Kolossus

Prologue

Consequences

AN:

Guys welcome back!

Its been a roller coaster of a ride this one year I have started writing on this site. My stories have been well recieved so far. Though I would like it to be more popular.

That's what you get when you ignore your best fans I guess. So guys, yes I am sorry. Amongst, the new and fearful things I have to do nowadays I just forgot that I have a story to complete.

Let me tell you a frank admission. Middle management job sucks. Yes you get paid top bucks. But in return you have to pawn off your time, free time, waking time, sleep time, social life even your soul sometimes. Thank Order, that I haven't yet to do the last.

I have started writing again. And this is my first venture. 'Why a new one?' you may ask. Coz I need more time to plot out the new direction, that Dawn has to take.

So don't worry

I am still here. I have not forsaken you all!

Chapter start

The large man screamed out in pain in the Utah desert, far away from home and helpless without his companions. Most probably dead and by his current assaulter as well. His leather black jacket was already torn at the back where his assaulter had pulled him. His right knee as well as his left knee were broken at the caps. A solid kick to each semi-circular domes and suddenly he was as crippled as the divine being hated by his father with all his heart.

His gun had also busted out on him. The blonde man had just put his finger inside the barrel of his Glock. He could only watch in terror as his last defense bled up right back at his face.

All for what? To be or to not be. A silly Shakespearean question, but one nevertheless life threatening.

To be alive or not be.

A very silly question.

"And how does this thing work?" the blonde man asked the downed biker. The blonde then stomped on the biker's hand, crushing one or two fingers in the process. "I saw you stomp on that stirrup this way."

Just who and from where had this idiot come from? Even the third world countries had bikes. More so than in the developed world, where money took people to the four wheeled ones more frequently. Honestly describing his bobber as a horse was just an another level of crazy. And he had met some crazy ones in his lifetime. In his youth when he was fitter and used his strength for more constructive purposes.

Like fighting greater monsters than himself, that plague mankind. The downed biker's crowning achievement was killing the Minotaur a couple of decades ago.

The biker was ashamed to admit he cried out aloud, when he was being kissed without consent by sleeping Gaea. He had always been the strong one in the neighbourhood. A huge frame, both vertically and horizontally ensured that he was the bug bully. Now he knew how his various victims felt like. His assaulter was not large, just tall. Standing at a envious 6'3"(Still shorter than him) , the blonde was blessed with beefy arms and robust legs. The inverted arrow shaped torso was undoubtedly sculpted with days out in the outdoor sun.

But how could this blonde be so stupid as to not know how to ride a motorbike? Was he blondest of all blondes?

Out of desperation, he gave away pearls of wisdom.

"You first press the clutch and switch the gear to neutral. Then press the self-start button. Then slowly leave the clutch while accelerating and good to go."

After he said that, the blonde eased his foot. When he was just relieved to be free of the torture, he was again shocked when the blonde man just lifted him like he was nothing. With a firm grip on his throat, the blonde maniac again asked,

"Do you have a family?"

"No bastard. Me and my biker dudes are the only family I have left. But you killed them." He screamed or yelled whatever you wanted to believe. For it was true. A demigod's life as an adult is hard. You pawn your life away doing your father's chores, then his girlfriend's, his mother's, his father's. Throw in a favor for his rival and brothers. At the end of the day, all that is left with you is your own breath.

Only then, when the reality of bills to pay, food to be put onto the table instead of materialised onto it, a life to be lived, do you understand that maybe you have wasted your life.

Everyone made fun of the half timers at camp, the ones who couldn't be bothered to do a single quest. Most were children of Hermes, Apollo and Aphrodite. While the children of Ares and Athens competed amongst themselves to be the top dog.

Yes top dog to the Master of Olympus.

How foolish were he and his ilk!

If only he had followed the example of the children of the useless trio. Now he could have had a family, a home, a job and mist of all peace of mind that there would be food in his table whenever he wanted.

He could have been old nerdy Bill! Or that back-talking shit Elon! He could also have been like that wimpy Brad back then. Not that you would suspect it now. Money and fame changes people.

But so does desperation and poverty.

