Ancient Fear (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8 Ancient 12-Part 2

     Metis' P.O.V

        An awkward silence seemed to consume the room, but I didn't notice. I was to busy looking at my daughter for the first time. She had inherited my black hair though it was straight rather than wavy, she looked firece but also thoughtful. Unfortunately though, she had her father's eyes. She met my gaze steady and unblinking you could almost see the wheels turing in her head.

        Zeus suddenly found something very intriguing to look at on the floor. I sighed pointedly "Very well, as usual everything is up to me. Athena, I am your mother." Her reaction was not in the least dramatic, she merely gave me a long hard look and nodded once. "I suspected something bigger, I grew up thinking Hera as my mother." Athena glanced Hera's way. "And no offense but I never really felt the mother-daughter connection...." Her voice drifted off. Of course Ares chooses that moment to contribute his thoughts, "Well this isn't awkward." Dionysus snickered, and promptly drank some more wine.

        Zeus sighed "I was really hoping to avoid this.....predicament." My anger flared "Did you really think you were going to keep me in your forsaken stomach until I just faded away?! And anyways where is Alex!?!?!?" For the second time that day Zeus was speechless, and I was even more appalled "Have you told her nothing?!" "Someone give me some popcorn, please" Hermes jumped in. Aphrodite clapped twice "Hebe!" Now Zeus had gathered his thoughts "This is not the easiest thing to tell people I meant to, I really did but it never seems to be the right time." I was scornful, "Well no time like the present." I turned back to Athena "You have a twin brother named Alex! oooh was that so hard Zeus? No it wasn't, so where is he, I demand to see him!"

        Zeus lowered his eyes in shame. "I believed him to be to powerful to keep here, I feared he would overthrow me like I did to my father..." his voice faded. " Yes but your dodging the question where is he?" I demanded. He did not look up "He -um- could-uhh-possibly-umm-uhh-be in Tartarus." Everyone lapsed into silence. "You just decided to throw your kid into Tartarus?" I asked my voice cracking. Everyone then burst out talking at the same time, I heard a "WHAT?!?!" and a "Seriously?" then a "Glad your not my dad" and a voice that unmistakably was Hermes said "That's cold man, I mean seriously ice cold." Athena however did not say anything.

        "ENOUGH!!!" Zeus yelled, then in a calmer voice stated flatly "I'm sure it will be much more amusing for you guys to talk about the next great prophecy." An excited murmur rippled through the room. Zeus reached into thin air and extravagantly waved around the scroll that had the the great prophecy written into it. And proceeded to puff out his chest and read it with great importance. No one uttered a sound  even Hermes and Apollo stopped their endless chatter to listen. Zeus' voice echoed off the walls of over the throne room. No one spoke a few moments afterwards until I spoke "Well we all know who the wise is" I stated, glancing Athena. Apollo then had to lighten the mood, "And right here we've the strong and the brave!" Apollo said flexing his arms. "Oh please." Artemis said rolling her eyes at her brother.

        Ares, who always one to be dramatic leaped from his throne and drew his sword from his sheath, "In order to become a great prophecy they must first include the greatest among us, I fit into either category." He smiled then revealing that he was missing one incisor tooth that was lost recently in battle that he had not bothered to replace. Hera spoke then "This is most tiresome, I believe Ares though he is most heroic in battle, he is a complete fool. I suggest we all go home and consider it tonight." "I agree." Zeus said to everyone's amazement and then he was gone, in a bright flash. One by one everyone went off to do their own things. Soon it was just Hera, Athena and I left, Athena noticing the tension disappeared. Before leaving Hera gave me the coldest glare I had ever seen, then she too disappeared in a flash of golden light. I then realized that no one really talked about the most important part of the prophecy.  We had a traitor among us.