24. Can’t Keep Failing You: Alex

CHAPTER 24

CAN'T KEEP FAILING YOU

ALEX

A fireball whizzed past his head, singeing a few strands of his hair. The acrid smell of burnt keratin mingled with the already pungent aroma of chaos and destruction that permeated the air. He straightened up, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the battlefield that New York City had become.

"For fuck's sake," he muttered, his voice a low growl that seemed to resonate with the very shadows around him. "Can't we have one goddamn day without the world trying to end?"

A vampire – or what used to be a vampire before it went completely off the rails – lunged at him, fangs bared and eyes wild with a madness that went beyond mere bloodlust. Alex sidestepped, his hand shooting out to grab the creature by the throat. Shadows coalesced around his fingers, and the vampire let out a choked gurgle before crumbling to dust.

"Alex!" Olivia's voice cut through the din of battle. She materialized beside him in a burst of flame, her hair smoldering and her eyes blazing with barely contained power. "How the hell is this happening? These rogues – they're not just out of control, they're completely unhinged!"

Alex grunted, already scanning their surroundings for the next threat. "Good question. About fucking time someone asked it."

He'd been wondering the same thing himself. The rogues they were facing weren't just your garden-variety supernatural troublemakers. No, these creatures were operating on a whole new level of batshit crazy. It was like someone had cranked their aggression and power up to eleven while dialing their sanity down to negative numbers.

As Alex's gaze swept across the chaotic landscape of overturned cars, shattered storefronts, and panicked civilians, something caught his eye. There, at the center of Hell's Bridge, swirling like some demented cotton candy machine from the underworld, was a portal.

"Well, shit," Alex muttered, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the swirling vortex. Dark tendrils of energy pulsed from its center, reaching out like grasping fingers. As he watched, one of these tendrils brushed against a nearby shifter. The effect was immediate and terrifying. The shifter's eyes rolled back in its head, its body contorting as it let out a howl that was more rage than pain.

"That's our culprit," Alex said, gesturing towards the portal with a jerk of his chin. "Portal's pumping out some kind of dark magic enchantment. Anything that gets too close goes completely off the rails."

Olivia's eyes widened as she followed his gaze. "Fuck me sideways," she breathed. "That's not good."

"No shit, Sherlock," Alex retorted, but there was no real heat in his words. He was already formulating a plan, his tactical mind working overtime. "We need to keep everyone clear of that thing. Last thing we need is one of our own going darkside on us."

He raised his voice, projecting it with a touch of divine power so it would carry over the chaos. "Listen up, people! Portal at the center of the bridge is bad news. Stay clear, and keep any rogues you're fighting away from it too. We don't need them getting a power boost on top of their existing crazy."

The team acknowledged his orders with a chorus of affirmatives. Alex allowed himself a moment of pride. They were a good group, his Shadowguards. A bunch of misfits and oddballs, sure, but they worked together like a well-oiled machine when it counted.

His moment of satisfaction was short-lived, however. A commotion at the edge of the battlefield caught his attention. A group of black SUVs had pulled up, disgorging a small army of suit-clad individuals. The Human Investigations Bureau had finally decided to grace them with their presence.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Alex growled, his mood souring instantly. "Now they show up."

He watched as Director Hernandez emerged from one of the vehicles, looking as polished and unruffled as ever despite the chaos surrounding them. The man's eyes scanned the battlefield before landing on Alex, his expression a mixture of concern and that particular brand of bureaucratic constipation that seemed to be a job requirement for government officials.

Alex sighed, already feeling a headache building behind his eyes. He turned to Olivia, who was eyeing the new arrivals with a mixture of relief and wariness. "Keep an eye on things here. I need to go deal with the suit squad before they bumble their way into getting themselves killed."

Olivia nodded, a wry smile twisting her lips. "Try not to terrify them too much, boss. We might need them to file our paperwork later."

Alex snorted, already moving towards the HIB contingent. "No promises."

As he approached, he could see Hernandez organizing his people, pointing out positions and barking orders. Alex had to admit, grudgingly, that the man seemed to know what he was doing. Still, that didn't change the fact that they were late to the party and potentially about to make things a whole lot worse .

"Director Hernandez," Alex called out as he drew near, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. "So nice of you to join us. Did you stop for coffee on the way, or was there a particularly riveting bit of paperwork that needed your attention?"

Hernandez turned to face him, his expression carefully neutral. "Mr. Knight. I assure you, we came as quickly as we could. The situation-"

"Is FUBAR, yes, I'm aware," Alex cut him off, his patience wearing thin. "And it's about to get a whole lot worse if you don't get your people to back the fuck up right now."

