Hercules walked dazedly onto the school grounds, his backpack on his back and the duffle bag that contained his whole life on one shoulder. By his side was his white German Shepherd, Pegasus. So named because he had black marking on his back that resembled wings. Hercules took a deep steadying breath, slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people at the huge school. For a simple farm boy like him, this was a new experience. He walked purposefully toward the sports complex and followed the signs to the locker room.
He had come here with one purpose.
To convince Philip Octetes to train him for the Olympics.
The washed up trainer had hidden himself way in this school, reducing himself to coaching the kids instead of training for the Olympics. He was Hercules's last hope. No other trainer would help the scrawny kid become the Olympian that he knew that he could be, if someone just believed in him for once. The self-proclaimed klutz possessed natural strength and tenacity that wasn't reflected by his physique.
As he picked his way through the filthy locker room strewn with dirty towels and reeking of sweat, he glanced down at the article he had printed from the Internet. It was an article on the football team at the school and in it, it mentioned that Philip Octetes was their coach, and that the man practically lived in his office in the locker rooms. Hercules jumped slightly when he felt something crawl across his foot, and shuddered when a rat scurried away down the hall.
He looked back at Pegasus skeptically, the dog practically glued to his side.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" he murmured, not expecting an answer. Suddenly he heard giggling from across the room and he hurried over to see if someone could direct him to where he could find Philip. He came to a slightly open door that led to the outdoor showers where the girls from the swim team were rinsing off the chlorine from there toned bodies. Hercules blushed when he saw them talking and laughing under the spray. Ever the gentleman, he quickly ducked behind the bleachers and peeked out bashfully.
He heard a noise and when he looked over he caught sight of a short man who seemed to be caught in the bleachers, his face not visible.
"What's the matter little guy? You stuck?" He pulled the man out.
"Whoa!" the man exclaimed and gave Hercules a surly glare, he slapped him on the nose and yelled, "But out buddy!"
Surprised, Hercules dropped the man and stumbled back to crash into some sports equipment nearby. Startled by the noise, the girls froze and quickly began dashing off in different directions. "Girls no! Come back com back!" The little man yelled and began chasing after them as they made a break for the girl's locker room. By the time he caught up to them they were already inside and slamming the door in his face.
"Oh swimmers!" the little man groaned in frustration, "They can't keep their hands off of me." he smoothed back what little hair he had left.
The door opened a crack and a shapely arm smacked him before slamming the door shut once more. The little man rubbed his red cheek and grumbled as he got up off of the ground.
Hercules looked at the man in surprise and disgust, which only served to annoy the man more.
"What's the matter ya never seen a real man before?" the little man asked as he kicked away a stray soccer ball. The man was short and had a definite potbelly. He was wearing red shorts pulled up on his stomach and a dirty white wife beater. He had a funny little red beard and his face was covered in five o clock shadow. The top of his head was devoid of hair except for four long red strands combed over his scalp.
Hercules snickered a little. A real man, this little man was definitely not.
"Can you help us? We are looking for someone called Philip Octetes." Hercules asked politely.
The little man leaned against the bleacher and pulled out a candy bar, unwrapping in and shoving it in his mouth.
"Call me Phil." he said through the mouthful of food.
"Phil!" Hercules exclaimed and grasped his hand hard, ignoring the mans exclamations of pain as he rambled on, "Boy am I glad to meet you! I'm Hercules!" At that moment Phil yanked his red hand back and glared at Hercules exasperatedly. "And this is Pegasus." The big dog tackled the little b=man and began exuberantly licking him. Phil pushed him off and wiped the slobber off on his shirt.
"Animals...disgusting." he muttered and began walking back to the boy's locker room.
Hercules exchanged glances with Pegasus and followed Phil.
"I need your help. I want to become an Olympian! A gold medalist!" he babbled excitedly but Phil just ignored him and led him through the maze of lockers to an office against the far wall. He opened the door and looked back to give Hercules a once over.
"Sorry kid can't help ya." he walked in the room and slammed the door closed.
"Wait!" Hercules called desperately and yanked on the door, tearing it off the hinges with Phil still holding onto the handle.
Phil gave him and angry glare and Hercules sheepishly smiled at him.
"Sorry... Why not?"
Phil grabbed the door from him, "Two words: I am retired." with that he slammed the door back in the doorframe.