Thankfully, he had worried enough to learn how to out put some food in the table. And that's why exactly only he was alive. Of his ilk. The brave campers of Ares cabin.

The blonde had killed all his divine half-brothes, demigods with a record at that too with just a strange looking knife. It was like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movie.

The dude just brushed off bullet wounds like it was nothing. Even now he could see the bullet wound on the blonde's shoulder knitting itself together. In an afterthought, he realized that this guy would be a favourite of his father. Ares might even give away a daughter in marriage to the guy.

As archaic as it may sound. It could be turned into the truth. His Father was crazy about strength like that.

"So no one would miss you?"

He just shut up. Knowing where this was going. To certain death.

"Shy ain't you?"The blonde chuckled." What's your name fatty?"

"As if you don't know it! We have been talking in Classical Greek for the past half an hour. I have never seen you at Camp. How come are you even alive?" wheezed out the biker. Seeing that he wasn't understood, he continued, "You are a demigod just like me. So you must know me. I am Richard Mercer. Son of Ares. The golden demigod of the 80s."

The blonde frowned but inside he was leaping with joy. At last some information about this world. This would be his first clue to understanding this quagmire he had gotten himself into. He just knew it.

"What proof do you have? All i saw before me is a washed up drunk, acting tough." He egged the pathetic drunk on.

"I have my passport, Visa card and driver license inside my wallet in my denim back pocket."

Naruto smiled. Finally he got an identity to hide behind. A man at his deathbed reveals his true colors. So he knew who exactly was this Richard Driver. But that wasn't necessary.

True colors are rarely seen. Even by the person it belonged to.

"Even then, I don't know you or your Ares." The weary traveller snapped the biker's neck and watched as he spasmed to death. Then he fished into the biker's back pocket and sure enough the star-crossed traveller got what he wanted.

A new identity.

A new identity.

Even a new vehicle thrown in. It was such a sweet deal. Even though he still hadn't ridden anything close to it before. It remotely resembled a horse. Maybe the humans here were weak so they turned to other methods to enhance their power.

Naruto sat on the thing which to him looked like a mechanical horse. As the poor dead guy said, he pressed the stirrup to what he assumed was a neutral position. Drew back the left ear back and pressed the red button. He felt the heart of the machine rev into life.

"So this is the key to your heart." He loudly declared. It surely looked like it. Even now he could hear vibrations from the heart. As if beating the horse into life from a forced coma.

Naruto turned the right handle back as he saw the other guy do. The mechanical horse whined as of belted by a whip. He grinned.

But still the horse wasn't moving ahead.

How could that be?

His horse was running... Scratch that galloping. He was even belting with the metaphorical whip.

Which only meant that horse wasn't running on ground. The horse was running but not just on the ground. In other words, there should be something to connect the legs to the ground. Or something is keeping the legs off the ground.

Maybe the left ear was like a hold on the legs of the horse. Preventing it from moving. Or maybe it was the right one. He finally fell back to an important lesson Jiraiya had thought long back.

When in doubt turn left, so that your right is exposed and not your left.

He released the left ear slowly. And the horse turned into the beast that it was meant to be.

The Indian Scout Bobber rolled out on its own accord. And Richard Mercer couldn't help but brace himself. The sky turned overcast. Lightning storms picked up wind and thunder boomed.

A son of god was killed.

And another was born. Balance was maintained. Order restored.

Now he had to find out what the fuck was going on.

*****Colossus*****

Artemis and Apollo walked into the pub. An old joint called the Three Boars. So called for the three XXXL size proprietors.

"Now why did you bring me here?" Artemis asked her brother with a glare.

"Oh please! You are a Goddess. You could have escaped whenever you wanted." and what a burn Apollo had made on his sister's whine.

"You are the stronger one. I know you would just hold me back."

"You know you need to relax. Don't you know all work and no play made Jack a dull boy?"

"Boy. Not a girl." Artemis gleefully supplied.

"Semantics." Apolls lamely pointed out.

"Your argument fails." Artemis said with a grin. And just to add salt to the wound. "Catastrophically."

