Chapter 61

Predetermined destiny

Far away from the civilized world, hidden in the sea of monsters, lied the island of Nova Roma.

The Roman Empire was vast in its glory days, however during the fall of Rome, it's remnants escaped to this island.

They've remained secluded over the centuries, keeping their existence a secret, and maintaining their culture and way of life.

They worshipped the Roman gods, with the addition of Selene.

Unbeknownst to the people of Nova Roma, Selene was a mutant. But they had no knowledge of the X-gene.

She was worshipped as a goddess and worked to maintain the isolation of the island so she could maintain control, and control is something that has slipped away from her as of late.

Lucius Antonius Aquilla, the consul of their republic, has sprung a rebellion to rise against her tyranny.

His rebellion forced Selene to push back her plans to unite her forces with that of Camp Jupiter, in order to begin her conquest of Camp Half-blood.

Although her luck has changed. Selene managed to capture princess Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla, Lucius' daughter. And with her in Selene's grasp, Lucius won't dare make a move.

It was currently nighttime. The moon was at its fullest, which meant that it was time for the lunar ceremony.

Since Selene was a patron of the moon, she demanded the sacrifice of a young maiden every full moon.

Seven figures walked the uphill path that led to the volcano.

The one in front wore a white cloak, the next five wore grey cloaks, and the last wore a black cloak.

They walked up to the edge of the volcano that was steaming hot.

The soles of their sandals singed from the heat emanating from the ground.

The white cloaked figure, who stood the closest to the volcano, removed their hood.

It was a young girl, caramel skin, light brown hair, and golden eyes. She looked into the pool of lava below in horror.

"It's time my dear" The figure in black stepped forward. Selene removed her hood, her hair was onyx black, as well as her eyes. Her skin was pale, and her stare was just as cold.

Amara turned around in fear, "Please Selene, I'm sure my father can see reason. I—"

"It's too late for that" Selene said inching closer to her.

Amara went to take a step back but stopped as she accidentally knocked a rock loose that fell into the lava.

Selene brushed a few strands of hair out of Amara's face, "Such a beauty" she said in admiration, which was strange considering how cruel she was known to be, "You have nothing to fear" she turned Amara around, "Soon you shall be reborn"

Amara began to tremble, she was petrified. Selene was far too powerful to fight against, and she couldn't run, so she had no choice.

Amara closed her eyes and prayed, 'Lord Jupiter, please lend me your aid'

Selene then gave Amara a light push that sent her flying towards the pool of lava.

Amara's eyes teared, 'Don't let Selene rule over Nova Roma' she dropped into the lava.

Selene closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, "The night has swallowed another"

At Camp Half-Blood

A speedboat stopped by the dock. A young man jumped out of the boat and sprinted for the big house.

He had light brown hair and the same elvish features of the Hermes cabin. He wore dark clothing and was armed with only a dagger.

On the porch of the big house, as always, sat Mr. D.

The young man stopped in front of him, "Where's Chiron?!" He asked in a hurry.

"The sandpits" Mr. D said sounding uninterested.

The young man ran in that direction.

Over by the sandpits, Chiron was overseeing a training session.

Lily, Jon, and Billy stood by Chiron as Dean and Tim sparred.

Dean blocked a thrust and then slid his blade forward before swinging it downward.

Tim held up his staff horizontally and blocked it.

Dean then kicked him in the chest sending Tim skidding backwards.

Tim dug his staff into the ground bringing him to a stop. He twirled his staff and used the end that was in the ground to knock up a stone. He then hit the stone with his staff sending it flying towards Dean.

Dean deflected it with his blade.

Tim used the distraction to cover the distance between them and stab his shoulder.

Dean grabbed the staff before it could embed too deep.

Tim pushed as hard as he could.

Dean felt his grip slipping so he threw his blade.

Tim let go of his staff and caught his blade.

Dean grabbed the staff and thrusted towards his thigh.

Tim deflected the thrust and slashed diagonally.

