Collision ✅

Plan B - Make Nice

Alex paced around the room, now dressed in what must be a simple gown for the time, but still involved far more steps and layers than she was used to. It had been almost two days since she arrived and she was still nowhere closer to figuring out how to get back. Not to mention, the storm had passed and she had no way of knowing if or when another would come. There was no such thing as the Weather Channel during the Renaissance. While she hadn't gotten any closer to finding out exactly how she did what she did, she assumed that a storm was necessary - it had been storming the night Ares found her in her small flat in Florence and attacked her.

And usually storms meant lightning. Lightning meant it would be easier to call down Zeus' bolt.

She stopped pacing and looked around the small room that was now her prison. The morning after her unfruitful talk with Giuliano, they had moved her to a smaller room in the large house with no windows and there was someone outside her door at all times, which remained locked. She couldn't help but smile to herself, knowing that she could get out anytime she wanted. Now that she had rested and healed, it wouldn't take much to overpower her guard and escape the house. But they had taken her sword and she desperately needed that back before she went anywhere and she didn't want to have to waste time searching the massive building for it.

It was forged in Olympus and was the only kind of weapon that would kill a god. She would need it to protect herself against Ares if he found her again. Not to mention, it wouldn't do to allow such a weapon to remain in the hands of mortals for too long.

Granted, she had no idea where to go even though she now had the proper clothing to fit in with the times. And she would need money to get around. She had contemplated calling down her mother or grandfather or any of the large number of deities that supported them for help, but decided against this.

She hadn't been born yet - was still a bit less than 400 years from that moment - and she wasn't sure what kind of mess that would create. Her only knowledge of time travel came from many watchings of "Back to the Future" and that wasn't the greatest reference.

Sighing, she looked down at her pendant, holding it out as she opened it and peered down at the drawings of her mother and grandfather inside. It was tempting to call upon them just for the sole reason that she missed them and would give anything to see them alive again.

"You're clever, Alex," she said to herself. "You've survived the last 50 years with Ares trying to kill you. You'll figure a way out of this. You always do."

She closed the locket and looked around the room, concentrating her thoughts on what to do. She supposed if she waited until the entire house was asleep for the night, she could then sneak out, find her sword, maybe steal a bit of money or something valuable that she could sell on the sly, and then run off into the night. If anything, Alex needed to get away before her presence there had any sort of consequences - whether it was changing history by accident or drawing attention from any of the gods or goddesses.

Alex was slightly surprised that no one had been there to check yet. She was sure a large lightning strike carrying her back in time would have at least registered with someone.

Then another thought entered her mind - as long as she was here, she was safe from Ares. Surely there was no way he could know where she went. Even if he did figure it out, there was no way he could travel back as she had. He couldn't use her grandfather's bolt. And the Ares of this time didn't even know that she would exist.

Relief filled Alex. For the first time in 50 years, she wouldn't need to run or constantly look over her shoulder. But at the same time, being here for too long was sure to create problems. Frowning, she shook her head.