Don't read this story if you haven't seen the season finale of 'Class of the Titans'! There be spoilers here! Unless you like that, then go ahead!
Author's Note: I was watching "Time After Time" the other day and decided to write this. It reflects on the teams' feelings after Cronus causes Odie's death in the time rift and how they all felt in those six months, and starts right after Odie's fall off the roof. And yes, I do realize all my stories are named after songs, why do you ask?
Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't ask.
Story rated for attempted suicide(s?), possible mature themes, and some language.
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Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone's here, everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody's waiting for you now. What happens next? What happens next?
Dare You To Move
The only thing that could be heard as Odie descended from the top of the Brownstone was Theresa's scream. It rang through the night and caused many people to emerge from their houses to see if something really was the matter, or if was just another crazy teenager overdosing on alcohol again, seeing images that weren't really there.
If only they were just imagining this.
The team immediately ran over to the ledge and looked down, horrified at what they might see. Sure enough, Odie was crumpled in a tangled mass on the sidewalk, blood slowly leaking from the side of his head.
"Oh no," Atlanta whispered, unable to choke back her tears.
Seeing that the group was off of their guard, the manticore charged again, this time throwing itself at Archie. The purple-haired boy got tackled to the ground, surprised from the sudden attack.
"Get the net, Herry!" he screamed. He moved his head quickly as the monster tried to bite him.
"Where is it?" Herry asked hysterically, his eyes darting around for the object Odie had dropped right before he plummeted to his doom.
"I don't know!" Archie yelled, trying, and unsuccessfully at that, to hit the manticore in the stomach.
Atlanta ran over to the creature and kicked it in the side. The manticore growled angrily and whipped its tail around, hitting Atlanta square in the chest and throwing her into an iron table. It then turned to Archie again, lowering its jaws on his face.
"Jay, do something!" Theresa begged to her friend. Jay took his xiphos blade off of his belt and charging at the manticore.
"I'm not going to let another one of my friends get hurt because of you!" he shouted, plunging the blade into the beast's back. The manticore staggered for a moment, then rolled over. It was dead.
Archie got up shakily, surveying the monster.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"No problem," Jay told him.
Theresa smiled at the two boys, and then immediately ran towards the door of the roof, bolting downstairs.
"Odie," Herry muttered, going after her. Archie and Jay helped an incredibly sore Atlanta up and followed their friends.
"What's going on?" Neil asked as the teenagers ran past him. Jay stopped and looked at him.
"It's Odie," he said. Neil knew that this was NOT good, and went outside with the rest of the team.
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An ambulance was called, just in case there might be some, if only a tiny bit, of hope. But everyone knew that there wasn't; Odie was gone.
The remaining six sat in the waiting room, waiting for the news that they didn't need to be told. Jay had his hands clasped so tightly together that they were turning bright red. Archie kept staring at the doors to the emergency center, jumping whenever it opened. Herry stared blank-eyed at the ceiling, watching a fly zoom around and around in circles. Neil was biting his nails, something he only did when he was unusually on edge for fear of "ruining his perfect manicure". Theresa and Atlanta were both reading old copies of People magazine, but frankly neither of them were interested in Nick and Jessica's divorce.
The door to the examining room swung open once again, causing Archie to whip his head around. A doctor wearing bright green scrubs and a surgical mask emerged and walked over to them, a look of sympathy on his face.
"I'm so sorry," the doctor said, "There was nothing we could do. I don't think anyone could survive a fall like that."
Theresa burst out sobbing. The others tried to hold it in, but soon they were crying along with her.
"If it's any consolation, the death was immediate," the doctor told them, "He didn't feel any pain."
"Thank you," Jay said, not really feeling any comfort at all.
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"What do we do now?" Atlanta whispered as Herry's truck drove down the freeway.
"Go tell the gods, of course," Jay answered, "There's no more prophecy anymore, is there? Not with Odie….." But he didn't finish his sentence for fear that he would start crying again.
"That's right," Neil said, "We need seven to beat Cronus."
"Don't take that attitude!" Archie snapped at the two boys, "Of course we can still defeat him! But if you keep those shittin' points of view, we won't!"
Theresa started to cry again.
"Would you stop crying?" Archie asked her, coming close to tears himself.
"Don't yell at her!" Jay screamed at Archie.
'What are you gonna do about it?"
"How about if I….."
"SHUT UP!" Herry roared from the driver's seat. Jay and Archie immediately calmed down and folded their arms over their chests.
"Guys, chill, alright?" Atlanta asked, "We're all really on edge right now, but let's not take it out on each other."
Jay and Archie still remained silent.
"Be that way, then," Atlanta muttered, looking out of the window.
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Odie's funeral was held about a week later. A few hours before they were supposed to go to the church where the service was being held, the team was each in their separate rooms, getting ready.
Jay stood in front of his mirror, trying to get the navy blue tie hanging around his neck tied right. It was getting very difficult; his sweaty fingers kept sliding off the silky material, getting him more and more frustrated.
"Need some help?" a soft voice asked. Jay whirled around and saw that Theresa was leaning against his doorframe. Her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a medium-length black dress with long sleeves.
"I'm good," Jay muttered. He had been a bit distant the past few days. He and Archie still hadn't apologized for their past argument and Jay didn't really feel like talking to anyone.
"Okay," Theresa said, still watching her leader with great interest, since he obviously wasn't an expect on ties.
