Atlas' POV
Atlas, General of the armies of Kronos, already had a low opinion of the men that Luke had gathered. Be they hero or monster, he had found that he needed to seriously lower his expectations in regards to the 'modern' world.
Still, even with that in mind, he found himself sorely disappointed.
"What in the name of Chaos is going on here?!" He roared as he arrived at the park where they had been camped, his business suit changing to his standard armor as a spear appeared in his hands.
The entire place had been turned into a war zone. Several vehicles were completely destroyed, the human mercenaries that he employed were in complete panic as they fired a hail of bullets while an airborne helicopter flying out of reach was doing the same. Several heroes were moaning in pain on the ground, others looking around helplessly as various monsters stood back in apprehension, the gold dust in the air already telling what happened to others.
The target of it all was a large lion, its pelt shimmering metallically in the moonlight as multiple projectiles 'plinked' off of its fur without any reaction on it's part. A lion that he had seen killed not even an hour prior.
He had been expecting things to look bad - the man that Luke had called had said as much - but this caused whatever faith he had in these men to plummet.
"Get the Cyclops in here to restrain this stupid thing!" He ordered angrily as he eyed the Lion eagerly. He wanted to know how this thing had been able to reform as fast as it did.
"Sir! The Cyclops were -"
He ignored the voice and launched himself at the lion just as it caught sight of him. In all honesty, a fight with the Nemean Lion wasn't going to be complex. For all it's fame, it was actually rather straightforward. He would go up and slam his spear in the bend of the knee, causing the beast to stumble, and then he would simply restrain it till the cyclops arrived with chains.
In battle it could be considered a tricky adversary, since most lacked the sheer strength to pull off this move, and its invulnerable skin made it difficult to kill. Most so-called heroes lacked the imagination to think of one of the many traps that could be used to trap the creature.
Unlike creatures like the Minatour, the Manticore, Cyclops, or any other number of monsters, the Nemean Lion was simply a strong beast. A dumb, if useful, animal.
But then, was that always the case?
Oh Titan of the Sky, have you not paid attention to that which lies below thine feet? Oh Lord of Endurance, has it been so long since though has sensed the world under the sky you hold?
In another reality, magical creatures weren't nearly as plentiful as they were in this, the majority having exiled themselves to the "Reverse Side of the World". Despite this exile, they were still known and ranked according to power under one of three labels - Monstrous Beasts, Phantasmal Beasts, and Divine Beasts.
'To be a magus is to walk with death.' As any magus would tell, no magical beast could ever be taken lightly, for even something as simple as a pixie could kill the unwary.
If the weakest of creatures could cause such fear and caution, then what should the appropriate reaction be amongst the strongest?
As a creature that existed during the Age of the Gods - a being whose legend was known the world over - The Nemean Lion was an existence that was equal to that of True Magic. A Divine Beast that was ranked alongside creatures such as Typhon and Moby Dick.
To attempt to take on such a creature was to flirt with death.
It was not weak.
And it was far from dumb.
The moment Atlas swung his spear at the Nemean Lion's legs, he was shocked when the weapon - specially forged by the Telkhines in one of Hephaestus's Forges - shattered. Expecting resistance when there was suddenly none, Atlas was thrown off-balance. The Lion took advantage of his surprise by launching an attack of it's own, it's claws rending hardened metal and muscle alike as if it didn't exist.
For his part, 'The General' didn't stay stunned for long, regaining his wits in time to launch himself backwards, evading the jaws of Lion that he suddenly wasn't sure he knew anymore.
He took a deep breath, determinedly ignoring the burn of his wounds, and stood tall. He had a reputation to uphold, and if his men saw him confused they'd fall into panic.
"You!" He barked at the man who attempted to speak before, his eyes never leaving the Lion in front of him, "Report!"
