Dealing with gods could be much like dealing with children.

They could be incredibly petty, vain, and selfish. If they didn't get their way, they would throw tantrums. And they all always thought they knew best. It took power and authority to get them to listen, not reason and logic.

Needless to say, Hera found it a very taxing experience. Sometimes she had wondered if she'd be better off just getting sent to the afterlife rather than being made into a supreme deity for the Greek pantheon. Then again, imagining they would be up to without her to discourage them was rather scary.

Even the most honest and well meaning ones could get themselves into trouble sometimes. Like a certain young goddess of death who she very much suspected was keeping in contact with a very controversial figure.

Astro, his children, and comrades coming in and out from Earth dimension was not something unusual. While the gods didn't exactly like titans being able to come in and out as they pleased, the agreement they had made it clear that so long as they didn't cause any trouble or tread on the grounds of the gods that they were free to do as they pleased.

And there was technically no specific part of the agreement or law saying that Makaria couldn't converse or talk with a titan, which is what she very much suspected was going on. But if certain people found out then… well, it would cause trouble. Someone would try and spin the story, someone would make a move, someone would start a war.

It didn't matter if Astro and Nia had established a stable, but shaky peace. More than a few gods still held grudges, and would jump at the chance to start up the conflict with the titans again. Even if it ended up leading to their banishment, or death.

Hera had wanted to try and talk to Makaria herself so she could advise the girl. If she was going to help, then she needed to know the details.

But like most of the members of the Underworld family, she seemed particularly talented at avoiding her and everyone else. She hadn't seen the girl in what felt like ages. She had made plans to go directly to the forest that she guided the souls to the Underworld, but keeping the rest of the pantheons in check had left her rather busy and she hadn't gotten the chance.

It seemed like the chance was about to come to her however. Although, not in the form of Makaria herself, as she had intended.

It was in the form of her father.

The ruler of the Underworld himself.

Hades.

Even among the other gods, Hades was someone to be feared. He was hardly ever seen outside of the Underworld, which most did their best to avoid. And when he did appear he always caused everyone to be nervous. It was hardly a surprise. His strength was rumored to rival even his brothers, and he was one of the handful of beings who could really, genuinely, kill a god.

Most gods would reincarnate after a certain time. Whether it be a couple of decades, or a number of centuries. But when a god of Death killed someone, it stuck. Whether it be a mortal, a titan, or a fellow god. They were also able to supersede the power of advanced immortality most gods were granted when inside their own heaven, which meant they were always a threat.

Now, Hades was hardly some savage who would kill at the drop of a hat. In fact, he would rarely ever kill at all. He didn't seem to have any love for it as far as Hera could tell. But she had seen first hand just how terrifying he could be when someone crossed the line with him.

On one of the rare occasions he had shown up to a meeting with the others, one of Ares' many sons had once threatened him, an act which had caused tension throughout the entire pantheon. Hades has not responded to him. He had just… stared at him. Like he was looking at not a fellow god, but a mild inconvenience.

His attitude seemed to infuriate the God of War's spawn even further, and he kept on trying to provoke Hades despite both Hera's and even Ares' effort to stop him.

It wasn't until he turned his attention towards his wife that Hades reacted.

There was no fight. No epic battle between two gods. Just a simple touch. That was all it had taken from Hades to end it. Ares' son had dropped dead before he'd even had a chance to react. But the most terrifying part about the whole thing was how everyone had reacted to it.

The killing of a fellow god was considered one of the most taboo things in any pantheon. It was just something you didn't do. And Hera had expected there to be an uproar. She had gotten ready to keep a fight from breaking out. To keep things controlled and calm.

What she hadn't expected was for nobody to say anything.

No one.

Not the other gods.

Not Zues.

Not even Ares, who had just lost his own child.

Instead they just stayed silent as Hades politely excused himself and left. Even after he'd left, no one had dared to question what had happened. No one demanded Hera do something about it. Ares didn't demand his child be avenged or be given justice. They had all just accepted what had happened.

He had challenged the God of Death, and the outcome had been inevitable.

