by Gideon Mills
I landed lightly next to Fleur. “We have to go.”
A loud echoing voice sounded. “You are surrounded. Give up and I will show you mercy.” It was Reign, and I was sure that he was somewhere around us, ready to use his abilities to strip us of our powers. Not that he could do that to me, but I didn’t want to risk Fleur.
“What about the people?” Fleur asked. Always the hero, and one of the reasons I liked her. Or loved her. That had to be it. Both her and Lola had stolen a piece of my heart. Something that not even the great Aphrodite had done. Well, not for long at least.
“Reign doesn’t want to hurt them, and will keep them safe.” It was hard to make him sound human and kind, but I was sure that he would keep the regular humans safe. He was a monster, but not a crazy one. Not yet.
Fleur nodded. I grabbed her and rushed over to McGarrett. I didn’t give him a choice in the matter and picked him up too. Both were like feathers in my arms. I’ve carried much more in my time.
They knew that I could leap and jump. There was no doubt that they would expect that from me again. This time I ran right at them.
Running at full speed. I was a blur to most of the people here. I braced for impact and to run through them. I knew that I might hurt the men in the mecha suits, but I had to made it less of an attack and more of a flee.
I hit one on the side, and it spun as I ran past it. The metal suit was dense and actually stung. Whatever they used to make it was strong and durable.
“You can’t get away, Ares,” Reign said.
Sure enough, in the air were dozens of helicopters with lights trained on the blur that I was.
I ran fast and hard. Not sure where to go. This was the second time Reign made me flee a scene, and I wasn’t happy about it. I needed to make teach the man that he was making it worse.
I ran to the east, hard, leaping over the Hudson River and landing in Jersey. The lights stayed with me for a while, but I lost them. I ran for a long time.
38
Far From Home
Fleur and McGarrett gave me looks of disbelief when I set them down. It was clear that we not only ran out of New York but straight across New Jersey. I looked around, and we were in a town called Bethlehem. I scratched my head. It wasn’t the one from the old country or world. That much was sure.
Fleur glowered at me. “We can’t keep running,” she said.
It was true, but we couldn’t fight either. We would have played right into Reign’s hands. There was no doubt that we would have been portrayed as the villains. That we would never be able to recover from. Not even Lola and her magical fingers would be able to undo the damage. I wasn’t normally so cautious but my impulsiveness was what had gotten me into this mess. It was time to be slow, steady, and sure.
“I know we can’t,” I finally said.
“Reign messed up that attack,” McGarrett said. He was pacing next to me. “We knew he would arrive, but he got there faster than expected.”
That was true and made me wonder what was going on.
“Finn,” Fleur said. “Part of their setup. The Paragons that Eris brought we expendable. She wanted to get us all caught.”
It was most likely true.
Fleur’s encrypted phone erupted. Answering quickly, she said, “We are safe.”
I mouthed Lola? And Fleur nodded. It was a stupid question since she was probably the only person in the world that had that number, but I had to make sure. She was safe, and we were too.
We just needed to find Eris and make her pay. Fleur listened intently, the phone pressed hard to her ear. “You what?”
The silence that followed was unbearable. I had to know what Lola said.
My mind raced with all the possibilities, and as Fleur’s grin grew larger and larger, I knew it was good. That Lola had worked her magic and we would be able to strike and make our move. We were moving into the boss level and about to level up. I was elated.
Fleur hung up and looked at McGarrett and me. “She tracked Eris to her hideout.”
That was the best news I’d heard in a while. We would be the ones to surprise her and make our move. The look of shock on McGarrett’s face had to mirror mine.
“How?” the former cop asked.
Fleur shrugged. “She told me, but it all went over my head. Just know that she has a location and Lola said that Finn is there too.”
It got better and better. I loved hearing that we might be able to take out both Finn and Eris. That would leave Reign and Fenrir. Though those two might prove to be the real problem, and of course, the real big bad. The real evil behind this all; the mysterious one that was causing an ache in the pit of my stomach.
“We need to act fast,” McGarrett said. “From all the reports I managed to get on Eris, she changed her location often, and I have to imagine that she won’t want to stay there for long.”
Fleur nodded. “I agree, but we are kind of far from the city.” The White Angel glared at me. I wasn’t sure if that was a good one or a bad one. “Sorry,” I said. “I had to make sure we were safe.”
McGarrett laughed. “Safe. I’d say we are more than safe.”
“Can you get us back?” Fleur asked.
I nodded and picked them up. It was time to strike my dear sister, and make her understand that I was the Olympian, and not her.
I ran back to the city and to our hideout. Calling it our hideout was something I was going to enjoy. It was no longer Fleur’s and Lola’s, but ours. Not that I’ve said that to them yet. Just as it was becoming McGarrett’s too. All of us forced into a team, and fighting to save New York.
It was strange how many forces were attacking at once. Would be nice if I had help from more of the Gods and even the Paragons. Fleur was amazing and knew what she was doing, but having that guy from Texas, or the man in Detroit would be nice. The one in Texas sounded much like a wannabe me, being a super solider. What I read about the man in Detroit was that his suit was a walking weapon. I had to see that. Maybe one day I would, once we took out my sister and Finn.
