April 7th

Before the sun rises, Selene and the others wake up in a fright after feeling Poseidon's presence. They get their weapons and head towards Bellero's room. Selene is scared that something has happened to her best friend as they open the door. Selene and the others are relieved to see that Bellero was the one behind that aura. They lower their weapons. Bellerophon opens his eyes and sees the look on their faces with scrolls all around him. He pulls his aura in.

"I'm so sorry, everyone."

Selene waves the other women away and they go back to sleep. She checks on her friend.

"Thank the gods that it was just you. It really felt like Poseidon to us. What are you doing?"

"I wanted to learn more about demigods and I'm practicing what I read so far."

"You're looking to help us out in case something happens", she figures.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Selene. I will protect you like I did last time."

"Okay. I won't stop you. So what can you do so far?"

"Manifesting it so far. I can already do this."

He waves his hands around. The water in the tub gets drawn out and he puts himself into a sphere of water. His scales display over his body with webbing in between his fingers and toes.

Selene is left in wonder. With a wave of his hand, the water separates between them. He playfully splashes cold water at his best friend. She laughs and she smacks the water to get back at him. They splash each other for a bit while laughing quietly. He puts the water back into the tub after finishing.

"There is something else I can do. I feel there's something there to tap into, but...

"But what?"

Bellero touches his chest.  "Like a new form, but I'm scared of it. It's powerful, but I feel like I might lose control."

Selene touches his hand.  "I can't tell you what to do. Just know that I will support you."

The demigod clasps her hand. That's what he needed to hear.

"I'm going to give it a try, but I need you to leave the room."

Selene listens and closes the door behind her. She takes out a mirror and slips part of it under the door to witness the transformation.

Bellero taps into his aura and the form he wants to master. Selene, looking through the mirror, sees him grow larger in stature. Bellero's dorsal fin enlarges like a fan. Sharp claws form on his hands and feet. His circular pupils have been replaced with slitted ones. His mouth opens as he breathes heavily, and she sees rows of sharp teeth. Her eyes can't look away from witnessing this appearance.


Part of her is terrified, but she remembers this is her best friend. She can't leave him.

Bellero's transformation is now complete. He hesitantly looks at the reflection of the water. He touches his face and body to remember what he looks like.

"Selene?"

He exhales from surprise of the underlying growl in his voice.

"I'm still here", after clearing her throat.

Not only can he hear her, he can also smell the wine off of her. A destructive urge begins to build inside the demigod. His mouth salivates with drool falling to the floor. His new instincts want him to try his claws and teeth out on someone.

Bellero's feet shift towards the door. His right claw reaches out to the door, but he puts his left claw on his arm to push it down and away.

"F-Focus. I-I-I'm in control."

Selene wonders if her voice will trigger the animal side of her friend and she chooses to stay quiet. Angry thoughts from the past pop up in his head.

"Freak! Monster! Killer! Stay away from us! You never should have been born!"

With a swipe, a chair is left in pieces. The table splinters in half from his anger. The commotion brings the other servants, but Selene waves them away.

From the remaining moonlight, something sparkling catches his eye. Shame and fear fills him up as he remembered his friend is watching him. He sinks back against the wall and holds himself. Selene hears him sniffling with him thinking their friendship is over.

"Bellero, you are still my best friend. We made a promise and I won't give up on that! Remember our promise."

Her voice reaches to him, despite the killing urges remaining. His turquoise aura flares up. Selene trembles from the display of a tidal wave hiding a formidable creature underneath. But she plants her feet firm and prays for him.

Bellero rises up from her whispers. He draws his aura back in to force his instincts to follow one rule: 

Protect Selene and those we love.

Through Selene's perspective, the claws retract. He checks the water of the tub and finds his normal eyes are back. He goes to test his strength and he crouches down. He easily lifts the heavy tub of water over his head and puts it down gently.

Selene cracks the door open.

"Are you okay, Bellero?"

"I am", the growl remains.

Selene gently touches his hand. He turns his head to look at her. The homicidal urges are restrained as he gently embraces her. Her hands couldn't meet around his back, but she doesn't care. 

