Some Time Before...
Marcus crouched down, hiding as best as he could in the shadows of the trees around him. Looking down into the valley before him, he could see a simple country home. A medium sized ranch building, a low fence, some bushes. The only thing marking it as out of the ordinary was its location deep in the mountains. And even th at isn't so out of place these days...
"Did you find it?" Kelly's voice came from behind him, hushed.
"I think so." Marcus replied. "Although I'm not sure if this is the place. It seems so... normal. Are we sure Eros is here?"
Marcus heard Kelly come up behind him, crouching against a tree near his. "Aphrodite said this was where we should look. Why? Are you doubting the great Olympians?" Marcus could hear the sarcastic smile in her voice.
"Oh no of course not. After all, why would I have anything but complete faith in the Goddess of Love." Marcus scoffed.
He felt Kelly put her hand on his shoulder. "Marcus, I know after what happened with Alicia-"
But Marcus was already shaking his head. "Thanks Kells, but I really don't want to-"
"Well maybe you need to talk about it." Hunter's voice came to them from his own recon spot a few feet away. "Especially right now, since we're heading towards literal Eros down there."
"And, ya know, since we're all here within earshot." That was Aaron's voice, his grin apparent even if Marcus couldn't see it. "I'm sure she would just love to hear how you're handling things."
"That's enough already." Alicia's voice now. Marcus couldn't detect any anger there, but he knew better than to trust that. "It's been months, will you all just let it go already? It didn't work out. I get it." There's that bitter tone... guess somebody isn't as over it as she says...
Marcus glanced behind him in time to catch the sympathetic look Kelly was throwing his way. Shaking his head, Marcus turned his attention back to the house below him. "Hey, does anybody else notice something... Off about this place?"
"You mean other than it's a quaint little ranch house in the middle of the mountains?" Hunters voice came back to him. Marcus rolled his eyes. He knew Hunter didn't want to be here. None of them did. But when an Olympian comes to you with a task you don't turn it down... Or else.
"Quiet. Marcus, what's up?" Aaron's voice came back to them through the evening gloom.
"Those windows... are they all painted black?" Marcus couldn't tell if it was the darkness around them, or if...
"Eros is up to his old tricks." Alicia scoffed.
"Gross..." Kelly sighed.
Marcus rolled his eyes. What else is new? Gods were creatures of habit. Constantly repeating their old patterns throughout the ages. For Eros that meant finding a mortal and having them spend their lives with him in the near blackness of the house, where they couldn't see him fully. Testing them. Making them prove they're worthy of him through personality alone... Unfortunately for them, I hear Eros isn't exactly easy to love off of personality alone.
A scream tore through the evening air. Leaping to his feet, Marcus charged down into the valley below towards the house. Towards the screams. He knew the rest of his group was with him, and for that he was grateful. He knew that he'd need them for what was coming. It wasn't until he was closer to the building that he realized that the screams weren't from a female. The screams were from a male voice.
"A monster!?" The voice screamed again and again. "Always a monster, a demon, an abomination to you mortals!?"
Marcus spurred himself to move faster, knowing with each second the situation would get more and more dangerous. The fury from that voice could only belong to Eros, and if this story was following the same patterns as before... A woman only trusts a man in the dark for so long before they start to question... and when they question, they fear... and from fear, comes betrayal...
Marcus pulled the door open with all his might just in time for a woman to run screaming out of it straight into him, knocking them both to the ground. Marcus barely had time to register that the woman was wearing a nightgown and had red hair before he was back on his feet again. "Run!" He shouted at the woman. "Run as fast as you can!" The woman needed no further urging. She was gone before he turned back to the house, and he hoped she had the good sense to keep running. Turning back to the house and walking into the pitch darkness, Marcus pulled his watch out of his pocket. "Alright Eros. I think that's enough."
"And what do we have here?" The voice taunted out of the dark. "A half-blood who fancies himself a hero?"
"Try five half-bloods." Aaron's voice came from just behind Marcus. He glanced behind him and was relieved to see his friends had caught up to him and were entering the building through the only point of light he could see. Alright. Nothing can stop us now.
"And what do five half-bloods want with me?" Eros' voice had taken on a bored tone.
"Your mother sent us." Kelly replied, attempting to remain respectful. "She was worried-"
"Worried that I'd fallen into bad behavior I'm sure." Eros scoffed.
"I mean, you were here with a mortal..." Alicia mumbled.
"Yes. Yes I was. And that wretch had the nerve to call me a monster , simply because I didn't want to be seen." Eros' voice turned angry again. "Even after all these centuries, mortals are still the frightened, superstitious fools they always have been."
"Out of curiosity," Marcus said cautiously, feeling around in the dark, attempting to make his way around the pitch blackness. "Why are you seducing mortals? I thought your last love turned into a Goddess to be with you?"
"An eternity of immortality will lead to spats between even the truest lovers Marcus." Kelly's voice came to him, a whisper in the darkness.
"Following in Zeus' footsteps huh? Not cool." Marcus heard Hunter mutter to himself. Idiot! If I can hear you...
" You dare to judge me?! " Eros' voice boomed impossibly loud in the darkness, and Marcus heard a shout of pain from Hunter. "You mortals never learn!" The door to the building slammed shut, locking the half-bloods in blinding darkness, too total to be natural.
Marcus flicked his wrist, his watch changing to a blade in his hands. Around him, he could hear objects flying around the room, and shouts of pain from his companions. He felt a sharp edge slice through his shirt, and he jumped to the side, convinced Eros was firing arrows at them. As he did so, he felt a body behind him and was about to whip around with his blade when he recognized Alicia's perfume. Stopping himself, he cursed. "He's hoping we take each other out. Is that your game Eros?"
