"I like the new look," says Margaret, sitting on a giant sofa while sipping her black coffee.
After my conversation with the Avengers, they left me alone for a while in a room in the mansion. During this small amount of time, I tried my best to master my newly acquired super strength. Actually, it's better to say that my attributes and senses experienced a burst, making me superior in every aspect compared to a regular human being.
It was tough at first. I bent every spoon I grabbed to eat and crushed the door handles. It was only after a lot of training that I managed to control my strength a bit, but it's still enough to crush anything fragile.
But by far the worst part was my senses. I could smell the rotting trash from several streets away from the mansion, and I could even hear the mere sound of an ant in the garden. To give you an idea of the situation I was in, it took Jarvis teaching me to control and focus my senses. For five days, I meditated, trying my hardest to focus on just one thing. And I must say, achieving something through my own effort is truly unique.
As the days went by, I was stuck in the mansion. After all, I have to wait until Hercules returns—he left to get in touch with some professors. I thought about going to the underground gym, but that idea went down the drain when I entered the library. With books I'd never seen in the orphanage, I spent almost the whole day reading various books.
Even I was getting tired of doing the same thing all the time, and the idea of the gym came back to mind. I asked for permission from the owner of the mansion, who gladly allowed it. This is great for me, as I want to test the limits of my strength, which, according to Hercules, grows every day. It's not anything too scary, but over time, as I age in my long life, it will definitely have a big impact.
Another thing I discovered: demigods aren't immortal like the Olympians, who stop aging once they reach adulthood. By comparison, we're similar to the Asgardians, who, unlike any immortal race, age but get stronger as they grow older.
Anyway, the most I've been able to lift is 700 kilos, which is more than any human record ever set. Of course, not counting certain exceptions, which are rare, but still exceptions.
"I'm getting used to it," I say about my new appearance, which, in my opinion, was too flashy for my taste.
"Well, even though I'm happy to have the chance to see you, I know you called me for something else."
Always perceptive.
So, I tell her everything—from when I discovered my powers and that I'm the son of the Greek god Apollo, to my training.
"I always knew you were special, but I never expected you to be this much," she says, taking another sip of her coffee calmly.
"You're not surprised?"
"Surprised? I've seen a lot in my long life, from those who would later become the first superheroes fighting together in World War II, to even being saved by a man who came from beyond the stars. So, no, I'm not surprised," Margaret replies, sharing a bit of her life.
I couldn't help but look at her, fascinated by the few words that reveal a piece of her history. Looking at it broadly, it makes sense. After all, this planet is anything but normal, with men flying through the skies and even gods walking among mortals.
"You should've told me those stories."
"If I told you everything, it would take a lifetime," she says playfully.
"I have eternity. A lifetime means nothing to me," I say to her.
"And is that something for a child to say?" she asks.
I respond with a small laugh. She glares at me, pretending to be serious.
"I'll miss you," I say softly. Margaret looks at me with a sad expression.
"That's the hardest part of being the director of an orphanage—saying goodbye to the children you never had but cared for as if they were your own," Margaret says with a tired voice, revealing her apparent old age.
"Even though it hurts you, I know you'll have the strength to overcome it. And for sure, along the way, you'll make new friends," she continues.
Margaret takes the last sip of her black coffee and then places it on the wooden table in front of us.
"That was the best black coffee I've ever had in my life! Who made it?" she asks.
"Jarvis. His food and drinks are out of this world," I reply. I must say, Jarvis's cooking is the best I've ever had in both my lives.
"I should thank him later, and ask for the coffee recipe."
"From what I've seen of him, I'm sure he'll gladly give you the recipe."
She reaches for the bag beside her and pulls out a chessboard that's very familiar to me.
"I thought before we say goodbye, we could play one last game of chess." Margaret places the board on the table, taking out the pieces from the bag and setting them in the right places.
"Of course," I say with a smile.
And for the next few hours, I spent as much time as I could playing with her, knowing that tomorrow will be my last day at the mansion and in the city.
Standing in front of the Avengers' mansion door, it was me and Jarvis holding a suitcase with my belongings, which, to be honest, wasn't much—just my clothes and a few things I took from the mansion as mementos.
The mansion gates opened automatically, and a green Toyota Mega Cruiser came toward us, parking a few meters away. Stepping out of the car was Hercules. Strong as ever, wearing his uniform, and as usual, with his confident smile.
"I didn't know you knew how to drive, or that you had a car," I say, a little confused.
