Manu
What…happened to you, Ra? Set thought. You look… Memories of a past shadow with a massive sword and one eye loomed over an army of Gods. …like him. Set inhaled, pushing the memory away. Damn it, I do not want to do this…This is not you. At least, it was not. Is this my fault? His eyes locked on Ra's. "That is it? 'Pest?' I would have thought I deserved at least a better, more fitting insult. 'Fratricidal Monster,' 'Traitor,' 'Power-Hungry Madman,' 'Zeus' Lapdog,' 'Kingslayer,' or something of that effort."
"You're below that level of effort, and your reputation speaks for you." Ra rebutted. The other Egyptian Gods silently snickered or exchanged a few glances. "But seeing that you put in the effort to come here, I imagine you're done hiding behind Zeus?"
Set scanned the table, eyeing two Goddesses sitting next to each other, their resemblance to each other giving them away as sisters. The one to the right had shorter black hair just above her shoulders, her worried expression making her stick out at the table. Set felt his heart rip in two for the brief moment his gaze met her warm brown eyes. Set saw confusion on her face.
Nephthys… The voice thought. She hasn't changed. If Ra touched her…
Not now. Patience. Set thought.
To her right sat her sister, whose brown eyes glared a scornful gaze that could not mar her beauty. Her long, smooth black hair reached down just below her waist. Both wore regal white robes and gold jewelry around their necks and wrists.
Isis…damn it they're both here?! Thoth didn't mention that!
It is fine. He is waiting in the hall to act. This does not hinder the plan in the slightest. "I guess I am, and I must say this is disappointing. I have been gone so long that my homeland looks nothing like I left it." Set sighed. "It used to be so beautiful here, but I guess this was inevitable with Osiris gone and you still in charge."
"Bite your tongue, bastard!" Isis shouted, standing up. "Don't come here acting high and mighty after everything you've done!"
"Everything I have done is for the good of the whole." Set looked her in the eyes. "It is just that for me to do that, I must now make another hard choice." Isis' glare softened.
"And what a choice you made," A black-haired, lion-faced Goddess sitting next to Ra said, her voice seething with vitriol. She wore regal red robes and gold jewelry befitting a queen that barely concealed her well-muscled frame. She rose, standing nearly twenty centimeters taller than Ra.
Sekhmet
Goddess of War and Medicine
One of the Eyes of Ra
(Egyptian Pantheon)
"To die and be buried in your homeland. Didn't think you had the guts." Set met her gaze listlessly and sighed.
"What I have done takes resolve, not guts." None rose, but many glared in his direction. "I waited. Waited. And waited some more. All for this one moment that I could finally right the wrongs of the past. The injustice I could only delay, but never truly stop." Set walked a few meters forward. The two Goddesses closest to him rose from their seats; one a beautiful Goddess with cow horns jutting out of her skull, and the other a shorter Goddess with a catlike face and eyes. Both hunched down slightly.
Now?
Not yet. I am following the script you wrote. Be ready. Set stopped. "How it pains me to see everyone like this. Angry, foolhardy, and indulgent." His gaze softened. "I guess time has eaten away at the collective decorum of our once illustrious Pantheon." He shook his head. "Many used to envy us and even invade our home with such a fervent desire to steal it from us. Yet all were slaughtered at the hands of the Eyes of Ra." Set waved his right hand towards Sekhmet, Hathor, Bastet, and a few other Goddesses. "We fought so hard because we felt such pride in our home, and those who knew better understood that desire and love underneath that power and ferocity. I miss those days." Set turned to his right and started walking parallel to the table. "So much so that a part of me missed this place regardless of the decay and rot that grew from its corners after I left."
"After murdering Osiris!" Isis yelled.
Set stopped. "Yes, after murdering my brother." He looked up at the vaulted ceiling.
