No More Olympus

Chapter 28

"Why is he on my show?" Hildner asked.
In less than a second, he was replaced by a real estate commercial.
The five of them sat in silence as they stared at the television on Hermes private jet.
They were only a few minutes outside of a small private airport near Timber Creek, Alabama. Luckily, with Hermes' celebrity status and fortune, they were able to sneak out of Greece relatively under the radar and fast enough that they were able to make it back to America by sundown.
"Well, it's official," Aphrodite began as she sat upside down in her chair, her long blond hair flowing down onto the carpet, "We've been outed."
"There has to be a better word for that," Athena sighed.
"Well, what would you call it?" Aphrodite asked, "Because 'outed' seems like the appropriate word for me."
"The video doesn't show our faces," Athena assured her as she rested her legs on Jacob's lap, "There's nothing they can use to trace us. We're safe."
"But now they know we're around," Hermes reminded her, "It won't be long before they start looking for us."
"Then they'll find you first, Mr. 'Miracle Maker'," Aphrodite joked.
"Why me?" He asked.
"Because your sneakers have wings on them, dumbass," Ares said dryly, looking up from the phone he had just bought in the Athens airport that morning and had not put down since he got it, "You market your brand on your own imagery. It is like playing identity chicken."
"They won't be looking for us here," Athena reassured them, "All they know is that we're Greek gods, fighting a Greek monster. In Greece, it'll be years before they even consider we're in the new world."
"The new world?" Jacob repeated, looking almost as if he was about to laugh.
"Sorry," Athena smiled awkwardly, "Slip of the tongue."
"Sure thing, old lady," Jacob mocked.
Athena slapped his shoulder playfully.
"Ares, you better be careful," Hermes warned, "I heard looking at those things for too long damages your eyes."
Ares only grunted in response, refusing to look up from his phone.
"What are you even doing over there?" Jacob asked.
"Nothing," Ares shut down.
"You watching porn?" Aphrodite asked.
"I am not one to waste my time on such pointless addictions," Ares sneered.
"Whatever," Aphrodite shrugged, "How much longer till we land?"
"We get there when we get there!" Athena snapped.
"Why does 'the Facebook' need my phone number?" Ares questioned.
"It's just Facebook," Jacob corrected.
"That is grammatically asinine," Ares retorted.
"It's for security," Athena explained, "It's to keep people from breaking into your account."
"Why would anyone want to break in?" Ares asked, "What would they steal, gold, jewelry, state secrets?"
"Personal information," Athena answered.
"Like my phone number?" Ares said snidely.
"Then don't sign up," Athena shrugged, "Our town could use a local hermit."
"For Gaia's sake!" Aphrodite snapped, rolling out of her chair and snatching Ares' phone from him, "Just use mine."
She stood there for a moment as she punched in her number.
"There, welcome to the modern world," Aphrodite smiled, tossing the phone back to him, which he skillfully plucked out of the air, "Stay off the news page. It'll make you go nuts."
"Says today's top story," Jacob said.
"Har har," Aphrodite said in her usual playful way, "So Jakey, how are you handling the whole 'married to a goddess' codswallop?"
"Better than I am with you saying codswallop," Jacob responded.
"Critiquing word choice?" Aphrodite chuckled, turning toward Athena, "For Eros' sake. You didn't stand a chance."

