Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan
Part 2
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In a small apartment in San Francisco, twenty-three year old Hope returned home after a morning shift at the diner she worked at. Her magical duties as the guardian of Pandora's Box took up so much of her time that she had been forced to temporarily drop out of college and focus all her attention on guarding the box and training herself to be the best guardian she could be. In the two years she had been the guardian, various evil beings had tried to steal the box, though she had managed to defend it using her newfound powers. At moments like these, being a guardian felt more like a curse than a destiny. She had to drop out of college, move out of her dorm room and barely even got to see her friends anymore.
Hope dropped her coat on the couch and let herself fall down in a chair. The slender blonde turned on the TV, but was quickly distracted by a golden glow coming from her bookcase that kept fading on and off. She got up and kneeled down in front of the bookcase. She carefully removed some books and a fake backside and picked up Pandora's Box from its hidden compartment. As soon as she laid her hands on the black and golden box, it stopped glowing. She had never experienced anything like this and it was freaking her out a little. It felt like the box was trying to warn her or something.
"Freaky." Hope whispered as she put the box on her coffee table.
She went to her desk and picked up a small pile of ancient looking books. They were journals of former guardians she had discovered among Nina's possessions, the guardian before her. She had used them to better prepare herself for her responsibilities, though they had been pretty useless so far. She hoped they could at least give her an answer on the weird warning signs.
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On the top of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a slender teenage boy with spiky brown hair was hovering on a swirl of orbs with his legs crossed. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt and dark jeans and his eyes were closed as his mind was observing the world. A terrible power had awakened earlier this day and the Council of Elders was worried about what it meant. He too was worried, for he knew exactly what this ancient power was and how devastating it could be. After all, he had witnessed it first-hand years ago.
A column of orbs appeared behind the boy and took the shape of four individuals and he could sense their presence. The first was Mikelle, a whitelighter and a personal friend of his, while the other three were the Chosen, the three witches chosen to succeed the Charmed Ones as the champions of good magic. He had never met them in person, but he knew who they were and what they could do. They were exactly what the world needed right now to prevent a disaster from happening.
"Kevin, earth to Kevin!" Mikelle said impatiently.
The boy smiled and he opened his green eyes and set his feet on the metal bridge. He turned around to face his visitors, and he could instantly tell there was some tension in the group.
"It that any way to talk to your superior?" Kevin asked with a smile.
"Whatever, you called for us, here we are." Mikelle replied with a shrug. "Don't go acting all high and mighty on us."
"Thanks, Mikelle." Kevin replied, as he knew perfectly well she was just kidding. "Billie, Duncan, Violet, it is nice to meet you. I asked Mikelle to bring you here because we have a very serious problem."
"Uh, yeah, no offense, but who are you exactly?" Billie asked.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself." Kevin replied. He closed his eyes and his shirt and jeans were replaced with a white and golden robe in a bright white glow. He hated wearing these stupid robes. "I am an Elder."
"No way, you're an Elder?" Billie called out. "But you're just a kid."
"Billie!" Duncan snapped at her.
"Sorry, but it's true." Billie replied with a raised eyebrow.
"I guess I am not the thing you expect when picturing an Elder." Kevin replied. "Truth is, I have only been an Elder for a few years. I used to be a witch until I discovered I was destined for something greater. Some friends of yours actually helped me."
"The sisters?" Billie asked.
"Yeah, they saved me from a demon and helped me accept my destiny." Kevin replied. "But that's a long story and it is not why I called you here. I have very troubling news to share with you."
"What is going on?" Violet asked concerned and somewhat nervously.
"This morning, we sensed that an ancient and dangerous power was accidentally released by two mortals." Kevin explained. "If our suspicions are correct, the entire world could be in danger."
"It's that powerful?" Duncan asked.
"Definitely." Kevin replied. "Exactly how much do you know about Greek mythology?"
"I learned about them in history class in high school." Violet said.
"But most of Greek mythology is not true, they taught us that in Magic School." Duncan added as he looked at Violet, who quickly looked another way with an angry look. "The Greek Gods were actually mortals granted powers by the Elders."
"Oh yeah, I remember the sisters telling me about that." Billie remarked.
"You're correct." Kevin continued. "The Greek Gods were created by the Elders to fight ancient and immortal beings known as the Titans. But after they defeated them, the Gods became corrupted by their power and forced the world to worship them, so the Elders stripped them of their powers."
"Until Leo transformed the sisters into Goddesses when the Titans were freed again." Billie added.
"You don't need to tell me." Kevin replied saddened.
"You were there when the Elders were nearly wiped out?" Billie asked.
"Yeah." Kevin replied. "I had only been an Elder for a few months when the Titans invaded the Heavens. I watched half of the council being killed before I was orbed to safety by others. I was ordered to go into hiding, so I took shelter with a group of Oracles who kept me safe."
