Percy talking

Percy thoughts

Adamos talking

Adamos thoughts

Chapter 38

Hit The Deck

Sleep had come easily for me last night; despite the state I was in from the battle. I didn't toss and turn or lay there thinking about the feeling of Polyphemus' blood on my skin. In fact, I didn't really think of it at all. There was not an ounce of restlessness or even a bad dream. I slept just as well as I would at home with my mother as I did in my new bed.

"Am I messed up enough that being covered in blood means nothing? Even the blood of my supposed half sibling." I said it like a rhetorical question but I was hoping that I would get a response only to receive silence. I let out a sigh. "Polyphemus was a monster so he'll reform." I reasoned and sat up.

The captain's quarters were truly something to behold, as they were larger than most other rooms on the ship. There was a large enough bed for two in the corner along with cabinets and chests lining the walls that I hadn't the time to go through. Towards the back wall of the ship there was a large wooden desk lined with all kinds of maps and papers with even a small bag of golden drachmae. Of course, I was going to pocket the golden currency as a captain needs money in order to improve their ship. There was probably more treasure somewhere in the cabinets and chests but I could check for those later when I wasn't on a quest.

That being said, I walk out of MY room and onto the deck of MY ship.

I had no idea when we made it out but currently the ship sat anchored at the port along with a bunch of cruise ships. Taxis lined the streets with Cuban drivers shouting at each other in Spanish. Tourists were crowding around my ship with cameras, taking pictures in front of the 'fake' pirate ship while wearing Hawaiian shirts that looked just as bad as my father's.

The others were gathered around a barrel in the middle of the deck trying to figure out our next move. Clarisse was talking rather heatedly with Lou and the daughter of Hecate was returning the words with just as much bite, yet less volume. Beckendorf seemed to be trying to calm the two down.

And Annabeth?

She was balled up in the fleece looking like she was fighting off a killer headache. On the bright side though her head injury looks to have completely healed.

"Check again!"

"Checking a fourth time isn't going to change the results."

"Well maybe you didn't do it right."

"And maybe YOU got brain damage when you hit your head!"

"Why you—"

"Alright what the hell are you shouting about!" I cut off the argument before the two of them can go at it. Both of them were noy shy of inflicting violence on others and I wasn't going to test if they were willing to stab each other.

"This bitch," Lou turned to me and casually pointed to Clarisse, who looked like she was about to spit venom. "Is saying that my divinations are wrong."

"What were you divining?" I raised a brow. Divination was a form of magic much like demigod dreams, allowing one to see the unknown and gain knowledge not easily accessed. There were many downsides though. The divination could easily be blocked if someone knows what they are doing, or the information could be to cryptic to decipher. Eve told me that I had no talent for the art so I never bothered to learn it.

"Today's date."

I blinked. "That…is insanely easy to find out." I was confused at the source of the problem. "Divinations should have no problems with that." Divining was much like a normal demigods dream only more controlled. It was a way more useful in information gathering than a normal demigod dream as you could find out many things by using it. The downside however is that any magic user or god can disrupt the divination process, making them far less powerful by comparison.

"That's what I keep telling her! But she just won't listen!"

"That's because your magic is crap!" Clarisse pounded her fist into the barrel, her voice was furious yet her eyes spoke of desperation. Lou looked absolutely livid at the insult to her craft, her hand reaching to her knife.

"That's enough." Beckendorf stepped in with a scowl on his face. His voice was deep and commanding, his hands twitched slightly in preparation to separate the two demigoddesses. "Clarisse, antagonizing her won't change what's fact." He turned to Lou. "And you need to calm yourself."

"I'm still missing what the problem is." I cut in.

Beckendorf looks at me before sighing into his hand. "Lou Ellen's divination didn't leave favorable results. It is currently June twentieth. We've been gone from camp for twelve days."

"And the tree's probably dead by now." Clarisse muttered as she looked at her feet. He expression was one of defeat, something I never thought I would see from her. But it made sense. The fastest way back was by plane as it would take three days at least to make it back even if I pushed the ship to the point of breaking. "We're hundreds of miles away and without a way to get their quickly. The prophecy was right. None of this would have happened if—"

"Clarisse!" Beckendorf shouted. The daughter of war just held her head in her hands. I started to feel bad as my mind immediately brought up her conversation with Ares. This was her chance for greatness, her way to prove herself. Yet the chances of success were looking slimmer by the second.

