Paragons 1

by Gideon Mills

  On Mount Olympus my home was lavish, if not the size of Zeus’s. I still had all the modern conveniences. Some of my brethren forgo some of the current luxuries like electricity and cable TV. They had to be fucking stupid. Did you see the Battle of Winterfell episode, intense. I could even watch the latest movies, and I tell you. Go see every MCU movie, and then watch End Game. I got teary-eyed.

  What can I say, I’m the God of War, and both of those had some kick-ass battles. Got my blood going, and I live for that shit.

  I shook my head and led Eris was here, to my sofa. It was a nice comfortable one that I sat on and played the hottest video games, or the for mentioned shows and movies. It was made to be sat on.

  The crazy Goddess sunk into the cushions. “I’m going back to Earth,” she said.

  “I heard you the first time,” I said. “I get it. You know I miss the place. And it is rife with war and violence these days.”

  Those were the source of my powers, which is why I loved them. I know that most people hated me, loathed me. Even my own kin. I reveled in the violence and the war. The blood. We can’t control what we love, or who we love. We are who we are. I embraced that side of me, and I was okay with it.

  “Come with me,” she purred. Eris batted her eyelashes at me. Even though she was alluring, she was never one of my lovers. Not here or on Earth. Fuck did I need some attention; it had been a long time since Aphrodite and I had a tryst in bed.

  Maybe that was part of my longing to go to Earth. No, it was more than just needing to get my banana peeled. The war and battle pulled me. That was it, and nothing more. I was not like some human.

  I sat next to Eris. “He won’t let us go.”

  She smiled. “I don’t care, we don’t need his permission. If we did, we’d all be dead.”

  It was true, the only reason we were alive was from breaking the rules. Though those were the rules of Titans, and they were barbaric and vile. They needed to be disobeyed and put down. Prometheus got what was coming to him. As did Atlas, he was still holding up the sky.

  I grinned just thinking about the punishment of the two. They betrayed us, and got what was coming to them. The last thing I wanted was for my father to do that to me. I knew I was his son, and in his own way he loved me. Yet, part of me did fear him. Zeus was a ruthless leader, and more violent than even I was. But he got away with it.

  “If we go now,” Eris said, jumping up from the couch, “Zeusy won’t be expecting it. There is no way he’ll stop us.”

  I had thought of that. With dad being the God of the Sky among other things, he could just catch me and bring me back. If he was expecting me to jump. Contrary to what most think, we aren’t all-knowing beings. I was just as shocked at the ending of Game of Thrones as anyone else.

  Eris was bubbly with excitement like I’ve never seen her before. She could barely contain herself with the thought of going back to Earth. It shouldn’t have surprised me that she wanted to go. Much like me, she wasn’t loved here, and there she could be anyone. Be anything. That was part of the attraction of Earth and humans.

  One could just be whatever they wanted if they put their mind to it. It was such a tempting thought. Such a pull to make the leap. The literal leap to Earth.

  I stood up next to her. “I’m going, but you aren’t.”

  She frowned at me, covered with disappointment. “I can be a help.”

  Not that I was an Athena, but Eris was much rasher that I had ever been. “You are bat-shit crazy sister, and you would draw too much attention.”

  “Me? Draw attention?” Her voice did not give me confidence.

  “Eris, I mean it.”

  “You’re no fun.”

  I winked at her. “I’m plenty of fun, and you can have lots there. Just don’t do anything to get the attention of the big three.”

  She shrugged. “So be it. I won’t go, but it isn’t fair.”

  I knew that was the best I was going to get from Eris. She was just too unpredictable, and there was a good chance I was going to regret this. Yet, I was going to do it. I was going to jump down to Earth. To be with the humans, and I didn’t care about the Paragons at all.

  Sneaking away from my house at dusk was a dangerous proposition. Poking my head out, I saw no one around. In the past on Mount Olympus we’d had patrols, but we aren’t as powerful anymore. Too many people no longer believe in us, which made many of the Gods weak, and even the monsters that might attack us.

