Rex couldn’t help but wince. He’d clearly offended Hercules by shooting just his offer of hand-to-hand training, but Rex couldn’t bring himself to change his mind. Oh no, there were far more important things to do than be repeatedly crushed by the man. Rex was no slouch - he spent a lot of time in the gym, focused on weight training and cardio both so he could run up flights up stairs in full gear and carry people over his shoulders while still kicking down doors - but he was no Hercules either, whom Rex had witness crushing the molten metal hand of a man before and who could shrug off bullets.

If Rex was going to learn hand to hand combat, he’d find someone closer to his abilities, like a gorilla.

Rex wasn’t done either. He frowned. “I’m familiar with fire, I’m a firefighter,” he said. “I also know how to stop the fire pillar I make,” he added. “What I meant was, how do I extinguish a fire I did not make? At least one I didn’t directly make?”

He reached into a bag by the cooler and pulled out a six-pack of tea candles and a lighter. He took a candle out of the pack and lit it before setting it on the floor, several feet away from where he had been sitting. “Can I use a spell to snuff that out?” he asked.

Hercules’s disappointment faded visibly when he placed his hand on his chin to think. Was it not just a fire? He could create and destroy them just the same. Even if he didn’t conjure it. The same principal should apply.

Firefighter... it was a most excellent title. Even if fighting fires was difficult for the brawling demigod. Fires were difficult to make an impact with. ”An interesting question.” Hercules agreed as he thought more before finally saying, ”I fail to see the difference. It is still a fire, it moves and acts the same as the ones you conjure yes?”

Looking to the flame that was created from the lighter and a few feet away Hercules raised his hands glowed a little and clapped hard and loud. The air displacement from it knocked the flame out and sent the candle and a lot of dirt into the air. ”I don’t see why not.” walking over he grabbed the candle and moved it back to where it was a second ago and offered to light the thing.

”Wind, earth and water. I have seen all of these be used in spells before. I don’t see why you can’t summon water to snuff the flames. Or use your fire to suffocate the existing fire?” Hercules started to chuckle, ”What was the saying... fight fire with fire?” he stood up and moved from the candle.

Rex remained standing, but he folded his arms in front of his chest as he watched Hercules extinguish the candle. His head actually jerked back several inches as Hercules failed to see the difference in flames.

“What? No, not at all,” Rex exclaimed. “When I call fire, it’s a fire whirl without the pillar of twisting air. It spirals around me instead of flickering straight, requires no external fuel source, doesn’t touch me, and it vanishes when I will it so.” He gestured at the faintly smoking candle. “They’re not even close.”

If there was anything Rex knew in life, if there was anything he was an expert on, it was fire. He nodded. “When I call the pillar of fire, I can use it to consume other fires it comes into contact with,” he acknowledged, “but there’s still the danger of reigniting other things around me. Fighting fire with fire just leaves nothing but ashes.”

Rex passed Hercules the lighter. “We do use water though. Teach me a water spell then.” Rex unfolded his arms and let his hands fall loosely to his side. He didn’t know what to expect so he wanted to be ready for anything.

”It still requires fuel though, no?” in this case Rex of the flame was the fuel or at least his magic was. Even though his understanding of magic wasn’t the best he still understood most spells still followed the rules of the universe. There was always a cost.

Listing and reigniting the flame the god started to chuckle. ”You forget who you are speaking to Rex of the Inferno. I am in capable of casting spells. Or pulling from the magic around me. I can only channel through a master to regain my godly might.” he did offer to teach Rex the Inferno what he knew however and what he knew was far from nothing.

Stepping away from the tea candle he looked around for a pen and paper. He knew some sigils for water, or rather ‘the flow of life’ which to his understanding was the same thing. Intent was important when casting. That much he knew for certain.

