A/N: Okay, I know I only updated yesterday, but the response was so amazing that I just HAD to update again. I can never tell you guys how much I love you! Okay, this chapter is for: MinervaStar. That poor Panda *sob* can I have one please? Anyway, I also have a huge stack of cookies here for:
Pupdog2000
Olympus97
Velocity Drew Warren
Angelwingz324
FateofChaos (really? My friends and I started looking for them, no such look though :()
CandyLand7
Athena2000 (you have a good memory)
Lillideathflower
I amtheawesomelikepotatoes (Still loving your name)
Brackenfern
Aoe123
EnigmaticPerson (you know, I really wish you had an account cause I really want to talk to you, you sound… interesting!)
Okay, enough with me Blabbing, on with the story!
Karma's PoV:
I shivered a little at the look on Rogue's face as she signed off, it was bad enough when she grinned normally, but, with her normal face, it was just plain evil. Still, we had a job to be done and I was not going to accomplish that by standing here and staring at my watch now was I? Unfortunately, when I turned back to the group from looking over Gypsy's shoulder, it was to face some very annoying goddesses who seemed to be intent on finding out every little secret of the universe. Hello, do these people know we're at war?
"You know, I heard that mentioned before, the flaw thing, but what does it mean?"
Nope, obviously they don't. Sighing, I slipped back into the comforting shadows around the edge of the room. Ice had always taken me away to dark places on our dates, him being the son of the moon goddess and all, so the shadows that caressed my skin helped a little, but then I would remember what had happened and a burning anger began to form in the pit of my stomach. Quickly, I shook my head to suppress this feeling, anger would help nothing at this moment.
Before I answered the girl's question (look, I don't care whether or not Alyssa is a goddess, she is still younger than me) I closed my eyes and prayed to my father for strength, adopting my emotionless face that I so often used in combat.
"That would be us, we are… were the 5 flaws of Nyx."
"My Champions."
Mother decided that it would be better to state the obvious apparently, still, I wasn't too concerned about that, I was too busy trying not to show the flash of pain that shot through me. Ice had been my fiancée for the last 2000 years, why on earth would he do this to me now, to us? Because of my pent up emotions, my words came out a little harsher than I had first intended them to, but, whatever, these were the people asking annoying questions after all.
"Look, I can tell you know that your boss aint going to be too happy about being kept out of the loop in this particular instance, and I really don't feel like repeating myself so can you please gather all of the other Olymp- GAH!"
For a split second, it felt like the world around me twist sharply, forcing me to either close my eyes again or throw up. Fortunately, I chose the former but, I could tell from the wrenching noises behind me that Gypsy had decided to play the idiot. Oh well, boo sucks to be her I guess, but she can't really blame other people for her own stupid choices, daft little kid, I wish for once that she would just grow up and act her age... Maybe I should get her a Zimmer frame to help with that?
Grinning slightly at the thought, I finally allowed my eyes to open slightly and the smirk slid straight off of my face. In front of us stood a rather annoyingly satisfied Love goddess who was looking more than a little vindictive as she glared down at us. Yes, I could definitely see the family resemblance between her and our rather sadistic unit lieutenant. Her face not once losing its cocky half smile, the goddess turned one her heels to address the people behind her and it was with great annoyance that I realised that the brat had teleported us straight into the throne room. Yeah, real mature.
I could tell that no one had been expecting us as they were all frozen in place in their thrones and it would have been quite a comical sight had we not just been abducted and taken to Olympus without our wanting to.
Over in the corner, Zeus seemed to be in the middle of a gigantic migraine as his elder brother and sister argued across him. It was probably a good idea that their thrones were so far apart actually, Hades looked just about to kill the goddess of agriculture. Over in the side thrones, the others seemed to occupied with who knows what, but, as soon as Aphrodite bowed, they all straightened in their seats trying to recover their image. Yeah, good luck with that.
"My Lord Zeus, I have brought forward the remaining Assassins and their mistress to explain something else they have been hiding from us. On their request, of course."
With that, she stiffly marched back and took her place between her sister's in law who each put a hand on her arm comfortingly. Well, that was rude… I thought the icy reception was Khione's trade mark not hers? My thoughts were pulled from this track at the look on the gods' faces as they slowly worked out that the young woman stood behind us, cuddling Gypsy close to her chest, was actually an all powerful primordial goddess. After about 10 minutes of silence, Nyx seemed to realise that nothing was going to happen with her in here so she placed our 3rd in command down gently and unravelled the girl's arms.
"I'll wait outside then… No need for me to make you all uncomfortable than you already are!"
