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Chapter Text

“Hi!” Hypnos chirped, waving with a customer service smile, “Welcome to the Temple of Styx! Please turn back now.”

The Olympians paused in their approach, the group rippling with confusion and interest at the little slip of a god blocking the doors to the temple. At the back of the group, knuckles white with how tightly he clutched his bag, Hermes felt his heart drop to his stomach as he realized how deeply fucked they were. If Hades had seen fit to send Hypnos in person, the chances of Zeus’ ridiculous plan succeeding had dropped from six percent to absolute zero.

“We’ve come to assist my brother with his little Tartarus problem.” Zeus announced jovially, his charming smile on full blast as he lied through his teeth, “I simply cannot bear the idea of my poor brother dealing with-“

“No thank you.” Hypnos cut in with that same bright smile, and Zeus seemed taken aback, unused to being interrupted.

“…What do you mean ‘no thank you’?” he asked, brow furrowing as the faintest scent of ozone began to drift on the air, warning of his displeasure. Hermes gulped, glancing to Ares, who was looking at Hypnos with raw hunger and anticipation. His unwavering reverence for Sleep, the one opponent no one had ever won a battle against, hadn’t so much as diminished in centuries. The rest of his family, save for perhaps wise and suddenly-tense Athena, looked at the reclusive sleep god with varying expressions of curiosity and intrigue, none of them aware of just how much the situation had escalated with Hypnos’ mere presence.

“We don’t need your help.” Hypnos waved, “Sorry you made the trek all the way here for nothing, but I’ll make sure to let Lord Hades know you were all so worried about him. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. Between you and me, I think a part of him misses the good old days of you three being best friends.”

“Oh believe me, we miss it too, little one.” Zeus continued, his smile a touch strained now, different from Poseidon’s slightly wistful expression beside him, “And we are always ready should he ever decide to fix his reclusive ways and come spend time with us. Now, as for his problem, he may not need our help, but we wish to offer it anyway! If you could just step aside…?”

“Hm… nah.” Hypnos said easily, “Sorry, but that won’t be possible.”

“And why not, little thing?” Poseidon asked, his booming voice just on the edge of a laugh, amused by the whole situation.

“Because we both know you’re not here to help.” Hypnos said bluntly, and despite his friendly smile, the air suddenly seemed colder, “And the last thing the boss needs is his nosy family meddling in his affairs and trying to steal his realm out from under him.”

“Why, little Sleep!” Zeus feigned offense, a hand on his chest as if hurt, “I assure you, we would never -“

“Come on now, save it for someone who believes you.” Hypnos chirped, half-lidded eyes unnervingly sharp, “You should leave, really. Go on now, get.” He made a shooing motion with his hands, dismissing them, and some of the more prideful Olympians bristled at the insult.

“Uh, hey guys, maybe we should listen to the little man.” Dionysus piped up, exchanging nervous glances with Hermes. Dionysus had never really met Hypnos, as the sleep brought on by alcohol was not truly sleep so much as unconsciousness, but even he knew enough about the Chthonics to respect them. To be wary of them.

“Nonsense.” Zeus chuckled, but his eyes had gone flinty as they looked down at Hypnos, “Little godling, I really do advise you get out of our way. There’s no need for this to turn unpleasant.”

“Agreed! After all, it is you alone, against nearly all of Olympus.” Poseidon told him, jovial and warm, as if giving a young man advice. Hypnos blinked at that, then seemed to think on it, placing a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

“You make a fair point.” he eventually conceded, but then he continued, “So you’ll probably wanna go grab a couple dozen more gods if you want an even fight.” Hermes winced, Ares perked up, and Zeus’ face went cold.

“Now son,” he started, but Hypnos cut him off yet again. It had to be on purpose, there was a subtle glee in his eyes that grew every time Zeus’ patience faltered.

“Not your son.” he said, grinning when Zeus’ scowl grew, “I’m actually old enough to be your grandpa a thousand times over, you know.”

“Oh for Gaia’s sake, enough of this mindless chatter.” Apollo of all people snapped, “If we’re here to fight, let us fight.” and before Hermes could so much as open his mouth to warn him, he was charging at Hypnos, blades drawn and singing through the air with murderous intent.

His head hit the ground not two seconds later.

The rest of him followed soon after.

And all Hell broke loose.

Chapter Text

“You…” Hermes stood frozen in the aftermath, too shocked even to hover, “You killed my entire family…”

“Hey now, don’t make me out to be the bad guy.” Hypnos pouted, the expression far too childish for a man so drenched in godly ichor it looked like he’d bathed in it, “I asked them politely to leave, you saw me ask.”

