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Arnold had a lot to think about as he pushed his bike home. His ankle had already healed, for one thing. Plus, there was the fact that there were two almost grown adults carrying bronze swords who claimed to be his children. He tried to shake their conversation out of his head, but was failing miserably.
*****
"WHAT THE HELL DID THAT demon-dog do to me?"
"It's okay, Father," Amelia had said. "All he did was bite you. And look — your wound is already healing!"
"He did more than bite him," sighed Tristan. "He kick-started your Olympian abilities. Soon, you'll almost be at half-strength."
"No," Arnold had said as his voice quivered. "No. No. No! You're crazy! All of this is crazy! There are no such things as Olympian Gods!"
"Why do you keep saying that?" Amelia asked.
"Because... if there were... the world wouldn't be so screwed up!"
"What have you suffered through?"
Amelia's words, paired with her look of concern, cut through Arnold's heart as if she had used one of her blades.
"Nothing!" Arnold shouted. "Look, it's none of your business! My life is fine! Or at least it was before you two came into it! Just — just leave me alone!"
*****
YEAH. HIS LIFE WAS fine. Just as it had always been. "OH, WAY DOWN WE GO!" Shit! Arnold's phone was blaring one of his favorite songs, which meant he was getting a call from his mom.
"Hey, Mom. Sorry, I'm running late. ...Yeah, I'm okay. Oh? School? It was wonderful; Hector and I had a great time. ...Uh, yeah, Emma and Allison did, too. ...Sure, I'll pick up your prescription. It's no problem. I'm right near Walmart. I'll see you in a little while. ...I love you too, Mom."
Arnold ended the call and sighed. At least he didn't lie to his mom about everything. He was walking right by Walmart when she called. Arnold pushed his bike to the curb and chained it to a fire hydrant. He then walked, his shoulders hunched, into the parking lot.
He had just about made it to the entrance when he heard someone familiar shout out his name:
"Yo — Regan!"
It was Henry Wheeler. He was sitting on the hood of his Camaro alongside Pat Ramirez (Hector's other older brother) and Alaric Richardson. All three were Regal High's star football players. A game that Arnold refused to understand based on principle.
"What do you need, Henry?" Arnold sighed.
"I wanted to ask you if you could talk to Emma about going out with me on Saturday," Henry flashed his perfect smile.
"Sorry," said Arnold. "But I don't think you're her type."
"Why?" Henry asked. "She's fast, isn't she?"
"What did you just say?" Arnold snarled.
"I heard she puts out really nice if you know how to handle her," Henry smirked.
"Take that back, now!" Arnold said, his eyes flaring.
"Ooh, is little Arnold Regan going to fight me?" Henry chuckled. "I'm quaking in my boots."
"Hey, let's take a breather," said Pat, coming in between them.
"Come on, Pat," Henry grinned. "We're just having fun."
"I don't see it that way," said Pat calmly. "You've had too much to drink, Hank. So, go cool off with Alaric. While, I make sure that my baby brother's best friend doesn't get the shit knocked out of him, okay?"
"Whatever you say." Henry threw his hands up in the air and strutted back over to Alaric.
Pat grabbed Arnold's shoulder and steered him into Walmart. As soon as they were a good way inside, the younger teen broke free and glared at him.
"You didn't have to do that."
"What?" Pat rolled his eyes. "Save your life?"
"Try to help me because I'm friends with Hector," Arnold sighed.
"Is that why you think I did it?"
"What else could it be?"
"Maybe it's that your mom helped raise me and my brothers," said Pat. "And I don't want her actual son getting killed while she's..."
"Yeah, uh-huh," Arnold said half-heartedly. "Thanks, by the way, but you didn't..."
Arnold turned away from Pat and started to walk away. "Didn't what?" He heard Pat say.
"...save my life."
*****
ARNOLD GAVE A GREAT sigh of relief once the prescription was in his hands. He’d made it to the pharmacy on time and was about ready to leave when...
