Chapter 10

They flashed into the battlefield. “What the fuck is going on?!” Ares snarled at Eris. Damn! He couldn’t control the mortals! Somewhere just hacking at people again while others looked around with a dazed expression as if to ask what they were doing in such carnage.

“Ares! It isn’t working!” Eris cried after they tried to change the way this was heading or at least to keep it from spreading. Nothing was working. “We need Joxer!”

“Are you kidding?!” Ares yelled as he chopped off a guy’s head and ran another through the chest, “I’m not taking him into this!” An arm and another man’s hand went flying off, “Forget it.”

“Ares! We need him! Go and bring him here! We can’t control this Ares!” Eris gutted a man with her knife, leaving him holding his entrails and screaming, “Damn it! If you don’t then I’ll get Strife to get him!”

“Fine!” Ares flashed back to his bedroom and took the little sleeping Joxer into his arms and flashed back into the battlefield, Eris and Strife flanking him, making sure no harm comes to Joxer. “Joxer,” he said softly, “wake up Joxer.” He bounced him lightly in his arms.

Joxer woke to his Airwees pilwow in his arms and in the arms of his big Airwees. Yay! Joxer woke up smiling and happy. That was a good thing. In an ever-spreading ring, sanity returned to the soldiers and the war quieted down till no one was fighting. Most men stood around with guilty or confused faces. Not that Joxer noticed. He was with his Airwees and everything was fine. The other Gods breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well that was close.”

“Yeah Unc. Ya almost lost it!” Ares growled at his nephew and sent a halfhearted fireball at him. Strife dodged it and went over to Ares and the little Joxer who was beaming at him and everyone that he saw. “Hey there little cuz.” Strife tickle Joxer’s side, eliciting giggles. That was when Eris and Strife noticed the stuff Ares and started laughing. “Um Unc, didya see this?” He pointed at the stuff Ares Joxer was waving around.

“Sweetie. What have ya got there?” Eris asked. She was gonna have blackmail material on Ares for centuries if he created that for Joxer. Little Joxer beamed. Please that Auntie Eris wanted to know about his Ares pillow. He snuggled the pillow close.

“Mine Airwees pilwow Ante Ewis. Me make!” Eris was disappointed but Joxer did look cute.

Ares scowled darkly as he held a cuddling Joxer. He knew he was being silly. He was jealous about a pillow, a pillow in the shape of himself, an inanimate object. He couldn’t help it though. His Joxer was cuddling up to that thing and not to him. He shook himself out of a daydream where he was punching the stuffing out of it. Yes, Mother was right. I need a break.

He flashed back to Olympus with Joxer, back to his temple and the warm and inviting bed, leaving his twin and her son to clean up. Unknown to him, he was going to need the rest. The news about the little shrunken Joxer and the baby has spread far and wide among the Gods and Ares will be getting some company soon. It was also rumored that Zeus didn’t really want to help, something about it being Joxer’s fault and he didn’t have to help. Some say he also said this because of an argument with Ares last week. Whatever was his problem, Hera fixed. No one knows what she did but those close to the temple could hear his scream.

In the sealed rooms…”Gabrielle!!!” Xena screamed. The bunny was drooling all over her and she was getting soaked with slobber. It still hasn’t woken up yet and Xena still hasn’t been able to get it off of her. Hercules has finally taken off the shoes and is able to walk. He still hasn’t changed excepted for getting rid of the makeup, he had no other cloths and Iolaus wouldn’t give him his. Xena was the lucky one. She wasn’t the one who was trying to sleep but kept getting after images because of the intense brightness of someone’s clothing.

Ares went to bed with his Consort already asleep and snuggled in his arms. He glared at the pillow and with a thought, moved it from the bed to the shelves and thought up another pillow for him to sleep on. Joxer didn’t mind. His Airwees was there. Ares fell asleep with a very happy, sleepy, tiny, and cuddly God of Peace by his side.

Chapter 11

In the underworld¡K

"What!?" The yell was followed by a flash and the King of the Underworld was gone.

At Ares Temple on Olympus¡K

Little Joxer looked at his sleepy Airwees. He looked at his Airwees pilwow on the shelf and put is finger to his lips. "Shhhh. Qwite! Airwees sweepy." Was said in a whisper. He turned back to his staring and waiting for Ares to wake up.

Ares woke up to the feeling of being watched. He saw a flesh colored blur on his left side and turned to see a close up of Joxer¡¦s eyes and nose. "Joxer. Why are you watching me?" If this were the normal Joxer, he would have just grabbed him and proceed to kissed the life out of him but this Joxer was a baby. He missed his Joxer.

