"When it came into focus again, I saw Hades kneeling in the ruin, holding the broken form of Maria di Angelo." -The Last Olympian, page 209

1943

Hades slumped over his desk burying his head in his hands. His pale skin was flushed and tear-stained. A beep sounded from his telephone. Charon.

"Charon, I swear, if you're calling for a pay raise so you can get another of those insufferable Italian suits, you can join the ghosts you pole across the Styx in the Fields of Asphodel!"

A totally different voice that was definitely not Charon answered with a little bit of mirth. "I'm not calling about a pay raise so I can buy insufferable Italian suits. And I'm hoping that I won't be joining those ghosts permenantly any time soon."

Hades rubbed his forehead. "Poseidon. What are you doing here? You and Trigger-Happy normally avoid my domain like it's riddled with plague."

Poseidon's voice took a somber note, losing the hint of mirth. "I met Maria by chance, brother. I saw the damage done to the hotel. Are the children safe?"

Hades swallowed. "Yes, Nico and Bianca are safe, away from my paranoid, ready-to-be-disowned brother."

"Maria was a good woman," Poseidon said gently.

He sighed. "Might as well come in, Poseidon. I can tell this will take a while." Poseidon hung up the phone after muttering an agreement. Hades let his own click into place on the cradle. He rubbed his face ruefully. Poseidon was more stubborn than any of the gods, including Zeus, and even on enemy ground he could put up a severe fight if attacked. Despite what Athena said, Poseidon was actually quite smart, especially during battle or if it was about water. True, he wasn't much help when it came to book things, but he was smarter than Zeus. Then again, Dionysus was smarter than Zeus.

"Despite the fact that Hitler murdered six million people for nothing more than their religion, your boy did have the right idea. I do regret siding with Zeus," Poseidon said in the doorway, his eyes saddened. "More deaths could've been avoided, and maybe we could've beaten some sense into his fried skull."

"The golden net didn't help, three thousand years ago. I doubt even getting pulverized would Zeus get the hint. And we've had this conversation, Poseidon. I'm not going to claim it. I don't want it. I don't want to deal with bickering gods left and right. It's work in times like these, but I am content with what I have," Hades said firmly. "And besides, Hestia would probably do a better job."

Poseidon threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "I would do a better job than Air Head! If he keeps doing this, it will be the end of the Silver Age. You of all people know that."

Hades buried his head in his hands. "No, Poseidon. I will not trade with Zeus. The Underworld would be in chaos instantly. He will be free before the next millineum then, and we would still have no time to prepare. Athena would not listen to you or me anyway, and even if she did, she would argue her way out of it. And Zeus stubbornly refuses to look at the facts. And I haven't been completely honest with you on the subject of war. Grandmother is rising as well."

Poseidon's face went white.

"My little girl, Hazel Levesque, the first in centuries to possess the power of riches, was tricked by her mother into raising Alcyoneus in Alaska. Marie was being possessed by her at night, telling Hazel to raise her greatest treasure. The last night, she let go of Marie, and Hazel realized that what she was doing was wrong. She destroyed Alcyoneus, sank the Heart of the Earth into Resurrection Bay, and sacrificed herself in delaying the rise of Grandmother."

"At best, it will be until the 1980s when Alcyoneus will rise, and, assuming we last that long, sometime around 2010 for Grandmother," Hades said tiredly. "Hazel died in August of last year."

Poseidon sank into a chair, shaking.

"Two wars, back to back," he said, disbelief coloring his weak voice.

"Oh," Hades realized. "Also, Hazel was a daughter of Pluto."

Poseidon let out a muffled sound that sounded like a half-sob, half-squeak. "So we've got the Romans sucked into this too?"

Hades sighed. "Yes."

It was slient for a long while as they processed the fact that they would have at least three wars: one against Kronos, one against Gaea, and a civil war between the Romans and Greeks.

"Hades?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do people never listen to you?"

"Because people are creeped out by the fact that I am around more dead people than live ones. That I'm able to summon an undead army with a flick of my wrist. That I control the dead. Because many people think that I'm the embodiment of death, which I'm not. That would be Thantos," Hades said grimly. "They think that I'm too dark. Apollo and I have never really gotten along, especially since I've now cursed his Oracle."

"You need to quit making rash oaths and curses when you're mad," Poseidon said. "Then again, who am I to talk?"

Hades's head shot up as he thought of an idea. "Artemis. Could you ask her? She doesn't have any prejudices against us besides the whole male thing."

"Stay back five feet and I'm good," Poseidon agreed. "I'll see if I could."

