by Gideon Mills
“Any news from my brother?” Fleur asked.
“No,” Lola said. “Your father has a press conference starting in two hours.”
“About?” Fleur didn’t look happy about this at all. Her father was a mean man to the core. The way he looked at Fleur when he saw us. The disdain he had for Lola and me. He didn’t like the Paragons trying to save the city. That made me wonder what was going on with him.
There were schemes within schemes going on right now. I just had to unweave them all to figure out whom I needed to focus on. I knew it wasn’t Eris, nor was it Finn. They were low-level annoyances. They were excellent low-level ones that were making it hard to see past them, but still bottom feeders.
“I don’t know,” Lola said. “But it sounded like it was related to all this. He made the announcement just as you arrived.”
“Great.” The way Fleur said it, she sounded anything but pleased. “We’ll have to go. See it in person.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I need to see him say the words, and not have the reporters twist it. In person, I can read my dad better.”
“Okay.” That much I understood. In Zeus’ presence, I knew what he was saying and was able to read between the lines. “Let’s head over.”
I knew full well that it was going to take us the whole time to cross over the city.
“First we both need to change,” Fleur said. “And you need a shower. You’re covered in blood.”
I had forgotten about the blood. For much of my life on Earth that might not have been a big deal, but in recent years people have grown to hate the sight of blood. Outside of the Paragons, the people have gotten soft. Maybe that was why they evolved, or some of them at least.
As I showered, Lola stayed in the bathroom and watched. “If we had more time,” she purred. “I would join you.”
“I wish,” I said. It would be nice to have another round with her. Lola was amazing in bed. The way she used her body and the things she could do. The way she clenched down on me. I wanted that again. My senses were still filled with the taste and feel of her.
“Maybe tonight,” she said and winked.
I laughed. “Maybe.”
Thirty minutes later, I changed in Lola’s room. She had gotten me a change of clothes. I put them on, and they fit perfectly. When I was dressed, I joined Fleur and Lola in the central part of the hideout. Fleur had been waiting for us. Her hair was damp from washing as well. “We have to hurry,” she said.
27
Mister Walker
The press conference was at the headquarters for Walker Consolidated, located in the heart of the most expensive building in the world. It pierced the sky like many of the surrounding structures, but it was grander than most. Clearly, the man wanted this one to stand out, for people all to stop in awe of his building and be amazed by it. Another testament to the man’s ego, and what he thought of people around him. Mister Walker had to be the biggest and baddest man around, and for everyone to know it. The more I learned about him, the more I understood why Fleur separated herself from him.
The building even had a special area out front set up for press conferences. I knew that sports teams did things like that, but I hadn’t heard of a business doing it. I leaned closer to Fleur. “How many press conferences does he have, to have this special area?”
Fleur laughed. “Like one a year.”
My feelings had been right about him. Even more so my hate for him was growing. Both Fleur and I had some family issues to work out. “Seems like a waste of money.”
“It is, but that is my father. They can afford to put this in, so they did.”
Standing on the stage of the news area was Mister Walker and his son, Finn. Along with the VP that I’d met the other day.
There were hundreds of reporters in the crowd. The Walkers were scanning the people amassed in front of them. I murmured privately to Fleur. “What will they do if they spot us?”
She sighed. “Besides make a face, nothing.”
“You sure?”
She shrugged. “Unless they want to make a scene, they won’t. My father is nothing if not a man concerned with his image.”
From what I had learned of the Walker family, that was true. They cared deeply what people thought of them and what they did. Even though they were in the business of killing people. The company made it seem like it was doing a great service to the world. Not that I was completely against what they did.
War was my thing, but they made mass murder easier. That, I wasn’t a fan of. If one was going to make weapons to kill people, they needed to be on the front lines themselves. It was one of the many problems I had with old ugly, Hephaestus. At least he did from time to time join the fray. That was more than the other Walkers could say.
The man in charge strode purposefully to the microphone at exactly the time appointed for the news conference. Clearly, he was punctual, and I appreciated that.
“Welcome,” Mister Walker said. “I’m Fenrir Walker.”
I knew that was his name, but hearing it now, it made me shiver. That wasn’t the name of a good man.
“Today, you heard of an attack on the city. The escape of some of the most dangerous Paragons the city has seen in years. And my own daughter helped in letting the convicted Paragons escape.”
The crowd went into a low whisper. Talking about it. Most of the stations, as Lola had said, weren’t reporting that. As these people had to know.
Fenrir continued. “My son and I have tried over and over to get her to see the light. To come back to us and help Walker Consolidated. She refused.”
That was a half-truth, and the old man knew it. I wanted to jump on the stage and punch him in the face, but that would only give him credence.
“She started to work with the likes of this Ares,” he continued. “Together, they are bringing death to our great city, our great country. With the help of the President, I am here to announce that we have created a new way to deal with the Paragon problem.”
