Family reunion?

Midori held my mother close, letting the other people talk. It was an easy way to gather information and they both knew it. Let the rest fill in the gaps or answer questions. "You are a god as well?" her mother asked, to which Midori nodded an affirmation. Taking a step back, Ophelia looked her daughter over, as if to try and figure out which one she was. Naturally it was not successful for Midori had not real indication of what she was save for the gold streaked hair. "I took Hermes' power. There was a coup of sorts involving the Olympians. They were all slaughtered and…" Midori looked down, feeling ashamed for the fact that she had not picked a better god's power.

"Hermes is often overlooked, thought of only as a messenger," Ophelia told her, lifting Midori's chin up to look her in the eye. "But he is a wise and crafty god, known for trickery and slaying monsters unexpectedly. His abilities suit you. You are not one for direct conflict like your father, nor do you often come up with elaborate plans as I have done. You are yourself, Midori. Though I do wonder about the company you keep." Midori's eyes widened, fearing her mother knew something already, but looking up, she saw that the statement was referring to the people in the room who Ophelia was watching intently.

Supreme HYDRA held up her hand in a peace gesture, hoping to stop any lightning strikes, before giving Jessie a soft smile. "There is the daughter I know and love. Always aspiring for greater and greater things. Here I thought that we could do no better after taking control of the world. You have proved me wrong, and I couldn't be more proud." She moved to hug Jessie, but was yanked backwards by Purgatori vice-like grip on her hair.

Oh, how she wanted to lash out at the bat-winged woman, to teach her how to properly respect a woman of her status, but she remained calm though the anger was clear in her eyes. "I am not yours to command, devil. You seem to have enough of my face to go around. Go pick one of the others, though I would stay away from the old one. She seems a bit past her prime," she purred, giving Ophelia a little smirk. However it was a short lived gesture as news of the deal between Purgatori and Jessie dampened her mood. "You truly are like me, though at least you have better tastes in demons." She then turned to Purgatori. "You struck a deal with my child and gave her quite the reward. I apologize for my harsh words, but perhaps further deals can be discussed at a later point."

As for the children, Supreme HYDRA looked them over approvingly, though she was wary of the girl. Even if her daughter was a god, she was still protective of her. "And just who is their father?"

All the while during this disgustingly cute family reunion, Viper watched the goings on in quiet. Was she jealous? Perhaps. She saw the look in Purgatori's eyes as she walked towards the other Vipers. One was older, she didn't need to worry about her, but the other? She had a higher standing than Viper did, actually ruling not only HYDRA, but the entire world. She wouldn't be surprised if Purgatori decided to pick her as a new love interest. Then those three could be one big happy, though rather odd family.

Supreme HYDRA nodded to Purgatori. "My apologies for the offense. I have just never seen a vampire look as you do. It will not happen again, I promise, mighty Pharaoh" The last thing she wanted was to explode from the inside out. Though she couldn't help but smirk a little at Jessie's reaction. How she said it made it almost seem like Purgatori was simply going to throw things, not utterly annihilate a person's insides.

Upon hearing Jessie's answer of who the father was, two things happened. Ophelia immediately stiffened upon hearing the name James and gave Midori a harsh look while Supreme HYDRA simply looked disgusted. Nevermind that Jessica had a strange birth that involved her dying and being reborn as a goddess, the two were clearly more concerned about Captain America's son. "Standards, Jessica. You should have them. Surely there are other better men here besides Captain America's son. I don't care if he was drunk or not. Surely you knew better than to involve yourself with him." Not for an instant did she believe her daughter was seduced by the man. After all, she was the one who had the pheromones.

"Wife and girlfriend?" Ophelia spoke up, looking at her own child. "Please tell me that someone else married James Rogers, Midori." Midori's face paled though she tried to hide the shock. She tried to answer, but her mother cut her off. "No. Do not give excuses. I've known since the beginning. Next time you want to have sex, do it when and where you are sure there are no hidden security cameras." Well, that certain explained why her mother wouldn't speak to her the next morning. Midori had thought it was due to the Avengers spoiling their plans. "Ten years. At first I had thought the two of you had run off together, but since the rooftop you were on sustained damage and the authorities were chasing you, I rationalized that they had killed the both of you. But no. You're his wife. Of course you'd marry him if you thought yourself free to do so, I'm not stupid. How many children? Don't tell me you have no children because the two of you fuck like rabbits, knowing your proclivities." Midori bowed her head, not wanting the situation to be like this. "You have three grandchildren, mother." She would want to meet them, of course. How she would handle James, Midori wasn't sure.

Viper watched the two exchanges, quietly smirking as the children were berated by other versions of herself. What started out as something rather boring was actually becoming quite entertaining. She wondered if the two of them would end up staying or not.

