Abaddon loved every home that his family had lived in.
However, this was the one that was by far his favorite out of all of the places that they had ever stayed in before.
Because it was just he and his family that lived there.
No servants, butlers, or maids of any kind, just his beloved wives, his children, daughters in-law, as well as his sisters and aunt.
To him, this was his family’s sanctuary, and the place where they truly got to enjoy each other’s company without any interference from the outside world.
There were no pressures of their thrones, of godhood, or even to be conquerors.
And since Valerie had made this place according to the deepest wishes and likes of everyone who would be living there, the place was like a literal paradise that they hardly ever wanted to leave from.
With it floating above the city, it was also the perfect symbol for the people of the fact that the Tathamet family would always be watching them.
So it was that much more surprising that Abaddon blew it all to pieces after hearing Persephone’s last words.
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
Pieces of the great castle rained down onto the city below before it was stopped by an unseen force.
High in the sky above, the children who were in their rooms sleeping or doing other activities were all looking around as if they couldn’t believe what was happening.
First they had a room, and then poof! No room!
Apophis held two of his wives under one arm, and the third sat atop his shoulders as he tried to find the source of the problematic explosion.
He found his older sister in a similar predicament as he was, his younger sister in footie pajamas and wrapped in a blanket, and his youngest sister was holding her doll in her teenage form, looking relieved that it hadn’t suffered any damage.
“This is… new.”
Looking to his side, Apophis found three of his mothers all wearing their sleep attire and wrapped up in blankets just like Mira.
Clearly, they were just as alarmed as their children were about what had taken place.
They were all looking down at the scene underneath them, where Abaddon was backed by his remaining six wives as he held two beings in the air by their necks.
Tatiana: “I wonder what we missed while we were sleeping…”
Lisa: “It has to have been something big…”
Bekka: “No kidding… It’s been a while since I’ve seen him this angry.”
In all fairness, the concern of the girls was entirely warranted.
Abaddon who looked sleepy and unassuming a few seconds ago, was now the polar opposite.
His eyes were a burning pool of violet magma that shone brighter than the largest star in the cosmos.
His red claws had grown to practically twice their normal length, and strange black scales had grown to cover his face and arms.
All of his perfect white teeth had sharpened to a dangerous point, and when he spoke a blood red glow could be seen coming from the back of his throat.
The horns on his head became larger, thicker, and more demonic looking like they had in the past.
His vibrant white tattoos that covered his torso and arms became a denser, more unfeeling black, and the hair on top of his head became something like living flame.
The air around him literally vibrated with malice and power; dying the entire sky red.
Camazotz and Persephone were both struggling within his grip that was unnatural even for a god.
Even the bat god who was several times larger than Abaddon in this form could do nothing but struggle hopelessly in his grasp.
“Look… at… me.”
Persephone and Camazotz tried to follow the instructions of the demonic sounding man who literally held their lives in his hands, but it proved to be to no avail.
His eyes were simply burning too intensely in this moment… just like looking into the sun, it was so bright that it felt like needles were being poked into their eyes.
“I… Said… Look… At…ME!!”
His prisoners forced themselves to look into Abaddon’s burning eyes, and theirs immediately began to water.
Especially the bat god Camazotz, who famously spent all of his time hiding in the dark.
“M-Mercy…! Mercy!”𝗈𝑽xt.𝐜𝗈𝕞
“Shut up.”
The air vibrated with power, and Camazotz felt an invisible force hold his jaw closed.
“If either of you… have dared to speak a falsehood to me, I will unburden you from your lives in this and every alternate timeline..!”
He brought lifted Persephone closer so that he was eye to eye with her; much to her alarming dismay.
“Especially you. If you have dared to play any kind of tricks, not only will I not spare your mother, but I will skin her in front of you a thousand times over before I slit her neck!”
“I-It’s not a falsehood, please believe me..! Hades is the only one who’s underworld is connected to the world where you come from, so all of the souls that die end up there! I-Including your family members!” Persephone explained.
Because Hades had the best conduct and temperament out of all of the death gods, Asherah had given him special permission to be one of the only gods who had access to her world.
As evidenced by the fact that he had a dungeon tied directly to her domain that inadvertently supplied him with bits of divine power.