”I shall speak to one of my masters about locating spells on water. However this might start you somewhere.” there was still some dust on the ground and now some soot from all the fire spells. There was a matching sigil on his arm somewhere that inspired his memory. It was to represent a river one that flowed with the way of humanity to which he was bound to. Three wavey lines on top of each other was drawn in the soot followed. It reminded him of the hieroglyphics he had seen that represented the Nile River.

”Intent is a driving force for spells. Impose your will and focus on what you hope to achieve. You craft fire from nothing. Water is always around us. In the air, underground, it is everywhere. Believe in your abilities.” Hercules offered and stepped back.

The flame was relit. That’s all that occured.

“I don’t know about magic fire, but real fire needs fuel, yes,” Rex said. The frown was back. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I can turn my fire off - I can feel it. I can’t feel other fires so I can’t turn them off.”

Rex was starting to get frustrated. This wasn’t going how he expected. He didn’t have many expectations but he thought fire was easy enough to understand, or at least be simple enough to learn. It actually was, he figured. He’d learned a new spell to make fire. His problem was that he didn’t only want to make fires, but to put them out, literally and metaphorically.

“You do not know any spells, then,” Rex said flatly. He…wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not. Likely not, but there was still a part of him that wished all the magic would go away, that if he ignored it enough he’d never have to deal with it again. That wasn’t the path it appeared he was meant to walk though.

“Right, okay,” Rex said. Nothing to be done about that. He’d known Hercules didn’t do…regular…magic, but Rex didn’t know he didn’t even know how to do it. Then again, knowledge of foundations was a good step.

“Think water thoughts then,” he said. “Got it.”

Rex shut his eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about water blasting from a firehose at a burning building. He remembered the feeling of containing that powerful flow and tried superimposing the water symbol that Hercules had drawn over the mental picture. He held his hand up toward the flame, imagining his arm like a hose. Water. Water. Hydro. Agua. Aqua. H2O. Water. Water. WATER!

Tseet.

Rex opened his eyes.

A tiny amount of water arced from his fingers toward the candle, but fell short. It couldn’t have been more than a couple dozen drops, like the dying gasp of a spray bottle. They barely even disrupted any of the soot.

“And the one servant only received one talent,” he mused in disappointment.

Even the visually impaired would have seen it, felt it. The Guardian of humanity was beaming with a wide pearly white smile. His tattoo’s even had a slight glow to them as they swirled around his chiseled physique. This was why he adored humanity. They were capable of great and many things. Even if Rex of the Flame was disappointed in himself it didn’t matter. Hercules was proud enough for both of them.

”Remarkable!” his voice boomed from where he was standing and then echoed off the walls as he started to clap and cheer. ”Brilliant work Rex of the Inferno! You put your mind to channeling water and you have done it! It is no small feat to do something such as this. To channel magic of a different element!? On your first attempt? Even William has failed in that endeavor numerous times!” the god didn’t need to elaborate what high praise that was. It was true the water might have been lacking but it was still impressive and one thing could be said about Hercules. He was always supportive.

Hercules clapped and jumped up and down trying to hype up his ally and friend. ”Keep in mind you have also pushed yourself previously with fire. Pushed yourself to control and then suppress it. Again, you are talented in spellcasting.” Hercules gave a thumbs up. ”Can you muster the water again?” he asked still glowing.

Heat rose in Rex’s cheeks, but it was even odds if it was from embarrassment at the sheer amount of excitement Hercules displayed at Rex’s feeble water spell, or if it was onset heat exhaustion from all the magic he’d performed.

Rex walked back to the chair and dug into the cooler for another bottle of water. He was drenched in sweat and his muscles were aching, despite the sheer lack of physical activity. He felt like he was burning up. “A water spell would be very handy right now.”

He sipped carefully at the water, resisting the urge to guzzle it down. He stared at the rapidly vanishing squirt of water on the floor. “No small feat, right,” he said, entirely unconvinced.

