Rumple didn't like that the whole town seemed to be the target of the Underworld. He knew, of course, that it was because he had broken the rules when bringing them back from the realm of the dead. No doubt he had created the instability that was currently plaguing the place, bringing all kinds of wild creatures from the nether realm to theirs. Still, it had been the only way, and he knew that.

He sighed to himself, sitting down on one of the benches in the town square, letting his cane rest between his legs. For the moment, it seemed, things were relatively quiet. The monsters seemed to be more prominent at night, and with the heroes now actively fighting against the new threats, the number of attacks had, at least for the moment, subsided somewhat.

Of course, he liked to think that he had helped quite a bit in the achieving the momentary calm- he couldn't begin to count how many of the creatures he had killed. True, that was because a large number had been drawn to the darkness he and Cora had emitted during their fight with one another, but still. Killing them had helped, even if it had been done with dark magic. Still- what was the cause? How could they close this apparent leak from the underworld?

They needed to figure it out.

Which probably meant he needed to get to the library or consult his magic if he wanted to help, instead of sitting on a bench and watching the clouds go by. However, with everything that had happened to him recently, he didn't think he was entirely out of line in taking a moment just to himself. He let his head rest against the back of the bench as he closed his eyes for a moment. The breeze felt nice.

---

Hades

Hades was enjoying the show.

His babies being loosed in Storybrooke made being there infinitely more interesting. He didn't much care for the realms of mortals but since his train happened to make this stop he was stuck with it. At least, until he collected what he came for to set the Underworld right again. He'd have thought with Zeus being King of the Gods and all he might be able to deal with things, just once, but no, no such luck.

Of course not.

Still, the chaos his creatures were making suited him quite well. All of them seemed to recognize him, even in this shell, and steered clear.

He was out in the square, looking around at some of the leftover damage that had been done by a few of the harpies and the lion and felt his black heart swell with pride. Even with the Underworld in chaos it was nice to know the job could still get done. His eyes moved past the gouges in the wood and stone to the bench with a lone man on it, one that was to blame for a lot of the atrocities going on in his realm. It wasn't his favorite place, but it was his place and he protected that fiercely until he could free himself for a better more suitable realm.

Hades sat himself on the bench and reclined a little, facing the small man.

"Isn't it just nice to be able to smell the roses?"

No doubt he'd be recognized immediately if this man was worth the reputation that preceded him.

"But when there are monsters roaming about you'd think being out alone would be on the naughty list."

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple watched as a man moved towards the bench. Though he didn't make any kind of reaction to the man, his body did tense at the sight of him. Or, rather, at the FEEL of him. He knew almost immediately whom this man was- it seemed as though Hades had come to Storybrooke after all. Because he was looking for revenge? How had he managed to leave the Underworld? He was supposed to be tethered there, wasn't he? Perhaps that was why the creatures were attacking- because this man had wanted them to.

Somehow, though, he thought that might not be all of the story. The creatures had no motives, no commands. It was unlikely they were actually being controlled by anyone, and had simply escaped from a potentially unguarded Underworld.

Though that presented a lot of questions, too.

He remained emotionless as Hades joined him on the bench, though his eyes did flicker in the man's direction once he started to speak. Certainly, he had a cocky air about him, like he was fully in control of the situation.

But Rumple was pretty good at that facade, too.

"Well, when you're as powerful as the likes of us, monsters are of little concern," he replied easily enough, "but enough with the idle prattle- what are you doing here, Hades? It seems you may have left the door to your yard open when you left- these creatures are running completely wild. Unless you planned for them to, but if you're looking to have revenge for what happened in the Underworld, this seems a bit lacking in the creativity department."

He watched the man carefully, taking in his expression and motions. There was the potential for a hint in everything the other man did, and Rumple was great at reading body language.

---

Hades

"Powerful as the likes of us?"

He wasn't sure what he was more concerned with, the fact that Rumple could be lumping himself in with the power of a God or that he seemed to have little concern with his beloved pets roaming the town. Of course, that lack of concern certainly wasn't shared by everyone if what he observed was to be believed. Though he had nothing to do with his pets escaping the chaos of the Underworld he really did enjoy watching them work and had been doing so mostly from the clock tower.

"At least you know I have more style than something so sloppily executed. No, my pets are here of their own limited free will. I just don't see any reason why I should put them back in their cages."

At least not yet. Eventually he'd have to, of course, but for now he was content to let them cause as much damage as they liked in this fragile town and it's interesting inhabitants. He kept himself relaxed, his face a mask of apathy which, for the most part, was true. He honestly didn't care what happened to Storybrooke so long as he got his Underworld back into shape and the man that caused so much of that damage was the one sitting next to him. It was just a matter of capturing the souls lost and taking them back down to restore the balance.

"You seems to be the smart egg around here, or so everyone keeps saying. What do you think happens when you cheat death?"

