One shots

Olympian Siblings Oneshot 6: Stick Up For Yourself

So to start this off, in this oneshot, Zeus is not pictured in a positive light. In fact, he is downright fully abusive. If you don't like that, don't read this. I would also consider the formatting of this being like a 5 times + 1 sort of thing, but it's a little more in depth than normal oneshots following that format and is not 5 times. And as always, I don't own the characters, Rick Riordan and the ancient Greeks do. Anyway, enjoy!

When your brother is born a god and deformed:

Ares was nearly fifteen years old when Hephaestus was born. He had, until that point, been the oldest son of Zeus, and the oldest child of Hera. His only full blood sibling was his twin sister, Enyo, but, being a minor goddess, he didn't get to see her much, as he was his father's heir, golden prince, and was a member of the Olympian Council. Despite being named his father's heir, he knew inheriting the crown of King of Olympus would likely never happen. They were all immortal. Zeus would never die and would never, ever, ever step down for Ares. Anyway, Ares had several half-sisters, from his father's second marriage, and no siblings from his father's first marriage, to a Titaness named Metis. Zeus didn't speak of his previous marriages before Hera, and Ares didn't want to anger his father by bringing them up.

But now Hephaestus had been born. Ares, while still technically young in mortal years, was basically a grown adult by the deity way of aging, and so was very eager to be able to help his mother with raising Hephaestus. Remembering his own upbringing, Ares was more interested in giving his younger brother a more reliable male role model than Zeus, than he was in letting Zeus treat Hephaestus the way he'd been treated growing up.

Even when Ares had been a true child by divine aging, a few months old at most, he'd been expected to be a perfect child. Hera had once argued with Zeus over it, but the goddess of marriage had mostly given up and merely did her best to reassure a younger Ares of his worth when Zeus tried to claim otherwise.

Ares would not allow the same to happen to his little brother.

When Ares went to visit his mother after hearing from Demeter, his aunt who had assisted with the birthing process, that Hera was now resting, he was surprised to see his father already leaving Hera's room.

"Father?" Ares called uncertainly. "I didn't know you were visiting so soon. I would have come with you, had I known. And I would have brought Enyo."

Zeus, already scowling when exiting the room, turned to Ares with a sharp retort. "It is unneeded. Visit Hera if you must, but don't bother me."

Zeus stormed off, leaving Ares very confused. The young god of war merely brushed it off, wanting to see his mother and the baby she'd named Hephaestus since the moment she'd learned the gender.

He knocked politely, knowing Zeus never did and wanting to give his mother, at the very least, respect as she deserved. He heard a hoarse, "come in" and allowed his mother a second before entering.

"Mo-" Ares cuts himself off when he sees there is no child sleeping in Hera's arms the way there should be and when he notices the bitter look on her face. "Mom? Is something the matter?"

Hera purses her lips. "No, dear."

He glances around the room, noting the lack of a baby in the crib beside his parents' bed, and the angry tears in Hera's eyes. Ares turns back to Hera. He pauses a moment, noticing the open widow a few feet from the bed, that his mother preferred to keep closed, due to a draft. Had Hera grown too warm while in labor? Did she want it closed now?

"Where is Hephaestus? Father did not take him. I saw him in the hall with no babe in his arms."

Hera's face falls completely, her lips pressing together tightly. She drops eye contact and Ares sees the way she shudders, as if holding back a sob. She takes a moment to collect herself before answering.