Part 8 : I believe in you.

Three weeks after the ball.

Cassandra didn't remember a time where she was that happy.

She had an adorable girlfriend with who she was more and more falling in love as time passed, Icarus was finally leaving her alone (YES !), and she hadn't had a vision of the future since a long, long time.

Everything was good and okay.

It was strange for her to say or think that, but… yes, it was true.

She was happy.

Hercules even had succeeded to get a date with Tempest, after he had this dance with her, and after he had surprisingly succeeded to make the singer Orpheus go to the Promethean school and make a concert during the Aphrodite's ball (yes, Cassandra didn't really pay attention to his presence, since she was completely drowned into Galatea's eyes).

And even Adonis, if he hadn't stopped acting like a real jerk, had been really less annoying these last times with other people since his break-up with Helen !

Yes, I know, that's just a fucking miracle !

Helen and her relationship with Paris were going really well too, and no catastrophe including Hercules had happened since at least months !

So yes, now, everything was good and okay.

It just couldn't last, right ?

§§§§

The mother of all monsters, Echidna, with her husband Typhon next to her, and with her baby in her arms, surrounded by Orthos, her two-headed Bi-Clops' son, she looked at her visitor.

It was not the first – nor the last, unfortunately, she already knew it – time that she was seeing Hades come at her house in order to propose to her some stupid plan to conquer/destroy/ annihilate/insert other aleatory synonyms here, the world.

So yes, to say the truth, she was quite suspicious about it.

"Tell me, Hades, Echidna asked him, frowning and crossing her arms, what are you doing here ? And what do you want to ask to me ?"

He immediately gave her an innocent look – or so he tried – in which she obviously didn't believe at all.

"But my dear Echidna, he said, trying not to be too much charming with her – Typhon was just next to her and was glaring at him in a furious way, not really wanting the god of the Underworld to flirt with his wife – you're completely misunderstanding the reason of my presence here ! He exclaimed, trying to be as much convincing as possible.

She raised a skeptical eyebrow, her arms still crossed on her chest, her baby now lying on his bed, sleeping peacefully.

- Oh, really ? You're not going to ask me, my husbands and my children for our help in order to try to use a stupid plan which will consist in you and us trying to conquer/annihilate/destroy/insert another synonymy here, the town of Athene or the Olympus ?

Because all the times you came here, it was for this only reason ! Not that I don't mind a little massacre, the monstrous creature admitted easily, but I would want it to work, this time !

- What do you mean ? He demanded, still trying to keep his innocent air on his face.

She sent him death stares.

- Oh, but that's very simple, Hades, king of the Underworld ! She almost screamed. I am tired of being every time ridiculed or defeated by this not so really hero and annoying demigod, your nephew, Hercules !

And this, every time I try to fight against him ! I know I am not the heroine of this story, but in the end, it is really beginning to be irritating to lose every time ! I don't want to loose anymore.

- Heroes are so annoying, Typhon muttered for himself."

(HISHE and Villain Pub reference !)

The god then send her a victorious smile.

"Well, then Echidna, I have the perfect solution for you ! And the perfect plan !

- It's not that I don't trust you, Hades, Typhon then said, interfering in the conversation, with a tone which clearly meant that he didn't trust him at all, but the two times we tried to defeat Hercules, me or Echidna – and I am not even talking about Orthos' two failures – we lost. So, please, excuse us if we are not ready to listen to you so easily. Or to think that you will not lead us to a complete defeat this time.

- Except that this time, my plan is perfect and infallible ! He affirmed, sure of himself."

He had thought a lot about his plan, after all, so yes, he was really proud of himself ! Well… he had thought about it… more than just two minutes… Which was far way better than in the show…

"What kind of plan ? Orthos asked, suddenly interested, just before his other head said : and after that, we kill and eat everyone ? The monster asked."

Hades shrugged.

"Well, if you help me into my quest to conquer the Olympus, then, I will let you have Athene. And Sparta. And Argos. And every town in Greece… But you will have to try not to eat everyone, he said with an evil smile."

Orthos immediately nodded his head, now really interested, being the monster that he was.

"Mom ? He begged Echidna. Can we help him ? The two heads asked her in unison.

- Only if you explain your plan well enough, Hades, Echidna ordered him. And if, of course, you succeed to convince all of us.

- Hum, hum… Of course, my dear. But before I tell you what I want to do, I am waiting for someone else to come here."

After some minutes, a group of people entered into Echidna's and Typhon's house.

They were the Giants, a group of people who wanted to free the other Titans as much as Hades wanted.

Their chief looked at the god and at the monsters and saluted them.

"Hades ! Us, the Giants, we salute you. You asked us to come here because you want to release the Titans from their prisons and their unfair treatment ! We want to be on your side !"

