Okay… just wanna get this out before any questions are asked - why werewolves? Well durr, if they can vampires on the show, why not werewolves? I mean, vampires and werewolves go hand in hand in almost everything - they're practically husband and wife!

Anywho, thanks for the reviews guys! There may not be a lot, but lately they've been motivational.

Prey

Born To Be

"Uhm… so what're we doing?" Atlanta asked quietly, almost sheepishly. At this point in time, she was in no mood to put up an attitude with anyone - save for Archie maybe.

Without warning, however, Ares swept his foot under Atlanta, taking her feet with it. The girl face-planted - well, almost, with expert and unprecedented reflexes she managed to suspend her body inches from the ground with her limbs.

"With this new power you have coursing through you, and all its advantages," Ares circled around her as he spoke, "Comes something darker and just as powerful that must be controlled."

Sitting up on her knees, Atlanta watched the God of War, "Isn't there a cure? Like, kill the original werewolf or hit me over the head with something silver…?"

Ares gruffly gestured for her to stand, and only spoke when she did, "You were injected with a modified serum - there are complications with this. Until a cure can be found, training will be needed, if a cure is found."

At this, Atlanta swallowed uneasily, shifting her weight. The possibly of there being no cure was frightening. A werewolf for the rest of her life? How would she hide that from her parents? She was certain that her step-mother, being the nosy woman she was, would find out easily.

"Oh."

"We must sharpen these new abilities," Ares took a sudden swipe at Atlanta with his xiphos, the attack swiftly sidestepped by its intended target. "Hone them," Another attack, another swift and almost effortless dodge, "Use Cronus' own plan to defeat him."

A swipe was aimed for Atlanta's ankles, to avoid which she launched herself backwards, flipping in a long arch and landing several feet away. "Wouldn't be the first time we've done that."

Ares quirked an eyebrow and gestured to her hands; claws had sprouted once more. "You were born for one sole purpose with these abilities no other living human possesses - what no human should possess. You were born to fight - now fight this."

As the realization dawned on her that she was transforming, the pain hit her full-force. Her pained cry rose to an unearthly shriek while her back arched. Every sensation from a mere hour or two before returned, everything happening as it did before.

Hera, whom had been watching from her own little balcony, pressed her fingertips to her mouth. "Ares!" She hissed, "It is too early for her transform again!"

"Mm… what be wrong, fraulein?"

That voice! It belonged that damn doppelganger! The huntress' eyes snapped open, glaring molten gold. Clawed hands gouged into the rubbery surface of the running track as another furious yowl rose in her throat.

Ares, after taking a good, hard look at the girl, decided that it was a problem and swiftly strode towards her. "Control indeed." He muttered flatly before driving the side of her head with the blunt side of his xiphos.

--

"Okay, I'm sorry, but flipping werewolves? That's insane." Neil announced, pacing back and forth with his hands flipping around as he talked - stereotypical sign of one raised in an Italian family.

"Last time I checked, we were born specifically to send a power-hungry God of Time back to Tartarus, we've fought Giants, Cyclopes and vampires - yeah, we're all insane. Welcome to the club." Archie muttered, eyes never taken away from the book he was reading. It had long been established that Archie was a closet poet and a bookworm, though he claimed to have given up poetry during his teenage year to filter out the unwanted teen angst.

Neil continued to argue, "Yeah but werewolves?" Suddenly, his attention was diverted to the very tome that had Archie's interest in its grasp. "Ohhhh, what ya reading?"

Theresa groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "The epitome of luck, and he has the attention span of a goldfish."

"Yeah, but with an attention span like that, you gotta be lucky to survive." Jay added flatly.

"A book." Was Archie's reply to Neil's query.

"What kind of book?"

"I regular book that literate people can read."

"What's it called?" Before the punk-rocker could answer, the slightly femme blonde snatched the piece of literature from his hands and cooed. "Ohhh, 'Salem's Lot by Ste-phen Kiiiing! Spooky!"

Even Herry knew not to remove a book from Archie's hands - ever. Said fifteen year old leapt up and grasped the older blonde's wrist, twisting that arm and placing it to his back while Archie's other arm held Neil's head in a headlock.

"Give the book back. Keep in mind that in this position alone, I can kill you seven different ways." He was threatening death on a teammate? Herry knew the guy had had a rough past, those scars on his back and arms weren't all that subtle, but this was a little over the edge.

Neil chuckled nervously, "You can't kill me though, that means the big hero of the big picture would be gone, and no prophecy-"

"That's not a problem; I can go get your soul from the Underworld and do it all over again."

With a sheepishly squeak, Neil handed the book back to Archie who gladly took it and released Neil - but not without a warning glare. Neil scampered out, complaining about having to redo his hair.

"Could you really kill him seven different ways?" Odie asked, peering over his glasses.

The descendant of Achilles shrugged with a; "Meh, only five."

The room lapsed into uneasy silence, Archie seemingly unaware that the discomfort was directed at him.

--

Hehe! Okay, I have to say, I love the goldfish attention span comment. And, that entire scene with the rest of the team was meant to pick up the mood a bit, and hopefully make you at least chuckle. And I felt Neil was slightly out of character…