“You killed my entire family!” Hermes repeated, as if repetition would make the words make sense, make the reality before him feel real. He gripped his own hair just to feel grounded, panic and shock making his voice high and strained. 

“What with that tone?” Hypnos asked, a slight laugh in his voice reminiscent of Uncle Poseidon not five minutes earlier, “What, do you think I’m insane, you think I’m crazy? You think I’m some kind of terrible person for defending myself?”

“Ar… Artemis and Athena and Dio, they… they didn’t even want to come here.” Hermes stressed, eyes wide as he looked at the ichor-soaked soil, the wet arches of gold spattered across the doors to the temple, the blood and hair and flesh scattered across the ground like a child’s discarded toys, “They knew it was pointless, and stupid and arrogant. Pops made us come. Pops…”

“No worries, I’ll let Lord Hades know that this whole thing was Lord Zeus’ doing.” Hypnos said with a cheery wave, hovering above the carnage so the hem of his chiton didn’t get dirty, as if that mattered, “I’m sure he’ll give him a stern talking-to once this whole thing blows over.”

“Blows over?” Hermes gave a hysterical little laugh, heart pounding, “Hypnos, mate, Pops isn’t going to just forget about this! You slaughtered nearly every Olympian like we were nothing, he’s going to take it as an insult! He may even try to go to war, like a full blown war! Oh this is bad, this is bad-“

“Aw, you’re worrying too much.” Hypnos waved dismissively, looking far too at ease, “They’re smart enough to not keep throwing themselves at a wall… probably. Besides, they gotta know how insanely pointless a war with the Underworld would be.”

“Pops does insanely pointless things when his ego is bruised!” Hermes exclaimed, “Hypnos, this is bad, this is really bad, how did… how could you… I didn’t even know you could fight!”

“Of course I can fight.” Hypnos laughed, “I’m an ancient being of chaos and darkness!”

“So what, does fighting just come instinctively to you?” Hermes asked, a touch of hysteria in his voice. 

“Nope.” Hypnos chirped, popping the ‘p’, “I had to learn. It was really annoying, I hated every second of it. Fighting is so exhausting.”

“Then why do it?” Hermes stressed, eyes darting to the skies in search of any sign that his family was coming back with a vengeance, “Why bother learning?”

“Hermes.” that amused smile faded slightly, something dark glinting in his eyes, “Do you know how many people fear and hate death?”

“I…” the abrupt change in topic took him off guard, pulling him out of what may have become a spiral, “I guess… a lot?”

“A lot.” Hypnos nodded, “A lot, a lot. And yet, Thanatos has been attacked exactly once, by that rotten bitch Sisyphus.” The venom in his voice was a tangible thing, the old King’s name like poison on his tongue, and it didn’t take long for Hermes to puzzle out the meaning of his words.

“You… You’ve been protecting Thanatos?” he realized, “All this time?”

“The whole thing with Sisyphus taught me a valuable lesson.” Hypnos said with a humorless smile, “My brother, whom I just adore, is fallible. Not only that, but there are mortals willing to do just about anything to extend their silly little lives past their due. Sisyphus was the first person to ever succeed in targeting Than, and the last. I made sure of it.”

“And… that’s why you learned to fight?” Hermes asked, and Hypnos nodded, curls bouncing.

“Yup!” he chirped, his anger evaporating almost as quickly as it had come, “Hey, do me a favor and don’t tell Than, alright? He’s prideful, he’d be so annoyed with me, and if I have to endure one more lecture about independence or whatever, I’m going to jump headfirst into Charybdis’ gaping maw.”

“I… yeah, sure, my lips are sealed.” Hermes blinked, “But- Listen, that’s not what I’m worried about right now. We have to deal with my family, they’re gonna be coming back, I don’t want to let them hurt you but I also can’t let you hurt them-“ Hypnos’ blade launched towards him almost too fast to see, and Hermes instinctively flinched back, closing his eyes and bracing for the sting of death. When it didn’t come, he slowly opened his eyes, paling at the sight of the blade’s tip hovering inches from his face, right between his eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you either, Hermes.” Hypnos said, sounding genuinely regretful, “Charon would kill me if I did. But if I were you, I’d choose a side fast.”

