Chapter One: Powers, Practice, and Pushovers

A/n: This is my version of the season finale, Phantom Rising. It will be a two-part story, just like the episodes are, each with five or six chapters each. I would really love reviews, even if you don't like it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Class of the Titans. But I do have the cutest cat... which has nothing to do with anything...

"I-yah!" Atlanta grunted as she swung her pole at Archie, sweat beaded on her forehead. She gritted her teeth as the force of the blow against his shin sent her staggering back a step. Wood clanked on brace, and her opponent winced, then sent his Hephaestus whip spiralling around her slim frame, trapping her in its embrace.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as he tugged on it, sending her flying flat on her face. "You're not allowed to use that! I claim a re-match!"

"What, you can't accept the fact that you're a loser?" her friend taunted. Archie's misty grey-blue eyes twinkled mischievously, and he bent down to help his red-headed friend to her feet. Royally miffed, she refused the help. Instead she grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the ground, head-over-heels.

"Can you accept the fact that you're a dork?" she growled as she clambered to her feet.

Meanwhile, Neil and Odie were maintaining their own abilities. Odie typed at his laptop furiously, the keys sending hollow little echoes throughout the large gym. Neil was winning a wrestling match against Herry, who was amazed that the model was holding his own. Jay watched this, a frown creasing his handsome face.

"C'mon, Herry, give him what you got!" he called. "We'll never defeat Cronus like this!"

"We won't defeat Cronus with you breathing down our necks, either," Atlanta muttered to Archie as they sat on a bench, dousing their heads in water. He grinned and chuckled lowly. Jay sent them a withering look, but they just shrugged and sipped their water bottles.

"How long do we have to do this for?" Herry complained. "I hate loosing, especially to Neil." The blonde smirked from his perch on Herry's back, as the brawny teen pouted beneath him.

"Practice makes perfect," Jay responded, earning him a groan from his team mates.

"That reminds me, what are you supposed to be doing?" Odie asked, glancing up at the leader critically over the frame of his computer.

Jay blushed in embarrassment. "I'm… making sure we're doing fine."

"Lame," Archie muttered under his breath. Atlanta smirked and bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Where's Theresa?" she asked instead.

Suddenly a shriek came from Persephone's solarium, and one of the many Grecian pillars that held up this part of the school came crashing through the wall, plaster pieces flying everywhere.

"What the…?" Jay cried as they all ran for cover.

Theresa burst through the large oak doors, Persephone right behind her. "Watch out!" she yelled as the pillar fell on top of Herry's weight-lifting machines, crushing them beneath its immense weight. "No!" he cried. "My weights!"

The tall, slender teen bit her lip remorsefully. "Hehe… sorry?" she asked uncertainly as the others all stared at her.

"YOU… did that?" Archie asked in disbelief. She nodded.

"How?" Jay asked, anger bubbling in him.

"With… my mind," she squeaked. Clearing her throat, she continued. "Today's lesson was to practice moving larger, more… dangerous things with my mind."

"Why a pillar?" Atlanta asked. "You could have killed someone!"

A pink flush crawled up her cheeks. "I thought I could hold onto it…"

Jay's resolve broke. All week little things like this had been happening. First, it had been Theresa's car. It had flown into the middle of the road, nearly causing an accident. That had been small compared to what followed. Then it was a transport truck, which HAD caused an accident. And it had all been Theresa's fault, every last thing. She had to gain control over her powers, or else his plan to trap Cronus would crumble.

"That's no excuse!" he yelled, startling everyone into silence. "We can't afford anymore of your little 'accidents'! This has been happening all week! Get a grip on yourself!" He gripped her shoulders and shook her hard. "What's the matter with you? You need to be focussed! You can't go getting people nearly killed! Wake up, and get a hold on yourself!" He let her go, and she staggered backwards, falling to the floor. She stared up at him, looks of horror, anger, sadness, and guilt washing across her face.

Without a word, she jumped to her feet, covered her face with her hands, and ran out of the room, leaving Persephone looking quite miffed. She stood with her arms crossed, her skin dancing from white to an ominous teal blue.

