”Excellent! Keep telling yourself that and you will be wielding flames better than my brothers!” Hercules roared stared. The god had nothing but time until another master called him away. William even though he never met Rex of the Inferno wanted him to succeed. It meant that Hercules ‘could’ teach someone. Who knows maybe the demi-god had more to offer other than a supportive voice and the ability to lift things.

Standing in silence Hercules watched the spot Rex was focusing on and thought he felt something, heat. Magic. The prince of power didn’t know but knew that Rex was doing his best. Something the god happy about. It was all he could ask. When Rex felt it wasn’t working he gave up.

Hercules roared with laughter and started to chastise his friend, ”Rex of the Inferno? Not able to create a simple flame?” slapping his knee he continued, ”When I couldn’t lift my club as a boy do you think I simply gave up? When the Mares of Diomedes escaped and attacked the towns people do you think I gave up? No, I dug deep. Resolved that I would succeed and then did it! Command the flames Rex of the Inferno! Command them! You will it to be! Show me the resolve!”

”Again!” Hercules boomed trying to encourage his friend who simply wanted to learn more control.

Many things had been expected. Yelling, frustration, sighing, steely, resolve, or a dozen other teaching practices Rex had experienced over time. Roaring laughter was not one of them. “Glad I can amuse you,” Rex said bleaky and nearly tonelessly. This was a mistake, a bad idea. The arrogance of him that he thought he could try learning magic! It was evil and accursed for a reason!

Hercules wanted him to try again. To “command the flames.” He’d already tried that! He told them to burn! Maybe he needed a fire first before he could control it? Did Hercules actually know what he was talking about? Surely there was a difference in superhuman physical strength and starting a fire with your mind!

Rex closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for six seconds before releasing it slowly. It didn’t really matter. He was here for a purpose. It was time to go all in.

“Father, help me,” Rex whispered as he crossed himself. He opened his eyes and stared at the floor where he was meant to make flames. Absently, he reached for a scripture that he commonly quoted when he didn’t know what to do. Hercules wanted him to dig deep? There was only one thing deep in Rex.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” he said as he reached for energy.

Fire responded.

A baseball-sized ball of fire appeared on the floor, softly crackling and sparking as it thirstily drank in oxygen.

Rex’s eyes widened. “Hah!” he said loudly, “I did it!”

”Apologies! All mortals amuse me! Why I adore you all so!” Hercules said somewhat apologetically. He didn’t want to insult his friend but it was hard to hide what the demi-god was feeling. He had no sleeves to hide his emotions and life was far too short for mortals to not do so. The god tried to be like them every chance he got.

After a few moments of Rex mumbling and channeling a flame appeared. A small one. Nothing to brag about in the gods opinion other than it was what he asked of his friend. ”Ha! Rex of the Inferno!” the god roared, ”Well done! I am impressed! Only on your third attempt!” Hercules was never good at counting and some could argue his memory wasn’t the best.

”You commanded it into existence! Wonderful!” Hercules was probably the most encouraging teacher in existence. ”Magic is based on intent! You make the intent! You command it. Well done indeed!” Hercules nodded approvingly and clapped his hands a few times. The ‘clap’ might have been louder than most humans could produce.

”Never doubt yourself Rex of the Inferno. You are a gifted man. Now... how long can you keep it that size?” Hercules asked looking around for something to toss on the flames. Knowing that it being fire the next thing it would do was consume some kind of fuel. Hercules found a few pallet scraps on the ground and started to collect them slowly.

Rex stared at the flame with mothlike rapture. He could feel the flame burning, just as he could feel the pillar of fire when he summoned it forth, but this was different. Smaller. Less burdensome. It didn’t feel like it was eating through his mind like the pillar would do after only a minute or so. This was…simple. Like holding a door open when you were used to deadlifts.

His embarrassment deepened, but this time due to Hercules’s praise as opposed to his laughter. Praise and compliments were things Rex didn’t know what to do with either.

