For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95

Chapter 40

Tony blinked, "Please don't tell me that that's another god."

Hermes raised an eyebrow, "Of course I am, what else would I be? Now gather round, don't want anyone being left behind now do we?"

Natasha's response was to whip out another gun and pointed it at him, "I asked, who are you and how did you find this place?"

Hermes sighed, "You people... Always so technical." He complained.

"You brought it upon yourself, appearing out of nowhere like that in a secret base." Percy said, smirking at the god's plight .

Hermes sighed again, "Fine fine fine, I'm Hermes, god of travelers and resident messenger of Olympus, which means I deliver goods to places, which explains how I found this place. Happy?" he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And thieves, don't forget the thieves." Percy muttered, dodging Hermes' half hearted swipe.

Hermes rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "Now can we go?"

Loki snorted, "They're mortals, everything is technical to them."

Hermes pointed at him, scowling, "And you, you cost me a hundred drachma buddy, so don't talk to me."

Loki raised an eyebrow, but Hermes turned his attention back to the group, "Now can we really go? I don't want my father to get crankier than he already is."

They looked to Steve, who asked, "Go where?"

Loki answered for them, "Where do you think? Obviously we're going to Olympus."

Hermes clapped, "Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" He said sarcastically.

Steve looked at Percy for confirmation, the demigod nodded, and they all shuffled closer to the god. All of them were staring at the god, but that was because they didn't believe that he was one. On the other hand, Thor was staring at Hermes, slightly thrown off by his youthful and modern appearance. He had expected the god to look more like his age, instead, he was greeted with a modern looking man who seemed exactly like a mortal, if not for the aura he had around him that made Thor pause before he offended the Greeks.

"Close your eyes, no peeking, and I mean that literally. You open your eyes while we travel this way, you're dead. Incinerated. Burnt to cinders. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust." Hermes added in seriously, knowing that some things shouldn't be joked about.

When everyone had closed their eyes reluctantly, – even Tony did so obediently despite his curiosity – Hermes snapped his fingers, and all nine of them vanished in a bright flash of golden light.

They only opened their eyes when they heard Hermes give the all clear, and all were stunned into silence at the hugeness of the structures around them. Tall, golden pillars rose from marble ground up to the ceiling which seemed to be so high up above their heads that it seemed as though one could fit a skyscraper in. The area was devoid of people, being near the throne room of the gods, but there was a soothing atmosphere that was amplified by the soft sounds of water spouting from a fountain located in the middle of the grounds they were on, the liquid shimmering and shining as the sun's rays caught them. The pillars were huge, intricate designs carved on their surface. As Bruce stepped closer to get a better look, he saw small figures spread out across the pillar's main body, intricate battles waged over the concrete canvas. A serpentine creature wound around the upper section of circular pillar, its mouth opened wide at a bow-wielding individual, its fangs dripping with poison, the scales of its body meticulously detailed*.

For a moment, the avengers forgot about where they were, and what they were doing here, mesmerized by the architecture and the beauty of the place.