Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. That is all.

(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

HOLY GREAT SACK OF POTATOES! DOES MY EYES DECEIVE ME? NAY, TIS BE TRUE, TIS BE ANOTHER CHAPTER!

(￣)ゞ

Goodie, more responses!

SONxOFxCHAOS: You do? That's good. I aim to please!

Striking-Thunderbolt: I thought people would think that, so that's why I added the footnote about how it wasn't. To be clear, Zoë and Heracles are just going to be good friends, nothing more.

k1demmin: Yay, a faithful reader! Perseus will return soon, but certain events still need to take place first. I don't want to spoil it so you'll just have to wait and see~!

Bladecraft: Why thank you! I don't think it deserves that praise, but who am I to argue? :3

Legion3849: If you look at Greek Mythology, you'll find that Heracles had many lovers, both men and women, but one of the ones he actually loved was Hylas. So to answer your question, yes he is. Problem?

Ah, fun fun.

~Nom Nom :3

Bane of Khaos

Chapter 2 - The Divine Army of Mankind

Hylas breathed deeply. His mind was clear, and he sat with his eyes closed, relaxing every muscle in his body. The world around him was calm. He was calm. He was-

"I can't do this!" He suddenly shouted, jumping up in frustration.

"Yes you can." Perseus reprimanded. "You are just not focusing enough."

"I am! You're not helping!" Hylas snapped. Perseus merely raised an eyebrow.

"You were the one who wanted this." He said. "Now you must learn how to control it."

Hylas groaned in frustration, but sat back down to attempt to focus again. Muttering foul curses under his breath, he closed his eyes again in an attempt to clear his mind.

This was his life now. Ever since Heracles accepted immortality, he himself was being taught about the importance of cause and effect. It was the importance of how one decision would effect others, how it would affect the outcome. He had been given an important job by Perseus (who he still couldn't believe was a primordial deity as he refused to be an age any older than twelve) as The Nexus.

It wasn't as it sounded. He was not a primordial deity, nor was he a god, but he was immortal. Perseus had found a loophole in the ancient laws that if Hylas could be killed, if his soul could be sent to the Underworld, he was free of all the ancient laws, and he was treated just like a demigod. So that's what Perseus did. He created a new form of immortality, where Hylad would be immortal unless he died in battle.

He became The Nexus, a warrior of Perseus, primordial deity of Creation, Destruction, Love and Fear. His job was learn how Perseus' actions would effect things, to be able to analyse anything and work out what would happen if something happened. He was a seer, but also a deductionist, working off both chance and fact. Perseus had gifted him with the ability to do so, something that no one, not even Athena herself would have.

And it was hard.

It wasn't the process that was difficult. No, he could see a situation and understand anything and everything that could possibly happen, it was the fact that it got out of hand that made it so hard. The possibilities would begin to overlap one another, steadily becoming incoherent and giving him a headache. He could process much more than he could before, but he still had a long way to go. And this had been his life, for over a thousand years.

Hylas started again. He cleared his mind from all distractions and thought of another situation. An assassin infiltrating a small castle. She was at a split corridor. If she went left (13% chance) she would encounter more guards, but would be quicker - a 3% chance for him to have moved, and a 72% chance of success. If she went right (67% chance) there would be less resistance, she would be able to steal the future plans (84% chance of success) and reach the target at a later time - a 36% of him to have moved, but a 89% chance of success. But if she doubled back (11% chance) she would need to double back for a while and would compromise the mission - 94% chance for him to have moved and a mere 45% chance of success. But if she-

"AGHH!" He shouted, as more and more 'but's, 'if's and percentages floated through is mind, overlapping and becoming distorted, and generally more confusing. He had managed to master telling the future to a degree that would make Ananke proud (but then again, he was taught by her so she was proud), but this made him feel like he was going back to square one, even though he had just started this less that a year ago, and it took about a thousand years to master his seer abilities.

"Hylas, calm yourself." Perseus said.

"No!" He snapped. "This is too hard, too much. I just want to go back to Heracles, even if the Gods themselves deny it!"

"'Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them'." Perseus said suddenly.

"Wh..."

"A mortal said it. William Shakespeare I believe. His work is - or it will be - famous beyond measure. Pity he is not born yet."

Again, Hylas was lost for words.

"But I do believe it to be correct." Perseus continued. "The gods have done this to us, the both of us. Without their interference we would be happy. You have been forced into this life, so we shall make you great." He looked directly into Hylas' eyes, showing wisdom beyond his twelve year old skin. "And the Gods say that the great deserve whatever they want. Who are we to decide against that?"

