A Demon in your Mind

The Oasis

Steve and Bucky left the compound, leaving everyone else confused, but Steve had been very adamant that the two were to go alone and they would explain when they returned. The ride in the jet started off quiet, both sitting in the cockpit staring out of the window ahead.

Steve broke the silence, "So...Land of the Gods huh?" Bucky nodded, "Yeah. I hated it at first. We just had one little stone hut with one bed. The first few days, we did nothing but argue. I blamed her for everything, and I made sure she knew it too. Then after about a week, she got a glimpse of my nightmares. Her attitude changed immediately after the first one. Said she understood me after seeing them."

Steve asked, "How much did she see?" Bucky sighed and chuckled half-heartedly, "By the second or third nightmare, all of it. She said she could see my memories when the nightmares would start. Even with her attitude change, I still convinced myself I hated her and still acted cold towards her, even after she began being kind and gentle towards me. Then I found out she was draining herself to change my nightmares, she always looked so exhausted the mornings that followed. She used up almost all of her energy on those nights, but didn't tell me what she was doing, or ask for anything in return. Steve, you can't imagine the guilt I felt when I found out the truth. That's when things really began to change between us."

Steve smiled, "You started to fall for her." Bucky nodded, "I didn't realize it at first, but one night I ended up telling her everything about my past. She just accepted it all. She didn't judge me or anything. Then she told me about her life. She constantly referred to herself as a creature, every comparison was to a dog or cat or other animal. It really started to bother me. But that's how it works there. You are either a god, or a creature." Bucky couldn't help but smile as he continued, "She told me about everything she would do there. About her friends and the things they would do together. Those two Satyrs are really close friends of hers. They came around a couple of times."

He laughed a little as he reflected, "There was this glimmer she would get in her eyes when she talked about all of her friends." He sighed, "Then one night, I woke up when she was changing my nightmare. I asked her why she did it, why she kept doing it. Hurting herself to bring me relief. Even after I had treated her so horribly. That's when she confessed what she felt for me. I couldn't help but kiss her." He looked over at Steve, "Things just kind of happened after that. Though she didn't believe me for a while that I had insanely intense feelings towards her. She was completely convinced I had somehow fallen victim to her abilities as a succubus."

He looked away, Steve questioned, "But she had a charm, didn't she?" Bucky nodded, "Yeah, but she thought it stopped working. It took a while to fully convince her that I had truly fallen in love with her. Steve, as much as I know it would hurt you and the others to say, but I really would give up everything for her. Being in her world with her just felt right." He paused for a moment then let out a long breath, "She said she would give up her immortality for me."

Steve smiled, "And that's why we are going to get her back. Perhaps Hades can calm this Eros guy down." Bucky leaned his head back against the headrest, "I don't know. The greek deities are a complicated group." They rode in silence for a long while. Then Bucky broke the silence. "What if we can't get her back? Agreus said he doesn't know what they would do with the baby and Atlia will be forced to go back to work for Hades after it's born. She still owes him a hundred years."

Steve tried to sound comforting to his friend, "I am sure we will get her back." Then he raised a brow, "Why does she have to go back to working for Hades?" Bucky let out another long sigh, "She intentionally lost when she was a wager in a bet. Between her mother and Eros. She let the other succubus win because she couldn't bring herself to harm some random stranger. So she had to work under Hades for two hundred years. She has only done about half of that time."

Steve nodded, he didn't fully understand, but then they were dealing with inter-dimentional beings that had some crazy powers and immortality. He changed the subject, "So she has immortality?" Bucky nodded, "She has been around for more than 4000 years already." Steve let out a heavy breath, "Wow, that's a long time."

Bucky nodded, Steve added, "She must truly be in love with you to want to give that up." Bucky couldn't help but smile, the last night he spent with Altia played in his mind. It hadn't been like all the other times, no, that last night held something different, like they knew they wouldn't see each other the next morning, but needed the other to know just how much they loved each other.

There was little to no conversation the rest of the way to the club, and when they arrived they were met by Hermes before they even entered the building. He bowed to the men, "Curse-Breaker, Hades has been expecting you." Then without another word and without obols Hermes led them straight to the black curtain. This time when the curtain was pulled aside by the large Charon, it led right into the chamber they had first met Hades.

Hades was standing beside the large three headed dog. Bucky stepped forward, Steve just behind him. The curtain closed and the sounds of the club disappeared. Hades looked up at Bucky, in his smooth voice he spoke, "So, you are the mortal that has caused the little disruption with the succubus." Bucky took another step, but said nothing. Hades smiled, "I hear you are being called the Curse-Breaker and she carries your offspring. Quite a feat for a mortal, undoing a curse given by a god more than 4000 of your years ago."

Bucky stared at Hades, "How do I get back to her?" Hades raised a brow, "You want her back, do you?" He slowly stroked the shoulder of Cerberus. "Or do you just want your offspring?" Bucky took another step forward, his fists clenched, "I want them both." Hades sighed, "You have the same fire for her as I have for Persephone. I can respect that. But there is nothing I can do about your situation or hers."

Steve stepped forward, "Can you talk to Eros? Convince him to withhold his anger?" Hades looked away for a moment, then back to Steve and Bucky, "I can't. Well, I could speak with him, but it will do nothing to quell his rage. Only make it worse. What I can do is release her from her remaining years in my service. But that will still not return her to you. Nor does it do anything for the unborn cambion."

Steve raised a brow, "Cambion?" Hades nodded, "A half-blood. Born of a mortal and a daemon." Bucky stepped forward again, his shoulders sagging a little, his voice almost breaking as he spoke, "What will they do with the baby? Once it's born?" Hades sighed, "If Leto does not claim it, the child will remain with Artemis, this is assuming Eros has found a different object for his attention by then. And no other god claims it."

Bucky was about to speak again, but Hades put a hand up, "If he has not, and you have not found a way to recover her or the cambion, the safest thing to do for the daemon, is to have her return here. Eros will not be able to harm her once she is back in my care. But I cannot speak for the cambion." Bucky pleaded, "Please, is there any way you can help? What about the Fates?"

Hades sighed heavily, "The Fates will not help you this time." He paused a moment before continuing, "What I can do, is tell you where Eros's earth oasis is. Perhaps you can appeal to him directly. Or any other oasis you wish to go to. But beyond that, I will not become involved."

Bucky looked at Steve, then looked back at Hades, "Fine. Tell me, where can I find Eros, Artemis, and Leto." Hades smiled, "She has taught you well. It has been many years since a mortal has ventured to the land of the gods without interference from the fates. But you have already been given a title and broke a god given curse. Perhaps you will succeed."

Bucky took another step forward as Hades continued. "You will find Eros in Paris, he keeps a brothel there. Artemis can be found in the heart of the great Amazon Rainforest. Leto is more challenging, she doesn't keep a permanent oasis here on earth. You will have to travel back to the land of the gods to find her. If you have not had success with the other two."

He began to walk back to Cerberus, "You are familiar with the satyrs, Nomios and Agreus, call upon them and they will help you if you make it to the land of the gods. But I warn you, mortals are not very welcome there without the protection of the Fates." Bucky nodded. "Thank you." Hades nodded a single nod, "I wish you luck in retrieving your half blood child and it's mother. If you do succeed, I will keep my promise to release her from her debt to me."

Then Hermes appeared again at the curtain, "It is time to go, Curse-Breaker." The tall thin man said, Steve and Bucky followed him out through the curtain and left the club. Once on the street Steve turned to Bucky, "Where to first?" Bucky thought for a moment, "Paris. Eros is the one who is angry. We need to change his mind." Steve nodded, "Then let's go to Paris."