10/13/2178

Las Vegas, Nevada

At the top of Ket-West Headquarters, Zeus sits at the top floor of his company's highest floor watching the situation in Texas through a remote scrying mirror. Opal, ivory, gold as well as silk line every corner in the room. An extremely bold design signifying power, and he was exactly that. During the Archon Revolution, with his knowledge he singlehandedly betrayed each and every Archon with two conditions. He demanded that he remain free and that he remain unimpeded with his influence on the country, military, pharmaceutical companies, congress, even the President of The Taken States will never hesitate to answer his calls in fear of destruction. In appearance, he is but an average middle-aged man. Suave and sophisticated with every mannerism and culture as well as being fluent in every known language, he comes off as a humble business man. Behind this facade lies a primordial force of hatred, deceit, and unquenchable lust for power. He was THE sky father, none stood before him without kneeling and there was no one higher than him.

"Blackjack, return to base at once" Zeus commanded.

"BUUUT I WANT TO PLAAAY!"

There was an intense silence over the muffled sound of the squabble between him and O-Dyn in the background, even with the upper hand Blackjack was no fool. He knows what Zeus would do to him if he disobeyed, he was good at finding out what made him hurt and as much as he enjoyed pain and inflicting it the old man's wrath was different. It was malicious and he knew this from experience. After gaining a brief upper hand, Blackjack cracks his play friend in the head knocking the grey matter out of his skull. This won't kill him of course, he'd need to be much more thorough than that, but this gives him a much needed time to escape. He waves one arm in a circle in front of him and as the circle completes we vanishes like a mirage, small amounts of primal screams of pain and laughter echoing through the room as well as the comms causing Zeus to pull out the earpiece and crush it between his fingers in disgust. First that dog is snooping around with that spiteful bitch that holds his leash, now he has to deal with this disgusting clown bleeding all over his priceless office. As Blackjack begins to regurgitate the stolen pair of Codex, Zeus appears behind him with light filling his eyes in a blind rage causing the jester to realize his grave mistake. With a flash of lightning, he finds himself off the ground being grabbed by the throat his bells jingling from his attire. Zeus looks back at the floor, puddles of blood and bile ruining his perfect floor. He looks back Blackjack, the mask of tragedy now stricken on his mask. He raises his hand slowly in a knife like fashion and begins digging it into Blackjack's stomach causing him to howl with multiple inhuman voices in carnal cries of pain. After slowing impaling his stomach with his hand he grabs the two Codex's and aggressively rips them out from the side ripping his right hip from his torso, throwing the Codex aside he finishes the bisection still choking him. He then proceed to perform a top mount on the half-jester, punching his right temple three consecutive times flesh tearing and bone cracking with each punch.

"Disgusting VERMIN! How dare YOU defile MY room with your heretical fluids!

He punches three more times removing the right side of Blackjack's mask, his eyes were rolled back.

"You...WORM!"

He then proceeds to electrocute him to force consciousness, and like many times before this was successful.

"You remind me of my daughter Jack did you know that?"

Three more punches but this time it was directed at the forehead, each concussive blow causing the jester's head to bounce off the floor into the next oncoming punch.

"Ggguuuurk...p.p.pleeaseee.."

Three more punches to the forehead, the floor now begins to break underneath Blackjack's skull. This causes Zeus to become enraged, he begins to strangle and slam his head further into the floor eventually falling down a floor. Looking up at his ruing office thunder rumbles violently through the area, lightning crashes multiple times and Blackjack finds himself in the air, Zeus holding him by his shirt with one hand, his legs in the other slowly being disintegrated by multiple lightning sources.

"As I was saying Jack" He inhales deeply and exhales slowly.

"You remind me of my daughter, she was always learning sharp as a whip that one. But you see there's a dark side to learning things just as equally as there is a good side. One aspect is pain, which I believe to be the greatest teacher."

"P-please master I'm sorr-"

Zeus shushes his like a mother hushing a crying child. Blackjack's eyes grow even wider as Zeus begins to speak the storm raging even more intensely before.

"Don't interrupt Jack, it's unbecoming of you. As I was saying, my daughter learned many great and forbidden knowledges, grand and undefeatable battle tactics, she even beat my strongest son in hand to hand combat after his labors. She only lacked in one area, ultimately it led to her destruction by my hand. Would you care to know what she did Jackie Boy?

Blackjack was hysterical at this point, whimpering and crying as Zeus pulled him closer to his face. Looking into his eyes he spoke slowly and more calmly than he ever heard him before.

"She just couldn't learn her place."

With one swift motion he pulls Blackjack behind him, growling turned into yelling, he launches Blackjack towards the ground breaking several sound barriers before impact. Zeus's laughter booms through the sky before he speaks.

"And so next time you remember this, I think it's time you see TRUE Archon power!

