…Weep For The Future…

/Warning/: This chapter contains: cursing, sadness, violence, worried Tony, and Steve being an angry muffin! All reviews are appreciated.

P.S: This story takes place in ancient Greece but it's in no way historically accurate! Its main concern is about Olympian Gods and the creatures of that time period! It is Monsters/Gods AU that no one asked for but got anyway, so Enjoy!

"Character talking"

"Character thinking"

…Flashbacks…

Chapter 3

Anton hummed as he gazed around the greenery in appreciation; he was in a happy mood, humming and singing under his breath as he swayed his head, guiding the reigns of his mule so the two of them can continue their journey. It had been a month since Anton started his journey to find the metal that everyone was talking about; a month of listening to gossip, treading information, and pulling a few favors from fellow creatures in the hope of trying to find the rare metal before any of the other Gods found it. So far, no luck; but that didn't lower Anton's spirit, in fact, it was the opposite, as it meant that Anton would spend more time traveling and enjoying the sights around him. Something that Anton didn't get the chance to do much of, considering that he was holed in his workshop for days, sometimes weeks. Humming happily with high spirit, Anton opened his mouth, singing under his breath happily, only to raise his voice as time passed to entertain himself.

"Hoson zēis phainou

Mēden holōs su lupou

Pros oligon esti to zēn

To telos ho chronos apaitei…"

Anton sang, enjoying himself and waving when he saw some nymphs hiding behind the trees and giggling at his overdramatic performance while he was singing; summoning a grin on Anton's face as he was about to start another song. The next verse never left his lips as he nearly squeaks when he saw a shadow breaking up from the shades of trees, forcing Anton to stop when the person (Because it was clearly a person and not a nymph or a shade) jumped in the way of Anton's mule, causing the God, to pull on his reigns and stop the animal before he got jumped over by the person.

Anton blinked in confusion as he gazed at the man (Well, he looked like a man with his tall and muscled body, but Anton wasn't sure considering that the person in front of him was wearing a palla that was covering their face and head with Himation over it) and before he managed to question the person about his reason for jumping in front of Anton and his animal; the person hightailed it to the other side of the road toward the trees, causing Anton to blink in confusion even more.

"Well… that was strange…" Anton mumbled to himself and apparently his mule, which huffed and shook its head, something that Anton ignored, as he continued to gaze at the place the person had disappeared to. It was only a few seconds later that Anton heard it… the sound of the earth shaking and trees falling not that far away… Anton let out a confused noise as he turned his head to the place the sound was coming from; to see that not so surprisingly it came from the direction the person from a few seconds ago had come from. What surprised Anton, and caused his mule to nearly throw him off its back and run away, was the Minotaur who burst out of the tree lines and went straight in the direction the mortal took… but not before nearly stumping Anton and his mule, which was shrieking like its life depended on it and trying to buck Anton off its back. When the Minotaur disappeared from his line of sight, Anton was finally able to control his mule who looked a second away from departing this world and heading straight to the underworld, and let's not forget how the mule's black coat nearly turned white… which Anton admit, caused him to feel concerned for the animal who was a second away from keeling over. "Holy…" Mumbled Anton to himself, looking to the place that the Minotaur disappeared to and winced when he heard its roar; he couldn't help but wonder to himself if the person who jumped into the middle of the road stole something from the creature that nearly stumps Anton… an action would equal being stupid and suicidal at the same time considering that no one ever wanted to cross a Minotaur if they saw one. "It is fine… they already left…" Anton pats the mule on the neck, trying to calm the frightened animal which didn't seem to work as the animal shifts nervously and tried to move away from the roaring and the sound of trees falling and earth-shaking. "It is fine… this is probably a champion who was tasked with killing this creature… a fool of a champion but still…" Anton reassured, wondering for a second if he was trying to reassure himself or the shifty animal that was looking ready to bolt and throw Anton off its back.