The bloodline was impressive, if it was true. Supreme HYDRA had known more than a few people who would eagerly and gladly lie about where they came from just to receive better standing with other people. However, Purgatori did not seem the type who would lie about such things. It just seemed beneath her. "Genes and bloodlines are odd little things aren't they? One missing chromosome or a transposed nucleotide can create the most interesting affects on people. Take my daughter for instance. Most would not have survived past the initial sickness or even past the difficult pregnancy, yet here she thrives." Upon hearing that, Midori's mother simply rolled her eyes. The woman acted as if her child was the only one who survived against incredible odds.

"I do not forget that, child," Supreme HYDRA told Jessica. "I am very grateful and happy to know my grandchildren are far more powerful than anything Rogers would ever be. I was simply commenting on sleeping with Roger's son. Is Steve dead or has his age finally caught up with him?" The sideways glance she gave Midori and Ophelia did not go unnoticed by the two.

At the mention of the other daughter, Supreme HYDRA chuckled and nodded, walking over to inspect her and her aging mother. Almost immediately, Midori moved to protect her mother, but with a gentle touch on the arm, Ophelia stopped her. Supreme HYDRA saw both of those actions and her smirk grew. "How quaint. The girl is so protective of her aging mother, yet willingly steps out of the way when asked to. You're right, Jessie, she's weak. And what happened to her mother? Chthon get mad at you or did something else occur?" she asked, reaching out to flick a lock of Ophelia's hair.

As soon as a finger touched her hair, Ophelia reacted, grabbing that hand and pulling across her body to get her double off balance. A quick palm strike to the back of her elbow, followed by jabbing three fingers into Supreme's HYDRA side where, if their timelines were parallel in a certain areas, the remains of a injury Logan had inflicted showed be. The woman's body spasmed as expected, causing Ophelia to smile. She then kneed her in the stomach and, twisting the woman's arm, grabbed her by the back of the neck and slammed her into the ground, pinning her there. It all happened within the span of a few seconds. "Never underestimate your opponent, girl," Ophelia hissed into her ear. "I may be older, but you are not better than me. Pompous bitch." Supreme HYDRA struggled against the pin, snarling and cussing in Hungarian. In response, Ophelia simply twisted her arm further, laying her weight more firmly on the woman's back. "Try it. I will break your arm. Having my face means nothing to me. I have killed Pit Vipers before, and right now you are no different."

While this was happening, Midori kept her eyes on Baal and her children, ready to block their way and stop them if need be. She was still a guest in Purgatori's home, but guest protection and laws of hospitality cold only go so far. She had not drawn a weapon, nor put her powers in affect, but she was ready to do so. "Let them work things out between themselves, Baal. We both know what our mothers are like. They'll settle it peaceably, I'm sure." Midori hope her words would lend some reason to the situation.

Thankfully Purgatori brought up Baal's other 'children'. Ophelia released Supreme HYDRA, but not before giving her arm a final wrench as a way of emphasizing her point. The joints would be sore, but there was no lasting harm done. Standing, Supreme HYDRA walked over to the monitor and smirked upon seeing the creatures. "A fitting end to them, I think. You truly have become a clever little spider god, Jessica." She did not say it out loud, not with their current company, but the look she gave her daughter expressed how, because of all this, she would gladly pass the title of Supreme HYDRA to Jessica if she would take it.

Supreme HYDRA frowned not at all pleased by the little teasing Purgatori had offered about her daughter's future potential. She slowly walked over to the woman, intention clear in her body language. "I swear, if you intend to harm my daughter in any way, I do not care what you are, I will make the rest of your days hell. It might be short lived on my part, due to the fact that you explode people so easily, but she is all that matters to me." What she said was not a threat, simply a promise and a fact. She also noted what Jessie had said. A god of strength and power? How… generic. Of course he would pick something of actual worth, being too noble and humble in his ways.

What Jessie said regarding Midori's birth gave Ophelia all the more reason to pin the other Viper and establish an idea of social standing between the three snakes. She didn't know why she started aging after Midori was born, nor would she say that. In truth she simply didn't care. Yes, at first she did, but now wasn't the case. She had a husband and a child to call her own, so for the first time in her life, she was truly content with herself.

"I repeat, Baal, your mother is not hurt and mine was simply defending herself. There is no need for further violence," Midori reassured her, hoping that luck and an eloquent tongue would keep her safe. "My mother does not act without reason. She was simply informing yours that looks can be deceiving and age is never a true determiner for danger. I'm sure that was one of the first lessons your mother taught you." Glowing yellow eyes were never a good thing, and Midori prepared herself for a mad dash back to Olympus with her mother when Supreme HYDRA placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Calm down. I am fine and you are letting your emotions get the better of you. We do not need another incident where half the room is terrified and the other half wants you in their bed," Jessie's mother commented softly, harkening back to a time where she had let her pheromones get the better of her.

The arrival of Seth was an interesting one. Everyone could clearly tell that Baal or Jessie or whatever the hell name she wanted to go by was less than pleased with the news of his approach, though his appearance did not garner much of a reaction from the peanut gallery. Viper was indifferent at the sight of another god, Midori and Ophelia kept quiet and observant, and the only reaction Supreme HYDRA gave was a simple arch of the eyebrow upon seeing her daughter slap Seth. She had been expecting a punch at the very least, something hard enough to stagger him. Was her choice in violence an indication of how she truly wasn't that upset to see him?

