Paragons 1

by Gideon Mills

  “Do you understand?”

  He nodded, his lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed, his face tense with what I thought was fear. “I understand.”

  “Make sure they listen.”

  I left exited the building to be greeted by the police.

  33

  Face to Face

  There were a dozen or more police cars, and at least thirty officers. They all had weapons pointed at me. I didn’t want to hurt them. In all my years, the only people I respected as much as the soldiers who went to war was law enforcement. They were in battles of a different kind.

  “Stand down, Paragon.” It was a voice I recognized from the TV. I scanned the group to find the man. He was near the rear of the group, but I spotted him. Samuel Reign was just as perfect in person. I wanted to smack him.

  “I will not,” I said. “And I’m not a Paragon.”

  “Ares,” Reign said. “We’ve heard all about you. You’re one of the main reasons for war and corruption. We can’t let a man run free who thinks he’s an ancient Greek God.”

  There was no way he was going to put this blame on me. “This has nothing to do with me, and you know it,” I said. “This has to do with ThunderBolt, Stronggirl, and Eris.”

  I could barely make out Reign’s face from this far away, but he didn’t like hearing those names. “They will pay too. When I find them. You’ll make a good example for them.”

  “Not gonna happen.” I had a few options and was going over them in my head. I could jump up and over the building and away. That was the best course, but the coward’s way out. With Reign here, I could end it. I could stop him here and now.

  That was a very tempting thought for me. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. Then more trucks arrived, and this time what they disgorged sent a chill down my spine.

  “Meet our God-level mecha tanks,” Reign said. “With Walker’s help, they have made us mere mortals equal to you.”

  There were four of them, and they had weapons on them that looked like they might hurt even me. Most human weapons didn’t harm me, but some did. I didn’t want to find out if these were part of that category.

  The coward’s way out it was.

  “It’s been fun,” I said. “And I’m sure those are impressive and can do a lot of damage. But I have a dinner date. Need to go.”

  “There is no way out,” Reign said. “Not even for a Paragon like you.”

  “Always a way out.” I leaped into the air, and they opened fire on me.

  This time as the bullets hit, they stung, but I was able to make it to the roof of the five-story building and run across, moving as fast as I could. I put some distance between them and me.

  It was harder than I thought. As I made my break, I could hear several helicopters arrive. I ran out of the city, out of the state. I reached Connecticut before I knew it, even though it was a very long run. My first time there. Such a shame it wasn’t under better circumstances, but I was safe.

  Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought my phone with me. I had to have made the news, and I was sure they made me look like the villain again.

  I hoped that Lola, Fleur, and McGarrett weren’t too worried. Getting back to them was key now. I had to make sure I wasn’t being followed. If I led Reign back to Fleur and Lola, I would never forgive myself. Never.

  That meant I was going to stay here for the night, and then make my way back to the hideout. Tonight I was going to sleep in an alley. Or behind a dumpster, in a pile of trash. If I’m being honest that wouldn’t be the worst sleeping conditions I’ve encountered in my life. Being immortal had some major disadvantages.

  Sure, I lived a life of luxury at times, but it also meant I’ve been to some deep dark holes. The underworld was one of them, and the pit that was home to the Titans. Just being near that place made me sick. The whole of the underworld did. I didn’t know how Hades lived there with Persephone. And that wasn’t even the worst place.

  People in this modern world have no idea what it was like to live back thousands of years ago. Even the kings and queens of the ancient Earth didn’t live a life as grand as the average person does now.

  I was living a life that I didn’t want. Just because I’ve had worse didn’t mean I was going to enjoy this. Greenwich wasn’t the worst city to spend a night on the streets in, but still. I walked around looking for a place where I would feel safe sleeping. I made sure to steer clear of certain alleys. I wanted nothing to do with Mexican food or sushi. Nothing against the food, but I feared the dumpsters of those types of restaurants.

  I settled behind a strip mall that had a bookstore and a few other non-food stores. It was late, and while not cold, it wasn’t summer yet. The dumpster didn’t have any foul smells so I settled down.

  It wasn’t more than thirty minutes later that another man appeared. “That’s my spot,” he said.

  I looked up at him. He was a frail old man, at least in his seventies. He had short white hair and a face that almost reminded me of my father. I stood. “Sorry.”

  “Thank you,” he said and took the spot.

  “Can I stay here, just for tonight?”

  The old man eyed me carefully. “You look friendly enough.”

  I sat next to him. “I’m Blake,” I said. For once I didn’t want anyone to know I was Ares, even though he appeared to be a harmless old man.

  “Hello Blake, I’m Stan.”

  “Nice to meet you, Stan.”

  A silence settled in around us. Yet, I had trouble relaxing. Seeing him out here and living like this just wasn’t something I expected in this world.

  Both of us attempted to sleep, and it was hard. Lola and Fleur filled my mind. They were back in the city, and it was in terrible shape. It wasn’t just the gangs. The police were being led down a path they shouldn’t. Not to mention the danger posed by Fenrir and Eris.

  “You seem restless,” Stan said.

