by Unknown
“You’re sick...”
“I’m bored, not sick.” He shook his head, smiling. He brushed the long strands of hair out of his face. “Emma. I’m here to ask you to forgive me for stealing your father away. If something like that were to come between us, well, then I just couldn’t live with myself. But I need you, Emma. More so, I need something from you.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept talking.
“Don’t go all cliché and spew some garbage about how you’ll never help me. We’ve seen plenty of bad cop drama to know how this all goes.” Athos wiggled his fingers, sighing. “I’ve got your father, you have someone I need, but I’m all hyped up with the powers of my siblings. I will make things messy in a hurry if you try and trample on my heart. I swear it, I will.”
“Dr. Nambitu,” she said, nodding.
“Hell no,” he laughed, pointing at her. “But it’s funny you have him. I’m sure he explained how everything worked?”
“That you needed pure souls and the stone to evolve?” she replied. “Yeah.”
“So, no, then.” He crossed his arms, grinning. “I need that little bitch you’ve been running to for answers. The one everyone falsely calls Madame Patricia.”
“Why do you need her?”
“Emma, I don’t want to complicate things for you any further by telling you what you don’t really need to know. Just understand what’s at stake for you and simply pass along the message. I’m tired of all this messing around.”
“I’ll tell her. Then what?” Emma asked. She folded her hands together and sat up straight. “How will she find you?”
“When you tell her, have my long lost brother keep an ear open.” Athos got up and pushed the chair in. “Have him escort her. Alone. I’ve hidden from him long enough. It’s time the family got back together.”
Athos snapped his fingers and a pink light ripped through the room, tearing the house apart. He vanished from her sight and the energy turned its attention toward her, digging its fingers into her. She was torn apart and put back together, laying helplessly on the hillside just outside the entrance into the Progeny Lounge.
Her body ached as it hurt to even shift her eyes. To her left, the rear section of her father’s house stood split perfectly in half. A gust of wind brushed over it, crumbling it into pieces. Her family’s things rolled down the hill, destroyed and in rubble.
A light manifested from the doorway as Rob strolled toward her. He scooped his arms underneath her and picked her up. He lumbered back through the doorway with the amulet around his neck glowing. The door opened and transported them to the Progeny Lounge.
“Emma,” Oreios said, shooting up from his seat. He hurried over to Rob and offered to take her, but the giant pulled back. “I’m not going to hurt her, you oaf.”
“I no oaf,” Rob snarled, shaking his head.
“So I see…” Oreios nodded. He spoke softly, putting a hand on Rob’s large, muscular arm. “Please?”
“What’s going on?” Madame Patricia said, walking toward the group.
Oreios took Emma from Rob’s arms and knelt to the floor. He rested her head in the cushion of his inner arm, cradling her. His left hand held firmly onto hers, squeezing for comfort. She looked at him, barely able to speak, and touched his squared cheek.
“Listen,” she coughed, grimacing. She looked at Madame Patricia. “And follow.”
“What does that even mean?” Harold asked, looking around.
Oreios looked at Madame Patricia and she glared back. A faint ringing noise emerged in Oreios’ head. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He was being called.
“You hear something,” Madame Patricia said.
“Yes.” Oreios nodded.
“And I’m to follow.”
“We’ll gather everyone and take the fight to them,” Harold said, barking at the other Descendants. “We’ll be right alongside you.”
“No,” Madame Patricia said. “This is something only Oreios and I can solve.”
Oreios scooped Emma up and walked toward the back room. The young blonde looked at him and then led the way to a bed.
“Don’t be stupid,” Harold yelled at Madame Patricia. “Sorry, forgive my tone. But you can’t really expect me to allow our leader to venture off with an Ourea. They’re all fiends.”
“I’m sorry, but when did you ever think you allowed me to do anything?” she responded. He went silent. She looked at the group and then her eyes connected with the young blonde woman’s. “You must watch my star.”
