::"Hey, blue boy!"

Hermes flinched hearing that called out. Not only did that name bother him, but the voice behind it upset him more. Slowly turning around, but hovering where he was, the blue messenger from Mount Olympus came face to face with the Lord of the Dead himself, Hades. Hermes inhaled deeply and leaned his Caduceus on his left shoulder and pondered the Underworld God for a moment before answering him. "Ah, like, what's up, man? I never see you above ground. After some new hench wench?"

Hades smirked and laughed weakly. "Oh, you're funny Featherfoot. No, I am looking for some answers really. I hear you took off and married Megara and she's living with you up on Olympus now."

Hermes furrowed his brow and felt his ire rising. He wasn't one to get angry with Hades for the two of them tended to pal around every now and then, but the mention of Megara out of Hades' mouth just upset Hermes for a while back Meg sold her soul to Hades and then later upset his plan to take over Olympus by turning noble in saving Hercules' life. The whole situation, actually, upset Hermes and he had succeeded in clearing his mind of it all and now this. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Hades from behind his purple lensed glasses. "What of it, man? Like, you can't have her and if you try, you're gonna have to get through me, dig?" He then swung his Caduceus forward and gripped it tightly with both hands in a defensive mode.

Hades held up both of his hands and shook his head. "Hey now, none of that my fine feathered friend. I ain't here to take your chickie-poo away from you. I just wanted to know if it was true that's all."

"Why?" was Hermes simple, cold answer.

"Geez, you are touchy aren't you? Look, seeing that she's gone and out of my fingers, well, I could care less. The thing is I am still trying to get old Wonderbreath in my clutches. I was going to use little NutMeg as bait, but since she's yours and all of that, well, I am not touching her...I don't need your wrath. I heard what you do to people that say stuff about your wife and all I gotta say is Oy Vey! Anyway, I am wondering if you'd like to help me out on a new plot since my original one is now shot to heck...and don't worry, no taking over Olympus this time either!"

The blue God shook his head in confusion. None of what the fast talking Hades was saying made sense, but the mood Hermes was in now, not much made sense to him anyway. Not only was he extremely tired from the day's message runs, but he was hungry and anxious to get home to his wife. He stared at Hades for a while trying to figure out his motives, but if it was that muscle head Hercules he was after, Hermes was all too tempted to help out.

Granted, it was because of Hercules' negligence after he returned to Earth that brought Megara to the little messenger, but the whole ordeal of Herc putting Megara through more heart-ache in the mean time wasn't fair and should be justified. Hermes talked to the boy a while back and they had a good conversation, but still the hero bothered the little God to the point of annoyance.

Arching a dark blue eyebrow, Hermes said softly with a touch of vengance in his voice, "Man, what's your plan?" He then smirked to himself and couldn't help but chuckle as he made a rhyme and eased his defenses and leaned his golden staff back in its normal place on his right shoulder.

Hades smiled wickedly seeing he had the little God's interests and stepped closer to him, but kept a wary eye on the Caduceus resting on Hermes' shoulder. "Well, you see, I figured that since I can't outright cause harm to the little dickens, I thought I'd get rid of him some other way and since you can't stand the guy either, well, I thought you would like to be sorta like my assistant in this."

The little messenger narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin while he pondered this over. He promised Megara long ago that he wouldn't torment Hercules, but he never said he wouldn't assist Hades, or anyone else for that matter, in a plot against the hero. "Like, what's in it for me, man?"

"Geez, blue boy, I thought you would have been jumping at this offer. Listen, I can't give you much of anything because frankly, you're a God and can have anything your little heart desires. All I can really offer you is knowing that you got some kind of vengance on some square that caused your little Meggie-poo grief and I know how that bothers you."

Hermes nodded slowly and a wry smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, like, you got a point there, babe. Ok, I'm in, what do we have to do?"

"Well, I got this nifty little gizmo here that Cronos gave to me for just such a plot," he said softly and a small metalic box appeared in his hand. "You toss it in front of some guy you want out of your life and bingo they are history! This little toy will send them off to the future or past, far enough either way where they won't be remembered or found. That way, they are stuck in time and out of your life forever."

