Chapter 28

"It's over now."

Hera languished on Zeus's own throne- the highest in the room. "So you figured it out- the true culprit was Professor Plum with the candlestick."

"I was knew we were looking for 'the homicidal maniac' with 'an army of metal contraptions,'" Dani responded, "but somehow I never thought it would be you."

"And wasn't that the point?" Her cold brown eyes flicked to the boy. "It truly is a surprise to see you here, Xander Drake."

"Surprise? I admit I might be a bit late, but the fact that I'm here ain't much of a shock," he told her calmly, stepping forward. "Call off the army, Hera."

The beautiful goddess laughed harshly. "Do you know why you were chosen for this quest, demigod? I suggested you." Xander must have looked as confused as he felt, because she crooned, "Oh, poor child, you must have thought you were special! You thought you could be a hero! No, it took a few too many hours to convince them that you were the one. You were never meant to succeed," she hissed.

Sure, he had wondered why he had been chosen for the quest hundreds of times over the course of the week, but actually knowing it had all been part of Hera's plan? That hurt. She's baitin' me. Don't give in. He attempted to move on. "Doesn't matter. I don't mind provin' people wrong. Now, again: call off the army or I will make ya." He pulled his sword a few inches out of the sheath as a warning.

Hera rolled her eyes and stood. She was in her giant form, which made the whole situation that much more impossible. "I am a goddess; you are a foolish little boy. How do you expect to win this fight?" She moved gracefully. The white dress moved like oil on water. The effect was more intimidating than the immortal's height.

Swallowing his all too present fears, Xander answered, grateful that, for once, he actually sounded confident. "I won't have to fight ya in order to win if you surrender now, Lady Hera."

"Surrender?" she scoffed. Her voice softened, like a mother speaking to naughty children. "When I'm so close to victory? No, I don't believe I'll do that."

Rose murmured, "There can be no victory without loss." Hera switched her imperious gaze to the small redhead.

"A daughter of Hecate, I see. How…rare. Terribly rare. I don't believe my kin has had a child in at least five centuries." She noted the girl's bow and quiver of arrows. "A Hunter, then. But your weapons don't glow, hm? In exile, are we? I believe Artemis mentioned you. The little girl that fell in love. The one that doesn't belong." Hera clicked her tongue. "It isn't polite to stay when you aren't welcome, darling. Perhaps a swift death will solve this problem."

"That's it, let me end this," Dani spat, reaching behind to unsheathe her knives, a dangerously aggravated expression on her face.

"Don't," Xander hissed back to her.

"That's right, daughter of Hades. Never begin something you can't finish." The goddess's tone melted from teasing to venomous. "You are the worthless spawn of my misguided brother. That working girl you call a mother tricked him into loving her. You are too powerful, Danaë Kyle. You should not exist."

"How dare you say that about my m-"

"Dani," Xander whispered, laying a hand on her arm, "this ain't the time to get reckless."

"Then when is?" she growled from behind gritted teeth.

"I don't know," he answered honestly before facing the goddess. "What is the plan, Hera? What, exactly, is your endgame?"

"My, my. The genius doesn't even know my purpose? And you call accusing me a point of deduction? Athena should be ashamed. I may as well explain. Your race will not last much longer.

"Demigods have always been a thorn in my side. Most of you are illegitimate, and perfectly happy marriages are infected by your existence. You fester and multiply. I will not stand for it! You do not belong in my family!"The angry screech echoed in the huge room.

"Now I get it. You have this ideal of perfection, and half-bloods mess that up for you."

Hera's chilly smile made him shiver. "Correct. You will be erased from this world, now and forever."

Xander blinked. "Well. Alright," he mumbled nervously, trying to regain his confidence. "I have to ask, though, how do ya expect to have a perfect family when you taint it with blood? Do ya really think mass murder can solve all your issues? If you're actually delusional enough to think it can, lemme tell ya right now that you're wrong."

"Dead wrong," Dani threw in helpfully.

"Children, your naïveté is beginning to annoy me. No member of my family is a stranger to murder. This may anger them for a while, but I can make them understand." Hera sighed as though she were bored. "Now, if you are so eager to fight, please." She shrunk to their size and gestured to herself. "Attack."

"No. Don't," Xander instructed as he stood, resolute, before the goddess. "It's what she wants- don't give it to her."

The woman in white shrugged. "Then I suppose I've won without a fight. I wonder who's down there, hm? Your cabin mates…All the friends you've made…Oh, and let's not forget that sweet little brother of yours." She paused thoughtfully. A malicious glint lit her eyes. "Henry, wasn't it?"