“W… We need to figure something out, nip this in the bud.” Hermes tried to think, to plan, to come up with some way to salvage the rapidly spiraling situation. Hypnos watched him fret for a bit, a conflicted furrow to his brow, before he spoke. 

“You’re really sure they’ll keep coming back?” he asked, and something in his tone set off warnings in Hermes’ head. 

“You… You’ve seen Zagreus and his fights.” he said slowly, warily, “You know how this goes. They keep coming back, improving and learning every time, until they beat you.” Hypnos’ face became contemplative at that, a look in his eyes that Hermes couldn’t begin to parse. He hummed, thoughtful, and Hermes had exactly three seconds to be worried about that before a flash of brilliant light lit up the sky to the east, the shadows around them rotating along the ground as the light moved towards them. 

“That’ll be Apollo.” Hermes swallowed thickly, “Shit, Hypn-“ The god of sleep moved fast, faster than even Hermes could react, and in the span of a single breath he’d been whirled around and yanked back against Hypnos’ chest with a strength that belied those skinny arms. A sleep-warm, ichor-drenched hand gripped his jaw, and Hermes froze as he felt the sharp press of a blade against his sternum, a clear warning not to try to fly away.

“I’ll deal with him.” Hypnos chirped into his ear, just as Apollo’s chariot crested the horizon and landed in front of them with a thunderous sound, blazing bright enough that Hermes had to close his eyes until the searing light faded. When it was safe, he cracked his eyes open, and a leaden weight dropped into his stomach when he saw the furious look on his brother’s face.

“Killing us all was insult enough.” Apollo growled, blazing eyes darting between the hand on Hermes’ face, the blade at his chest, “But now you dare lay your bloodstained hands on my brother? I thought you and Hermes were friends.”

“We are.” Hypnos chirped, far too cheery for a man creating an impromptu hostage situation, “That’s why he’s still here instead of waking up on Olympus with all the rest of you.”

“Apollo, listen, there’s no need to escalate-“ Hermes tried, but Apollo spoke as if he hadn’t heard him. 

“What is your plan, Sleep?” his voice dripped with venom as he stepped down from the chariot, eyes locked on the two of them, “Hold Hermes hostage? We both know killing him is pointless, you know we gods can’t truly end each other.”

“I know.” Hypnos sang, “That’s not my plan, don’t you worry. But I am gonna ask you exactly one more time to pretty please keep yourself and your family away from the Underworld for the time being. For the foreseeable future, really.”

“Or what?” Apollo sneered, “You’ll harm Hermes? I warn you, you pale little maggot, that every hurt laid upon him will be returned to you a thousand fold.”

“Oh, I’m not worried.” Hypnos hummed as he released the blade, the weapon remaining dutifully pressed to Hermes’ sternum, floating obediently in place. He reached into his chiton and pulled something out, opening his hand to show them. At first, Hermes wasn’t sure what he was looking at, and then recognition struck him like one of his father’s lightning bolts.

“No.” he said instinctively, dread turning his blood to ice, “No, no, no, Hypnos, buddy, you can’t be serious-“

“What is it?” Apollo demanded, “Hermes, what does he have?”

“Pomegranate seeds.” Hermes whispered, the two simple words echoing across the air between them like arrows, piercing Apollo true. Apollo’s face went through a myriad of expressions; shock, confusion, and finally fear.

“Don’t you dare.” he said lowly, voice trembling just slightly, “Don’t you dare.”

“I want you to give a message to the Olympians.” Hypnos said calmly, “This is happening because you tried to invade us. If even one of you makes a single move against us, the consequences will be far worse than what I’m about to do to Hermes. We’ve let too much slide over the centuries, spared the rod and spoiled the children. It’s time you learn what it truly means to insult the House of Hades.”

“Hypnos.” Hermes spoke slowly and carefully, “I-I think he gets the message. There’s no need to make the situation worse, really, there’s no need for any of this-“

“Sorry man. Children have to learn that their actions have consequences.” Hypnos said blithely, and Hermes began to tremble, pulse fluttering at his throat like a trapped bird. 

“Hypnos. Don’t. Please.” he pleaded softly, and received only a merciless chuckle in return. 

“Think of it this way.” Hypnos smiled, eyes lidded, “Once you’re with us, you’ll get to spend so much more time with your ‘professional associate’.” With that, his quill-calloused fingertips dug painfully into the hinge of Hermes’ jaw, and though he fought it as long as he could, it took mere seconds for those deceptively strong fingers to force his jaw open, leaving him defenseless.

