All's Fair in Love and Hate: Chapter 6

Jay paced up and down outside the great golden doors inside the gods' domain, nervously playing with his key pendant. He brushed his fingers across the engraved "J" and toyed with the chain of the necklace, letting the pendant slide down and around the links it was set on.

"I'm sure they'll be okay," Theresa piped up, but her worried face betrayed her words. She kept raising her hand to her mouth, gnawing nervously on her nails. Atlanta, next to her on the smooth steps, sat with her arms around her knees. She was biting her bottom lip with a sort of frantic concern.

Even Neil looked worried, tapping his right foot quickly. His handsome eyes perpetually flickered from the doors, to Jay's face, to Theresa's hand, down to his sparkling clean shoes, and back to the doors. The blond's hands were stuck inside his pockets, and he was slouching rather more than usual.

A few more minutes elapsed, all four of the teenagers doing their nervous actions, until Chiron finally emerged from the golden doors, his face somewhat grim. The two girls leapt up, and simultaneously the four friends asked, "How are they?"

Chiron shook his head with a sigh. "They'll be alright." He was met with a collective sigh of relief as the four relaxed, Neil taking out his three-panel mirror. Jay still looked slightly worried as he asked, "How's Odie? Are Archie and Herry okay?"

Chiron gave a deep whinny before he said, "Odie will live. He is in bad shape, so do be careful about him when you go in; half of his ribs on one side are cracked or bruised, and his arm was snapped in two."

"What about Archie and Herry?" Atlanta interjected.

"Archie's in shock," Chiron answered, "Too much exertion, he'll need to rest. And Herry..."

"Well?" Neil prompted, slipping his mirror back in his pocket. Chiron gave a deep sigh. "You'd better see for yourself," the god replied sadly, stepping aside so the teenagers could enter the room.

Archie was sitting on the bed closest to them, and turned when he heard their footsteps. "Thank god! Guys, can you bail me out of here? I swear, I'm okay!" he pleaded.

Chiron glared warningly at Jay, and the leader grinned apologetically, holding back a chuckle. "Sorry, Arch," he replied, trying to keep his face straight, "you need your rest." The violet-haired boy grumbled, crossing his arms.

Odie was lying in the center bed, his arm bound in a white cloth and his face pale. His glasses were still perched on his nose, but his eyes were half-closed. As he saw his four friends come into the room, the smaller boy managed a smile. "Hey, guys," he murmured, his eyelids slipping closed even more, "So much for the plans, eh?"

Only Theresa could give a forced smile to his attempted joke.

A quiet sob sounded from the other side of the bed, and Neil peered over. "Herry, is that you?" he asked, bewildered. The huge teen kneeled at Odie's side, cradling his face in one hand, hot tears slipping down through his fingers and onto his bloodstained shirt. They had never seen their strong friend so vulnerable before.

Archie helplessly looked up at the others. "He thinks it's his fault Odie's hurt."

"I'm sorry, little guy," Herry said in a cracked voice to Odie, "I'm so, so sorry... It's all my fault."

Odie gave another smile as his eyes closed entirely. "S'okay, man," he said quietly. "You weren't thinking right."

Atlanta took charge as Odie slipped back into unconciousness. "Herry, you'd better come with us, you need fresh air," she ordered. "Archie... maybe you should sleep," she added, her voice softening.

"I'm fine!" Archie protested again, stubbornly standing up. Theresa patted his arm. "You should stay with Odie," she said quietly. Archie sighed but sat back down.

Herry, however, wasn't budging a bit, and required the help of all five heroes to pull him up, grunting with exertion. Even as he did stand, he took heavy, wooden steps out the golden doors, his shoulders slumped in defeat. They watched him with worry, and followed along, Archie left behind to watch over Odie.

Theresa caught up with Herry, saying gently, "it's not your fault, Herry."