Still, Anton wasn't sure what to think when he continued to hear the creature roar and follow the mortal destroying everything in its way and ignoring the shriek and the screams of fear and pain coming from the nymphs and other creatures and animals of the forest… if the mortal was a champion or a Demigod, they would have already killed the Minotaur swiftly, without waiting for it to wreak havoc on the population of the forest. Biting his lower lip in deep thought, Anton looked at the road and then at the forest, pressing his lips tightly before letting out a harsh breath through his nose, cursing as he dismounted from his mule and dragged it to one of the trees, only to wrap the reigns tightly around a sturdy branch so the animal wouldn't escape.

"I am going to regret this…" Anton mumbled to himself, ignoring the bray the mule continued to let out as it tried to pull off its reigns from the branched and failed. Limping; Anton followed the trail that the Minotaur left behind, the uprooted trees, and broken branches everywhere, giving him a good indication of the direction the mortal and the Minotaur headed.

"Where is it?!" Bellowed the Minotaur, giving Anton a good indication of where the beast was; limping to the direction of the sound, Anton found himself in an alcove, with the Minotaur holding the mortal by his right leg upside-down, and shaking him. To Anton's surprise; the mortal was not fighting back, he was just frozen in his place as he held his palla securely to cover his head and face; not making any sound other than the low hissing sounds, making Anton wonder if the mortal was panicking or something.

"How many times do I have to say? I do not know what you are talking about you, koprìas!" Snapped the mortal, causing Anton's jaw to nearly falling on the dirty ground below, wondering how the man (Because it was clearly a man by the sound of his voice) had the guts to call a Minotaur (One of the insane beasts that were nearly nine feet tall, sometimes more, with an insane muscle-mass that are known to eat mortals' flesh when they fancy) a dirty buffoon; did the man not care for his life?

"Medusa! Where is Medusa? I know you are hiding where that metal is! I saw you running away from that lesser God when he mentioned it!" Huffed the Minotaur shaking the man harshly from his leg, gaining a squeak from the mortal at the harsh treatment, but to say the least, Anton was impressed by the death-grip the mortal had on his palla and how it didn't move an inch.

"You kèpfos!" Did this mortal have a death wish? Anton's eyes could only widen even more as the man called his would-be-killer stupid. "Has it ever occurred to you that Medusa is a woman's name? Who would ever name a rare metal by such name?" The mortal snapped, but this time Anton had to blink several times, his more rational mind agreed with the mortal's assessment of the situation; it is not like that possibility didn't occur to him, it did… still, hearing about it from this mortal made Anton feel all the more foolish for daring thinking otherwise for a second… he should have known, Athena would never lower herself to look for a rare metal that was mined while she could wait in her temple and receive it as gifts and offering… he should have known that the woman was searching for another virgin or an innocent woman out there to curse… same as all the other Gods, unfortunately.

That more than ever seemed to anger the beast as it bellowed in anger and throw the man into the shallow pool of water not that far, causing the man to shout as he was plunged into the water; thankfully, the water was knee-high, so the mortal only had to sit up and not swim to break the surface. "Enough!" Anton ordered as he limped away from his hiding place, deciding to put an end to this madness before the mortal decided to do something stupid in the form of opening his mouth to speak; just to make sure, Anton stood between the mortal and Minotaur, hoping the beast won't do something stupid such as challenging Anton because he certainly didn't want to burn the foolish beast down.

The beast seemed to let a confused huff as he gazed at Anton before a sound that was similar to a growl left its mouth. "Who are you to tell the Great Minotaur what to do?" The beast huffed and buffed, stumping on the ground in aggression, as he buffed air from his nostrils.

"Oh, shut your mouth!" Snapped the mortal behind Anton, causing Anton to close his eyes and curse the man for opening his mouth once more, can he not see how Anton was trying to save his hide from being stumped on like an insect by this beast? Anton should have walked away if this was the thank you, he would receive. "Your business is with me so leave him out of this, he is an innocent!" Defended the mortal, causing Anton to blink in surprise at the words the man spoke, and Anton had to wonder once again if the man behind him was a champion; if he was, then he was doing a really crappy job in trying to become a hero. "And I told you! I do not know where the metal you seek is! And I would never know even with your continuing to threaten me and follow me around!" The man hissed and Anton heard the sound of water splashing around him, which informed him that the mortal was trying to stand up; the sudden cry of pain caused Anton to whirl around to see the mortal falling into the water, clutching his right ankle in pain. "Son of androkàpraina! You broke my ankle!" The mortal screeched, ignoring how wide Anton's eyes became at hearing the man claim that the beast behind him was birthed by a whore.

