The doors to the temple of Hephaestus slowly opened, only opening to about a four foot gap before a shadow swept through, leaving the doors to close themselves. The shadow quickly darted around the pillars of the temple, passing the various shrines and statues dedicated to the Forge God as he made his way to the stairs leading down to the temple's undercroft. He stopped at the first step before removing the dark cloak that had concealed his appearance.

Perseus took a deep breath before setting his hand alight with crimson flames and descending down the flight of stairs. As he traveled farther and farther down the stone steps, the smell of death and decay filled his nostrils, making him falter slightly before steeling himself and continuing his journey.

Traveling down the now dark and damp stairs that appeared to go on forever, Perseus mind wandered back to his uncle's request, the entire reason he was here now.

Flashback

Perseus was hacking viscously at the training dummy in front of him, trying to relieve himself of the anger gnawing at him while simultaneously improving his near perfect swordsmanship. With a loud battle cry, Perseus drove his sword into the dummy's chest before pulling it out and running the blade across its straw neck, sending the poor dummy's head flying into the feet of his uncle.

Raising an eyebrow after glancing at the dummy's dismembered head, Hephaestus looked at his nephew, "What exactly did this poor fool do to deserve such an unfortunate fate?"

Perseus shrugged, "He was the closest thing around. It's not my fault he was in the wrong place at the wrong time." He replied, slightly irritated that the dummy's death had not relieved any of his anger.

Hephaestus sighed before replying, "Is this about Zeus's new decree?"

'Nailed it.', the Forge God smirked internally at the sight of his nephew's suddenly tensed shoulders, 'and they said I had bad people skills.'

Hephaestus laid a hand on Perseus shoulder before speaking, "Perseus, we both know Zeus is a fool. Hades, everyone knows it. But, unfortunately, he's king, and as such, his word is law. There is no use getting angry and frustrated about it. You and your father will figure something out."

Perseus scowled as he slipped from his uncle's grip, "Just because I am a Son of Poseidon, he made it so I cannot live on Olympus. That isn't exactly something I should be happy about. And besides that, where am I going to live? Atlantis is not an option, seeing as how I highly doubt Triton and his mother Amphitrite would be very welcoming to the son of a woman Poseidon cheated on her with my mother. I have nowhere to go. "

An idea suddenly formed into Hephaestus's head,' A plan worthy of Athena'. He scowled at the traitorous thought, 'Curse you Athena! I can come up with good ideas on my own!' At his curse, an owl suddenly appeared and dived at him, savagely attacking the God of the Forge's face, causing him to struggle with the bird before he set his hands aflame and fried the loathsome bird.

"EAT THAT, YOU GREY-EYED WITCH!" Hephaestus laughed before he noticed his nephew raising an eyebrow at both him and his feathered adversary.

He made his way over to Perseus before placing an arm around him as they began exiting the practice field as he began speaking, " Perseus, I have a plan that can definitely help you with your living problem. A plan worthy of Hephaestus." The Forge God finished, using his free hand to emphasize the 'Hephaestus' part of the phrase.

Perseus looked confused, "Umm, don't you mean-"

"Nope, no I don't."

Flashback End

The plan was indeed a plan worthy of…Hephaestus as it turned out. Hephaestus explained how when he had been cast from Olympus by Zeus, he had landed on the island of Lemnos. The island was the site of his first temple, where his worshippers had gathered before eruptions at his forge, the mountain Mosychlos where the temple rested, frightened them away. The abandoned temple would be the perfect place for the Hound of War to make his home.

Provided he first kill anyone or anything that tries to kill him first.

As the thoughts made their way through his mind, Perseus noticed that he had reached the bottom of the stairs and put out the fire that had engulfed his hand, plunging him into darkness before he lit his eyes with flames and glanced around. Quietly making his way through the damp under belly of the temple, he kept his eyes and ears open for any signs of life. Nothing caught his attention except the strengthening of the same smell that had met him on the stairs. Following the stench, Perseus crept up the darkened path till finally he reached the passage's end he was met with a rather grim sight.

The room appeared to be where the priests had buried and performed rituals for the dead. Torches lit with Greek fire filled the room with a dim green light, casting eerie shadows across the room. To the far right corner stood a stone alter, where Perseus could see the fresh blood still dripping from the stone to the cold floor, causing it to sizzle slightly. But nothing had shocked him as much as who he saw chained to the center pillar of the room.

"Eros," Perseus whispered.

The son of Ares and Aphrodite looked terrible. The youthful looking God of Love and Pleasure appeared to have been tortured and starved for weeks, leaving him pale and withered. His wings, once as white as fallen snow, were filthy and blood-stained, covered in cuts and burns, leaving some places scorched and blackened.

Perseus wondered if his half-brother was even alive.

Perseus looked for any traps or enemies hidden in the shadows, but saw nothing. Still on guard, he quickly but quietly made his way to Eros and slashed at the celestial bronze chains, his frown deepening as the blade glanced off the chains without leaving so much as a single cut.

'Tartarus, that means I'll have to heat the chains until they can be cut. Eros, if you can hear me, hold on.'

Resting his hands onto the first of the chains, Perseus concentrated until he felt the metal begin to weaken under the intense heat radiating from his palms. Drawing his sword, he cut through the heated chain like paper. Quickly repeating the process, Perseus slashed through the remaining chains and caught his unconscious brother before his head could connect with the ground.

"Don't worry Eros; I won't let you perish here." Perseus promised his sleeping brother.

"Oh, how sweet," Perseus snapped his head to the source of the voice, "but tell me, mighty Hound of War, if you are protecting him, then who is protecting you?"

