welcome to my newest 'Class of the Titans' fanfiction which I'm choosing to entitle 'The Warrior of the Friend Zone and the Oblivious Huntress'. this is the fanfiction's first ever chapter which starts from the very beginning, of course. well, it starts from Archie's beginning anyway since he's the one who's point of view from which this fanfiction of my own creation is being told. I don't know just how far I'll go with this fanfiction, so I can't promise a thing to my readers. I do hope that you enjoy reading this fanfiction as much as I have enjoyed writing it for the longest time. p.s. this first chapter of 'The Warrior of the Friend Zone and the Oblivious Huntress' has quite a whopping total of eight-thousand-nine-hundred-seventy-three words worth of pure storyline. the storyline of this first chapter doesn't, however, include this explanatory headnote, right here, nor does it include the (mandatory) disclaimer which makes up the paragraph following said headnote.
disclamation: I don't own the 'Class of the Titans' series in any way, shape, or form. believe me when I say that if I owned any fragment at all of the series, they would've never cancelled the show after only two seasons and would've made it last at least until the kids had defeated the bad guy like all the fans wanted from the series. oh well, they may or maynot do a comeback of the series, or even a reboot with a whole new cast of characters. anyway, the series, itself, is owned and operated by the Nelvana and Teletoon Canadian TV companies, along with Studio B Productions.
I guess everyone knows when I first started like, liking Atlanta Kestrelson, but I just wanted to tell you all how I felt when I first met her. That's right, the love of my life's family name is the same as smallest bird of prey in the world… well, the first half of it is 'kestrel', while the rest of it is the suffix, '-son'. My full name is Archibald Khilles, but all of my friends just call me Archie. I know it's just like the great Achilles, no relation… or so I thought.
Back to the story of when I first met Atlanta. It all began on a spring morning when I was taken to Olympus High School, literally a high school run by the Greek gods and goddesses.
Of course, I did not buy the whole thing, nor did I believe that I was a descendant of the great 'Achilles'. Sure I had a bad heel and needed arch support for it, but that did not prove anything in or of itself. It might have been a condition I had, but I just remained skeptical about the whole thing… actually, I did not even know that Achilles even had any children, never mind a descendant in me.
I guess the only reason I really had to doubt being a descendant of Achilles was having not encountered any of the dangers that this Cronus guy presented by the time the Olympian gods came for me. I just wanted to go home when I finally made it to the school, I was so frustrated with whatever it was that was going on.
Of course, the gods were not ready to let me go just yet… or anytime in the next several months for that matter. I was taken to be tested by Ares, the god of war. I know… of all the gods to be my mentor during this time in my life, it just had to be one of the meaner gods under the rule of Hera, as in the wife of the immortal god, Zeus.
To make matters even worse for me, the god of war was not exactly the most supportive mentor in their line of business, and Ares did not really like to make it all that easy for ordinary mortals. I suppose I was just lucky that I was anything but an ordinary mortal, or so the gods seemed to think of me.
I will say that the way I handled the god of war's obstacle course on the track made a slight believer out of me in my DNA coming from the line of Achilles, but it did not make me believe it enough to think it was all that true. I was a bit disappointed in the way Ares graded my performance during his test on the obstacle course.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: I've seen better.
That was it? That was the only thing the god of war had to say about the performance of someone he was supposed to be mentoring as a protégé? If Ares thought that I did not believe that I was descended from Achilles, I really did not believe the way the god of war had graded my skills in battle.
Yours Truly: No way. Who?
I pushed my head up while I asked Ares who could possibly have done better than me in his eyes, and his answer was…
Ares, the god of war and savagery: Me!
Of course, he thought he had done better in something like it. Talk about stuck-up. Of course, Ares, himself, was not the only answer that the god of war gave me about who had previously done better than me on that obstacle course, oh no; because only a second afterwards the god of the savagery in war then added the name of none other than…
Ares, the god of war and savagery (continued): And Achilles, your ancestor!
I know Ares was the god of war and savagery among the Greeks, but I just scoffed at it anyway, because I was pretty certain that he still knew…
Yours Truly: You know I don't buy that.
Ares then stopped in his tracks while walking away from me, only to tell me…
Ares, the god of war and savagery: You know, as a young man, Achilles often let himself be ruled by his anger and mistrust. He later regretted it. Don't make the same mistake, Archie.
Then, Ares reached into a bench press and pulled out…
Ares, the god of war and savagery (continued): Congratulations. You win a prize.
When the god of war handed it to me, however, I was not sure what to make of it, because it looked just like a regular stick, whether mechanical or otherwise. Then when I pressed a button on it, it shot out a strange-looking rope that looked a lot like it was made of metal. I was so confused by what it did that I have to admit actually managing to have thought that it was…
Yours Truly: A dog leash?
But then, I stood corrected when the god of war told me what it really was.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: It's a Hephaestus whip.
Yours Truly: Hephaestus?
As in the blacksmith of the Greek gods, Hephaestus? Who I was told was serving as the shop teacher in this high school, that Hephaestus?