Hylas nodded - albeit rather reluctantly - and begrudgingly sat down and closed his eyes, starting the whole process yet again.

Heracles paced around the room. Currently, he was in a tent, pacing next to a wooden table which was littered with maps and pages of information. Currently, the main focus was of a small town, with a castle nearby. There was a tyrant residing there, abusing his power as ruler on the townsfolk by robbing them.

As he lead the Divine Army of Mankind (usually just called 'The Army') he was preparing for a war with tyrant and his hired mercenaries. He sent his lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade, in to avoid the war. Like their name said, their existence was to protect mankind from monsters. The tyrant, a rebel son of Hades, had summoned both the undead and monsters into his employment, and planned to spread his influence. So naturally, the Army was sent to stop it.

Thinking about the Army's responsibilities reminded Heracles of when he first offered the proposal to his father...

He was nervous, that was for sure. It had only been a week since he had been granted immortality, but already his father was trying to get him married. Hera wasn't helping either, actually offering her daughter Hebe for the cause. In fact, all of Olympus was against him apart from Zoë (she wasn't technically on Olympus but still...), Hestia and, strangely, Aphrodite.

Ever since the Hylas instance he refused to trust no one. Hestia was able to regain his favour by telling him that Hylas was still alive, stopping him from a meaningless suicide, but Aphrodite... He didn't understand her motives. When he confronted her, she only said one phrase that made him want to kiss her.

"Everything pales compared to the strength of true love. Not land, not death... not even dimensions can keep the lovers apart."

It had actually been thanks to Aphrodite that he wasn't already married to Hebe now. She had managed to halt Zeus in his warpath, and even Hera by saying crap about "loveless marriages are bad" and such.

So there he stood, right outside the throne room hyperventilating, panicking on the fact that if his father said no (which he wouldn't because more power to his son meant more power to him) he would have to marry the slut Hebe. He asked Artemis (whom he was on good terms with because he wouldn't "rob any more maidens of their virtue") and he knew that she wasn't as pure as she made out to be.

The entire council was there. His father had summoned them there to witness his decision, after saying that he would only allow him to be unmarried if he had a good cause. He hoped this would count.

"So, Heracles, my son." Zeus thundered, as Heracles bowed at his feet, internally flinching at the last words. "Have you found a cause to offer yourself to?"

Hera smiled smugly, confident he wouldn't.

Heracles swallowed deeply. It was now or never. "Father, indeed I have."

Hera lost her smug expression and hissed venomously at him. "Pray tell, oh great hero-" She said that with sarcasm dripping from her voice. "-what this great cause."

"I will, but first I need an oath on the river Styx - no, an oath on Gaia herself."

Zeus looked at his son. He had something hidden, he could tell that he had something of value. Why else would he want an oath on Gaia, the most binding oath in existence? If it was broken, the person would be sent to Gaia for all eternity, be it immortal, mortal and even the dead.

"How dare you demand such an oath!" Hera streaked. "Who are you to do so!?"

Heracles straightened up from his bow. "I am Heracles, Gatekeeper of Olympus God of heroes, sports, athletes, health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and divine protector of mankind." He said with an even voice.

"We will do it." Zeus said suddenly.

"Why? Why should we listen to-"

"SILENCE WOMAN!" He boomed, his voice emphasised by thunder. "I am Zeus, God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, justice and the King of the Gods! You will do as I say! All of you!"

The whole council nodded to his words, Artemis trying to hold back a smile.

"What is the oath?" He asked Heracles once there was silence.

"Everyone repeat after me." Heracles said, and quickly continued to stop Hera's protests. "I swear on the name of Gaia, the great earth mother, that I will not use the knowledge bestowed upon me this day, nor will I allow any other immortal or mortal use it apart from Lord Heracles, Gatekeeper of Olympus God of heroes, sports, athletes, health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and divine protector of mankind and Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Forests and Hills and the Moon."

Everyone repeated the oath, giving Artemis curious glances. Once everyone completed the final word, the earth rumbled in agreement, sealing the oath.

"Ok, I wish to know this piece of information if it requires so much safekeeping." Athena said, looking slightly annoyed by the fact she may not know it.

"Ok. I have discovered something in the ancient laws." Heracles said. "A loophole, you may say."

This caught everyone's attention, even the ever drunk Dionysius. A loophole was something important, and they now knew why it was such a dire matter to keep it secret.

