A/N: Hey everybody, it's Tinian I'att. Once again, I find myself apologizing for the prolonged wait for this chapter. Please believe me when I say that these delays are not intentional. Unfortunately, I had a hard time figuring out how to start this chapter and I had to wait until something finally came to me. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Four
The First Betrayal
The next morning dawned clear and sunny, but no one in the brownstone was in the mood to enjoy it. After their attackers had gone, Jay had managed to convince everyone to go to bed, but they were all so worried about what had happened that they all slept badly. They had gathered in the kitchen bleary-eyed and at a loss to explain the events of the night before.
The problem as Jay saw it was that there were entirely too many unanswered questions.
Who were our mysterious assailants? he wondered. They obviously weren't just a street gang looking for some quick cash or trying to spread some fear and intimidation in the neighborhood. They had clearly known exactly what they wanted and they couldn't have stolen the items they'd taken anywhere else.
They were other questions too. How had these seven strangers learned where the team lived? It seemed very unlikely that they'd knocked on every door in town until they found the right place. Obviously, they'd known exactly where to go to get what they wanted.
Then there was the most difficult question, why had these unidentified teenagers stolen their weapons and pendant keys? The weapons at least, made some sense. Whoever their enigmatic aggressors were, they could use them, but the pendant keys were another matter altogether. Hephaestus had specifically coded each key to its wearer's DNA, making it impossible for anyone else to use it. It wasn't logical for someone to steal the keys, but their perplexing antagonists had done exactly that. Why? Why take something you couldn't use and weren't planning to sell? That they didn't intend to sell the keys seemed obvious, if they were looking for items to sell there were much more valuable things at the brownstone they could've stolen, things that would attract far less attention than the unique pendant keys.
Jay realized that there were too many questions for him or his friends to answer. There was only one solution, they would have to contact the gods and see if they could shed some light on this mystery.
"We need to go to the school," Jay announced. "We need to replace our weapons and pendant keys and we need to talk to the gods."
The others turned to look at him.
"How are we supposed to get into the school's secret wing without a pendant key?" Theresa asked.
"We'll use a PMR to contact them," Jay answered. "They can send Athena to teleport us to the school."
"Too bad she was there instead of here last night," Neil grumbled, still miffed about the wrinkles his attacker had supposedly left in his pyjamas.
"Well fortunately she can get back here in a hurry," Jay commented pulling out his PMR, "so everyone get dressed we've got work to do."
While Jay placed his call, everyone else hurried to get ready. By the time Athena arrived, everyone was dressed and ready to go. Jay gave Athena a brief account of the events of the previous night. After hearing what had happened, Athena was quick to transport them to the relative safety of the school's secret wing.
Once they arrived, they headed straight for Hera's solarium where they found the other gods waiting for them.
"Jay what happened?" Hera asked when she saw his face, which Helen's punch had bruised.
"We had a run-in with some unexpected guests at the dorm last night," Jay explained. "There were seven of them, five girls, and two guys. They showed up at two o'clock this morning and stole our weapons and pendant keys."
"What?" Hera gasped.
"Why would they take the pendant keys?" Hermes asked, sounding flustered.
"No idea," Jay replied, "but from the way they acted it was pretty clear they knew what they were looking for and where to find it."
"They certainly seemed to know their way around the dorm," Theresa affirmed.
"What do you mean?" Jay asked.
"Think about it," Theresa answered. "From the moment they walked through the door they acted like they had some kind of plan. The way they came after us, it was as if each one had a specific target. Well, all except that one girl."
"Which girl?" Jay interrupted.
"The ringleader," Theresa responded, "the one who spent all her time barking orders and then took your pendant key."
"Jessica," Jay muttered mostly to himself.
"How do you know her name?" Theresa asked.
"She was kind enough to introduce herself and her friends before I got decked," Jay responded. Turning to Odie he asked, "What did the one who accosted you look like?"
"It was the same girl who took my pendant key," Odie responded.
"Same here," the others responded in quick succession.
"Okay," Jay began his mind working furiously, "each of us was attacked by the same person who stole our pendant key, except me. I got clobbered by the girl who took Herry's key, Helen."
"In that case you're lucky she didn't break all the bones in your face," Theresa informed him.
"Why?" Jay inquired.
"I saw her bring Herry into the living room," Theresa replied. "She was dragging him by one ankle."
"Yeah," Herry confirmed. "I'm pretty sure she was at least as strong as I am."
Jay stared at Theresa and Herry too shocked to speak.
"Did anyone else notice similarities between themselves and their assailants?" he asked after several seconds.
"Well, the girl who attacked me did kind of look like me," Odie responded. "In fact, now that I think about it they all kind of looked like us."
Jay's brain went into overdrive as he began fitting the pieces together. Bit by bit things were becoming clearer, but it was Odie's next comment that ultimately solidified things.
"If I didn't know better I'd swear they were our doppelgängers or something," he said.
"Doppel-what's?" Herry asked.
"Doppelgängers," Odie repeated, "it's like a double."
"Like a clone?" Herry asked.
"No," Odie responded. "A doppelgänger isn't an exact copy it's more like a person who bears a physical or behavioral resemblance to another person. Those people whoever they are and wherever they come from aren't our exact doubles, but they do have abilities that are similar if not identical to ours."
"So where did these guys come from?" Atlanta asked.
"Cronus, where else," Jay replied.
Theresa opened her mouth to respond, but Jay held up a hand to forestall her.
"Think about it," he continued. "Cronus has attacked us more frequently in the last month than he ever has and what is the one thing he did or tried to do each time?"
The others exchanged puzzled glances, unable to divine what Jay was driving at.
