Abaddon wasn''t exactly sure what to expect once he was called upon by Shiva out of the blue.


    He didn''t even know why he was apparently osting Yesh for a way to contact him as if they were some jilted ex-best friends from high school.


    Imagine how surprised he felt when the very first thing that Shiva wanted to ask him was the very simple ''Why do you destroy?''


    …Maybe he should have allowed Yesh to give him his phone number.


    This all could have been resolved in a text message.


    "You would ask me… Why it is that I destroy?" Abaddon finally said after a long silence.


    "It is a fair question, is it not? You also bear my namesake, so it is only natural of me to be curious about how you view this calling."


    A glimmer of recognition shone in Abaddon''s eye.


    Everyone hears ''God of Destruction'' and they think of evil, malicious beings.


    But Shiva, among many things, is a living testament to the fact that this title cannot be used to typecast individuals.


    He is actually quite a benevolent and responsible deity who destroys that which should not grow, so that all that is intended may flourish.


    His destruction is a necessary one.


    Shiva had asked Abaddon this question because he wanted to learn whether or not they shared the same set of ideals.


    If they were capable of coexistence.


    "…What you ask me is a question with many answers. I destroy so that the lives and futures of those I love and rule might be enriched.


    But I also destroy when I am provoked. I destroy to avenge. I destroy to preserve all that I have built.


    …My destruction is absolute, but it is far from purposeless. As all things should be."


    Now it was Shiva''s turn to be quiet as he took his time pondering the legitimacy of Abaddon''s words.


    Within a couple of seconds he had pretty much made his mind up, but he still asked for a second opinion.


    ''Ganesha. What do you make of him?''


    ''…I believe he was able to discern the intent behind your question rather quickly. But I would not say that he gave his answer solely to  appease your ears. This seems to be his genuine ideology.'' Ganesha thought.


    ''…I see. Those are my thoughts exactly.''


    "Ruler of The Abyss." Shiva suddenly said. "I represent a group that would like to propose an in-person meeting."


    "…A meeting?"


    "A formal event attended by other curious individuals who would like meet the one stirring up all of this controversy for themselves. It is to be held in Vaikuntha, and-"


    "You expect me to believe this..?" Abaddon suddenly asked.


    The shadows around him suddenly becamerger and more golden eyes popped up in their ce.


    "Why would I so blindly walk into a den surrounded by those whom I neither know, nor trust? I am no stranger to the gods'' penchant for trickery."


    "Not the very trusting sort, are we?"


    "My trust is not so casually earned. And my wellbeing is not so casually ced in jeopardy."


    Abaddon still had no idea that Yesh had burned up their contract.


    Neither did Mira or Gabbrielle for that matter…


    As such, he was under the illusion that leaving Tehom would cost him a significant amount of his power.


    Making him more than a little apprehensive to the idea of showing up to a meeting full of gods he had never met.


    "Should those attending the meeting not be the ones who are afraid of you? After all you are the one who singlehandedly decimated a whole army of gods in not one, but two timelines." Shiva reminded.


    Abaddon didn''t care how true those words were, since, to his knowledge, he couldn''t do that kind of thing anymore unless he was at home.


    "Yesh will be overseeing the proceedings. Does that ease your paranoia a bit?" Shiva suddenly said.


    Normally Abaddon would have said yes immediately, but his newly careful nature made him much more hesitant to do so.


    "…I can give you no answer at this exact moment. I must first convene with my council on the best course forward. Only then can I make a decision."


    Abaddon''s ''council'' was just the people who lived in the manor with him.


    But it didn''t sound very respectable to say that to someone outside the know, so their title was temporarily upgraded to ''council''.


    Luckily, Shiva nodded as if he understood and did not press the issue further.


    "I understand then, take your time… I will summon you again in three days time for your decision and-"


    "Just take my phone number, it won''t even take that long."


    "Eh?"


    -


    Abaddon blinked his eyes several times as his mind came back to his actual body.


    Just like before, he was sitting on his couch with a barely sober Nyx staring at him patiently.


    "So? What did he want from you?"


    "He.."


    Abaddon''s words trailed off as an ethereal tail waived past his face.


    Looking up, he was surprised to find the spirit of a Komodo dragon floating above his head.


    ''Oh right… I forgot that''s how animal sacrifices work.''


    "Come here, boy." Abaddon held out his hands and smiled.


    Therge lizard seemed to have to have no reservations about jumping into the arms of a stranger.


    As if he were just a big dog, he found afortable position in Abaddon''sp andy there in true peace.


    "And I just promised the girls that we were done with pets… I''m sure they''ll make an exception for you though, right? I should probably make you a body again too.."


    The lizard nodded furiously.


    "So eager!" Abaddonughed.


