Pat Twice

Chapter 13

Earlier that night:

"Are you sure about this?" Thanatos asked Minthe as they stumbled out of his car. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her lips covering his.

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" She murmured back, trying to hold herself together in front of him. They had just watched Hades get into bed with another woman. Of course Minthe wasn't sure about Hades. But she was damn sure that she could hurt him just as bad.

"I just don't want you to think that I was trying to take advantage-."

"Just shut up and kiss me," she quipped back, pressing herself onto him.

He sighed happily and picked her up off the ground, his hands on her butt as he carried her down the stairs to his apartment in the basement of the complex. He rushed through his apartment into the bedroom and put her on the bed. She was about to kiss him again when he pulled away. He looked at her for a few moments.

"What?" She asked quietly, feeling her cheeks get hot.

"I just wanted to look at you," he said softly before jumping onto her.

Present:

Thanatos slept soundly next to her, snoring lightly every few moments. He fell asleep immediately afterwards, holding her tight to him. Which she didn't exactly mind, considering she cuddled close next to him for most of the night.

Minthe sighed and wiggled out from Thanatos' grip. He sighed in his sleep before turning his back to her. She quietly got out of bed and began finding her clothes tossed around the room.

"Sorry," she whispered to his sleeping body in the dark. She felt bad about leaving in the middle of the night... but she knew she couldn't stay. She pulled on her clothes, grabbed her phone, and headed up the stairwell.

"Gods, I'm a mess," she said to herself at the top, turning the knob and opening the door to broad daylight.

"What the hell?" she said, completely shocked. The Underworld was as bright as a summer's day on Olympus. Everyone was outside squinting at the sky and whispering to one another. She whipped out her phone to call Thetis.

Ring...

Ring...

Rin-

"What?" Thetis asked angrily.

"Have you looked outside?" Minthe yelled back, quickly turning towards her house and walking as fast as she could.

"Why would I look outside? I was SLEEPING!" Thetis shouted back, only making Minthe pissed.

"It's fucking sunny out," Minthe said in an annoyed tone. There was a long pause as Thetis shuffled around on the other end.

"Oh my gods..." Thetis said in disbelief.

"You need to find out what's going, I'll be home soon," Minthe said quickly.

"Okay..." Thetis replied, still clearly shocked.

Beep.

Minthe hung up the phone and looked around her as she turned the corner towards home. Everywhere she looked there were confused faces and angry glares.

"What is that god doing down here?" One person mumbled as Minthe walked by.

"It's well known that the King dislikes him..." another person commented.

Minthe kept her head down, trying to ignore all the people as she walked home. Only two more blocks, and then I'm home. Hurry your ass up!

"Excuse me, Minthe?" A voice asked behind her. She felt her eyes turn to slits as she slowly turned to a reporter behind her.

"What?" She asked in an irritated voice.

"I just wanted to confirm the relationship status between you and the King of the Underworld?" Minthe turned on her heels and walked as quickly as possible.

"I don't have to talk to you, I'm going home," she said angrily.

"Where are you coming from then?" The reporter asked, rushing to keep up with her as she walked. She felt her eyes widen, realizing her mistake.

"We're done here, don't follow me," she said, now only a block from home. The reporter snapped a few pictures before giving up on her. She could hear him make a phone call, telling someone else that he caught up with "the King's disgraced ex-girlfriend".

What the hell is going on...

She made it down her street and ran up the steps to her front door. She jammed the keys into the lock and flung the door open.

"Thetis!" She screamed into the house. Thetis was still staring out a window at the bright world around her.

"You need to read this..." she said dazed, holding out her phone for Minthe without taking her eyes off the sky.

"What is it," Minthe said bitterly, snatching the phone and reading the headline.

THE DAILY OLYMPIAN- posted 32 minutes ago

KING OF THE UNDERWORLD LOSES FIGHT AGAINST GOD OF SUN

Sources say that Apollo arrived in the Underworld at approximately 6 in the morning. Following close behind him were Zeus and Hera. Zeus stepped in and ended the altercation between Hades and Apollo. The source of the fight is still unclear, but we have reason to suspect that the gods may have been arguing over the goddess of spring, Kore (otherwise known as Persephone). She is the daughter of Demeter. We will update the story as details come in.

Below the brief article were pictures of Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Hades, and Persephone. Pictures of Zeus and Hera turning from the camera, of Apollo and Hades arguing, of Hades on the ground, of Persephone running outside to Hades...

"This is bad..." Minthe said to herself.

"Look!" Thetis cried, pointing to the sky. The sun was setting quickly, completely gone within a few seconds.

"I don't understand-." Minthe started before Thetis jumped in.

"How Hades got his ass so royally kicked?" She said in a snarky tone, leaving the window. She sat on the couch and watched Minthe pace.

"Hades should have won. He should have been able to destroy Apollo. But in the pictures, he looks like... like he gave up? He looked so weak," Minthe sat on the ground in front of Thetis and kept scrolling through the photos, cringing at the damage that Apollo did to Hades. He looked like a shell of a god.

"Maybe he was having an off day?" Thetis asked.

"He doesn't have off days, Thetis," Minthe snipped back, frustrated that she couldn't figure out why he let Apollo win.

"Ask him then," Thetis cracked back. Minthe kept looking at the photos, kept trying to decipher the looks on Hades' face.

"He must have a reason for making himself look weak. He wouldn't roll over like this..." Minthe kept whispering to herself, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She felt Thetis shuffle around in front of her.

"What happened?" Thetis said sweetly.

"What?" Minthe responded, looking up from the post.

"I'm on the phone, sweetie," She mouthed to Minthe, putting up one finger. Minthe glared back at her.

"With who?" She mouthed back.

"Hades," Thetis said, a mischievous smile on her face.