"If we make it to the airport, we can get you to New York." The golden bundle spoke up finally. Annabeth's head poked out. Her face had a healthy tone compared to the paleness it was yesterday, but her eyes were different. They were heavily bloodshot with dark bags hanging under them. Despite her unconsciousness she must not have gotten any rest at all. "Lou can you use the mist to get a ticket?"

"Well, uh, yeah but I don't think I can get all of us onto the plane." Lou said with an uncertain look. "To many of us to change things around for seats."

"You won't need to." Annabeth stood up and handed the fleece to Clarisse. "The two of you will be going by yourselves. The rest of us can take the ship back."

Clarisse looked stunned at what was happening. "You want us to leave you and just go back ourselves?"

"It's the only way." Annabeth pushed the fleece into Clarisse with more force. "You remember the prophecy. This is how it ends."

Clarisse takes a moment to look at the mythical artifact before looking back at us, her face hardened with resolve. "You can count on me. I won't fail."

"I'm afraid that isn't up to you." We all turned around to a very familiar scarred jackass standing on the deck of my ship as his entourage of monsters all boarded via the sides of the ship.

"How did he get aboard the ship without me knowing?" The air twisted behind Luke like smoke, darkening the space. A memory of when I last had an actual conversation with the bastard before getting stung by the pit scorpion. "Motherfucker and his unfair portal abilities!"

Before we could do anything, we had already found ourselves surrounded. Luke smiled as his bear thugs had closed the distance on Annabeth and Grover, their large meaty paws twitching, ready for the slightest sign to gouge out their throats. No offense to Annabeth and Grover but they were horribly outmatched as Grover could barely be considered a fighter and I doubted Annabeth's knife would be useful against the bear-man's thick muscles. I myself and everyone else were held at spear and sword point.

"Luke!" Clarisse hissed at the son of Hermes, her glare hot like the sun. "What the Hades are you doing here?"

"Believe it or not Clarisse I've been here for days." Luke's smile couldn't be smugger. "My crew and I were resupplying our ship when you all just so happened to land in our laps." He looks off and we all look in the same direction. I knew the others were just as surprised as the rest of us as we looked past towards the largest ship. The words on the side were blurred until they began to shift and straighten out.

Princess Andromeda

"Son of a bitch."

"I mean seriously, a pirate ship." Luke paces back and forth as he speaks. Each word out of his mouth making his scar twist and flex. "The mist might be able to fool the mortals but nut not us. You just stand out like a cat in a dog show. That being said. Hand over the fleece." Luke shifted from smug to eerily calm on a dime as he looked over each of us.

"Screw you." Clarisse snarled.

"I don't think you understand." Luke snapped his fingers and the spears and swords were all poke at our skin. Grover yelped as a spear nicked him enough to draw some blood. "You're in no place to refuse."

"It seems like you're in a precarious situation." Eve muses. "Enemies on all sides and you need to get your allies on land."

"Yeah its really looking bad." Each monster looked ready to pounce on me at a moment's notice. There were Dracanae, some cyclops, empousai, and the bear men. "But…I think I might have an insane idea."

"I know what you're thinking," I could already imagine the amused grin on her face. "and if it works, it will be something to remember."

"Please don't remind me." I internally grimace. I focus on the waves as much as I can to get as much mist in the air.

Reaching into my pocket I grab a few of the drachmae, and only a few, and threw them at the son of Hermes, along with a silent prayer to the goddess Isis and a mental note to pick up any ones that weren't accepted.

"You tricked us!" I hissed. "You tricked everyone. Even Dionysus at Camp Halfblood!" The air shimmered behind Luke, the image of the wine god and apparently the entire camp since they were eating dinner began to come into focus, but I needed all attention on me so I uncapped Riptide. I held it up, pointing at him. The simple action put everyone on edge as they all looked at me, expecting me to probably do something.

"I-I'm sorry but who are you?" Luke looked me over, honestly looking lost. "Clarisse did you pick up another demigoddess on your little quest, what happened to Jackson."

Heat spreads to my face as I mentally prepare myself for what is probably, no, definitely going to haunt me for the rest of my life. "I-I'm Jackson." I admit, though I must have said it to lowly out of sheer embarrassment as some looked confused. "I'm Percy Jackson!"

At this point everyone's eyes were on me. Not even drawing Riptide amidst the group of barely restrained monsters got me this much attention. Luke was just eyeing me up and down with a WTF face.

"You…turned yourself into…"

"Yes, you have discovered my secret plan to become a girl to seduce you into giving up." I couldn't hold back with the sarcasm as I swayed my hips.