I decided I would test the whip out, and it seemed to whip it real good. Ares continued to tell me about my prize as I took it for a test run.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: It's made from the thinnest metal ever forged. It slices, it dices, and it'll cut through anything.
I could not believe that I had actually managed to chop up one of the obstacles I had to deal with during my solo pop quiz, and triple. I was so pleased with what the whip could do that I did not notice Ares lay a congratulatory pat on my back… or at least I would not have noticed it if his hand did not have so much force within it.
A little later, I was walking into the hallway when I ran into two others who had been brought to the school even before me; an old(er) guy with light brown hair wearing a yellow sweater with purple stripes, and a girl who looked just a bit younger than me with brightly flaming red hair in a pixie cut wearing a light teal t-shirt, dark blueish-green cargo pants, a pair each of white socks and black sneakers… oh, and she also wore two pairs of piercing-style hoop earrings in the cartilage on both of her ears.
The dude introduced himself and the girl. I heard his voice from behind me before he could introduce either one of them, though.
Guy in yellow sweater: Archie, hold up. Hi, I'm Jay. This is Atlanta.
Atlanta: Nice job back there.
Well… at least, someone thought I did good on that obstacle course.
Atlanta (continued): It looks like you passed the test.
I had to say, however, that as nice as it felt to have a girl talk to me first, I could just sense that 'being nice' was all there was to the way this Atlanta had treated me at that moment. I might as well just destroy any chance that the redhead would ever have to double-cross me before she actually could. I still had yet to actually buy into whatever this scam was that I had been sucked into, anyway.
Yours Truly: Yeah, well, just 'cuz they think I'm a descendant of Achilles doesn't make it so.
Jay: But, doesn't that mean anything to you?
Of course, it meant something to me. It meant so much to me. I just always believed that Greek mythology was just that… myths. I never believed any of it was real, and I certainly was not ready to start believing in it.
Jay (continued): He was a great hero.
Oh, I knew what a great hero Achilles was. I had read 'Iliad' only like a billion times before ever even coming to Olympus High School, but I guess it did not dawn on this 'Jay' guy that I just wanted to keep believing that stuff to be nothing but fiction.
That was when Atlanta joined the party with trying to talk me into staying. I guess that being a chick, Atlanta had a better chance than Jay did at convincing me to stay in the school, but the last thing I ever wanted was to be controlled by a girl.
Atlanta: Look at this place. Look at what you can do. How can you not believe?
I could not help but smile at this little redhead's naïve innocence, but just as I said, I was not interested in becoming any chick's slave.
Yours Truly: Easy! I just walk away and forget this ever happened.
I know it was a bit rude to the lady among them, but I was not going to be her servant or anything like that. Sure she made the way she was dressed look good, but I am not the kind of guy to fall for a chick based on looks alone. I suppose I could easily watch over this 'Atlanta' and keep an eye out for any danger to her from a distance… it would just be so that I could be ready in case she needs my help.
Later on, I met Atlanta once again at a brownstone building… only this time, she was with another girl about the same age as that 'Jay' guy she was with earlier. Atlanta had escorted this other redheaded girl back to the very brownstone I had been guarding at the time, along with Jay. Atlanta was also giving this other redhead a tour of what I suddenly realized was our little group's own dormitory… and that was when I heard the two redheads talking about something or other.
Other redheaded girl: OK, so where are the cameras? This has got to be a reality TV show.
I had actually hoped at least that were the case in this situation, but then Atlanta said to the other girl…
Atlanta: This is for real. Trust me, I've seen Cronus. You look into his eyes, and there's nothing but evil there.
Other redheaded girl: I can't wait to meet him.
This other girl sounded a bit skittish about the possibility of such a guy existing, whoever this Cronus was.
Other redheaded girl (continued): Uh, so what's the deal with Jay? You going out with him?
Judging by the words coming from past this other redhead girl's lips, I could have easily believed that she liked Jay. That was when I realized that I had been too stubborn to even ask what Atlanta's relationship with that 'Jay' guy even was when I saw both of them before. Just what did Atlanta think of Jay?
I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts when I did not even realize that I had disappeared into my own head while these girls were talking about in regards to Jay, by Atlanta no less.
Atlanta: Huh?
Then, she began snickering at what the other redhead had asked her.
Atlanta (continued): I don't know why you think I'd be going out with him, but I'm not. He and I are just friends… in fact for as long as I've known him, since just yesterday, I might add, Jay's been like nothing but a substitute dad to me.
I did not know why it did it to me, but hearing that actually gave me a sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, I should have at least given Atlanta a chance to earn even my friendship. That was until she began speaking again.
Atlanta (continued): Besides, I'm not even interested in dating anyone, at all. I don't know why, but I've honestly never liked the idea of lending my heart to any guy, whatsoever.
Well, there went any and all of my hope that I might have just met a girl who was willing to 'lend her heart' to me, of all people, as Atlanta, herself, put it. It just goes to show you that you should never offer your own heart to someone who is just not interested in being anywhere near you, never mind being your friend.
