Group Project

Thanatos sighed as he got to his latest death today before he started again tomorrow. He was in a house, not particularly large or fancy but he could tell the person he came to guide had been struggling mentally, which would make sense, the young woman was just a few heartbeats away from being pronounced dead and her soul waiting for him to sever from her body.

Name: Vanessa Anne Miller

Age: 22

Cause of death: Suicide, slit wrists

Timeline: on-time

Marital status: in a committed relationship; healthy

As he read the summoned, floating paper over, he already could smell the blood. He teleported inside the room, after mentally preparing himself.

Although suicide deaths are never scared of him, it still saddens him every time he has to guide one. They always regret it, especially if they can see their family finding their body.

But that wasn’t what he was met with.

The young woman's soul was sitting on top of her body, knees curled to her chest as an inky, black shadow figure of her whispers and mutters into her ear.

The demon saw him, grinning menacingly, teeth pointed and sharp as it spoke to the young woman’s soul. “He’s going to take you to hell, you belong there, it’s where failures like you belong.”

The young woman just sobbed into her knees. “I was just so scared..”

Thanatos glared, getting his sword, more than willing to fight for this young woman’s soul, he pointed it at the demon. “You will leave this young woman alone.”

The demon just grinned at him, standing, growing taller than the God of Death, thin, wispy shadows still attached to the young woman, feeding off her suffering. “We both know you cannot fight me. You have no power other than severing souls; and you know that if you sever her soul now, I will torment her for all eternity.”

Thanatos nearly growled as he held his sword, ready to fight, even if it might be futile. “You will leave her be demon!” He swiftly sliced at the tendrils of inky black wisps but it it only went through, it did not sever. The demon laughed heartily. “Your sword only works on human souls. She is mine, and I will never let her be.”

Thanatos swallowed, it was an incredibly rare occurrence a human’s emotions and energy made an actual demon. Although these demons are vastly different than true demons.

These ones are what humans call “inner demons.” Demons that manifest from humans' darkest times but it could take years of a human going down a dark path for one to even start developing.

It was this demon that also possessed the ability to affect deities, the only one that can, although not very much, they can still make a deity weak or even sick if they manage to latch on too long, the cuts from their claws unable to heal.

The demon moved as fast as Hermes, swiping at Thanotos, leaving dark gashes across his face, ripping some of his robe open, and bleeding that should have healed in seconds but his unique demonic energy prevented that. He nearly fell backward before he transported himself to one of the few that can help fight against this threat.

He doesn’t often teleport while moving, almost never needs to.

So when he teleported while falling, he ended up falling on his ass and back, in Ares's domain on Mount Olympus with a thud and feeling like all the air he had in his lungs left on impact.

Air he technically doesn’t need but it was still an awful, uncomfortable feeling.

And the deep scratches didn’t help, they throbbed and continued to ooze red blood mixed with the inky blackness from the demon's claws, across his chest and face. His robe ripped a bit but his face caught most of it.

He heard running from the God of War, spear ready for whatever intrusion came to his domain. He stopped and nearly threw his spear to the side when he saw it was Thanotos, injured severely.

Ares went to him immediately, yelling to the small crowd of other deities that rushed around to the scene. “Hermes!” Hemes was there in a second, nearly gasping at Thanoto's injuries. Ares didn’t waste time. “Get Apollo! Now!”

Hermes couldn’t take his eyes away, Thanotos face was horrific, bleeding red and black, nearly painting his skin. they could be injured like that? But they’re gods, there should be nothing that can hurt them-

Ares gripped his tunic, making him stumble and nearly ripping it with his strength as he growled. “Get Hermes now before I make you target practice!” Hermes just nodded shakily before leaving.

Ares went back to helping the God of death. “My friend, what has happened?”

Thanatos winced as he sat up, hand on his scratched-up face, trying to dull the pain, it was so sharp and blood leaked through his fingers. “An inner demon manifested. My next soul was a suicide victim.”

