A/N: Wow, I've been spouting fanfics like a factory, somebody seriously ought to stop me before I do something I won't regret but everyone else will.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Uncle Rick's work, nor do I own Hades. I'd be more than a little disturbed if I did.

Despite popular opinion, Hades didn't hate Olympus. In fact, he might go as far as to say he actually loved the place. Alright, so maybe love was a strong word, but despite it being his childhood home - and the only real, comforting home Hades had ever known (the Underworld still felt like too much of a prison to be awarded that title) - it did still harbor some unpleasant memories. So Hades cared about Olympus, and he cared about it quite a fair bit; so much so that being exiled from the place and only allowed back up for the Winter Solstice struck a deeply painful chord in his heart. Not that anyone - save Persephone and Hestia (more on that later) - believed he had a heart anymore, or that he had ever had one to begin with. And Hades wasn't about to inform them otherwise.

But just because he still felt some semblance of affection for Olympus wasn't to say that he thought the same of its residents.

First and foremost - as it was always now expected to be - was Zeus. Hades scowled at the mere though of his younger brother, to say that their relationship was strained would be an understatement. Zeus' outward appearance had not a single flaw, he had perfectly styled platinum blonde hair, the build of a particularly muscled male model and the face of an angel. No, his looks were just fine, it was Zeus' inner appearance that always managed to piss off Hades. From the get-go Zeus had been arrogant and egotistical, finding any chance to pick on his brooding older brother and tease him, all the while flaunting his own superior abilities. And once the Titanomachy was over, Zeus was inherently swift to find a way to get rid of Hades by banishing him to the land of the dead. Then he busied himself by constantly cheating on his wife and sleeping with everything that moved, leaving death and mayhem in his wake every single time. Hades snorted, and the mortals called him evil. Yeah right, next to his moronic, hot-headed, temperamental brother he could have easily passed for a saint.

It was a safe bet to say that Hades much preferred Poseidon over Zeus. But then again, Hades preferred pretty much anyone over Zeus. Poseidon and Hades hadn't detested each other, not like Hades and Zeus did, but they weren't exactly very close either. And despite having been the only two male gods in their father's stomach, they had never gotten along particularly well. Poseidon ruled over the realm that produced life itself and he was bubbly and energetic, the exact opposite of the dark god of death; so really, the two brothers were always destined to be rivals. They never hated one another directly, and their spats never escalated into full out wars, but nevertheless they only ever managed to barely tolerate each other.

Hades had always liked his sisters more than his brothers, which wasn't a great achievement in particular but still.

Though Hera was known for being resentful and having a temper to rival Zeus', Hades had always admired her majestic demeanor - not demanding or needlessly proud like Zeus', but collected and imposing. She carried herself with the grace and authority of a queen and had a mind almost as callous as his own. And despite her hateful attitude, despite the way she looked down on people like him and her numerous morally ambiguous actions, Hades couldn't help but feel the tiniest spark of respect for the queen of Olympus.

The Lord of the Dead had disliked Demeter long before the entire ordeal with Persephone. She was the goddess of fertility and the harvest after all, she was life itself, and like Poseidon, Demeter stood for everything that Hades wasn't and often wished he could be. However, despite his abhorrence towards Demeter, Hades had to admit that she was more powerful than the mortals gave her credit for. Screw the wrath of the king of Olympus, he thought, I'd choose Zeus and his master bolt over a furious, scythe-wielding Demeter any day. There was also the whole obsession with cereal, which Hades found both extremely irritating and slightly disturbing. So it was safe to say that he kept his distance as much as possible.

Hestia was his favorite sibling by far. She didn't have Demeter's powers or Hera's knock-out gorgeous appearance, and she wasn't the first person you would notice or approach at a party. But she was infinitely kind and understanding, she never raised her voice, and she had a soothing effect on everyone who met her. Hestia was the only one of his siblings that Hades truly cared for, and she was the only one in his vast family to not fear him and to love back in turn. Hades was protective of Hestia, as were all the other gods, so when the satyr who had flirted with his older sister despite her pledge of virginity died, Hades made the satyr's one way trip to Tartarus no secret. Unsurprisingly, no one made anymore moves on Hestia after that.

Hades despised Zeus' children almost more than he loathed the actual god himself, Ares most of all. Out of all his stuck-up, pompous, moronic siblings, Ares was the worst. He had been spoiled by his mother and hated by his father, which successfully shaped him into an exigent brat. Ares was a coward and a bully, his vicious, bloodthirsty nature sometimes making even Hades cringe. The Greeks had been wrong, he wasn't a sadist, no, that title belonged to Ares, and if there was ever one god less favored than Hades, it was Ares. Yet, though Hades was loath to admit, he was still more than a little jealous of the god of carnage. Because if the whiny and more than slightly deranged god of war was worshiped, then why wasn't he too?

Surely Hades deserved some respect too. He wasn't asking for professions of undying love and loyalty, just a little acknowledgement. Was that really so much to ask for?

Of course, there was one child of Zeus that Hades didn't hate (although how she could possibly be that idiot's daughter was a mystery), namely Athena. She was intelligent and calculated, always there to diffuse the tension between the bickering Olympians and take charge of the planning of significant events. Of all the Olympians, she was the most tolerable and level-minded, plus she shared Hades' interest in books and knowledge, something which appeared quite foreign to the rest of the pantheon. Hades was always grudgingly impressed during their conversations at the Winter Solstice, she was cold but not heartless and wise but never arrogant, and Hades could see a little bit of himself in her perceptive silver-gray eyes. They weren't friends exactly, and not really allies either, but they had learned to co-exist and condoned each other's presence. And when Ares was being particularly brash or when Hera and Zeus were having a brawl over yet another affair, they would lock gazes and roll their eyes, silently conversing over the crudity of it all.

