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Arnold was suffering from another nightmare. Flashes of bloodshed and carnage filled his mind's eye. He was riding in a chariot pulled by winged boars as he led a Grecian army in ancient times. The battle seemed to go on forever, but Arnold finally reached his opponent — a man wearing a black cloak with silver armor and blades hidden underneath it. This man reeked of death and damnation. Arnold raised his axe and lunged at the cloaked figure, who moved just an inch of a second too fast and plunged a dagger into Arnold's chest. Gushes of golden blood poured from the wound. The cloaked figure laid Arnold down gently.
"...Why...?" Arnold managed.
"Because there was no other way..."
Arnold woke with a gasp as he saw his phone laying on his nightstand, had just gotten a text. He stood up and peaked out his bedroom window to see that the sun had risen. One nightmare might have ended, but another was just beginning.
*****
"THERE'S NO WAY, MAN!"
A few hours later in the morning, Arnold and his best friend Hector Ramirez were riding their bikes to their first day at Regal High School.
"I'm telling you it's true," Arnold said as he took a shallow breath. He wasn't out of shape or anything; no, he was thin and lanky. Since they were nine, he and Hector had peddled these bikes to school every day. But as of this year, their old school, Wellington High, had finally been torn down due to lack of funds and a merger with the new head of the Regal City School Board. Meaning that now, Arnold and Hector had to pedal an extra five miles just to make it to another day of torture.
"No way could Hades beat an army of the gods," Hector said, wiping sweat off his brow. "I mean, the reason he got trapped in the underworld was because he couldn't beat his jackass brothers. So, how could he handle all the Olympians at once?"
"Speaking from experience, Hec?" Arnold let out a faint laugh.
"Who? Me?" Hector smirked as he shook his head. "Why do you think Xander's so good at track and field?"
"Hard work and dedication," Arnold said, in a deep voice, trying his best to mock the oldest Ramirez brother.
"Nah," Hector grinned. "It's because he's scared I'm going to catch up with him. And you know what would happen then...?"
"You'd spread your natural geekiness to him?" Arnold suggested.
"Well, duh!" Hector laughed. "That should go without saying; my geekiness is far too contagious. I've been suffering from it since I was seven."
"Dude, you've been around me since we were seven!" Arnold mocked in shock. "You infected me and that's why I'm a social reject?"
"Actually, I think you managed that all on your own," Hector laughed.
"Y'know," said Arnold, "I think that jackass problem runs in the family."
"You think?" Hector grinned. "Hey, we're only three blocks from school, and it's all downhill from there."
"Are you talking about the road or the rest of our lives?"
"The road, idiot," Hector chuckled. "I was going to suggest we race, but if you'd rather talk about your obvious existential crisis..."
"Oh, just shut up and race," Arnold laughed as they both took off like rockets down the hill.
"If you insist," Hector let out a shout of excitement as he then said, "by the way, the loser buys the winner cheeseburgers at CK after school!"
"You're on!" Arnold replied.
It was incredible how fast they were gliding downwards; Arnold didn't even have to pedal at all. He loved feeling the wind rush in his face; it made him wish he had a motorcycle instead of this cheap bicycle. He was edging in front of Hector and smiling like a madman. He could already taste his victory burger. Regal High was coming closer and closer into view; he was going to win. But then he heard Hector shout: "ARNOLD — CAR —!"
Arnold looked to his right on instinct and saw a yellow Camaro speeding his way. He was going too fast to stop, so he quickly made his bike take a turn to the left — where a bike rack was placed — but that hopefully wouldn't be a problem — Arnold popped his bike up and jumped the rack — crashing instead into a picnic table that was part of the open grounds' cafeteria.
"Ares? Are you okay, my beloved?"
Arnold looked up hazily at a tall, beautiful blonde woman above him with sea-green eyes.
"Huh...?"
Arnold blinked twice and snapped back to reality. Emma Berggrias was kneeling by his side, offering a hand to help him up to his feet. Emma was petite but built with bulging muscles and had a mess of long flaming-red-hair. Though she did still have sea-green eyes.
"Thanks," Arnold mumbled embarrassedly, his cheeks going bright red. "I seriously need to learn how to stop."
Emma smiled. "Well, uh, yeah, that's pretty obvious. Don't tell me you and Hec were racing each other again."