Her hands then meet as he shrinks down to normal. He separates with a smile, before stumbling backwards from fatigue. He rests on the floor from his efforts. Selene quickly fills up a cup of water and splashes him with it. He exhales in relief from the liquid.

"I am so proud of you."

Hearing that makes him smile widely. "I will master this so I can better protect you. I'm going to keep practicing."

"Hold on."

She fills up a pitcher and dunks it all over him. His aura is reinvigorated as he jumps onto his feet.

"At least eat something before you go again", she suggests.

"Okay."

He dries himself enough to put on clothes so he can eat with the others.

I have until tomorrow to master that beastly form. I won't let Poseidon hurt her nor anyone I care about!

-----

On the calm open sea, Athenian warships are traversing towards the eastern coast of Argolis, the country of Nemea. Athena is leading them on her personal ship with two of her main servants accompanying her.  The sunlight dances on her golden battle armor that covers her from head to toe.


She looks back at her servants. The man and the woman stand firm, but their trembling legs betrayed them for the upcoming battle.

"Servants, it's okay to be afraid because bravery is what comes out of it. Once Eris appears, I will take care of her swiftly", she speaks gently yet firm.

"We know you will defeat her, my goddess. It's just-"

She's scared to imply it.

"That Ares would be seeking revenge against me?", the goddess rightly assumes.

"H-He might try to attack you while you're caught off guard", the man chimes in.

"We may have our differences, but he's not a coward. He prefers fighting honorably. He also has his own grievances against Eris because of the Trojan War. He would probably take care of her before he even attacks me. And if it comes down to it, I will defeat him in honor of Athens. Justice will be dealt today."

"G-Goddess, I have a question if you don't mind", the man stutters out.

"Go ahead."

"What will happen to Theseus?"

"He will be punished as well. He is no longer my fighting champion. I will anoint a new champion afterwards."

"How about Perseus? He's bringing a good reputation towards your name."

"I'm afraid that he's ineligible for that."

The servants look at each other in confusion.

"I heard rumors from Seriphos that Perseus is making false claims that he didn't kill Medusa. That he fell in love with the Gorgon and had offspring with her", the wise goddess explains

Her servants are horrified from hearing that.

"He fell in love with that monster?!"

"What in Tartarus is wrong with him?"

"That battle he had with Medusa must have warped his mentality. Did you know direct contact with her blood can give delusions of grandeur? Perseus was covered in it after decapitating her."

A complete lie, but the servants don't question their goddess.

"How unfortunate. Will he be healed soon?", the maiden asks.

"I'm afraid it's too late for him. I tried to heal him, but he gave me this", she points to the scar on the nose.

"How dare he tarnish your majestic face!", the woman frowns.

"Such a foolish man! He should be punished for what he did!"

The goddess enjoys the compliments, but she raises a hand to settle the matter. "Despite what he did, I gave him mercy. The weapons are his to keep until I find him no longer fit to continue."

The servants are moved to tears from her "kindness."

"Athena, you are the most merciful deity in all of Gaia. We are fortunate to be in your presence!


"We aren't worthy to serve you!"

 "I owe that knowledge of mercy from learning from my servants. You inspire me to be at my best every day."

"Please, goddess. We don't deserve such kindness."

Athena displays her calming gold aura. "Don't cry, my faithful servants. I need you at your best in preparations for the battle ahead."

The servants collect themselves.

"We swear on our lives that we won't let you down", the man declares for the both of them.

Their ship eventually reaches land. 

The trio gets off the ship and Athena waves her hand to make the ship go away. The two servants are given horses and weapons so they can defend themselves.


The fleet behind her dock their ships. 1000 armored soldiers equipped with bows, arrows, long spears, and short swords march onto the land. They immediately split into four formations that are headed by their respective company leaders. The leading commander stands in full attention to await orders from the goddess.

"Commander, are you ready?", she asks.

"Goddess, we are ready! We will make Eris appear so you can deliver justice!"

The men behind him raise their spears as they cheer for Athena. She raises a hand and they become silent.

