《Deus Armatus Book Two: False Awakening》


 Chapter One: A new spring

    Perseus Yates, one year ago he was thrust into a new world of magic and gods, forced to fight for his very life. After a final confrontation with Gregory MacGonagall things went smoothly. No more regular fights, no more worrying about his life. Winter came and was on its way out as the spring of twenty fifteen settled in. Perseus, now twenty one, was legal drinking age in the United States and would be turning twenty two in the summer.


    Despite having talked about having Neptuna move on once the danger was clear, the two had yet to separate due to the potential threats MacGonagall warned them about. Something was definitely fishy about Mister Olympic and Perseus was definitely on the radar of some dangerous individuals now. So even though several months passed without incident Perseus never let his guard down.


    His life would take a new turn, as unexpected as the one that started all this, one early spring day while walking casually. It was still cold and there was still snow on the ground despite it being late March. He was walking in an alleyway in New Haden trying to take a shortcut home when he spotted a neerdowell harassing a short and petite lady who looked younger than she was due to the fact she was a compact little womanlit.


    Perseus was originally going to ignore it, after all it wasn''t any of his business. However, his second-sight activated and he could see the short woman was a holder, her inner self filled with a glowing and sparkling silver energy. Based on Perseus'' knowledge of the different Armatus there were two possibilities to whom her god partner was. Tsukuyomi or Artemis.


    Perseus saw that as the guy got more persistent, the short woman''s aura flared up, making Perseus think the woman was about to manifest her weapon on an ordinary guy. So Perseus chose to intervene. He walked over to the two and looked right at the man. ¡°She''s already made it clear she''s not interested, so buzz off before someone gets hurt.¡±


    The man started getting aggressive with Perseus. ¡°What are you going to do scrawny?¡± Perseus gave the man an angry expression and took a step forward. ¡°I''m not going to have to do anything, because you''re going to turn around and walk away.¡± The man took a step back, then looked at his own foot in surprise that he seemed to move on instinct. He turned around and left.


    The woman, who was practically an entire foot shorter than Perseus, gave him a light shove on the back. ¡°I didn''t need your help, I had it handled. I''m not some damsel in distress.¡± Perseus looked her right in the eyes. ¡°I didn''t step in for your benefit, I stepped in for his. How about I escort you home so you don''t end up hurting some poor guy that has no idea what he''s dealing with.¡±


    The woman looked at Perseus with an angry expression but eventually it softened. ¡°Fine, I''ll allow it, but only because you seem like the stubborn type that''s not going to let it go easily.¡± She turned around with a huff and started walking. Neptuna manifested in front of Perseus, floating. She gestured a hand at the short woman and spoke to Perseus in a somewhat angry tone. ¡°You know that she can tell you''re a holder at this range, right? Other people might not have second sight but they can sense when someone near them has an Armatus.¡±


    Perseus nodded. ¡°So how far are we walking?¡± The woman practically snapped back at Perseus. ¡°All the way to New Rhodes, so you''re going to be stuck walking with me for a solid hour.¡± Perseus grumbled. ¡°That''s quite the distance to walk, don''t you have a car or at least a bike?¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°I was walking to clear my head after I had a fight with my sister. She may be older but she sure as shit isn''t wiser.¡±


    Perseus chuckled. ¡°I definitely understand that. I practically disowned my own older brother because he keeps making the same mistakes.¡± The woman looked at him, her expression curious. ¡°Have we met before? You seem familiar.¡± Perseus shrugged. He was normally good with faces and she did look familiar but he couldn''t place it. ¡°Well if you''re a local to the area we''ve probably bumped into one another. I''ve lived in New Haden all my life.¡±


    The short woman scoffed. ¡°That explains your fashion sense. You probably picked up that mess at a thrift store.¡± Perseus looked at his Kerberos Sport shirt and zip up hoodie. ¡°Actually I got these at the mall-mart. Though that''s not much better.¡± She scoffed again. ¡°My family has lived in New Rhodes for a while now. My mom owns a business there.¡± Perseus nodded. ¡°Must be nice, not struggling just to put food on the table or having to make sure every door and window is locked while never leaving vehicles out in the open at night. Must be nice to not wake up to the sounds of planes, trains, and automobiles or the sounds of gunfire. It must be soooo nice to be born into money.¡±


    The woman crossed her arms and looked forward again. ¡°Hey, it''s not like it''s my fault your parents were poor. They probably put themselves in that position through bad financial choices.¡± Perseus snapped back. ¡°No, families like mine get pushed down by families like yours. Anytime we show signs of climbing out and building something for ourselves your kind swoops in and finds a way to either claim what we''ve gained was already theirs or conned us out of it. We wallow in the mud because we were forced there more often than the cases where we end up there on our own. Families like yours get where they are by walking on families like mine all so they don''t have to get their fancy shoes dirty. The wealth of your kind is literally built on the backs and labor of mine.¡±