"Do you have a death wish?!" Anton couldn't help but snap, cursing when he heard the Minotaur roar in rage and nearly run over him trying to pierce the foolish mortal with his horns; thankfully, even with a broken ankle, the man managed to dodge being tramped over by the very angry Minotaur who was out for his blood. Anton was so tempted to leave then and now, and let the foolish mortal who seemed to think of it as a fun sport, cursing beasts who could flatter him to the ground like a thin parchment, but the other part of him (The mortal loving part that everyone made fun of Anton for having) didn't allow him to think of such idea without feeling bad for the fool who seemed to waste his life away.

"Just go, get out of here!" The mortal ordered, jumping away from the beast and falling face first in the water, causing Anton to close his eyes at the fool who thankfully managed to avoid another hit from the beast… and it was then that Anton was assured that the person standing in front of him was a champion… one that's definitely Ares's son with how stupid and empty-headed he was; angering his opponent and hoping for the best.

"Enough!" once again, Anton stood in front of the mortal protectively, causing the beast to roar; the anger was clear on its face as its eyes fell on Anton who was cutting his way toward the mortal. Anton raised his hand, his eyes glowing in gold, causing the beast to falter in confusion as he gazed at him. "The metal you seek does not exist, Minotaur, so I advise you to search elsewhere…" Anton hissed, his voice nearly thundering as he spat those words; the confused huff, the beast let out as he gazed between Anton and the mortal behind him, informed Anton that the beast was calculating the risks of ignoring Anton's direct order and charging at the mouthy mortal. "Believe me… you do not want to mess with me…" Anton threatened, his eyes glowing brightly as the seconds passed, causing the beast in front of him to let out a growl-like sound before turning around and running away, no doubt refusing to go against one of the Olympians who are known to have golden eyes in their mortal forms.

"You did not have to defend me and endanger yourself… I had him on the ropes…" The mortal behind him muttered when a few minutes passed, causing Anton to press his lips tightly and whirled around to the mortal who was sitting in the shallow waters and massaging his injured ankle.

"Oh? And how did you exactly have him? By cursing him? Causing him to become angrier?" Anton questioned in annoyance, taking the chance to study the mortal who still clutching his palla and robs tightly and hiding his face, even when that thing was plastered to him and dripping water. "That was foolish by the way; no sane person would anger a beast unless they were foolish champions or suicidal." Anton went to help the mortal, pausing at the full-body flinch he gained when he touched his shoulder.

"I am neither." Stated the mortal as he stood up without Anton's help, ignoring the God's outstretched hand as he started hoppling to the shore; once again, ignoring Anton who was following him from behind as he continued on his way until he reached the shades of a tree not that far from the shore.

"Oh… so you are just the foolish person who angered a Minotaur by insulting it until it went after your blood," Anton stated, gazing at the mortal who was inspecting his swollen ankle with curiosity and amazement, wondering who was stupid enough to anger a beast they cannot defeat or kill.

"No… I am the person who thought the Minotaur was a fool for believing a rare metal would be called Medusa…" The human deadpanned after raising his head to glare at Anton… well, Anton really doesn't know the man's expression under the palla, so until the man removed the heavy shawl/scarf, he wouldn't know if he was glaring or not. "Who would name a metal by that name anyway? What if some poor woman had that name? What would she say to defend herself when all the beasts come knocking on her door?" Grumbled the man, and Anton despite his anger, couldn't help but agree with the mortal to some extent… he did think it was stupid for a metal to be named by such mortal-used names; what happened to the names, gold, silver, bronze and so many other names that could be used to define metals?

"Is it broken?" Anton asked as he kneeled down, his hand going to the mortal's ankle, but this time, Anton ignored how stiff the man became as he inspected the ankle; trying not to pause in his place and give the man a chance and pull his leg and injure the bone even more. "Thankfully, it is not broken," Anton stated after minutes of inspecting the ankle, ignoring the glare (Definitely glare by the feeling of it) the mortal was sending his way for touching him. "Instead it is sprained… it should be healed in a few weeks; less if you did not decide on angering every creature that walks through the forest," Anton stated, letting go of the man's ankle, and watching how relaxed he became after Anton let go of him… something that as much as Anton wanted to address, he decided to let go of in case of hitting a nerve dealing with the mortal. "Do you want me to wrap it?" Anton asked after a few minutes of awkward silence, only to get a head shake.