It's a bit strange to see a demigod thousands of years old driving a car normally—it's like watching the Hulk drive a car to go faster, even though just running and jumping would be much faster than any car or land transportation that exists.
"Kid, there's still a lot you need to learn about me, and this car isn't mine; it belongs to a close relative," says Hercules.
"But it's good to see you've fully adjusted to your body," he continues.
"Has the Captain already told you?" I ask him.
"Yes, but I can see you haven't fully mastered it yet. Even so, it's a great feat to get used to your powers in such a short time," Hercules says, sounding proud.
Unlike me, who awakened my powers suddenly, Hercules' powers developed gradually from birth, so he's always been familiar with them. Mine, for some reason, were delayed, and when they did awaken, they rushed to develop as quickly as possible to catch up with my current age.
Hercules suspects that my powers were sealed or purposely delayed by someone, and when they sensed I was in danger, they awakened to save me. Of course, that's just a theory.
"Hercules, since you're back, is it time to start training?" I ask, hopeful.
"Yes," he replies.
"Finally!" I exclaim.
"But first, know that the place we're going to will also be your home, at least during the years of your training."
"Is it really okay? I don't know if he or she will like having someone they don't know staying in their home," I say.
"Relax, everything's been arranged. I think she'll be very happy to see you," Hercules replies.
That last sentence made me think for a bit. Why would she be happy to see me? And I realize that the owner of the place where I'll be training is a woman.
"When are we going?" I ask.
"Now," he says, grabbing the suitcase from Jarvis, who had just been observing, and putting it in the car.
"Thank you for everything, Jarvis," I thank the butler.
"The pleasure is mine, sir, and you will always be welcome in the future, I am certain of it," he replies, bowing his head politely.
I then say goodbye to him and walk over to Hercules, who gets into the car, and I sit in the front passenger seat. A question quickly popped into my mind.
"Where are we going?" I ask, confused.
"Vermont!" he replies, smiling, and then slams on the gas, speeding off.
I have to admit, the trip to the state of Vermont was much calmer than I expected, and to my surprise, Hercules drives really well. I didn't stay quiet the whole trip—no, that would've been very foolish of me. After all, sitting next to me was a living encyclopedia, and I had to take advantage of the opportunity.
"When are you going to open your mouth?" Hercules asks.
"Huh?"
"Just by seeing your eyes light up, I could tell. Come on, kid, what's the question?"
Looks like I've been caught.
But since I've been caught, I might as well ask, so I asked Hercules if all the feats I read about in mythology books were true. It's a valid question, after all, over the centuries, the basis of the information in mythology books has been rewritten and transcribed in different ways by various authors.
"HaHaHa, of course they're true! After all, I'm here, isn't that proof enough?" Hercules laughs, amused.
"Hey, just so you know, that was a super valid question!" I say, a little annoyed.
"Yes, yes, if you say so," Hercules replies with open arms.
"But until we get to Vermont, could you tell me some of your many adventures?"
Having lived for millennia, what Hercules has in abundance are stories of his adventures around the world. And knowing him a little, I'm almost certain they're going to be interesting and fantastic.
Hercules had a thoughtful look on his face while driving, probably thinking about which story to tell.
"I have one in mind."
Then he told the craziest story I've ever heard in my life, from a time so long ago he didn't even remember the year. He participated in the first Olympic Games, and to my surprise, even some gods disguised themselves as mortals to compete. Unsurprisingly, he won most of the events.
Here's where things start to get wild. Right after the Olympic Games, time-traveling soldiers—yes, time travelers, I still can't believe it—somehow managed to be led by Hercules, going into battle against the Vikings, which brought him into conflict with Thor for the first time.
It took Zeus himself intervening to stop them, or they would've put the entire Earth at risk.
Of course, not to mention, there was a chance of sparking a war with Asgard. And one thing I'm sure of is that if that had happened, we wouldn't be here. Anyway, after all that, they finally became friends, and Hercules was deemed worthy of receiving "the gift of battle," or something along those lines.
And he continued telling me other fascinating stories—so fascinating and unique that I didn't even notice the hours passing.
After spending hours driving down the roads, we finally arrived in Vermont, a state in the northeastern United States known for its mountainous landscapes, forested areas, and small towns. Looking around, it's the perfect place to train, with vast areas far from any population or cities.
We stopped near a dirt road and got out of the car. I could finally stretch my legs a bit—I was dying to move after sitting for hours. Not that the car seat was bad, in fact, it was very comfortable, but I'm not used to sitting for so long.
