Author's note: I know in Greek Mythology, Perseus is Hercules' grandfather. But, in this story, I have made them contemporaries, both being sons of Zeus. I have made other changes as well, most notably Dionysus being Hera's son. I hope you enjoy.

Hera followed Zeus into the bedroom on Mt Olympus. There had been a discussion that she thought needed to be settled.

"How could you consider not including Ares and Dionysus in your council?" Hera demanded. Zeus tried to remain calm, but was quickly losing his patience. "Because Ares thinks of nothing but war, and Dionysus has no discipline. To join my coucil, I need to have clear thinking advisors. That's why I chose Apollo and Athena. Great challenges await us. I need council members that I can trust", he replied firmly.

"But you are considering two of your bastard children, not even true Gods to serve on the council, at the expense of your own sons! How dare you!" Hera was telling, and could feel her rage building. Zeus coldly looked at his wife, and stated emphatically, "My decision is final. This conversation is over. Anymore argument and I will take action, and you wouldn't like what I decide."

Hera remained quiet, but her anger was at such a boiling point that she needed to sit, as she felt herself losing her balance. Once seated, she calmed down enough to think about the situation, and to come up with an idea. 

She called for a messenger, and quickly joted a note, and sent the courier on her way, with instructions to wait for a reply and return in haste. The messenger left, and returned the next day, handing Hera the reply.

Hera then summoned two other messengers, gave them envelopes, and sent them on their way. One was to head West and seek out Hercules, and the other was to head South and seek out Perseus. Both messages read the same. Each was to go to the Parthenon and wait for Athena to send them on a mission. Hera felt no shame or guilt in using this ruse. But it needed to be done.

Both couriers reached their intended recipients, and once each read the message, left at once to head to Athens. Perseus arrived first, followed by Hercules. They warily eyed each other, and Perseus introduced himself. This put Hercules at ease. Hercules stated who he was, and a broad smile formed on Perseus' face.

"I have heard of you, Hercules. Your triumph during the 12 Labors is legendary. I have always admired you, and your exploits". "And I have heard of you, Perseus. You not only killed Medusa, but the Kraken. You have a special kind of bravery and courage."

Once the introductions were out of the way, they discussed what this potential mission would entail. They knew that they had to wait for Athena to instruct them, so they sat down on the stone steps leading up to a temple.

It was then that lightning surrounded them both, and with such ferocity that they couldn't see what was happening. Then as quickly as it began, it was over. But when it finished, Hercules and Perseus realized that they were no longer at the Parthenon. In fact, neither recognized the land. The sun, which was directly above them when they talking about the mission was now positioned lower in the sky, like it was earlier in the day. And without any landmarks, they had no idea where any city was located.

But they decided on a direction, and then started off on their journey. One thing that was strange was after traveling for a couple of hours, the sun hadn't moved in the sky. They thought this strange. The sun always moved. Warriors and travellers alike knew what the time was or which direction they were heading by the position it was in the sky.

But they kept moving. However, after what seemed like seven or eight hours of travel, they stopped and rested. The sun slowly moved higher in the sky, nearing where it should be if it was midday. 

There was a stray goat nearing where they were located. Hercules killed the goat, and Perseus cut it up after starting a fire. The goat was cooked, and both ate heartily.

They also discussed their situation. They were in an unfamiliar land, with the sun in unfamiliar positions in the sky. They had no idea what the actual time was, but they knew that the day was only half done, whereas in Athens it would be night. This they believed to be true, due to the amount of walking they had done. But the meal was over, and the journey continued.

Zeus had tried to keep his decision to enlist Hercules and Perseus to join his council a secret, but somehow Hera found out. It's amazing how Hera seemed to know everything going on in the Temple on Mt Olympus. 

But Zeus knew that Hercules showed great determination when he completed his twelve labors, and Perseus showed tremendous bravery and courage in facing Medusa and the Kraken. They were what his council needed, and he knew Hera would never understand his reasoning.