"R-really?" I didn't really get to see who spoke.

"Fuck no!" I had half a mind to kill us all in a freak tidal wave as Luke looked up from where ever he was staring. "Just explain it to me. Why did you frame Chiron? Why did you poison Thalia's tree? Didn't either of them mean anything to you?"

Luke managed to stop from ogling me long enough to compose himself, though there was still a bit of red on his neck. For some reason it felt like someone was glaring at me more than the others. "You wouldn't understand. Sacrifices need to be made in order to change things."

"How is poisoning the last memory of your friend and endangering the campers any kind of sacrifice?" I snapped. "You didn't care about the camp. You just wanted the attention." Now the red was beginning to spread to Luke's face, except it was no longer from awkwardness, but rage. I just needed to push a bit more. "You're just a petty child trying to act out and dragged Thalia's grave in because you don't care foran—"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Luke roared with a face red with fury. If looks could kill I would be dead a few times over with just how much Luke was trying to burn me with his eyes, and apparently, I wasn't the only one feeling the heat as I noticed that the monsters were shuffling nervously as they watched. "DON'T TALK AS IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING!"

"Know what Luke?" I shouted back. I couldn't back down now. He was riled up. Thalia was always a weak point for Annabeth, and I could only imagine how much worse Luke feels about the entire event. "Know that you wanted to make the gods pay attention to you? All it took was to convince someone to poison Thalia's tree and frame Chiron."

"It was never an easy decision to make Percy. But it was the only way to get the fleece. The only way to speed up our plans, and once I was done with it, you could have it back."

"You wanted to heal Kronos." I accused. "You betrayed the camp, betrayed Thalia just because you were a coward who couldn't do it yourself. You're as much of a failure now as you were on your first quest."

And that was the last straw. Luke exploded with anger. "I AM NOT A FAILURE! ALL OF THIS WAS DONE BY ME! I LEAD THE ARMIES! I POISONED THE TREE! I FRAMED CHIRON! I HAVE BEEN ONE STEP OF YOU AND THE GODS THIS ENTIRE TIME!"

"Well if you're that insistent Lake."

Luke froze at the lazy drawl while his goons all gasped and stumbled back. The son of Hermes slowly turned around and looked up. There hanging above him was the entirety of camp Halfblood, all looking at him with faces of betrayal, disgust, and hate. The only ones who didn't look similar were the two immortals in charge of camp, though Tantalus was more worried about trying to capture the burger on his plate.

"He admitted it Mr. D." I shouted. "He's the one who poisoned Thalia's tree. Not Chiron."

"So, it would seem Persephone." The amount of amusement in the god's eyes told me that he was never going to let this go. "Might have to reinstate the old horse."

"I'm really regretting this decision."

"To late~"

"It could be a trick." Tantalus offered, though he was to invested in catching his dinner to notice the look of distaste that Mr. D was giving him.

"Why don't you go choke on a dick you withered sack of bones." I shouted at the pale prisoner. The former prisoner of the underworld sputtered before slamming his fist down in rage, right onto his burger.

"You insolent little—"

"Thank you, Tantalus, for your service but you will no longer be needed."

"Wha-Wait but—!" He tried to speak out but couldn't and, in a panic, tried to lick the ketchup and grease that was on his arm, in one last desperate attempt at food, but failed as he burst into purple flames.

The campers all cheered and I would have to if it weren't for Luke's shouts of rage drowning them out before he cut through the Iris message with his own sword.

"Kronos was right. You are far too dangerous and unreliable. You and whatever hangs off your shoulder." Luke snarled and I froze at the claim. "It's time you were replaced. Kill them."

I felt a pull in my gut as I reached out around us. The ocean happily responded while the boards beneath my feet creaked in response. "Nobody gives orders here except me." I snapped as the boat began to rock back and forth. "And I order you all to get the hell off my ship!" I roared as the ocean erupted from beneath us. My attention was split as I used the water to grab Clarisse and Lou with a current of water as a large wave carried us away from port. I dropped them quickly onto the pier as we were pulled away and I could only hope they remembered the plan to get back by plane.

Aboard the ship, it was chaos. Annabeth, Grover and Charles were all hanging for dear life as the ship nearly tipped over on the wave. Many of the monsters were caught off guard and slid down into the water below, being dragged under the wave and spat out behind us.

I stopped when I thought we were far enough away. My gut felt like someone had stabbed me as I had to take deep breathes. I don't think I had ever created a wave that big, let alone carried an entire ship with it.