A beam of blinding light pierces through the dark sky before charging in size and sound

"RAIN OF OLYMPUS!"

A small concentrated rain shower slowly drops into the crater, suddenly a blinding flash bursts through the sky the moment of first impact. A growing wave of light spreads, enveloping everything everything in a thirty mile radius leaving only Zeus, Blackjacks fried and regenerating remains, and the Codex's. After observing the destruction in his wake, he smiled. This was perfect, he could pin this on the Russians for this, then act the part of the victim to the counsel. "This was a retaliatory strike because her dog lost to mine!" He was good at swaying them, however threatening them all didn't hurt either, after all it's just business. After staging the area with everything he needed for his plan, he wounds himself and quickly teleports in front of Overseer HQ. His arrival causes panic, emergency response teams fly into action and an internal investigation is begun.

10/14/2178

Atlanta, Georgia

Inside of a family owned diner, Argus finds himself enjoying one of the best apple pies he's ever had. Not that he's had many mind you, most food at HQ is either paste or liquid it was cheaper and more efficient apparently. "Those food engineers probably don't get out much" He thought "Or laid either" He snickered at this, he remembers seeing a few of them for the first time. Old frail men, some with cybernetic augmentations to continue their lifespan. He frowned after this thought, it didn't seem right to mock them or anyone for their misfortunes. He finishes his pie, pays his tab and returns to his vehicle where security and his valet wait for him and immediately stand at attention when they spot him. He hated this, just because he was genetic descendant of his grandfather people would rather die than offend him. He didn't care for power, riches, or many luxuries Zeus offered him in an attempt to buy his love. Argus was no fool, he knew it came with strings, so he always just said that helping his God of a grandfather was reward enough. Zeus was no fool either, he saw how this halfling behaved, it disgusted him and inevitably caused him to hate Argus. Initially when Argus was born, he denied his relation to the boy, even going as far to threaten a life in a sweatshop or to even kill the child by his hand himself right then and there. Fortunately in this moment Zeus saw the birthmark of his bloodline on the boy, a small shield of the Gorgon surrounded by clouds. And ever since Zeus made it his mission to make Argus's life into a living hell. When he was twelve, he wanted to see a griffin. In response, Zeus summoned said creature that proceeded to maul and maim everyone but him. Events like these left Argus to grow up alone, either shunned by side glares or behind fake smiles and manners. Despite this, he grew up to be kind often having sympathy for his enemies, even during his time in the military when it was a matter of life and death. After any combat situation or deployment he prayed for the safe travel of the souls lost that day, and to ask for forgiveness for his sins. This earned him the name "Padre". His accomplishments in the military begin at 15, where he snuck behind enemy lines into an enemy compound, took out 150 armed soldiers equipped with the most advanced weapons and tactical gear including night vision, thermal imaging, sound spectrums, as well as a device that can pick up carbon dioxide and detect it's origin singlehandedly with a Bar-K knife, saved all hostages regardless of citizenship, then proceeded to set an explosive trap in the middle of the base and set off the alarms before leaving only to eliminate the response forces in one swoop. This caught Zeus's attention.

Stolen novel; please report.

Argus's comm link rings.

"Argus, come in."

"Yes sir?"

On the other line was the P.O.T.T.S., President of the Taken States Archer Sands.

"Report to Washington Archon HQ, we've been attacked by Russian forces on sovereign soil"

Argus slows down to a slow walk upon hearing this and stop at the door before asking.

"Any casualties?"

"Las Vegas branch was demolished as well as a thirty mile radius around it as well, large levels of celestial energy were present but the energy dissipated before we could trace the origin. And Argus, you should know, whoever did this defeated Blackjack and Zeus in one go."

This makes Argus stop, his blood runs cold. The old man was no pushover in any capacity, he had never seen anyone so much as scratch him before. But him AND Blackjack? Who or what could have possibly done that?

"What are my orders upon arrival?"

"You're getting your wish kid, when you arrive prepare for Codex augmentation. During your operation, you'll be debriefed via HUD and transported to the Kanto region at 1600 hours."

"Japan? Why?"

"You're going hunting. Hope you like sushi kid"

The link ends and Argus is left standing in front of the open SUV door looking at the ground. His home is gone, his grandfather nearly died and now one of his parents codex's were about to be passed down to him. If he didn't feel alone at any time before, this would be the point he felt most alone. He climbs into the vehicle and commands the driver to take him to Washington. He didn't feel like being so polite anymore for some reason.