Dean blocked with his gauntlet and punched him with the same hand in one swift move.

Tim took a few steps back from the force of the hit. He moved his jaw around to relax it.

Dean rotated his shoulder that was wounded.

Tim held up Dean's blade, "You mind?"

Dean shrugged and tossed the staff.

Tim then tossed the blade and they made a fair exchange.

"Chiron!" The young man ran stopped in front of him, panting from exhaustion.

"Joey" Chiron said with surprise, "I wasn't aware you had returned"

"We don't have time to waste, Selene is preparing to dispatch her forces" Joey said.

Chiron's expression changed from surprised to one of grave concern, "We must act quickly" he looked at Dean and his team, "Come with me"

At the Institute

Charles was using Cerebro at the moment. He always liked to keep tabs on the mutant population of the world. Just to know how many there are and to keep searching for possible members.

As of late he's noticed the population growing ever larger. Very soon it's going to be impossible for mutants to stay hidden.

Charles sighed, 'If only we had room for all of them'

Suddenly a new mutant signature appeared on the map.

Charles noticed it, "What have we here" he looked at where the signature appeared, "That's odd, it's in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle" he queried.

On the map there should be nothing but ocean where the signature was.

"It could be someone lost at sea" Charles figured as he focused on the person.

Nova Roma

The pool of lava began to rise, building up pressure.

When the lava reached the peak of the volcano a hand came out of it and tried to pull itself out.

A person covered in lava climbed out of the volcano and the pool slowly drained.

The person stood up and all the loose lava dripped off revealing Amara in a fiery form.

Her body was in an energized form, emitting intense light and heat, almost identical to that of the lava.

Amara looked at herself in amazement, perhaps the Jupiter heard her prayer.

Charles tried reading her surface thoughts but found it difficult to understand her. Her brain was hardwired to a different dialect.

So he used his telepathy to access the language center of her brain, studied it, and learned her language.

'Now let's see what you're doing here' Charles shuffled through her memories and her knowledge to find out where she was.

Amara felt a strange sensation in her head and her fiery form vanished, leaving her completely naked.

Charles' brow furrowed, her situation was unsettling. Hopefully she could stay out of trouble until he thought of a way to handle this.

At Camp Half-blood

Dean and the others followed Chiron into the big house.

Joey placed a hand drawn map on the table, "I managed to scout the island pretty well without being caught"

"That definitely helps" Chiron admitted.

"A little explanation would be helpful" Tim pointed out.

"Come closer" Chiron said lowering his voice, making sure no one outside could hear what they were talking about.

They walked over and stood around the table.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room, understand?" Chiron asked.

They nodded in understanding.

"There is an Island in the sea of monsters, called Nova Roma. During the fall of Rome, some of its people escaped to this island and have lived on in isolation ever since" Chiron said.

Billy looked confused, "What's the sea of monsters?"

"Much like Olympus and the Underworld, the Sea tends to move around following the light of the Western World. It was originally in the Mediterranean Sea in the ancient times. Because of its large triangular size, the Mist hasn't been able to hide it completely and the area has become famous among mortals because of the planes and ships that disappear there. The Sea of Monsters is known to mortals as the Bermuda Triangle" Chiron said.

"That explains that" Dean said, "What about this Selene?"

"Selene Gallio is the founder and ruler of Nova Roma. She's an ancient sorceress with the ability to sustain herself by draining the life force of other human beings into herself. If she drains a person's entire life force, the victim dies and crumbles to dust in seconds. If Selene only drains the victim's life force partially, she achieves a measure of control over her victim's mind, thereby subverting them to her will" Joey said.

"Sorceress? So she can do magic?" Jon asked curiously.

Chiron shook his head, "Not exactly, you see the origin of her power is not from witchcraft. Her power is godly"

Lily looked concerned, "Explain"

"Selene was only born with the ability to drain people's life force nothing more. She worshipped the moon and all its deities, performing numerous sacrifices every solstice. Then the lunar god Sin took note of her actions, found her beauty mesmerizing, and granted her an audience" Chiron said.

