Vol. 07

Chapter 27

Selina Chase-Moon

Birth: June 30th

Age: 18

Colour(s): White

Metal: Silver

God/dess: Diana

Hermione Driscoll-Mercury

Birth: September 10th

Age: 18

Colour(s): Royal Blue/Yellow

Metal: Quicksilver

God/dess: Mercury

Marcella Guerra-Mars

Birth: April 17th

Age: 18

Colour(s): Red

Metal: Iron

God/dess: Mars

In the dark, cool cave, Lady Pandora sits upon her throne listening what her new commander has to say. "Jason randomly stole energy from anybody. If you ask me, that is a ridiculous way to take care of business." said the commander.

"Really? Then Paris, how would you do it?" Pandora seems intrigued.

"I will not go after big groups of people like Jason did. I will show you that I can get enough energy from one individual." Paris explained.

"Is that so?"

"All mortals are controlled by the movement of the stars. An every one of them has their own fate. The same is true of their energy. Each mortal has a moment in their life when their energy level peaks. In short, I will read the movement of the stars and go after the mortals when their energy level has peaked." Paris had semi-long slightly curly chestnut hair with dark blue eyes. He wore a navy blue tunic with leather arm cuffs on each wrist, and dark pants in military boots. A woman's giggle was in the air.

"You seem very confident." the voice spoke. Paris turned to that direction and saw the woman in a sitting position in the air. She had long dark blond wavy hair tied up loosely in a ponytail with emerald eyes. She wore a long red tunic up to her thighs acting like a skirt, she had matching leather gloves. She wore a giant buckle belt that divides the tunic on the waistline. She had brown leather stockings that go up to her mid-thigh and dark knee-high heeled military boots. She had a stupid grin going across her face.

"Admete, why are you here?" Paris asked.

"Overconfidence can be your downfall." She replied. Paris turned away in annoyance.

"Go away!" Paris said it lowly. Admete took it as an insult. "As I was saying, I will infiltrate the mortal world and take advantage of their weaknesses. I do not need advice from you!"

"I can picture you throwing yourself into that box at Lady Pandora's mercy." Admete commented. Paris gave her a dirty look. "Ooh, how scary." She disappeared in a mist of pedals.

"Paris, I leave this in your hands." Lady Pandora ended the conversation.

At the front of the college, a girl was walking down the sidewalk with her tennis gear bag. "There she is!" Behind her, a swarm of reporters ran after her. "Alannah, how are you doing?" one reporter asked, "Do you think you can win the next tournament?" another asked.

"I...I don't know." Alannah ran away from the press as fast as she could and the press followed on in a tight group. "Everyone in the city is cheering for you. Please say something!" Quite stubborn they are.

"Sorry, but I have to practice." Alannah went inside the college's court and locked the fence to keep the reporters away. Out in the country in New York, the woods were dark and within those woods is a colonial mansion that has been worn down, Paris stands right under a opened ceiling, and looked up in the stars.

"The stars know everything. O stars, grant me your mysterious powers." The stars shot down a ray of light, in front of Paris, showing an image. "The proud Sagittarius, Chiron, is about to fire his arrow at the centre of the Milky Way. The target that he chooses...Alannah Safina, I will take your energy."

Alannah stood on one side of the court ready to take on her opponent's serve. "Safina go for it!" "Safina!" The crowd surrounding the court fence cheered her on. Her opponent did her serve, Alannah ran to her right on hit the ball easily with her front hand. The ball sped back to the other side at the court in a blink of an eye, hitting in her zone.

"Yes, she did it! Alannah, you're the best, sis!" Cheered out Ellie. Alannah waved back to Ellie and smiled.

"I never knew." Selina was beside Ellie watching Alannah. Selina got the opportunity to wear her summer clothes, a loose white tank top, a boyfriend shirt unbutton with black shorts and a pair of white converse.

"Knew what?" Ellie didn't know what she's talking about.

"That you and Alannah were sisters."

"Well..."

"I will have to punish you if you keep secrets from your friend." Selina was joking of course, I think.

"Don't be stupid, Selina!" Ellie used the word.

"Stupid! That's mean, Ellie! You didn't have to go that far!"

"I'm an only child. Besides, we have different last names."

"That's true. But didn't you just call Alannah your sister?" Selina now feels stupid.

"Well, Alannah's mother has been a good customer at our store for a long time. So, we've been playing together since we were little." Ellie explained. The crowd went crazy when Alannah did her serve. "She's only a year older than me, but she's been like a big sister to me." Ellie watches her friend in court while explaining to Selina.

"Oh, so that's why." Selina felt enlightened. In the distance, a sound of a Ferrari engine ripped through the air. A red Ferrari stopped instantly, and parked spot on beside the college. A man stepped out of the car and walked to the courts. "Damn, he's gorgeous!" "Oh my God, you're right!" "I heard that he's a successful businessman." "Do you know him?" "He's supposed to be the president of a company that was established around here recently." The two girls heard the insane gossip from the other students, they looked ahead and saw the man wearing a linen white shirt and a navy blue blazer on top with matching pants. This man is Paris.

"He's handsome, too bad he is nothing but money." Selina commented. Ellie was amazed.

"Wow! I think I just had a moment!" Said Ellie out of the blue. Paris watched the tennis match intensely, all of a sudden he leaped over the fence and into the court he landed. "Please don't enter the court without permission!" yelled out the opponent. Paris turned to Alannah.

"Use your weight more when you hit the ball!" He shouted to her.

"What?!" Alannah felt a little intimidated. Selina and Ellie watch the drama unfold. Paris walked up to the opponent.

