Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or the Whiskered Warrior.

Lunar Phases

Territorial

Confrontation.

The largest word in Ares' vocabulary and his least favorite way to describe a fight. Confrontations often lead to progressions in any situation. If done with a collected demeanor, masterful control of emotions and a plan of action, an amicable result can be found. Alas, many sentient beings have issues doing such, and so when they do confront an adversary on an issue of disagreement, oftentimes it's done in the heat of a moment, and when emotions are running hot. Such a confrontation can quickly become physical, and the results for both parties can be quite negative.

January 25, 2009

Naruto felt every hair on his neck stand on edge as he hurried out into the living room, all but leaving Thalia behind him. They might not be in what was considered their home, but all the same it was their territory. Every fiber of his being demanded the interloper be dealt with, that the intruder be removed.

Smells like sweat, shame, and greed. The Fox grumbled. Naruto couldn't disagree. The faint odor was strange, wrong, but the words the Fox used to describe it weren't untrue.

That's a lot of people.

No, that's people. Period. The Fox snorted. Humans as a whole, generously summed up in three words.

I'll submit your theory to the committee of anti-humanity next week. Naruto sneered back as he slid into the living room. His eyes fell upon the scrawny man that was currently digging through his rucksack. He wore dark, indiscriminate clothes, a rag of a beanie on his head, and had messy dark hair.

Not a threat, he assessed. More of a scavenger than a predator.

Naruto decided to try and scare him off.

"Hey!" He barked. "What in the Hel do you think you're doing?!"

"Gah!" The scavenger jumped and spun on his heel. Naruto blinked at the semi-familiar face of the older guy that stared back at him. Did he know this guy? The criminal sure thought so. "Y-You!? Again?! You gotta be &*%$ kiddin' me!"

Malicious Intent! The Fox barked and Naruto tensed. His eyes glanced to the window at his left, expecting the Jiangshi or some other monster to break in. There was a loud bang before something hit his chest. He looked down at the new hole in his shirt. There was a small bit of flattened brass-colored metal indented in the skin beneath it. Golden brows furrowed.

Is...That a–? He pulled the brass metal from his chest and looked at the small flattened thing, more commonly known as a bullet. Blue eyes lifted and eyed the scavenger's hand. A small revolver was in his hand, the barrel smoked.

"Whiskers!" Thalia's shout brought him out of his thoughts. He might have been lucky, but she didn't have a magical shirt that would protect her from a bullet.

The fact he currently didn't either was overlooked.

"H-How are you-?! What's your shirt made out of, Kevlar?!" The would-be thief cried out in shock. Naruto's eyes widened — He didn't notice the hole, the fox's murmur was missed — and then narrowed to slits. His blood raced and his senses sharpened. Unbeknownst to him, his blue eyes turned red.

I don't recognize his scent, but I know that face! He thought as he bared his teeth. It was the purse snatcher that Samirah, Gunilla, and the third girl had pursued, the one that had gotten hold of Amelia's sword. Naruto was unhappy his mercy had been repaid with such a cowardly tactic.

"Egyptian Cotton." Was his quick witted, and snarled, retort. With a roar that didn't sound humanly possible, he closed the distance between himself and the thief via tackle. He grabbed the man's gun-wielding hand in his left, took hold of the same arm's elbow with his right, and then jerked both in the opposite directions.

Naruto ignored the prepubescent scream the thief made when his arm was broken. The gun clattered to the ground and was kicked away, it slid under the couch. The blond pushed himself to a kneel and grabbed the lapel of the crook's jacket with his left hand. The other balled into a tight fist and his right arm pulled back.

His fist barreled into the would-be thief's face once with a loud thwack.

Protect the territory! Kill the intruder! Instinct demanded.

His fist broke the thief's nose with the second blow.

Eliminate the threat! He knows where we are! Logic determined.

Teeth were knocked in with the third punch.

"What gives you the right to break into someone's house?!" Naruto growled as his fist continued to rise and fall. The thief's other arm rose to feebly swing back at him. He blocked it, grabbed both lapels of the thief's jacket, and pulled him up to drive his forehead into the man's shattered nose. Naruto wiped the blood off of his face as the mortal beneath him bemoaned his fractured skull. "To shoot them with a gun?!"

"Whiskers, stop!"