Ra slammed his hand down on the table. "Enough prattle-"
"No. No, this is necessary, Ra, and it has gone unsaid long enough." A vein popped up on Ra's head as his scowl grew. Set continued walking, turning at the table's end to be on the same side as Ra. A large, muscled-bound crocodilian God cautiously eyed him from behind as he continued. "Do not try anything, Sobek." Sobek leaned away slightly. "That day haunts me. Not a night goes by that I do not recall my brother's face. The sheer pain and suffering."
"Callous bastard…" Sobek said, standing.
"Begging me."
"Monster…" Isis whispered. Nephthys grabbed her hand softly.
"Begging me to kill him."
The air grew heavy. Ra's eyes widened in fury. All of the Gods shifted their gaze between Set and Ra. "What?" Sekhmet asked.
Manu
Thousands of Years Ago
"Set, are you here?" A young, handsome God with shoulder-length hair said. He was standing in a torch-lit hallway with several windows opening out to the evening sky. He wore soft-green and white robes, and a gold mantle and bracelets.
Osiris
God of Fertility, Agriculture, The Afterlife, The Dead, Resurrection, Life, And Vegetation
(Egyptian Pantheon)
He heard footsteps behind him. Turning and looking, he saw an imposing figure in blood-red and white robes standing in shadow, its face hidden by shadow. "I'm here," Set answered, whispering. "Why'd you want to meet now? What's wrong?"
"Set…it's happening." Osiris could see Set's eyes widen. "Ra is going to make me the Chief God."
"You can't be serious."
"I am." He hung his head. "In two days, Ra will make me sit at the feet of Ma'at and force me to become the new Chief God."
"But you'll-!"
"Yeah…I'm sorry, Set. I tried to dissuade him, but Ra is set on this. He says he's ready to step down, but we both know that's not true."
"Damn it…"
"I don't know how to tell Isis. I shouldn't even be telling you this." He leaned against the wall and slid down. "If Ra found out, he'd kill you."
"Brother, I've known the truth forever. Before, it was no-name Gods who offered themselves to him. Why he's picking you makes no damn sense!"
"Perhaps he's dying. Maybe he's losing control of his power, and those vessels can't hold his power anymore. I overheard Hathor and Bastet talk about receiving more power than usual. He may be syphoning it off to keep his power from overloading his body."
"…Maybe? There's so much about Primordial Gods we don't know, and the few that still exist avoid anything to do with Ra."
"Even Metatron?"
Set shook his head as he stepped out of the darkness, his youthful face and brown eyes coming into view. His clean-shaven head dimly reflected the waning moon's glow from outside. "He's not comfortable with stepping too far into the affairs of other Pantheons. Plus, I imagine him being anywhere near Ra spells disaster."
Osiris sighed. "I don't want to die like this." He leaned his back against the wall and slid down until he sat on the ground. "I didn't even think dying was a possibility." He sat up and stared at Set, his eyes lighting up. "Set."
"What?"
"We're alone in this here in Manu." Set nodded. "But I know someone who can help us. However, there's a catch."
"If it keeps you alive, then come what may."
"I have to die."
Set nearly fell, but caught himself. "I'm sorry, but I thought the whole point of this was to avoid that scenario!"
"I have some connections in Helheim from my duties there. There's a surgeon down there who can do near-miracles when it comes to surgery. Hades recommends him and puts him a level higher than most Gods of Medicine since he saved Adamas."
"You mean that gloomy guy who came here a while back researching Satan and the Primordial Gods?"
"Yeah. If you kill me, then we get my body down to Helheim, and have Beelzebub put me back together, I'll get out of being Ra's newest vessel."
"You're forgetting the important part here. You're asking me, your brother, to kill you. And not just in some simple way. Our Pantheon has many Gods who specialize in healing." Goosebumps rose on Set's arms. "I'd have to dismember you almost beyond recognition, and there's no guarantee you will be saved!"
"I know…" Osiris scrunched up his face. "But I can't let Ra have my body. You've seen the way he looks at Isis."
"He's going to pretend he's you…"
"Or won't bother." Osiris shook his head. "Both make me nauseous thinking what he'll do."