"Sir!" The demigod gulped nervously, "The Nemean Lion returned and began it's assault about fifteen minutes ago! It took out the Cyclops first, and every time they tried to chain it down, the chains broke." He gestured, and Atlas noted a long series of heavily corroded chains on the ground, "Same for each of our weapons. It's been picking us off little by little ever since."
The Titan narrowed his eyes at the Lion, observing it as he analyzed what he was just told. It, in turn (and against expectations), seemed to be analyzing him just as closely, a dangerous growl that seemed to permeate throughout the area it's only warning.
The evidence was insurmountable. The unknown Hero that had just killed the Lion not too long ago had done something to it. It had reformed far faster than it should have, and was behaving far more intelligently than it should be. But why did his weapon break as it did? Why did the chains shatter?
His brow furrowed.
He was missing something.
"Lord Atlas? What are your orders?"
Ah, Lord Kronos's Vessel arrived.
He smirked, "I want it captured alive." He declared firmly, ignoring the cries of dismay. Whatever it was that the unknown demigod did to it, it was obvious that it was now stronger. Once captured, they could figure out how exactly it was done, and possibly reverse engineer it. Even if they only figured out how the Lion had reformed as quickly as it did, it would be a huge boon to the war effort.
"Find some sort of restraints." He ordered, "I don't care if you have to make them yourselves. I'll hold it down personally until you do so."
It had felt threatened enough by the Cyclops to kill them first, and seemed wary of him. As his strength was leagues above that of a Cyclops, he should be able to handle it with ease - his earlier move failed because he was too straightforward, had relied on his weapon, and that was easily fixed.
His thoughts were interrupted by the Lion's growling, which had suddenly increased in volume at the mention of 'restraints', the fury in its eyes obvious for all to see. Taking a deep breath, it seemed to brace itself as it lifted its head and roared, the sound thundering in everybody's ears.
A goddess, trapped underneath the burden of the sky, looked up in tired confusion as she felt one of her domains lit up with activity.
A god, hiding in a maze underground in an attempt to be forgotten, jolted awake as his domain suddenly sang in joy, his eyes widening in shock at the sudden surge of power.
Gaia, ever sleeping, drifted in her slumber as she felt the soothing presence of a creature that was inexplicably connected with her, not understanding the impossibility that that was as she dreamt.
Bracing himself against the sound, Atlas shuddered as he felt a wave of strange magic, powerful and unlike anything he had felt before, pass through him at the same time as the sound. Doing a quick once over on his person, it didn't take long for him to figure out what exactly happened.
"W-w-what the heck?!"
"My armor!"
"F-freak, don't look!"
All around him, both demigod and human were panicking as their weapons and armor started disintegrating before his eyes. To the side, the vehicles that were already ruined started corroding and collapsing, and he saw smoke coming from the helicopter.
Atlas glared at the men even as they started panicking about their sudden lack of wardrobe. "ENOUGH!" He thundered angrily, "WHAT KIND OF SOLDIERS PANIC AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!"
Honestly, it wasn't as if the armor and weaponry was doing anything useful against the Lion to begin with!
He glared at the Lion with renewed vigor even as the helicopter crashed in the background, the mercenaries panicking as their guns disintegrated before their eyes. What was worse was that he could swear that the creature was smirking at him.
"THE PLAN REMAINS THE SAME," He ordered. "NOW GET TO IT!" Hopefully the monsters at least would obey his orders. That last action just cemented it - He wanted this new Nemean Lion.
He took a moment to calm himself and observed the Lion, which kept up a constant growl as it observed him back as it slowly started prowling around. He wasn't mistaken - that look in the Lion's eye as it scanned over everybody and ignored them in favor of himself… This monster was showing far more intelligence than it should. Possessed or controlled perhaps?
It wasn't impossible - there were indeed creatures that could do such a thing, but none that had reason to fight on the side of the Gods, nor that would stoop to assist a demigod.
His glare intensified. That just gave more incentive to capture the Lion. If the Gods had allies, then it was vital for the war effort that they figure out who they were.
