Sea Angels

~12~

Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully as he heard Thanatos and Hades take turns deliberating a plan to capture Perseus, but quite honestly, he wasn't paying that much attention. He was gazing past Hades' shoulder, staring at the empty throne made of a blue marble that swiveled 360-degrees and had a spot for the trident that should've been there: Poseidon's throne.

"-and that's our plan," Hades finished, a smug smile on his lips.

He blinked, refocusing his gaze onto his older brother. Zeus didn't understand why Perseus was such a big deal. He had saved Olympus twice now, it wasn't surprising that he had cheated death. That son of Hephaestus had cheated death, but Thanatos didn't make such a fuss. And as much as he hated to admit it, he would've lost Jason if Thanatos cared that much. But the second Perseus decides to ditch death, Olympus is in an uproar. He just didn't get it.

"Hades," Zeus started, "why does it matter to you if one demigod cheats death, hmm? I see no harm in letting the boy live."

He saw Athena and Hera gawking at him, mouths wide open. Artemis looked shocked while Demeter was humming to herself about different kinds of grains. Apollo and Hermes kept looking at each other then at him and back again until it looked like their necks had a rotator plate installed in them. Dionysus was asleep. Ares was carving something into his throne with a knife. Aphrodite was reapplying lipstick. And Hephaestus looked up from the pieces of metal he was tinkering with for a couple of seconds before he resumed his work.

"Uh, are you our Father?" Apollo asked, raising his hand. "You know, the guy that killed my son for reviving people?"

Hades looked over the sun god with obvious displeasure. "For once, I agree with Sunny Boy over there. Unless Perseus did something to win your eternal favor, I honestly don't see why you're protecting him."

Zeus sighed. "We just fought two major wars, brother. Would you really want to face Poseidon in battle?" From the hearth, Hestia smiled at Zeus, almost like she was proud that he wasn't going trigger happy. He smiled back.

"No," Hades admitted, "but the line of life and death cannot be crossed. There is no grey area, only black and white."

"I agree, but-"

"Then why won't you send a search party to Alaska to bring him here?"

"Hades, take this from the perspective of a father. If your boy, Nico, was dying and he saw Thanatos, but he escaped before his soul could be claimed, would you really force Thanatos to bring him at your feet in chains when you're just going to kill him again?"

"I wouldn't. I'm not going to waste my time and energy on a soul that I'll collect eventually, even if he is my own son."

Zeus splayed his hands out in front of him. "You've just confirmed my point. I don't see any point in wasting our resources on finding Perseus. Anyways, he'll eventually have to come back. Poseidon made me swear on the Styx to not blast a few demigods from Olympus when they visit on the winter solstice, and I believe Perseus will be among them."

"Fine," Hades grumbled. "But if he escapes death again..."

"I seriously doubt that, brother. Now, if that's all..." Zeus trailed off seeing if anyone needed to say anything else. "Well, then, I'll see you all next we-"

"Wait!" Aphrodite cried.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I swear to Olympus if you try shipping 'Artollo' one more time, I'll shoot you so full of arrows that Echidna will look prettier than you."

Zeus winced at the thought as did many of the other council members. Aphrodite blanched, but she didn't show any fear other than that. She actually was brave enough to smile.