  I sighed. “I am. Lots going on in the world today.”

  “Son, you have no idea.”

  It took a lot of effort not to laugh. He was old for a human, but I was much older than him. “I might,” I said. “I normally live in New York City.”

  The man nodded. “I noticed. There was a time in my life that I lived there too. Back before and right after my time in the Army.”

  “You’re a veteran?”

  Stan nodded. It was hard to see him in the limited light but I could see the military man in him, with the way he spoke and held himself. “You see any action?”

  “Back in Nam,” he said.

  That was a war I didn’t have any experience with directly. Not to say I didn’t have similar. “I heard bad things about that war. I served too.”

  “Gulf?” Stan asked, judging my age.

  “Yes,” I said. I had watched it from Mount Olympus just like Vietnam. “It wasn’t anything compared to what you went through.”

  “No war is good,” he said. “But they are needed.”

  “They are, well, most. Not the one in the city.”

  “No, that one isn’t. Why I have stayed far away. While I like my old home, I don’t miss it. Too many people out for themselves.”

  That was the problem, at least part of it. People not looking out for the greater good of those around them. Sure, a person had to take care of themselves, but not at the expense of those around them.

  “True. That Reign is going to destroy the city, and so is Walker Consolidated.”

  Stan huffed. “Walker is a bad apple. I knew the man in his youth.”

  “You did?”

  Stan nodded. “I did. When I got back from the war, I worked with his father. This was before Fenrir was born.”

  Of all the people in all the alleys for me to sleep next to. The chances were beyond slim. This had to be the doing of my mother or one of the others. Athena maybe. It didn’t matter. I needed to learn from this man.

  “What was he like then?”

  “I never met Fenrir, but his dad, he wa
s a kind and caring man. Did what he could for the family. Instilled a drive for success.”

  “Clearly. Fenrir built an empire.”

  “That he did. His father, the last I heard wasn’t pleased with him.”

  Stan and I talked for several hours. He had lived a life that most would only dream of. After the war, he worked for a bank. Then left to travel the country. All he had seen rivaled that of any living person.

  “You have a thirst,” Stan said, examining me closely reading more into me than anyone here. “I see that. Whatever seems to be troubling you, you won’t be able to beat it with brute force.”

  I smiled. “That’s what I’m used to.”

  “Well Blake, if life taught me anything, it’s that brute war is the way of the bad guys. Like that Reign, and that Eris. Now we’ll see about Ares and White Angel. I don’t buy any of the stuff that Philip Storm is reporting.”

  That was nice to hear. “The city is torn about them all.”

  “It's not as torn as you think,” Stan said. He rolled over and went to sleep.

  I needed to follow his lead. While I didn’t get as tired as a human, I still needed rest.

  34

  Home Sweet Home

  When I woke Stan was already gone. I had hoped to say goodbye to the man. I hadn’t asked him how he ended up on the streets, but I wanted to. He shouldn’t be there, with all he had seen. It must be by choice, and I wanted to respect that.

  I couldn’t run back to the city like I had run here. A man running as fast as I could in broad daylight was going to draw attention. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I had to be smart about this. Before I left, Fleur had given me some money. While I didn’t have an ID or a phone, at least had money. I knew that buses ran into the city all the time. I could get a ticket and be dropped off at Port Authority.

  Thirty minutes later, I was waiting for the bus. Thankfully they hadn’t asked for a picture ID. That had been a concern, but money talks. Killing a half hour before pick-up, I stood in front of a TV with the sound turned off.

  It had the local station on, but they were talking about what had happened with me last night. This story was giving both sides, not making me into a villain nor a good guy. A man stopped next to me. “You look like that Ares dude.”

  I laughed. “I get that a lot, but no superpowers for me.”

  “A shame,” the man said and walked away.

  I had been worried about being recognized. The trip to the city was going to be a long and stressful one.

  Once I was on the bus, it was a long trek into the city. Busses weren’t really known for speed. When we neared New York, my heart raced as I feared they might have roadblocks up. If they realized that I had sprinted away. If they could even fathom how far I went.

  Reign really didn’t know me, or my powers. They had that stupid little card I filled out, and a quick test to see how powerful I was. But I hadn’t even shown them a fraction of my strength. My speed wasn’t part of it at all.

  As for my leaping, that secret was no longer hidden from Reign, and he would adjust accordingly I was sure. Thankfully there were no roadblocks set up for anyone entering the city. Still slower than molasses to enter.

  By the time I got to Port Authority, it was nearly midday. Now I had a lot of walking to do. As I walked through the bus terminal in New York, I was amazed by it. It wasn’t as grand as some of the other buildings one could see in the city, but for a bus terminal, it was impressive.

  Stepping out, I was surrounded by the city. By the people of New York. I began my long and tedious walk back to Lola and Fleur.

  It was well after dinner time before I arrived back at the hideout. Even my feet ached. My shoes weren’t made for this much running and walking. I needed to soak my feet in a nice bath.

  The door burst open, and Lola threw herself at me. “You had me so worried,” she said.