With golden ichor still flowing from his wounds, ignoring how his own armor and clothes were mere tatters, he launched himself at the Lion once more, this time with far more caution.
To his surprise, the Lion did not meet him head on like he thought it would. Instead, it showed far more dexterity than a creature its size should have, dodging his lunge as it spun and swiped at him in retaliation.
He dodged the claws, quickly bringing his hands together in a thunderous clap that caused the creature to flinch, surging forward once more, aiming for its hindquarters. If he could just get ahold of the creature, any hold, then he could restrain it!
The next several moments of battle convinced him that the Lion was under some sort of possession.
With it's impenetrable skin, the Nemean Lion should be used to tanking damage. One learned to dodge to avoid being damaged, and the Nemean Lion should have never gained that instinct. Yet here it was, dodging each and every one of his grapples, attacking far more intelligently than it had any right to.
However, even the possession idea didn't quite feel quite right… Possession meant that somebody else was controlling it - and yet the creature that was attacking him right now was clearly very comfortable and experienced with its body.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what else would be used to fighting as an eight foot tall feline.
Once again, a question to figure out later. And to be perfectly honest, at this moment none of the unknowns deterred him in the slightest. They were more of an afterthought to the thoughts currently dominating his mind.
He was Atlas, General of Kronos's armies, a position he won through loyalty and valor in battle. It was only recently that he had gained his freedom, and was instantly involved with organizing the army and putting together the details to gather the various war potentials. He had not been in any fights yet, nor was there anybody around that would provide a satisfactory fight even if he had had the time.
So what if it should be impossible for a creature like the Nemean Lion to keep up with him? This was still the first genuinely satisfying fight that he had partaken in in a millennium! The burning of his wounds was negligible, and even if his opponent was dodging all of his attacks it was still a competition between two creatures, both pushing themselves to the limit.
He lost track of how much time had passed as he concentrated on fighting the Lion, but his mind was brought back suddenly when he purposefully took a hit, the move allowing him to snatch the offending paw.
He grinned viciously as he tightened his grip, feeling bone and muscle give under his strength as the Lion roared in pain, only for said grin to falter in confusion as broken bone immediately broke through the impenetrable hide.
The Lion took advantage of that moment to lash out with his other paw, and Atlas instinctively let go. Moving back, he alternated looking between the retreating Lion and the blood on his hand.
Every being had a scent. It was through this that monsters were able to identify demigods, something that even the most inept monsters could do. Those with good sensory capabilities could use this like a fingerprint, identifying who or what that scent belonged to.
That presence could be suppressed or concealed of course, much like the ship containing the bulk of Kronos' Army, the Princess Andromeda. Were it not, he had no doubt that it would be destroyed in an instant by the whelp Poseidon.
But no matter how much one attempted to conceal themselves, it was all for naught when the other person had access to their blood. There was a reason why blood of some sort was an ingredient in so many spells and rituals. Even he, somebody that didn't specialize in sensing, could learn from that contact.
And right now he couldn't understand what it was that he was sensing.
"You… aren't the Nemean Lion." He murmured in baffled realization, "And yet you are."
It didn't make sense. A creature's essence could be considered a fingerprint, and while it is possible for their presence to change, it usually took a major event for that to happen.
To compare the creature in front of him with the Nemean Lion that he had seen previously was to compare a bonfire to a campfire. Both were fire, something that would burn if touched, yet one was clearly more than the other.
In that same vein, the creature in front of him - though his every instinct was telling him that this was, somehow, the Nemean Lion - was clearly more than the Nemean Lion that he knew previously, the blood on his hands echoing with power that was laced with something foreign he had never felt before.
It's hide still repelled weapons, and it was as strong as it used to be without a doubt. Yet at the same time it was smarter, with the ability to destroy weapons and armor that came in contact with it passively, and could do the same to everything within a certain range with it's roar. Yet it's hide was, contradictorily, soft to touch, and it's bones were able to pierce it.
It was the Nemean Lion, and yet it was not.