Xander felt his nails dig into his palm as he clenched his fist. He could still see the scared look on his half-brother's face- an image he was sure would stay with him for a long time. "Yes, ma'am," he answered quietly, finding it suddenly much harder to look the psychotic goddess in the face. Don't give in. Don't give in. Don't give her what she wants.

An arrow sliced through the air and cut Hera's shoulder. The goddess of home and marriage stared at her shoulder in shock as golden ichor oozed from the small wound. "I am tired of mind games," Rose said softly, holding her bow steady with another arrow nocked to the string. "Fight us."

"My pleasure," the goddess said silkily as she unsheathed an ornate golden dagger from her hip. She jabbed at Rose skillfully. With an effortless movement, the goddess sliced the ginger's shoulder in the exact same location she had been wounded. "Now you see the consequences of your actions," she chided.

Dani aimed her twin blades at the goddess's head and launched at Hera. "What was that you said about me, Hera?" the young girl growled as their daggers clashed. Each female was out for blood. "That I'm too powerful? Was that it?" The daughter of Hades shot her arm out to slice the immortal's throat, only to have the goddess block her and then whirl into a counterattack. It all happened within the blink of an eye.

"Any child of my brother is far too powerful- on earth. Olympus is immortal. There are no corpses for you here, Necromancer." Her feral grin widened as Dani struggled beneath her foot.

"Let her go!" Xander shouted, panicked.

Rose put a hand on his arm and whispered, "Keep your head." She fired at Hera with practiced speed, but none hit their mark. The goddess merely raised her hand and flicked the arrows away. Xander used the opportunity to step closer to his target.

Dani delivered a sharp elbow jab to the woman's ankle and rolled away. Hera didn't seem the slightest bit bothered, however. Instead, she merely smiled sweetly. "However, it has occurred to me that a few corpses strewn about here or there would bring an interesting mood to this room. Why don't we start with yours, dear?" Her eyes flicked from Dani to the arrows she had stopped that floated in midair. A sole arrow gracefully spun to point in the brunette girl's direction. Hera snapped and the arrow shot forward. It was angled straight for Dani's chest.

Clink.

The arrow met the flat of Xander's sword as though it were a baseball. It bounced back and fell to the ground. He let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in his rush to draw his sword, somewhat amazed at how fast his reflexes had been. A cheeky grin spread across his face. With a weapon in his hand, he almost felt confident enough to fight the insanity that shone feverishly in Hera's eyes.

Almost.

The crazed expression the goddess now wore was made all the more disturbing by the fact that she still looked extremely motherly. It was difficult to reconcile the two characteristics.

"Tell me, Xander Drake; will you go to the Fields of Punishment for this most grievous failure, or shall I get a little…creative?" Hera's suggestion reminded Xander of Lamia, the age-old queen she'd cursed so horribly. The Fields were by no means appealing, but they almost seemed a kinder fate than a concoction of the familial goddess's.

"I just saved Hades' daughter," Xander explained, keeping his voice level as he dodged a swipe from Hera's dagger. "D'ya really think someone as just as the god of the Underworld would have me tortured for eternity after that? Seems like a pretty hollow threat." Actually, it wasn't a hollow threat at all; Xander knew that. He was scared of Hera, but he wasn't going to admit that to her. She lashed out with a swift attack that grazed his leg. She's gettin' faster.

The goddess smoothed her dress unnecessarily. "All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy, indeed," she goaded. "Fight, son of Athena. You have no spirit!" When Xander didn't move, she murmured, "It's a tragedy, really. Henry trusted you. He insisted you would save them when I came to call. Poor, fragile little Henry. How is it that such a tiny boy fought with more strength than you? He's tried so hard, but I'm afraid he's just no match for my Metalliks."

Henry. Suddenly, his found himself propelled toward the powerful goddess. He slashed, dove, circled, lunged, kicked, sliced, and stabbed, driven by a burning desire to cut deep into this woman's sick heart.

Blade slid between bone and ligament. Xander gazed at the wound.

Red blossomed around the dagger protruding from his chest.

~O~O~O~

Monica: Were your realized dreams everything you thought they'd be, Rachel?

Rachel: STABBY!

Xander: You've been waiting to kill me this whole time?

Rachel: Since chapter two.

Rose: You…You…You killed Xander?

Dani: Rose, don't cry. Don't give them the satisfaction.

Monica: No, Rose, sob your fragile little heart out! Pain is healthy!

Xander: …Can I cry?

Dani: No!