Chapter Two A few days later at the Estate
Lucinda pulled her keyring of her jeans setting her backpack on the ground. She unlocked the door and went for her backpack before Raven grabbed it up. "I got it babe, home sweet home." he stepped aside to let her in. Perseus, Ajinor and Helius followed after, before coming in and closing the door.
"Lulu!" a little girl came up and hugged her, "Raven, you're home!"
"Hey Tina," Lucinda picked her up on her hip, "have you been a good girl for uncle Jesse and uncle David?"
"I sure have, come on you have to see my new thing." Tina squirmed to be put down then pulled the older girl by the hand.
"Later sweetie, we have guests." Lucinda didn't get far before stopping the little girl.
"Are they like you?" Tina looked to Perseus and Ajinor.
"They are, sons of my uncles, my father's brothers." Lucinda smiled at the little girl, "Speaking of brothers ,where are our brothers and sisters?"
"Most are in their rooms, Ethan had a date, Uncle Jesse got called on a emer-gen-cy( * she's sounding it out remember she's five*) and uncle David is making dinner with Jaiden, Gabriel and Cookie."
"How are our new brothers?" Lucinda walked on, following the little girl.
"Aaron is still sick but Jaiden is lots of fun. He likes to watch me make my things." Tina led them all to the kitchen.
"Lucinda, darling, you're home." an older male with red hair approached her, hugging her loosely to avoid tarnishing her clothes with flour, "You brought more friends, good I had hoped my hunch had been correct."
"Thank you uncle David," she returned the hug, "we've missed you too." she smiled.
"Raven, my boy, haven't caused too much mayhem have we." the older male teased.
"No sir," Raven shook his head, "This is Jacobi, the last piece we need. And these are…"
"Perseus, Ajinor and Helius, I am aware." David nodded a welcome, "You all must be tired," David looked past them to the entryway, " Melinda will show you to the rooms Ethan has done up so you can rest up before dinner."
"I actually came for Jaiden," the lavender eyed girl responded, "Aaron needs you. But sure I can give them the quick tour before back to business." she went to hug Lucinda and Raven, "I've missed you both. Thank the powers you're both safe."
"Melinda, if you would please." David urged her.
"Right, sorry, come on Ethan's prepared a couple guest rooms for you." she turned and led them away.
"What is it?" Lucinda asked.
"Tina go play please." David looked to the little girl who did as she was told without question.
"Uncle David"
"I merely thought for a proper introduction you would want as few as possible." David felt the God of the Underworld appear in the dining room past the kitchen.
"I'm going to take these to our room." Raven kissed her cheek, "I love you." he whispered against her skin.
"I love you too." she turned her head to kiss him, "After this we should take a long bath before dinner." she replied softly.
"My queen, you tease." Raven chuckled, "go and meet your father." he turned and left.
Lucinda continued through the kitchen, nodding to Gabriel as she passed, he returned the gesture then put his finger to his lips earning a nod of understanding before entering the dining room and closing the door. She took a breath, standing tall in her denim jeans, a red tank top and black combat boots. "You look like your mother." Hades spoke after several moments.
"So everyone says, they also say that the color scheme is your side of the family." she chewed her lip.
"Color scheme?"
"Mom's family is all blondes with blue or green eyes, I'm a brunette with hazel eyes."
"Ah, yes, that you do get from my family." He nodded.
"This is definitely not how I imagined this?" she sighed.
"How did you imagine our meeting would be?"
"There were several ideas, stupid kid stuff but this is definitely far from it. The first thing that's wrong is I'm in the process of trying to stop my grandfather from setting the world on fire, again. That being because I'm the hero of some prophecy from the last time he tried to set the world of fire."
"I had never imagined such prophecy would ever come to pass, how do you intend to do such a thing?" Hades inquired.
"Do you feel it?" she looked around.
"Feel what, my dear?"
"The raw power in this house, each member of our project emits power of a different nature."
"The little girl I saw you holding before you entered, and the two young men from the cemetery."
"Empowered decendants of the family, Tina is the house of fire descended from my dear cousin Hephaestus. The young men, Jacobi and Raven, descend from your brother Poseidon and cousin Ares."
"When twelve are collected, you have them." Hades looked surprised.
"One Sacrificing mother and Little Death, Mama and me, and the circle is complete." Lucinda sniffed, "She died protecting me and Raven and the others from Atlas. He knows we're out there, the wards are stronger now so he can't find us but he's no doubt told Grandfather that we've been collected."
"You intend to call them back from Oblivion."