A few seconds later, Jay threw his tie on the ground and shouted with aspiration.
"Want help now?" Theresa asked.
"Yes, please," Jay told her. Theresa smiled slightly and picked the tie off the floor, walking over to Jay.
"Hold still," she instructed as Jay sat down on his bed. The tall girl leaned over and started wrapping the article of clothing around her friend's neck. As she did so, a few of her ginger curls fell onto Jay's face, brushing softly against his cheek.
"Sorry," Theresa whispered, sliding her hair back behind her shoulders.
"It's fine," Jay said. Theresa knotted the tie a few more times and then stepped back to admire her work.
"There," she said, "You look great."
"Thanks, Terr," Jay murmured.
"No problem," Theresa said. She towards the door, but paused before she reached it and looked back at Jay. Letting out a quiet sigh, she thought about how worried she was about him. Sure he was upset about Odie, so was she, but he shouldn't be ignoring Archie and the rest of them. They needed their friends now more than ever.
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"It looks like rain," Herry commented as they drove to New Olympia's biggest and only church. The others muttered back two word answers of agreement.
Atlanta looked out the window. Sure enough, thick, gray clouds had begun to form. She hung her head down. Odie had loved the rain. He said it helped him think when he had problems, and how it made him remember their first victory over Cronus.
The red-head laughed at this. Herry's expression when he saw that the inside of his truck was soaked in water was priceless, and how they celebrated their win back at the Brownstone by ordering pizza and just hanging out on the top of the building, looking up at the stars.
But now none of them wanted to go up on the roof. It would always bring back memories of that terrible battle. Odie's last battle.
'How is it in Elysian Fields?' Atlanta thought, silently talking to her dead friend, 'Have you met Odysseus? What about your grandmother? You always said that was the first thing you were going to do when you finally got to the Underworld, wasn't it? We miss you so much, Odie. Please, please send us a sign to tell us that you're all right.'
She looked over at Archie. He was wearing the same suit he wore when the team was setting the trap for Cronus in the museum all those months ago, since it was the single formal thing he owned.
"What, no hat?" she asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. Archie looked over at her and smiled.
"Not this time," he said. He gave Atlanta a quick once-over. She had on a black sleeveless dress with a white lace trim at the bottom. Black slip on shoes with red embroider roses were pulled over her feet. Theresa had tried to pull the girl's short hair into a bun, but it hadn't worked so well. Short red wisps were beginning to come out of the elastic.
"I miss him, Arch," Atlanta whispered.
"I miss him, too," Archie told her, wrapping his arm around Atlanta's shoulder in a comforting way.
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All the gods and goddesses were at the funeral, as well as Calypso, Pan, and Odie's parents. Even Campe was in attendance, watching in the back so she wouldn't startle Odie's family and schoolmates.
Hermes had called Odie's folks two days ago to tell them that he had passed away, telling them a slightly different version of their son's death. One without homicidal gods and ancient Greek monsters. The team had felt that it was heartbreaking that a child's mother and father couldn't even know how their son really died.
Hera orchestrated the service, telling the audience what a good student and friend Odie was, saying what a good addition to society that he was, and how he never had anything negative to say about anyone. Minus Cronus, of course, but the queen of the gods wasn't even going to mention him.
"And now Archie Fisher, one of Odie's dearest friends, will make a speech," Hera announced, clearing the podium.
"What is she talking about?" Archie asked.
"Just go," Atlanta said softly, wiping her damp cheeks with a Kleenex.
Archie stood up softly and walked up to the stage. He stood in front of the microphone and leaned down to speak.
"Um….I didn't really write anything down," he admitted, "But I don't think I had needed to. You can't really put into words what Odie meant to us. To a lot of people, really. To his family, his classmates, his teachers. Odie was just a really great kid. He was an awesome person to have on your side, and he could always find a way to make you laugh. There were a few things he did that annoyed us a bit, like that goddamned virtual game of his…."
A few people laughed slightly at this.
"….But Odie's aggravating habits were really just quirks. And that's what made Odie, Odie. And I'm really going to miss that. Thank you."
Tears began to fall down the purple-haired boy's face. As he walked back to his friends, he could feel all their emotions flowing through him. They had all gotten so close in the past several months, which was nearly impossible for most people. But something was special about the group. And now that one of them was gone, that was all going to change.
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As the crowd of people left the church, scattering to each of their homes, it did in fact start to rain. Just as Herry predicted.
Everybody instantly ran to their cars, trying not to get their funeral clothes wet. The team sprinted to Herry's truck as well ("My hair!" Neil screamed anxiously) but Atlanta just stood there, her eyes closed. She slowly raised her arms and leaned back, letting the raindrops hit her bare shoulders.
"What are you doing?" Theresa called to her from inside of the car.
"One minute," Atlanta yelled. She was freezing but didn't really care. She was letting the cold water embrace her. This was the sign she had been waiting for. Her friends watched her for a minute before Archie got out, taking off his jacket.
"Come on," he said to Atlanta, wrapping his coat around her, "It's time to go home, rain dancer."
Atlanta nodded, shivering a bit. Then she looked at the sky and grinned.
'Thanks, Odie,' she thought.
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I know it seems like this could be a one-shot, but it's not. There will be exactly seven more chapters before this story is over. More angst and drama coming up, as well as some fluffies!