Hernandez's eyebrows rose, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "I beg your pardon?"

Alex pointed towards the portal, which was still swirling ominously at the center of the bridge. "See that? It's pumping out some kind of dark magic enchantment. Anything that gets too close goes berserk. So unless you want your agents turning into raging psychopaths, I suggest you keep them well away from it."

Hernandez's eyes widened as he took in the portal, the color draining from his face. "My God," he breathed. "What is that thing?"

"Above your pay grade," Alex said bluntly. "What matters is keeping your people safe and out of our way while we deal with it. Can you handle that, or do I need to draw you a diagram?"

The director's jaw tightened, but to his credit, he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he turned and began issuing new orders to his team, directing them to form a perimeter well back from the bridge.

Alex watched for a moment, making sure the HIB agents were following instructions. Satisfied that they weren't about to immediately get themselves killed, he turned back to Hernandez.

"One more thing," he said, his voice low and intense. "You need to do a better job of keeping up with these situations. We can't always be cleaning up your messes. "

Hernandez bristled at that. "Now see here, Mr. Knight. The HIB-"

"Is supposed to be on top of supernatural threats," Alex interrupted. "And yet, time and again, we're the ones having to save your asses when things go sideways. Do better, Director. Because next time, we might not be here to bail you out."

Without waiting for a response, Alex turned and strode back towards the battle. He could feel Hernandez's glare burning into his back, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Let the man be offended. If it motivated him to actually do his job better, all the better.

As he rejoined the fray, Alex allowed himself a grim smile. The day was far from over, and there was still a portal full of dark magic to deal with. But at least he'd managed to keep the HIB from becoming part of the problem. Sometimes, in this line of work, you had to count the small victories.

"Alright, people," he called out to his team. "Let's shut this portal down and send these rogues packing. I don't know about you, but I've got plans tonight that don't involve saving the world."

As his team rallied around him, ready to face whatever came next, Alex felt a familiar surge of pride and determination. They might be outgunned, outnumbered, and facing odds that would make most people run screaming. But they were the Shadowguards. And come hell or high water (or portals full of dark magic), they'd get the job done.

Because that's what they did. That's who they were. And God help anyone – human, supernatural, or divine – who got in their way.

Alex's gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, assessing their situation. His eyes landed on Thor, the thunder god's muscular form a beacon of power amidst the mayhem. The Asgardian was currently engaged with a pack of enraged shifters, his hammer Mjolnir crackling with lightning as it swept through the air .

For a fleeting moment, Alex allowed himself to feel a glimmer of hope. With Thor on their side, maybe they actually stood a chance of shutting down this portal and getting out of this clusterfuck in one piece.

That hope was shattered in an instant.

The air in front of Alex shimmered and warped, reality bending in a way that made his stomach lurch. Two figures materialized out of thin air, and Alex felt his blood turn to ice in his veins.

Loki and Ares stood before him, their expressions a nauseating mix of smugness and cruel anticipation. But it wasn't their sudden appearance that made Alex's heart stop. It was what – or rather, who – they had with them.

Eryx hung limply between them, unconscious and pale as death.

"No," Alex breathed, the word escaping him before he could stop it. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything they'd been through. Not when they were so close to victory.

Loki's lips curled into a smile that was all teeth and no warmth. "Oh yes, dear cousin. I'm afraid your little rescue mission has hit a rather significant snag."

Rage, hot and fierce, surged through Alex. It was a familiar feeling, the wrath of Hades that he'd spent years trying to keep in check. But now? Now he embraced it.

With a thought, Alex summoned his bident. The weapon materialized in his hand, its weight comforting and familiar. Without hesitation, he hurled it at the two gods, pouring every ounce of his power and fury into the throw.

The bident cut through the air like a bolt of darkness, aimed straight for Loki's smug face. For a heartbeat, Alex thought it might actually connect.

But Loki was faster. The trickster god raised Gungnir, Odin's legendary spear glowing with otherworldly power. The bident collided with Gungnir in a shower of sparks, the clash of divine weapons sending shockwaves rippling through the air .

"Nice try," Ares sneered, his voice grating on Alex's nerves like sandpaper. "But you'll have to do better than that if you want your pretty little mate back."

Alex's hands clenched into fists at his sides, shadows writhing around him like angry serpents. "What do you want with him?" he snarled, even though he already knew the answer. He just needed to keep them talking, to buy time to figure out a plan.