"My dear half-blood, whoever said this was a game." Eros' voice came from right in front of Marcus, but when he swung with his blade, he hit nothing but air. Instead, he felt what he thought was a stool hit him in the side, causing him to stumble. "This is a lesson." Marcus felt the darkness around him stirring, as the objects flying around the room moved faster, and he heard each of his companions struggling just as he was.
"Hunter you jackass! Apologize!" Alicia's voice came from behind Marcus again, and he quickly stepped away from it. He didn't want to be anywhere near her wielding a weapon right now, especially in the dark. Accidents are bound to happen on that front.
"Apologize?! For what?" Hunter asked. His final words were cut off by a grunt of pain, and Marcus assumed some flying piece of furniture had struck him.
"That's it. I've had it with this!" Aaron's voice called out, and Marcus heard splintering wood from that direction. Well, looks like Aaron's dealing with this just fine. Again, Marcus felt a metal edge come close to him, but this time he wasn't lucky enough to get out of the way unscathed. He felt the blade cut his side, and the blood start to flow. This is insane. We can't fight what we can't see! And it was then that Marcus got an idea. The harder he had tried to fight, the worse it had become. He flicked his weapon back into its watch form and pocketed it, and he felt the activity around him lesson. He was still being bombarded with furniture, but it no longer felt like he was in a tornado.
"Guys-" Marcus started, but he felt a force clamp over his mouth as he tried to warn his friends.
"No." Eros' voice was in his ear. "They must learn this lesson on their own."
"Marcus? Marcus where are you!?" Aaron's voice came out of the darkness, surprisingly close to him. But Marcus was frozen, unable to help his friends. Please Aaron, for once, realize you don't have to win...
But his hope was in vain. The longer he listened, the more he was convinced it was hopeless. His friends cried out to him, and the longer he couldn't answer, the more panicked they became. Many times, he felt the blades of their weapons come close to him but miss him at the last moment.
"Marcus, I swear if you don't answer me, I'll tear this whole house to the ground!" Aaron called into the darkness, and Marcus believed him.
"Aaron calm down!" Kelly's voice sounded muffled, too close to where Aaron's voice had been for comfort. Marcus heard Aaron scream in rage, laying waste to everything around him. He heard shouts of pain from Hunter and Alicia.
"You half-bloods, always thinking you can solve your problems with force." Eros' voice taunted. "No wonder you haven't found love yet. Well, some of you anyway."
"Oh, that is it! " Marcus heard Alicia scream, quickly followed by the howl of a hellhound. Gods I hate it when she does that.
"Alicia no! Not here!" Kelly cried out.
"You crazy?! That thing will just bite us! " Hunter's voice cracked with terror.
"No it won't! Escape!" Alicia cried out, ordering the hellhound. Marcus heard its panting breath as it charged through the room and crashed through the door, finally letting light back into the building. At that moment, all movement stopped, and all his friends looked at Marcus slowly.
Now that he could see, Marcus saw that Eros himself was standing next to him, hand on his shoulder. Far from looking like the cherub figure most pictured him as, the young man beside Marcus was tall and lean, with shoulder length black hair and white wings, like that of an angel, folded tightly into his back.
"Well," Eros said, checking the nails on his other hand. "that was not quite the solution I had in mind. Marcus here is the only one who seemed to know that, just like love, sometimes to win a battle you have to surrender."
"Win a... Are you shitting me?!" Aaron started forward but was pushed back by an invisible force as Eros flicked his hand.
"Enough, Son of Nike. Accept it. This time, you lost. Learn this lesson well. Your temper and insistence on violence has cost you more than you know." With that, Eros vanished into the air. However, his voice remained for just a moment. "Remember this day half-bloods and learn this lesson well. The other Gods are not as forgiving as I am."
Marcus stumbled forward, finally free of Eros' power. Looking around in the light let in by the door, he saw that the room he was in was full of splintered furniture, some cut, some smashed.
"What the hell Marcus. Couldn't have given us a little warning?!" Hunter said, picking himself up off the ground.
"That's enough Hunter. It's your fault for pissing Eros off in the first place!" Alicia responded, dusting herself off.
"Of course you would defend him! News flash Leash, when Eros said some of us had found love, he wasn't referring to you! He was talking about your boy Marcus here!" Hunter's temper was flaring, and Marcus knew where it was heading.
"Hunter-" Kelly started to say, breathless.
"No Kells, I'm sick and tired of the lovestruck daughter of Angelos thinking she has a chance! He's moved on Leash!" Hunter's voice got louder and louder as he went, and Marcus knew he had to stop him before this escalated even further.
"Hunter that's enough!" Marcus said, stepping towards Hunter, but not quickly enough.
"You think I don't know that? That I haven't figured out that he likes somebody else?!" Alicia's volume started to match Hunter's, and Marcus knew that this would explode if something wasn't done.
"Enough!" Kelly's voice cut through the yelling, and all of them turned to Kelly. Kelly, the one who never shouted. Kelly, the one of them who mothered the others. "Enough..." Kelly said again. "Stop... fighting..."
"Kelly?" Marcus knew something was wrong. Her voice didn't sound right. She was pale. As he stepped forward, Kelly fell forward, clutching at her side. As if in slow motion, they all rushed to Kelly's side. Alicia moved Kelly's hands, revealing a long slash on her side. Too wide. Too deep.
No...
Hunter was on his knees besides her, emptying his bag, looking for ambrosia.
This isn't happening...
Aaron picked Kelly up into his arms, tears streaming down his cheeks. Without a word, he carried Kelly out the door to the cabin. As Marcus watched them go, still frozen, he noticed Aaron had left his sword behind. A sword stained red.