"Wakey wakey?" Joxer asked him, giggling. He shrieked as Ares caught him and played on his knowledge of Joxer¡¦s weakness. He tickled him.

Little Joxer¡¦s happy time was cut short by a loud roar. "ARES!!!!" was heard from somewhere in the temple. Ares picked Joxer up and they went to find the source of the yell when the ¡¥source¡¦ found them. An angry Hades bore down on them.

"SO NO ONE THOUGHT TO TELL ME THIS HAPPENED TO JOXER?" He yelled, looking like a thundercloud bearing down on those below it. He looked like he was going to go off on a rant.

Little Joxer was sooo happy. He waved his little arms and held them out to the lord of the underworld and squealed. "Daddy!!!" Daddy was here! Yay! "Huggy!" was demanded. Hades took one look at his diminutive son and melted. It wasn¡¦t everyday that your grown up son was turned into the adorable little child they were before. He took his baby away from his favorite nephew and son in law, whom he was still mad at, and gave him a hug. Ares told him what they¡¦ve found out so far and that he¡¦d have to talk to Hera if he wanted to know more.

"I¡¦ve been told to relax and rest here with Joxer." Ares said with a grimace. The whole getting jealous with a pillow was still fresh on his mind. Hades thought for a moment.

"Good." He decided, "then you can guard my son, your Consort, better this way. You¡¦d better keep him and the little unborn baby safe." Was growled out. Ares swore he could see the flames almost leaping outa Hades eyes. It was time to direct this anger elsewhere. Only a fool would want their in-laws angry with them and Ares was no fool. He mentioned that Zeus wasn¡¦t too happy about being roped into trying to find out what happened and Hades, with a creepy smile, volunteered to supervise his brother and to get their other brother involved as well. He gave his little son over to Ares, giving him a good bye kiss and promising to come and play later, he flashed off mumbling about a rusty knife and dipping in salt water.

Ares looked at his little Consort. "Want honey cakes for breakfast?" He asked and got a squeal and a hug from Joxer. He sat Joxer on his lap and they ate breakfast together. As they were eating another flashed herald another member of the family. "Demeter." Ares greeted his least favorite Aunt. Demeter smirked when she saw little Joxer. He didn¡¦t like the lady¡¦s smile.

"Well well well. I see the rumors were true after all." She smiles again. You should have married me Ares. You would have been with a real woman by now and not stuck with one of Hades¡¦s freaks. Ares narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"I¡¦m just here to see the precious darling." She cooed. She went up to Little Joxer, who was sitting in Ares lap, all sticky from eating his honey cakes. The lady smiled one of her fake smiles at him again. Little Joxer didn¡¦t like the way the lady was looking at his Airwees. My Airwees! Not lady Airwees.

Demeter leaned over and patted his little head like she would do to a dog, showing her cleavage to both. "Are you going to look for a new Consort if no cure is found?" She tried not to look too eager.

"No." Ares said and removed her from his notice. Concentrating instead on his little Consort, making sure he drinks plenty of milk. A shriek brought his attention back to Demeter.

"That little freak!" She shouted, pointing at Little Joxer. Her hair was covered with honey and honey cake crumbs, frozen almost solid with the sweet. Little Joxer started to cry.

Another flash lit the room. "What did you do to Joxer you ass of a woman?" was shouted. Little Joxer looked behind the lady.

"Mommy!!!!!" Little Joxer squeaked, getting off of Ares lap and running over to his mommy. "Miss you mommy!" The Goddess picked up her baby and twirled him around. She stopped before he got really dizzy and hugged him close.

"Miss you too sweety." Hebe replied. She looked at Demeter and raised an eyebrow, "Well? I¡¦m waiting."

Chapter 12

“I did nothing Hebe.” Demeter said in a huff. “That thing put honey cakes in my hair!”

“Good.” Hebe smirked. “Your such a good baby Joxer.” She blew a raspberry into Joxer’s tummy and he giggled like mad, very happy that his mommy was happy. “Ares!” She squealed, going over and giving him a big hug too. Little Joxer didn’t mind. He was snuggled between mommy and Airwees. Yay! “I heard about what happened to Joxer and came right over but I’m soooo happy about the baby! My first grandchild!” she squealed. “I’m gonna spoil the little tyke sooo much! Right my little one?” she asked her little Joxer.

Joxer at that moment was focused on the smirky lady. She was looking weird.