"I would... but that would be a lie." Arnold gave her a sheepish half-grin.
"You know you're going to get yourselves killed one day, right?"
"Fully noted," Arnold shrugged.
"Thank the Divine; your mom didn't let you actually try to get a motorcycle license."
"...What?" Arnold blinked again.
"I said: Thank goodness, your mom didn't let you try to get a motorcycle license. ...Why? What did you think I said?" Emma cut her eyes at Arnold.
"Uh, nothing," said Arnold. "I've just been working on the graphics too much for the role-playing VR I've been designing."
"Mayhem On Mount Olympus?" Emma asked.
"Yeah," said Arnold. "You remembered?"
"It's only been one summer that I've been away," Emma chuckled. "Of course, I remember your passion project! You’re practically like my brother!"
She playfully slugged Arnold's shoulder. He's her brother now? Like her little and completely unattractive brother. Great. Arnold was hoping things would be different this year. That things would change between him and Emma, but it looks like he was wrong, though. What did he expect? He was still the same as he had always been; same black, wavy hair, same scar on his bottom lip, and same non-muscular noodle arms. There was no way that Emma would ever see him as anything else. After all, they had grown up next door to each other, alongside Hector. The difference was Emma's family was rich, and Arnold and Hector's weren't. Emma's sister drove a Mustang Convertible and their family had spent the summer in Greece. Arnold had spent his summer in his mom's basement designing video games with whatever spare tech that people had carelessly thrown away.
"Hey — Regan!"
Arnold suppressed a moan as he and Emma turned around to see Helena Vivane strutting towards them, her iced mocha splattered all over her two-hundred-dollar blouse. "Look what you did!"
"Look, Helena," sighed Arnold, "I'm sorry. But it was either get run over by Henry’s Camaro or crash into the picnic table. So, I took the lesser evil; I thought it would hurt less."
"You are such a waste of space!" Helena screeched. "You should have let Harry run you over and end your pathetic life! No one even cares about a little shit like you!"
"Hey, Helena."
"What?"
"Oh... just this!"
Emma slugged the crap out of Helena and then tackled her to the ground, pummeling every square inch of her face. Hector ran over to them. "What the hell? Oh, that's right. It's the first Monday of the school year, so of course, Emma's beating the shit out of someone."
"Hector — come on and help me pry her off Helena," said Arnold anxiously.
"Oh, so that's who she's thrashing," Hector mused. "I should have recognized her solid gold pumps. Finally, someone who deserves it."
"It doesn't matter if she deserves it or not," Arnold said in exasperation. "If the Principal or the teachers see her doing this..."
"Fine," Hector sighed. "But she better not kick me in the balls again, like last time."
The two boys grabbed each of Emma's swinging arms and yanked her off the bloody and bruised Helena.
"Let — go — of — ME!" Emma screamed the last part out. "I'M GOING TO DEMOLISH THAT BITCH!”
"Regan! Ramirez! Berggrias! Vivane! What on earth are you kids doing?"
Principal Gia had just walked out of the school and was giving each of them a death glare.
"Oh, ...son of a bitch," Arnold muttered underneath his breath.
Principal Gia gave all four of them a month's detention for the fight. By the time they all left her office, Emma's fraternal twin sister, Allison, was waiting for her. Allison was cute, usually perky, blonde, and the popular one.
"Emma — what in the hell did you think you were doing?"
"Oh, great," Emma rolled her eyes, "another lecture. How about you just record the podcast episode of this and play it to me later? I've been having trouble getting to sleep, anyway."
"Emma, don't you dare make insults about my podcast!" Allison lectured. "You know you enjoy them!"
"Oh, yes," Emma sighed. "They're just so riveting."
"Yes, they are," Allison nodded, not catching Emma's sarcastic tone. "Why did you get into a fight on our first day here?"
"Why didn't you?" Emma smirked.
"That's it!" said Allison. "I'm telling Mom that you need to go back to anger management therapy!"
"Yeah, sure," Emma pushed her hair out of her face, "because Principal Gia didn't even think to do that herself."
"Allison, it wasn't Emma's fault," Arnold tried to explain. "It was mine. I..."
