"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight."

- Sun Tzu

                                                                                         ***

Sirius lunged blindly forward, hands grabbing at air. A scream of rage from Galloway ripped through him, tearing the wolf clean from his human skin. His fur bristled along his spine, his claws slipping on the smooth stone beneath him. Blurry shapes and smears of color moved around him, his vision finally starting to return.

He snarled, snapping his teeth as he stumbled forward, following his nose toward his heart.

"Sirius." Hades' voice was annoyed. "Sit."

His ears snapped flat, a deep growl shaking his chest as his hindquarters were pressed to the ground. The darkness swirled around him, chittering in his ear. It sounded angry, but he couldn't tell who it was mad at.

Give her back, he roared, throwing the words at Hades as hard as he could. Give her back! She's mine! His claws squealed against the rock as he heaved against the order keeping him pinned. Something between a howl and a scream erupted from his throat. 

"Be silent!" Hades snapped, waving a blurry hand.

Sirius' throat closed off, making him gag. His entire body shook as Hades' magic held him in place. His vision continued to clear with every passing second, and what he saw made his heart pound.

The Hell-gate was before them, a twisting snarl of blackened metal and bone. Blue flames danced in the curves of the gate, letting off a pungent smell of sulfur and the acrid scent of burning bone. Before it, the black stone was scored by curving white lines. They joined and crossed together into a massive pentagram that seemed to glow despite the gloom shrouding the gate.

Sirius rubbed the clotted blood away from his eyes with shaking hands, squinting against the light coming from the gates. What he saw curdled his blood with fear and rage.

Hades stood staring up at the gate, a hateful, hungry expression on his face. He held Galloway's wrist with one hand, the other holding Alex by her hair. The girl was staring at the lines of the pentagram beneath her, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Galloway had twisted around to look at Sirius, but wasn't making any effort to fight against Hades. Her gaze was the only thing keeping him sane as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop what he'd started.

"Sirius," a voice whispered. "Sirius, please."

He turned his head with difficulty to realize the other two Hunters, Logan and the other Alex were sprawled on the stone beside him. The only one missing was the faerie prince. Hades had apparently thought his presence unnecessary at the gate.

Caleb was staring at him, eyes huge and dark in his bloodless face. Rick was looking back and forth between the Alex beside him and the one held by Hades. The free Alex sat in silence, staring blankly up at the gate.

A small wash of doubt swept through Sirius, but he held his silence. He'd made a decision. Right or wrong, perhaps it was time to face up to the consequences—to stop trying to bargain his way out.

That course of action hadn't really worked anyway.

"Don't let him do this." Caleb pushed up to a sitting position, his entire body shaking. He was bloody and bruised, his hair in lank strands around his face. Even as he spoke, his eyes strayed back to the Alex held by Hades.

Beside him, Rick seemed to have decided Sirius had told the truth. He was fighting against the magic pinning him down, his muscles twitching spastically as he tried to reach his sister. His eyes blazed bright gold, Sekhmet's magic keeping a steady influence, though every now and then it would slip. His canine teeth would lengthen to jagged fangs, fingernails curving into vicious claws. The monster inside was slowly gaining traction as terror and rage got the better of him.

"Don't let him do this," Caleb said again. "Please."

Slowly, Sirius transferred back to his human body, his knees pressing painfully into the ground. "It's not...up to me...anymore," he said between labored breaths.

Everything was back to the way it should be, with Galloway calling the shots. She was good at that. Much better than he was at any rate. She had decided that opening the gate for Hades was worth it. Her word was gospel to him.

Hades barked a laugh. "You say that like anything was ever up to you, Siri."

It was almost tempting to laugh along with the god, even if what he was saying wasn't particularly funny. It was true, at the very least. Perhaps that was what made it funny, in a bleak sort of way.

The god let out an anticipatory sigh, loosening his hold on Galloway. She jerked her wrist away from his grasp, her head bowing as she rubbed at the skin Hades had touched. Even from where he was, Sirius could see how hard she was shaking. He just didn't know if it was because she was scared or revolted.

