Odysseus felt the blood run down his stomach, his legs and start pooling at his feet. He knew that the wound his crew stitched up had broken open when he broke free of the ropes. He felt weak already from the pounding in his head when Eurylochus knocked him out, and the blood loss from the original stabbing. But that didn't change the dread he felt as he saw the clouds moving at lightning speed to one central point in the sky.

Odysseus didn't want to wait to find out who Helios was sending, so he started moving, quickly, shoving past Eurylochus as he did.

"Captain?" Eurylochus looked towards Odysseus, lost and defeat in his eyes, covered in the golden blood of the cow belonging to Helios.

"We need to get away from this island now!" Odysseus stated to the whole remaining twenty some-odd members of his crew, ignoring Eurylochus in this statement. "Grab an oar with all the strength your arms allow!"

Turning to his still active second-in-command, "These cows were immortal! They were the Sun God's friends!" hatred behind Odysseus' eyes. "And now that we've pissed them off, WHO DO YOU THINK HE'LL SEND?!"

Turning back to the crew, Odysseus nodded to Perimedes, who stood in Eurylochus' spot while Eurylochus took Odysseus' spot while the king was unconscious and injured originally during the mutiny. Perimedes raised his hand in the air shouting: "Full speed ahead!" the crew echoing acknowledging that they understood the orders, and the weight of the ordeal.

Odysseus kept looking up to the sky, noting that the clouds were still forming in one spot, if they could only get past the part then they could escape their fates. "Faster," the king screamed. The crew took note and stated "full speed ahead," in response. Odysseus shouted "faster" once more, the crew responding with "full speed ahead."

Then lightning stuck the sky in the shape of piercing eyes, Odysseus froze, so did his crew. "We're too late," Odysseus mumbled, suddenly his injuries and weakness didn't feel that bad compared to what he and the crew were about to face.

The clouds circled, pouring down to the sea like a stage curtain being pulled away to a new scene to an act, revealing a giant man with a golden scarf pinned together with a golden pendant with a lightning bolt, the rest of the scarf trailing like a lightning bolt mid-strike. His skin was a golden brown, glistening like it was just lathered in the highest quality oil, his eyes were a striking yellow, just like the lightning bolts being produced around him. His pale blond hair was down to the back of his knees, the strands were jagged, but moved freely in the wind that pushed and pulled the mortals on Odysseus' ship; on top of his head stood three small braids equally apart, almost getting lost in the mound of hair the man had. The only other article of clothing the being that came from above had on him was a semi see through loincloth that was clasped together by another golden pendant similar to the one that held his scarf in place.

When the man who came from the skies looked at his small captive audience with excitement, "Pride is a damsel in distress, hiding away where only I can undress her. Try all she can not to confess. In the end, it's all the same once I apply all the pressure. Thunder, bring her through the wringer, show her I'm the judgment call, the one who makes her kingdom fall. Lightning, wield her, use and yield her, show her what she can't conceal, for true nature will be revealed."

He used the lightning to strike himself and in a matter of seconds, he was gone as a giant towering figure to a being that was in front of Odysseus and his crew, still showboating, "Tell me, Odysseus, if I were to make you choose the lives of your men and crew or your own, why do I think they'd lose?"

The man stepped towards the injured king, placing his hand on the shorter mortal's chin. "Enlighten me, King of Ithaca, since hunger was far too great. I wonder who'd take the weight of the damned and suffer a gruesome fate to the Thunder Bringer, here to ring your ears until you're deaf with fear and spear you while your death is near. Your lighting wielder, here to yield your time for you have passed your prime, sublime you for your act of crime."

Odysseus shook in place knowing that the tall showboating man was none other than Zeus, the God King, the God of Gods, the one who ruled over everything that the light and shadows touched. He was also the father of his mentor, Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, and handicraft; and the god that helped him and his crew of then forty-three soldiers out of the open lair of Circe, Hermes, the god of (to name a few since he did a lot for being all over the place) thievery, travel, and was the messenger of the gods. Zeus also was the brother to Odysseus' rival, Poseidon, so he had to play his cards right if he wanted his crew to be safe from the God of the sea, earthquakes and horses.

Zeus stopped before sniffing the air, letting a grin that made Odysseus think about his odds of faring against Poseidon better than the fate he might receive from the god king. Leaning his nose down into Odysseus' neck, he could feel Zeus' grin grow bigger.

"Choose," Zeus spoke with authority, never leaving Odysseus' neck and ear.

Odysseus backed up, "choose?" The mortal king wondered just what exactly Zeus was planning on doing here.

Zeus chuckled, thinking that this was all a fun act played by the mortals, "Someone's got to pay today, and you have got the final say. You? Or your crew?"

Odysseus froze again, what would happen if he chose himself over his crew, would they be killed? What would happen if he chose his crew over him? What would- he knew the choice that he had to make, even if he couldn't go and see what his son looked like anymore, or see how his sister, Ctimene, would grow to have children with Eurylochus, or any of that.

Eurylochus, almost reading Odysseus' mind, stepped forward, "captain?"

Odysseus could feel Zeus getting impatient at the lack of answer, and of Eurylochus' interruption, so the mortal king acted, "I need you to make a promise for me, God King, Zeus."

"Now, why would I do that for you, Odysseus," Zeus noted. "It was your crew that attacked Helios' cows, the man who interrupted is still covered in the cow's blood."

"It'll be the only way I'll offer myself to you," Odysseus countered. "You said someone has to pay, and I get the final say, this is part of my final say. I'll go with you, but my crew needs a safe way home."

Zeus starts out chuckling, then goes into full blown laughter before stopping abruptly with a wicked grin that makes Odysseus already regret his decision. But, before he can object, there is a loud thunder clap and Odysseus finds himself in another location, held in Zeus' arms like a husband would carry his spouse.

"I'd take you to my room that Hera sends me to every so often when she gets annoyed with me, but you have been injured by more than a sword dealt by your men. Which is why I'm shocked that you sold yourself to me, Odysseus. I need you checked out by Apollo. You will work with him on getting your weight back to normal as well. I don't like the idea of fucking skeletons," Zeus said as he walked through his palace on Mt. Olympus.

Odysseus realized then that even though the weather was warm, he was cold and exhausted, it might have been the blood loss, but it could have been worse. He wouldn't have gone to Apollo immediately, but like Zeus said, he was injured, so he did have to take into consideration that he was not in the right mind at the moment. But being held by the god felt nice, so Odysseus decided now was a good time to close his eyes.