"She has the ear of Athena, who is close with Zeus. Zeus can finally put his stubborness and dramatics to good use," Hades said thoughtfully.

Poseidon nodded. "I might be back. I honestly don't know."

Then he took a pearl and stomped on it. A milky white sphere enveloped him, and he went up, through the rock ceiling like it was water.

1951

"Oceanus is stirring. Sea creatures so old I've nearly forgotten them are awakening. Earthquakes not of my control are more frequent. I'm building up my army, but I don't know his forces. Spies that I send don't come back. A single cyclops came back, bloody and scared, banging on the doors of Atlantis, and only managed to get out, "Thousands of them. The depths of the sea are stirring. Don't send anymore." Then he went to the pit," Poseidon said, striding into Hades's office. "Hello, Melinda. Delphin is staring to rally the dolphins and sharks. You wouldn't believe how much help lobsters are—"

Hades snorted. "You've been down here too often when you know my secratary's name."

Melinda waved at Poseidon.

"I talked to Artemis again, she agrees, there are a lot of ancient creatures stirring. None of them are awake yet, thank the gods," Poseidon said, sitting down.

Hades sighed. He'd grown much closer to his brother and niece in the past decade or so. After Artemis had been written off like a child by Athena and Zeus, she took it upon herself to ally with Poseidon and Hades, hunting as many monsters as possible, sending the awakening ones back to sleep. Poseidon acted like an ambassador (sort of) between Hades and Artemis, namely because Artemis was a bit like her father in being paranoid. The first time Alecto made an appearance she'd be in Tartarus with a silver arrow in her forehead. No, Artemis was not coming down here and vaporizing his helpers.

"We need more allies," Poseidon mumbled to himself. Aphrodite and Dionysus wouldn't do much. Athena wouldn't listen to him because of the rivalry, Athena wouldn't listen to Hades for who-knows-why. They could both forget about Zeus. Hera, maybe, if she was feeling vengeful. Demeter might talk to Poseidon, but definitely not Hades for the Persephone incident. Hermes might side with them if he knew how serious it was, as he had full access to the Underworld anyway...

The doorbell rang, scaring Poseidon out of his thoughts. "Speaking of the devil," Hades muttered. He got up and answered the door.

"Hey, Uncle Hades! Uh, Persephone ordered this necklace from—Uncle Poseidon?!"

Hades raised his eyebrows. Poseidon roared with laughter. "Persephone did not order a necklace from me! Hello, Hermes."

"Wha-What the heck are you doing here?!"

Poseidon chuckled. Hades suppressed a grin. "Your face is priceless, nephew," Hades said, amused.

"The Olympians get the Zeus-approved version of things, Hermes. Hades and I have been close for a decade or so," Poseidon explained, grinning at the dumbfounded look on the younger god's face.

"Give or take a few years," Hades agreed, mirth in his eyes as he watched the god of messengers' eyes practically pop out of his head.

"But—but—"

"—Zeus will have a cardiac arrest," Poseidon agreed. "When he finds out, definitely. Wait, is that even possible for a god to have cardiac arrest?"

Hades shrugged.

Hermes began to laugh at the incredulity of it all. "How many people know?"

"Persephone, Thantos, Hypnos, and Melinoe on my end," Hades admitted. "Along with most of the ghosts in the Aphosdel fields."

"Amphrite, Delphin, Triton, Hestia, and most of the citizens of Atlantis," Poseidon said.

"And your half-sister, Artemis, and her Hunters," Hades said, watching Hermes closely.

Hermes snorted. "That explains her weird behavior. She's always trying to convince Athena that Kronos is rising. Zeus practically had to bind her to her throne to get her to shut up and proceed with the Solstice meeting."

"That's because he is," Poseidon and Hades said together, dryly. "Who do you think told her that?" Hades added.

"And that's not even the worst of it," Poseidon said, mock-cheerfully.

Hermes was torn between laughing and fainting.

Hades had to laugh at the way his nephew was alternately turning pink from suppressed laughter to pale from fear. "Is that healthy?" Poseidon asked, also watching Hermes, half-laughing, half-concerned. Hades shrugged. "I don't think so."

Poseidon guided the younger god to a chair. "I'm sorry, Hermes. I've had eight years to cope with the idea of three wars back-to-back. You haven't."

Hermes finally decided on fainting. His face was paler than Hades's. "Three wars," he said softly. "Grandfather, Earth, and the re-starting of the Civil War, correct?"

Hades nodded. "Father is just the start, and who knows what he will release as friendly surprises."

"I will probably be separate in the second Titan war," Poseidon said softly. "Oceanus stirs in the ancient depths, and randomly I will get spurts of attackers against the city. If he keeps this up, he will awaken the same time Father does, and breach the ancient treaty for peace between us."