“Those exist? I had only ever heard of inner demons as a metaphor.”

“That’s real, and they’re a danger to us. My sword is useless against it.”

Suddenly Hermes and Apollo were back, Apollo looking just as worried, kneeling down to him. “What..the fuck happened? We haven’t had these kinds of injuries since the Crusades.” He got to work, placing his hands over-top of the deep gashes and starting to heal them.

“A soul of mine manifested an inner demon.”

“Shit.” Apollo cursed. He knew them, he hasn’t had to fight any but he’s aware of their existence.

“Yes. I’m useless against it. My sword will only sever human souls but if I sever the soul with the demon still attached, it will torment them for eternity, no matter where they go.”

Hermes gaped. “Wait? So not even Hades would be able to detach it before sending them to their afterlife?”

Thanatos winced as the wounds healed, it wasn’t pleasant. “No. It’s why I came here; Ares, Apollo, I need your help.”

Apollo frowned as he continued to heal, a golden light coming from his hands. “Why do you need my help? You got Ares.”

Ares looked over. “Do not sell yourself short, you are a very capable and adaptable fighter. You make archery look as easy as breathing. But I do share your confusion; why do you need two fighters there? Is this demon really that powerful?”

“No. I need someone to talk to the girl's soul, the demon might be able to be taken down by your spear but it’ll be easier if she stops believing what it says. I can help but I thought Apollo's positive energy would be best suited.” Apollo moved his hands, Thanatos now totally healed as if nothing happened.

Suddenly Aphrodite was joining them, a golden goblet in hand and concern clear on her beautiful face. “Here, drink this.”

Apollo moved as Thanatos took the goblet, seeing it was simple water, ice cold. “Thank you.” As soon as the water touched his mouth he drank it down fast. The cold temperature calmed and grounded his mind.

Aphrodite frowned. “What happened? Everyone is gossiping about you.”

Ares helped Thanatos stand as he spoke. “An inner demon manifested.”

Aphrodite looked to Ares. “Wait? They’re real? I thought they were only a human’s musings on their traumas?”

“They’re very real but they’re incredibly rare,” Apollo stated, he continued, his blonde eyebrows pinched in stress. “You can go hundreds of years before one is powerful enough to manifest. But just because they’re rare doesn’t mean they can’t fight. They can hurt us and the injuries from them won’t heal on their own, they can corrupt us as well, although none have been successful in full corruption, it’s still a possibility.”

Hermes shivered at the thought. “That’s scary.” Thanatos couldn’t help but agree. “Most definitely. I attempted to fight it but it obviously didn’t work. My sword is no use, and I knew that. I was stupid.”

Ares gave a proud smile. “It’s never stupid to fight for what you believe is right. Take us to them immediately.” Thanatos just gave a nod. “Apollo, are you ready? I have to warn you, it’s messy.” Apollo gave a weak smile, not looking forward to this but can’t sit by while an inner demon is manifested. “ More than ready.”

Aphrodite came over, handing over the spear that the God of war had thrown in his worry. “Here love, you’ll need this.” Ares smiled at her, taking it gently from her. “Thank you.”

“Be careful, ok?”

Ares grinned at her, his large tan hand winding into her blonde curls. “When am I ever careful?” he said, leaning in and kissing her deeply. Apollo huffed, moving to them to gently pry them apart. “You can do that when we get back.”

Aphrodite and Ares blushed. She went to Thanatos and gently took back the goblet. “Be careful as well.” Thanatos blushed deeper, her beauty was like none other and always caused some reaction even to Hades himself. “I will. When you two are ready, touch my shoulders.”

Apollo placed his hand on his shoulder immediately. Ares followed as well on his other shoulder, his hand nearly taking over the joint as Thanatos teleported them to the soul.

They appeared in the bathroom, the smell of blood hung heavy in the air, giving it a tinge of copper.

