Wassup everyone, Takamura here. First things first shout out to Frosty Yang my IRL friend who was part of the inspiration for this story. She dared me to write something so here we are. She's currently writing her own story which is a crossover between Fairy Tail and X-Men evolution. I'd really appreciate it if you guys checked out her story. Totally not because she's right next to me watching me write the intro.
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Persona. Because if I did, there would be monster-loving in Percy Jackson(the Minotaur would have a harem, with me in it) and Persona would be an otome game where you need to romance the Personas ;P
^ See what I mean? She just took over the intro. I'm pretty sure that's illegal somewhere. Hopefully, NJGrasshoper and asdo789 don't hijack this either.
Everything hurt like hell when Artemis came to. It felt just shy of one of the rare times she took a direct hit from one of her father's lightning bolts. She blinked and scanned the nighttime pitch-black field and realized she'd been out for at least 12 hours, maybe more. Part of her domain as the current moon goddess allowed her intuitively to tell what time of night it currently was, however, due to her being incapacitated in her full godly form, it took away her aspect that was piloting the moon chariot. Thus, it prematurely caused a new moon in America, limiting her ability in this aspect. Though to mortals, the sky would be obscured.
She quickly took stock of her situation. She wasn't bleeding freely anymore, that was good at least. To be honest it was a minor miracle she was even moving. Her limbs felt like they were encased in sand. Her insides felt as if they'd been microwaved, refrozen, and then blow-torched. Her skin felt like it was burning and her face; stepped on. Though she guessed that last one was true in that respect as she began the painful process to snap her broken nose into place, more ichor flowed freely down her face and over her lips. Her blood tasted metallic.
Rage bubbled and boiled under her skin as she remembered the fight. How overall easy she was beaten down, manhandled, and dealt with. Her blood then went cold as she realized she was still in the mortal world. Not in the underworld or fates forbid—Tartarus. That boy…..and her brother….had her dead to all rights. She brought her arms around herself as she suppressed a cold shiver at the thought of death. Yet some small part of her was secretly angry that she wasn't worthy enough to kill, she was a warrior after all.
She then noticed she wasn't alone in the field. Scattered around her were the unconscious forms of her hunters. Even Zoe, even her wolves were all discarded in the grass as a wayward child does to its dolls once they grow bored of them. "Complete annihilation and utter failure….."
She reached over to Zoe and laid her hand on her forehead. She channeled her sparse power and funneled it into the girl. Most other gods would horde their power if they were put in that state she was in, but not her. Artemis knew that in time her wounds would heal; she was immortal, but hunters weren't. They were more important.
Her lieutenant's eyes fluttered open. "Mine lady!" she quickly shook her head and hurriedly scanned the area. "I am sorry, the bird-costumed Norse demigod outface of me. The others were fighting demigods as well, about 6 or 7 of 'em. Including a Mesopotamian from what I saw."
Artemis's brow furrowed as she took in the information. She didn't doubt Zoe's knowledge of middle eastern demigods. She was born before Alexander's conquest of the middle east which led to that pantheon's downfall. She clasped her hand on top of Zoe's to soothe her lieutenant of millennia. "Don't worry….we all lost here today."
Zoe's eyes widened as she took in the implications of her statement "Even thou, mine lady?"
Artemis breathed out a light sigh, It wouldn't do if she lost her composure here, she needed to set an example. "Yes," She emotionlessly said, though she decided to leave out the part that it was hardly considered a fight at all. "Zoe, I need you to tend to the other hunters and then regroup with Phoebe."
"What about thou, mine lady?"
Artemis' form started flickering as her consciousness began to shift "I'm going to Olympus briefly….I need to deal with two traitors."
XXXXXXXXXXX
She came to in front of the golden doors that lead to Olympus' main throne room. Not caring how she looked, she gathered her composure to try and conceal just how much she was actually injured. With a deep breath, she pushed open the doors.
The throne room had a habit of arranging itself based on Zeus' current needs. During major meetings, it was arranged in a giant circle so each god could have their turn "center stage". For demigod quest recaps, the thrones arranged themselves in a semicircle. On game nights an old-fashioned mahogany table appeared for service. Tonight, it seemed her father wanted the area to look like a modern-day professional business conference room. The twelve thrones were arranged around a huge rectangular obsidian table, an equally large flatscreen was behind the head of the table. The hearth was off to the side. Though only three of the thrones were actively occupied at this moment.
Her uncle, Poseidon, looked bored as he absently played with water in midair shaping it into different forms, among them was a replica of his trident, a dragon, a dog, a frog, a domino mask, and a helmet from what she glimpsed. Though he might look apathetic fisherman waiting for a catch, his eyes had a hidden sharpness to them that was easy to miss. His main aspect was currently forbidden to leave because he was currently under suspicion, so he was biding his time.
At the head of the table her father, Zeus was currently typing on a laptop wearing a three-piece pinstripe double-breasted suit. A cup of coffee half drunk by his side. He had taken it upon himself to watch over his brother in case he tried something funny.
Hera was next to him out of pure obligation flipping through channels on the TV. Her legs were crossed under her midnight green dress. With her other hand she absently played with her peacock feather boa to stave off the boredom.
Near the hearth, Hestia could be seen tending to the flames as she almost always was. Nearby Athena, Apollo and Hermes were discussing something.
Apollo wasn't wearing his Japanese get-up from earlier, having switched to a black tank top featuring a golden sunburst pattern, and sun-orange cargo pants accentuated with black combat boots. His blond hair had an undercut currently and was styled into a short ponytail. If you asked Artemis, he looked like a douchebag. Then again she always said that about him.
Athena wasn't wearing her chiton and helmet, her long, dark, frizzy, curly hair was flowing freely. She instead opted for a similarly colored long beige cardigan unbuttoned with a plain white t-shirt underneath. She completed her basic look with simple blue jeans and black converse. With her hands in her pocket, she looked like an off-the-clock teacher, which wasn't an inaccurate statement. Gray eyes hungrily took in every detail and cataloging it for later use.
Hermes looked as if UPS had merged with USPS. He had on a brown UPS uniform, but instead of the UPS symbol, he had the caduceus as the patch on his chest and sleeve. He had on the long weathered, molded sun helmet mailmen were known for, along with the bag on his back. His wheat-colored work boots looked as if he ran a thousand miles every day.
On the hearth itself, Hephaestus was working on yet another machine in his oil-stained coveralls, beard smoking.
Artemis immediately zeroed in on Athena and Apollo and began to storm over, utterly appalled by the sheer nerve they had to be in her presence, to be even on Olympus after what they did.
Hestia was the first to notice her and dashed over no doubt to inspect her wounds and ask her what happened.
"Artemis what happen—"
She brushed off her aunt as she went over to the three gods whose discussion had abruptly stopped. She knew it was rude and Hestia didn't deserve that, but she only saw red in front of her.
As she approached she could see that Apollo was looking at her in horror, Athena in concern, and Hermes looked like he wanted to run away.
Apollo was the next to speak "Sister! I got worried when the moon phase suddenly changed. I was about to get Hermes and—" he then took a second to appraise her condition then flashed to anger. "Tell me right now who did this to you!" Apollo demanded. She ignored him as she strode up to Athena who was closer. Artemis had thought about what she was going to say, but as she stared at Athena's gray eyes, the only thing going through her head was the words spoken in the field.