"Yes, and I intend to do it tonight." Lucinda breathed slowly, "Grandmother said it had to be tonight."
"Rhea? Mother Rhea, she talks to you."
"Only when she feels we need to hear her, mostly she listens." Lucinda nodded.
There was a knock at the kitchen door, before Gabriel entered. "We have company, princess." the blonde held up a staff.
"Atlas?"
"And he brought friends"
"Let's have some fun." Lucinda's eyes glowed for a second before touching an intercom button on the wall, "This is a not a drill, we have a global intruder, all hands on deck." her voice played over a PA system.
"global intruder" Hades looked amused.
"Tina doesn't understand just that there's an intruder and she needs to go to the panic room until one of us comes for her." Lucinda took a charm off her bracelet, watching as it turned into a sword. She walked through the kitchen the sword in hand, sensing her father following behind her.
"Go get'em tiger." David chuckled.
Lucinda joined Raven and several others, each carrying a weapon nearly identical to that of their ancestor. "Their trapped in the net Rosa made on the outer perimeter." the lavender eyed girl from before, Melinda, reported.
"There were others who followed after, passed over their trapped compatriots." her twin, a male armed with a silver bow continued.
"Gabriel can't help this time guys, he's depleted." Lucinda smirked, "Let loose and don't give them an opening."
"Mama is waiting nearby, should we call on her?" Raven looked to the lake.
"Not yet, let some of them get close though. She will deal with them." Lucinda replied.
The fighting was short, Hades was surprised this rag-tag band of teenagers was so powerful. His daughter led some of them into the woods the monsters were unable to resist giving chase to a demigoddess. Before they could catch up she was up a tree, her eyes glowing and the crystal around her neck shown bright for just a moment. Then everything was silent and the beasts lay dead arrows and daggers through them with deadly precision.
Raven, Jacobi and a young lady were near the edge of the lake battling up close with the monsters Atlas had brought to assist him. While the two boys were distracted, the girl was knocked back landing with a splash in the lake. Without pause the beast went into the lake after her as she swam for the dock. She pulled herself onto the edge of the pier and looked around as if searching for something in the water as the beast grew closer. "Mama help" she called out, pushing herself further up the pier toward solid ground and away from the monster.
Out of nowhere a massive crocodile comes out of the water and sinks it massive teeth into the beast dragging it to a watery grave. A younger boy who'd been in the woods with Lucinda and the twins hold out his hand to help her up, "Lean on this." he offers his staff.
"Thanks Eric," she let him help her away.
It didn't take much longer before the battle was done and they regrouped surrounded by their fallen enemies. Melinda approached the girl, laying her hand over her ankle. "You really have to be more careful Alexis." she chastised, healing the sprain.
"Sorry Mel, I'm a party girl not a true warrior." the other girl shrugged.
"You are what you choose to be Alexis. Our powers don't dictate our lives." Raven sat on the porch cleaning his sword.
"We're asleep for a couple hours and you lot go killing monsters, not cool at all." Ajinor came out as a black mustang rolled up.
"My thoughts exactly," a blonde haired male got out of the driver's side.
"What went on here?" a dark skinned man with braids down to his shoulders came out the passenger's side.
"Monsters, there's a Titan trying to destroy humanity, same shit different day." Raven greeted the second male, "It's been too long Terrell, you still play in the cage?"
"Hell yeah" Terrell wrapped his arms around the smaller blonde male, "that's when I'm not with Ethan of course."
"I'm going to get Tina from the panic room," Lucinda got up and walked inside, "dinner is probably nearly done go wash up." she added.
Hades followed his daughter down to the basement quietly waiting for her acknowledgement. "If you want to talk all you have to do is say something." she spoke up as she entered a code on the panel then placed her palm on the scanner.
"I merely wish to see this 'panic room' of yours." Hades nodded.
"You're such a terrible liar." Lucinda laughed, "How did you ever fool uncle so well?" she lifted Tina up and turned to go to the dining hall.
"He sees what he wishes, it is always been his flaw."
"Will you join us for dinner? It won't be some grand thing but we are all family here and that is what matters."
"I see no harm is staying, you did say your ritual was to be tonight did you not?"
"I did, and it will be soon after dinner. I can't perform such a powerful ritual on an empty stomach, plus I think some of my cousins will want to be here when all is done."
"Cousins?"
"Eros, Anteros and their brothers, they come around quite a bit, especially since Ethan's come of age."
"Ah" he followed her up into the parlor.
"We heard our names." Eros took little Tina from Lucinda and twirled her around her laughter filling the room.