Hercules and Perseus continued their journey. After what seemed like many hours, and with the sun still fairly high up in the sky, they could see a town off in the distance. And it was a good thing. They felt that they had walked the equivalent of a two days journey, and yet the sun in the sky told them it was one half day in terms of time.

They eventually made their way into the town. Perseus was the first to notice that there were no women in the area, and that the men were slightly shorter than his 6'1" frame. Hercules stopped to ask a man what town they were in. The man seemed startled by Hercules' size. Hercules stood 6'6" and weighed about 250lbs which was all muscle. 

The man quickly answered that they were in Cypriot. "Cypriot did you say?" Hercules thought the man was joking. "That is correct. This is the town of Cypriot", repeated the man.

"If this is Cypriot, where is Athens?" asked Perseus. The man looked confused. "Athens?" "Yes, Athens". "I am sorry, sir, I don't know of any Athens. This is the only town for hundreds of miles", replied the man. "What time is it?" asked Hercules. The man looked at the sky and said it looked to be around  one on the afternoon. "One in the afternoon?" both Hercules and Perseus asked with disbelief. The man replied that he was sure of the time.

"Is there a place where we can eat and drink and stay?" asked Perseus. The man pointed to a building up the road. Both Hercules and Perseus thanked the man, and made their way to the inn.

The two men entered the building and were seated at a table in the back. Again, Perseus noticed that there were no women present. Both ordered their drinks and food, and made arrangements to get rooms for the night. 

As the food was being delivered, Perseus asked the server where the women were. The server offered a nervous smile and said that the women were home, and then quickly turned and left.

The meal was satisfying, and with all the traveling that they had done, were exhausted. They both headed to their rooms. Perseus paid in advance when he got the rooms. The inn keeper didn't recognize his money, but suspected it was legal, and accepted the payment.

Both Hercules and Perseus fell into a deep sleep. It was a long time since they slept this soundly. Dreams were plenty, mostly involving their previous adventures in which they triumphed over impossible odds. They must have slept a good six hours when they both woke. 

The sun was still shining brightly in the sky. Now they both suspected something wasn't quite right. They made there way outside and asked another man they met what time it was. The man looked up at the sky and said it was about three in the afternoon.

Perseus and Hercules were dumbfounded. They were sure that they had been in this land for a whole day, and yet, it was still in the middle of the afternoon. Something was off. They knew it, but could not understand it.

Hercules and Perseus made their way to the edge of the town where the markets ended and the farmlands began.

As they approached the first farm, they saw a man feeding his cows. Perseus got the man's attention, and when he came over to them was asked , "Excuse us, sir, we seemed to be lost and unfamiliar with the land. Can you please tell us the name of this land?" "This is the town of Cypriot on the planet Herania." 

"Herania?!?!?" Both Hercules and Perseus were incredulous.

"Yes, Herania. It is guarded over by the Goddess Hera. She is the all powerful Goddess of the land." Hercules asked,"What about Zeus? The ruler of Athens and of all the Gods on Mt Olympus?" "Who is Zeus?" Replied the man. Hercules and Perseus looked at the man then each other before Perseus asked, "Where are the women?" The man gave Perseus a funny look and replied, "The women are at the homes taking care of the families. This work is beneath them. Now if you will excuse me, I must get my work done before the lady of the house comes to inspect." And with that, the man returned to work.

Hercules and Perseus were still shocked by the man's answer regarding where they were, but deep down, it made sense. The length of the day was something neither of them had ever encountered, and the land was as unfamiliar to them as any they visited. They spotted a house off in the distance, and decided to visit the owner for more information.

As they made their way towards the building, they discussed the situation. It was becoming clear that Hera had planned this. She was the source of much strife among the Gods with her pettiness and jealousy. They hoped to get enough answers to help them get back to Athens.

As they made their way through the path from the road, both men stopped. The house was the biggest they had ever seen. The richest men in Athens didn't have houses this size. The front door was taller than any barn door they had come across, and was fairly wide. They approached with some caution.