  “I’m okay.”

  Her hugged engulfed me fully. She kissed me, and I carried her into the secure building. She melted into me, and I loved it. I missed having her around. Last night without her was hard.

  Before I set her down, she whispered into my ear. “I love you.” That was the first time she said it.

  “And I you.”

  She smiled.

  Fleur and McGarrett were watching us. The White Angel walked over and patted me on the arm. It wasn’t quite what I was hoping from her. At least a hug, or more.

  “You had us worried,” she said. Her voice was sincere, and her eyes held more affection than her pat.

  “I’m sorry. Reign surprised me.”

  McGarrett laughed. “I told you he wasn’t to be taken lightly.”

  “Well, I knew about the anti-Paragon weapons, but wasn’t prepared for mecha tanks.”

  “That was fucking crazy,” Lola said. “When the new tanks showed up and they moved toward you, I nearly pissed my pants.”

  “That was an intense moment,” Fleur said. “We all were watching live.”

  “They had it live?” I asked.

  “Yes,” McGarrett answered.

  “Strange, I didn’t see any cameramen.”

  My memory was pretty good, and I thought back to the encounter, and still couldn’t spot one.

  “It looked like it was coming from Reign himself. That he set up a feed to the networks. He seriously wanted to make you look like a villain.”

  “Did it work?”

  “No,” Lola said.

  “Thanks to her,” Fleur said.

  “Oh yeah.”

  She had been up all night working her magic with the internet, doing her best to combat Reign and Fenrir. It was working, albeit slowly.

  “The way you put the fear of God into the Third Street Dragons,” Lola said. “I was able to use that.”

  “Good.”

  Right now, because of that, there was a lull in the action. “We have to use that to take advantage of the situation.”

  Lola’s computer buzzed. And she smiled. “Oh, yes. About time.”

  She ran over to it. “He talked to Eris.”

  35

  Eris and Finn

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had been waiting for this and hoping for it. So far Finn had been avoiding anything to do with either Eris or Reign. He had taken a back seat to his father in the anti-Paragon agenda.

  “What did he say?” I asked.

  All of us dashed over to the computer, and Lola sat at her perch and typed a few keys.

  “I can’t believe it,” Lola said.

  “You’re killing us.” Fleur said, her face eager. She was filled with as much excitement as I was. We all had looks of glee and anticipation. This was a big moment for us and one we had been awaiting for far too long.

  Eris was the first step to fixing this all. Remove her, and then we could shift our focus to Finn and Reign. Then to that threat I was certain was coming. Not that I have voiced that concern to anyone yet.

  They already thought I was a crazy man. If I spoke of this looming threat that I couldn’t even identify, they would think I’m missing a bottle or two from my six-pack.

  “They’re going to meet,” Lola said.

  “When and where?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow,” Lola said. “The where, that’s a bit harder to pinpoint.”

  Lola pursed her lips and typed a few more things. “They spoke in code.”

  “What’s the code?” Fleur asked. “Maybe Ares and I can figure it out. They are siblings, after all.”

  Lola shrugged. A few minutes later, Fleur and I were staring at a message on a paper. McGarrett and Lola watched us patiently. Lola had printed it out for my sake. She didn’t want to overwhelm the old God with the technology.

  The more I read it, the more it made no sense to me. “It might as well be Greek,” Fleur said.

  I chuckled. “I wish it was Greek. This isn’t even that.”

  “Latin?” Lola asked.

  I read it again just in case. Latin wasn’t one of
my favorite languages, but I did read it. To my knowledge Latin had died, and no one spoke it. That was a shame, while not my Greek, it still was a musical language. Not like English and its many quirks. “Nope.”

  It was in a language I didn’t know. Really it looked like many languages mixed together to create random words that held no true meaning. It was mind-boggling. They didn’t hide the time, but the rest was in this incomprehensible gibberish.

  I wished this was a phone call, but it wasn’t. If I could hear it, that would have made it easier to figure out. Stupid instant messaging. Why did people have to text all the time?

  The more I stared at it, the more it did look like nothing. McGarrett leaned over my shoulder and read it. “That looks vaguely familiar.”

  “It does,” I said. “But I can’t make heads or tails of it.”

  All of us stared at it for hours and hours. Late into the night, and it was getting to the point we would have to give up on sleep. I didn’t want to go against my sister without any rest, but we might have to.

  “Oh my,” McGarrett said. “That’s the language from that one super popular book.”

  Lola jumped up and started to work her magic. “You’re right. How did I miss that?”

  Fleur laughed. “Maybe since you never read the book or watched the show.”

  “That’s no reason for me to not see it,” Lola protested. As she worked, she took off her glasses and put one of the stems in her mouth and chewed on it. It was a nervous habit of her, and I found it adorable.

  I couldn’t believe we had a time and soon a location for the meeting, if that’s what it was. “One question,” I said. “What is the likelihood of this being a trap?”

  That thought had started to slowly creep its way into my head. It was just like my sister to do something like that. I was sure Finn would be the same way.

  “I would say one hundred percent,” Fleur said.