"...But I'm not your sister, never have been, never will. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a sister,"
"Art–"
*Crack*
The sound of a meaty punch echoed through the throne room.
Even the elder gods looked up as Athena had fallen to the floor with a fist mark on her face, gray eyes wide with shock and awe. It was not often she was taken unaware.
Before she was aware of what she was doing she had jumped on top of the wisdom goddess, planting herself on Athena's chest.
"You dare stand here after what you did in the field! After saying all that! After saying we weren't sisters anymore!" Each word was emphasized with another blow. With her weight on top of her, Athena was completely at her mercy. Athena could only hold her arms in front of her face to try and stave off the worst of the lightning-quick fist. Her shield and armor were unable to help in her current position.
Breaking out of his stunned stupor Apollo was the first one brave enough to try and pry Artemis off, Athena. It quickly proved to be a bad move as she turned on him, silver eyes blazing. Artemis left the sprawled Wisdom Goddess on the floor. She lunged for Apollo and delivered a devastating kick in his godly baby maker that brought him to his knees singing soprano, and made every male in the room wince.
"You were there too! Did you really think I'd let you get away with it!" She had now latched on to Apollo, attacking every inch she could reach.
"She's like a doused alley cat. I haven't seen her this vicious since the moon landing," Hermes said. He had opted to fall back, for fear of being the next one attacked.
Suddenly Artemis felt a pair of warm slender arms wrap around her midsection, pulling her back. She craned her head to see who had stopped her rampage ready to give them an earful only to find Hestia in her rarely-seen adult form.
"Artemis, stop." Hestia's voice wasn't raised yet her words left no room for argument as she stopped thrashing. She let herself sink into her aunt's warm embrace, the only one of the elder gods she believed truly understood her. It was then she became aware she was crying, for how long she didn't know. Artemis quickly began to wipe her face. At least Aphrodite and Ares weren't there to see it.
Not too far away the other three elder gods approached the scene, Zeus in front, Poseidon and Hera behind. Hermes began to help Apollo up, having been rejected from "helping" Athena, his first choice.
"Daughter, tell me what the meaning of this is. Both your appearance and your outburst." Zeus' voice while low was accompanied by the rumble of thunder in the background. The smell of ozone permeated in the vicinity. He was not happy.
All the tension Artemis was feeling went out of the pavilion with his following words "Also where is my bolt?! Have you retrieved it?" Behind Zeus, Poseidon facepalmed. Artemis' anger dissipated in the wind to be replaced with annoyance as the inevitable squabbling began.
"Enough about your glorified night light! They're messing up the throne room!" Hera yelled at Zeus.
Zeus scowled at his wife "That bolt is my most prized possession and my symbol of power woman!"
"I am your wife! I am your most prized possession! I should be your symbol of power!"
"I think you both have your priorities skewed…" Poseidon muttered to himself as Zeus and Hera bickered. Behind her, Hestia hummed in agreement.
Slowly and reluctantly Artemis pulled herself away from Hestia. She faced her father and his siblings. She didn't dare look at Apollo or Athena, lest she fly off the handle again.
"Father," she began with a short bow. "As you ordered I pursued the son of Poseidon," she risked a short glance at the sea god whose face switched to that of total impassiveness. "I tracked him to a train station headed for St. Louis. However, before I could apprehend him, I was ambushed and intercepted, which allowed him and his party to get away."
"By who?" Zeus asked.
"A band of costumed teenaged demigods," off to the side she heard Hermes snort and try to cover up his laughter.
"Excuse me?" Hermes asked, struggling to keep it together.
"Yes, they were costumed, and the leader called himself Joker." The moment she finished Hermes burst out in roaring laughter holding his stomach.
"Oh that is too good," He cried. "Did he have green hair? A purple suit? A sidekick named Harley Quinn? PFFT HAHAHA!" Hermes' laughter then became hysterical. Fortunately for everyone else, a clap of thunder made Hermes look around, to which he realized he was the only one laughing and quickly culled his own.
"Continue daughter," Zeus commanded.
She cleared her throat "Joker appeared with Athena by his side–"
"Impossible!" The goddess in question retorted.
"Let her finish, then we'll make sense of her story" This time it was her uncle who cleared the air. Odd considering it was Athena who was being accused, he usually let that kind of drama play itself out. She paid no mind to it and resumed her story.
"I engaged the both of them in a battle where Joker displayed peculiar abilities. He primarily used two guns to fight. He embedded his bullets with magic that gave them piercing effects."
"Would you happen to have any of the bullet casings? I would love to study them." The deep voice of Hephaestus sounded out.
"I was going to ask you anyway but…" Artemis then rolled up her sleeve, clenched her jaw, and began to dig in her wrist. Hera and Hermes started to turn green at the sight. Finally, she grasped the embedded bullet and pulled it out of her wrist. She then tossed it to Hephestus who briefly inspected it and stuffed it into his toolbelt. "It'll heal," she said to the ones who were disgusted.
"He had the upper hand for most of the battle. Until he had for lack of a better word–A mental breakdown."
"Breakdown?"
"Yes, the boy started screaming as if tortured by Hades himself. There was a flash of flames and Athena was replaced with Apollo," she then tugged on her sleeve not able to meet anyone's eyes. "From there, between the both of them I was knocked out. I came to, roused my lieutenant, and then came here." She was withholding a lot of information, but she didn't feel like going into detail about how badly she was humiliated in front of half the council.
Hermes gave her a look of disbelief as he scanned her up and down, "Whoever the Hades this guy is, he put you through the wringer sis."
Hestia also frowned at her "He's not exaggerating my niece, have you taken a proper look at yourself?" She then tried to give Artemis a mirror which she waved off.
"I'm not the sea-foam goddess, It doesn't matter how I look. I'm more concerned about getting answers from these two traitors," Her words caused Hestia to wince and Apollo to flinch.
"I have multiple things to say," She heard the ever-knowing voice of Athena still unable to look at her.
"Speak," Zeus said
"First it couldn't have been Apollo and me you saw. I've been here all day–"
"–and Apollo was in his temple. I was with him. I had a rare off day and we were–" Hermes interrupted earning a glare from Athena.
"Bullshit! You clearly had the Aegis shield with you!" Artemis had ignored Hermes and finally rounded on Athena.
"I swear on the River Styx I wasn't the one that attacked you." Behind Athena thunder rumbled in confirmation of the pledge. Artemis's eyes widened. An oath on the Styx wasn't one made so easily if you weren't an elder god. Athena had chosen the quickest and most dangerous path without hesitation.
All eyes turned to Apollo who seemed just as flabbergasted as Artemis was. " I-I-I," He stuttered in a high pitch. Then his eyes became resolute as he gathered his balls (Probably literally in his case Artemis thought) "swear on the Styx that I wasn't the one that attacked you!" and another peel of thunder went off in the distance.
Artemis let the tension go in her shoulder "Then who were they? They gave off the same divine energy."
Apollo shrugged "I do not know, perhaps Dolos or Apate?"