"I expect an apology written out to Theresa on my table by this afternoon, Jay," she snapped.

"Why? I haven't been hurting anyone!"

Persephone's face turned from angry to poignant. The others exchanged quizzical looks. "You've been hurting people more than you know, Jay." She looked him in the eyes, her cold blue ones against his angry chocolate brown. "Be careful how you treat others, the way you do may come back to haunt you."

He scowled. "How so?"

She shook her head. "You mortals think you know everything there is to the divine gift of magic. But what you so often forget is that it's so uncontrollable, and can kill those whom it possesses. Sometimes it takes over the one who's supposed to be in control."

Then she turned and left, her long white dress swishing around her slender ankles. Atlanta looked horrified. She grabbed Jay's arm as he turned to them, glaring at the mess. "Do you think she was warning us that Theresa may be in danger?" she hissed.

He shrugged her off and shook his head. "She's a goddess; they always speak in riddles," he snapped. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get this stupid mess cleaned up."

"How?" Neil cried, surveying the mess with a look of dread.

"By hand for now," Jay said. He whipped around to see that his friends were all staring at the door from which Theresa had left. It was swinging back and forth on its hinges, as if beckoning them to follow her and cheer her up.

He rolled his eyes, he knelt down and began to pick up plaster slabs and put them in a neat pile. "Guys?"

No answer. "GUYS!"

"Huh, what?" Archie jumped a foot in the air. Atlanta seemed worried, Odie, Herry, and Neil all looked weary, and Archie was glaring at their leader impenitently, his arms crossed across his chest.

"GET TO WORK." He turned back, his shoulders stiff. The others reluctantly pitched in, but Atlanta sent an apprehensive glance over her shoulder in the direction where Theresa disappeared. She couldn't get Persephone's words out of her head: You mortals think you know everything there is to the divine gift of magic. But what you so often forget is that it's so uncontrollable, and can kill those whom it possesses. Sometimes it takes over the one who's supposed to be in control. She had a very bad feeling about all of this.

"Jay, don't you think you were a tiny bit… harsh?" she asked, glowering at him.

His eyebrows knit together at the base of his forehead, making him look snobby and conceited. "I think when it comes to people's lives; you can never be too harsh. What if she kills someone, Atlanta? Then what? We're supposed to save the world, not destroy it!"

"But Persephone is worried about her. Shouldn't we be too?"

"Gods are always worried about something," Herry grumbled. "I'm hungry."

Atlanta rolled her eyes. "Guys," she muttered. But she didn't stop gathering pieces of plaster to throw in the garbage can. However, she didn't stop fretting either.

Archie noticed her brooding stare. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. She smiled, but it didn't reach her big hazel eyes.

"I'm worried, that's all."

"About Theresa?"

She nodded, sighing and leaning her head against his shoulder. Her gelled red hair rustled against his blue sweater, and he felt himself blushing at her closeness. Hesitatingly, he smoothed her bangs back from her forehead. She didn't flinch from his touch; instead she yawned and dropped her armful of rubble.

"That's it," she announced to her team members. "I need a nap." She strode out of the gym, and Archie gave a little shrug and followed her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jay snapped.

The violet-haired youth gave a cheeky grin over his shoulder. "I'm going to make sure she gets there all right. You never know when cars could come flying around and kill someone." Jay stiffened, and he was about to retort when Herry, Neil, and Odie all yawned and stretched as well.

"See ya, Jay. I need some beauty sleep. All work and no rest will make Neil a grumpy boy," Neil sang in a high-pitched voice. Herry didn't say anything, but Odie nodded his agreement.

"This much labour without a break isn't healthy for anyone, Jay, including you. Take my advice and take a break."

"Have a KitKat," Neil joked. They all laughed and wandered away, leaving their serious, obsessive leader to clean up by himself. As their footsteps faded away, his hasty words against his fiery friend came back to him, and a feeling of guilt began to form in his mind. What kind of leader was he? Instead of encouraging her, he had brought her down.

He let the rubbish fall from his hands, and he rushed out of the gymnasium to find Theresa.