Ares rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with Alex's attempt at stalling. "Oh, come now. We both know you're not that stupid. You know exactly what we want with your precious vessel."

"Enough chit-chat," Loki cut in, his tone light but his eyes cold and calculating. "We're on a rather tight schedule, I'm afraid. Cosmic convergences wait for no one, not even gods."

That was all the warning Alex got. With a speed that defied comprehension, he launched himself at Loki, shadows coalescing around his fists like dark flames. He didn't have a plan beyond 'hit the bastard until he lets Eryx go,' but rational thought had taken a backseat to blind fury and desperation.

He never made it to Loki. Ares intercepted him mid-lunge, the god of war's fist connecting with Alex's jaw with enough force to make his vision blur. Alex stumbled back, tasting blood in his mouth.

"Now, now," Loki chided, as if scolding a misbehaving child. "We don't have time for this nonsense. Places to be, realities to reshape, you understand."

The trickster god raised Gungnir high, and the spear began to glow with an intensity that hurt to look at directly. Behind them, the portal at the center of the bridge pulsed and grew, swirling with colors that had no place in the natural world.

"Try to stop this, cousin," Loki called out, his voice dripping with false sympathy.

Before Alex could react, before he could so much as take a step forward, Loki, Ares, and Eryx vanished in a swirl of smoke. One moment they were there, and the next.. .

Nothing.

"Eryx!" Alex's scream tore from his throat, raw and primal. He lunged forward, as if he could somehow follow them through sheer force of will.

But it was too late. They were gone, and Eryx with them.

The portal, however, remained. And it was growing.

It expanded rapidly, tendrils of otherworldly energy reaching out like grasping fingers. The very air seemed to warp and twist around it, reality itself buckling under the strain of whatever was trying to force its way through.

"Alex!" Thor's voice boomed from behind him, snapping him out of his shocked stupor. The thunder god appeared at his side, Mjolnir crackling with barely contained power. "We have a problem."

"No shit," Alex snarled, his voice hoarse. "In case you missed it, your psychotic brother just kidnapped my mate and vanished into thin fucking air!"

Thor's expression was grim, his eyes fixed on the writhing portal. "I know. And I swear to you, we will get Eryx back. But right now, we have a more immediate crisis to deal with."

Alex wanted to argue, to tell Thor exactly where he could shove his 'immediate crisis.' Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go after Eryx, to tear apart the very fabric of reality until he found him.

But even through the haze of rage and fear, Alex knew Thor was right. The portal was still growing, and with it came a feeling of... wrongness that set Alex's teeth on edge.

"What is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, his knuckles white. "I can feel it. The World Tree. Yggdrasil itself is trying to push through."

Alex felt the blood drain from his face. "That's... that's not possible. Is it?"

"With the power of Gungnir and whatever dark magics Loki and Ares have harnessed? I'm afraid it's all too possible." Thor's voice was heavy with the weight of millennia. "If Yggdrasil manifests fully in this realm, the consequences will be... catastrophic."

Alex closed his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to go after Eryx, consequences be damned. But he couldn't. Not when the fate of the entire world – possibly multiple worlds – hung in the balance.

When he opened his eyes again, they burned with the power of Hades, dark and terrible. "Alright," he growled, shadows gathering around him like a living cloak. "What's the plan?"

Thor clapped a hand on his shoulder, nearly staggering him with the force of it. "We fight, of course. We seal that portal and deal with whatever manages to come through. And then, my friend, we go get your mate back. And we make Loki and Ares regret ever laying a hand on him."

Despite everything, Alex felt a grim smile tug at his lips. "Now that," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "sounds like a plan I can get behind."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the entire bridge shuddered violently, nearly throwing Alex off his feet. The portal pulsed, a surge of otherworldly energy radiating outward in a wave that made Alex's teeth ache. Through the swirling vortex, he could see it – Yggdrasil, the World Tree, pushing its way into their reality with terrifying speed.

"Fuck me sideways," Alex muttered, his eyes widening as he took in the impossible sight. Massive branches, each as thick as a skyscraper, were slowly materializing, seeming to grow out of thin air. The very fabric of reality warped around them, colors bleeding and shifting in ways that hurt to look at directly.

Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, lightning crackling along the hammer's surface. "We need to close that portal," he growled, stating the obvious with all the gravitas of a thunder god. "Now. Before Yggdrasil fully manifests in this realm."