What if it were me and Nephthys? Set thought. "Osiris…if I do this and get your body down to Helheim, I'll be guilty of regicide and fratricide. I won't be able to come back."
"I…I know. I'm asking a lot of you. More than what's fair. I'm open to other ideas if you have them, but I don't know what else to do."
"I don't either." Set walked over and slumped down next to Osiris. "If we do this, Nephthys, Anubis, and Isis will be stuck here. If they run with us, Ra will know it was staged. Should we keep them out of it?" They sat quietly mulling over the idea. "No, that's not fair."
Osiris nodded. "Well then, guess we should start preparing."
"This plan is just awful." Set rose. "But I hope it works."
Manu
Present Day
"You know what it is like, do you not? To kill your kin?" Apophis served under Odin back then. You know what this pain feels like, Ra! Please remember! "Despite praying for an alternative to come, you are forced to do the one thing you would rather die than do?" Set's body shook. "They do not know what you planned to do, do they? What you planned to do to him."
"Bite your tongue, liar," Ra said. "Act regretful all you like. We both know you sought his inheritance."
Liar!? LIAR?! The voice roared. Who would seek a living death?! Who would seek a false promise to make our home greater?
"Who would seek a living death, Ra?" The Gods around the table eyed him.
"What is he talking about?" Hathor whispered to Bastet.
"How many nameless Gods would have offered themselves to you, knowing the price for your throne was only that you ever get to sit on it? I knew that. Osiris knew that. He chose death at my hands over death at yours."
"Set, nothing you're saying makes sense," Sobek said behind him.
Set turned to look over his shoulder, eyeing Sobek. "Yes, it does, if you all knew Ra like I do, and it is because I know who Ra truly is that I am here to right the wrongs of the past."
"And what wrongs would those be? Killing an innocent God and making his wife a widow? Denying our home its next rightful king? Running away like a coward to hide behind Gods who were foolish enough to pity you? If it's those wrongs, it took you long enough to muster up the courage."
"No," Set shook his head. "No, nothing like that." Set tapped the switches under his chin.
What're you doing?! The voice screamed. This isn't the plan!
"I am sorry." His voice deepened. Ra's eyes widened.
Please don't!
"I failed to save you. I hesitated to act and be there for you. I left you alone, and that solitude worsened your fear of an old enemy returning." He walked toward Ra, who froze in place. "Had I known that fear would turn you into him, or something worse, I would not have stayed away. I would have been here to help you."
"You…" Ra's right eye turned upward while his left still stared at Set.
"I must now put you down to keep that same fear from destroying everyone and everything around you like it almost did those two."
"You…" Ra whispered. "You dare mock me?" Heat began to radiate from Ra's body. "Is this another of your stupid ploys? To mock me with the dead?! Is this Zeus' idea of a joke? Odin's?!" The floor around his feet began to glow. He snapped his fingers. "HORUS!" The ceiling above Ra exploded as a large, mechanical, golden falcon swooped down towards him. It slammed into him in a flash of light. The light faded, revealing Ra now enveloped in rigid golden armor, the falcon's face resting on Ra's chest. "Horakhty-form!"
"Everyone, move!" Sekhmet yelled. All the Gods rushed from the table and ran to the other side of the hall near the entrance.
"No, Ra. No ploys, no jokes, no tricks." Set closed his eyes. "Just the end of a long-suffering friend." Now, Set. Use the Tetrahedron and end this.
"I am done with this farce, Set!" The air around Ra ignited in a loud boom, displacing the air as a sphere of light and flame erupted around Ra and Set. It grew larger with each passing second, enveloping the table and chairs, the floor, then the walls, and the ceiling. One half of the entire room was engulfed in searing fire and blinding light. "Prominence Field – Supernova!"
"Sekhmet! Hathor! We need to block it!" Sobek roared. He stood in front of the other Gods and flexed his muscles. He reared back and punched the ground, creating a massive crater. Damn it, Set! This is not what we planned! You were supposed to get him into an open area away from everyone! Water burst out of the crater like a geyser. Sobek waved his arms to the left and right, directing water to the far ends of the room. He then raised his arms, raising the water and forming a thick wall of water between the Gods and the miniature sun.
