I'm a man of my word

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Surprise chapter. Because I was asked to by a cute kitten and couldn't say no. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it.

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"Greetings grandmother. What brings you here today?"

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Hades looked at his grandmother, Gaia. She was a beauty in his opinion. Her presence was soothing and he could smell grass and trees from her. Had Hades not been as powerful as he was, he might have been influenced by her aura and let down her guard.

But he was immune to such effects and was ready for anything that might happen. He had never talked with Gaia and was curious about what sort of woman she was in this Universe. He knew about her from Greek mythology. There Gaia is typically depicted as a maternal figure, often shown as a woman, and she is associated with the natural world, fertility, and the cycle of life and death.

One of Gaia's notable actions was her involvement in the overthrow of Uranus by her Titan children, who were fathered by Uranus. Gaia helped her children, such as Cronus, rebel against Uranus, leading to a significant shift in the balance of power among the gods.

And now ... well she helped Rhea hide Zeus when he was born. This had to mean that she was interested in having Cronos taken from the throne, no? He did know that Gaia was not happy about the imprisonment of most of her children by the Olympians.

Hades didn't particularly care about the Titans and he would leave them be if it was up to him. But Cronos had to be removed from the throne. Where he went after that ...

"You are one of my grandchildren. Children of Rhea and Cronos."

"Is that a question?"

"No. I was merely stating a fact."

"I see. Well, you are correct."

"Hades, you have claimed the Underworld as your domain it would seem. Why are you not fighting in the Titanomachy? Where have you been all this time?"

"I was travelling if you will."

Gaia narrowed her eyes and looked at Hades less calmly.

"What?"

"Travelling. I went to see other worlds, to gather experience and good memories."

"So you let your siblings and allies fight in the Titanomachy on their own, because what? You didn't feel like helping?!?"

Gaia was no longer speaking calmly. She was not yet screaming but her voice had gotten louder.

"There is no reason to shout grandmother. We can talk in a normal way, no?"

"Don't patronise me, boy. It is your responsibility to help your siblings in this war. The Titanomachy has to be won and all these years it went abysmal. What's more, it is getting worse and worse. The Titanomachy should have already been over by now. And now I find out that you have abandoned your family and simply enjoyed your time"

By now Gaia was screaming. Hades did not take lightly to be screamed at like that. And what's more, inside his home. And what's even more, when he was actually innocent. He took a deep breath before he began to speak.

*Inhale* *Exhale*

"Your worry for your family is commendable. However, NO ONE comes to my home and begins to shout lies in my face. I understand that you might not know the truth of the matter, but you should first find out the truth before judging something. 

Now ... if that was all then you may leave again. To be honest I am disappointed. I was not expecting you who are so old and have been around for so long to act like a petulant child. Next time you speak to me that way in my own home, I will do some judgment of my own ... and you won't like it, believe that!"

Gaia was silent. No one had ever talked to her that way. Not even Uranus with whom she had many children. And yet this young little godling dared to speak with her that way. 

...Fascinating

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Nyx and Erebus were still there and watched the exchange happen. They were interested as well in why Hades was here and did not help his siblings win the War. The way it was going, it would probably end in the victory of the Titans. But destiny and fate were desperately trying to see their future come true. They were working nonstop to stop the Titans from winning. 

The two primordials were interested to find out why Hades had left and didn't help them. In the small amount of time that they knew him, they could tell that he was not hostile to everyone. They thought that he must have a reason for his decision not to help them.

Hades had used some of his power when speaking with Gaia just now. And she could feel that he was a strong god ... a very strong god. It didn't matter how old someone was, as long as he was strong, he would be respected. That was the most important law that every being follows whether it wants to or not. And Hades was strong.

He was not yet at the level of primordials in terms of pure energy output, but his versatility which his divinity of boundaries as well as his second wish grants him, was the reason why he was stronger than the normal gods by a long shot. He was already beyond the level of a god-king and he was getting stronger the more time passed. 

The divinity of Boundaries was an ultra hax that needed understanding but Hades had nothing if not time. And he would probably soon approach the level of primordials.

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Gaia kept quiet for a moment and observed Hades. She had lost her cool for a moment and it would seem the 'little god' did not take that lightly. She was surprised at his power and understood that that was not all there was. The way this god controlled his energy was impressive. 