"Thank you…" The mortal suddenly whispered, causing Anton to blink in surprise as he watched him stand and hopple away, leaving Anton gazing at him with concern but not being able to follow him in case he wasn't welcomed by the mortal; shaking his head, Anton grumbled as he went to find his mule, trying to push the encounter with this strange mortal in the farthest corner of his mind…

Anton couldn't help feeling worried…

It was three months later that Anton met the mortal once more; in those months Anton spent his days traveling around, meeting mortals and creatures alike while exploring the land he never had the chance to explore after he discovered himself to be the son of Hera. Anton knew he should have returned back home after finding that in fact, the metal he was looking for was nothing but a fantasy that doesn't exist and being confirmed by the mouthy mortal that Medusa was in fact a woman's name and not the name of a metal; Anton would admit he thought about that from time to time before he met the mouthy mortal, but still, he went on his journey mainly to enjoy himself and discover what the land was hiding deep within.

So Anton continued on his way, enjoying his journey; this time his journey turned into one of pleasure instead of one to search for a rare metal that may not be real. So Anton hummed in enjoyment spending his days on the roads, and his nights under the stars; greeting both mortals and creatures alike, and working in the forges of some towns as a temporary blacksmith for a shelter… all in all, it was a calm life that Anton enjoyed…

Until he met the mouthy mortal once more… this time in a village that was known for having a rogue Harpy who kidnapped children and men alike while killing women, stealing food from the terrified villagers, and demanding sacrifices if they wanted to ensure their safety. At first, Anton thought that the village had done something to anger one of the Gods, and in their anger, the responsible God sent a Harpy to punish them with death and fear… but when Anton learned that the human had been living in fear for over one hundred years now, and are unable to leave because the Harpy would snatch anyone who would try to leave away, Anton knew he was dealing with a rogue Harpy that went on its own and decided to play a God, something that was unacceptable and needed to be dealt with right away.

So Anton walked up the mountain to find the Harpy's nest, planning on banishing her from this land, and if that didn't work, then Anton knew he was going to have to take drastic measures to save the village. So up the mountain, Anton went, leaving his mule and possession in the chief's hut for safekeeping, knowing truly well that the man would keep his possession and protect them with his life as payback for getting rid of the Harpy that plagued them for years.

What Anton didn't expect was someone to (Once again) break from the tree lines, but this time, that person slammed into him, causing the two of them to shout in surprise and fall to the ground; with Anton on the dirty ground and the stranger on top of his chest. Looking down, Anton was surprised to see the man from the alcove, wearing the same palla (Still hiding his face and head securely) and cursing under his breath (Still mouthy as it seems) as he pulled himself into a sitting position, turning to Anton only to still in his place as if he recognized the man.

"What are you doing here?" Hissed the man as he stood up and pulled Anton with him before the God even had the chance to protest or stand up. "Do you not know about the Harpy that lives here?" The man asked after he dragged him to hide behind some boulders, seemingly gazing around the place and ignoring how confused Anton was as he continued to gaze at the mortal in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Anton asked instead of answering, not really caring about lowering his voice even when the mortal nearly shut him by putting his hand on Anton's mouth and shushing him harshly. "You said you were not a champion, why are you here? Unless you are a fool or a suicidal there is no reason for you to be in this place." Anton hissed after managing to free his mouth from the mortal's strong gripe, and he really was evaluating his assessment of the mortal not being a champion who is trying to find an easy way to be a hero.

"I am neither!" The mortal snapped, letting out a huff as he looked around the hiding place when they heard a Harpy cry not that far away from where the two were hiding. "I am just… traveling… did not know about the Harpy until she nearly bites my head after her constant monologue about being a Goddess or something like that…" The mortal grumbled, causing Anton to blink, not knowing what to make of the man's words considering that he was suspecting them in the first place.

