The Forgotten One

Chapter Ten: Revelations

"So let me get this straight," Josephine said. "You've been sent to kill Commodus."

"Yes," said Aita.

"But you need our help and a place to stay to do so."

"Yes."

"But you have no idea where he is or how to get to him."

"That's right."

She gave him a long, hard look. "Why should we help you?"

"Because of you don't Commodus will level this city and rename it after himself."

"What?"

"It's true," said Meg. "He plans on killing everyone here and rebuilding the city in his own image."

"And how do you know this?" Emmie asked.

Meg swallowed and took a deep breath. "I used to work for Nero."

"Nero?"

"One of the other emperors," said Aita. "He killed her father and manipulated her into thinking it was her fault. Then he took her in and raised her as his own."

Emmie and Josephine's eyes softened. "Oh, you poor dear," said Emmie.

"She agreed to help me root out the false-gods and destroy them, so that's why she's here."

Josephine nodded. "And how do you plan on killing him once you find him?"

"With this—" He summoned the spear of Diomedes. "—It can mortally wound a minor god like Commodus if I pierce his heart."

"And how will you get to him?"

Aita opened his mouth but Emmie cut in, "Why don't we save that for tomorrow? It's getting late and supper will be cold if we don't eat soon."

Josephine nodded. "Right." She turned to Aita and Meg. "You two in the mood for chicken?"

Meg shrugged. "I could eat."

Jo smiled. "And you?"

Aita nodded. "I suppose so."

Emmie clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Come on, I'll get the food ready while you set the table."

-o-

Ten minutes later everyone was seated around a large wood table, passing around bowls and platters of potatoes, corn, bread and large thick slices of chicken meat. Meg looked like she had half her bodyweight on her plate, while Aita only had a few pieces of meat and a spoonful of corn. Jo, Emmie and Georgina had moderate helpings of everything, and were making polite conversation over their food.

"This is delicious," Aita said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Meg nodded and shoved another spoonful of potato into her mouth.

Emmie blushed. "Thank you. I mean I know it's not Ambrosia, but I still try."

"It's paying off."

Emmie smiled and took another bite. "You know, I swear we've met."

"Have we? I don't think so. I'm sure I would've remembered meeting someone like you."

"I don't know…" She turned to Josephine. "Doesn't he seem familiar?"

Jo squinted. "Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall hearing your name before. Were you and Lord Apollo friends at one point?"

Aita swallowed. "Once."

"What happened?" Georgina asked.

"We…drifted apart," he said, taking another bite. "I haven't seen him in millennia."

Jo and Emmie exchanged a look. "Why don't you go talk to him?" Emmie asked.

Aita thought for a minute. "Too much time has passed. I doubt he even remembers me anymore."

Jo waved a hand. "Bah! I'm sure if you remind him who you are, he'll remember you. He does seem to have a very vivid memory."

"That me does," Aita mumbled, taking a sip of his water. He put his glass down and looked around. "This place is amazing. Did you make it?"

Jo laughed. "Gods, no. Lady Artemis gifted it to us after we left her Hunters."

Aita raised his eyebrows. "You were both Hunters?"

Emmie nodded. "A long time ago."

"She let you live—you must've been on good terms."

Jo nodded. "We like to think so. In exchange we let her and the Hunters stay whenever they're in the area or need supplies."

"Just the Hunters?"

"Not always. If a demigod stumbles upon us we're more than happy to take them in until they're safe enough to venture out again."

"Very generous," Aita said.

"Thank you."

He turned to Jo. "I saw you working in a workshop when we got here; do you make the Waystation's weapons?"

She nodded proudly. "Sure do!"

"Your father must be Hephaestus, then," he said.

"Hecate, actually."

Aita's smile faded.

He looked up, fork halfway to his mouth. "What?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"My dad was a mechanic, but my mom's Hecate, goddess of Magic."

"That's…" He wanted to say impossible, but that wasn't true. He could see why he'd recognized her: she had many of her mother's features—high cheekbones, slender build, that mischievous look in her eyes whenever she got excited or happy.

She has taken lovers, and mothered children, Hemera had said, but he'd refused to believe it; but now, there was no denying it.

His wife had sired children—children that weren't his.

"Are you alright?" Emmie asked. "You look like you just swallowed a big."

Aita opened his mouth, but then he saw Jo looking at them with those damned eyes of hers.

Her eyes.