“Again?” he said, a touch of exasperation in his voice. “Doubtful,” he said. Still he held up a hand and aimed it at the tiny fire, this time not bothering to leave his seat. He shut his eyes again and focused on the water bottle in his hand, the cold condensation dripping down. Imagining a fire hose again spraying the candle. Water. Water. Those wavy lines. Cold. Water.

A few drops of water dribbled from his outstretched hand onto his shorts.

“This isn’t working.”

The man was exhausted Hercules would have been a fool to not see it, but that was when he worked his best. It was the effort of pushing himself that helped him ascend to godhood. It was him pushing others that he truly could see the depths of humanity. What a time to be alive!

”You have one!” Hercules boomed in laughter as Rex of the Inferno sat down and sipped his water with restraint.

”Never doubt your abilities Rex of the Inferno. If my time with you mortals had taught me anything it’s that when you are faced with struggles you can rise above them if you think you can. The only barriers you seem to face are the ones in the mind.” the behemoth tapped the side of his head.

Small water drops shot forward and then vanished into Rex’s lap. ”That’s twice now!” Hercules roared in jubilation! ”Excellent! You are making great strides!” his encouragement was cut short when Rex spoke.

”What isn’t working?” Hercules asked his brows furring as he walked forward. The prince of power strode forward and crouched so he was eye level with Rex his tattoo's shifting on his skin. There was disappointment in Hercules expression.

”It isn’t working? Stop doubting yourself. You didn’t think you could summon water the same way a flame. You have. Though it is little, drops of water is no shame. Would you expect an infant to run after exiting the womb? You are a child learning to turn over onto your stomach. It is a new element. Show some pride in your efforts! I will not stand by and listen to you doubt yourself! Believe in yourself the way you believe in your god, then will you truly see what wonders you are capable of!”

Hercules stood, ”Or if you’d rather believe in yourself the way I believe in you!” walking over to the cooler, the Behemoth of ancient Greece grabbed a water for himself and took a small swig. Wondering what was the best approach to encourage him further. ”Tell me Rex of the Inferno, how do you feel when you summon flames?”

“That is positively untrue,” Rex said before sipping more water. There were many, many barriers that humans could not breach no matter how much of their minds they put against it. Rex knew it deeply. “If everything in life were solvable on our own, then why would we need God?” he said. Another sip. A moment later he remembered Hercules considered himself a god and he fought back a wince.

Rex chuckled ruefully. “That? What kind of a spell was that?” he scoffed. “I made my hands drip. I do that every time I work out. Watch.” He rubbed his palm across his sweat-beaded forehead and then whipped his hand out toward the candle, flinging a few more drops at at. “That was nothing.”

“This magic is what is not working,” Rex said, staring down at the bottle in his hands. For a moment, he wished it was another kind of bottle. “The first time I did magic, it was a wall of fire. Not…this!” he exclaimed. Maybe it was the incipiant heat exhaustion, but he was loosening up.

“I think this is all I’m able to do,” he said.

Hercules approached and Rex deflated somewhat, mostly from the relief of not doing anything. He was feeling ravenous as well. “When I summon flames? I feel…hot.” Rex said.

Immediately more heat flushed his face. “I mean, I feel like there’s fire inside of me, but warm and comforting,” he said before pausing. He frowned. “I feel….I feel….” He searched for the words. How did he describe it. “I feel…on fire?” he said.

It was clear to the son of Olympus that his words weren’t sinking in. How could one demonstrate what the demi-god saw in centuries of development? Hercules frowned knowing he’d have to find the words. Something he didn’t always excel with. If only Elizabeth or William was here in this moment. They were better with words.

”The power of faith can move mountains, summon armies, and even propel man into the stars.” Hercules had bared witness to it and more. The good and the bad. Surely one man could believe he had more power than he showed.

”No, the magic is working. It just wasn’t the way you thought it would. You are thinking of this as child would.” Hercules said folding his arms and staring at the fully grown man. It came off harsher than the god would have liked but even William believed in his own abilities more than Rex of the Inferno. It was frustrating when his friends doubted him. To not believe Hercules as an immortal demi-god was one thing to not believe him was one thing. This was something else. It upset him when they didn’t believe in themselves.