When they reached the door, Hercules knocked. After a wait of around five seconds, the door opened and a young girl answered. Perseus thought that she couldn't have been more than six, but what struck him was her height. He put it around 5ft. 

Hercules apologized for the intrusion but ask the girl if her mom was home. The girl eyed the two men standing at the door, and said yes as she went to get her. 

The next sight froze both Hercules and Perseus in place as this extraordinarly beautiful woman came to the door. Except Hercules only came up to her waist, and Perseus fell just below it. They were speechless at first, then Perseus explained that he and his companion were lost, and asked the lady if she knew of a way for them to get back to Athens.

The lady looked down at the two men with a look of confusion in her eyes. "Athens? What is Athens? " "It is the land we have come from, it is the home to Zeus, Mt Olympus, and all of the Gods", replied Hercules.

The lady asked the two men in, introduced herself as Apollonia, and said that the only God she knew was the Goddess Hera. She never heard of Zeus, Mt Olympus, or anything else. She invited both men in, and they introduced themselves to her. She smiled and asked them to take a seat at the table. But the table was built to her size, which Perseus guessed to be 11ft in height. Both Hercules and Perseus had some trouble climbing onto the bench seat.

Apollonia sat down on the other side. She looked down at them, and they looked up at her. They still couldn't get over her size. She asked them if they wanted something to eat or drink, and both men said no. Just then the little girl came back into the kitchen. Apollonia introduced her as Nia, and said she was six. Perseus was correct. But he was also getting a very uneasy feeling in his stomach. Something wasn't quite right.

Hercules and Perseus sat at the table. They weren't intimidated by Apollonia's size. Hercules had faced giants and large wild beasts during his labors, while Perseus faced both Madusa and the Kraken. However, the fact that both their feet dangled high off the ground was a little disconcerting. 

Apollonia asked both men about what they did in the own land. Hercules stated off by explaining that in Athens he was considered the strongest man alive, a trait that came from being a son of Zeus, the God above all gods on Mt Olympus. 

Perseus answered that he wasn't anything special, but recounted his battle with both Medusa and the Kraken. Apollonia seemed to be really impressed with the little men sitting in front of her. She called Nia to the table, and whispered something in her ear. Nia smiled and left the kitchen. 

Within a couple of minutes, Nia returned with another girl, this one much bigger. Not as big as Apollonia, but she was definitely much taller than Nia. Apollonia introduced her daughter Calista to the men. Apollonia explained that she was 13, and still was growing. Hercules and Perseus introduced themselves. And then Calista sat next to her mother. Perseus estimated her height to be around 9.5 ft.

And Calista was fascinated by the two small men at the table. She asked all kinds of questions about who they were, where they came from, and what they did. Both Hercules and Perseus patiently explained everything to the young girl.

Calista smiled a great big smile and turned towards Apollonia. "Momma, do you understand what has happened? Your prayers to the Goddess Hera have been answered. She sent these two little men to our house to be husbands to you and me!" Apollonia smiled and replied, "Yes, the Goddess Hera has shown her kindness by giving us companions for life! Praise be to Hera!"

It took a minute for Hercules and Perseus to understand what was being said, and once they did, they got down from the bench and made their way towards the door.

"Where are you boys going?" asked Calista. " We are sons of Zeus. We will be nobody's husband. Thank you for your time, now we must leave!" Hercules was feeling his anger grow. Perseus was trying to think of a way to diffuse a potentially violent situation.

As they turned towards the door, Hercules ran into Nia. And Hercules didn't move her. He looked confused for a second, then grabbed her shoulders to move her out of the way. But again she didn't budge. Now Hercules was in full rage, and used all his strength to move her away from the door. But again, she didn't budge. And she was getting upset herself that a strange man was trying to hurt her. So she pushed back at Hercules, and he fell back around six feet. He would have gone farther, but his back hit Apollonia's leg. 