Naruto barely heard the demand over the sound of his blood pumping in his ears. He hauled the thief up and hip tossed him across the living room with another roar not entirely his own, where the mortal broke through the wooden coffee table with a groan. He'd get Pollux another table, but the thief would learn to think twice before he broke into another apartment. He drove his foot into the scavenger's side with a snarl. Another kick fractured the bruised ribs.

"I went easy on you last time!" Naruto growled at the pitiful figure that tried to crawl away from him as his eyes burned. The cowardly filth...its weakness was palpable. To him, the thief wasn't even a scavenger anymore. It wasn't even human anymore. It was prey.

His prey.

"Eh'm...Eh'm...shor...rye…" The prey cried around its injuries and curled upon itself. Naruto sneered and moved to grab the prey again, to show it how outmatched it was. For its transgressions - attempted theft, breaking and entering, tresspassing, aggravated assault, attempted murder - it would suffer before it would die!

At least, that's what Naruto planned to do in his fury. As it was, something had wound around his arms and pulled him back mid-step. He was unbalanced and toppled, before he was pinned to the floor with his arms held behind him. He struggled to break free, but something about his restraints kept him from using all of his might.

No!

No, no, no!

He had his prey in his sights! He would not be denied the kill! It was his right as Ki–!

"I said stop!" Thalia shouted in his ear as a jolt went through his system, courtesy of the fingers that pressed into his skin.

Naruto convulsed for a minute before his body went slack. He was pulled up from the floor and all but thrown onto the couch. He made to rise again, nearly forced his now lethargic limbs back into action, but the thunderous glare of Thalia Grace pinned him down.

That she had her hands firmly clasped on his shoulders definitely helped.

"Calm. Down." She ordered. Blue eyes shifted, left to right, as she tried to hold his attention.

"I am–!"

"You're not! Calm! Down!" Thalia rebuffed his protest with a scowl. His nostrils flared and her scent, that of a forest's dew after a thunderstorm, soothed the heat of his racing blood. His breathing slowed. She nodded slowly and her scowl fell into a pensive frown. "That's better. ...Are you alright?"

Naruto frowned. She was worried about him? He was fine! Sure, he got shot, but that wasn't really anything new. Heck, he didn't even bleed this time. He was more worried about her. Thalia could've been shot—the thought brought a whirlwind of fury to his mind. If she'd been shot–!

Angry eyes drifted towards the whimpering man he'd beaten.

"Hey!" He flicked his gaze back to Thalia's when she cupped his face. Her eyes were still focused on him, and her frown turned back into a scowl. "Don't look at him. Don't worry about him. You won. It's over."

"He knows the apartment."

Pollux was in danger now, mortals were petty – this one, especially so. The thief had shot him without any warning. If Naruto didn't have his shirt…

Actually, you don't. I'm surprised I didn't have to do anything since you misunderstood my warning. The Fox rumbled. Naruto silently swore up a storm and the monstrous thing chuckled. Impressive. You've increased your vocabulary.

Why didn't you say anything sooner!?

I was enjoying myself watching you 'beating the meat' as the saying goes.

"Beat the–?!" Naruto gnashed his teeth and clapped his hand to his face. "That-That's not what that saying means, you ignorant, &%*$, %*$–!"

"Whoa! Whiskers–!"

"I'm calm! I'm calm." Naruto grumbled. He lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath in – Thunderstorm. Dew. Woods. Thalia. – and breathed out. He repeated the action several times, each inhale brought more clarity to his head. "Sorry, Tree Girl. I just—The Fox…"

"What saying did it get wrong?" Thalia asked. He looked up at her, her blue eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement, but that was drowned out by the concern.

Yes, please correct me. The Fox sneered. Naruto silently sneered back at it as his cheeks warmed.

"I'd, uh...I'd rather not say." His eyes darted to the thief, who had long since passed out. The unrelenting fury he'd felt minutes ago was absent. Now it was a passive annoyance. He could feel the feral fury brimming under the surface, but kept it at bay. "At least, not with him here."

"...Fine." Thalia sighed. She pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around him. Naruto arched his notched eyebrow, and hugged her back.

"Not complaining, but–?"

"You were shot. Again." She mumbled. Her hug tightened and the top of her head brushed under his jaw. "Just…Let me have this."

