In Plain Sight - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

[ihadabadday]

No one knew how long Gods had walked among the mortals. They just knew they had. Some remained in their country of origin, some branched out and traveled. Others started business or charities. Some just went through existence simply being. Belief didn't have much to do with how the Gods chose to lead their lives.

This tale though, it focuses on the Greek Gods of old and Mount Olympus (which is a real place and traditionally is where Zeus is said to live with Hera).

John Watson didn't care for the politics of the Gods that surrounded them every day. He had other things to focus on, to pay attention to. Like medical school, and then the military. It wasn't until he was shot and laying in the desert, bleeding, did he whisper things to the God of Death, to Hades. To a god he didn't believe in. Blood whispers they were often called. And gods hardly paid attention to them, most believed they were the whispers of dying men.

But John Watson survived when others with the same injury had died. What was different about him?

He returned to London on an army pension and a cane. He shuffled through his life, a constant ache in his chest, like there was something missing. Though he had little to no idea of what was missing. He helped others where he could, donating his time and what little money. A homeless veteran (it boiled him so to see those who helped their country be left behind) once called him a beacon of light.

A beacon of light huh?

Most days he didn't feel like one. Most days his mood was dark and everything was shit.

One night when he was limping slowly back to his dismal bedsit, something caught his attention. He glanced down an alley and saw a tall man dressed in black, being mugged by some ratty youth. The man was far too posh for this neighborhood. So why was he here? But that didn't matter. John, on two strong legs, charged into the alley and used his cane to knock the criminal away. He didn't notice, but there seemed to be a light around him, an otherworldy aura to him.

He held the cane like a sword and pointed it at the would be thief. "You need to leave here." John commanded. It had been easy for some to forget that he had been Captain John Watson of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers in Her Majesty's Army.

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[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock smirked. "Don't care to see me naked, hmm?" He quipped with a warm smile. It wasn't like Greg hadn't seen him naked before, but he wrapped the robe around him and tied it closed anyways. It was good to see Greg again.

"Been a long time, old man." Sherlock grinned. But it only took a moment before the smile faded. They both knew why he had been called.

"It's good that they don't know. But that still doesn't get me any closer to knowing how to kill them. I assume they used a poison, whatever that flower was that they gave me. But I don't have access to any poisons, or knowledge for to procure or make any. And a god can't kill another god in simple hand to hand combat. So.. I am at a loss here." He sighed and slumped in a chair, looking over to John, with a longing look. He couldn't lose him.

"Greg... I know you can't tell me the future, but I don't know what to do. I am out of depth here. I need to get back to Hell. I can feel myself weakening, the longer I am away."

[ihadabadday]

"Sherlock. You have everything you need to reclaim Hell. You have everyone." He gave John a pointed look.

John flushed and looked at the two men. "While I was with Demeter. I made a study of the poisonous plants that could kill a god. There... There were times when I wanted to use them on myself and wake ina time that Hades was alive again." He admitted sheepishly.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock frowned. This was something else that they were going to have to talk about later. But now he had to take down a god.

He looked to Greg, then back to John. "So... you know what can kill him.. But he isn't just going to take it. We are going to have to force him to somehow." He sighed. "And we are going to have to get the materials. Where are these plants and how do we procure them?"

[ihadabadday]

"Demeter. She can grow them." Greg offered.

"He has been sending messages to me, asking me to join him. Asking me to grow exotic plants." John said after a moment, "I might be able to get to him. As long as Sherlock is the last one to touch however we get.the poison to.hin."

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock looked to John. "You have to stay here, but I will go back to the US and talk to Demeter. I assume it will take her time to grow them, and while she is growing them we will have to make sure that he doesn't realize that I am back. It might be best if I don't visit Zeus." He actually did want to see his brother again, though he'd never admit it.

He stared at John. "The god.. who is running Hell., he asked you to grow poisonous plants for him? He wants to kill more gods?"

[ihadabadday]

John frowned. He didn't want to leave Sherlock again. Not after he just got him back. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I suppose. But I always turned him down. I never gave him a reason. I think he suspects it's because I'm not strong enough."

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock of course understood why John was frowning. It wasn't like he wanted to leave either, he was still getting the last of his memories back, most came flooding back but some where a bit slower in coming. But this was their only choice, they both had to know that.

"You... could get close to him." That was the last thing that Sherlock wanted. It was so, so fucking dangerous. This man could most likely kill John as well. It was likely that he either had more poison, or some other way to kill or maim John if he didn't cooperate.

He looked to Greg, who had been silent. "I assume you have nothing else to say, am I correct?"

[ihadabadday]

"Could just freeze him and you can force feed him the poison." John grumbled almost seriously. He didn't want loose Sherlock, but he knew they had few options.

"He has a weakness for human whiskey." Greg said with a shrug. He didn't like the interloper. Sherlock was Hades.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock's eyes lit up. We have to get you into his good graces, enough that he would let you serve him whiskey, John. I'm just not sure how, since you are stuck in Sydney for another 2 and a half months."

