man's eyes grew wide. As he finally stepped up next to the tall woman. "...the disturbance was... a child?" Even without the horns, he was slightly taller. He was certainly broader in the chest than she was. Persephone couldn't help ogling them. Her curiosity at their forms, superceding her own feelings on basic social etiquette.
"I was also surprised." The woman stated mildly.
"Gods... what are the Olympians thinking!? Have they truly lost all sense of pride!? Sending children to the battlefield!"
"Er... pardon me."
Both of the titans turned to look down at Persephone, who clenched her small fists. "I am not a child. She said indignantly."
They both blinked at her, then looked at one another. Appearing to silently exchange words.
The man finally grit his teeth. Turning away "Ugh. Do as you please Nyx. Unlike you, I have no patience to deal with unruly infants."
The woman rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me!" Persephone's eyes flashed. She took a step forward. "As I said, I am no child. And I will not be ignored." The earth beneath Hades' feet cracked imperceptibly.
Hades laughed. It was deep and mocking. " If you know what's best for you, you will cease obstructing our work and go back to your mother. This is no place for a whelp."
Persephone narrowed her eyes. "What the hell did you just call me?"
The man turned back, about to chastise her, when a taught vine slashed across his face, forcing his head to the side and causing him to stumble.
"What!-"
Persphone closed her fists, the vines that had been slowly climbing his ankles had reached his calves, They contracted and pulled, causing the giant to crash down to his hands and knees before her. They continued their climb, wrapping over his back and tying him to the ground.
"Nyx! W - Why are you just standing?!"
The tall woman folded her arms. Examining her nails passively. "Apologies, are you requesting my help in handling 'an unruly infant' Hades?"
Persephone smirked, her heart thudding in her small chest - the smirk slowly faded. She blinked several times, her breath slowing as darkness clouded her vision.
"What is - Oh!"
Persephone fell to her own knees. Coughing up blood onto the earth.
It was just as Ares had said it would be, spectacular... And now she could die with pride. It really had been a good time, she just wished she could have talked more with the goddess woman. She smiled softly, before the world went black.
"...taking in strays Nyx! We have no idea where she came from! Regardless of what Ares says, she's obviously an Olympian!"
"What Olympians do you know that can do that with mere vegetation Hades?"
"The high Matriarch can grow expansive verdure. I have witnessed it!"
"Demeter has never done more than produce plantlife, she certainly has never demonstrated the ability to weaponize it!"
Persephone sighed, sitting up and rubbing her aching head. "That's because she can't."
The two titans - Nyx and Hades she assumed - stared down at her.
Nyx frowned, kneeling so that she and Persephone were eye level.
"What do you mean?" She said. Her voice soft and calm. She was even prettier up close.
Persephone glanced around. They were inside some kind of tent. She realized she was lying on a soft pile of cotton and woolen blankets, she didn't think the afterlife consisted of expensive linens. So she must still be alive, even after she'd run her heart through its paces.
She looked back at the woman. Her golden eyes were no longer glowing, but they still sparkled with otherworldly starlight.
"I mean, my mother can only make plants grow. Like you said. She cannot control them like I can."
The titan woman glanced up at her partner. He was no longer wearing his cape or helmet. Persephone stared at him. She hadn't noticed before, but he had a broad mustache. She'd never seen anyone with a mustache before... the clergymen who ran her mother's healing temple were explicitly clean shaven. She wondered if it was soft.
"Nyx. Do not listen to a word out of that brat's mouth. She is clearly an Olympian spy."
"Excuse me?" Persephone growled. "I am no such thing. How dare you."
The man scoffed. Folding his massive arms over his chest. "If not a spy, then what are you? You don't seem like much of a threat, but I've been wrong before."
Persephone's eyes flashed green. "I am no spy!" she snarled.
Hades sighed. "She was something, even back then. Fearless, and unyielding. A force to be reckoned with. It was the reason she caught our attention. And why we eventually conceded to let her lend us aid. She quickly proved all of my misgivings wrong and proved herself a competent warrior and a skilled tactician, in spite of her youth, and her worsening condition."
"If it was not for Persephone's contributions to our research, -" Nyx cut in. "- we would not know half of what we do about Dhampirs... I am personally grateful to your mother Zagreus. Without her, I may have lost my first child...
Nyx smiled sadly. "All that she had endured before we met her, she used to give us the tools to help others." Nyx' expression fell. "Though, even with all she did to help, Charon must still bare the scars of our failures..."
She pressed her hand to her mouth. Inhaling before putting it down. Hades glanced at her sympathetically.
"None of that was your fault Nyx..." He sighed. "Still... Persephone, gave her very soul to our cause, and she wanted nothing in return. Not even a cure for her suffering. She always said, a life of pain was better than no life at all... and she exhibited more life than anyone I had ever met. And more strength than I or Nyx had ever seen. Even as her heart deteriorated. "
Patroclus glanced at the two elder vampires. "You say that she... contributed to your research... yet... my understanding is that there are incredibly few Dhampirs. Far too few to form a proper study."
