jinu had not been paying much attention to what was going on in elias or the underland as of late. he knew that there were a ton of problems that were going on and he'd always been a nosy person, but since getting kidnapped by krampus he didn't have the interest in actually caring about what was going on around him. if he was needed, then someone would make the effort to come talk to him. otherwise, he was mostly unreachable by phone. if anyone asked, he was busy writing new music and working behind the scenes on the saja boys' new single.
no one bothered to bother him and honestly? he liked it that way. for so long he'd avoided being around other demons, other people because he didn't care. he was selfish to his core and what he'd done to his family had been a sign of that. jinu couldn't help but think that maybe he needed to make a bigger impact if he wanted people to care that he'd gone underground again. he wasn't the person that he was before the kidnapping.
there were a lot of things that he expected from today, but hades showing up was not one of them. "i'm not jumpy," he lied. he was jumpy and if other people noticed that then he probably needed to change. "what mission? i've not been told anything. i'm still going where i'm supposed to go and doing what you ask me to do. i wasn't aware anything else was required from me." and that wasn't exactly the truth because he was doing what he was supposed to be doing, but he wasn't as interested in the mission anymore. "how do i know you can even uphold your end of our bargain?" jinu before krampus wouldn't have questioned that.
Hades was finally on top. After tears of toiling in the Underworld, being second in command to Maleficent and overlooked by the other gods, his time had finally come. This was all built by him. Every chess piece he moved was strategic. He refused to be made a fool yet again.
With time and the little patience he possessed, Hades had grown an army. They all wanted something from him, and the God was oh, so happy to provide as he was given payment. There were so many who wished to have a seat at his table. The Underland was a ladder. If Hades found you of use, you could be set for life. If not, you would be scrounging with the rest.
There was once a time when Hades considered Jinu a great prodigy. That title had been snatched quickly by Logan. In his eyes, everyone was replaceable. He made that truth very apparent with Orion. His head tilted, his cold eyes staring straight into the hollow space where Jinu's soul should be. His movement was calculated, like a wild cat stalking its prey. "Get better at lying or don't bother opening your mouth." He replied in a cool tone. "That is the mission. It hasn't changed. Your job is to do as I say. You don't question. You don't have ideas. You obey." His tone was sharp as a knife. Each word meant to cut deeper than the next. Jinu's next statement caused the God to laugh. It echoed through the empty room. Loud. Overbearing. "Look around and ask yourself again: can I uphold my end of the bargain?" His tone was void of any of the humor his laugh contained, colored instead with a condescending tone. He challenged Jinu to ask a ridiculous question again. Hades placed his hands out, showcasing all the glory the Underland had to offer. The Underland was the city that refused to be forgotten. It clawed at Elias' heels. It howled to be recognized. It was a hungry beast, and Hades held the reins.
A beat of silence fell between them to really stick the landing of his point. Smoke billowed out from Hades' shoes as he walked towards Jinu, the gap closing between them as blue flames now emerged from his soles, each step growing hotter than the next until he was towering over Jinu. "The better question is, can you uphold your end of the bargain?" There were big plans in motion. His uprising had begun. Hades wasn't going to let his plans be foiled yet again. The God would go to extreme lengths to win.