    The woman let out a huff but didn''t respond. She simply remained quiet until they officially crossed over to New Rhodes. It was easy to tell the difference as the quality of the materials used to construct buildings went from the cheapest possible legal materials to higher grade stuff. The older buildings were made of bricks or sometimes even marble. This was a huge change from the wood pulp and cheap concrete buildings of New Haden. The two continued to walk for a bit when Perseus broke the silence. ¡°So uhh¡­ how tall are you exactly?¡±


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    She turned to glare at him. ¡°Well how tall are you, mister skyscraper?¡± Perseus shifted from side to side. ¡°Six feet, three inches.¡± The woman had an expression of shock. ¡°Jesus Christ man, you must have been a hit on the basketball team. You''re almost a full foot taller than me. One inch shy in fact.¡± Perseus chuckled. ¡°I actually can''t aim or throw to save my life. Only sport I''ve been good at is track. Five four, Jesus that''s tiny. You''re as short as my mom.¡±


    The woman glared at Perseus. ¡°How''d you end up so tall with such a short mother?¡± Perseus shrugged. ¡°I''m a good three inches taller than my dad too. The only one in my family is an uncle on my mom''s side that''s seven feet tall.¡± The woman refocused on looking ahead. ¡°Jesus.¡± The two fell silent for a while when Perseus started looking around as he recognized the particular neighborhood. ¡°I know these streets¡­¡± The woman took on a sarcastic tone. ¡°Oh? Do you get to New Rhodes often?¡±


    Perseus shook his head. ¡°No, but I''ve been to this particular area a few times. My uhh¡­ ex lives around here I guess you could say.¡± This caught the woman off guard and she once again looked at Perseus. ¡°Your ex? You''ve had a girlfriend?¡± Perseus shook his head. ¡°She was a game playing witch who was already dating some himbo and normally only went for handsome morons who more often than not treated her badly.¡±


    The woman''s expression changed to a deadpan one. ¡°I definitely know someone like that. Good on you for getting out of that toxic relationship. You may be an overly blunt ass hat but even you don''t deserve that sort of treatment.¡± Perseus chuckled. ¡°You don''t know that for sure. I could be an awful person.¡± She chuckled and looked forward. ¡°Nah, I don''t think so. After all, you went out of your way to save that scumbag from the ass whooping of a lifetime. That''s not the action of a bad person.¡±


    The two returned to a silence when finally the woman stopped. ¡°This is me.¡± She turned and walked up to her house and Perseus went pale as he saw it. The woman jiggled the handle. ¡°Locked. Aaaaand my sister moved the hide-a-key again. Guess I''ll have to go in through the back again.¡± She sighed. ¡°Come on, the least I can do for your trouble is give you some food.¡± She noticed Perseus'' expression. ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Perseus shook himself off. ¡°No, I''m good. I''ll just head home, you don''t need to return the favor or anything.¡± The woman o put her hands on her hips. ¡°I''m not taking no for an answer.¡± Perseus sighed and reluctantly followed her. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± The two went to the back door where the woman opened it and they walked into an entry room. ¡°Just wait here and I''ll bring you a sandwich or something. Don''t touch anything or go anywhere.¡± Perseus nodded. ¡°You don''t have to tell me twice.¡±


    Perseus waited patiently and eventually walked over to a little padded bench likely used for sitting on while putting on or removing shoes. After a while Perseus heard footsteps. His head naturally shot to the source when someone slowly and shyly walked out from around the corner. It was Aida. The moment she saw that it was Perseus she lit up and ran over to him, giving him a big hug. Perseus smiled and tousled her hair. ¡°Hey Aida, it''s good to see you too. Sorry I haven''t visited but things didn''t work out with your sister.¡±


    Aida pulled away and pouted, but then she smiled again and swayed back and forth wordlessly. She then gestured. ¡°<Why are you here?>¡± Perseus sat back down. ¡°I uhhh¡­ I''m not entirely sure. I walked someone home after resolving an altercation and I guess they live here. Must be one of your sisters. I never met the other two.¡± Aida tilted her head, then shrugged before returning to swaying back and forth. Perseus smiled and patted her on the head. ¡°You know, for someone that has such difficulty communicating and getting close to people you sure did get awfully attached to me in such a short time.¡±


    The woman comes out holding a small plate with a sandwich on it. ¡°I hope ham and swiss is fine because that''s all we had for sandwich stuff.¡± She then paused when she saw Perseus interacting with Aida. ¡°Have you two met?¡± Perseus looked over at the woman. ¡°Yeah, Aida here is a good egg. I''ve uhh¡­ been in this house before.¡± She looked back and forth between Aida and Perseus. ¡°But Aida doesn''t talk to anybody.¡± Perseus chuckled. ¡°She doesn''t talk to me either, she has other ways of communicating.¡±


