When they arrived, the boys ran to their mother. Meg hugged them and kissed them on the cheek. 'Hey, do I get a kissed?' Hercules teased. Meg stared at him, 'if you want one, then come here.' Hercules came forward, Meg was about to kiss him on the cheek. But he quickly turned his head so both of their lips met. He kissed her back passionately. Alexis and Zack looked at them in disgusted. 'You have a bedroom...' Zack told his father.
'Use it once in a while,' Alexis agreed with his brother.
'Sorry boys, but it's hard to resist someone as beautiful as your mother,' Hercules smiled at the boys. 'Well...at least,' Alexis started.
'Do that when we are not around,' Zack finished. Their parents just laughed, still knowing that they hadn't grown up yet. Hercules decided to skip training with Phil, to spend more time with his boys. After the boys did their homework of course, mum's orders. Once the painful hour of brain work was over, Zack and Alexis were free to do what kids do best, play. Hercules enjoyed being with his sons. They played a game where Hercules was the monster and Zack and Alexis were the heroes.
'Ok, Zack, here is the situation. We have a homo sapient with unnatural super strength that has been causing terror in Athens,' Alexis said in his serious tone as if he was commander. 'Yes commander, it has taken all of our men except us. What is your order?' Zack asked ready for action. 'Here is my plan,' Alexis got a hard stick and drew his plan in the soft mud. He drew an X, 'the creature is located here. You go to the left and I'll to right then we creep slowly around him. On my signal we both jump on him and bring him down.'
Zack smile with agreement, 'Perfect, the element of surprise, excellent; he never know what hit him.' Alexis and Zack stood up straight. Alexis put his hand on his brother. 'Just in case we don't make it, you were the best solider I could ever have in my command,' Alexis said with pride.
'Likewise, commander, now let's go and get that monster,' Zack encouraged his brother.
Zack and Alexis took their positions. Their prey had no idea what was going. Slowly and carefully, they walked and watched. Then Alexis waved a leaf when their prey wasn't looking. That was the signal. Alexis and Zack charged from different ends. Alexis raced right in front of the opponent. Before the opponent made his move, Zack jumped on his back, pushing him forward. Alexis came on top him. 'HAHA, we've got you now,' shouted Zack.
'Oh, really,' replied the creature. Before Alexis and Zack knew it they were rising from the ground. The creature had reached out and with one strong arm and grab both Zack and Alexis lifting them higher into the air. 'Now who has who,' said the strong homo sapient. Just all seem lost; there was something in the not-so-far distance. Alexis and Zack saw that it was a creature that the homo sapient feared most of all. 'The mother ship has come to save us,' Zack cried. The female figure came running and tickled the monster. 'Hey, no fair; three against one,' Hercules said laughing. His grip loosed and Alexis and Zack were free and joined in with mother in bring the mighty Hercules to his knees. Just when they were having the time of their lives, an angry, certain satyr showed up. 'After all that training, it takes a couple of kids and a woman to bring you down.'
Hercules' family was on top of him and just managed to lift his head. 'Sorry Phil, they gang up on me,' he couldn't help but laughed. But seeing the seriousness on his face, Hercules gently pushed his family a bit so he can get up. As he did, Alexis and Zack grabbed on his cape, knowing what would happen next. 'No, Dad...' Zack started. 'Don't go. We haven't defeated you yet,' Alexis pleaded widening his big blue eyes. Hercules looked at both of his children. He deeply wished he could stay with his family. He looked to his wife for help; she turned to Phil. 'C'mon Phil, we just having a good time. Let him stay a little bit longer. He needs to spend more time with his children.' Meg was standing beside Hercules with one arm around his arm. 'Look, I hate doing this but he's needs to train. He hasn't got that much training because of monster attacks and other interruptions.' Phil tried to explain. He knew that Hercules was more dedicate to his family but he is also a hero. 'Is that all we are...' Zack said angrily, he let go of his dad cape.
'Interruptions to his training!' Alexis joined his brother. Both were standing in front of their dad. Hercules could see that this wasn't going to be petty. 'Hey, I've got an idea. What if we all go? You could use the extra help in setting up and packing, Phil, and it will give my boys chance to learn some hero techniques. What do you say?' Hercules hoped that this would make everyone happy and he wouldn't have to choose between them. Phil took awhile to answer then what seem like forever, he finally said, 'Alright, okay then but hurry up I haven't all day.'
'C'mon boys, you heard the goat-man. Honey, you want to come,' Hercules asked his wife. 'Yeah mum...'Alexis encouraged.
'It will be no fun if...'Zack continued.
'Is there to control the goat-man,' Alexis finished. Meg looked at the men she lived with. With all those big blue hopeful eyes staring at her, she signed. 'Okay, but I am not going to be running laps.'
Hercules, Zack and Alexis were in the stadium; Meg sat in the seats where the crowd would be, watching them. She was thinking about how the men in her husband's family were stubborn. She wanted, so badly, to tell the boys about their grandparents. But no!! Mr. Hero wouldn't have it that way. Meg couldn't see the reason why she shouldn't tell them.
Zack and Alexis were having quite a ride. They never knew how hard their dad had to train. When they ran laps together Hercules would slow down so that his sons could at least beat him. But by the time they reached the third laps they were starting to slow down even more. Hercules tried to encourage them to move on. 'Almost there, boys, we are there. Just a few more meters.'
'Easy for you to say,' Zack barely got those words.
'You have been doing this since...since ever,' Alexis felt like his legs were going to fall off. Hercules laughed, 'Trust me, I was like you once, actually, I was worse. I got exhausted when I reached half way my first lap. I was older than you when I started.'
'Yeah...right...,' Zack didn't believe his dad.
'Just tell us when we are finished,' Alexis really want this to end.
'We just finished the third lap,' Hercules replied. Hercules stopped and so did his sons. 'HEY, did I tell you to stop?' Phil said angrily.
'Hey, let see you...,' Alexis started with Phil.
'Do what we just did,' Zack was still puffing.
'For your own infor, I was talking to the hero. You, guys, only started. And it was a great job, much better than I expected.' Phil surprised Zack and Alexis. Hercules laughed, Phil maybe tough but he was fair. Zack and Alexis yawned 'Okay, I think you have enough of this. It is getting late and growing boys need their sleep.' Hercules said when he their need to visited Morpheus. He took them by the hand. 'Hey, where do you think you are going?' Phil asked.
'I'll be back when I take them to bed. I may be a hero but I'm also a father that is more important than training.' Hercules said. Phil sometimes forgets that his student has grown up. Hercules walked out of the stadium with his sons.
Meg followed him back to their home. On the way, Hercules' sons give him a look that he knew all too well. He picked him up and held them in his arms. By the time they reached their home, Zack and Alexis were asleep.