Hera, Queen of Mortals (Goddess Unbound)

by Thomas, T. D.

  "When you durst do it, then you were a man!" I raged at Jason. "And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man! Nor time nor place did then adhere, and yet you would make both! They have made themselves, and that their fitness now does unmake you. I have given suck..."

  Someone in the class snorted.

  I snapped my book shut and glared.

  Mrs. Watsby blinked. "Excellent! Excellent! You see, people, it's about passion. They're arguing! Passionately! You can skip down."

  " ...and know," I continued. "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck'd my nipple..."

  More snickers, but I didn't bother to stop.

  "...from his boneless gums," I said. "And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this."

  "Alright, that's enough," Mrs Watsby interrupted. "Now, can someone tell me what that means?"

  "She's saying that her husband needs to man up, and that if she were him, she'd kill her own kid if that's what it came down to," Jason answered.

  "Very good, Mr. Anderson," Mrs. Watsby said. "Now can someone tell me why she's saying it?"

  "She wants power," Darren called out. "That's why she's pushing Macbeth to kill the king. Her man's got no spine."

  "Typecasting!" someone coughed in the front row.

  Jason flushed again.

  "That's correct," Mrs. Watsby admitted. "You see, everyone, ..."

  "That's not why," I murmured.

  "Excuse me?" Mrs. Watsby replied. "Did you say something?"

  "Yes," I said, louder this time. "I did. Lady Macbeth isn't just power-hungry. She wants her husband to live up to his potential. She sees greatness in him, greatness he's afraid to see in himself. He needs to be pushed. She knows that, and she's willing to do it, even if it makes her the bad guy. She'll do anything for him. Because she loves him."

  Mrs. Watsby said nothing. The class said nothing. Minutes ticked by.

  "Yes, well," Mrs. Watsby finally said. "Interesting. Since we seem to have a difference of opinion about this passage, let's resolve this democratically. You will all write a five page paper on the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Due tomorrow."

  There was a chorus of groans.

  "You two may sit down," she said.

  Jason quickly took his seat, and I sat in an empty desk beside him.

  "Pair up," Mrs. Watsby continued. "And work on your essays for the rest of the class. Quietly."

  I contemplated spending the entire class staring at Mrs. Watsby until she cracked under my unforgiving gaze, but I saw Jason, sitting alone, having given up any hope of finding any partner. He just stared down, pretending to read his book, waiting to partner up with whoever was left, or better yet, work alone.

  "Partners?" I offered.

  Jason looked up at me, surprised. "I thought you and Darren would..."

  "I chose you," I replied.

  Jason straightened. "Wow. That's gotta be a first. A girl picking me over Darren."

  "I'm not a girl," I reminded him. I cocked my head. "You seem to know Darren pretty well."

  Jason's eyes widened. "Well, you know, we've, uh, spent a lot of time together. We've been in the same school for basically our whole lives."

  "You ... do you like him?" I asked suddenly.

  "What? No!" Jason gasped. "No! No way! Darren's tortured me since the day we met! I hate him. I hate him."

  "I know that," I said. "But, speaking from experience, that doesn't mean a part of you doesn't also kind of like him."

  Jason sighed. "That's screwed up, right? I'm screwed up."

  "I'm married to someone I love to hate and hate to love," I told him. "So, in my opinion, you're not screwed up: you're divine."

  Jason managed a half-smile.

  "That's part of why it was so hard for you to ... give up what you did," I realized. "Because he doesn't appreciate how hard it was for you, what it meant to you to do that."

  Jason shifted uncomfortably.

  I looked over my shoulder at Darren. He'd found someone to work with. A girl, of course. She was flirting with him shamelessly, laughing at nothing, brushing against him constantly.

  I rolled my eyes.

  "Do you ever stop rolling your eyes?" Jason asked.

  "Trust me, if you knew me, you'd be impressed at my self-control," I assured him.

  "So, how bad was it?" he asked.

  "What?" I wondered.

  He eyed the front of the room.

  "Oh. Probably not as bad as you think," I told him.