Hades knew very well what the others thought of him, he wasn't clueless, he had noticed all the fearful and repulsed looks sent his way. And how muted whispers seemed to follow him around whenever he came to Olympus. Hades grinned darkly, as if he cared what his petty family thought of him. They were insignificant excuses for gods, like dust under his finger nails, and eventually they would fade away to nothing. To him, even their existence was fleeting. He was death after all, he was eternal. Could the same be said for the almighty Zeus?

Certainly not. The mortals had hated him yes, and most hated him still. But they also feared him. The rest of the deities would be forgotten, swept away by the sands of time, but death was always there, always looming. Death couldn't be so easily shaken. Hades would always be there. It was no lie that he was just as necessary as life, and the two were woven together in a grotesque version of yin and yang. And everyone knew it too.

Let the others mock and taunt, what was it to him? He was not as egotistical as the rest of the pantheon, his reputation hardly ever mattered to him. What was it save a foolish mask with which to hide behind from the rest of the world?

Of course, it did still enrage him when people spun the truth far out of proportion. As much as the bending and twisting of words could be useful, Hades deeply loathed liars. And the stories surrounding him were as far from the truth as Hera was from sitting down to have tea and biscuits with one of Zeus' girlfriends.

The myth about Persephone's abduction was just that, a myth, it was a falsification pure and simple. What really happened was that he had gone to Zeus beforehand and - despite their long lasting and bitter rivalry - begged for her hand in marriage. However, while Zeus granted him permission, Demeter was furious and would not let Persephone anywhere near Hades. The goddess did not deem the dark Lord of the Dead worthy of courting her sheltered daughter.

Hades glared at the thought, of course his own sister wouldn't trust him, why should he expect anything else?

And was it really his fault that Persephone wandered into the Underworld? Quite willingly he'd like to add. And despite his protests that she was a living being and really did not belong in the land of the dead, she remained all the same. And Hades would deny it to his dying breath, but her stubbornness, curiosity and overall fearlessness of hell and Hades himself not only impressed him but made him fall even harder for her. But he did not, in any way, kidnap or make any moves on her. Zeus and Poseidon might be obnoxious and flirtatious, but that did not mean Hades also threw himself at the first pretty girl he spotted. The king of the Underworld very much believed in the integrity of standards and dignity.

(And despite Persephone's innocence, she did consider Hades quite charming and sweet. Even attractive. Why he was so feared and hated - especially by her mother - was beyond her. And when they finally were married, Hades had pleaded with her not to reveal that it had been in fact she who had made the first move, which she still teased him about).

Hades did admit to feeding Persephone the six pomegranate seeds, but she knew just what she was agreeing to. She was sheltered, but not dumb. And really, it was Demeter's fault as much as it was hi own. Perhaps if she had not been so overprotective and allowed Persephone her freedom, then the spring goddess would have behaved more responsibly instead of rebelling against her mother and traveling to the Underworld of all places.

Either way, it did not really matter that significantly to Hades. He and Persephone knew the truth. The mortals and the gods could ponder and spread rumors all they wanted.

Besides, the expressions of horror, revulsion, loathing and fury on Demeter and Zeus' face when they discovered Hades and Persephone's marriage were ones that the couple would treasure for many millennium to come.

Sometimes, when no one was looking, Hades would stare into the dark, swirling waters of the River Styx and just think. Why? He would ask the souls constantly. Why me? They never answered, and Hades didn't expect them to. But still he would ask.

Why am I the one forced from my home into the desolate darkness? Why am I feared? Why am I the one they label as a villain? I do not murder these people, I do not ask for their souls. Still my real name is a blasphemy, and they call me by other titles, titles that mean killer and greedy. But if they label me as such, how will I ever become anything else?

The mortals regarded the Olympians as their benevolent rulers, looking to them for protection and guidance, worshiping them in awe. But have they forgotten all the evil their gods have performed? Have they forgotten Hermes' chaotic trickery and thievery? Have they forgotten the rage of Zeus and how he has murdered thousands of innocents? Have they forgotten how Poseidon flooded the earth and wiped out all of mankind save a lucky two? Have they forgotten Aphrodite's part in the Trojan War? Have they forgotten how Ares lay waste to countless towns and cities with his wars? Have they forgotten Athena's wrath at poor, innocent Medusa? And yet Hades, who provided them with security after death, was shunned.

However, despite all this, Hades was, in fact, just what many of the other gods should be: firm, just, powerful and without hubris. He was one of the only deities to follow the natural order, and while he did not bow down to Zeus, he did have a deep understanding and respect for the rules and inner workings of the universe. He might be cruel and aloof, but he was not evil, and ruling the Underworld in no way made him Satanic. Zeus could tarnish his name all he wanted, Hades would find a way to get him back. He was exceptionally good at revenge.

And Hades knew, despite his misgivings, that he wasn't the antagonist of the story. After all, it was the Olympians and not he that messed with the world above. Hades was more than content to just watch from his kingdom without interfering. It was almost autumn too, Persephone would be coming soon. Maybe they could start another betting pool on what gods would get involved in this month's particular disaster. Or what region of Greece Zeus had decided to sleep with this week. Either way, Persephone would win, as she always did when they competed. Hades had learned to accept that long ago.