The Great Eight (Temporary Hiatus)

Chaos 101 II

An ultra modern storage system that was totally looked like a spaceship casually opened up before the group of heroes and Ares. Showcasing a small arsenal of swords, lances, bidents, tridents, bolas, what have you. The teens, who had arrived a few moments earlier and were besieged by a panicked Hermes who couldn't stop shouting Cronus's name up and down the halls, found themselves being given a crash course on gearing up by Ares. So, here the teens were. Witnessing, for the first time the weaponry available for their survival against the war Cronus was hell-bent on bringing. And although it was reassuring, some of the newest recruits couldn't help but feel the opposite.

"You have power here?" Odie asked aloud, the techno-geek in him was currently marveling at the limitless electricity. And perhaps trying to ease his mind off the assumed threat of Cronus enacting some malevolent plan somewhere out in the city.

"You could say this place is off the grid." Ares decided to indulge the boy as he was examining the weapon's rack. Deciding that a simple, but time-tested sword would be the right fit for young Jay. Though Gods were not without their luxury, and so the sword Ares abruptly put in Jay's hands was at first glance a mere ( gold-encrusted ) handle. But when the boy held it aloft, the blade made its appearance with a shining glint.

"It's a gravitational blade." Ares supplied as Jay took the time to get used to the weapon's weight. However, it was not without a small smirk as though the soul of his ancestor, Jason, resonated with him at that moment in time to appraise the technologically-advanced sword.

"Nice!" Was all Jay managed to say before it was Theresa's turn.

"Huh, these are cute." She commented as she picked up a pair of black and yellow num-chucks and twirled them around expertly. Everyone in the space watched with great surprise as the dainty looking, rich girl went through a small series of expert movements.

"And deadly! Where did you learn to use those?" Atlanta was the first to speak, amazed at her friend's unexpected talents.

"I was a black belt when I was twelve." Theresa began with a shy smile, "While all the other rich girls were bored, I was restless." Before she ended her explanation with a predatory smirk.

"Odie." Ares, ever the stoic and unimpressed, brought attention to the next hero under his tutelage. "Would you like a weapon?" He asked, practically rhetorically, as he held a many-pronged spear in his hand out towards the soon-to-be hero. But was inevitably disappointed with the boy's pacifistic nature.

"Ah, no! I'm good thanks. Hermes gave me my weapon already. Satellite connection, the works." Odie sang his praises of the portable laptop that he was currently fidgeting with in his lap while he sat on the nearby staircase to the weapon's room. "Portable, and powerful!" Meanwhile, Atlanta was having fun with a retractable bola that she was swinging around her fingers in a test of compatibility. Unfortunately, it caught Ares attention when Atlanta accidentally flung the bola into the air and towards a towering statue of the War God himself. The bola's weighted balls, in mid-air, opened up to reveal three deadly points each and assaulted the statue's nose. Before they impressively held momentum and flung themselves, it seemed, back towards Atlanta while collapsing it's weighted ends back into its regular ( and safe ) form. The nose had no chance, and fell to the marble floors once the bola removed itself. Ares was none too impressed.

"Aw, now we're talking! Can I have these?" Atlanta requested to the War God who turned his livid eyes back to the young heroine.

"All the weapons here are at your disposal." Ares bit out with little patience before really biting into the girl, "But the statues are mine!" Atlanta cringed away from his towering figure that hunched closer to her. Slinking her way back to her friends as Herry stepped up and redirected the God's attention to himself with an inquiry.

"So how can we beat the Typhus?" The serious question had everyone all ears, until Ares opened his mouth and gave an unrealistic approach.

"Beat it back with lightning bolts, then drop a mountain on its head." The God suggested with no amount of amusement in his tone whatsoever.

"Yeah, okay." Herry responded, his tone of complete disbelief.

"That was how Zeus defeated it, you kids might have to come up with a different strategy." As if there was a chance that mortal teenagers 'might not' have to make up a new plan.

Behind him, Jay was playing with a retractable bo-staff and swinging it around like Atlanta had with her bolas. Mel was nearby, looking at the weapons with wide eyes and trembling hands. Still not quite up to par with the others at the moment. And her own self-conscious examination of herself compared to the others didn't help her confidence. Or at least, it would have if a bo-staff hadn't have put itself in front of her face. Her hazel eyes met Jay's light brown as he handed her the weapon.

"Something tells me you are more of a lover than a fighter." Jay offered her a kind smile as Mel gratefully took the proffered tool and gave a more confident smile back as well as a nod to his observation.

"Thank you. But, uh, I've never used one of these before." Mel's cheeks colored slightly as she confessed her ineptness at weapon usage and Jay couldn't help but feel a little twinge of warmth seep out from his chest.

"I can teach you later if you want. But for now I, I mean we've got your back." Jay went to show her how to open and close the staff but was distracted by the others, mainly Theresa and Archie in the corner of his eyes

"So... what's with the fancy footwear?" Theresa asked as she sat beside Archie on the stairs with a soft tone of voice.

"Ah I've got a wonky heel." Archie decided to lift his head from his hand, finding himself bored with the current situation, as he responded back to her.

"Sorry about what happened earlier." Theresa rubbed a foot onto her opposing ankle with a timid quirk of her head.

"No worries." Archie's mouth formed into a genuine smile for the first time since arriving at the school, and Jay's eyes slightly took on a narrower state before Odie made a grand announcement to the room.

"Are we done here guys? It looks like electricity is out along the whole seaboard. And all the power is being transferred to the station where your fire-breathing friend was last seen."

"Well if the Typhus is there, so is Cronus!" Jay looked at Ares with a new look of maturity blossoming on his features.

"Let's take my truck!" Herry offered with a prideful smirk on his face as everyone began to rally for their first major battle of their lives.