Trish opened the door and smiled when she saw her visitor. “Grandpa!” she said, giving him a hug before letting him inside. “What brings you by?”
“I wanted to check on little Emily, see how you and she were doing.”
“We’re doing good. Chance is in the kitchen, giving her a bath.”
“That would explain the crying.” he said with a smile. “So…how’s he been handling things?”
“He’s been really great about everything. Helping me out, taking turns with me to look after her so we can both manage to get sleep.”
“Good, that’s good.” he said, slightly distractedly.
“Grandpa? What’s on your mind?”
“Well….I never did give your man The Talk – I was waiting for your father to do that, and I’m not sure he ever did. Now that your a mother, I need to make sure he’s right for you and her – and by that I mean he needs to be prepared for what may come. I want to know what kind of person he is, and so on. Admittedly, I don’t know him very well.”
“Okay, well, I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“I hope you don’t mind.” she shook her head. “Alright if I borrow him for a while?”
“Can’t you talk to him here?”
“Afraid not. I’m going to have Miranda help me and she doesn’t want any extra people.”
“Who is Miranda?” she asked, puzzled. “My Aunt, technically.”
Trish looked puzzled for a moment, and then there was a sign of recognition. “So she’s a Titan?”
“Technically.”
“Why do you need her? What does she do?” Trish said, sounding worried.
Greg put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise things will be fine. We just want to make sure he’s alright.”
“Why can’t you tell me who she is?”
Greg avoided answering the question as Chance came into the room, holding a freshly bundled baby and brought her over to Trish, who took the baby gently from him and held her against her chest.
“Trust me, sweetheart. Everything will be fine.”
“Everything ok?” Chance asked.
“Chance m’boy, come with me. We need to have a long overdue talk.”
“Are you okay with that Trish?”
“Jasper will be here to help.” Greg reminded her gently.
“Yes, I’ll be alright. Just don’t forget to talk to Charles later about her baptism, ok? We did promise, after all.”
“I’ll remember.” he looked at Greg. “Lead on old man.”
“We’re going to travel via an unconventional method. Keep hold of me, and don’t step off the blue line, got it?”
“Umm…sure. Whatever you say, man.”
Greg took ahold of Chance’s upper arm, made a slicing motion with his left hand, creating a tear that he and Chance then stepped through, with it rapidly sealing behind them. Chance looked around, and opened hism outh to ask a question.
“No questions, just walk.” he said, losing the friendly demeanor he usually kept up, being all business now. He was not about to lose another family member due to preventable bullshit, and his Aunt could do what was necessary to figure out what kind of person he is. They walked the thin blue line for a time, until Greg pushed him into a newly opened tear, whereupon they stepped out into a large, airy room. There was an open patio with a balcony, overlooking water as the sun began to set, making the waves sparkle with reflected light.
“Where are we?”
“Athens.”
Chance blinked. “What state?”
“Zeus almighty.” Greg mumbled, hand covering his face. He took a minute to compose himself before addressing Chance again.
“Athens, Greece.”
“Greece? How in the hell could we get here so fast?”
Greg gave him an annoyed look and Chance nodded a little. “Ah, right. Deity.” He looked around. “Why are we here?”
“We’re waiting on my Aunt Mnemosyne.”
“Nemo…who?
“Not ‘knee-mo’. ‘Nem-oh-seen'” Greg slowly pronounced. A woman with dark hair and olive complexion walked in not long after, wearing a white tanktop and jeans. She was barefoot, and walked silently enough, as Chance never heard her. However, upon seeing her he wished desperately that he had his camera with him.
“Ares…lovely to see you.” she said, approaching Greg and kissed him on each cheek.
“It’s been too long.” he said with a smile.
“Is this the young man you spoke of?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then, we can get started. Bring over that armchair – put it in the center of the room.” she said, walking over to the patio and drew the curtains shut, darkening the room considerably. They must have been blackout curtains, Chance guessed, for the room really seemed almost as dark as a darkroom. Greg brought the chair to the center of the room, and one by one candles around the room lit up, creating a eerie yet mystical atmosphere.
“Sit boy.” she said, gesturing to the chair.
“I’m not a dog.” Chance said, slightly grumpy. He didn’t know what was going on or what was going to happen to him. He was admittedly a little scared on top of being curious and was covering it up with snark.