"What the hell is Ra doing?!" Hathor said, aiming her open hands at the sun behind the wall. She felt something pushing back against her hands. Bastet, Sekhmet, the lion-headed Goddesses Tefnut and Menhit, the horned Goddess Raet-Tawy, and the double-crowned Mut all raised their hands to push back against the growing sun, bracing themselves. Sobek kept the wall of water flowing, but steam began to form on his side of the wall.
"He's lost his mind! Set must've done something to set him off!" Bastet yelled. "I haven't seen him like this since he tried to wipe out Humanity by himself!"
"He's going to turn the entire land into molten glass at this rate!" Sekhmet roared. We can't stop this! She felt the front of her hands start to burn as the air around them filled with steam. We're going to die! Damn it, not like this! Please, not like this!
Inside the growing star, Ra kept his eyes locked on where he last saw Set. "This is what you get for ruining everything!" His voice roared out of the heat and light, making what remained of the walls shake. "This is what you get for daring to THINK I am afraid of anything, let alone a damn ghost! You moronic upstart of a God! I AM THE PRIMORDIAL SUN, YOU IMP! NOW BURN!" Something tapped Horus' beak. The star ceased to grow, but the heat endured and continued searing the hall. The stone burned too quickly to melt, fading away as dust. The Seven Eyes of Ra and the Guardian of the Nile continued to try and hold off the burning inevitable.
The only ones amongst the fear-filled Gods, a few of whom collapsed from the heat and humidity, who could not feel death looming over them were two Goddesses standing far behind Sobek. Isis and Nephthys watched on, waiting. They stood there, stalwart despite the situation. Put an end to this, Set. Nephthys thought. She recalled the moment Set's eyes met hers. She could not understand what she saw in that moment. The confusion hung over her until she caught what Set said to Ra. At that moment, it clicked. At that moment, she knew the end had come. That her and Isis' prayers were answered. Or rather, the one pretending to be him.
The Eyes of Ra continued to push back despite their hands burning away, but something changed. It was Sekhmet and Bastet who felt it first. The force and heat began to weaken; less and less steam bellowed from the wall of water. "Oh, thank the Heavens!" Bastet yelled. "Ra finally killed him!"
Sobek stared through the barrier as the star continued to shrink. "Wait." He said. It started shrinking faster and faster. Sobek released the water from his will, letting the barrier fall and flow around their ankles. "He…didn't." The star vanished, and floating at the site of its epicenter were Set, untouched by the heat, and Ra. Ra froze in place, staring down in horror at Set, who looked back up at him with his right hand resting on the armor's beak, his eyes now a deep brown. Set's left hand was held out to the left, and floating just above his palm was a glowing red pyramid. "He's alive?!"
"How?!" Sekhmet roared.
Back at the other side of the hall, Ra tried to run as many possible scenarios through his mind as he could think of. He can't have it! No one should have the Tetrahedron! It should have been destroyed back at Winchester like the rest of the cube was! It has to be a fake! Someone must've made a copy! It's not possible!
"Ra," Set said mournfully, his voice a near-whisper.
"You can't have it. How…"
"I do. I only have it briefly, but I'll use it to take from you what you hold most dear." Set shifted Ra down and gripped Ra's head with his right hand. Ra hung lifelessly.
"No…"
"But I promise to give it back to you." Set, without looking away, extended his left arm out towards the Gods. The Tetrahedron glowed bright red and spun, almost into a blur. Hathor and the other six Eyes felt a child overtake them. Their bodies glowed with an aura comprised of a myriad of oranges, reds, and yellows.
"What is he d-d-d-doing?!" Tefnut shouted. "Why is it g-getting so cold?!"
"It's Ra's power," Isis said, behind them. "He's taking it!"