Hades sent a smile of triumph at Echidna and Typhon, who had now a look a complete surprise and amazement on their face, their mouths completely opened because of their incredulity.

"You see ? The first reason why I think I will win this time and that you will too, is because I am not alone this time !

- But Boss ! Pain and Panic both complained, as no one, not even Hades or the Author herself had noticed them before, and as they had decided to talk just at this moment, annoyed too not to have any line since the beginning of the chapter. We are here too ! They exclaimed with a distraught air.

- Yes, yes, of course, he admitted with a clearly tired and annoyed air, I know but you're completely useless to me ! In the show and in the movie ! So please, let me savor the fact that now, I am really going to get some useful allies !

- We still didn't say yes, finally said Echidna, coming back from her surprise.

- Yeah, yeah, I was almost forgetting this… So, here is my plan."

He began to explain them what he wanted to do and how he would, and little by little, the Giants' as the monsters' eyes began to shine with excitement, as they were all beginning to understand that yes, it could potentially really work.

Maybe, if they didn't fail before the end, which could still happen.

"So, Echidna ? Hades asked her at the end of his explanatory monologue. What do you think about it ?"

A really evil and devilish smile crossed the monster's lips.

"Oh, but Hades, you should already know my answer. I'm in… We all are !"

Hades had a satisfied smile.

Now here he was…

He was going to win soon, and no one would ever get on this way !

Too bad that he didn't think about the little seer in the Promethean school…

§§§§

The crisis arrived suddenly and exploded some times after Hades and the other villains' reunion.

Two weeks after, in fact, not a long time before Hades' attack.

It was during diner, and at one moment, Cassandra's eyes had began to be in their spiral's way, and Galatea noticed that some other of the students were beginning to grin at her, and she frowned, not understanding what the hell was going on.

Soon, she would find it, and she would not like it at all.

And Cassandra, with no explanation, began talking and saying non-sense (or so they thought.)

Her voice was, unlike how it was during her predictions, not calm and dull as usual, but completely panicked, which showed how much important and terrifying her vision must be.

But of course, as always, no one else than her would care about it.

"I see Hades surrounded by monsters, Echidna, Typhon, and their children, as well as by the Giants, all going to free the Titans from their prison. I see them walking to the Olympus, and fighting against all the Olympian Gods. I see these one being defeated by them, and I see Hades, king of the Olympus and of the universe. I death, horror, massacres, destruction and desolation ! She screamed, seeming almost to be ready to have a panic attack there, right now, her green eyes still in spiral."

Galatea froze, still not understanding what had just happened.

Why did Cassandra say such strange and frightening things ?

And why… why were almost all the students – except herself, Hercules, Helen, Tempest, Circe (new student since not a long time as well as her girlfriend), Medusa (the same. Just know that she found a way to control her power to petrify people and that she integrated herself goodly into the school) – laughing at her like it was not something serious and really grave and important ?

Just like she hadn't announced the end of the world, of the world they knew !

Cassandra came back from her almost possessed state, and saw that everyone or almost was laughing at her, like she expected them to do so, and she did the only reasonable thing that her scared spirit could think about right now.

She simply ran away.

What she didn't see is that Galatea was ready to go after her, until Hercules, sighing with an annoyed air, stopped her from doing so.

"You should leave her alone… This is what always happens after all her predictions. Except me and

some other people, no one ever believes into her visions and into what she sees.

Remembering some thing she had learned thanks to Athena's knowledge which had been given to her by the goddess, Galatea understood rapidly the situation.

- Wait… Cassandra can see the future ? She is a seer ?

- Yes, indeed.

- But… if it's the case, then, she sees the future, what can happen, so… Everyone should listen to her ! She just announced a catastrophe, and no one cared ! Why ?"

And then, she understood something else, something about Cassandra herself.

It was the reason why she didn't seem to like people, why she was so sassy and cynical, why she seemed to be so disillusioned about the world and people.

No one ever believed in what she said, even if it was the truth. And her, she was condemned to be the one who saw, the one who knew, who always knew, everything and every time, and who had just to see other people not listen to her, and fail, again, and again, and again.

No wonder it had broken something into her…

No wonder she had trust issues, if she was never trusted or believed by all the other.

And she swore, she was going to change it.

Before Hercules had time to stop her, she left the room, ready to find the woman she loved, and tell her that she would be here for her.

Always.

Hercules, as for him, turned back and looked at the entire still laughing crowd.

Oh, by the gods, did he despise them…

He took a deep breath, ready to do something he had rarely done.

Fight for Cassandra.