He paced around the room like a tiger in a cage. "We need time both for Demeter to grow the flower, and for you to get into his graces. I have no idea how long either will take, though."

[ihadabadday]

"I could send him a message..." John offered. He wanted to go home. Home to Hell with Hades. He was tired of this existence.

Greg smiled and then vanished in a swirl of light.

[seaweed_writes]

"Alright. I am going to head to the US, the soon I start, the better."

He leaned in, giving John a deep kiss, running his tongue against the man's lips. He wished he could stay long, that they could have one more time together, but this plan needed to happen before the new ruler of Hell catches onto them.

"John... I.. I love you.," Sherlock says, then disappears in a small poof of smoke.

[ihadabadday]

John sighed, his shoulders dropping. Fuck. This was going to be awful.

[seaweed_writes]

In a heartbeat, he is back in the US, at Demeter's farm. He bursts in the door, not bothering to knock, walking determinedly like a man on a mission

And he was.

"John and I need your help." He said, not even greeting her. "You need to grow us a poisonous plant, so that I can rule Hell again." He looked at his hands, slightly shaking. "The longer I am away from Hell, the weaker I get. It will take time for the plant to grow, so we need to start right now!"

[ihadabadday]

Molly looked up as Sherlock billowed into her home. She blinked for a moment and then nodded. She would help.

"I have some I have been cultivating that should be ready in a month. Or is that too far out?" She asked.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock sighed. He needed to give John time to get in the man's good fortunes.. He could only hope that a month would be enough.. but he wasn't sure how John was going to leave Sydney, he might need 3 months or more.

"Yes." He said softly. He had forgotten his laptop in his haste in Sydney, but it was too late now. He had to stay, and lay low, and wait for the plants to grow.

[ihadabadday]

John was nervous. Venturing to Hell for the first time in ages.

He greeted Cerberus, knowing the hound could smell Sherlock on him. He hoped Cerberus would be supportive. Well as supportive as the hound could be.

[seaweed_writes]

Cerberus looked up, if confusion could show on three dogs' faces, then that is what it would have looked like. It sniffed John, though it remembered who he was, it had been a very long time since they had seen each other. After sniffing him, it gave an anxious look towards the throne room, then back at John, seemingly unsure about what was going on, and where its former master was.

It laid its head back down, clearly it wasn't going to bar John from entering Hell.

[ihadabadday]

"He's coming back." He promised ever so quietly.

John straightened and went into the throne room. He looked his best today.

[seaweed_writes]

3 sets of ears perked up at that. Of course its previous owner had never treated it particualrly well, but neither did he treat it particularly bad either. It got fed the bodies that had no more souls when it was hungry, and its job was pretty easy. They had been together for a long time, and it felt rather loyal to the last Hades. It put its heads down, and let John pass.


Thanatos- Moriarty looked rather surprised when he saw John enter the room. "Ah, have you changed your mind, Johnny-Boy? Finally done pining after that pathetic Hades and come to joining me?" He asked in that high lilt of his.

[ihadabadday]

John didn't let any expression cross his face at those words. "It takes time for a bond to sever. Especially one as long as the one Hades and I had. But I thought it was time to start making alliances again."

He came to stand in front of Moriarty. He would let the man think he was weaker than he actually was. Very few knew about the link to Ares.

[seaweed_writes]

"Good boy." He smiled and stood up, walked around John, then used the back of his hand to caress John's cheek. "I bet I can find a use for you here."

As quick as he was nice, his face turned stony and evil. "And if I get one whiff that this is some sort of trick, or ruse by those..." He waves his hand dismissively "Morons on Mount Olympus, I will kill you where I stand, and feed you to my dog." His voice was cold, uncaring, unflinchingly dangerous.

[ihadabadday]

He didn't flinch at the touch, even though it revolted him.

"Who would I go to? Who would I betray you to?" John had made it seem like he had few friends, wasn't close with anyone.

[seaweed_writes]

"That bitch, Demeter." He growled, but immediately his face brightened, and it was like he had never been the cold, angry heartless thing that he had been just moments before.

"Ah, who am I kidding. You wouldn't go and do that, would you, Johnny-Boy?" He slapped John's back. "Alright, well, lets get you familiar with the way things are done around here..."

[ihadabadday]

They both knew Demeter would rain hell down on Moriarty if anything happened to John. But neither of them spoke those words.

John was grateful that Moriarty had given him a room. It wasn't similar at all to his old one. But he wouldn't complain. He wanted Moriarty to think he was easy to manipulate.

[seaweed_writes]

Moriarty had him set to the most meaningless tasks at first, things that he insisted that he just didn't have time to do, though mostly he just sat on his throne and ferried souls from there. He may have been an usurper, but he was actually doing the job.

When John was good, did what Moriarty wanted, he often ran his hand down Johns back or over his cheek or down his side, showing physical praise as well as giving him spoken praise, both of which increased as time went on.