I'll not welcome pity from a bastard! he thought. "Excuse me," he said quickly, pushing the chair out and storming off as quickly as he could.

Everyone looked at each other. "Was it something I said?" Jo asked. Meg shrugged and went back to eating. "I'll go talk to him," said Emmie, rising from her seat and following after Aita.

-o-

Aita sat down, legs dangling off the ledge of the Union Station rooftop. He let out a sigh. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! he chided. What is wrong with me? Now I look like a fool. Still, the thought of the bastard made his stomach tighten into a knot. This is all her fault. If she hadn't been born this never would've happened.

His throat clenched. He sounds just like Hera. How could he have fallen so far? He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear Hemithea until she spoke: "Care to explain what that was about?"

Aita turned his head so abruptly he would've snapped it if he were mortal. "Did she ever tell you about me?"

Hemithea narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

"Artemis. Did she ever mention me?"

"Why would Lady Artemis talk about you?"

Aita scoffed. "So she didn't mention her brother…"

Emmie crossed her arms. "She talked about Apollo all the time. Why would you ever come up?"

"Maybe because I'M HER BROTHER TOO!" he shouted, uncaring if anyone else heard. By now his anger and bitterness had been brought to the surface—anger about being forgotten by humanity, abandoned by his siblings, scorned by his wife, by everyone! Why should he help save them when they haven't done a thing for him in the past?

Emmie took a step backward. "What are you talking about?"

Aita stood up and stormed over to her. "My name is Aita, I'm Artemis and Apollo's younger brother. Hecate is my wife. She swore to be mine for eternity, yet she went and lay with other men. I faded because your kind forgot about me; though it seems like they weren't the only ones." He turned around and walked back to his spot. "They forgot about me too." He didn't realize there were tears in his eyes until one landed on his hand. "Artemis. Apollo. Hecate. Mother. Father. They all forgot about me after a while. They never even told you who I was."

Hemithea was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke: "You're Lord Aita?"

He scoffed. "Don't bother with the formalities; I'm no god. Not anymore."

…

"They haven't forgotten you."

Aita turned. "Excuse me?"

Hemithea took a step forward. "Artemis and Apollo haven't forgotten you."

"They never spoke about me."

"Because when they tried they would barely be able to say your name before they broke down into tears." She knelt down net to him. "They were broken when you died. They're still broken."

Aita was quiet for a minute. "And Hecate?"

She shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. I never met my mother-in-law, but I can tell you that it isn't fair for you to take your anger out on Jo. She didn't ask to be born, and she sure as Hell didn't know about you, so lay off."

Aita glared at her. "I could destroy you with a flick of my pinkie."

"You could." She stood up. "Are you coming?"

Aita shook his head. "I need some time to cool off."

She nodded and went back inside, leaving the god alone with his thoughts.

-o-

A short while later, when the moon was high and the city quiet, Aita felt someone else step onto the roof.

Aita didn't turn his head. "Hey."

Josephine walked up until she was a few feet behind him. "Hi."

He patted the ground next to him. "Take a seat?" When she made no moves he said, "I'm not going to hurt you."

She silently sat down—though they were still several inches from touching. She doesn't trust us, he thought.

Would you trust us? Sorus said. Think about it: you show up out of nowhere—apparently having come back from fading—and claim to be her mother's husband. How do you think she was going to respond?

Good point.

"So…" Josephine said.

"So…" said Aita.

After another long moment Josephine said, "You're my mother's husband."

Aita looked down at his feet. "And you're my wife's daughter."

She inhaled. "Are you going to kill me?"

Aita nodded. "Hecate would never forgive me if I did—and you have a daughter."

"So?"

"I can't deprive a girl of her mother just because of my feelings about her. I'd never forgive myself."

She chortled. "You're not like most godly in-laws."

"I'm not Hera, if that's what you mean; you didn't ask to be born, and I wasn't even around during the time—I have no place to decide your fate."

Josephine looked down at her lap. "I guess I should thank you for that."

Aita looked at her. "You look like her."

She looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes." Silence filled the air for several minutes. "What now?"

Josephine stood up. "Now, you tell us your plans for Commodus. Come on."

A/N: Please tell me what you thought, guys. This chapter was so much fun to write, even though not much action happened. If you want to be alerted to when I update then please favorite and follow. I probably won't get a new chapter out until after New Year's, so I will see you all next year. Bye!