“Don’t you mean if it gets born? I bet that things dead already.” She laughed, doing a very bad thing cuz that just focused the attention of the Goddess of Youth and Children on her and the bad stuff. Her model was to think on the positive side and Demeter was really busting up her bubble.

“That’s it missy! You may be my elder by how many centuries but you don’t go anywhere insulting my babies or grandbabies! I have officially turned my back on you!” Demeter started to laugh! What could that twit do? She’s as powerless as her children. It was a pity because every one could see that Ares needed a strong Consort and not these jokes. She didn’t laugh for long. She grew older and older until she started to look like every one of her years. She really looked ugly.

“HEBE!!!” she shrieked. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!!!”

“Never get the youth Goddess pissed at you!” was all she said before she turned back to her baby and her brother. “So how have you been holding up? I have to go and tell my other babies about their brother condition! Oh and I almost forgot my care package!!” Hebe has made it a habit to create care packages to her sons. She just didn’t think they could take care of themselves and she makes them when she thinks her babies needed them. She currently made one for Jett who was in jail until further notice and needed to fatten up. They didn’t feed her Jett enough and none of her boys eat regularly with no one to tell them to.

She also already has one ready for Jayce who was working too hard, and she made one for her baby, which she whipped out. A square shaped box wrapped in a pink clothe with little cute bears running around. She gave it to Joxer and he squealed with delight when he opened it. It was filled with yummy finger foods and she added a little toy boat in it that floats in the air like it was the ocean.

“Mommy! It fly! Dank you!”

“Oh! Joxer’s so cute!” She wondered why every time she gave her Jett a care package he hides the cloth? This time his was wrapped in yellow with bananas wearing sunglasses all over it. She turned back to Ares. “So how’re you doing?”

“I’m as fine as I’ll ever be with Joxer like this.”

“Don’t worry dear.” Hebe patted her brother’s arm. “It’s gonna be okay. Think happy!” They both ignored the growl from Demeter and instead relaxed and played with Joxer, keeping a lookout for any danger.

The dark goddess smirked. Life was good. Her minion finally did something right and removed that Consort of War and the baby. Now all they needed to do was get rid of War and everything will end for the Olympians. Dark demented laughter filled the room.

Chapter 13

Demeter was trying to make amends to Hebe with no results. Ares was off, another war had broken out and this time it was the normal kind. The idiots were fighting over a nut tree. He went off to let off some steam with Eris, Strife, and Athena after making Hebe swear to get him, Hera, Apollo, and Asclepius if anything happened.

“What do you think sweetie? Should mommy forgive Great Aunt Demeter?” she poses the question to her little baby while they gazed at the unconscious Demeter. She’s been helping to take care of Joxer and her little cutie didn’t make that a very pleasant thing. Joxer shook his head. The lady broke Joxer’s toy train.

“Come on sweetie. Let’s go visit Jett.” She smiled. Joxer smiled too! Then he remembered. Jett’s in bad and scary place. He raced off and came back to his mommy with his Airwees pilwow. “Oh how cute! Come on honey.” She lifted her little one up and they flashed off to the prison.

Jett almost had a heart attack when his mom flashed in. He was sleeping in his dank cell, planning his escape (must keep those reflexes sharp and besides he loves to outsmart these ass holes), and he had just gotten to the part where he was cutting the guards throat.

“Honestly honey. You shouldn’t sleep on the floor. I remember when the three of you had a nightmare. You huddled together like kittens under the bed. Adorable.” Was the first thing out of Hebe’s mouth.

Jett stared. “Mom!” he wined. How can he be a scary God of Murder when his mother always goes on about how cute he was! Wait a sec. Jett did a double take. “Joxer?” the little boy waved his hand, the other arm hugging something close to him.

“Helwow Jett!”

“Mom. What happened to Joxer?” Jett was stunned but it’s not everyday that your identical triplet was turned into a kid.

“Joxer’s pregnant! Isn’t this so exciting? You’re going to be a uncle.” She beamed at her darling boy while snuggling her baby boy. She went on to tell Jett about what they found out and the search going on blithely, with no apparent concern, ignoring Jett’s look of rage. “And look! I made you snacks!” Jett tried not to shudder with horror. The box was like a little sun in the dank cell. Oh why did his mother have to wrap things in really bright colors for him?

“It looks great mom.” He said weakly. “But I don’t think the colors me.”

“Now honey. You can’t have everything in shades of black and brown.” There was reproach in her tone.