The seven auras flew away from the Goddesses towards Set. They coalesced and collided with the Tetrahedron, flowing into it until they vanished. "This power…Prominence Field…you were pouring it into them to keep it from burning you from the inside out. They're lucky you didn't do the same to them." Set's grip tightened. "Had they died, would you have done the same to the others?! To Nephthys?! Isis?! How many more of us must burn for you?!" He felt a thud on his chest. Ra's fist sat there.
"What the hell could you possibly understand?!" He punched Set's chest again. "You don't know what's out there, sealed away, waiting to break free! None of you understand! None of you could! What else are any of you good for except to carry my power so that I can destroy them when they return?!" The Gods and Goddesses in the distance gasped in horror, looking on at the reality of their king.
"You mean Yggdrasil?" Set answered plainly. Ra went silent, his fists dropped. "The power I just absorbed with this thing…does not compare to Yggdrasil in the slightest. Apophis could deal with this like nothing. But against you?" The Tetrahedron spun again. "It should do the trick."
"No!"
"I did promise to return it to you. Even I'm not that heartless. Prominence-"
Ra heard the sheer fury in Set's voice. "Wai-!"
"Field." A column of light erupted around Set's right hand, enveloping Ra and shooting up to the sky and down the Heavens below. Ra could not scream as the column of light, heat, and fire burned his armor and clothing away, then his flesh and hair, then finally his bones. The column roared on for several seconds until nothing remained. And as quickly as it came, it vanished. Set floated there, his right hand still outstretched as if grasping for Ra. "Goodbye…and good riddance." Pain began to creep from his chest as the Tetrahedron shrank and vanished.
That was only a few minutes. You have time, but not much. Go do what you need. The baritone voice said in Set's mind. Set looked over to the Pantheon and floated over to them. He landed on what remained of the floor next to the bubbling crack that Sobek made.
"Is everyone okay?" Set said, his sight locking onto Nephthys.
"We're okay." She said. "Sekhmet and the others are suffering from the chills, but they'll recover."
"Hey, genius!" Sobek yelled. "That wasn't part of the damn plan! Why'd you set him off like that?!"
"It's complicated, and I don't have time to explain. I need all of you to leave here and head down to Helheim. Grab Anubis and Thoth and take them, too."
"Are you insane?!" Isis yelled. "You just kill Ra and think we'll-"
"Isis," Set's brown eyes met hers. "Osiris is waiting. It's over. You did what you were supposed to do." She went silent. She turned to Nephthys, who nodded, and then turned around and ran into the hall. "All of you need to go. Now. Stay there while I take care of things here." All the Gods stared at Set. "Please."
It was Sekhmet who moved first. Silently, she walked past her family and into the hall, not looking at anyone. Bastet and the others watched her depart before following soon after. The rest departed behind them, leaving Nephthys and Sobek alone with Set.
You have about four minutes.
I'll make them count. Set thought as the pain worsened. "Nephthys. Sobek." The two faced him. "I'll join you before long, but right now I am needed elsewhere."
"We just got you back and now you're leaving again?!" Nephthys shouted, the hurt palpable. Set walked over to her and gently wrapped his arms around her.
"You…understand how badly I wanted to hear your voice again. To feel you in my arms. Everything about you filled my mind, and I had to stay away to keep you safe. You know, because you and I promised each other on that day, when I had to make another choice that hurt beyond measure." He squeezed her gently. "I…want to go with you, but the threat Ra spoke of is looming over us, and he wouldn't be able to stop it. No one can, except the one who made this possible, and he needs my help." He loosened his embrace and stepped back. "Please wait for me." Nephthys pursed her lips and closed her eyes. Set could see her holding back tears. She nodded without a word and went into the hall. Set turned to Sobek. "Sobek…"
"I know, I know…I'll keep her safe like I promised." He walked up to Set and patted his shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed."
If we stay like this for another two minutes, we will be killing ourselves. The voice spoke.