He wondered if she would hate herself for this. At this point, he was sure she would hate him.

Hades bent and pulled Alex to her feet, his movements almost tender as he brushed some of the hair from her face. Alex glared up at the god, leaning back as far as Hades' hold on her would allow.

"My little almost-angel," he crooned, tracing a finger down the line of her throat, right over where her pulse was beating rapidly beneath her skin. "The final puzzle piece. None of this would be possible without you."

Alex's brows furrowed, and she opened and closed her mouth twice in confusion. Sirius looked down, feeling the collective burn of the Hunters' gazes being leveled on him. He didn't know why Alex was so important, but he did know she was Hades' only ticket out of Hell.

And he'd just handed her over. 

His eyes flicked up to Galloway. She was frowning at Alex, arms crossed protectively over her chest. Sirius could almost see the wheels spinning in her head as she tried to work out what Hades meant.

"People don't come back from the dead all that often," Hades said, obviously delighting in the chance to gloat. "Even more rare is one who is washed clean by the experience." He suddenly turned and pointed a finger at Caleb. He was lifted into the air, the toes of his boots barely scraping the ground. "I really should thank you, Hunter."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Caleb asked through gritted teeth, hands clawing at his throat, like he was trying to peel fingers away.

Hades grinned, glancing down at Alex. "I wonder, was it love for you or love for your brother that prompted him to make such a sacrifice?" Everything had gone still as Hades spoke. "Not that it matters," he continued. "Though...I suppose one might be more potent than the other."

All eyes were on the Hunter as he struggled against the force holding him afloat. His eyes stayed pinned on Alex, who stared back at him. Sirius remembered a brief flash of conversation from what felt like a million years ago—a confession of what she thought was a one-sided love. Not that Sirius was an expert by any means, but the devastation on Caleb's face challenged that idea.

Again, doubt swooped through him, turning his stomach.

Then Caleb dropped to the ground with a painful thud. Hades, bored with the Hunter, turned and shoved Alex into the middle of the pentagram. She stumbled but managed to keep her balance. Her hands trembled at her sides even as she lifted her chin.

"I'm tired, Galloway," Hades said. "Amusing as your little friends and all their internal drama are, I grow weary of waiting."

But Galloway wasn't paying attention to the god. She was still staring at Caleb where he was lying on the ground, struggling to breath. "Alex," she whispered. Her eyes drifted over to the girl in question. "Alex Winters."

Alex frowned. "Yeah...?"

Galloway shook her head, looking somehow even more drained.

"Nothing is by accident," Logan rasped, his worried eyes pinned on Galloway. 

"Indeed." Hades looked sickeningly pleased with himself. Then he bared his teeth. "So, since this all appears to be rather fateful, there's no real use in fighting it." He turned to Galloway. "Wouldn't you say?"

Not gracing that with a reply, she simply held her hand out. Hades smiled and pulled a knife from a sheath at his belt. The blade shone white in the gloom, one edge jagged, the other smooth and razor sharp. He held it out to her hilt-first. Galloway stretched her hand forward, but couldn't seem to bring herself to touch it.

"No," Caleb choked out. "No. Don't do this. Please, God, don't do this."

Hades tsked. "The God you're referring to has really, very little to do with any of this." He let out a short laugh. "If you feel the need to entreat a deity, you might try the one in front of you."

"Could I entreat you to fuck off and let us go?" Caleb retorted.

"Perhaps I could cut the tongue from your mouth," Hades said, though he seemed more amused than anything. When Galloway snatched her hand back and glared at him, he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Relax. I will do no such thing."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you," Galloway said, her gaze once more going to where Alex stood in the center of the pentagram, swaying on her feet.

"Believe that I will keep my word," Hades said, shoving the knife into her hands. "Your life rather depends on it." He grabbed her chin, turning her face toward Sirius. "More than your life."

Blood dripped steadily from Sirius' palms where his claws were buried in the flesh there. He locked eyes with Galloway, wishing desperately that he had Rhys' gift. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking. An idea flitted through his mind at that and he allowed a brief crack in the wall around his mind, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Galloway. Can you speak with her?

