Four: Ajax

A Most Uninspiring Rescue

(or: Titan Ex Machina)

The hush aboard the Princess Andromeda cruise ship became eerier with each erratic creak of the smoldering floorboards. The strength of the waves that were battering the hull weakened, as though the sea itself had quieted to listen. The souls of Kronos' former army lingered on the top deck. Because Ares owned the souls of all combatants that died in a losing battle, they could do no more than stare as two gods and a titan decided the fate of some of the last survivors from their ranks: two of their last heroes alive and free.

That was all great, but all Pax could think about was how boring Prometheus was when he talked.

Or, at least, that's what Pax told himself to think about.

Now that Prometheus' initial aura of, Oooooo! Titan Ex-Machina! had worn off, Pax's hand and shoulder felt like Zeus had prodded him a couple hundred times with a lightning bolt in a "is it dead?" motion. From what Pax could tell, his left shoulder was either dislocated or fractured and his hand definitely had a hole in it. Prometheus still cradled him and his brother, Axel Pax, in either arm, with Axel squirming and thrashing violently, like a proper, indignant, kitten warrior.

Pax wanted to make a joke about but was only able to burrow his face further against the Titan's white tuxedo. All he wanted was a hug, a lollipop, and probably seven years a therapy paid as worker's compensation for being a demigod.

"Ares, Aphrodite, I'm really here for your interest," Prometheus said diplomatically. He sat on a patio chair across from the God of War and Goddess of Love, like they were talking business while he was holding a cup of coffee, instead of two sobbing Pax boys, one kicking like a toddler. "If you kill Ajax Pax now, you'll regret all the misery that you could have put him and his brother through if you let him live."

Gee, Prometheus, guess who's not getting a homemade Christmas sweater this year.

Pax opened his mouth to thank Prometheus for swooping in with the most rousing rescue ever, but he couldn't get intelligible words to come out. He choked on tears.

This was a typical demigod Sunday: one minute you're off, trying to stop a friend from listening to a homicidal sword so she can defend your summer camp, and the next minute, you're pulled off course and your brother is stabbing you through the hand because a god's driven him mad.

So, maybe Axel shouldn't have tried to castrate Ares in a fight during the Second Titan War and maybe Axel shouldn't have turned the goddess down so harshly, but it wasn't like Axel was in the wrong. Plus, Ares and Aphrodite both cursed Axel in turn. Let bygones be bygones, right?

That's how Pax would have started this meeting.

"Can we start beating him now?" Ares asked Aphrodite, adjusting his sunglasses. The darkened lens blazed with a backlit fire. The frames settled onto his facial scarf that wrapped around his head like a Somalian pirate. The AK-47 strapped on his back swayed as he cracked his knuckles and widened his stance.

Aphrodite huffed. She smoothed the purple straps of her bikini and shook her now-spiraling red locks. "Human Lover, why should we listen to you?"

Prometheus shrugged. "If you want to miss out on tragic romances and some bloody battles…"

Aphrodite's amber eyes softened at the words "tragic romances."

Ares grinned at "bloody battles."

"Well, let's dissect this logically. If you force Axel to kills Pax now," Prometheus continued, "Then, Aphrodite, you'll never see how the love triangle will unfold between Kally, Alabaster, and Pax. [footnote 1] You've worked too hard to build up that tension just to let it be resolved by a simple death. As subplot romance goes, that would be lazy writing. [footnote 2] You'll miss out on all the remorse, the struggle, the jealousy, and the passion."

Aphrodite pouted. "I do hate when shows cop out at the end. It really deprives you of the loser's emotional turmoil."

Pax should have been offended that her only qualm with his death was how it would rob her of a good season finale. Instead, despite all of his current pain, his ears chimed in to "love triangle." That implied he still had a chance with Kally or Alabaster, or, in a dream world where the Fates didn't hate Pax and where he owned a weasel circus, maybe he'd have a chance with both. Meow.

"And Ares, if Pax dies now, you'll never have a chance to add his soul to your collection." Prometheus gently lifted the Pax brothers. If his hands were free, Pax could tell he would gesture to their dead friends, gathered around to silently listen. His stomach clenched to think that Flynn was watching this. "And I think you're only missing Luke and Jack currently. And Jack's soul might be up for grabs again soon."

Ares' lip twitched. "What makes you think I wouldn't get the Pax brat's soul? He'd be the loser in a battle."

Prometheus scoffed. "Really, Ares? I feel like Artemis would enjoy watching that more than you would. That was no battle. That was a hunt. Little Pax will never fight his brother. He'll always run away."

From across Prometheus' shoulder, Pax could hear the low whine of a suppressed sob.