Needless to say, it had left quite an impression on Hera. She had wondered if this would be a problem down the line, but incidents like this with Hades were apparently incredibly rare. Which she was thankful for. Hades liked to keep to himself, and when she did see him he barely stayed long enough to have a conversation, let alone cause trouble.

So when he had called and said he had wanted to meet with her, she'd been more than a little surprised. Partly because she was sure he was busy with his own work, so it must have been really important. And partly because most of the other gods simply came bursting into her chambers whenever they wanted to talk or demand something.

Either way, she decided to make the time to meet with him.

"Hello Hera. Pleasant to see you."

She looked up at the rather tall figure. Hades was an intimidating sight to behold. He had a rather lean build, but she could still make out some muscle on him. His hair was pitch black, which streaks on each side, and neatly combed. His skin was pale, save for the bags around his blood red eyes, and he wore an all white suit with a black dress shirt, a white tie, and black dress shoes. Unlike most of the other gods, he didn't seem very keen on keeping up with the traditional dress code.

What had stuck out the Hera the most however were the pair of gloves. There was nothing particularly special about them. At least not appearance wise. They were just a pair of simple white gloves. But back when he had killed Ares' son, he had made a point to take them off. She'd always wondered about it.

He bowed respectfully towards her, and Hera nodded back in response. "It's nice to see you as well Hades," she said. "I hope you and your family are doing well."

"Everyone is in good health," he said simply. "My wife has asked me to send her apologies for not being able to attend. She very much wanted to see you, but it's rather risky for us both to leave the Underworld. Especially when the children are away."

"It's no problem at all," Hera said, shaking her head. "I'm honestly just glad you could spare the time to see me. You might have been the one to call this meeting, but I've been meaning to talk to you for a while."

Hades hummed. "Is that right? Well, I know you're busy as well, so I wouldn't dare waste more of your time than necessary. May I sit?" he asked. Hera nodded, and he offered her a thank you before taking a seat on the sofa shaped cloud that sat nearby. "If I may cut straight to the point, I'm here to discuss my daughter."

Hera took her seat as well. "Well, that really is a coincidence. I've wanted to talk about the same thing. I'm guessing this is about the rumors of her conversing with some… questionable people?" she asked.

"The titan, yes," Hades said casually. Many of the other gods had reported sensing what could only be a titan wandering around Makaria's forest. Then their presence would suddenly vanish. People were drawing one of two conclusions. That either the titan was trying to get into the first but couldn't, or that the young goddess of death was harboring him.

It was all hearsay of course. Nobody could prove anything. But the idea of a titan near a Greek God's territory at all was enough to stir up worry.

"Do you know if they're true?" Hera asked.

"I don't," Hades said, shrugging his shoulders. "I admit my daughter has been acting rather strange lately, but I haven't pressed her on the issue. I feel my children should be able to do as they please, so long as they complete their duties and follow the rules we have set for them. And she's sensible enough for me not to fret over who she chooses to spend her time with."

Hera was a little surprised by that. Most gods would have flipped their lid at the mere possibility of their children conversing with titans. But he seemed… remarkably calm about it. "So even if they were true, you wouldn't have an issue with it?" Hera asked.

"I do not. Any titan I would have any personal qualm with it long dead," he said, leaning on his hand. "I'm honestly here to discuss how you're going to handle those who might react unfavorably if the rumors do turn out to be true. I know that many of our fellow gods are rather… unfavorable, towards titans. And those who would fraternize with them. My family has always kept to itself, so I'm not concerned over what others will think towards us. What they do however is a different story."

Hera sighed. "You know, it would be easier to plan and prepare for that if I could talk to her and know the truth," she said. If she was just as blindsided as the others were, she didn't really know what she could do.

"I honestly don't see how that's relevant to the situation. You are the leader of the pantheon, are you not? And there is no set rule against conversing with titans. So if it turns out that she was and someone tried to make a move against her, I would expect it to be handled. Or I'd have to handle it myself."

Hera narrowed her eyes. "Hades, this is starting to sound like a threat…"

He waved his hand. "Then forgive me. Because that's no at all my intention. Please let me explain. May I speak frankly with you Hera?" he asked.