"The Mesopotamian god?" Tim queried.

Chiron was about to say something.

"You just confirmed that there are other pantheons! I knew it" Tim said in excitement, "Tell me how many!"

"This isn't the time to—"

"Tell me how many there are at the moment and I'll let it be for now" Tim offered with a smirk.

Chiron sighed, "2" he said reluctantly.

Tim contemplated on that, 'That means it's just ours and one other one. Egyptian? Norse? Mayan? Hindu? But then again if all of the other ones did exist at some point what happened? Some sort of cataclysmic event?'

"So he granted her an audience then what?" Jon asked.

"He totally fucked her and his dick gave her powers" Billy assumed.

"I don't think it works like that" Tim chuckled in amusement.

Chiron looked skeptical, "Yes and no"

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Please clarify"

"According to the story I heard" Chiron clarified, "He took her to his bed and drained his life force after she…" he shifted uncomfortably, "Consumed his essence" he said awkwardly.

"Essence?" Dean queried.

Chiron's gaze moved to Dean's lower regions.

Dean looked down to see what he was looking at.

Tim's eyes widened, "Wait….you're telling me…"

Dean looked up in horror, "She ate…" he couldn't finish his sentence.

Chiron gave them a serious expression.

"Jesus Christ!" Dean said shuddering at the thought.

Tim held his stomach, "I don't feel so good"

Lily looked disgusted, "Ew"

Jon looked confused, "I feel like the thigh would have been more filling"

"The fuck is wrong with you dude" Tim said not enjoying the image of that.

Jon shrugged.

Billy scratched his head, "I don't get it"

"It's better off you don't" Dean said as he looked back at Chiron, "You were saying?"

"Right, as you might have deduced, Selene is not exactly a kind or just person" Chiron said.

"I actually find castration to be a good sign of leadership" Tim said sarcastically as he took in deep breaths.

Billy looked clueless.

Jon rolled his eyes, "She ate his dick!"

Billy blinked a few times, "Anyone else turned on right now?" He said with a smirk.

Tim facepalmed.

"Selene rules through intimidation and fear" Joey said, "Not too long ago the consul, Lucius Antonius Aquilla, lead a rebellion against her. With the majority of the people backing him it was only a matter of time before everyone turned on her. That's why she kidnapped princess Amara, Lucius' daughter, and promised to execute her if he didn't come out of hiding"

"If Selene gets her hands on Lucius she'll kill him and then have full control of Nova Roma and it's army" Chiron said.

"You're afraid she might join forces with Camp Jupiter?" Lily asked.

Chiron looked surprised, "You knew—"

"The amazons know about both camps yes" Lily said.

"Camp Jupiter?" Dean queried.

Tim crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, "More stuff you haven't told us about?"

Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose, "This is going to be a long day"

"You might as well be honest with us, Lily will still tell us if you don't" Dean said.

Chiron gave in, "This camp has been attacked many times" he admitted, "One such event happened during the civil war"

"You mean the American Civil War, like 150 years ago?" Tim asked.

"Again yes and no" Chiron said, "The two conflicts, mortal and demigod, mirrored each other, as they usually do in western history. Look at any civil war or revolution from the fall of Rome onward, and it marks a time when demigods also fought one another. But that Civil War was particularly horrible. For American mortals, it is still their bloodiest conflict of all time, worse than their casualties in the two World Wars. For demigods, it was equally devastating. Even back then this valley was Camp Half-Blood. There was a horrible battle in these woods lasting for days, with terrible losses on both sides"

"So what's the deal with this Camp Jupiter?" Billy asked.

"They are a camp of half-bloods like yourselves, except they're Roman" Chiron said.

"I thought Roman and Greek were practically the same" Dean figured.

Tim looked skeptical, "Not exactly"

"Well…" Chiron considered his words, "Some gods are only Roman, like Janus, or Pompona. But even the major Greek gods…it's not just their names that changed, their attributes changed, they even had slightly different personalities. The gods were Roman almost as long as they were Greek. It was a big empire that lasted for centuries, so of course their Roman aspects are still a big part of their character"

"How exactly are they different?" Dean asked.