“No!” Apollo launched himself at them, but a dreamlike fog swirled at his feet, hands like those of the Lethe seizing his limbs with the powerful grip of a nightmare, halting his approach. He struggled, snarling and writhing, near animalistic in his desperation to escape, to save Hermes, but the hands held firm, and Hermes’ eyes met Apollo’s wild gaze and knew intrinsically that his brother could not save him this time.

“Please.” Hermes beseeched, unsure which of them he was talking to, the simple plea garbled by his forced-open jaw, “Please.”

“Aw, don’t be afraid.” Hypnos soothed, unbothered, as if Hermes’ terrified resistance was no more difficult than a puppy yapping at the door, “Think of it as a fresh new start for you.”

“Please!”

“You’re about to join the winning team.” he crooned darkly. He held Hermes patiently still as the Olympian thrashed and fought, uncaring of the blade sinking apathetically into his breast as he did, but in the end he wasn’t strong enough to hold out, wasn’t strong enough to prevent Hypnos from pressing the palmful of seeds to his open mouth and holding it there, two fingers blocking his nose to stop his breath. 

“Stop!” Apollo cried, yanking vainly against the fog, “Stop, stop, stop it, I’ll do anything, anything, just please, please, let him go!”

Hermes held his breath as long as he could, determined to suffocate before being chained to the Underworld, before having his wings clipped. But instinct was a powerful thing, and despite his best efforts, his throat involuntarily convulsed in desperation for air, and the freezing seeds slid down his throat as cold and heavy as Sisyphus’ stone. Tears streamed down his face as Hypnos finally pulled his hand away, watching Hermes gasp for air with the slightly apologetic expression of someone who had just stepped on his foot by mistake. Not someone who had irrevocably changed the very fabric of his being, binding him to a place without the sky.

Apollo was weeping by the time Hermes tumbled to the ground, big heaving sobs that wracked his entire body. He sobbed apologies and pleas for Hermes’ forgiveness, his own knees giving out as he cried Hermes’ name, and the wispy hands at least had the decency to let him do that. Hermes couldn’t even find the will to respond, to try and comfort his brother, only able to stare dully at the ground as he felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach like an anchor.

“Oh would you look at that.” Hypnos hummed, turning to smile innocently at Apollo, “Hermes is closer to us than ever before. How could you possibly want to attack the Underworld when your own baby brother is now irrevocably tied to it?”

“You… You’ll regret this.” Apollo swore, his voice heavy and trembling with emotion, “Hermes is beloved by all Olympus, do you hear me? If I can’t make you pay, one of my siblings will.”

“‘But Apollo, son of Leto, swore to be fellow and friend to Hermes, vowing that he would love no other among the immortals, neither god nor man sprung from Zeus, better than Hermes’.” Hypnos recited the words of that funny old poet, and Apollo bared his teeth in a snarl more animal than man.

“That’s right.” he said, his voice a low growl in his chest, “I love Hermes best. And it’s not just me, he’s our brother damn it. His mischievousness charmed Ares from birth, he all but raised Dionysus, Hestia has burned down villages simply because one person mistreated Hermes. He hunts with Artemis and charms all her nymph friends, he’s Aphrodite’s favorite source of gossip, he always tries to cheer Hera up after she argues with Zeus. You have earned not only my eternal hatred, but the vengeance of all Olympus.”

“Oh, I’m so scared, so scared.” Hypnos yawned, the words slurring as he spoke through them, “That’s so scary, man, so scary, super scary.”

“You disrespectful rotten little wretch!” Apollo snarled, stalking forward with his hand outstretched as if to strike Hypnos down, only to be once again restrained by the fog of sleep, “For your crimes against my kin, I will raze your temples to the ground! I will slaughter your followers and burn your offerings, I will shatter your every statue, shred every scrap of parchment that so much as mentions you, burn the heart out of anyone who dares speak your name! I will destroy you!” 

“I mean, go ahead?” Hypnos blinked sleepily, shrugging one shoulder, “It won’t really have the effect you’re hoping for.”

“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Apollo snapped, visibly frustrated by the blasé response, and Hypnos’ answering smile was like chipped ice.

“Buddy.” he grinned, a sharp blade softened only slightly by sleepiness, “I can’t tell if you’re playing dumb or you are dumb. I’m not a wispy little Olympian like you. I’m primordial. You know what that means?”

“Oh, enlighten me.” Apollo snapped, and Hermes finally found the strength to speak.