"You did not deny being a fool." Anton huffed, causing the man to pause for a long time before looking in Anton's direction, and Anton couldn't help the feeling of being glared at with so much annoyance, even with the palla hiding the human's face from him; a fact that made Anton feel pride at being able to get a rise from the foolish mortal in front of him.

Before the mortal managed to return his insult, a harsh cry was heard above them, causing them to look up to see the Harpy looming over them and ready to attack, a fact that made the mortal curse like a storm (And how can he be so mouthy even when the danger was near? Anton was so close to telling the mortal to mind his language) before taking Anton's arm and started running, pulling Anton away and causing the God to nearly shouting at such treatment.

"Wait!" Anton called out, limping behind the mortal who all but carried Anton away from the Harpy who was chasing after them and promising them painful death for daring to trespass on her territory; no matter how much Anton tried to pull his hand away from the man and order him to let go, the mortal ignored him and continued to drag him to safety, causing Anton to growl under his breath at being ignored.

"Stay still you filthy mortals!" The Harpy shrieked behind them as she swooped to catch them, only for the mortal who was dragging him to jump away from the danger, causing the Harpy to shriek in rage as she crashed into a tree in their path; seeing this as his chance, Anton tried to pull his hand from the mortal, nearly cursing at the strong grip.

"I can handle her, let me." Anton hissed, causing the mortal to turn into him for a second, no doubt having a harsh return, but whatever he planned on spitting out, was stopped when he once again pulled Anton from the Harpy's claws, and in the process got his arm slashed by the sharp claws.

The mortal cursed, but in the end the surprise and the pain from the Harpy were enough for Anton to pull his hand free and turn to the Harpy who was cackling and mocking them as she licked her bloody claws; whatever Anton planned on doing to handle the Harpy who was cackling at them and promising them pain and death. He can say he wasn't ready for the Harpy to start squeaking and choking in front of them, gasping loudly as she started to scream in pain and claw at her neck; foam started coming from her mouth as she crashed to the ground in front of Anton, who was stoned in his place as he saw the Harpy die slowly… poisoned…

"How…?" Anton mumbled, his eyes wide as he came toward the Harpy in slow steps, wondering if the annoying creature was pretending to be dead to attack him; but when Anton came closer to see her eyes and smell the scent of poison coming from her breath, Anton realized that the Harpy was indeed dead. "How did you…?" Anton asked turning to the mortal, only to let out a confused noise when he saw the man had already disappeared, leaving Anton alone with the Harpy carcass with no sight of the mortal anywhere, not even an indicator of where he had disappeared to.

Anton didn't know what happened, and even when he went searching for the mortal, he didn't find him anywhere no matter where he searched, which was concerning as he circled the mountain twice to find the injured human; going as far as trying to follow the trickle of blood that disappeared when Anton reached the forest below the mountain. In the end, Anton huffed as he dragged the Harpy's carcass behind him, planning on giving it to the villagers and confirming the death of the monster that tormented them for years, so they can be reassured that the monster would never come after them again. As the village celebrated the defeat of the monster that night, and even when he told them otherwise, they gave him all the credit for defeating the Harpy; Anton sat near the fire twiddling his thumps, gazing at the mountain with concern, wondering where the mortal had disappeared to, and if he was alright…

Anton was going to give the mortal a piece of his mind if they met again…

The next time the two of them met, was a month later; this time, Anton wasn't knocked out or was surprised by someone jumping from the trees to scare him. Instead, this time Anton was screamed at and was called a perverted old man repeatedly by the mortal he was concerned about… good to know that Anton fit the role of a pervert if the foolish mortal's words are to be believed.

It all started with Anton walking through the woods; his mood was high, and his luggage was filled with new metal and many gifts from many villages and towns he went through in his travel. Anton was by then, planning on returning to Lemnos island and giving his word to the rest of the Gods and Goddesses out there that there was no rare metal by the name Medusa, just rumors people made to attract the attention of the riches and the Gods.