"Your racket, please." He asked gently. The girl blushed and handed it over. "Here..." Paris positioned himself on the court. "Okay, try now!" Alannah did her serve, the ball came with the speed of light but Paris managed to hit the ball with a large amount of strength, making the ball flat against the racket. At the release, the ball went in different directions and finally smacking the racket off Alannah's hands. The crowd went awry.

"Alannah!" Ellie cried out feeling helpless on the other side of the fence. Alannah went on her knees holding onto her wrist.

"A fly could land on a serve like that." Paris walked over to her.

"Who are you?" Alannah demanded.

"Troy Parisi, just an eccentric guy you can say." Paris, oops, excuse me, Troy bend down to pick up Alannah's racket.

"I'm sorry if I seemed imposing." Alannah apologized as she got up. When Troy touched the racket, he posses the item.

My loyal monster, possess this racket, bring Alannah Safina's energy to it's peak level and steal it! He chanted in his thoughts. He picked up the racket, "Just think of putting your weight behind the ball." He handed her back the racket.

"Yes, Sir." She responded. As soon as she has a full grip on her racket, her mind went blank, her eyes appeared to have no life.

"Someone come and receive her serve!" Troy yelled out. A young man ran into the court with excitement. "ME! I'll do it!" The other guys in line complained, "When did he get in there?!" The young man turned around and teased the others. "First come, first serve!" he stuck out his tongue. "Ms. Safina, I'm ready any time you are!" Alannah set her serve with immense power, the ball quickly turned into a fireball and sped right through the man's racket and crater the ground when landed, the ball disintegrated. The man fell on his back due to the force of the impact.

"Wow! That's amazing! Did you see that?" Selina was shocked of what just happened. Ellie just stared on. Alannah got out of a trance and saw what she achieved.

"Thank you so much..." As she turned to Troy, he wasn't there, nowhere near the court. He

appeared at the top of the college roof, watching the event.

The more you use that racket, the more your energy will grow. Alannah continue to swing some nasty balls to her opponents, knocking them down like flies. Eventually, the tennis players were terrified of her. She giggled to herself.

"This feels pretty good." She said for her own amusement.

"She's owning the title of the sport!" Selina commented. Ellie was not convinced.

"Something's not right with Alannah."

At night fall, Luna was working into her laptop hoping to find answers of what they're facing. "Oh my stars! I'm getting a migraine!" She laid her head on the desk hoping it will go away. Out of nowhere, Mercury appeared sitting on the other side of her desk.

"Don't quit now! You just barely scratch the surface!" He burst out. Luna jumped out of her seat as soon as he spoke. "What are you doing working in you jammies?" Mercury pointed out her sleep wear. She quickly covered herself with her robe not showing anymore of her black nightgown.

"What are you doing here?!" Luna demanded.

"Relax, I'm here to give you an update."

"Fine, make it quick I want to get to bed."

"Mount Olympus found out who the enemy is." Luna's eyes were as wide as they can be, even her headache was gone.

"What? Really?"

"Of course! Or else I wouldn't be here!"

"Right. I'm sorry."

"The name of the enemy organization is the Evil Box." Luna sat there and giggled a little.

"Are joking right?"

"This is no laughing matter even if the name sounds corny!"

"Again, I'm sorry." Luna cleared her throat.

"They seem to be after mortal energy for some reason."

"Mortal energy?"

The next day, at the front of the St. Mark church with the two dogs, Terror and Fear. Luna told the girls what she's been told. Marcella was cleaning up the front entrance, picking up garbage and such, wearing the proper gear for the warm weather. A red sport tank top with black caprice yoga pants and a pair of runners. "Evil Box..." She responded.

"We have to brace ourselves to get these guys." Hermione mention, also not wearing her usual suit. Instead she wore a pale yellow sleeveless blouse with a blue pencil skirt and black flats.

"Let's go after them and crush them with one blow!" Marcella was pumped.

"Easy war girl, the way we are now, we aren't capable of that yet." Hermione crushed Marcella's spirit.

"Exactly! Right now, you need to study more and make yourselves more fit." Luna agreed.

"I know! How about playing tennis to make ourselves more fit?" Selina said with energy. The other three were in question.

"You and sports! Always playing like a boy!" Luna responded.

"Well, there's this good looking businessman, Mr. Troy Parisi." Luna twitch out of annoyance. Hermione sparked.

"I know that man! He's the one creating this monopoly trend over the city, it isn't good for my business since we're family own."

"You ever met the man?" Selina asked.

"No, he always sends his associates to do the dirty work during the meetings. I guess he's one of those show offs who can actually burn their money."

"Got to keep up with the races, one says" Marcella added.

"I have a sports junky, a Ms. Trump Jr. and a person who picks on with anybody for a team...If it wasn't for me keeping you guys straight on the job, the Evil Box would have stolen all of mankind's energy by now. I don't know how the Gods choose their Guardians." Said Luna with a slump.

"What is a matter with you?!" Selina exclaimed.

"Maybe it's some kind of mistake that we're Guardians." Marcella mentioned.

"No! Believe me, you guys are the Guardians."

"I think we need a break from all this." Hermione mentioned.

"Hermione! Is that you wanting a vacation? C'mon you don't want to be stuck in that office forever." Selina tease.

"Yes, I do! From all three of you's nonsense!"

"Okay, fine. How about all four of us go for some tennis?" Selina offered.

"Sorry, I have a meeting today."

"I knew it!" Luna and Marcella said it simultaneously.

Back at the tennis court, players were getting their rackets broken and also their sense of pride. Alannah walked up to the player with no sense of soul. "Ms. Safina..."

"What's wrong? If it's about the racket, I give you another one. Let's keep going." Alannah kicked the broken racket aside. "Alright..." said the player. Ellie was still watching from the other side of the fence, gripping into the wires.

"Alannah, you weren't like this before." She said to herself, worrying.