“It means he doesn’t need mortal worship to exist.” he whispered, eyes squeezing shut to avoid seeing the look on Apollo’s face, “Not like we do. Temples, prayers, worship, they’re all just… treats to him and his. Primordial gods don’t need any power but their own in order to exist.”

“See, Hermes pays attention.” Hypnos yawned again, stretching until his back gave a loud pop, “All that to say, you can’t kill me in a way that matters.”

“I will find a way.” Apollo growled, “There will be no honor in killing a lazy, cruel, indolent little monster such as you. But there will be great satisfaction.” Hypnos was quiet at that, none of his usual witty retorts or sarcastic jabs, and Hermes felt dread begin to claw at his throat. A quiet Hypnos was a Hypnos growing tired of playing, and that meant nothing but trouble. 

“You know… I was a child at the same time Gaia herself was.” Hypnos murmured calmly, so calmly that Hermes began to tremble anew, “One of my duties is to be the bridge between Mother Nyx’s night and Gaia’s day, you know that? We used to play together, before she settled in for her long sleep.” He abruptly gripped Hermes’ hair, wrenching his head up to look at Apollo, and Hermes tried in vain to hide the tears in his eyes and the terrified tremble of his frame. By the look on Apollo’s face, he hadn’t come even close to succeeding.

“Do you know who keeps her asleep?” Hypnos asked, leaning to press his cheek almost affectionately against Hermes’, as if they were all friends having a lighthearted discussion, “Do you know how much effort it is to keep the Earth itself dreaming? Do you have any idea what would happen if I were to slip, even for a moment?”

“Hypnos…” Hermes swallowed, heart pounding, stomach churning. 

“I’ll give you a hint.” Hypnos smiled without warmth, “If she were to so much as turn over in her sleep, it would result in the complete eradication of the human race, and therefore the Olympians.”

Apollo’s glare didn’t waver, but the hatred in his eyes was now threaded through with a touch of fear. 

“So forgive me for being so sleepy and lazy all the time. And forgive me for being a bit tetchy-“ a sudden pain spiked in his temples, like a headache brought on by oversleeping, and Hermes let out a whimper that seemed to pierce Apollo’s heart like an arrow, “-when a group of young punks think they can march up to my house and threaten me, demand entry to my home, demand access to my family.”

“Just…” Apollo spoke, and then seemed to rethink what he was about to say, visibly forcing down his pride to ask, “Just let Hermes go. Let him go, you’ve done enough to him. You’ve hurt him enough.”

“Aw, don’t be like that.” Hypnos said, his voice almost reassuring if not for the situation, “He’ll be well taken care of every moment he’s with us. Heck, Charon just loves this guy, he’ll make double sure he’s safe and never bored. He’s also gonna be real mad at me for all this, but I’m hoping he’ll forgive me at least a little when I give him an apology gift in the form of a shiny new Olympian treasure.” Indignation flared hot in Hermes’ chest at that, his teeth baring at Hypnos’ audacity. How dare he invoke Charon’s name? How dare he use the sweet Boatman as a threat, use the secrecy of their love against them, against Apollo? His deliberate phrasing, the implied threat, was intentional, it had to be, and… and…

For the first time, he regretted keeping his relationship with Charon on the down low. Perhaps then, Charon would have been left out of this, and Hypnos wouldn’t be able to wield him as a blade, and Apollo wouldn’t be radiating rage and helplessness with eyes like twin solar eclipses. 

“I will kill you for what you’ve done.” Apollo swore lowly, “I swear on the Styx I will find a way to kill you.” Hermes gasped, watching in shock and horror as the vow leapt from Apollo’s tongue and into the air, a red spark, a crimson hand flickering around his throat, a bloodied chain latching shut, locking him to his promise.

“Apollo…” he breathed shakily, “No, no, why would you… why?”

“Well that was a stupid thing to do.” Hypnos clucked his tongue, releasing Hermes’ hair with a little pat to his head, “Alright, try to kill me if you must. But remember, Hermes isn’t the only one with siblings that love him. And with all due respect, mine are much scarier than yours.” Hermes shuddered at the very thought of Hypnos’ siblings, recalling the few he had met; Thanatos with his cold gaze, Nemesis with her vicious snarl, Moros with his quiet intensity, Eris with her mad smile, Charon, Charon…

Apollo would barely stand a chance against one of them, let alone all of them. 

Hypnos allowed them all to stew in that for a long moment, and then clapped his hands authoritatively. 

“Well, now that that’s out of the way.” he chirped, “Do you understand just how serious we are? Has it gotten through your thick skull, sunshine?”