"They became more warlike, they didn't mingle with mortals as much, they were harsher, more powerful…the gods of an empire" Chiron said.

Jon scoffed, "More powerful my ass"

"So how come we haven't heard anything about Camp Jupiter until now?" Billy asked.

"After the American Civil war, the gods were so horrified by the toll it took on their children, that they swore it would never happen again, the two groups were separated. The gods bent all their will, wove the Mist as tightly as they could, to make sure the enemies never remembered each other, never met on their quests, so that bloodshed could be avoided. We've had several close calls since then, the 1960's were particularly dicey, but we've managed to avoid another civil war—at least so far" Chiron said.

"And If Selene joins forces with them we'll have even bigger problems" Lily said.

"Ok that makes sense" Dean said.

"I need a team to infiltrate the island and assassinate her" Chiron said not sounding very proud of that.

"So us then" Tim figured.

Chiron rolled his eyes, "Yes, you"

Dean reviewed this whole situation in his mind, assassinate, sounds like something Hydra would've had him do. It's also something he would rather not do if he didn't have to, but this was one of those special cases. Also this makes him the most qualified person for the job.

Joey looked at his map, "Selene's temple resides at the base of the volcano" he pointed at the marked spot, "There's only one road that leads to it, and it has 5 posts manned by her personal guard. If we tried to go around we'd be spotted and ambushed"

"What if we climbed over the mountain and went straight to the temple?" Jon asked.

"Her guard could still come to her aid, we're better off taking care of them first and fighting her alone" Joey said.

"The only question now is how we're getting there" Lily said.

"My speedboat isn't big enough for all of us" Joey said.

"I could have the Hephaestus cabin build you a ship, but it would take a couple of days" Chiron said.

"Time is of the essence" Tim added as he tried to think of a solution.

A lightbulb lit up in Dean's mind, "How bout a jet?"

Lily looked at him weirdly, "Where are we gonna get a jet from?"

Dean smirked, "I know some people"

At the Institute

Charles sat in his study with Logan and Storm, discussing their best course of action on how to handle his newest discovery.

"Chuck, this is a whole new level of weird, even for us" Logan admitted.

"Does that mean we shouldn't help this poor girl?" Storm asked.

"No, I'm just advising caution. You said this girl viewed this lady oppressor like a god, and according to bolt boy those exist. We can't just walk in there expecting to handle the situation like it's Sabretooth or something" Logan said.

"I'm aware, I don't wish to endanger anyone's life. However I simply cannot ignore the peril these people are in" Charles said.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"We'll speak of this later" Charles told them, "Come in" he announced.

Dean walked in and saw all the adults, "Am I interrupting something?"

Charles smiled and interlocked his fingers, "Not at all, what do you need?"

Dean closed the door behind him, "I have a strange request"

"What might that be?" Charles asked.

"I'd like to borrow the X-jet" Dean said plainly.

Logan raised an eyebrow, "For what?"

Dean sighed, "It's a long story so I'll be brief. Apparently there's this Island called Nova Roma that's being taken over by this ancient sorceress Selene that plans on attacking my camp. Chiron has given my team a quest to stop her from doing that and we need a way to get there as soon as possible"

Logan stared at him, "You've gotta be kidding me"

"Looks like we have no choice" Storm said.

Charles shook his head, "Once again you're right in the middle of trouble"

Dean raised an eyebrow, "Did I miss something?"

"This morning a new mutant signature appeared. I looked to investigate with Cerebro and came across a girl on this island that you speak of. This girl, Amara, was thrown into an active volcano as a sacrifice which triggered her mutation allowing her to survive. I scanned her mind and found out about this Selene. Since then I've been pondering on what to do" Charles said.

"Then help me" Dean said excitingly, "We just need the X-jet"

"Isn't this Selene supposed to be like a god?" Storm asked.