With that she faded back into the shadows leaving us alone in a room full of angry gods, gee, thank you mother, what did you get me for my birthday? A giant, man eating octopus that hasn't been fed in the last 400 years and sees me as a very pretty food parcel?
"Well then, what is it that you wish to say dears? It must be very important for you to come all the way here."
I managed to stop myself from smiling at the goddess of the hearth just in time, but she was just so sweet that I couldn't help it. Clenching my hands into fists, I dug my nails into my skin so that I wouldn't do something sappy and replied coolly.
"Alyssa was asking what it meant when we were referred to as 'flaws of Nyx' and we decided that it is an explanation best heard by the entire council as it is our main strategy in combat."
They all looked at each other at that, but it was Athena who broke the silence, seemingly as keen as her daughter to discern our secrets.
"And…? What does it mean?"
I sighed at this. Gods it was going to be difficult to explain, especially as it didn't really make sense unless you had experienced it, or knew a little about our human lives. Frantically, I looked behind me in search of help, only to find that Gypsy was staring at her father as though she had never seen her before in her life, and Shade seemed quite happy staring into the eyes of Alyssa… great now our captains in love with a goddess. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the others in the room, deciding to start out with a simple question.
"Er, right so… first off, have any of you ever noticed anything completely and utterly strange happen around one of our members? Probably around Rogue as she has the worst control over her temper?"
At my words, the goddess of love stiffened and glared at me before hissing out a reply that seemed to shock all of those around her.
"Her name is Piper and yes, that time when she found Shade poisoned, when she started yelling at Gaea, all the monsters around her were destroyed and the demigods complained of feeling weakened."
What? When the Hades had this happened? Still, at least it got across my point pretty easily and I almost sighed in relief, still, the other gods were muttering amongst themselves uneasily again and I rolled my eyes, could they not be surprised for one second? Still, I allowed a feral grin to grace my lips as I responded.
"Then you have already experienced one. We are called the 5 flaws of Nyx because we each control an emotion that is a common killer for heroes. Rogue," (cue hissing from a psychopathic goddess again) "holds power over weakness, she can drain the energy of anyone she wishes."
At this, they all seemed too shocked to chunter in the background, well, all accept for the god of war who was leaning forwards in his chair as though he was about to be given the best present of is life.
"And the rest of you? What do you control?"
Okay, I was not going to go through the entire list of it by myself so I turned round and booted Shade in the ankle, though, apparently, he is able to multitask as his eyes never once left the girl as he spoke out.
"Desperation. It can make some enemies more… talkative."
Okay, cue the creepy glint in his eye that he always got when he talked about his line of work. I learnt the hard way a few years ago that you should never accompany him on interrogation missions. I only went once and I still have nightmares about it. The next up was Gypsy who skipped to the front of us and gave a mock bow.
"Fear is mine, it can be quite entertaining to see your enemies run off screaming before you even draw your weapon. That's when the hunt kicks in!"
Okay, is it just me, or are all of us sounding more than a little deranged? I flinched a little as I thought about the power Ice possesses that is now in the enemies hands, the power that he would now describe as arrogance. Fighting back tears I stepped forwards and rested my hand on the little brat's shoulder.
"And mine is remorse. That is why we are called the flaws of Nyx, and why we are so capable at our jobs."
I felt the little pixi shift underneath me as she got ready to make a new declaration, but I only just figured out what she was going to say before the first word came out of her mouth, far to late for me to clamp it shut.
"But we are also the blessings of Chaos."
That little IDIOT, does she not have any idea about what the term 'secret' means? Clearly not, but I would have thought that she had enough sense not to blurt out something like that in front of people as power hungry as the gods right? Thankfully, we were saved another explanation, by an explosion that shook the throne room and a glowing screen that popped out of no where with that red headed Hecate girl in the middle of it.
"Er guys, I think you need to get down here now… if not, you might miss all the fun."
With that, the girl was gone and the gods fell into chaos. Oh joy Rogue, what have you done now?
A/N: and there you have it. I'm not going to ask the question this time as I promised my beta that she could do it… So I'm sorry in advance if it doesn't make sense. Anyway, thank you, and I know I said the war started in this chapter, but I realised that I needed to put this in before the fighting started, sorry!
Agent 1: YAY I get to do the question, and HEY I make perfect chocolate, blue berry hub cap... I mean sense... er yeah, on with the question um... why did I ask to do this? erm no, that's not it er...
What did Rachel attack Kronos with? Yeah, that'll do.
Oh yeah, before I get locked back in the dark again, Ela said I had to say hi to someone... the enigmatic person was it? Anyway, hi! -walks off- Now do I get my cookie Els?