Chapter 2: Plans
A/N: I know, I am such a slacker. But I swear I will start updating more now that its summer and I bought my NEW laptop! I will finish this, and IIWI, and Memoirs and Red Heads. And then start some newbies. Cause COTT IS NOT DEAD!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. Phantom Rising rocked Archie.
/ I Believe Our Love Can Save Me, Have To Believe That It Can /
She strode through the passageway and hovered, just out of reach, just beyond the light. She wished she could just take that step, that plunge, and wrap her thin ebony hands around Persephone's white throat.
Turning around, the slender woman disappeared into the dark shroud that hid behind the Season's curtain. Her hair glistened a black so dark it looked as if it would suck the light out of the atmosphere.
A small rosebush grew where her hand had rested, a simple raven colored rose blooming. As her figure faded into the Dark, the rose wilted, and dropped to the ground, petals curled.
"Oh, Persephone. Be glad your fate changed. Be glad he showed me what compassion was. It could have been so different. I could have been there, in the sunlight." The voice that filled the empty air was beautiful, and wistful and bitter. It was a voice that could have shattered hearts.
Abruptly, the tunnel grew warmer. Light flickered along the walls, candles that had been smothered only instants before alit once more. The Queen of the Dark had other places to be.
/ She Obliterated Everything She Kissed /
The payphone weighed heavily in Odie's hand. He sighed, the rain pouring down on his still form, shrouded in a large coat. With a shaking hand, he pushed a quarter into the slot. He didn't want anyone to trace this call. As the phone rang, Odie contemplated what he could possibly say.
Then, before the genius could think of a word, a bright voice answered the phone, "Hello, New Olympia Hotel, how may I help you?"
Odie managed to stumble out a few words, "I have two friends staying there. Herry and Calli? Could you forward my call please?"
The woman paused for a moment, and Odie wondered why he had to sound like a bumbling idiot. He was supposed to be a super genius spy!
"Yes here you are. Room 213." And with that the tone went dead, before ringing.
Odie cursed and almost flung the phone to the ground before realizing that had been his last quarter. Grasping the phone so tightly the plastic made slight cracking noises Odie waited for a voice.
"Hello?" A deep friendly voice asked.
"Umm… hello. My name is uhh… Odie. Odie James Scott. And you are Herry."
A slight gasp was heard before Herry's cautious voice returned, "Yes, my name is Herry. Mr. Scott, why are you contacting me?"
Odie sighed, and then took one more final chance of the night, "Herry, I will be at your hotel in ten minutes. Also, please call me Odie. We are old friends after all."
Odie hung up before Herry could say anything. He slumped against the wet metal and groaned. The sun had set only twenty minutes ago, and he was tired from the plane ride. "Excuse me… are you okay?"
The voice that came from behind Odie was beautiful. A voice that made Odie determined to follow it till the end of the world. He spun slowly, not sure what he would see.
For an instant, an image of a short blonde girl with stunning blue eyes filled his head. But before he could lock on it, she became a dark girl, with glinting crimson eyes and raven hair.
Odie struggled to breathe through the pain that lanced his chest. He finally managed to look at the woman who the voice belonged to only to find himself face to face with Theresa.
Jay's Theresa, who Odie had last seen through his NASA camera with Jay… His face flamed bright red.
"Oh… sorry. I am fine. My name is bed. I mean… Odie. What's your nude…? Err… name?"
Odie wanted to turn around and bash his skull in with the phone, but instead he stood there, smiling a huge grin that he had forgotten he had.
She coughed and smiled, "I'm Theresa. Are you going to the Hotel?"
He nodded, afraid to make the words.
Theresa's smile never wavered. "Let me drive you."
"Thank you." Odie's voice was weak, his cheeks still flaming red. He was worried about the image of the beautiful girl that had filled his head, especially since she had morphed into another stunning woman. Had he known her?
Theresa's car was comfortable, but Odie was too wrapped in his own thoughts to really notice this. Finally he turned to the jovial red head, planning on saying something so intelligent that she would remember what he couldn't.
Herry seemed to have remembered. Odie wanted to, he wanted to have friends, and family.
And he wanted to know who those beautiful women were. Why did they seem so familiar... almost as if they were just one person?
One person who Odie wanted more than anything.
Theresa pulled into the hotel's parking and stepped out of her car.
"Well we are here. Where are you going?" She asked, pure curiosity in her voice.
Odie smiled, "Visiting a friend. Maybe I will see you around?"
He shocked himself with how much he wanted to. He wanted to see her and Jay and stay with them.
Theresa nodded, and walked the opposite way. She was heading towards Jay, Odie knew it. They were meant to be together. It doesn't even matter what happened in the past life, or in this life.
They were the true definition of soul mates.
Odie knocked on the room of Calli and Herry, dreading and anticipating what could happen. The door opened slightly, a tiny woman meeting his gaze. Her eyes bored into him, dangerous and scared.
Before he could even force out a word, a huge hand seized him and dragged him into the room. The biggest man Odie had ever seen blocked his view of the petite brunette woman. Herry had always looked big, but that was on camera. Herry was huge, and his muscles flexed threateningly.
Odie had to think of something fast. Something that would make Herry think he wasn't threatening Calli, who seemed to be the one thing he cared about. Something really intelligent.
What escaped his mouth however, was not what he wanted. It wasn't even a word. It was a name, and it came out of his mouth like a caress.
"Mellian."
