Genesis [malexmale]

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two

"Fucking hell, Joxeia, are you crazy?"

I grimaced, ignoring Satanika's dismayed exclamation as Hestia dabbed a cotton ball of alcohol on a gash in my forehead. I used little magic to heal myself physically, because Hestia appeared to be doing a fine job, therefore allowing me to save as much as I could to teleport our army to the Paradise realm.

Meanwhile, Satanika was glaring at me from behind Hestia as we stood in the medical tent that was set up outside the hospital on Olympus. Also in the room, Ares stood near the entry way with his arms folded over his chest, legs apart, stance prepared to destroy anyone or anything that came within fifteen miles of his wife. A dark shadow that took up unnecessary room, considering we both knew Satanika could handle herself.

But the thought was sweet.

"Alright," Hestia said, pausing to brush the hair back from my face so she could study her stitchwork on the gash, "It'll heal within a few minutes. Head injuries tend to take us longer, so I'd rather you not bleed out during that time. I'd offer you pain medication, but I have no idea what medications work for a creature like you." I shook my head, sliding off the gurney and grabbing my holster up off the railing beside it.

"I don't need pain medication," I said, then approached Ares, whose eyes followed me behind a pair of pitch black wraparound shades, "Are the others here? What about Lucifer and Zeus?" Ares glanced over at Satanika, who was glaring daggers into the back of my head and I tried not to notice. He looked back at me.

"Hannibal, Akin, Menoetius, and Arikos are getting ready at the military barracks on the other side of town. I'll take you there. As for Lucifer, he's with Persephone, who's been trying to shut him and keep him from doing something stupid. Zeus locked himself up in his damn castle again and won't come out until we're all ready," he explained grimly. I nodded and headed out of the tent, ducking under the flap as Ares followed close behind, and Satanika came sprinting around to block my path.

"Joxeia, stop," Satanika shouted in my face, and I pulled up short, glaring at her in irritation, "I get we need to get Hades back, believe me. My heart bleeds for him as we speak, but we cannot go to the Paradise realm half-cocked, do you understand me? You're letting your emotions get the best of you while and I'm glad you're all feely again, this is not the time to let your anger and your fear rule you." I narrowed my eyes on her and behind me, I felt Ares tense, as if he were preparing to kick my ass to stop me from hurting Satanika.

He needn't worry, however. Satanika was just worried about the situation and there was no need to.

"I'm fine," I told her flatly, watching her expression twist in under disbelief, "I am. You think getting slapped around by a pathetic nymph will put a drain on my powers? In case you've forgotten, I am older than you. I am stronger than you. You may be the embodiment of Love, but you are not Love itself. I am Creation and I am itching to create a whole new fucking graveyard with Atlan's name on the first headstone." Satanika took a deep breath to calm herself, her anger showing pink in her cheeks and tips of her ears. She spread her hands out in front of her, moved them up and down for a moment, then pinned me with a steely glare.

"Listen to me. I am not speaking to you now as a friend. I am speaking to you as a fellow soldier. We cannot just bumble into the Paradise realm fueled by anger and revenge. While Hades is important to Atlan in terms of providing his army with the necessary weapons and battle suits, he is not so important that Atlan will not kill him if he has to. He can and he will kill Hades if he thinks its the only move he has. We need to make a plan, a strategy. If you insist on going in right now, then I'm behind you, but only if you allow us time to plan an attack. Do you understand me?"