Hercules was now in full madness and was starting to make his way towards Nia, except a hand grabbed to back of his garb and kept him in place. He tried to break free from Calista's grip, but he couldn't. He turned towards the girl and used both hands to try and free himself, but it was no use. She held him in place, and Hercules started to curse the whole family. Calista easily lifted him off the ground with one hand, and brought his face to hers, and told him to apologise to her little sister. Hercules cursed her, and told her he apologizes to no one.

Calista looked at her mom, who nodded, and then she made her way to the table and sat down. She brought Hercules over her knee and smack his rear end hard enough to make him yell. "Are you going to say sorry to my sister?" "I will never apologize!" "Fine!" And with that, Calista continued to smack his ass, each one with more force than before. And right in front of Perseus, Hercules started to cry loudly because of the pain he was experiencing. Perseus instinctively made a move towards Calista, only to be picked up by Apollonia's big hands. And she hugged him firmly enough to immobilize him. 

Finally, Hercules apologized to Nia through his tears. And with that, Calista put him down on the floor. Hercules had never felt such physical pain before, and could only walk slowly towards the wall. Apollonia put Perseus down next to Hercules, then got on her knees to try to get eye level with the two men. But even then she was a foot taller than both of them. She explained that she was visited by a messenger sent by the Goddess Hera, who told her that two men from a far away land would visit her house. The messenger said that these men were a gift from the Goddess, and would make great husbands for her and her daughter. And because of that, both of them now belonged to her and her daughter, and she won't tolerate insubordination from either of them. And she asked them if they understood.

Hercules was in too much pain to answer, so Perseus answered for the both of them. He asked what gave her the right to claim ownership of the both of them. Apollonia smiled at him and told him that the Goddess Hera has decreed it. This was their fate. This was their life now. And anymore questions about this subject would result in punishment. And with that, she picked up Hercules and threatened to smack his rear end again. Hercules let out a loud cry, and started begging not to be hit again. Apollonia looked at him with an icy stare, and Hercules wet himself in fear. At that moment, Perseus knew their fate was sealed

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Zeus had sent every courier he had to seek out Hercules and Perseus, but each messenger came back empty. Zeus even visited the Oracle, seeking an answer. The Oracle couldn't see the men in her visions, but told Zeus that the answers he seeks lies with Hera.

Zeus called Hera into the bedroom and asked what happened to Hercules and Perseus. At first, Hera played dumb. But Zeus knew she was lying. He asked her again, his voice rising in anger. Hera dropped all pretenses and explained that she sent the two away. Zeus demanded to know why. She told him that she didn't want her children to be bypassed in favor of bastards appointed to Zeus's council.

Zeus wanted to know where they were. Hera laughed loudly, which angered the God. He wanted to know what was so funny. Hera finally explained that while her husband was sowing his Royal oats with common whores, she was building her own planet in an alternate universe. One in which she is the only God. One in which women ruled over men, were bigger and stronger than men. Hercules and Perseus were now the property of a family that she selected. And his powers were useless on that planet. She controlled all aspects of life.

Zeus was now boiling. He started to yell, and was going to strike Hera down, but sensing his intentions, she raised her hands, said something to herself and pointed at Zeus. All of a sudden the mighty God was surrounded by lightning, then it was over as quickly as it began.

Zeus found himself in a land that he didn't recognize, with the sun in a lower position than it was 5 minutes before. He was trying to get his bearings when he spotted a horse and carriage off in the distance. He could see what appeared to be a mother and her two daughters. Zeus made his way towards the family. But something wasn't quite right. The horse and carriage were twice the size of what they should have been. And the family was bigger than any he had ever seen. He turned to go the opposite direction of the carriage, only to have the giant hands of the mom grab him and lift him into vehicle. Sitting he only came up to the older woman's breast. The mom praised the Goddess Hera, who promised her a husband, and here he was. And Zeus knew what was coming. And just like that, the three giant figures to the Athenian people were no more.

