Origin

The Trinity, as they were known, surrounded a kneeling Death. He looked at his hands and found them covered in his blood. He coughed up more blood and said in a rasping voice, “Why?” he looked at Zeus, Neptune, and Hades in turn, “Why are you doing this?”

Zeus stabbed his jagged, blue sword into the ground and kneeled, “You are considered the strongest God.” Pride filled him as he held Death’s eyes in his electric blue ones, “You? The Strongest?” Zeus was joined by Hades and Neptune in cackling laughter.

“You are making a huge mistake,” Death rasped, “Strength is not about killing the largest prey, or lifting a mountain, or winning battles. Strength is about doing the right thing consistently.”

Neptune dug his trident into the ground and kneeled, “When you can will the world to do your bidding, that is strength.”

Death looked up at Neptune and smiled. Blood oozed out from between his lips and stained the ground red, “Can you make a fire cold? Fire is hot and that is its nature. The world will do what it wants to.”

“But if you are strong enough, you can invent a new fire that is cold.”

“It won’t be fire then.”

Hades sighed, “Let’s put an end to this.” he stabbed Death through his heart dropping him into a lump of flesh and bones. Everything felt different, the air was cold and heavy. The sky grew dark and ominous and the sea behind them crashed. A loud thunderclap startled the Trinity and they burst into laughter.

“I’ll take the skies,” Zeus exclaimed as he took the crown from Death’s head. He could feel electricity course through his body. He pointed his fingers towards mount Olympus and a bolt of lightning ejected from his fingertips burning his hands to a crisp. Zeus cried in pain and knelt beside Death.

Neptune swallowed and whispered, “I’ll take the seas.” He bent and tied Death’s anklet. He felt a storm rise inside his body and as took his first step as the King of the Seas a terrible earthquake shook the ground behind. When the earth settled, Neptune found himself in searing pain from a splintered shin-piercing bone.

Hades shook his head, “I’ll be on the Other Plane.” he sighed and took the ring from Death’s finger and placed it on his. Instantly Hades disappeared from the World.

Neptune and Zeus howled for the disappearance of their brother when Athena the wise walked up to them, “What did you do?”

“We killed Death.” Zeus managed to speak, “We Killed Death and took his powers for ourselves. Now we are the Strongest.”

“You fools!” Athena said, “He maintained a balance between the Heaven, Seas, Earth, and Other Plane, without him the world will tumble into chaos and that is why he was the Strongest.”