"I'm an Angel hybrid." The words fell out of my mouth.

I was confused as to how that answer came to be, but I was more startled at Hades' change in attitude. The wind seemed to come to a halt and the intensity was cut off by my reply. His abyss eyes quickly turned into swampy green ones.

"You're a what?" Hades tilted his head in slight confusion.

I started to panic a bit, but the answer came out again. "I'm an Angel hybrid."

My mind was fuzzy and it felt like someone had control of my mind, but not my body. It was similar to how I felt all those times before- but the outcome was different this time around.

It was weird, but this weirdness was working.

Hades rubbed his face harshly. "Yeah, I heard you the first time kid." He peeked one eye open, and I could tell that it was as dark as night. "If you're an Angel Hybrid, then where's your halo?"

The answer strolled out of my mouth. "I didn't want to cause attention to myself, so I took it off. This is my first time in the Underworld, and I didn't want to accidentally offend anyone on my first task down here."

"What was your task?"

"To bring the souls that didn't belong."

Hades took my answers and sighed. I could tell he still wasn't convinced though, but somehow my answers seemed to be correct.

I silently prayed that answers kept meeting his questions, because if it was up to me then I'd be dead right now.

Hades, who was still on his knees, stood up with a loud crack. It made me wince, and Hades mumbled a comment about his knees.

"You're getting old, Hades." Ember snickered. I forgot Charon and Ember were still here and it made my tense shoulders relax at the sight of them. Ember stood off to the right with a hand on his hip, but I could tell that he was just as nervous as I was. Charon, on the other hand, stood to the left of me and Hades. He looked like the wind could blow him down easily and had an uninterested look on his face.

"Oh, hush up, Ember." A sly smile was planted on Hades' face and it slightly went away as he turned back to me.

"That still doesn't explain why they sent a fledgling down here."

Again, answers walked to Hades' questions.

"While I was on Earth, I managed to collect some souls. I was told to come down to the Underworld to get rid of the bad ones. I was able to come alone because I knew Ember and Ember knew how to get me in and out safely."

Hades whipped his head around to Ember. "How do you know an Angel hybrid?"

Ember smiled. "I met him at the mall. Made a pact with him as well."

Hades fully turned towards him. "You did?" Hades sighed, and his shoulder dropped with him. "No wonder Zeus has been emailing me nonstop. He probably has a complaint about this."

Hades turned back towards me. He stared at me for a little bit and then ruffled my hair. My hair went everywhere and I had to move some strands away from my face when he was done.

"Your hair is really soft, you know that?" Hades smiled. "Sorry to interrogate you, I just needed to know where you came from. Angels, hybrid or not, are anomalies here. Normally, I can sense them, but I guess it's been a while and it caught me off guard."

He bent down a bit and met me eye-to-eye. "Next time you come to the Underworld, stop by my house. I have a feeling Persephone will want to meet you- especially since you have all this hair." He fully stood and nodded his head towards Ember's general direction. "Ember knows the way, and Persephone would want to see him too."

Ember shrugged. "I could get more lollies." He put his hands in his pockets and started walking towards me. "I suppose we can make time in our busy schedule to come see you."

Hades laughed loudly and showed off his teeth. "Great! I look forward to it. I know I must've slowed you guys down; you should get going. Angels move fast and efficiently when it comes to souls."

I nodded as Ember made a portal. He stepped through the portal and I looked back at Hades and Charon. Hades gave me a little wave while wearing a big smile, and Charon gave me the hand.

I returned with a little wave of my own and walked through the portal.

*** 

The portal closed and Hades sighed.

"Charon, you know I can tell when someone is lying, right?" Hades faced Charon and jammed his right hand into his left sleeve. He pulled out a small lollipop with a little bit of lint on it. Hades took off the lint and put it back in his mouth.

He walked over to the pier and sat down right about Charon's boat. Charon followed him and sat to his left, the water licking their feet.

Charon, with a look of disgust on his face, answered. "Yes, and that was nasty."

Hades chuckled. "Did you tell him that I could before I showed up?"

"I did, but he wasn't paying attention." Charon eyed Hades. "Why didn't you ask him what he was a hybrid with?"

Hades shook his head slowly. "I have an idea of what it is. I know from his eyes that it's something from The Beginning."

Charon stayed quiet.

"If he is what I think he is, then Lucifer will have to hear about this." Hades finished.

Charon raised an eyebrow. "I feel like there's something else."

Hades gave a cheeky smile. "Of course, you could tell! We've been best friends since The Beginning!" His smile faded and a sigh passed through his lips. "I'm just hoping it's not what I think it is. Lucifer was in such a frenzy all those years ago, and I'd hate for him to get his hopes up."

"Well, did he lie to you?" Charon pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket.

"Yes, but it makes me even more confused." Hades crunched his lollipop and took the stick out of his mouth. He tapped it against his forehead as Charon puffed out some smoke.

"No matter what I think, his wings are white- not black. That piece of evidence is ruled out." Hades sighed. "I think, I'm going to have a Hellhound follow him around though."

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Ember would sense him immediately."

Hades groaned. "I said, 'I think'. I should see if Zeus mentioned him in any of those emails he sent me."

Charon chuckled. "When was the last time you've read an email from Zeus?"

Hades thought about it. "I can't remember. Maybe a couple days after Hermes developed the messenger system. Or maybe it was after Lucifer came down." Hades shrugged.

Charon huffed. "So, at least a couple centuries."

Hades laughed and leaned back on the pier.

"I'm not going to worry about it. Zeus will tell me, personally, what he thinks after he meets him. Until then, I'm just going to watch and take notes."