“…Yes.” Apollo whispered, hoarse, defeated.

“Yes…?” Hypnos trailed off meaningfully, and Apollo grit his teeth, begrudgingly lowering his head. 

“Yes, Lord Hypnos.” he all but spat out. 

“Thank you.” Hypnos grinned, “As a reward for your cooperation, I’ll let you in on a secret.” 

“Ichor and light, what now?” Hermes lamented, and Hypnos chuckled, leaning in close to whisper the secret into his ear. 

“The seeds never did anything.” he confided, and despite it being a mere whisper, Apollo went still as if he had heard, “The fruits of the Underworld are born of Gaia, same as the fruits on the surface. They have no inherent power to them.” Hermes breath hitched, confusion and exhaustion and tentative hope all mixing into a sour cocktail that squeezed at his chest. 

“But… But Persephone…” Apollo sputtered, and Hypnos giggled.

“Persephone lied.”

And with that ominous statement, Hypnos was gone, and not two seconds later Hermes was safely in Apollo’s arms.

Chapter Text

Apollo held him close to his chest, sun-warm arms wrapped around him so tightly he feared he’d suffocate for the second time that day. Hermes, dazed, didn’t even think to lift his arms and return the hug, not until Apollo started speaking.

“I’m sorry.” Apollo whispered into his hair, his voice thick and heavy with emotion, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I should have been faster, I should never have let him get his hands on you. Oh, my brother, my baby brother, forgive me, forgive me-“

“H-Hey, it’s not your fault.” Hermes tried to sound calm, but it came out shaky, “Nothing came of it, in the end, yeah? Just a cruel trick. We got lucky, I think, Hypnos can be meaner than Thanatos when he puts his mind to it. Just… never thought I’d see it firsthand...” Apollo pulled back just enough to look at him, trailing warm fingers over Hermes’s jaw, where his family’s drying blood smeared along his jaw in the vague shape of a long-fingered hand. 

“If he touches you again.” Apollo said lowly, heavy with dark promise, “If any of them touch you-“

“They won’t.” Hermes managed to say, “I promise you, they won’t. This was just… sending a message, warning us to stay away. Besides, Charon is a dear friend, once he finds out about this, he’s gonna make Hypnos’ life absolute hell. Charon would never see me harmed, not for anything in the world, Hypnos was just saying all that stuff to get a rise out of you, I swear.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Apollo said firmly, and then softened a little, “I will never forgive that wretch for making you afraid.” Hermes’ heart squeezed at that, and he tucked himself further into Apollo’s protective embrace.

“We… probably need to tell the others what happened.” he said shakily, and as if summoned, the blazing red of Ares’ aura became visible in the distance, and seconds later he was at their side in a gust of rust-scented wind, a delighted grin on his face and a visibly motion sick Dionysus clinging tightly to him in the back of the chariot. 

“Lord Hypnos, that was magnificent.” Ares breathed, eyes bright with battle-high, with adoration, “I beg you, allow me to face you again in glor…” He trailed off as he registered the sight in front of him, a pale and teary Hermes trembling in the arms of a miserable Apollo, no Hypnos in sight.

“Uh… what did we miss?” Dionysus asked as Ares’ joy faded in favor of anger, protectiveness, red eyes darting around in search of a threat as Dionysus stared curiously at them. 

“Where is Lord Hypnos?” Ares asked, hand drifting to the pommel of his blade, “Are you harmed, Hermes? We were concerned when you did not wake with us in Olympus.”

“Hypnos used Hermes as a hostage!” Apollo snarled, and Hermes did not want that to be the focus of his siblings’ ire, especially not Ares’. So he tattled.

“Apollo swore on the Styx to find a way to kill Hypnos.” he said, and Apollo’s head whipped around to look at him with betrayal as Ares and Dionysus immediately zeroed in on him.

“You did what?” Ares hissed, surging forward to grab his younger brother by the arms, shaking him slightly, “Apollo, you didn’t! Tell me that even you would not be so foolish!”

“I thought he’d done something terrible to Hermes!” Apollo snapped back, “He made us believe he’d bound him to the Underworld!”

“He did what!?” Dionysus yelped, and the whole scene devolved into shouting over each other. Hermes felt a hell of a headache coming on, temples throbbing and eyes aching from all the crying, from the emotional turmoil and whiplash of the last hour, and the yelling certainly wasn’t helping. He pressed his fingers to his temples, closing his eyes to try and mitigate some of the light from his brothers and their godly auras, trying to block out the discordant yelling that went on for far too long before Ares finally put an end to it.

