| |
“You’re joking, right?”
“Emma... if you’ll just hear them out,” Arnold sighed.
“We’re not gods, Arnold!”
“As hard as it is to believe, Mother —” Tristan started.
“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Emma shouted furiously.
Arnold had brought her to the Hoof, an abandoned warehouse outside the city limits that Tristan and Amelia had turned into a personal Olympian training facility. It was where Arnold spent the past month learning how to master his growing godly abilities, and where he received his Deicide axe.
“Emma, I can prove it,” said Arnold. “If you’ll let me.”
“I KNOW WHO I AM!”
“Then how would you explain the Harpy attacking us in the alley tonight?”
“...Arnold,” Emma grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over to the side. “I can’t be someone else. Especially not a goddess and a mother. I’m barely able to handle going to school and living with my dad. How in the hell could I deal with... all of this shit. I’ll really lose my mind if...”
“I don’t like this either, Emma,” said Arnold. “But we’re and everyone we love is in danger. That Harpy was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They are harbingers of Twilight. They won’t stop until they kill us because we’re the only ones who can put an end to it.”
“You’re not making any sense,” said Emma as a tear rolled down her face.
“I will, if you just let me show you what I’m talking about,” Arnold pleaded. “We can’t run from who we are.”
“I... can’t,” said Emma, “I can’t do this!”
Emma then took off at a run, leaving Arnold and their children behind.
“She was always stubborn,” Tristan sighed. “Give her time, Father. She’ll come around soon enough. Until then, I’ll keep a watch over her.”
“That’s okay, Tristan,” said Arnold. “If she sees you, she’ll freak.”
“But the Horsemen...”
“Won’t lay a finger on her,” said Arnold calmly, “because I’ll be there to protect her.”
“But what about your...” Amelia started.
“I can split my duties up a little more,” said Arnold, “after all, who needs sleep?”
*****
FOR THE NEXT THREE days, Arnold spent his time in four ways: Going to school, training at the Hoof, taking care of his mother, and watching Emma from the trees outside her bedroom window. Each night, Arnold wished he could lie beside her, holding her gently in his arms. As he slowly drifted into a reluctant sleep, Arnold remembered how his journey to this point began...
*****
“YOU ARE THE GOD OF War, Father,” said Amelia. “You were the leader of Zeus’s armies!”
“Then what happened?”
“Zeus and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, led a revolt against the true King of Gods. They failed miserably, just as Lucifer did before them.”
“Wait a minute... you’re not saying...”
“Yes,” said Amelia. “The Olympians were originally God’s highest-ranking angels, until they broke his most sacred law. They conceived children with mortals. These children were deemed too dangerous and destructive because of the angelic blood mixing with a mortal’s would usually result in the creation of a demon, so, after countless of these children caused a terrifying massacre, God sent his most trusted warrior, Uriel, down to slay them all when they were of age. Barely any of them survived.”
“Oh, god...”
“Zeus was outraged, so he gathered the Olympians together to try and overthrow God... and when that failed, a traitor amongst the Olympians was given the task of punishing the others. He cast a curse that would scatter his brothers and sisters somewhere in time but stripped of their identities and powers. Then, on the year of Twilight, the Four Horsemen would track them down and kill every last one of them. Only Hades managed to escape.”
“It’s hopeless, then,” sighed Arnold. “There’s no fighting God’s will.”
“But that’s not the end of the story,” said Amelia. “God decreed that night, a few Olympians could retain a portion of their powers, and if they could use it to slay the Four Horsemen — all the remaining Olympians would be allowed to live and Mount Olympus would be reborn. Where the revived Olympians could serve as protectors of the world, as they always should have been. All you have to do is let us train you for this fight. Please... Father... please.”
*****
“HEY, DUMBASS!”
Arnold jolted awake as he fell out of the tree. “Damn’t!” He cursed under his breath. Arnold stood up in a tired daze, rubbing his eyes. Emma was standing in front of him, rolling hers.
“You can’t keep doing this,” she glared.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Arnold sighed. “I’ve been falling on my ass since I was six, and it hasn’t caused any real damage.”
“You can’t keep spying on me,” Emma snarled. “I told you that I didn’t want anything to do with that life.”
“Well, I guess I can just stop and go home then... oh... wait... You’re still an Olympian who is being hunted by the Four Horsemen. Whether you accept your real identity or not, your life is in danger. And I refuse to let the one woman I love die! So, I guess I can keep doing this!” Arnold snapped irritably.
Emma looked at him in shock; her eyes widened. “Did you just say that you... that you’re... in love with me?”
“What gave it away?” Arnold sighed. “...You honestly couldn’t tell how I feel about you? After all these years. It’s been you. It’s always been you.”
Emma looked like she wanted to scream as she punched her fist into the wall of her house.
“Emma! Are you —?” Arnold started.
“Oh, god, do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” Emma snarled as she stormed off in anger.
Arnold leaned up against the tree trunk and took a deep breath. “...Sometimes I think she should be the God of War.”
*****
THE DAY ONLY GOT WORSE as school started. Arnold failed three tests, which resulted in him receiving afternoon detention. When he arrived in the mostly deserted classroom, seeing Emma and Hector there surprised Arnold. Principal Gia was the one who would be residing over their shared three hours of misery.
“Mr. Regan, so nice of you to join us,” said Principal Gia. “Please, take your seat.”
