Today wasn't a date with Mitsuri, instead I had decided to take the whole family out for a day of adventure before I dove feet first into Tartarus.
Mitsuri giggled behind her hand as our kids dragged her around the museum 'Ooing' and 'Ahhinh' at the different things they saw. Chaos gremlins… every single one of them.
And by my mothers name I loved them all.
Ai had practically been vibrating next to me the second we stepped into the American Museum of Natural History. Even more so when we stepped through the Metropolitan Museum of Art hours later.
Her pink hair swished with every movement she made, her eyes sparkled as she looked at all the exhibits.
"Papa…" Ai whispered conspiratorially, "you know how museums have priceless artefacts right?"
"Yes." I answered flatly, already knowing where this was going.
"Like, priceless artefacts… and they're barely guarded."
"I'm aware."
She leaned even closer, eyes turning into crescent moons as she smirked. "We could totally pull a heist."
"No."
Ai, not fazed by my refusal, skipped over to Akira who looked at her with a combination of shock and admiration as she whispered something to him. He looked like he was dangerously close to being roped into whatever plan Ai had in mind for her 'heist'.
The twins did their best to ignore their older sister. Himari and Hikari held hands as they walked a little ahead of Mitsuri.
Once in a while they'd stop to admire a display. Himari was surprisingly super into the art exhibits. Hikari just offered hums of appreciation and occasionally would remark on the art after reading the display placard.
Mitsuri fell into step next to me, her fingers twisting into mine.
"I'm glad we're doing this Darling." She muttered as we watched our kids.
I hummed, "Me too." Then kissed the side of her head.
We eventually made it to the Asian Art department. Hikari and Himari stood before a mural still hand in hand.
"This is Edo period… look at the brush strokes Neesan." Hikari pointed out.
"It's pretty." Himari added.
I saw a few tourists nearby blink at what they probably thought were very knowledgeable kids.
We moved through the museum like a migrating family of very conspicuous flamingos. I was used to the attention, Mitsuri was just getting used to it. But our kids took it differently.
Hikari waved at strangers like royalty. Technically she was so… fair.
Himari waved back at people waving to Hikari because she thought they were addressing her. To be fair, they were identical so it didn't really matter.
Akira ignored all of it, and instead scanned everything as if he was looking for escape routes.
Ai absolutely absorbed that attention like it powered her life force.
She pointed at a porcelain vase with golden veins. "Papa… just hear me out. Hypothetically…"
"No."
"You didn't even hear out the hypothetical!"
"It's you… I don't need to. I already know what you're thinking."
She gaped at me with wide eyes. I felt a tendril of her power brush against my mind.
"We're not stealing anything from this place, Ai." I thought out to her so she could hear me.
She pouted cutely, it could have cracked stone.
I knew it wasn't over though, Ai had inherited one of my worst traits. The "I'll do whatever the hell I want" trait.
The more we walked the more Mitsuri clung to my arm, humming contentedly. She kept looking at the displays with childlike wonder, not because she didn't understand them, but because she genuinely found joy in everything.
It was one of the many reasons I loved her.
"Tousan I want this." Himari pointed at a set of samurai armor behind glass.
"No."
"But… it'd look so cool in my room."
"We are not putting that in OUR room." Hikari took one look at the armor and replied.
"But…"
"Neesan it looks cursed."
"Fine." Himari sighed.
She perked up almost instantly, "Tousan, can we go look for some swords?"
"…Yes, swords should be fine." I responded.
Somewhere behind us Akira whispered to Ai, "This is why you shouldn't become a villain."
"When did I say I wanted to be a villain… I'm an entrepreneur." Ai whispered back.
"Entrepreneurs don't plan to commit heists."
"They could… and they should!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Ai, sweetheart I swear to my mother, if you actually steal something I'm banning you from eating sweets for a week."
She froze.
"Okay… maybe no heist." She muttered.
"Good." I sighed.
"But maybe we can steal the Declaration of Independence!"
"Ai… we're not even in the right museum." I sighed.
'I swear… whoever showed her National Treasure is getting a Black Flash to the nuts."
"And no asking your siblings to help you steal something… this is a family day."
"FINE!"
We kept moving.
