Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

"Watch and protect him." Styxx rose slowly to his feet as he let the weight of Acheron's power and his own newly acquired ones mingle. Damn ... Acheron's abilities made a mockery of Apollymi's. If Katra really was stronger than her father ...

That was a terrifying prospect.

"Styxx?"

He hesitated at the fear in Bethany's voice. She was the only person in this room he'd never willingly hurt. Taking her hand into his, he pulled her closer so that he could protect her, and she could keep him grounded in case his powers surged beyond his control again. "I'm fine," he assured her. "As long as you're with me."

All around him, the gods battled.

Leto came at them with the dagger raised. Styxx stepped in front of Bethany to confront the kuna who had twice tried to destroy his wife. It was time he ended this and her, once and for all. Leto leapt at him. The force of her attack unbalanced her. He jerked her forward and disarmed her with a single twist to her wrist.

But in spite of everything the bitch had done to them, he couldn't bring himself to strike her. It'd been hardwired into him by Galen that there was never, ever any reason for a man to hit a woman, no matter what she did to deserve it. Men were much too strong.

Leto laughed as she realized he wouldn't strike her.

Until Bethany came around him with a grim, determined glint in her eye. "I've got this bitch."

Styxx stepped back and let her take fourteen thousand years of vengeance out on the goddess they both hated. The goddess who had done her best to destroy them both.

And speaking of hatred and retribution ...

He turned toward Archon who was battling Zakar. Manifesting his sword and shield, Styxx headed for them.

"Zakar?"

The Sumerian looked past Archon then fell back as Styxx moved in to engage the Atlantean god.

Archon laughed. "Really? You think borrowed powers scare me, boy? I've wiped my ass on higher beings and better warriors than you."

"I'll concede the higher beings, but you should remember, Archon, there has never been born a better warrior than me. It's why you helped Apollo and Leto cheat in order to kill Aricles. You knew the debt I owed Apollymi for her favor and that I'd be coming for you eventually."

Scoffing, Archon brought his axe down across Styxx's shield. Styxx lunged at his feet with his sword. The older god danced away as Styxx twirled with an uppercut that nicked his arm.

Archon screamed out in pain.

Styxx drove him back as Archon struggled to keep up with his blows. And he saw the fear in Archon's eyes as the god realized he wouldn't win this round.

"Go ahead," Archon taunted, "put me back to sleep. I will get free again. And when I do, I'm coming for all three of you. There's nothing you can do to stop me. I will return."

"No," Styxx said firmly. "You won't." He feinted right and when Archon moved to defend, he shot back with a well-practiced swing that severed the god's head in one final stroke.

Everyone in the room froze as they realized what Styxx had done. And more to the point, they became aware of what he really was.

A Chthonian god-killer. They alone had the power to destroy a god and send his or her power back to the Source without destroying the fabric of the universe. And while killing a god weakened them, they were still the baddest asses in the Nether Realm.

The only things that could kill one of them was the Source, one of its servants, or serums or another Chthonian.

In that moment, the Atlanteans did what they'd done in Halicarnassus when they realized Styxx would not be defeated ... they dropped their weapons immediately, and stood down.

Except Bethany and Leto who continued to battle. The bloodlust in his wife's eyes was a scary thing.

"Should we break them up?" Urian asked as he joined Styxx.

Before he could answer, Set intervened by grabbing Leto in a fierce sleeper-hold. As soon as she passed out, he tossed her over his shoulder. "While I respect your need to beat on her, daughter, I'm the one with a much larger grudge against her. Not just for what she did to you, but for what she did to your brother." He leaned forward to kiss Bethany's cheek. "I will be back very soon and never fear ... while I wouldn't deign strike a lady, this bitch is open season." He paused to glance at Zakar, who smiled in wicked anticipation.

Then the three of them were gone.

"Brother?" Bethany whispered in confusion as she turned to Styxx. "What brother?"

He pointed to Seth across the room. "Seth was born long after Apollymi had frozen you in Katateros."

Bethany went to meet him for the first time while Styxx knelt beside Acheron. He was stone gray from head to toe. Frowning, Styxx glanced to Urian. "What causes this?"

"Aima," Dikastis answered, kneeling next to Styxx.

Styxx started for Dikastis to finish him off, but Urian stopped him.

"He's on our side."

"You sure?"

"He stabbed that one." Urian pointed to Teros. "And saved my ass."

Maahes joined Seth and Bethany while Ma'at moved to stand by Styxx. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Acheron will be fine. As soon as Simi brings the antidote, he'll wake up."

Styxx wanted to believe that. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Otherwise, Apollymi wouldn't be so quiet."

And she was quiet ... eerily so. Even when Simi returned with three leaves from the Tree of Life that only grew in the Destroyer's temple in Kalosis, Apollymi remained extremely reserved and dubiously silent.

"What do I do with these?" Styxx asked Simi.

"Twist them until they're moist," Apollymi said. "Then drip nine drops into Apostolos's mouth."

Styxx hesitated. "What happens if I do ten by mistake?"

"Let's not find out."

Duly noted.