The other two both looked confused.

"I had to marry Amphrite and our child, Triton, would have to be my heir," Poseidon clarified. "It was an arranged marriage, though I have grown to love her now."

"Gag," Hermes said mildly. Hades snorted. "When should the onslaught start?"

Poseidon's face hardened. "Everything will start going downhill from the year 2000."

Hades whipped his head in his brother's direction. "How do you know that?"

"Triton was screaming in his sleep about the next millienium, about lightning and storm and death set against each other by their children, and about trees and dogs with daggers for teeth and lava for eyes," Poseidon said grimly. Hermes looked at the brothers fearfully like he expected them to blow up on each other right then and there. Hades looked incredulous.

"Trees?" Hades asked, confused.

Poseidon nodded. "I was kind of wondering that myself. But I was more worried about Zeus, you, and I set against each other by our children, and how hellhounds fit into all of this."

"Maybe you all have kids and you all find out at the same time and are mad that you all broke the oath, no matter how hypocritical it is," Hermes suggested bluntly.

"I hate to admit it, but Hermes has a point," Poseidon snorted, rubbing his face tiredly. "That does sound like how we used to act."

If only they knew...

1969

"Alcyoneus is nearly awake," Hades said, biting the inside of his cheek. Poseidon looked surprised at the fact that Hades knew exactly when Poseidon came into the room. "You always come an hour after sunset," Hades said, remarking on his brother's unasked question.

"You know me far too well," Poseidon said. "Where's Persephone?"

"She was itching to go tend to her garden," Hades said, smiling softly.

"Hi, Melinda," Poseidon said. Melinda gave Poseidon a little wave. "Atlantis is building an underground bunker that is impenatrable once sealed. It's a pre-caution in case I really do have to abandon Atlantis to help the other gods defeat whatever it is that Father's stirred up."

"I've brought Hera into the game," Hades said bluntly. Poseidon choked.

"Excuse me?!"

"I don't know what help she'll be either," Hades admitted. "But Hera's always there for a loophole. Heaven knows I've used enough of them. If we're to survive the upcoming restart of the Civil War and dear Grandmother, I have no doubt that she'll be cooking up some scheme. I can see why you told Hestia all those years ago."

"I didn't tell her. She knew we got close the year after I first came to see you after Maria's death," Poseidon said dryly. "She brought it up, scared me out of my skin, and then practically had to slap me to get me to listen to her. And then I told her the real extent of it."

"How did she take it?" Hades asked, curious.

"I frankly think that she knew about it before we ever did," Poseidon said sheepishly. "I seriously doubt that anything will manage to surprise her. She holds a lot of secrets," here he looked at Hades meaningfully. "Like my brother, god of the Underworld."

Hades narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "You really thought I wouldn't figure out that you've kept in touch with all of the different panthenons? The chair that I'm sitting on is Eskimo make!"

Hades laughed outright. "Two things: Ok, fine, you got me," he rolled his eyes. "And that isn't even close to the biggest of my secrets, Poseidon. How did you find out?"

His brother smirked and held up his index finger, indicating the first reason. "The chairs aren't something you'd normally order." He held up his middle finger. "We all know that Raven's a prankster," he said indicating to the area where Hades had painted over something on his desk. Poseidon held up his ring finger. "You have letter stamps going to Egypt, Alaska, Iceland, Hawaii, and many others, signalling that you send something to those areas frequently." He held up his pinkie. "Hel's handwriting is hard to forget," he said dryly, holding up a letter that was more swirls than letter. He held up his thumb. "Finally, everyonce in awhile your voice drops into an accent that isn't noticable unless you're looking for it."

Hades snorted. "Who are you, Sherlock Holmes?"

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not stupid. Or unobservant. And don't even bother to correct my thinking, I know better than to combine the panthenons again. But one can daydream."

Hades shut his mouth. His brother had been right, he'd caught a stray thought from Poseidon and immediately reacted.

"Plus I can't ever see Zeus accepting help," Poseidon said wryly.

Hades shrugged.

1981 (seven years until Thalia is born)

Poseidon burst into Hades's office, shaking and pale, muttering things that didn't make any sense to Hades. Then Hades realized that Poseidon was having a vision, as gods often have, and had somehow made his way here through the vision-induced blindness. Hades leapt up and guided his brother to a chair and forced him to sit, chewing on his lip in his indescision on what to do. Hades didn't normally have visions unless something really, really important was going to happen and directly affect him. And even then, it has to be within a year to the event, whatever it was. He remembered the splitting headaches he had after he had one, and he asked Melinda to get a bucket of water for Poseidon, please.