Within the hour, the plane had landed back in Alabama, where Ares and Jacob promptly went to get the truck out of the cargo bay.
"So this is where you live," Hermes remarked, looking around at the horizon as he stepped off the plane, "It's... quaint."
"Yep," Athena nodded, following him down the stairs with her bag over her shoulder, "Welcome to middle America."
Hermes breathed in deeply as he reached the tarmac.
"What's that smell?" He asked, his face turning sour.
"Manure," Athena said, patting him on the shoulder, "Welcome to the real world, don't worry, you don't have to stay long."
"Well, we're not going anywhere until we meet those kiddies of yours," Aphrodite insisted, being the last to hop off the plane and slide down the stair railing.
"Would you mind if we did it some other time?" Athena asked.
"Really, Gray?" Aphrodite sighed, "What about that whole 'I am Olympian' stuff this morning?"
"I know," Athena assured her, "It's just that they're with Jacob's parents right now, and as much fun as it sounds to subject my in-laws to you guys right now. I have enough to explain away right now with the whole going missing for the last three days nonsense, as well as the secretly having siblings thing."
Aphrodite glared at her disapprovingly.
"Next time you visit," Athena assured her, "I promise."
"Swear on Styx?" Aphrodite asked, holding out her hand.
"Swear on Styx," Athena repeated, taking her hand without a second thought.
"Good," Aphrodite smiled, "It would be cruel to rob them of their cool aunt or their fun uncle."
"Hear! Hear!" Hermes agreed, walking out of the airport's office with their paperwork, "I have been thinking of things I need to teach your kids since we first arrived in Athens."
"No," Athena rejected, "If I find itching powder in my underthings one more time, I am going to beat your head in with those shiny boots of yours."
"Fine," Hermes grinned, "No itching powder."
"No, I mean no teaching my kid's pranks," Athena clarified, closing the loophole.
"What are you, a lawyer?" Hermes asked rhetorically.
"Alrighty," Jacob announced as he walked out from behind the plane with Ares' truck slowly crawling behind him, "We're all set."
"Alright," Aphrodite nodded, pulling Athena in for a very tight hug that would have rivalled Ares's grip.
"You both have my number," Athena hugged back, "Send me a message when you land."
"I will," Aphrodite agreed, "I'm gonna miss you, Gray."
"Then you'll have to visit soon," Athena smiled as she pulled away.
Aphrodite nodded before turning her attention to Jacob.
"Jakey!" She smiled, pulling him into a death grip of a hug, "Welcome to the family."
A strange look fell on Jacob's face.
"Why are you grabbing my ass?" He questioned.
"Aphrodite!" Athena scolded.
"Just curious," Aphrodite laughed off, letting him go, "Wanted to see what you were working with, congratulations."
Athena turned her attention over to Hermes as the two hugged.
"I would say stay out of trouble, but where's the fun in that?" Athena said.
Hermes laughed.
"I will try to keep it off the front page. How about that?" He assured her.
"That's a good man," she chuckled, patting him on the back as the two separated.
"Can we speed things up?" Ares grunted as he climbed out of his truck, "I want to get home before we lose daylight."
"Hold on!" Aphrodite declared, "I want at least a photo of the four of us before we go anywhere. Jakey, if you would be so kind."
"Oh sure," Jacob nodded, stepping back and pulling out his phone.
Aphrodite immediately walked up to Athena and put her arm around her, Hermes rested his wrists on both girls' respective shoulders, and Ares stood off just to the side with his arms crossed.
"Savour the moment, Jakey," Aphrodite said through her smile, "You're taking part in something that's never happened before, four Olympians in one photograph."
"Be sure to tell the papers," Athena said sarcastically.
"Done," Jacob announced after snapping a few pictures.
"Okay," Aphrodite nodded, "Now we're done."
"Finally!" Ares sighed in relief, "Let's hit the road."
The two groups finally went their separate ways, with Hermes and Aphrodite headed toward the plane back to Los Angeles, and Ares, Jacob and Athena headed toward the truck to drive back to Timber Creek.
That was before Aphrodite hesitated.
"Hey!" She called out, turning back around and marching toward the other group, "Ares!"
"What now?" Ares groaned, turning back around the face the marching goddess.
Aphrodite suddenly wrapped her arms around Ares' neck, lifted herself up on her toes, and placed a small, prolonged kiss on him.
"Don't be a stranger," she smiled before walking away back onto the plane.
"What's their deal?" Jacob whispered.
"I have no goddamn idea anymore," Athena admitted.
Ares had not said a word.
In fact, if you were going by his expression, you would've said he hadn't even noticed it.
Athena looked between him and Aphrodite as she slowly disappeared behind the walls of the plane.
Hermes was busy giving Ares his cheekiest grin as well as a pair of thumbs up.
"Hermes!" Aphrodite's voice rang out, "Viasou!"
"See ya," Hermes waved as he ran onto the plane whose engines were flaring to life.
In a matter of minutes, the plane had soared into the air and disappeared into the massive marmalade sky.
"Will you two stop cloudwatching before it becomes star gazing?" Ares demanded.
"Why are you in such a hurry to get home?" Jacob asked.
"I left that Connor boy in charge," Ares explained, "Now I have to make sure he didn't burn down my gym."
"Who's Connor," Jacob asked.
"Megan's kid," Athena explained.
"Megan from book club?" he asked.
"The very same," She nodded.
"Then we better hurry," Jacob agreed, climbing into the backseat of the truck.
Athena climbed into the front seat as Ares sparked the engine to life.
"So, where did that come from?" She asked slyly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," He lied.
"You and Aphrodite," she reminded him, "Remember when she stuck her tongue down your throat thirty seconds ago?"
"She was just being friendly," Ares shrugged off.
"Even Aphrodite's not that friendly," Athena rejected.
"Whatever," Ares sneered as he turned onto the open road.