Chapter 19
AN: modified timelines are explained in the index fic on my profile. But, in summary, for those who did not read it, the timeline is moved back seven years for the Heroes of Olympus characters - making Jason Thalia's twin, born in 1987 and, like Frank and Hazel, twenty years old. For those who do not have read Heroes of Olympus, details and Summaries at the end.
1st of September 2007
Labyrinth
The air buzzed with the mechanical hum of gears and the rhythmic hiss of steam. Strange contraptions lined the walls, a dizzying array of brass and copper mechanisms that defied explanation. Cogs interlocked with springs, and pistons danced in a choreography of intricate machinery.
Daedalus stood at the heart of his atelier.
He sighed as he stopped working a bit to look at the ceiling. At the center, a set of towering iron wings hung, adorned with whirring gears and rivets that caught the ambient light. His fingers traced the contours of the mechanical feathers, a mix of pride and sorrow etched across his face.
"Icarus," he whispered. Memories of his son, a daring dreamer lost to time, flooded his thoughts. Closing his eyes, Daedalus sighed, the weight of millennia pressing on his shoulders. Ah, too bad he could never...
"Yo! It is me, Dio!"
"AAAAAAAH," Daedalus turned, crying out in surprise. Then he coughed, embarrassed, and pulled himself together. He didn't bow: after all, he was thinking of dying soon, and killed by a god was an acceptable death.
"Dionysus. To what do I owe this pleasure?".
"A recruitment pitch...", Dionysus didn't have time to finish as Daedalus interrupted him.
"I must decline..."
"Yo, Dad!", Icarus said.
Wait, what?
"Too bad you don't want to join us!"
"I…Icarus…?"
2nd of September 2007
Labyrinth
A substantial portion of the club congregated outside the locked door of the Playboy Manor shed, sealed by Dionysus upon his arrival, where was shining the Delta symbol. Icarus, Bellatrix, Medusa, Thoas, Hodge, and Grover Lee engaged in animated conversation, their voices filling the air with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
Dionysus materialized, accompanied by the enigmatic figure of Daedalus. The members fell into a hushed silence, their attention shifting to the pair. Thoas fixed his eyes on the newcomer, studying him.
Daedalus
King of Hearts
Creator and Genius
Lvl 569/800
Who better than the best of all inventors to lead the Creativity Project team? Dionysus snapped his fingers, and a table appeared. Each club member took a shot - except Grover Lee, because it was apparently unyouthful or something. The goat boy drank a whey shaker instead.
Dionysus clapped his hands, while Hodges began fighting Grover to "assert dominance".
"Well, kids! Meet Daedalus, etc, etc...Everyone knows who he is. Genius inventor, foot fetishist and, above all, father of the Labyrinth."
Daedalus muttered an unconvincing denial. About the genius bit, not the feet.
"I wanted to take control of the Labyrinth following the recruitment of the King of Hearts. Just imagine! The Labyrinth! A self-aware maze birthed from Daedalus's defiance against Apollo's warnings, clandestinely sprawling beneath the Earth's surface, weaving a malevolent network that transcends time and space. Its passages distort the temporal fabric, transforming mere minutes within its shifting confines into hours or days in the external world, while its ever-changing nature harbors an ominous intent, ceaselessly seeking the demise of those ensnared within its enigmatic depths, etc, etc..., coolness, etc, random other frightening but cool stuff, etc... Sounds cool, huh?"
Thoas didn't quite agree. A living maze that ate people? Not for him, thanks but no thanks.
"Unfortunately, the Labyrinth is a naughty boy! A naughty boy! And he's now self-sufficient! Boooo."
Grover kicked Hodge in the head with his hoof. Huh. Was the pecking order going to change?
"Luckily, I'm a genius! All hail me!"
Bellatrix cheered.
Alone.
"Long story short, between Daedalus' remaining influence, and my video game domain, the Labyrinth is akin to a dungeon. And you, my little ones, you've guessed it, you're going to be the party of adventurers who conquer it on my behalf! Yay! It'll take you about a year!"
Wait, what?
"That's why Romain's not coming with you, he's got work to do!"
But, wait! Thoas also had work to do! And he had not told anybody about a prolonged leave!
"Bellatrix is the party leader, Medusa the sous chef. Allez, go my children!". Dionysus opened the shed door and kicked Thoas inside.
"Kisses, kids!
You joined a party !