How was that possible?
His mind flashed back once more to the demigod from before. He already knew that he had done something to the Lion that put it under his control with additional powers, but this was different. Something that he had never encountered nor heard of before.
Before he could decide anything further the Lion leaped backwards, retreating as fast as it could on three feet.
For a couple of seconds all Atlas could do was look on in disbelief before scowling and leaping after it, "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" He snarled, feeling cheated.
His first actual enjoyable fight, and now it was running away before their fight was done! Sure, there was some confusion regarding what exactly it was, but he wasn't done with it!
He immediately ran after it, but a sudden pain in his neck and spine made him grimace, though he did his best to hide it. Unwelcome as it was, it forced his mind into perspective.
He looked at those who remained (perilously little - most had fled when their armor disintegrated) and focused on Luke. "We're leaving," He ordered, "But I want you to track that creature. After everything that it just showed, it's far too valuable to leave alone."
Luke nodded, though he was clearly uncomfortable without any clothes on he at least remained, which increased Atlas's respect for him a little. He started saying something else, but Atlas was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.
The Demigod which killed the original Nemean Lion, followed by this more powerful version of the Nemean Lion… It was obvious they were connected, but that didn't change that he had no idea how that was even possible. They had no leads on the demigod himself as of yet, but if they could get their hands on this Lion that would change.
He growled once more and stalked off to find some clothes. This was not over, not in the slightest.
Percy's POV
They had to ditch the car.
After seeing a helicopter that matched the description of the one that Atlas' men used previously it was decided that the car was too identifiable, and they needed to get away from it.
That made sense, and Percy was very much on board with the whole 'not being caught' thing, though he found himself wondering why the Hephaestus Cabin hadn't come up with some sort of camouflage for the cars yet. Like, uh, paint that changed color? Maybe make it so the van could shift into another vehicle? They had mecha-shifting chariots! His brother Tyson managed to make a watch that turned into a shield in his spare time!
Since the Hephaestus Cabin was clearly being stingy with their technology, they had to take the subway to escape pursuit. Which, well, they did… But they were now in an industrial area of town freezing their butts off with no idea how to proceed.
Instead of focusing on the important and relevant stuff like that, he was instead being put through interrogation.
"How can you get a tattoo without even realizing it?!"
Percy looked at the rest of the group helplessly as Thalia gripped his hand tightly while glaring at him accusingly. Said hand was currently the source of this interrogation - three crimson markings on the back of his hand that he was pretty sure hadn't been there the day before.
While Thalia was glaring at him and waiting for an answer to the question that he hoped was rhetorical (did she actually think he knew?!) Zoe appeared to be restraining her disgust of boys enough to examine the marks with a frown, while Grover and Bianca looked at the three of them worriedly while trying to keep warm.
"Look," He attempted to calm down the girl in front of him, "I get why you're worried, but I swear I didn't feel anything! I didn't even realize that I had it till Grover pointed it out!"
He had been a bit too busy to pay attention to things like that, ok? Worrying about friends, quests being given, huntresses that want to cut off his manhood… Things had been a little stressful. Oh! He had also been invisible for a good portion of it as well! And seriously, how often do you check the back of your hand? It's not like he was expecting to be ambushed by ninja tattoo artists!
"It had to have happened sometime after I left camp," He reasoned, "Otherwise some of the other campers would have noticed and commented on it."
Thalia let go of his hand in a huff, and he took advantage of his reclaimed hand to rub some warmth back into his freezing arms.
He understood that it was a weird occurrence and probably needed to be investigated… But couldn't they do that after they got someplace warm?!
Thalia's anger seemed to be keeping her warm throughout all of this, though he could see the faint concern in her eyes as she reluctantly turned to Zoe, "Do you think the spartoi marked him or something when they started hunting him?"