  "It was humiliating," he muttered.

  "Please. You didn't have to say 'suck.' Or 'nipple.' You got off easy," I reminded him, smiling. "And we have to face monsters. Real monsters. And death. And the end of the world. Are you honestly worried about embarrassing yourself in front of these people?"

  "It's stupid," he agreed. "I know that. But these people, this place, it's been my whole life for so long."

  "I'm afraid that life is over," I told him.

  He looked around. "You know, I think I'm going to miss it. Weirdly. Even though a lot of it sucked. Like, really sucked. Like, really, really sucked. It doesn't make sense, I know. But it was my life, sucky as it was."

  "At least your new life doesn't come with homework," I pointed out. "Just impending doom."

  He smiled. "I'm not worried. I trust you."

  "The hard part will be trusting him," I replied.

  I looked over my shoulder at Darren.

  "We have to work as a team," I continued. "All of us. It's not fair, but that's the way it is."

  Jason sighed. "In that case, I might just hate you a little bit for a while."

  "Go for it," I told him. "I can take it. But fair warning: I'm not usually this nice. That's more Demeter's thing."

  Jason considered that. "You're more of a Lady Macbeth?"

  "Exactly," I agreed.

  "But didn't you just say that Lady Macbeth does everything she does out of love?" Jason pointed out.

  I opened my mouth. Then I shut it.

  "Shut up, Jason," I muttered.

  He laughed. But his expression grew serious.

  "Can I ask you a question?" he ventured.

  "Only if you want an honest answer," I said.

  "It's just ... it's been bugging me," he started.

  "What has?" I pressed.

  "Well, you're a god," he continued.

  "And?" I replied.

  "And there are all these problems in the world," he said. "All this bad stuff happens to good people. So ... what gives? What happened to the whole 'with great power comes great responsibility' thing?"

  I took a deep breath.

  "You ask big questions," I replied. "But it comes down to two simple words. Free will."

  "Sounds like a cop-out," he said.

  "I don't care what it sounds like," I said. "That's the truth. Free will is sovereign. You can't be alive without it. Without free will, you're just a robot, going through the motions. A computer program. Artificial. Inanimate. You might as well be this desk or that clock. Choice is what makes you human, makes you real. It's all part of the Necessity."

  "The same thing that stops monsters from revealing themselves," Jason recalled.

  "Right," I agreed. "Which means gods can only take responsibility for so much. We protect humanity from interference from the forces of Chaos. But truthfully, the rest is all up to you."

  Jason was silent for a while. "I guess I just wish there was someone watching out for us."

  "You need to learn to watch out for each other," I replied. "You need to stop looking up to the Heavens and start looking around. Start looking at each other. If you want humanity to survive, you mortals need to look at the big picture. Everyone can make a difference. But the difference they make should be for everyone, not just for themselves."

  "Like being a Hero," Jason realized.

  I smiled. "Exactly."

  The bell rang. I sighed. />
  "So, I guess that means no Heroes in English class," Jason said as we stood.

  "Let's hope that Demeter and Ares had more luck," I replied.

  Jason and I left the class. I paused briefly to give Darren a chance to catch up with us, but he was busy brushing back a strand of his partner's hair. She was blushing, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. I rolled my eyes.

  Jason was right. I did that a lot.

  "Wait here for Darren to ... finish that," I told Jason. "I see Demeter. I'm going to see if she's learned anything."

  I headed towards her. Demeter spotted me immediately.

  "Find any?" I asked.

  She shook her head.

  "Where are all the Heroes?" I muttered.

  "Well, there are other schools," Demeter pointed out.

  "True," I admitted. "But Heroes should be drawn together. It's how they're built. You know, the divine pull. It connects them. Friends. Enemies. Something. We knew we'd need them grouped together for emergencies. Like now."

  "Then we must have just missed them," Demeter said. "We'll find them."

  "Where's Ares?" I asked suddenly.

  "He said he was going to check out the men's locker room," Demeter shrugged. "I tried to stop him, but he said he wouldn't be alone, and since we hadn't found any Heroes, I thought you wouldn't mind a quick exception to being alone."