Hermes shook his head, "Uh no, I talk to them regularly. Even they aren't foolish enough to impersonate an Olympian."
"Who did the demigod belong to?" Athena asked, rubbing her bruised cheek.
Artemis furrowed her eyebrows "That's part of the mystery. I couldn't tell you who he belonged to." At the other god's inquisitive stares she elaborated, "I know for a fact one of his companions was a Norse demigod and another a Mesopotamian, but Joker himself?" She shrugged "Unidentifiable. Or rather too identifiable per se. He smells like almost every pantheon in existence, including some lost ones. You'd be better off asking him yourself, definitely not pure mortal."
Murmurs broke out among the gods.
"Whoa whoa whoa wait a second! Time out! Flag on the play!" Hermes made a throwing motion with his arm. "Are we just going to run past the fact that different demigods know about each other and are working together?"
Zeus stroked his oiled beard. "Nothing new. It happens on occasion, the world is a wide place, too many people to keep track of constantly. Even for myself. Usually, it's limited to underground societies or cults. Groups of people who've been forced together through some common cause. Back in the Roman days, it wouldn't be unusual to see a Greek and perhaps Norse demigod or even an Egyptian magician working together to gnaw at the seams of the empire. It's how those such as Mithras got their time in the limelight by claiming patronage. The Norse especially are known for mingling among others." He shrugged. "Minor inconvenience, unless they happened to take the bolt."
"I thought Hecate's magic limited their knowledge of each other after the 100 years war? Clear memory wipes, and a little voice whispering to them to get them to shut up and keep moving," Hermes asked, jogging in place.
Hera frowned "For us maybe. The Norse are up to Odin's discretion, as the Egyptians are to Isis' and so forth with the different magic gods. However, it's not infallible, it's more so a suggestion than a command. They can go against it if the will is strong enough. But that's not what worries us," she explained for the younger god's benefit.
Poseidon fiddled with his trident "It's far more concerning that an ancient pantheon long considered faded has sired children,"
Athena then caught Poseidon's eye. "You're worried that the great prophecy might apply to them?" It was phrased as a question but it sounded more like a statement.
Apollo crossed his arms and tilted his head repeatedly in contemplation making him look like a metronome. "Hmm, when you put it that way, it's pretty up in the air. It just says a child of the elder gods but doesn't say which or whom. For all I—*ahem*—We. Definitely, we know, it could even be one of Aunt Demeter's children. Great prophecies tend to be vague like that—even for our standards," He threw up his hands in surrender at the glares he received from Hera and Zeus.
Demeter was the only one of the six allowed or wanted to have children. No one could control her under the threat of famine both land and sea. Her brother bringing her up opened a whole new can of worms the elders seemingly worked to avoid and the other gods were only happy to oblige. Sudden famine and pestilence tended to be on the avoid list of most people's agendas.
Zeus straightened his tie "For now we'll continue to focus on my bolt, that is the first priority. If you find the demigod, do not engage unless you're certain you'll be able to bring them in. The leader and the Mesopotamian are the priority. Hermes, send word to the others at once, but make sure the news spreads no further," It was clear to Artemis that her father was dodging the issue of Demeter's kids altogether, and judging by Poseidon and Hera nodding their heads, they seemed keen on ignoring it too. At least the currently sighing Hestia appeared reasonable. It also bugged her that he glossed over the fact she was beaten black and blue. Guess that bolt meant more to him than his children.
"Ugh, the paperwork we'll have to do for the Norse demigod." Hera lamented as she held her head.
"You?! Try being the end all be all ambassador. Me and Hermod are going to burn out our essence over this one." Hermes complained as he ruffled his sandy hair and faint stubble. Being the messenger god he had by far the most contact with other pantheons. The others tended to keep to themselves unless the need arose such as a war.
"Quit being a baby, myself and Zeus have just as much paperwork—"
The impromptu meeting as usual devolved into a cacophony. Artemis wasn't surprised, this is usually how it went. From Hermes' spontaneous barbed tongue sparking arguments to Athena's rapid-fire questions. Sometimes it was more akin to kids squabbling than almighty gods debating. By a minor miracle, Ares wasn't here to exacerbate it, probably out playing swords and sheaths with the airhead if not searching for the bolt himself. She just wanted to go back to New Jersey and go to sleep.
Artemis saw her father pinch the bridge of his nose and she took it as the cue to cover her ears. Just in time, as a large drum of floor-shaking thunder boomed out, bringing an end to the debate.
"Cease at once!" Her father yelled, "With the exception of my brother and wife I want you all back on duty! I want my bolt found and the demigods in cuffs!"
At Zeus' dismissal, Hermes immediately dashed out of the throne room leaving a plume of dust in his wake. Hephaestus disappeared in a column of fire. Artemis stormed out of the throne room herself not caring to make idle small among her two siblings which she just brutalized. Between them and the elders not taking anything seriously, she couldn't bear to stay there any moment longer than she had to.
Her ears burning, she made her way to her temple/apartment. Once inside she quickly passed through the main room and made her way to the kitchen where she kept spare ambrosia and nectar. She stuffed it into a sack she conjured, intent on bringing it to her hunters. As soon as she closed the refrigerator door she saw her twin brother standing there, his arms crossed.
"I want to–"
"No. This is my problem alone."
"But Little Sis!"
"Not your little sister, besides you shouldn't be in here," she replied and started to head for the door. Before she could make it far she felt his warm firm hand on her shoulder.
"I'm serious. At least let me give you a check-up. I know you're hurt. It's the least I can do before you go charging after Joker again." That made Artemis turn her head.
"What makes you think I'm just going to go charging after the brat?"
Apollo shook his head, a wry smile on his face, and his golden eyes dimmed. "You're my twin sister. I know you better than I do anyone else on this earth."
Another person decided to make their presence known. "Besides, it is written on your face. A warrior and huntress like yourself won't let this go easily. Make a plan, don't rush into it." A monotone female voice from the doorway. Artemis saw the form of Athena leaning against the frame, sporting a busted lip and her face still bruised from earlier.
Another voice came from her fireplace "Your siblings are right. It wouldn't do to go after the same target injured, especially one that has already bested you before. Let us take care of you for a bit." Hestia's voice left no room for argument as she shook off embers from stepping out of the fire.
"Fine," Artemis relented. "But make it quick, I need to get back to the rest of my hunters," she said as she went back to the kitchen and sat on a barstool.
"Yeah, yeah I know sis," Apollo said as he walked over to her, followed closely by Hestia. "Take off your clothes, please? I need to see the extent of the damage I'm working with."
Artemis unzipped her jacket, took it off, and threw it onto the kitchen counter. The chain mail mesh top she wore underneath was the next to go. Finally, she took off her boots and leggings, leaving her in only her sports bra and underwear. For as goofy and perverted as her twin brother was, Apollo was still her doctor. Besides, the presence of the other two virgin goddesses made her more comfortable–not that Apollo would dare try anything.
"You know, I always say you look like a ninja wearing that thing," Apollo said as he eyed the chainmail on the counter.
"Hn."
Athena nodded her head in agreement "It does, but it fits her fighting style. Bulky armor like mine would impede her movements, and traditional archer gear like yours would limit her flexibility when she decides to use her knives, and jump around as she does."