At that time, Anton was planning on bathing near a waterfall that he had heard about from some of the nymphs who guard the forest; as they all told him about the lovely waterfall that was deep in the woods where no one would disturb him while he freshened up. At that time, Anton took the invitation with open arms, having not bathed for a long time other than using a wet piece of clothes here and there, ever since he entered this forest. What Anton imagined would be a peaceful evening in the waterfall, followed by a peaceful night of sleep under the stars, was turned into a night of being shouted at and called perverted by the mortal man who nearly bites Anton's head off, no matter what the God said to defend himself.

It started when Anton reached the waterfall, secured in the knowledge that no one was going to find him in such an isolated place; a knowledge that was proven wrong when he broke through the trees and saw someone washing under the waterfalls. It was the palla that gave the person away; the same palla the mortal man always wrap around him to hide his face and head, as if he was desperate in his need to have no one see him or recognize him. What made Anton confused and stupefied was the man wearing it, even when he was bathing under the waterfall, which was really strange, as this abode of water was not owned by any water nymph or a creature of the water element to watch him and gaze at his face… but Anton had to admit… the man had a beautiful body, almost looking like it was sculpted by one of the great artists in the big cities.

It was not until Anton had stepped on a branch trying to walk away and give the man his privacy that the mortal realized that Anton had seen him bathing. Something that summoned a shriek from the mortal that Anton was sure, no man or mortal would be caught letting such a sound out. The panicked and terrified screams of 'Close your eyes' followed by the harsh splashed of water as the man dived behind the waterfall to obscure himself, caused the hair on Anton's body to stand on its ends, especially when the man continued to shriek and scream at him until Anton turned around to give the man his back and did what the mortal ordered; his heart was pounding in his chest as he wondered from when did such a severe reaction come to be when both of them were men, and Anton meant no harm.

It was when the mortal man managed to find the rest of his clothes, which consist of a Chiton, Himation, and his sandals, with a new palla. Anton couldn't help but wince when the panicked scream turned into an accusation of many things that Anton tried to deny but was screamed at and cursed, even more, every time he opened his mouth; if Anton was less of himself and more of the Olympians, he wouldn't have let the mortal mouth him for the next hour without saying a word, instead he would have cursed the mortal and be done with it. Thankfully, Anton was himself, and he liked to think that he was open-minded and humble even when he was considered a God by everyone else; it was his childhood and adulthood with the nymphs and other creatures on Lemnos Island that made Anton observant of others… and what he observed for the next hour as the mortal screamed and cursed at him was something that made him sick…

The mortal was afraid that much was clear even as he continued to curse and try to act tough in front of Anton; he kept such a wide space between him and Anton as if he was afraid Anton was going to attack him any minute now, even when the mortal can no doubt outrun Anton with his limp. What gave Anton his final realization was the man constantly trying to hide his body completely, not allowing any sliver of skin to show, and getting nearly hysterical when he noticed Anton accidentally looking… it all pointed out that the man in front of him had been violated in a way that made him afraid of anyone coming near him… a thought that caused disgust and pity to take hold of Anton at the thought of someone taking the mortal against his will that the thought of someone seeing him, turned him mad.

"Why are you following me?" Was what the mortal spat after two hours passed, having finally calmed down enough that he didn't throw any more profanity and accusation at Anton, who was standing still in his place with his mule behind him (The animal had long ago, hidden behind Anton as he let a fear-filled bray every now and then) not moving an inch even when Anton had long ago let go of the reigns.

"Are you done yelling false accusations at me?" Anton returned his question with a question, getting an annoyed growl from the mortal who let out a strange hissing sound before stilling in his place, almost freezing like a statue; it wasn't a few seconds later that the mortal swallowed, before letting out a shaky breath as he nodded his head. "Good… Now to answer your question; I was not following you, if anything, I am just a traveler who is on his way home after finishing my journey." Anton stated, pointing to the animal behind him that held his luggage that was filled with many metals, trinkets, fabric, and gifts; upon seeing that, Anton felt the tense atmosphere dissipating as the mortal's shoulders dropped a little. "As for meeting you in this place, I was surprised to see you here… since this place is so deep into the forest that no mo… no man knew about…" Anton explained, almost letting out the world mortal slip between his lips, but he managed to save himself before exposing who he was; even if the mortal in front of him suspected him after their first encounter, Anton did not want his conclusion to jump into Anton being more than a Demigod or a Champion… something that's more preferred than being exposed as a God and having the mortal latch into him and refusing to let him go; knowing the Olympians they would even marry him any mortal who offered themselves if it meant they would get their laugh and giggles, as they bully the 'Lame God'. Still, that did not answer Anton's confusion and wonderment about how the mortal managed to find this place without any help from the nymphs, and why going as far as he did to cancel his presence in these forests… something that Anton knew would not gain him any favors if he asked.