“Enough of this.” he declared, releasing Apollo with a sigh, “It is clear that Lord Hypnos will not let us pass, and even all our might combined is no match for him. Father’s ill-thought-out plan has failed. Our priority now should be getting Hermes safely home and ensuring he is well after his ordeal.”

“I’m fine.” Hermes said automatically, though he absolutely wasn’t. Ares softened slightly, turning to place steady hands on his shoulders, far gentler than he had with Apollo.

“Lord Hypnos is like a dream, little brother.” he said softly, “Beautiful yes, but transient, untouchable, and most importantly, deceitful. We can trust nothing he presents to us, believe nothing he says. He is, by nature, more mirror than man.”

“He certainly fooled me.” Hermes tried for levity, but it came out a touch too strained to be genuine, “Fooled both of us. Played us like lyres.”

“His aspect is one of the more… insidious ones.” Ares smiled a little, wistful, “One that delights in having your mind do all the work for it. All he needs is the barest nudge, a suggestion, a wooden cutout even, and you instinctively fill in the blanks. His realm is that of a shoddy stage with the set haphazardly built, and with the veil of sleep over our senses, we are blind to its deficit, and to the audience watching. Then, he pulls away, and lets the dreamer conjure the rest.” His words (tangent, really) were ominous, but his tone was admiring, longing even, and Hermes briefly considered teasing him about his hopeless crush before deciding he was simply too tired. He slumped forward, knowing Ares would catch him, and indeed he did. Hermes sank into Ares’ embrace, the second safest place in the world (beaten only by the strong arms of the Stygian Boatman) and allowed himself to be held close and protected, to be taken care of in a way he rarely allowed. 

“I was scared, brother.” he admitted in a tiny voice, muffling it in Ares’ shoulder, “I really thought he’d… and he even made the seeds cold as ice just to sell it… am I really such a liability?”

“Absolutely not!” Apollo denied vehemently.

“Whoah, yeah, this was not your fault at all.” Dionysus assured him.

“No, Hermes.” Ares said, quietly fierce, “You are not a liability. To be loved is not a failing on your part, and that he knew to target you means only that our regard for you is well known.”

“I don’t even know if he planned it.” Hermes felt a few stray tears slip from his eyes, wetting the leather of Ares’ armor, “I don’t know if he spared me intentionally or just because I’m close with Charon. He didn’t make a single move against me until we sensed Apollo coming.” Apollo’s face twisted at that, grief and guilt warring in a stalemate. Dionysus watched the scene with wide eyes, unused to seeing his cheery big brother so shaken, and that was yet another layer of guilt for Hermes to carry. 

“He won’t touch you again. Nothing will.” Ares swore, “My adulation for him is great, but my loyalty to you is greater.”

“I won’t be leaving your side.” Apollo said, coming to stand beside them, a hand at Hermes’ back, eyes flinty, “No arguments. I will be acting as your bodyguard until I know that wretched maggot won’t be trying anything else.”

“I can come with you on your runs, when Apollo is busy.” Dionysus offered, worried but trying very hard to keep his smile relaxed, “You can carry me in your bag, like you used to.”

“You’re a bit big for that now, Dee.” Hermes managed a genuine laugh, and Dionysus’ smile became a bit more genuine.

“Can’t hurt to try.” he joked, and the mental image gave Hermes a watery chuckle. 

“Guess not.” he mumbled, pressing his face into Ares’ shoulder, “Can we go home now? Maybe to one of those grottos away from Pops and the others?”

“Of course, little bird.” Ares murmured, a hand lifting to stroke Hermes’ hair, “Would you prefer to ride with me, or run?” Hermes thought about it for a moment, weighing the release of running with the fear of being alone with his thoughts, and decided to let fear win out just this once.

“I’ll ride with you.” he said, and if his willingly turning down an opportunity to run worried his brothers, they had the grace not to say anything.

“Your every wish, little brother, is my top priority.” Ares sounded like he was smiling, “Come now, Dionysus can ride with Apollo.”

“Against my will.” Dionysus sighed, “Ares is bad enough, but Polly drives like a Theban dying of hemlock poisoning.” Hermes chuckled at that, the wings at his ankles fluttering, and he let the ensuing bickering wash over him like a soothing rain as he tried to relax, trying not to think about the crushing despair he’d felt when those seeds slid down his throat, the numbing horror when he thought he’d been torn away from the wind and the sky. He focused on his brothers, Ares’ solid arms around him, Apollo’s warm hand at his back, the wind in his hair, taking comfort in them as he thought about their next move. 

