"Next thing you know, we'll see a flying horse… Scary stuff," Parker muttered under his breath, his voice low but laced with sarcasm.
Parker leaned back against the car seat, watching Tessa through the corner of his eye. She was glued to her phone, scrolling through videos of the chaos they had just witnessed. The irony wasn't lost on him.
"How ironic," he muttered under his breath. Instead of stepping out to see everything firsthand, Tessa was glued to a screen, reliving the moment virtually. People were streaming the whole thing live instead of going to witness it herself.
"She's just like me," Parker thought with a grin. "Lazy servant, lazy master. A deadly combo if I've ever seen one."
By the time his thoughts wandered back to reality, the road ahead had cleared. Whatever madness had unfolded outside was no longer his concern. He nudged Tessa, and without a word, she started the car.
As they pulled away, Parker let out a small sigh of relief. For all her bubbling excitement, at least Tessa hadn't turned into one of those over-the-top Captain Sun fangirls.
The thought of her going off about how "cool" the hero was for the entire trip made him internally cringe.
'Almost makes me wanna thank the gods…' Then he remembered the letter they had sent him. Correction: Almost.
He stared out the window, his thoughts running wild. 'Hopefully, whatever madness this is, it's at least they should make it interesting. Otherwise, I might just die of boredom first.'
Out of the blue, Tessa broke the silence, her mischievous grin flashing like a warning sign.
"Don't even think about it!" Parker's voice was sharp, filled with a seriousness Tessa rarely heard from him.
"Think about what?" she asked, feigning innocence with wide eyes that didn't fool him one bit.
"You know what." His glare was unwavering.
"Oh, c'mon, you're no fun, Master." She smirked, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"No thanks. I don't need my servant fangirling over some wannabe superhero for the rest of this trip." His tone was dry, laced with sarcasm.
Tessa snickered, leaning back in her seat. "But he was cool, you know!"
"Yeah, whatever," Parker shot back, waving her off like she hadn't just spoken.
She tilted her head, her grin turning sly. "Wait a sec… Are you jealous? Is that jealousy I'm smelling?"
"Jealous of what?" he asked, exasperated. "Some flashy guy playing hero? Or the fact that my servant was about to subject me to torture-level fangirl shit?"
Tessa tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Both?"
"Not a damn chance," Parker said, rolling his eyes. "And don't flatter yourself, servant."
Tessa burst out laughing, and Parker couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at his lips. Despite the teasing, their banter was easy—comfortable even.
'Deadly combo indeed, as long she doesn't fangirl some random dude.' he thought, shaking his head.
Seeing her still carried in the moment he asked her for the wheels so he drives.
****
With the road finally cleared, and Parker's car eased forward faster. He leaned back, one hand lazily gripping the wheel while the other drummed on the console. For the first time in ages, there was a flicker of something like eagerness in him. Not that he'd admit it—hell no—but the idea of getting where he needed to go... yeah, it was kind of exciting.
Beside him, Tessa was unusually quiet, probably still glued to her phone, replaying Captain Sun's dramatic entrance.
____
Far above the city, a flash of golden light streaked across the sky. Perseus flew with an almost casual grace, cutting through the air like he owned it. His golden hair whipped in the wind, glowing faintly in the afternoon light. Below, the city sprawled out in a chaos of modern structures, traffic, and noise.
Perseus barely glanced at it—he'd seen it all before, and honestly, it was just... meh.
As he approached his destination, he slowed down, his speed dropping from insane to fast-as-hell. Finally, he landed in above on the rooftop of a modest hotel. The neon sign flickered, casting an eerie glow on the cracked pavement.
Perseus crossed his arms and tilted his head, studying the building with a faint smirk.
"This is what we've come to," he muttered. "Demigods, gods, legendary warriors— we're stuck in this... modern mess."
He stared at the hotel, his eyes narrowing as memories of temples, grand arenas, and towering monuments flashed through his mind. This? This was humbling in the worst way.
"They threw us here, told us to figure it out on our own. 'Find your purpose,' they said. As long as we don't fuck with the mortals, everything's fair game." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Yeah, thanks for the pep talk, Zeus."
Perseus glanced at his reflection in a nearby window. His golden eyes and hair practically glowed, making him stick out like a sore thumb in the muted, gray world around him.
"And me? The second I get here, I'm already saving lives," he said with a bitter laugh. "Had to step up. Of course. Can't leave humans to handle their own mess, can I?"
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed, his shoulders dropping for a moment before he straightened up again.
"But you know what, If you ask me, honestly?" His voice hardened, his pride swelling. "This world hasn't changed. Not really. It's still a mess. People still need saving, whether they admit it or not."
He straightened his poise, his aura flaring faintly as golden sparks danced around him.
He took a step forward, his boots crunching on the gravel. A faint spark of light danced around him, the air seeming to hum with energy. "This world needs a hero. It needs me," he said, his voice low but brimming with conviction.
"They should be thanking the gods every damn day that I'm here," he said, his tone firm, his confidence unshakable. "Humans? You don't even know how lucky you are. I'm your hero. I always have been."
The world needed him. Hell, it deserved him. At least, that's what Perseus told himself as he pushed open the hotel door and stepped inside, his golden glow fading into the dim interior.
If Parker heard him we would tell the demigod, or tell Tessa to remind the poor guy one great detail of the past. Luckily for Perseus, Parker wasn't here.