Breathing in the salty air of the sea, Jay set sail out on a relatively sunny day. Once he was far out enough he relaxed, his fingers getting a loose handling on the wheel.

"Guess I could try digging around for some hidden frustrations I might have. If it really is as relieving as Hephaestus claims it to be... I sure could use it." Jay admitted, scratching his hair. He slipped the shell out and took a deep breath.

"Here goes." He pressed the top blue button as Hephaestus instructed, and stood in a silent wavering stance for a while, before starting out timidly.

"I.. I guess Neil is annoying as always in his own way..? It's definitely not as bad as before the whole Midas Touch thing, but still." Jay shrugged, smiling.

"Er... Archie and Atlanta both have matured considerably. They used to be so brash to action, more so Atlanta." The words started to pour out a bit faster, like melted butter.

"Everybody is as tight as ever. Herry and Odie have been spending more time together, training each other in their respective lacking areas as I've suggested. Herry learning to be more perspective, and Odie gaining better self defense skills and packing on some muscle. Theresa has a much better handling on her powers. Especially since she got rid of some of it."

Jay was almost startled as to how easily he talked about Odie and Herry's shortcomings, even though it was already well known. This conch sure worked its magic fast. He enjoyed it, and soon the words began to tumble out even faster.

"What's was that with Theresa anyway?" He sighed in recollection. "I mean, I get why she did it, but did she really have to go to Persephone to take away some of her magic abilities, permanently? Doesn't she know how handy they could be in crushing Cronus?"

The conch shell, now finally feeding on something juicy, glowed with a very dull pulse.

"She's still got a great potential to incredible telepathy and levitation in the least, and it won't stop the prophecy... then again, maybe it WAS for the better. We can't have her losing her mind over a lack of movie time like last time." He chuckled a little, then gasped.

"Oh!" Jay's hand jerked up to cover his lips, but it went right back down. He was surprised. He thought he was totally fine, agreeable even, with her choice to cap her magic forever. Turns out he wasn't. Without even realizing it, his mouth opened up again.

"A-and why did she even rage so much to begin with? Can't believe she actually went haywire just because of her silly desire to 'get my life back'." He mimicked with a huff.

"I understand the frustration, but come on! Turning against everybody and physically manifesting her hate into some crazy, purple aura, just because she wanted less rules and more free time? How selfish is that? I thought she was content enough with our lives the way it was, like everybody else! We all already accepted our inevitable destiny, and adapted to the wacky lifestyle just fine. We had each other. How could something so drastic like that happen so randomly, out of blue?"

His eyes were starting to water from his heated words.

"Just a typical, rebellious teen angry with training that's supposed to help guide us to saving the entire world. How could she be so immature in the face of our battle? I didn't think she'd stoop that low. I admired her. I respected her. Does she know how many holidays and vacations I sacrificed before for work? For Cronus? Argh!"

Jay had to pause to take in a breath. The conch shell was now glimmering, a few beams of light leaking out between the layers of shell, shaking.

"Throwing a stupid temper tantrum and taking away all of the gods-all of our allies powers for goodness sake. She gives into her every spoiled whim so easily it's so dis- wah!"

This time, Jay succeeded in smacking his hand over his mouth. He was panting from the rant.

No way. Did I… did I really say all of that?
He looked down at the brilliantly lit conch shell.

"Wow…" He shook his head. "Don't I…" He exhaled through his teeth.

"...Don't I love her?"

Jay sat back down in the boat, speechless for a bit in a stunned silence.

Then he burst out laughing.

"No way. Theresa- I've had a crush on her forever. It's not fair for me to think like that. E-Even Atlanta tried to do away with Cronus one on one before because of some, some fairly immature frustration…" His brow furrowed.