"Always the analytical one, 'Thena. Never one for style," he retorted.
Artemis was getting impatient. "Get on with it."
With a wave of his hand, Apollo made various medical supplies appear on the counter next to him. He frowned as he examined her skin.
"Were you burned at the stake or something? I thought it was just your face that got blowtorched but look at you! You're covered in blisters! Some of these actually look like nuclear burns. How you are even moving is beyond me."
Artemis looked away. "I wasn't kidding when I said I thought it was you two, power and all…"
Apollo's face tightened, "Right. Well I have some special burn creams for that. I have it for any Sun Chariot accidents. Aunt Hestia and Athena can help you rub it, but let's examine the rest of you," he cracked his joints in preparation.
He started by prodding all around her ribcage which made her suck in her breath from the sharp pain.
"Huh-uh, definitely broken, at least 6 of 'em, another 6 are at least bruised" Apollo then switched to her back. "You've got a pretty big bruise here too. In the shape of a boot" He put his hand on her back making her stiff up. "Thankfully your spine is not broken too,"
As Apollo continued examining various injuries and observing her reactions, Athena started to speak to her.
"Tell me more about our doppelgängers. What did they look like? How did they fight? What sorts of abilities did they show? What about Joker,"
"Straight to the point I see," Hestia said as she grabbed the burn cream and started applying it to Artemis' leg.
"Indulge me," Athena said.
"Fake Athena looked like your typical battle standard. Chiton, sandals, armor, and all that. Fake Apollo looked like he did when came back from Japan after World War II," Artemis said.
"Oh, dear," Hestia said.
"C'mon I wasn't that bad," Apollo looked up to face goddesses and then withered under three blank stares.
"Was there any difference in abilities?" Athena asked her next question.
Artemis tilted her head up in thought "Now that I think back to it, yes there was," she looked over to Athena who looked like a child who found the cookie jar. "The Athena I encountered could fly like one of the wind gods first off,"
Athena's eyebrows almost met her hairline. "Fly?"
"As if she was fucking Wonder Woman. Apollo did too."
"Language!" Hestia said in a hushed whisper as she lightly slapped her on the thigh.
Apollo scratched his head, "I mean I can fly, but it's more of dad's thing to use it in battle. Bad footing for shooting and all that."
"That Apollo didn't fight with arrows, he went straight for hand-to-hand combat and—FUCK" The last part of her sentence was cut off as Apollo grabbed her arm and jerked it into her socket. Artemis tried to ignore Hestia's venomous glare.
"Sorry sis, easier to treat a dislocation if you aren't aware of it, wanna explain how that one happened?"
Artemis sucked her teeth "Fake Athena's stupid Aegis reflects all physical damage back at the attacker," She spat out.
"Did it ever occur to you to—I don't know—attack around the shield? Apollo sarcastically emphasized by drawing a circle in the air. Artemis rolled her eyes in response to her brother's antics."
"Smartass,"
"Strike two! Keep going and I'll wash your mouth out with soap!"
"Sorry Aunt Hes," Artemis then looked at Apollo, "For your information, the shield orbits her independently like a satellite. The boy's body also reflected my arrows though not as powerful as the shield. That ability is what really caused me to lose."
"How did he defeat you, if you don't mind me asking?" Hestia asked while wrapping her legs in bandages.
"Fake Apollo stopped time then he fried me," she said bitterly.
Everyone paused at her statement. "Want to run that by us again?" Apollo asked.
Artemis shrugged her shoulders "Joker said 'it's over' then time stopped in our area, next thing I know, I'm on the receiving end of a nuclear reaction apparently according to you."
Athena looked lost in thought, "Joker said something first then Apollo reacted, correct?" Artemis nodded her head. "Maybe…..The boy was the one in control, not our copies. Anything you can tell us about him?"
Artemis thought back to the encounter.
Ethereal blue chains she had not noticed before now, pulsated from his back. She looked over and noticed that Athena was on the other end of those chains as she was dragged over to Joker's position.
"APOLLO!" Her brother's cold blue eyes bore into her as the teenager grabbed and whipped the chains connecting them.
She unconsciously flinched away from the real Apollo next to her who had switched over to bandaging her arm. She had seen rage and grief in him before, such as when his lover Hycanthus had died or when his son Asclepius had been imprisoned, but it was never directed at her. Whoever it was she fought in the field matched her brother's intensity, and the unhesitating brutality of the way he fought planted a small seed of fear inside her. Could her brother really be capable of the same? Would the person who's been by her side since the beginning; whose sole purpose was to annoy, one day come at her with the intent to kill? Athena was a whole other deal by herself. The thoughts were almost enough to make her hyperventilate as she struggled to disassociate the real pair from the false ones she fought in the field.
Apollo briefly stopped his task, her action not lost on him. He then resumed wrapping her as if not noticing the war raging within her. "I promise on our mom Arty, I wouldn't hurt you like this," he said, his eyes flitting up and down her body in disgust. "I know your pride won't allow me to help you, but I'm here if you want to talk."
On her other side, she felt Athena grab her hand, clasping it between both of hers, a light blush on her face. Athena was not one for expressing overly mushy feelings like her brother, this was probably the limit for her outside a hug, but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you both," Artemis let her tomboy tough exterior crack for just a moment.
"We understand, Artemis," Athena started as she sat down on the stool next to her, placing their hands in her lap. "We have been through worse before," She waved her free hand dismissively in front of her busted lip. Once finished, her gray eyes suddenly became steely and her grip tight "However, we need all the information we can get on a new opponent. Please, you have to tell us something."
Artemis looked away from her gaze "Chains," The singular word she said echoed in the silence.
"What do you mean?" Athena asked.
"Chains connected them together and the boy was clearly the one in control of them."
"Hmm, perhaps it is a god that's forcefully bound to him? And he is able to use their powers? I didn't sense any of my divinity missing, so it couldn't be me." Athena mused, "Next time, try to cut them and see what happens. This may be bigger than you think."
"That might explain why my divinity didn't incinerate him,"
Athena suddenly clutched her hand stiffly. Apollo did a spit take and Hestia reverted to her child form in surprise, hair smoldering.
"Wanna drop another bombshell on us sister?!" Apollo yelled "First you get the shit beat outta you! Then I'm stopping time! Now you're telling us this kid can look at our pure divine forms!" Apollo yelled as he ticked off fingers for each instance. Hestia was so surprised she let Apollo's swearing slip her radar.
"Calm down. I didn't sense any sort of divinity from the kid himself. He must have some kind of blessing." She assured them. Though she secretly wasn't 100% sure herself, not that they needed to know it.
"I would like to see this child for myself," Athena asked.
"You can ask him all the questions you want after I bring him in."
It was hard to read the face Athena was making. "You are serious about this, are you not?"
Artemis shrugged off Apollo who had finished tending to her, grabbed her chainmail and jacket, and hurriedly threw them on followed by her leggings. "You should seriously think about using contractions, to sound less like a robot."
Uh oh, too far. Artemis' face immediately scrunched up at Athena's frozen expression "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, but I am. Joker mocked me and everything I stood for. It's personal that I and I alone take him down. That is now my sole goal. Joker is now my quarry, no matter what father says."