Apollo took in the scene before seeing the demon, nearly cuddling the young woman's soul, whispering in her ear. He reacted before Ares could, getting his bow and arrow and shooting at the demon. The demon hissed in pain as it hit its head, looking over at the sun god who had another arrow prepared. “Get the fuck away from her,” He said with a growl, the energy around him nearly vibrating with his righteous anger. Thanatos and Ares taken aback by the hostility. It’s easy to forget that under his positive and sunny attitude is a God that even the most powerful on Olympus feared.

The demon just grinned, gripping the young woman's soul harder, making the soul whimper in pain. Before Apollo could shoot another arrow, Ares had already speared through it, making it cry out in pain, a weird whistling sound as Ares lifted its impaled body and threw it across from the bathroom and into the hall. “Apollo, help her now while I have him!”

Apollo and Thanatos went to the soul. Apollo had to really calm himself, seeing the soul so in pain from that demon her trauma, made him crazy with the need to protect. He placed his hands on her head gently, as if holding her head, making the girl's soul look in his eyes, his eyes faintly glowing gold.

Thanatos watched, he was using his divination to truly understand why she did this and why the demon manifested. Thanatos could hear Ares and the demon fighting, see the demon was still attached to her, even so far away from her soul, the black whisps still connected to her.

He looked back and saw Apollo look just as angry as before when he shot his arrow into the demon. Thanatos worried. “What do you see?”

“Trauma. Sexual trauma. From the church she was in.”

“Should I get Jesus for this?”

“Yes. She’s so traumatized from her church but still is devout to him. She is also pregnant. It’s why she decided this.”

Thanatos froze. “What do you mean? Why would she if she knew she carried life?”

“Because it’s out of wedlock. And her parents are still very much deeply, cult-like, religious. If they knew they would disown her, and shame her from the rest of her family and siblings. That with the purity camp she was sent to as a teen where she was molested by the very men preaching purity, it was too much, the demon has been manifesting since her childhood.”

“Can you keep her alive, until her boyfriend gets home?”

There was a sudden cry of pain from the hall, Ares crying in pain before grunts of fighting resumed. Apollo looked at him like he was out of his mind. “Are you serious? She’s a hair away from death, this is supposed to be her time. We would be in so much shit with Zeus.”

Thanatos pleaded. “Please. I know I’m asking for a lot but she doesn't deserve this, her baby doesn't deserve this. You know her boyfriend will be coming in that door, you know when, can you just keep her stable until she gets help?”

Apollo used his divination again, eyes glowing golden, seeing how long it would be. “He’ll be home in 27 minutes and 15 seconds… fine. I can do that. While I do that, you get JC, she probably would want to see him more than us.”

Thanatos smiled before standing and teleporting away.

Apollo went to her body, seeing past the soul that didn't react much to him. His hands went to her body, carefully over her chest before doing what he could to heal her. She slit her writs, sat in warm water, she bled out, her heart barely beating but it was enough for him to work with. His hands glowed as he worked on keeping her heart beating and blood clotting.

Thanatos came back, Jesus with him in his white robes. He frowned with concern. “How did this happen?” He asked softly, kneeling down by the tub to her soul that looked numb and lost. Even with the battle Ares going on, cries of pain echoing from the hall mixing with the demon's cries of pain, the other deities paid no mind.

Apollo answered first, irritated with the lord's people. “Your fucking people. They traumatized her to the point that when she got pregnant she tried to kill herself.”

Thanatos frowned at Apollo's snappish attitude. “Apollo, he cannot help what they do.”

Jesus looked back at Thanatos. “It’s alright, he is correct. Unfortunately, many of me and my father's followers are not true believers, using my word to justify their sins and hurt others.”

He walked closer to her and held the young woman's hand as her soul looked lost. “My child, can you look at me?”

The soul looked up, nearly gasping. “Jesus? My lord?”

He smiled softly. “Yes, my child.”

Her soul's eyes filled with tears. “I am not worthy. I’m a sinful, dirty person.”