Gaia thought about it for a moment. She was quick to anger right there. And she never allowed him to explain himself. 

"Explain then why you are not beside your siblings and the Olympians to fight the Titans."

"I don't explain myself. I do not need to."

"Then please ... at least tell me why you are seemingly against fighting the Titans.", Gaia said a lot more softly. 

"I am not against fighting the Titans. They mean nothing to me."

"Then why are you not fighting? Don't you want to secure the future of your fam- ...", she stopped talking midsentence.

Hades was passively looking at her. She noticed his expression change ever so slightly when she accused him of simply hiding and not helping his siblings. 

"... I see. It's not the Titans, but the Olympians that you have a problem with.", Gaia concluded. 

"Indeed."

"Would you tell me what that might be?"

"I have no problem telling you what my problem with them is. But let us sit down for this as it is a rather long tale.", Hades said and took out his Crafting table and quickly used gold to create four chairs and a table as well as a pot of tea and four cups. 

Hades then used his divinity to make the metal chairs feel like soft wool. 

"Impressive. Why do you use this weird tool to create this?"

"I love to build things and this is just me doing what I like. It makes you realize and appreciate the things you do when you do it with your own two hands instead of just making them appear. That's just the way I am."

Gaia was interested now. This was a god, unlike anyone she had seen her entire life. But she had to observe him more and she was sure to do that. 

"The story starts a few hundred years ago. The day I was born and got my name, Hades. Cronos ate me and granted me the agonising time travelling down his oesophagus. I don't say that it hurt, but it was boring and the fact that Cronos has a divinity of time made things worse. 

Over the years ..."

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The three primordials sat in their seats, drinking tea and listening to his story. Hades told them about his life in this world. He began with his descent down Cronos' oesophagus, followed by his falling in his father's stomach and then trying to find a place to stay out of the acidic gastric fluids. 

The long time he spent alone there and focused on his divinities to spend the time and grow more powerful. How he did manage to break free from the oppressive aura he felt from his father. The way his boundary manipulation grew stronger the longer he involved himself with it. 

Hades told them about the first time he saw the boundaries that existed all around us by chance and how it changed his perception towards reality. He told them many things and also a lot of half-truths. 

For example, he already knew about other realities and Universes existing but when he saw all the boundaries with his own eyes, he was truly surprised. So a half-truth. 

Hades then continued to tell them how Hestia had arrived and he felt her power trying to bond with him. He told them about his fear of such bonds that he might not get out of them and that they might be used against him. 

He told them how he fled from his responsibility and saw new worlds. He of course didn't tell them that they weren't from this Universe. That was not for anyone to know except him. He told them how he had grown over the years and lost someone important to him.

After all the things that happened and how he had taken revenge on the man who killed his loved one, he told them how he got back the exact moment he had left and tried to make things right with Hestia. 

And lastly, he told them how he spent 6+ million years with his sisters and brother and tried to raise them and how he had evidently failed. 

The last thing he told the three primordials was of course what happened on the island when Poseidon came back worried because he had tried to bed one of Oceanus' daughters and their hiding place was found out through that.

How Zeus and Metis were very quick to blame him. How everyone seemingly wanted to send me to them and have me pay for someone else mistake. And how I snapped and then left to leave them to their fate.

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"So you almost told them that they would beg for you to come back when you left?", Nyx asked.

"I did."

"I have to say ... that is an amazingly cool way to leave the scene.", Erebus said with admiration in his eyes. Yep, you could see who had the pants on in that relationship.

Nyx glared at her husband and shrunk into his chair. Oh my. Who would have thought that a primordial was an M? She had to be really good behind the curtains.

"I see.", Gaia said after a moment of contemplation. 

"... yes. It is obvious then. You will not help them on your own and that leaves me with only one option. I apologise for acting without thinking before. I understand the situation now. If you would please excuse me, I shall take my leave."

After that, she stood up and vanished from the Underworld. She was correct, he would never help them on his own. The only way he would ever consider helping them was when they did what he told them. They would beg for his help and then he would punish his brother and then think aobut it.

He was a man of his word after all.

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"Well, what are your plans then Nyx and Erebus?"

"Hm ... I shall continue to watch your work on the Underworld. I am interested to see how you continue and what your plans are."

"The same for me.", Erebus said. 

"Haha, in that case, I shall get back to work."