"Arnold?" Emma was walking nearby, carrying a similar pharmacy bag. She looked pleasantly surprised. “I didn't think I would see you here this late. What's up?"
"I had to get Mom's prescription before they closed," Arnold smiled.
"You were out late at the dump again, weren't you?" Emma grinned.
"Yeah."
"Find any good tech this time?"
"Nope," said Arnold. "It was almost like ancient times back there."
"Y’know, I could always give you one of my old tablets or laptops?" Emma said kindly. "Y'know, ... if you wanted me to."
"Nah," said Arnold plainly. "I need to get that kind of stuff my own way. I mean, it's wonderful of you to offer, but..."
"You don't want a handout or any type of charity?" Emma asked, her eyebrows arched.
"Well, ... kind of... but... yeah," Arnold sighed.
"I can respect that," Emma shrugged. "But it's not a weakness to accept help when you need it, Arnold; just remember that, alright?"
"Sure," Arnold blushed despite himself. "Y'know... that jock Henry Wheeler's into you. He kept pestering me for your number or for me to introduce you."
"Oh?" Emma eyed Arnold cautiously.
"Uh, yeah," said Arnold. "He said there's this rumor going around that... that... that you’re..."
"That I've slept with every guy at school?" Emma sighed. "Yeah. I'd heard about that too. Found out about it after I got sixteen text messages asking which I preferred: bathrooms or hotel rooms."
"Oh, god," Arnold said in disgust. "That's awful!"
"Oh, wait until you hear this," said Emma. "This one guy told me I should join the Vatican to repent for my sins. And then I got twelve new texts asking me if that's why my parents took me to Greece and Rome for the summer."
"That sucks!"
"Well, apparently I do, if the rumors have anything to say about it," Emma sighed. "You know who started all of this, right?"
"Helena?"
"Got it in one,” said Emma. "Which, in a way, I should take it as a compliment."
"How so?" Arnold asked.
"I must have really caused a lot of expensive damage to her million-dollar nose job," Emma laughed. "If she's spread so many rumors in such little time."
"Probably," Arnold chuckled. "You can throw one hell of a punch."
"Good," Emma beamed. "Spread the word."
Emma and Arnold had just walked out of the Walmart exit as they heard Henry Wheeler come running towards them.
"Hank — please don't do this!" Pat shouted. But it came too late as a drunk Henry pushed Emma against the wall of the store and started groping her breast.
"Just give me a taste. I'll get down on my knees if you like."
Emma readied her fist: "GET OFF —!"
"— HER!" Arnold tackled Henry to the ground and slugged him repeatedly until he grabbed his wrists and threw the former backwards into the air. Arnold did a perfect flip and landed on his feet. Emma and Pat both stared at him in shock. Henry stood up and glared at Arnold. "What's this?" Henry picked up the prescription Arnold had gotten for his mom. Damn't! Why did I drop those? Arnold thought as he groaned in frustration.
Henry ripped the bag open and eyed the bottle of pills. "Take three pills twice a day to relieve pain? Well, that's going to be a little difficult..."
Henry opened the bottle of pills and started emptying them all into a nearby gutter.
"NO!" Arnold screamed. "YOU SORRY SON OF A BITCH!"
Arnold charged at Henry, giving him a series of nerve punches that would temporarily paralyze his arms. How Arnold knew to do this, he wasn’t sure. He had never studied or practiced anything like this before. He had never even been in a fight until now. Arnold punched Henry’s ribs and his eyes. Henry tried to kick Arnold off him, but Arnold caught his leg and tossed the jock five feet away. Arnold looked as if he was ready to kill someone as he started hyperventilating. He looked down at his mom's empty pill bottle. What was he going to tell her? She needed those desperately! He then looked at Emma, who was approaching him gently.
"Arnold... it's okay," she said quietly. "Everything's going to be fine."
Arnold's heart felt as if it was being torn in two. One part felt like it wanted to keep beating faster, accelerating with every breath, while the other wanted to calm down, so he wouldn’t scare Emma.