Intent. Visualization. Focus. Was that all there was to it? Rex frowned as he fed the fire. That didn’t seem right to him. The fire didn’t come until he spoke scripture, just like the other spell only happened when he recited very specific verses.

“I feel like I can keep this up indefinitely,” Rex said after a moment of consideration. “This fire is not very large.” Rex certainly wasn’t feeling any strain.

While the man before him was afraid of his power (rightfully so) it seemed he gained confidence in controlling far smaller flames than what he was used to. ”That’s excellent!” Hercules roared with laughter again loving the attitude Rex of the Inferno was now wielding.

”I might ask you to!” there was a pause and then more laughter. While the prince of Olympus had that kind of time he knew that his masters or the mortal before him didn’t have that kind of time. Their lives and time limited unlike his. It was Hercules’s version of a joke.

”I'm joking.” while he might not be as funny as his other deity siblings Hercules found his humor the most supportive. ”I would not ask that of you less you’d walk around the city with a flame in your hand.” he continued chuckling, that be ridiculous.

”Fire wants to consume, so be mindful.” the god adopted a more serious tone. A few more minutes passed until Hercules was happy with Rex’s confidence, it was clear he could always use more. ”Remember the feeling of control Rex of the Flame. For all raging infernos grow from something that is ‘so easy to control.’ Hercules clapped his hands near the flame snuffing it out from the gust of wind his magic enhanced body gave off.

”Again!”

Rex glanced up at Hercules with a frown. “I do not think that would be wise,” he said in all seriousness. An open flame, particularly one the size that Rex had conjured, would be quite a hazard. A moment’s inattention or a single failure in dexterity and new fires, ones not under his control, could erupt.

Rex nodded sharply as the lesson continued. He knew that part already. Fire had been an integral part of his life for decades. He understood how fire worked and what it was capable of in ways few others ever could. Now, he was learning even more about it. He could feel the fire burning inside his mind, feeling it devour the energy he fed it, feeling it shift, and wobble, and reform.

It went out in a blast of air.

He stared. He had to make a new fire? Very well. Rex did not beat around the bush. He just frowned and stared at the same, slightly scorched spot of the floor and spoke again. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Once more, fire bloomed.

”Say it louder! So the flames can hear you! You know fire has a mind of it’s own so you never had to focus on how it moved. You knew it was capable of doing that on it’s own. Control it, force your will upon it!” Hercules said recalling a long past memory when one of his teachers was drilling fighting with a sword. The principle was different here but it was a lesson non the less. The god didn’t grasp magic until years later.

”Of course it’s not working!” Hercules said smirking, ”You’ve just only learn to crawl. Do you expect an infant to run on two legs after that? No! Patience Rex of the flame.” Hercules didn’t comment further on his new title for his friend. The time for the Inferno was not now. Not if they wanted control. Now was the time for small steps.

”Rest. Think. Visualize what you want and the rest will follow. If not now, later. Rome was Not built in a day” it was a week. A long week for everyone involved. Hercules walked over to where Rex was sitting and sat in front of him on the ground. His size made it so they were almost eye level. If only Rex of the flame was shorter.

”You are doing fantastic my friend. I believe in you! You just need to believe in your own abilities. You didn’t think you could make a small flame and here we are. It will take time, and I will be here to watch you prove me right!” his large arms placed on his legs as he sat cross-legged. ”Tell me about the first time you summoned the flames.” they had a moment. Rex needed a moment. 

“THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH!” Rex yelled as Hercules commanded. He focused on the fire and the burning energy in his mind. He tempered it with his will and what he wanted it to be. The swirling shimmering ball of flame flared briefly with a new surge of power and it flashed solid white for several moments, before blue tints emerged on the edges.

The heat blurred the air around the ball and Rex shut his eyes instinctively. He could still see spots. In the distraction, the intensity wavered and the blue-white flames slid back to orange-gold.

