A brilliant light exploded out of the cave, flashing against the night sky
and reverberating along the connected web of dimensions.  The surrounding forest's ever-present cacophony of hoots and calls, burrowing and rustling went silent.  An eerie glowing aftermath continued playing, light shifting in impossible unnatural pools of never seen colors across sky and ground. Eventually, a single orb flew gracelessly out of the dissonance of light and color to settle unsteadily a few inches above the ground.  It shuddered a few times before finally flaring up and coalescing into Ares' physical body, or at least the one he had been using most frequently this century.  The God of War materialized on his hands and knees, his chest and stomach still heaving with nausea.  After a long sick minute the god finally gained enough control over his corporeal form to control the stomach churning energy running through him and stand.

Ares glowered at the cave entrance through the continuing light show. Grabbing a knife from his belt he approached the cave again.  "I need you to fix my knife - the tip's broken."  As he got closer he tried peering through the shimmering curtain of power, light, and color; without warning a bolt of lightening reached out slamming him into a tree.  Shaking the dazzle of light from his eyes and holding off another wave of nausea he stalked forward and screamed,  "You little shit!"

"Ares, is that anyway to talk about your big brother?"  His sister's light, scolding tone scratched across his nerves.

Battle instincts took over; Ares tucked and rolled mentally cursing the continuing waves of dizziness and nausea.  When his brain finally caught up, he was on the other end of the clearing and had added deep stabbing head pains to his list of complaints.  He stood slowly, trying to make it look deliberate rather than unsteady, to glare at the Goddess of Love.  "What do you want?" he snarled.  His sister ignored both his glare and irritated tone choosing to relax against a tree.  She took a slow deep breath pushing her cleavage up and out for the best possible display.

Ares started repeating his question when the scintillating aftermath of his run-in with Hephaestus' shield flared sending out a shower of metallic colored sparks.  The ones that landed on Ares turned into small metal bees that promptly stung him before flying to settle on a nearby tree.  He warily watched the growing swarm of impossibly colored metal bees.  With a sideways glance and a soft seductive smile Aphrodite held out a finger.  A metallic blue spark with pink highlights landed on it.   Ares waited for it to change and sting her.  To his disappointment it changed into a blue butterfly with a scattering of light pink markings.  Its wings slowly uncurled spreading to their full extension then slowly flapped as it posed.  When it finally flew off her finger it drifted upwards to settle gently in her hair.

"I don't want anything, Ares.  You, on the other hand, look like you could use some help."  He felt a quick flare of power and watched a mug appear in her hand.  The rising steam and sharp scent of ginger carried to him a second later.  "Would you like some ginger tea?" she offered.

His hand went up to knock the cup away, but grabbed for it instead when his stomach did a set of gut wrenching roils and his knees threatened to buckle. "I don't need your help," he muttered, aware that his response lost some of it's effectiveness since he had to bite out the words between cautious sips of tea.

"Really?" Aphrodite drawled, "Is that why your tummy's acting like a gymnastics troop?"  The cup in Ares' hand refilled itself.  "Would you like more?"  At Ares' irritated silence she laughed. "Face it, Ares, you are not getting past even the first shield without help.  So you can either pay attention or go in for another bad landing."

Another set of sparks exploded out from the cave entrance.  This time Ares stepped to one side avoiding most of them and garnering only a few stings. When he looked back at his sister the sheen of hundreds of metallic butterflies covered her shoulders and head.  She wriggled and they swarmed upwards flying off into the night, leaving only the first blue one in her hair.

He looked at her dubiously.  "And you're here to help?" he finally asked sarcastic and angry.  "Somehow I don't see you jumping any hoops to help me."

"Why, Ares, you misjudge me.  How could I not be interested in my baby brother's problems?  Particularly, when they so involve me?" Ares suddenly realized that her sweet drawl deliberately covered anger; he checked her eyes and found banked fires of absolute rage.  He backed up a pace.  "You use a potion stolen from me on Cyane to make her desire you and on Hephaestus to make him desire Cyane and then you manipulated the two of them to go after Hercules.  Did you even think about what would happen if Hephaestus found out?" She stopped a beat before spitting out, "No, I didn't think so."