Alex wanted to snap at him, to point out that closing interdimensional portals wasn't exactly in his job description as a former Underworld deity. But before he could open his mouth, a fresh wave of rogues surged towards them, their eyes wild and unfocused.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Alex snarled, shadows coalescing around his hands like living weapons. "Don't these assholes ever take a break?"

As if in answer to his rhetorical question, the earth beneath the rogues' feet suddenly erupted. Chunks of asphalt and concrete rose up, wrapping around the attackers like the world's least comfortable straightjackets.

Lily materialized at Alex's side, her eyes glowing with the power of her earth magic. "Thought you could use a hand," she said, a tight smile on her face. "Or a few dozen, give or take."

Alex nodded his thanks, not trusting himself to speak. The absence of Eryx at his side was a physical ache, a void that threatened to consume him if he let his guard down for even a moment.

A sound cut through the chaos – the harsh cawing of birds, loud enough to be heard over the din of battle and the ominous creaking of the manifesting World Tree. Alex's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he spotted two ravens circling overhead.

Thor's face split into a grin that was equal parts relief and anticipation. "Huginn and Muninn," he announced, as if that explained everything. At Alex's blank look, he elaborated, "Odin's ravens. Thought and Memory."

"Great," Alex muttered. "Because what this situation really needed was some ominous bird imagery. What's next, a flock of doves carrying olive branches?"

Before Thor could respond, a new sound cut through the air – the distinctive rumble of a high-powered motorcycle engine. Alex turned, half-expecting to see another threat bearing down on them.

What he saw instead made him question whether he'd finally snapped and started hallucinating .

A motorcycle came roaring onto the bridge, weaving through the chaos with impossible grace. Its rider was clad head to toe in black leather, looking for all the world like she'd just stepped out of a biker gang's wet dream. As the bike skidded to a stop near them, the rider removed her helmet, releasing a cascade of flame-red hair that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

Thor's booming laugh cut through Alex's shock. "Well," the thunder god said, sounding positively delighted, "looks like we found Freya. Or rather, she found us."

Freya – because apparently, this leather-clad biker chick was the Norse goddess of love and war – dismounted her bike with fluid grace. Her eyes, a startling shade of green that reminded Alex painfully of Eryx, swept over the scene with cool assessment.

"Boys," she greeted them, her voice carrying easily over the chaos. "Looks like you could use a hand."

Alex bristled at her casual tone. Here they were, reality literally falling apart around them, Eryx gods-knew-where in the hands of Loki and Ares, and this divine biker babe was acting like she'd just dropped by for a friendly chat.

"Unless you've got a way to close that portal and get my mate back," Alex growled, shadows writhing around him like agitated snakes, "I suggest you take your Harley and-"

"To stop Yggdrasil from merging with your realm," Freya cut him off smoothly, apparently unimpressed by his display of power, "you need to strike at its heart. Reach inside the tree and deliver a blow powerful enough to shock it back into its own reality."

Alex blinked, momentarily thrown off balance by the abrupt shift from small talk to world-saving instructions. "I'm sorry, what? You want us to punch a tree? An interdimensional, reality-warping tree?"

Freya's lips curved into a smile that was somehow both amused and predatory. "Not punch, exactly. But yes, that's the general idea. "

"But won't that kill it?" Alex asked, his mind racing to process this new information. As much as he wanted to solve this crisis and go after Eryx, destroying the World Tree seemed like it might have some rather significant cosmic consequences.

Freya shook her head, her impossibly perfect hair somehow remaining unruffled despite the chaos around them. "As long as Odin lives, Yggdrasil can survive anything. Think of it less as an attack and more as... an interdimensional wake-up call."

Thor nodded, as if this made perfect sense. "Of course! We're not trying to destroy Yggdrasil, just encourage it to go back where it belongs."

Alex looked between the two Norse deities, fighting the urge to scream in frustration. "Right. Because that's so much better. And I don't suppose either of you has any bright ideas on how we're supposed to get close enough to magic-punch the heart of a cosmic tree that's currently in the process of tearing reality a new one?"

Freya's smile widened, a glint in her eye that Alex found deeply unsettling. "As a matter of fact," she said, reaching behind her to pull something from a saddlebag on her motorcycle, "I do."

What she produced looked, at first glance, like an ordinary axe. But as Alex's gaze fell upon it, he felt a shiver run down his spine. This was no mortal weapon. Power radiated from it in waves, ancient and terrible and achingly familiar.

"Is that..." Thor breathed, his eyes wide with something like reverence.