"Get up! We need to get back to the Andromeda!"

"Why couldn't he…have just fallen overboard?" I gasped out as the pain in my gut subsided from both multitasking and controlling such a large wave. I felt something heading straight for my head, and rolled out of the way of a sword. The dracanae that just tried to kill me couldn't remove her weapon fast enough from between the planks as I stabbed her.

"On your feet!" I ordered to my allies as I activated my shield and blocked a club from a cyclops. "I want these bastards off my ship!" From the sounds of metal striking metal I can assume that they got the memo. I saw Luke run to the edge of the ship and attempt to wave down a small fleet of motorboats that were coming at us. They weren't all that big, the kind that can only hold four people, but they were fast.

"Is that how they boarded without me noticing? There were so many boats at the port I didn't sense them."

I couldn't let a single one return to the Andromeda or else all the monsters onboard will start a witch hunt for Lou and Clarisse.

As if I would let that happen.

Reaching out I could still feel all of those pucks aboard the Andromeda. Some were found and gathered back where they belong but many of them were spread throughout the ship in little nooks and crannies. Connecting to all of them was a bit of a drain due to the distance but all were still within my reach.

They wouldn't get the chance to go after Lou and Clarisse, they had more pressing concerns after all.

"DETONATE!"

The beautiful sound of multiple explosions all going off at the same time was like music to my ears. Smoke billowed out of freshly made holes in the ships hull. The Andromeda was still afloat, but it wouldn't be going anywhere with all the damages.

I think I also saw something fly out of one of the holes.

The shock on the monster's faces was so priceless that I almost took a club to the side by an enraged cyclops, but a quick change of angle and it glances off the top of Echo, leaving him open for a stab to the gut, turning him to dust.

"Raagh!"

CLANG!

It was only my instincts that saved me from being stabbed as Luke thrust his sword at me. He followed up with a fast overhead chop that I had to jump back creating distance, and landing next to an empty barrel. A swift kick with demigod strength sent the barrel flying at the traitor.

"YOU!" Luke's sword cut through the wooden barrel like it was nothing.

"Me!" My smile was teasing, which only made the demigod more pissed off.

"Why do you always ruin everything!"

"I've been told it's a talent I have." I quip. "Its why they don't let me in the kitchen at camp."

I take the initiative and go on the offensive, my shield held up like a battering ram to punch through Luke's defenses. The traitor was far faster than I thought as he danced out of the way of my shield. His sword swung in an arc at my neck only to be blocked by Riptide at the last moment.

I stepped forward, trying to get into his guard and throw an uppercut but Luke dodged and responded with a swift front kick straight to my stomach, although he might have hit me a bit in the breast if that uncomfortable feeling was any sign.

Luke restarted his whole assault from that brief disengage. His sword was like a flash that struck me from all sides. In any normal fight my sword and shield would have had the advantage as the two allowed me greater combos and defense as opposed to his single sword. Luke however wasn't known as the greatest swordsman in camp for no good reason. His experience far surpassed my own and allowed him to match me blow for blow.

The two of us were evenly matched. My better defense and greater combinations of attacks let me push him back, but his greater speed and experience never allowed me to touch him.

"If you can't beat him normally, then change things to your advantage."

"My advantage? Wait! I think I've got it."

As we exchanged blows, I slowly began lowering my defenses, gradually showing more and more openings. It was a risky move that could cost me if I was not careful, but I swung sloppily with Riptide, allowing him to counter and thrust his sword towards my abdomen.

I grit my teeth and felt a pull in my gut just as I was about to be run through. The blade never even reached me as the entire ship tilted, throwing Luke and just about everyone else in surprise and letting me deflect the blade.

The momentary surprise was my only chance, as he would be wary of my tricks if I tried again. I slipped in to his guard. I couldn't use Riptide as I was keeping his sword away from me. So instead I used my shield.

I swung my arm around wide like I was throwing a cross in boxing. My form wasn't the best, and any experienced hand to hand fighter would have balked at how obvious it was, but I wasn't going for subtly. I was planning to dig the edge of my shield into his neck with all the force I could.

Luke's eyes widen in horror at what was about to happen.

But then the unthinkable happened.

I couldn't tell if the world seemed to slow down or if Luke just seemed to speed up but he managed to block my shield strike and put a good amount of distance between us. Though not without sacrificing one of his arms.

It shouldn't be possible. He was off balance and overextended. He should be lying on the ground with a broken neck, not standing in front of me with a broken arm.