Zoe turned away from the markings with an annoyed look as she shook her head, "Nay, they track completely by scent. To mark thine prey in this manner wouldst have no bearing on their hunt." She thought in silence for a few seconds, her brow furrowed, "The pattern and symbology is unfamiliar, though I sense an undercurrent of magic within it." She admitted.
Thalia scowled, "Great! It's the middle of the night, we're being chased by undead hunters that never sleep, we've got some unknown 'General' in the same city that's sending mercenaries after us, Percy's been marked by an unknown party… Am I missing anything?"
Zoe narrowed her eyes angrily at the goth girl, but before she could say anything they were interrupted by a deep voice behind them.
"Excuse me, do you kids need help?"
Percy, along with the rest of the group, jumped in surprise at the unknown voice and hastily turned towards it. Percy then looked up.
And up.
… Holy cow, how did a guy this big manage to get this close to them without even Zoe realizing?!
Percy almost thought that the guy was a monster (the option was still on the table…) he was tall and built like an absolute tank. The guy was wearing a simple shirt with a gold blazer on top, the only things standing out in the night as the dudes skin and hair seemed to blend in with the night.
Seeing their apprehension, the giant raised his hands carefully, "Easy there, I mean you no harm." He stated, "I was just driving by and saw all of you. It's not safe for kids to be running around this area this late, and I thought you could use a lift." He glanced into the darkness with a distrustful look.
In a nearby alley
"Uuugh…" A voice moaned, though it was unclear who voiced it. A pile of thugs were knocked out on the ground, a couple of the larger ones missing various articles of clothing.
"S-s-serge?" One of the goons called out weakly, "W-whose idea was it to take on that freak?"
"S-shut… U-up." Another growled back. "L-let's just get back to the car and get back to base."
There was silence for a few moments as the group attempted to recover themselves.
"S-serge? Where did you put the keys to the car?"
Thalia stepped forward cautiously and snapped her fingers, the Mist at her fingertips, "Don't worry, we're meant to be here." She told him as a bemused expression came over his face. "We -"
"Hold up." He interrupted her firmly, "Before you say anything else, you should know that I'm also a demigod."
Thalia looked at him in surprise, and Percy felt his mouth drop open, "Y-you're a demigod?!" He asked incredulously.
He felt himself flushing when the large man gave a chuckle, "Is it truly that surprising?" He asked in amusement as he folded his arms, causing the blazer to bulge against the muscles, "Yes, I too was trained by Chiron, and have gone on multiple quests of my own, many years ago. Though it has been a while, I am aware of what a questing party looks like."
Percy couldn't help but look in shock. Ok, logically he knew that it shouldn't be all that surprising, but he couldn't help himself! but it wasn't his fault that the only demigods that he knew were kids, with the only other time he had heard of adult demigods were in stories!
Though if he was honest, a part of him actually felt relieved with this revelation. He had been worried about the implications of all of them dying young. I mean, his own life was still up in the air considering everything he'd already gone through, but this was a good sign!
"You didn't answer my question." The giant prodded gently, looking at them with curious eyes, "Would you guys like a lift? At the very least, the car has heating."
Yes! The answer instantly shouts in his mind, but he finds himself hesitating.
He would be the first to admit that he was a slow learner - school and Annabeth had shown him that more than once thank you very much. But he'd like to think that once he managed to learn something that it stuck. And one of the things that really stuck with him was to not trust people that just offered help out of the blue.
Whether it was almost getting turned to stone or turned into a hamster, one way or another it usually ended badly for him.
He bit his lip and looked at the large man carefully, breathing a sigh of relief when Zoe stepped forward and appeared to be of the same opinion.
"Why art thou interested in helping us?" She asked suspiciously, her hands never leaving her hunting knives. "A male such as thine self offering assistance to 'children' in their moment of need… It looks suspicious, doth it not?"
The man huffed and leaned against the brick wall, "Perhaps," he allowed with a thoughtful look, "And yet would you rather I have waited for an hour or two more? Would that have made it any less suspicious?" He gave them a smile that was filled with nostalgia, "In truth, I remember what it is like going on quests, even if it has been a while. I told myself then that if I ever had the opportunity to help others in their own quests that I would do so."