Well now, 'being friends' was kind of an understatement to the way I had felt about Atlanta at even that very moment. Remember when I said that I was never going to be any chick's slave? Yeah, I kind of got the idea that I might have just given up that part of me the minute I first met Atlanta. Do not get me wrong, because it was not at all love at first sight or anything else like that. It takes more to win my heart than just looks alone… that part of me still rang true.
I am pretty sure that my 'falling-in-love' with Atlanta was more because of her giving me credit where credit was due when she commented on how I good did on the obstacle course. Although, I remember her exact words being…
Flashback Atlanta: Nice job back there.
I know it was technically just a subtle praise, but it made me feel acknowledged by someone, at least. So, I guess that I would have been drawn towards Atlanta by that kind of congratulations, no matter how small it was.
I had managed to get lost in my own head again when I heard something slightly creak underneath me. I was discovered with just that one small creaking noise when Atlanta and the other redhead heard me.
Other redheaded girl: There's someone there.
I could hear them, despite their trial to stay quiet. Atlanta began speaking when the two of them both seemed to have me cornered.
Atlanta: We'll attack first; ask questions later. On three, OK?
But, the other redhead still asked Atlanta a question.
Other redheaded girl: You mean when you say 'three' or right after you say 'two'?
Whoever this other redhead was, she obviously knew nothing about sneak attacks.
Atlanta: I mean… NOW!
Atlanta lunged herself at me in their sneak attack, even though she would probably not get very adequate help from her new friend who seemed more interested in boys than she seemed in working with a team of any kind. I supposed it was up to me to help Atlanta show this other redhead just how one was supposed to launch a sneak attack. I was more than willing to oblige to Atlanta's need for that kind of help… except that I got attacked instead, by both of the redheads, I might add.
Luckily for me, I was perfectly capable of fighting the two of them off since I was a dude and they were chicks. I supposed that I needed to make my presence known to them by the time I had finished countering their so-called sneak attack. It was just about then that I heard Atlanta call out my name.
Atlanta: Archie?!
That had to be a good sign that Atlanta would eventually be willing to 'lend her heart to me'… not that I was desperate for her attention or anything. Wait a minute. Did she call out my name as a comment of relief or a shocked and confused questioning statement? I played back Atlanta calling out my name from just a few seconds prior in my brain.
Flashback Atlanta: Archie?!
Yep, she definitely called out my name out of confusion.
Then, the other redhead with Atlanta spoke up and asked her new friend…
Other redheaded girl: You know this guy?
From the way this other redhead asked about me, I would have easily guessed that she did not seem to like me very much.
Luckily, Atlanta stepped between me and her friend and explained why I was standing before them.
Atlanta: He's supposed to be one of us.
It was not exactly why I stuck around, but it made a darn good excuse for what I was doing at the time. Unfortunately for me, Atlanta, herself, wanted to hear what I actually was doing when she and her friend discovered me.
Atlanta (continued): I thought you were leaving. Why are you sneaking around?
Yep, I was straight busted. I know I said I was leaving, but that was just something I said so that Atlanta would not suspect my newfound feelings towards her.
Luckily for me, I had easily enough thought up an excuse to tell her that probably would not have made much sense in the context of the situation, but would have been a helpful excuse in keeping her from suspecting me as a weirdo stalker.
Yours Truly: I was checking the perimeter, making sure it's safe.
Granted, it still sounded a bit creepy of me. That is, it would not have made a lot of sense in the context of the situation had it not been for what happened following right after my explanation of just what I was doing at the dorm for the others.
That was when the lights suddenly went out all around the building, other than the television inside the dorm. Actually, every light along the block, the neighborhood, even the city, itself, began going out all along the entire seaboard.
The two redheads then held onto one another like two sisters huddling together in fear, when that 'Jay' guy from earlier that day came out of the boarding house and called the girls back inside.
Jay: Theresa, Atlanta, get inside. Then, we'll head back to the school to get some help_
Then, 'Jay' noticed me, even though it was pitch black outside.
Jay (continued): Archie? Is that you?
Atlanta: Yeah, Archie came back. Let's just get this over with.
I just sighed in exasperation upon being recognized by 'Jay' and ratted out to him by Atlanta, of all people.
Yours Truly: Hello, Jay.
Then, we all headed inside where two others waited for us, along with Jay. There was this big guy in a green shirt and slippers, Herry. A regular strong man, just as you would expect from a descendant of Hercules. There was also this small African-American-looking guy in a red hoodie with glasses over his eyes and dreadlocks for hair by the name of Odie. I honestly did not really get where he was supposed to fit in with the group that was all of us.
Once we all made it back to the school, I went to Ares' section of the school with the rest of our supposed team. They were there to stock up on weaponry, while I already had my Hephaestus whip and assumed it would be enough. Ares opened up his weapons kesh and gave the rest of the team access to the vault.
Odie: You have power in here?
Ares, the god of war and savagery: You could say this place is off the grid.
Then, he handed Jay a strange stick that grew into a sword of some sort.
Ares, the god of war and savagery (continued): It's a gravitational blade.