“Only I can bring that judgment on you. You are not sinful or dirty; you are simply lost. Lost in your head, your trauma. you are worthy and you've been so strong, fighting off your inner demon for so long.”

“I’m going to end up in hell.”

“No, not if I have anything to say about it. You are going to live and you're going to get help.”

“But it’s too late-”

“No, do you see them helping you?” He looked over to Apollo who was less than a foot away, using his healing to keep her alive.

The soul looked over, seeing Apollo for the first time. “Who is that?”

“That's Apollo, he’s keeping your body alive until help arrives.”

“But they're false gods, aren't they?”

Apollo just gave a little glare to the soul. “Well this false god is keeping you alive.”

The soul smiled weakly at his attitude, finding it charming. Thanatos saw the wisps of darkness from the demon becoming weak as she interacted with them.

Jesus smiled as well. “And want to know something crazy? A god of death wants you alive. You must be so important that death itself wants you alive.” He pointed to Thanatos behind him. Thanatos looked, pulling his black hood back. “Hello.”

The soul just waved. “Hi. why didn’t you reap my soul?”

Thanatos walked closer to her. “When Apollo found you were with child.”

The soul looked away, not feeling worthy enough to even look death in the eyes. . “My parents are going to disown me.”

“Let them,” Jesus said. The soul gasped. “But they're my parents, I only have one set of that, my baby would grow up with grandparents, without my family."

“Your child can grow up without that and they will be fine. Your parents drove you to this. They do not speak for me.”

Thanatos heard the front door open and heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. “He's here.”

Apollo sighed. “Thank Christ.” Jesus and the soul just looked over at him. The soul just laughed, the last of the demon's wisps dissolving away as her boyfriend rushed in, seeing her barely alive body. “Oh fuck, Vanessa!”

The boyfriend felt for a pulse, feeling a weak but steady pulse. He got his phone, dialing 911.

Ares walked in, looking like he battled hell itself, gashes all over, bleeding but smiling in victory. “The demon is no more!”

Thanatos smiled. “Good, now that she's getting help we can go.”

“You can, I can’t. I move, she dies.” Apollo said. Still healing her even with exhaustion clear on his face. “When help arrives and stabilizes her, then I will leave.”

The soul watched her boyfriend, hating how panicked and grief-stricken he was. “I did that to him?”

Jesus frowned. “You did. He loves you very much. He will make a great father.”

The boyfriend ran to the nearby closet in the bathroom, throwing everything out until he found the first aid-kit. It had a tourniquet but only one. Apollo watched as the human took her arm, putting the tourniquet on, twisting it properly. He made a makeshift one with a towel and did the same to her other arm. He was impressed that the human knew such knowledge and wasn’t in any medical field as a career.

Thanatos saw how exhausted the sun god was becoming, direct healing takes a large amount of energy. “Do you need any help?’

Apollo tried to smile at him but his eyes drooped with groggyness. “I’ll be fine, not the first time I’ve done this.”

Jesus was about to move from the soul to help and give him energy when Ares knelt by him, placing a bloody hand on Apollo's shoulder. “Have some of my energy my friend.”

A white glow came from his hand, transferring to Apollo, his eyes a little less tired. “Thanks.”

The soul just watched it all. “I can’t believe you're all helping me. I should be dead.”

Jesus smiled at her. “When you come out of this, I want you to do something for me.”

She smiled over, her eyes adoring him. “Anything my lord.”

“Leave your family. If they treated you so horribly, in my name, I do not want you to stay with them.”

“But won't that hurt them?”

Jesus gave her a soft, serious look. “After all the hurt they gave you, it’s the least they deserve. Leave them, raise this child with love. They will have a good home with you.”

The soul nodded. “If you command it, I will follow it.”

There was suddenly the sound of rushed footsteps, several paramedics now on scene.

Her body was suddenly being moved, on a stretcher. Her soul followed her body to the ambulance. Once the stretcher was in the ambulace, a medic was doing chest compressions to keep her weak heartbeat going.

