by Fiona Price
"I wish I could have." He answered, sitting down on her bed next to her.
"I've heard that a couple times. Was this project as top-secret at everyone makes it out to be?" She asked genuinely, noticing a pattern.
"It had to be. With all the scrutiny the Gods face from the public if things go wrong with their missions, just imagine the publicity it would have gotten that we didn't want. This had to be done and we couldn't risk it getting killed upon arrival."
"How come it was you that worked with William about this?"
"Honestly, it’s kind of just happened. He never lied, we were communicating about MIT and my projects and everything, then it evolved."
"That makes sense. I'm really starting to understand everything now, and I can't help but feel as if I overreacted."
"No, you didn't. I know you and I know your overreactions, and this wasn't one of them. This was an enormous change and you're coping just like all of us. Don't be embarrassed or anything. We're all trying to help each other and get through this because we're going to be Gods, Maize. I know you were upset that you couldn't choose this, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise. I don't know what that is for you, but maybe."
"I'm starting to get why they picked me as Thor. I kept thinking it was some sort of mistake, but now I understand."
Peter broke into a smile.
"Finally! Now I hope you see yourself how I see you. That's the person I've loved my whole life." Peter answered, making Maize smile. She leaned into his side and they hugged tightly, until Maize suddenly went limp in his arms, slipping out of his grip and onto the floor.
Mazie heard a faded and muffled scream around her as she opened her eyes, only for the picture to be blurry around her. There were ammo shells in a scattered pile next to her, she noticed, as her vision was coming into focus. Her body felt a warmth that was unfamiliar to her, continuous drops of red falling onto her white sundress and soaking into the bright fabric. It felt almost too bright for the occasion, as the concrete was dirty and cold, and the rest of the building was dilapidated and uninviting. She raised a hand to her forehead which revealed to her a bleeding gash and as she wiped her hands on her dress, she realized the red was smearing. With horror, she knew the blood wasn't all hers; she was lying in a pool of thick, red blood, bodies surrounding her. It wasn't long before the screams she heard, she realized, were indeed her own as they rattled around on repeat in her head.
Peter collapsed to the floor of her bedroom, kneeling down beside her, unsure of what to do. She was unresponsive to him and her breathing was choked, Peter ready to call 911. They were just in the middle of their conversation when she fell to the maroon carpet covering the hefty hardwood floor, motionless next to her sneakers.
"Maize, come on, talk to me, what the hell?!" Peter began, checking her pulse and listening to her breathing. He didn't think she had just passed out, he had seen her faint before, and this was different. A thick trail of crimson red blood cascaded out of her nostril and down her lips. Peter had seen this and read about this in cases of demonic possession, which completely sent him spiraling as hard as he wanted to stay calm.
Just moments later, her eyes shot open and she gasped as if she were being brought up from underwater to breathe the fresh air. She grabbed onto Peter's shirt as she was coming to, processing her surroundings.
"What the fuck was that?! You scared the shit out of me! What happened; did you just have an absence seizure or something?!" Peter screeched, holding her in his arms still.
"How long was I out for? Did I faint?"
"Just a few seconds, I don't think you fainted. Your hands are shaking, do you need some water?"
She stared down at her hands for a moment, looking as if she was trying to figure something out. Almost trancelike, she answered him.
"No, I don't need water. But I think I'm going to do something terrible."
"How do you know that?!"
"I think I just had a vision, a hallucination-" she answered, not able to find the right describing word. The events made sense to Peter, now. A weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"William said this would happen, come on. We're going back to the compound."
"What did William say would happen?! He doesn't know me, how could he possibly-"
"He said you'd say that too, and lot tell you that Thor said you would be getting your unique power soon."
"Unique power?! I didn't think I got anything!"
"Well, you do. The only safe place for you right now is at the compound, Maize."
She agreed and Peter helped her up. She stopped him before leaving and grabbed some of her things she didn't have in her room at the compound before he carried her down the stairs and out to his car. Maize sent a text to her mother saying that she was going back to the compound, but she would see her soon, and she meant it. She needed to Peter drove dangerously fast down her street and entered onto the highway, dictating a text to William as he drove. Maize scolded him for using his phone and driving- over the speed limit, to boot- and Maize thought for sure they were going to get into an accident or pulled over at least. He just wanted to get her to safety.
Upon arrival at the compound, Maize saw a gathering of people by the main doors as they pulled up the extensive driveway into the middle of the field. Maize undid her seatbelt and worked on getting out, but to y opened the door for her and supported her as she stepped out. The blood trail was slightly smeared on her face, but it was mostly dry and flaky, as well as browner than crimson. William greeted her, Peter going to her other side.
"Welcome back, chosen one. Wow! You look like shit! Here's your ID card back, I never deactivated it. Remind me that Artemis owes me a hundred bucks."