Normally, Pax would have never thought that noise could come from his brother. As far as Pax was concerned, Axel was created from primordial awesome and didn't know the meaning of the word "flinch." Crying and cowering: those were Pax solutions to problems. The last time Pax had heard Axel cry was five years ago, when their father had bludgeoned Uncle Frasco and Aunt Nilley to death. After that, Axel always had that stupid, stoic expression on his face, and only expressed his emotions through night terrors, cigarette smoke, and miraculously losing his shirt around Reyna Ramirez. [footnote 3]

"And when it comes to Axel," Prometheus said, "do you really want a broken man? As a lover or an opponent?" His gaze alternated between Aphrodite and Ares.

Pax wanted to point out that ambiguous directing of Prometheus' comment made Ares' relationship to Axel terrifyingly questionable. Instead, Pax found himself trying to peek over Prometheus' shoulder to look at his brother. He wished he could give him a hug, or remind him that Reyna would still find Axel sexy after this, but he regretted the motion for more than the ache it caused in his shoulder.

One glance of the Leonis Caput helm, obscuring Axel's face, sent Pax shivering. Pax could perfectly envision Axel stealing one of Pax's own celestial daggers and posing it to stab Pax in the throat, like he had mere minutes ago. Yea, he loved his brother and didn't want Axel to worry… but Pax was officially freaked out more than a Reese's Stick and a hug could fix. And those were fantastic bartering tools in the Book of Pax.

From the soft sounds Axel was making, he was freaked too.

"Ares, if you have Axel finish off his brother, he'll likely never fight again. So you'll lose the chance at two souls from Kronos' army. And you love watching Axel fight."

"That kid is really violent," Ares agreed.

"And Aphrodite, you fell for Axel's tenacity and aloofness. If anyone is going to break him, it should be you, because he finally crumbled to your wiles, as you know he eventually will."

"He will," she said stubbornly.

Despite their discussion on Axel rising to the occasion, both for fighting and for… um… Aphrodite, Pax had to bite back a horrified thought: what if Axel was already irreparably broken?

"And lastly, Ares," Prometheus said. Pax tried to focus on the calming tones of his voice, remembering all the times Prometheus had talked Luke out of punishing Pax for a prank gone wrong. Pax wanted to hold it together, to pretend everything was alright. Axel was already going to feel terrible enough without seeing Pax a mess. "Eris won't be happy if you kill the only child she's had in centuries."

Centuries? Pax managed to choke down his sobs. "I'm a special snowflake," he said.

"She can make another one," Ares grunted.

"It takes a unique psychopath for her to fall in love," Prometheus said. "As you would know from your dallies on the battlefield."

Ares cracked a grin. "Ah, the Trojan War, Stalingrad, Vietnam… Those were the good days."

Gross, Pax was about as comfortable as thinking about a porcupine mating with a condor.

But the diversion was ingenious. Aphrodite's eyes immediately narrowed. "The good days?" she echoed softly.

Ares nodded absently before noticing her careful expression. He put his hands up. "Oh, no, babe, I didn't mean—"

"The good days?" she said again.

Pax wanted to point out the double standard of Aphrodite wanting Axel and Ares not being allowed to want Eris, but figured now wasn't the time to help with their godly love life. Though, judging by how big their cabins were, neither of these two cared about the other's interests. Only if they were "the good old days."

The Goddess of Love began to snarl in a low voice to a retreating God of War.

Prometheus rose to his feet. "I wouldn't want our presence to be any more a mare on your vacation." The titan stepped casually around the deck, nodding to fallen Kronos soldiers as he gathered Pax's Silver Tongued Snake helm. Several soldiers on deck dropped their mops and rushed to bring him Pax's utility belt from the pool. Pax hiccupped to see Flynn tuck Pax's daggers into Prometheus' belt.

Flynn gave Pax a mixed expression: a warm smile of relief with an icy scowl that said I never want to see you again. The message was a good one, that he shouldn't get killed in a losing battle and become a slave to Ares. Though Pax would have preferred a kazoo send off, this was the best he could hope for in this parting.

With his white tuxedo, random weapons, and the two Pax boys—one sobbing and one still struggling to be released, the titan must have looked like the most heavily armed, well dressed baby sitter ever to ride on a cruise ship.

"I'm glad you're smart enough to see how this could have been a terrible misstep in judgment. I'll get them out of your hair so you don't need to worry about it," Prometheus said.

Aphrodite didn't turn from her argument with Ares. She snapped her fingers and snarled, "Get lost."

At the snap of her fingers, Axel stopped struggling against Prometheus' grip. The door to Johnny Rockets—where the Pax brothers had originally entered—flew open to reveal a narrow set of ascending stairs instead of a restaurant: their way back to camp.