"...then again, Atlanta was under partial influence by Tantalus. Theresa was only influenced by the monster that came out of her, with no outside touch. All because she was some emotional, immature kid who couldn't handle anymore lessons from the gods without a break. How weak. How-"

Jay threw down the shell. "Yikes! Ok ok, I gotta stop." He repeatedly ran his fingers through his bangs, more frazzled than before. "I can't keep going. I feel so… so…"
He blinked.

"Relieved."

He really did feel like some weight was lifted off his shoulders. Now he knows why he had been so uneasy for the past few months. It wasn't because of Cronus's lacking presence (though that did help stress him out). It wasn't because of school, testings, or the regular daily training.

It's because he didn't love Theresa. Who loved him. And was in a current relationship with him.
Oh man.

He took the conch shell back in hand. Well, he knew the core of the issue now.

"I… might as well rant everything else out while I'm out here." He looked down at the shell. It looked ready and ripe for the picking, or rather, exploding.

"Should probably let it combust first though." He pressed the red button below the blue one and threw it high up in the air, the beeping growing distant. He covered his ears for good measure.

BOOM!

"Dude! No fair." Odie groaned as Herry beat him at his own game for the third time. A digital GAME OVER filled the screen, lighting up the room in a tint of red and orange, mini explosions in the background. It matched the deep sunset behind their thinly veiled window.

"Hah!" Herry whooped, whipping his shirt around. "Looks like I'm getting pretty good at uh… what did you call it again before?"

"Hand-eye coordination." Odie deadpanned.

"Yeah, that." Just then, they both heard the main door click open, then shut close.

"That Jay?" Odie questioned, quickly looking toward the clock. "Weird. He usually gets back way earlier than this. Hey Jay!"

They both walked out to greet Jay, who had just came back from returning the conch shell to Hephaestus. He looked tired, having ranted to an inanimate object for nearly four hours.

"Yikes. No offense dude, but you look dog tired." Herry laughed. "Go get some sleep."
Jay smiled at his friend's concern. Odie piped up.

"Bro, where were you? I know you left school to go sailing. What then?"

"Just that. Sailing." Jay groaned, going to get a glass of water from the kitchen. He talked a LOT and his throat felt parched. He raved about things from his trouble with Neil's hour long baths, to how Herry ate the last piece of pie Athena made for him.

"Seriously? Man, you sure love boats." Odie teased. "Well, like Herry said, go get some rest dude. We're gonna head back for a rematch."

"A rematch? You're so on." The two ran off again to Odie's room.

Jay chugged down the glass, then took a load off at the living room couch. He assumed that Atlanta and Archie were both watching some movie in Atlanta's room again. Neil was most likely in his room with a mirror, or maybe doing some side modelling somewhere. And Theresa..

"Hey!"

..was right next to him.

Jay yelped, head whipping to his right to see his girlfriend leaning in on the arm of the couch.

"Theresa! You.. you startled me." She giggled and took a seat next to him.

On the way, she pecked a kiss on his cheek, making him feel a twinge of guilt. After he'd gotten used to the initial physical closeness that comes in a relationship and whatnot, he didn't have much other romantic feelings ignite when he was with her. Also explains why he always declined going all the way in their makeout sessions before.

Ugh, I was right. Her whole wild tantrum really did turn me off from her… what am I gonna do? I still wanna be her close friend.. and something like this could ruin our team chemistry...

"So, right back to being Mr. Responsible I see. What're you thinking up now?" Theresa crossed her legs, grabbing the remote control and switching through the channels.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Theresa rolled her eyes. "Now where have I heard that before. Come on Jay, spill the beans."

Jay gave in quickly. After all, why argue with a psychic? He decided to start out from the beginning of his worries.

I have to tell her the truth… I can't keep going on like this.

"It's uh, just that Cronus hasn't really confronted us head on since, er…" He trailed off as Theresa sighed and set the remote down.

"Yeah, since my last freakout." She finished.

"It wasn't a freakout persay. It was more of a…"

An overpowered baby's whining?

Jay perked up. "U-uh.." Why did that thought pounce out so loudly in his head? He still must be reeling from his previous confessing rant. He shook his head.