Set nodded. "See you soon." Sobek turned and departed. Set waited a few moments before collapsing to the ground. His breathing grew ragged as he quickly touched his left hand to a hidden switch under the left side of his mask's chin. His eyes turned from brown back to cyan, and the pain slowly subsided. Sorry about that.
"I am the one who should apologize. My old wound is still hindering our full potential." Set said. "Are you okay?"
I…I don't know. I wanted to go with Nephthys.
"I know you did, and I am still holding you hostage. I am sorry."
This is not a hostage situation. We're a team. Now more than ever.
"Yes. Yes, we are."
So, did that just happen? Is Ra truly dead? Is this nightmare over?
It did, and he is. Sadly, he was just one nightmare from the past that would not go away. Yggdrasil is still out there, and Odin will be able to free them if the Gods win Ragnarök."
Will you be able to stop him with the Dodecahedron? The wispy tenor voice asked.
"Yes. That and so much more." Set turned around, facing the remains of the hall. "There's still so much that must be done before we win Ragnarök, and what comes after."
Valhalla Arena
Zeus' Chambers
Back in Valhalla Arena, Zeus sat on a large, ornate, red-cushioned couch while staring out at the open sky. Hermes and Ares stood a few meters away, watching him, the air between the pair and their father heavy despite the slight breeze occasionally flowing in.
"How long has he been like this now?" Ares whispered, leaning down to Hermes.
"Since the end of Round Eight," Hermes answered without looking away. "I think he's no longer enjoying Ragnarök."
"Do you think he'll cancel it?"
"No, it will continue. I think," Hermes remembered sitting in Hephaestus' workshop, admiring the newest violin Hephaestus made for him. He smiled softly and bowed to his older brother, who relinquished a small smile. "He, like us, is realizing how far Humanity will push itself to survive. No one expected there to be a day two to Ragnarök, let alone the score to stay so close. Worse, day two started with a loss that Heaven will take a long time to recover from."
"Yeah..." Hermes turned to look at him. "Our older brother is gone, and Pandora's now without a father."
"Ares," Zeus said, still looking outside.
Ares stood up and looked over to his father. "Y-Yeah?"
"Romulus is probably fighting today. Brünhilde has the choice of this Round's Contest. I recommend you go see him before he fights."
"Huh?"
Zeus looked over at him. "You heard me. Go."
"Okay…" Ares and Hermes exchanged glances, and Hermes nodded. Ares turned and walked out of the room, quietly opening and closing the door behind him.
Zeus sighed. "Hermes, where's Pandora?"
"Last I heard, she was back on Mt. Aetna with Heracles, Apollo, and Dionysus. I haven't heard anything from them."
"That may not be a good thing. Go check on them." Hermes raised an eyebrow and blinked quickly a few times. He breathed deeply, then nodded and departed. Zeus raised his tablet and looked down at it. On the screen was a picture of a small smiling girl with red eyes and a clump of messy black hair hanging off of Zeus' outstretched left arm as he smiled a toothless grin. In the background, behind the pair, was Hephaestus, staring worriedly at them. Zeus tapped a button on the tablet's side, and the screen went black. "The last two rounds were the first two contests you picked, Brünhilde." Zeus felt a chill strike his spine, and goosebumps rose on his arms as he sat still. I was right. Should I step in? Zeus smiled wryly, steepling his fingers as his muscles barely convulsed under his skin. "You made a good play, but the fallout is coming your way, and you need to be ready. Pandora's on the warpath, and she is very much her father's daughter." Zeus leaned back. "Wouldn't mind going down there, honestly." The memories of that hellish day came flooding back. Pandora, enraged beyond comparison. He recalled her fists crashing into his muscular form, bloodying his body and breaking bones. He was forced to transform into his Adamas form to keep up with her. "Been too long since someone I fought someone on that level."
Valhalla Arena
Medical Ward
Far from Zeus' chambers, Pandora stood in the storm's eye of her power across from Brünhilde and Hrist. The room shook and jostled from her presence. Brünhilde pushed back against the constant barrage of her power. "Why…are you here?" She groaned out. "…It's not me, is it?"
