A.N.: Yo! I'm back, with another 'exciting' segment of Time Stops. Aren't you people happy I updated so quickly? This chapter is a proper introduction to the characters, the good guys anyways. (To tell the truth, this is mostly a intro chapter that I didn't feel like posting last time. It might be a little boring, but it's going to get better I promise!)

OMG!! I got reviews!! W00t! Thank you to those of you who reviewed, I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I own about eighty pairs of socks, and a cheap desk lamp. But Cott? Nope!

Time Stops When...

Archie flinched as his chair scrapped noisily against the floor, making everyone groan. Sending his teammates an apologetic grin, he picked up his fork and started in on his dinner, a massive plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Chuckling at Herry's enthusiastic eating, Archie glanced around the table, taking in the familiar faces of his teammates and his friends.

Seated to his left, scowling at his empty glass of milk, sat the team leader, Jay, the all-too-serious youth who spent most of his time stressing over Cronus, and who was already looking far more aged than what he really was. When he wasn't looking for new ways to track down Cronus, Jay was training, or working, or reading. He wasn't the funnest guy to be around, though this wasn't unexpected, with what he had on his shoulders. But Jay was a capable leader, and Archie knew he was someone who would give his life up for a friend, and Archie respected him for this.

On his right, cheerfully dumping mounds of grated cheese on her plate of meaty sauce and noodles, sat Atlanta, the spunky huntress who was his best friend. Competitive, hard-headed and a total greenie, she was a goofy little punk who could pin a target at over a hundred feet (as Ares once called her). Archie sometimes felt he could trust Atlanta more than anyone else on the planet, but he was a little intimidated by her as well. She might be small, but more often then not she could kick his butt in just about anything.

Neil, the group's lucky charm, sat at the head of the table. He was as shallow as a puddle, blonder than anyone else Archie had ever met, and one of the handsomest boys in New Olympia (according to himself). Archie had at first been uncertain if the youth really was a hero, but he had to admit that Neil was the luckiest person he had ever met, which gave him an advantage in nearly everything. He won on scratch tickets, coin tosses, even rock-paper-scissors. Sometime he won by default because no one else bothered to play against him. But Archie was sure that even though Neil was a shallow, snobby, pretty-boy; he was also one of the most loyal members of the team, willing to take risks for the team that no one else would have dared to do. Archie would never admit it out loud, but he sometimes thought Neil was the bravest one of them all, despite his habit of girlie shrieking every time he saw anything with more than four legs come after him.

Across from Jay, leaning forward to drive a point home in an argument with Neil, sat Odie, the smartest person Archie knew. The brains of the team, he was never far away from technology and was happiest when he was messing with gears, knobs, or buttons. This sometimes resulted in explosions from Odie's room at odd hours of the night, but the end results were always impressive. Archie had once been told that their respective ancestors had been close friends, and after spending several late nights getting his butt handed to him in every wrestling video game known to man by the younger boy, while eating mounds of popcorn with him, Archie could see why. Odie was the one Archie always felt he could talk to, even about things he couldn't share with anyone else.

Beside Odie, across from Archie, sat the muscular Herry. Archie had seen Herry do things no normal human being on the planet could ever dream of trying. From uprooting trees, to pinning angry three headed dogs, to heaving boulders at angry sea monsters, Herry was the ever steady rock that kept the team together. His strength and courage (and massive appetite) made him an admired man everywhere. He was an easy-going, constantly hungry guy, and he was also easy to get along with, and it was easy for Archie to spend an afternoon with Herry. He was also one of the only people on the planet who could successfully put Archie in a headlock.

A small frown appeared on Archie's face as he glanced down the table at the last member of the team. Theresa didn't even look as though she was entirely listening to Atlanta, who was chattering away about something that had happened at school today. Archie never really spent any more of his time than necessary with the team's physic, and there was no secret as to why. Simply put, Archie and Theresa didn't get along. The thin redhead was a drama queen, always taking everything he said to her in offense, and never backed down from an argument with him. Their fights were never physical (Archie knew he could probably take her, but he also knew how protective the rest of the team was of her), but sometimes their fights were really screaming matches, trying to outshout each other. Archie had known Theresa for nearly two years now, and he still had yet to decide what he thought about her. Sometimes she drove him up the wall, other times she opened up to him so easily he almost felt that they were almost friends...almost.

"Archie?" Archie nearly dropped his fork as Atlanta nudged him, staring at him with concern. "You alright? You've been pretty quiet tonight."

Grinning sheepishly at the girl beside him, he quickly said, "No, no, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind tonight."

Theresa snorted indelicately, sending him a sharp, angry look, "Since when do you ever have anything on your mind besides girls and wrestling?"

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, that's right Theresa, I never have a thought outside those two topics." He could have said something to piss her off, and start a fight that would've lasted the rest of the evening, but one glance at the girl's angry green eyes told him he probably would end up with his head torn off if he tried to annoy Theresa tonight.

Theresa sent him a quick, confused glance, before refocusing on her plate, frowning. Archie bit his tongue to hide his smirk as the rest of the team shared confused looks. Since when did Archie ever turn down a chance to fight with Theresa?

I'm just being nicer because of her migraines. Archie's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his mostly empty plate. Since when do I care anything about being nice for Theresa? It's not like she knows that I know. He shoveled the last of his spaghetti into his mouth. Even if she did, she wouldn't want me treating her differently. Shaking his head, he pushed his chair away from the table. Oh boy. How did one conversation change so much about me and Theresa?

"Alright I'm done for the evening. I'm going for a run." Standing, Archie picked up his plate and carried it to the sink, avoiding his teammates' eyes. Dumping his fork and spoon into the sink, he placed his plate on the counter and turned back to the team. "I'll be back later tonight. I'll put away the dishes for you, Neil."

Neil just nodded, staring up at Archie with raised eyebrows. Odie and Herry glanced around at him similar frowns on their faces. Even Jay glanced up at him. Archie stared down at them for a moment, before rolling his eyes and walking away. My teammates are weird...

Grabbing his jacket off it's hook, the Warrior started for the door, intending to run until he couldn't think anymore. Before he could reach the front door, however, there was a scrape as a chair was pushed away from the table, and Atlanta came rushing out of the kitchen after him, a big grin on her face, "Mind if I join you, Arch? I don't feel like sticking around and watching another corny late night movie again." She explained.

Archie opened his mouth to tell her no, but instead said, "Sure Atlanta, if you want to. I'll wait outside for you." Atlanta nodded eagerly and darted down the hall to grab her coat. Grinning at her enthusiasm, Archie turned and walked out the door, trying not to hear the unusual silence from the kitchen. Come to think of it, most of the meal was pretty quiet...

Shrugging off this thought, Archie sat on the stairs in front of the Brownstone, waiting for Atlanta. He had the strangest feeling that the night was going to be a long one...

(To be continued! I promise this time!)

A.N.: O.K., that's chapter two! I know, I know, it's not that exciting, but I promise chapter three will include shouting, screaming, visions and an appearance of everyones' favorite evil time god Cronus!! (Not necessarily in that order)

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