"I see…" The mortal whispered, a sigh leaving him as his shoulders relaxed, which in return relaxed Anton's body as the man took the reign of his mule and wrap it around a branch, even as the mule stubbornly tried to free itself and run. "I am… I apologize." The mortal suddenly said behind Anton, causing the man to blink in surprise and turn to the mortal who seemed to be looking away from Anton.

"Do not fret… it is alright…" Anton stated, gazing at the man from the corner of his eyes, noticing how the mortal was becoming shiftier as time passed. "My name is Anton, what is yours?" Anton decided to ask, showing goodwill by telling his name first in case the mortal was still thinking that Anton was thinking ill of him.

The mortal stilled for a second, shifting even more in his place as he tried to subtly glance around, before turning to gaze at Anton; and the God had to give it to the mortal, because how in the name of everything holy did he manage to see his surrounding with the palla covering his face and eyes, even veils were see-through, unlike the palla that was thick from the look of it. "It is… Stavros…" The mortal ended up mumbling, and only thanks to his godly hearing did Anton hear those words because he swore if he were a mortal, he wouldn't hear a word of what the man said.

"A strong name…" Anton nodded his head, trying to smile and banish the awkwardness that seemed to surround the two of them. "Well… I am going to take a bath… so…" Anton stated as he took the garment from his bag, getting a hastily nod from the mortal as he tried to scurry away. "Wait!" Anton ended calling the mortal, causing him to still and turn to gaze at Anton, waiting for what he was going to say. "This forest is filled with wild beasts this late at night; it would be safer for you to camp near the waterfall, as Cyclops often wonders through the forest," Anton warned, causing the man to pause before giving a nod, leaving Anton to his bath as he disappeared into the night…

Anton couldn't help smiling when Stavros returned with his luggage…

So what do you think?

Finally, another chapter!

My, what an amusing way for Steve and Tony to meet!

And yes, Steve is mouthy in this fic and he wraps himself like a mummy too ^-^v

As for why Tony kept thinking of Steve as a hero or a champion? Because every myth I read through, they always through themselves in the line of fire first before asking questions later, it was justified for Tony to think of Steve as one.

Now to the; did you know?

The song Tony was singing in the first chapter is considered the oldest Song from Ancient Greece: The Seikilos Song. Unfortunately, very few know about the ancient Greek accent. Back then ancient Greeks spoke with what we call 'προσωδία' AKA 'Singing way'. The verses of the song are:

As long as you live,

Shine forth do not at all grieve,

Life exists for a short while,

Time takes its course.

As for the mule:

Hephaestus was depicted as a bearded man holding a hammer and tongs (The tools of a Smith) and sometimes riding a donkey or a mule. Which caused me to decide, why not?

As for the Harpy:

Harpies are viewed as being evil because of their scary appearance (half-bird, half-woman creatures with sharp claws and wings). They are also known as being the 'Hounds of Zeus' who punish people on behalf of the Gods and Goddesses. They are fearsome creatures that disrupt people's lives.

Palla: A traditional ancient Roman mantle worn by women, fastened by brooches. It was similar to the pallium that a man would wear. The Greek counterpart was the Peplos. I decided to choose the palla because it is better used than Peplos in this fic.

Chiton: This piece of clothing was popularly worn both by men and women in ancient Greece as a sleeveless shirt; this rectangular piece of linen was draped around the body in many different ways, the most popular method requiring fibulae, or brooches, to keep them in place on the shoulders and a belt at the waist.

Himation: It is used as a cloak and worn over the Chiton. Men usually wore the himation alone, but some preferred to wear it over a Chiton. When men wore Himation, they made sure to keep the edges from dragging on the ground because to do so was considered poor taste.

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama