Welcome back to the second chapter of this story, lads! And thank you to those who've left a review so far. I appreciate it and will hope to have more in the future, so long as some of you are willing. For those of who don't want to, that's fine too. I won't badger you to do something if all you want to do is read it.

However, to the person who reviewed as 'Guest', I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you're trying to get at? What does it matter that Hindu myth has a god of destruction in Shiva? In case you weren't aware, and not that it matters anyway, but Greek myth also has a god of destruction as well. The Titan god of destruction Perses. Even if it didn't though, I can't see how that is of any factor to Beerus making more sense in Hindu as opposed to Greek. If anything, going off of his aesthetic design, he'd be a perfect fit for Egyptian Mythology, which I'm personally much less a fan of than Greek, but I may have a short story at some point in the distant future based on the idea of him going there, just to see how he'd interact with the gods there. Maybe, I haven't decided on that one yet.

Anyways, with that all out of the way, on with the chapter.

The Olympian God of Destruction:

Chapter 2: Prelude to War

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Bellowed out what sounded like an inhuman monster filled with rage. Its roar deafening, and bouncing off the walls of the cave, and causing the liquid beneath to ripple about.

Only, this was no monster. The 'walls' surrounding it were certainly not that of a cave's, but of a very large stomach. And the liquid rippling about beneath him was definitely not water. The smell alone was revolting enough to make the average person puke just from a small whiff of the stench wafting off the greenish-yellow acid bubbling about.

The roar itself had come from the now infant Beerus. It was something that definitely should not have been possible for a baby to produce. Especially not one that lacked the usage of Ki. Most species back in Universe 7 when it still existed would've balked at a new-born being capable of such a deep, spine tingling noise.

It had been a little while now since Beerus has been swallowed wholesale by his new bastard father Kronos. He was still wrapped up in the blanket Rhea had put him in, which refused to corrode off despite floating on stomach acid. His face was much the same, since when he'd first been dropped in to this abhorrent place he'd gone head-first, soaking his face all over in the acidic fluid, but it quickly proved to have no effect on his skin whatsoever. Which meant his body and whatever cloth Rhea had put him in were immune to the acid at least.

Not that he gave a rat's ass about those little tidbits of information at the moment. Now that he'd gotten over most of his shock being reborn as a baby, it had left way for his infamous short temper to swell up. But for once, it was questionable if even Whis would blame him for blowing his top off, considering the absurd situation he was now in.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Beerus seethed, his teeth, which shouldn't have grown out so quickly, gnashing together in fury. "I haven't been here for even a day, and I've already been utterly humiliated!" Seriously, what kind of screwed up asshole ate their own children as soon as they were born!? My previous father may not have been a saint, but he at least acted like a father!

This was total bullshit! "I can't believe this! That bastard had the gall to eat me!?" Beerus didn't care if he had been reborn in a new world or not. He'd spent dozens of millions of years as the god of destruction in his former universe and had tolerated far less than this affront!

Arms breaking free of his blanket, Beerus clenched his tiny hands and balled them into fists, as he swung the small, stumpy appendages, splashing about the acidic fluid left and right as his face turned red in anger. His babyish features scrunching up in unholy indignation as he futilely attempted to beat the crap out of the stomach's acid to no avail. If an outside observer were to somehow get a look in at this, to them, it would appear as little more than a childish temper tantrum. One coming from a baby that looked comically pissed off.

Gaze flying over to the inner wall of the man's stomach closest to him, Beerus ceased his arm swinging momentarily as he used his stubby arms to swim over to it. A small tuft of dark purple hair peaking out of the soft blanket most of his tiny body was still wrapped in, as he managed to make his way over to his new target and continue his wailing on it instead. His fists pounding and smacking against the stomach's tough skin with all the force he could currently muster. Something which also quickly proved futile, but the former feline destroyer couldn't be bothered to care.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen. It hadn't been too long ago that people would fear the notion of Beerus taking a swing at something or someone, because there was a guaranteed chance most of the time, they'd end up obliterated. Whether that be a person, a planet, star, galaxy, or even his whole bloody universe.

Now though? He was just a mere infant with a temper problem. Petulantly banging away at his prison walls with a passionate fury that didn't have the power to match. "Damnit all!" He yelled, as he continued to take out his frustration on the inner flesh barrier of his 'father's' gut. His hands clasping together after who knows how many punches and slamming down one small axe-handle strike after another upon it. "Let me out of here, you bastard!"

When the axe-handles proved as ineffective as his punches, Beerus de-clasped his small hands and placed them against inner wall of skin, before, in a rather irrational move, proceeding to bash his head of all things against it instead, with one headbutt after another. A display that wouldn't have looked out of place in a slap-stick comedy, and like the rest of his 'attacks', proved to be useless as well. Only causing him a slight headache each time he smacked his forehead into it, doing more harm to him than anything else, really. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" He yelled incessantly, like a red-hot ball of anger, wanting nothing more than to tear this disgusting place open and tear his devourer apart limb from limb. Sadly, all he managed to do in reality, was displace and splash about even more of the pool of acid he was floating in.

After an indiscernible amount of time, Beerus finally slowed down in his pitiful attempts to bust through the stomach. Calming down enough to realise he was just wasting his time trying it, as it wouldn't budge. It didn't stop him from stewing in his own fiery rage though. No, that didn't simmer down one bit. His teeth grinding down against each other so hard it was a wonder they hadn't cracked by now, as he miniature-fingers gripped against the inner flesh of his so called 'parent's' digestive organ. "I swear Kronos…" He hissed out through grit teeth with nothing but venom. "You better wish I never find a way out of this rancid gut of yours! Because if… no, when I do, I will destroy you!" He yelled with more ferocity and passion than he'd possibly ever felt for someone before. With not even Zamasu, the fallen Kai, having drawn his ire this much to see him pay for what he'd done. To see him annihilated as much as he wanted it for his new 'father' right now.

But oh no, he wouldn't be destroying him quickly like he did to that arrogant Kai. Oh, no, no, no. That would be far too generous, as far as he was concerned right now. Far too merciful. For a transgression against him that was this mortifying… this degrading… there would be no mercy. When he got out of here, and he would get out of here somehow, eventually, he'd make this fool suffer for this. He'd beat him to a bloody pulp, break every bone in his miserable body, have him begging for mercy as he ripped off each of his limbs, and then castrate him for good measure. Anyone willing to swallow their own children shouldn't ever be allowed to breed again, after all. The organ was wasted on a piece of trash like him!

It would only be then, after he was satisfied with the damage done, would he finally finish him off.

Yes… yes that would be a fitting end for such a deplorable being. He'd be doing this new world a favour by doing him in…

"Are you okay, brother…?"

"Huh?" Beerus stiffened up at the sound of a voice behind him. A somewhat squeaky one that held some concern in its distinctly feminine tone. Whipping his head around to look behind him for the speaker, all he found was his new twin sister floating above the acid within her own blanket. Her golden, glowing eyes peering directly at him. He blinked owlishly back, as his anger faded back in place of growing shock, realising that the only one that voice could've come from was… "Hestia… did you just… speak?"

The baby girl, and Beerus stressed baby there, chose that moment to tilt her head and give him an odd look in this situation. Her worry over him being mixed in with confusion now. "Yes. I did just speak, little brother. Is that a problem?" She asked innocently, as though being able to speak when you were less than a day old without anyone teaching you to do as such wasn't abnormal in the slightest.

What in the… "H-how?" Beerus blurted, his jaw dropping open like a character from a looney toons cartoon at such a revelation. He'd seen many things in his long tenure as the god of destruction of his now erased universe, but a fluently speaking new-born was definitely not one of them. "Babies don't talk…"

"Forgive me, dear brother… but aren't you a baby yourself?" She asked rhetorically, looking at him curiously as she pointed out a fact that he'd been neglecting up to this point.

"Hah…?" Beerus looked down at himself dumbly, as if only just realising now that what she said was true. His initial rage over Kronos's slight against him having blinded him from thinking about anything else up until now. About how, as Hestia had rightfully pointed out, he was indeed a baby as well. A baby that, somehow, had the vocal cords developed enough to not only allow him to speak, but also talk with his normal voice as though he were still the fully-grown adult he'd been before. "H-how am I… h-how are you…? Wha…?"

As this revelation sunk in fully, Beerus could almost feel his own brain clocking up to a hundred trying to think about how this should be possible. His head steadily shifting up and down, as he looked between himself and Hestia a couple of times in sheer disbelief. His golden-yellow eyeswidening like dinner plates at such a thing. I must be going mad… size-altering beings is one thing… but talking babies…? If it were just him, he may be able to excuse it as his soul having some effect on the body that allowed it to do things out of the norm for its age. It would be as reasonable an assumption as any other, given he knew from experience that transferring a soul to a different body from its original host could cause some interesting side-effects, as Whis had shown him many years ago.

That idea was thrown out the window by the simple fact that like him, Hestia was completely self-aware already, and could speak seemingly without any bother. There was also the fact that they were, once again, unaffected by the acid in Kronos's stomach. Which, realistically by this point, if they were normal babies, would've reduced them to skeletons with all their flesh eaten off.

Just what kind of ridiculous world have I been thrust into!?

"So uhm… do you mind telling me where we are, brother?" Hestia asked, her adorable features scrunching up in distaste at the stench wafting all over, as she took a look around. "Last I recall before falling asleep, I was in mother's arms as she waited for you to be born…"

Running a hand over his face at the insanity of this whole situation, Beerus decided it would be best not to get hung up on this absurdity any longer. Whatever he was, he definitely wasn't a mere human, and nor was his new sister for that matter. Given this feeling I have within me, while its certainly not god Ki, it definitely is divine. I can tell that much. Which means me and her are probably this world's version of gods. Which naturally meant that Rhea and that prick Kronos were also gods of some description, most likely.

Perhaps if he felt out for it like he used to do with his Ki, he might be able to-

"Brother? Hello?" Beerus was brought of his thoughts as he heard Hestia's voice call out to him again, noticeably less squeaky this time, reminding him that he hadn't answered his sister's inquiry.

Feeling a small bit of embarrassment at leaving his sibling hanging, Beerus put that thought of his to the side for the moment, as he replied to the girl. "Erg… sorry about that. Zoned out for a minute. You asked where we we-he-hegh!?" his words caught in his throat, eyes bulging out of their sockets comically in surprise as he looked over at his elder sister. "What the heck!?" he yelled out in mounting disbelief once more.

"What's wrong?" Hestia asked in alarm, though her tone managed to remain far calmer than Beerus's was, as she floated along the acid pool, her now much longer arms and legs lazily swaying about within the acidic depths, as her blanket had seemingly morphed around her now much taller frame into a small tunic. The top of it having given way to allow her now shoulder-length black hair to flow down freely. Her face having developed somewhat in its own right as well, giving her a more distinct appearance.

"W-what's wrong!?" Beerus damn near croaked, his mouth still hanging open dumbfoundedly at his sister. Who was no longer the baby she had been just a minute ago, but now appeared as a young girl around the tender age of five. "Are you kidding me? How did you grow up that quick!?" Had she seriously just skipped through several years of aging just like that!? Even Whis's time manipulation that he'd used to skip through Bulma's pregnancy hadn't been this ridiculous! This kind of rapid aging out of nowhere blew that straight out of the water!

Once again, Hestia looked at him oddly as though he was the strange one here. "Forgive me, brother, but I'm afraid I don't understand what has you so worked up? This rate of growth is natural for us, is it not?"

"Natural…" Parroted the former destroyer of the now non-existent seventh universe. His tone betraying naught of the mounting incredulity on his face, even as he felt a bizarre, ticklish sensation permeate throughout his body. "You call that natural…?"

His twin sister nodded without a hint of doubt. Her glowing eyes shining in earnest. "Yes, and I fail to see why that surprises you. After all," She paused to give him a once over. Running her gaze over his own frame as she saw his arms and legs elongate and sway about in the acidic depths, as the blanket morphed around his growing frame much the same as hers did. All whilst his small tuft of hair grew out swiftly into a decent sized mop of dishevelled hair, and his facial features became more defined like her own. "you're no different."

"Eh…?" Was Beerus's 'intelligent' response, as he looked down at himself again, following his twin's gaze. "Ehhhhhhh!?" And, for the second time in the last few minutes, his eyes just about popped out of their sockets when he saw that his body had gone from a new-born's to a fricking five-year-old's, the same as Hestia's. All in what was essentially the blink of an eye.

Beerus's right eye started to twitch vigorously in that moment with pure agitation. His golden-yellow orbs beginning to shine with exasperation as one ludicrous factoid about his new 'biology' was dumped on him right after the other. Grand Priest… seriously… what fucking wack job world have you sent me to… this crap is downright bizarre even for me…

Being swallowed by his own father after a literal rebirth, being able to speak normally as an infant… and then growing out of said infancy to early childhood. The latter of which should've taken years logically, but instead, it occured in mere moments without him noticing…

I'm too old for this shit…

A deadpan expression formed over his face not a moment later, as a hand came up to massage his temple. Beerus couldn't be bothered to give a damn at the moment if it was dripping in his so-called father's revolting stomach juice, as considering how unaffected he and Hestia were by it, it might as well have just been discoloured water for all he cared. "You know what? Forget it… I don't care anymore…" However ridiculous this world would end up being, he'd just have to accept it for what it was, as going off of what he'd seen and experienced so far… it probably wasn't going to get any better than this.

Knowing his luck, it would undoubtedly just get even weirder and he'd just have to accept that as the new normal for him…

To be fair, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to do that. After all, there'd been a time in his previous life where he'd known nothing of Ki, and never would've imagined it possible to do a fraction of things he ended up being capable of, like destroying planets and stars with but a flick of his wrist, and living for millions of years, despite the life expectancy of his race at the time being only a few decades.

Yeah… as funky as the logic was right now, he could get used to it. Just as he'd done for all the stuff Whis had shown him when he'd chosen him as the new candidate for the god of destruction position.

Well, at least he hoped he could anyway. For all he knew, this could just be the tip of the iceberg, and once he got out, there'd be much stranger crap abound, happening all around him. I really hope not… I'm getting a migraine as it is…

"If you say so, brother." Hestia shrugged, bringing Beerus back to the conversation at hand. "Now, may I ask again where we are?"

Beerus could only sigh at this question. Already feeling bitterness and anger welling up again, and for good reason. "We're inside our father's stomach." The delivery was about as blunt as you could get, and Beerus could visibly see the look of shock plastering itself on his sister's face. "He swallowed us both shortly after I was born. Classy guy, isn't he?" You could practically feel the sarcasm and bile dripping off his tone at that last bit.

"F-father really did that to us…?" Taking another look around, it didn't the girl long to register just how true her younger twin's words were. "I guess that would explain our current… less than savoury location…"

Beerus snorted. That was putting it mildly.

"But, why would he do this? Why would he devour us…?" The girl's head hung low, full of conflicting emotions. Confusion reigning above all others, with horror and sadness being a close second and third at such a deplorable act. "Aren't we all family…?"

"Somehow, I don't get the feeling that mattered to him." Beerus scoffed. Though inwardly, he did feel bad for his new sister. To come into this world and not have had a previous life before it, unlike him, only to have herself be eaten by one of her own parents must've stung pretty hard. "Before he ate us, he was spouting some nonsense about a prophecy to our mother."

"A prophecy…?" Her head moved up, glowing orbs staring straight into his own questioningly.

"Yes. And before you ask, no, I don't know what it is. Frankly, I don't really care either."

"You don't…?" Hestia blinked, looking somewhat surprised by his dismissal of such a crucial piece of information. It was certainly something she'd like to know.

"No." He shook his head. "I honestly don't care what the prophecy is, because no matter what it is, it doesn't excuse what he's done." Beerus could feel his hands once again balling into fists as the swayed back and forth, semi-submerged within the yellowy-green depths. "And if he thinks he can get away with this scot-free, he's got another coming." He'd get his vengeance on this asshole one way or another. Preferably by beating him within an inch of his life before incinerating what was left of him off the face of this world for good.

He could feel an unknown power bubbling up within him as he spoke, coursing through every facet of his being. As he delved inward for that divine feeling, much in the same way he'd done for his Ki back in the day, he could feel it responding tacitly to his call. It was by no means similar to Ki, but he had a feeling he could learn to properly draw it out and harness it to get his revenge. All he'd need was a little bit of time.

Thankfully, time was something he had plenty of right now.

"I see. You do have a point there." She nodded in understanding, before her eyes dimmed with confliction as she looked away in dismay. "Still, I don't enjoy the thought of my family fighting one another…"

"Oh, please… the moment he ate us, he was no longer family to me." He hadn't considered him as such anyway from the start, but even if he had, it would've been dashed as soon as he chucked them down his throat. As volatile as he and Champa could've gotten around each other back in the day, there had still been plenty of underlying affection for one another, whether they could openly admit it or not. The same could not be said for Kronos, who after just one brief meeting, had made it crystal clear to him that even without whatever prophecy it was that he spoke of, there wouldn't have been even a lick of affection from him.

Beerus liked to think he was pretty perceptive, and when he thought back on that brief interaction between him and Rhea, it became clear there wasn't any loving relationship there. Just a lot of tension, and clear distaste on Rhea's end, whilst Kronos didn't seem to care. Neither about her nor them. He came across as a man who was only concerned about himself, and no one else. That much, Beerus could definitely gleam from what he'd witnessed between the two. "All he is now, is someone I want to personally destroy. And I'll be damn sure to make that happen."

Seeing that this did nothing to help his new sister's downcast expression, Beerus let his eyes soften somewhat, as he made his way over to her, and placed a hand over her shoulder, something that earned him her gaze once again. "Listen, you don't have to join me if you don't want to. I certainly won't force you to. Just know that he brought it upon himself. You have to admit, if he was willing to do this to us purely based off of some prophecy, and from what I saw, didn't have any remorse in doing so, I can guarantee you he wouldn't have been a good father to us regardless."

"I suppose you're right on that…" She agreed with him again, though she still sounded saddened by it. Something that he, again, didn't blame her for.

"But even when I get rid of him, you'll still have our mother to go back to, won't you?" He smiled slightly, trying to cheer her up. Something he hadn't personally done for a family member of his since he brought back his little brother's version of Earth so he wouldn't try to steal his own. "And you and I both know she does care about us, unlike him." He wasn't about to hold her handing them over to Kronos against her too much. He could tell it was something she hated having to do, and it was clear that 'dear old dad' wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"And what about you, brother?" She broached softly. "What will you do once you've dealt with father?"

Ah. That was a good question. Outside of killing Kronos, what was he going to do? "Well… I'm not sure, really…" Scratching the back of his head, he tried to think of what he usually did before as an answer, but quickly shut that down. Considering it consisted mainly of him sleeping for long stretches of time and going off to destroy planets with Whis by his side when he was awake. The latter of which only really being done because it was his job. Not that he was any good at doing it for its intended purpose most of the time, as the Grand Priest had had no problem reminding him of. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead…"

Great. Now he was starting to sound like Goku…

"Though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stick around with you and our mother…" He added somewhat awkwardly when he saw her expression not improving. He couldn't understand why, but her being sad was something he really disliked seeing. Heck, even when Champa had been upset with something involving him during their childhood, he hadn't felt nearly this bad about it. "Perhaps when I'm done dealing with him, we could ugh…" Scratching the back of his head again as he thought back on very old memories, Beerus struggled to come up with what to say. It had been that long since he'd even entertained such a thing. Shit, this would've been a whole lot easier if it were Champa he was speaking to right now, because then they could just get into a brawl like they always had, and that'd be that. Simple and straightforward. None of this sappy stuff. "Well… be a family, I guess…"

He probably couldn't have made that sound more awkward even if he tried…

"Be a family…" Hestia became quiet at that. Her face turning pensive for a bit, as she seemed to mull that over in her head. After a moment had passed, a mild-mannered smile wormed its way over her lips. She surprised him then, as she leaned forward and pulled him into a tender hug. "I'll hold you to that, brother."

"Do as you will." He replied back without sounding too stiff. Not being used to such affectionate contact, and he definitely hadn't been expecting it either. Nonetheless, he found himself returning the embrace. Finding himself becoming calm rather quick as they held each other. A pleasant feeling welling up within him pretty much out of nowhere, which led him to assume it was her close presence causing it somehow. "Oh, and by the way," He added, catching her attention as they pulled away from the hug. "you can just call me Beerus."

Meanwhile…

"Kronos…"

The Titan god stopped himself just as he was a short way away from Mount Othrys. His eyes narrowing at the sound of that voice, which seemed to come from all around him. Or rather, to be specific, underneath his own feet.

A sigh broke through his lips. "What now, mother?"

The ground itself rumbled at his rudeness, but otherwise, did nothing else. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Do not play coy with me, my son. Why have you gone back on our agreement? Why did you send the Hekatonchires, your own brothers, back into Tartarus?" The earth beneath him hissed, and though he could not see his mother's face, he knew she was displeased.

"Ah, that." Kronos rolled his eyes uncaringly. "It's simple. They deserved it."

"Deserved it?" Her incredulity was palpable.

"Yes. They were an incredible nuisance, mother. I grew tired of their unsightly nature and annoying antics, so I removed them from my palace and threw them back into Tartarus." He replied with a dismissive shrug as he looked up towards his home. Already prepared to end off the conversation there.

"Unbelievable. I gave you the means to dethrone your father, and this is how you repay me? By disregarding the promise you made to me, and making the exact same mistakes Ouranos made?"

"Oh please, I did what you requested of me, mother. I never recall promising you that once they were out, I would keep them out of Tartarus." He shook his head in dismissal. "And don't compare me to him, either. He was a fool for not taking precautions when it came to keeping his rule intact." This time, it was the sky itself that rumbled. The very clouds floating around up in the deep, blue sky writhing about and turning a dark shade as though thunder and lightning was about to break loose, as if the heavens themselves were cursing his name. only for it to go back to normal shortly thereafter, like nothing had happened.

Kronos ignored the brief change that took place, knowing it was of no concern to him anymore, and continued. "I, on the other hand, have learned from his stupidity, and have a way to ensure his cursed prophecy won't come true."

"By eating your own children?" His mother questioned hotly. The ground beneath him shaking like a miniature earthquake. "Do you honestly believe that will work?"

"It will." The Titan narrowed his eyes in confidence. "No matter how many children I am responsible for siring, they will never be able to harm me, so long as I eat them all after they're born. None of them will be able to properly develop their godly powers and establish any domains, so long as they are stuck inside me." He finished resolutely, before finally glaring down at the earth with a dismissive expression. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a universe to rule."

With that, his whole body lit up in a blinding white hue, before a fraction of a second later, he disappeared. As though he'd never been there at all.

His body rematerialized near instantly within a large room that held numerous ceremonial torches scattered about, and a massive throne made out of stone, with lavish blankets of red and jewels adorning it. An aura of power seemingly exuding from it, as though it had a will of its own.

This was the main throne room of his castle atop Mount Othrys. Separated from everyone else who dwelled within the castle that had at one point been ruled by his own father.

Despite his confidence just a minute ago, Kronos felt some uncertainty within him, as the memory of his father's final words from that fateful day he overthrew him played back in his head, right before he'd cut him to pieces.

"I curse you, Kronos! You may overthrow me this day but mark my words, you insolent fool. Just as you have overthrown me here, so to will your own son do the same to you!"

Those words, try as he might to ignore it, struck fear into his very core. Sure, he played it off like he had the answer for it, but even then, it didn't stop that feeling of dread that gnawed within him. Of his own impending downfall, just as he'd brought the same for Ouranos all those years ago, with his four brothers backing him up, and his mother Gaea handing him his destiny in the form of the scythe he clutched in his hand.

"My son will do the same to me, huh?" The current king of the universe shook his head to rid himself of his lingering doubt and push down his irrational fear. "Preposterous." He'd make damn sure that'd never happen, unlike Ouranos. "So long as I keep eating them after they're born, I'll have nothing to worry about. Rhea, and whoever else I choose to bed… it doesn't matter if they sire more children. So long as I do that, my rule will never be challenged." No matter what, he'd be the one ruling over the universe with an iron fist for all of eternity.

Ouranos's cursed prophecy be damned.

So then… why did he still feel so much tension…? It didn't make any sense…

Perhaps I'm just overthinking this… He thought, calming himself further. I just need something to help me release the tension is all. Its no big deal. Stretching out his godly senses, he was made acutely aware of what was going on his castle. First to the rustle and buck of his brothers and other fellow Titan gods in the main hall feasting to their hearts content, which given their godly nature was little more than a luxury, rather than a necessity. He then felt the presences of the plethora of Titanesses roaming about along with several nymphs, before finally landing on a certain Titaness in particular, as her presence reappeared within the walls of his abode, right within his private chambers. The very one he'd been hoping for, as a smirk made its way over his lips from the perfect timing of his wife. And I know just the thing…

With Rhea…

For a moment, the Titaness's gaze lingered on where Kronos disappeared. The magnificent rays of Helios raining down on her from atop Mount Lykaios, as a few unbidden tears rolled down her cheeks at what she'd just had to do. All but serving up her own children on a silver platter to the king of the Titans. Who'd shamelessly devoured their offspring right before her eyes, without even a hint of remorse.

As a goddess of fertility among plenty of other domains, the speed at which her pregnancy had developed for her children had been especially fast. Whereas other goddesses or nymphs took months to conceive, for someone like her, it had only taken a single week from the coitus that had caused the pregnancy, for the process to follow through and lead to her giving birth. She'd had barely any time to enjoy the sensation of her precious children being apart of her, before they were born and unceremoniously…

Rhea's eyes grew misty as she closed them. The image in her head of her precious babies being chucked down the Titan god's gullet as though they were just pieces of meat. Her hand clenched at her side before rising to her bosom, as she recalled the look of abject horror on her baby boy's face. Beerus being the only one of the two conscious at the time, looked scared out of his wits at what was happening.

And how could he not, when he was fleeting moments from dropping head-first down his own father's mouth no less, and right into his stomach. He'd looked about ready to scream before his own consumption but was likely too shocked to utter anything but a feeble noise, before he and Hestia were swallowed whole.

And she, their own mother, was helpless to save either of them from their impending fate. No matter how much she wanted to. Had she refused, there was no way Kronos would take no for an answer, not with father's looming prophecy over his head. He would've forced her to give them up, whether she liked it or not. Trying to get away from him wouldn't have helped her either. Kronos could easily follow her and catch up to her.

Fighting her husband on it wouldn't have gotten her anywhere either. She wasn't nearly as powerful as he was and would be easily overpowered if she'd tried. That blasted scythe of his would've only made matters so much worse for her, as if he saw fit to do it, she didn't doubt he'd cut his losses by striking her down with it. If he just beat her down physically, as a goddess, she could come back from it, as she was immortal. Her body would simply heal itself up like nothing happened.

Not so with the scythe though. That had been proven with their father, who'd been cut to pieces by it long ago, and had not only not reformed his physical body during that time, but also his very presence itself seemed to have diminished greatly. Whenever she looked to the sky, while she could still feel her tyrannical father's presence, being he was quite literally the heavens themselves, his consciousness wasn't what it used to be. It was there, but weak. So very weak. And he was of the first generation of divinity, the protogenoi, meaning that much more than any of his children, he should've been a constant. Someone who was ever present…

And yet that scythe that their mother Gaea had given Kronos, when he was the only one brave enough to step up to dethrone Ouranos… had dealt so much damage to their father. So much so that not only was he, more than likely, no longer capable of taking a physical form, otherwise he would've done so by now, but his consciousness was barely there anymore. The only real indication any of them had that he was still 'there' so to speak, as the disembodied conscious of the heavens, was the occasional rapid changes the sky underwent whenever Kronos boasted of putting him down. A clear sign that father was enraged, but nothing ever happened, no matter how much her husband mocked his inability to act. Something that would've gotten him tossed into the deepest pits of Tartarus back in the day, with how much their father hated all of them.

She shuddered even just thinking about what would happen if Kronos swung it down on her. If it could do something like that to Ouranos, there was no telling how catastrophic the effects would be on her, even for just a single cut.

I mustn't get too emotional. Rhea thought bitterly, but with a small sliver of hope. They may be swallowed, but my children should be as immortal as any other god. As much as I hate the fact that they're trapped within Kronos's stomach, at least he didn't choose to use his scythe on them… So long as they were inside of his gut, they should still be alive. The divine acids within Kronos, just the same as any Titan, would instantly break down any food consumed into nothing. No trace of it left. It was not so for an immortal body. They're still alive in there… Hestia… Beerus… forgive me, my children, but at the moment, there's nothing I can do for you…

Hopefully, however, she could find some way to help them over time. There had to be a way. As cunning as Kronos could be, he wasn't omniscient. Least not as far as his fellow gods were concerned. She'd find a way to outsmart him and get her children back. Or failing that, she could perhaps get one of the other gods to help her, since quite a number of them weren't in line with Kronos's rule.

Until anything could be properly formulated though, she couldn't afford for her husband to get suspicious of her. If he did, he deal with her then and there, and her children would be lost to her forever, and her either sent to Tartarus for eternity, or worse, become the next victim of his scythe if he wanted a guarantee of her end. For now, she'd have to play her role as his wife as best she could alongside her other duties, to keep him distracted, so he wouldn't catch on to what she really wanted.

Deciding she'd wasted enough time on this mountain, her body glowed a bright, searing light, as she dematerialised from atop Mount Lykaios. Barely a fraction of a second later, she reappeared within hers and Kronos's personal bed chambers. A small sigh breaking through her lips as the tears that had been falling down her cheeks were evaporated. Leaving no trace of them behind, as she schooled her features. The oppressive atmosphere of Mount Othrys castle was something that even she'd never quite got used to…

"Ah, look who's back." Rhea didn't react even in the slightest, as her husband materialised behind her, his face appearing beside hers as he circled one of his arms around her shoulder. His size drastically reduced back down to around six-feet tall, and without his trusted weapon. "Good timing, Rhea." He said with a cold smirk on his face, as he saw her stony expression. "What's with that look on your face?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her, though there was no actual care in them. It was almost mocking, really, alongside a mixture of lust.

"Its nothing." She replied, trying to play it off with a smile that she somehow managed to make look genuine. "Just some lingering thoughts about my children, is all."

"Oh? Is that all." He chuckled. "Well, I guess you would be. One of your domains is motherhood, after all."

Rhea had to visibly stop her eye from twitching at that. That domain of hers had nothing to do with the love she held for her children. "Indeed."

"That being said, I did still show them what mercy I could afford, for your sake. I could've used my scythe on them, as you know, but I thought that'd be a bit too cruel to you."