"And you want to help me because?"

"Don't even," she looked at him in disgust, "Ares, the only reason I'm here is because Zeus is a little worried.  He thinks it might be embarrassing if the Greek God of War has inferior weapons, because the Greek God of the Forge won't even talk to him."

"It's not that bad," Ares denied.

Aphrodite looked past him to the last of the scintillating glow covering the cave entrance for a long moment.  Then her eyes captured his.  "Yes, it is - and if I had any sense at all I'd just leave."

The last of the eerie glow exploded outward, covering Ares in a mass of angry stinging bees.  He slapped at them futilely cursing and whirling as he tried to end the swarm's furious attack.  Small hands brushed across his face and the stinging there suddenly stopped.  The hands continued moving over his body brushing the bees away and soothing the painful stings.

"Aphrodite?"

"I bet that took care of the nausea."

In spite of himself, Ares laughed ruefully.  "Yes."  Their eyes met; her rage was gone.  "Forgive me?" he asked softly, seductively.  His hands stopped her step backward firmly gripping her shoulders.  "Please?" he whispered, closing the small gap between their bodies.  He moved his hands down her back until he reached her hips and pulled her to him lifting her as he lowered his head.  His tongue delicately brushed her lips slipping between them when she gasped.  The kiss lengthened stretching until she broke away with shuddering gasps.

"Why didn't you do that with Hephaestus?"

"Have you seen him lately?" Ares asked incredulously.

"Yes, he actually looks a little cute for once."

"Cute," Ares shuddered remembering his first glimpse of Hephaestus' current form, "He's short, his nose doesn't go with his face and that hair..."

"His nose is darling and what's wrong with dreadlocks?"

"You think he looks so great - you seduce him!"

"I'm not the one he's angry at," she reminded Ares, "Besides is not like you haven't used seduction to get your way before.  That's how you got my potion, isn't it?"

"I didn't seduce you," he responded, trying to ignore his body's tightening at the memory of the Graces, collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs after an orgy that would have put the Furies out.

"No, you seduced my Graces.  Don't bother trying that again. The sex might have been good enough for them to forgive you for using them to get into my workshop, but they're not going to forget being grounded for the next quarter century.  Consider it a one-shot deal."

Ares shrugged, frustrated that she'd managed to figure out how he had gotten into her workroom, but not willing to admit his culpability.  "If there is a point to this, reach it."

"Seduce him.  Do that smoldering thing with your eyes and use that sexy tone of voice; you know the one, like satin gliding over hot skin.  While you're at it, try those little 'accidental' brushes of hand against skin.  Stay in his space.  Shift your legs just enough so he can tell you're a little hard. Let him think you want him.  And when his blood feels like hot honey go in for the kiss. You know - seduce him!"

"That's your great plan?  Seduce him?  Doesn't he have to let me into the fucking cave first?"

"Duh!  That's why I'm here."   She glided across the clearing, calling, "Hephaestus, sweetie, I know you can hear me.  Please come out and talk to me.  Please," she cajoled.

"What do you mean he can hear you?"

"Excuse me, but this is his clearing and he does have all his creations all over it, " she gestured towards the bees.

"And telling him the plan helps how?"

"It doesn't matter that's what's so nice about seduction.  The body really doesn't care what the brain knows, it just wants to get fucked ... hard." She patted him on a cheek.  "So chill. And if you ever want Hephaestian steel in your sheath again do the smolder, pout, seduction thing."

"Does everything you say have to be innuendo?"