    Aida makes a few gestures at the woman. She cycles through a few expressions. ¡°Ah, that checks out. So the woman wasn''t just like my sister, it was my sister.¡± She sighed. ¡°June is such a mess sometimes. The fact Aida likes you is enough for me so I''m not going to freak out at you. Allow me to properly introduce myself I guess. The name''s Jade.¡± Perseus nodded. ¡°So you''re the full sister. Only one I haven''t met is the other step sister.¡± Aida corrected Perseus. ¡°


    ¡±


    Perseus blinked a few times. ¡°Oh, right. I''m not sure why I was under the impression it was all sisters.¡± Jade handed Perseus the sandwich. ¡°Honestly Aiden isn''t what most would call traditionally masculine. So even if you''d met him I still wouldn''t blame you for thinking that.¡± Perseus nodded as he ate the sandwich. ¡°My name''s Perseus by the way.¡± He said between bites making sure there was no food in his mouth.


    Jade chuckled. ¡°You know if I had a nickel for the number of guys I''ve known named Perseus, I''d have two nickels. It''s not a lot but it is strange it''s happened twice.¡± Perseus narrowed his eyes. ¡°I mean it''s not exactly a common name so I guess. You can just call me Percy.¡± Jade took the plate once Perseus was finished with the sandwich. ¡°Well I doubt we''ll be running into one another again, but whatever.¡± Perseus gave Aida one final pay on the head. ¡°I mean I might visit just to say hi to Aida here, she''s rather attached to me for some reason.¡±


    Jade looked at the two interacting. ¡°Yeah, it is unusual for her. But as long as it''s nothing weird I really don''t care. She''s just sixteen after all.¡± Perseus frowns. ¡°I''m not some creeper, but I understand your concerns.¡± Perseus bowed lightly. ¡°Thanks for the meal, I''ll be going now.¡± He then made his exit and power walked away from the building with haste.


    Jade turned around and nearly bumped into June who had just entered the area. ¡°Was someone here just now?¡± Jade scowled at her sister. ¡°No one that concerns you, just a gentleman who offered to walk me home after saving me from beating someone to a pulp. No big deal.¡± June looked at Aida who had a big smile on her face and squinted. ¡°Whatever.¡± She said in a dismissive tone before walking back into the building.


    Perseus made it home and immediately took his shoes off and plopped down on the couch rubbing his feet. ¡°I really have to stop walking across the three cities like that.¡± Neptuna had her arms crossed. ¡°You really shouldn''t be sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong. What if she attacked you?¡± Perseus groaned. ¡°Then I would have fought back. Until the threats pass I''m still a holder so I''m not worried about it.¡± Neptuna moved her hands to her hips. ¡°I won''t always be here you know.¡± Perseus sighed and nodded. ¡°Trust me, I''m well aware of how temporary our arrangement is. But for now, I''m just going to take a big fat nap.¡±


    Neptuna eased her stance. ¡°Just be careful, okay? I don''t want you getting yourself hurt.¡± Perseus chuckled. ¡°You really need to do something about your attachment if you plan on jumping ship eventually. I don''t want you to regret moving on.¡± Neptuna floated herself to look like she was sitting on the couch next to him. ¡°One day at a time alright, just because I care about you don''t be getting any weird ideas.¡± Perseus laid down on the couch. ¡°I''d never dream of it.¡± He slowly dozed off with Neptuna fading away shortly after.

 Chapter Two: Aphrodite鈥檚 New Chosen

    Morning, early spring, things have been going well for Chrysaor Yates. The local Mafia boss that was breathing down his neck suddenly eased up out of nowhere, his relationship with his brother was going from estranged to something more functioning. Things always seemed to simply work themselves out for Chrysaor, any time things started to get difficult all his problems seemed to either solve themselves or be solved by others. He washed his face in the sink after waking up and made a clicking sound while making finger guns at the mirror. ¡°The universe loves me, and why wouldn''t it? I''m a handsome and charming fella.¡±


    After a morning routine and a fresh set of clothes, Chrysaor was off to tackle his day. Doing an easy day job that let him get away with doing very little as all he had to do was watch a machine and occasionally hit a few buttons or swap out items. After work he''d often play video games or watch TV, he used to do little side hustle with getting his hands on and dealing drugs but that was what got him into the heat with the local Mafia boss. Though since the guy was no longer hounding him anymore, there wasn''t any real reason to stop.


    Chrysaor did a stretch before sending a few texts. ¡°I have a leading position at my job that''s easy and pays well, but I can always use a little extra cash.¡± he spoke to himself out loud while setting up deals. Yes, even repairing his fractured relationship with his younger brother that had been strained for years went smoothly and without much effort on Chrysaor¡¯s part. The moment he started trying it was like the universe itself polished rough spots along his path for him. This was how things had always been for him, from the moment he was born.


    After relaxing after work for a bit Chrysaor would eat and slowly finish out his day. Since he had the next day off after his morning routine Chrysaor went for a walk. It was a nice day, only a bit of a chill requiring only a light hoodie. At some point he reached a peaceful dead area of town as it was getting dark and seeing as he also had the next day off Chrysaor considered walking to a bar and having a few drinks. After a short internal debate he walked to the nearest bar.