The crowd went silent, completely stunned. I looked at Fleur, and she had a look of horror on her face. I’m sure I did too. A way to deal with heroes and villains, in theory, wasn’t all bad, but it depended on what he was going to do to them.
“We can strip them of their powers,” Fenrir said. “Make them human again.”
That was crossing a line. My blood boiled, and I was ready to attack. The only reason I didn’t was that Fleur grabbed my arm. “Don’t,” she murmured. “We have to leave now.”
I nodded, and we slowly made our way out. The rest of the crowd erupted. It was a mix of cheers, boos, and questions.
It hurt to hear people being happy about this. While I wasn’t a Paragon and they wouldn’t be able to remove my powers, if they did that to Fleur, I don’t know what I would do.
Over the crowd, I heard Fenrir speak. “Finn, my son, will be the first to undergo the treatment.”
Fleur hung her head. I saw tears streak down her face.
As we exited the area and were safe, I pulled her close and hugged her tightly. There were no words I could say. Nothing to take away the pain. She cried into my shoulder, and I let her. Holding her was all I could do.
28
The City Reacts
Back with Lola, we discovered that the city was torn. It was clear that just as many people were for the removal of the Paragons’ power as were against it. That was at least a good thing. I wondered what Eris was playing at with this. I had little doubt that she was part of this.
If she could remove the threat to whoever she was working for, it would be that much easier for Earth to be overtaken. It would be be stripped of its protectors. That was a scary thought since the Gods weren’t here to keep it safe.
The Paragons were all the city had, and they needed their powers.
I pushed that out of my head and focused on the TVs. Trying to take it all in. Of course, Philip Storm was praising the news. “The likes of Ares and White Angel will be no more,�
� Philip said. “We can start with that jughead Ares. He’s been a terror on the city.”
“Little does that fool know,” I said. “That won’t work on me.”
“So you say,” Fleur said. “It will work on me, though. No doubt about it.”
Lola stood from her perch behind the computer and walked over to Fleur. “How sure are you he isn’t bluffing?”
Fleur breathed in deeply. “One hundred percent. My father is a lot of things, but a gambler isn’t one of them. If he says he has a way to remove Paragons’ powers, he has a way.”
Lola hung her head. Defeated. “I tried to hack in to see for myself. For the first time ever, I failed to get in.”
Fleur turned to her and hugged Lola. “Oh. He knew you would try so they protected against us. Don’t worry.”
The two shared a deep, loving hug. It was clear they adored each other and would be there for each other tonight.
“What do we do?” I asked. This was more of Athena’s thing than mine. This required a lot of thinking and strategy.
My phone rang before either of them could answer. “McGarrett,” I replied.
“We got to talk,” he said. “In person, the phone isn’t secure.” His voice sounded scared and tense.
“Okay. Name the time and place.”
“You have to have a hideout,” he said. “That has to be it. No other place.”
I groaned. “I don’t have one, but White Angel does.”
“Let me talk to her.”
I handed the phone to Fleur, and she answered with a tense, “Hello?”
She listened intently and said nothing. Her face was tight with concern. In the time I’d known her, she’d never worn that look. Not even today, when her father had declared war on her. On Paragons.
“Very well,” Fleur said. “I have a place, McGarrett. I’ll meet you and bring you here. Blindfolded.” She listened for a moment. “Good.”
Lola stared at both of us. “What in the world is going on?”
“Honestly,” I said. “Don’t know. He sounded frightened.”
“What he was willing to say,” Fleur said. “is that he’s no longer an employee of the City of New York.”
My jaw hit the floor. “They fired him? They can’t. It wasn’t his fault.”
He was one of the good guys out there, and he had lost his work. I felt terrible. He didn’t deserve that.
“They did” Fleur. “I’ll be back.”
A short time later, Fleur returned with a blindfolded McGarrett. I wondered if he was going to figure out the location. Some people had a talent for being able to judge distance and time. It was rare, but still he might know where he was.
Once the door behind him was closed. Fleur took off the blindfold and McGarrett took the whole place in. “Wow,” he said, “you have better technology than my division.”
Fleur shrugged. “I’ve seen your place, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
McGarrett was in a pair of jeans and a Yankees world series T-shirt. I forgave him for that fatal flaw. This was the first time I’d seen him without his uniform. Even when we went to the bar, he had his duty uniform on. He was a man that bled blue, who loved the police and what they did. What they stood for. I respected that and hated that he’d lost his position because of my sister.
“This is damn impressive,” he said. “I don’t even want to know what it cost.”
Lola laughed. “You really don’t.”
“What happened?” I asked. “You sounded scared.”
“My whole division is being dismantled for failing the city. The governor forced the mayor.”
That wasn’t good. It was nice to learn that the mayor was still behind us, but the governor and the president weren’t. They had a bit more power. The mayor of NYC was one of the most powerful mayors in the world, but still just a mayor.