"OH, GOD!" Arnold punched Henry's yellow Camaro with such brute force that the driver's door now had a dent in the shape of his fist. Arnold's heart started to go back to normal as he looked at a clearly freaked Emma.
"I — I'm sorry!" Arnold took off at a run, ripping his bike right off the chains, pedaling away as fast as he could.
He could hear Emma yelling: "ARNOLD — WAIT!" And Pat saying to Henry: "Still having fun, dumbass?"
*****
WHEN ARNOLD WALKED up to his mom's bedroom that night, he did so with great trepidation.
"Arnold! It is so good to finally see you," his mom beamed when he entered.
"I'm happy to see you too, Mom," Arnold tried his best at a smile.
"Did you get my rheumatoid prescription?" she asked kindly.
"Uh... they were out of them today," Arnold lied. "But they should have more in soon, though. That's why I was there so long; I had them check in the back to see if there were any extras in stock they might have overlooked."
"That's my sweet boy," his mother replied. "Now, why don't you sit down with me a while, and we can watch a new Revelation of Warlocks."
"I will in a moment, Mom," said Arnold. “I have to go heat us up some leftovers first.”
"Alright, just be careful."
"I will," said Arnold. "I promise."
"...Arnold?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"Is everything okay? You seem a little down."
"Everything is... fine."
After they ate and watched her favorite show, Arnold said goodnight to his mom. He then went down to the basement, or, as he called it, his workshop. He did his homework but fell asleep before he could advance anymore on his gaming software.
*****
ARNOLD DREAMED HE WAS inside a giant throne room where the beautiful blonde with Emma's eyes paced in circles.
"We should have vouched for him, Ares! He was our best friend!"
"It's too late for that now, beloved," Arnold replied, deep in thought. "Hephaestus has sown his destiny and ours with it. You heard Athena at the trial. The world is changing far too fast. Twilight is coming."
"And what of our children?" said the blonde. "What if he comes for them too?"
"If he comes for our blood," said Arnold, "then I will slaughter him and his followers."
"And if you can't," said the blonde.
"Then, I will gladly lay down my immortal life for our children... and you... my sweet Aphrodite."
*****
AS ARNOLD WALKED OUT of his house, trying to shake the feeling of dread his nightmares had left him, and locked his front door, he saw Amelia standing on his front porch.
"Hello, Father."
"Please, don't call me that," Arnold sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "I just wanted to give you this." She took the 2012 Mac desktop interface out of her backpack and handed it to Arnold. "Uh, thanks," Arnold shrugged and sat the interface on his porch swing.
"I just wanted to let you know, I understand how hard it is to believe that any of this can be real," said Amelia. "For years, you and Mom hid me in different time periods, so your enemies couldn't find me. At times, I'd either forget who I was or think that I was going crazy. But then my powers would activate, and I would lose control and hurt people... people I had grown to care about. Until Tristan found me. Just know if you ever need anyone to talk to, whether you believe me or not, I'm here for you."
She turned to walk away as Arnold thought hard for a moment and then said: "I've been telling myself that everything has been fine for as long as I can remember... and for the past few months, that's been the biggest lie of my life. My mom has crippling rheumatoid arthritis, so I've been having to juggle taking care of her with everything else. And we're only barely surviving through her disability check. I've also been having nightmares of Ancient Greece, Mount Olympus, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and who, I think, is Hades killing me. I thought at first it was because I was obsessing over my game design, but... I don't know whether you're telling me the truth... either way, though; I need answers. So, meet me after school at CK, and I'll hear you out, okay?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Trusting me enough to give me a fair chance," Amelia smiled. "I'll see you soon, Fa — Arnold."
Arnold stared quizzically at Amelia as he watched her walk away gracefully. He then saw Hector run over to him from next door.
"Hey, man!" Hector said anxiously. "I just heard about what happened last night. ...Who's that?"
"Someone I haven't figured out yet," said Arnold casually. "But I'm going to..."