Zeus sat silently in the corner of the room, watching his young daughter laughing as Tony tried to spell his name with blocks, tongue sticking comically out in frustration. The God of the Skies was currently having a storm brewing in his mind, mulling over such things as The Great Prophecy, his mortal mistress, and just about everything else.
"Look daddy!" Thalia cried, doubling over. Zeus couldn't help but chuckle, his son getting up scattering the blocks.
"No funny!" he whined, sitting down with his lip stuck out.
"Ah, your brother had the same troubles," Zeus whispered, remembering how Franklin had had trouble with learning to swim, the same activity that took away the use of legs. He still blamed Poseidon for it...
"Daddy, can Tony stay? Please?" Thalia asked, her eyes pleading.
"Ah, I'm sorry my sweet, but I'm afraid he must go now. Back to his mother's," Zeus rumbled, ruffling Thalia's hair as he got up, the sky outside darkening slowly. He promised Maria that Tony would be back before six in the evening.
"Zeus, I could take care of Tony for a while! Please, stay and have dinner with us," Jennifer said from the door, with a bright, naive smile on her face.
This was the part Zeus hated most. "Jennifer, you know this must be done. I have to take Tony to a safe place, so he'll be safe. And I wish I could stay but..." Zeus trailed off. King of the Gods, we was speechless before a woman's anger.
"But what? Don't you love me? Don't you want your children to know each other?" Jennifer asked, smile melting away like plastic in flames.
"Tony, come to your father. It's time to go see Matthew!" Zeus said with enthusiasm, trying to get his son away from Jennifer, who was slowly losing her temper.
"Daddy, can I come too? I want to see Matthew and Maria!" Thalia gleamed, oblivious to the the tense situation.
Zeus froze. He knew what was next. "Maria? Is that the bitch's name? The one that's keeping my son away from me?" Jennifer screeched, tears spilling over her makeup.
"Jennifer, please, your scaring the children," Zeus said as he walked toward the other door in the room.
"Daddy please.. please don't leave me!" Thalia bawled, causing her brother to tear up as well.
"My muse, I wo-" Zeus started but Jennifer had advanced on Thalia and slapped her.
"You're mine!" she yelled, taking Thalia roughly but the collar.
Zeus then set Tony down by the door and quickly rushed to Jennifer, grabbing her by the arms with force. "Touch my daughter again, and I will come back to make you wish you had never met me," he whispered with deadly force, the outside world darkening with clouds.
Jennifer just laughed. 'You won't hurt me until Jason's due," she whispered, pointing at her enlarged belly.
Zeus growled and pushed her back, but not with any force behind it. "We're leaving," he said, before kneeling in front of Thalia and whispering in her ear a blessing, before kissing her forehead and departing, Tony in arms.
"Need a drink?" Maria asked as Tony and Matthew played with Tonka toys in the living room. Zeus sat down and rubbed his face, groaning.
"I don't think you have anything strong enough," Zeus joked, grinning without any real humor.
"Darn, I usually keep some nectar down in the basement," she mused back, chuckling a bit.
"No, silly! You put the back on like this, and then you push the button!" Tony said, laughing as he showed Matthew how to operate a particular toy.
"Cool man!" Matthew said with a huge grin on his face, his wavy blonde hair hanging over his eyes.
"He looks just like his father," Zeus said, thinking of Apollo's swooning brown eyes and brilliant blonde hair.
"As does Tony," remarked Maria. She was right, with Tony's raven black hair short and bedraggled on his head, with his stunning electric blue eyes.
"Thank you for doing this, Maria. Apollo was right about you," Zeus said, taking Maria's hand gently, in a soothing fashion.
"That old scoundrel still thinks of me?' Maria asked with a lopsided grin. "What did he say?'
"That you were trustworthy and caring. That's more than he could say for about every mortal he's been with," Zeus said, happy that he could still have a friend that didn't berate him.
"Well... I'm sure... Tell him I say thanks," Maria stumbled, blushing.
"I'll be sure to. Oh, and tell Tony the story of Heracles will you? I think he may be very important to the prophecy," Zeus said, standing up.
"The one? What about Poseidon's kid?" Maria asked, also rising.
"One can only hope they work together better than I and my brother," Zeus said, a feeling of cold lead balling up in his stomach. Poseidon and Zeus were allies, never friends, rarely siblings.
"Hopefully. I will, at any rate. Thank you for coming by Zeus," Maria said, opening the door for the God.
"Of course. I'll do my best to visit again. My little hero, come bid your father farewell!" Zeus laughed as Tony rushed forward, enveloping his father in a hug.
"Bye daddy. Be careful," Tony said, with glum.
"Don't worry. We'll meet again," Zeus said, before stepping outside into the cold night, seeing a figure waiting for him. He waited for the door to close, before calling out to it.
"Who follows me here?" he asked, stepping closer.
"An ancient mariner," came the cryptic, insolent reply, but Zeus knew the voice.
"Poseidon. What brings you here, brother?' Zeus replied coldly.
"You seemed shook up. I don't know if you cared to notice, but the entire west coast is closed to sailing, due to fierce winds," Poseidon chuckled, stepping closer.
"Yes, the mortals boats were my primary concern," Zeus said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Poseidon glared at his brother, sighing. 'Listen, I didn't come here to contest with you. I merely wished to... 'check up on you', as the mortals say these days," the elder sea god rumbled, stroking his black beard.
Zeus rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head. "Why do you care how I fare?" Zeus said quietly, beginning to walk away.
"We're not all trying to dethrone you brother. If that's what your worried about, you should watch your new children closely," Poseidon sighed.
Lightning cracked in the sky above the two gods. "You dare bring my children into this?" Zeus inquired, his tone a deadly calm.
"No, that's not what I meant, and you know it. Our children have the power to save us or bring about our destruction. I believe it's imperative that we become better brothers, so that we may work together to secure our existence," Poseidon said solemnly, resting a hand on Zeus' shoulder.
Zeus flinged his brother's hand off in annoyance. "I don't need your help. Make sure your brat stays out of my children's way, or he will be injured. Severely," Zeus said, his arrogance flaring up.
Poseidon seized Zeus by the shirt and leveled him with a gaze of fury. 'You even touch Perseus, and I swear that you will come tumbling down from your lofty throne," he whispered, the smell of sea salt filling the air.
Zeus's shoved Poseidon away. "Then so be it," he growled, before disappearing in a flash of lightning.
Poseidon was left with a look of dismay on his face, rubbing his brow in frustration. He was usually calm and level, but whenever Zeus made threats towards Perseus, his son, the sea god lost his nerve.
"May The Fates have mercy," he said, before dissipating in a breeze of water.