"What?" She asked, confused and not completely aware of what was going on around her yet.
"Nothing, let's just get you inside." He guided. Thor was waiting for them in the common room upstairs.
"Mr. Odin son, meet your legacy, Ms. Maize Grace Leto!" William exclaimed. Thor's attention was immediately on the rag-tag group that entered the room. He smiled the brightest smile Maize had ever seen, but then he raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the file folder with her picture attached, then back up at Maize. William caught his gesture and responded.
"Yeah, it's the same girl but she's certainly been better."
"Hey guys, it's Thor!" Maize pointed out, now recognizing what was happening just before she went slightly weak and grabbed William's tie as she stumbled for support, nearly choking him. He repositioned the girl and loosened his tie. He coughed and straightened himself up.
"We're going to get her taken care of, and then you two can meet on better terms. She'll be fine soon." William reassured. Thor was serious, but obviously hopeful for his legacy.
"Excellent. She and I have a lot to discuss."
Oh Captain, My Captain
"Welcome back, chosen one! Wow, you look like shit!"
♦️
William Townsend sat across from Maize in the quiet of her room. He sat at her desk chair while she sat on her bed, dabbing the rest of the blood off her face.
"Tell me what happened, Maize." He began generally.
"I was talking with Peter in my room and then all of a sudden I fell and had this vision, this nightmare of something terrible happening. I can't really remember it all that well, but there was blood and there were bullets, and I don't know if that means I'm going to hurt anybody."
"Okay. I'm thinking that the nosebleed was the predecessor to you collapsing, so we'll keep an eye on you. If you can remember them when you wake up, let's keep track of what you see. So, you passed out and had a vision, that could mean a lot of things for your powers, but you're going to be fine. We'll figure it out, Maize. Don't you worry. Get some rest for now."
Maize nodded, and William rose from her desk chair and left the room. She sat on her bed for a few more moments before looking around, analyzing her grayscale room. She glanced over at her bags by the door, and she fully realized that this was exactly where a
nd who she was supposed to be. She accepted that she would be here for a while, and took out her first decoration.
She put her teal and magenta floral throw pillows on her bed, giving a splash of color to her white pillows and gray bedspread. She tucked her green Vera Bradley blanket at the end of the bed, as well as made a home for her stuffed dog among the pillows. She plugged her phone charger into the wall and her phone onto her home before turning on the lights in her room that made it brighter. Her closet was already full of clothes that had been provided to her, and they were perfect. There were tie back sun dresses, jeans, blouses and sweaters as well as training clothes and a few pairs of new shoes.
She put some of her framed pictures of her and her friends and family on her charcoal desk, and she put her succulents on the windowsill. As the afternoon sun came streaming through the windows, she looked around and realized that this place wouldn't be so bad after all.
Meanwhile, Meaghan was in the other room without realizing Maize had returned, which made for two surprise visitors that day. Meaghan was getting ready to have her first meeting with Dike as part of the program where each God would mentor and train their legacy. She was nervous to have a one-to-one meeting with the actual Dike. Anyone would feel small in his presence, and Meaghan's heart was racing since he was her icon, and she was training to be him. Then, she understood how overwhelmed Maize was earlier. The sudden knock at her door startled her, and she turned around to see who was at her door.
It was Talia Townsend.
"Hey, Meaghan!" She said a little too sweetly, with a hint of malice laced in her voice that Meaghan identified immediately.
"Hi, Talia." She responded.
"Listen, I know you're about to head off to your first meeting with Dike, so I won't hold you up for too long, but I wanted to make one thing extremely clear." She introduced, her sweetness fading to sharpness like Meaghan had expected.
"Yeah, what's that?" She responded, getting defensive. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her left hip, ready for a standoff with Thoth's daughter..
"You and all the other initiates might think you know everything, but I'm telling you now, don't you even try to get cocky. I run this place. This is my territory. If you think I'm here for the sake of the team, you're badly mistaken, Meaghan. Just know that I can and will take you down, no stress on my part, without even thinking. Don't stand in my way, Meaghan, because you'll just get shot down and I don't give a shit. I know everything that goes on in this place. I'm always watching and listening, Meaghan. You have no secrets that I don't know. So, have a nice meeting with Dike, darling. Watch your back."
"Not for long, Talia. If you think you're in charge, you won't be for long." Meaghan responded, keeping her glare locked on Talia as she walked away, leaving Meaghan rattled.
It was a power move from Talia. Almost like a form of subtle sabotage, trying to scare her before the biggest meeting she's had this entire year, nevertheless.
She grabbed her ID card and her phone, exiting her room and walking down the hall towards the elevator. She was instructed to meet Dike on the top floor deck that had a glass floor that overlooked the entire compound and the hundreds of acres it was sitting on. She wrung her hands together as the elevator rose, then it stopped and chimed when they reached the top floor. When the doors opened, Dike was revealed to her. Her heart jumped a little as he noticed her as she walked out of the elevator, through the room and over to the double doors that opened up to the balcony. She stopped just before stepping out, taking a deep breath and then greeting him gently.