Pax could only hope the heroes of Olympus had patched themselves up and come to Camp Half-Blood's heroic rescue. That would mean a rather pissy, sore Jason Grace might be waiting for him. But, after having nightmares-premonitions of Axel trying to kill Pax and living through the event, he would have been happy to scrub Jason's cabin with a toothbrush.

Imagine the prank and terrorizing access he'd have.

Memo to self: offer to scrub Jason Grace's cabin with a toothbrush when we get back.

Once they walked through the Johnny Rocket's door into the stone passageway, a wave of icy, dank air greeted them. Earlier that morning, when Euna forced Jack, their decapitated, singing friend—long story—to make these stairs by singing the earth into a headache, Jack had been inconsiderate in accommodating a titan's size. If Jack were around, Pax would scold him for his bigotry and told Prometheus to stage a social justice boycott. In the meantime, Prometheus shrank down in size.

Pax could barely get his voice to work. "Th-they d-don't c-c-call you the T-titan of c-craft-ty c-c-council f-f-for no reason. T-though I th-think you sh-should add d-dramatic t-t-timing to your list-st of s-s-super powers."

"Thank you, Ajax. I will remember to put that on my resume next time they dedicate a statue to me," Prometheus said. Although there was some humor to his words, he sounded sad.

The grey light from the ship disappeared when the door swung shut. All they had was what dim firelight trickled down the passage from above. Pax wished Prometheus would sprint up the stairs. He was waiting for Ares to appear and shout, "Psych!" and drag them back down.

He also hoped his brother would scold him for being ungrateful. Instead, he heard Axel's choked whisper, "Th-thank you, Prometheus. I… I…"

"Axel, do you remember what you said to me when I thanked you for slaying the Kaukasian Eagle?" Prometheus asked softly. His steps echoed up the stairs.

There was a pause. Then, "That no one should be punished for trying to better the world."

Pax could envision Prometheus squeezing Axel's shoulder. "I'm just repaying you in kind."

At first, Pax thought this "bettering the world" was in reference to how Axel had helped Hephaestus pull a prank on Ares and Aphrodite and, really, to how Axel tried to cut off Ares' dick. While those actions would certainly make a better tomorrow, Pax realized Prometheus meant their service to the Titan Army.

They quieted for the last few steps, enough that Pax could hear Axel's shaky breath and the renewed ruckus from Camp Half-Blood above. From the sound of it, campers had woken from Phobetor's spell.

"Um, P-Prometheus?" Pax said, trying to get his voice under control, "Y-you're g-good at pr-predicting things. H-how do you think a bunch of p-panicked demigods w-will react when an e-enemy t-titan walks into the middle of their c-c-amp during a b-battle?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't given it much forethought." Prometheus smiled. "Let's find out."

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed seeing Prometheus… in talking action? Man, he sounds a lot less epic when you remember his powers are like those of a British aristocrat. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed! :D Tune in next week for Kally's Dental Floss Does Not Equate to Surgical Thread

(or: Unsanitary Surgeries and Unconventional Kisses). (Ooooo, a shippy chapter)

Footnotes:

1 Mel, my editor, has repeatedly asked if Prometheus has a ship for these three. In response, Prometheus would like to remind everyone that he is a titan of forethought and it would be cheating for him to answer.

2 And Jack can't have that. Merry would murder him.

3 Pax would like to add this to the list of powers that Axel possesses.

And, since I can't PM you to have a proper conversation (sorry to the rest of you, I beg your patience)

Dear Reviewer Matt,

Fortunate for you, I burn very easily, despite being a child of Apollo.

On taking down your comment: I don't condone hate mail or violence and, by your second comment, I assume you don't either when you've thought things through.

To answer your question: Will and Nico are still together. If you read the first three books, you'll see their relationship is taken seriously and is portrayed in a healthy light. If you continue to read the series (which, I assume you've stopped) then you might find that as a continuous theme.

Sometimes, an overt struggle/challenge for two characters does not show a hatred for those two characters (or an ending), but instead can signify a greater appreciation for how they can persevere under stress and how it can shape those characters into stronger individuals in the end. If you prefer to stories that do not put characters through trials and you don't like Greek mythology (like the happier rehash of Orpheus and Eurydice) then I would recommend an easier, lighter series.

Lots of hugs to your death and burn wishes,

Jack

Also, as I probably should have called out awhile ago, thank you Heliox14 and Hermione Granger-Malfoy475 for your comments :D Also, also, this is not to discourage future, constructive comments. I screw up a lot with grammar, mythology, and plot holes. I appreciate people giving me suggestions to keep this enjoyable to the readers! (especially since I changed a few things to accommodate people's ReynaXAxel votes in book III XD)