Odie tried to fit out words to fix his mistake, but the only thing he could think was about that name, and the blonde and blue eyed woman from earlier. But as she slowly morphed into the raven haired seductress, Odie felt as though he was falling into the darkness. He heard himself hit the floor, and then everything was gone.
/ What's In Your Head, In Your Head... Zombie /
She felt as though someone had stabbed her through the heart and stomach with a jagged, rusty harpoon. She ran, faster than she had in forever. What had happened, he had been fine, just moments ago!
She almost burst out into the remaining light, but held herself back by a thread. Those two minutes that it took for the burning of the sun to disappear haunted her. Haunted her with a time when she would have already been at his side. When finally the outer world was as dark as her black heart, she ran to the hotel.
The woman at the desk barely acknowledged her when she sprinted by. She could feel him, feel his heart beating. He was weak, and it felt as though he was dying.
He could NOT die.
That would make the world end. It would be the end of everything.
She would make sure of it.
She smashed the door that stood in her way to pieces, walking with more purpose than she had in years. Decades even. She vaguely felt that she was also dying; being out of the dark was killing her. Because of a promise she had made long ago, she couldn't stay here if she wanted to live.
But if Odie died, she wouldn't care. She would bring down the Greek Pantheon and every human who had stood in her way.
Briefly she glanced at the huge buff man who stood in front of a beautiful copper haired woman.
She knew them. How did she know them? She cocked her head slightly, and then remembered. Ahh. Odie had found some of the others. Herry and Calli.
She saw him on the bed, lying pale and unconscious. What happened to him? She stood over him, feeling more like the wraith of death than his caregiver.
She felt a crystalline blue tear drop from her eye, shattering on the floor. He had given her this gift of tears. She collapsed beside the bed, suddenly feeling her ice like tears pour out of her. She moaned softly, praying to the gods she so hated that he live. She would do anything they asked of her if he could live.
"Mellian?"The voice was soft, and more comforting than the Queen of the Dark would have ever imagined. She wanted to run away, she wanted to hide, she wanted to hug him, and she wanted to make love to him.
Instead she cried harder, knowing she had lost him again, and all the decades of hurt she had put aside had been useless because –damn her- she still loved him. And a small part of him still knew her. He still had that shard of darkness in his heart.
But he did not know her. And yet he said her name?
She lifted her head, noting her permanently black hair was a dark brown. He changed her, just by being in the same room. She finally met his dark eyes, fear lacing down her spine. She never should have come.
But then Odie's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open, and he lunged forward. Mellian almost fell back in fear of him striking her. But instead of hitting her, he grabbed her roughly and hugged her. He squeezed her so hard she felt as though her ribs would break.
"Mel..." The name he gasped out was all too familiar to Mellian. Odie had been the only one to ever give her a nickname. She felt more tears slide down her porcelain face, and felt Odie trembling with unshed tears and raging emotions.
He let go of her long enough to assure himself she was okay. She was alive and unharmed and... sandy blonde? She laughed, a little hysterical, and looked at the boy who had meant giving up her kingdom, her life, anything.
He was so worth it.
He smiled tremulously, and reached a dark hand to her face, wiping away her stray tears.
"Do you remember me?" He asked. Mellian felt her heart contract painfully in her chest, and almost lied.
She tried to. She wanted to tell him she had never seen him, he meant nothing to her. She wanted him to have a regular life.
But she couldn't lie to him.
"Yes."
Odie shaped her face with his hand, noting how the hair had gotten lighter. He remembered now. Not all of it... But he remembered her.
"I love you." He said gently, and pulled her close once more. She noticed he didn't mask the tears that slid off his chin anymore. He softly stroked her hair, which had turned the color of sunlight, and kissed her head.
"Odie... I can't come back up. I am not allowed." She informed him, her voice strangled. She wanted to die. She wanted to leave.
"Mellian, I don't give a damn if you aren't allowed." He told her angrily, "I am not letting you go, do you understand me?"
She nodded, remembering that he had said almost those exact words, at another time. She looked to where Herry and Calli were, to find them staring at her. She felt herself redden and pushed Odie gently away.
He immediately took control. Oh, how well Jay had taught him.
"Herry, do you know what room Jay and Theresa are in?"Odie asked.
Herry's eyes widened even more, "Are you telling me, you both remember?"
Mellian barked out a laugh, "Silly Herry. I never forgot. I have been waiting, while you were all held in stasis and re born."
Odie frowned, "I don't really remember. But I know you all."
Herry smiled and stuck out his hand, "Welcome to the club. We need to go to Hera."
Mellian snarled, "Let's kill her."
Odie gaped at her, but Herry laughed raucously.
"I would have agreed with you only a few nights ago little dark queen. But despite my hatred of her, she saved Calli's life, and I owe her that. I won't take part in her murder."
Mellian felt her respect of Herry rise. But she had one more question.
"If I walk into the gods and kill them, will you stop me? I only want two of them. I don't care about the rest... but Hera and Persephone are mine."
Herry nodded and Odie continued to be shocked. She knew he was unsure now.
"We need a team. We need our team. We need to get Jay and Theresa. I have no idea where Neil and Danaya are. Archie and Atlanta either. But we need them all"
Odie smiled grimly, "I know where they all are."
Mellian felt Odie's shock and confusion at her violence. He didn't understand why she couldn't let Hera or Persephone live. But she wouldn't let the Gods ruin her friend's lives anymore.
Even though going into the gods hide out meant never returning.
Even if it meant leaving Odie forever.
Even if it meant dying.
/ We Can't Go On Together With Suspicious Minds /
