Hello!

Right, I wrote the first chapter of this story because I was practically frothing at the mouth - the creative juices were flowing, and if I didn't write it down, I would have DIED.

...okay, not really, but you get the point.

I was surprised, to say the least, to come back to the story after a few days and see 627 views, 53 followers, 40 favorites, and 6 reviews! Wow! You guys are amazing! And I got such positive reviews, too, which brings me to this section: responding to the reviews! I won't do this section for every chapter, but I DO READ THEM, so please drop a review if you can!

REVIEWS:

The first reviewer, Woofington: Interesting would deffinantly read more Thanks, person! Good to hear!

Zilla boi: i excited for the next chapter, never seen this type plot before Great! I actually thought of it because there were next to no stories when I googled it.

NiHaR OP: Wow this is original, i quite like it. Pls dont make Poseidon a villain or something tho Thanks! And don't worry, I won't. Probably ... Yeah, I won't.

SheWhoFalls81: This is honestly really, really good so far. I'm excited to see what will happen next! Wow, thank you so much! I'm excited, too!

TheGirlofManyFloods: I hate Gabe, he got what he deserved. I love the start of this, hope to see more! So do I, he's a dick. Thank you!

oujiswan: Interesante. Me gusta tu historia es un concepto muy nuevo para mi pero me gusta ¡Me alegra que pienses que es interesante y que te guste!

I don't actually speak Spanish, but Google Translate will suffice.

Anyway, enjoy Chapter 2 - Realization

Previously...

Zeus stayed still for a solid minute before slowly standing. His eyes drifted to the door, where a small, yet strong voice said, "...Mom?" The child's voice was muffled by the wooden door. Zeus breathed in and out, calming himself. Outside, the storm parted and dispersed, revealing the midnight sky, empty and pitch black.

He slowly made his way to the door. Poseidon's son is behind that door, he thought. His darker side whispered words of a sinister notion, egging him on, telling him to kill the boy, it will be easy, Poseidon broke the oath, do it! He forced down the malicious thoughts and steeled himself. He remembered the words of the woman: 'Protect him... please.'

With that in mind, Zeus closed his hand around the knob, twisted, and opened the door.

A pair of cerulean eyes flashing with uncertainty met a pair of sea-green eyes filled with apprehension.

A silent stand-off occurred, the two beings scanning one another out of pure instinct.

Zeus' unwavering gaze remained on the boy who looked so much like his brother it was unnerving. Raven black hair, lively sea-green eyes, high cheekbones, and the beginnings of a tan. If Poseidon had ever been a young boy, Zeus had no doubt in his mind that his brother would've looked exactly like the child standing in front of him.

The little one's eyes were filled with fear, apprehension, and nervousness. Zeus remembered what he was about to do just minutes before, and guilt flooded his mind. He could never hurt this boy, who was still young, with his whole life ahead of him. And, the God-King had to admit... the kid was adorable.

The boy - Perseus, he remembered - spoke before Zeus: "Who are you? Where's mom?" His voice was small, scared, yet filled with unbreakable strength and resolve.

It was in that moment that Zeus' heart broke. His shoulders sagged from the emotion. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was most unusual for the Lord of the Skies, who was always so outspoken, so proud. "I..." Zeus sighed and hung his head, his eyelids fluttering shut.

He knew the boy had figured it out when he heard a small, pained, and broken, "No..."

Zeus' heart broke for the second time. He opened his eyes and looked Perseus, who was looking at him with sad eyes. The boy's mouth moved, a silent plea to say otherwise, to contradict what he already knew was set in stone. Zeus simply dropped to the floor and brought the boy into his arms, comforting, silently acknowledging his pain.

Zeus could feel the boy shaking, crying into the God-King's shoulder. The vulnerability the boy displayed reminded Zeus of just how young Perseus was, at a small 7-years-old.

The intimate action of comforting his crying nephew reminded Zeus of his own daughter, Thalia, and his own sadness reared up again. His daughter, his pride and joy, was now a massive pine tree overlooking the camp that the demigods called home. Not all of them, whispered a voice in his inner consciousness. Slowly, an idea for Perseus' future formed in his head, and he nodded to himself.

"What happened?" The boy at his shoulder asked, and Zeus was brought back to reality.

Zeus sighed heavily. "Your mother... the man stabbed her. She is... gone. I got rid of the man." Perseus' face fell, the last bit of hope left in his body finally escaping.

Tentatively, Perseus asked, "Who... who are you?"

The god leaned back and looked at Perseus, letting his features morph into a kind smile. "That question, young one, is more important than you may think."

The boy's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Why?"

Zeus chuckled lightly. "Because, Perseus, it will change the way you perceive the world for the rest of your life."

Now, Perseus was curious, distracted from his sorrow for a small while. Tears actively dried on his cheeks and he wiped the rest of them away. He set his face in a determined expression. "Then... tell me."

Zeus smiled, and began the story of the Gods.