  Stupid mortals.

  That was the only reason I was going to be able to get out of here and back to them. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  I pressed my muscular back against my door and looked around. I was the fittest-looking god. Even more than the mythical Heracles. The man that became a god, what a joke. Though he wasn’t just a man, but a brother of mine, half-brother, father slept with a mortal woman. Either way, I was bigger and stronger.

  The coast was clear. I left my house and walked in the direction of the ledge from which I could leap to Earth, as I had done a thousand times in the past. As all of us have many times. Maybe not my mother, who was a stuck-up old woman and thought she was too good for a mortal. She had no clue what she was missing out on.

  As the sun set, many of the gods were getting ready for the night. Some might think with all the kids we have had in the past, that we’d be party animals. That wasn’t the case. Many went to bed early or just fucked. That was all we did these days.

  It was getting old, and I needed more. This wasn’t the way the gods should live, and I was going to change that. I was going to show the world that we could be part of Earth again and handle these new super-powered humans. These Paragons.

  As I walked, I looked around for my sister. Trusting her was never the wisest thing. She was nowhere in sight. That was hard to believe, but Eris was one of the best at remaining hidden to the last moment.

  My heart raced as I walked. If my father knew what I was up to, I’d be hurting for days or decades. It would end, since I was an Olympian, but still, I didn’t want to deal with him.

  As I departed the neighborhood, I was greeted by someone who was always up for a good time. Dionysus, the God of Wine, was out drinking his wine. No shocker there.

  “Ares,” he said, his deep voice was slurred and his eyes bloodshot. He had started early tonight and was already three sheets to the wind. “What you doing?”

  The drunk was one of the twelve, the least powerful, but still one of the twelve. His hair was a mess and his breath reeked of wine.

  “Out for a walk,” I said.

  Dionysus grinned. “I like walks. Walks are fun. Never know who you might run into.”

  “Clearly. Look brother, as fun as you can be, I need to go.”

  The God of Wine tilted his head. “I saw Eris earlier, you going to go for a ride,” he said.

  That was a little concerning that she was out now. The last thing I needed was for her to go with me.

  I shook my head. “Oy vey. That hadn’t been part of the plan.”

  The God of Wine shrugged and winked at me. “Have fun,” Dionysus said.

  He stumbled off and took another gulp of wine from the bottle he pretty much always carried. There was a good chance it was an expensive one too.

  I continued to the ledge. Getting out of the housing section of Mount Olympus was just the first step. There was the training section that was mostly unused these days. I was one of the few that still went there every day. Working with my swords, and other weapons. Training in the martial arts that had sprouted up over the years.

  Artemis used to train with me and so did Deimos. They weren’t the only ones. There were many Gods and Goddesses that were tied to war and hunting. Like Nike who would train just to experience his victory over and over. But they all stopped, became lax. That was why we were weak and why they should fear the Paragons, and I didn’t.

  I got through the mostly abandoned training grounds and then passed the place that mortals thought of th
e most. Our Pantheon.

  I stopped in front of it and examined the building. It wasn’t that long ago I had been here, and my father threatened me. “Fuck you,” I said. “I don’t care what you say.”

  I could see that the building was empty. As one of the twelve, I knew when another was there. Always. We all did. No one was home. He was back at his palace, fucking Hera, sleeping or watching NCIS. But none of that made standing here safe, since he had many eyes and ears here. The God of the Gods was a paranoid old fool, and very well might be using Eris against me. Zeus could very well be waiting for me at the edge.

  There was just as much of a chance that he was back home watching TV. My father had a hard-on for the character Ziva on NCIS and would watch the seasons with her over and over. I’m sure that my mother hated it, but let him do it. At least he wasn’t on Earth knocking up the actress with a baby. That we knew of, at least.

