Fallen Gods, page 11
Thanatos stood beside him, his sword locked with his. He pushed against it, but Thanatos was too strong. Finally, Thanatos beat his sword aside and punched him to the face. A blow that sent him flying further than Luca had. He landed hard but was quickly back on his feet with a furious look on his face.
“You would defend a human over one of your own? You don’t know these people. You don’t owe them anything,” protested Dion.
“You are not my own. I was wrong to ever stand beside Hades, and I can see that now. I don’t have a side in this war, but if you want to fight, you’ll have a fight on your hands the likes of which you can’t imagine!”
“He’s a traitor. Deal with him!” Rastus yelled.
Dion didn’t look happy about it, but he knew they had no choice.
“I told you we had orders. We are soldiers, and we must follow them, just like you should. Are you going to make us do this?” Dion asked Thanatos as if pleading with him to stand down.
“Nobody is making you do anything. We can live like gods on this world, or you can continue to be slaves to Hades.”
“Then you leave us no choice.”
But his words were washed out by the sound of motorcycle engines as six bikes and a pickup truck raced into view. Theodosia, who was unmistakable, not even trying to hide her identity, rode the lead bike. She drew up beside the police cruiser and climbed off the bike.
“What are you doing here?” Thanatos demanded.
“You helped me when I needed it most,” she replied virtuously.
“Take them down!” Dion roared.
The two sides charged toward each other with blades draw in what looked like something out of a movie than anything the cops ever expected to see in real life. Theodosia cut one enemy soldier down in the first blow as Dion and Rastus rushed in to join the fight. Rastus quickly came to blows with Theodosia. They cut and parried blow after blow, and as they closed in, he headbutted her. She winced as she stumbled back but came right back at him.
“What are we supposed to do?” Luca asked, watching the carnage.
“I have no idea.”
They turned to Thanatos for ideas, as he seemed to know what was going on, but he was watching the fight intently. He was getting more and more angry as each second went on until finally he shook his left arm, and it lit up like his body had before. As the blinding light dissipated, they could see that a shield had appeared on his arm, a huge bronze circular shield. He took flight with an amazing turn of speed and rushed into the fray. He was heading right for Rastus as he continued to cut back and forth at Theodosia, who seemed about his equal. Thanatos’ shield struck the long-coated villain with such immense force he was thrown into the side of one of their SUVs. Glass shattered as the door caved in. He hit it with such force it would have killed many men, but he merely looked dazed.
Thanatos was not done turned his attention quickly to one of Dion’s soldiers. He parried off one blow before driving a thrust into his body, and he went down. He kicked out the knee of the next before striking his shield edge against another that sent him crashing into two more. The impact had created a natural divide between the two groups and a reprieve. They were both equally as shocked at his wild assault.
“You said you wanted no part of this!”
“I didn’t, Dion, but you gave me no choice!”
“Then you have chosen your side! Hades will hear of this!” Rastus snarled as he got up wincing in pain.
They gathered the wounded and retreated to their vehicles. Theodosia and her fighters watched them like hawks but were clearly glad to leave the fight there. The SUVs tore off into the distance as Theodosia squared off against Thanatos. Her soldiers looked at him with both respect and suspicion.
“Why did you come?”
“Like I told you, you were there when I needed you, and you were again just now. There is good in you, Thanatos. There are very few truly good and evil individuals in any place. You did what you believed was right, but I think you already know it was the wrong decision.”
“Something had to be done. What we did was wrong, I admit that, but you’re wrong about good and evil. Hades is evil. I believed what he had to say. He wove truth with lies and led us to this place.”
“We’re stuck in this new hell.”
“Hell?”
“This place, living among the humans.”
“I don’t know. I kinda like it.”
She smiled and shook her head as if that was no surprise to her. She looked over his shoulder to the two cops. That’s when she recognized them.
“You were there? When Thanatos saved me?”
“Yeah.”
“They helped me save you,” added Thanatos.
She looked a little suspicious, but the statement jogged something in her memory.
“You helped me, and him, why?”
“Because that’s the job.”
“But you don’t know us. How did you know you were supporting the right side?”
“Because you two weren’t trying to kill us, and the other guys were.”
Thanatos smiled.
“He can fight, believe me,” he added.
“Now you have stood up to the soldiers of Hades, they will consider you to be with us. To be a loyalist,” replied Theodosia.
“I know.”
“What will you do?”
“What can I do? I’m in this now. I am with you.”
“And us?” Aaron asked.
“Whose side are you on?”
“If Hades can reassemble this crown, what will he do with it?”
“All kinds of evil and unspeakable things. If Hades can control both the underworld and the sky, he will have immeasurable power. More than any god should ever hold.”
“Hades can be a cold and cruel god. You would not want to live in a time where he ruled it all.”
“How would it affect any of us?” Luca asked.
“Yes, you speak of these ancient gods, but they are long dead to us,” added Aaron.