Freya nodded, hefting the axe with casual ease. "Skofnung. The legendary sword of Danish kings, reforged into an axe by Odin himself. One of the few weapons in existence capable of affecting Yggdrasil directly."

Alex stared at the axe, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation. "And you just happened to have that with you? What, do you always ride around with world-ending weaponry in your saddlebags? "

Freya's laugh was like the ringing of bells, incongruously beautiful amidst the chaos surrounding them. "A lady never reveals all her secrets, Lord Hades. Let's just say I had a feeling it might come in handy."

Before Alex could formulate a response to that, the bridge shuddered again. The portal pulsed, expanding outward in a surge that sent everyone staggering. Through the swirling vortex, Alex could see more of Yggdrasil pushing through – not just branches now, but what looked disturbingly like roots, reaching out as if to anchor themselves in this reality.

"We're running out of time," Thor said grimly, stating the obvious with all the gravitas a thunder god could muster.

Alex nodded, his mind racing. This was insane. They were talking about attacking the World Tree, the literal axis of reality, with a magical axe wielded by a biker goddess. If anyone had told him this morning that this was how his day would go, he'd have laughed in their face.

But Eryx was still out there, in the hands of Loki and Ares. And if they didn't do something fast, there might not be a world left to save him in.

"Alright," Alex said, straightening his shoulders and letting the power of Hades flow through him. Shadows gathered around him like a living cloak, responding to the surge of determination that coursed through his veins. "Let's go punch a tree."

Freya's grin was fierce and wild. "That's the spirit. Thor, you and I will clear a path. Hades, you're on axe duty. Think you can handle it?"

Alex reached out, wrapping his hand around Skofnung's haft. The moment his skin made contact with the weapon, he felt a jolt of power surge through him. It was like grabbing a live wire, but instead of electricity, it was pure, undiluted divine energy.

"Yeah," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I think I can manage."

The weight of Skofnung in his hand felt both foreign and familiar, like reuniting with a part of himself he didn't know was missing. Power thrummed through the axe, resonating with the essence of Hades that still flowed through Alex's veins.

Freya nodded, her eyes glinting with a mixture of approval and something darker, more primal. "Then let's dance, boys."

With a war cry that sent shivers down Alex's spine, Thor launched himself at the encroaching tendrils of Yggdrasil. Mjolnir sang through the air, each impact sending shockwaves of thunder rippling across the bridge. Where the hammer struck, reality itself seemed to waver, the tree's manifestation flickering like a bad hologram.

"For Asgard!" Thor bellowed, his voice booming over the cacophony of battle. A massive branch, thick as a subway car, swung towards him. Thor met it head-on, Mjolnir connecting with a thunderclap that made Alex's teeth rattle in his skull.

The branch splintered, ethereal wood scattering like stardust. But for every tendril they destroyed, two more seemed to take its place. It was like fighting a hydra made of cosmic foliage.

"Uh, Thor?" Alex called out, ducking under a whip-like branch that nearly took his head off. "Not to criticize your battle strategy, but I think we might need a new plan!"

Thor's laughter, wild and fierce, carried over the chaos. "Nonsense! This is but a warm-up! Freya, shall we show these mortals how it's done?"

Freya moved with a grace that belied her leather-clad biker appearance. One moment she was beside Alex, the next she was in the thick of the fray, her hands glowing with a golden light that seared through Yggdrasil's branches like a hot knife through butter.

"Less talking, more smashing!" Freya shouted back, a fierce grin on her face. She pirouetted between two massive branches, her hands trailing arcs of golden fire. Where the light touched, Yggdrasil's manifestation seemed to unravel, reality reasserting itself in shimmering waves.

Alex watched in awe as Freya danced through the battle, every movement precise and deadly. It was like watching a force of nature given form – beautiful, terrifying, and absolutely lethal.

A flash of movement caught Alex's eye. A tendril, sneakier than the rest, was creeping up behind Freya. Without thinking, Alex thrust out his hand, shadows coalescing into a razor-sharp spear that pinned the branch to the bridge.

Freya glanced back, nodding her thanks. "Not bad, Hades. But save that energy for the main event!"

As if on cue, the air around them began to thicken. Alex felt it like a pressure against his skin, reality groaning under the strain of Yggdrasil's intrusion. The very fabric of the world seemed to be stretching, threatening to tear at any moment.

"Thor!" Alex shouted, panic edging into his voice. "We're running out of time!"

The thunder god grunted in acknowledgment, swinging Mjolnir in a wide arc that cleared a momentary space around them. "Indeed! Freya, can you clear us a path?"