Pandora looked past the two towards Leo's healing pod. "No, Hilde," Her voice reverberated. "You and I will have it out later. No," Her aura intensified. " I am here for Him." She walked into the room and around Brünhilde, Hrist, and Göll. Komatsuhime stepped in front of her, keeping her spear pointed upward. "You can still stand?"
"I am a Honda."
"Yes, you are." Pandora stared at her listlessly. "You're that Samurai's daughter, aren't you? The one who fought in Round Seven against Marduk. Tadakatsu was his name?"
"I am and it is. You'd be wise to remember both."
"Hmm." Pandora laced her fingers together and flexed them, popping her fingers. "You'd be fun to fight, but I'm not here to fight." The overwhelming aura began to dissipate, and the rumbling slowly subsided. "I'm here to talk to him, and I am owed answers."
"How can I be certain you won't attack him? I don't want to think poorly of you, but-"
"Are you going to seek out Marduk and kill him?" Pandora interrupted. Komatsuhime closed her mouth and glared at her.
"Don't think so lowly of me. Unlike you Gods, I won't stoop to such a petty thing as to attack an opponent in such a state."
"I feel slightly offended," Leo muttered. "Should I feel offended?"
Tadakatsu's dying moment played in her mind. "And I will not sully my father's memory."
Pandora nodded as the rumbling stopped completely. "Yeah, not a God, but I get it. I'm not here to hurt the guy. I want to, but I'm not going to." Pandora turned and glared at Brünhilde. "That's saved for someone else. I'm sorry I was a little hotheaded before. I am my father's daughter after all!"
Komatsuhime nodded. "Likewise." Her gaze softened. "Pandora, I'm…sorry. From someone who lost her father to another, I'm sorry."
"Thank you." Pandora gave a soft, sad smile. "It's just…I want to do something. I can't work in the shop like he could, and I'm tired of staring at screens and people worrying about me. I just don't know what else to do." Komatsuhime could see the confusion.
"I don't know, either. I'm trying to figure that out, too. Leonardo here said I shouldn't even be here, but I don't want to be anywhere else right now."
"Not what I said," Leo said through the pod's speaker. "I advised that you should probably be with your family right now."
"I would be if Tadatomo and Tadamasa would quit their bellyaching. Nobuyuki is playing nanny to them right now, and I do not have the patience for that."
And I thought my family had a few oddballs… Pandora thought. "Anyways…"
"Komatsuhime."
"Komatsuhime, can I speak to him?"
Komatsuhime looked back at Leo, who nodded. She stepped aside, letting Pandora walk past her. She stood in front of the pod, standing near eye-level with the floating, immobilized Leo. She closed her eyes, her fists clenching tightly. She shook her head and stared at Leo.
"I don't know what to say either," Leo said. Pandora's eyes widened slightly. "What can we say to each other? I killed your father, and I know saying sorry won't make it right." Pandora bit the inside of her lower lip to keep it from trembling. "I failed. I failed so awfully that I couldn't convince him to stop—another failure. I couldn't help him see where he needed to be." Pandora's eyes teared up. "I know you hate me. I deserve it. Please understand, I found no joy in what I did, but I had no choice."
"I know…" She whispered. "I know…"
"If you do want to take vengeance on me, I will not stop you. They may, but all know you're already in the perfect position to kill me before anyone can act." She placed her right hand on the glass pod. "However, would you allow me one thing before you do?"
She looked up at the ceiling to keep from crying. "What?"
"Your father, Hephaestus, left me a mission and the tools to make it happen. I can't die until I keep that promise."
Leo…I can't continue my work anymore…and there's still too much to do. Please take my screw-ups and make somethin' of them. I'm beggin' you… Hephaestus' last moments played in Leo's mind.
"Would you be willing to wait until after to kill me?"
Her hand trembled against the glass.
