Hades watched as Hercules left the area, shooting up into the sky before headed to Thebes.

The smile on his face was completely involuntary.

"Ummmm…. Boss?"

Groaning and rolling his eyes, Hades glanced down at his side, spotting the two rodents instantly. The fond smile, transformed into something malicious, "Just the two I wanted to see."

Pain and Panic… well panicked, both taking off in a run as long, shadowy arms plucked them from the ground, winding around their necks.

"So, you took care of him?" Hades hissed, handsome face twisting in anger, "Dead as a doornail, weren't those your EXACT WORDS?!"

"Maybe it's another Hercules!" Pain whimpered

"Yeah, It's a very pop-ular name nowa-days!" Panic chocked out as Hades's grip tightened around his throat.

"Remember when all the boys were called Jason, and the girls were all Brittney?"

Before Hades could well and truly snap, a feminine voice chuckled from behind the trees.

"I don't know why you're so surprise." Meg stepped out, smirking at her boss, "Didn't Zeus tell you his son was still alive?"

"I hoped the old fool was just… finally going senile! That he'd lost his mind and was pinning all his hopes on some worthless mortal!" Hades snapped, "I am about to rearrange the cosmos and the one person who can louse it up, is waltzing around IN THE WOODS!"

His human form erupted in a blast of bright light, flames shooting out in every direction, burning everything within a five metre radius.

"W-we can interrupt his waltzing!" Pain sputtered, as Panic nodded in agreement.

"Right! We turned him mortal… didn't we?"

"And." Meg piped up, "He's very interested in you." She smirked at Hades, "Who better to find out his weakness?"

Hades considered the matter for a few moments, before taking a seat on a burnt stump, "Fortunately for you two…" He glared at Pain and Panic, "… our little Nutmeg is correct. We have time to correct this rather egregious mistake… which is why I'm the one taking control."

If you want a job done right, then do it yourself.

"Get the Hydra."

…..…

Pain and Panic were in place, along with Meg who was playing their dutiful mother, leaving Hades to lead Hercules to the quarry.

Making sure everything was in place, Hades headed out of the shadows, knowing that Hercules was only a short distance away.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

He pushed through the crowd towards Hercules, making sure to act relieved when he spotted a disheartened Hercules leaning against a pillar.

"Hercules!"

He raced over and grabbed Hercules's arm, "You need to help! In the gorge, there- there was a landslide, and a mother and her children, they- they were caught in it! They're trapped!"

"A landslide? A trapped family?"

Instead of being concerned like Hades expected, Hercules spun around and lifted Phil into the air, spinning him around, "Yes! This is just what I've been waiting for."

The last time Hades saw anyone this happy was Zeus when he got away with one of his many affairs… of course, this was only because Hera was too focused on the last one.

"You're really choked up about this, aren't you?"

"Come on! Let's go!" Hercules grabbed his hand, helping him onto Pegasus, before they shot up into the air.

Now, if he were a mortal man, this would be terrifying.

As it was, it was only slightly unnerving, much to Pegasus's disappointment.

…..

A crowd was already gathered in the quarry, spurred on by the morbid fascination of watching a tragedy. Aside from the murmuring, the desperate screams of the 'children and their mother.'

As they landed, Hercules helping Hades down from Pegasus with an apologetic smile, the hero raced over to the large boulder that kept the small family trapped. Moving up to a ledge, where he could watch everything unfold, Hades summoned himself a drink and cigar.

This was going to be the show of a lifetime.

…..

Hoping that Aides had found somewhere safe, Hercules rushed over to the boulder, spotting a small gap, where three pairs of eyes could be seen peering out.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked in concern.

"We can't breathe!" the woman begged, "My children!"

"Alright, alright, I'm here to help!" Hercules scanned the boulder, before bending slightly and gripping it tightly, lifting it high above his head, allowing the mother and two boys to clamber out.

"Thank you, thank you!" The woman beamed up at him, her two sons staring up at him in awe.

"Jeepers Mister! You're really strong!"

"Yeah well… maybe don't wander so close to the quarry next time? Huh?"

"We won't! We won't!"

They rushed away as Hercules threw the boulder to one side, the crowd begrudgingly clapping at the display.

Was Aides clapping along with them?

Up above, Hades smirked as Pain and Panic helped Meg up onto the ledge. "Stirring performance, I was really moved."