It seemed visualization was indeed part of it. Imagination, willpower, and focus.

Rex’s head was starting to hurt.

The giant seemed satisfied with Rex’s progress so far, so Rex downed more water. The ball of fire on the floor still burned, but it wasn’t very hot, as flames went. It didn’t take as much out of him. That didn’t mean he was over the drawbacks from casting the pillar of fire so strongly though.

“I had a revelation,” Rex said slowly after several moments to string his thoughts together. “I was in with the Welldrinkers. After my family left me and I was unofficially suspended, they were the only people who showed any concern for me. Or so I thought. They took advantage of me, my fears, my heartbreak. They molded me into something I was not, yet something I craved. A way to strike back. To not feel the hurt. To balance the scales.”

Rex’s mouth was already dry. He finished the water bottle off and tossed it back in the cooler. “They asked if I wanted to level the playing field against mutants and, God in Heaven, I said yes,” Rex shuddered. He rubbed his eyes with the palm of a hand. “Dear God, I said yes.”

Memories flickered in his mind’s eyes like flames of darkness. That dark room, the people in robes, new friends, complete strangers, the air of expectancy…. Rex couldn’t look at Hercules. He stared at another point on the floor. “I….drank…from the Well,” he stuttered. “The moment I touched that power and felt it wrap around my soul, I heard words in my head. Words I hadn’t thought of in years, but I’d memorized as a child.”

He shook his head. “You haven’t read the Bible, so you might not know the story of the Exodus,” Rex began solemnly. “It’s the story of the ancient Hebrew people of thousands of years ago, when they were held captive in slavery to the Egyptians for generations. Finally, they had reached a point of such pain and misery that God chose a savior to be born for them, a man named Moses. Moses became a prophet of God, the first one in a long, long time and God enacted many miracles through him to convince Egypt to let Moses and the Hebrews, God’s chosen people go.”

“So they went, leaving Egypt behind them. However, God wasn’t done with miracles. You see, by day, God manifested as a dark pillar of cloud to provide shade for His people and to guide them through the desert. At night, he transitioned to a pillar of fire that continuously burned from the sky, providing light and warmth as they journeyed through the darkness.”

The firefighter felt a small smile tickle his cheeks. He didn’t resist it. “I remembered a scripture from that story. ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people,’ “ Rex quoted.

“That’s when I realized that just because I had turned my back on God, He had not turned his back on me. As I spoke those words, as I spoke the Word of God, that’s when my own pillar of fire formed around me. I ran from that place, from that cult, right back to my church, to my God, and only when I crossed the threshold to that holy place did the flames finally falter.”

“My God led me out of my own slavery, turning my weakness into His glory,” Rex said, smiling into the ball of flames.

There was a lot to unpack there. A lot of feelings that Rex was going through as he told the story of how he first learned to wield the flames. Hercules didn’t move during the retelling; his eyes were transfixed studying his friend’s facial features and body language. Hercules became a statue of patience and understanding.

The god knew of the Egyptians, of the slaves. Back then it was common. He too was starting to understand his role as a slave to someone with magic. The control that was needed to keep him tethered. What he had to do to get a masters. It was sad to demigod, that any other mortal could decide to impose their will on another and then keep them as if they were nothing more than a trinket or a tool to be used or played with.

Tears started to well up the more he thought about it.

It seemed that the god Rex of the flames worshiped and followed was a kind and benevolent one. One Hercules would have loved to meet. It was so rare to find gods that went out of their way to help their worshipers like that. The ones he was used to were cold, calculating, or just didn’t care. They’d summon Hero to take care of the issue then take all of the glory, never caring what it did to the hero they called upon.

”I’m glad you find your way back to the god that gives you so much peace.” his tears flowed, but his voice didn’t waver. ”I too have heard of a man named Moses that could part the sea, I believe I was in Rome at the time or was it Athens...” he recalled a few other details what the man was capable of but didn’t want to ruin the image of the miracle. It was important to Rex of the Inferno so he let it be. The man earned it after all.