Mt. Aetna
Long Ago
"Pan!" Hephaestus yelled playfully, looking under one of his workbenches. "Where are you?" He looked around towards a worn brown recliner next to a matching couch. He smiled wryly. "I guess she's gettin' too good at hide-n'-seek! Whatever will I do?" He sauntered over to the furniture, careful not to make a sound. When he was barely a meter away, he sprang forward to land next to the furniture. "Boo!" No one. "Huh?" He stood up and looked around. Suddenly, something small landed on his shoulders, and a pair of small legs plopped against his chest. A small pair of hands wrapped around his eyes as a small head rested on top of his own.
"Guess who!" A child's voice said joyfully.
"Oh no!" Hephaestus spoke dramatically. "I can't see! I am blinded by the Workshop Witch! Whatever am I to do?"
"She's in there?!" A man's voice yelled from the other room.
Hephaestus reached his arms up and found the child's sides and began tickling her. She began squirming around, her grip weakening. Hephaestus quickly grabbed her, lifted her off his shoulders, and held her in front of him. Her wild, unkempt black hair and bright red eyes were his, but her face was her own. She wore a pair of dark blue pants with the legs rolled up to show her shins and a pastel pink blouse. Her wide smile was missing two teeth, but to Hephaestus, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Yep!" He smiled. "How'd you get up there, Panny?"
"I jumped!" She said.
He looked up, eyeing the swinging chain right above him. "Of course you did!" He chuckled a little as Ares entered the room.
"She jumped?" He asked.
"Does that surprise you?" He pulled Pandora into a quick, but big, hug and swung himself around. Raaaaaaaah!"
She laughed some more. "Put me down, Dad!"
He conceded and placed her down gently. "No climbing and hanging from the chains again, okay?"
"Okay!" She dashed away to her room, shocking Ares.
"…How fast is she?" Ares asked.
"About as fast as Apollo and Artemis. Strong as you and me, too."
Ares' eyes widened. "How?! Why?!"
"'Cause I could, and 'cause I could."
Ares shook his head. "Hephaestus, if she's that strong and fast now, then-"
"She deserves it." Ares looked at his brother. "She's got me for a Dad, and that already is a shitty start."
"Not this again…look, if anyone starts something, you know Hermes and I will knock them down a peg! No one talks down about you and gets away with it." Ares flexed his right bicep and clasped it with his left hand.
"I don't want her to ever need someone to do that. I…gave her everything that made the other Pantheons fear the children of Zeus, Ares. Yours and Dionysus' strength, Artemis and Apollo's speed and skill, and Hermes and Athena's wit. I named her 'Pandora' for All-gifted, hoping she'd be better than me. She doesn't deserve to feel the way I feel." Hephaestus looked at his brother, then towards Pandora's room.
"But you did give her something." Hephaestus eyed him. "No one loves more than you do." Ares pounded his right fist on his chest, smiling confidently. "That love is something we can ever compare to!"
Hephaestus snorted. "Dumbass."
Ares deflated slightly. "You could be a bit nicer, though…"
"Dumbass!" Pandora yelled from her room, copying her father. Hephaestus choked back a laugh.
"Nah. Love doesn't mean bein' nice!" Hephaestus grew a small smile. "Ares, you got any kids yet?"
Ares' face turned a bright red. "No! No! I…uh…" He touched the tips of his index fingers together and looked away. "Don't think I'm ready or good at that."
Hephaestus burst out laughing. Pandora joined in from the other room. Ares sighed in defeat. Man… He thought.
Valhalla Arena
Medical Ward
Present Day
"I'm not going to kill you, Leonardo," Pandora whispered, finally letting the tears fall. "If my dad left you something, it means he trusted you." Her lip quivered. "I just miss him…" She breathed deeply and stepped back. "But I'll follow his lead and trust you, too. When you're ready to start, the workshop is ready for you. I checked the workshop systems after his death and confirmed that he had already granted you exclusive access. "Please keep your promise."
The monitors around Leo's pod began to beep a little faster. "I will." He declared.
Pandora turned away and passed everyone before stopping in the doorway. "Hilde. Come with me. It's time we hashed this out."