"You are not wrong..." Nyx sighed. "What Persephone gave was insight into her own condition. She'd spent her entire life with her mother attempting treatment after treatment. And each failure gave her insight into the potential issues that could come from the presence of a vampiric blood... and a human heart."
Patroclus was silent.
"As you know doctor, we are still pathetically ignorant on the workings of our own anatomy, let alone that of the Dhampir children. Your own research... has helped us come closer than ever to understanding why we vampires are as we are."
"My own research?"
"The vampire hearts, Patroclus."
"..."
"Tell me doctor. In your papers, you theorize that the vampire heart, uses the human heart to grow and propogate new cells -"
"Er... yes?"
"So what would you theorize would happen, if vampire blood cells already existed, within a body containing only, a human heart?"
"I - I have no idea... I suppose, the cells being incredibly efficient and... erm... vitriolic. May prove detrimental if the thing pumping blood, was not up to scratch."
"You would be correct."
"I -" Pat sat straighter. "Oh..."
Nyx nodded. "We came to realize when I gave birth to Charon, that there seems to be a chance - a coin flip - that a Dhampir may be born with a human heart or a vampire heart. It may be that our ability to procreate via bite, is the way in which we've evolved past this issue. For, if a child is born with a human heart, the properties of their blood will eventually prove too much for their body to handle... that was the cause of Persephone's condition."
Patroclus' brow furrowed, "... my apologies... so Charon..."
"Charon is also a Dhampir. Like Persephone. Though unlike her, he was born with a vampire heart, albeit a defective one. With her help... with her blood, we were able to stabilize him."
Zagreus looked up. He'd not said a word throughout the recounting of how they'd met his mother.
"If my mother is a Dhampir, like Charon, but her heart was... the wrong one. Does that mean that now she won't be sick? That she won't need to have transfusions anymore?"
Nyx nodded. "That is what we hope... now that she has a vampire heart, it should be able to handle the potency of her blood, but... nothing is certain Zagreus. It is why she is still so fragile... We... we have seen, the process fail before... badly."
Hades nodded. "Nyx is understating the severity of what we have witnessed. You are all familiar - I assume - with Conversion?"
Achilles blinked. "Yes? but conversion is a process to empart humans with vampiric strength."
Hades nodded. "You of course remember well Achilles. We discovered rather early in the Dhampir studies that transfusing our blood into humans resulted in a temporary increases in their abilities... But as you are aware. The experiments always failed. The toll of our blood on their hearts and other organs, always proved too much, and the humans always died."
Achilles' eyes narrowed. "I have learned from your first enforcer, that you did not - in fact - abandon those experiments, as you told me you would. Am I to take it, that the reason for this was Persphone?"
Hades nodded. "You are correct. I will not ask for your understanding. Nor will I apologize for anything other than lying to you Achilles. I did indeed tell you that we would leave the experiments, but I had no intention of doing so. I could not afford to, not if they could help us save her... We - I have comitted attrocities... to keep her alive, for just a little longer... and I would do so again. Even knowing that she did not wish for it."
Patroclus' brow furrowed deeper. "If you could elaborate... I am still unclear on the process for conversion?"
"It is different now. But conversion, involves a full transfusion of vampire blood into the human subject. Originally, to quell the strain that vampiric cells have on a human body, we also transplanted a small piece of a vampire heart into the one being converted. Before you ask -" Patroclus closed his mouth. " -These samples were obtained from the battlefield. The Athenean army, under control of Olympus was creating their own soldiers, through more traditional methods. Though they could not produce soldiers in the same quantities as we could, not for lack of trying. The majority of hearts we collected were from Athena's army... I am sure Ares has told you of his sister's... talent... for creating newborns.
Regardless... We discovered that implanting the hearts could temporarily mitigate the instability. Temporarily being the key word. Nowadays, those who choose to go through conversion are given a synthetic transplant before the transfusion, that seems to entirely prevent all of the undesirable symptoms."
"The undesirable symptoms being?"
Nyx sighed. "Our next attempts at Conversion found that while the implants helped, the strain would still eventually prove too much. In short, implanting vampiric tissue seems to drive humans to madness. Our first few experiments resulted in the victims, having full psychotic breakdowns, resembling schizophrenic episodes, followed shortly by heart failure."
At the look on Achilles' face, she added. "The synthetic implant now prevents this entirely. Those who have undergone conversion in the last decade have all shown no signs of the breakdown."
"That's so fucking comforting." Achilles growled under his breath.