Freya's response was to clap her hands together, golden light exploding outward in a shockwave that sent Yggdrasil's branches recoiling. For a brief moment, Alex could see through the tangle of otherworldly foliage to the pulsing heart of the tree.

"Anytime now, Hades!" Freya called out, her voice strained with effort as she held back the encroaching branches. "I can't keep this up forever!"

Alex gripped Skofnung tighter, feeling the axe's power thrumming through him. This was it. Their one shot at ending this madness and giving him a chance to go after Eryx.

"Right," he muttered, more to himself than the others. "No pressure. Just gotta magic-punch a cosmic tree and save reality. Piece of cake."

Thor appeared at his side, his armor scorched and his hair wild. "Remember, cousin," he said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Strike true and without hesitation. Yggdrasil is not our enemy, but neither can we allow it to remain here."

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath. "Got it. In and out, clean hit, try not to obliterate the fabric of reality. Anything else I should know?"

Freya's laugh, strained but still musical, carried over to them. "Just one thing, darling. Don't die. It would be such a shame to lose that pretty face of yours."

Despite everything, Alex felt a smile tug at his lips. "Wouldn't dream of it. Alright, let's do this. For Eryx."

With that, Alex charged forward, Skofnung raised high. Yggdrasil's branches lashed out at him, but Thor and Freya were there, clearing his path with lightning and golden fire.

Each step felt like fighting against a hurricane. Reality itself seemed to resist him, the air thick and sluggish. But Alex pushed on, driven by a determination that burned hotter than Freya's flames, stronger than Thor's lightning.

He was Hades, God of the Underworld. He had faced down Titans and Primordials. He had ruled over the dead and judged the souls of countless mortals.

And now? Now he was going to punch a tree and get his boyfriend back.

Let Yggdrasil try to stop him. Let Loki and Ares run and hide. It didn't matter. Nothing in this world or any other was going to keep him from Eryx.

With a roar that carried all his rage, all his fear, all his love, Alex swung Skofnung at the heart of the World Tree.

The universe held its breath, and for a moment, everything hung in perfect, impossible balance.

Then the axe connected, and reality exploded.

The force of it threw Alex backward. He hit the bridge hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Through spotty vision, he watched as Yggdrasil's manifestation began to waver and fade, like mist under a hot sun.

The portal pulsed once, twice, and then collapsed in on itself with a sound like reality hiccupping.

And just like that, it was over.

The sudden silence was almost as deafening as the chaos had been. Alex lay there for a moment, every muscle in his body screaming in protest, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.

They'd done it. They'd actually fucking done it.

But the victory felt hollow. Because Eryx was still gone.

As the others moved to secure the area and deal with the aftermath, Alex took a moment to breathe. The rage was still there, simmering just beneath the surface, but he forced himself to think clearly. Eryx needed him to be smart, not just angry.

He couldn't keep failing Eryx. First with the Fates, keeping secrets when he should have been honest. And now this? Letting him get snatched right from under their noses?

"Fuck," Alex muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Eryx, where are you?"

There was no answer, of course. Just the eerie silence where the soul bond should be humming with Eryx's presence. It felt wrong, like a phantom limb. Alex had gotten so used to Eryx being there, a constant presence in the back of his mind, that the absence was physically painful.

He took another deep breath, forcing himself to focus. They had a lead, however tenuous. And Alex would be damned if he let a little thing like the barriers between realities stop him from getting Eryx back.

As he made his way back to where Thor and Freya were conferring in low voices, Alex's mind was already racing with plans. They'd need to research interdimensional travel, figure out how to track Loki across realities. Maybe Thor would have some insights into his brother's methods. And Zac's blood magic might be able to give them a connection to Eryx, something to follow.

One thing was certain, Alex wouldn't rest until Eryx was back safe. He'd tear apart the nine realms if he had to. He'd face down gods and monsters, break every rule of reality. Because Eryx wasn't just his mate, his partner. Eryx was his home, his anchor in the chaos of their world .

And Alex would be damned if he let anyone take that away from him.

As they prepared to leave the bridge, Alex set his jaw in grim determination. Loki, Ares, whoever else was involved in this – they had no idea what they'd just unleashed. They thought they knew Hades? They were about to learn what it really meant to face the wrath of the God of the Underworld.

"Hold on, Eryx," Alex muttered as they made their way towards the Shadowguard headquarters. "I'm coming for you. And heaven help anyone who gets in my way."