Theresa plopped flat back when Jay took too long to answer back. "See! Even you can't deny it. Admit it, it totally was a freakout. And I still feel sorry about it." She sighed.

"N-No, that's not what I.." Jay took a breath. "Sorry. I didn't know how to put it into words, but it's not your fault. That astral projection.. that thing just grew upon your already existing frustrations."

"Yeah, but that thing came from me to begin with. I started out that whole mess with 'mortalizing' the gods. Even Zeus…" Theresa rubbed her arm.

That is very true-

Jay shook his head and grabbed Theresa by the shoulders. "And you eventually came to end it. You were strong enough to do that." Just not strong enough to stop it to begin with…

"W-We all have our dark moments. We all make mistakes, and you just happened to have the most.. ability to act on it." He omitted a chuckle as Theresa reciprocated a more genuine one.

"I guess." She scratched her head. "Thanks babe. Guess it's a good thing I made Persephone absorb some of my power potential then huh?" Jay nodded slowly. They both sat together in comfy, television chatter for a while.

"Jay…"

"Yes Theresa?" He looked to her again.

"About what you mentioned before.. why DO you think Cronus has been keeping a low profile? Think I scared him off enough to be reduced to hiding behind giants and monsters?" She leered with a smirk.

"Heh, I don't think so. I just think he's scheming for something… something big."

"Well whatever it is, it's nothing we can't handle." Theresa smiled.

"Right. So long as we can face the adversity together, we'll end him eventually."

Together… and not alone like YOU tried to pull last time! Jay jerked at the sudden, intrusive thought.
No, no! I'm done ranting. Ugh, gods. These loud-as-tartarus thoughts will never end until I tell her the truth, won't it?
But how will I break it to her? "Hey Theresa! Your incredibly immature villainy some months ago totally made me fall out of love with you? Let's just be good friends and teammates like before?" Agh!

"-ay? Jay, snap out of it!" Theresa shoved him on the arm.

Jay broke out of his stupor. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I just.. I…" He exhaled, shaking his head. "I need to go clear my head."

Not yet.

"I can come with?" Theresa offered.

"No, it's.. I think I should be alone for a bit."

She grumbled. "Alright then… but don't forget your PMR!"

"Course not." Jay winked before walking out the front door, leaving Theresa alone to think aloud to herself.

"Was it something I said?"

Meanwhile, Cronus could be found still scheming and doing... well, other things.

Now wouldn't it just be delectable to see Jay kneeling before me. Cronus chuckled, conjuring up some more of his plans.
Once he was on a roll, it was pretty hard to stop him. He even had a few holograms up just to help him visualize better.

Though my desires would best lay with a queen… seeing Jay to be degraded in such a way is certainly just an equal of a turn on. Him having to choke on my enormous cock, getting to hear his soul simply crack into pieces at having to kiss me, now wouldn't that be a delight..

Heh, who knew masturbation could spring such ingenious ideas?

His dick was getting hard again in no time. "He was always a looker, but if I were to enslave him and crush his sanity… that would prove him most attractive indeed…"

Giving into his desires, he broke out his penis once more. Fueled by pure powerlust, he thought of every scenario he could possibly exact upon breaking Jay. It got him coming in no time, his tongue licking his teeth like a hungry serpent ready for dessert. His mind was simply spinning with ideas.

He'd already gotten a place planned and ready for where he could positively destroy him. And he hadn't even gotten to daydreaming of the part where he were to pound Jay into next Tuesday.

"And all of this, you WILL come to suffer Jay, mark my words." He began to laugh harshly, maniacally even, until an abrupt knock shattered his senses. His head whipped to the source.

"Er, i-is that you Agnon? Stay out until my say so!" He rapidly dressed himself in his normal attire and whisked away any sign of disarray, smoothing out his hair. He unlocked the doors.

"Come in. I've a new plan to hatch…"