Wasn’t much to think about, really. All they could do now was pass Hypnos’ message along, and really stress the importance of listening this time. The three of them would be working overtime trying to make Zeus see reason, and just the thought of all the work ahead of them made him feel so terribly tired. He was so looking forward to tattling to Charon about what his little brother had done, along with the inevitable fretting and fussing that would come with it. But for now, he was content to be doted on and kept safe by his overbearing brothers, and to let them handle everything else.

At least until he suddenly remembered something.

“Hey uh, Apollo?” he spoke up, and they all turned to look at him, “What are we gonna do about your promise to the Styx? If Hypnos was telling the truth, killing him will wake Gaia and completely eradicate all life on Earth-“

“Hang on, killing him will what?” Dionysus blinked widely.

“-but also, Thanatos and Nyx and all those other guys, they aren’t gonna be happy about you having to kill Hypnos.” he continued, “And he wasn’t lying, his siblings are scary as hell. You remember Eris, right? That whole ‘Trojan war’ thing? That was her in a good mood. You don’t wanna see her in a bad one, trust me, I have, and it wasn’t great. She has this alarmingly powerful weapon, and she used it to perform unspeakable acts of violence upon my person after I annoyed her. You ever heard of a fellow named Anansi? He’s a lovely man, we had a lot of fun chatting, but I got to meet him after Eris turned my body into a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Do you know how hard you gotta be killed to wake up in someone else’s pantheon? And don’t even get me started on Nemesis, or Oizys, or that creepy little son of his with the freaky dream-logic body-“

“Hermes.” Dionysus laid a hand on his shoulder, “You’re rambling, buddy.” Hermes took a deep breath, realizing he hadn’t bothered to breathe since he’d started talking..

“Sorry.” he said, “But really Apollo, killing Hypnos is completely off the table. We need to figure something out.” Apollo, who had grown steadily more pale as Hermes talked, seemed utterly lost, and Hermes wondered if he was regretting his impulsive act now. 

“Hm…” Ares seemed to think for a moment, “Tell me, what was the exact wording of the vow?”

“I… swore that I would find a way to kill Hypnos.” Apollo admitted, placing his head in his hands, “Gods below, what am I going to do?”

“So it… doesn’t sound like you swore to kill him.” Dionysus said tentatively, and Ares nodded along, “Just that you have to find a way to?”

“Yes.” Ares said, relaxing slightly as hope spread throughout the group, “All you are bound to do is find a way to kill him. You are under no obligation to actually go through with it.”

“And it’s absolutely imperative that you don’t go through with it.” Hermes stressed, “Because I don’t know about you, but I would rather avoid global annihilation.”

“And because should you pose a true threat to Lord Sleep, I would be honor-bound as his suitor to neutralize you.” Ares said, earning a chuckle from Dionysus and an eye roll from Apollo.

“Yes, yes, you desperately want Sleep Incarnate to crush your head between his willowy thighs.” Apollo sighed, “We get it. Can we take Hermes home now? I’d like to comfort my little brother in a place that isn’t covered in ichor and viscera.” At the reminder, Hermes shivered, and that seemed to be all the others needed to agree to leave.

“Agreed.” Ares moved to mount his chariot, offering his hand to help Hermes up, even though he didn’t need it, “Are you ready to go, Hermes?”

“More than ready.” Hermes maneuvered himself so he was in front of Ares, the War god’s arms bracketing him securely as he took the reins, “Are you ready to deal with our family?”

“Perhaps after some quality time with my favorite brother.” he grinned, and Hermes grinned right back. He couldn’t be sure, but unless he was imagining it, the sight of his genuine smile seemed to put Ares at ease.

“Well then what are we waiting for?” Hermes asked, glancing over to where Apollo and Dionysus were bickering about positioning and who got to drive, Dionysus even talking about establishing a ‘speed limit’. A ridiculous idea that Hermes was certain would never catch on, “Let’s get the fuck out of here before more Chthonics show up.”

“Your wish is my command.” Ares demurred, and then they were off, with the wind in their hair and the memory of Hypnos’ cold eyes getting further and further away, at least metaphorically. Hermes dearly hoped that their dreams would be merciful after this, that Hypnos would not punish them all for the actions of a few. 

At least he still had the sky.