The Director sighed. "I also do not seek forgiveness Achilles. We did what had to be done, for the sake of our loved ones... for our children. But your opinions of the Council - of us, are valid." She ran a hand through her hair.
"Yet even with all the advancements we made - a synthetic implant would not work for Persephone. We already tried it, to disasterous results. It is why we had to grow an entirely new heart for her. And the reason for the Clozapine. It serves as a precautionary measure. Just in case we are wrong about what caused the first Conversion experiments to fail. "
Nyx glanced at Zagreus. "We do not think your mother is at risk of a psychotic breakdown, but we did not wish to take any chances. Hence her medications currently include anti-psychotics - Clozapine being the main one. And the current side-effects of the coctail of drugs she is on, can at times be... worrisome."
Hades scoffed. "That's to put it mildly... Some days are better than others, but I still feel this is far better than her mind breaking, or her heart exploding... and once she is off the drugs. Her cognition will hopefully return. Right now, she is on the path to full recovery."
Zagreus said nothing. His face was blank and emotionless, as he absorbed the torrent of information.
Persephone said nothing. Her face was blank and emotionless.
Hades frowned. "Darling... did you hear me?"
He leaned forward to look at her face, halting his pace, so that her wheelchair, also came to a stop.
"I heard you Hades."
"...yes... then..."
"I will not do it."
"But sweetest -"
Persephone closed her eyes. Exhaling deeply. She lifted her head to look into his sorrowfilled eyes. Her own softening. "Hades... you know I care for you, and Nyx, very much. You two have become the family I always wished for..."
Her lower lip trembled.
"Persephone... we love you dearly. I love you dearly. That is why I just want you to be well... you've responded well to the blood transfusions. If the transplant works -"
"Enough, Hades." She closed her eyes, opening them again to look up at her new husband, her expression unreadable. "Hades... there is no cure. There is no solution for me being this way. I know that is hard to accept my love. But I would rather spend what time I have left with you, enjoying what we have built together, not desperately struggling to find a cure that may or may not even work."
"But beloved, what if it does? Would you not even try? For me... I do not wish to continue any of this... not without you."
She sighed. Leaning back in the chair. "Hades I - I am just so tired. So tired of trying... I do love you. Do not doubt that, but...please... believe me. Mother already tried everything, and she denied me a life because of it. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. I know you love me, I do, my heart. Just as much as I love you. That is why, I will continue to drink from you, and do the transfusions for as long as it will sustain me...but do not deny me my freedom in the name of love. Promise me Hades."
Hades squeezed his red eyes shut, a tear falling onto the soil. "I... promise... I will not."
"Hades... I do not agree with this." Nyx pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed in concern as she watched him prepare the needles.
"Nyx. I do not require your permission, I require your help."
Nyx wrang out her gloved hands. "This is madness... we don't even know if it will work, and it will be incredibly painful for you regardless!"
The huge man looked at his oldest friend pleadingly. "Nyx... she needs a stronger heart. The transfusions aren't enough anymore! There is a stronger heart, right here." He pointed at his massive chest. You've seen me go through worse. It's only a miniscule piece anyway."
Nyx grit her teeth. Hissing softly, as he climbed onto the operating table.
"You are a god damned fool Hades... As it seems, am I." She pulled up her surgical mask, leaning over the tray of various scalpels.
Nyx and Hades were silent. They both looked at the office carpet. Their faces awash with shame.
"...you did the heart transplant. Even though she didn't want it." Zagreus, stared at them. His hands folded in his lap. A shadow over his eyes. Both Pat and Achilles' arms were wrapped about his shoulders.
Hades shook his head. "We... did not... not until recently, that is.
By the time I recovered from surgery, Persephone had already left."
He put his hand over his eyes.
"I tried to hide what we were doing from her... but... nothing ever escaped her notice. She discovered what I did. And she left me, for breaking the promise I'd made."
Nyx exhaled. "I assisted her in leaving. Although Hades and I have always been aligned in our goals and... some of our beliefs, I loved her too much, not to observe her wishes."
Hades looked up at Nyx. "I still respect your decision. I betrayed her trust, and because of that betrayal, I lost what little time we could have had together. You put her happiness above my selfishness Nyx. You did the right thing, when I could not."
Nyx sighed, shaking her head slowly. "If I knew then, what I know now. I would never have let her leave." She looked up at the trio on the opposite couch. "Three years ago, I received a call from Persephone. I had thought then that she had already perished but... she called me. When I traced the call, I found her in an awful state. She had somehow managed to escape from the hospice, but... they had already begun bleeding her... she was close to comatose..."
Zagreus made a small noise in the back of his throat. Inhaling deeply.
