::As Hermes flew through the vast, twisting caverns of the Underworld, he muttered softly under his breath in Greek as to what exactly he was going to say to Belit. He felt part of this misunderstanding was entirely his own fault for not explaining his confusions to her better. However, he really didn't understand much of the confusion let alone pay any attention to his fuzzy memories in the first place. Why would he? All he felt he needed to know was the here and now and he never even thought about past things until Belit brought them up or a distant thought zipped through his mind.

Now with the coming of his painful headache perhaps Belit would understand more as to what was wrong with him and could hopefully help him remember things, especially the nagging feelings that he didn't belong down here in the Underworld. Pausing for a moment, he winced in pain as yet another sharp feeling cut through his head. Could this be happening from her hitting me with that book the other day? he thought to himself.

Carefully he removed his winged helmet and tenderly touched the small bump that was still present on his head. Hermes flinched and quickly pulled his hand away seeing the spot was still quite sensitive to the touch. "Eh, maybe Belit's got more of that zany Coca Cola stuff," he said aloud. "That jazz always makes me feel good...more nutty then usual, but good." He chuckled weakly and then began his forward flight once more heading to the Personnel Office of Belit's while gently replacing his helmet back where it belonged.

As he rounded a corner a large billowing column of smoke suddenly began to appear before him. Not giving it much thought, Hermes intended to fly right through it, but instead he slammed into a solid form. "Hey, hey, watch it there you dolt!" the smoke snarled angrily much to Hermes' surprise. He flew back and lowered his glasses, widening his eyes at the tall being now standing before him where the smoke once was. Hades brushed off his long black robe and glared at Hermes, his yellow eyes gleaming. Soon his snarl melted into a wide pointed toothed smile. "Oh, Hermes, I didn't know it was you! Well now, isn't this a fine change of events? I've been looking all over for you, babe, where have you been?"

The messenger hovered in place for a moment before swinging his Caduceus around and holding it in a defensive stance, "Ah, like, I don't know who you are, man, but you better split before I split you. I have a terrible headache that's getting worse by the second and I ain't in no mood, dig?"

Hades grinned more upon hearing him. Hermes didn't recognize who he was so that meant his memories were really begining to go if they weren't completely gone already. Hades held up his hands and chuckled, "Easy there, Tex, I'm on your side. In fact, I'm your boss, Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hi, how'ya doing? You work for me and you've been gone for a while now and I was just worrying about you, ya know. Hey, what can I say? I'm a caring kind of guy."

Hermes stared at him in disbelief. Something told him Hades was lying, but he really didn't have a choice in believing him or not because he just didn't remember. "Belit talks about you, babe, like, and it's not nice. She told me you are one gone cat."

"Oh ok, that hurts, oy. Listen, she's like all other employees. When do workers say anything nice about their boss, huh?" Hades questioned and stepped forward to the messenger now that he relaxed his stance. "Come with me and I'll explain everything to you, okay? You had a nasty time and are no doubt in denial. Let ole Uncle Hades help, whattyasay?"

Hermes looked the huge being over with mistrust and slight worry, but his soothing voice and manner eased Hermes just enough to want to go with him to wherever it was he wanted to take him. Nodding slowly much to Hades' joy, Hermes followed the Dark Lord down the twisting hallways and eventually into the War Room where he flew around to scope the place out, not remembering that this was where his stay in the Underworld originally began.

"Dig this scene," he laughed, hovering over the table with the playing pieces representing the cosmos. "You got the whole world in your hands!"

Ignoring the joke and seeing a chance to prove himself, Hades glided to Hermes' side and picked up the little figure of the messenger that he created not too long ago. "Lookit this Blue Boy," he grinned. "I told you that you worked for me."

Hermes took the figure of himself and checked it over then glanced at his Caduceus, "Ah, like, your figure's wrong, babe. My staff doesn't look like that."

With a snap of his fingers, Hades changed Hermes' Caduceus into the forked prong that the figurine was holding. "There, now it does," he said with a smirk. "Hmmm...that outfit of yours is messed up too. Did Belit put too much bleach in the wash or something?"

Hermes flew back from Hades and stopped examining his new staff and looked at him puzzled. "I always wore a white toga, babe," he replied simply.