"What innuendo ... oh... the Hephaestian steel sheath thing.  I didn't really mean that as innuendo, but that could be fun, too."  She turned back to the cave.  "Now let me get his attention.  Hephaestus, I know you're angry, but Ares is very sorry.  He can't wait to show you exactly how badly he feels for hurting your feelings."  Ares looked down to conceal his grin, now that tone he knew, it was the one Aphrodite used whenever she was about to seduce him into another wild bit of mayhem that he would usually avoid. Remembering how often he'd fallen for it when he knew that she was manipulating him made him decide that her seduction plan just might work.

"I doubt that."  Hephaestus' aggravated voice came from a small mechanical bird flying out of the cavern.  "I don't think Ares is capable of being sorry for hurting someone's feelings, it would be like you turning down sex - not in character."

"That is not true, I would never do Apollo!" She held out her hand for the bird.  "You can't tell me you wouldn't like Ares to seduce you." She stroked a fingernail down the birds back, stirring small metal feathers.  "This is beautiful, Hephaestus, even nicer than the butterfly."

"You can have it if you want."  Ares noticed the hint of desperation his half-brother tried to hide behind a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well of course I want it, I love beautiful things, but what I really want is for you to talk to Ares."

"No, you don't.  You're just worried about Zeus being angry." He paused. "And you like the idea of him fucking me.  I don't really care about Zeus' anger.  He's already allowed Hera to banish me and Ares can go talk to Vulcan for weapons for all I care.  Now leave me alone."

"Great job, big sis."

Ignoring Ares, Aphrodite caressed the bird again.  "At least you didn't deny that the idea of Ares seducing you makes you hot."

"I don't want Ares to seduce me."

"You can't tell me that you wouldn't love to see Ares hard for you."

"Go away."

Aphrodite gestured to Ares to stay silent and they waited.

"Why haven't you gone away?"   Hephaestus' aggrieved impatience showed both in tone and the bird's restrained fidgeting.

"You didn't answer my question."  Ares watched Aphrodite expertly stroke the bird in a manner that combined sensual with soothing.

"No."  The bird's beak nearly spat its master's denial out.

"So you would love to see Ares hard for you."

"That doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to let him seduce me.  He's done enough damage"

"You're scared!"  Aphrodite chortled.

"I am not scared."  The bird glared at the goddess hopping from her hand to her wrist.

"Yes, you are.  I bet if you let him in he would have you bent over the table in minutes and you'd love it."

"No, he wouldn't.

"I bet he would."

"And I bet he wouldn't" Ares listened with interest realizing that his sister had found a chink in Hephaestus' armor.  His knew that a few more rounds would bring the shield down.

"I guess you're just going to have to let him in to find out.  And I'd love a necklace if I win."

"You don't have anything I'd want to win."

"I can convince Zeus to let you back on Olympus."

"What if I don't want to go back?"

"Then say no, just think how red-faced old horseface will get.  Got to be worth the trip."

Ares hide his incipient smile at Aphrodite's last sally certain that it would work.  After a few seconds silence the bird in on Aphrodite's hand vanished along with the barrier and Hephaestus' voice echoed out of the cave, "I suggest you start planning you script, Aphrodite."

*I've done my part, just try subtly for once.  Seduce - don't overpower.* With that last bit of unwelcome advice Aphrodite vanished leaving the scent of roses and a shower of petals.  Ares walked into the cavern stopping when power grabbed him abruptly.  He pushed down his impulse to fight the power; instead he stretched his awareness along the line and focused in on the endpoint.  Recognizing the forge he allowed it to pull him through space-time.

Clang.

Clang.

Thud.

The rhythmic pounding of metal on metal made it through to Ares right before the oppressive heat.  With his eyes still shut Ares took inventory.  No wounds, but no clothes and he dangled face down from chains, spread-eagle and vulnerable.  Cautiously he tested the chains; no give and he had neither the strength nor power to break them.  Sulfur scented steam came from his left and he the hammering from his right.  He blinked his eyes open to confirm his location - Hephaestus' forge.  The hammering stopped - he snapped his eyelids closed relaxing only when a light tapping took the louder clamor's place.

When he opened his eyes a second time he saw the cavern floor just before a strong slap on his ass sent him rocking.