Naruto furrowed his brows before clarity had him relax and reciprocate. The last time he'd been shot in front of her, he'd died. Sure, he got back up again, but there was that brief moment where his heart had stopped, where the Valkyries came to claim his spirit. He tightened his arms around her and let her be until she felt secure with what happened. Needless to say, their embrace was held for a short while.

"Lady Leto needs to hurry up with your medicine." She mumbled after a moment. He snorted his agreement. His eyes drifted to the home invader. The man had succumbed to his injuries and passed out. Faint breaths signified his continued status among the living,

"So," Naruto drew out the word to make his girlfriend look up at him. "What should we do with him? Call him an ambulance?"

"And get locked up by the cops because of Demigod luck? Pass. He broke in, he can wait." Thalia grumbled. He huffed his amusement at her vindictiveness, and tightened his arms around her. His smile grew slightly when she reciprocated.

"Here's your next target." Artemis handed the map she'd received from Athena to her lieutenant. "If something seems awry, use caution. Don't do anything foolish. This may be for the war effort, but your safety comes first."

"Yes, Lady Artemis," Bianca said with a nod. The younger girl smiled at her shorter patron. "I won't let you down."

"You've yet to." Artemis smiled back. She saw her lieutenant and a few more Hunters head off for their mission before she retired to her tent. Once inside, she was engulfed in moonlight and reverted to her older appearance. An annoyed scowl immediately crossed her face. "Apollo."

"Lil Sis!" Apollo, seated in her seat, grinned back at her. For the past month, the midwest had been mostly cloudy, if not snowing or storming, and she hadn't seen her twin outside of council meetings since their spat on Christmas. The smile on his face was smaller than what she was used to being annoyed by, so he still probably wasn't happy with her for what she'd said. "How've you been?"

"Get out of my seat." Artemis narrowed her eyes. Mostly out of annoyance, partially out of suspicion. Apollo always had reasons for bothering her, dumb and childish ninety percent of the time, but every now and then he had good reasoning for his annoying presence. Her suspicion was it was not of the latter.

"I'm fine, despite the loss of Amanda, thanks for asking." Apollo snorted as he stood and willed a golden fold-out chair into existence. With cupholders. Her twin was such an egotistical materialist. He leaned back in his seat and let out a content sigh before he opened his mouth once more. "Speaking of kids that we miss–"

"This is a quarrel you do not want to start again." Artemis glared at him. He scowled back at her and she hardened her gaze. She was not in the mood to be lectured by her younger brother again, let alone willing to let it happen twice within the same decade. "I am trying to keep myself focused. Di–The Roman is adamant about making amends with my son."

"Oh. Well, normally, I'd tell you that every Roman's got a screw loose, but in this case–"

"And she wishes to send Naruto to Camp Jupiter."

"–You should ignore anything she says." Apollo quickly amended his next words.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but The Roman suggested that Naruto would do well in a fortified city. With guards, guaranteed protected lands, and a stable education system." Artemis let a small smile across her face at a simple thought. "He was actually enjoying college before Lycaon interfered in his life. I was...happy for him."

"That's...fair. But then there's the whole... Grace thing." Apollo pointed out. Artemis sighed.

"Yes. That is what has me at odds with The Roman." She groused. Were it not for the relation between that star child of Camp Jupiter and her son's...companion — not to mention the decree made by Zeus concerning the camps' separation — Artemis might not be so hesitant to agree. Her son was loyal, nearly to a fault. Not loyal enou—No, Aphrodite was to blame for his succumbence to the mortals' norm, she was sure of it.

"Well, I know it's extreme, but we could always force an oath of the Styx with him. Hey, and maybe we could send the girl, too! Play up the whole Jupiter thing for her, it's not like anyone's going to know—"

"Your drama enthusiast is showing." Artemis rolled her eyes. He pouted at her.

"Oh, come on, Sis. You know it'd make a good story!"

"It's pointless and time consuming." Artemis shook her head. "Besides, there is a war on. This isn't the time to reveal the rivaling camps to one another."

"Again, speaking of inopportune times." Apollo steepled his fingers. "There's...been a development you should know about."

"...If my son was captured again–" Artemis felt her ichor begin to boil. The boy needed a fixed sitter, a guardian she could trust to keep him out of trouble. Sadly, only those in the Hunt this far were proven to be such, and in this conflict she could not part with them for such a selfish reason. Even then, sending both Bianca and Naomi had done little to prevent harm to her son, but they had managed to preserve his life.