The messenger chuckled as he lowered his purple lensed glasses and peered at the box. "Man, dig that, a square to catch a square!" He then burst into a fit of laughter while Hades just groaned and rolled his eyes. After his laughter subsided, he asked, "Like, what does my wife gotta do with all of this, though? If it's just me, you, and this gizmo thingy, why involve Megs?"

"Glad you asked that Blue Wonder. See, Hercules still must have a soft spot for little Nut Meg because that's what got me to defeat him in the first place even though that was short lived. I was just thinking on putting some kind of damsel in distress bulletin on her out by yours truly, meaning you, and when ole Jerc-ules goes after her is when you spring the trap."

Hermes nodded and looked back at the little box still clutched in Hades' hand. "Let me guess, I fling it at Wonderbread and he goes bye-bye right?"

"Bingo!" the Lord of the Dead cried out enthusiastically. "What I see is you sitting up in a tree or flying around or whatever it is your blue little heart wants to do and when Herc is in position you fling the goods down on him and we both get rid of Mr. Hero for good. No one is the wiser and you and I both finally get our own personal revenge on a God-wannabe."

Hermes smirked and inhaled deeply as the thoughts of this plan filled his brain. It wasn't that long ago when he helped Megara get rid of Hercules by sending him a phoney letter stating that Zeus and Hera missed their dear boy and wanted him to visit. With that square out of the way, Hermes showed Meg the fun time she deserved to have by showing her the world. He never expected a romance to happen, really. He was just looking for a friend to hang around with and a fun way to pull a prank on Zeus' kid without the head God knowing what happened for real.

His thoughts might have continued to drift off into his personal bliss about his wife if it wasn't for a sudden and hurtful clanging on his metal helmet. He blinked behind his glasses and winced, pulling back from Hades' fist pounding him on the head. "Earth to Featherfoot! Oy vey, you mention something to someone and they go spacey on ya. Geez, will you pay attention!" he growled and shoved the metal box into Hermes' hands. "Now that you know the plan, let's work on a date to set this out, ok?"

The blue God shrugged and looked over the box. "Well, why wait, babe? Like, let's do it tomorrow and get it over with."

Hades grinned a wide and pointed toothed grin at him. "Hmmm yeah, I like how you think. I was gonna go for next week sometime, but this is even better. You sure you don't want a gig with me down in the Underworld? Hey, it's a little damp and a little gloomy, but I call it home," he yammered and put a huge arm around the messenger's thin shoulders.

Hermes flinched from being touched and slowly shook his head, but didn't move from where he hovered. He was still too interested in the metal object held in his free hand. Already he was plotting on how to lure Hercules out into the open where he planned on tossing the box at him and sending the hero into only Zeus knows where. He then turned slightly to Hades and replied, "No, like, thanks, but I got a family to take care of now, man. I'll just do this for you and then fly away home with no one the wiser, dig?"

"Yeah, yeah, I dig. Listen, I gotta get back to my own swinging place and take care of business. Not that the customers complain much, heck if they did I wouldn't listen anyway. You carry out this as good as you see fit and when the job is done, come and see me. Now, if you excuse me, and to steal your phrase, I'm gone, babe!" and with that Hades disappeared in a flash of fire, a puff of smoke, and the scent of brimstone lingered in the singed air.

Hermes glanced up breifly and then slowly flew off while still staring at the silver box of dangerous fun clutched in his blue hand. He had to get home and get some rest in before he came back down to Earth to carry out this interesting little plot of Hades'. Inhaling deeply, Hermes made a motion with his hand and the box disappeared. He sent it to the place all his deliveries go that way it freed up his hands. The blue God then leaned his Caduceus on his shoulder and tore off from the area leaving a trail of sparkles behind him. As he flew swiftly back to his home on Olympus, a cunning grin appeared on his face for in a matter of hours he would be pulling the biggest trick on anyone he ever did before and he secretly looked forward to it.

"Bye bye, Wonderboy," he laughed to himself and flew all the faster, anxious for the day to end so he could carry out this wicked plan as soon as he possibly could tomorrow.::