Of course, Jay had his own comment about the gravitational blade Ares had given to him, as the god of war called it.
Jay: Nice.
Then, Atlanta's redheaded friend from back at the dorm, Theresa or whatever else her name was, picked something up from the bottom of the kesh.
Theresa: Hmm, these are cute.
'Cute', she called them? They were nun chucks. Nun chucks are supposed to be dangerous.
The other redhead then began spinning the nunchaku around like they were supposed to be used. I did not expect that much after what she had called them.
Atlanta: And deadly. Where'd you learn to use those?
Of course, Theresa, Atlanta's redheaded sister from another mister, had her own response to what Atlanta had asked.
Theresa: I was a black belt when I was twelve. While all the other rich girls were bored, I was restless.
Theresa then stepped aside to test her nunchaku out more while Ares stepped in front of Odie with a strange looking stick of some kind. The 'stick' had spikes at one end of it.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: Odie, would you like a weapon?
Odie: Uh, no, I'm good, thanks. Hermes gave me my weapon already.
Hermes? As in the immortal messenger of the gods? That guy gave out weapons, too? No, that just could not have been possible. Odie had to be pulling my leg. It was then that I finally looked at Odie's 'weapon', just long enough to notice that it was just a laptop.
Odie (continued): Satellite connection, the works. Portable and powerful.
Atlanta finally picked up her own weapon from Ares' weapons kesh, a bolas… and she managed to hit one of the war god's statues with it, effectively cracking off the nasal area of its Spartan helmet. She was so pleased with her bolas' results, that she just could not help but smile upon having tested out such a weapon as successfully as she had done.
Atlanta: Ah, now we're talking. Can I have these?
The god of the savagery in warfare, on the other hand, looked like he was shocked enough to give her a piece of his mind about it.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: All the weapons here are at your disposal.
Well, that did not go over as bad as I thought it would. Ares did not actually yell at Atlanta for breaking his statue.
That was when the god of war and savagery actually did give Atlanta a piece of his mind about wrecking his statue… hard, too, I might add, because he actually got in her face when he did.
Ares, the god of war and savagery (continued): But, the statues are MINE!
That was an excessive use of discipline on a girl. It was just a small crumble on the nasal area of the statue's helmet, and not even the statue's nose, itself. It could have been easily fixable, but Ares was treating Atlanta like she had just caused the end of the world. Atlanta began walking away from Ares, trying not to anger the god of war and savagery any more than she seemed to have already managed.
Herry: So, how can we beat the Typhus?
Ares, the god of war and savagery: Beat it back with lightening bolts, then drop a mountain on its head.
Herry: Ye-ah. OK.
The god of the savagery in warfare explained further.
Ares, the god of war and savagery: That's how Zeus defeated it. You kids may have to think of another strategy.
Meanwhile with me, Theresa approached me and seemed like she wanted to wanted to talk to me about something or other. I was not ungrateful for her presence next to me, do not get me wrong, but she was not exactly the person I wanted to talk with at the time.
Theresa: So, um, what's with the fancy footwear?
Are you kidding me? Of all the things she could have talked to me about, this 'Theresa' chooses to ask me about something that sensitive? Oh well, I might as well give a free answer to that question, in spite of how sensitive I really was about it.
Yours Truly: I've got a wonky heel.
Theresa: Sorry about what happened earlier.
No offense, but she could have started off with that line, had it been within her power. I mean, it's not like being sensitive to someone else's "conditions" was that hard, was it? I just took it with a grain of salt, though, since we most likely had bigger fish to fry.
Yours Truly: No worries.
Then, Odie finally felt anxious to start fighting Cronus and whatever else we needed to fight against for one reason or another.
Odie: Are we done here, guys? It looks like the electricity is out along the whole seaboard, and all the power is being transferred to the station where you're fire-breathing friend was last seen.
I know that the guy was supposed to be the brains of our little operation, but I think he might have had a death wish of some kind if this turned out to be difficult.
Jay: Well, if the Typhus is there, so is Cronus.
There Jay went again, mentioning the Typhus. If any of this was real, why was I the only one who had yet to see even one hint of it, at all? Somehow, I felt a little left out of the loop.
Then, Herry threw a key set into the air for a bit before catching them.
Herry: Let's take my truck!
A little later, we all met back up at the dorm… well, I met up with everyone else, that is. I met them all outside the dorm when they were getting ready to leave for the sight of this Typhus's last location. I dared myself to ask…
Yours Truly: Hey, guys. Any room in there for me?
Jay was the only one who responded at first.
Jay: Of course. Jump in.
Odie became the next person to answer my question.
Odie: There's room enough in here for a football team.
I had to admit that I was sure that they would be mad at me and not want me along, especially considering the way I said I was leaving and then got caught by the two girls when I was first discovered at the dorm. They surprised me, however, when they said I could join.
Atlanta surprised me most of all, however, when she asked me…
Atlanta: So, are you gonna be a part of our team?
I could barely tell, but she sounded almost hopeful when she asked me that very question; and who was I to destroy that supposed hope? I could not just out right say 'yes' to her question, though. So, I just decided to respond to it while still playing it cool with just…
Yours Truly: Yeah, I thought I might tag along.