  "I'll get Darren and Jason to go get him," I decided.

  I turned. But I didn't see Darren or Jason. I didn't see anything. Except images. Flickering in front of my eyes.

  "Hera, what is it?" Demeter asked.

  "Follow me," I ordered.

  "You know something," Demeter accused. "No fair. Tell me."

  I didn't.

  "Tell me!" Demeter begged. "Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."

  "Fine!" I stopped. I grinned. I had a plan. I loved having a plan. "I think I just saw how we're going to find our next Hero."

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  "It's ten to seven," Demeter informed me.

  We'd traded Darren's car for Jason's family's van. If we were picking up another Hero, we'd need the space.

  Demeter sat on the hood, watching Darren as he paced.

  "Can't we just go find her?" he complained. "I'm pretty sure I know where she lives."

  "Calm down," I said. "She'll be here soon."

  At least, if my powers were right. I'd never had a vision without closing my eyes and summoning it before. Spontaneous precognition was new. But, assuming it was still reliable, my newest Hero would walk up to the movie theatre with some friends at exactly seven o'clock. Unfortunately, that was a big assumption.

  "It's his powers," Demeter guessed. "Darren's learning so fast. He's bound to get bored quickly."

  "Take out your smartphone," I suggested to him. "Read the Internet or something. It'll keep you from going crazy."

  "And driving the rest of us crazy," Ares muttered.

  Darren pulled out his phone and typed away. Soon his eyes glazed as he read something. Then they started to glow. Fortunately, it was subtle enough that people passing by didn't notice.

  "That's new," Demeter observed.

  "Their powers are growing," I replied. "Just like mine."

  "My powers still hurt like hell," Jason sighed.

  "Unfortunately, it's tougher for you," I explained. "Telekinesis takes a lot of physical stamina. Your body has to catch up."

  "It's seven," Ares informed us. He straightened from where he was leaning against the van.

  "Do you see her?" I asked, scanning the people walking into the theatre.

  "Not yet," Ares admitted. "Wait. There she is!"

  He nodded at a blonde girl walking to the theatre. She matched the description I'd given the others perfectly.

  Her aura blazed with purple fire. She was chatting and laughing with two other girls, completely oblivious to the fact that I was about to change her life forever. Her freedom. Her innocence. Her happiness. I was going to take them all away. But there was no other choice. She hadn't chosen this, but neither had I. It was Necessity. We were all slaves to it, from the greatest of gods to the simplest of mortals. Our own feelings didn't matter.

  "She doesn't look like much," Ares noted.

  "That'll change," Demeter said, smiling.

  But the girl's purple aura began to flicker. It flared once, and then faded. By the time she disappeared into the theatre, it was gone. Just gone.

  "Something's wrong," I said tightly.

  "What happened?" Demeter asked. "I don't feel her anymore."

  "Her aura," I answered. "It's ... gone."

  "What do you mean 'gone'?" Ares demanded.

  "How's that possible?" Demeter asked.

  "I don't know," I admitted. "It just disappeared."

  "What does that mean?" Ares asked. "She's not a Hero anymore?"

  "We're going to find out," I decided, hopping off the hood of the van.

  We headed into the theatre. I pushed past the crowd of people waiting to buy tickets. I spotted the girl at the concession stand, but her aura was still gone.

  "I feel her again," Demeter whispered to me.

  "I do too," I agreed. The undeniable divine pull was still there, drawing my eyes to her immediately.

  "But no aura?" Ares asked.

  I shook my head. "But at least we know she's still a Hero."

  "So, what's the deal with the aura then?" Darren demanded quietly.

  I paused. Then my jaw set. "Ekhidna. She must be using magick to hide Heroes from me."

  "Seems like a lot of effort to just..." Darren started. But then he stopped.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "It's time. She's wasting our time," he guessed.

  "Obviously," Ares replied.

  "No, what I mean is, she's just wasting our time," Darren explained. "Think about it. She's not attacking us. She's only sending a few monsters at a time after us. It's like ... a game."