"Hi, um, Dike," She said timidly. He turned around upon hearing her voice with a broad and welcoming smile, and suddenly she wasn't so nervous anymore. He had that immediate soothing quality about him; he didn't have to say or do anything; his presence was enough to calm even the most restless soul.
"Hi, Meaghan! It's so great to finally meet you, other than the brief introduction a few days ago. I've read all about you and it's an honor to meet you, you have an impeccable record of service, Meaghan." He complimented.
Dike just told her it was an honor to meet her. This felt like a dream come true to her. Maybe a fantasy once, but that was only once.
"I don't even know where this all starts, how to mentor, to be honest." He admitted.
"That's okay, I don't know what I'm doing, either." She supported with a chuckle. She invited her to stand at the railing next to her and gaze out on the beautiful, dense forest before them.
"If there's any one rule in this job, I would put all my faith in using your judgement and your morals. Most times, your morals will guide you and it's easy to see what's wrong and what's right, and how you can help people and not hurt them. Sometimes the line between right and wrong isn't clear, but you have to trust yourself and stand your ground for what is right, Meaghan. I trust you'll continue to do that, since you've done it for the majority of your life. Though I eventually won't be a God at some point in time and you'll assume my role, I'll always be here to guide you." He continued, placing his hand on top of Meaghan’s on the railing. Meaghan knew that everything would be alright. With Dike, she had no worries.
After her mentoring session, she took the elevator back down to her room so she could relax before dinner; Jordie was making one of his pre-hockey game meals and it was a surprise to everybody, though it was bound to be good. She was looking down at her phone, scrolling through her Twitter feed and accidentally ran into someone in the hall on her way down to her room.
"Oh, god, I'm sorry!" She quickly apologized before realizing it was Maize.
"Maize! When did you get back!? Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!" She exclaimed since no one had informed her of Maize's return.
"I came back just a little while ago, and I'm staying for good this time." Maize answered.
"I was worried sick, Maize, especially because you wouldn't answer your phone!"
"I just needed a few days for all of this to make sense. I had to dig a little, but I found out a lot more about myself and my parents that weren't in the files William gave to me. I understand now."
"Well, I'm glad. I didn't get any sleep because I was so worried that you'd never come back, and I'd never hear from you again."
"Yeah, that kind of wasn't going to happen. William said he would find someone else, but I knew there wasn't anyone else and I accepted it. This place isn't so bad, actually. I tossed some pillows on my bed and got a plant in there, and I could make this place like home."
"You look awful, babe! I'm sorry, but you look like a trash bag. A diamond encrusted trash bag, but you can't shine shit, honey."
"I didn't get any sleep, I had to visit my dad and I ran out of dry shampoo. Sue me." She explained.
"Go take a shower, take your time, then I'll get you a plate at dinner and save you a spot at a table with me." Meaghan reassured, Maize following her request.
Each room had a small bathroom attached to it, rather than having most college-style living situations with a communal bathroom. For that, Maize was grateful. She walked into her bedroom and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her and locking it before flipping the switch for the fan. She turned on the water which became warm immediately, and she finally got a thorough shower to wash her hair and her body. Shampooing her hair was cathartic; she immediately felt better once it lathered up. She washed her face and body, then stepped out of the shower and moisturized after spraying a leave-in conditioner in her hair. She dried off and walked over to her closet, choosing a paisley sundress, a navy cardigan and Sperry shoes before tying her long, damp hair into a loose bun with a scrunchy. She slipped her phone into the pocket of her cardigan, her ID card in the silicone sleeve on the back of her phone case, and she left her room to go get dinner.
In the kitchen area, the setup was similar to a cafe. There was a separate room with an enormous dining table, but in the main area there were tables with abstract chairs around them that could easily be rearranged. She spotted Meagha
n sitting in a table against the set of floor-to-ceiling windows as the sun began to set. She smiled friendly to the other initiates she passed as well as eyed up the food on the counter before sitting at the table with Meaghan. She had made her up a plate of grilled chicken, oil and garlic spaghetti and green beans. She looked over and Jordie was indeed in the kitchen, shirtless and wearing a custom apron with bottles of different spices in the front pocket. Maize and Meaghan knew he was in his element.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright, I feel much better after showering, though my head still does hurt."
"Did you hit it or something?"
"No, I had this weird vision and a really bad nosebleed, and I think that's the cause. William said we'd figure it out, so that's all I have to go off of. I'm sure I'll be fine, though." She brushed off.
"Well, it's good to have you back. I know I couldn't do this alone, without you, in a million years. Especially because I think we're going to run into a little bit of trouble with Talia."