Dean shook his head, "No, she only poses as one and assumed the name of an actual goddess. Chiron assured us she wasn't on the same tier as a god"

"Then maybe your team and ours should join forces and handle this together" Logan offered.

"That would definitely increase our chances" Charles said optimistically, "Together capturing Selene wouldn't be too much trouble"

Dean shifted uncomfortably, "Professor…I don't think you understand" he stared at him with a serious look, "Our mission isn't to capture her…it's to eliminate her"

The mood in the room suddenly changed.

Charles' expression hardened, "Out of the question"

"Professor" Dean said calmly, "I understand that you're a pacifist, which I respect, but this woman doesn't seem like the type that'll simply let herself be captured without murdering the people who attempt it"

"You expect us to let you go off and be judge, jury, and executioner?" Storm asked.

"I expect you to see this rationally. You think we'll be able to defeat Selene without attacking with our full force?" Dean asked, "What about her guards? I've been told she has 5 half-blood guards. 5 half bloods! With weapons and armor, probably as powerful as me or more, trying to kill us. You think you'll be able to easily subdue them?"

Charles sighed, he hated the fact that he had no real counter argument.

"I don't like this any more than you do…but it has to be done" Dean said.

Logan had kept quiet, mostly because he knew ultimately the kid was right.

Charles stared at Dean. He looked determined, not eager in any way, more like willing to help despite what he had to do.

"Before I make my decision, I would like to speak to this Chiron" Charles demanded.

Dean nodded, "Fine, I'll be waiting in the hangar" he walked out.

Logan got up and caught up to him.

Dean stopped and turned around, "What? You're gonna try to talk me out of it too?"

Logan shook his head, "No" he looked at him with a sad face, "I see the kind of decisions you have to make and it scares me"

Dean frowned.

"You're just a kid for god's sake, you should be living your life like one. Not bearing the burden of handling these disasters" Logan said.

And he was right of course. Too many times was I obligated to handle something that I wasn't fully prepared for, and every time it slowly chipped away at my psyche.

Dean buried his worries and doubts within him, "We don't have time to waste" he kept on walking.

At Camp Half-Blood

The X-Jet landed outside the camp borders.

Charles, Logan, and Dean walked down the ramp.

"Logan, stay here with the jet" Charles said.

Logan leaned on the ramp and looked from afar as he lit a cigar, "Sure thing Chuck"

Dean and Charles approached the border.

"Try not to stare too much, and if we come across Mr. D make sure to be polite" Dean recommended.

Charles nodded in understanding.

They reached the border.

"I Dean Nobili give you permission to enter the camp" Dean said.

Thunder shook the hillside.

Charles looked confused.

"Invisible force field, don't ask" Dean said before he led him to the big house.

Charles followed Dean but at the same time looked around him in fascination.

Young boys and girls, training with weapons by the sandpits. Beautiful gardens by the cabins with these strange creatures lurking around the trees, perhaps those were dryads?

Then a satyr walked in the opposite direction. He noticed Charles staring and glared at him, "What're you lookin at cue ball?" He snorted as he walked by.

Charles raised an eyebrow, "Rude little fellow"

"Told you not to stare" Dean said as they arrived at the big house.

Mr. D lowered his magazine and stared at Charles, "Brother, a mortal seems to have followed you in, would you mind disposing of it?" He went back to carelessly reading his wine magazine.

Charles leaned over, "I'm guessing this is the man you were talking about?"

Dean nodded.

Charles cleared his throat, "Mr. D it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Charles—"

"I wouldn't bother with the name, I won't remember it" Mr. D said without looking away from his magazine.

Charles frowned in annoyance.

Chiron then trotted out of the big house, "Ah Dean, you've returned" he looked at Charles, "And with a guest"

"Chiron, this is my landlord" Dean jokingly gestured to the Professor.

Charles rolled his eyes, "Ha ha" he faked a laugh.

Chiron smirked, "You must be Charles Xavier, I've heard a lot about you" he offered his hand.