"Let's march until we get to the outside of Nemea. Sparta's forces should be waiting on the other side if they go by the plan. Hera and her group will be there tomorrow to assist us."

She points her spear in the direction of the city and she flies up to lead them. The servants are right behind her.

"Forward, march!", the commander directs. Boots crunch against the ground as one unit.

From overhead in the sun chariot, Apollo grips the reins tightly out of anger and fear. He prays that the tragedy of the Trojan War doesn't repeat tomorrow.

"Apollo, it won't happen again. The others and I will help you prevent that", Hemera assures him.

"You're right. Thank you."

A swift letter from Hermes appears in front of Apollo. "I got something. Take the reins for a bit."

Hemera takes the reins while Apollo flies on a musical note he summoned. He reads the letter quickly and he throws it into the sun which consumes the evidence. He takes out a tiny musical note and plays his lyre. The music from the lyre gets absorbed into the note and he's finished.

"Switch!", he directs.

He gets back on the seat and gives Hemera the musical note to listen to secretly so no one can eavesdrop. She holds the note close to her ear and the plan is told to her. She listens intently of where everyone is going to be and their roles. The note disappears after its completed role.

She raises a thumbs up to Apollo while looking forward.

A soldier in the very rear of the Athenian formation hides a wicked smile on his face.

Just wait for the big surprise, Athena. You won't see it coming!, the goddess of discord laughs while in disguise.

---

At the inn, Theseus takes his sword and some food with him for his for his fight with Eris. The demigod gently turns Ariadne's face to look into her eyes. She holds onto him.

"I will return to you."

"It's not like last time with the minotaur. It's different."

"I won't be alone this time. I know that Ares and the others will show up to fight her too. It's strange. It doesn't feel like it was my first time meeting her."

"What do you mean?"

"That I somehow met her outside of Athens and......she was defeated. Not by me alone, but with help", he smiles.

Ariadne goes to smile but stops herself.  "And what about Athena?"

He thinks about it. Even if Eris is dealt with, Athena will want retribution for his betrayal of her. She showed her true colors to him when she abused Ares' trust. She can't be trusted to make a pact where he will serve her continuously.

He cups her face in his hands. "I will swear allegiance to the other gods on the battlefield. I will not fight Athena. I promise you that."

He gives her a deep kiss on the lips followed by a kiss on her belly. He gives her another kiss and she wraps her arms around him to keep him with her. She realizes it would be futile to keep him here and slowly lets go. He breaks the kiss and looks back before leaving the room.

"This will be the signal that I came back."

He gently knocks on the door four times in rapid succession. She understands and he closes the door. She curls up in bed and prays while tearing up.

"Gaia, please bring my husband back to me. I will do whatever you need me to do."

Theseus leaves the inn and stomps a deep hole in the ground. He opens a map to where they are. He commits it to memory and jumps in. He pushes a palm forward while shifting his bare feet. The earth begins to shake slightly as he pushes forward.

I will return, Ariadne. I promise to be there for you and our child! Father, give me strength to defeat Eris!

He silently makes his way forward so that Athena won't notice his presence. He uses all of his senses to avoid hitting waterways and to hear for any suspicious noises.

------------------

On Earth, Penny's gut is telling her that her husband will be facing some kind of danger soon. She holds her daughter close to her for comfort. Karisa picks up on the anxiety and starts bawling.


"I'm sorry, η κόρη μου. (Greek for my daughter) Everything will be alright."

Aiko comes to her and notices that she's pacing around the room while trying to comfort her daughter. She walks up and holds her still with a gentle embrace.

"It's okay. I feel that way too."

Penny doesn't argue. She stands still to let her mother-in-law help her. Aiko hums a lullaby from the past that she would use to calm her children down. The gentle humming eventually gives her family peace. She lets go and stands back to monitor their health. Her granddaughter has fallen to sleep from the lullaby. She puts her in the crib.


"Thank you", Penny whispers. Aiko nods.

