Heroes aren't meant to act like their villains -- or fall in love with them. The elements touch everyone on Earth -- Fire, Water, even Light -- but every so often someone becomes more attuned to their elemental leaning and develops true power. When an evil Elemental known as Thanatos arrived in Olympus City, it saw the rise of its first hero -- Zeus. But the death toll caused by defeating Thanatos changed Zeus, who by day is young detective Danny Grant. It's been six months since Thanatos terrorized the city at the start of Lovesick Gods. Danny should be used to his duty behind the mask, but the recent past haunts him. His girlfriend left him, he snaps at the barest provocation, his life feels empty -- he needs an outlet, any outlet to pull him out of his depression. Enter notorious thief Malcolm Cho, the Ice Elemental Prometheus. There was a time when Danny welcomed a fight with Cho, filled with colorful banter and casual flirtations that were a relief compared to Thanatos. Even as a criminal, Cho had recognized the threat Thanatos posed and promised to help Danny stop him, but the day Danny needed Cho, he never showed. Cho was the reason so many people died that day -- including Danny's mother. Danny decides to teach the man a lesson and fan the fire of their attraction into something more. At worst, he'll get some no-strings-attached sex out of the deal and finally blow off steam; at best, he'll get Cho to fall in love with him and then break his heart to spite him. Danny doesn't expect to fall for Cho in the process, and he certainly can't predict the much darker threat on the horizon.

Lovesick Gods

Switching back to the main camera, Mal watched Danny set the note on the counter before giving the apartment a final once over and then lightning jumping away.


He’d had the chance to rifle through anything of Mal’s he wanted. He wouldn’t have found anything worthwhile, Mal was too careful for that, unless Danny had found the secret room for his Prometheus gear, but still. Mal shouldn’t be surprised. Danny was just keeping the banter going, being the playful, adorable hero that Mal…well, that Mal enjoyed a good tumble with, whether in the bedroom or with fists and wits flying. 


The realization warmed him. Danny played by the rules, beginning to end, although Mal would have to have a talk with him about the breaking and entering. He valued his privacy, his space, above all else, yet there he was, amused more than upset that Danny had crossed a boundary as easily as he’d crossed the threshold into Mal’s apartment.


Chapter 41