Turning the pendulum back a bit. A few days ago, on the night Cirrus, Ai, and Nox left.

"So… are we really going to see your g-grandma?" asked Ai.

"Hmm…I wonder how she’ll be in person!" said Nox.

"…She’ll be more than what you expected," said Cirrus. "But…It was a rather fun night."

"Fufu you even outdrank the Loki Familia!"

"You should really cut back on drinking; you said it could turn you into an alcoholic." said Nox.

"I will! But it’s going to be rough since."

Cirrus stops in the alleyway as in front of him is a white picket fence.

"That the place?" said Nox.

"Gulp! Hera…" said Ai.

"Well, let's go in and get it over with."

"W-wait! At least give me the drink first!" said Ai.

They walk to the picket fence, and Cirrus takes out a bottle of Susanoo’s finest sake, all wrapped up.

"Ready?" Nox said to Ai.

"Ready as I’ll ever be." She said.

"Ai, Nox, try not to get on her bad side. Also, don’t look into her eyes."

They walk in to find a beautiful garden lit by the moonlight.

"Waaaah…"

They walk towards the house, and Cirrus knocks on the door. After a while, they hear noises, and the light on the second floor turns on.

A bit later, they heard a footsteps coming down and a voice behind the door and a click.

"Come in your sack of shits!!"

"!?" Nox and Ai were taken aback by this language, but Cirrus just walked on through.

"I’m coming in!" Cirrus said, opening the door to the home.

They followed along to find a goddess wearing a facemask. Her divinity was like a golden flame. Even by how late it was, her ruby eyes were still sharp as a knife's edge.

"Who are these two?" Hera said, squinting at them, still a bit groggy.

‘Ah…that’s just how her eyes are.’

"The one with fox ears is Ai, the one who looks like a porcelain sculpture is Nox."

"Hmmm….I’m too damn sleepy, Cirrus. We’ll do this in the morning."

She slowly walks back up the stairs, grabbing one of the bottles of wine littered around and drinking it down before returning to her room.

"Uhh…"

"Well I’m going to sleep on the couch." Cirrus said, walking to the living room.

"Wait, aren't we getting a room?" said Ai.

"Most of the rooms are filled with wine bottles and there is no other bed besides her own."

They enter the living room to find it rather cluttered.

"Hmm…Hecton."

Hands extend from Cirrus’s shadow and collect all the bottles and store them.

"Ugh…I hate storing trash; it’s such a waste."

Cirrus then sat on the couch and leaned his head back. Ai sat next to him, and Nox turned into an owl, sitting comfortably in between the two.

 

The following morning,

"…." Hera looks at the couch to see 3 people sleeping. "Cirrus, get up." she said, kicking his foot.

"Hm…oh Yawn! Grandma…you’re up."

"Yeah, I’m up." She looks to see Ai and Nox. "I’m happy you brought your cute lover and spirit!" A smile grew on her face. "Then that means you settled the Evilus war thing in Orario, correct?"

"Yup, your 3rd favorite daughter bid her farewell. She also found joy in your compliment. She also said, thank you."

"No, she didn’t. I know her well enough to know your lying."

  'Odd? If I didn't know Alfia I would have believed-'

"Your right." She actually said, and I quote, ‘Tell Hera I am sorry I was so thick-headed and that she may never find Zeus. Old hag.’ And then proceeded to throw herself into hell-like fires. "

Hera made a painful expression, forgetting her last train of thought. She took a deep breath and centered herself. She gave a solemn expression before changing.

"Get these girls up and make breakfast."

"Hm sure, but I have to tell you we’ll be leaving." Cirrus said, getting up and following Hera.

"Oh? I thought you would stay here for at least a day or so. Do tell me where you are going. "

"I can’t say it was Alfia’s last request."

"Is that so…" She turned her head like she was possessed, her ruby eyes looked as if they captured the flaming pits of hell. They were genuine swirls of madness that wanted to eat him. "Does it have something to do with Zeus????"

‘There’s that madness.’

She grabbed his shoulder and began to dig deep, or as deep as one could go against a level 8.

"I will fulfill the request of your child, grandma. So you can stare me down all you want, but I won’t say a dam word."

