(What Has Happened to My Life?)

Mars POV

"OKAY, WHAT IS GOING ON?!" I shout, but no one can hear me.

I snap my fingers, summoning that dark power from deep... elsewhere, and everyone looks at me.

They are terrified.

I let go of my hold, and it's dead quiet..

"What. Is. Going. On?" I ask.

"W-w-we n-needed to s-see who y-you believe," Frigg stammers. "N-Norse o-or Greek,"

"W-which side are you on?" a little girl whispers, and it snaps my heart in two. "W-who do you believe?"

I bite my lip. "I separated myself from the Divine years ago. I don't want any part of it."

Ymir frowns. "THEN WE WILL KILL-"

"No. No you will not." Zeus says, as he comes out of nowhere.

Oh goody goody, good ol' dad to save the day.

I roll my eyes.

"No one will be killing anyone." He continues, his voice booming.

"I had no say in this," Apollo says, or at least I think it's Apollo.

Why is he saying this...?

"What is going on?" Zeus asks the full room.

"S-someone called w-war," Someone murmurs.

"Anyone else?" Zeus asks.

It's dead quiet.

"Well, then who said that someone called war? Or do you all want to be held in Tartarus for the next fifteen reincarnations?"

"Did." A woman in her mid teens steps out of the groaning crowd.

"HILD?!" I gasp in disbelief.

She had disappeared a few years ago.

We had been close friends once, a long time ago.

"Yeah?"

She says the word in a tone, a tone that is... "I never left at all. So why are you saying it like this?"

I stay quiet.

I'm certain I'm bright red and I hate that.

I tune out the voices, and shiver.

I feel like I might cry.

I dunno why.

I just might.

I can feel the stares.

It burns.

"I just heard a voice," Hild continues, "It didn't have very many distinguishing factors, it was... just there. It had said you and My Lord were going to call war."

"We had concluded our feud last year." Zeus says.

"I know but clearly not everybody else knew that so I was unsure." She says, in a tone that, if it were in anyone else's voice I would know is uncertainty.

"Then why did you get everyone in a tizzy if you knew?"

She doesn't say anything.

Zeus frowns. "A voice?"

"Yes," she nods. "And I have no clue whose it was, or where it came from."

"We will discuss later," he says. "Does anyone else have anything else to say about this?"

This time, everyone shot their hands up and they start feuding again.

"SILENCE!" Zeus shouts.

It has always surprised me how much power a Divine King's voice held over the other gods.

My temper sparks. "If this is going to be another hour longer will you please take it to Valhalla, to Mount Olympus, to Niflheim even?!"

"No, you need to be involved. And you are injured."

"Ugh," Apollo pouts. "I'll just heal him-"

"I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF YOU!" I snap, and I immediately regret, realizing that everyone heard it.

Including Korri.

Why...?

The room becomes dead quiet, and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic.

And the stares.

Fear,

Confusion,

Hate,

All projected at me.

I know I'm hated, but it hurts all the same.

But hey, at least we have mutual feelings now.

More or less.

I try to block the guilt, telling myself that Loki is messing with me.

Soon the room fills with smoke, and flying objects, and they're gone.

The bedroom door creaks open and Korri steps into the room.

"What happened?" she asks.

I groan. "Well, Hades basically let loose in here, and the rest of it was gods."

"Welp, is it always gonna be like this?"

I shrug.

"I was gonna tell you something while we were playing our game, but..." she looks around the room. "I think it can wait."

"It definitely can."

"Well, uh, wanna explain what happened?"

When I finish explaining the story to her, she frowns.

"So, why did you yell?"

I look away, my cheeks flaming. "My temper ran hot."

She grins. "'Cause holy crap that was loud."

I can feel the goofy smile form on my face. "It's definitely a Zeus-trait."

"Yeah, it, it was really cool, honestly. But, I'm pretty sure I might be semi-deaf now."

I chuckle. "Sorry,"

"But it was cool, you don't need to apologize."

"Thanks,"

"We can go as friends, right?" Korri asks. "Even though I nearly killed you?"

I nod.

She squeezes my hand, and I suddenly feel fluttery all over.

The door opens, and all goes cold.

"I couldn't- what's going on?" It's Lola.

And I immediately hide under the blanket.