"I missed you Uncle Eros." the little girl hugged him around the neck.
"You missed us?" Eros smiled, "We've not been gone that long have we?" he looked to his brothers who shrugged, playing along.
"It must have been a really long time for Tiny Tina to miss us." Anteros laughed, taking the girl from his brother, "It was a super long time Uncle Anteros, you can't go away no more." she hugged him.
"No more?" Anteros smiled, "but princess we have to make sure there is love for the people remember."
"Fine" Tina huffed, "but no more staying gone so long."
"I promise princess," he chuckled, "come see what I brought for you."
Lucinda and her father watched the display in silence before she turned to the dining room. She stood on the wall, David setting everything out on the table stopping to kiss her temple. "Your mama would be proud of you Cher."
"I know" she smiled.
"You got a great girl, my lord." David looked to the god.
"So it appears."
"Go get your siblings, would you Lulu." David nodded toward the kitchen.
"Sure, Tina's in the den with Eros and his brothers."
"Is Phobos with them?"
"He texted earlier, said he was going to be late. He's giving the other properties a once over."
"By himself?"
"He's got a bug up his ass again, what else is new?" she shrugged and left, enjoying the shocked sound from her father.
"Is she always so…" Hades watched her leave.
"Crass, yeah, she gets it from her mama." David laughed pointing somewhere on the table for Gabriel to set another tray of food.
"Is it always so grand?" Hades looked at the spread.
"Not really, but tonight is special for all of them." Gabriel answered, "Tonight is about something the kids in this house have been waiting their whole lives for."
"What part do you play in all this?" the god inquired.
"I'm simply an observer like Jaiden and Terrell, supporting the only family I have ever had."
"My ears were burning," Terrell came in first, with an arm around Ethan's waist.
"We were talking about our place in this ceremony."
"Yeah well from the looks of it Jaiden's gonna be doing more than watch." Terrell looked at the older males.
"I can handle myself." Aaron glared before sitting in a chair, the lights flickering.
"I'm sure but you still look like you're gonna toss at any minute." Terrell nodded as Raven came in with the others, "Ain't that right Raven?"
"The concern crossed our minds, we take care of our own." Raven sat in his usual place.
"So who's excited?" Eros and his brothers walked into the dining hall, bowing their heads respectfully to Hades before sitting amongst the rest of the house as if this were simply a family dinner.
"Lucinda left you the head of the table," Anteros leaned close as he walked in, "Usually she or her uncle sit there but she's left it open for you."
"Thank you for the clarification." Hades turned and went to sit at the head of the table, his daughter to his left.
Hades observed the scene before him with curiosity, all these young adults and children were laughing amiably amidst three demigods and several gods, all of whom laughed along with them. But he noticed to empty chairs with plates set for them. Before he could inquire in walked two men, Phobos and the other greatly resembled Lucinda's mother. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Jesse was looking at Lucinda.
"Uncle Jesse!" she bolted up, rushing into his arms, "You would not believe the adventure we had."
"Considering your father is sitting at our table, I'm sure it's quite a tale." he laughed, "But come let's eat. The good mother has been whispering to everyone that it is tonight."
"We're all excited." Tina giggled, as Eros tickled her, "Stop it uncle Eros." she giggled.
"Not at the table please darling." Psyche chastised him gently.
Hades observed as everyone laughed and joked as if they were not about to change history. He watched his daughter, who he'd known for a couple days, celebrating with the family she'd known her whole life.
"Hey everyone," Alexis stood up.
"Keg Girl's got a toast for us." Vincent raised his glass playfully.
"Shut it Moonlight," the gray eyed young boy put in.
"Thank you Tech," Alexis smiled, "And yes, I would like to make a toast. First, to our big sister and her unwavering support of all of us"
"To Lulu" they all raised their glasses.
"Next to the new additions to our family" again everyone raised their glass.
"And finally to the woman who brought us all together, who made all of this possible."
"To Mama Renee"
"I have one more to add, if I may Alexis." Eros stood up.
"Sure, you're always more than welcome to steal my thunder." she made a silly face at him, sticking out her tongue.
"I think Aaron has more than enough to cover what I've stolen." Eros laughed.
"I'm sure I can muster a little extra." Aaron smiled, his eyes glittering with tiny bolts of lightning.
"For millennia we have watched, myself and Psyche, my brothers, our cousins and our enemies have watched for the day all of the Pantheon would be collected through the empowered descendants. So I raise a toast to all of you and to Fate who brought you all to us."Eros raised his glass, his brothers, wife and Hades himself followed him.