Choosing to let the God of the Dead physically bond with your body and throughout the years, your soul, was probably the best and worst thing Eddie could've done. On the brightside, he has found the love of his life whom he has fathered several children with and that's what he chooses to focus on.

whenever life got too hectic, he just reminisced about important days. The day they met for example.

Early on in the beginning of Earth's years, when he's taking care of his fifth garden, Eddie saw a small patch of Glory-of-the-Snow at the edge of his garden begin to wilt; stems browned and the petals shriveled up and popping off.

This was obviously weird because they just finished sprouting for the spring season and weren't due until the Autumn Solstice. The bushes next to the worrisome sight shook and face the same fate.

"Hello?" Eddie moved closer but held this distance. A black mass emerged from the bushes and gathered near the roots. Observing the dying grass around it, this mass was the culprit of this unseasonal murder.

Eddie bent down to see if there was a way to trap it when the mass shot up and began to take a form similar to Eddie's own with the exception of pitless eyes and life-shredding teeth.

"Persephone."

How did it know his birth name? Eddie took a step back but acknowledged his name.

"And may I ask you who you are?"

"Hades." The God of the Dead.

Eddie has heard the Earth speak that name many times as it taught him what his place was. Never had he thought he would meet the soul behind it. "Well, Hades." He stared at his dead flowers.

"Why did you kill my flowers?"

"I did not mean to do so. It's a part of my being. Killing is necessary for life. Earth has told me so." Must be true.

"How long have you been watching me?" "Ever since you rose from the Mothering River."

"That's a long time. I never noticed you."

"I kept far enough distance."

"What brought you closer?"

"Your warmth. I wish to be warm too."

"You're cold?"

"Death isn't a comfortable thing. Cold most of the time." Eddie knows nothing of that. Wonders how Hades would. They're immortal from what Earth had told him so how could they know anything more than life?

"Okay." He slowly circled around the other being and checking to see if he needed to feel wary, how much. "So, how did you kill my flowers if it's part of your being? I know how I bring them to life so how does your gift work for you?"

"I insert myself in living things to move. I need hosts to interact with those aboveground."

That was almost an acceptable answer. "Then how are you able to be in this form if you need a host?"

"I'm using my own energy."

"So you bond with an organic lifeform whilst slowly killing it to conserve your own?"

"Yes."

"A parasite."

Hades whirled around and white eyes took up most of the face."Parasite?!"

Spring snorted and hid behind his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Take it back!"

"The way you explained it is the same way a parasite makes it through life."

"I'm not a parasite!"

"Then a poison of some sort," Eddie offered, "Venom, if you will."

Hades' head tilted. "Venom. Venom. I actually quite like that. That will be my name."

"Well, Venom. I'm Eddie." The Spring God held out his hand. Venom stared in fascination. "You want to touch me? Even after-" The God of the Dead turned and waved at the dead plants.

"I'm sure you can't kill me. I am the ultimate source of life. Here until forever runs out."

Venom took a moment before reaching out and taking Eddie's hand, delighted that the other did not so much as flinch upon contact. Everything was just as it was. "Until forever runs out."