Wow, that came out like I was almost trying way too hard to play it cool for a girl.
Jay: So, your granny just gave you this truck?
It was directed at Herry, but I could still hear it very well. Herry answered Jay with…
Herry: Yeah, she can't drive it anymore.
With that, he speed away from the dorm and off to the power plant where this Typhus of Cronus' was last seen by the public eye.
Herry drove for a while before we finally made it even close to the power plant. That was when we spotted a beat up, damaged, and completely destroyed cherry picker truck along the side of the road, on which Theresa found the time to comment.
Theresa: It looks like whoever was driving that truck got out of there in time.
Jay also made the time to comment on the slaughtered cherry picker truck.
Jay: The doors are open. They must've escaped into the woods.
Theresa: Should we try and find them?
I hated to take sides in the endeavor of checking on the power station, and I did not even know why I was thinking about it, but I actually saw no reason to not at least look for whoever drove the truck only to run off into the woods upon escaping from the cherry picker before it could be destroyed by whatever, or whoever we had to stop.
Jay: No time. We have to look for Cronus, and it'll be better if we split up.
Just who was this Cronus that Jay kept on mentioning? I remembered hearing about him from Ares. I think Cronus was the god of time, itself. He sounded like he had an awful lot of control issues and a tyrannical personality to match. That kind of guy paired with the power of a god was a terrifying combination, for sure.
That was when Jay divided all the six of us into two teams.
Jay (continued): Herry, Odie, Atlanta, check out the dam. Theresa, Archie, and I will search the area.
Drat! There went my first ever chance to be anywhere near Atlanta.
Then, I noticed Odie getting something or other out of a duffle bag in the back of Herry's truck.
Odie: These PMR's will keep us connected.
He tossed one of them to Herry, who only questioned its significance.
Herry: PMR?
Then, the meathead just scoffed about it.
Herry (continued): Looks like a walkie-talkie.
Odie definitely looked annoyed with the redneck jock when he told Herry…
Odie: It's a little bit more than just a walkie-talkie.
Jay held his gravitational blade and summoned the sword on it, right before sending it back into the handle. As for Theresa, the third and final member of mine and Jay's team of three in this little search party, she tested out her nunchaku which were termed as "tele-chucks" by Ares and the other gods, apparently.
I dared myself to look in Atlanta's direction just before we would have to split up to search for and stop Cronus. At that very moment, Atlanta was testing out her own weapon, her bolas right before asking me…
Atlanta: Ready?
Of course, I knew what we were supposed to be doing. So, I just played along and responded to my newfound cru_ 'friend' in the pixie-cut styled redhead's question with…
Yours Truly: To battle a giant monster, take on an immortal god, and save the world?
I did kind of exaggerate the first two a little bit, but I admit that the last one sorta pumped me up. I finally heard Atlanta say in an enthusiastic voice and with a slight chuckle…
Atlanta: Yeah!
I admit that I was half joking, but I felt good about having made Atlanta smile about this possibly deadly task, even knowing it probably meant not getting to see her for quite a bit, maybe even never again if we all died from this little errand for the gods.
Jay: Alright, let's go!
With just those three words, Atlanta and I went our separate ways for the mission. Thanks a lot for picking out the teams, Jay! Later on that evening, while I was with Jay and Theresa on the move and searching for the evil god of time, I suddenly felt the need to ask the two of them about…
Yours Truly: Herry, Atlanta, and you two, I get… but Odie?
I did not mean for it to come out the way it had, and I certainly was not even trying to be like that, but I guess I was being a bit offensive with the question being centered around Odie.
Jay: Ever hear of Odysseus? He was one of the greatest heroes.
Yeah, I had heard of Odysseus, alright. He was friends of my so-called ancestor, Achilles, in 'Iliad', and the guy even lived his own journey after the Trojan War in 'The Odyssey'.
Hold on, if Jay was asking me if I had ever heard of Odysseus, that had to mean that Odie… that he was… I decided to ask Jay about it myself just to make sure he was describing Odie as what I thought he was.
Yours Truly: You mean he's…
Jay pointed it out before I could finish asking about him.
Jay: A direct descendant.
I saw where he was going with it.
Jay (continued): A real wolf in sheep's clothing.
Ha, a wolf in sheep's clothing. I think a better term used for Odie would have to be something like what I said about him next.
Yours Truly: You mean a wolf in nerd's clothing.
I was just joking around, but I guess that Jay thought I was being a jerk about it because of what he told me next.
Jay: Odysseus was a good friend of Achilles.
I so did not need to be reminded of what I already knew about Achilles' life as a mortal in the Trojan War. I already knew about my supposed ancestor's friendship with Odysseus during that point in Greek Mythology.
Yours Truly: I know.
I said it quietly, however, not really wanting to acknowledge Jay being right about Odie.
Theresa: How do you guys know all this stuff? You're not Greek, are you?