“What does that mean?” Lola came and leaned against me. Her floral scent filled my nostrils and made me relax slightly. I needed that right now, with all that was going on.
“It means they’re creating a new task force, with Walker Consolidated in charge.”
I gulped. They sure moved fast these days. Whatever Fenrir was doing, it wasn’t good. “What did they say about the ability to take Paragons’ power away?” Fleur asked.
“They said it was painful but fast and effective. Being that your family’s company is the leading supplier of weapons, they turned it into a gun. Much like a stun gun.”
“So you have to get close to the Paragon,” I said. “That’s good.”
McGarrett shrugged. “I guess, but it’s still mostly bad. If they take out the heroes in the city, we’re doomed.”
“Anything else?”
McGarrett nodded. “Yes. They brought in Samuel to run the task force.”
I had never heard the name before, but both Fleur and Lola cringed. “Who?”
“You really don’t keep up,” McGarrett said. “Samuel Reign was once the man in charge of the CIA. When he was there, he did some terrible things.”
“Terrible is being nice,” Fleur said. “He would capture Paragons. Torture them. See if he could steal their powers. Force them to work for him. Many were killed.”
“Sounds like a real peach,” I said. “I’ll take him out.”
McGarrett laughed. “Good luck with that. He was at the meeting when I was sacked. He already had the weapon. And each man guarding him had one. No Paragon is getting within a hundred yards of him.”
I took that as a challenge. It seemed I had missed a lot as I looked down and watched the people of Earth. This Samuel Reign seemed like the type of man that I would have noticed. One that I would have hated, who took war and perverted it. That made my blood boil, and I would make him regret it.
“Be that as it may,” I said. “That man has perverted power and will pay. Mark my words. Samuel Reign will pay. So will Fenrir and Finn Walker, and Eris.”
The three of them looked at me.
“And how will you do that?” McGarrett asked.
I didn’t have an answer to that, but I would.
“I’ll let you know,” I said. “But I will. All that matters.”
I let that hang in the air. I was going to find them and make them pay. Make them bow to the God of War.
29
Samuel Reign
That evening another press conference was held to announce the firing of both McGarrett and Captain Sing. And the hiring of Reign.
The man strutted to the microphone at city hall. The mayor was nowhere to be seen, and it was clear from her absence that she wanted nothing to do with this. But the deputy mayor stood next to Reign with a big smile.
Reign was a big man, nearly as tall as me. With a scar on his face and a perfectly white smile. I hated him instantly.
He reminded me of Adonis, and I never liked him. Never trust a man with teeth that white or a smile that perfect. It meant they had a fatal flaw that was going to bite you in the ass.
Clearly, Reign had many flaws, and they were already causing us fucking issues. He stood with such swagger and confidence. It made my skin crawl just to look at him. To see him standing there before he spoke to the city.
He knew that not only was much of New York watching, but much of America. Whatever was done here, soon many cities around the country and even the globe would follow. It was the reason that Mount Olympus had moved here, even if the humans didn’t realize it was towering over them.
My home followed the most important countries and cities, staying at the most influential ones. For a short period recently, I had worried that it would shift to Beijing, but thankfully that didn’t happen. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be there. But I heard the pollution was dreadful, and no one wanted to breathe in that smog.
“I’m here to bring in the next step of evolution. God gave humanity powers. It is time for humans to take them away,” Samuel Reign said. “No Paragon is safe. No longer will we stand by idly and let them run rampant. As of today, no
longer will we honor the Paragon’s contracts. They do not work for the city or the state. Any Paragon caught using their powers will be committing a crime, even if they are supposedly saving people.”
He left the microphone and the crowd stood in stunned silence.
We were in shock. McGarrett, the women and I all looked at each other in horror.
“Can he do that?” Lola asked.
“Him? No,” McGarrett said. “That has to come from the mayor or governor. No one else. Not even the president.”
“Governor Howell must have done this,” Fleur said. “My father did make the maximum donation.”
I groaned. “Politics.”
One of the many things in the world that I hated. Even back at home, I hated the politics and why I was most likely dispraised. I didn’t like to play the games that many people liked, being a rather linear man.
“Part of life,” Lola said. She held on to my arm firmly, and McGarrett gave me a knowing look. “We can figure this out.”
I sure hoped we did, and fast. So many things were stacking up against us, and we hadn’t figured out a plan for any of them.
“You know,” Fleur said. “For being a God, you sure are letting a lot of bad happen.”
“Contrary to what you might think, I can’t see all, hear all. That is what many think your current God can do, but not back when I was born.”
“Would be nice though,” Lola added. “Knowing all, seeing all. Sure would help us.”
“It would.” But I didn’t need that to win this war. I never did in the past, and I didn’t now. There were a lot of enemies in front of me, and I had to figure out the fastest route to slaying them all.
“Too many people are out to get us,” Fleur said.