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Zeus sat on his throne, glaring at a rat that had just made the mistake of scurrying across his foot. The thunder god was not in a good mood. Olympus, the most glorious realm in existence, was being overrun by rats—and not just any rats. These were immortal rats from the underworld, the unwelcome gift of Hades himself.
Zeus grumbled to himself, reaching for his lightning bolt, but paused when he heard a familiar voice.
“Father, you look like you’re ready to smite the entire palace,” Athena said, stepping into the grand hall. “And while I appreciate a good display of divine power, I’m not sure if a rat infestation calls for such a dramatic response.”
Zeus let out a long, exasperated sigh. “It’s not just rats, Athena. They’re immortal rats. I’ve tried everything—lightning, storms, even sending Apollo to blast them with music—and nothing works! They just keep multiplying and eating all the ambrosia!”
Athena tilted her head, observing a particularly bold rat that was happily chewing on the edge of a golden scroll. “Immortal rats, you say? From the underworld?”
Zeus scowled. “Hades sent them. They were his problem, and now they’re mine.”
“Well, he certainly knows how to share,” Athena said with a smirk. “So what do you want me to do about it?”
“I want them gone,” Zeus thundered, waving his hand at the chaos around him. “I don’t care where they go, as long as they’re far from Olympus.”
Athena crossed her arms, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “You know, Father, there may be a way to solve this without ruining our palace or causing more chaos between you and Hades.”
Zeus raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You’ve got a plan?”
Athena’s eyes gleamed. “Let’s say we take a… more creative approach. Why not send the rats somewhere they’ll be appreciated—or at least tolerated? Somewhere that won’t mind a little divine chaos.”
Zeus frowned. “Where could that possibly be?”
A slow grin spread across Athena’s face. “Gaia. The mortal realm.”
Zeus blinked. “Mortals? You want to send the rats to the mortals? Why would we burden them with such a problem?”
Athena’s grin grew wider. “Mortals are resilient. They’re always dealing with one disaster or another—floods, plagues, wars. What’s a few immortal rats compared to that? Besides, they’ll be resourceful. Mortals have a knack for dealing with things beyond their control. It could even be… a test.”
“A test?” Zeus echoed, his curiosity piqued. “What kind of test?”
Athena began pacing, her mind working quickly. “Think about it. Mortals are always praying for divine intervention, asking for wisdom and guidance. What if we give them an unexpected challenge? A swarm of immortal rats might seem like a disaster at first, but they’ll find a way to adapt. Perhaps even thrive.”
Zeus leaned back in his throne, stroking his beard. “So you’re saying we turn the rats into a… learning experience for the mortals?”
“Exactly,” Athena said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “We’ll frame it as a divine trial. If they manage to handle the rats, they’ll gain wisdom, perseverance, and resourcefulness. And in the meantime, we’ll be rid of our little problem.”
Zeus mulled it over for a moment, glancing around at the rats still scampering across the palace. “Well, it’s not the worst idea I’ve heard. And it would certainly get Hades off my back.”
Athena nodded. “Plus, mortals are always finding ways to make use of animals. Perhaps they’ll come up with something clever—like training the rats to help with farming or pest control. Who knows?”
Zeus chuckled. “I like the sound of that. Mortals dealing with immortal rats? It’ll be a great story to watch unfold.”
He stood up, lifting his lightning bolt with a flourish. “Very well, Athena. Let’s send these pests to Gaia. But make sure they don’t come back!”
Athena gave a mock salute. “I’ll handle the logistics. You just sit back and enjoy the show.”
Later that day, Athena stood at the edge of Olympus, overlooking the mortal realm far below. With a wave of her hand, she summoned the rats to her side. The swarm of immortal rodents gathered around her, chittering and squeaking, oblivious to the fact that their time on Olympus was about to come to an end.
“You’ve had your fun here,” Athena said, speaking more to herself than the rats. “But it’s time for a new adventure.”
With a flick of her wrist, she opened a shimmering portal to Gaia. On the other side, she could see a quite busy mortal city—people going about their daily lives, completely unaware of the divine chaos about to descend upon them.
“Off you go,” Athena said, ushering the rats through the portal. “Enjoy your new home.”
The rats eagerly scampered through, disappearing into the mortal world. Athena watched with a satisfied smile as the portal closed behind them.
In the mortal city of Athens, a merchant named Lysander was having an unusually peaceful day at his market stall. The sun was shining, the crowds were peacefully coexisting, and for once, there were no major crises to worry about. He leaned back in his chair, sipping some watered-down wine, thinking that perhaps the gods were finally showing the mortals a bit of mercy.
And then, out of nowhere, a swarm of rats appeared.
At first, Lysander didn’t notice them. He was too busy counting his coins. But when he heard the first squeak, he looked down to see dozens of rats swarming around his stall, nibbling on his goods.
“By the gods!” Lysander shouted, jumping to his feet. “Where did all these rats come from?!”
The other merchants looked around in horror as the rats spread through the market, climbing over tables, chewing through baskets of food, and causing general mayhem.
“This is a sign!” one old woman cried, waving her hands in the air. “The gods have cursed us!”
Lysander, ever the pragmatist, wasn’t convinced. “A curse? Or maybe we just have a rat problem!”
As the rats continued to overrun the market, a young boy named Thales approached Lysander with a curious look on his face. “Have you noticed something strange about these rats?”
“What could possibly be stranger than a plague of rats appearing out of thin air?” Lysander asked, exasperated.
Thales knelt down, studying one of the rats closely. “They’re not afraid of anything. I tried to shoo one away, and it just stared at me.”
Lysander frowned. “You’re right. These rats aren’t acting normal.”
“They’re not dying either,” Thales added. “I saw someone try to hit one with a broom, but it just got up and kept running.”
Lysander rubbed his chin. “Immortal rats? Is this some kind of divine joke?”
“Maybe it’s a test,” Thales suggested. “The gods are always testing us, aren’t they? Maybe they want to see how we handle this.”
Lysander groaned. “Of all the tests they could’ve sent, why rats?”
Thales shrugged. “Maybe they thought it’d be funny.”
Lysander sighed, looking around at the chaos. “Well, if this is a test, we’d better figure out how to pass it. Any ideas?”
Thales smiled. “Actually, I’ve got a few.”
Back on Olympus, Zeus and Athena watched the scene unfold in the mortal realm. Zeus leaned forward, intrigued. “What do you think, Athena? Will the mortals rise to the challenge?”
Athena smirked. “Oh, I have no doubt. They’re surprisingly resourceful. And besides, they needed a little divine excitement in their lives.”
Zeus chuckled. “Well, it’s certainly more entertaining than watching Apollo practice his lyre. No offense to musical ability, but he’s played the same tune for the last century!”
As the mortals below began to organize themselves, coming up with clever ways to deal with their new immortal pests, Athena crossed her arms, satisfied with the day’s work.
“See, Father?” she said with a grin. “There’s always a solution.”
Zeus nodded. “Yes, and sometimes the solution is to let someone else deal with the problem.”
They both laughed, watching as the mortal realm adjusted to its strange new reality—one rat at a time.
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