Abaddon couldn’t tell if Persephone’s confirmation pissed him off more or less.
He and his grandfather definitely had not always gotten along, but they had a mutual respect and love for each other just because they shared blood.
They were family.
And family was untouchable.
Anyone else who failed to take notice of that would always pay the price.
“You… do you want to live?” He asked.
“Y-Yes!”
“V-Very badly!”
“Then here is what is going to happen.” Abaddon said dangerously. “The two of you pea-brained imbeciles are going to put your minds together and think of a way to get myself and my armies into Hades’ realm.”
Both gods felt their eyes goes wide as saucers and their sense of dread reached an all time high.
“C-Camazotz doesn’t recommend that!”
“H-He’s right, you cannot do something like that!”
“Are you miserable lumps of flesh… actually daring to tell me what I can and cannot do..?”
“P-Please, just listen to us! Hades’ realm isn’t like Helheim, any of the gods can come there at any time if they so desire, because the atmosphere there is not potent enough to damage the living!
They will arrive with their full abilities in tact and you will be under siege from all of them in an instant!”
Abaddon’s body began to visibly tremble.
Though he was confident that his own abilities would be grand in the future, he was not proficient enough with them right now to fight off an army of gods.
However, it would normally have been a risk he was willing to take, were it not for another point of concern.
His people.
The bulk of them still were not ready for combat and real war.
They were still being instructed on how to use their new and devastating strength, alarming magical capabilities, and growing accustomed to using their monstrous new bodies.
If he tried to take them into battle now, they would fare little better than rabid wolves.
And even if Abaddon was unbelievably angry, he could never rashly jeopardize the lives of the people who loved and worshipped him with everything that they had.
There were some lines that… he just could not cross.
Frustrated endlessly by the present situation, he threw his head back and let out a powerful roar that made every pebble, spirit, and vibrator in all of Sheol tremble violently.
For the sensitive eared Camazotz, the dragon’s roar was several times worse than Eris’ sonic song from yesterday, and it immediately passed out with both of it’s ears bleeding terribly.
“P-Please, quell your anger, Abaddon!” Persephone cried. “T-There exists a way to get your revenge and save your family, b-but you must be patient!”
Abaddon closed his mouth and stared down at the harvest goddess as if she were a bug that had gone on unsquashed for too long.
“My patience wears thin with every second that my family’s souls sit within the grasp of an olympian!!”
“I-I understand that, b-but please… Nothing bad will happen to them while they are with Zeus, s-so there is no need to worry! I can still help you get your revenge and save them, as long as you can wait for the endwar!”
Briefly, Abaddon recalled the last time he had heard those words from Lucifer himself, and he felt his curiosity surging.
“The final clash of the heavens and hells upon the earth…” he said thoughtfully.
“Y-Yes, that’s right… No one knows when exactly it will be, but all of the signs say that it is soon to come!
If you can only wait till then, I can bring you all of the info you could need on all of the god’s plans in the meantime so that you can avoid all of their schemes!”
Abaddon fell silent once again, his personality still as menacing and fiery as before.
“…Alright, goddess. You have successfully prolonged your life and that of your mother pending a review of your usefulness.”
Persephone started to get excited, but Abaddon temporarily tightened his grip around her throat.
“But… I am not a man known for his patience. If this glorious war that you’re speaking of doesn’t happen soon enough for my liking, then I will indiscriminately mow down any greek god who has ever drawn breath on my path to save my family. Do you understand me?”
“Y-Yes, of course…”
“Wonderful. Perhaps you aren’t as dumb as I’d thought.”
Abaddon released Persephone and allowed her wayward spirit to live without pain for the first time sense this whole ordeal began.
Using his free hand, he made a cut on his palm and drops of golden blood came dripping out.
Some fell into the mouth of the sleeping Camazotz, and the other fused with the spirit of Persephone.
“W-What is this…?”
“Insurance.”
Camazotz woke up and licked his lips excitedly as if he were on a monumental high.
“T-This, this…!”
“You’ve both worn out your welcomes… So before I jeopardize our new agreement, I will give you some very profound advice…”
Abaddon tossed the bat god out of his grasp like he was a pair of dirty socks.
His eyes finally stopped glowing, his teeth and hair returned to normal, but his demeanor was the most frightening that it had been all day.
“Run!”