Thunder boomed outside as another perpetual storm began.
Hestia had a faraway look of sadness in her eyes. One that made Artemis wonder just how much the elder goddess had seen "I'm sure I don't need to remind you since Athena's here, but that's a dangerous mindset to have against an unknown foe. It's that kind of thinking and personal grudges that lead to the Titanomachy lasting as long as it did. If he's truly a mortal wielding divine power; this may escalate further than you may realize. My brother is more focused on his bolt than how potentially dangerous this mortal could be."
"Ugh! He is so focused on that shiny piece of tinfoil. He's almost like Neptune in the Spongebob movie," Apollo said while miming using a spray can, a wide grin on his face as he expected the others to laugh at his joke.
Artemis ignored her brother's comment and the following huff from Apollo. "I know, Aunt Hestia, but this won't be a war."
Apollo then sighed then sat down on the barstool across from her. "I've done all I can sis. Your divine restoration should take care of the rest. Still, I'd advise you to take it easy for a couple of days at least. That means no fighting or fast traveling. You'll have to chase him down the old-fashioned way," his eyes then gained a blaze to them. "If this happens again, I'm stepping in whether you like it or not."
She nodded and then stood up, grabbed her burlap rucksack and prepared to leave.
"Hmm? What's this? Seems like it fell out of your jacket sis," Artemis turned back around to the countertop to see Apollo holding a black card in her hand. The card had a white domino mask design on it.
She shuffled over and snatched it from his hand before he could read it. Apollo was still comically posing as if he had the card in his hand. Her eyes quickly scanned through the words printed on the back. The air around her quickly went frigid as the words on the card processed in her brain. Frost spread on the counter from where her hand was planted on it. Apollo quickly backed towards the wall, arms splayed. Athena followed suit though not as dramatic as Apollo. Hestia remained unfazed, as her aura melted the Frost as soon as it reached her in a perfect semicircle.
Artemis balled up the card and threw it in the trash bin. Steam practically curled off her as she marched towards the doorway. "He is so dead." She muttered on the way.
Athena looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue at the scene she just witnessed. No doubt it was to suggest some sort of plan. She appreciated the thought but she wouldn't have accepted, Athena had provided enough help. Part of the hunt was figuring out her prey's habits for herself.
Before she exited her temple she gave one last glance back at the 3 gods she was leaving behind.
"I promise I'll be safe. There's someone I want to recruit back into the hunters for this one,"
Artemis then willed her essence back to where her hunters were located.
"Nephew."
"Yes, aunt Hestia?"
"What exactly did that card say that made her so angry?"
Apollo reached into the trash and fished out the crumpled piece of paper. He un-balled it and began to read. Apollo's face then went pale as a sheet as he made a choking sound. Almost as pale as the time he saw Ares naked. "Oh….Oh my…"
"So…are you going to tell us?" Athena's tone conveyed the message 'Either do it or I'll do it for you.' Apollo noticed this and acquiesced to her demands.
"It's probably better if you read it for yourselves," he said as he slid the card over the still-frozen countertop.
Hestia took the card and started to read it while Athena peered over her shoulder. The words on the card were written in cursive, in pure white ink against the black background.
I had fun on our date today! Your passion simply drove me wild, I couldn't help but match your energy at the end when we finished together. You were one of the best partners I've ever had(and I have 5 of them)! Call me again if you ever want to dance with me in the pale moonlight.
—Joker
PS: Victorian-era Lolita is more in style than the regular version. Just a tip.
Hestia looked as if she swallowed something unpleasant. "Oh, dear…Even Thanatos would be shocked that someone was so blatantly calling for his presence."
Athena had never known a mortal to have such gall as this one. "He likened their fight to having sex. Implied she was good at it. Said he's in a polygamist relationship, and finally, likened himself to the devil. Using the moon no less. Excuse my language but this card was specifically meant to piss her off in every which way possible. Even his showy penmanship is meant to draw attention and ire. Effective, if not over the top."
"Pissed off doesn't begin to describe it." Apollo said in a mixture of equal parts fearful and impressed. "She's going to hunt the poor bastard forever. I kinda wanna keep the card. It's probably going to be all that's left of him when she's done."
Hestia sighed as she handed the card back to Apollo "May the fates have mercy on his soul."
"He truly plays the most dangerous game."
Athena's words were monotone but her shudders gave away what she truly thought. Even Ares would hesitate before blatantly kicking the bear.
The other two gods nodded in agreement.
There were two things Kronos valued above all else, Time and Information. Until the mortals started associating him with the primordial Chronos, he took it for granted just like every other being. Once he absorbed the primordial's domain as his own he began to value it as if it was life itself. Of course, it was. He believed he was one of the very few immortal souls across every pantheon who held this view.
Of course, the active ones were fewer still. The missing Pacific and her time rope, and the Norns of past, present, and future to name a few. They understood the concept. Both what it meant and the fact that time passed could seldom be returned.
Even in his fragmented state, he could feel the minutes, hours, years, decades, centuries, even millennia slip by. Thus he knew that his time was coming, the time to make a move. To reclaim what was rightfully his. For that he needed information.
There was a saying, "Every battle was won or lost before even taking the field." Kronos adhered to that rule with fervor. If he fucked up here, it could be eons before he got another chance ….. if he got one at all. Information was his lifeblood, he needed everything to be perfect. Given his…..circumstance, he relied on informants.
His newest informant had just helpfully (read unwittingly) relaid information that the moon goddess was bested in battle–at full power no less. Such news would spread like wildfire, many would sniff the blood in the water and prostrate before the one who did it, exactly someone he needed. He, and the other 2-bit riff-raff that wanted a slice of the pie. So, naturally, his foolish son had issued a gag order. No need for anyone to get any funny ideas for him to deal with.
Not that it stopped him from hearing about it, and knowing about the ones who most likely did it as well. All the order did was give him an advantage in information.
"Son of Hermes. Son of Hecate. Report. What are your thoughts on these so-called Phantom Thieves?" He wasn't able to appear personally in his condition, but it was easy to show up in the dreams of those who truly believed in his cause such as the two demigods before him.
Luke Castellan bristled in fear at being suddenly addressed "My liege, the leader has proven his strength over the Moon Goddess. They would be a worthy addition to our cause."
"Hmph," In sharp contrast, Alabaster Torrington flashed a cheap fake smile, virtually mirroring his godly parent. "Smoke and mirrors, party tricks if you ask me. The victory was most likely a fluke. Our source couldn't confirm her condition, so why should we believe it?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Our benefactor sent me to be at your service, Crooked One. I'm far more worthy of the cause than some petty thieves. Besides ol' scarface over here–" He gestured towards Luke "–failed to seduce the blonde one. If they won't join us, they should be killed, just like every other bootlicking, shitheel–"
"Torrington." The boy froze at the cold hard edge Kronos put in his voice. "Your benefactor has proven useful by putting you under my service so long as I dealt with the Phantom Thieves how I saw fit. Not a bad deal I would say. Without you, the magic goddess wouldn't have joined our side and I got advance notice of a group of powerful demigods simply waiting to help usher in a new era. If you're so skeptical Torrington, why not run them through the paces yourself?"