Party leader : Bellatrix Black, Priestess of Dionysos
Party Members
-
Bellatrix Black
Queen of Hearts
Priestess of Dionysos, Crazy Witch and Member of the Club
Lvl 145/350
Medusa
Queen of Spades
BDSM bitch and Member of the Club
Lvl : 130/200
Icarus
Jack of Spades
Rule-breaker and Member of the Club
Lvl : 62/100
Thoas
Jack of Diamonds
Proud Hero and Member of the Club
Lvl : 54/100
Grover Lee
Card of Clubs
Satyr and Member of the Club
Lvl : 22/50
Hodge
Card of Clubs
Satyr and Member of the Club
Lvl : 27/50
3rd of September 2007
Olympus, Athena Palaca
In the opulent halls of her palace, the goddess of wisdom was engrossed in her scholarly pursuits, surrounded by ancient tomes and scrolls. As the faint aroma of parchment and knowledge lingered in the air, Dionysus, burst through the door. With an irreverent twirl, he stopped just in front of her.
"Athena, my wise sister! I've come for a drink," he declared, holding aloft a goblet filled to the brim with ambrosial nectar.
Athena, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected intrusion, raised an eyebrow but couldn't suppress a subtle amusement. "Dionysus, the timing is unconventional, but I suppose a momentary respite won't harm," she conceded.
Dionysos smile was a bit strained, she noted, but she graciously accepting the offered goblet.
Athena
Goddess of Wisdom
Lvl 3 450/3 500
Dionysos laughed.
Fuck.
She was stronger than Zeus.
He'd suspected it when he'd noticed her level had risen after absorbing Eris, but...So that was why Ariadne, his loving wife, had "faded" in spite of being the goddess of fucking weeds, huh?
Athena smiled.
Deep down, she frowned. She had absorbed his wife, intending both to become stronger and to make him fall into depression - to neutralize the Olympian of unpredictability. She didn't like what she couldn't predict or control. In the beginning, everything had been perfect, and Dionysos, for twenty years, had been a shell of himself...So why did he feel so lively since last year? She would have to take care of him.
"I just wanted to drink with you…Cheers, my sister!"
And the both of them emptied their glass.
5th of September 2007
Alaska
Alcyoneus stirred in his sleep as two grey eyes, thunder sparkling inside them, looked at him.
7th of September 2007
Wolf House, US
Under the silvery glow of the moon, Lupa, the colossal immortal wolf goddess, circled Dionysos. He had taken on a seemingly carefree human guise, looking twenty with jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. Lupa lunged with ferocity, jaws snapping at the god.
"Bacchus, you're not taking this seriously enough!", she angrily snarled.
Dionysos - well, Bacchus in this form, but he was lucky that there was basically no difference between his Roman and his Greek form, so no schizophrenia for him-, his amused smile never faltering, effortlessly sidestepped Lupa's attacks. With a deceptive strength, he countered with graceful moves, dancing around the giant wolf.
"Well, Lupa, you've always been so smug about completely dominating the demigods who come to see you, but now we're not so cheeky, are we?"
Lupa pressed on with determination, her attempts to harm the god growing more desperate. However, Dionysos, with an almost supernatural ease, grabbed her by the neck and flattened her like a pancake against the floor in a wrestling hold.
Lupa, frustration evident in her eyes, growled, "Why are you doing this, Bacchus?"
With a swift motion, Dionysos effortlessly lifted mighty goddess and pinned her again to the ground, their eyes locked in an unusual display of dominance.
"Just having a little fun, Lupa. No hard feelings. That, and two other reasons. First, I think you've...gone soft. You're not fierce, feral enough anymore. A wolf is wild, fuck it! Fuck it!" he struck her, sending her flying some thirty meters into the air. He appeared in front of her, hit her, and like a ping-pong ball she tumbled towards the ground. "You are soft, Lupa. You forgot the Wild". He hit her again, and that fucking hurt.
"And the second reason is because I'm an icky demigod! And I need my pass for Camp Jupiter! AHAHAHA".
In September? Maybe?
Labyrinth
Deep within the ever-shifting maze, the party of adventurers, led by Bellatrix, found themselves locked in an endless struggle against the relentless monsters that lurked in the twisting passages. Ahaa. A Struggle ? Well, not really : for the moment, they had only encountered Empousai, Hellhounds and other weak ass monsters. Not a challenge. Even Grover could easily defeat them, and he was the weakest of the party.
"YOUUTH", he screamed, before hitting a lestrygian.
Thoas couldn't help but whine in frustration. "This is ridiculous! A week in this maze, and not a single celestial hint to guide us. He did not even give us a magical compass or something ! Only this bizarre magic 'Harry Potter tent' Dionysus provided, whatever Harry Potter means, with showers and bottomless bags of food!"