He arrived at HQ and prepared for surgery, the President is there along with his cabinet and the medical team to discuss more intel on the operation and for moral support for the upcoming preparations. The surgery cannot be performed under any anesthetic, while it is a piece of hybridized technology and old magic, certain rules are by default non negotiable. This is one of them, after starting the procedure the surgeons get to work while the priests present are barely audible over Argus's cries of pain. This won't kill him he thought, because of the old man he's secretly survived being shot in the head so he was well prepared to continue. The part he was worried afterwards was which codex he received, Are's abilities belonged to his father. His father experienced tragic loss during the war and he suffered from intense outbursts of rage due to the PTSD from losing many friends and family. This gave him nigh invulnerability and immense physical strength. His mother possessed Athena's abilities, she was a soft spoken woman with a fair build but after one day after her husband was attacked by Hachiman and gravely wounded she proceeded to defeat the Archon in hand to hand combat, precisely striking each and every strike point disabling his attacks long enough for everyone to escape including herself. She was the one who taught him Kenpo and Muay Thai, he still remembers his first concussion the day he thought we was ready to truly face her.

10/15/2178

1600 hours over the Pacific Ocean

Argus finds himself, in a quinjet. His back ringing from his surgery, he runs his fingers along his back. They had placed both of them inside him, part of him was grateful for this because he alone kept his parents alive in memory. His smile he wore proudly every day was gone, he face was cold and emotionless. The dark rings under his green eyes only intensified the small light in them, showing this was no longer a being of mercy. He was angry, for once in his life he wanted revenge. He wanted them to bleed, to hurt, he wanted them to feel every single ounce of pain in his heart. Looking at the family picture of him and his parents. Tears welled up in his eyes as he grits his teeth in anger crushing the photo in his hand. He dozes off for a while after calming down, remembering the times he spent with his parents. Suddenly there's an explosion, and he's jolted awake by a sharp pain in his stomach. He looks up to find Loki holding the blade with a malicious smile on his face. This fades as the young man he thought he ended, stands up slowly breathing heavily, what would be tears or blood turns in to molten metal as he grows larger in side. The heat from the now giant young man slowly melts the blade inside of him as well as the quinjet around him as he slowly steps up to Loki and looks down. Fear now in Loki's eyes, as Argus slowly grabs him pulling him closer. Singeing and burning Loki's skin as it tries to heal simultaneously, Argus growls at him in a low gravel like tone pulling him closer to get a better look into his eyes. In an instant Loki stabs Argus in the eyes laughing maniacally.

"Hurts doesn't it? Foolish boy you'd think you'd grab me so easily?"

The damage to the ship continues to progress resulting in the loss of an engine, causing Argus to falter briefly. This allows Loki to impale Argus into a defeated position with various and multiple spears and knives. Loki begins to laugh as the fire fades like a candle being blown out.

"And to think, your parents fought AND died better than you did." He scoffs "Nothing but a lonely little boy with his parent's toys!"

Loki lunges at the immobilized Argus but a single drop of blue fire falls from his eyes as a blinding nova erupts from Argus, it exposes the hull of the quinjet causing it to nose dive. Before he can process what's happening, Argus was already on top of him grabbing his arm squeezing so hard it burns off instantaneously, causing Loki to scream but he recovers quickly only to stab Argus multiple times in the neck and kick him back. This does little as Argus runs on all fours back towards Loki, backfisting him into the wall. Loki sits up and sees the behemoth in front of him, screaming and growling while scratching his face, causing fire to fall from the open wounds from his face as he turns to lock eyes with Loki. He scowls even more at this sight and proceeds to grab Loki and rip him apart piece by piece meanwhile Argus is screaming so loud the bolts and panels of the quinjet begin to unfasten, Argus begins to pull Loki's head off by the neck, Loki's face begins to twist and morph into multiple faces as the head begins to separate causing him to howl in pain. In a brief moment after one last stab to Argus's leg, Argus manages to relieve his foe of a cranium spinal column swinging from the turbulence. This causes a triumphant roar from Argus as he tosses the body of Loki out of the quinjet instantaneously sucked away by the vacuum of descent. He reverts back to normal bloodied and broken, he slumps to the wall and collapses to the ground. He looks forward to see the ocean rapidly approaching as a faint beeping catches what little attention he could afford. The knife Loki used wasn't a knife at all but a beacon, and it was actively being tracked by a cruise missile heading towards him from above.

"Oh fu-"

An explosion erupts right before a massive water bound shockwave flies around the burning wreckage now sinking slowly into the dark abyss. Argus finds himself sinking looking up at the burning quinjet.

"If I don't do something, I'm not gonna make it."

He ponders this thought, maybe letting go wasn't so bad. His entire life was nothing but hardship, and if he died he wouldn't come back, he wasn't Prometheus after all. Blood bubbles and what was left of his breath leaves his body, floating away from him never again obtainable. His body gets cold and stiff.

"I'm okay, this is okay."

He closes his eyes

"Maybe in the next life, I'll do better"

To be continued in the next chapter