“Humans will believe in a thousand different gods; some real, some a mix of truth and fiction, but mostly it does not matter to us. Those we have presented ourselves to worship us, but really, we don’t care,” replied Thanatos.
“So, you’re saying the god I know and was brought up with, that is a lie?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’re just another of us known by many names. Humans can be fickle. They need new ideas and names to worship every few thousand, or even hundred of years,” replied Theodosia.
“This is crazy.”
“Yes, it is, but we have to move forward now. So what will it be, Thanatos?”
Strangely he looked to Aaron as if he were some kind of moral compass.
“How can I answer that for you?”
“Because you have good in your heart. You try and help people at every turn. I fear my judgment is not what it once was. What would you do?”
“You trust Theodosia? Fully?”
“Yes.”
“Then what she is saying is terrifying. We can’t let those assholes win.”
“Then you will fight with us?”
“You want us to fight gods and their minions?”
“I’ve seen you fight. I know you can handle yourself.”
Aaron shrugged as if to accept.
“All right, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. Welcome aboard this sinking ship,” said Theodosia cynically.
Chapter 9
How long have you known this Theodosia?” Aaron asked as he followed the truck and motorcycles.
“Much longer than you can imagine.”
“You know we shouldn’t be doing this, not on the clock,” replied Luca.
“It’s fine. If we get a call we’ll head on, but it’s all quiet right now.”
“Yeah? That’s what worries me.”
Aaron smiled as he went back to the line of questioning.
“Back there at the dock. You went from that suit to armor and a shield at the snap of your fingers it seemed, how did you do that?”
“I’m not human, you get that right?”
“Sure, but it’s not like we have anything else to go on. So what else can you do?”
“Like what?”
“Fly?” Luca asked.
Thanatos sighed. “I’m stronger and faster than any human. I can survive things you cannot, and I cannot be hurt, really seriously hurt, by any weapon that is not made on Olympus, or anything you have access to anyway.”
“And the armor?”
“It is bound to me. I can call upon it whenever I need to.”
“Like any time?”
“Pretty much.”
“That’s cool.”
They were led through a roller shutter to what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
“Not exactly the most welcoming spot,” said Aaron.
“This is the kind of place you bring someone to ambush them,” said Luca.
Aaron was already painfully aware of that as they came to a halt. He reached for the shotgun between the seats.
“If this was a trap, you’d need more than that to get out of it,” said Thanatos.
They stepped out to find a few dozen soldiers, dressed just like those with Theodosia. Most wore long coats that at least partially obscured their armor and weapons. Computers were set up around the room with boards filled with handwritten notes, photos, and printouts. It looked more like the ops room back at the station. Almost all of them there looked at Thanatos with anger and suspicion, while the two cops were ignored almost entirely. Theodosia climbed up onto a table to address them, as the tension in the room was nearly at boiling point.
“None of you need to be told who this is, but I will tell you why he’s here. Thanatos saved my life, and these two humans helped him. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. That’s enough for me to trust them at least a little. I know how some of you feel toward him, but you asked for me to lead this, and I’m leading. I’m telling you that Thanatos is an ally, and you will treat him as such. If anyone thinks any differently, they will come to me, do you understand?”
There were groans of approval. Nobody looked happy about it, but they weren’t willing to protest. One appeared eager to see Thanatos, a youthful looking man who approached with a smile.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you properly,” said the young man with a broad smile across his face.
He hugged Thanatos as if they were old friends, yet he had no idea who he was. A fact that Theodosia did not look impressed with.
“This is Ganymede, cupbearer to the gods. He has served you many times.”
“Ah, yes,” replied Thanatos as he shrugged toward the two police officers as if he had no idea.
“You brought humans here?” A woman in the room demanded.
“If you’re going to fight this war, you’ll need all the help you can get,” replied Aaron.
“What can a human do that we cannot?”
“Excuse Aceso, she is not a lover of humankind, or mortals generally.”
“Aceso, the Goddess of Healing, and you despise humanity?” Thanatos asked.
“What is there to like about them? We would never be in this pit if it were not for you.”
“You walked among the humans plenty of times.”
“But I was never trapped among them, and now you want me to work with them?”
“Yes I do.” replied Theodosia.
“Why?”
“Because they saved my life, and one day they might just save yours. Hades knows the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve already heard rumors of them recruiting soldiers to their cause, Thanatos, humans.”
“Why?” Aaron asked.
“Because there are only so many of us, and a weak soldier is better than none,” replied Aceso.
“We’ll need all the help we can get in this war. If Hades is recruiting mortals, then we shall have to do the same.”
Thanatos was pacing back and forth, looking at the boards filled with information.
“I don’t understand it, why is everything happening here? I figured I see a few of you about, but why is this city so important?”
“We don’t know. Shards of the crown have been reported all over, but none so much as here. In New York is where the vast majority of them fell,” replied Theodosia.
“What can I do to help?”
“We need weapons,” replied Aceso.
“Weapons?”