On that subject he knew his companion was an expert. Rumple dodged his own end more than anyone else ever could and for that he was sort of the "white whale" in his collection: often seen, never captured. A sort of side project for him was to make Rumple finally serve the time he was due and then some for escaping so many times.

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple smiled faintly. "You know what I mean- neither of us have any need to worry about these creatures. Not with my level of power, and certainly not with yours. Though I suppose you don't really need to worry about it one way or another." Unless it was something that was happening because he wasn't there, he supposed.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the rule of the Underworld as the man both confirmed that the creatures weren't there on his behalf, and that he had no intention of sending them back where they had come from. Typical villain selfishness.

Something Rumple was very familiar with.

Of course, he couldn't help but chuckle at Hades' next comment. "Perhaps it has nothing to do with my cheating death- it's not like this is the first time I've done it. Granted, it was on a much larger scale this time, and I might have brought some friends along with me, but this could just as easily be because you're here and not at your station in the Underworld. What ARE you doing here, Hades? What was so important to you that you left the position given to you by your mighty brother? And what happens when an already unstable Underworld is left without an over-seer?"

He watched him very carefully, aware that he was dealing with an extremely powerful and dangerous man. Even if he did have all the power of the Dark Ones that had come before him, that didn't mean he was completely free from concern. A God was still more powerful than all the darkness he had gathered inside of him. Sure, he could probably last a lot longer than anyone else could ever hope to, but even he wouldn't be able to stop Hades if it came down to a simple one-on-one fight.

While he wanted answers, he had to be careful of his questions.

---

Hades

"You can't have imagined that you would get away with cheating me of what's mind forever, can you?"

Most mortal men feared death and that wasn't something Hades had ever blamed them for. Death sucked. It was dark, depressing, and final. If a soul was lucky enough to find their way into the better part of the Underworld that was one thing but most of them ended up in the pit, in the dark recesses of the cavernous resting place. A soul was not the same as a life. It only existed as a shade of the former self once severed from mortal ties.

There was every reason in the world to be afraid.

"It's in my brother's hands now," he replied casually, not confirming Rumple's thoughts or giving him any information to go by. Motivations, he knew, said a lot about a person and he was usually careful to give away only what he wanted to be known, much like the man sitting beside him. The truth was not having someone there with a firm grip on the Underworld was leading to some heavily chaotic consequences and with his sense of ownership that wasn't sitting well with the God.

"Aren't I allowed a vacation every thousand years? Why can't I be the one on the beach getting the tan for once?"

He gave a very dashing grin to his companion, content with his cover story. The less people knew about his real purpose to find the souls that escaped and take them back to the Underworld, the better it would be. It was easier to find things when no one knew you were looking.

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple frowned at the words of the God, a small twinge of fear running through him. He might have been trying to be a hero these days, but that didn't mean he was suddenly immune to all the fear he had known before. He was afraid of being sent back to the Underworld- of facing all the torture he had been exposed to during his short stay in that realm. And the idea of the others being punished for this new incident as well?

None of it say well with him, but he couldn't let his fears control him.

"Your brothers?" That wasn't entirely helpful. But then, he didn't expect Hades to be super willing to explain things to him.

Rumple took a deep breath. "You're not here looking for a vacation," he said firmly, "I think we're both fully aware of that. Whatever your purpose is for having left the Underworld unprotected, it's going to cause you just as much trouble as it will us. You need to get back there before things get any worse. Whatever is happening, I know it's not to your plan, either." Too bad he didn't know what Hades' plan was, exactly. He could only make guesses.

But Hades wasn't his primary concern- the whole of the Underworld was. If it had become so unstable that creatures and the formerly dead were already leaking back into the world of the living, then things were bound to get a hell of a lot worse. "It's like the two realms are colliding," he sighed, more in thought than discussion, "both will be destroyed if we continue to dance around one another doing nothing."

---

Hades

Hades knew there was a damn lot the man in front of him needed to pay for. His death had been dodged and postponed so often the scroll bearing such sins was likely longer than most any other in the history of his reign. He'd be paying for them for eons, victim of torture usually reserved for the special few monsters he captured. Humans could not earn such treatment, usually, since their lifespans and means were lacking but Rumple? Well, he made his own path.

Someday he'd have to pay the piper.

"Do we really?"

Hades raised an eyebrow at him and what he supposed. It wasn't all wrong, but it wasn't all right, either. Yes, he needed the souls back in the Underworld to bring back the balance but he also needed a break from the monotony of hell. The position he was bestowed with was not his dream job. The Underworld was a dark, desolate place not meant for the likes of him. He was a social creature and the Underworld was always a, well, dead place. He wanted to branch out away from the dull, if not busy, life of the guardian of the Underworld.

"I don't know what you expect of me. I'm not a villain from the movies. I won't simply tell you about why I'm here and my underlying agendas, if any, because you asked."