If Supreme HYDRA was supposed to be shocked by Purgatori's response, the vampire was in for a surprise. The one thing the three Vipers had in common was that they had all seen the Red Skull's 'exercise room' and were all well versed in the art or torture, so the leader of HYDRA continued. "I would chain you up, suspending you from the ceiling, and deny you any sort of sustenance. As for the precise manner of torture and death? I'll admit, I'm curious to see how long you would last while being subjected to Lingchi. In all likeliness, you would survive, but there would be other ways of dealing with you. And besides, the experiment would be contributing to scientific knowledge."

The notion of Rogers being a death god, even a temporary one, made Supreme HYDRA chuckle, though the news of Princess Zarda being here, as well as hooking up with the witch Circe was interesting. Those two had been an odd pair and were considered to be a part of HYDRA is the loosest of terms, being powerful enough that they had been given free sign to do as they wished. That wasn't much, not after the princess had utterly destroyed more than a few Greek gods and a handful of forces that got in her way. "They have children?" As far as she knew, neither were inclined to breed; Circe having had her heart broken by loss and Zarda simply having no interest in such things.

"Being soft and being protective are two different things, Baal. You know this. Is it softness if you want to keep your mother safe?" Midori asked, expression hardening ever so slightly at the woman's words. "And drop the subject about James. Get over it. He is my husband. Not yours. You could have married him before I did if you wanted, but you didn't." Midori would have said more, but at that point Purgatori had grabbed her by the jaw. She didn't struggle, but neither did she show any fear. If anything, her interest was slightly piqued by this action. If Purgatori didn't want her to talk about what she was about to see, why was she allowing her here.

The location change to Earth was unexpected, as were the changes in clothing. Viper was suddenly in a dress that could have been considered a twin of Purgatori's had it not been for the color; an iridescent green that shifted to a coppery tone as she moved. She wore few pieces of jewelry, but what was there were gold and emeralds. Supreme HYDRA's was a variation of her uniform, though more fashionably made, with the addition of a long, dark green military trench coat that gave her an imposing silhouette. Ophelia had been placed in a silk Mandarin style dress, embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, which showed how nice her body still was despite her age. As for Midori, hers was a floor length dress whose color started as a hunter green at her shoulders and transitioned gradually to black as it approached the floor. It was accompanied by fingerless, elbow length lace gloves.

If being in Hell was suppose to shock them all, there was no indication of such a reaction. Instead they all stayed close to Purgatori and Seth as they made their way to the castle. Once inside, and having seen the rest of the party, only then did someone speak up. "Are you insane, Purgatori?" Viper asked, knowing she had every right to say such a thing.

"And you do not want to get on mine, Purgatori," Supreme HYDRA stated simply. "But, in truth, we have no reason to hate each other. Not as of yet. You work with my daughter and if she trusts you enough, then I should have no reason not to do the same." Jessica's insights regarding business partners were usually spot on, so her mother had no reason not to trust her in this regard. "Perhaps we will able to come to a mutual understanding, you and I." Viper's eyes narrowed at what her double said before remembering herself. She shouldn't have been surpassed that another version of herself would be a manipulative bitch. But she was, and it pissed her off.

As for Midori, she decided that it would probably be best not to talk any further to Jessica. The woman would simply continue to push her buttons, further pissing her off and make her want to rip her tongue out with her bare hands. Once this meeting was over and once she returned back home, James and her would absolutely be having one hell of a discussion about his children. As far as being a coward? Yes, Jessica was right. When Midori was out of her element, she was afraid. That was why she preferred to be the one controlling the situation, and Jessica was someone who just wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Both? Am I allowed to choose that option? If Circe finds out about this little plan of yours she will kill us all. Well, perhaps not all, but do you really think she or Aldrif would let us off easy?" Viper argued before watching the footage of Kaileena fighting. "She's not the only powerful one, Purgatori. What about the one whose birth supposedly created the universe? Even if we defeated the little death goddess, I doubt her relative would go so easily or be put under the girl's control." Viper did have a valid point. As far as she knew, Kai had yet to test out the limitations of her powers.

When Jessie reverted to her demon form, the look her mother gave her was a reserved one that spoke volumes. When Supreme HYDRA's face was minimalistically expressive, that was when you had to worry about her anger. "Surprise? Just 'surprise'?" She had never truly raised her hand in anger against her daughter, but the urge was there now. Instead, she simply turned on her heel and found a seat at the table and sat down hard, refusing to even to look at her child for the time being. Both Viper and Ophelia had an idea of what she was going through, or at least they thought they did since, in their universe, they both had actually save their Jessica's from becoming demons. That little bit of family drama over for the time being, everyone decided to quietly take their seats.