    The bar was small and was well populated but not exactly crowded. Perfect for some social drinking. A few drinks in and he spotted someone that caught his fancy. She looked familiar with her dark clothes, dark hair, and dark makeup. But Chrysaor was a few drinks in so he couldn''t place her. He walked over and started making moves, flirting with and complimenting her. She said something about a breakup but Chrysaor had no issues being a one night stand rebound guy. With some smooth talking and a few drinks bought for the lady he talked his way into going to her place.


    He was surprised to see the cab had taken them to a nice house in New Rhodes. He didn''t just bag himself a goth hottie, but a New Rhodian nepo-baby. ¡°(This one might be a keeper.)¡± He thought to himself as he was led up some stairs inside the building. He woke up in her bed the next morning with no clothes on and a smile on his face. He looked at the door and considered whether to leave as she slept or make her his next regular.


    He decided to stay, going back to sleep. When he woke up again the bed was empty. His head shot around before he got dressed to find his latest conquest. When he found her she was at the back door talking to someone. She turned around as she just finished and jumped slightly when she saw him. She whispered to him. ¡°You''re still here? I expected you to sneak out in the middle of the night.¡± Chrysaor shrugged. ¡°I decided I liked you and thought maybe we could get a coffee sometime and get to know one another.¡± June pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I prefer tea, but sure. Now go before my little sisters see you.¡± She quickly wrote down her number and handed it to Chrysaor.


    Chrysaor did a light bow before making his exit. He quickly caught a cab and went back home where he showered and changed before sitting down on the couch. He spent the rest of the day chilling with games and shows until it got dark. Shortly after he turned off his TV however he paused when hearing a voice. ¡°Hello. Hello? Is this thing on?¡± The voice, although definitely male, had a feminine way of speaking.


    Chrysaor looked around the empty room swearing the voice came from inside the house and he hadn''t turned on the TV yet. Then a man with curly short pink hair and a similarly pink and curly mustache styled like something you''d find on a young Tom Selic or an eighties adult entertainment actor appeared right in front of him, hovering and somewhat translucent like a ghost. The pink haired gentleman was dressed in grey sweatpants and a bright pink shin tight athletic tank top reminding Chrysaor of a fruity individual who once did exercise videos while wearing colorful exercise clothes.


    Chrysaor jumped back into the couch causing it to shake. ¡°What the f-¡± The figure interrupted him by speaking in an over exaggerated manner. ¡°Hello there newperson. I am-¡± This time Chrysaor interrupted. ¡°A ghost from the eighties in grey sweatpants!¡± The figure looked at themselves and shrugged. ¡°I guess this is sexy to women and gey men. Definitely a lot more cozy than what I usually wear.¡± The figure swayed back and forth while looking down. ¡°Oh now I see the appeal of these loose fitting cozy pants. Hehe. It covers everything but does nothing at the same time. Humans really are fantastic.¡±


    The figure then looked up to the still frightened Chrysaor. ¡°Oh, right. Right tight. I forgot about introductions and ended up sidetracked.¡± They clear their throat. ¡°Is that what I really sound like as a man? It''s been a while since the last time I chose a guy. Anyway, I''m not some ghost of a departed human. Those aren''t really a thing in most cases. I''m a goddess. Error, god. Or at least I was. You may know me as Aphrodite but in this male form you call me by my Roman name Venus. I don''t bother trying to make it masculine by altering it like Poseidon did with his female form. Because regardless of gender I''m still a fabulous queen.¡±


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    Chrysaor blinked a few times. ¡°You''re¡­ the goddess of love from Greek myth?¡± Venus put his hands on his hips and nodded. ¡°Yass. You see, back in the good old days we didn''t really need worshippers but as the faith and devotion increased it became like a drug, an addiction. When that was suddenly gone¡­¡± Chrysaor finished. ¡°You suffered a sort of withdrawal. I''ve been there.¡± Venus nodded. ¡°It was so bad we thought we were going to die, fade from existence. Can you imagine after eons of being immortal suddenly being faced with mortality? Scary stuff boo.¡±


    Chrysaor nodded and started relaxing. Not interrupting Venus. ¡°Anyway, good ol¡¯ Hephaestus, sweet crippled child, my ever faithful husband. He had an idea. Modify or create new signature weapons to hold our divine souls, then that weapon would bind to a single mortal soul that would act as a life support. If the mortal was compatible enough we could ascend back to godhood by mixing with that mortal and effectively being reborn as a new god with no dependency. Our humanoid form changes to match the gender of the human we pair with for comparability reasons.¡±