"But aren't the Elders really powerful? Didn't you fight back?" Violet asked.
"For centuries, the Elders have been pacifists. At the time, we did not know how to fight back." Kevin explained. "But after the threat of the Titans was over, the new council decided things needed to change, that we could no longer be left defenceless."
"So that explains the lightning bolts." Duncan remarked.
"Powers are tied to emotions, as you all probably know." Kevin said. "Seeing that many friends die changed something in us, it reconnected us to power we had not used in centuries."
"So this new power is connected to the Titans?" Billie asked.
"I am afraid so." Kevin said. "The Titan Prometheus has been unleashed. In ancient Greece, he sided with the Gods to defeat his brethren, but after the Gods became tyrants, he tried to destroy them. For this crime, he was trapped on a mountain by Zeus and tortured with death for centuries. And now he is free, though we have no idea what he will do."
"Wait, according to mythology, Prometheus was one of the good guys." Violet said. "He stole fire from the Gods and gave it to mankind."
"Well, like was said before, mythology is only based on half-truths." Kevin replied. "In all honestly, we have no idea what Prometheus is truly after, but we cannot let him roam free."
"But how do we stop a Titan?" Billie asked. "The Greek Gods could not defeat them, Piper only vanquished them after nearly losing her humanity."
"I know, we are looking for an alternative." Kevin replied. "Using the essence of the Gods has proven to be too dangerous each time it was unleashed. There has to be another way."
"Shouldn't we first find out what Prometheus wants?" Violet asked. "Why are we assuming he is evil right away? He was trapped on a rock and tortured for centuries."
"Exactly the reason why it is likely he'll want revenge." Duncan replied.
"You don't know that." Violet snapped at him.
"Okay, calm down." Billie said as she positioned herself between them. "Violet, I get where you are coming from, but an eternity tied to a mountain while being tortured is not really good for one's sanity, I think."
"Well, I just think it's good to ask what someone wants first and that people should be honest, so other people won't get hurt." Violet said with a glare at Duncan.
"I am guessing this is not about the Titan?" Kevin asked.
"Definitely not." Mikelle replied.
"Look, if you have personal issues, you need to resolve them fast. You have never faced anything like a Titan, you will need all your strength. You need to be united." Kevin said concerned.
"I am sorry, I don't think I can do that right now." Violet replied.
"Vi.." Duncan started.
"No, don't! You had your chance to talk to me." Violet interrupted him. "For weeks you let me believe something that was impossible."
"I had no idea, if I had known, I would have said something sooner." Duncan replied. "It was never meant to hurt you."
"Guys, come on, now is not exactly the right time or place." Billie added uncomfortably. "I mean, we're in the company of an Elder. One that has barely hit puberty, but still an Elder."
"Okay, I will pretend I am not offended by that." Kevin remarked.
"Sorry." Billie replied.
"No problem." Kevin said. "I just think that you will need to settle whatever this is, before facing Prometheus. Good or evil, we know nothing about him, and that is what worries me. If he is like his fellow Titans, the entire world is at risk."
"So we need to find out what his deal is, like what happened between him and the Gods." Mikelle suggested.
"We could ask that new History teacher at Magic School." Billie added. "If anyone knows, I bet it will be a history teacher."
"Good idea. You should do that. Perhaps there is some knowledge there that the Elders are unaware of." Kevin said. "Meanwhile, I will return to the Heavens and keep you posted."
Mikelle took hold of her charges and orbed them all way to Magic School in a column of bright blue lights. Kevin sighed as he overlooked the bay. Whatever was troubling the Chosen, they needed to fix it fast or they were putting themselves in even more danger. Titans were ruthless and incredibly powerful and only as a truly united front would they stand a chance.
Meanwhile, Kevin realized part of him was a little jealous of them. Life as an Elder was not as excited as he once imagined. He missed everyday life interactions with others his age, friends and dating. As an Elder, he was immortal and thus stuck as a teenager. The other Elders were not exactly fun people to hang out with, which was another reason he enjoyed being on earth. However, he quickly realized he could not permit himself to be selfish and think about stuff like that right now. He needed to focus all his attention on stopping Prometheus. In a column of orbs, he returned to the Heavens.
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On the middle of a small square in the city of San Francisco, a strong gust of wind suddenly appeared and a twister descended down from the sky. The Titan Prometheus appeared out of the twister and looked around. He looked up and found himself looking at a large building with white pillars in front of it. A copper sign read "American Museum of Natural History". Somehow, Prometheus hoped he would find some answers here about what had happened to the Gods. He had searched the world already, but there was no trace of them, which meant they had presumably fallen ages ago. Perhaps his plan of unleashing the sorrows had truly worked. Meanwhile, a crowd of confused mortals had gathered around Prometheus, shocked by him appearing out of nowhere.
"Where did he come from?" He heard one man asking.
