Chapter 10: Painful Choice
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. I'm glad to see so many of you were eager to see me update this. Now brace yourself this one is a tearjerker. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.
In the temple of Athena, Nico was standing between his mother and his girlfriend completely confused by Medusa's declaration.
"Athena? Wow I always pictured Thea being pretty but a goddess?" Nico said causing Thea to giggle.
"THank you Nico." Thea smiles.
"Shut it you." Medusa points with her snakes hissing in agreement.
"How are you even in his mother? You couldn't possibly have given birth to him in your state." Thea asks.
"I raised him from a baby, I loved him, I fed him, I trained him, I made him everything he is today. In every sense of the word, Nicodemus is my son." Medusa declares.
"She's got you there. And Thea my mom told me years ago I was adopted." Nico said.
"She did?" Thea asks.
"I'm blind, not oblivious. Obviously, I got curious about why it was just me and her. Why I don't have a dad." Nico said.
"Yeah still think I'm a lousy mother?" Medusa smirks.
"How did you not know your mother was a gorgon?" Thea asks.
"How did you not know your girlfriend was a goddess?" Medusa asks.
"Uh hello what is a matter with you people? I mean seriously. I'm blind! I don't even know what I look like!" Nico said pulling on his eyes to emphasize his point.
"Whatever, you are coming home right now Nicodemus. This girl is bad news! She will ruin your life just like she ruined mine." Medusa said.
"What are you talking about mom?" Nico asks.
"I used to be a normal human Nico until she turned me into a monster." Medusa said.
"Thea is this true?" Nico asks.
"Well sort of." Thea hesitates.
"I can hear it in your voice. You're hiding something." Nico said.
Pausing Thea looks to Medusa who smirks.
"Yeah I taught him to really listen well. Lies, hesitation, none of that gets past my son." Medusa said.
"Okay now I'm seeing where Nico gets his attitude from." Thea mutters.
"Thea, mom please just tell me what is going on. Why do you two hate each other so much?" Nico asks.
"Alright Nico you deserve the truth." Medusa said taking a deep breath. "I was beautiful once. When I was a normal human I was very pretty. Even Poseidon, the God of the Sea wanted me, but I didn't want him. When he came for me, I ran to this temple hoping that Athena would protect me, but she didn't. So Poseidon took me on the cold floor against my will." Medusa said causing Nico to cringe and step back as if he was standing on the site where it happened.
Slowly Thea, pauses remembering that day.
"When he left, I prayed to her for comfort but one look at me and she turned me into a monster. That way no man would ever look at me that way again." Medusa finished leaving Nico speechless.
"T-Thea you cursed my mom?" Nico asks hurt.
"I had no choice, they defiled my temple someone had to be punished." Thea said.
"If you really are Athena why did you punish my mom and not Poseidon. It was all his fault." Nico said.
"I couldn't! Poseidon is one of the Big 3. I don't have the power to punish him." Thea said before covering her mouth.
"Wait you admit it? You're Athena?! I don't believe it. I've been going to school with the Goddess of Wisdom. Oh Gaea, I've been making out with an Olympian!" Nico said freaking out.
"You two are dating?!" Medusa snaps.
"Well I like to think we are." Thea mumbles.
"This is insane. Wait, why were you at my school?" Nico asks confused.
"I went to Olympian Academy because I was on the lookout for new Heroes. Zeus asked me to keep an eye on his son Hercules, but then he met you and with your guidance he was able to grow. I guess I was more interested in you than I was in Hercules." Thea admits.
"So wait when you said Athena had a quest that was—"
"Not entirely a lie. You are going on a quest but I was just trying to make it sound better." Thea said.
"Wait a minute, the only reason you even hung out with me was because I was always helping Herc? Am I just part of your job? Did you even like me?" Nico asks.
"No, maybe at first." Thea said.
"Tell me the truth." Nico demands.
"Alright fine, yes I saw you were helping train Hercules with his strength and I thought if you did well, he could become a great hero but then I started to enjoy your company and then…" Thea said.
"You used me to make Herc a better hero for you?" Nico said hurt.
"That's what these Olympians do Nico. They use you to do their jobs for them or to humiliate yourself for their own amusement." Medusa said.
"I gave you my first kiss." Nico said struggling to keep it together.
"Nico, I never wanted to hurt you like this." Thea said reaching out for him. "I really like you."
"Wait let me get something straight. If you cursed my mom because she asked you for help if I messed up your quest what would you do to me? Would you turn me into a monster too? Or would leave me to suffer?" Nico asks.
"No I would never." Thea said.
"But you had no trouble doing that to my mom? She was the victim. She begged you for your help and you ignored her? How do I know you won't do the same to me?" Nico asks.
"Because…" Thea pauses not sure what to say.
"You can't answer can you?" Medusa asks walking over. "I warned my son about people like you."
Freezing Thea looks to Medusa as she walks up to her.
"You treated me like a monster and if I hadn't found Nico, I would have become one." Medusa said.
"But Mom, I-I thought Thea and I…" Nico said equally frozen in shock.
"She doesn't deserve you Nicodemus, frankly you're too good for someone like her." Medusa said as her snakes hissed in agreement.
"Excuse me?" Thea said turning to her.
"Come on Nico let's get out of here." Medusa said walking to the exit.
"But…what about my friends? She plans to take them off her quest. What if they need me?" Nico asks.
"Nico I love you, but right now you have to make a choice. It's her or me." Medusa declares causing Nico to freeze and Thea to gasp.
"You're making him choose? How can do such a thing?" Thea asks.
"You are in no position to ask me that. Well Nicodemus?" Medusa asks.
Conflicted Nico looks in Medusa's direction and then in Thea's direction.
"Nico please, you have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you, I really like you." Thea begs.
"Thea or Athena I-I'm sorry but I don't know what to believe. My mom asked you for help and you cursed her. I'm starting to wonder which one of us is really the blind one around here." Nico said as he walks towards his mother.
"A wise choice sweetie." Medusa smiles putting her hood back over her head and leads him out.
However, in her victory, Medusa failed to notice tears run down Nico's eyes as he was struggling to keep it together.
From the temple, Thea watched Nico walk away and felt totally crushed.
For the first time in her immortal life, she actually felt regret, what she thought was the only choice might not have been the right choice and this mistake cost her a great hero but more than that she hurt her first love.
"Hoo hoo." Thea's owl said landing on her shoulder as a tear formed in Thea's eyes.
"I don't know, for the first time in my life…I have no idea what to do. I feel so-so…human." Thea admits surprising her owl.
Little did she know, from the roof Rose was watching this with shock and awe.
"A goddess in love with the son of her enemy. Love is strong but when it is broken if you can put it back together it's even stronger." Rose said getting up.
Needless to say, Rose wanted to keep this going. Any hero can help humans see the errors of their ways, but never before had she seen someone make an Immortal see the error of their ways.
If this quest was gonna be a success Rose would have to work fast to fix these broken hearts.