  "Okay, so she's messing with us," I agreed.

  "But the only reason she'd do that is if she's buying herself time for something else," Darren finished.

  "It's all just one big distraction," I realized. "I should've seen it before."

  "Distracting us from what?" Jason asked.

  "That's what we have to figure out," I replied. "But we still have to find two more Heroes. We can't go after her yet, whatever she's planning."

  "I'd still feel a lot better if I had some idea of what she was up to," Demeter admitted. "It's got to be big if she's willing to sacrifice her own monster spawn, just to keep us busy."

  "Can you see far enough into the future to figure out what her plan is?" Jason suggested.

  I shook my head. "No. The further I try to see, the more unreliable my visions become. The future changes too fast."

  "So, let's grab this Hero," Ares said. "And then find the last one. Then, we go kick some ass."

  "Obviously," Darren replied. "But if Hera can't see Heroes anymore, we'll never find the last one. We can't go up to every kid in town and see if you gods get a buzz."

  "We need to figure out some way of getting past whatever Ekhidna's doing," I agreed.

  "Or get around it," Jason murmured.

  "He's right!" Darren exclaimed. "Let her waste her time hiding auras. All we need is a new way to locate Heroes."

  "Magick," I said, my eyes never leaving my new Hero. "Ares, Demeter, search this whole theatre. There's bound to be a witch or two somewhere."

  "What are you going to do?" Demeter asked.

  "I'll take the Hero," I replied.

  The girls had finally cleared the concession line and gotten their snacks. They were heading towards their theatre. I rushed over to them.

  "I need to talk to you," I told my Hero breathlessly.

  She turned, confused.

  "Oh, did I forget my card at the concession again?" she asked.

  She handed her popcorn to one of her friends and fumbled through her purse.

  "No, no, n
othing like that," I replied.

  "Hey, I know you. We go to school together, right?" she realized. But she wasn't looking at me. She was looking over my shoulder. "You're in all the plays, right?"

  I followed her eyes. I hadn't even seen Jason and Darren running with me.

  "Um, yeah," Jason said.

  "Hi, Carson," Darren said.

  "Darren," Carson replied coldly.

  She folded her arms. So, they'd already met. I hadn't counted on that. But I probably should have. They were both Heroes. Even if they didn't know it, they'd be drawn together by the secret power inside them. Besides, she was a girl, and he was, well, Darren. Their paths, and probably much more, had crossed at some point.

  "We, uh, were just hanging out," Darren said. "I saw you guys. Thought I'd come over and see what's up."

  One of Carson's friends was smiling smugly. She elbowed Carson, and they had an entire conversation with their eyes. Finally, Carson's eyes widened. She looked from Jason to Darren, and back again. She smiled.

  "Right," she said. "Of course. Duh! I'm such an idiot. Sorry. I should've figured... never mind. I mean, this is great. You two are just great."

  "Wait. What?" Darren asked.

  "Don't worry," she whispered conspiratorially. "I won't tell anybody. I know how stupid guys can be about this stuff. It'll be our little secret."

  "Tell anybody what?" Darren demanded. He looked at her. Then at Jason. Then at Carson again.

  "Oh, my god! You think I'm gay!" he said.

  "It's totally cool with me," Carson assured him. "It actually explains a lot."

  "Let's get one thing straight. Very straight," Darren replied. "He and I are not on a date."

  "Darren, you don't have to lie," she told him.

  "He's not lying," Jason piped up.

  Carson narrowed her eyes.

  "Really?" she asked.

  Jason nodded. Darren also nodded. Fervently.

  "Oh," Carson said, disappointed. "Um, alright. Awkward. Well, I better get going to my movie now. See you at school, I guess."

  "Wait," I said. "We still need to talk."

  Carson sighed.

  "Can you guys go in and save me a seat?" she asked her friends. "I'll be right in."

  The two other girls hesitated. They were curious. But after seeing that nothing was going to happen with them there, they nodded and left, looking back over their shoulders at Jason and Darren and giggling.