There was no response from the witch. Sirius tried again a little louder, but still nothing.

Galloway jerked away from Hades, shaking her hair back. Her chest heaved with nervous, shallow breaths as she approached Alex, who backed slowly toward the gates. She licked her dry lips, continuing to move back toward the gates as Galloway moved forward, strained determination on her face.

"I can't just let you do this," Alex said. "I can't just let you open these gates. Not when we don't know how to shut them." She took a deep breath. "I have to stop you from letting anything out."

Galloway nodded, a sad expression crossing her face. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"No!" Caleb roared as Galloway leapt forward, slashing at Alex with the knife. He tried to run toward the two women, but Hades flung up a hand and Caleb went flying backwards. He smashed into Rick, sending both Hunters rolling across the floor. 

They scrambled to their feet just as the edge of the pentagram flared a bright blue. Magic rippled up toward the ceiling, much like the curtain of a stage being lifted. An opaque barrier wrapped around the two women, trapping them within the bounds of the symbol carved into the ground.

The magic holding Sirius suddenly loosened as Hades' attention turned completely toward the two women. He bolted to his feet, watching in breathless anticipation as Alex and Galloway darted around the pentagram. Rick and Caleb ran back toward them, skidding to a halt when they realized there was nothing they could do.

Rick turned to look at Sirius. "I'm going to kill you," he said, voice deadly calm. "When this is done, I'm going to kill you."

The only answer Sirius felt he could offer was a nod.

Alex ducked and dodged the blade as Galloway swung it with ruthless efficiency. Ruthless, but not murderous. Sirius could see the hesitation before every swipe of the knife. And she was limiting her targets, only aiming for non-lethal strikes. He was shocked to find himself grateful for her restraint. It was a wonder to him that she possessed any at all.

She paid for that restraint, though. Alex made no effort to return the favor. She fought like a wildcat, managing several times to land brutal blows on Galloway. Sirius watched with held breath as Alex struck out with a fist. He growled at the nasty crack that signaled a broken nose. Galloway swore, her hand coming up briefly to cup her face but didn't stop. She continued to swing the knife, aiming for Alex's arms and legs.

Hades hissed and snapped his fingers. The blood evaporated from Galloway's face, revealing the rapidly darkening bruise seeping across her face. He apparently didn't want to risk Galloway's blood tainting the spell.

Eventually, the inevitable happened. Either Galloway's skill won out, or Alex simply grew tired. Galloway feinted forward, slashing down toward Alex's right arm. Alex leapt to the side, right into a roundhouse kick that crashed into her ribs and sent her stumbling, bent over and wheezing slightly.

There was a collective cry from the Hunters as the knife slashed out. Bright blood sprayed and Alex clamped her hand to her right shoulder, desperately trying to stanch the bleeding as she retreated across the pentagram.

Galloway took a few steps back, the bloodied knife held loosely in her hand. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Sirius, her lips parted as she caught her breath. Sweat shone on her cheekbones, her hair hanging in damp strands around her face. Sirius took a few unsteady steps forward, but she shook her head, holding her hands up.

The blue light of the barrier glittered off the blade, its edge stained dark by Alex's blood.

Galloway swallowed hard, her eyes again meeting Sirius' briefly before she looked past him. He turned his head to find Logan and Rhys standing just a few feet behind him. Rhys had shed his disguise at last and fallen to his knees, staring up at the gates. When Logan laid a hand on his shoulder, he didn't so much as blink.

"It's over," Galloway said, her voice cracking as she lowered her hands. "It's done."

When she looked at him, Sirius just nodded. It was done. There was no use fighting this battle anymore.

Like it had responded to Galloway's words, the barrier melted away. Sirius didn't realized he'd moved until Galloway wrapped her arms around him. The knife slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground. Blood from her broken nose began seeping into the filthy material of his shirt as she rested her head on his shoulder.

