(Hades POV)
When I awoke, the sense of fatigue lingered but was eclipsed by a burning determination deep within my chest. The realization that I had managed to bend time, even for just a fraction of a moment, filled me with a strange, quiet joy. The potential of what I could accomplish with such power was intoxicating. It was as if the universe had opened a new path for me—a path that would lead me to the strength I needed.
But the joy was short-lived. The acidic stench of our father's belly assaulted my senses once more, dragging me back to the grim reality of our imprisonment. I looked around at the crude, ever-changing landscape of the stomach, a place where darkness and despair seemed to thrive. But I would not let it break me. This was merely another trial, one I had to overcome if I was to rise above my fate.
Nearby, Poseidon grumbled, muttering curses as he fought with the acidic fluids, his frustration evident in every failed attempt to control them. His brow furrowed in concentration, yet I could sense his impatience bubbling beneath the surface. Hera was arguing with Demeter again, their voices sharp as they exchanged barbs. Hestia sat silently by the fire, her eyes reflecting the glow as she watched over us with that eternal calm of hers.
It was strange, really—how we were all born from the same gods, yet we were so different. Poseidon's pride was as vast as the seas he would one day rule, Hera's ambition burned like an unquenchable flame, and Demeter's nurturing nature clashed violently with the bitterness that had taken root within her. And then there was Hestia, the hearth that would one day warm all of Olympus, unchanging and eternal.
As for me, I knew what I would become—the God of the Dead, the ruler of the Underworld. It was a fate I had accepted long ago, but now, I saw that I could be so much more.
But first, we had to escape this place.
"Poseidon," I called out, interrupting his latest tirade against our father's innards. He looked up at me, his expression one of annoyance.
"What is it, gray skin?" he snapped, though there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Stop fighting the acid. You're trying to force it to obey you, but you're missing the point. It's a part of our father, just like the oceans will be a part of you. Work with it, not against it."
He scowled, clearly not pleased with my advice, but something in my tone made him pause. Slowly, begrudgingly, he nodded and closed his eyes, focusing once more on the acid surrounding us. I watched as he relaxed, allowing the corrosive fluids to swirl around him naturally rather than trying to dominate them outright.
To my surprise, the acid began to respond, moving with a fluidity and grace it hadn't shown before. Poseidon's face lit up with triumph, and for a moment, the rivalry between us faded. We were brothers, working together, however briefly.
"Better," I said, and his lips quirked up in a smirk. But before we could dwell on our small victory, the walls of the stomach rumbled ominously, and the entire chamber seemed to shift.
Hera stopped mid-argument, her eyes narrowing. "What now?" she demanded, irritation coloring her tone. Demeter, always the worrier, clutched at her sister's arm, her gaze flicking nervously around the chamber.
Hestia's fire flickered, and I saw uncertainty in her usually serene expression for the first time. "Something is changing," she murmured, her voice soft but carrying the weight of her divine insight. "Father is moving…or perhaps he's reacting to something."
I felt it, too—the shift in the air, the tightening of the space around us. It was as if the stomach was contracting, preparing to expel us or crush us all together. But there was more to it. I sensed a presence outside, something vast and powerful, but along with it came a smell of ozone.
"We need to be ready," I said, rising to my feet, the exhaustion from earlier forgotten. "Whatever is happening, it could be our chance to escape."
Hera arched an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. "And how do you propose we do that, dear brother? In case you've forgotten, we're still trapped in here."
I didn't have an answer, not yet. But the feeling that something was changing, that our time was running out gnawed at me. We had to be prepared for anything.
Suddenly, the walls of the stomach contracted violently, and a wave of acid surged toward us. Poseidon acted quickly, directing the fluid away from the group, but it was clear that the situation was escalating. The entire chamber shuddered, and a deafening roar echoed through the space—a roar that could only belong to our father.
"Zeus," I thought, realization dawning on me. "He's being born."
(Third Person POV)
On the island of Crete, amidst the dense foliage and jagged cliffs, Rhea labored with the help of Gaia's nature spirits. The air crackled with anticipation, the very earth trembling as the youngest of Cronus' children prepared to enter the world. The sky darkened as thunder rumbled, heralding the arrival of the storm god.