Luke sneered at his counterpart, "I'm sure you can use some time off from whoring yourself out from those three maniacs."
"Maniacs with money you mean," Alabaster retorted. "And we both know you're the real whore around here. Dryads, naiads, demigods, minor goddesses. Who hasn't heard of pretty boy Luke? Also, the only other human I've touched is Blaed, who happens to be a treasurer. She couldn't be happier that I'm taking every last dollar out of those idiots I can."
"I think that comes with the territory of having Plutus as a father and a banker as a mother," Luke pointed out.
Alabaster ignored Luke's remark. "Still so, it's casting pearls before the swine to waste my talents on them. I'll be happy to take on this task my lord. Those simple pickpockets shall be disposed of."
"Do not dispose of them," Kronos commanded. "You fail to see the bigger picture at play. The son of Poseidon is the ace. Strong but not unbeatable. The phantom thieves are the Joker. Strong and unpredictable. Demigods from multiple pantheons working together? Their mere presence can throw a war sideways. The moon goddess is one thing but what if they have the potential to beat one of the elders? Our first priority is to convince them of our cause."
"Yes my liege," Alabaster said, though Kronos noted it was a bit forced.
"Luke, you are to continue to stay on standby. No need for you to draw any further attention than you already have."
"Yes."
"Both of you are dismissed," Kronos said as he ended the dream. He could now turn his focus towards his fellow titans. Prometheus valued information almost as much as himself. Surely he'd have a plan to put it to good use.
Ren thought the dining car had a nice quaint feel to it. It almost reminded him of Leblanc with how close the booths were. Even though the booth he was in could sit four it was much more built for two. Himself and his current table buddy Ryuji. Outside rain pattered against the window softly creating a nice calming atmosphere.
"I feel like it's been forever since we've gone to a ramen shop together," Ryuji said as he ruffled his hair.
Ren nodded his head, "I agree, it's kinda our thing right?"
"Yeah man, it's special to me. Ore no beko is where we first hung out and ya told me your story. We went to that ramen shop in Ogikubo after trainin'. And it's also where I awakened to Seiten Taisei."
"Right," Ren replied, then gave his surroundings a once over. "Doesn't this place kind of remind you of the restaurant in Shido's palace?"
"That and Leblanc, I never got my meal at that restaurant either, by the way."
"Ryuji you know that restaurant is—" he looked at Ryuji's innocent expression and raised eyebrows "You know what? Nevermind."
The two sat in a slightly awkward silence until the waiter walked up to them.
"May I take your order sirs?" The waiter said with a wide, mustached smile. His green eyes and too-white teeth stuck out to Ren. Though the rest of his features were bland enough to be forgettable. What stood out, however, was that he also had an air of mischief to him that made Ren want to play. He was going to have to do the talking anyways, might as well have some fun.
"Do you have any oriental-style dishes?"
The waiter raised his eyebrow in a motion that seemed a little too practiced. "Funny you should ask, we're doing a test run for Miso Noodle Soup on this route," he said in an accent somewhere between bad French and Italian.
"Perfect, me and my friend here will take a bowl each," Ren said and waved at the confused-looking Ryuji, who could only vaguely understand what was said.
The waiter scribbled down the order "What would you two gentlemen like to drink?"
Ren shot the waiter a disarming smile letting a gleam sparkle in his eye "What would you recommend?"
The waiter's eyes twinkled in return. "Hmm in addition to the Miso Soup we also have a limited run on Sake during this trip." Ryuji frowned at the statement.
Ren raised his eyebrows in surprise "Oh ho, what kind do you have?"
"Four Fox Sake, Junmai Daiginjo. Would that be to your taste?"
Ren steepled his fingers on the table "Excellent, we'll try that. Normally we do wine but I love trying new things. I particularly enjoyed Arak when I had the opportunity." Ryuji's face contorted in complete befuddlement as his eyes slipped back and forth between Ren and the waiter.
"Interesting. It would be my pleasure to serve you. I'll have it out as soon as possible," The waiter then scurried off towards the kitchen.
Ryuji waited until he was sure the waiter was out of earshot before rounding on Ren, leaning forward. "What the hell man?! I didn't catch all of it, but I know damn well we can't drink at our age," He said in a hushed whisper.
Ren shrugged his shoulders "Thought it'd be funny as a joke. Didn't think he'd go through with it. Besides, we'll call it an early birthday gift for you. You turn 18 next month right?"
"18 ain't 20!"
"21 in this country," Ren corrected.
Ryuji crossed his arms and leaned back, "Ugh, whatever man but if we get caught, I'm throwing your ass under the bus."
"That's fair, I suppose," Ren said as he himself leaned back and crossed his legs in pseudo imitation.
"Damn right it's fair. It's your shit to deal with after all," He said with a note of bitterness.
Ren blew the bangs out of his face "I guess since I'm volunteering information, is there anything you want to ask me Ryuji?"
"The hell is that supposed to mean? I know you, Ren. Stop beatin' round the bush."
Ren sighed. "You know about me….and about the girls." Ryuji's face slackened for a moment before he re-tightened it.
"Whata bout them?" Ren could see that the blonde decided to play dumb.
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damnit, Ryuji. You aren't making it any easier either," Ren decided it was better to be as blunt as possible. That's how he and Ryuji talked to each other, for better or worse. "I'm in a relationship with all five girls in our group and I know that you know."
"So ya finally come out an say it," he looked around. "I was gonna pull you aside myself, but I guess ya did it for me."
Ren scratched his cheek, "Ann and Makoto knew I wanted to do this and help me make sure the others were distracted. You're free to tell me how you really feel."
Ryuji's first instinct was to reach over and slug Ren in the face. Ren of course expected it to come and allowed it to happen, without any personas equipped to boot
"I know there's more on your mind than that," Ren said as he picked up a napkin and spat a wad of blood into it.
"Ya effin' don't trust me with anything is what yer telling me!"
"Hey ya jackass! Stop swearing! Children are trying to eat here" A father behind them exclaimed while holding his son's ears.
"I didn't even swear!" Ryuji replied back
"Yeah! Maybe you should wash your own mouth out yourself before talking about other people!" An older man replied in turn to the father.
"Nobody asked for your opinion grandpa! Now turn back around before I have to put you in a box floating down the river!"
"Hey man, what's your problem?!" A third person joined in.
The two teens sweat dropped at the argument unfolding in front of them.
"Alright, ready to talk like adults?" Ren asked, "If we start another car-wide argument It'll probably attract the attention of Percy and his friends." Ren jabbed a thumb behind him towards the quest group currently talking to the waiter at the end of the car.
Ryuji stretched back seemingly content for the moment. "Takeishi and Nakaoka were right. Punching you in the face does make me feel better."
"Glad I could help-"
"-But it still doesn't address why I was mad with you in the first place."
"Is it the fact I'm dating all of them?"
Ryuji clenched his jaw "You know I couldn't give a shit about that! Folks come from all walks of life. We should know that better than anyone else. I do question if you can handle that many relationships at once," he shrugged. "Either way it's a load off my back. Ann's nagging is your problem now. I mean I knew her in middle school. I do feel obligated to hit you if she comes to me cryin'."