    Chrysaor sat in silence for a moment before responding. ¡°So uhh¡­ your weapon is now bound to my soul?¡± Venus nodded. ¡°I can show myself to you and only you because of the connection to my weapon and my power. If ever you need to defend yourself from others like you all you need do is call my weapon forth.¡± Chrysaor tilted his head slightly. ¡°Others like me? So you''re telling me there''s other gods out there as weapons bound to mortals. I guess it makes sense since Hephaestus wouldn''t have left out any of the Olympians.¡±


    Chrysaor paused for a moment and put his hand on his chin. ¡°What about the gods of other mythologies?¡± Venus put up a finger. ¡°They kinda copied our method. The Norse, Egyptian, and Shinto gods all did.¡± Chrysaor shifted on the couch. ¡°Okay, but I don''t even know what your weapon is. I''m not a mythology nerd like my brother.¡± Venus jumped a little. ¡°Ah, right, I didn''t have one until Hephaestus built me one. It''s a sort of harpoon gun. So you just call forth the harpoon-gun of the love god and boom. Instant weapon manifestation.¡±


    Chrysaor put out his hand and stood up. ¡°Okay then.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Come forth, harpoon-gun of the Love God, Venus!¡± Water gathered, forming a large weapon Chrysaor had to grab with two hands. It had multiple barrels like a chaingun but was loaded with harpoon''s and could likely fire far more rapidly than a normal harpoon gun. ¡°Okay, that''s really bad ass for the weapon of a god of love.¡± Venus did a little excited motion with his clenched hands and let out a squee. ¡°I know! Hephaestus may not have been much to look at, but on Olympus was he good with his hands. Although it was rare, whenever I shared a bed with him he used to do this thing-¡±


    Venus started doing a lewd hand gesture but Chrysaor interrupted him. ¡°I don''t need to know about that.¡± Venus put his hands down. ¡°Right. Righty tighty.¡± There was an awkward pause for a moment before Chrysaor talked again. ¡°So¡­ why me?¡± Venus took an exaggerated pose of frustration. ¡°Why does everyone ask that? Look, finding someone compatible is about more than looks, honey. It''s about personality. Finding someone who can match my real vibe is tricky because everyone assumes I''m this soft and dainty little thing.¡±


    Venus put his fists to his chin and took a cutesy pose while batting his eyelashes. ¡°Owo, look at me I''m Aphrodite, goddess of love. I''m all about roses and romance and messy one night stands and drama. I enjoy watching the fights but I could never get into the thick of it. I could break a nail.¡± Venus then suddenly switched to a serious stance. ¡°Baby, there''s been more deaths from love than war. Many wars started over love. There''s a reason I regularly cheated on my husband with Ares and it wasn''t because he''s built like a biker daddy. I mean that was definitely a huge part of it.¡±


    Chrysaor chuckled. ¡°I think I understand. You want someone who can charm the pants off people but also someone who can and will throw hands and get down in the mud. You want someone who can show the world that love isn''t the opposite of war, it is war.¡± Venus nodded. ¡°Back in the old days we were stuck in a cycle, repeating the same old mistakes and same old stories over and over in new ways. This is a chance to change the narrative, to write a new story. This is a chance, to #$&$ shit up.¡±


    Chrysaor lets out a loud laugh. ¡°I''m not sure if this is real or I drank the wrong tea, but I like you. I feel we''ll get along just fine.¡± Chrysaor put away the weapon causing it to become water that faded away before trying to shake Venus¡¯ hand. Venus looked at the hand and sighed. ¡°Unfortunately I''m incorporeal and can only experience the world vicariously. Err, by proxy. Through you.¡± Chrysaor nodded. ¡°I''m going to sleep and if you''re still there tomorrow I''ll find a nice private spot in the woods where I can give you a test drive.¡±


    Venus swayed back and forth with his hand on his cheek and his eyes closed, speaking in his exaggerated and effeminate manner. ¡°Oh my~ We just met and you''re already coming on so strongly~¡± Chrysaor sputters out a short laugh. ¡°You have no chill man, you need to calm down.¡± Venus giggled as he swayed. ¡°Sorry, I can''t help myself.¡± Chrysaor does a stretch and heads to his bedroom before stripping nude and hopping in. Venus commenting on his body. ¡°Yeah~ You''ve definitely been blessed by the gods.¡± He bites his lip. ¡°It''s a shame I can manifest as my true self and take you for a spin.¡±


    Chrysaor chuckled. ¡°Goodnight Venus.¡± He closed his eyes and rolled over as Venus made an exaggerated pout before vanishing. The next day Chrysaor did a stretch and took a shower before getting dressed. ¡°Man, I must have been tripping balls last night.¡± Venus then manifested to his side. ¡°It''s common for people to think that. Come on sexy, let''s go to the woods so you can give the weapon a whirl.¡±


    Chrysaor jumped when Venus appeared. ¡°Could you not scare me like that? Sure, since this isn''t some drug induced thing I''ll go give the weapon a test drive.X Chrysaor took a drive and parked in the parking lot of an old abandoned church next to a set of trees that went for miles outside of town and went in. He was surprised to find the area had several destroyed trees and scars in the land. ¡°Either a Greek storm hit this spot or I''m not the only one that''s used it.¡±