"Of course."

"I'm not particularly in favor of your rule. Nor am I particularly opposed to your rule. My brother, you, Titania. Whoever controls the reins, my duty and job remains the same. To bring order to the afterlife and keep the Underworld in check," he said simply. "I'm content with this. At peace with it. It's a taxing but necessary job."

His eyes suddenly narrowed, and Hera felt the room grow more tense. The clouds began to darken slightly, and Hera couldn't help but be on guard. "But the only thing more sacred and important to me than that, is my family. You know full well what I'm willing to do to anyone who would lay hands upon my beloved, or my children. The last time my brother nearly brought harm to my child, I excused it, because you assured me he would be handled. And he was," he said.

Hera thought back to everything that had happened between Zues and Astro. It had honestly been pretty lucky for her that things had unfolded as they did, otherwise Hades might not have given up so easily. "I remember," she said.

"But I can assure you that if something similar happens, I won't be so kind as to relent and let someone else handle the issue. I don't want confrontation with anyone. Least of all you. But if someone lays hands upon my family, I will kill them. And anyone who would dare stand in my way," he warned.

Hera stared back at him, her own gaze not faltering for a moment. "Hades, I was a parent once too, you know. I understand. That desire to protect your children, to bring down any and everything that would harm them, I know it. And I know how the other gods are. If I was in your place, I'd probably be reacting the same way," she admitted.

"But I can't let a war break out. I can't let the pantheon implode on itself over this. It could spill into a massive loss of life. One I'm sure you won't want to deal with…"

"I've dealt with loss of lives on scales you couldn't even imagine," Hades said, bluntly.

"I still don't imagine you like sorting it out though."

"Fair point."

She sighed. "Listen, I want to help you. I want to help Makaria, and keep her safe. But it's going to be hard to do if I don't know the whole picture. I'm not asking you to press her for information, just… ask. And whatever she's comfortable telling you would be helpful to know. That way we can better deal with this when and if it comes to a head."

Hades sat back in his chair, reaching up and tapping his chin. "I can't make any promises. But I'll see what I can do. Forgive me for losing my temper earlier. I'm used to dealing with much more… disagreeable conditions." Meetings like this used to be with his brother, and they rarely ever ended without a threat or two being exchanged.

"It's fine. Like I said, I was a parent. I understand," Hera said, nodding. "And if it makes you feel any better, if the rumors are true, it's probably one of Astro's children. And they're good kids… well, one of them can be a bit on the reckless side I'm told, but still."

Hades waved his hand again and stood up. "I'm not worried. Makaria always keeps good company. Titan or not, if she deems them worthy of her time, they deserve it."

Hera couldn't help but smirk. "What if she brings him home?"

Hades blinked. The way she said that clearly implied something far more intimate than he had been considering. "Then she brings him home. I'm not one to judge what the heart wants, and what decent father wouldn't wish for his daughter's happiness?"

Hera seemed genuinely surprised by the answer. "Huh… you're far more agreeable than most of the other gods are when they come to their children," she said.

"When one has dealt with nothing but the inevitability of death for so long, you gain an appreciation for life. Particularly the lives of those dearest to you," Hades said. "Now, I think I'm going to take my leave. I wouldn't want to take up anymore of your time. I'd like to thank you again for taking the time to see me, Hera."

She smiled and nodded back. "Of course. This is honestly one of the more pleasant visits and discussions I've had in recent times. I hope that next time won't be so far off, and is under better circumstances," she said.

"With our schedules and luck, I highly doubt it. Still, one can hope."

He turned and began walking out, and Hera allowed herself to relax. She'd been worried this meeting was going to turn out like her usual ones did. But it was good to know what Hades was more or less reasonable.

She just hoped nobody did anything to make him change that.

A/N: Introduction of Hades! He's going to be playing a bit role in the god arc, and a bit of a larger roll in one of the Future AU arcs. I've always thought he was interesting in Greek Mythology because of how shrouded in mystery he is, so I'm looking forward to doing more with him and the rest of the Underworld family later! Hope you guys enjoyed!