The Great Eight (Temporary Hiatus)

Chaos 101 II

Behold a great golden statue bearing a fantastical lightning bolt, a newbie hero wandered with a duffel. Set on getting out of dodge before he could get wrapped up in all this "hero" nonsense.

"Archie! Hold up!" A masculine voice called to him, and begrudgingly he turned around to see who it was. A frown set on his lips like it was his permanent resting face. "Hi. I'm Jay, and this is Atlanta." The duo named stood before him, each taking in the others. They were especially interesting to Archie due to the out-of-place bandages on their bodies, and perhaps a few healing bruises on their faces and necks piqued his interest too.

"Nice job back there! Looks like you passed the test." Atlanta praised the other boy, waving her arms around with great sweeping motions and enthusiasm. But despite her moderate ice-breaker, Archie was adamant about ignoring everything and everyone in this place.

"Yeah well, just 'cause they think I'm a descendant of Achilles doesn't make it so." Archie remarked with a cold shoulder. As well as looking at anything besides his fellow teenagers.

"But doesn't that mean anything to you?" Jay asked as he moved beside Archie to get his attention again, "He was a great hero!" That got Archie's attention, but not by much.

"Look at this place, look at what you can do. How can you not believe?" Atlanta continued, walking in front of the two boys and gesturing to the sky-high columns and to the obvious statue in the center of the space that they were in.

"Easy!" Archie said with a patronizing smile," I just walk away and forget this ever happened." And with that, Archie made his way forward and away from the two heroes-in-training.

"What's with him?" Atlanta asked Jay at the same time that the door was heard being closed at Archie's leaving. But not a second later, the voice of Hera could be heard beckoning them to somewhere else. The duo looked over to where Hera was, more than likely snooping on their interactions before announcing herself, and lead them over to a smaller area with another two new teenagers sitting. One, a boy, was tinkering on a supped-out laptop while the girl next to him was watching with fascination. The two looked up once Hera garnered their attention by starting introductions all around.

"I'd like you to meet Theresa and Odie." Hera stated with a casual grace as she walked past the two with a dramatic flair. The two sets of teenagers ignored the Goddess's presence in favor of eyeing up each other. And for Theresa, it was practically a gift from the Gods as her eyes lingered on Jay. Odie, though, was the first to stand up and personally greet his fellow heroes.

"Hey." Odie's youthful but swanky voice was aired as he fist-bumped Jay which turned into an impromptu handshake maneuver.

"Glad you're here." Jay chuckled at the manly moment, taking in Odie's apparel and his thick hair that like to defy gravity like everyone else's hair in this city. His red sweater, not unlike the style of Archie's, paired well with his beige pants and blue undershirt. And his black glasses framed his darker skin toned face which brought attention to his calculating brown eyes that matched his hair that was naturally curly and fluffed into an afro. But above all else, Odie's shorter stature and his obvious talent with gizmos made him look approachable and perhaps a touch adorable.

"Hi!" Atlanta decided to input after the two boys had their own greeting. Getting a timid response back from Theresa who had gotten up by then to observe her new teammates. And was I imagining things, or did Jay flash a flustered smile at Theresa? I mean with her bright, sunny orange hair with blonde highlights really attracted a lot of attention as it sauntered down her back. Not to mention her natural good looks with her fair skin emphasizing her murky green eyes. And let's not forget how expensive her high-waisted jeans looked, paired with a sleeveless pink top.

"So... You guys ready to save the world?" Jay asked the two before him and Atlanta, running his hand down his shirt in an awkward motion as though straightening it nervously.

"Yeah, sure..." Theresa responded airily, chuckling with Odie at the question that one would assume wouldn't be directed at high schoolers. By then, Hera decided to make herself known again by identifying the newcomers' ancestral relations.

"Odie is a descendant of Odysseus. He is very wily, very intelligent." Hera explained.

"Did you have to take a test?" Atlanta asked, almost rhetorically, at the shorter male who suddenly gained some confidence in explaining his task.

"Not really, I just had to set up Hermes with some upgrades to his communication network. It was a piece of cake." Odie claimed, his body language exuding security at talking about his forte. Meanwhile, the poor God who had his network updated was hopelessly lost as his computer kept spamming him with email updates. And his lack of experience in using the equipment had Hermes stressfully answering his computer mouse as if it were a phone before slamming his head on the table in front of him.

"As a result, Hermes will-" Hera continued only to be interrupted by the same speedy God who entered the space with a paled face and the same ( wired ) computer mouse in his hand which was most assuredly disconnected or torn from the computer at this point.

"You called Ms. Hera?!" Hermes panted as he floated in the doorway. Frantic to appease the Goddess who rested her head in her hand in exasperation at the God's antics.

"No. Must you burst in every time I mention your name?" Hera sighed.

"Sorry. When the Queen of the Olympians says your name what are you supposed to do, heh?" Hermes shrugged. Fed up with the nonsense, Hera turned back to the teenagers.

"Hermes here will be Odie's mentor." Hera stated while walking to Theresa so as to put her hands on her shoulders in a sort of maternally prideful way. " Theresa is a descendant of Theseus. She has a natural sense of direction as well as a sixth sense. A psychic ability." Jay's mouth may have been hung open in awe before he abruptly closed it with a cough when the two females' gaze turned back his ( their ) way.

"Uh, so... You can read minds?" Jay tilted his head at the girl.

"Oh, well no!" Theresa answered quickly, self-conscious at the thought, "Not really."

"Maybe one day." Hera gently squeezed the girl's shoulders with an endearing smile at her shyness. "Persephone will help Theresa hone her skills." And like magic, a woman with silver blonde hair and a beautiful white gown hurried into the space next to Hermes with an expectant look on her narrow face.

"Sorry honey." Hermes took it upon himself to warn Persephone with a hand slightly shielding his lips from Hera as though that subdued the volume his voice projected. "False alarm." Quick as a flash, the beautiful woman's complexion turned a demonic blue, her hair floated jaggedly in the air, her nails turned into claws, and a gruesome expression marred her features as lightning clouds exploded minutely around her head before she stomped off. Hermes, not scared in the least, just floated after her as it was a routine occurrence it seemed.

"Why don't you show Theresa and Odie to the dorm?" Hera requested of Jay and Atlanta after the whole anger episode. Which is just what the doctor ordered as Odie snapped his laptop shut and they were on their way, happy to leave the Godly drama behind.