"No," said Emma plainly, "it was mine. I'm just sorry I didn't bust Helena's lip along with her nose; that girl is such a snobbish bitch."
*****
AS THE DAY WENT ON, it was mostly the same crap as it had always been at their old school. Boring classes, blah blah, mean teachers blah blah, and Henry Wheeler asking Arnold for Emma's number. Which Arnold told him she recently changed by... uh... mistake?
After school was their first detention, which lasted an hour. Afterwards, Helena, sporting several bandages over her nose, got a ride with Hector's brother, Xander. And Emma left begrudgingly with Allison in her Mustang. Leaving just Arnold and Hector to get on their bikes as a striking girl, their classmate, Pria Gluven, approached them.
"Hi, you're Hector Ramirez, right?"
Hector smiled at her in shock and awe. "I'm anyone you want me to be! But, uh, yeah. I'm Hicky — I mean — Hector. That's, uh, me!"
"I just want to tell you that I thought you were so brave and considerate to try and keep your friends from getting in trouble," said Pria. "And... maybe, if you're free now... you might like to go get a pizza or something? With — uh — me, that is."
Hector beamed at her and shot Arnold a pleading look. They were supposed to go get their cheeseburgers, but Arnold gave him an encouraging grin. Hector had been crushing on Pria for two years but could never find the courage to ask her out; he needed this. Hector turned back to Pria, smiled, and said: "I’d love to get a nibble on you — I mean, get a nibble with you! I — uh — do you like mushroom and jalapeño pizza?"
"I love mushroom and jalapeño pizza!" said Pria, mounting her bike as Hector did the same, and soon, the two were pedaling away together. Arnold shook his head, laughing as he got on his bike and pedaled up the hill.
*****
ARNOLD HAD JUST REACHED the edge of the Regal City Dump. He was scavenging for any unused tech part to use in his game. He cursed a few times, as he couldn't seem to find anything that could help his work. He was about to examine an old 2012 Mac desktop interface when the entire dump shook savagely.
Is this some kind of freakin' earthquake? Arnold thought anxiously. Regal City hasn't had one in over twenty years!
But in seconds, three enormous beasts with black, scaly skin, red eyes, horns, the build of a giant dog, with large yellow and razor-sharp fangs, lunged at him. Arnold took off running, leaving the Mac behind.
Well, at least, now I know it wasn't an earthquake! Just literal demon-junkyard-dogs who want to make me their chew toy! That's soooo much better!
Arnold almost made it to the exit gate as he tripped and fell on his face as all three demon-dogs surrounded him. "Oh, shit. Shit! Shit!" Arnold cringed as one dog bit his ankle. But then — two cloaked figures tackled the attacking demon-dog and stabbed it with their bronze swords. The monster burst into flames with a howl.
The two figures each attacked the remaining demon-dogs, doing the same as they did with the first. Arnold struggled and failed to stand up as the two cloaked figures removed their hoods that were attached to their cloaks.
One was a tall, muscular man with blonde hair and sea-green eyes. He looked to be in his twenties. The other was a girl with dark hair, burning red eyes, and pale skin. She looked to be only eighteen at the most. The girl smiled at Arnold and ran over, hugging him tightly.
"We finally found you," said the girl happily. "Oh, Father, how I missed you!"
"...Father?" Arnold managed to get out. "I — I think you have the wrong guy. I'm only sixteen if you haven't noticed. So..."
"Oh, no," said the girl, waving it off. "That's just part of the curse of reality being reborn and all."
"Huh?" Arnold asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," said the girl. "You're Ares! The God of War! I'm Amelia, your godly daughter and that's my brother Tristan. And I hate to rush things, but we need to find Mom. Y'know? Aphrodite? Well, you call her Emma in this reality, but —!"
Tristan shook his head in impatience. "Digest version, sis."
"Oh, okay," said Amelia. "We're here to help all you reclaim your memories and godly titles before the Twilight of the Gods happens. Easy, right?"
"Right."
"Really?"
"No!" Arnold shouted. "You two are nuts! I'm not a god! Gods aren’t even real!”
"Okay... well, how do you explain that then?"
Amelia pointed at Arnold’s ankle where the demon-dog had sunk its fangs into him. He was bleeding... golden blood?
"Holy..."
Tristan smirked. "Father, you don't remember the meaning of the word."