Hades stood inside of his intelligence room, together with his most trusted allies. The map table was taking up most of the room's floor space, forcing the gods to stand at a considerable distance from each other. Similarly, the walls were plastered with notes, pictures, and even more maps, albeit smaller and more specific than the one in the center.
The time of the final confrontation was just around the corner and they were going over their plans one last time to confirm whether or not everybody knew the part they had to play.
“Then the duty of defeating Zeus will fall to me,” Hades said with finality. “I trust that you’ll distract the others enough so that I will be able to focus on my battle with him, as I’m sure it’ll take my utmost to succeed.”
“That shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Hyas replied while regarding the various small figurines on the map. “According to our spies, they still believe that the attack will come in two weeks time. They think themselves strong and superior to us, so they haven’t started their preparations yet. Instead they are wasting their days away, laughing at our expense while drinking the sweetest nectar.”
“Which will lead to their downfall, no doubt,” Apollo added. “Zeus is a foolish man that has grown complacent. He doesn’t care for the things he is supposed to protect and neglects his training to pursue easy gratification.”
“I believe we have harked on Zeus and his faults enough in these meetings,” Ares replied with an annoyed snort. “In these final days, we should lay off and just concentrate on what we need to do, lest we make a mistake and become the fools ourselves.”
“Ares is right,” Persephone said. “You always sway from the important topics in favor of trash-talking the enemy. Concentrate for once! We can’t afford to screw this up this late in the game.”
“I’m sorry,” Apollo replied. “Moving on then, whether or not you can defeat Zeus doesn’t rely on us alone. What if the young Atlas fails his task?”
“He shouldn’t,” Hyas immediately denied. “I taught him everything he needs to know, and he had more than enough time to prepare.”
“Yes, but let’s just assume that he does fail, for whatever reason,” Apollo rolled his eyes. “What then?”
“According to our information, all Zeus has to do to complete the soul-merging ritual is to touch the prison,” Hades said. “If everything is about to go downhill and it looks like we can’t stop him from doing this, our spy will be on standby to destroy it as a last ditch effort.”
“Won’t that violate our promise to Atlas?” Persephone asked.
“It will,” Hades nodded. “While I’d like to avoid doing something like that, technically his usefulness to us stops as soon as the attack begins, and the existence of his prison becomes a threat. I pray that he will be able to complete his task in time, but if all else fails, we can’t allow Zeus to succeed, no matter what.”
“While I do hope Atlas will be able to succeed,” Hyas said. “If the prison is destroyed and Atlas dies, the soul fragment will just search for a new host, and judging by how far their souls had merged when I saw him, there’s a good chance of both Atlas’ survival, in a convoluted way.”
“Either way, after we defeat Zeus, Atlas will finally find peace,” Hades said. “One way or the other.”
Persephone was about to say something when a knock came from the door. A very specific rhythm resounded, letting the room’s occupants know who was at the door.
“Enter,” Hades commanded.
The door was opened to reveal a figure completely clad in black clothes. No exposed skin was to be found, except for a pair of beady eyes that peered out from under the black mask it was wearing.
“Welcome, what do you have to report?” Hades questioned the newcomer.
“Pardon the lack of pleasantries, but I don’t have much time,” the figure said apologetically. “I’m supposed to run an errand for Zeus and I’ve got to return before he suspects anything.”
“Then make it quick,” Hades nodded.
“Just now, Zeus declared a full week of revelry in preparation of the attack,” the figure said urgently. “Starting in a few hours, all the gods will participate in a banquet never seen before… The alcohol will flow in quantities that will intoxicate even Dionysus.”
“That’s the chance we’ve been waiting for!” Hades said excited. “You may leave, we wouldn’t want anyone to suspect anything. Thank you for this message, I will make sure you’re properly rewarded.”
The figure gave a quick nod before hastily leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
“We won’t get another chance like this,” Ares said immediately.
“Indeed,” Hades confirmed. “They will all be drunk in a few hours and their guard will be at its lowest. I say we let them party for a while and then make our move. Let's give them twenty-four hours of fun before we strike.”
“One day will be enough to get everyone well and drunk,” Hyas conscented. “If we’re lucky, this won’t be much of a fight after all.”
“Don’t grow overconfident,” Apollo said. “Even a drunk god is a powerful god, at most, their aim and reaction time will be somewhat stunted. It might be enough to give us an edge, but it won’t make this an easy fight.”
“This might be a trap as well…” Persephone muttered cautiously.
“Considering who it was that delivered the message, I seriously doubt it,” Hades said. “But assuming that it is one and Zeus has gotten wind of our plans somehow, we’d have to strike fast anyway. Either way, the time to strike has finally arrived. I want all of you to gather your squads and meet me at the rally point C in ten hours sharp. There’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to accomplish it. Move out!”
At Hades’ command everybody started to move. Time was of the essence now. The confrontation was about to start. Hades looked after his commanders as they left, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time they’d act together like this. He stood therefore a moment, appreciating the friends he had, before he too, started to prepare.
Hades walked along the gathered gods before him, a black helmet being carried in his left arm. They were standing in rank and file, each of his commanders standing in front of their personal squad. Each of them was commanding six other gods, for a total of twenty gods that were going to partake in the upcoming battle, excluding Hades.
This amount could hardly be described as an army, yet, considering how powerful each and everyone of them was, there was not much difference. They were more like a highly specialized strike-force than an army. Although Zeus had a lot more major gods on his side, the advantage they brought him wouldn’t matter much if they were taken by surprise when they were at their weakest. The fact that at least two more major gods in Zeus’ camp actually worked for Hades as well certainly helped too.
Their preparations had all been completed, and all that was left now was to execute the plan. He looked into each and every present god’s eyes, his gaze being met with stalwart dedication to their cause. Hades nodded with satisfaction, taking a small distance from the group and facing them, as the commander should.
“Friends!” he called out to them. “The day has finally come!”
A cacophony of cheers responded to his call.
“For ages we have been preparing for this day!” Hades continued his speech. “We have endured under Zeus’s growing tyranny! Watched as he drove the pantheon into the ground and shirked his duty as the ruler of the pantheon! We have been subjected to his every whim, the ridicule and avoidance of those who follow him, and most of all, his uncaring nature!
“When he started to take away authority of the gods who opposed him, we endured! When he cast out those he didn’t like, we endured! When he killed the only one who openly dared to oppose him, we endured! And finally, when he started banishing some of you standing here today, to the underworld, what did we do?”
“We endured!” the gathered troops called back full of emotion.
“That’s right! But now the time has come, where we free ourselves from the tyrannical rule of Zeus! No longer will we have to lay low and accept whatever we’re told by him! Today is the last day Zeus will sit high up on his throne, and for one last time, we’ll endure. We’ll endure as we strike down those we called friends before! We’ll endure having to destroy the thing we wanted to protect, and we’ll endure the wounds that we’ll receive in the coming battle!
“We’ll burn down everything Zeus has built, so that a new era may rise from its ashes! So for one last time, I ask you to endure with me! The time has come! Forward, March!”
At Hades’ command a warcry resounded inside the cave they were standing in, as the small army began to move. Motivated by his speech, they moved towards the gate to the underworld, where for the first time in long while, something would leave, instead of arrive. They moved towards the Olympus, towards Zeus, towards their goal.
The final countdown had begun.