The young lady nodded, nervously rubbing her hands together. The young Asian boy, so often found wandering around with her, poked his head from around the corner.
“And watch him too,” Madame Patricia said, pointing at the child. “I will come back.”
“What if you don’t?” Harold asked, slowly stepping in front of her. “Where do we go? What will we do? The powers that hide and protect this place will vanish.”
“No, they won’t,” she smiled, rubbing his chin. She looked at the young lady again, nodding. “Athena here will guide you.”
Oreios entered the room, unaware of the conversation. He looked around, confused.
“What’d I miss?” he asked.
“Nothing of importance, my dear.” Madame Patricia wrapped her arm around his waist. “Take us to them.”
Oreios closed his eyes and his mind ventured through time and space, following the signal Athos sent out. A mental image projected in his head. A hilltop hidden among ancient ruins. A cold chill entered the room and the pink light pierced through Oreios and Madame Patricia, carrying them away.
Chapter 14
The rift opened and Oreios and Madame Patricia emerged from the other end. The light closed and stitched reality back together. The sky was engulfed with flaming clouds that blocked out the sun. Interspersed among the many rumblings that shook the ground, lightning stretched through the sky.
Oreios stepped forward, his eyes focusing on the dark figure that stood in the middle of the ruins. He placed his foot on the hill about to ascend when Madame Patricia spoke out.
“Oreios,” she said. He turned to look at her. The wind caused her long brown coat to flap uncontrollably. “You don’t have to go any farther. I can tell it’s me he wants to see.”
“After all these years thinking I was alone…” He shook his head, turning his gaze back toward Athos. “I need to see him up close. To hear why.”
The two of them walked up the hill and the features of Athos’ pale, muscular face came into focus. His piercing eyes were constantly fluctuating in color and his hair shimmered like a flame. Both could see a change in him. An aura that didn’t belong and a soul draining like a battery.
“Oreios, my long-lost brother.” Athos grinned, lifting his arms for an embrace. He leaned in for a hug, but Oreios pulled back. “What? Are you not happy to see me after all these years?”
“I’m a lot of things...” he said, barely able to stand.
“But most of all, the question lingers in your head. Why?” Athos nodded, visibly taking pleasure with the situation. He looked at Madame Patricia. “I’ve often wondered the same thing. Hi, Mom.”
“Who told you?” she asked, but she really knew the answer deep down. “Was it Ra?”
“He’s an ugly, scary son of a bitch, is he not?” Athos laughed, nodding. He turned around and waved for them to follow. “Boy, does he know how to carry grudges. I should let you know, he still sort of harbors one against you.”
“He certainly does,” she agreed. “And you got in bed with him and then betrayed him. I would certainly keep looking over my shoulder if I were you.”
“I’m counting on it.” Athos knelt down next to Emma’s dad, slapped him on the face to wake him, and looked back at Madame Patricia, giddy with excitement. “Did you know that the mentally unstable are considered to be pure? It must be something about the child-like innocence.”
“Athos, where are the others?” Oreios ste
pped between Athos and Madame Patricia. He looked at his brother. He already knew the answer, but still wanted to hear it. “I was told you brought them back.”
“Don’t be naïve, Oreios. You know we’re a cutthroat bunch.” Athos stood up, popping his knuckles. “None of us more so than you. But right now, I really need to talk to Mom. So could you give us a minute?”
Athos grabbed hold of the wind and blasted Oreios back and into the water. Madame Patricia turned as Oreios skidded across the choppy waters and sunk below the surface.
“You know that will kill him,” she said, looking at Athos.
“He’ll live.” Athos shook his head, walking toward her. “How come you show no concern for your other children? Were the dirt babies your favorite?”
“You’re not my child,” she said, stepping backward. “Zeus conjured you all on his own. Whatever deficiencies you’ve developed in your brain are his fault.”
“So you can’t love a motherless child?” Athos smirked, narrowing his eyes at her. He walked circles around her. “You know why you’re here?”