"No! No. It's not that. I hope–Er, I mean, it's not!" Apollo waved his hands nervously. That he was so nervous miraculously cooled her anger and she nodded for him to continue. "It's just...Do you...Remember, how in, November–"

"The point, Apollo. Get to the point." Artemis sighed tiredly. Her twin and his needless desire to craft poetry or sing at inappropriate times of conversation was just so much to deal with.

"You're a killjoy, you know that? A real stick in the mud." Apollo pouted. He rolled his eyes. "Thalia Grace's apartment, and a good portion of the building it was in, has been destroyed–"

"You didn't think perhaps that you should've led with that!?" Artemis snapped as she shot to her feet. Apollo did the same, but caught her shoulder and kept her in place. Her head pounded as The Roman started to rebel. She was half-tempted to let the Roman out to deal with her obnoxious brother, just to spare herself the headache.

"Let me finish!" Her twin hissed. He met her glare with a frown. "Sis, Naruto is fine. As far as I'm aware, he's safe."

"Very reassuring!" Artemis sneered. "As if I'd trust your word on the matter after you lost him twice."

"I'm going to do us both a favor and ignore that." Apollo huffed, crossing his arms as he did. "He wasn't in the apartment when it was hit. The important thing is that my sources have him in the midst of fleeing the scene with Thalia Grace...and, uh, another."

Artemis frowned. The inflection on the word he used and his hesitation in using it implied that it would be something she wouldn't like. That couldn't be the case, because her twin had just suggested he was 'safe'. So long as he was safe, why should she care?

Norse! Egyptian! The Roman's interjection sent a stabbing pain through her skull before she willed the alternate, younger persona away. After recovering from the forced contact, the Greek huntress gathered her thoughts and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ah, right. Them.

"Tell me it was a Norse god." Artemis urged her twin. It'd been so long since she'd been able (or allowed) to inflict serious pain upon one of the brutish One-Eyed Bastard's 'Children'. The last was a famed child of their hammer-swinging lummox — Mag-knee, she believed the whelp's name was — her reasons for doing so were unimportant, needless of explanation. Her desire to do so again was high, and that went without considering the debt that pantheon had racked up for abducting and torturing her son.

"Based on the description I got from one of my, uh, informants–" Likely one of his numerous lovers or children (or one of the now rarer instances of both). "–it was the mortal called Arashi."

Artemis was both flummoxed and irate. What in Olympus happened to have that–that damnable mortal man near her son again?! She was half-tempted to set out for New York City immediately, but her twin's continued speech gave her pause. Apollo was not one to take being ignored well, and would be twice as annoying in their next interaction if she just up and left while he was speaking.

"Even more troubling is that this 'mortal' is giving off some divine vibes."

Artemis' eyebrow arched up, curious. Now she was rather pleased she'd stayed. That was useful information. A rarity to emerge from her brother. Was he still blathering? She gave him a pointed glower, telling him to wrap it up.

"But, that development aside, er, most importantly…I might've just spotted him on a walk with Mom about an hour ago." Apollo finished the last bit quickly. Artemis stared at him, both brows raised, and blinked a few times. Her twin fidgeted under her gaze. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"...Are you partaking in testing recreational herbs again?"

"No, that's so a '70s scene, Sis." Apollo snorted. He threw his arms up. "How are you so calm?! Mom's hanging out with your son's biological daddy, and Lil' Nephew is MIA–!"

"You just said he was safe!"

"From the explosion that destroyed his girlfriend's apartment!"

Urk, that word. Artemis hated that it was used in relation to her son, and she knew it showed on her face. The child she'd raised had fallen so far, so deep into Aphrodite's clutches. That petulant foam-brained whore. Artemis was certain that that goddess' actions had resulted in her son's corruption, even though she couldn't prove it. Not yet, anyway.

Alas, for all of her griping over the situation, Apollo had been right in some parts of his argument made last Christmas. Her folly in parenting was allowing her son to age at all. Were she able to do it all again, she'd keep him at age eight or nine. Safe from the likes of that airheaded bimbo, from the temptation of sex and romance and all other things that ruined Olympus' dwellers.

Save herself, Athena and Hestia, of course.

"Where is he now?"

"Sis, I can't find Naruto like that. I don't have access to the tracking piercing, remember?"