There was a great buzz on Mt Olympus. Not only had Hercules and Perseus disappeared, but so did the ruler of the gods, Zeus himself. The entire Earth was searched. North, South, East, West. Nothing. Apollo requested a meeting with King Odin, the all-powerful God as Asgaard.

And yet the meeting proved to be of no use. Odin had access to the Nine Realms, yet even he could find no trace of Zeus, or Hercules and Perseus. And with the void of Zeus's absence growing by the day, Hera made her presence known by assuming the role as Head of The Council. 

Zeus had still not gotten used to being told what to do by the females of the house. Even the female children had authority over him. He tried to assert himself by declaring that he was the all-powerful God of gods on Mt Olympus, but the lady who grabbed him that day from the land, Heranosia, would smile at him and then explain that the only God of this land was the Goddess Hera. And the one time he became angry and tried to summon his powers was met by her picking him up and taking him to the bedroom and giving him a stern talking to, much like a mother to child discussion. Once or twice Zeus was put over her knee and spanked, but it was only done in such a way to remind him who was in charge. 

Zeus was outside the house one day when he felt himself being picked up. He spun around and saw it was Hera. "What did you do to me?! Where am I?!" He demanded answers. Hera shifted Zeus to her hip, and she walked out to wild areas carrying him like a five year old.

"Well, dear brother and husband, while you spent your childhood plotting to overthrow mother and father and the other Titans, I created a world that fell in between the known universe, completely unnoticed by everyone. Technically, it doesn't exist, but it does. Your powers don't exist on this world. Here you are just a man." Hera was speaking in a very condescending voice.

"I made this world to my liking. As you have noticed, the females are much, much larger than the males. And quite a bit stronger. In fact, I let Hercules keep his godly strength because I knew he would still be as weak as a two year old when compared to a little girl. So you see, my little brother and husband, here, women are the superior sex, men know there place, and there is peace in the land. Once you understand this, you will have a very happy life here, as long as you obey the women." 

Zeus was growing angry, but the way in which Hera held him made his desire for her grow. But she was ignored him as she brought him back to the front yard of the house. She put him back down on the ground, and she bent over as far as she could. Even in this position she was still about a foot taller than him. She placed her hands on his ass and lifted him up off the ground and gave him a passionate kiss. Then she turned him towards the house, and patted his behind, and told him to be a good little boy for his new wife.

And with that, Hera was gone, and Zeus was left on this world forever.

Hera had finally achieved her dream. She was the ultimate Goddess of Mt Olympus. All other gods were to bow before her, like they did with Zeus. And because she was the unquestioned ruler, she became a very generous and benevolent deity.

There was prosperity and peace all throughout the land. Disease and sickness faded away. Greece had become the capital of the whole world. Everyone was filled with joy.

Except one person, the God of the Underworld, Hades, who had come to suspect that his sister was behind the disappearance of Zeus, Hercules, and Perseus. 

Ever since Hera had assumed the role of supreme ruler of Olympus, Hades had tried on several occasions to gain an audience with his sister, only to be rebuffed every time. He grew frustrated. His little sister was treating him no better than a common servant. It caused him to deploy several spies to keep tabs on her.

Hera knew about the spies. People and fellow members of the Court of Olympus that were loyal to her had informed her of Hades’ actions. This caused her to smile at futile attempts. She knew he would resort to desperate measures to find out the truth, but she was not worried. 

At some point, with the God of the Underworld finally at wits end, he sent out his underlings to infiltrate Olympus in the dark of night, and bring Hera to him. 

Within minutes, the underlings returned, and with a very annoyed Hera. She looked at her brother, first with a burning hatred, then cold as ice stated, followed by a calm, passive face. The progression of her reactions puzzled Hades. He knew his sister, and knew exactly what she was capable of when angry. But he also knew that she had no power, or at least anything comparable to Zeus, Poseidon, or himself. 