    Venus chuckled. ¡°Well we do have a habit of being drawn to the same areas as others like us. So it''s definitely possible.¡± Chrysaor summoned the harpoon-gun and fired a few shots with new harpoons manifesting and automatically reloading as he fired, allowing him to continue without stopping. ¡°Can I also use water magic through the weapon?¡± Venus nodded. ¡°Even when it''s not out you can use some water magic, but it''s stronger when channeled through the weapon. Though mine isn''t exactly a caster type so it might be a bit difficult to use it for anything other than enhancing your attacks or the occasional close range deterrent.¡±


    Chrysaor nodded. ¡°Do I have other magics? Like since ice is frozen water can I-?¡± Venue interrupted him. ¡°No, I''m just a water type. Water and ice is Poseidon¡¯s thing oddly enough. You''d think water and earth but whatever. Anyway since I''m the goddess of love you can use charm abilities but those have limitations.¡± Chrysaor nodded. ¡°I''m already a charmer on my own so it''s basically just a bonus. One I''m not sure I''ll even need.¡±


    Venus nodded. ¡°If you say so. Anyway, I''ll just be over here watching as you get nice and sweaty.¡± Chrysaor sighed. ¡°You talking like that would be better if you were your normal female self.¡± Venus chuckled. ¡°I''d bet.¡± Chrysaor let out a short grumbling growl before getting back to getting used to his new abilities. Spending several hours training on his own.

 Chapter Three: Continuation

    Perseus tried his best not to let the anxiety get to him, but knowing that Mister Olympic was a potential threat as well as the fact there were two powerful Armatus users who MacGonagall said he didn''t call in but did notify that he might bring them in who were aware that a powerful Armatus holder was in the area and might want a peace of him were caused for concern. That added to the fact his ex-girlfriend if you could even call her that might just attack him out of spite. She had a sister who was a user and could easily try teaming up on him. She knew where he lived after all. There was also the fact Chronos¡¯ user was also bumping around somewhere with knowledge of the alternative timeline.


    Perseus was for some reason sure the man in white in the background of the photo he took with his friends at sixteen was in fact the holder of Chronos, primordial lord of time. Neptuna sighed loudly. ¡°How about we focus on right here, right now. We can cross that bridge when we come to it. Thinking about the future isn''t doing much good right now. Also I can''t help but notice you didn''t mutter anything about concerns about what''ll happen to you after I''ve moved on.¡±


    Perseus looked up at her. ¡°Right, sorry. We''ve quickly become such a close friend but we both know we aren''t going to achieve ascension together and that''s your entire goal. As a friend I can''t in good conscience hold you back from that goal. I can''t exactly ask you to stay till I die and put your dreams on hold for me. That would be selfish.¡± Neptuna looked to the ground. ¡°It''s not selfish to want to be happy and do things for yourself every once in a while.¡±


    Perseus nodded. ¡°I know. I do think about what I want. I''m just hoping to find a way we can both be happy and get what we want. If you can''t get what you want with me then the least I can do is help you to find what you are looking for.¡± Neptuna nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know you''re just doing your best to help me get what I want. But what if I can''t have what I want?¡± Perseus shrugged. ¡°Either keep chasing it, or let it go and find something new to want. If what you want is impossible, it might be best to move on.¡± Neptuna nodded with a frown. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    Chrysaor was texting back and forth with the latest woman he''s decided to spend time with, with full knowledge she was dating his younger brother. Things were going well and the two had decided to start seriously dating and make it official. After a number of dates arranged for dinner after work Chrysaor was invited to dinner at her place to meet the family to announce the relationship to her folks. A big step reached relatively quickly. Only a few weeks of dating and things were already getting serious. After making himself fresh and putting on a nice outfit he headed out to his date.


    He arrived via car, a Swedish import with a turbo engine. A ugly looking thing according to his brother but he didn''t care. He knocked on the door flowers in hand but got extremely nervous at the door. ¡°(Something¡¯s off, I can feel it.)¡± Venus replied back in his effeminate voice. ¡°There''s at least one person in this house with an Armatus. Didn''t even have one yet and you were already getting close to where one was without knowing it.¡± Chrysaor adjusted his collar. ¡°(And will they be able to tell I''ve got an Armatus too?)¡± Venus nodded, now floating by his side. ¡°Yeah, unless there''s two then they might not notice it.¡±


    Chrysaor tilted his head. ¡°(What are the odds that two people in the same house would be chosen.?)¡± Venus chuckled. ¡°You''d think it would be low but you''d be surprised how often it happens.¡± The door finally opened and June stood on the other side. She gave him a kiss and invited him in. Chrysaor was led to the table where they were just setting up plates. June''s parents plus three siblings all sat down and started grabbing food from the center as Chrysaor was led to a chair. ¡°Everyone, this is my new boyfriend, Chrysaor.¡±