Melinda went away, and Hades crouched, staring up into his brother's face, frowning, feeling rather helpless on what to do. Then suddenly Poseidon stopped shaking, staring at nothing, his face contorted into one of horror.

"Poseidon?" Hades asked, alarmed, rising a little bit.

Abruptly, Poseidon's eyes focused on Hades's with an intensity that actually scared the god of the Underworld. "Seven to be born, twelve to live, and seven to sleep, for death never gripped her soul," he hissed in a voice that Hades didn't associate with laid-back Poseidon. He scrambled backwards, the small of his back hitting his desk, sending a small amount of pain flaring through him. "A shattered oath to never be told of, followed in six by his brother's love, prophecy child shows the way, never to be led astray, heroes of Olympus give it their all, only to be lost as two of them fall."

Then he face-planted into the floor.

Any other time, Hades would've basically pointed and laughed until he was practically crying, but after that vision that Poseidon went through and issuing a freaking prophecy (normally that's Apollo's job, not Poseidon's), and thoroughly creeping Hades out, frankly, Hades didn't feel like laughing. He felt like screaming and running away.

"Gods," Poseidon groaned. "That was a doozy."

Hades sighed in relief. Poseidon. Not that whatever-that-voice-was. "I've got a bucket of water if you need it," Hades said.

"What on earth— Hades?"

Hades laughed weakly. "Yeah, you're in Hades. You're talking to Hades. You somehow found your way here during your vision. It was...creepy. Weird. Normally Apollo's the one that issues the prophecies, Poseidon."

Poseidon groaned and hauled himself into the chair that he fell out of. He did a double take as he saw Hades's paler-than-normal face. "What did I say?!"

Hades snorted. "More like what didn't you say. You didn't say too many happy things, that's for sure. First it was about some girl: seven to be born, twelve to live, and seven to sleep, for death never gripped her soul, which was creepy in and of itself. Then there was, 'a shattered oath to never be told of, followed in six by his brother's love, prophecy child shows the way, never to be led astray, heroes of Olympus give it their all, only to be lost as two of them fall', which was infintely more creepy since you were speaking like a snake would talk if it could talk."

Poseidon's face was white. "It's soon. They'll be born real soon. She'll stand tall and protect the camp, but she won't be the prophecy child. The one after her will be, though. And I think he's going to be my son."

Hades's eyebrows were raised. "The girl will be born in seven years. 1988. Zeus will be the first to break his oath, of course. Then, six years later, you'll have your kid, the prophecy child, obviously with the fatal flaw of loyalty." His eyes widened. "Your son was right, it adds up. Seven years, then twelve. 2000. And then a short decade after that."

Poseidon's eyes narrowed, and he cursed.

22 December, 1988

Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Amphrite, and Persephone gathered around the hearth in Hades's throne room. It showed a little baby girl with her eyes close, her black hair sticking every which way. Zeus cradled the babe, a soft smile on his face. The little girl opened her eyes, and they were a shockingly electric blue.

"Thalia," a woman next to him said tiredly. "I want to name her Thalia."

"Thalia Grace," Zeus said softly, his voice a little more than a low rumble. "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus."

"There is more to her destiny than meets the eye," Hestia said quietly.

"Indeed," Poseidon and Hades said together. Neither of them had forgotten or told anyone about that eventful day seven years ago.

"Followed in six by his brother's love," Hades muttered to his brother.

"Twelve to live," Poseidon reminded him.

"I recognize a line from the prophecy Apollo said, but what about the other one?" Persephone asked.

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Apollo said that prophecy?"

Persephone shrugged. "That's what we were told. That, and the fact that Apollo looked hungover for awhile."

Poseidon's eyebrow crept up. "When was this?"

Persephone looked at Amphrite in askance. "Couple months ago? I don't know."

Amphrite nodded. "About right."

"Oh-kay, then," Hades muttered.

Persephone frowned. "What do you mean? Did you just get the prophecy? I'm sorry, honey, I thought you knew, from Poseidon coming down here so often, I thought that he would've—"

"No, no, Poseidon told me," Hades said, looking at his brother helplessly.

"I told him seven years ago," Poseidon said flatly.

A collective gasp sounded from the three women in the room.

