322 Teaching the Wastrel a Lesson (1/2)

\”Excuse me!\” Zero stopped a pretty looking angel who was on her midday break.

The seraph smiled. \”Yes? How can I help you?\”

Zero apologised and explained that he was looking for a god called Eros. At the drop of that name, the seraph dropped her latte. Luckily for her, Zero had quick reflexes and caught the cup before the contents spilt everywhere.

Zero was about to return her cup but the strange expression on her face made him freeze. The seraph suddenly looked like she'd seen a ghost and quickly excused herself before running away. Zero called out to her but the angel didn't show any signs of slowing. With the cup of coffee still in his hands, the young doctor wondered if he should throw it away or drink it now. After all, it was a fresh cup of latte and he didn't want to waste food.

The brunet tried the same question a few times and a lot of females gave him either looks of disgust, suspicion or fear with different reactions. Some glared at him and stormed off while others fled in fright. Zero didn't understand why it was happening so he decided to catch a male to question this time.

\”Eros? He's famous all over heaven...\” the shopkeeper sighed. \”You look like you're not from around here so I'll warn you about it. That god is bad news. If you see him, run and hide. He doesn't really take gender into consideration and will kidnap anyone he thinks is attractive to sleep with them. It's why all the ladies are very afraid of him.\”

Zero swallowed when he heard that. This Eros person didn't sound like a good person and Zero found himself not liking Athena's brother more. \”Isn't Eros currently under home arrest?\”

The shopkeeper sighed. \”As if the regular cupids and seraphs can quarantine a god like him... Eros might be detestable and a bully but he is still a titan. Everybody knows that all titans are powerful. We cannot do anything about it...\”

Hearing this, Zero's anger for the good-for-nothing flirt increased. He didn't really need to ask around for more information about Eros. Zero knew where this god lived and he was going to crash someone's party to spank someone's bottom. He knew that most gods were selfish but they usually did their job seriously. Eros didn't do anything and from what Zero gathered, it was also Eros who spread a lot of unpleasant gossip about others around him. He was a very selfish god who was always jealous of his sister's accomplishments. All the attention that he craved went to Athena and while there was no evidence, the shopkeeper told Zero that long ago, Eros liked to talk bad about his sister. Zero had a feeling that the rumours originated from this god and even if there was no evidence, Zero couldn't let the case rest until he got to the bottom of it.

\”Thank you for telling me all these,\” Zero said and tipped the shopkeeper with some money for the information before leaving for Eros' house.

Unwilling to give up, Zero scouted the house and settled down in a place where he could ambush Eros when he got back. Zero didn't think it was very difficult to break into a god's home and wondered if everyone in Heaven was so complacent that they didn't have security measures in place at all. The teen managed to scale the wall and roll into the untrimmed hedges before breaking into the kitchen from an unlocked window.

Since there was still some time, Zero decided to survey Eros' house. The house was humble in comparison to Valhalla but Zero didn't complain. It was surprisingly clean even though it was a little messy. Zero examined the kitchen and wrinkled his nose. Someone had forgotten to take out the trash for a while and there was a weird smell lingering in the air. Zero didn't want to hide in the kitchen.

The curious doctor took his own sweet time exploring the living room that was equally messy if not more. Unfolded laundry was strewn all over the couch and the shoes were all over the floor. Something maternal in Zero sparked and the teen raged. He hasn't seen such a mess ever since the first week in Merlin's tower. If it weren't for Bib, Zero wouldn't doubt that the magician's tower would look ten times worse than the current mess. However, this was still unacceptable!

Zero stormed upstairs to the bedroom and looked at the messy bed. He frowned with his hands on his hips looking like a very cross mother. Eros was a slob and Zero's impression of this god had degraded so much that it was no longer salvageable. The teen gave up on hiding. Instead, he tried to make himself comfortable and started digging up old diaries that caught his interest.

Eros returned home a few hours later to someone pouring through his old diaries in his bedroom. His immediate response was to scream and quickly retrieve every single scandalous book to hide. The god hyperventilated, he knew he should have burnt them long ago!

Zero and Eros had a staring contest and it was Zero who blinked first.

\”Wh-wh-who are you?! What are you doing in my room?\” Eros stuttered when Zero stood up.

The young doctor wasn't going to give Eros a chance to retaliate. Before the titan could do anything, three acupuncture needles were sent flying his way, embedding themselves in his neck and paralysing him completely.

Eros was shocked and scared almost to the point of peeing in his pants. The young teenager with fluffy brown hair and warm hazel eyes looked very much like an angel of death. Was he going to join everyone else in death too? Eros closed his eyes. He was too young to die! He still hasn't gotten married!

Instead of pain, Eros felt something strange getting injected into his system. He snapped his eyes open again and they widened in shock at the syringe that this strange intruder produced from nowhere. The drug worked quickly and Eros felt a strange pressure at the base of his jaws.

Zero smiled serenely and Eros wanted to cry. This was the face of the archangels who came to deliver his punishment. After being on the receiving end of it for so long, the flirt was very familiar with this sadistic look. Whoever this intruder was, he just wanted to run away from them.

\”Hello, Eros. We finally met. I've been waiting for you for a long time now. Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you, I just have a few questions that I need answers from you. It's regarding Athena.\”

Athena's name made Eros stiffened. His earlier fears were forgotten and his eyes turned cold. Zero knew he hit the nerve and tried to hide his nervousness. He didn't know if he could actually go up against a titan with his current abilities. Zero didn't want to resort to violence but if the situation required it, he would be forced to get a little rough. Without fail,m Zero wanted to uncover the truth about Athena's past. Failure was not an option, too many innocent people have suffered.

\”First question,\” Zero said but Eros simply looked disinterested. \”How did Athena die?\”

Eros threw his head back with a bark of laughter. \”That bitch was killed by the very humans she tried to protect, wasn't she?\”

Zero frowned. The truth serum didn't allow anyone to lie. Even though Eros' tone got on Zero's nerves, he knew that the god was not lying about it. Athena did indeed die from a betrayal. Still, Zero composed himself and asked the next question. The first question was merely a testing question to find out if truth serums worked on gods.