"Right." Artemis frowned. She'd almost granted him access to it, but figured he'd abuse it to drag her child further into Aphrodite's depravity. Resigned to do it herself, again, Artemis sought out the magic in her son's adhered accessory. It took a moment, but she found it. It was faint and–Blocked. It was blocked. Again.

...Clearly, Artemis needed to brush up on her tracking magic, because apparently that was atrophying! She shook her head and glared at her twin.

"He is still in New York City, but that much is all I can ascertain." Artemis groused.

"Well, that's wonderful, but why-?"

"It's blocked. Again." The curt and annoyed interjection made her brother purse his lips. Then he crossed his arms and hummed. Artemis scowled at him. "What?"

"Just thinking that you need to get some remedial lessons in casting tracking enchantments." Apollo smirked. She glared at him, willing her ichor back from her cheeks for his thoughts mirroring her own. She couldn't let him know that, however, and swiftly shifted the subject.

"It's mid-afternoon! Use that enormous collection of gas you call a 'car' to search!"

"First off, please don't be mean to my ride. It has feelings. …just like a Transformer." Apollo rubbed his chin as his attention visibly waned. "Now, would my chick magnet be Jazz or Prowl...I feel like Prowl fits more, since I'm definitely Jazz, and I'm always riding it."

"Apollo–" Artemis felt her teeth grind.

"Second off!" He ignored her attempt to interject. "Mom is out in the open as we speak. Mom. And she is walking around, basically blaring her presence without getting the Queen to do anything in response. And if she's with this Arashi guy–"

"Then we shall visit them and make him tell us where my son is!"

"We could do that, but I mean, if he's civil, we could just be cool and ask." Apollo suggested far too innocently. It would have convinced her if she had not known him for the past four millennia.

"...Apollo." Artemis felt her eyelids go half-lidded. She reached up and flicked him in the head. "Do not flirt with the enemy!"

"He's hot, Sis! What do you want from me?" Apollo pouted and rubbed the assaulted area.

"To be better."

"What are you talking about?! I'm the best there is at what we do!"

"That's debatable." Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose when her twin let out an affronted squawk. "Apollo, take a moment and think about what you've just told me. Mother is walking around with a known thrall of Hecate's. A thrall that has, somehow, ascended past mortality. We must confront this Arashi, find out if and where he is keeping my son, and ensure both he and Mother are not in danger."

"Yeah, okay, but what if Mom's already switched teams in the bad way? Or what if she got enthralled?" Apollo said, rubbing his neck. "I mean, when Mom gets going, she's pretty scary. I don't think I have it in me to hurt Mom, even in self-defense."

Artemis shared the concern and fought back a shiver. There was a reason their mother was the influence for one particularly famous superheroine, after all. She preferred nonviolent confrontations, but when all the cards were down, Leto would step up and prove her worth as a matronly Titan-Goddess. Still, the fact remains, this was only (thankfully) speculation for the moment.

"Then we must secure Mother's safety, Apollo!"

"...You just want an excuse to stab Lil' Nephew's father, don't you?"

"Do not take this from me." She did not whine, per say. It was more of a...earnest plea.

"Look, let's focus on figuring out what he's up to with Mom and find Lil Nephew. After that, if this Arashi guy turns out to still be bad news, you get the first stab at him. Sounds good?"

"That seems fair." Artemis nodded, keeping her face neutral. For all his ego, her twin was admittedly bright when it mattered. She did not need him to know she was going to stab the man regardless of his intentions. After all, the mortal had attacked her son. Twice.

"So, that was…That happened." Minato blinked, walking out of the Rite Aid with a tittering Leto at his side. In her hands were a few bags of things that his son and Thalia Grace might need away from home, as well as a brown bag consisting of his son's needed medication. When he got the full, unabridged, explanation behind it from the god of medicine – Asceplius, he thought the name powerful yet humble all at once – they exchanged theories and formulas on the effects Naruto's chakra might have on the curse, or vice versa. That led to a rather...interesting comment made by the god as they left.

"You act as if you've never been propositioned before." The Titan-Goddess smirked at him.

"Ah-he-he," Minato scratched the back of his head and smiled, willing back the heat that creeped up his neck. "I'm pretty sure he was just offering me a genuine check-up."

"That's quite a humble response," she said in turn. "Or a dense one. You are Naruto's father, after all."