"Hey, you ! He exclaimed, screaming loudly in order to be heard, and all the laughs immediately stopped. Yes, all of you ! Aren't you ashamed of yourself ? If you're not, then, you should ! He looked at them, furious. Are you just stupid ? Didn't you learn with time not to laugh about Cassandra's predictions ? Isn't she always right about them ? Doesn't she always tell the truth, see the truth ? Now, please, stop being idiots and laughing about a potential conquest of the world made by my uncle, please ! That would be nice."

He then sat down, now only surrounded by an awkward silence, until Tempest stand up at her turn, talking too.

"Well talked Hercules ! I agree with you ! And now, if anyone else wants to mock Cassandra or Hercules or anyone else who doesn't deserve to be, then they will have to face my broadsword ! She said, taking the object from where it was and brandishing it into the air in a warlike – and really scaring – way."

Hercules looked at his girlfriend in a loving and proud way, feeling relieved by her reaction, since he knew now that he was not alone and that she would be on his side.

"Shouldn't we go after Cassandra ? Medusa asked him, worried. I mean, she must be shocked and hurt by what just happened, if she left this way the place."

The young hero just shrugged.

"Oh, you don't have to worry. I am sure that Galatea will take care well of her."

§§§§

"Cassandra… Cassandra ? CASSANDRA ? Galatea screamed, worried that she couldn't find her girlfriend. Where are you ?"

Walking into the school, Galatea had a sight of relief when she finally saw where the other girl was, but as she saw her, sitting down on the ground, withdrawn onto herself, her head buried into her hands, she felt like her heart was breaking.

"Oh, Cassandra, she whispered for herself, sadness in her heart."

It became even worst, when, as she walked closer to her, she began to hear Cassandra's sobs, which meant just one thing.

She was crying.

The woman made of clay immediately felt her rage against all these idiots wake up into her heart and in her veins, even stronger than before, just before she forced herself to stay calm.

What mattered now, it was not them.

Not at all.

It would never be them.

It was just Cassandra who needed support and comfort, who needed her help, after the humiliation she had suffered from in the main room of the school.

It would always be her who would matter for the young student.

Galatea knelt in front of the crying mess that her girlfriend had began in just some minutes.

"Cassandra ? She asked her. The other girl didn't hear her, and Galatea frowned. How bad was she feeling exactly so she didn't even notice her presence ? Hey, Cassandra ! She said louder, trying to touch her shoulder."

At this precise moment, Cassandra noticed the gesture, and, deeply scared, she went away from the other person, an air of fear on her face.

"Don't… Don't touch me ! She hiccuped, still not realizing that it was Galatea who was here, in front of her."

Because of the tears which had fallen on her face, she was not seeing what was just in front of her, and being too much focused on her own thoughts, she hadn't heard her.

Not wanting to scare her even more, Galatea carefully put out her hand from her.

"Hey Cassandra ? It's me, it's just me… It's okay, I'm here… It's going to be okay."

But, just as she was saying these words, Galatea suddenly realized how much futile they were…

Just because she was here didn't mean at all that all Cassandra's problems would be solved in the next minutes.

It would take so much more time.

Wonderful, she couldn't even find the words to comfort Cassandra just at the moment where she needed her the most.

What a pathetic girlfriend she was…

Blinking, the seer finally succeeded to see through her tears, and she frowned when she realized that it was Galatea who was there.

"Galatea ? Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you ? She asked with the same panicked voice she had before. Before Galatea had enough time to tell her that she was sorry that she had scared her, the young woman came back to her full panic mode. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about that, about what just happened, when I said all these things, but… I can't control them ! This is just… who I am. And I am sorry about that, I am sorry for my visions, and I would understand if you want to break up with me right now, because I am just some freak, and…"

Galatea had a smile full of sadness, seeing the light of fear and terror in Cassandra's eyes, seeing her panic and her anxiety come back after they were buried for such a long time under her mask made of cynicism and irony.

She gently took her hands in hers, and looked at her girlfriend in the eyes.

"Cassandra… Listen to me… I don't care you have visions. I don't care people think you're a freak, because for me, you're not. You're a great and wonderful and beautiful and clever and marvelous woman. You're my girlfriend, okay ?

And I am not going to let you down, or to give you up. I love you, sheconfessed to her, saying aloud these words to her for the first time, and her smile widened when she saw Cassandra's eyes open wide with surprise. I fell in love the moment I saw you for the first time, when I learned to know you better. I am in love with you Cassandra, and I believe in you. I believe in what you told us."

And she then ended her confession by kissing passionately her girlfriend's on the lips, and Cassandra immediately relaxed, replying to the kiss.

"So now, tell me more things about this invasion of the Olympus by Hades and the monsters, will you ?"

Cassandra sent her a shy smile, before nodding her head, relieved.

But yet, Galatea knew that it was not over.

And she didn't care, for she was ready to fight the most than she could for her dear Cassandra.

To be continued…