”It is glorious.” Hercules agreed, Rex had power but chose to help others with his power. One that was perfect to harm others. It was truly impressive. Mortals and their decisions continued to impress him.

Hercules waited for a few minutes before adding. ”It seems I need to have another word with those “Welldrinkers” they play with magic they truly don’t understand.” the first talk he had with them was when they sent yet another assassin after his young master for stealing his totem. There was a reason Hercules refused the call the first few times he felt the presence of magic. They were not worthy.

The two men were a study in contrasts in so many ways. Where Hercules was hulking and brawny, Rex was toned and merely tall. Rex was stoic and unbending, Hercules wore his heart on his sleeveless arm. One believed in only one god, the other believed he was a god. One fought fires, the other fought monsters. One cast magic, the other lived via magic. Rex was serious, Hercules was boisterous. Rex was broken and Hercules was carefree.

That made it far more interesting when they agreed on the same things. “I might like to join that conversation,” Rex said, trying to ignore Hercules’s tears. Rex didn’t know what to make of the man openly crying like that, so he tried to focus on the serious matters. The last encounter Rex had had with Welldrinkers was that man Raijin. Rex had ended up slashed across the back and on the way to bleeding out. Rex knew Hercules wasn’t quite so vulnerable to swords, not to mention potential allies in Cold Steel and those other mutants.

All in all, it was dark and unfamiliar ground to Rex, considering a cold war and acquiring allies. Those weren’t ways he was used to thinking. It was always man against flame, never man against man. Then again, he’d never started fires by quoting the Word either.

“I believe I will need much more training before that happens, though,” Rex said. “How good are you with swords?”

The god’s green eyes rested on Rex of the Inferno for a moment before Hercules leaned forward and then roared in laughter, ”I would very much like my allies to stand by my side when I do! However, you aren’t ready yet for that confrontation.” it wasn’t an insult, at least Hercules didn’t want it to come off that way. Fighting required knowing limits. Rex of the flame was still understanding his and while he was capable in a fight, a fight with magic was far more unpredictable.

”I shall let you know when I do, the masters must agree on it before I do. I foresee it pulling more power than one master can handle.” It was the truth and while he’d like to have more masters to feed him power he knew that while there were many mortals with the power and ‘understanding’ of magic there were few the Strongest god of Olympus deemed worthy.

”Swords? Managing or fighting?” they were two different things, his time serving kings and gods had taught the behemoth much weapons and different fighting styles however the god always resorted back to what he was comfortable with. ”I’d say I have a better understanding than most. The sword was my preferred weapon of choice before, Club!” his hand raised instinctively and the summoning had started.

His hand remained up as he continued, ”It took me time to understand that swords weren’t my preferred weapon of choice. Often the blades would snap with each strike. Though if you are truly interested I am willing to share my understanding. I also happen to know there are several at the school for mutants who practice the way of the sword. I have even seen them in action. They could not best me, but they seemed... proficient.”

Rex’s jaw clenched slightly, but he swallowed his affronted pride. “Very well,” he said simply. What had he been thinking, jumping to throw his hat into a ring? He’d seen some of what the kind of foes Hercules fought - to think that he, Rex, would assume he could keep up!

“Pride cometh before destruction,” he whispered to himself with a faint frown before sharply nodding it away. He knew two spells now, yet he seemed to think himself a wizard. Forgive me, Father, he prayed, his eyes closing for a moment.

His deflation only increased even as he warred to keep it from being noticeable. Hercules wasn’t a sword-trainer either. Rex suddenly realized he might be asking too much of the man. He hadn’t agreed to become Rex’s personal trainer and combat teacher. He’d only agreed to teach him what he knew of magic. “Ah,” Rex said stiffly. “My apologies. I…can ask…one of them…then.” Maybe Sam would know who to go to?