The other redheaded girl may have asked it out openly, but I could sense that she was really just asking me since Jay probably had already explained to Theresa how he knew that sort of stuff and 'being Greek' was his own answer. Of course, I had my own answer, but mine was a little bit embarrassing to blurt out for the world to hear.
Yours Truly: No, but, uh, I read a lotta classical poetry.
Theresa just chuckled at my answer and asked…
Theresa: Really?
That was when all three of us heard something out in the distance coming our way. Although, all I could manage to say about the sound was…
Yours Truly: What the?
Then out of what looked like nowhere to us all, a fireball came hurtling towards us. Luckily, we all managed to get out of its way just in the nick of time. Jay grabbed onto Theresa and pulled her to the side, while I just leapt out of the way a little to their right.
And then, we saw it. A hideous flying giant with a lion's mane covering its head along with snakes for legs. Jay bent down to ask Theresa about her present condition.
Jay: Are you alright?
The other redheaded chick was rubbing her head when she responded to his concern.
Theresa: Yeah, thanks.
Jay finally pulled out his gravitational blade and readied it as the sword on it was summoned for the battle ahead. The giant came flying to all three of us. I finally realized that this had to have been the Typhus that Jay, Herry and Atlanta had been busy describing to Theresa, Odie, and finally to me.
Yours Truly: OK. Now, I'm a believer.
And, you want to know something else? I was also dead-set serious about what I had said, and it was not just because the skeptics are always the first ones to die in the horror films about mythology. That's right! I had finally seen actual living proof of the Greek myths being more than just myths, and I actually even bought into it from then on.
Then, the Typhus's horned snake of a right leg tried to take a bite out of Jay just before he swung the sword on his gravitational blade at it. The Typhus did not like that much. I decided to finally step into the fight and give this beast something to not like even worse than dealing with Jay's gravitational blade. That's right. I took my whip out and launched it at the Typhus. It just tried to take a bite of me, too, in response.
OK, I could not just up and run away from the Typhus, now. I had to strike this monster down after what the myth wannabe tried to do to me.
I flung my Hephaestus whip at the Typhus, only for the beast's hand to catch my weapon…
Yours Truly: Uh, oh!
Then, the monster picked me up along with my whip just before I finally released an electric shock onto it. The Typhus roared in pain just before dropping me into the river. Great! I hate water. I'm fine with drinking the stuff, but I so do not like to swim.
The Typhus then went in the direction of the dam. That was the spot of the power plant Atlanta was inspecting for our mission with Odie and Herry. They were all at the risk of being attacked by it.
I know I normally did not like to swim, but the water in the river was at least shallow enough to simply walk across. I made it back to Jay and Theresa just after hearing Odie from one of the PMR's that he had told us would keep us connected just before we split up into teams of three.
Odie (through the PMR): Let me guess; a butt ugly monster straight out of the bowels of history is headed our way.
I know he said it was just a guess, but it was clearly happening in reality. So, I just could not even begin to say how right Odie was at that moment. Luckily, I did not need to once Jay had said to him through the PMR…
Jay: Good guess.
I made it back to the shore quickly enough to tell Jay and Theresa…
Yours Truly: Come on! We gotta move!
Jay: Archie's right. Let's regroup with the others and get out of here for now.
Yes! Thank you, Jay, for agreeing with me.
Theresa: No argument there. Wouldn't even dream of it.
All three of us made it back to Herry's truck in record time. That was when I saw her running towards the truck, really fast. Man, Atlanta could run like a cheetah. It was just like poetry in very, very, very fast motion.
Oh, and Herry also showed up just behind her, but Odie had gone missing from their group for one reason or another. Jay, being the supposed leader, was the only one to ask about it.
Jay: Where's Odie?
Herry, however, just ignored our apparent leader's question and simply pointed at his truck, telling all three of the rest of us to just…
Herry: Get in!
We all did as he said, but that did little to answer Jay's question of just where Odie was. As thrilled as I actually was to finally be sitting next to Atlanta, I was also just as worried about Odie. Then, the Typhus blasted another fireball at Jay just before he could get into the truck on the other side of the driver's seat.
When Jay finally got in, however, the Typhus launched yet another fireball at our only path away from the power plant and it lit the road on fire. Herry drove in that direction, anyway. Was he really that stupid? Or was he just insane?
Whichever Herry was, we still managed to get away, anyway and even managed to dodge another fireball the Typhus spewed out in our direction. I would have criticized Herry for his reckless driving were we not in an emergency at the time, but our situation at that exact moment was nothing short of life or death. I could hardly believe that we had any time to get away from such a monster.
Jay still stayed firm on his question once we got far enough away from the Typhus, though.
Jay: What happened to Odie?
Atlanta began playing with her bangs nervously like she was thinking of how she could tell the rest of us how things went from hers, Odie's and Herry's end of this search party for Cronus.
Atlanta: He went over the other side of the dam.
Theresa: No!
Jay: What?!
Yikes! Now, I knew why Herry ignored Jay's question before we took off. The big guy probably did not know how he was supposed to answer Jay without it sounding like Odie had died.
