Paragons 1

by Gideon Mills

  Paragons

  Gods and Superheroes

  Gideon Mills

  Copyright © 2019 Gideon Mills All Right Reserved

  Cover Art by Michael Vasilev

  Typography by Dark Cover Designs

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, whether by electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations for reviews.

  For all the Superhero fans out there

  Contents

  1. Mount Olympus

  2. Zeus

  3. Eris

  4. Taking the leap

  5. New York City

  6. Settling in

  7. Testing myself

  8. Frustration

  9. A real Test

  10. Email is a pain

  11. Hell’s Kitchen

  12. A surprise visit

  13. Homebase

  14. Watching her work

  15. Join Me

  16. Some R & R

  17. Old Fashioned Police work

  18. Damn, that’s expensive

  19. Need a Drink

  20. Club Weiss

  21. Lola

  22. A new day

  23. Learn how to act

  24. Riker’s Island

  25. Ambushed

  26. Chaos in the city

  27. Mister Walker

  28. The City Reacts

  29. Samuel Reign

  30. A tour

  31. Slow going

  32. Third Street Toast

  33. Face to Face

  34. Home Sweet Home

  35. Eris and Finn

  36. Dearest Sister

  37. A Mess in Times Square

  38. Far From Home

  39. The Final Fight, I hope

  40. Down Goes the Champ

  41. Victory

  42. A New Face

  Epilogue

  Author Notes

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Gideon Mills

  1

  Mount Olympus

  Gazing down from the magical edge of the greatest place in all the world was one of my favorite things to do. Mount Olympus was my home and had been for as long as I can remember.

  I’m the God of War, Ares. Some have known me as Mars. But if I’m being honest, Ares will always be my name. Mount Olympus will always be my home. Even if the actual location shifted over the years.

  It started back in the homeland of Greece, and of course Rome. What many don’t realize was that we spent time in many countries from France to Russia. Now we call America our home. More specifically I’m looking down on the city that never sleeps, New York City. The Big Apple.

  None of my brethren have been down to Earth in many years. My father, Zeus, forbade our trips to Earth upon the rise of Paragons, or people with superpowers that rivaled our own. With fewer and fewer people believing in us, we were at our weakest as well.

  Though I was sure that I could take out any of the Paragons of Earth. I was the fucking God of War for a reason. My father might be the most powerful, but I wasn’t that far behind.

  A calming voice spoke next to me, one that I knew very well. “Brother, you and your dreaming of Earth.”

  I turned to Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. Of course, she like me was associated with war, but she was slower to react than I was, doing her best to think through all the possible outcomes of her actions. It was boring to do it her way. Me, I enjoyed rushing in, blood and guts. Kill as many as possible. If a few of my men died, that was the cost of war. And many knew that, but she refused. It sickened me.

  “Sister.”

  She was a stunning figure, what mere mortals would call a ten. She has long brown hair pulled back into a braid. Shiny armor adorned her flawless physique, and her smile was dazzling. Sure, she was my sister, but a half-sister. I was allowed to look. At least up here.

  I was a brute of a man. Covered in muscles and stronger than most. I was powerful and able to defeat all my foes in combat. That was my strength. I kept my hair in the current military way, just like the marines, high and tight. That was what I did over the years. I looked at the military and how they kept their appearance, and I followed suit, but I wasn’t about to wear those god-awful camouflage uniforms. The traditional Greek was good enough for me, or even the Roman.

  “I never thought of you as one to be obsessed with humanity.”

  I smiled. Over the years I had both loved and hated the humans. They had caused me a lot of pain and suffering, but being stuck here had me going stir crazy. I needed a break from the stifling sameness and wearisome infighting on Olympus.

  “Are you sure that the Paragons aren’t demigods?” I asked. We’d had this talk more than once, and our father was sure they weren’t. I wasn’t convinced of that. If they were, we would be allowed to visit again.

  “You know they can’t be.”

  It was true that a new generation had appeared since we had last visited, and they couldn’t be the sons or daughters of the Gods. I had even witnessed them create a super-soldier. That had been a surprise. One that I couldn’t take my eyes off of; he only reason I had stopped looking was because Aphrodite summoned me. One doesn’t turn her down, and it had been a long time since we had been together.

  She was the Goddess of Love, and there was a reason. The woman was unbelievable in the sack, and at times I really did love her. She made me happy and complete, and she was fucking hot.

  I shook my head and came back to the present. “Maybe some are sneaking off and creating more demigods.”

  That was a long shot, but I could see my father doing just that, even Poseidon. Not to mention my son Deimos was one to do such a thing, no matter how loyal he was to me in battle. He didn’t like his grandfather.