"Bastard." Hephaestus' voice sounded deeper, older than it had earlier. Ares twisted around pushing down with his left arm and out with his right arm shoulder to lift his chest and head.  He found himself looking at the scared misshapen flesh of Hephaestus' left arm.  Craning his neck he finally saw his half-brother's furious face.  He wore his straight dark hair pulled back off his face and fastened with a piece of leather into a tail.  The style did nothing to conceal the scars that marred his left check and traveled up to the brow.  His brother limped closer and yanked his head further up and back.  "This is your fault." He made an awkward gesture with his maimed arm.  "I didn't have enough strength to maintain the other body after I cleaned up after your mess."

"I'm not the bastard, that's Hercules, and you and Apollo, and ..." His list of bastard gods and demigods was cutoff by a knee in his belly.  Ares took a careful shallow breath before deciding that nothing had broken.  "As for the body, this one is an improvement."  The hand twisted in his hair, pulling painfully.

"I don't understand Cyane, why use her?  Aphrodite was right, you could have just seduced me and I'd have made all the weapons you wanted."

"But then I wouldn't have anyone who could use them," Ares pointed out, keeping his voice calm and his body as still as possible.  "I take it that Aphrodite slipped something into the tea?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, but that's not what knocked you out.  I added something to the bee venom and it activated when you went through my portal.  You really were a little too trusting for a God of War, better not let Zeus find out." Hephaestus looked him over assessingly.  "So, do you really want to apologize?"

"I want you willing to repair and create my weapons."

"That's an apology?" Hephaestus asked incredulously.

"What do you want?"

"One night."

Ares considered his options, "If I say no?"

"I dump you outside and you can go talk to Vulcan about weapons."

"In that case - done."  He thought a moment and added, "And the tea?"

Hephaestus released his hair silently and pulled on one chain overextending Ares and forcing him back down.  "Just a little something to make sure you enjoy the rest of the night."  His good hand drifted down Ares' back and hips, it paused on the journey down to reach under and caress Ares' cock. Against his will Ares felt his body respond to the teasing and he pushed into the hand trying to get more friction.

"Bad boy," Hephaestus teased, releasing the cock and slapping him on the ass a second time.  The swift stinging pain ricocheted through his body his belly tightened and he felt explosive heat start in his belly and spread. Fire flared across his nerves tearing a scream out.  He came in hard pulsing jets onto the cavern floor then the fire disappeared leaving him gasping for breath and with every pore sensitized and dripping sweat.

Ares trembled as warm air brushed against his skin even that slight sensation arousing.  A cold metal ring whispered along his skin teasing his nipples before traveling the line from his sternum to cock, which started hardening again.  Hephaestus rubbed the ring along the circumference of his cock before letting it circle the head and pushing down.  As the ring traveled the length of his cock Ares felt cool metal enclose his shaft.  A click and the ring tightened around the base.  Next a warm hand fondled his balls pulling them forward as another click sounded and he felt cool metal circle them.  The hand left, but the sensation of metal remained.  With a violent twist Ares looked down; a light shimmering metal cloth sheathed his cock ending in a smooth metal cockring, thin bands hung between the cockring and more rings circling his balls separating them and pulling them forward.

He felt his a tongue at his ear licking his sweat.  "Nice," Hephaestus whispered into his ear before biting the lobe.  Ares bucked, accidentally making his cock brush against the sheath.  He groaned trying to temper the growing arousal, knowing that if his cock got much harder the rings would be agonizing.  In spite of that knowledge, when Hephaestus stood Ares' eyes focused on the heavy weight concealed by the loincloth.  His half-brother's hand stroking down his side and flank caused another buck, setting him swaying in the chains.  More blood flowed into his shaft with each brush of metal cloth against cock.   Using every bit of muscle control he had he worked his arms and legs to end the motion.  The drizzle of oil on his ass signaled Hephaestus' next challenge.   One strong hand massaged the oil down into the crack of his ass the fingers drifting down to tease him, oiling and playing with his balls before circling his opening.