I swear, Mitsuri was glowing as much as the overhead lights did. She looked so happy, walking with our children, pointing out exhibits, laughing when Akira tried to copy the faces on paintings, patting Himari's head when she got too excited and giggling every time Ai tried to sneak closer to something behind velvet rope.
All in all, a perfect family day.
[Scene Break]
We spent hours wandering around the museum, and by the time we reached the Egyptian wing, the kids had gotten up to their usual dynamics again.
Ai leaned over a railing, green eyes sparkling with whatever plan she had.
"Papa… listen."
"No."
"You didn't let me finish!"
"I don't need to."
Akira patted her shoulder, "Dad's right…"
Nearby, Hikari tugged on Mitsuri's sleeve. "Okaasan, I want one of these in my room." She said while pointing at a sarcophagus.
"Wait! Why would I want THAT in our room, you said my samurai armor looked cursed… this thing is definitely cursed!" Himari cried out.
"Neesan, there's no curses here remember." Hikari looked at Himari with a confused expression.
"Why you…"
Before they could argue, Mitsuri hummed as she stepped closer to the brightly painted reproduction of some pharaohs sarcophagus.
"It would look good as decoration." She put a hand on her cheek as if thinking about where she could put it.
I sighed, "Love… not you too."
Mitsuri giggled, "What? We have lots of space… we could use some more decorations. I think it'd make a good display stand for my sakuramochi tray."
I exhaled slowly. "You're lucky I love you."
"I know!" Akira exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"We could get one then put Ai in it."
"WHY ME!" Ai voiced her complaint.
"Ai-Neechan would look good in it." Himari added.
Ai glared at everyone and crossed her arms, "I still have plenty of glitter bombs."
Akira suddenly turned away. "We're not getting a fancy coffin."
I patted him on the back. "Good instincts son."
Eventually we reached the museum cafe and got snacks.
Ai tried bribing Akira with cookies to help her acquire something from the gift shop.
The twins silently nibbled on replica space food while making faces at the taste.
Mitsuri nudged me, as she leaned on my side. "Are you having fun Darling?"
"Always," I murmured into her hair.
She smiled in that impossibly warm way that made everything else go quiet.
[Scene Break]
As the sun began to set, I gathered everyone together. The kids were showing signs of crashing from their natural sugar highs. With a snap of my finger, I teleported us all back to Camp Half-Blood.
Ai blinked blearily.
"Papa! Warn me next time." She grumbled as she stumbled back to the Big House.
Akira followed behind her, "You say that every time Sis."
Hikari quietly walked side by side with Himari. Both twins had suspiciously katana shaped packages clutched in their arms.
I narrowed my eyes at them, they smirked and kept walking.
"Papa, we're definitely doing a heist next time!" Ai shouted before she walked through the door.
"Ai…"
"IT'S FOR THE AESTHETIC!"
"I'm leaving." I announced.
Mitsuri cupped my cheeks before I could turn around. Kissing me with a bit of heat she rested her forehead on mine.
"Stay safe Darling."
'Always.' The word laid unspoken between us, but she knew even if I didn't say it out loud.
I teleported quickly to each of my kids and kissed their foreheads ignoring the sputtering from Akira. Ai and the twins made me promise to bring back souvenirs from 'hell', I would oblige them.
I am a good dad.
Then, with one last glance at the shimmering barrier around the camp.
I grinned and tucked my hands in my pockets…
…I teleported to Los Angeles.
[Scene Break]
The DOA Records lobby was as packed as it was described in the books.
I took a big breath of the stale cool air and grinned. My haori fluttering behind me as I moved through the sea of souls. My Limitless keeping them away from me as I sauntered to the receptionist desk.
The Ferryman was looking at me with his undead eyes.
Well, glaring would have been more accurate.
I hadn't even done anything… yet.
"Charon my good man… say, if I had a nickel for every Charon I knew that was a receptionist I'd only have two nickels but it's weird that it happened twice… how's it hangin'?"
He continued to stare.
"Ah… silent type. Love that for you, let me guess. Bone Man told you I was coming?"
He raised a bony finger and pointed at the elevator.
"…That a yes?"
He kept pointing. I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation.
"Alright alright… got it. Sheesh, you should smile more y'know that?"
