Author's Note- I think I am supposed to do a disclaimer here- I don't own the Librarians or the characters, make no profit, etc. Forgot to do that for chapter 1….ooops.

Chapter 2, A Titanic Tale

It was time for a new mattress. This one was hard as a rock. It was a wonder he got any sleep at all, particularly with the sunlight so bright. Wait, sunlight? Crap. I must be late for work Jake thought. He groaned and tried to sit up. Hangover. Must have really partied last night to have this mother of a hangover today. He felt like steel drums were pounding in his brain. Perhaps another hour of sleep would help. Jake rolled over onto his belly to avoid the sunlight that was sending sharp spikes of pain into his retina. He took a deep slow breath and cautiously opened his eyes. Rock. Is that rock? When a puzzle perplexed him, Jake itemized known data points. I am lying on rock, I am outside, the sun is up, and I have a huge hangover. Analysis complete. But his fuzzy mind still refused to offer up an explanation. He rested his pounding head on the rocky ground and debated the wisdom of trying to get up again.

"Mortal, are you planning to just lie there all day?"

Jake jerked his head up at the sound of that low rumbling baritone of a voice. More steel drums crashed in his skull. Slowly, he rolled over and looked up. At first, his mind was blank. His brain simply refused to process the image that was clearly not real though his eyes kept telling him otherwise. It was a large man. Very large. Tall, broad and muscular. Very muscular. Jake haad seen tree trunks with less girth than this creature's biceps. Though he knelt on one knee, he towered over Jake. His chest was bare, his midriff wrapped in a loincloth. His hair and beard were long and flowing. He stared down at Jake with intense silvery gray eyes. But most disconcerting of all, his thick muscular arms held the earth aloft, balanced on his shoulders.

"You…are…wrong…" muttered Jake.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're wrong. I must be dreaming. That's it. This is just a dream." Jake eased himself into a sitting position and waited for his head to stop spinning.

"How so?"

"What?"

"How am I wrong?"

"Well, you're Atlas, right?"

"Indeed. And you are…?"

"Jake…Jacob Stone. I am a…Librarian."

"Ah, I see. I know of this though I doubted those tales. Proceed, Mortal. How am I wrong?"

"Well, for hundreds of years, it has been common practice for artists to portray Atlas holding the planet on his shoulders but in actuality, it was the heavens that Atlas held up. And… I can't believe I am talking to a dream."

Jake closed his eyes, took several cleansing breaths, cleared his mind and looked again. Nope, that didn't work. Big dude was still there.

"I see. So, you perceive me as wrong."

"Well, Art History is kinda my thing, so yes. Dude, you are all wrong with that holding the planet thing."

"There, you have your answer then."

"Huh?"

"Librarian, you entered here through an image in a book, correct?"

Jake delved through his last murky memories. A scream. A rare, precious book. Cassandra pointing, Ezekiel grabbing. Crap, I'm not dreaming?

"Ah, apparently."

"And this book was housed in The Library?"

"Well, yes."

"Then it stands to reason that the book was magical, does it not?"

"Well, um, yeah."

"Thus, in truth, it is not I who is wrong. I am as I was portrayed. It was the artist who was wrong."

"So, a magical artist draws a magical picture of a Greek god in…"

"Titan!" the giant roared. "I am a Titan! Do not confuse me with those self-absorbed, spoiled children who placed this burden upon me!"

Ok. I hit a nerve there, thought Jake. "Sorry. Yeah, sorry. So, artist, picture, magic book. Right? I get it. Ok, then. Perhaps you can tell me- how exactly do I get back to The Library?"

"You are not very clever for a Librarian. I expected better."

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jake snarled "Gee, sorry to disappoint the mythical Titan! The next time I chat with a make believe character from an ancient fairy tale, I will try to sound more intelligent!"

Atlas chuckled and the hapless Earth shuddered as the Titan's shoulders shook with mirth.

"You really don't understand, do you?"

"What? What don't I understand? That a myth just called me stupid?" Jake sputtered. "You are not even real, you are just a story and you are not even portrayed correctly. I can't waste any more time talking to you. I need to find the way back." Jake leaped to his feet and turned to leave.

Atlas grinned broadly. "And that is exactly what you don't understand, Librarian. In this realm…you are the myth."

Stunned, Jake stopped. The concept that he might be the one who wasn't real was a sobering and disconcerting thought.

"I'm a…myth to you?"

"Indeed. You, The Library. Galeas. The mathematician, the thief, the guardian. And Flynn. Myths all. Entertaining, yes. Real, no."

"Ok. Ok. Sorry I got a little hot about it. You are…apparently right. I am not very clever about this. So, tell me. How do I get back?"

"Obviously, you will need the book."

"How is that obvious? I am here and the Greek book is back in The Library."

Atlas sighed. "The mythology book. You need the mythology book."

"Which is back in The Library!" Jake fumed.

Sadly shaking his head at Jake's inferior intellect, Atlas explained. "The Library houses a magical book that is a record of my history and that of my peers. It is fact. It is my reality. What you need is the book of mythology, OUR book of mythology. Our magical book tells the fictional tales of The Library and the Librarians who attend it."

"Another book? Of course. That makes sense. It's disturbing to think I am one of the myths, but it makes sense…sorta. How do I find this book?"

"You do not. It is in the home of Zeus…a powerful god who will not relinquish a cherished possession to the likes of you, Mortal."

"I have to try. Tell me how to find him. Please."

"You will fail. You cannot convince him, you cannot defeat him. You are a mere mortal."

"There must be a way. This isn't my world, Atlas. It's not my reality. I need to get home."

"There is a way. One way only. I could get it for you. I am a match for his prowess."

Jake felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. This was not going to end well.

"You are holding up the world. How could you fight Zeus?" Jake asked, feeling that he already knew the answer.

The titan smiled. "Well, clearly you would need to do this for me while I was helping you".

"I see. And how would that be possible? I am no Titan."

"You are a magical construct. As such, you could hold up the world."

"Well, if that is the case, as a magical construct, I should be capable of becoming a fierce warrior who could defeat Zeus."

"And how would THAT be possible, Librarian? We are at the end of the universe. How would you find Zeus? By creating a magical compass? How would you get to Zeus? By creating a magical ship? How would you fight Zeus? By creating a magical weapon? That is a lot of magic, Jacob Stone, and you are no magician. It would take you countless centuries to master such magic, if indeed you could. And yet again I must remind you that you are mortal."

"But you claim that I could hold up the world."

"Yes," the titan answered simply. "Because that is my magic."

Jacob sighed. He could not fault the logic, though he knew this to be a deadly trap. "Tell me, Atlas. Why would you do this for me?"

"I would not" the Atlas answered honestly. "Not for you. But Zeus has jailed my brother in a cruel prison where he is tortured each day. I must free him. My own fate means nothing. It is my brother only that I care for. Do this for me and once I have freed my brother, I will procure the book and return to you. I would ask just 4 hours from you. That would be all I needed to complete both tasks."

"And how could I be sure you would return?"

"You have my word, Librarian. You have the word of a Titan."

Jake slowly shook his head. "I would be a gullible fool with no other options to trust you."

Atlas smiled. "Indeed, you are not as clever as I imagined a Librarian to be. However, you are no fool and I see no other options for you. Do we have a deal?"

Jake raised his head to look the Titan directly in those steely gray eyes, and replied.

"No, Atlas. Absolutely not."