”As I stated you are unparalleled with fire magic. This is something less familiar to you. You just aren’t where you want to be. That doesn’t mean it is impossible.” Hercules sighed loudly and placed his hand on his face trying to rub the frustration out.

”You are comforting and there is a fire inside of you.” Hercules agreed and huffed as he lowered his hands to his side striking a heroic pose and puffing out his chest. ”You are more stubborn than young master William.” he said a loud and looked around for something to give him inspiration.

”We just need to figure out what makes you feel that way and relate it to another element. Perhaps you should try to be warm and comforting to a flame you didn’t summon. Embrace it the way you embrace your own flames. Maybe then you could turn the flames to your will.” Hercules’s hand was on his chin now as he studied the candle on the ground.

Rex stared at Hercules. “I am precisely aware of the power of faith,” he said levelly. “That is not in question. What is doubtful is the power of this magic stuff.” It was powerful enough to corrupt his soul, certainly, but was it actually powerful enough to be even remotely worthwhile? Had he sold his soul for ashes and dust?

He’d never forgive himself if that was the case.

“Forgive me, O high and mighty Hercules,” Rex said, virtually all emotion and tone leached from his voice. He stared at the towering man with slightly narrowed eyes. “If only I’d had a good tutor or an instruction manual, perhaps I wouldn’t be thinking of magic so childishly. After all, it’s not like I didn’t even know magic was real until about a year ago!” Tiny sparks flew from his mouth at the end but he didn’t notice them. He’d closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Sipping more water, Rex just sat back in his chair, listening to the rest of Hercules’s dressing down of him. “I have never been accused of being comforting,” Rex commented, before opening his eyes. “How on Earth do I comfort a flame? You don’t mean a literal hug do you?” Rex frowned. This magic stuff might be worse than even he’d been worried about.

There was another sigh, this was starting to get repetitive. It was exactly like arguing with his young master. Raising a hand at the apology Hercules took a breath. Even if it sounded sarcastic. ”You are the manual. Do you need an instruction manual to breath? Some things you have to figure out on your own.” he said his voice getting a little curter as it rose.

The sparks were enough for the prince of power to see but didn’t react right away to them. Not until he was sure Rex of the Fire didn’t mean to do them.

”Do not doubt the power of childish thinking. My young master is more talented and more versatile in magic than I have seen in centuries. They have a way of looking at things for the first time. He summoned me after all, a trial in and of itself for I don’t accept anyone as a master.” he folded his arms again.

”Your lack of understanding isn’t an excuse. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” he was a summon and a god. Two things a lot of people doubted. They didn’t understand it so it was impossible yet here he stood. In this era. Lecturing a grown man on how to comfort fire.

”It is a compliment. Not an accusation.” the god sighed again. ”If that is how you comfort things then yes.” his face now in his hand as he tried to explain it once again. ”How do you comfort living things? A child? A lover? A friend?” asking his face free from his hand. ”I for one listen. I accept them for who they are. Stubborn or not.” Hercules said verbally jabbing at his friend.

”Believe in yourself, believe in your flames, believe in your god. Even I couldn’t build Rome in a day.” the infrastructure and the roads alone were a nightmare. ”it takes time. Rex. Allow yourself time to understand and develop your abilities.”

”Now, tell me about the sparks.” he said not elaborating.

Rex’s eyebrows started drawing together as Hercules verbally retaliated. The arrogance of that man! It was enough that he claimed to be a god, but then the nerve to insult Rex because he didn’t understand this godforsaken witchcraft? It took everything Rex had just to be open to this!

Words weren’t working. They often didn’t, in Rex’s experience. None of his did, at least. This wasn’t the first argument he and Hercules had had either. Padre Mios, is this a sign? he prayed. Rex felt lost, bewildered, but most of all, angry.

