Ààaaaaaaaaa?"

"Soo cute!" He exclaimed pinching my cheeks red. But no matter how I imagined my current expression to be, it was far from cute and too close to a shocked-sloth.

Soon, his teasing was drowned remembering what I said to Hades.

CONSEQUENCES, CONSEQUENCES

I sigh, clapping my hands to get ahold of his wandering mind.

"So let's practice."

"What?"

"What?" I echoed his question.

"What?" he asked again totally confused.

"What?" I repeated.

He sighs realizing that it was going nowhere. "What are you talking about?"

I smile innocently at that."Did you think I was joking about you being my patient?"

"What!!" He screams and I nod till he is satisfied.

Doing my level best not laugh at the expense of his hopless face, I chirp. "So let's start."

And take hold of his shoulders to assure him. "It will be painless."

He audibly gulps and for a second I felt pity for those familiar eyes.

And come to think of it, its been some time since I got to annoy Will.

."

Feeling a chill creep down my spine, I rubbed my neck and my hand reflexively rested on the hilt of my sword.

The face of a scheming teenager came to mind with her ever changing eyes and hair-raising smile.

The light of the underworld had gone out for one minute and three seconds before its King reappeared from he knows where pissed off and amused.

And a gut feeling told me she was the one behind it all.

Zeus help those around her.

"Not physically of course." I called out running up the stairs and I think I heard a thud.

Five minutes later, I descended amazed that he hadn't fled.

"Why are you dressed like that?" He asked taking in my getup.

I looked down at the baggy sweater and my dad' long jacket paired with black bell-bottom pants. All black.

Grinning ear to ear, I pull up the hood. "You will find out in a minute." In all elegance a potato could muster, I sat down across him.

Under his cautious eyes, I place my chocolate brown teddy to my side and a cleaning mop on the other.

"Don't tell me. Are you trying to be Hades." he queried, starting to laugh.

"Yes I am." I confessed ignoring his chiding.

"So is that Cerberus?" He pointed at my teddy still laughing.

"Yes it is and he will devour your soul if you make a mistake. And this is the scepter with which I will blast you." I explain taking the mop in hand and bring it down on his head when he laughs harder.

"Come on I am trying to help you." I pout with the facade fading away.

"Sorry sorry. It's just that you look more like as if you are prepared to spend your summer in the North Pole than looking like Hades." He defended.

I look down at myself anf frown knowing it was the truth.

"Whatever. I will just call Hades and ask him to take you away." I deadpanned.

"Hey. hey. That's blackmailing." he complained.

I crossed my legs and though I wanted it to look graceful and intimidating, the large number of layers hindered my plans. And so I had lift up a few layers, pull down the cloak and even bite free tge string of the sweat shirt which had gotten tangled with my cloak' collar.

I keep my nose high after attaining my desired position and I notice how his face is all red in the efforts to hold in his laughter.

"I don't know how to white mail." I said a little too late.

"You know kitten I won't be able to stop laughing if you don't stop acting funny." He said matter of factly, his face slowly returning to his original shade of pearl

You are really rubbing it in aren't you?

"First of all I am not kitten, I am Hades and second, don't kitten me even when I am me. Got it." I said in a very intimidating voice.

He nodded.

"Good. So let's start."

"What should I do?" Zeus inquired.

"It's a simple game of role play. Just pretend that I am Hades and you rehearse your apology speech with me.."

"I don't need practice." Zeus says arrogantly.

And I raise an eyebrow. "Oh I saw that."

He pouts like a kid agreeing to taste an ugly looking vegetable. "Okay, but only one time."

"We will do it as many times as it takes to make it perfect."

And then suddenly Zeus was hit with the realization. "You really are taking this seriously aren't you?"

I simply nod and motion for him to start.

He cleared his throat to try again. "Ahh.....Mhmmmm.....yeah....could you stop glaring at me like that." He whined poking my cheeck.

"Listen well Zeus, I glare all the time. Like ALL THE TIME. "

"And this is nothing compared to the real one."

Nodding, he patts his cheeks and says. "Okay. Let's do it again."

But as he looks up hi demure changes with his confidence oozing out and am both baffled and overjoyed that he was imagining me as the actual Hades.

"Hey you know we can do this later when you are ready." I suggested letting him know that I sympathise.

"No no. I can do it. After all I am a God." He straightens up easily falling for my trap.

"Let' do it again please.

.....................................................................

And after an hour, twenty retakes, frustrated screams and hair pulling all accompanied by strings of curse words, I held up my hand.

I was DONE.

"Come on, once more. Please, just once more. I promise to get it right this time." The High King of Olympus pulled off his best puppy-face.

But I had already passed my limit of tolerance and pretended to be deaf as I head to my room.

Peeling off the clothes that baked me inside, I returned in lighter clothes but only to be weighed down by the kid who clung to my hand like an eight year old to his mother in a toy store.

Zeus tried out all his better tricks but my fear of developing an expressionless face permanently won in the end.

And I ended up cold-heartedly kicking him off.

Silently I laid back onto the couch watching his detested self hide away his face in his snowy palms.

"Your hairs still wet." He did not look up but he somehow knew.

I pushed back the wetness sticking onto my face. "Am lazy." I deadpanned and he murmured something inaudible.

"Using a towel is hardwork and I forgot to bring along a hair dryer."

He raised his head with laughter dancing in those stormy orbs."You are far from the point Miss defenseless."

Defenseless? Me??

I got up without breaking his gaze. "Watch me."

Taking a low bow, I executed the basics of awesome techniques by Elizabeth.

Finishing with a bow, I looked up excitedly for a compliment but got chided instead.

"Way too far from the point." He chuckled and as if on replaying the scenes, burst out laughing.

But as the laughter died his face fell and laid waste to my efforts.

"I was scared of the Underworld,you see, I did not want to be all alone in that dark world so far away from the sun." His fingers raked through his golden locks.

"My brother must really dislike me for leaving him in that wretched domain. "

I gave him a moment to settle before pulling him up to his feet. "Let's go somewhere gloomy face. "