While Wonder Woman gathered her sisters to join her fight…
New York City – Present Day
A handsome man, dressed in a sharp business suit sat alone at a long boardroom table in dim light. Brant Simons, a self-made billionaire in his 30's, was reading the report again. He smiled even though he wasn't known for doing that very often, as his associates would attest. After all, it wasn't an accident that his code name was Odysseus.
There were sounds of footsteps and low murmurs getting closer. Four other well-dressed men approached. They were his loyal inner circle; his board of directors to the outside world. To those in the "company", they were his right AND his left hands. He trusted them. Well, as much as someone like him could trust another person.
The company. The outside world only knew of the company as the DOA or Defensive Operative Advancements. It was public knowledge that they furnished governments or other needful organizations with money, military expertise, and soldiers. No one outside the company knew the true name behind the initials. And that was exactly how Odysseus wanted it. The unbelievers wouldn't understand their true identity was that as the Disciples of Ares.
He stood as the four men took their seats. Odysseus handed them each a copy of the report and opened the meeting.
"Our recon to Greece has been very fruitful, gentlemen."
The four men thumbed through the bound document quickly.
"Though, before we go over this," Odysseus continued, "we have a few new recruits…"
Five other men, all young and dressed in almost matching business suits, shuffled into the boardroom. At Odysseus' nod, the young men sat down at the opposite end of the room.
"Polemos, give us a run-down on the information we had for this project before we go over the report, just to jog our memories." Odysseus smiled and continued. "Welcome, recruits."
The group seemed to get a little twitchy at seeing Odysseus smile. He kept the smile on his handsome face and looked at each of them, then he sat, half-reclining in his leather chair.
"You have the floor, Polemos," he motioned with his hand.
Polemos cleared his throat but didn't stand up; he knew better.
"Project Resurrection. We know that all of the inhabitants of Mount Olympus have fallen into some sort of induced coma. This coma was brought about by the female trio known as the Fates."
Odysseus interrupted, "Friggin' bitches! Right, men?"
The others nodded and mumbled their agreements.
"Go on, Polemos," Odysseus said and gestured with an outstretched hand.
Polemos continued, "What's unconfirmed is their reason. We believe that they brought this coma onto the gods, including the active demi-gods, because the human world had been forgetting them to follow another god; a single deity that has taken all of the personalities of all the gods and usurped them."
Odysseus interrupted again. "The prayers, pleas, and offerings slowly diminished and with them, so did the usefulness of Zeus' court. Again, it is in theory that we assume the Fates decided to yield to the single entity until the day Zeus' court would be remembered and revered again as in old times. We believe that they would reawaken and rule our world once again."
He straightened and slapped his hands onto the table in front of him.
"So, now you know what we know. And," he looked at them from under his eyebrows, with his head lowered slightly, "along with our dual objectives, since neither can work without the other. You – recruit, Michael, is it?"
Michael looked nervously at his fellow recruits and nodded, "Yes, sir?"
"What are our main dual objectives currently?" Odysseus asked.
"To redeem this world from its weaknesses and rule it all under one supreme power," Michael said.
"Yes, and?"
"To bring Ares back into the world so that he may help us succeed!" Michael answered more confidently.
"Yes. Every time I hear it, I get goose bumps! It's beautiful, isn't it?" Odysseus grinned.
All of the recruits nodded, smiling.
"Excellent," Odysseus said, leaning back again. "Now, leave us. But check in with HR for your assignments. Welcome aboard, gentlemen. Glad you survived the 'tests'."
His board of directors chuckled. Tests - that was one way to call the grueling torture that one had to survive in order to rise to the rank of "recruit".
Once the new recruits had left the room, Odysseus stood and walked to the window. He stared at the metropolitan skyline and the miniature-looking cars moving below. He loved the wicked energy that thrummed through the big cities.
"Now, the report."
Deimos, another of the board members, said, "Seems like they were able to uncover a lot more information about the Fates."
Polemos added, "Yes. All of the temples scattered throughout Greece. The main temple in Sicyon seems to be the most important one."
"True," Phobos commented. "Hmmmm, this is interesting." He frowned in thought, "there's a story about the Fates that I wasn't aware of. Seems the people around Sicyon still repeat it. The Fates are supposed to visit each newborn child within three days of their birth to deliver their fate?"
Odysseus turned around to look at Phobos, who was the most feared of his men. "That," he nodded, "I also found interesting."
He walked back over to the table. "Now, gentlemen, what're we going to do with all of this wonderful new information?"
No one spoke for a few seconds, looking down and flipping pages of the report. Deimos was the first to break the silence.
"We find a pregnant female in that area, kidnap her, and force her to deliver the child at this temple in Sicyon."
"And then?"
"Then," Phobos added, "we wait for the Fates."
"Yes, that would be brilliant," Odysseus turned his back to the men and when he turned back, he had transformed, his anger clearly written across his features and demeanor. "Except for the tiny, itty, bitty fact that we still don't know HOW TO CAPTURE THEM!" He slammed his fist on the table.
Polemos cleared his throat and said, "It's also noted here about the stories that they have been tricked or bribed before by some of the Gods, including Apollo to prevent the cutting of someone's life thread. Maybe they can be tricked into doing our bidding as well?"
Odysseus sat down again and placed his elbow on the table, cupping his face in his hand. His forefinger ticked away against his cheek in thought. He lifted an eyebrow and said more calmly, "We aren't gods, so how would we be able to trick them?"
"I'm not sure but I'll take this report and analyze it tonight, Odysseus. In fact, we all will," Polemos looked at the other four men.
The others murmured their agreement.
Odysseus looked at the one man who had been quiet the entire time. "What say you, Himeros?"
Himeros could've easily been an incarnate Adonis. "I could try to seduce them? I mean, they are just women."
There was a brief moment of silence then an eruption of laughter. Except Odysseus and Himeros didn't laugh. They just stared at each other.
"Actually, that's not a bad idea, Himeros," Odysseus said nodding.
"The rest of you, come up with at least one good idea and we'll meet again tomorrow at the same time."
Everyone waited for Odysseus to stand before getting up.
As they were leaving, Polemos spoke to Odysseus, "A moment, sir."
"Yes, my friend?" Odysseus tilted his head to listen.
"I'd like to discuss how our influence is coming along with that southern religious sect."
"Ah, yes. Do you want to meet now?"
Polemos took out his cell phone and checked his calendar before answering. "Sure, I've got time."
"Good, let's go to my office then."
Odysseus and Polemos walked out of the boardroom together, not one of them aware of the changes about to happen within their own city…