Rex took a deep breath and he forced his face into placidity, smoothing the frown from his expression and returning to stone. He’d deal with the rest later. No point in continuing to argue - he knew for a fact Hercules’s head was harder than a cinderblock.

“Fine,” he said when Hercules stopped talking. “Then let’s take time. I don’t think we can cover anything else today.” He stood up and put what was left of his water back in the cooler. He slid Dr. Cama’s book into a bag and began moving around the room to clean up the fire extinguishers and other paraphernalia he’d scattered around.

“I don’t know what you mean about sparks.”

>>> “Fine.”

It was like he was dealing with a scorned lover. The prince of power had enough sense to leave it at that. Rex of the Inferno did push himself. The mortal must have been tired. Hercules kept forgetting that even battle-hardened warriors needed rest. Rex of the flame was no different. ”Nor shall we.” Hercules spotted the book Dr. Cama had used. The one made from what looked like human flesh. The book... unsettled the demi god. It should have been destroyed in the fire. There were magics even he feared.

The sparks could wait for a moment. ”I thought that book was destroyed?” Hercules asked as he helped clean things up. Picking up the water bottles and tea candles spread around the warehouse. The doctor was able to suppress his might and shackle a god. There were many who would kill for that power. More importantly there were many that would kill his masters with that power. The thoughts of William, Serena and Madison in danger...

A tea candle was crushed in his massive hands and he looked down at it.

”Guard the book with your life or destroy it. No good can come from the cursed book. The doctor stumbled on magic that should have remained forgotten.” Wax now touched his skin as he rubbed one of his wrists where the manacles once lay. The song started to play in the back of his mind as he recalled the events of that evening.

”I heard about the fight with the hairy elephant and the caveman.” the frozen one had elaborated when pressed for questioning. Even if he didn’t want to reveal everything. ”Sam of the Frost told me when you defeated the caveman, sparks and fire were summoned. Moments ago, I saw sparks exiting your mouth. Is it a new spell?”

”I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help.” Hercules apologized knowing what it was like to take a life.

Rex stacked a few fire extinguishers by the kicked-open doors. It had been a long moment after Hercules’s observation of the book. Rex was locking himself down and deciding what to say. He hadn’t realized Hercules recognized the book. Rex has rescued it from the fire he’d began in Dr. Cama’s office, but only Dr. Cama and the monster had been there. “It wasn’t,” he finally said.

How did Hercules know about the book? Rex’s eyes shifted over to the man before he brought himself under control and turned back to pick up more extinguishers. This was one of the few times Hercules had been adamant about anything and now Rex was curious. He’d leafed through some of the book already, even before waiting on Hercules. He still couldn’t wrap his head around most of what he’d read, but some bits looked unmistakably like autopsies and anatomy diagrams. One part looked very much like a skin grafting process, but the writing seemed ancient.

“I said the same thing about magic in general,” Rex said with a shrub as he hefted another extinguisher. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with me burning people alive.”

Even if Dr. Cama had been responsible for all those horrors and abominations trapped beneath his clinic, it was equally true that he had been responsible for truly miraculous healings for the regular patients who’d gone in and out. He was still a doctor. It was still medicine he practiced, even if he shattered his Hippocratic Oath. Unlike Hercules, Dr. Cama seemed actually able to do magic.

It was something to consider.

Rex forze as Hercules shifted tracks. His back was to the man, but he suppressed a violent shudder. It was several more moments before he could respond. That awful, terrible moment. All those frozen, dying, dead people. The rage that had consumed him. The agony as fire had literally consumed him, devouring every nerve ending even as he watched the fruits of his magic incinerate a man in a ball of hellfire as flaming imps looked on. He could still feel phantom flames, even though most of the damage had been undone. The damage to his flesh, that is. His soul was another matter.

“I don’t know what that was,” Rex said when he was able to move again. He shrugged. “You’re not God. You can’t be everywhere.” His voice was painfully devoid of emotion.