Listening to the explanation, Percy felt himself relax almost against his better judgement. For some reason, something about the man just seemed… Safe? He really wasn't triggering any of Percy's red flags (as worn out and full of holes as they were.) Which might have been a warning in and of itself now that he thought about it…
Zoe hesitated for a second before looking at him determinedly, "Swear it on the River Styx." She ordered.
For an instant the large man looked confused, which confused Percy in return. Even if it were a monster in disguise they would respond to that order by attacking - Swearing by the River Styx was known by everybody.
Just like that, the confusion vanished, and the large man raised his hand "I, Alcides, swear on the River Styx, that I will not betray you or purposefully bring you harm." He intoned slowly, tilting his head when the resulting thunder rumbled in the distance.
Zoe finally relaxed, though she still kept her hands on her weapons. "Very well, then we shall accept thine offer." She muttered reluctantly.
The man smiled and gestured for them to follow him to a short ways away where a beaten up truck was.
"Hey, no need to be rude to the guy that's helping us," Thalia scolded softly to Zoe.
"I have resigned myself to being in this males presence and have not insulted him," Zoe scoffed back, "Is that not polite enough?"
Percy coughed loudly, "So, uhm, your name is Alcides?" He asked loudly over the voices of the girls.
The man, Alcides, makes it to the car and nods as he unlocks it, "Correct." He rumbled, "I'm a teacher," chuckling a little when they all gaped at him.
"You're a teacher?" Grover exclaimed, "Of what?!"
He waved his hand dismissively, "Ancient History of course." He answered, and Percy couldn't help but imagine this guy standing in front of the classroom teaching a group of kids.
… Actually, with how intimidating he looked, he was probably pretty good. .
"I also do a bit of training here and there." He continued, "While I'm not as good as Chiron, I think I do alright."
They all pile into the truck after that, with Zoe riding shotgun to avoid more contact with a male for any longer than she had to. Percy found himself sighing and praying that Bianca didn't turn this bad, even if she was a Huntress now.
"So, where to?" Alcides asked.
Zoe sighed, "To the west." She replied.
Alcides nodded, not at all put off by the vague instructions., "Very well."
Now, Percy had never really felt the need to rank his bad car experiences. To be honest, he didn't really have enough of them to make a proper list. Still, like anybody, he had a few - When Gabe was still alive, he had once driven Percy somewhere while being drunk… There was riding in the Gray Sisters taxi the prior year, and even this year there was Thalia's attempted driving of Apollo's chariot. So he had a few, even if he hadn't thought about how they were ranked.
Driving with Professor Alcides? Percy had a new experience to add to the list. And it just might make the top of that list if he ever actually made it.
Fred's POV
'Fred', aka Apollo, watched the car speed off with a frown.
Now, don't get him wrong - he was glad that the demigods searching for his sister found a method of transportation. Had they continued on, he would have crossed their paths and 'nudged' them towards one. Yeah, it would have gotten him in trouble with Papa Thunder, but he didn't particularly care. His sister's safety came first.
So this was the better option really… So why was he so bothered?
… He had no idea who that demigod was.
Granted, it wasn't like he paid super close to kids outside of his own, but for somebody that had gone on multiple quests and reached adulthood? As the God of Truth and Prophecy, he would have expected to have heard something about the guy.
Though if he had to put money on it, he'd say it was one of Hercules' kids - his scent was remarkably similar to his.
Apollo would have suspected Alcides of lying, except one of the perks of being God of Truth meant that he could tell when somebody was doing that, and at most he was somewhat lying about his name.
The truth was oftentimes difficult to pin down, especially with stuff like names. His own for example - Right now, he was Fred. That was the name he chose for himself, and that was what he was currently called. That was Truth. Yet it was not his only name, it was not the name he was born with, nor was it the name that he was most commonly known by.