  I turned and went straight to the edge of Olympus, our home. To many, it would be the grandest place in the universe, but to me and many here it was hell. It might as well be the underworld, with Hades towering over us.

  It was no heaven that people of Earth talked about today. That’s for sure. There were no dead of Earth waiting for them here, not to say that didn’t exist.

  When I reached the edge, I waited. Before I could do this, I needed to make sure that I was completely alone, that Eris wasn’t here. Seeing no sign of my dearest sister, I turned back to my destination.

  Down on Earth, I could see that it was the same time in New York City. A leap from here would place me in the heart of the city, Central Park. I longed to be there. To be part of it, to be that fish out of water.

  I’d never been to a modern city. It had been a long time since I’d been on Earth. Sure, I’d been in what many would call modern times. I was there for World War II. That was a great time for me, and so was the Korean war, but I haven’t been back since. The Paragons haven’t been around that long, but I go for war.

  I had wanted to go for the Gulf War, but father forbade me to go with the Paragons. Fearing they changed the way that war was fought. Having watched intently, I knew my father was wrong. War was the same no matter what or who was taking part. Paragons changed little in that regard; I licked my chops just hoping to see them up close and personal.

  It was now or never. Taking a deep breath in, I took the leap and jumped over the edge. I was one of the few that could actually do this. Only one of the Twelve, or Hades, had the power to break Zeus’s protective barrier.

  There was a tingle, the drag of resistance against my skin as I dove head-first through the barrier and into open sky. My heart swelled as the expanse of Earth filled my vision. A sudden, fierce grip on my ankle turned my budding joy into horror, and I cursed under my breath. A quick twist of my head confirmed my worst fear—Eris had followed me and ridden me like a parasite through the barrier. I had taken a crazy woman away from the watchful eyes of the only beings who could control her.

  5

  New York City

  The fall might frighten most mortals, those not Paragons that is. I’m sure even some of them, as they weren’t all immune to smashing damage like me. I would be a tank in terms of the Paragons. They had classified themselves into archetypes. Though I didn’t fit neatly into any one. None of the gods did. For the most part we were all invincible to damage. Or at least most types, although we all had a weakness.

  Mine, I’m sure as shit not going to tell a single person. But I’m not totally immune, even the character Superman had kryptonite and so do I.

  Landing in the center of the park, I struck my best superhero pose. I looked around, and many people gave me a funny look. The park was packed full of people, and they hadn’t seen me fall. It wasn’t until I was actually on the ground that I appeared to them.

  As I descended, I had feared my father would catch me and take me back. Now that I was on the ground in Gaia’s territory, he couldn’t touch me. I grinned.

  “Earth, how I missed you,” I said. That got me some funny looks. I had the look of my old self, from the legends. “What, haven’t you seen a Greek God before?”

  The people closest to me narrowed their eyes and then continued on. I’m sure they thought I was some crazy Paragon. Shouts sounded from a short distance away, and I hoped it was Eris.

  I hadn’t seen her land and feared she might be hurt. Shaking off the cobwebs I ventured in the direction of screams. Being away from Earth for so long had made this body feel different and foreign. I was going to need to adjust a little to it. While it was my body, it was different.

  Around the corner, I spotted Eris standing in the middle of a group of humans. She was toying with them. Having fun with her powers. Being the Goddess of Strife and Discord, she could make people fight.

  “Eris,” I shouted.

  She smirked. “Oh hey.”

  “What are you doing?”

  Her long blond hair hung free and blew in the light breeze. I could smell her scent, and it was discord. “Just having a little fun, brother dear,” she said. Her crazy smile formed on her face. One that made me sick inside, making me wish that I had stayed home. “Fun that you’ll be held responsible for, since it was your power that freed me from Olympus.”

  I groaned. She had used me. What a dumbass I am. “Eris, stop.”

  Reaching out, I summoned my sword. Throughout the histories of people, they have forgotten much about me. But my sword was part of me, and it gave me strength and power. With my weapon in my hand, I struck fear into almost all. It was no lightning bolt or trident, but Hephaestus made it. The man might be as ugly as fuck, but he was talented in the smithy.