It was a ritual among the twins for now almost a century. On the equinoxes both of them, alternatively get to take their twin to a place of their choice. Twins may fight amongst themselves like they were still teens. Prank each other to death. But at the end of the day, they knew that only they had each other's back. They couldn't even trust their own parents.

Leto was in a deep slumber. Never awoken from or looking like she would. Zeus was suspicious of every living thing. Let alone two breathing immortals who could combined challenge him, blow for blow.

"You know..." He began, "I was just thinking. I got my powers from grandpops Coeus, while you from grandma... What did we get from pops?"

"Lust" His sister pointed to him and then pointing to herself, she quipped, "and stubbornness." Bu she could really do savor the victory, Apollo dropped the bomb he had planning to drop from dawn.

"Arty why don't you try the dance floor?" Apollo suddenly asked. Knowing all too well she was positively sidewinded by his sudden question to say no.

Centuries had gone by and he was still not an Uncle to his sisters children!

The things he had missed out on... He grew jealous day by day as he watched brothers spoil their sister's children rotten. An imaginary and totally fake tear rolled out of his left eye.

All because his father was a softy when it came to his daughters. He had to settle for the rare kids of Hermes who had some spark of the arts in them. Like Houdini. Now that kid was a goldmine.

But he refused to accept defeat. He was stubborn in his own way, for Order's sake. So before she could say no. He pulled a random guy, smiling at him and said,

"Dude my baby sister is in her first dance bar. Treat her good." He winked and took a step back. Apollo was the God of arts, poetry, hunting, prophecies, health, healing and medicine as well as the Sun. He was the guy who taught the guy who taught all the heroes worth their salt. He was a master of all and Jack of none. He was pure awesome.

And of stylish entrances!

So he was privy to many things. Like for example, Artemis liked a good surprise. She liked a guy who was confident but not cocky. She was a softie at heart, though she could come across as a cold bitch. She had high morals and a sense of justice.

That's why she refuses till date, to shack up with a male for a night. Many a times, he had heard her say how most of her hunters were demigods. Daughters of mortals who were spurned by their immortal lovers was left unsaid by her. Considering she could implicate her brother with that as well.

His extended family were not that particular about treating their lovers right. And cue broken families, broken men/women thrust with the responsibility of a kid who constantly reminded them of their loss. No wonder most demigods would love to leave their home.

He was better than most of his peers. At the least he believed so. Yes he had a roving eye. He loved each of his kids in his own special way. Never had a kid of his complained of neglect. Either from him or the mother.

But despite such a good example in him, She didn't want to produce a demigod. A child with neither a true place in the divine nor the mortal plane. He begrudgingly accepted her decision.

But that us not to say he wouldn't or won't try at all. On the contrary this was a challenge that he won't stop pursuing until he faded.

"Miss, is your brother nuts?" The man into whom she was shoved to by her brother enquired.

"I am afraid not."Artemis said, shocked to the core once she saw his face. She didn't say it in the heat of the moment either. She was again brutally reminded that her brother was not nuts. No matter how goofy he acted most of the time. In fact he was even shrewder, more cunning than Athena and Hermes combined. If not, how could he select a dance pub and then select a guy for her who looked a tad bit too much to be comfortable like Orion. "You can call me Arte." and then she asked of him. Polite and proper. Just how a maiden should be.

"I forgot to ask you your name."

"Richard Mercer." The Orion lookalike smiled a little sheepish. "I am not that much of a good dancer. I just came here because Big Boss said so."

Artemis was now steadily getting a migraine. This had her idiotic brothers fingerprints all over it. Just to be sure she asked, "Paul Lyre?"

"Yeah. Your brother over there." Richard pointed to her brother who was giggling with a few women right beside the bar counter.

"What job did he offer now?" It was usual of Apollo to hook up one of his children with the upcoming movie stars. So which movie did he offer this meat for brains?

"I am a stuntman. Boss says he finds me the right fit to play John Blackthorne in his movie. It's based on that book by James Clavell 'Shogun'." the blonde guy supplied his side of the story to Artemis. "If he wants me to take his sister out for the role so be it. Better than what I have been hearing nowadays about what people do for a role."

The Goddess of the Hunt agreed to that strange logic. The Weinstein scandal had seriously given a lot of flak to Apollo.