In Colorado, Hikari gets that same feeling in her gut. Although her brother's energy levels are at a baseline, something will happen tomorrow. She practices her grounding techniques while squeezing a stress ball. She has to keep calm in order to do her job.

Misha is doing a delivery run and pulls over to catch her breath. She can't help but think of Takashi's upcoming battle.

Her fingers tremble as she goes for the radio to play some soothing music. She manages to raise the volume. Misha takes several breaths but a thought haunts her mind.

Is Poseidon going to get in the way again?

She hits the steering wheel out of frustration for her friends. She's been with Penny throughout the holidays and knows Penny is hiding her stress for the sake of her daughter.

"I fucking hate you, Poseidon! Stop making us suffer! Let him go!", she screamed to the top of her lungs until there's nothing left.

Minutes pass until she recollects herself after looking at the food she has to deliver. She checks her mirror and takes off......The customer is irate for the wait time.

"What took you so-


The lady sees the furious look showing on Misha's face and stops. Misha hands her the food.

"You don't have to tip me. Goodbye", she speaks quickly with a scratchy voice without looking back.

She gets into her car and stays in the parking lot for a bit. She texts Greg to see if he can talk.

"Sure. I can take off from work if you want."

"You don't have to do that."

"I saved up some unused PTO. Do you want to meet at my place?"

"Sure. I appreciate you."

"See you soon."

Taki can feel their anxiety during his training and stops. Dionysus pauses their sparring session. He clutches his necklace while clearing his mind.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I have hope that everything will turn out for the better. I won't get involved tomorrow so I will be safe. Penny, I promise not to worry you. Once I defeat Zeus, I will make sure that you will relax. Misha, I want to thank you for introducing us to each other. Mom and sis, I will be home soon.

Misha feels his presence as she drives to Greg's place. She feels more at peace that he will stay out of trouble tomorrow.

You better live up to that promise.

Hikari also feels her little brother's presence. Her heart stops beating rapidly.

Little brother, don't get involved unless you need to. I know you have help but focus on getting home.

Penny and Aiko feel his calm presence which gives them extra security. His wife inhales as if to take his scent. She exhales and repeats.

"I'm so blessed to have you, honey. Stay out of danger. That will be a hard promise to keep", she lightly chuckles after realizing his true nature.

"Maybe I should ground him when he comes back. Seriously, he made me age 10 years from the stunts he did", Aiko suggests.

I will take care of that for his "punishment." I know just what to do. Here's a little glimpse for you, Taki, her mind thought.

Taki on Gaia is blushing wildly from what his wife wanted to do to him. He turns his face away from Dionysus as he tries to calm himself down. He "lets" out a mental message that essentially means payback.

He stops himself from thinking his next thoughts as the gods around him can sense his intent. Hermes snickered while Artemis turns away.

Penny receives his mental message.

Looking forward to the payback.

Taki kisses the evil eye necklace and rushes at Dionysus.

---

Misha arrives at Greg's place and he opens the door.

"Hey, Greg", her scratchy voice gives it away.

"Are you okay? Do you have a sore throat?"

"No. Just screamed for a bit."

He knows it could be related to the group's anxiety about Takashi's safety.


"I will make us some tea. Sit and relax."

He returns with mugs and hands her one. She takes it and carefully takes a sip. The tea is sweeter with a bit of a kick to it. Her face gives it away.

"I put honey and ginger together so you can feel better soon", he explains.

"You're the best."

Greg takes a sip as they sit quietly. Some time passes as they drink tea.

"Do you think what happened back in October will happen again?", Misha breaks the silence with terror in her voice.

"Part of me does. But he's gotten stronger based on what we saw."

Misha grips her mug tightly.  "But Poseidon probably got in his way. Damn him!"

"He will come back home. I know it. He's got great help from other gods who can turn the tide. We just need to lend him strength when things get crazy."

"Probably for tomorrow. I wish I knew what he was facing."

He nods in agreement. She does a long yawn.

"Do you have work tomorrow?", he asks.


"I'm off tomorrow. Man, it has gotten late. Is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

"The couch is all yours."

"Thank you."