“The mortal weapons can be useful. The powerful ones can make quite an impact on an immortal, even if they can’t do long term damage, but not only that, we’ve been fighting mortals out in the field. We need weapons like theirs,” replied Theodosia.
“So? Take them?”
“Thanatos, we need weapons, but we need to stay off the radar of the local authorities. They may be merely human, but they have resources that can cause us trouble. This war is being fought underground.”
“I can help.”
Aaron looked in astonishment at his partner.
“What? You want contacts that are off the grid that’ll sell you some serious hardware. I can take you to ‘em. Just not dressed like this.”
“Can I speak with you a minute?” Aaron pulled him off to one side, “What are you doing?”
“These guys are fighting the good fight, and you want to help them, don’t you?”
“I don’t know, maybe. We don’t know much about them.”
“But they aren’t the ones trying to kill us, and you heard what they said about Hades. Your instinct was to help them from the first time you met them, and your gut is never wrong.”
Aaron shrugged.
“Look, I know this guy who sells military grade stuff. He can get us what we want, but it’s gonna cost. It’s gonna cost a lot.”
Thanatos had picked up a carbine from a table.
“So, it’s come to this? What good can these toys do us?”
“You are a mighty weapon, Thanatos, but not all here are like you. Just a few days ago some of our people were ambushed by Hades’ troops. These mortal weapons were enough to hurt them, and allow those with immortal weapons to kill three.”
“Humans, with immortal weapons?”
“That’s right, even in their hands they can kill. If a living being wields the weapon, it can kill,” replied Theodosia.
“Then we’re not as powerful here as we once thought.”
“Everything has changed. Since Zeus fell, and we fell from Olympus, many things have changed. This world among them, it’s not the world we knew it was.”
Thanatos nodded in agreement.
“What are you saying?” Aaron asked.
“That the last time he walked on Earth, wars were fought with spear and bow.”
“So, you guys have gone from ancient Greece to now? How?”
“Nobody really knows. When Zeus cast us out, unthinkable things happened. Some question if Olympus is even still standing.”
“Of course it is. It has to be, right?”
Thanatos looked lost as it dawned on him how bad things were, and how much he was to blame for it all. He looked about the room to see most of them felt the same way. Theodosia went on.
“Hades; soldiers are not just gathering mortal weapons, but immortal ones, too. They have pillaged our dead at every opportunity. Many of their mortal foot soldiers now carry Olympian weapons. They’ll never match us one on one, but if the numbers weigh heavily enough in their favor…”
“Even you could be taken down,” Aceso interrupted.
“With many little strokes a large tree is felled,” said Aaron.
Thanatos felt a shiver go down his spine. He felt invincible among humans, but the realization he was wrong was terrifying.
“What are we going to do about it?” he asked softly.
“We need an army, trained fighters that can use firearms and blades. That are loyal, and will fight for this cause, no matter what.”
“I can do that,” stated Aaron proudly and confidently.
Several in the room laughed, but he didn’t see the funny side.
“We’re looking for soldiers, not police officers that fancy themselves heroes,” said Aceso harshly.
“I didn’t come here just to talk. I can fight.”
“Prove it,” said Theodosia.
Aaron looked to Thanatos for support and encouragement. He was the only one they knew and trusted.
“How confident are you in those skills of yours?” Thanatos asked.
“Enough talk, let your body do the talking, and we’ll see if you really can fight.” Theodosia went over to an open training area. She picked off two wooden training sticks and tossed one to Aaron, and another to one of the soldiers standing nearby.
“This is Arius, one of our most loyal fighters.”
“Does he have your strength?”
“Not quite. Arius has immortality, but he was once a mortal like you. He has no more strength than a human may possess, but he’s been trained by the best. Show that you can fight, and we will talk further.”
Aaron sighed as he unclipped his service belt with his weapon and handed it to Luca.
“You’re really gonna fight this guy?”
“Says you, who is offering to broker illegal arms deals? We’re in this shit deep, so we’d better start swimming.”
He stepped forward into the training area as his opponent circled menacingly. Arius’ skin was the darkest a human could ever be. His head was shaven, and he was muscular, yet tall and agile like a basketball player. He held the stick as if he knew how to use it, as if he’d fought his entire life with them. Aaron had fought with sticks many times, but never in a contest that meant so much. This was nothing like any tournament he’d ever fought. He felt the sort of pressure he had on that night in the museum. This was a make or break moment, and Thanatos was watching on like his mentor. It was a strange sensation. He still didn’t understand the character claiming to be a god.
Aaron took a wide stance and lifted the stick to his shoulder, resting it like a bat there. It gave the impression he had little idea of what he was doing, but it was a guard and a technique he was well accustomed to. It had no defensive qualities at all. All of its defensive strategy lay in its offensive qualities. Aaron like that about this position, it punished the opponent for trying to strike. He could see from Arius’ body language that he was an experienced fighter, too. Arius struck forward with a fast blow, and Aaron countered, but it had drawn short and quickly pulled back, so his strike didn’t find its target.