Finally, the adventurers arrived in a room that dwarfed the others in size, its vastness accentuated by the towering torches flickering along the ancient walls. The stone surfaces bore the scars of time, etched with the remnants of forgotten engravings and mysterious symbols.
"At least, a challenge!" screamed Hodge, his excitement echoing in the chamber.
As the group gathered, their eyes widened in awe and trepidation at the monstrous inhabitant of the room—a Sphinx. This colossal creature, ten meters in length, possessed the fearsome body of a lion and the imposing head of a woman. Its gaze held a daunting wisdom, and its majestic presence exuded an air of ancient power.
Sphinx
Mini-Boss
Lvl 150
"I will ask three riddles, adventures…And if you answer correctly, I'll let you pass!".
"Grover, go, you are the smartest of us". Thoas laughed while pushing the satyr forward.
The Sphinx, acknowledging the adventurers, opened her mouth to speak, and a riddle unfolded.
"I'm not measured in years, nor marked by the wrinkles of time. Fleeting and vibrant, I dance in the moment, forever eluding the grasp of age. What am I?"
"YOUTH"
"Correct…"The Sphinx looked angry. She tried with another riddle.
"A treasure that slips through the fingers of the old, I am boundless energy, unbridled dreams, and the promise of the dawn. What is the name of this elusive, ever-fleeting gift?"
"YOUTH", answered Grover.
"How did you guess…? Hmph…Very well…Last riddle. Ah...I know! I'm the spark in the eyes of the innocent, the laughter that echoes through carefree days. Time's relentless march may dull the world around, but in me, you'll find the eternal spring. What do you call this timeless, effervescent force?"
"YOUUUUUUUTH", answered Grover, and he tried to kick the Sphinx. Hodge drew his shotgun. "We don't give a fuck if she lets us through! Let's kill her anyway!" and he charged, shouting and shooting.
Who the fuck charges when he has a gun?
"YOUUUTH", well, at least, Hodge used his gun. Why was Grover not drawing it?
8th of September 2007
Playboy mansion
Prometheus looked at Dionysos and the monstrosity he had created. Who the hell had given him the idea to merge an Hydra with a Phoenix? The creature's serpentine heads writhed menacingly, and its skin was made of the same eerie black flames that danced ominously in the air.
Dionysos nonchalantly pulled out a Pokeball. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the spherical device towards the monstrous hybrid. The Pokeball opened mid-air, releasing a burst of energy that enveloped the creature. It twitched and wriggled before finally succumbing, disappearing into the magical contraption.
10th September 2007
Border of Camp Jupiter
The sun hung lazily over the entrance to Camp Jupiter, casting long shadows on the worn path where Hazel and Frank, the twenty years old legionary and the probatio of the same age stood guard. Boredom had settled in, and Hazel idly twirled a piece of her hair as Frank halfheartedly flipped a denarii in the air.
"Anything happening today?", asked Frank, knowing the answer. But he was fucking bored.
"Doesn't look like it. Same old, same old."
Their conversation halted abruptly as their attention was drawn to a commotion approaching from the other bank of the tiber. Someone, probably a demigod, approximately their age, burst into view, sprinting as if his life depended on it. Which it probably was, as two gorgons were running after him. Torn jeans and a shirtless torso showcased his impressive physique, and a little pokeball was attached with a collar around his neck.
Hazel, despite her more conservative upbringing, couldn't help but admit, to herself, in the intimate of her head, that, well, he was... nice looking. However, before they could decide whether to help the fleeing demigod, a strange turn of events left them dumbfounded.
"What?"
The pursued demigod skidded to a halt, turned, and... kissed the two pursuing gorgons. What the fuck? The monsters, instead of attacking, began giggling like schoolgirls. One of the gorgons even started taking off her dress and handed it to the demigod, before…
"What in Pluto is going on? And…Why is she twerking on him? "
The two legionnaires rushed to the scene, their training kicking in as reflex, as they were too surprised to think correctly. Seeing them coming, the two gorgons decided to flee, leaving behind a demi-god vexed to see his good time interrupted.
"Hey! Stop cockblocking me!"
"But…". Hazel didn't know what to answer to that. "They were Monsters! Gorgons!".
The man shrugged. "And they were hot as hell! Hot as…Tartarus! AHAHAHAHA!".
Then, he smiled, and - in spite of his bad joke - it made Hazel feel something strange in her tummy.
"I'm Dio, son of…Bacchus. Yes. Son of Bacchus. Nice to meet you. We're at Camp Jupiter, aren't we? Lupa told me to come here".