"Hey, I'm not that bad. …Although," Minato tilted his head in thought. "On our first date, Kushina did mention something about hammering a nail in through another nail. I really should've paid more attention. ...But there was so much ramen…And she kept trying to steal it from me!"

"Yet another thing you passed onto my grandson." Leto huffed. "How either of you haven't had a stroke from consuming so much sodium is anyone's guess."

"Well, if you eat too much of the instant meal, yes, there's risks to take, but the traditional dish is–Knife!" Minato jerked back, throwing an arm out in front of Leto to protect her. Yes, in the moment where his fighting instincts were triggered, he completely forgot that the woman accompanying him was a literal deity. All he knew was there was danger and he had to move.

Another glimmer of metal was in his peripheral vision and Minato threw himself to the wall of the building. Chakra adhered, physics were ignored, it was quite nostalgic. He surveyed his assailant and had to do a double take.

The teenaged girl that had attacked him had silver eyes and auburn hair, but her rounded, heart-shaped face and the glower that was on it reminded him of his wife when she was that age and quiet upset. It was actually rather…confusing, to say the least.

"Artemis!" Leto accosted the maiden. Minato was dumbstruck, this was Artemis?! He was so wrapped up in his chaotic thoughts that he barely managed to catch the rest of Leto's chiding. "What have I told you about playing with those knives around mortals?"

"Hello, Mother." The teenage goddess greeted, her glare not leaving his face. "You wouldn't happen to be willing to explain why you are consorting with the servant of Hecate, would you?"

"...How's he sticking on the wall like that?" Asked a boy with golden hair. He had a bright golden bow in his hand and dressed in modern summer clothes opposed to the girl's winter-themed attire. Given the identity of the goddess, Minato assumed this was Apollo. He was mildly shocked by the physical similarities he shared with the God of the Sun.

"Apollo, I told you to stop slacking off on your duties!"

"I am! You can clearly see that my chariot is on course and cruising smoothly."

"That does not mean you join your sister in intruding upon my business!" Leto's argument with the boy all but confirmed Minato's assumption of his identity. He quickly focused on the girl again when one of her knives rocketed up to shear a few hairs from his head. Were it not for his quick reflexes, he'd probably be eating the silver knife that was now buried to its hilt in the brick wall.

Things were escalating too quickly, he didn't want to risk exposing another group of mortals to his yet uncontrolled aura. Minato scoured his mind for a joke, some wit, anything that might soothe the ruffled feathers. In hindsight, he wished he'd had paid more attention to The Third's advice during the transition period. Sarutobi had several good quips and jokes that generally lifted any tension between two parties. Alas, he had not.

So, Minato was stuck with just a single cheesy line that popped into his head. Normally, this wouldn't be a bad thing, but unfortunately, the reputation of the originator of the line made it questionable. Who would influence a top assassin turned world leader turned (temporary) deity in such a way? Why, it'd be the fault of the one, the only, The Gallant Toad Sage: Jiraiya.

"Going for penetration at first glance? The least you could do is buy me dinner."

Judging by the way Artemis' scowl deepened, his words did nothing to ease the tension. Curse his sensei's foul sense of humor! Minato should've accepted Kushina's offer for lessons on diplomatic negotiations when he had the chance! …Wait, no, she was a prank-first, talk-later kind of diplomat.

I really should just look for a book on the subject. Minato thought to himself. He was and always would be a book nerd. An unfortunate truth about himself, but one he'd long since accepted. That was something even his alternate persona Arashi had kept true to.

"Ha!" Apollo laughed, doubling over to slap his knee. He walked up to his twin and nudged her with his elbow. "You want to stick your knife in him, and he wants to stick his in you!"

"Must you be so crass?!" Artemis sneered, her vitriolic gaze not leaving Minato as she rebuked her brother's amusement. To his relief, both twins suddenly yelped and the Yondaime was privileged to witness the Letoides' mother act...motherly.

"This is not how Olympians should introduce themselves to potential allies!" Leto seethed, her fingers pinched on either twin's ear. The two in question reverted to even younger forms — a subconscious defense? A method to instinctively keep the stronger deity from using too much strength? Impressive all the same. — Her eyes drifted from one twin to the next, back and forth. "Artemis, put those damned things away before I take them! They are not toys meant to be thrown around mortals! Apollo, I told you to focus on your duties! There is a war going on and you are Olympus' eye in the skies!"

"Mother–! / Mom–!"