Sighing with frustration, Jay rolled up his sleeve and ran one finger down the length of a half-healed cut on the inside of his left forearm. This action prompted a similar response in his friends, who each reached unconsciously for a spot where they had received an almost identical injury.
"He cut us," Archie answered at last.
"Right," Jay acknowledged. "Cronus cut all of us at some point this last month, in fact, he cut Archie just yesterday. Can you honestly tell me that you believe that our fight with Cronus yesterday and the sudden appearance of these doppelgängers is all just a coincidence?"
"Cronus did seem to be trying to draw us out the last time he attacked," Theresa conceded, "and he probably guessed that calling us pitiful and afraid would be enough to provoke a reaction."
"Yeah, a reaction from me," Archie muttered. "And I played right into his hands."
"Don't feel bad, Archie," Atlanta said. "It could've happened to anyone."
"It did," Jay pointed out. "If you think about it, nearly every time Cronus attacked he did something that, looking back was clearly intended to draw one of us out. He attacked someone he knew one of us would feel compelled to defend or said something he knew would make one of us so angry they'd rush to attack him without thinking."
"Okay," Herry said, sounding confused, "but what does this have to do with those doppel-whatever-they-ares?"
Jay turned to Hera. "Is it possible," he asked her, "that Cronus could have used our blood to create these doubles?"
Hera took several minutes to consider the question. "It is possible," she answered, "difficult, but possible."
"But if Cronus used our blood to make them, then why don't these doppelgängers or whatever they are, look exactly like us?" Neil asked.
All eyes turned to the blonde model, as though surprised that he was the one who had asked such an insightful question.
"What?" Neil demanded defensively.
"Cronus probably added something to our blood to alter it," Jay suggested, "maybe even some of his own blood. After all, he wouldn't want seven exact duplicates of us running around."
The others nodded their agreement, Jay's assessment made perfect sense and besides they had a much more pressing issue to deal with, as Theresa was quick to remind them.
"What about our pendant keys?" she asked. "If Cronus used our blood to bring them into being, doesn't that mean our doppelgängers can use them?"
Looking grim, Hera nodded. "If they share your DNA," she answered. "Then yes, I'm afraid that's exactly what it means."
Meanwhile, completely unaware that they were the subject of an intense discussion by their foes, Jessica and her gang were heading for their rendezvous with Cronus. In a park across town from the high school, they found the god of time waiting for them in the shadow of some trees.
"Where have you been?" he snapped as they halted in a ragged semicircle in front of him.
"What's it to you?" Aaron demanded sullenly.
Jessica shot him a look that clearly meant, Shut up you moron.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting master," she said, "but some of us," she paused, shooting a glare at Nat, "are not morning people."
"Never mind your excuses," Cronus snarled, though he too shot a look in Nat's direction. "Were you successful?" His expression promised dire consequences if he didn't get the answer he wanted.
In response, the seven teenagers reached beneath their shirts and produced the stolen pendant keys.
"Excellent," he praised, a malicious smile on his face. "At last I will have my victory. At last I will be rid of those accursed brats forever!"
"Yeah about that," Jessica began as she and the others tucked their pendant keys out of sight, "there's been a change of plans."
"What do you mean?" Cronus growled his voice low and dangerous.
"Well," Jessica continued, "the way we see it we did all the work, we took all the risks, and we're the ones who can use these keys, so why do we need you?"
"I created you," Cronus reminded her, "and I can destroy you just as easily!"
"Maybe," Jessica agreed, "but I don't think you will."
"Oh and why is that?" Cronus inquired.
"You need us," Jessica stated simply. "You need us to help you get to our enemies and you need us to help you eliminate them."
"I am a god!" Cronus thundered, attracting stares from several passers-by, all of whom hurried away at the sight of his murderous glare.
"Yes, you are," Jessica agreed, "but that doesn't seem to have helped you defeat Jay and his pathetic friends. You're supposed to have all these amazing powers, so why haven't you used them? Why haven't you blasted your enemies to dust?"
"You dare to question my power?" Cronus snarled.
"Yes, I do," Jessica confirmed breezily, "because we both know you don't have any real power. All you can do is summon up other creatures to do your bidding or portals so you can escape. Face the facts, you need us, but we don't need you."
Cronus stood there breathing hard his face a mask of furious rage. Ignoring him, Jessica turned to Taylor.
"Do it," she commanded.
Cronus stared blankly at them both for a moment, his expression one of complete puzzlement. His expression changed instantly to panic, however, when Taylor's black phantom rose into the air.
"No!" he exclaimed, backing away his eyes wide. "You can't do this to me! I created you! I am your master!"
"Not anymore," Jessica responded coldly as Taylor's phantom swooped down upon the terrified god and stole his powers.
Taylor's phantom drifted almost lazily away from Cronus looking larger and darker than before as if it had just enjoyed a particularly satisfying meal.
"What now?" Taylor asked, sounding bored, as the phantom merged with him.
"What else," Aaron responded, "we head over to the school and take out the other gods and those whiny goody-goodies."
"Not quite yet," Jessica informed them. "First, we're going to arrange a little surprise for our troublesome doubles, something to keep them busy while Taylor deals with the gods."
"A monster?" Ariane asked hopefully.
"Oh not just any monster," Jessica replied, a cruel smile twisting her features, "the mother of all monsters."
"You don't mean?" Nat gasped.
"Oh yes," Jessica responded her smile growing wider as she turned to Taylor and said, "summon Echidna."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The wait for the next one should be much shorter since I've already started working on it. For those of you who've read Little Miss Illusional's story "Series Three, Episode One: The War Goes On" I am well aware that she used Echidna in her story, but I asked her and she's fine with me using Echidna too. I don't want anyone to think I'm stealing her idea. For those of you who haven't read her story…what are you waiting for?