“You need the essence of a fifth immortal to make your change permanent,” she said, nodding. “By the looks of the soul rotting inside your body, you don’t have much time to make it work.”
“That’s why I brought some insurance,” he said, pointing at Emma’s father. “But I suspect we won’t be having much of a problem seeing as you didn’t bring your star.”
The ground trembled and the large stone columns of the ruins toppled over. In the chaos, Madame Patricia lunged forward and scooped up Emma’s father. The ground split apart and swallowed Athos whole. Climbing over the cliffs, Oreios stood, stretching out his shaking hands as he commanded the earth. His left leg slid apart at the thigh like a hill collapsing in a mudslide. He could barely hold himself together as his limbs and face drooped and sagged.
In retaliation, a large lightning bolt extended from the sky and pierced through Oreios. The water that soaked his body was eviscerated. The caked dirt forming his body turned into a crumbling mess. Steaming with heat, Oreios collapsed to the ground and his body twitched. He looked up and the earth split apart. Rising from the top of a molten wave, Athos blew him a kiss.
“Brother, why must you go and do something so foolish?” Athos lowered his hands and water drenched the magma, turning it to solid rock. He slowly crept toward Oreios. “I guess I owe you an explanation for the years of silence.”
“Shut up,” Oreios coughed. Athos stood over him, folding his arms. Oreios raised his hand, but Athos slapped it off with ease. Oreios looked and watched as his right limb rolled across the ground. “Go to hell.”
“Speaking of hell, did you ever find and kill your demons?” Athos knelt down and whispered. “The way they split her apart. Can’t imagine what it would be like to watch that.”
“How did you—”
“—Know?”
“I saw you die at the last great battle.” Oreios tried to sit up, but Athos pinned him back down. “That was thousands of years ago.”
“Who do you think tipped the demons off that an Ourea was posing as a human on their turf?” Athos cackled. “Brother, don’t you know that nothing but heartache comes from posing as a human? From loving their kind? I saved you from having to watch her grow old. You belong with me. That’s why I brought Mother here. You can have what I have. Only you truly understand me.”
“I-I don’t...”
“You don’t what?” Athos wrapped his hand around Oreios’ neck and repeatedly bludgeoned him with a fist. “You don’t want what I have? You don’t want to be with me? You don’t want to smite the smiter?”
A pink flash erupted behind Athos as Madame Patricia attempted to sneak up on him. Athos quickly stood up and used his electrical force to render her immobile. The static current raced through her body, paralyzing her muscles. Her jaw grew tight and her eyes were forced shut by the surge.
He increased his electrical output, draining more of the soul which burned inside him. He collapsed, holding his right hand to his chest and collecting his breath. Growling, he grabbed Madame Patricia by the hair and dragged her up the hill. He closed his eyes, searching for the aura of Emma’s father. What he felt instead was a multitude of other angry souls marching over to the crest of the hill overlooking him.
“Let her go,” Emma said, standing with her arms folded and feet shoulder-width apart. Several dozen Descendants stood around her. Rob the Cyclops stood behind her with Harold to her left. “You’re outnumbered.”
“You’re mistaken,” Athos laughed, standing up. He snapped his fingers. “I think you should count again.”
Several elemental warriors, beasts, and creatures came into being. The dirt and mud beneath the feet of the Descendants formed into hands that grabbed at their ankles, pulling them into the ground or preventing them from moving. Large eagles composed of lightning soared with crackling energy through the sky and dive-bombed through those held in place by the ground, electrocuting them. Angry men composed of fire and water swung their fists wildly at Emma and the others.
Harold waved his arm up, putting a force field of sound over him and Emma. Two burning orange and red entities smashed their fists into the glistening barrier, trying to grab hold of Harold. Blue and white sparks drowned out the sky as the barrier flickered and slowly gave way. Harold’s hair and beard turned gray as all of his energy went into reinforcing the shield. His eyes and hands turned a translucent pink and the force field wrapped around the two fire entities, smothering them with vibrations. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.