"We got her stabilized, but her heart was in no state to sustain her. We had no idea where she'd been or what she'd been doing for the last two centuries, but... well we now know you and your mother had a very rough time... and it was clear her heart had not faired well through it all. So we had to put her on a biVAD ... on a machine that performed the function of a heart. We had... Hades had continued the research even with her gone. At that point we had managed to use the tissue sample and her leftover blood to grow several non-viable hearts. I think... you can deduce the rest. We finally obtained a viable heart a few weeks ago...but..."
Hades, put his hand in front of his eyes. "But... we had to know if she was willing to try. Granted, she was already on a miriade of medications and stabilizers, which for anyone else, would have made them ineligible of making such a decision for themselves. I was fully willing to go through with the surgery, regardless of whether she refused... but to our surprise, when we woke her up... she told us that she wanted to live..."
Nyx nodded. "Specifically, what we could get from her was that she desperately, wanted to survive... that she felt she needed to - to find her son."
Zagreus exhaled.
"We obviously assumed that she was delusional from all the drugs... at that time we were both under the misconception that Dhampirs were infertile. Still... it was possible that she may have adopted a boy in her time away... but then... she gave a description. Of a little boy, with pitch Black hair, whose right eye, was red, and whose left eye was green, just like hers..."
"Sorry..." Patroclus furrowed his brow. "I still do not understand how... well... uh... Zagreus is only 19..."
Nyx looked up. "As far as we are aware that is correct. And it is also correct that Persephone left us some 200 years ago."
"Uh... right... but uh...So to be blunt, if we are certain this Persephone is Zagreus' biological mother... then his biological father..."
Nyx rolled her eyes.
Hades sighed. "I fear Doctor Pelides, that we are equally baffeled by that... But there is no denying it... his eyes... the mere fact that he can enter the darkness. I am, without question, this boy's father."
Zagreus sighed, finally looking into the older man's eyes, his own right eye, an exact copy, and glared at him.
"No. You aren't."
"Boy, there is no point in deny-"
"NO." Zag cut him off. Standing to his feet, his mismatched eyes boring into Hades' "Because first of all, fuck you. Second of all, any idiot with a dick can have a kid. That doesn't make them a father. A father - is someone who would be there, when their kid was growing up. A FATHER - would have been there when their kid's mother was slowly wasting away in front of them. A FATHER - Would be doing everything they could to find their son, the second their mother told him, he existed. You, Lord of Nothing, Are NOT my fucking father."
The room was silent.
Zagreus dedicated one more painful second to staring the giant man down. Before he turned and walked to the door. He turned back to the room. "I'll be back tomorrow to discuss moving my mother as soon as she can be moved." And with that, he left. Letting the heavy door slam shut behind him.
Achilles and Patroclus, had stood when Zagreus had. Now they looked at each other, mouths slightly open. Patroclus was the first to speak. "We still have much to discuss... but..."
"We are going to tend to our fledgling. If you'll excuse us."
"Hades nodded. Not looking up from his folded hands as Achilles and Patroclus hurried past after Zagreus.
Nyx stood by the couch, her eyes squeezed shut.
Standing by the elevator, Pat exhaled deeply, grabbing Achilles' hand as the blonde looked around, slightly disoriented, now they'd left the dimly lit office into the oppressive synthetic light of the hall. He assumed it was already dark outside.
"Come love, let's hurry home. I'm sure he'll need some time and space for a while, but we can make sure he knows we are here for him as well."
Achilles nodded. His face a mask of concern. "Do you think... fuck. Should we try to talk to him right now or..."
"You can talk to me whenever. I won't bite your heads off." Zag pushed the down button next to the elevator door. Looking dejectedly up at his caregivers.
Achilles would never admit it, but he jumped slightly. He was certainly not used to being snuck up on. That was usually his modus operandi.
"Zagreus!" Without any hesitation, the blonde, reached across to pull the small boy into his arms. Patroclus extended his own arms around both of them.
"We thought you'd already left stranger."
Zagreus looked down guiltily. "Oh... right. Sorry about earlier... I - uh... I felt like it was urgent so -"
Achilles shook his head. Herding them onto the elevator as it arrived. "There is no need for apology. Frankly, given the utter chaos of the last few hours, I am simply glad to have you back with us, in one piece. We can sort out everything else now that you're safe."
"That includes your feelings about all of this." Patroclus added.
They stepped off the elevator and made their way to the car, Pat - for once - allowing Achilles to cling to Zagreus in the back while he drove.
Zagreus sighed, leaning into the blonde who cuddled him close, despite the seatbelt wrapped around him.
"Yeah...about my feelings on everything..." Zag muttered. "Pat... I don't suppose you know exactly how much alcohol I'd need to consume to get like properly black out, can't remember my own name, drunk, do you?"
Patroclus chuckled. Starting the car. "As it happens, I do. However, I am certainly not going to provide you with that information, nor the alcohol."
Zag smiled, closing his eyes while listening to the slow beat of Achilles' heart. "Didn't think so."