He gets up to go to his closet. He comes back with a blanket and gives it to her. She opens it up and lays down on the couch. She rests her head on some pillows.

"Taki will be alright. He stays out of trouble way more than I do", he assures her. His words lighten her mood.

"That's true. When he makes it back home, how will things change?"

"He could get a lot of things done within one day. He would also be the most powerful man on the planet."

"A real life superhero as our friend. That would be cool", she smiles from ear to ear.

"We do need to consider that he might change a bit based on what he saw, but the core of him will still be the same."

She imagines the torment he had faced based on the messages he had sent them. That he was forced to face his traumatic past with no one familiar to support him. She grips the blanket with white knuckles. Greg realizes how it sounded.

"We will be with him every step of the way. We will be a part of his squad."


Her hands relax. "You're right. Good night."

"Good night."

He goes to walk away to his bedroom.


"Hey. Could you sleep here? Please?", she pleads.

"Sure. Be right back."

He returns with pillows and several blankets for a makeshift bed on the floor. He nestles in.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Everything will be okay."

They try to get some sleep, but the burning question of what will happen tomorrow keeps them up. Greg plays some white noise on his phone that finally lulls them to sleep.

Taki spends the rest of the day training and eats with the group before the big day.

"As a reminder, what is your role?", Ares asks him.

"Staying with Heracles and Hestia. No fighting for me."

"That's right. Hestia's flames will keep you all informed. In case things go wrong, leave the temple and go to the Underworld. Because Aphrodite is gone.....use the dust responsibly", he sighs towards the end.

They sadly nod.

"Everyone knows their roles, right?"

"Harmonia and I will trap them so you can go all out against them", Eros answers.

"Ares will fight Athena while Artemis and Dionysus fight Eris. I will provide them assistance with my speed while Apollo and Hemera provide their own support", Hermes adds his part.

"Phobos and Deimos will assist you, father. And I know what to do when you are done", Harmonia finishes.

"Perfect. Right after we are done, we will coordinate with my mother to confront Zeus. We will play it smart based on the information we learned."


The god of wine hides his violently shaking hands. He cannot wait to avenge Mina, but at least he can quell his violent urges by brutally destroying Eris.

Artemis grasps his hand on her brother's behalf. Dionysus grins at her and is thankful for that act. He sees that Harmonia is nervously clutching her necklace.

"I believe in you, grandma. You know what to do."

"Thanks, grandson. I won't let you down", she flashes a smile.

Taki expresses confusion since Harmonia doesn't look that old to be a grandma, but he lets it go. Perseus and Heracles are here at the same time anyway.

They all go to bed and he is watched again by Heracles and Artemis' dogs as he sleeps. Some burning questions keep him up at night.

Where is Perseus and how can I explain the truth to someone who's heartbroken and furious at me? Can I convince him that his own father was responsible?

The dogs sense his anxiety and they lay across his body like a weighted blanket. He rubs their heads and prays that his powers will return before he faces Zeus.

----------

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location on a cloudy night.

A figure stares out beyond the rocky shore. He raises an object in the air and grips it tightly out of anger. Some musical notes play gently over the beach.

"Get some sleep. We need to be ready for tomorrow", Medea calls out to him while preparing her kit.

"I still don't trust you, but you're right. We can't afford a single mistake", as Orpheus tunes his lyre.

"Of course, I'm right. We have one more person that will join us. They will be here tomorrow."

"Another person that Takashi wronged?"

Medea nods. The figure holding the object finally turns around.

"Justice will be served for all the lives he has hurt", Perseus speaks with venom in his tone.

The moonlight shines through the clouds to reveal the hour hand blade, dry stained with blood. Another truth is revealed. A recently made grave next to Medusa's headstone with a depressed Pegasus resting beside it.


 1st born son of Perseus and Medusa: Chrysaor, the engraved marker reads.

Perseus puts the blade away before petting his second son's mane.

I will make things right for you, Pegasus. Your brother will be avenged. I promise you and your mother that.

***The False War Arc will begin in the next chapter! The gods will clash with their emotions and motives on the line!