"Fucking time dilation." Eve spoke with annoyance. "It seems dear grandfather has given him a small boost to compete with us."

"But what did he do?" I think I remember a mention of time dilation but nothing beyond that.

"Accelerated his own personal time. Overclocking his body to double his overall speed and reactions."

Now that I look at him, Luke didn't look so good. Other than the obvious broken arm courtesy of me he looked a bit more tired. His hands shook slightly and his breathing was a bit deeper.

I was going to attack. Take advantage of injured arm and newfound tiredness to take him down but the sound of motors filled my ears and I could see Luke smiling despite his impending loss. I couldn't help myself and had to look.

All around us, those smaller motorboats were circling us like sharks in the water. Inside each of them were three to four monsters. One driving each of the boats and the others all looking like hungry. I was about to shout to the others that there were more until some of the monsters reached into tool boxes and pulled out some rather familiar pieces of metal.

"Are those machine guns?!"

"Hit the deck!" I shouted as they opened fire. I ducked out of the way as bullets began to tear through the wooden planks. I raised my shield, bullets pinged off the metal. I over to find Grover and Charles huddled around the mast as Annabeth was using one of Luke's monsters, a dracanae, as a meat shield to absorb the bullets before stabbing her from behind once she found cover behind a cannon.

My gaze shifted back to Luke only to find empty space and faint whisps of shadows, meaning that he slipped out while I looked away.

I tsked in distaste for letting him get away. He was injured and tired and we were on my turf. He should have been an easy victory at this point if only his lackeys hadn't opened fire on us with mortal weaponry.

I prepared to give orders to the others but one of the monsters must have gotten lucky as I felt a splitting pain on the side of my head. The force snapped my head back, and I could barely hear the shouts of worry from the others as I stopped myself from completely falling to the ground.

Blood dripped onto the deck as I kneeled there. My head swam and my ears rang from the hit. The sound of bullets hitting my shield did nothing to help me try to concentrate.

"Your alive. The bullet broke skin, but your thick head saved you." Eve's voice was a little echoey but still clear. I was thankful to know that there wasn't a large hole in my head.

A few feet away my captains hat laid, and what was probably not my smartest move at the time, I crawled those last few feet and picked it up.

There on the right side of the hat was a large gash, almost as if someone ripped a large piece off the side.

Now most people would be haunted by nearly dying, but I honestly can't say I felt the same. No, what I felt was different.

I felt RAGE.

The poisoning of the tree, Tantalus running the camp, nearly loosing Tyson and the others, being turned into a girl, being nearly captured by Luke. All of it was infuriating but this took the blue frosted cake.

These fuckers shoot up my ship and put a hole in my captain's hat!

If they want to start a naval battle with the future Pirate king then I'll personally escort them to the bottom of the ocean!

"I want full speed ahead!" The ship, as if responding to my anger and sharing my desire to sink its attackers, comes to life. Ropes start moving on its own and the sails all drop to catch the wind. My senses spread throughout the vessel and beyond and I push the elements around me forward, making the ship lurch forward with much greater speeds than ever before.

A cyclops tried to charge at me, but a random rope went taut beneath him and caught his foot. The one-eyed monster was flipped upside down and swung towards me like a fat tire swing.

I didn't have time for him so I just cut off his head.

"All cannons prepare to fire!" I ordered and I felt everything bellow deck come to life for the second time. Micky Mouse didn't have shit on me as I felt everything move in perfect order even up here on deck.

Cannon balls loaded themselves as fuses were prepped. Water drained from the floors and the cannons all rolled into position.

"Percy!" Grover tried to talk to me but I didn't stop. There was no reason to. I could tell that all the other monsters on the ship were dead, which only left the smaller boats traveling alongside us.

I stepped to the railing and deflected a bullet with my sword. My captain's hat sat snugly on my head as the wind hit me in the face. I could see the lines as the cannons positioned themselves, their trajectories laid out before me.

Ammo loaded. Trajectories set. All cannons ready.

"Fire!" I swung Riptide like a starting flag.

All the cannons fired one after the other. A symphony of fire and metal rained down on the smaller vessels. Three went down immediately as a cannon ball went through the middle of their boats. Another two were only slightly better as holes were torn at the edge of their ships, causing them to capsize.

The last two tried to escape, but the cannons were already loaded and fired at will. One tore through its occupants, destroying the steering before tearing through the bow. The other boat was hit in the engine, the force on one end flipping the boat and flinging them back towards us and into the water.