"Yes," he gasped, trying to push back on the fingers.  Sweat stung his eyes as it dripped down and the sulfur scent had been replaced by the smell of his come and arousal.

"No."  The hand moved away and Ares groaned when cold metal replaced the warm fingers.  Oil covered the thin dildo and it moved shallowly into him with a gentle thrust.  Ares braced himself for unyielding metal, but to his shock it softened following the contours of his body.  After a couple of rotating pushes in and out Hephaestus pulled it out and replaced it with something a little longer, a little thicker.  Ares waited impatiently, wanting the cock he'd seen outlined earlier.  Instead, his half-brother replaced the dildo with yet a larger one.  By the fourth replacement, Ares felt fuller and more stretched then he had ever felt before.  Leaving the fourth in, Hephaestus picked up another, rubbing it against Ares' hip. "This is a nice one, Ares, feel those ridges, and the girth, it feels so good in, and it does something special."  Pulling the other one out with a smooth quick rotation that opened Ares up just a bit more, Hephaestus ordered, "Take a nice deep breath," and placed the final dildo into the entrance. "Now let it out."  As Ares exhaled the dildo moved firmly into place until the base rested against his ass and the head pressed against his prostate.  He took several careful breaths gradually becoming used to the pressure and girth.  A light tap sent him swinging; pleasure swamped him and he shifted in the chains trying to find some way to orgasm.  All he managed to do was make the cockring uncomfortably tight.

Finally, Hephaestus stilled the chains and lifted Ares' head.

"I'm sorry," Ares cried out, "Please fuck me."

"I still don't believe you," Hephaestus responded coldly, "Besides you haven't experienced the surprise yet."

Ares froze at the coldness in his half-brother's voice.  "Heph, I didn't think it would hurt you..."

"That's your problem Ares, you don't think about the consequences of what you do, just your own desire."  He leaned forward to brush his lips against Ares'.  "Tonight you get to be on the other side; you get to be the one who gets used, instead of the user."  He gestured and Ares convulsed in a spasm of pleasure and screamed in shock.

For long minutes all Ares could do was mindlessly ride the wave of ecstasy emanating from his ass.  Finally, he managed to pull enough of his mind out of the sensation to comprehend that somehow the dildo was vibrating in his ass.  Wrenching against the chains he tried to push down hard enough for the vibration to mimic fucking. When that didn't work he tightened his ass trying to milk every last sensation hoping that would send him over the edge.  The vibration increased pushing him further into involuntary rut. From a distance he heard pleading, someone begging to come, and eventually recognized his own frantic voice.  He had a dim awareness of metal cutting into the skin around his wrists and ankles as he battled with the chains in desperate attempts to touch his cock, get the cockring off, to do something, anything so he could come.

"Hephaestus, let me come," he screamed, "Please, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, just ..."

His voice broke off as come splashed across his face head and chest.  His tongue stretched out trying to catch a few falling drops.  A hard cock nudged his face and he nuzzled it trying to lick and kiss it.  He managed to catch the head in his lips and moaned when it pulled away from his reach.

"Please, I'll suck you, I'll do anything, just let me come."

The vibration stopped.  "Anything?"  Ares managed to lift his head and nod trying to conceal the humiliated rage that flowed through him at Hephaestus' game.  His half-brother's eyes went cold.  "I still don't believe you."