Emma draped Harold’s right arm over her shoulder and slowly moved him away from the fight. As she laid him aside she noticed his skin was sagging, wrinkled, and filled with brown spots.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, waving her off. “Go. Madame Patricia is the important one.”
Rob lumbered up behind Emma and pulled her away. The dirt and stones beneath his feet gathered and quickly formed a giant snarling monster standing in their path. Rob grabbed hold of the rock creature and tore one of its arms off. Swinging it like a club, he knocked its head clean off. The beast tumbled backward and fell apart in a plume of dust.
“Puny rocks,” Rob said, looking back at Emma with a smile.
“Yes, very puny, Rob.” She nodded, collecting her breath. She patted him on the hip and ran toward Oreios who she saw laying near the cliff. “Puny indeed.”
The other members of the Progeny Lounge engaged the beings Athos conjured with his control of the elements. Though they took their licking and sustained their fair share of incapacitated allies, the tide of the battle slowly turned in their favor.
Rob jumped toward Madame Patricia and stood over her. Athos looked up at the simple giant and shook his head in a taunting manner.
“You don’t expect to get past me, do you?” Athos smiled.
Rob shrugged his shoulders and then smashed his large fist into Athos, knocking him to the ground. He then lifted his right foot and repeatedly stomped on the Ourea.
Emma continued her sprint down the hill toward Oreios. He looked at her, smiled, and winked like there was nothing wrong.
“Yeah, you like me?” he coughed, wiping the coarse grains of sand from his lips.
“Your annoying ass is growing on me,” she laughed, kneeling next to him. She reached into her pocket and removed his lighter. “I just wanted to come give you this.”
“Thank you.” He sat up, twirling it around in his fingers before putting it in his pocket. “I was worried I’d never see it again.”
He closed his eyes and started drawing dirt, rocks, dust, and other earthly elements into his body. Slowly, he rose up from the ground, wringing the remaining moisture out of himself, and repaired the brittle parts. He turned his focus back toward the battle scene. The rock and dirt creatures which were once under Athos’ command froze in place. They started to obey Oreios instead. His face cringed while trying to regain control of the earth. They stomped on t
he other elemental monsters, putting out the flames and absorbing the water. The birds of static energy were quickly grounded by the unconducive soil.
Just when all seemed quiet and still, the countryside shook with a terrifying rumble. An explosion tore into the hill as the raging waters of the sea split into land, blasting earth and debris in every direction.
Water, moving with the precision of a cobra, knifed its way into Rob’s clutches and tore Madame Patricia from his arms. The giant was slammed to the ground under several thousand pounds of pressure and then tossed to the side by a massive wave. The water drew back into its source and the whirlpool quickly rebuilt Athos as it sucked everyone back toward him and then out to sea.
Oreios wrapped Emma up in his grasp, commanding the earth at their feet to absorb and shelter them. In the darkness of the newly formed underground cave, Oreios flicked the lighter on. The small flame illuminated only her and Oreios’ faces, their lips almost touching.
“My father…” Her lips quivered as she frantically clawed toward the surface. The panic of letting someone else down—someone she loved—tore at her. “I have to keep going. I have to. This is all because of me—”
“—No, it’s not,” Oreios said, trying to firmly grab her arms. She kept shaking free. “Emma, stop. It’s not your fault. Everything doesn’t have to be solved by you. Just breathe.”
“No,” she screamed, trying her best to hold back the tears. For some reason unknown to her, the thought of her mother crept back into her mind. “I have to keep going. I’m not helpless. I’m not crazy. I can’t just sit at the window and watch her go again.”
Oreios pulled her in, squeezing her, and ran his hand through her hair as she collapsed into his embrace. He turned his eyes away from her, giving her the space to momentarily lose control of her emotions. He could feel the moisture of her tears seep into his chest, but he simply absorbed more dirt in through his feet to reinforce his sternum.