Rhea's cries echoed through the cave, a mixture of pain and defiance. She would not let Cronus devour this child as he had the others. She knew what Zeus was destined to become, and she would protect him at all costs.
With one final push, the baby was born, and the cave was filled with a brilliant light. Rhea held her son close, her heart swelling with both love and sorrow. She knew she could not keep him, not yet. But one day, he would return to fulfill his destiny.
"Hide him well," she whispered to the nature spirits, her voice trembling. He is our only hope." But unlike in the original timeline, where the birth of Zeus was kept a secret, a small change had occurred, one that would change the fate of the entire world.
(Hades POV)
The stomach contraction grew more intense, and I knew we were running out of time. The air around us crackled with energy, and I could feel the divine power of Zeus even from within this wretched place. But how could we use this to our advantage?
"Poseidon, Hestia, Hera, Demeter!" I called out, my voice cutting through the chaos. "We need to work together. If our sibling is being born, it means father's attention is divided. This is our chance!"
Hera looked at me with surprise, then nodded, her expression determined. Poseidon grinned, his earlier frustration forgotten in the face of a challenge. Though fearful, Demeter stood beside her sisters Hera and Hestia, ready to play her part.
"On my mark, we strike with everything we have," I commanded, feeling the weight of leadership settle on my shoulders. "We will create a force strong enough to break free from this prison."
While they seemed hesitant to follow my commands, I cared not for their hesitance. As I focused on a singular point on his stomach, I began using every scrap of divinity I had to force his stomach to rot from the inside out, causing the fabric of the dimension to contract.
As the chamber trembled around us, we gathered our divine power, each of us tapping into our latent potential. I could feel the raw energy building, the mix of our authorities creating a maelstrom of power. Poseidon's control over liquids, Hestia's command over fire, Demeter's connection to the harvest, and my own dominion over death combined into a single, focused point.
"Now!" I shouted, and we unleashed our power in unison. The explosion of energy ripped through the stomach, sending shockwaves that tore at the very fabric of the pocket dimension.
For a brief moment, I felt the world around us dissolve into nothingness, the oppressive darkness giving way to light. And then, just as suddenly, we were free.
We tumbled out onto solid ground, gasping for breath, the world spinning around us. The sky above was dark, the stars obscured by swirling clouds. But it didn't matter—we were no longer inside Cronus. We were free.
As I lay there, exhausted but triumphant, I felt a flicker of hope ignited within me. This was just the beginning. We had escaped one prison, but the true battle lay ahead. And I would be ready for it. But a particular titan made his presence known as if to mock me.
"AHHHHHHHH! You little bastards! Uggghh!" The Titan spurted out as he began to throw up his own blood and guts.
The timeline has definitely changed. I see Kronos standing at his full size, his feet essentially touching the bottom of what would later be known as the Aegean Sea. His hands hold onto his stomach as his guts begin to fall into the ocean.
As I heard, they looked around towards my other siblings. All of them seem to be knocked out by the pure amount of power they had to use to escape.
" I am going to tear all of you apart! None of you deserve to exist in the same world as I do!" Kronos then tried to reach for his scythe, but as he tried to do so, I immediately reacted, killing space between him and his scythe and sending it across the world. The Titan of Time tried to use his ability to essentially return his scythe back to his hand by reverting what I had just done, but I had already killed the probability of him doing that.
The Titan roared in absolute rage, seeing his primary weapon sent halfway across the planet. As he tried to slam his gigantic fist onto the island of Crete, I immediately reacted, raising my hands. As the blow came down, I used my domain over life to force his cells to divide rapidly. My domain over the afterlife has its perks, as I hold a small domain over life.
Kronos then reeled back in pain as his body was essentially given the divine version of cancer. His body grew ginormous boils, and his skin began to rupture and crack as both rot and life fought within him.
As he reeled back in pain, I immediately grabbed hold of all of my siblings and slammed my hand into the ground. A colossal sinkhole formed on the island's beach, and as we all fell into it, I looked into my father's eyes. As he looked back into mine, I saw rage and fear.
Yet before I could focus on what I had just seen and what we had just done, I looked downward as we entered this new reality. I felt something I never thought I would feel again.
I felt at home. I was free, and the world churned and shifted around me.
(Feel free to send some pictures or some descriptions on how the underworld should look under Hades as it's ruler.)