Rhea had to suppress the scoff that threatened to come out of her, along with the righteous look of indignation. As disgusting as it was to her, them being thrown into his stomach to remain there for all eternity, with no hope of being able to establish domains for their power and influence to grow, that was something that Kronos considered a mercy. And that, sadly, was the best she got out of him over the course of her week-long pregnancy, where she'd pleaded with him to reconsider his decision to get rid of them as they were born. All she'd managed to get him to agree to, was keeping them trapped in his stomach for all of time, instead of chopping them up into pieces and thrusting them to the wind. Both horrible fates that only someone devoid of any real compassion could come up with. And both of which that only worked out purely in his favour.

"It is the same mercy I will show to any other children I happen to sire with you. To let be known that I'm not completely without leniency, at least to you, Rhea." Kronos said with the utmost sincerity, which just sickened her to her core. One hand cupping her face in a gentle, but no less possessive manner, all while his other hand shamelessly cupped one of her breasts from within her clothing. An action which made it abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, what he was actually here for. Considering she could tell he was completely naked, and that a certain long, and hard part of his anatomy was impatiently poking into the bottom of her attire and rubbing against her thigh. "So long as you continue to please me, of course."

Still, rather than show him anything of how she really felt, like disgust, she maintained her demure smile as she cast a sideways glance into his lecherous eyes. "But of course, my king. Whatever you say…" In an instant, her clothing dissolved into nothing, leaving her just as naked as her husband. A fact that more than excited him, as his hand quickly went to groping her D-cup breast and squishing it around roughly between his fingers.

A cruel, yet salacious smile graced Kronos's features, as his other hand wasted no time lifting one of her creamy legs off the floor. The appendage dangling in his strong grip with her toes a good two feet off the ground, as she felt the head of his manhood rub against her womanhood. "Good."

Despite herself, Rhea couldn't stop the jolt of pleasure her body felt, nor the moan that escaped her, as her husband drove his entire length into her, all in one go. Stretching out her folds as her eyes shot wide open. "Because I don't know about you, Rhea, but I'm in the mood for a long day of pleasure."

Around a week or so later…

Beerus wasn't quite sure how long he'd been inside Kronos's stomach by now, nor was his sister Hestia, but that didn't really matter to him anymore.

His body had grown out once again over whatever period of time it had been, as had his sister's. Both now, if he had to guess, looking around the age of nine or ten-years-old. And in that time, outside of chatting with his 'older' sister, he'd been working on delving into that godly power he could feel within himself. Growing use to the feeling it gave whenever it responded, albeit meekly, to his coaxing, as he floated along the acidic fluids.

By my estimation, I should hopefully need only a month or two to become accustomed to this power, and properly draw it all out. Then, I'm busting my way out of this oaf's gut… He thought, his eyes closed as he focused himself inward, in an almost meditative way.

"Uhm, Beerus?" Hestia spoke up, garnering a grunt from him to show he was listening. "Do you… hear that…?"

At her questioning tone, Beerus opened his eyes to gaze at her befuddled expression. His brow raising up curiously, as his ears picked up the sound she was referring to, coming from above them. "Yeah, I do… It honestly sounds like something's fall-"

Just then, an object whizzed downwards and splashed harshly into the acid in front of them, sending the normally corrosive fluid spluttering everywhere. What the…

The 'object' didn't take long to resurface from the acidic depths. A familiar looking blanket wrapped around something met both of their vision as it came back to the surface, followed by several violent coughs from an especially squeaky sounding voice, more so than Hestia's had been when she was still a baby.

It wasn't… no… couldn't be…

Olive brown eyes stared right into Beerus's golden yellow pools, immediately striking him with a sense of familiarity. That same look of confusion that Hestia had had to their location when she'd first woke up, only adding to the sinking feeling in Beerus's gut.

"Where… am I…?"

AND CUT!

Well, that's the end of this one. Hope you all enjoyed reading that. Next chapter will be out in early September, most likely, so look forward to that, as it will be significantly longer than this chapter.

Also, as for that hint of a lemon in this chapter, all I'll say, is that you better get used to it. Because there's going to be whole lot more sexual stuff going on later down the line when Olympus becomes a thing. Those of you who know your stuff about Greek Myth will know why, lol, because our current pantheon that Beerus is now apart of, whether they be gods or goddesses, for the most part, just can't seem to control themselves that much.

Pretty sure you can all guess a couple right off the top of your head without even having to think about, XD.

Anyways, I'll see you all in the next chapter!