He fought back the rising heat in his cheeks. No, he was no warrior. He was set on using his abilities to help people, not hurt them. That was the point of this training, was it not?

“Then we should continue training with fire then,” Rex decided. At the very least they could get that under control.

The immortal saw the look on Rex of the Flames face knowing he had insulted the man. It was difficult living so long and seeing so many allies and friends fall before him. Countless battles, friends and lovers gone. Washed away by one fight or another. Only to live on in history or like most, just in the god’s-tired eyes.

”I do not mean to offend. I apologize, I value our friendship too much to see you fall before me. You have great potential, you are strong yes, however I have clashed with them before and I do not like to take risks when it comes to my friends.”

”I should be the one apologizing.” Hercules clarified. As he spoke the club shot through one of the walls leaving a hole where it entered. ’Crack’ the demigod caught the club and twirled it in one hand then set it down in front of him. ”I have trained, sparred and fought along some of the best sword masters in history. However, my ‘habits’ tend to put myself in more danger when I fight with the sword. I’d be devastated if you picked up any of them.”

”Worry not though, if you wish to train your martial ability then look no further!” Hercules started to roar as he flexed revealing his tapestry a few of the battles across his flesh seemed to hum to life. ”Few can best my abilities in a fight! If you wish I shall teach you!” leaving the club standing upright he took two steps forward crouched into a low stance and held his hands up.

”Soon the city shall know of Rex the Grappler!”

Rex shook his head and waved a hand. “No no, it’s…it’s fine,” he said as Hercules started to explain why Rex wasn’t ready. “It’s fine. I get it. I’d only get myself hurt.” It was a blow to Rex’s burgeoning ego for sure, but he’d deal with that. It wasn’t Hercules’s fault that Rex was new to every aspect of this. Rex had let the new spellcraft go directly to his head and he’d imposed upon Hercules.

He smoothed away all expressions and hardened his face. He looked Hercules over one more time as the familiar massive club smashed a hole in the side of the warehouse and came to Hercules. “Rodney is going to kill me for this,” he muttered, staring at the damage. Rex had prepared for fire. He should’ve prepared for Hercules.

The man was a hulking brute though. He also seemed to think instead of training with a sword, he could train Rex to be a…grappler?

A memory flashed in Rex’s mind, of Hercules crushing the molten metal hand of the superstrong Brazen. Even now the man’s muscles looked like they were getting bigger as they swarmed with glowing tattoos and an oil-like sheen.

“Maybe some other time,” he said with a repressed shudder. “Stick to fire for now. MAybe show me how to turn off a fire?”

If only the god was just worried about his friend Rex of the Flame. If it was a fight with the group that guarded the well so jealously it means other mortals would be dragged into it. Either by directly fighting or altering the world around them to stop the god and whoever he brought to the assault. ”You aren’t the only one that would be in danger. As I have stated if they are willing to send an assassin after a child there is no telling what they are willing to do to keep the power they hoard.”

His stance was still low but then clear disappointment took over when Rex decided against learning to grapple with him. It was a devastating blow for sure and the god had trouble hiding his disappointment. Like a kid finding out they aren’t really going to an amusement park. ”Oh... Yes... I suppose we should focus on that...” he looked to his club and debated hefting it back out the hole it came from. He felt silly now for calling it.

”I believe it is far simpler to snuff out a flame than to control it. Simply will it to consume itself. Without fuel the flame cannot grow and cannot survive correct? Tell me what are your experiences with the flames? I’m sure you know how to extinguish regular flames. This should be no different.” his shoulders now slumped walked forward to where the flames were before.

”Create a large flame, an inferno. Push yourself, let it grow out of control then will it down to a small flame that you can snuff. Push yourself! Only then can you truly master your spell craft!” Hercules said now on standby. Maybe he’d get to battle the flames if he was lucky.