"Do not stereo at me!" Leto snapped. Her brow furrowed and her teeth grit. "Artemis, Apollo, were this a private location I would not mind your behavior as strictly as I am, but we are in the heart of New York City! This...immature assault was, what, a way to interrupt a date? How many times must I tell the both of you, I'm not interested in marriage? If I want some nookie, that's my busi—!"

"Mom, phrasing!" Apollo pleaded.

"Do not interrupt me–Minato Namikaze, unless you plan on cleaning those footprints yourself, get off of that wall!" He almost did, but his eyes flicked to the twins warily. "They won't try anything while I'm holding them." Her eyes glared at the two in her grasp. "Will you?"

"Who, me? Nope, not me. I'm the good twin!" Apollo tried to nod, but grimaced when her grip remained strong. "Ow, ear. Ear!"

"Quiet, Apollo." Leto snipped. The boy quieted, his mouth shutting with an audible click. Silvery blue eyes fell upon the other child in her grasp. "Artemis?"

"...I'm weighing my options..."

The hand holding her ear twisted.

"I won't! I won't!" Artemis swore with a whine, her silver blades vanished as her head tilted in an effort to follow her mother's hand. "Mother, please–!"

"...Since you complied, I suppose I must as well." Leto huffed after she held the torment for a second longer. She released her twins and watched them rub their respective ears, before her gaze shot up to Minato. "Need I pull you down?"

"Nope!" Minato squeaked before he jumped down from his perch on the building. He was not ashamed to admit it, either. He'd been on the wrong side of angry matrons before, it never ended well. Not to mention that the Letoides' genuine cringes proved her punishment was not something he'd wished to suffer. The moment his sandaled feet touched down onto the sidewalk, the twins in question reverted back to their older appearances and were released.

"Okay, judging by the...interference," Apollo glanced at his mother warily as he rubbed his ear. "He's totally not evil anymore, right?"

"I am no longer mind controlled, yes." Minato answered dryly. He was not going to make a moral call such as good or evil, considering that was all a matter of perspective. Still, he understood what the god of the sun meant.

"Oh, sweet. It'd be a shame to get rid of such a ...worthy adversary because Hecate couldn't share." Apollo flashed him a bright grin. A lot like how Asclepius had. Huh, talk about uncanny resemblances.

"...Apollo, we've gone over this." Artemis scowled at her brother. "Do not flirt with the enemy!"

"He's not the enemy, though! Mom's vouching for him."

Wait, flirting? With me? Minato thought, glancing between the now bickering twins. He crossed his arms, tilted his head and considered it. Then snorted and shook his head. Nah, Apollo was probably just being a nice guy, probably to cover himself from suffering more of their mother's wrath. From what Leto said about her, Artemis doesn't interact with others outside of her Hunt much. She might just have some issues reading social cues.

He just hoped that wasn't a learned behavior his son picked up while in her care.

"Children." Leto's curt word made the twins go quiet. The Titaness was glancing between them, her brow furrowed and a small frown on her face. "Was there a reason you so broadly attacked Minato, or will you be apologizing?"

"Hey, whoa! Not cool, Mom! I didn't do anything!" Apollo crossed his arms and sneered at his twin sister. "Miss Sharpshooter, here, was the one who jumped the starting gun and attacked."

"Do not turn this all on me!" Artemis snapped. Minato arched his brow. Was it him or did her cheeks look...golder? Wasn't the golden scheme more along the lines of Apollo's thing? Strange.

"Why not? You're the one that attacked!"

"You led us here!"

"At your behest!"

"You're the one who said he was blocking the tracker!"

"I never said anything of the sort! I suggested maybe he was!"

"...Tracker?" Minato asked, looking at Leto.

"Naruto's eyebrow piercing." The Titan-Goddess elaborated. Minato felt his teeth clench and then rounded on the Huntress.

"You gave my son that piercing?!"

Artemis rounded on him with a glare that was no less hostile than the one she had on him before.

"Let us make one thing clear, you-you-you mockery of a god!" She seethed with a finger thrust in his face. "Naruto is mine! How I keep track of my child is no business of yours!"

"It is when that child is my flesh and blood!" Minato snapped, putting his fists on his hips. Absently, he noted that Artemis' face burned a darker hue of gold. Her auburn brows furrowed as her scowl became more prominent.