If they were both going to play at being self aware perhaps he ought to get the full dose of reality.

"But if you're asking if I'm going to make it my mission to bring you to the judgment you deserve, the answer is yes."

Rumplestiltskin

"And I'm telling you that I don't care about your reasons for being here," Rumple replied with a bit of a growl, though he knew better than to let himself get too aggressive around the God. As powerful as he felt, he was still -mostly- a mortal being. Even the Dark Ones could die. And, when he did, he knew what awaited him. He'd already had a taste of it.

So he wasn't in a hurry to get back there.

"I don't need to know your motives- I need you to give up on them. You belong in the Underworld, we both know that. Without your presence, something else has taken hold of that realm. Maybe it's what I did with my magic, or maybe it's something else entirely. Something that broke free when your watchful eye was taken away." He knew he wasn't the only evil thing that lurked in that hell. There were people who had unfinished business, sure, but there were also people who just deserved to suffer while they were dealing with their sins in life.

He frowned at the threat, the corner of the Dark One's mouth twitching in a moment of fear at the simple thought of going back to the Underworld. Still, he remained calm, watching Hades with a mostly even expression.

"You want me? Well, you're welcome to try and take me back if you like, but I'm not so willing to return to that place. Though, at this rate, I wonder if it'll even matter. If both realms are destroyed in this chaos, then I guess neither of us will get what we want, will we?"

He could feel darkness looming around them, growing more and more restless. The creatures of the Underworld were gathering all about them, and he suspected they weren't there to pay their respects to their owner. These creatures were feral- wild though normally some might be able to speak. Still, if they did decide to attack, and went for Hades, it was only more proof that things weren't going to Hades' plan, but rather someone else's.

---

Hades

"If you don't care, why bother to ask?"

Hades was not going to be bossed around. If Zeus couldn't compel him to return to the Underworld what chance did a mortal have? Powerful mortal or not, he still bled and would one day face his fate. There were few true immortals in the realms and none in this one. He suspected that the longer he remained here the more mortal like he would become, but that was no one's business but his own.

"If you want me to return to the Underworld you can surrender and come with me. That's the only circumstance under which I can see myself returning. You like making deals, so do I. Will you make this one, Dark One?"

Sure, Hades was guardian of the Underworld and handles the souls there accordingly but he wasn't evil. He considered himself something of an opportunist, seeking the gain from what little opportunity he was given.

"What you're willing to do is of no consequence to me. If I want you, I'll get ya. There's no doubt about that."

Certainly his Underworld was not going to be destroyed on his watch. He had souls to collect and then once it was stable again the entire damned thing could pass to other hands. He'd done the gig for long enough and deserved a break, as he'd said before. It wasn't entirely a lie he handed Rumple. He really did want a vacation and felt he deserved one for putting up with his purpose in life for so long. If given the choice, he didn't imagine anyone would choose to be the guardian of Hell and, wisely perhaps, Zeus had never given him a choice.

"So you can choose to save your pitiful little town and all you hold dear now. Or you can make me hunt you for sport and drag you back down kicking and screaming while everything you loved burns."

He felt his beloved pets gathering and wasn't entirely worried. What could they do to an immortal body? But an attack would be inconvenient. He preferred to watch from above, not from within an attack.

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple looked at Hades, that small fear in the pit of his stomach growing into a wildfire as the God said that he would only go back to the Underworld if he were to go, too. He could feel his body starting to tremble involuntarily at the mere thought of it. He would really have to do this again? Sacrifice himself for the sake of a town that hated him and considered him to be some kind of a villain? No matter what he did, or how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the darkness inside of him, and everyone around him saw that.

So why should he sacrifice himself? They all knew he wouldn't really go through with it, anyway. And they wouldn't care if he did, either. So, either way, it seemed like he was thoroughly screwed.

He said nothing of the deal, at least not immediately, simply getting up to expel some of the nervous energy that had been building inside of him. He frowned, leaning against his cane after taking a couple of steps away from the man.

"You haven't managed to get me yet," he pointed out, "and it's been quite a long time. I imagine, with my new powers, I could avoid you for a lot longer this time around, too." He looked over his shoulder at the man, his expression neutral. The color, however, had drained from his face. It was obvious the prospect of being dragged back to the Underworld frightened him.

"If... If you help stop this chaos, and restore the balance, then.... I'll accept your deal. My soul for the safety of this town. But only if you can restore the order around here. If you can't, then I'm not going anywhere."

He watched him, extremely aware of what he was saying to the man. Even knowing that the town wouldn't care if he did this, he still found himself unwilling to sit back and do nothing while it fell into chaos. He frowned, turning to face the God fully.

Slowly, he extended a shaking hand towards the man, his expression pinching as if in pain.

"Do we have a deal?" He almost whispered.

---

Hades