Arnold nodded and took one in the middle of Emma and Hector. Hector raised his hand.
“Yes, Mr. Ramirez?”
“I really think this is unfair, m’am,” said Hector. “What I did might have been a little unethical, but it didn’t really hurt anyone.”
“You cheated in the class elections,” Principal Gia sneered. “You should be expelled for stuffing the ballot box. So, be thankful I’m allowing you to stay in school.”
“Yes, m’am.”
Emma raised her hand.
“Yes, Ms. Berggrias?”
“Can I serve my detention on another afternoon?” Emma asked desperately.
“What’s wrong?” Principal Gia sneered. “Not comfortable around your old lover?”
Emma squeezed her fist tightly as she tried to control her temper. “I haven’t screwed anyone, especially not Arnold.”
“Perhaps you have, and you just can’t remember,” Principal Gia smirked. “I mean, that’s the thing about the wrath of heaven, isn’t it? The lord just has a wonderful sense of irony. Turning the slutty Goddess of Love, who only cared about peace and prosperity, into a bitter, bitchy young girl who fears her own emotions. And her lover, the God of War, into a weak pacifist. I just had to take a moment to savor this.”
“...You’re one of them,” said Arnold. “You’re one of the Four Horsemen!”
“Oh, god,” said Emma, “not another bird-bitch.”
Hector looked at Emma and Arnold, confused. “What are you three talking about?”
“Hector,” said Arnold, “run! Now!”
“But where is he going to run, Ares?” Principal Gia laughed as she raised her hands, and the ground beneath them started to convulse. The classroom floor burst open as roots from the trees outside and vines wrapped around their bodies.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” Hector shouted.
“HOW IS SHE DOING THIS?” Emma screeched.
“SHE’S FREAKING MOTHER NATURE — THAT’S HOW! SHE’S THE EARTH GODDES GAI!”
“Guilty,” Gai laughed. “I would say this isn’t personal, but I always did hate Aphrodite. So arrogant. And for what? It sure wasn’t your IQ or battle skills that drove men and gods wild. But, at least now, you leveled out some, sweetie. Too bad, it’s a millennium too late.”
Gai walked over and stroked Emma’s face gently.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Emma tore free of the vines restraining her and tackled Gai. Arnold heard a loud slash as ichor splattered around the classroom. The roots around Arnold and Hector vanished as Emma stood up over Gai’s dead body, two silver daggers gleaming in her hands. When she turned to look at Arnold, it was like staring into the eyes of a raging animal. “Two down, two to go.”
“Oh, so now you believe me,” Arnold said with a small smile.
“Well, when the ground opens up and tries to drag you to hell, it’s pretty hard not to,” said Emma. “I’ll help you kill the other two horsemen, but I’m not her anymore. I don’t want to be, and I’m not going back. No matter who claims to be our kids.”
Before Arnold could protest —
“What in the hell are you two talking about?” Hector interrupted nervously. “You two aren’t — you can’t be —!”
“It’s a long story, Hec,” Arnold sighed, shaking his head.
“And where did those freaking daggers come from?”
“Those are her Deicides,” said Arnold. “Every Olympian is bound to one. Deicides are weapons made in the forges of heaven that can kill any angel who claimed to be a god. It’s one of the few things that’s deadly to all of us. We can only summon them in times of great danger.”
“All I did was get pissed off,” Emma shrugged.
“We don’t always do it willingly,” said Arnold. “Most of the time, it’s by instinct. Watch.”
Arnold raised his arm and acted like he was going to throw a football as his large silver axe materialized, flying into the chalkboard in front of them. The axe then flew back into Arnold’s waiting hand.
“Okay, that was cool,” said Hector. “But all of this shit can’t be real, right? It’s crazy!”
“Welcome to my world,” Emma let out a mirthless laugh.
“We had better get out of here,” said Arnold. “If one of the Horsemen had been hidden inside the school this whole time —”
“— then it isn’t safe,” Emma finished.
The trio walked out of the classroom and into the deserted hallway as someone came running towards them.
“Pria?” Hector asked in shock.
His girlfriend wrapped her arms around him as Arnold rolled his eyes, and Emma raised her eyebrow.
“I felt the earthquake and knew you were still here,” said Pria. “So, I came to make sure you were still okay!”
“Yeah, honey, I’m fine,” said Hector. “Thanks to Arnold and Emma, anyway.”
“I’m so... happy to hear that,” said Pria as she kissed Hector.
Emma nudged Arnold on his shoulder.
“What?”
“Something's wrong,” she whispered.
“Tell me about it.”
“No, dumbass,” Emma looked in a panic. “Pria doesn’t love him! I — I can feel it somehow! She doesn’t love anyone. Her soul is — empty!”
“How do you —?”
“I don’t know,” said Emma, “but trust me — Pria’s not human!”
BANG!
“HECTOR!”
Arnold and Emma’s screams came too late as Hector fell to the floor, bleeding in his chest. Pria stood above him, smirking as she held the still-smoking pistol.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Emma shouted at her.
“Just wait for it,” Pria sneered.
“Oh, good lord,” Arnold gasped. “Amelia was right.”
The bullet in Hector’s stomach popped out in a second as his gunshot wound healed instantly. He looked up at Pria in shock and horror. “What just happened? Why? How did you —?”
“I had to be certain,” Pria sneered. “You’re not a god like your friends here. But you are a demigod... Son of Hades.”