Only once she was in the hands of the paramedics, when chest compressions were done did Apollo stop healing. The four deities having followed the medics to make sure they would be good to go. Apollo nearly collapsed if Ares hadn’t caught him but the sun gun groaned, seeing all the gashes and lacerations the war god had all over. “Fuck, didn’t she say be careful?”

Jesus sighed. “This was certainly an interesting day. Thank you, Thanatos, for sparing her.”

Thanatos frowned. “If it was just her I could have after the inner demon was purged but with child? I couldn’t.”

Suddenly the clouds above them went dark with heavy rain, and thunder rumbling. Apollo swallowed. “We are in so much trouble.”

Jesus looked at them astonished. “You risked the wrath of Zeus to save her?”

Apollo glared weakly as he stood on weak legs, pointing to the death god. “Blame him, he talked me into it.”

“Well thank you all for your help-”

Suddenly the three Greek deities were teleported via lighting, startiling Jesus. He was about to offer to heal Ares and Apollo before they got taken by lightning bolts. He sighed, hoping they'll be alright before going back to his own domain.

The three were bolted to Mount Olympus where Zeus sat at his throne in his palace. Thanatos saw they were in the throne room, although calling it a “room” is an overstatement. It was a long corridor with golden pillars standing on clouds with no actual wall and fuck was it sunny, it was glaring off the clouds as it glares off snow.

Zeus huffed. “You have one minute to explain yourself; why did you lot interfere with a pre-determined death?” Thanatos walked closer. “They were acting on my orders. I needed them to help with an inner demon that had manifested, they were supposed to help purge the demon; Ares to battle and distract it while Apollo helped her to not believe what the demon was saying. But we found out she was pregnant and I could not take her soul, not with one so undeserving inside her. I pleaded with Apollo to help keep her alive until help arrived. He agreed to help, on MY orders. He tried to talk me out of it but I couldn’t take her soul knowing that.”

“And who told you she was?”

Apollo raised his hand and before he could tell his side of things a lighting bolt was hurled at him in less than a second.

He screamed as the electricity ran through his body, making him collapse to his knees. The other two went to him but were stopped by another lighting bolt; a warning, as Apollo cried in pain. Zeus walked closer to them with a glare, looking down at Apollo as he spoke to Thanotos. “It is not your job to decide when to take a soul, it is your job to take them, period.”

Ares stood in front of the Apollo, shield and spear in hand with a bloody glare. “I am not afraid to fight you.”

“Why fight for friends that won’t even stick by you?” Ares was confused but turned, seeing nothing, Thanotos gone. But he was back within a second, with Nyx.

Nyx glared as she walked up to Zeus. “What exactly are you doing- Apollo!’ She ran to him as the last of the lighting made its way through his body, making him collapse with a pained groan. She helped him sit up as Zeus spoke. “He helped aid your son into saving a soul he was supposed to take.”

Nyx looked back at Thanatos. “Is this true?”

He looked away, feeling ashamed. “Yes, mother.”

Nyx looked back at Zeus, standing up and standing next to Ares who had a renewed viger with Nyx here with them. “If my son did indeed not take a soul that he was supposed to, I’m sure he did so with more than enough reason.”

Zeus glared, not wanting to make her too mad. “He broke the laws of life.”

“And it will right itself, just as it always has. If it was more than a few deaths he chose not to take, I would worry but one? Really? Are you really that egotistical you cannot fathom the reason why he wouldn’t take a life?”

Zeus huffed. Nyx glared. “Go back to your throne and rule among your clouds. Leave my son to me. And if you attempt to punish my son again, I will rain an eternal night on you.” With that, Nyx got them teleported away to Hades, knowing Hermes was there and able to get a healer faster than she could.

Hades was about to feed Cerberus, Hermes chatting away about something or other when the three of them teleported in, taking in the moment before reacting. Ares looks like he came out of a war, Thanatos looks more than a little depressed and Apollo looks like he may die if he were mortal, which worries him the most. He rushed over. “What is this? What's going on?”