Herry: There was nothing we could do.
I dared myself to look back in the direction from which we had just barely managed to escape the Typhus, sighing in a panic.
Yours Truly: Did we lose it?
It was something I wanted to believe, but I quickly stood corrected when Herry told me and the rest of us…
Herry: No. It just stopped following us.
I had to admit that I was more afraid of that being the answer than even my secret hatred of water. Of course, I still had my own response to what Herry had said about the Typhus just before it had stopped its pursuit of us.
Yours Truly: It must be guarding something back there.
Then just when I thought that things could not get any more dangerous than they already were, Jay surprised us all with what he had ordered Herry to do.
Jay: Herry, turn the truck around. We're going back.
It was like safety for the team meant nothing to this guy. How could he ever call himself a leader if he acted like he felt no concern for the rest of us?
Theresa: But, Jay, we can't beat that thing.
My thoughts exactly, Theresa. Hey, that had to have been the first time I ever agreed with the drama queen of supposed psychic ability. Of course, Jay, himself, had a defense for the other redhead's argument.
Jay: We have to save Odie.
I admit that I saw what Jay was saying about it, too. That water was not so deep for me, but Odie was pretty short compared to even Atlanta.
There was also the issue of knowing exactly where in the river Odie even was. When I landed into the river after managing to electrocute the Typhus just before getting thrown out of its grasp, the area of the river I had landed in was a little far away from the heavy currents and the rapids. Odie, however, only fell off the wrong side of the dam and was probably drowning in the river.
I also had to admit that I had yet to know anything about any one of the others, much less if any of them could swim, especially Odie.
Suddenly, we could all hear Odie's voice over the PMR on Jay's belt.
Odie (through the PMR): Hello? Jay? Anybody?
Well, I guess the fact that the rest of us could still hear him meant that Odie could in fact swim, which was obviously more than what could be said about me.
Jay: Odie, are you OK? Where are you?
I felt a bit pathetic that even the little nerd managed to swim better than I ever could.
Odie (through the PMR): I'm OK. I'm on the other side of the river, and I'm looking up at Cronus.
Who did he just say he was looking at? Did Odie just say he was looking up at Cronus?
Herry: Huh?
Based on what he said upon hearing that name, Herry sounded a little bit confused by Odie suddenly saying that he spotted the evil god of time and of space, himself.
Jay: Are you serious?
Odie (through the PMR): You tell me… is that him?
Odie then brought a guy in a pitch black suit with equally pitch black to the roots hair and evil-looking red eyes into view of his PMR.
Jay: That's him.
Then, we all saw that the god of time seemed to have a laser cannon of some kind right next to him from our PMR's. Atlanta and I shared her PMR when we saw just what Cronus had with him.
Atlanta: What is that? It looks like a laser.
Apparently, Atlanta was not as naïve as I had originally thought she was, but her guess about it was still a little off. Odie, however, told her she was right.
Odie (through the PMR): That's exactly what it is, and it's the biggest one I've ever seen.
Trying to get her on his side in a future argument, was he?
Odie (through the PMR, continued): Cronus must be diverting all the power to it.
Jay: Odie, stay where you are. We'll get you after we stop Cronus.
That's right. We did still have to deal with Cronus before anything else. Strategy above all else, especially our own feelings.
Theresa: Jay, there's only one way across the dam from here.
Herry: And, there's a little something in our way.
But, Jay seemed to have other plans for the direction in which we would head while running away from the Typhus.
Jay: You're right. We should run away.
Herry seemed to get Jay's message loud and clear about driving past the Typhus, since he drove towards it at top speed. Theresa grew worried about the approach, though.
Theresa: Did I miss something?
The Typhus spewed out another fireball at the truck, but we still sped past it, anyway.
Man, Theresa was being such a girl about this whole thing. I, for one, preferred my women to have a little more dude in their 'tudes. Chicks with some edge, chicks who liked sports, chicks like… Atlanta. I decided to ask her out under the guise of us beating the Typhus up.
Yours Truly: So, are you coming with me?
She just looked at me like I had weirded her out and asked me, in a shocked voice…
Atlanta: What?!
I could not believe Atlanta. First, she strings me along and leads me to believe that she actually acknowledges my feat against the dangerous obstacle course Ares used to test me, then she attacks me with Theresa, and now she pretends to be completely unaware I even still exist? Just who did she think she was?
I guess asking her out could wait for another day, since all of us had to find a way to deal with both Cronus and the Typhus at once, and I could have used her speed to take on the latter of the two. I guess I had to explain it to her.
Yours Truly: We can't fight Cronus and that thing at the same time. We need to distract it.
I did not know what went through her head at the time, but the minute I told Atlanta just what needed to be done, she ordered for…
Atlanta: Herry, stop the truck!
Of course, Jay had a thing or two to say about my plan to divide the Typhus's focus, but it was not very supportive. In fact, Jay had even objected it.
Jay: Wait, guys, I don't_
But, the so-called leader of our team never got to finish with his objection to my plan, since Atlanta stepped outside with me.
Then, Jay finally had the chance to finish his input about my plan.