"You already did," Ren pointed at the bruise. "I'd honestly be more afraid of her than you if I broke her heart. Have you seen how she's been treating Yusuke lately?" Ren had to suppress a shudder at the thought of being trapped in endless illusions.
Ryuji smirked a bit. "Heh, have fun with that."
Ren couldn't help but smile a little bit himself "You don't know the half of it." Ren then returned to serious mode. "But if that wasn't why you were mad….It's because I didn't tell you isn't it?"
Ryuji looked as if he couldn't decide to be sad or mad. To Ren, he looked overall constipated. "Of course, man; we're best friends. Before Ann. Before Morgana. It was just you an' me back there on the rooftop. The two Shujin outcasts causing hell against the world, man. When you helped me with the track team, you learned all of my secrets, my father…. My mother…..The track team…..Kamoshida. The whole thing. I thought we were at the level where we could tell each other anything. Guess not…." He finished lamely as he slumped against the back of the booth.
Ren let out a breath he was holding. "Looks like the girls aren't the only ones I'm coming clean with. I'm getting the same earful from the girls, but the same reason I didn't tell them about each other applies to you more or less."
"Great, so now you're treating me like a chick? Thanks."
"Hah. Ryuji we both know each and every lady on the team will kick your ass here and back for that comment." Ryuji let out a chuckle at the image.
"Yeah, they are effin dangerous. Especially Haru after the sleepwalkn' incident, which she still does by the way. How do you survive?"
"You'd be surprised what multiple personas can do for you. Anyways, I was afraid of what you were going to say. It's definitely not your typical lifestyle. I thought if you were going to most likely reject me, why tell you?" Ren rapped his fingers on the table. "To be honest I was scared shitless in your case. The girl's rejection is one thing…but you're almost like a brother to me at this point."
"Ya damn right it's not ordinary…Or legal for that matter. But when have we really defined ourselves by what the rest of society says about us?"
"Wow Ryuji, getting philosophical and we haven't even started drinking yet."
"Shaddup," Ryuji said while eyeing the table sheet. "Let's shelve this for later," the blond said as he discreetly pointed toward the waiter headed their way.
"That was fast," Ren remarked as the waiter came up to their table and slid plates of food on it.
"We strive for excellence no matter who we serve or where we are." The waiter then grabbed the bottle of sake he tucked under his arm. Followed by two tokkuri from his apron. "For you two gentlemen a bottle of Four Fox. This sake will gently wash your pallet and uplift you imitating a mountain top. Though do be careful, we do not tolerate public intoxication and we'll boot you out swift as lightning."
"Thank you for the warning. Maybe next time we go by train we'll ask for you again Mr ..." Ren scrunched his eyes trying to look for a name tag.
"No,thank you, sir." He said with a bow "My name is Marley if you're wondering. I'm still relatively new, so I'm lacking a name tag at the moment. Let me know if you guys need anything else, I have to tend to other customers," with another bow the waiter dashed off.
"Well that was weird as shit," Ryuji said, breaking the silence as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks.
"It's called good etiquette, Ryuji. Wouldn't want the server to spit in our food."
"Ugh, don't put that thought in my head." He groaned as he angled the chopsticks in the broth "Now back to what we're talking about." He said while stuffing his face with noodles.
Ren started to pour them both a shot of sake. "As I was saying, I didn't want us to just stop being friends or something."
Ryuji swallowed his food. "You're an idiot man. And that's coming from me, an idiot. There ain't much that can surprise me nowadays. It doesn't matter whether I approve or not. I do feel I have a right to know considern' the fact it involves effing half the group."
Ren slid the cup across the table. "I'm sorry, Ryuji. There's not much else I can do to apologize."
"Ah hell, I don't expect you to. Just do better. Besides, you got us booze and I got a couple of licks in on ya'. Now that's rare nowadays. We used to be at the same level then you just up and shot past the rest of us."
"Don't sell yourself short, you're a vital part to our team too. We wouldn't have made it out of Shido's palace without you."
"If you say so leader," Ryuji shrugged, though Ren knew it was in jest with no real resentment behind it. "Now then let's see what this bad boy tastes like! Today we climb the stairs into adulthood Ren-Ren!"
Both Ryuji and Ren both grabbed their respective cups and raised it to their lips. The sweet tasting liquid went down Ren's throat, accompanied by the burning foulness most alcohol brings.
Across the table, Ren could see Ryuji gaging almost comically, clutching his throat and tongue hanging out his mouth.
"BLECH! This shit's nasty! How did my dad even drink this stuff!" He yelled as he eyed the bottle the waiter left on the table.
"It's an acquired taste," Ren said as he calmly poured himself more.
"So you've had alcohol before?!"
This time it was Ren's turn to shrug. "When you grow up out in the countryside you get to learn and experience things earlier than most."
"First!" Ryuji said as he held up a finger "You're younger than me!"
"By two months,"
"Second," he said as he ignored Ren's rebuttal "Why didn't you tell me it was going to be nasty?!"
Ren sipped a little from his second cup "Would you have drunk it if I did?"
Ryuji tilted his head up as he thought for a moment. "Fair point," he finally conceded. "So tell me, do you plan on telling the other guys?"
Ren put a finger to his chin. "Morgana knows by virtue of being my roommate. I….don't want to tell Yusuke because of him possibly asking to draw us."
"I can't exactly fault you on that one, What about Akechi?"
"...He found out just now, same as you,"
Ryuji frantically looked around, "The hell does that mean?!"
Ren took a second to swallow his food. "It means that he thinks he's being sneaky by hiding in the bathroom behind you before we walked in,"
As if on cue a toilet flushed, and Akechi exited, middle finger raised as he made his retreat to the next car over.
"And tha' asshole swears he's smart," Ryuji said while shaking his head as he craned back around.
"So? Are we cool?"
"We cool." Ryuji then gained a vicious smile on his face, "Now that I know, how about you tell me what's going on with you and that blue girl? I mean you and Futaba is one thing, but what about her? She's like what? 12?"
Ren's glasses fogged up and he spit out his drink in surprise. "Why is everyone asking that?! She's older than me!"
Ryuji rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh, it's cause she gave you a friggin' love confession in front of everyone. Also, that's bullshit man, I don't buy it, how old can she be?"
Ren leaned over the table and began to whisper "She's–"
"-I told you not to buy it, but you had to get the triple cheeseburger with bacon and an egg on top. You just ate something like that yesterday, Seaweed Brain!"
"Don't look at me Owl Head! Grover's the one who ate the silverware." Percy tilted his head back towards the table they came from, "And the plate. And the cups. And the napkins."
"Owl Head?!" She squawked.
"I didn't think they were going to charge us for it. But can you blame me? It's not often you get a chance to fine dine on a quest."
"Really?" Annabeth said exasperatedly, "You two almost wiped out all the cash we got from the diner." At the two boys' blank expressions she threw up her hands in defeat. "Ugh, forget it. You two are impossible," she said then continued to storm out of the car past Ren and Ryuji, not noticing them. Percy followed closely behind as they continued to bicker loudly as they entered the next train car.
"Hey wait for me!" Grover cried as he chased the two.
"—For real! She's that old?!" Ryuji exclaimed as Ren leaned back in his booth.