  “Listen,” I said. “You will stop, or I will strike you down.” Eris knew as well as I did that to a mortal, my weapon would be just like a regular sword, but it would send her to the underworld, and she’d have Hades to deal with.

  “You can try,” she purred. Then the humans spun on me. Eris created a full-scale riot on me. She laughed and dashed away. She was no Hermes, but faster than me.

  The people started to attack each other, and many went after me. Back in my youth, I would have actually enjoyed watching them attack each other, but I wasn’t than man anymore. Violence had to have a reason; this didn’t.

  I put my sword away and went to work. My years of training in the modern martial arts were going to come in handy.

  Not wanting to hurt the people, I knocked each one out and moved on to the next. The only problem was that there were dozens of them, and I couldn’t get to them all before they hurt each other.

  Then a woman with red hair and aqua eyes, dressed in black, appeared and joined the fray. It was clear that she was a hero. A Paragon of Earth, and she was a damn good fighter. Not to mention enticing as hell. Her body was toned from all the fighting and she had a nice pair of breasts.

  Now wasn’t the time. She worked from one end of the riot, and me the other. Together we both took down the people, taking care not to hurt them too much. Though I can admit, causing pain was something I did sometimes enjoy, so this was some fun. The most I’d had in years. I’ll give Eris that, she knew how to make me happy. Even if it was at the expense of these innocent people.

  After taking out the last of the people, it was just the hot woman and me. More people arrived on the fringe of the riot to watch, and I could hear sirens in the distance. The police were always way too slow. I had noticed that from Mount Olympus.

  Taking the lady in, from head to toe, I said, “I’m Ares.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re a pig.”

  I shook my head. “If you say so. Thanks for the help.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You started this.”

  That wasn’t expected. “No I didn’t.”

  It made no sense for me to start this and then help to stop it. But I was new here, and she didn’t know me. I got that.

  Soon the police arrived. “White Angel,” an officer said. “I see you handled it. Who’s that?”


  White Angel groaned. “Officer McGarrett, you know I hate that codename.”

  McGarrett shrugged. The officer was tall with an athletic frame. One that spoke of doing his best to stay in shape for his job. He had my respect already. “I just don’t feel right calling you Fleur.”

  “Please,” she said.

  “I’m Ares,” I interrupted.

  The man eyed me with a confused look, most likely questioning my sanity. “You look nothing like the God Ares,” he said going with it, playing along. “In the old days, people were short and you’re tall. And your eyes are hazel—you barely even look Greek.”

  I shook my head. “Sure I do.”

  He laughed. “If you say so bub.”

  Now I was lost, and wanted to know what he thought I looked like, but I got pulled into police talk and procedure. Apparently, Paragons that wanted to be heroes had to register and let the country know they were going to be out helping. To make it all legal and shit.

  That was something I had missed up on Mount Olympus. Before I knew it, I was in the police station with McGarrett and Fleur. Registering to be a hero, and dealing with them thinking I was a few short of a six-pack. It was strange for me to be the one thought of as crazy.

  Maybe I should have pretended to be a Paragon, and not gone by Ares, but it was just not something I wanted to do, I was the God of War. And I didn’t want to hide it.

  Leaving the police station, Fleur was still laughing at me. “You truly think you’re the God Ares?”

  I nodded. “I am. I jumped down from Mount Olympus with Eris.”

  “Who?”

  I groaned. The people these days don’t know much about the gods anymore. “Eris, Goddess of Strife and Discord.”

  “Oh,” Fleur said. “Never heard of her.”

  “Don’t let her hear that,” I said. “She’ll take it personally.”

  Fleur shrugged. “Look, Ares.” The way she said my name, it stung. I was used to people not liking me, but I had hoped that me doing well here would change that. “It's been real, but I hope not to see you again.”