Jay (continued): _think that's such a good idea.
Of course, it was a good idea. If Atlanta and I could divide that monster's focus between the three of them and us, they would have a better chance of beating Cronus, rescuing Odie, and saving the world. I admit I might have only come up with this plan to get to spend time with Atlanta, but I did have every intention of the two of us working together to distract the Typhus. Really, I did. I also believed in following up on my word.
Then, the beast spewed yet another fireball at us. I rolled to the side of the road, while Atlanta skidded over to a wiring of some kind. I could have easily bet that it was the wiring for the laser cannon Cronus had on the other side of the river. It gave me an idea on how to do more than just distract the Typhus. I had an idea on how to stop the monster.
Once we finally made it over to the power plant's electrical machinery, however, Atlanta looked a bit doubtful of my plan. She looked doubtful enough to ask about it, anyway.
Atlanta: What's the plan?
Yours Truly: Ares was wrong. We can bring it down with lightning bolts.
Atlanta: Oh, yeah! Gee, I'm fresh outta lightning bolts.
We dared to turn around to see if the Typhus was at a close enough distance for my plan to work.
Yours Truly: Wait until he gets closer.
Atlanta still looked pretty doubtful of my plan, however, and she also got a little scared of the Typhus, even.
Atlanta: Uh, he looks pretty close to me.
When the Typhus was finally close enough to us to put my plan into full swing, the beast seemed to think it had Atlanta and I cornered, but we could still do better than it simply by sticking to the plan.
Yours Truly: I heard you were fast.
Atlanta: Very!
I knew Atlanta was fast, alright. I could also easily say that even falcons, eagles and other raptor birds envied her speed, she was so swift-footed.
Yours Truly: We need to split its focus. You go on the other side of it.
With that, I ran towards it with my Hephaestus whip… though not before Atlanta began to argue with me.
Atlanta: Me? Why me?
She probably thought I was trying to use her as bait, which I guess that I technically was, eh-he. I did, however, need her to go on the other side of the Typhus for my plan to work like I needed it to.
I launched my Hephaestus whip towards the Typhus's snake of a left ankle and answered her afterwards.
Yours Truly: 'Cuz I'm kinda busy over here.
I tied my whip around Cronus' wiring for the laser after I successfully wrapped it around his monster's ankle, so that the bringing down the Typhus would also cancel that out.
While I hated the idea of using Atlanta as bait, I was sure that she would do what I needed her to in order to help me divide this monster's focus between the two of us. I am man enough to admit that I felt a little guilty about putting her in that position, but I made her the center of my plan for her speed.
Atlanta sped over to the other side of the Typhus, alright… after some hesitation, that is. And boy, was she fast, though I admit to having thought it was just the standard speed for a runner. This chick, however, was more cheetah fast than regular fast.
The Typhus tried to chase after Atlanta, and its wings would have easily helped with that had it not been for my Hephaestus whip having been successfully tied around its snake's head ankle.
We successfully managed to bring the Typhus down with a lightning bolt and destroy the wiring for Cronus' laser. We also managed to reunite with Jay, Theresa and Herry, and they were successful in rescuing Odie. We failed to stop Cronus from firing off his laser, though.
Theresa: What is that?
Cronus: Aw, it's beautiful, isn't it?
It looked like rings of stardust around the entire planet. I did not know why Cronus had this in mind, but in spite of looking pretty, it was probably still really dangerous considering that the evil god of time came up with the plan that led to it.
Herry: This can't be good.
Judging by what he had just said at the time, I would say that even Herry could see just how much potential danger these ironically beautiful rings around the planet posed to everyone on it.
We got back to the dorm just before the sun rose the following day. Atlanta was testing out the PMR's Odie designed. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity shot from out of its antenna when she pushed a red button on it.
Atlanta: Whoa!
Atlanta looked like it shocked her in a different way than making her look a bit scared, but she then became too curious about it to not want to find out more about them from the source.
Atlanta (continued): What else do these things do?
Odie: What do you want 'em to do?
I knew the brainiac had been trying to make time with her back during the battle with Cronus. I could invent something just like it. I had just chosen to devote my brain to the reading and writing of poems instead of inventing.
I decided to check out what was up with Jay and Theresa, though. I just wanted something, anything that could get Atlanta out of my head at the time.
Theresa: Jay, we destroyed the Typhus…
Excuse me, but Atlanta and I were the ones who destroyed the Typhus.
Theresa (continued): … the power's coming back on in the city. There's lots of reasons to be happy.
I know it was just a hollow consolation, but I had to agree with her about it if only to consider the need to get Jay's mind off of Cronus and what he did to the planet by vaporizing the comet and placing those ironically gorgeous rings around it.
Jay: No, it's not over, yet, Theresa. We don't know what this is all about. We have no way of knowing.
That was a valid reason to worry about our journey going forward.
Jay (continued): Remember; there's one more member of our team missing. We can only hope that he's got the answer.
With that, Jay and Theresa just continued to stare out at the beautiful but surely dangerous rings around the planet's atmosphere.