    Chrysaor sat and awkwardly waved at everyone. ¡°Just Chrys is fine.¡± Most of the table verbally greeted him but one of the sisters simply nodded while looking down at the table. June gestured to that sister. ¡°That''s Aida, don''t mind her she doesn''t talk to anybody.¡± Jade looked Chrysaor up and down. ¡°(He looks like a slightly shorter, more well kept, more confident, and more muscular version of the Perseus I met not long ago. I met a Perseus in highschool with a brother named Chrysaor. ¡­. Wait.)¡± Jade looked up. ¡°You wouldn''t happen to have a younger brother named Perseus who lives in New Haden would you?¡±


    Chrysaor perked up slightly. ¡°Yeah, I actually do. Lived in New Haden his whole life. I myself however moved to New Corinth as soon as I could afford it. Percy makes enough to move as well but refuses to for some reason.¡± Jade¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, I ran into him a while back. Talk about a small world ay.¡± She chuckled before starting to eat. ¡°(Oh god, they''re the same Perseus.)¡± Everyone else started eating and casually talking, with the parents asking Chrysaor about what he does for a living and such.


    Eventually the dinner finished and the parents left to go to their bedroom. Jade started clearing the table as June did a stretch. Aiden put his own plate away before scampering off. Aida followed shortly after. Now it was just the three of them and Chrysaor couldn''t help but notice how calm the two were. ¡°(Either it''s not one of them, or it''s both of them. Because I''m the only one on guard here. Is there anyway to find out who they are parked with without them bringing it out?)¡± Venus shook his head. ¡°Nope, and only a user can see the manifestation.¡±


    Jade started doing dishes as Chrysaor and June started talking casually about how well it seemed to go. ¡°Oh god Artemis¡­ that Percy I ran into is the same one I met in highschool.¡± She tugged on her hair lightly. Artemis manifested at Jade''s side. She was wearing camouflage cargo pants and an open camouflage jacket over a simple green tank top with silver accents forming a meander pattern running from the straps down the top. ¡°Okay, so what''s the big deal if it''s the same guy?¡± Jade scratched at her head as one hand moved washed items through water to rinse before putting them in a dryer rack. ¡°I used to have a huge crush on him in junior high and I''m fairly sure Percy has an Armatus.¡±


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    Artemis looked over at June. ¡°June might know, she has one too, remember. If they dated, even if it was your sister''s idea of a cruel joke, she might know who he''s paired with.¡± Jade shook her head. ¡°Even if I wanted to talk to her she''s got her latest himbo here. Seriously, she really needs to stop going for the same type of guy.¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°I hope your old feelings don''t get in the way. Besides, in my old life as a goddess I swore off romance and stuff. Though I myself was in love once. Us gods were just as flawed as humans so it''s only natural to make mistakes.¡±


    Jade rolled her eyes. ¡°It may not have been something I was actively after when we met, but I''m not going to do a chastity oath just because you did. If that means we can never ascend then so be it.¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°Just be careful okay. Perseus is a potential enemy.¡± Jade finished up the dishes as June was giving Chrysaor a goodbye kiss before he left. Jade crossed her arms at June. ¡°You really know how to pick them, don''t you?¡± June glared at her sister. ¡°Don''t judge me. You''re just mad because your short ass has never known the warmth of a man.¡±


    Jade shook her head. ¡°Yeah, because I don''t throw my arms around every beautiful idiot that crosses my path.¡± June snapped back. ¡°No, it''s because you''re as short as a child and the only kind of person that would want to be with you is a closet pedophile.¡± Jade pressed her lips together and breathed in hard ready to shout some sort of comeback involving how promiscuous her sister seemed. But she paused, took a few deep breaths, and decided it wasn''t worth it. ¡°You know what, I''m too tired for your crap right now. I''m going to my room.¡±


    Jade practically stormed off and went to her bedroom. She huffed and sat on her bed with arms crossed. ¡°Maybe I should move out. I''m almost twenty two and it''s not like I have no money. It just isn''t enough to afford rent in New Rhodes.¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°Honestly I''m surprised you stayed this long.¡±


    Chrysaor was focused on his breathing as he drove home. ¡°Man, I really hope this doesn''t go to crap. June is so hot. Even if she has an Armatus that wouldn''t mean things can''t work out right?¡± Venus shrugged. ¡°Honey, I''m not going to tell you what to do. But know this, once the drama starts I''m grabbing the popcorn.¡± Chrysaor chuckles. ¡°Man, you''re so catty. You sure are a sassy drama queen that loves a good show.¡± Venus does an exaggerated snap. ¡°You know it girlfriend. I love me some good tea. Spillin¡¯, sippin¡¯, porin¡¯ it on me to get my tee-shirt wet. Mmm~ Nothing beats a good wet tee-shirt contest.¡±


    Chrysaor chuckles again. ¡°You need to chill man, jeez. I''d hate to see how excited you get for jello wrestling.¡± Venus¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°People wrestle in jello?! By Olympus you humans sure do know how to have a good time.¡± Chrysaor let out a short laugh. Yeah, we definitely are a creative sort.¡± The rest of the car ride is in relative silence.