  Then there was the Goddess Atë and her mischievous ways. One never knew what she might do, and all the Paragons might just be her kids. That wouldn’t be a complete surprise to me, but I knew better than that. My father had her locked up tight, and she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Brother,” Athena said, her tone lecturing. She had a know-it-all air about her, and I hated it. It was her way and one that humans loved, and I wanted to strangle her.

  “Sister.” I didn’t look at her but kept my eyes glued to Earth, and the city. Millions of people scurrying about their lives, their short, ordinary lives. It had to be such a drag for them. Like a blink of an eye and it was over. Unlike us Gods. Being immortal gave me a different view of it all.

  “Be smart,” she said.

  She knew that I was thinking about sneaking off and joining the humans again. The itch was forming, as it had done countless times in the past. I wanted to be with a woman, one that was mortal. To make love to her and father a child.

  Not just that, but the world was filled with strife and war. My hunger to be part of that was unbearable. I needed to be there, fighting with and against those Paragons. They would be a real challenge for me, and I desired to be tested.

  I don’t know how long I stayed there, but Athena had left. My fists were clenched, and I nearly jumped off the edge of the floating city that remained invisible to the mortals below. Instead, I spun on my heel and went to find my father.

  2

  Zeus

  To most beings, my father was the most intimidating man in the world. To many, he was the figure they associated with the current God. Sitting in the throne, his elderly appearance would be deceiving. He was far from weak and he could take me out in a blink of an eye. He was the only one.

  His long white hair hung around his shoulders and his face was covered by his beard. Back when we were more powerful both were a deep brown, but not anymore. He wore the traditiona
l attire of the wealthy in our heyday. His chiton was so bright that it nearly blinded me. I would have expected him to have his himation on as well, but it was nowhere in sight.

  What I did see was his lightning bolt in his right hand. The weapon radiated power and energy that made even me shake in my sandals. It was the most powerful weapon in all the lands, and he knew it. Everyone knew it.

  Even though I was one of the Olympians, and respected by all, I knelt. Zeus was the king of the Gods, and I had to show him respect. If only I had been one of the big three. I hated that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades got to be a step above, but they were. If I was one of them, I might get away with a show of disrespect, but right now wasn’t the time.

  On one knee, I looked up. “Father.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement. A petite figure stood motionless, it had to be one of the other Gods or Goddesses. I couldn’t risk another glance, as I had to focus on my father.

  “Son.” Zeus was commanding and powerful. Even his words radiated authority that none of us could equal, and it grated on me. That might be part of why I needed to go to Earth, to be free of him, even for just a short while. “What is it you seek?”

  There was little doubt in my mind that he knew what I wanted. If Athena hadn’t already spoken to him, I would be shocked. It was very much like my sister to make sure that my father knew everything and would stop me.

  “You know what I want,” I said. Making my voice steady and forceful. Much the way the humans viewed me, and I hoped it let him know that I was serious.

  Zeus, with his bolt in hand, stood from his seat in the center of the chairs in the room. He eyed me with fierce eyes, electricity flashing within them. No mortal would be able to survive that gaze. Fuck, it nearly had me whimpering, and I was the biggest badass around.

  “Ares,” my father said. “You know we can’t risk it.”

  I groaned. “I don’t see why.”

  None of it made sense to me, and it never had. We were gods. We defeated Titans, monsters, and more. What were some puny little humans with superpowers? I just didn’t see why they were all frightened of them.

  “If you die there,” Zeus said. “That’s permanent.”

  I laughed. “I’m a god. I can’t die.

  My father flashed his bolt. “They aren’t like they used to be. Stop being stupid. We must survive.”

  I closed my eyes and thought about the humans and the power they had now. My father’s fear had to be excessive. Were the Paragons like the Gods of old, or rather like the Titans or mother Gaia?

  That was a very laughable thought. Paragons were mortal and fragile, and no match for me. There was no way that any mortal could kill me, Paragon or not. I was the God of War. God of Bloodshed and Violence.

  I might not be liked by many of the other gods, but that didn’t change the fact that I was one of the most powerful beings around. No puny human with superpowers was going to frighten me away from Earth.

  “Father,” I said, and rose. “I see you will not let me go.”

  The doors to the room opened, and Poseidon and Hades walked in. It was a rare time when Hades ventured from the underworld. It was clear that my father was worried I was going to break his rule.

  I had been planning on it. As soon as I left here, I was going to make the leap and jump down to Earth. I didn’t care if I made it back to Mount Olympus any time soon. It wasn’t like there was much here for me.

  “Ares,” Poseidon said. “You are being reckless.”

  When I looked at the man, I saw the fictional hero Aquaman. “Look, Fishy,” I said, knowing he hated it. “I if I want to go to Earth, I should be allowed.”