    Abaddon began thinking about names for the new lizard; causing Nyx to pull his ear impatiently.


    "Excuse me, mister? Care to finish exining to me why one of the oldest among us has suddenly invoked you of all people?"


    "Ah. He posed some sort of meeting between myself and others whom he did not bother to mention."


    "A meeting? With what purpose in mind?"


    "Coexistence I would assume..?"


    "I see… Interesting." Nyx said. "May I go with you?"


    "I''ve hardly decided whether or not I''m going to go, Nyx." Abaddon admitted. "I still need time to make my decision."


    It didn''t take very long for Nyx to piece together the reason why Abaddon may have been hesitating.


    "…I suppose I could be persuaded to act as your bodyguard for the meeting if you should ask me… but since I''m still quite upset with you, you''ll need to show me some proper-"


    "No thank you."


    "Bastard!"


    Abaddonughed merrily in sync with his new pet.


    While Nyx rolled her eyes, a door suddenly opened down the hallway and a pair of soft footsteps rapped against the floor.


    A momentter, Sif emerged from around the corner wearing a hoodie so long that it looked like a short dress; along with a pair of white sneakers.


    Nyx: "…What the f-"


    "I''ve been looking for that." Abaddon raised a brow at the sight of his hoodie.


    "Apparently not hard enough." Sif shrugged before turning to their guest. "Hello, Nyx."


    "H-Hello..."


    Sif suddenly leaned over the couch and whistled at the sight of the empty bottles lying on the floor.


    "I was going on a quick run to the market and I was going to ask you if there was anything we needed, but now I know to add alcohol to the list."


    "Thrudd also needs more oatmeal because Straga ate thest of it." Abaddon realized.


    "Did he eat it all by himself, or did you also participate in this act of treachery?"


    "….. I have a new pet, do you like him?" Abaddon held up therge lizard to show Sif.


    "He''s indeed very cute, beloved." Sheughed- satisfied with her intuition.


    She tried to pet the creature a bit, but because of her body temperature, she ended up giving the guy a small chill.


    "What''s his name?"


    "…Bayle." Abaddon decided, silently disappointed that Belloc wasn''t here so that he could appreciate the naming sense.


    "Well it''s very nice to meet you, Bayle." Sif smiled.


    She suddenly looked to her right and left to ensure that they werepletely alone in the wing.


    Once she was certain that the coast was clear and she would face no unfortunate repercussions, she closed the distance between herself and Abaddon so that she could kiss him openly.


    Nyx''s jaw subsequently fell open, and the bottle she''d been holding onto rolled out of her hand.


    Sif took her time kissing Abaddon before she finally pulled away and bit his ear yfully.


    "Don''t keep me waiting tonight, yea? Or else I''ll have toe and find all of you myself…"


    Sif trotted away happily afterwards with a noticeable lightness in her steps.


    Just before she stepped out of view she pulled her hoodie up enough so that Abaddon could see the ck thong being eaten alive underneath.


    Sheughed mischievously before her body disappeared in a whirlwind of ice and snow.


    Bayle had to waive his tail in front of Abaddon''s face to bring him back to reality.


    ''I… feel like I was doing something important, but-''


    "Bastarddd!!!"


    Nyx suddenly jumped Abaddon from behind and caught him in a brutal chokehold.


    "That reminds me of another thing! Not only did you re-write reality and free the titans in the process, but you married and divorced that blonde bimbo too! I was here first!"


    "Would it help if I said it was an ident??" Heughed.


    "No it would not!!"


    Abaddonughed humorously at her efforts and it only served to make her choke him harder.


    But despite her annoyance, she found herselfughing soon too for reasons that she could not exin.


    Their friendship was an odd thing, but it was most certainly not anything that could be called into question.


    Eventually, when the two hadughed until their sides were sore, Abaddon remembered a very important development that he hadn''t gotten the chance to tell her about.


    "I was going to call you… I wanted to tell you that my Euphrates and I will being to Hades to reim Tartarus. We decided that Bekka will carry him and bring him into the world with a physical body for the first time."


    "…"


    Abaddon and Nyx were practicallyying side-by-side, so he could not see her expression.


    But he didn''t take her silence as a positive sign at all.


    "…Does this upset you?" Abaddon asked.


    He knew that Nyx cared for her children just the same as he did his own.


    This was more than likely a very tough pill for her to swallow.


    And the truth was that it was difficult.


    But more than that, Nyx was thinking about what it would mean for the future.


    "Do you… understand what wille if you tread down this path so early?"


    Abaddon couldn''t tell if he was more surprised to hear her speak suddenly, or that she suddenly asked about something unrted to Tartarus.


    Nevertheless, he understood the cause for her concern.


    "…I do. It means that Lucifer will be in the palm of my hand."