"Good things I hope" Charles shook it.

"I don't mean to be rude but we don't have much time on our hands, can you help us Professor?" Chiron asked.

Charles' brow furrowed, "May I speak with you in private?" He asked Chiron.

"As you wish" Chiron said trotting next to the rolling Professor.

Dean stood still and waited patiently.

Chiron and Charles stopped.

Charles looked over and saw Dean still standing there. He looked back at Chiron and reached him telepathically, 'I hope you don't mind but I'd rather not have him listen to us'

'Not a problem, It's been a while since I've done this' Chiron admitted.

Charles wasn't sure what he meant but continued anyways, 'Are you sure sending a boy to assassinate someone is a good idea?'

Chiron nodded in understanding, so that's why he's here, 'He's the best chance we have at the moment' he said confidently.

'There's no one else? No older half-bloods?' Charles asked.

'You overestimate their lifespan' Chiron said plainly, 'Our world is a dangerous one, some of them choose to go live off on their own devoid from my protection, others die along the way, some even abandon us to join with the enemy. The rest are smart and stay here, out of those that have, Dean has surpassed them all' he claimed proudly.

'But he's just a boy, he's too young to be brandished a killer. You must see that' Charles hoped.

Chiron shook his head, 'Charles, you're a smart man that cares about him, I can see that. But you look at things as black, white, and gray. One day you'll realize that there's a whole other color spectrum out there that you've been missing'

Charles sighed, 'He already has troubles from his past, I can tell, I find it unwise to put more weight on his shoulders'

Chiron's eyes narrowed, 'You think this is troublesome? You have no idea what's coming. He'll need all the experience he can get just to survive'

That reminded Charles of something, 'You're referring to the prophecy?'

Chiron became visually uncomfortable, 'Prophecy?'

'Yes the prophecy' Charles confirmed.

Chiron leaned closer and stared at Charles with a serious look, 'Which one?'

Charles' eyes widened, 'How many are there?'

'That concern Dean or in general?' Chiron asked.

'That concern Dean' Charles said.

'The ones that I know of? 3' Chiron admitted, 'Which one is known to you?'

'The one of the savior and the destroyer' Charles said.

Chiron looked grim, 'Then you're aware of the most dire one, how did you come by this?'

'The Sorcerer Supreme is a good friend of mine' Charles said.

Chiron nodded, 'I see. Then I'll be completely honest with you. Everything he's been through, all the he will endure, these heavy burdens I place upon him, and the challenges his father has set in store for him…it's all to prepare him for this inevitable battle. I've looked into his heart, and I know he's the savior, if you shelter him from his trials you'll be dooming us all'

Charles frowned and looked sad, all these expectations the gods have placed upon a boy, their cruelty is astounding. He looked back at Chiron, 'I…' he paused for a moment, 'His parents entrusted me with keeping him safe, what if he fails?'

'One cannot try if one does not dream. One cannot fail if one does not try. One cannot learn if one has not failed. One cannot strive if one does not learn. One cannot dream if one does not strive. Because every dream is a goal and every goal has a first step and every first step starts an adventure, and because every adventure has the chance of failure, we think it is not worth the attempt' Chiron said, 'I understand your concern, I've felt it through the countless students I've trained. But his parents have been aware of his destiny since the day he was born'

Charles looked shocked, they knew?

'The decision is yours Xavier, help us and save lives, or don't and simply delay the inevitable' Chiron gave him his options.

Charles accepted defeat, 'I will help you, however I will accompany them as a safety precaution'

'As long as you don't help unless absolutely necessary' Chiron reminded him.

'Fair enough' Charles rolled back towards Dean, "We better get a move on" he then went back to the jet.

Dean then looked at Chiron who approached him, "What did you tell him?"

"What was necessary" Chiron said ominously.

Author's note: A lot of info dropped, certain people will have words. I thought Amara's origin was too interesting to pass up writing, I don't know if I'll do an origin chapter for all the new mutants but maybe a few. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the read. Please review! :)