A woman stepped out into the dim light, her eyes matching the sick green color of the torches on the walls. Her dark robes concealed the lower half of her body, and several poisons and potions clinked together on the strap that stretched from her left shoulder to the right side of her torso. A Celestial Bronze dagger resided in her left hand and her torch shimmered a poisonous green in her right, telling Perseus she was definitely not here to talk things out.

"Hecate", Perseus growled out, his blood lust slowly building up, "why is it you have come here? And for what sick purpose did you kidnap my brother for?" he drew her attention away from his brother, whom he flashed to the entrance of the temple to keep him from getting caught in the ensuring crossfire.

She smiled at him, as if he was some innocent child, "Now now Perseus, a sorceress never reveals her tricks, least she get cheated out of what she owns. Didn't you know that?"

Perseus was well aware of the stories; he had heard what Hecate was capable of. But even he was caught off guard at how quick the Goddess of Magic could move.

In a flash, she had drawn and thrown a poison that landed mere inches away from her target's face, nearly melting Perseus into a steaming mess. The Hound of War quickly drew his sword and summoned his armor as the goddess was upon him in mere seconds, sending out an explosive blast of Greek fire into his chest, blasting him into the stone alter. He quickly sprang to his feet but Hecate was on him yet again, slashing with her dagger and sending blasts of fire out indiscriminately. Forced back, Perseus quickly began ducking and blocking the dagger's strikes and used his power over flames to send Hecate's fire away from him, slowly pushing the goddess onto the defensive.

The goddess was infuriated with the ease the Hound of War was able to defend against her and it showed in her fighting as her attacks became more frenzied and desperate, which made it difficult for him to follow and adjust to her attacks. With a furious scream, Hecate pushed Perseus back and let out a massive stream of fire from her torch, the godly weapon breathing it out continuously as if from a dragon's maw. Perseus, lacking the time to draw his shield, quickly brought his trident up just as the flames reached him.

The flames slammed into the trident, the force pushing him back as his heels dug into the floor and cracks appeared under the force of both the fire and his stance. Perseus regained his footing and slowly pushed forward, the flames seemingly devoured by the trident as in mere seconds he was within a foot away from the witch. With a furious roar, Perseus slammed the trident into the torch, causing a massive explosion that sent both flying opposite ways. Perseus slammed into the stone pillar that had chained his brother while Hecate landed onto the stone alter with a sickening crack.

The Hound of War staggered to his feet as he made his way to the barely breathing goddess, before tripping on something. He glanced down and saw it.

The Torch.

He bent down and gripped it, the power flooding through him indescribable as the flames flickered from green to a blood-red and surrounded Perseus. He continued on his trek, finally stopping in front of the dying goddess. Hecate met his eyes, full of fear as she struggled to rise, before falling back onto the slab, her broken back preventing any escape.

Barely mustering up a whisper, she spoke, "Y-y-you can't kill me. You c-can't. You're just a demigod." She spat, her saliva mingled with ichor splattering against his breastplate.

Perseus merely smiled a smile that made the goddess freeze in fear as he slowly wiped the spit off. He leaned down and whispered in return, "That is where you're wrong, witch. I'm not just some demigod," he gripped her head with both hands as he finished; "I'm the Hound of War."

His hands flared with white-hot flames as the goddess screamed in agony and pain as she was slowly burned to ash. Not once did he flinch or stop during her pitiful cries. Her screams slowly faded as her body was consumed by the hungry flames, leaving behind only the ash of what she once was.

Once he was finished, Perseus dusted the ash off his hands and flashed himself and his brother to Olympus, leaving behind the stone alter and the goddess that had been scorched into it.

Line Break

Eros's vision was blurred as he rose, not seeing anything but colors blended together before everything came together instantly. He looked around and realized he was in the upper rooms of his father's palace, lying on his bed. He couldn't remember anything besides going to Lemnos and meeting that attractive young girl…

'Hecate! Hades, I remember everything! Getting tortured, my wings scorched, my brother…brother?'

Eros was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of voices and footsteps approaching the door. The door swung open, revealing his father Ares and a strange teen whose voice sounded oddly familiar. They had yet to notice he was awake, so they hadn't stopped their conversation.

"You did well killing that traitorous witch Perseus. Not only that, but claiming her weapon as your own and saving Eros? You have made me very proud."

"I did only because of the training you gave me and much luck father. It was well worth it though. I would never have left my brother to die."

They finally noticed Eros was awake and turned to face the rather shocked god. Ares nodded at Eros before leaving, giving his sons time to get to know each other. He tried to speak but it all died in his throat.

At his brother's confusion, Perseus spoke up, "Hey calm down. Your safe now, Hecate is gone, and you're here on Olympus. We had Lady Hestia heal your injuries. You are okay"

Eros stopped trying to speak and instead went to examining his new brother. Once he was satisfied, he attempted to speak again, "So you're my new brother? Are you a god?"

Perseus shook his head, "No, but Ares adopted me and made me the new Hound of War, so I'd like to consider you as my brother."

Eros grew a thoughtful look, "Well, you did save me and you seem pretty cool. I do not see why not. It's been kind of boring without anyone to cause mischief with." Matching his brother's smile, he grasped forearms with his newest brother and both walked outside down the streets of Olympus.

"So," Perseus began, "what do you think about Artemis and her hunters?"

Eros scowled, "I hate them."

Perseus eyes filled with a mischievous light, "Then why don't we pay them a little, shall we say, visit.

Eros stared at his brother before matching his expression as he threw an arm around his shoulders, "Dear brother, I do believe that this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

A/N: Look, I'm going to make this short. It's 7:40 in the morning, and I'm REALLY tired. So please: C&V  There. That's it.