"Jeepers mister?" Panic frowned at Pain, who rolled his eyes.

"I was in character!"

"Nice work Nutmeg." Hades glanced over at her, as she removed her hair from the neatly tied bun, "Who knew you were a natural mother?"

"Don't spread that around." Meg hissed, "I do not need that kind of attention."

And then they heard the growling.

Hades was particularly proud of his Hydra. A hideously huge creature with red, glowing eyes, leathery purple skin, sharp and blood-stained teeth with spines that ran up its' back and long, spindly neck.

"Alright." Hades clapped his hands together, "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

It was a very entertaining fight, watching as Hercules panicked and floundered around the battleground, his occasional yelps of alarm echoing all around the quarry. As the boy went to grab his dropped sword (Phil should really consider just sewing that thing to Hercules), the Hydra's tongue wrapped around his ankle and threw him up into the air…. Before swallowing the hero whole.

Hades thought he'd be thrilled, however, he found himself wincing in sympathy, hand flying up to his throat as the creature licked its' lips in satisfaction, before moving forward to try and grab more people for lunch… only to stop, glancing down as the sharp blade of a sword cut its' head clean off, Hercules stumbling out.

Part of him was relieved… and the other part knew what was going to happen next.

One head was replaced with three and the boy still didn't learn.

"He keeps chopping them off." Meg hissed beside him, "Not blessed in the brains department, is he?"

"Ssssshhhhhh. I don't want to miss anything." Hades watched as the boy was pinned against the side of a cliff, "This is my favourite part of the game…. Sudden death."

The heads all rose up into the air, but before they could tear Hercules apart, the boy slammed his fist against the side of the cliff, causing it to shatter and crumble, large pieces of debris crushing the creature and Hercules at the same time.

All that anyone could see when the dust cleared, was a clenched fist sticking out from the rubble.

"Game. Set. Match." Hades kept his tone light, but deep down, he couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the ending of the fight.

So much that could have been.

As he moved to leave, there was a cracking sound that echoed through the quarry. The creature's fist unclenched, and a clearly exhausted Hercules limped out.

The crowd went wild, all making their way down into the quarry, whooping and cheering and lifting Hercules onto their shoulders.

Hades heard Meg pull Pain and Panic away, clearly expecting him to explode.

And maybe in another lifetime, he would have done. However, once Meg and his minions were out of sight, he found himself clapping along with the crowd.

He did love a bit of a challenge.

...

From then on, it seemed as though Hercules could do no wrong.

His name was on everyone's lips, as he spent his days fighting monsters and signing autographs. Girls flocked to him, as did the appearance fees and reward money. A statue was built in his honour and toys were designed after him.

Every creature that Hades sent in his direction, Hercules beat with ease.

Plays were performed in his honour, branded shoes and drinks were sold by the hundreds, and still… Hercules never changed.

Zeus would have lording it over everyone from the very beginning.

Hercules though… he remained humble throughout.

Even when he was having his handprint's immortalised in stone.

Hades watched silently from above, listening as Pain and Panic smashed vases behind him.

"I can't believe this guy." He sighed, burying his face in his hands, "I throw everything I got at him and it doesn't even phase him!"

He ignored the squeaking and slurping behind him. If he bothered to waste energy on those minions of his every time they annoyed him, he'd spend all his time sleeping.

"I've got twenty-four hours to get rid of him, before the entire scheme I've been setting up for eighteen years, goes up in smoke, and I'm still no closer to getting RID OF HIM!"

Clearly amused by his frustration, Meg sauntered over, "Forgive me for saying so boss… but you're not trying very hard to get rid of him."

"I'm just not finding the right curves to throw at him." Hades glanced over at Meg, who rolled her eyes.

"Oh honey, it's not my curves he's interested in."

"Look, he's got to have a weakness, because everyone has a weakness! For Pandora, it was the whole box thing, and for the Trojans, well they bet on the wrong horse eh? We just need to find out what this weakness is!"

"And I'm telling you, that it's not me he's interested in."

"I need someone who can handle him as a man!"

"And you can't?" Meg raised an eyebrow at him, smirking as the God's eyes widening briefly, "Hades… I've sworn off men, you know this." She continued, "It was the one thing you promised I would never have to do. He knows you, he trusts you… he'll tell you anything if you ask nicely."

"… You really believe that?"

"He'll be like putty in your hands."