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Hera asked her brother why he felt the need to kidnap her from Olympus. Hades responded by telling her that he had made many attempts to gain an audience with her, only to be denied. 

Hera looked at him and gave him a smile, saying that she was too busy ruling Olympus, the world, and making sure that all the people in it were taken care of. She simply didn't have time. 

Hades wasn't buying her excuses. He pointed out that Zeus never had that problem. In fact, he was always willing to grant an audience with his family. Hera’s eyes filled with anger, as she blurted out that Zeus was no longer around, was he?

That provided Hades with the opening he needed to change the subject. He responded that ‘speaking of Zeus, where was he?’ Hera tried to play dumb, and said she didn't know. Hades asked her about Hercules and Perseus, and again she replied that she didn't know.

Hades told her that she didn't seem too heartbroken about their brother’s disappearance. Hera looked at him, and replied that maybe Zeus had had enough of the world, and wanted a new life. A smile formed in her eyes, which served as a catalyst for Hades’ rising anger.

Hades told her that he suspected that she was behind everything. Too many pieces had fallen perfectly into place for her in her ascension to the throne. It was the only explanation possible.

Hera looked at Hades, remaining silent. He told his sister that he was giving her three days to undo whatever it was she had done, or there would be consequences. She looked at her brother and smiled.

She mocked him, acting all fearful about ‘his consequences’. She told him that he was in no position to make any such threats, and if he was smart, he would ask her for forgiveness, and then bow down in front of her, and pledge his undying loyalty.

This sent Hades over the edge. He cursed his sister, then summoned the armies of the undead, determined to wrest control of Mt Olympus, the Gods, Earth, and everything else from her.

She just calmly looked at him, and gave Hades one final opportunity to bow down before her. But the God of the Underworld was in no mood for further discussion. 

His army moved in on Hera, who watched everything unfold with an amused look on her face. This upset Hades even more, and as his army drew closer, she calmly raised her hand, engulfing her and her brother in a mysterious silver cloud.

Hades was blinded by the brightest sun that he had ever encountered, to the point of pain. It took him a good 10 minutes for his eyes to adjust. And once they did, found himself near a garden, and in a land that he did not recognize. 

He started to back away from the area, until he hit something solid, and unforgiving. He turned around and looked directly into the thigh of a being standing there.

He looked up, and up, and up some more, only to see Hera’s familiar face looking down on him, with a look that told him that he was in serious trouble. Hades demanded to know what happened, how did he get there, what had she done, and how to get back. 

Hera just continued to smile. Then she got on her knees, and explained everything to him. Hades was taken aback by the fact that even on her knees, she was still a couple of feet taller than him. But, that didn't stop his anger rising.

Hera mockingly told her brother that he was home. Hades yelled back that the underworld was his domain. She reaffirmed that it WAS his home, but not anymore. 

She explained that while he and Zeus were overthrowing their parents, she was creating many worlds, none of which were known about, as they fell in between what was known as the dark zone. 

She explained to Hades that she created all life on this world, all women in her image, and the sizes of males and females were exactly the same as what the two of them were at present.

Hades looked at himself, and then up at Hera, and suddenly became panicked. She also informed him that his powers were gone on this world. He heard her words, and immediately summoned the armies of the Underworld, but nothing happened. 

But what really sank his heart was when Hera informed him that the only way to get back to his world was if she wanted him there. Otherwise, he was now a member of this planet. And that women were in charge, and men obeyed. And as if to reinforce the point, she firmly smacked his behind, causing him to cry out in pain.

She also told him that he wouldn't be alone, as Zeus and his sons were also there. Hades was about to say something when he heard the voice of a little girl say, ‘Mommy, there's a man, just like the Appolonia has, and he is in our garden!’ Hades could see the girl coming closer, and also saw that she couldn't have been any older than 5-6 years old, and was much larger than he was. He started to turn and run, but was stopped by the girl, as Hera vanished.