"No no no, you used to wear a white toga, but when you came down here I gave you a black one...volia!" and with another snap of his fingers, Hermes' white toga turned black with red trim as did his boots. "There, now you look like the Hermes I remember," Hades said with a fake grin which slowly dissolved into a pout. "Oh, but the wings are still wrong...there!"

The blue deity removed his winged helmet and ran his fingers over the red bat-like wings that were now there. He glanced down at his boots and though he couldn't see the wings for they were flapping way to fast, he knew they changed as well for little scarlet blurs were now where the white ones used to be. Hermes flew back to the Dark Lord and patted his shoulder grinning broadly, "Don't knock the threads, baby."

Hades grinned cunningly knowing that he at least won Hermes over somewhat by giving him a new outfit. He knew Hermes could be easily swayed, he just didn't think he could be so vain. "There see now? You are back in business, babe! No one messes with Hermes, Hades' minion and messenger!"

Cocking his head to the side and flitting back from him, Hermes questioned that comment. "Like, I don't remember that title. Come to think of it, I don't even think I belong down here anyway. I was just now going to see that happening chick, Belit, and explain things to her. I mean, like, my head hurts really bad and things seem fuzzy in the thought department. Isn't that too nutty?"

Running a hand through the blue flame of hair on his head that was begining to flicker with orange, Hades glided to the windows of his War Room and stared down at the River of Souls below while letting out an exaggerated sigh, "Oh, Hermes, Hermes, Hermes...you really are sicker then I thought. You've been gone for so long and now that you come back you don't remember anything. Have you been drinkin' from the Pool of Forgetfulness again? I told you a million times not to do that, but you never listen." He turned to face Hermes, his face stern. "I try to teach you of the dangers down here and that's what you do?"

Hermes rested his staff on his left shoulder and flew to him. "Why wouldn't Belit tell me about that stuff? I mean, ah, she pretty much told me to stay away from you, like, that's the main thing I remember. I don't remember you being the one telling me about a Pool let alone anything else."

Hades gasped and put his hand to his chest. "You wound me Blue Boy! How could not remember me? It's that water I'm telling you! It erases your memories hence the name Pool of Forgetfulness. If you consumed too much..." he trailed off for dramatics and put his hand to his brow. "Oh, Hermes, it's a good thing I found you."

The little messenger let the words sink in and suddenly everything began to make sense to him. Well, almost everything. He didn't remember drinking from a pool, but who's to say that he didn't somehow drink that bad water? Blinking behind his glasses, Hermes suddenly remembered the ring on his hand and he held it up to show Hades. "Dig this too, babe. Belit told me that I'm married and to not take this off, but like, I don't recall getting married. So, ah, what's this all about?"

Hades held back a laugh. Hermes was way gone and more so then he expected him to be and was obviously getting worse by the minute no doubt brought on by that headache he's been complaining about. This was going to be easy and he wouldn't have to resort to drastic measures unless necessary. All he had to do was keep feeding him stories like he was now and surely things would work out the way he was planning. "Well, it looks to me like she is claiming you, Winged Wonder. It's probably her hint to you that she wants you to always be with her. Heck, she's kept you locked up for quite a while in that office of hers! You gotta have feelings for her too since I heard you and Belit were getting kinda chummy a bit ago."

Hermes winced and quickly shook his head, "Gods no man! I don't want anyone like that and I really want to kill that square that wrote that mythology book too. That cat has me married as well as having ten kids. That's just wrong, babe! What's that myth stuff anyhoo? I ain't a myth...I'm a myth-ter." Hermes then busted up laughing at his joke and all Hades could do was roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Motals do stupid things, Hermes. They tend to take a being and twist their personality into something that they themselves seem to like regardless if that being even would behave that way. They're nuts I tell you! That's why I need you back with me, so you can torment them again and keep 'em in line. Oh, and about that guy that wrote the book, he's dead, so maybe you could go give him some Doom Sevice later on, if you get my drift."

Hermes perked up and once more Hades had to grin broadly seeing he got the little deity's attention. He knew Hermes all too well and knew his exact weaknesses and likes. He did have to be careful, though. One mention of the wrong word might trigger a past memory and really make things difficult. However, tormenting mortals was something he knew that Hermes always enjoyed doing regardless of how many countless times he got warned by Zeus and how many times he ended up getting captured and hurt as a result.