"Hey! Halberd!" Jim called the moment I walked into the office.
Everyone in there turned to look at me and then Jim. Then the place erupted in murmurs.
"You know, it might be a better idea to be a bit more low profile with me, right?" I asked as I walked over to Jim, but he just laughed, but then his face went dead serious.
"SHUT UP!" Jim snapped, and every voice in the office turned off. The place didn't just become silent, but every divine being in sight got out of it. The office instantly turned into a ghost town like everyone had just left. "Much better! Damn, clucking hens are dying for any bit of gossip!" Jim laughed, the smile returning as he guided me back to Zeus's Office.
"You didn't answer my question," I said as we reached the door, and Jim turned to me.
"One thing you need to know is that, like you, I am not affected by anyone's fame, but I am not like you. Not to toot my horn, but I am the biggest thing in the Heavenly Realm, save for about five others that stand above me. No one tells me what to do," Jim said, and I lifted an eyebrow.
"Then who is telling you... I guess... to deal with me, and whatever?" I asked, and Jim smirked.
"I have been looking for you for a very long time, my boy. You don't have enough hair to count the worlds that I have been to look for you. I don't have anyone to tell me what to do because this has always been my job. I was the third one to be killed by the original Trigger. The first five of us woke in this realm all have tasks that only we can do, and mine was to find you," he explained, and that left me stunned.
"Wait, so you've been searching for me all this time?" I asked, struggling to wrap my head around the revelation.
Jim nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, Halberd. You were always meant to be a part of this world – to play a crucial role in maintaining the balance between chaos and order. My purpose was to find you and guide you through this journey, ensuring you reached your full potential as the Divine Assassin."
The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders, adding an even greater sense of responsibility to my newfound calling. Yet, there was also something strangely comforting about knowing I had a place here, that I wasn't some random being thrust into this world without reason.
"I won't let you down," I said determinedly, meeting Jim's gaze with resolve. "I'll do everything in my power to fulfill my destiny and protect the balance between worlds."
Jim smiled warmly, clapping me on the back. "That's what I like to hear! Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"
He opened the door to Zeus's office, ushering me inside. The room looked much the same as it had during my last visit, and the god of gods didn't look like he had moved. At the far end of the room, Zeus sat at his desk, seeming to be awaiting our arrival.
"Halberd," he greeted me with a nod before turning his attention to Jim. "Special Agent Jim, have you prepared him for his assignment?"
Jim gave a confident grin. "Prepared? You should know me better than that! I didn't do a damn thing! If I did anything, I just made his life harder!" He laughed and then looked at me with a look that carried no apology. "Sorry about Mi Dong and the boys from the Greek Pantheon!"
I just stared at him. "You sent them on purpose?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" I demanded, but Jim just rolled his eyes and waved me off.
"Don't get your shorts in knots; I sent them for a reason. Mi Dong was actually only meant to be a guide to help you find a place, but then you drained him! There was no way that I could just let you keep walking around after that without making an example of some people. I sent the boys to attack you to send a message to anyone else that thought of doing the same thing," Jim explained, and I just stared at him.
"So let me get this straight," I said, but Jim shook his head.
"No, you don't need to do anything but go and kill that motherfucker. You got a job, and I know you actually prepared, so go do it. Don't sweat the small stuff, and just know that what I do is in your best interest. Look at how close you and the water girl are now? That fight set you in stone as someone that she could rely on, and with your not-depressed attitude, I can guess that you even got a little reminder of what was waiting for you when you got back home," Jim said, and I tried to get a word in, but he wasn't having it. "She is actually a pretty good person for a Starless, so I didn't drive her away from you. Instead, I pushed her back," He said and then pointed at himself. "Aren't I a nice guy? Don't answer that! I am leaving! Smell you later, and don't fuck up!"
And then Jim was gone.
"Is he always like this?" I asked, turning back to Zeus, but I rolled my eyes.
Zeus looked like someone hit him in the back of the head with a stupid stick, and now he was giggling to himself like he had just heard the funniest joke.
"Zeus!" I shouted, and the white-haired divine being seemed to snap out of his stupor.
"Ah, sorry about that," Zeus said, looking sheepish. "Jim has a tendency to leave people feeling a bit off-balance. But don't mind him – he may come across as abrasive, but he genuinely does have your best interests at heart."