"YYEEAAAAAAHHH! You better think twice before crossing the pirate king! I own these waters and don't you forget it!"

I set the ship for a course heading north, a liberal use of the mist preventing anyone from following us. The flaming wreck that is the Andromeda and its smaller attack vessels burning behind us.

A/N: Hey everyone. Heres another chapter ready for you. It took a while i know but I've been dabbling with some ideas for other fics. Maybe writing out the chapters and releasing them one at a time every week. Of course it woud be a much shorter story than this one but its just a thought. Anyways i hope your all doing wonderful and all that.

Stay well you sexy beasts!

OMAKE: Dating Woes

Within one of the many temples built on Mount Olympus three gods sat together discussing a matter of great importance.

"Adamos if you like her so much why don't you just ask her out?" Hestia asked her nephew as she took a bite from her lunch.

"Because its hard." Adamos whined as he laid over the table. Overdramatic tears fell down his face. "I can barely get her alone with me and even when I do, I just freeze up when I try to tell her."

"Honestly child I don't see how you can be so nervous. I have seen you walk down the streets of Olympus with many ladies in your company." Hera pointed out. "And don't lay on the table dear. Its bad manners."

"Yes ma'am." Adamos got off the table but still slouched into his chair.

The queen of the gods sighed in exasperation before she patted his head fondly. "I never thought I'd see the day that you'd pursue someone with the idea of an actual relationship. She must be something special."

"Yeah." Adamos said wistfully.

Hestia chuckled. "And here I was thinking that you would remain a bachelor for the rest of your life after Lady Nyx dumped you."

"She didn't dump me!" The earth god protested. "The I hold the honored position of backup husband for Nyx, whenever Erebus bites the dust!"

"That doesn't sound as impressive as your trying to make it dear." Hera said dryly.

"…I know."

"So, what makes this girl so special that your willing to put your title of 'backup husband' on hold?" Hestia asked, getting to the root of the matter.

"I…" Adamos stopped to think for a moment. He had one of those moments where he knew what he wanted to say but no way to put it into cohesive words that made sense, so instead he just let it all out. "She's intimidating, like…like a wild animal…"

"No girl wants to be compared to rabid beast dear." Hera laughed.

"Then like a sword. Beautifully made but cutting. She just makes me feel these…these…things whenever I talk to her. We've had conversations that sometimes evolve into shouting but it's so much fun."

Hera had to raise a brow at that. "You have fun shouting at each other?"

"Yeah, but its all the better because she yells at me. She even insults me to." Adamos said with a smile.

The two goddesses exchanged looks, having a silent conversation that Hera seemed to lose. "Adamos, sweetie, you wouldn't happen to be a…masochist, would you? Or maybe a sub?"

The younger god Sputtered as his face went red. "Wha—No! No! No! No! That's not what I mean by yelling at all!" The godling would rather dig himself beneath a mountain and hide there than have this conversation with his aunts/mothers/maybe one-time childhood crushes. "I enjoy it when she insults and yells at me to my face…that didn't come out right. I mean that she isn't afraid to stand up to me on anything. She doesn't agree with everything I say like the others. I mean just last week I asked a nymph is she would take all of her clothes off and pose for me right there in the middle of the market place."

"But you didn't…right?" Hestia asked far too kindly. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the wooden spoon in her hand hard enough to crack it.

Adamos swore he saw Thanatos himself form behind his mother figures as they smiled sweetly at him. "Nope. Told her it was a joke. Just a prank. Didn't make her do anything of the sort." HE spoke quickly, knowing that being to slow was only further risking pain. 'Not that it didn't stop her from trying to rip her clothes off in excitement.'

"Adamos," Hera spoke getting his attention. "If you want to pursue a relationship with this girl, I suggest that you find something for you both to do. Something that requires the both of you together. That way you can have time to know each other better and for you to confess."

Adamos blinked. "That's…Genius!"

"Of course, it is dear." Hera took a sip of her nectar. "Aphrodite isn't the only master of relationships."

"Thank you both!" The younger god gave them both kisses on the cheek. "I know exactly how to do it. She'll jump at the chance to build an entire city state!" Adamos ran out of the temple, leaving a plate of half-eaten food and two amused goddesses.

Hestia sent her sister a smirk. "You're really pushing for this marriage Hera."

"Please. Athena came to me just yesterday asking for any documents on dating and courtship." Hera let out a chuckle. "Those two are so out for each other and they don't even know it."

"But it will be entertaining none the less."

"No doubt about that.