"No worries. I am not a good dancer myself." Artemis fished for more information. There was more going on here than Apollo trying to hook her up.

"Then drinks?"

"I don't drink."

"So what's your poison?"

"I..." Artemis was in a fix. She couldn't really say hunting to a mortal now could she? "Like adventure sports." She quickly covered it up.

"Cool. Do you like hunting? I was gonna hunt me some bears tomorrow."

Artemis was shocked. She looked yonder over to her brother who was smiling his trademark Apolls grin. She will skin him alive if that was the last thing she did.

"OK. Where to find you?" The annoying guy had returned with a pestering question. Artemis paused to give a well thought answer. But before she could the blonde wonder blurted,

"Believe me babe. This nose can find anything anywhere. I can even smell some venison on you. How did you think I asked you for hunting?"

Artemis grew concerned when he said that. It was not normal. Not acceptable in a mortal. Or a demigod. This was a nature spirit. Or unfortunately a monster. Which would explain the smell of a canine that was constantly coming from him. This was certainly a monster. It might just be another of Apollo's cruel pranks. To remind her, that the only men willing to be with her was a monster.

Her brother was cruel when he wanted to teach a lesson to someone.

Her temper passed down without fail from her father, acted up. She discreetly drew her hunting knife and without hesitation thrusted into his heart. Or so she thought.

"Now that's not nice. My last assassin at the least went on a date with me." Richard overpowered the Goddess' hand and dropped the knife to the ground. Artemis still wasn't making a move. Shocked as she was by the outcome.

She snarled once sense came back into her, at times a little too protected from the outside brain. That is to say she was thick skulled. How else could she miss the horrifying fact?

That a mortal had overpowered her. A man overpowered her.

A stupid mortal man overpowered her. Just when she got free he was gonna be turned into a jackalope by her. Apollo wouldn't let her live it down otherwise.

Her hands got free for a second from the hold he had on her. That was all she wanted as she snapped her fingers. That was the cue for him to turn into a jackalope. She had engineered her spell that way. With just a snap of her fingers any one who offended her would turn into a jackalope for a minimum of two hours.

But nothing happened.

"I don't like people trying to attack me." Richard said with the eyes of a seasoned soldier. With nary a sense that she had weaved a spell on him. His pleasant demeanour was now gone. All left now was an aura of a warrior. Perhaps this was a demigod. Or worse this was a Afghanistan veteran. "Especially when my guard is down."

Then he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Spinning his right leg in a semi-circle he sweeped Artemis to the floor. The Goddess immediately sprang on to the floor using her legs as a lever. In the return motion she managed to catch hold of the leg which was gonna descend on her prone form.

"And I thought you were chivalrous." The Goddess of the Hunt snarked while holding his right leg. She was relieved to see it was really blood pouring from, the wounds of the man. From where she had stabbed him. This was not a monster. If she inadvertently harmed him grievously, Apollo c ch old always heal him.

"And I thought you were a friend." The wannabe movie star snarled. And out of nowhere, he produced two strange knives. Looking oriental in design, there wasn't anything fancy about the blade. It was plain death. At the least to a mortal when wielded by him. That much was clear.

Artemis weaved the mist so that the mortals thought there was a fire in the bar. She then took out her hunting knives and held them in a defensive posture. Good thinking as he had already gone on the offensive.

His left came for her belly, a sure way to die if the knife was turned after penetration. She managed to block it but completely missed the kick that can e from his left leg. A full roundhouse kick. The Goddess was in awe of the physical conditioning of this man. And the guy didn't stop either. His dervish twirl in the air ended with a stab from his right hand.

Right into her exposed shoulder. Gilded ichor seeped out from the wound. Richard's eyes bulged our at the strange sight.

"Monster." He whispered but she could hear it all clearly. The guy hen dropped a smoke bomb into the ground and disappeared.

Artemis could only frown as the smoke dissipated and all she could see was an empty bar. Discounting her idiotic brother peacefully emptying the drinks counter at one end that is.

And as anti-climatic as it could be, her date with the mystery stuntman had ended. Leaver her curiosity unsated and kicking alive.

