Issue #29: X, Guardian.

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Issue #29: X, Guardian.

(Kane's P.O.V)

Hestia's flames were gentle and warm.

Being engulfed in them felt like a deep and relaxing sauna session,(something I used to do enjoy after a mission) and I was surprised they could invoke that type of sensation from my body.

All too soon, it ended and when the flames disappeared, we were no longer within her temple.

The transition was smooth, lacking the distinct pop I was beginning to associate with flame teleportation.

Then again, comparing her flames to mine was like comparing an F1 race car to an old garbage truck with a clogged exhaust pipe.

She was seamless. I was crude.

"Kane. Listen to me."

Thanatos broke me out of my thoughts with a whisper.

The very second the flame sphere unravelled, he was on guard, positioned to my front. Almost protectively.

I tilted my head up in surprise, interest stirred, before spotting what had him so worried.

"Whatever happens, remember that I can take care of myself."

He added.

"And the Underworld has rules. So DO NOT interfere in this."

The God of Death said in the most earnest tone I'd ever heard.

In a display of prideful stubbornness, I stepped out from behind him, fully revealing myself to the 3 headed dog that was sleeping on the ground some distance away.

I was sick and tired of needing protection. From now on, I wasn't going to hide behind anyone.

Thanatos tensed but the thrice headed dog merely huffed out a breath.

Taking that chance, I looked around.

Hestia's teleportation seemed to have deposited us on a small island.

Above us was a waterfall, the familiar dark blue waters pouring into the pool behind us.

A perpetual mist covered the entire area, whether caused by the waterfall or just a feature of this place, who knows?

The pool broke off into two rivers, moving around the Island.

On the mouth of each river was a large obsidian arch way acting as a gate.

Written in bold Greek, the words, "ALL PATHS LEAD THE SAME WAY"

laid prominent on the plaque facing the pool.

Yes. While my Greek is spotty at best, I wouldn't mistake those words.

-0-

As for the only occupant on the island, It looked to be asleep, all the heads with their eyes closed.

The nostrils breathed out plumes of fire. The temperature hot enough that Kane and Thanatos could feel it.

Even from a hundred feet away on the shores of the small island.

Aware that they were facing something that could easily kill him, Kane called out his own flames to cover his body.

Vooomp!!

Wisps of blue flickered around him, reforming into a rippling coat of blue fire. The tongues were noticeably smoother than before.

He seemed to have learned some tricks from watching Hestia manipulate her flames.

But Kane had something more.

To muster the strongest defense and offense strategy, he also tapped into his bio-energy, ready to release a venom blast if it became necessary.

As if sensing the flame's activation, Cerberus' left and right head woke up.

And immediately after sniffing the air, 2 pairs of eyes zeroed in on them.

Thanatos placed a hand in front of Kane, barring his way.

Kane looked at him with a narrowed gaze.

"Remember what I just said. Do not interfere."

Thanatos told him, a bite in his words, then he begun to walk forward.

Kane sighed, throwing a frustrated look at Thanatos.

To be honest, the God of Death had actually become a sort of friend to the assassin.

But that dog...Kane knew hostility when he saw it. And the air the 3 headed monster dog was giving off was ominous.

It was ready to jump at them and tear them to pieces if they got closer.

And that wouldn't be a problem because he believed in Thanatos' strength. The God had faced off against 4 Titans after all.

...If only his Spider Sense wasn't ringing with a clear warning.

And his mind signalled onto the cause of that warning- the flames escaping it's nostrils.

They were...terrifying.

All he could do was be on guard in case he had to step in.

There was a move...he'd been thinking of adding to his arsenal. If it worked, it would guarantee a direct hit.

"Hey."

Kane called out, stopping Thanatos in his tracks.

The heads kept watching on curiously.

"I won't interfere. Just as long as you remember...I'll back you up, even if you won't like it."

Kane affirmed, offering a fist bump.

The God of Death looked at the hand offered, before extending his own fist and slowly they collided.

Wings twitching, Thanatos looked up.

"I still don't get it."

"Nah you will."

Kane waved him off.

Thanatos turned around and started walking forward. Over his shoulder he threw a few more words at Kane,

"Oh and trust me, it won't come to that. You see, Cerby and I are frie-"

Instantly,Kane jumped over him, creating a wall of blue flames that blocked an angry stream of flames from Cerberus' right head.

The Assassin found himself pushed back by the much stronger fire, shaking his palms slightly as they were singed.

The head looked away, ticked that it had failed to burn the guy that had killed it before.

"Clearly, a third of It doesn't agree with you."

Kane merely stated, straightening up and passing by Thanatos, patting his back a few times.

"Now let's get this over with. I'm eager to meet the mythical Cerberus."

Thanatos merely shook his head, muttering something under his breath about crazy mortals.

That said, A small smile was apparent on his lips. A smile that vanished upon turning his gaze back to Cerberus.

In case things predictably got dicy...this could be his last chance to talk to Kane.

"Wait."

Thanatos stopped him.

"before I forget...here."

Curious as to what it was now, Kane turned to find Thanatos holding out his palm.

A black bead floated calmly above it.

He pushed his hand out and the strange bead instantly sunk into Kane's chest.

The latter allowed it to happen as he couldn't sense any animosity from the former.

That said, he fixed him with a glare,

"Did you just..."