Herry turned to face her. "How do you know?" he demanded. "You didn't do it. Didn't you see? Odie's arm, it was bleeding, the bones -" he stopped forcefully, turning away and striding forward.

The redheaded girl stopped, crossing her arms as they exited through the portal. "You didn't mean it."

He shook his head with a quiet, bitter laugh as he headed out of the janitor's closet and down the hall, leaving the others behind. Theresa helplessly looked at Jay, who shrugged, an uncertain look on his face. Jay strode forward, catching up easily with the larger boy, and said, "Erida made you do it. It wasn't your fault. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at Erida, not yourself."

At this, Herry shook his head again, tilting his face up to the ceiling.

The leader turned around, joining the rest of the team. "If you're going to act like an idiot, go ahead," he called over his shoulder at Herry, and began to lead them in the opposite direction. "We've got some more planning to do," he said to his three companions. Raising his voice, he added, "regardless of whether you're with us, or not."

"Always late," Cronus said angrily, sweeping his arm in a wide motion across the model city, causing it to crash down. "Always, always, late. What can I do to have some service around here?"

The god turned around, facing Agnon. "This time I really want you to find her," Cronus snarled. The giant grunted and stepped foot outside the cavern. Before he could do anything, however, a familiar shrill cackle rang through the air, and Agnon was bowled over by the winged goddess, who neatly landed before Cronus, the golden apple of Discord lying in her palm.

"No need for that, Cronus," she hissed, a smile set on her face. "I was just having some fun."

Cronus frowned. "There's no time for games, Erida," he answered. She crossed her arms and pouted flirtatiously at him. He forced himself not to shudder.

"No," the goddess of hate said, "I was having some fun with the apple." She swept over, closer to Cronus, and pressed him against the wall of the cavern with a long, skinny finger. He tried to mask his repulsed expression, but failed. She frowned at him, and stepped back. "It certainly caused an ample amount of discord."

Cronus nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, very well," he said hastily, "but what about the children?"

Erida then prodded Agnon on the shoulder, and he winced. She smiled sweetly at the giant, who looked stupidly at her filthy hand, and turned to Cronus again. "The children were easy," she replied delicately. "A little chorus for their pleasure and young Odysseus was maimed, by his own friend, no less." Erida sniffed. "I never did like Odysseus."

"Good," the god of Time said, satisfied. "You should continue if you want your reward."

Suddenly, the goddess advanced on Cronus, pressing him up against the wall. He managed an undiginified squeak before she whispered, "You know, I'm starting to think I deserve more in this exchange."

Cronus nodded desperately, backed up against the the wall. "Very well, I'll add in the caduceus of Hermes to the deal -" he said hastily, struggling to be rid of Erida's iron grip.

Erida pushed Cronus up, lifting him a few inches and looking him darkly in the eye. "I want more than that, Cronus," she purred, and tapped his nose with a long, dirt-encrusted nail. He winced, turning his face away, muttering, "Maybe we can negotiate later -"

She covered his mouth with one hand, and smiled sweetly. "Now," she said forcefully, and kissed him hard as he flailed helplessly, trying to signal to Agnon, the giant too distracted by the golden apple Erida had left on the ground.

"Did you mean it?" Neil asked nervously, as the four remaining friends entered the brownstone. "I mean, don't you think kicking Herry out of the team is gonna screw us over?"

Atlanta plopped herself down in front of the television to check on any updates on Erida's attacks. "Neil's got a point," she said wistfully. "Herry's the strongest out of all of us."

Jay shook his head. "If he wallows in self-pity, he's not strong," he said quietly, standing behind Atlanta to watch the news broadcast. "Besides, I have a feeling he'll come to his senses."

Neil sat down next to Theresa, who had just joined Atlanta in watching the news. "You're the leader," he said dryly, taking out his mirror again, "You tell us what to do."

"No," Jay answered wryly, a new plan forming in his mind, "I tell you how to do it."

A/N: Poor Cronus, he's really got himself into a mess, hasn't he?