"A sperm donor has no say in his upbringing!"

"Sperm–?!" Minato spluttered before he scowled back at her as fury pumped through his veins. Down the road, a car suddenly floored it from where it had been stopped at the red light. "Listen, here! Naruto's accusations due to his unfamiliarity with my relationship with my wife is forgivable, but from what I understand you helped her through the birth! If she never mentioned or called for me, I'll eat my headband!"

"She needn't do either if you'd just been there for her!" Artemis spat. "What, were you too busy obliging another's need for attention?"

"How dare you!" Minato seethed, several gunshots rang out in the distance. He noted it as if it was a mosquito buzzing around his ear. "If I could have been there, you can believe I would have! I had no control over where and when I arrived here, or believe me, goddess, you would not have grown attached to my son!"

Artemis' nostrils flared and there was just the faintest thrum of power that cracked the sidewalk before Apollo was behind her, his arms looped tightly around hers and held her back.

"Cool it, Sis! You're going to draw His attention!" Apollo urgently hissed as he struggled to keep her in place. Artemis paid him no mind and started shouting in a language that Minato did not understand. He could probably guess what she was saying though, and narrowed his eyes.

"Artemis, that's enough!" Leto stepped in once more. She leveled a glare on her daughter, who huffed and puffed while still restrained. Then the Titan-Goddess' eyes turned to regard him. "Minato Namikaze, you will calm down!"

"Me?!" Minato gaped at her. "I've done nothing–!"

"Your temper is harming the mortals!" Leto's curt interjection made him snap glances around. Pileups, fires, screams and chaos as a whole had erupted in the street.

Minato clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath in and reached out for the Natural Energy of the world. It embraced him willingly and he felt his blazing blood cool. He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose as he calmed down. He looked over at the chaos in the intersection and heard sirens approach.

"Whelp, someone definitely has to help clean up that mess." The eloquent observation was made by the God of the Sun.

"Apollo, be a dear and go help the paramedics." Leto said, with no room to argue.

"...Uh, is that really a good idea?" He eyed his still seething twin that he kept restrained.

"Apollo, you are a god of healing. Do your domain proud and help those mortals."

"Yes, Mother." Apollo glanced at Minato. "Good luck, handsome. You'll need it."

With that, the god left in a flash of light.

Minato frowned slightly. That was his thing.

"Artemis, you will behave yourself or so help me, I will ground you."

Artemis looked like she had been slapped by a fish. Her golden skin became darker.

"Mother–!"

"Do not push me right now." Leto hissed. She leaned into her daughter's space and whispered in the language that Artemis had used so colorfully not moments before. The Goddess of the Hunt shrank in on herself and visibly gulped. Her furious features had softened and she regarded her mother warily.

"You...You cannot–! It goes against–!"

"I am acting as an extension of The Queen of Olympus' will!" Leto declared lowly and narrowed her eyes. "Try me, Daughter. Your Father will wait to humiliate you with his punishment, I will not be so kind."

Artemis nodded and sent Minato a brief glower before she glared down at her feet. Leto huffed and then looked at Minato.

"I suggest we return to Naruto and Thalia," she said. Artemis let out a disgruntled sound that Leto apparently ignored. Minato decided to do the same and focused on the goddess that had taken control of the situation. "We've obtained the medication. I see no more reason to dawdle now that all of Olympus is undoubtedly aware of your presence."

Minato blanched. He looked up and saw dark clouds gathering overhead. Yep. Olympus definitely knew about him by this point.

"Is that–?"

"Likely, yes." Leto sighed. She gave her daughter another look of disapproval. "If not for someone's interference, we might have been able to sneak out of New York without dealing with The King. Luckily, we have an advantage that he will not see coming."

"We...We do?"

"Yes." Leto smirked at him. "Be honored, Minato Namikaze, for you have Queen Hera on your side."

AN: It must be nice, it must be ni-ice...To have Hera on your side.

Real talk, people, I'm coming up on the end of my prepped chapters and work is getting hectic. Going away for most of a month and not working seems to have piled some things up. Go figure.

We might have to drop off for another hiatus just so I can keep with the weekly updates, like a mid-season break in a tv show.

Or...

We could go to updating every other Friday. (Example: After ch 30 on 7/22, 31 would go up on 8/5).

I'll leave it to y'all to sort out, majority rule in the reviews will be the deciding factor.