The assassin asked the God incredulously.

"Merge a compressed seed full of death energy into your body?"

Thanatos cut in cheekily, before answering,

"Yes. Yes I did."

Kane narrowed his eyes at him.

"I should punch you."

This was the third time a God had done something to him without his consent.

First was Chiron- who stole 10 years of his life(he was getting that shit back one way or the other). And maybe some compensation along the way as well.

Then there was Artemis who just straight up left a tattoo on his wrist. Though that was meant to be a gift apparently.

Third was the ominous hooded goddess-she gave him a dead butterfly. A Dead Butterfly.

He still struggled to believe that interaction had happened.

Of course Rhadamanthus, one of the 3 underworld judges, had come in and stolen it. (Strange as the dead butterfly was, Kane was ALSO going to get that back. It was just the principle of the matter. What was HIS was HIS, not someone's elses.)

"You could try." Thanatos shrugged, the corners of his lips lifting in smug satisfaction,

"But I won't feel a thing. Death is the total absence of life, and as pain is a part of life, no dice."

Kane simply gave him a dumbfounded stare before shaking his head with a sigh.

"You know what, it's not even worth it."

The two of them dropped the subject, continuing to walk on.

With each subsequent step closer to the Guardian of the Underworld, the air grew heavier. A pressure that steadily mounted.

Thanatos' wings fluttered in agitation, their smoky forms undulating, deforming in shape like a flame about to flicker out.

Kane on the other hand, kept his face completely blank, appearing unaffected by Cerberus' intimidating presence.

The flames around him seemed to almost push against the 3 headed monster's influence.

A few scant meters from Cerberus, the left and right heads begun to growl.

Kane felt goosebumps break out across his entire body. The warning was clear.

Stop or die.

The Assassin halted, as did Thanatos. As the God of Death, his senses were even more attuned to danger than Kane's.

The central head snorted, opening it's eyes and staring at the two of them balefully.

"You have nerve showing up here, Thanatos."

A voice that was ominous with an echoing quality escaped the huge creature.

Muscles twitching across it's entire flame, Cerberus stood on its legs, its form, under the light of the flames burning on it's coat, casting a shade on top of Kane and Thanatos.

"Cerby, its been long, old buddy. Is that anyway to greet a friend?"

Thanatos chuckled sheepishly while scratching his head.

The right head instantly snapped out, trying to lunge forward and chomp him up.

Whoosh!

A wall of flames appeared before Thanatos, flaring up and momentarily stopping the Head.

"I told you to stay out of it."

Thanatos rounded up on Kane and half whispered-half shouted.

"Sorry. But that head wasn't going to stop. If I hadn't intervened, you'd be dog food."

Kane interjected, pulling back the flames onto him.

He could now manipulate the blue flames to create a few more shapes besides the sphere that teleported them.

A flame wall was something simple. Just a thin sheet of packed flames.

"Mmmh...so the Killer makes a move."

Cerberus snorted, bringing both men's attention back to him. Those baleful eyes were now entirely fixed on Kane.

"Tell me something, Pup. Do you know what those flames are capable of?"

Thanatos stepped up, wings flaring up as darkness wafted from his body.

"Don't."

He warned Cerberus, his tone as cold as ice itself.

"Touch my friend and we'll have a problem Cerby. A big big problem."

The Central head blinked in surprise.

"Friend? You can't have friends. They would die just from being near you."

The statement was like a gut punch to Thanatos' belly.

"Ok. That's enough."

Kane walked forward, his hands curled into fists. His coat of flames lost their smoothness, growing erratic once more.

"You turned out to be more of a dick than I expected. I would have asked nicely for you to let us through, but now, now we'll just go through you."

The mood grew hot, owing to the sudden intensifying of the blue flames wreathed across the huge HellHound.

The central head lost all signs of its smug attitude. It licked its lips, growling out,

"With flames not your own, you dare challenge me Pup? How quaint."

"They don't need to be mine. They just need to burn you."

Kane shot back, stretching his feet apart, readying himself.

"Thanatos, there's no other way."

He told the God of Death who was rooted in the same place, silent after Cerberus' statement.

"Both of you...should stop."

Unexpectedly, Thanatos came in between them.

Kane gritted his teeth, eyes shifting from the mass of muscles and fire glaring down at them to the God of Death.

"Kane. I'm not supposed to be here. I was suspended remember?"

The God of Death added with a sigh.

"And I told you, the Underworld has rules. Just as the mortal world does."

Kane had no answer for that. If it was another time he'd say 'screw that' but it was clear in his eyes that Thanatos took his punishment seriously.

The Assassin scoffed, straightening up.

"I'll play nice if Doggo promises to do the same."

Thanatos nodded in thanks, turning to face a yawning Cerberus.

"Cerberus I-"

Voooommmp!

Two streams of fire, too fast to react to, escaped the right and left head silmuteneously, boxing in Thanatos in his position.

They instantly turned the ground into a pit of melted sand, the hard terrain liquidifying into red hot Lava, 10 plus meters around.

Kane landed on the edges of the crater. He hadn't been the target but those flames had almost turned him into ash- if it wasn't the warning from his spider sense.

But still, the Assassin was rendered speechless with shock, as he watched the scene of devastation.

For all of 1 second.

Then his eyes turned cold and Kane was replaced with X.