There was a snapping sound and Sirius' stomach swooped oddly. Looking up, he found that they had been transported outside the pentagram's circle. That curtain of magic rippled back into place just as Caleb and Rick leapt forward. Both men slammed into the barrier before stumbling back. Caleb swore and hit the wall so hard Sirius heard bones crack as he broke his hand against the magic.

Rick, who had turned a sort of greyish color, pulled Caleb away. His knuckles were white where he had a hold on Caleb's arm as he dragged the other Hunter back toward the others. At the betrayed look Caleb shot him, Rick snarled, "You can't stop it now."

Something inside Sirius shriveled at the despair in Rick's voice, and he looked toward the gate just so he wouldn't have to look at the Hunter.

Hades now stood in the center of the star, beckoning Alex toward him.

She stood with her back braced against the gate itself, her hand pressed against the gash on her right shoulder. Galloway had left a clean, deep cut. Hard as she tried to stop it, blood slid over Alex's clutching fingers and down her arm, moving inexorably toward the floor. She wrapped the hem of her shirt around her forearm, trying to sop up the blood.

"He swore he wouldn't kill her," Sirius was compelled to say, hating how weak his voice sounded. No one responded—though he hadn't really expected anyone to—and he turned his attention back to Galloway.

She was crying, her body jerking with sobs that she muffled against his chest. He stroked her hair, grimacing when he left a streak of dark blood over the golden strands. "I had to," she whispered and grabbed the collar of his shirt, suddenly looking up at him. "I had to, didn't I?"

Before Sirius could so much as open his mouth, Caleb spoke. "No." 

Galloway peered over Sirius' shoulder, her fingers gripping his shirt. A small, pitiful moan escaped her throat as she stared at the other Hunter. He was staring at Alex, watching as Hades began to move toward her. The god's lips moved, his words so quiet even Sirius was having a difficult time hearing him above the roar of his heart in his ears.

Like he couldn't bear to watch, Caleb turned to Galloway and stepped forward, lifting his hands like he meant to grab her. A deep growl from Sirius seemed to force the Hunter reevaluate what he was doing.

"This didn't have to happen, Galloway," he said, voice like ice—sharp and cold. "None of this had to happen. This is because you couldn't just leave him." He jabbed a finger toward Sirius, his face a twisted mask of anger beneath the blood still staining his skin.

Sirius snarled and started to lunge at Caleb, intent on tearing his tongue from his mouth. A cold hand on his wrist stopped him dead. He looked down to find Galloway with her head bowed, tears dripping from her face.

It made him even angrier when he understood that Galloway thought Caleb was right.

"I suppose the same could be said for you," Sirius said, the words difficult to get out around his fangs. He nodded toward where Alex was still cowering away from Hades. "What was that you told me when I asked for your help?" He cocked his head at the Hunter. "What's dead stays dead. Isn't that right?" 

"I—"

"Enough," Logan cut off whatever retort Caleb had been about to spit. The witch stood from where he'd been crouched beside his brother and came over to where the rest of them stood. He leveled an evaluating glance on Sirius before he touched Galloway's shoulder.

She shuddered and turned into Logan, leaving Sirius feeling cold. He took a few steps back as Logan wrapped his arms around her, reminding himself over and over again that Logan could probably help her more than Sirius could right now.

"I don't think—"

But they never got to find out what Caleb thought. 

Alex let out a furious scream, drawing everyone's attention back to the gates. Hades, obviously having given up on trying to coax her, held her arm out with one hand, squeezing her shoulder with the other to make the blood run faster.

It ran in a scarlet stream toward her fingers. Hades began chanting furiously under his breath. The fires on the gate flared brighter, hotter. Galloway's fingernails dug into Sirius' wrist though she stayed glued to Logan's side.

The world seemed to fall still as the blood condensed on Alex's fingertips. Everything balanced breathlessly, all attention pinned on the droplet forming. Sirius could almost hear the small sound of release as the droplet grew too heavy and fell toward the ground. 

There was a dull, red splatter and the very air seemed to explode.