"Hmm Hmm," Ren nodded in agreement.
"Dude that raises even more questions!"
"Apparently she isn't really human, so age is somewhat meaningless. Not to mention her being naturally short."
"That's just weird man. Even for us. I'm gonna finish eating then we can talk more about the shit we've been getting up to." Ryuji then inhaled another mouthful of food "stho ther tho wrext?"
" St Louis: Gateway to the west."
OMAKE
Ryuji's Little Black Book of Shenanigans:
Futaba once slipped up and told me that she secretly has every member of the team tracker tagged somewhere on their clothes. Not just our phones but US.
I thought I was goin' crazy when Yusuke stood next me and I swore I heard beepin' coming from him.
Where does she get the money for this stuff?!
Oh right, Boss.
Where does Boss get the money for this stuff?!
It must be friggin 'expensive as shit to get tracking chips on everyone.
I feel….violated.
I was going to report her to Ren and Makoto when Futaba argued that it's even more important now that we're in unfamiliar territory.
Pffft… I only ran into a gang like…once. They were no match for me once I channeled Seiten Taisei. Ha, losers.
I brought that up to her and then she got this creepy-ass smile on her face. She turned her laptop around and showed me…..
Blackmail photos of when those two dudes got ahold of me in Shinjuku.
I asked her how the hell she even got that. She replied with that creepy Mwehehehe laugh. I'm sad to say it was a very effective tactic.
She then tried to get me to rebug Ren and Makoto. Apparently, they got wise and caught on.
I don't know if it says more about us bein' dumb enough ta fall for it, or them not telling us about it.
I ran outta the room after telling her I won't be complicit in her crazy schemes. I made sure the one that was in my jacket was found. Pretty sure I got it.
So my lips are sealed unless Ren-Ren "happens" to find this book.
Now it's time to wash this shirt. It's been itching like crazy lately. Didn't used to do that. Maybe a good wash will make it smoother to wear?
Joker's Inmate Registry
Athena:
Daughter of Zeus. One of the twelve gods of Olympus. Presides over wisdom and craft.
Arcana: Chariot/Fool
Stats:(Told by Oracle)
Strength 65
Magic 30
Endurance 55
Agility 50
Luck 39
Affinities
Physical: Block
Gun: Block
Fire:
?:
Wind: Resist
?:
Elec: Drain
Ice:
Nuke:
Psychic:
Light:
Dark:
Trait: Grace of the Olive
Decreases skill cost to 0 during 1 More.
Moves:
God's Hand
Null Phys
Insta-heal
Arms Master
Fortify Spirit
Drain Elec
Enduring Soul
Akashic Arts(Unique to Athena. Severe Physical damage to all foes 1x to 2x, high critical rate.)
Habits/General Thoughts:
Acquired in a fusion accident between Thoth and Isis. Which for some reason Athena seems to take irony in. To this day Lavenza is still trying to figure out how and why Athena appeared. (And her dual Arcana)
The real Igor seems to think it's my specific power as a wildcard. Apparently being the wildcard doesn't just mean being able to use more than one persona. What the other's special abilities were, he wouldn't elaborate.
My obtaining her was only the beginning as shortly after, a number of personas who exist "outside my rebellion" have come and gone.
Connecting the two points leads to my ongoing theory that they are the personas of wildcards past.
This was borderline confirmed in my battle against the cognitive versions of the boy with headphones and the tall boy with glasses. The boy with headphones used Orpheus, Thanatos, and Messiah, while the glasses boy used Izanagi, Kaguya, and Izanagi-no-Okami. What they did or how long ago they were "active" seems to be classified information.
The headphone boy had something to do with the moon, and the uniform he wore came from the high school in Odaiba funny enough. Odaiba seems to have a solid connection with the cognitive world. The glasses boy on the other hand did something with TVs and fog. That's about the extent of my knowledge.
Sorry, I went on a tangent there.
Athena seems to have come to me for a reason only she knows. Anytime I've asked has only led to silence. Satanael is sure she'll tell us when the time is right and not a moment before. Considering he is me, I'll listen to him.
For that reason, I have been reluctant to fuse her away or execute her via the electric chair. As such she is one of the strongest personas in the stock outside of Satanael himself. Being the second oldest out of the current stock the other personas tend to look to her as a vice-captain, mirroring the relationship I have with Makoto.
The irony is not lost on either of us that Anat is considered the forebear of Athena.
Her leadership style is more by example through action than Satanael's verbal advice.
Though she acts aloof she cares a great deal for both my well being and some of the physically smaller personas such as Alice and Black Frost.
Ishtar is the only being that has managed to consistently get under her skin. Usually, it's probing about romantic endeavors. Athena insisted she is a virgin goddess but then Ishtar counters by mentioning the way she acted around Thanatos whenever he was in the stock. Needless to say, it sparked a fight.
She has mutual respect for Seiten Taisei thanks to not only being war deities but sharing the same arcana. Not that it stops her from going easy on him in spars—much to Ryuji's dismay.
First thing's first. Alabaster got aged up here. He's the same age as Percy, but in this story, he's a natural slot-in for the villain role I have planned, so up he goes to 16. In terms of demigod henchmen, think of Luke as the right hand and Alabaster as the left.
A deleted scene from chapter 1 would've had Alabaster and Luke at the bargaining table with Hecate, and while they're convincing her, she gets a slight notification of the PT's arrival like Hermes did. I cut it for word constraints at the time considering it was my first work ever; but if I ever go back and re-write the first two chapters now that I have experience under my belt, I'll probably re-include that scene.
Also, you may think Zeus is a little lax here but you have to remember Zeus and Artemis are on different levels. Save his siblings, and maybe Aphrodite, the rest of the Olympians are pretty much the JV squad. Something that beat the crap out of Artemis doesn't necessarily concern him unless she was actively killed. Case and point Hera beat Artemis easily in the Iliad. Zeus is under the impression it was an even fight, and Artemis wasn't going to correct him. Essentially put, if she didn't die the bolt is problem number one. Apollo wasn't kidding when he likened him to King Neptune.
Apollo on the other hand isn't as fired up as he was in TC cause simply Artemis is still around, and he's not foolish enough to get in her way after she was boldly challenged like that. Same applies to Athena.
Speaking of Athena's omake. It's pretty much a smoosh of all her (persona) incarnations. The description is from 2 and the type chart is from Q2. Yeah for some reason Athena resists wind in that game. The stats are all me though. Considering Ren has had her for quite a while she has a pretty meta-move-set. Not as strong as it could be but still pretty good. For those who don't know through testing, it's discovered that Athena's Akashic Arts actually hits harder than Hassou Tobi. Yeah, imagine that. In a game sense, God's hand is completely redundant, but in a battle/anime sense, it pays not to be a one-trick pony.
Some of you may have noticed I implied Persona 3 happened in Odaiba. That's because in the context of Persona 5 it was. Judging by the costume dialogue and general knowledge of the cutting room floor, one of the previous schools was going to be retconned to Tokyo to have Yusuke go to it. It was probably going to be Gekkoukan, helped along by the fact Tatsumi Port Island was based on Odaiba. So I just retrofitted it for this story.