When we got to the hideout, Lola rushed over to us. I was the last one to enter, having set the other two down. Lola hugged me and kissed me.
“You big oaf,” she purred and punched me on the chest. “Don’t you dare go that far away again.” She spun on to Fleur. “The same for you too.”
McGarrett eyed Lola. “What am I? Chopped Liver?”
Lola smiled and winked. “You know that I like you, and want you safe.”
“I know,” he said. “Just teasing.”
“We have a plan?” I asked.
Fleur laughed. “The plan is to have no plan. You and I go in. Take them out.”
“What about me?” McGarrett asked.
“Too many unknowns,” Fleur said. “I need you and Lola here to spread the word.”
I glanced at her. “Word?”
Fleur glanced to Lola. “I’m making an assumption that you found what you need.”
Lola smiled. “Did you really have to ask?”
I was lost and had no idea what they were talking about. They had been working together for a long time. I couldn’t wait to have that type of connection to both of them. Lola was standing there in the same outfit from that morning, hot as ever. As was Fleur for that matter. I was struck again by the conviction that she was one of the most amazing women in the world. Both of them were, with their beauty and their talents.
“Well?” McGarrett asked. “Are you two going to let Ares and I in on the secret?”
Lola giggled. A sensual, cute one that made me love her even more. “I was hacking Eris and Finn, looking for proof they have been behind all the crime. Behind the attacks.”
That made sense, and I should have thought of it. Sometimes the simplest answers are right in front of me, and I miss them. “You found it?” I asked in a tentative tone.
Lola nodded. “I did. I have stuff printing out for McGarrett to take to the police station, if you’re comfortable with that.”
&
nbsp; “I’m fine with it,” he said. “I don’t think Reign saw me. Janet still works for the department. I can go. Not that it's my favorite place to be.”
“If all goes to plan,” Fleur said. “Captain McGarrett will be back on patrol.”
“I like the sound of that.” McGarrett smiled. I hadn’t seen that on his face in a while. He was forced to stay here for his wife’s safety but it was clear he missed Janet deeply. Just like I would miss either one of Fleur or Lola if I had to spend this type of time away from them.
Add the fact he faced death pretty much each and every time we stepped out to fight Finn, Eris, and Reign—that made his life a lot more hectic than normal, and that was saying something, since he was in charge of the Paragon Unit before he was fired.
“Let’s do this,” I said.
39
The Final Fight, I hope
Before we left, Fleur and I donned our superhero costumes. It was nice to wear the old Greek armor again. It truly did look good on me and made me look like the God that I am. As I was leaving, Lola whistled.
“Sexy,” she purred. “You better come back.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Fleur said. “He is rather fetching.”
“Hey,” I said. “I’m not a piece of meat.”
“Could have fooled me.” Lola winked at me and played with her glasses. She was so tantalizing and just what I needed in my life.
I laughed. “I’ll be back. We’ll be back. Eris isn’t going to make it out of this.”
McGarrett had left right away with the documents that showed Eris and Finn talking to the crime bosses in the city, along with many of the Paragons that were trying to take over New York.
There were about a thirty or forty Paragons that were part of the group. Some of them had been found and taken in by Reign already, but not all. That was a bit of a concern in going to attack Finn and Eris. Yet, I wasn’t going to let that get in the way. This had to happen and now. I was beyond sick of this.
Before I left, Lola leaned into me. “When you get back, I’ll have a treat for you.”
She kissed me before I could ask what, and then Fleur pulled me out. Now I was left wondering what that treat might be. Clearly, it was sexual in nature.
Outside of the building I picked Fleur up and ran to the location that Lola had found. It was across town, and I was going to get us there faster than any car. Fleur had been worried about me being tired, but I wasn’t.
I made record time; even Hermes would have been proud of my pace. I doubt he would have done much better. The God of Trickery wasn’t as strong as I was, and my little brother didn’t work on that. He relied on his tricks and his speed; being the messenger God, he didn’t need more.
Looking up at the location, I thought it wasn’t much to look at.
“You sure you have the right place?” Fleur asked.
I nodded. “I’m positive. This is the address that Lola gave us.”
It was an old warehouse that, from the outside, didn’t look like a place that Finn Walker would be caught dead in. This was just the place that Eris would use though, and I knew it.
“We need to act now,” Fleur said.
That was just what I wanted to hear. This was me in my element, and I was ready to bring the wrath of the God of War. This was going to be a Clash of the Gods and the Paragons. I had little doubt of that and was ready for it.
Reaching out, I pulled my sword in all its shining glory. As it appeared out of thin air, Fleur stared at it.
“That sword,” she said. “You really are something else.”
I laughed. “I’m a God.”
She sighed. “So you keep saying. Maybe it's true. From the sounds and stories Lola tells about you in the bedroom, maybe you are.”
“You could find out for yourself.”
Fleur tapped her chin. “I could. Maybe I will.”
I liked the sound of that. It took a while, but she finally had warmed up to me. That gave me even more reason to get this mission started and to make it out alive.
