Villain's Journey Towards Destruction

''We are here,'' Thanatos said and opened pair of doors.

A spacious throne room became visible.

Black-colored pillars held the ceiling from falling, and the ceiling was filled with skulls, and inside the skulls were lanterns that illuminated the throne room.

There was one lonely throne, and the throne was filled with skulls of Hades' enemies.

And in the throne... A black-haired man was sitting.

Thanatos, Jack, and others stopped some distance away from the throne.

Hades turned his black eyes towards Jack.

''Thank you for coming,'' Hades said with his usual cold tone.

Jack simply nodded.

Lust, Lilith, and Black Death could barely breathe.

The existence in front of them is legendary Hades, The King of Underworld!

''I see you have a present for me.'' Hades turned his head towards the young man with long gold hair.

Jack grabbed Apollo from his hair and threw him towards the throne.

Apollo's body landed in front of the throne, and with shaky eyes, he looked at Hades.

Hades grinned.

Apollo felt his heart sink.

''This present suits me nicely... I am in need of a new slave to test my new torture methods.''

''Ugh... Ugh...'' Apollo tried to speak, but he couldn't because of his crushed windpipe.

''Quiet.'' Hades slammed his foot into Apollo's head.

Apollo's faceplanted on the ground, and all of his teeth were crushed.

*Snap*

Hades snapped his fingers, and pair of dark-cloaked figures appeared.

''Take him to the fun room,'' Hades commanded.

The dark-cloaked figures nodded and took him away.

Another pair of dark-cloaked figures came and cleaned the broken pieces of teeth and the blood from the ground.

''What is the fun room? That sounds fun!'' Lust asked with sparkling eyes.

''It is a place where I make Apollo wish that he was never born,'' Hades said innocently.

''Sounds fun!'' Lust looked thrilled.

Lilith giggled, ''I am surrounded by crazy people!''

Lust pouted, ''You are crazy too.''

''But you still love me,'' Lilith said with a grinning face.

Lust blushed and nodded, ''I do...''

Black Death felt very out of place, 'Why am I here?!'

''Thanatos, take them to their rooms— I want to have a private discussion with Jack,'' Hades said.

Thanatos nodded and left the room.

Lilith, Lust, and Black Death followed behind him.

They wondered why does Hades want to have a private talk with Jack.

*Snap*

Hades snapped his fingers, and a chair as tall as the throne he was sitting on appeared a few meters away from his throne.

''Please sit.'' He pointed towards the second throne.

Jack sat down and looked Hades in the eye.

''You feel it right...'' Hades pointed at his heart, ''My rage.''

Jack nodded, ''It's... Very similar with mine.''

''I am already dead without Persephone. You must know... How I feel... If Persephone dies in the hands of Zeus, I don't know what should I do.''

Jack nodded and sighed, ''My rage... Didn't end without consequences, I tried to kill my emotions, but I didn't succeed in it.''

Hades looked serious, ''How did you do it?''

Jack sighed, ''It's a long story...''

''We have time. Our troops will take a few days to gather.'' Hades said and took a more comfortable position in the seat.

Jack scratched his head, ''Alright...''

...

Four Years Ago.

*BAM*

Jack's dirty figure crashed on the ground.

His eyes looked lifeless, but he wasn't dead.

The red forcefield surrounded his body and nullified the damage.

''W-Why...'' Jack said with a hoarse tone, ''P-Please let me die!''

He lied down on the ground for a few weeks.

He thought that he would die of starvation.

He already felt like his stomach was completely empty... But after a few more weeks, he noticed that he could not die!

Jack sat on the ground and looked towards the darkness above him.

His lips were dry, and his face was malnourished.

''W-Why...''

Someone is preventing him from dying.

''KRAAAAAAAH!'' Jack roared in rage, his hand started glowing red.

He put the hand on his forehead and inserted his rage energy into his body.

He tries to kill himself!

But, before rage energy could cause havoc in his body... It disappeared.

He lied down on the ground, he looked like a corpse, and even his eye looked dead.

But then...

He heard a crying noise above the bottomless pit.

''J-Jack... M-My day was alright— Chris and I finally started rebuilding the Heroes Association, and the business is doing good... B-But, I feel very lonely... I know that we didn't know each other well... I-I still hoped that my words would have affected you in some way...''

''I-I am sorry... Perhaps because of me... You died... I should have convinced you better...''

He remembered that voice.

It was Ariane's.

Jack snorted, ''Go away...''

His voice didn't travel anywhere— he didn't have enough energy to yell.

And he hoped that they would forget about him.

''I am dead... Treat me like one...''

Every day after that, Ariane came to talk.

Jack had no other choice than listen.

He was sitting next to the refrigerator, which had Sophia's dead arm inside.

''She is persistent... She reminds me of you... Sophia.'' Jack said with a sad smile.

'Are you going to leave me?'

''Hmm? Leave you? I would never... You are my wife, Sophia.'' Jack said with a smile.

He heard Sophia's imaginary voice in his mind.

'Good... Jasmine needs a father.'

Jack nodded, ''No worries, I will never leave you.''

Days went by.

Jack's sanity was disappearing at an alarming rate.

''Grr!'' Jack held his head in agony.

The memories of Sophia dying were replaying in his mind.

'She is dead... DEAD!'

''No! She cannot be!'' Jack rolled in the ground in agony.

''Hey, Jack... I am back.''

He heard a familiar voice.

Ariane has returned once again.

''I-I am sorry... I think I did a bad thing today... I-I looked at your photo, and I might have accidentally spilled water on it... I-I am sorry, I hope you forgive me... B-But no worries! I have still hundreds of photos left! W-Wait, why did I say him that? I am a dummy!''

First time in a long time.

Jack chuckled.

Only little bit.

''What the hell...'' He said with a fatigued smile.

The voices in his mind disappeared into smoke....