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Part 4 of What if? , Part 1 of Odysseus and Hermes bonding
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2024-04-29
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What If? Hermes found Odysseus when Poseidon attacked

Summary:

What if Hermes found Odysseus when Poseidon attacked? What if Odysseus didn't have the wind bag? What if Hermes pissed off this bitchass Uncle by saving his great-grandson?

Thank you to Strawberrymilk932 for the suggestion!

Notes:

This is all over the place (story of my life) so don't correct me on anything mythologically incorrect. Believe me, I know. I just dont care. Also all the action of the actual song is based on Gigi's animatic of it, so go check it out. It amazing.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Hermes is simply laying in his bed on Olympus, finally getting a break from running messages for his father when he suddenly sits up and stares off into the distance.

"What? What is it?" Apollo asks, noticing his brother's odd behavior.

"Something's wrong." Hermes replies, getting up.

"Like "end of the world" wrong or "I forgot something in Hades' palace" wrong?" Apollo asks with humor.

"I don't know," Hermes replies, "but something is wrong." Both men fall silent until they hear Aphrodite and Ares walk by.

Ares sounds almost gleeful as they walk, "Sounds like Poseidon has gone down to the mortal world to slaughter some sailors."

"Yes, apparently their captain blinded his son... Polyphemus, was it?" Aphrodite sighs, "Such is love, driving even the calmest gods to anger." The couple continue down the hall, voices fading.

Apollo turns back to Hermes, "See H, that's probably what you-"

"Did you hear that? Polyphemus." Hermes interrupts seeming growing more worried, not less.

"Yes..." Apollo says slowly, "Hermes, why do you care about some cyclops?"

"I don't! But I think that cyclops is the same one-" Hermes cuts himself off then turns on his heel to grab his sandals and hat.

"Woah, hey let's calm down." Apollo tries to stop him but he just pushes past and grabs his things and starts to put them on. "The same one what, Hermes."

"The same one my great-grandson blinded. That captain is my descendant." Hermes finally gets his sandals on and puts his hat atop his head. "And I refuse to sit here while Poseidon kills my favorite mortal."

Apollo stops trying to fight him at Hermes' statement. But as the other turns to leave, he grabs his wrist. "Be careful. You will be in his home turf, and he's already more powerful than you."

Hermes nods solemnly and disappears in a flash of light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Any last words?" Hermes appears on Odysseus' ship to find Poseidon pointing his trident and Odysseus' chest. Odysseus looks completely defeated, on his knees in front of the god.

It is only then when Hermes notices the silence. A crew of almost 600 shouldn't be completely silent.

He looks over the side of the boat and sees the carnage. The 11 other ships Odysseus brought are in pieces, floating with the bodies of the crew that were on them.

Hermes turns back to look at his descendant. It is then that Poseidon lifts his trident up to swing at Odysseus, seemingly not seeing his nephew. Odysseus lifts his arms to protect himself and braces...

Nothing happens.

Odysseus looks up and sees Hermes standing over him, one hand on Poseidon's trident, stopping the swing. "Sorry, Uncle." Hermes does not look sorry at all. In fact he looks furious, if Odysseus had to guess.

"AEOLIS!" Hermes yells and suddenly the boat is taken by a strong wind, pushing Poseidon off and propelling the crew away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as they are safely in the clear, Hermes kneels in front of Odysseus and time seems to slow.

"Hermes..? How did... What..." Odysseus falls silent and stares in shock. A god, coming to save him, after all he's done?

Hermes visibly calms himself, "Easy there, friend. You're safe now."

Odysseus can't seem to calm himself. All he can think about is the 534 crewmen that just died because of his orders, his actions.

He continues to spiral, thinking about Polities and everyone he's lost and he can't breathe and-

Hermes hugs him. He holds Odysseus close until he gets his breathing under control.

"Thank you." Odysseus says quietly into Hermes' shoulder, simply breathing.

It takes a great effort on his part but Odysseus pulls away to look around. He quickly realizes that it didn't just feel like time slowed earlier, it did. Time had slowed to a stop, just like Athena's Quick Thought™.

Odysseus looks to Hermes "How did you..?" Hermes looks around as well.

"I didn't." he smiles at him, "but knowing Athena, she saw me come down and decided to help... if a bit more indirectly."

Odysseus shakes his head. "No, she- she and I had a fight. She said she was done with me! She wouldn't-"

"But she did." Hermes interrupts, "I know of no other god can do this but Ares. And I happen to know that he is with Aphrodite right now. Plus, he kind of hates you."

Odysseus simply stares at nothing for a moment then says, "Thank you, Athena..."

"She is the tactician, not me, but even I know that a crew that experiences a great tragedy, needs an even greater captain." Hermes stands offering Odysseus his hand to help him up.

"She likely, and finally in my most humble opinion, learned that men aren't like us gods. They can't bounce back as quickly as us." Hermes says with a smirk as he helps Odysseus stand.

"You did your best with what you had. Yes, telling Polyphemus your name was extremely stupid, but this is ridiculous."

Odysseus turns to look at the remainder of his frozen crew. "What do I do now?"

"Well, Aeolis is a trickster god, like my good self, so who knows where they sent us..." Hermes tails off as he turns his head to look at, seemingly nothing.

"What's wrong?" Odysseus steps closer to his ancestor, though he doesn't know it.

"Father calls me." Hermes turns to look at his great-grandson. "But you will do just fine on your own, Odysseus." He cracks a smile, "But if you aren't and you need help. You need only ask." Hermes turns away, as if to fly away.

"Hermes!" He stops and turns his head back to Odysseus. "Thank you."

Hermes smiles and disappears into a flash of light and time speeds up again.

"Captain!" Eurylochus runs over to where Odysseus is standing, near the bow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, my friend." Odysseus sighs.

"What happened? What was that?" Eurylochus turns Odysseus to face him.

"Nothing, just… an new friend doing me a favor." Eurylochus looks at Odysseus oddly but before he can ask anymore questions Odysseus turns to the rest of the meager crew.

"We have to figure out where we are and how we get back to Ithaca. We can't let those we've lost be in vain." Odysseus stands tall in front of the crew while they nod their heads and get the boat safely to shore along the island they've found themselves at.

"Just a little longer, Penelope, Telemachus. Just a little longer."

Notes:

It was not, if fact, a little longer. >:D

Okay. So. I am not a mathematician. But here is my logic: 558 dead (by underworld)- 1 (died at Circe's island by falling off the roof)= 557 dead (you could also say 600 before -43 left = 557 but I choose to be difficult) Then like 14 thumps of Polyphemus' club there is no way only 14 died so I'm gonna say like 23-ish died. 557-23=534 dead in the water. Is this exact? No. Do I care enough to do research and see if I can find the real number? Also no.

P.S. the urge to write "and then he opened his eyes back on Olympus again" when Odysseus asks "what's wrong?" was SO STRONG. But I resisted. Time loop anyone? XD

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