"Noooo!" Ares' scream echoed through the forge as Hephaestus walked away and started the dildo vibrating with a casual gesture.  Ares' body began its futile response to the sensation, shifting from side to side and rocking back and forth to increase the pressure.  Throughout he screamed moving from enraged and humiliated curses to desperate pleas and back again until he could manage only a barely coherent cry of "please."  Emotions flooded him moving too quickly to identify, mingling with overwhelming physical pleasure that had become torture.  In between curses and pleas Ares heard the light tapping of Hephaestus working at his forge.  Too weak and his throat too raw he stopped screaming.  Rage passed, humiliation passed, fear passed and still the metal rings around his cock and balls kept him primed and the sheath painfully bound his cock.  His body shuddered in the chains unable to accept his inability to finish.  With no other recourse, he surrendered and simply rode the vibration accepting the pleasure-pain and letting it move through and beyond him.  Time vanished, leaving him no past to recriminate over or future to worry about.  For the first time in his life he lived in a single moment.  He stopped fighting letting the chains support him completely.   Pain vanished and all he felt was the incredible precipice. No battle, no plans, no fear, no rage, no pride just ecstasy.

A hand pinched one nipple.  The vibration ended.

"Ready?"

"Oh, please."

"Now I believe you."  A flood of relief rushed through Ares. "Suck me." Hephaestus gently stroked damp hair off Ares' face.  He stepped closer bringing his cock in reach. A hint of fluid shone in the firelight on the swollen head.  Ares' tongue licked it up then traveled down to lick at the underside of the heavy shaft. The salty, slightly bitter taste of semen burst over his tongue.  He pulled back gasping at the increased pressure in his balls and cock.

"Ares, finish sucking me, then I'll fuck you and let you come."

With a shaky nod, Ares grasped cock with his mouth, sucking it in.  He attacked using his tongue and lips to pull it further in and create powerful suction.  Hephaestus gasped his hand tightening in Ares' hair while his hips lunged forward. When he pulled back, Ares ran his tongue along the withdrawing cock.  His hands fisted in midair as he instinctively tried to tighten them around an ass he couldn't touch.  Forcing his body to relax he sucked Hephaestus back in this time tightening his throat until Hephaestus arched and Ares felt pubic hair mingling with his beard.

"Oh, yes." Ares heard the groan as come streamed down his throat.  He swallowed letting his half-brother withdraw.  A strong hand caressed his cheek a calloused thumb rubbing across his sideburn.  "That was very good." His head was lifted and for the first time Hephaestus kissed him exploring his mouth.  When the kiss ended Ares groaned.

"I know, you're ready," Hephaestus whispered soothingly as he walked around Ares.  He patted his ass then reached down and gently pulled out the dildo. When his cock replaced the metal Ares hissed at the size.

"What did you do, use your cock as a model?" he groaned, half-serious.

"Yes."

"Ahhh," Ares gasped, rocking back on the solid warmth of cock.

The sheath and rings vanished.  "Yes!" Ares plunged back and down as far as the chains would allow matching Hephaestus' forward motion.  "Harder!" he screamed, clamping down on the cock. A slap on his ass forced the clenched muscles to relax enough for Hephaestus to take over the rhythm.  Ares let himself flow with it - hard and fast and sweet - until he reached the edge and plunged over.  His body convulsed as he ground his ass on the hard cock filling him and finally came.  Done, he plunged back again resuming the hard fucking until he felt hot fluid filling his ass and with a scream came again.  Finished he hung limply from the chains swaying a little as Hephaestus withdrew.  Exhaustion overcame him and he felt his awareness slipping away.

"Just remember, I still have the dildo," Hephaestus murmured in his ear right before Ares passed out.

Ares woke in the clearing; clean, clothed, and sore.  The chains had vanished and he had his powers, but his gauntlets and boots covered torn and bruised wrists, his throat felt sandpapered, and his ass felt like someone had rammed his sword up it.   He took the knife out of its sheath - fixed, the tip shone in the sunlight.  When he turned his head he felt a new earring swaying with the motion.  Lifting a hand to examine it he found a dangling sword.  He stretched, resheathed the knife, and called, "Aphrodite, you lost the bet."

"That was the best sex you've had in years."

He turned to face her, not even bothering to hide his grimace, "Maybe, but I did not seduce him, so pay up."  She still had the butterfly in her hair.

"Already done."

"What was in the tea?"

"Now why would I tell you that?" She vanished leaving pink petals, the scent of roses, and her laughter drifting on the breeze.  

End