• It began as a normal school day. Thomas 'Tom' Smith dragged his feet slowly to his locker, sick of school. "Hey, punk." He swiveled to see a familiar large figure. It was Victor Jackson, the school bully. "Victor, i have no money. Can't you just leave me alone?" "Yeah, but then, where's the entertainment?" He slammed Tom up against the locker while holding his collar. The 5 minute bell rang. Victor growled and released him. "You got lucky. I'll see you later, punk." Tom fell to the floor and rubbed his neck. "You shouldn't take that." Tom turned and saw the familiar short auburn hair. "Casie." Ironically, Casie was the only girl who allowed herself to talk to him. What she didn't know, though, that he had a crush on her for 5 years. "Why don't you just tell the principle?" "I don't know. Every time i do that, nothing happens. He just slams me into the lockers." "Don't worry. That will change soon. Okay?" Her warm smile spread through his body and he felt himself turn red. "You better go. You'll be late for class." "Thanks."

    The bell rung. Luckily, Tom just sat down in his seat. He sighed with relief. One more late day, and then another detention. "Hey, smelly." He felt a quick slap upside his head. "Crap, who did that?" No one listened nor cared. They just talked the latest gossip, news, fashions, and did last night's homework. He turned back around, slinking in his seat. He opened a folder and revealed drawings barely seen by human eyes before. His Greek myth drawings. He pulled a fresh, new piece of paper and began drawing. He drew a regular in his pictures, the Greek god of death, Hades. "Hey...What's this?" A big bulky hand yanked his picture from his hand. Victor. "Give it back, now!" "Give it back, now!" Victor mimicked. The kids laughed at him. "Well, well, well. I didn't know you were so dark! Hey everyone! Tom drew his lover!" Laughter again. "Shut up, you jerk!" "Say that again, if you dare." This time, oohs. "Give...it...back." Casie's words this morning seemed to give him power. Anger flushed through Victor face. "You, me, end of school, in the front. Be there." He ripped the drawing and threw it in his face. Kids turned back and started chatting. Tom slunk back in his seat and felt his stomach wrenching. If the Greek gods were real, he hoped they'd help him now.

    After another tormenting day of school and kids telling him funeral jokes, he tried to slide into the bus without being seen. Unfortunately, he was. By Victor. "Trying to run away? That's not smart. Now, I'll beat you up worse." "He dragged him in front where there were no teachers. Kids ran to see the fight. They chanted 'Fight, fight, Fight!' "Come on, punk. Fight me, or are you scared?" "Leave me alone. I don't need to fight you." Victor's lackeys pushed him back and prevented him from leaving. "Come on, fight me!" He slapped him across the face. Kids laughed at the taunting. "Stop. Now." "Make me." He kept slapping him. All the laughter, all the taunting, all the bullying. Something...something was becoming unlocked. Tom grabbed his hand. "Stop. Now." "Look, now he fights back! Should i finish this now, people?" Kids shouted. Most of them of shouted yes. He flew a punch and that's where it began.

    He dodged it and pushed him back. Victor started to get angry. Why should this scrawny nerd show him up him like that? He threw another. Big mistake. Tom grabbed his arm and flew his elbow down him. Victor yelped in pain. Then came the punches. They were never ending. Combos were blown. Kick, punch, knee, uppercut. Uppercut, punch, knee, kick, kick, kick. Kids stared in awe. After a rain of punches, out of thin air, a sword was formed. a large blade with black hilt and a skull at the end of it gleamed black. They knew this wasn't natural.

    Slashes, thrusts, hacks were all see. Finally, he slammed him on the flat side and sent him flying. Several cuts and bleeding wounds were seen. Tom looked fine. Not a bead of sweat was seen on his face. All of a sudden, he clutched his chest. He fell on his knees and screamed a painful shriek. Out of his mouth came thousands of shrieking souls. A chasm split in the earth in two, bringing kids into a panic. From the depths of the chasm, was a black figure. Clothed in black robes, with long black hair, his eyes blood-red, filled with hate. It was him. He existed. Hades.