A few hours later, Atlas had made sure they were completely settled into their new house. He called the moving company, but they took their precious time at first. He then decided to throw a little extra cash into their faces, making the process way faster.
That was the only time he spent his money so wantonly, though. He went out to buy groceries to pass the time, but those were necessities and not random spending.
"Okay, Atlas, I'll be heading back to the school now!"
His mom called out from the front door. Atlas, who was still trying to figure out a place to hide his newly found wealth, rushed to her in response.
"But what was the point of getting all this money if you can't rest, mom?"
His mother looked at him sternly and lightly slapped him on the wrist.
"You can't talk like that. I still have to contribute my part to society. And maybe I can stop working all the extra jobs, but I won't stop teaching at that school. The reason the world is in shambles now is because wealthy people have stopped playing their part and consider themselves gods!"
Atlas blanked out. He understood his mother's words and completely agreed, but when she said the word 'god', he thought to himself doubtfully.
'Maybe that's what they are…'
She noticed he was in thought and started leaving.
"Anyway, I'll be going. Make sure you get to school and explain your absence!"
Atlas called out after her, "I will!"
Then she was gone. It was just him alone in a house that was fit to be an orphanage hosting dozens of children. There was one difference, though. An orphanage wouldn't be so fancy.
He awkwardly walked around the house after hiding his cash in a safe and simply relaxed until it was time for him to go meet Tiny.
"Hopefully, I can get some real answers," he said to himself, as he started jogging to the school.
He could see many people in uniforms all around. Some were from his school, others were not but it was clear that school had let out, making it odd that he was heading there knowing that fact.
Eventually, he reached the large building many people had come to hate, and he stepped inside.
He made his way past mostly teachers and support staff as he headed to the gym where the club Tiny ran was located.
Atlas stood in front of the door for a few minutes and clenched his fist.
'Real answers this time,'
"WELCOME!"
Tiny's loud voice burst out as soon as he slid the door open. There was confetti, a loud trupmpetting sound and a lot of glitter. Behind the annoying boy were a few classmates and individuals who he was more or less familiar with.
"Welcome to the Demigod Exercise Club!" Tiny yelled once again, then he continued, more composed,
"Take a seat."
Atlas looked around the gym room and found no chairs except the bleachers that were far away from them.
"Where?"
"On the ground of course!" the other youth answered smiling. Atlas said nothing, prompting the fellow to continue speaking.
"Well, you're probably wondering: 'What the fuck is going on?' 'Did those things really happen yesterday?'"
Atlas nodded his head in response, causing Tiny to beam out in joy.
"Well have no fear, because I am here to answer your questions!" (A/N: Get it?)
Tiny pointed at the other members of the club and spoke again.
"We'll start off by saying that these fellows are demigods, basically!" Atlas looked at the seven other members and the last familiar figure that he hadn't noticed when he first entered.
"Rin?"
The other black-haired boy was somehow in the strange club, but Atlas could have sworn that he wasn't in their school.
"Your thoughts are correct. I invited him here as well. The only difference between you two, though, is that he actually knows what is going on." Tiny exclaimed with no regard for Atlas.
"What is going on, though?" Atlas decided not to take offence to Tiny's words and asked questions instead.
"You heard me the first time. We're demigods, well, they are and I'm not."
After he said that, someone else spoke up. It was a short boy in glasses. His hair was a matted blonde colour accentuated by his blue shade of eyes. He had fair skin and looked like he didn't get out often. They had met before and Atlas had long labelled him a nerd.
"Technically, the rest of us are not even demigods. We're more of… semi-hemi and so on,"
Tiny rolled his eyes in response. "We get it, Clyde. You don't have to bring it up every meeting we have!"
Clyde raised his hand up and shifted his glasses, preparing to argue. Atlas wanted explanations and coughed to break them apart.
"Well, as I was saying before Mr Clyde here interrupted me, demigods. Descendants of gods or children of Gods who interbred with humans. Everyone here is descended from one sort of god or the other, across different mythos. The gods didn't want them."
As he said that, the rest of the club members appeared downcast.
"What about me?" Atlas asked, realizing that they had finally reached the important part.
"That's where it becomes strange, Mr Atlas. You're not a demigod or anything of the sort. In fact, as your name suggests, you're probably stronger than a normal demigod," Clyde spoke, shifting his glasses periodically.
"So?" Atlas asked confused.
Clyde then laughed mysteriously, as he pushed his glasses up. The nerd was extremely passionate as he spoke the next words with exaggerated bravado.
"Your father is one of the Titans. The original Atlas who was responsible for holding up the sky on his back!"
Atlas was shocked, but he didn't show it. Specifically speaking, he didn't know how to show that he was shocked.
Tiny continued after Clyde was done, he stopped beating around the bush.
"Though I said they didn't want them, that was before Their slumber. The old Gods are putting all their hope in us because of one simple reason, Atlas."
Atlas looked at Tiny and cocked his head sideways, "What reason is that?"
"The greek pantheon is dying. I'm dying Atlas."
****
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For more updates on God Of Gangsters and access to short stories, go to my p.a.t.r.e.o.n: Purple_Midnight