*** Colossus ***

"Apollo spill! What's going on here?" asked a rather tense Artemis to her brother.

"I should ask you that rather. Are you finally gonna maker me an uncle?" Apollo quipped. He smirked when he saw her enraged at the very question. "In hindsight, there is a lot going in with your boytoy."

Apollo sighed. Now that he had gotten her involved. He had to reveal it to her. He was planning on them getting along without incident. But this was his sister! She never did anything the normal way. They would grow close and he could continue to observe the anomaly. That's what he decided and had happened.

Artemis may not be the stereotypical woman or Goddess looking after her next prey. A mate in the most primitive form of the word. But Artemis was a woman alright.

And Artemis was now curious.

And like any other woman who became curious. She would have an intense urge to get down to the problem. Litherland to understand it or fix it.

"He's an anomaly. What did he say now his name was? Richard Mercer right?" Apollo started his hypothesis. "Richard Mercer was a hero of the 80s. Pride of Ares."

Artemis frowned. "Ares? Not Mars. He gave off that vibe."

"No. It's Ares. But he doesn't smell of a demigod. He smells like a monster fresh off from Tartarus."

The Goddess of the Hunt had her eyes wide with surprise. Finally, she could point out why she had a itching feel of danger when he was near. He was a shape-shifting monster.

The question was now which one.

"So that's a Lamia? I thought Lamia were only female?"

"Its something more. Have you wondered whether monsters attack us because they are Monsters or because we are gods?"

Artemis liked her brother when he was like this instead of when he was spouting Haikus. Philosophy was one intellectual skill that Apollo was the undisputed leader of and not Athena. Maybe it was because she was a shy spoiled nerd of a daddy's girl. She had never gone out of her way to help anyone.

"Are you saying that this guy doesn't know that we are Gods? Or that he is a monster meant to be killed by us?"

"Both." Apollo impishly left the rest unsaid. Infuriating little bastard. "So dear lil' sister tail him. And give me your findings within this week. I have some hunches about him that I want to be sure of are not just hunches."

Apollo left his sister abruptly never saying what were his suspicions. The blonde did look an awful lot like Orion. That's what caught his attention when he first saw the former stuntman at one of his films shoot. Orion was the only guy who showed promise of giving him nephews and nieces to spoil.

Moreover, the other blonde had endured many a horrific injuries. There had to be chest scar on him that never truly healed. His attacks on his sister were of a swift backhanded manner as if unconsciously making sure the chest muscles weren't much flexed. There was another explanation for that but came much later. A dislocated shoulder still gave Richard a slight asymmetry. His hip had been crushed under a colossal weight once upon a time, but it had healed later. Not to mention the absolute lack of trust that the young man displayed. It was only seen in spies who had intruded into enemy territory or had gone double agent. There were also signs of PTSD.

In short, Richard Mercer if it was even his name had tickled his medical curiosity.

It was all Apollo had observed and gathered from the little fight that Richard had with his sister and from before. If Richard's bones itself were so affected and he had come out of it alive...

Richard had to be at the least a legacy of Apollo. His own blood.

Or there was another possibility. A possibility that Apollo looked forward to and hoped for.

Richard Mercer was the incarnation of the Faded Helios.

Now that was a guy who understood all too well. Almost like a real brother. Apollo already had too much on his platter that the loss of the role of the Sun wouldn't something he would be worried about.

"What use is being a prophecy God when you can't see the Future in plain colors?" Apollo lamented to the Fates.

***Colossus***

And cut!

That's it, my latest attempt at a story.

How did you all like it?

And before you ask I don't ride the Indian Scout Bobber. It comes via the CBU route to India. So I literally have to shell out double the money that it will sell for in the States. I ride the Kawasaki Ninja though. The awesome green motorcycle that takes the curve like a stripper does the pole. It's one of the better bikes out there. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast like me, I recommend it.

But I still am not satisfied.

I will buy an Indian scout bobber in the future. Just soon as I get that promotion!

Forget all that, the next chapter is rolling out soon. So keep your fingers crossed.

As usual, leave your reviews and fuel my writing mind.

Talk soon,

Yours Mushy