The man was telling the truth when he said his name was 'Alcides', and yet his instincts were telling him that it was much like his own name of 'Fred'.
He let out a sigh, feeling a tad of frustration. Still, at least they were heading in the right direction, and 'Alcides' gave an oath that he wouldn't betray them, so they were relatively safe. Still, that wouldn't deter him from making a few inquiries of his own.
His sister often called him a meddler, and that was a title he wore with pride. If it helped protect his sister? He would do all that and more.
Unfortunately, before he could teleport to the Pillars of Hercules to talk to his half-brother he felt his phone go off.
He took the phone out of his pocket and looked at it, the sight causing him to groan in annoyance, "An emergency meeting… Now?" He muttered.
He'd have to meet with Hercules after the meeting then. This, unfortunately, took precedence.
He vanished in a burst of golden dust, wondering what the subject of this emergency meeting would be. It couldn't have been anything he'd done - thanks to Alcides, he hadn't done anything worth being punished for!
… Well, nothing recently anyways.
Nemean Lion's POV
The Nemean Lion limped as fast as it could with an annoyed growl. At least it had finally managed to get outside of the city bounds - it had been worried that the strong one would continue to chase after it, yet that had not happened.
To be perfectly honest, this world confused it. It knew that it had been in the Reverse Side of the World for a long time, but the world felt… different than it had expected, the scent of the gods more fresh than it used to, with magic that smelled different than it should.
It gave another growl. It didn't like being in unfamiliar territory.
It felt something magical activate nearby and immediately tensed, looking towards a seemingly plain rock.
A symbol glowed momentarily, followed by the entire rock shifting and revealing a dark passage that reeked of the underground - of damp and mold - and the figure of a satyr that cautiously walked out, it's eyes remaining on the Lion itself.
The Nemean Lion tilted it's head curiously. It didn't know who this was, but its scent, in addition to containing divinity, carried the very essence of the Wild in it - a comforting presence to the creature that was the very antithesis of civilization itself.
The satyr walked closer cautiously, making no aggressive movements as he extended his hand in offering. With narrowed eyes, the Lion lowered its head in greeting and allowed the wild satyr the honor of touching him.
Pan, Lost God of the Wild, felt his eyes widened as he touched the Lion's pelt, "Oh my," He murmured, his breath racing once more in long forgotten wonder as he felt himself strengthened - the mere existence of this creature strengthening his once fading domain, "What exactly are you?"
Author's Notes
Man, it's been a while since I've posted a chapter for this story… No, I haven't forgotten it - I've been wrapped up in writing for several other stories of mine and sometimes switching from one to another is difficult. Work has also been really difficult for me, and I've been putting in overtime to get stuff done. Still, I'm really happy that I was able to get this posted at last.
The fight between Atlas and the Nemean Lion was hard - I can't find any stats for Fate!Nemean Lion, I just know that it's a lot stronger than its counterpart, so I had to extrapolate on what it's abilities and strengths would be based on the short description we were given. I hope that everybody enjoyed it nonetheless.
In the Mark of Athena, Hercules is said to be 'Tall and well built, but not too stocky. A black-haired man that appears to be only twenty.' That, combined with the picture provided if you look him up on the Riordan Wiki, leads me to conclude that he and Fate!Herakles don't look a bit alike, so nobody is going to be thinking that the two are the same person unlike what happened with the Nemean Lion.
Please let me know what you guys think - I truly enjoy all the feedback that I've gotten for this story, and I'm really grateful that so many seem to like this story.
Also, I'd like to announce that I have created a Pa tr eon page for those who are interested. The link to that page is P a treon . com (slash) shdowstep. (remove the spaces).
I'd like to thank my sisters CrazedWeirdo and CaptainDarkElf for proofreading this chapter for me and for the suggestions that they gave. I'd also like to thank my latest three patrons - cameron ngo, Trent Cannon, and SupremeRuler17, for their support. I truly appreciate all that they have done :)