“Yes mom.” She smiled and put her little Joxer on the ground. Joxer ran up to his brother and grinned at him, he couldn’t help but smile back. Joxer immediately waved his stuffed Ares at Jett and started to tell him all about his day and what fun he had torturing Great Aunt Demeter.

“She fell sweepy. Mommy say really old ladies need sweepy lots!” He was interrupted by a loud and angry voice coming from the bars.

“Hey you!” Keep it…wow! How’d this slut get in here?” the guard leered at Hebe and Jett bristled.

“Shut up or I’ll open up a new asshole for ya.” Jett snarled. The guard laughed, perfectly safe, or so he thinks, on the other side of the bars.

“Whatta ya gonna do?” he sneered. He licked his lips as he ogled Hebe, a whimper turned his attention to little Joxer, who had hidden behind Jett’s legs once the guard spoke up. “Well look at that. This your bastard that ya got on this whore? Don’t worry ‘bout him. We’ll have some fun,” he leered again, “with your woman and I know some guys who’ll love the kid.” He chuckled evily.

Whatever Jett was about to say was drowned out by Hebe’s yell, “DON’T YOU TALK LIKE THAT TO MY BABIES!!!” and in a powerful blast, the guard and half the prison was blasted away. She turned back to Jett and little Joxer, all smiles again. “Let’s go home now. I can’t wait to fatten you up Jett! They’re not taking care to you at all.” She took Joxer into her arms again as she snuggled her other baby to her with the other hand, and flashed them back to Olympus, with Jett’s exclamation of “Aw mom! I can take care of myself!” lingering in the air behind them.

Chapter 14

Jett stared at Little Joxer, who was bouncing around the temple, and wish his mom would get back soon with Jayce. Who knew that a large amount of sugar would have that kinda reaction on Joxer? Demeter was unconscious again due to another bout with Joxer.

In their respective rooms, the heroes were still shivering. They don’t want to go out there. They heard Demeter and Jett’s screams and yells. They’d rather be trapped in their nice safe rooms then go out and deal with a hyperactive child.

Jett watched as Joxer came bounced back into the room from the playroom with paint and then started to paint Demeter’s face in shades of green, yellow, and red all the while murmuring “Pwetty pwetty fwowers.” He looked up at his panicky triplet. “Jett wanna be pwetty fwower too?” Jett swallowed.

“No Joxer. I’m fine. I don’t wanna be a flower. Play with Great Auntie Demeter ‘kay?” Little Joxer smiled and returned to his painting. Oh he wished he was out their with Aunt Eris and Strife, finding out who did this. The sound of the pattering of little feet signaled that Joxer had ran off yet again and Jett thanked Ares for sealing the temple so Joxer couldn’t get out.

While Jett was thinking, Joxer was working on his drawing for Jett! Jett was the best! He still missed his Airwees. He pouted but the sugar high wouldn’t let him be down for long. He finished and squealed with delight. Yay! And he went off to show his big brother. He can’t wait for his other big brother to come back too! They were gonna have so much fun! Jayce be pwetty fwower!

Jayce looked around. He had just felt a shiver of dread for some reason. He turned back to his mother. She had just appeared a few minutes ago with her famous packages. His package was light blue in color and had birds flapping all over it. Birds with shoes on…not commenting on that weirdness, Jayce turned his attention back to his mother and talked without the fake accent.

“Jayce, you’re not looking well. You’re working too much dear.”

“Mom, I’m not! I love my work!”

“You’re sure your alright? You haven’t been to a check up for 2 years now!” She eyed him with that sharp gaze of hers that missed nothing.

“I’m fine mom! Really!”

“If you say so dear. You can help take care of Joxer!” she smiled. She then proceeded to tell him the news. Shock is a mild word for what Jayce was feeling afterwards.

“But mom, I don’t know anything about taking care of a child!” He really didn’t. Hebe smiled at her first born.

“Don’t worry dear. It’s nothing.” Jayce was still having doubts. “Joxer adores you. You father and I took care of all three of you and we survived.” That did not inspire Jayce. He had the feeling that his mother could survive anything. She’s indestructible and well dad was dad. Hebe looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “If you’re feeling well then you can take care of your little brother and if your not then you have to be in bed rest.”

Jayce sighed. “Alright mother. I’ll take care of Joxer.” Anyway how hard could it be? Hebe looked at him with a satisfied smile.

At that moment Jett was wondering how a small child could do so much damage. He was currently tied up in pink, yellow, and mustard ribbons. Joxer was still riding his sugar high and was currently jumping up, having finished painting the walls of the temple of war various shades of pink, green, and bright blue. Please someone come and rescue him! Anybody!

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