“Now,” I said. We both rushed the building, not caring what happened or who saw us. Let the police come to stop us. Hopefully, they had read and seen all that McGarrett delivered to them. Not that I really thought that Reign was going to step down. He was too much of a power-hungry man and he hated Paragons.
I reached the building first and didn’t go for the door. Instead, I made one for both of us to use, smashing into the side of the brick building with a thundering sound, sending bricks everywhere. Alarms sounded as I entered.
They were loud. Deafening. Before anyone could react, I went for the figure closest to me. It was a slimy-looking man. One I had read about in the back issues of Paragons of America.
Mucus Man was covered in a slime or mucus that was neon green. Like a giant fucking booger. It was nearly enough to cause me to hesitate and to touch him. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but he was working for Eris. He was one of the names in the report, and it was no surprise. His list of crimes was long, and he should have been arrested a long time ago.
As I reached him I smashed him with the butt of my sword. I didn’t want to kill him and make myself look bad. My fist and the hilt of my sword were inside of the goo. It was cold and made me shiver. It was attempting to cover more of me.
Straining mightily, I pulled out of the slimy mess, still refraining from using all my strength for fear of killing him. The man was laughing. “Your strength means nothing to me,” he said. “I’m immune to your powers.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fleur in full attack with another Paragon. This one was covered in rocks, or rather they had rock skin. That was different, and I remembered that the codename for that one-time hero, Rocky. She had fallen into robbing banks a long time ago, as being a hero didn’t pay well enough.
I forced myself to focus just as Mucus Man punched me. His fist hit me on the jaw. The slime burned. It was like toxic water. One of the few things that I can’t handle. Of course, the man had to be made of stuff that will actually hurt me.
“Fuck,” I said.
“I told you,” Mucus man said. “I’ll kill you. I own you.”
Looking at the gooey man, I smirked. He smelled just as bad as one might think a man that was a booger might. Defeating him I would be doing to world a favor in many ways. I didn’t want to kill him, but I wasn’t in the mood for being gentle. I took up a stand with my two-handed sword.
Mucus Man tilted his head. “You think that some sword is going to matter.”
“I know it is,” I said. “You haven’t fought a man with a weapon forged by a God, with Celestial Bronze.”
The green man shrugged. “Some fake metal isn’t going to scare me.”
I laughed and waved him to attack me. It had to be self-defense for me to feel okay with it. The man lunged at me, and I sidestepped, only slicing him with my weapon, and he screamed in agony.
“What have you done?” Mucus man asked. My weapon might not be made to kill humans, but I had a feeling that it would harm a Paragon more than a regular human, and I was right. Thankful for the small blessing, I murmured, “Thanks Hephaestus.”
I had no doubt that many of the Gods in Olympus would be watching this fight with interest. Any time two Gods battled on Earth, we would watch. My blacksmith brother was one of those that would watch with interest. It was one of the few things outside of Aphrodite that got him away from his smithy.
Mucus Man was on the ground, retching in pain. I moved on to the next one, a small man in a suit of armor.
“Who might you be?” I asked. This one I hadn’t seen in the report and didn’t recognize from the magazine.
The short bald man shrugged. “I’m Indomitable, and my suit can withstand any attack.”
It did look like a well-made piece of equipment, and I had to imagine it was similar to the one I had read about in Detroit. He probably could fly, and shoot bullets or lasers at me.
“Let’s see what you got.”
Indomitable opened fire on me. Sure enough, bullets burst from the suit. They bounced off me like the insects they were. My only concern was that one might ricochet and get Fleur. She was behind me on to her next target. The room had a half dozen Paragons in it.
We needed to pick up the pace. Part of that was my fault. I was just toying with this man, playing with my prey. That was wrong, and I had to move on. With speed the man hadn’t thought I was capable of I closed the distance between us and smashed into him, denting his armor.
“How?” His face was covered in shock and awe. I had put the fear of God into him. Made him realize that he wasn’t as unbeatable as he thought.
I smirked. “One of these days people are going to believe me when I say I’m Ares.”
Indomitable’s eyes lit up. Confused more than ever. “It can’t be.”
“It can,” I said, and then hit him on the side of the head. He fell to the floor in a slump, his armor nothing more than a pile of useless metal now.
Turning to the next one, I had to duck right away as the Paragons finally wised up and started to attack without waiting. Barely getting out of the way of the punch, I took in the new attacker. A tall, lanky female with a bald head. She had been in a copy of the magazine a few months ago, for escaping from prison. She had a power similar to Finn in that she could phase through objects.
“Eris promised a fine reward for taking you out,” she hissed. Her voice was raspy and filled with hate.
“You can try,” I replied. She stood no chance of taking me out. None of them would be able to, the one that had the best opportunity was already on the ground, Mucus Man. Now I was just trying to get to Finn and Eris.
Fleur was working on her third opponent as well. She and her attacker danced across the area. There was no other way to describe the back-and-forth the pair executed as they shifted from form to form of battle. Each able to counter the other. They were two masters of hand-to-hand combat.