The elevator ride down to the Underworld was as pleasant as being stuck in a metal coffin going 200 miles per hour towards eternal darkness.
When the doors finally opened revealing the River Styx and a lone row boat, I glanced at my silent companion.
"Still nothing to say?"
Charon stepped over to the boat completely still silent. I had a feeling Hades told him not to speak to me or he'd suffer some sort of mental damage.
"Hope you packed snacks…" I hummed as I stepped onto the barge. "Do you guys have a portashitter down here? What if I need to take a leak?"
Still silent, though I could see his hands tighten on the pole.
We drifted across the river, the water was as black as ink. The air was thick with the screaming souls of the damned.
"Say, Charon… what if I peed over the edge of this little canoe of yours into the river?"
His hands definitely tightened on his steering pole.
"That was a hypothetical… maybe."
I glanced over the edge of the boat into the murky water.
"What would happen if someone took a swan dive into this nasty ass water?"
Charon stared.
"Specifically… you?"
He stared even harder.
"You know what? Never mind."
He started rowing faster.
[Scene Break]
Hades' palace loomed ahead, a strange sight in the bleak landscape with the little patches of green growing around it.
'Must be Persephone's work.'
The moment I stepped off the boat, Charon disappeared as quick as he could. The ground rumbled as a big three headed hellhound scrambled towards me.
I stood my ground.
Cerberus came to a skidding stop in front of me. He dropped a giant chew toy and wagged his tail excitedly. His tail was causing some strong winds with how hard he was wagging it.
"Want to play boy?" I grinned.
Cerberus let out a booming woof. I picked up his toy with my Limitless and launched it hundreds of feet away. Cerberus bounded away barking happily.
I watched him run off and turned to the sound of a groan as Hades appeared next to me from some shifting shadows.
"Please don't domesticate my guard dog Lord Satoru."
"Nah." I smiled.
He sighed, "Fine… let's get on to business then."
"Right 'o… you had a hole to show me." I grinned.
Hades looked physically pained. "Must you be so vulgar?"
"Vulgar?" I feigned innocence.
"Whatever… let's go." He started walking away.
Hades led me to a spot by his palace, to say that it was anything but a giant fissure would be lying. He gestured towards the massive crack.
"This is the entrance to The Pit… one of many, but this one takes you straight there."
I noticed a rickety looking set of stairs. "You have a staircase to hell?"
"Yes."
"Convenient." I hummed.
Hades gave me a very, very tired look. "Before you proceed, there are some rules. Whatever you do, do NOT—
I jumped.
"Lor- YOU! WHAT THE FUUUU-
The god of the dead's shout was lost in the rushing wind screaming past my ear.
[Scene Break]
I fell for a long time.
To be fair, I wouldn't have taken the stairs even if I didn't have powers. That seemed tiring, my legs twitched just at the thought of trudging down those steps for hours.
Still, I had been falling for a good few minutes.
The air grew colder, thicker, almost heavy with the kind of malevolence that would get the King of Curses riled up.
Six Eyes worked overtime to analyse my surroundings as I fell. Mostly rock but occasionally there were scraps of cloth or bones from some unfortunate person that fell in before me.
Eventually I slowed myself down and hovered a few feet off what looked like a raging river below me.
It was a river, I could feel the cold radiating from the water. The rapids in the river sent shards of frost into the air.
'Must be that river that Percabeth fell into in the book. Cockytits? No that's not it… whatever.'
I teleported myself to the shore with a crack of displaced air. The 'gravel' crunched beneath my feet prompting me to look down.
The entire shore was made of jagged shards of glass. Stretching for miles I saw no end to the glass shoreline.
The air that hung around the river was thick with a light green misasma. Likely position, thankfully my Limitless barrier blocked out all sorts of physical and magical attacks. I doubted anything could actually even get through it with all my recent power ups.
"Stylish." I muttered, "a tad dramatic… but definitely up there in style. Not very drama-"
A massive gout of flames erupted from somewhere in the distance.
"Theres the drama." I grinned.
"Alright then Tartarus…" I cracked my knuckles. "Let's see what you've got to offer."
And with that the ground rumbled ominously beneath me. The air vibrating with monstrous howls in the distance.
Tattoos blazed to life on my skin as four sets of eyes opened. I gave a fanged grin.
"Show time."