How to Date a Superhero Ch. 09

Apollo looked at her blood-smeared mouth and tattered costume, "I worried you were dead. These villains, they were working for Pluto."

"I should have known," she nodded. "Your uncle's not going to give up, is he?"

Apollo shook his head.

Mega-Girl suddenly threw her arms around his neck, surprising Apollo with her affection. "Thank you," she whispered against his ear, "I may be mad at you, but you've been there for me when I really needed it more than once. You really saved our asses today."

"Penelope," Apollo held her, "You must forgive me, I was duped. The Artemis you saw me with was a succ-"

Before he could finish explaining his infidelity Apollo felt Mega-Girl suddenly gasp in shock and go limp in his grasp, her body like a rag doll.

"Penelope?" he caught her beneath her arms before her lifeless body slumped to the ground. He saw an arrow protruding from her back, in a position that pierced her heart perfectly. "PENELOPE!!" he screamed with anguish.

Mega-Girl did not hear the pain in Apollo's voice, nor did she reply in any way.

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High on the river's embankment Roman Killian slipped back into the shadow of a storm drain, the bow of Minerva within his grasp. His aim had been perfect, as it always was. He pulled a small radio from his pouch-lined belt and pressed the transceiver, "Master Disaster, do you have a copy?"

I copy you, Killian. We had to fly clear the air space; I need a status report. What the hell happened down there?

"Apollo showed up and pulled some shit out of the sky like nothing I've ever seen before. It was like the finger of God himself. The Leviathan's got to be dead and Cyclone's been captured. Two-Fold, Jester, and Venom got away. The target has been eliminated."

Say again?

"Mega-Girl is dead," Killian reported happily, "I repeat: Mega-Girl is dead. Mission accomplished. I'm moving to rendezvous with Doctor Death now. We'll meet you at the rally point."

Copy that. Excellent work, Roman.

Roman Killian pulled his black mask off and smiled. He enjoyed working for Master Disaster. The assassination of Mega-Girl went off almost exactly like Disaster planned, with the exception of Apollo's sudden arrival. But even that hadn't de-railed things. Killian had always been a freelance killer, working on contract, but he could get used to working for a guy like Master Disaster - especially if all the jobs paid out ten million dollars.

Slipping a civilian jacket over his costume, Roman Killian then placed the bow of Minerva into a canvas case and moved out of the storm drain to make his escape.

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Epilogue

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She woke up in a chamber constructed of an unearthly stone, the walls made of black obsidian polished to a reflective gloss. Sitting up in the bed she noticed she was wearing a virginal white gown, made of thin material, low-cut, and with a skirt that fell just past the knee. She didn't recognize the garment as hers and wondered where it came from. Confused, she slipped from the bed's surface and moved to the room's lone window.

A cold fear gripped her heart when she saw the world outside.

The sky was an unnatural red with grey clouds that flickered from lightning that never touched the ground. The earth was black and devoid of life. Her room was high up and afforded a distant view of the featureless landscape, broken only in the far distance by a range of black mountains oozing with orange lava. A wall made of the same black stone as her room stretched beneath the window and she suspected she was in a demented castle of some kind, though she could not imagine what kind of person would choose to live in such a nightmarish hell.

"Wake up," she turned away from the window and pinched her own arm, "This has got to be a dream... you're dreaming... time to wake up... please be a dream..."

The sound of sliding metal preceded the chamber door opening inwards and a young man wearing only a loincloth entered. He was extraordinarily beautiful, except he had grey skin the color of ash and two small horns protruding from the top of his forehead through long black hair. He was carrying a silver platter. On it was a silvery pitcher, presumably containing something to drink, along with a pair of silver goblets.

"Hello," he greeted cordially.

"Who are you?" she took a step back, "Where am I?"

"I do not have a name," he replied, setting the platter down on a small circular table of charred wood.

"Wh-what are you? Why don't you have a name?"

"I am one of the unwanted," he explained in a gentle voice, "A bastard boy-child of a succubus."

"A suc-" she stammered, "A succubus...?"

"You are in what mortals refer to as Hell, the realm of my lord."

"Okay," she put a hand to her forehead, "Now I know I'm dreaming. Jesus, what did I eat last night?"

"Would you care for something to drink?" he offered politely.

"No I don't want anything to drink!" He breathing grew upset, "What am I doing... I mean, why am I here?"

"My lord bargained for your soul. You have been brought here for a wedding."

"A wedding?" her eyes widened with surprise, "Who in their right mind would want to get married here?"

The young man smiled, "Desire has nothing to do with it. My lord wishes to take a mortal bride and my lord tends to get what he wants."

She breathed out a humorless laugh, "Okay... um, can you tell him thanks? But I'm really not interested."

He seemed amused by her presumption, "You are not the bride; you were brought here to serve as the bride's handmaiden." He lifted the pitcher and poured something into one of the goblets, "Welcome to Hades, Jordan Summers. In case you weren't aware, you're dead."