A Second Chance

So You Wanna Be A Hero...

[THEBES]

After everyone settled down, and Phil reluctantly agreed to take you in and train you for the foreseeable future, Hercules escorted you to where you'd be staying with them. Turns out, in the years since you were last on this world, Hercules had become something of a celebrity. During the short walk from the Coliseum to Hercules' (massive) house, you could quickly tell just how much time really had changed in this world. Women and girls now threw themselves at Hercules during your walk, while men... well, threw themselves at Herc, too, if you were gonna be honest.

You found it highly amusing. He, however, did not.

"I'm really sorry about this," Herc apologizes for the tenth time as he pushes you through the screaming crowd gathered outside of the tall gate protecting his house. He pauses to shoot the crowd a wave and a smile before he closes the gate's door behind him, and you swear you see a few girls pass out in response to his greeting. "They're just... everywhere."

"I can tell. What exactly did I miss anyway, besides you becoming so muscley?" you ask as you point to his ripped arms.

He laughs good-naturedly as he runs a hand through his hair before giving a shrug, leading you up a winding stone path to his home.

"I trained... a lot. For many years. Then suddenly, our world disappeared –"

"Olympus fell to the dark?" you interrupt mid-sentence with a gasp and a shocked expression.

"Yeah," Herc agrees with a sad shake of his head as he glances down at you. "It was horrible. I don't remember anything except for a strange flash of this... purple light that shone down from the sky in the middle of my training. And then, out of nowhere, we reappeared and went back to normal life... as if nothing had happened. And then, I became a hero."

"Oh, as if it's so easy," you scoff with a roll of your eyes, causing the man to chuckle lightly. "You make becoming a hero sound like it's a cake walk."

"Trust me, it's not. It's a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and pain. But you can do it," he reassures you as he gives you a light slug on your shoulder, causing you to stumble to the side from the sheer strength of his fist. "Sorry!" he adds as you correct yourself and shoot him a glare.

"You're definitely not that lanky, insecure kid I met anymore, Herc," you tell him as you rub your sore shoulder. "And... thanks. For the vote of confidence."

Herc beams as he reaches a hand towards his front door, wrenching it open with practically no effort.

"Don't mention it, [Name]."

You return his smile for a moment before you shift your attention forward. Your eyes widen as you take in the sight of his house. It's absolutely beautiful, with all white walls and ceilings and floors, and colorful decorations lining where the ceiling and walls meet. Stunning paintings and statues line the entryway. It's like nothing you've ever seen.

"You can afford this?" you ask the man in awe.

"Never hurts, being the son of a God," Herc muses casually as he brushes past you, allowing the front door to close behind him.

"Wait... What?!" you squeak as you hurry after him once the shock subsides, his laughter echoing off the tall ceilings as the two of you make your way into his house. "You're a God?" you repeat as you catch up with Herc, falling in line with him.

"Not really," he corrects with a shrug. "My parents are, though. My dad is Zeus, and my mom is Hera. They rule over the Gods and Goddesses from Olympus."

The two of you are silent for a few seconds as you contemplate what he just told you. It's strange, definitely, but after what you just went through for the past eleven years... who are you to judge?