“Boy, you’d better do as she says.” Greg said with a mild growl in his voice. Chance didn’t say anything further, but promptly sat in the gray chair.
“What is his name?” she asked as she lit the last of the candles.
“Chance is what I know him as.”
She turned to look at Chance after he had finished. “Boy,” she said “what name were you born under?”
Chance cleared his throat a little before speaking “Joseph Dean Krueger.”
“Why Chance then?” Greg asked, genuinely curious.
“It’s a nickname my friends gave me.”
“Ares, hush. I’ll be asking the questions.” she turned to face Chance again. “When were you born?”
“July 18th, 1999.”
“Millenial.” she scoffed slightly. She turned to look at Greg. “He cannot leave this chair. If you think he should be restrained, do that now.”
“Now wait a minute. Just what the hell is going on?” Chance said, starting to get up. Greg pushed him back down and leaned over, doing…something. It was unclear what, as it was dark. But the next thing Chance knew, he was completely restrained to the chair – he wouldn’t be getting up unless they wanted him to.
“I’ll display his memories, from beginning to current. Not all of them, of course – just the pertinent history.”
“Just go up to last year, w hen he came to Willow Creek. I know things from there.”
“Very well.” she placed her hands on Chance’s head, and after a moment, images projected outward – the closest thing Chance could relate it to was Tony Stark’s Jarvis display. It spun counter-clockwise until a date appeared, and a memory began to play, though too rapidly for Chance to follow.
Greg and Mnemosyne watched as it displayed his birth….his parent’s neglect…his broken childhood and subsequent delinquency. His accident and the reason behind it, the drug abuse, the illiteracy and dyslexia, the animosity between he and his father, and everything else that led up to him running away and making his way to Willow Creek. When the last memory faded, the candles went out, and the curtains re-opened, to reveal a nighttime Mediterranean scene. Lamps were turned on, and the restraints were released.
“I feel like I’ve been violated six ways from Sunday.” Chance grumbled.
“I don’t like that you have a destructive personality.” Greg said finally. “That could come to endanger Trish or Emily, and so help you, if anything happens to them because of you..” he let his words trail off – Greg figured Chance’s imagination could do more to scare him than his words ever could. But Greg was surprised. Instead, Chance was angry, and he snapped back.
“If you’re so damned worried about me around them, then test me for fuck’s sake?”
“Test you?”
“You’re a God aren’t you? I’m sure you and/or anyone you have help you could come up with some way to prove that I can be counted on. You know, like what’s-her-name.” he said, then after a moment, added “Psyche.”
“You don’t know where Athens is, but you know that story?”
Chance just shrugged. “Well, what about it old man?”
“Do not ask a deity to test you lightly, boy.” Mnemosyne said. “The tasks may be extremely difficult, if not impossible for you to complete.”
“But the reward at the end is Trish and Emily.” he said. “That’s worth anything to me.”
“Fine.” Greg said. “You’ll be tested. Hell, if you can complete what I , and possibly others, come up with for you, I’ll even get you a piece of ambrosia.”
“Ares, that’s not to be given lightly. The last one to have any was Psyche, and she had to complete four impossible tasks – tasks she was supposed to complete alone but some of you brethren took pity on her.”
“I’m aware, Mnemosyne. All the same, I stand by my word.” he looked to Chance. “I will likely convene with my family, and we shall see what we come up with. Should you fail, you;ll spend the rest of eternity in Hades’ domain. Understood?”
“Yes.” Chance said, still angry.
Mnemosyne touched Chance’s temples. “You will speak of this to no one.”
“Whatever.” he muttered.
“I’ll take him home now. Thank you Menemosyne.”
“Of course.”
Greg took Chance home the same way he had brought him. When they got back to Willow Creek, Trish and the baby were asleep. Greg stood in the living room, brought a finger to his lips in a last warning to Chance, and then disappeared.
The reality of what he’d done was beginning to settle in, and Chance sat down shakily. Doubt was creeping in and he was convinced he would fail. But still…he glanced in the direction of the stairs, and thoughts turned to the bedrooms beyond, to where Trish and Emily lay. I can do this. I will do this. he thought to himself. After a few steadying breaths, he made his way upstairs. He touched his fingers to his lips and then to Emily’s cheek for a kiss, then climbed into bed with Trish after changing, and pulled her close, possesively. He didn’t want to lose either of them. I will do this. he thought again, as he settled in for sleep he wasn’t sure would come.