1991

"Oh my gods, Poseidon! You have four years. Go out, try new things, find a woman who is strong enough to take care of the future saviour of Olympus. Explain it to Amphrite, look, if you need back up, I'll come with you if you're too chicken," Hades said, exasperated. "Amphrite and the whole of Olympus knows that we're acting weirdly, telling Amphrite what's really going on would help to not shatter your relationship when you have that kid."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, my dear, Father is rising, and so is Grandmother, apparently the Romans and Greeks are going to mix again, and basically we're going to have three wars back-to-back. Oh, and sometime in the next four years, I need to find a woman strong enough to raise the future saviour of Olympus. So yeah, I'll be cheating on you, bye!"

Hades roared with laughter. "I don't think you should tell her like that!"

Poseidon rolled his eyes again. "What made you think that, Sherlock?!"

Hades was still chuckling. "Maybe the fact that we both know your wife well enough that she would pummel you into next week. Or perhaps the next decade."

The god of the sea's face fell. "It's 1991, Hades. That joke isn't funny anymore. Next decade we'll most likely be at war with who-knows-what."

Hades's face turned somber. "With each other. Remember Triton's nightmare? Lightning and storm and death set against each other by their children."

"How could I forget? His screams were horrible," Poseidon shuddered.

18 August, 1994

"I forgot that the Big Three's kids are born in three months," Poseidon groaned to his brother. "Sally's screams are unbearable."

Hades looked sad. "You know I'll have to be mean to him when he gets older?"

Poseidon nodded. "It will make him stronger."

"Jupiter had a son not a month ago," Hades remarked.

"Huh? With whom?" Poseidon asked, startled.

Hades gazed at him levelly. "With Thalia's mother."

Poseidon stopped breathing. He swallowed, hard. He let out a shaky breath. "Okay. You might want to get Hera down there. Jupiter's son and Zeus's daughter can't grow up together. I refuse to let a war come out early."

A new scream came into existence. Hades chuckled. "He has his father's lungs, that's for sure."

"Oh, shut up, Hades!" Poseidon said joyfully, barging into the hospital room. Sally sat up in bed, exhausted. She held a little, swathed bundle that was screaming its head off.

Hades rubbed his ears as he followed his brother into the room. "Jeez, Poseidon, he got the full package. He looks just like you."

Poseidon ignored his brother and took the baby. "What should we call him, Sally?"

"Perseus," she said tiredly. The brothers' eyebrows shot upwards. Sally chuckled weakly. "He was one of the only heroes in the myths that got a happy ending."

Hades nodded, looking thoughtful. "That's true."

2011 (after the PJO books and HoO books)

Hades collapsed in his office chair, burying his head in his hands. The phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Charon.

"Not now, Charon. Leave me alone," Hades said tiredly.

"I'm not Charon, brother," Poseidon's voice said. "I have a strange sense of deja-vu, do you have it as well?"

Hades chuckled, and it started going into full-blown laughter. "1943," he remarked. "Yeah, I have it as well. C'mon down." Ten minutes later, the door opened. "You're boy, Poseidon...I don't even know what to say."

Poseidon chuckled and sat down in his old chair. "Hey, Melinda."

Melinda gave a little wave.

"We're still here," Poseidon said suddenly after a long silence. "We're alive. No more Civil War. No more Titan War. No more Giant War. We actually did it."

Hades laughed. "No more freaky prophecies. No more sons being kidnapped and possibly turning to the other side. And none of the other panthenons have any apopcalypses scheduled. Carter and Sadie Kane got rid of the Chaos snake in the Egyptian panthenon around the same time that Kronos died."

"Dad? Uncle? What are you doing here?" Nico appeared in the doorway, pale, drawn, exhausted, but also supremely confused.

Poseidon exchanged glances with Hades, wry smiles on both their faces. "Go to sleep, Nico. We'll explain after you've slept and eaten," Poseidon said gently.

Nico half-heartedly raised an eyebrow at Poseidon's tone, but complied.

A/N:

FINALLY! This is my standard oneshot. I honestly had no idea that this would take this large of a turn, spanning through the years. It originally started out as a Poseidon-comforts-his-brother-because-their-brothe r-is-way-too-Zap-Happy, but then it kind of turned into a long-awaited bromance. Nothing like a common enemy to unite bickering brothers. Common enemy being Zeus. But I've had the beginnings of an idea that wasn't anything like this, wasn't even remotely related to this, but the one it did have in common was showing Hades in a different light.

Oh, I don't do slash...I just don't like that. I have nothing against gays, hell, my best friend in the United States is gay, but I just don't like writing it. I just feel incredibly awkward.

Well, it's 9:20 pm here in Greece...I should hit the hay, but I'm still used to US time...it feels like it's supposed to be the middle of the day to me. I hate that. Happens every. Freaking. Time.

Would you people leave a quote or character to do background on? Please?!

Like it? Hate it? Is this worthy of a review?

SEE YA!

-Winter