"One of the laws says: 'Those outside the reach of death must follow the immortal laws'."

"That one?" Hera said impatiently, determined to catch him out. "There's no loophole there!"

"But there is, dear step-mother." He smirked making Zeus chuckle. "The words say 'those outside the reach of death' not 'those who are immortal'."

"So?" Ares said, not really understanding his point, but Athena's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Of course!" She gasped. "How did I not see it before?" She eyed Heracles up. "Are you sure you're not one of mine?"

Heracles laughed while Zeus glared at him.

"Will someone please enlighten the not-so-gifted with the details?" Apollo whined.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Remember how when someone is made immortal, first they are gifted everlasting life, then stripped of the ability to die?" Apollo nodded, face still blank. She sighed. "Stopping halfway would make them immortal - live forever - while making them keep their ability to die. This means they would be able to break the ancient laws, yet are immortal. The only downfall is that they could die in battle, but without that they wouldn't be able to break the ancient laws."

Apollo nodded again, understanding.

"Then why did you stop us from being able to do so?" Ares shouted, outraged. "We could've made armies!"

"That's the point!" Athena growled at her half sibling. "Some of the gods would've abused the power, and our ever paranoid father here would think of it as acts of war. It wouldn't end well."

"But how are we sure we won't be betrayed by Heracles and Artemis?" Hera shouted.

"How about we make a deal then?" Heracles said. "How about Artemis will only recruit women who want to keep their maiden hood and I will only recruit people who have nothing left? This way they'll be loyal to us. Also, you could use us and our recruits. Artemis could hunt for monsters roaming wild - the hunt is part of her domain - and I could protect the mortals from monsters that threaten them, living up to the 'Divine protector of mankind' part in my titles."

"You've thought this through." Poseidon noted, making Heracles smirk at him.

"The council agrees." Zeus decided, nodding to Heracles. The hero-turned-god bowed once again before flashing out to the shoreline where he had been with Zoë for the past week.

"So, how'd it go?" She asked, turning to look at Heracles. She stopped smiling, and quickly bowed to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked annoyed. He didn't like his friends bowing to him.

"Lady Hestia." She spoke, making Heracles turn around. Right behind him was the twelve year old form of the Goddess of the Hearth.

"Zoë." She smiled fondly. "I've been watching you."

Zoë looked at her, startled. "You... You have?"

"Indeed, young Hesperide." She said. "I am here to offer you something I have never offered anyone."

"What will that be, Lady Hestia?"

Hestia smiled. "Enough with the bowing and the 'Lady's. Please, just call me Hestia."

Zoë stood up unsurely. "What is it... Hestia?"

The hearth goddess smiled. "That's better. I want you to become my champion."

Zoë looked stunned. Even Heracles was floored by this. "Your... Champion?" She whispered. "M-Me?"

Hestia nodded. "I've seen where your home is. He is far, and many trials separate you from him, but in the end, you will be together."

Heracles looked at her with shock. "How do you know this?"

Hestia only smiled. She placed her hand on Zoë's head and chanted a few words. Zoë glowed in a warm red light before it faded and she collapsed unconscious.

"How do you know this?" He repeated.

"I am Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home." She looked directly into his eyes, her normally red and burning had changed to a golden glow. "But don't forget, I am also the eldest child of Kronos and Rhea." Her eyes reverted back to normal. "Protect my champion. If she dies, someone else wouldn't be too happy. And believe me, he would make Kronos look like an ant."

Then she flashed away, but not in her usual column of flames, but a form of shimmering before she was just gone.

Heracles turned back to Zoë. What was so special about her? A god could only have one champion in their whole existence, so they did not go freely. Not only that, but Hestia said that the person who wouldn't be happy if she died was amazingly powerful. And finally, she had gifted him Anaklusmos. The sword was definitely not celestial bronze, but made of something else, something more powerful.

Just who was she?

"I'm back."

The words snapped the divine protector of mankind out of his thoughts. He turned to see the black haired lieutenant back from her mission, her smirk portraying success. She looked the same as she had always, except she was wearing her white armour that showed her to be the lieutenant of the Army.

"No war?" He asked just to make sure.

"No war." She confirmed. He nodded.

"We're moving out then. Get everyone ready." She nodded and ran out the tent, her white armour. He sighed before flashing out to Olympus to receive the next order.

Ok done. Shorter than I wanted but, meh.

Yes, I know it's a filler, but there are some pretty important parts in this chapter, that will become vital later on.

Tired now.

~Nom Nom :3