Return of Hades (Solo)

Ground zero of what was once was the mutant registration camps. For many years after the explosion, the land was barren. the very soil poisoned. Now 5 years later there was the beginnings of trees and grass, a small fishpond and a commemorative plaque. The land was slowly healing, where torture, pain and hatred had once reigned supreme, there was peace. One night, when the moon was hidden by dark clouds, inside a thicket of trees and bushes, a very dim glow began to shine, at first only a point, then growing and rising from the ground a figure could slowly be discerned. After five years Hades was back. Hew was still wearing all black full combat gear with combat damage sustained over 5 years ago, dual 45 pistols, a brace of his characteristic diamond shaped cross sectioned throwing knives, a combat knife..... he looked around from his hidden position and wondered how long he had been gone this time. This last, well explosion, he would probably rang as one of the more painful ones.
 Taking off his vest and weapons, well the visible ones at least, he made a bundle and hid them underground. He would return for them later. It was time to make a call. To the casual observer he now appeared to be wearing a well padded running suit although closer inspection would show the armored knee and elbow pads as well as a host of other modifications that had noting to do with the age old sport of running. Reaching a pay phone, Hades dialed a number from memory.
 
"Hello, this is Sam, who is this" Sam was a Seal who's life had been saved by Hades on a number of occasions. Hades thought for a moment then replied in battle cant.

"Reaper wishes rapturous shedding tombstone emphatically." There was a hiss of drawn breath from the other end of the line, a pause then came the reply.

"Aegis descends tombstone hourglass beta."

The line went dead. Ten minutes later Hades was in a car being driven away with his combat gear safely stowed in the trunk. He was back.



*An explanation of the battle cant used. This is one of many battle cants or methods of coded talk that Hades employs with team members. This particular one is more about the meaning of the words and works better if the people using it know each other well. The format is usually callsign, desired actions, location and time frame. For example Reaper (one of Hades's call signs) wishes (desires) rapture (pickup) shedding ( usually a resupply of equipment or a change of gear) tombstone (location of Hades's last supposed death, also an in joke among colleagues) emphatically (as soon as possible). in short, Reaper requires pickup and a change of clothes at lat known location ASAP. Sam;s response can be equally decoded. Aegis (Sam is a pilot among other things) descends (is coming) tombstone (location) hourglass (timeframe, hourglass means time, time is usually shown on a clock face, so 12 numbers) beta (this is another in joke, if Sam had mentioned a numerical number the count would have been clockwise, so if Sam had said two, that would be see you in two, either hours of minutes. However if he used military alphabet, the count was anticlockwise so see you in ten. Hence Sam's response was I will be at your last known location in ten minutes.*