Hercules frowned and counted on his fingers how many words. He shook his head and pleaded as Phil tried to get the door to open normally again.
"Look, I've got to do this." Hercules begged, "Haven't you ever had a dream?"
Phil froze as he was walking into the dark room. "Something you wanted so bad, you'd do anything?"
Phil sighed and shook his head, "Kid, come inside, I want to show you something."
Hercules gave Pegasus a thumbs up and they both followed him into the dim crowded office. It was littered with random junk and newspaper clippings. Hercules looked around in awe as he slowly followed Phil to the far wall. "Watch your step!" Phil called when Hercules almost stepped on an old pizza box.
Watch it that was part of one of the rows of the Argo!" Phil yelled when he caught Hercules about to pick up the paddle.
"The Argo?" he asked excitedly and Phil stopped at the wall with old pictures of Olympic athletes.
"Yeah! Who do you think taught Jason how to row like that? Lady liberty? Ha! I taught all of those would be gold medalists."
He gestured to their pictures, disgust coloring his voice. "Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus! Lot of eus's." he growled and his tone rose as his anger did, "And every single one of those bums let me down! Flatter than a discus. None of them could go the distance." He went to the end of the wall and looked at the majestic picture of a handsome man, "And then there was Achilles. Now there was a guy who had it all. The build, the foot speed. He could jab, he could take a hit!" Phil fake fought an invisible foe while Hercules stared at the picture in awe.
"He could keep on comin!" Phil froze and his fury spiked, "But that furshlugginer heel of his! He barely gets nicked there once and kaboom! He's history.
Phil sighed despondently, "Yeah I had dreams. I dreamed that I was gonna train the greatest Olympian there ever was. So great that the media would be talking about him forever. A star. All across the world. And people would say 'That's Phil's boy'." he whispered nostalgically. After a few second he shook himself out of it and walked over to his desk.
"Eh but dreams are for rookies. I can only take so much disappointment." he sighed as he sat down in his chair. Seeing his chance, Hercules hurried over to him.
"But I'm different than all those other guys Phil. I can go the distance! Come on I'll show ya!" he grabbed Phil's hand and dragged him out to the track where one of the football boys had left some huge weights. Phil sighed as he settled back to watch the scrawny kid try and pick it up.
"Gee ya don't give up do ya kid?" he sighed but Hercules just smiled and positioned himself. "Just watch this."
He easily picked up the barbell and launched it across the field where it landed by the goal post. Phil gaped and watched the barbell fly through the air.
"Holy shit." he muttered. "Maybe if- no no!" he shook his head, "Snap out of it!" he slapped himself and began stomping away, "I'm to old to get mixed up in this stuff again!"
Hercules ran in front of him and looked at him desperately, "But if I don't become a gold medalist I can't prove to my father, Zeus, that I'm his son."
Phil looked at him disbelievingly, "Hold it! Zeus is your father right?" he laughed and Hercules nodded in confusion. Pegasus snorted in support and gave a little bark.
"Zeus! The big guy. He's your daddy!" He laughed hysterically, "Mr. Lightning Bolts. Read me a book would you daddy?" he mocked as Hercules frowned. Was it so hard to believe that his father was the record holder for the most gold medals?
"Once upon a time-" he imitated the big man and broke down laughing.
"It's the truth!" Hercules yelled and Phil rolled his eyes.
"Puh-lease!" He put his hands on his hips and resumed his usual surly look. "So you wanna be an Olympian kid? Well whoop-de-doo!" he said sarcastically while Hercules blushed in embarrassment, "I have been around the block before with blockheads just like you. Each and every one a disappointment. Pain! For which there ain't no ointment!" he shooed away Pegasus when he knocked over a basket of sports balls. Pegasus looked at Hercules happily, but he just shook his head.
"So much for excuses. Though a 'kid of Zeus's' is asking me to jump into the fray." Phil mocked him; "My answer is two words..." suddenly his phone rang. Phil picked it up, holding up a hand to show Hercules that he wasn't done with him. Phil's expression went from awe to fear to resignation as he hung up. "Okay." he sighed.
"You mean you'll do it?" he asked excitedly.
"You win!"
"You won't be sorry Phil!" he exclaimed, and Hercules and Pegasus began jumping around and bumping their heads together excitedly. "So when do we start? Can we start now?" he babbled excitedly.
"Oy vey." Phil groaned.