Nyx ignored him and saw Hermes. “Hermes, get a healer, now!”

“Who? What healer?”Hermes asked, feeling just as panicked

“Any, just whoever is closest.”

Apollo spoke weakly. “My son…Asclepius is in …Elsyuam fields.”

Hermes just nodded shakily before being gone in a second.

While he was gone Hades kneeled down to Apollo who was leaning against Nyx. “What happened?”

Nyx glared weakly. “Zeus happened. The bastard couldn’t take that Thanatos can think for himself.” Hades looked to the death god. “What happened?”

Thanatos took in a deep breath. “I had a soul to get, young woman but there was an inner demon that manifested. I got Ares and Apollos help. Ares to fight it and Apollo to talk her into not believing what the demon says but he used his divination and found she was pregnant and that was why she killed herself. Knowing there was a life inside her and she was still between life and death, I talked him into helping keep her alive until help came. Zeus was more than a little unhappy-”

The sound of the sound barrier breaking cut him off as Hermes returned with Asclepius with him. Asclepius went to his father. “Fatehr! What happened?! Ares? What is going on?”

Hades spoke. “Enough talk, heal them, please.”

The son of Apollo nodded and got to work, healing his father first. He worried, why was he unconscious? Why was Ares so hurt?

Finally, Apollo came to, groaning and able to move, his energy coming back to him. “Thank you, my son.” Once he was healed he could stand on his own. He saw Ares, starting to look wobbly on his feet and Apollo stopped him. “I got this one.” Asclepius nodded as he stood. “Now what exactly happened here?”

Thanatos groaned, he did not want to have to keep explaining it, he already felt guilty enough for what Zeus did to Apollo. Hades thankfully took over retelling the story.

Hades paced, a righteous anger filling him. “One saved soul will not bring about the end of reality,if I could I’d march up there and burn him to ash.”

Thanatos frowned. “None of this would have happened if I had just taken her soul, perhaps it was better I did.” Hades softened and walked closer. “Do not listen to that egotistical bastard, that woman was between life and death and would not disrupt any balance. He just can't stand when things don’t go according to plan. You made a decision and I believe you made the right one.”

“But at what cost? Apollo got hurt because of me.”

“Because of Zeus. did you throw the lighting bolt at him?”

“No.”

“Then that was not your fault. He got hurt because of Zeus, not you.”

Apollo walked over to them. “You really think me getting hurt was your fault?”

Thanatos looked away, crossing his arms. “Well yes. If I had not mentioned told you about her pregnancy, Zeus would not have taken it out on you. It should have been me that took that bolt.”

Nyx, Ares, and Asclepius just watched the brooding that was going on. Ares frowned, speaking to Nyx. “Is your son always so-“

“Selfless?”

“Guilt-ridden?” Ares corrected.

“Both?” Asclepius said, looking at Thanatos, Apollo, and Hades talking.

Nyx gave an amused smile. “Yes. He is. It is what makes him such a good choice for death itself; he doesn’t take souls because he wants to, but because he has to.”

Ares smiled at her. “Your son is very brave as well. He attempted to fight off an inner demon, even knowing his sword would not have worked. He felt the need to do something to help that soul, even knowing it may have been futile.”

Nyx smiled softly. “That’s my boy.”

Apollo cheerfully spoke up, his normal, vibrant energy and enthusiasm back at full force. “Enough brooding, I say we-“

“I swear if you say get drinks-“Hades started, both he and Thanatos about to roll their eyes when the sun god did suggest, just that. “Of course drinks! Think I’m not drinking after getting hit with lighting?”

Thanatos huffed. “I would rather stay in for tonight. Maybe we can have some tea here, with Hades?”

Nyx just continued to watch before speaking to Ares. “Ready to go home, big guy?”

Ares nodded with a grin. “Yes, I cannot wait to tell Aphrodite about my latest battle.”