  Hades was a bearded man with deep black hair. He wore it tailored and slicked back. Just like many thought the devil would. Not that he was the devil, but he liked to make people believe he was. I wasn’t even sure if the devil was real or not. I knew that other powerful beings existed outside of us, but that didn’t mean all of them did.

  “You might as well just stamp your ticket to my domain,” Hades said. He was licking his chops and was just dreaming of all the pain he could inflict on me. Me dying would be a dream come true for the man.

  “I won’t die,” I said. “I’m Ares. God of War.”

  My father groaned. His impressive body looked frail for just a moment, and he returned to his seat, resting the most potent weapon in the universe on his lap. Poseidon took up his position on Zeus’s right, holding his trident.

  “You will listen to Zeus,” Fishy said. “If you don’t, Hades will have you.”

  It was a bluff, and I knew it. We all knew it, but I had to go along with it.

  I nodded my head. “Very well.”

  Again, at the edge of the room movement caught my eye. Unable to make it out, I wasn’t sure who it was, but someone had been here, watching us talk, listening to all my father had to say. I hated not knowing who was around and keeping tabs on me.

  3

  Eris

  I left the room and started to head to the edge of Mount Olympus. My anger was reaching a boiling point. The big three are a bunch of pricks, and I can’t stand them. I didn’t care that Zeus was my father and the king. He’s a jackass.

  Before I got far, someone called my name. I spun on the spot to see an old friend, but one I hadn’t spoken to in eons. Eris. That had to be who I’d seen in the throne room with Father, and now I was on edge.

  The Goddess of strife and discord, and another sister. Eris and her son used to ride into battle with me, but a lot had changed since then. So much that I can’t even remember the last time we spoke. She appeared just like she had the last time I saw her. Fit, with a muscular build, with brown-black hair that screamed “crazy woman” roiling around her shoulders. Her smile was slightly off, giving her the appearance of one not to be trusted.

  I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her and her particular form of madness. She really was mad, and loved causing problems. From what I’d heard, she recently went off the deep end and wasn’t someone you’d want to hang out with.

  “Eris,” I said. “I don’t have time.”

  She rolled her deep blue eyes, and let her long blond hair hang freely. “You owe me.”

  I groaned. She knew I lived for war and that it brought me life. Eris took every chance she could to remind me that she was the reason for the Trojan War. It was true that her actions led to it, but she didn’t actually cause it.

  Not that telling her that would do any good. In her mind Eris made the war, and I was able to gain power and strength. It didn’t matter that it was eons ago, and that power was long gone. I needed more wars and new battles.

  That was why I needed to leave, and be on Earth. I craved my power and war. I wanted to join the battles ravaging the world, whether the Paragons fighting each other or the human wars on terrorism. I’d be up for both. My body was itching to be part of it.

  “I’m busy.” I barely looked at her and went in the direction of my home.

  What today’s people didn’t realize—maybe because they rarely thought of us at all—was that we lived here. Had actual homes, and they shifted just like the location did to match the current times. Just like the technology changed here too.

  I might still, at times, wear my Greek outfits of the past, but I also enjoyed the luxuries of the times. In my house were several gaming systems and a large-screen TV. If I wasn’t going to join the actual fight, I would play the latest first-person shooter, and kill me some Nazis or whatever the villain was in the recent one.

  “We have all the time in the world,” Eris said. She was right, but that didn’t mean I was going to talk to her.

  “Be gone.” I strode to the west and my place. To get to my home I had to walk by my father’s, that he shared with my mother, Hera. Why she was still with the man was beyond me. He angered her all the time, and her jealousy was known to be world-class. It amazed me that they were together.

  The house, or fucking mansion, was huge an
d made the rest of us look like peons. I’m sure he loved that. Even Poseidon’s place wasn’t much in comparison.

  Pretending not to see Eris follow me, I continued to my place. Since I wasn’t on the rest of the twelve’s best side, I was at the end. but at least I was with them. Not like Eris who lived in a different part of Mount Olympus.

  I walked up the walk to my door and opened it. Eris and her floral scent were still on my tail, talking a hundred miles an hour. There was no point to her ramblings.

  Just as I was about to shut the door she spoke again. “I’m jumping, come with me.”

  “No,” I said. There was no way I was going to jump to Earth with her. She was just too crazy.

  4

  Taking the leap

  I grabbed the woman and shoved her into my house. This wasn’t something a sane God or Goddess would say out loud for anyone to hear. She was off her rocker, and I fucking loved it. Hearing her say that made me even more sure that I was going to do it.

  Eris couldn’t get to Earth without the help of one of the twelve, but there was no way I was going to be her partner in crime, and her ticket out of here.