They stared into each other’s eyes for a bit before her eyes stopped swirling with madness. She sat at the kitchen table and took a deep breath to really calm herself.

"A man of his word you are, huh? Make sure you stay that way. Make breakfast and get going."

"Hm. AI!!! NOX!!!! GET THE FUCK UP!!"

His voice rung through the home waking the two up.

"Heh. You are her son." Hera lightly smiled.

They enter the room slowly.

"Hmm…breakfast…."

They came in and sat down as if this was their own house.

"They’re not morning people."

"Me neither." said Hera.

Cirrus began to make some breakfast and put it before them.

"Hmm, delicious Nom! Nom!"

"Once you’re done eating, we're leaving." Cirrus said, quickly eating his own breakfast and leaving.

"Ai, sweetie," she says glaring at her with a slight sharpness to get her to wake up before softening her gaze. "Where are you going?"

"U-umm…" She stared into her swirling red eyes. She really could feel herself starting to get pulled in.

"Hera!"

"Cirrus!"

They both glare at one another again and again, intensely. Ai and Nox could see Hera’s eyes growing in intensity.

"L-Lady Hera!" said Ai. "Cirrus please calm down!" Ai said, trying to calm the situation.

"Scary eyes…" said Nox.

"Cirrus how about we talk a bit in private? Nox can you stay here a bit?’

"Um…" Hera looked at her with her swirling red eyes. "…Yeah…sure." She began to eat her breakfast, avoiding her gaze.

 

Ai and Cirrus go out into the front yard/garden.

"Why do you wanna leave already?" asked Ai. "I know she isn’t what you expected, but she is still family, right?"

"…" Cirrus couldn’t tell her what she did. "Yeah." He said begrudgingly. "Look I don’t want you to be around her alright. She’s…she is a person who…how do I put this um…hard to deal with, very temperamental."

"Well, you are handling her well."

"Because I’m the son of her captain! I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t she would have not let me stand up to her and flung insults till I was on the ground crying asking for an apology. "

"Well I’m your girlfriend, so shouldn’t she hold some affection for me as well? She even called me sweetie."

"Ai you know better than that. She is just playing innocent…or not, it’s hard to really nail down who she really is."

"Well trust me okay. You can go and do that request Alfia had, and I’ll stay here and try to smooth things out."

"No." He said sternly. "Ai you can ask me anything and I will do it, but letting you stay with her is a strong no. I am putting my fucking foot down."

"Come on! How bad can she be!"

"No."

"Cirrus."

"NO."

"Cirrus."

"Ai."

"Cirrus."

"Ai."

They both stared at one another intensely. Ai could see he really didn’t want her to stay with Hera, and Cirrus could see she wanted to stay and make a good impression on her. She then looked at him with her puppy dog eyes.

"No! Don’t fucking do that to me!"

"Jiiii~~"

"Ai."

"Jiiii~~"

"Fucking…" He steps away from her, combing his hair with his fingers in frustration. "…Do you really want to stay here with her?" He glanced at her.

"Yes." She nods.

"…Fine then, Nox is staying with you."

"No the fuck I’m not!" She said, walking out. "She is fucking unbearable!"

"Now, now Nox. I merely asked you if you could make good eggs, not shit eggs with a side of sass." Hera said, walking out after Nox.

"I made you four!! Fucking four!!! They were all delicious!! I don’t know what your standard is but it’s some fucking bougie ass tastes!! "

"They're called refined tastes! Something you deeply lack!"

"Cirrus I-I actually fucking can’t with her. I am actually going to strangle her."

"Try it. I’ll pop your pretty white head like a bottle of champagne."

Cirrus looks at Ai and she still stands firm.

"I’ll be back as soon as I can. Grandma." He looks at her sternly.

"Grandson." She looks back at him.

Cirrus looks back at Ai.

"…Love you Ai, take care alright." He nods, and he takes his leave. Nox followed in suit, turning into an owl and landing on his shoulder.

As soon as he walked out of the property and the white fence closed behind him, Cirrus took off running.

He ran and ran as fast as he could heading northwest. He couldn’t leave a trail behind. Artemis would be hunting him eventually, and he wasn’t going to let it be easy for her.