"Do you think he is part of the new Greek display at the museum? I didn't know it came with a special effects show." A woman said to another.
"Look at that guy, looks like he is wearing a skirt." One of a group of youngsters said laughing.
Prometheus wondered if these people were fools. They apparently did not seem to recognize his power. Had humanity completely forgotten about magic? Without the Gods oppressing it, what had this world turned into? He needed to find some answers, and none of these mortals seemed to be capable of answering the questions he had about this new age. He took a few steps forward and the mortals that had gathered around him quickly cleared a path.
Prometheus stepped onto the stairs to the museum and headed inside. There was a line of people standing in a line in front of a transparent wall with a small hole in it, where a fat woman was handing out pieces of paper in exchange for coins. He walked past the line, but as he tried to proceed, a dark skinned man in a blue suit stopped him. He appeared to be some kind of guard or soldier.
"You need to buy a ticket to get in here, friend." The guard said.
"A ticket?" Prometheus asked confused.
"Yeah, a ticket." The guard said annoyed. "Did you run away from a mental hospital or something? Why the hell are you dressed in those rags?"
"I am not here for trouble, mortal." Prometheus said. "You had best step out of my way. I need to find answers."
"Look, you either get in line and buy a ticket, or you get your crazy ass outside and go bother someone else." The guard warned him.
"I have no time for this." Prometheus replied.
Prometheus pushed his hand against the guard's chest and he flew backwards into a box of transparent material, which shattered into a million pieces as he crashed into it. All around him, people began screaming and running and another guard came running up to him with some kind of black metal weapon in his hand.
"Freeze!" The second guard yelled as he aimed the weapon at him.
"No weapon of yours can hurt me. Just step out of my way." Prometheus warned him.
Prometheus took a step forward and the man fired his weapon. A loud bang sounded and a small piece of metal was shot at Prometheus' chest. It bounced off him and fell on the ground. Prometheus looked at it with surprise and picked it up. The guard looked at him with a shocked expression and fired two more pieces of metal at him, which also bounced off. Unimpressed, Prometheus threw away the piece of metal and walked past the stunned guard. He had wasted enough time dealing with these mortals.
After walking through a large hall, Prometheus entered a large room filled with statues and artifacts that he recognized from his time. Each had a description sign, though Prometheus quickly discovered that the statues looked nothing like the Gods and that the texts were filled with nonsense and lies. This museum apparently did not care about truth or accuracy in the slightest. The Gods were described as divine and tragic heroes, instead of the petty and corrupted fools that they were. This entire display was filled with lies and it taught him nothing. He still had no idea what had happened. Perhaps it was unwise to look at mortals for answers. He would have to go to the ones who held the answers, the ones who were there to begin with.
Prometheus was about to leave when his eye fell on a statue that looked familiar. A beautiful woman holding a jar. He did not need to look at the sign to know who it was. Pandora, his lover and betrayer. The only thing that had hurt worse than Zeus' torture was the pain of her betrayal. Prometheus could feel a rage burn inside as he looked at the blank face of the statue. He angrily slammed his fist into the statue and it shattered into a million pieces, sending a shockwave through the entire hall and causing various other statues to fall and crumble. Prometheus turned around and started to walk away. However, he stopped at a display of a set of armor resembling the one he had lost ages ago. He smashed the transparent material and took it with him as he disappeared from the museum in a violent gust of wind.
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In a dark cavern in the Underworld lit by several torches, a woman with dark skin and black hair was sitting on a throne build from bones. She was dressed in a dark red dress as one of her minions was sharpening the talons on her right hand with a blade, while her other arm ended in a stump where another hand had once been. She was Queen of the Harpies, a breed of elite demons. Another woman dressed in black leather entered the cavern and kneeled down before the throne.
"My Queen, I come bearing important news." the Harpy said.
"Leave us." The Queen commanded the minion sharpening her talons, who quickly bowed and left. "Is it about the great power we detected earlier?"
"Yes, my Queen." The Harpy replied. "From a reliable source I have heard that one of the Titans once again walks the Earth."
"I see, I suspected as much." The Queen said. "That kind of power is unmistakeable."
"Do you want me to inform the rest of the Brotherhood, my Queen?" The Harpy asked.
"No, I am interested to see exactly what this Titan will do." The Queen answered. "Let's just keep this between us for now. Perhaps there is a way we can make this work to our advantage."
"Of course, my Queen." The Harpy said as she took a deep bow and left the throne room.
The Queen of the Harpies smiled as she got up from her throne and headed to her private quarters. She had not witnessed the power of a Titan in a thousand years, not since they were defeated by the Olympians. If she played her cards right and could align herself with this Titan, she would no longer need the Brotherhood to achieve her goals. She only ever joined them because they were a possible means to an end. She had no loyalty toward them. If she could convince the Titan to work with her, she would have near-unlimited power and there would be nothing left that could stop her from reigning the Underworld.
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