    Perseus had gone out to the library, now the weekend. He looked at his phone to look at a text from his brother. He was reporting that he was in a new relationship and had met the girl''s parents. Things were serious and he wanted to introduce her to his own family and was asking Perseus to attend. Perseus stared at the text for a while before finally responding that they could set up a day. The text had already sat in his inbox for a couple of days but Perseus was still on the fence about mending things with his brother. ¡°It''s like a cycle for him. As soon as things are going too well or taking a bad turn he''ll bounce and be back on his same old shit again.¡±


    Neptuna sighed as Perseus sat down with a book to read. ¡°Yet you keep giving him chances.¡± Perseus hummed. ¡°I thought I was done giving him chances but something is different this time. I think he actually wants to do better. Doesn''t mean he''ll succeed but at least it''s a genuine effort.¡± Neptuna moved herself to look like she was sitting in a chair at the table. ¡°You''re too nice sometimes Percy.¡± Perseus sighed and focused on his book. Eventually he finished it and stood up to return it and leave.


    As he was turning to walk out he took a step forward without exactly looking forward and slammed into someone knocking them over. ¡°Oh my God, I''m so sorry. I really have to look where I''m going.¡± He reached his hand out to realize it was Jade. ¡°Listen here you-¡± She turned to see Perseus and stopped mid sentence. ¡°Oh, Perseus. Heh. Hi. I''m totally fine.¡± She got up without grabbing his hand and brushed herself off. ¡°Just be more careful, okay.¡± Perseus rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Jade looked at the book, then Perseus. ¡°Hey, you went to New Haden Junior High right?¡±


    Perseus nodded. ¡°And I graduated from the high school there.¡± Jade nodded. ¡°My parents sent me there for a year as a sort of punishment at one point, but I also requested a transfer. Didn''t expect New Haden though. I think I might have had some classes with you.¡± Perseus scratched his head trying to think. ¡°I don''t remember having any classes with someone named Jade. I''m not the best with names though.¡± Jade shifted back and forth. ¡°No one¡­ no one called me Jade back then. I had this stupid nickname I couldn''t get rid of. Everyone called me Kite.¡±


    Perseus sputtered out a laugh but covered his mouth. ¡°I remember you now. I always wondered what happened to you after that first year. Small world. To think I would run into you again after all this time.¡± Perseus walked to the counter to return the book. Jade also slid a book she was returning in the slot. Perseus shifted in place a bit. ¡°Well it was nice seeing you again.¡± He started walking out, Jade followed. ¡°Wait, I wanted to talk to you about something actually.¡± Perseus tilted his head. ¡°Oh? Right. I suppose we should clear the air considering our conditions.¡± The two walked out and found a somewhat private area outside.


    Once the two were in an isolated area outside Perseus looked around just to be sure. ¡°Looks like we''re clear so I suppose I''ll get right down to business. You and I both know the other has an Armatus. The question is, are you my enemy?¡± Jade leaped a bit. ¡°(Right, I almost forgot about that)¡± ¡°I don''t see a reason why we would be enemies.¡± Perseus rolled his wrist. ¡°Well your sister isn''t exactly a fan. And I''m not sure what kind of relationship our partners have because as far as I know they didn''t interact that much or at all in the old days and I don''t know what kind of interaction they''ve had since. Your partner is either Artemis or Tsukuyomi.¡±


    Jade did another small jump of surprise. ¡°(How did he- no, that''s not important right now.)¡± ¡°Artemis. And you?¡± Perseus sighed. ¡°Poseidon. Or rather Neptuna. It''s a long story.¡± Jade nodded. ¡°So about us knowing each other back in junior high?¡± Perseus shifted. ¡°We were on friendly terms then and you seem unfriendly with your sister who hates me. If nothing else, enemy of my enemy.¡± Jade shifted back and forth. ¡°Okay.¡° ¡°(Damn it Perseus that wasn''t what I was asking.)¡± ¡°Do you¡­ not remember our relationship back then?¡±


    Perseus shifted back and forth. ¡°We were good friends who bonded over the fact we got bullied. Although¡­¡± He cut himself off but continued. ¡°That was a long time ago. Maybe we could meet up and catch up. I could always use another friend and ally.¡± Jade nodded, trying to hide her enthusiasm. ¡°I''d like that very much.¡± Perseus wrote something on a paper. ¡°Let''s exchange numbers.¡± Jade nodded and quickly wrote down hers. Once numbers were exchanged the two separated to go about their days. Jade felt her heart pounding. ¡°Oh god, it''s like all those old feelings came rushing back.¡± She breathed a few times to calm herself. ¡°Okay, okay. I''m not some shy kid anymore. Things will be different this time.¡±