While waiting for Hercules to grab the suitcase, I see something quite unusual—a snow-white owl flying towards us and landing on the front of the car. I look at the animal curiously. As far as I know, owls are nocturnal creatures that spend most of the day resting in trees.
The owl seems to notice my curious gaze and slowly approaches me, seemingly analyzing me.
"Looks like Pallas likes you," says Hercules, appearing beside me, carrying the suitcase.
"Hoo! Hoo!"
Pallas gets excited when she sees Hercules, gliding over to his shoulder and nuzzling him with her head.
"He seems a lot more intelligent than a normal animal," I note.
"Let's just say his owner may have helped with that," Hercules says mysteriously.
Something I've noticed for a while—since this morning, in fact—is that Hercules has been very secretive, going to great lengths to avoid mentioning the name of the woman who will be training me, or so I think.
"Let's go, she's waiting for us."
We ventured deeper into the forest, following the dirt road, with Pallas flying over our heads, until we finally reached our destination. We were greeted by a huge mansion, which, reflecting the sunlight, gave the impression it was made of gold.
"You're late," a female voice came from the mansion door, and out stepped one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.
With blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a tight red dress, a scarf of the same color, and clear glasses. The only reason I'm not drooling over her is because my child's body hasn't awakened sexually yet.
Even so, if it had, I don't think I would feel it. Why? Simple—the aura she emits is something I've never felt before. It's strong, as if she's always ready for combat and could take me out with just one blow.
"Sebastian, I want you to meet my sister, Athena Parthenos, the Goddess of Wisdom and Tactical Warfare."
I glance, surprised, at my first Olympian deity. I always knew I would meet one sooner or later, but not this soon. Even so, did it have to be the Goddess Athena? I may not have read much about her, as she appeared little in the comics, but what I do know is enough to tell me that she always has something behind her plans and doesn't hesitate to manipulate others to achieve her goals.
Even though some of her actions were for the greater good, I don't want to become a mere pawn in her schemes. After all, she could discard me like trash if she needed to.
For now, it's best to hope she doesn't have any plans for me.
"And my sister, this is Sebastian Brown, the one I told you about," finishes Hercules with the introductions.
"So this is our brother's son," Athena says, observing me from head to toe with her green eyes.
"Hoo!"
Pallas appears again, landing on her owner's shoulder, beginning to chirp at her, and Athena remains silent, listening.
"I see," she says, sighing and dismissing Pallas.
With a nod of her head, she invites us inside. We enter the mansion, which has so many details it's hard to describe them all. The interior is a mix of Greco-Roman design, with several pillars throughout the house supporting it, countless rooms and halls, until we reach the mansion's main room, which is the size of a small house. It consists of a ten-meter-long black rectangular sofa, various paintings I've never seen before, and gray chairs in front of the sofa.
We sit on the sofa, while Athena sits in the gray chair in front of us. With a wave of her hand, an ancient bottle of wine appears in Hercules' hand, and he looks confused for a second.
Was that magic?
"This is…"
"A two-thousand-year-old wine, from Dionysus himself," Athena says.
"You really know me well, sister!" Hercules laughs, drinking his wine.
"Well, let's get to the main topic. Judging by your face, you have many questions," she says, looking at me.
"Are you going to train me?" I ask directly.
"Yes and no," she replies.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Originally, I was going to train you in the mental and spiritual aspects, teaching you to focus your emotions in situations where they're unnecessary, improving your reasoning and intelligence—which, in my opinion, is the recognition of patterns everyone should follow," she explains.
"And?"
"There was an unforeseen issue with your instructor who was supposed to train you in physical combat, so I'll have to teach you both over the next three months," she finishes.
"But what about Hercules? Can't he teach me?" I ask.
"My brother can be many things—a friend, drinking buddy, and a womanizer—but he's not a teacher. Knowing him, he must've already told you that."
I feel a little silly now, because I completely forgot that he mentioned this in the Avengers meeting room.
"Snore!"
The sound of snoring fills the room, and when I look to the side, I see Hercules passed out, holding the wine bottle in his hand.
"Did he pass out?" I ask, incredulous.
"Only Dionysus' wines can knock out the Mighty Hercules," she says, standing up and walking toward him.
"Feel free to take any room for yourself. I'll take care of him, and tomorrow at noon, your training will begin. I recommend getting a good rest tonight."
"Okay," I reply.
I get up, grabbing the suitcase cart, and walk down one of the corridors. I walk for a few minutes until I find a room near the end of the hall. I gently open the door. The room isn't anything special—completely white, with a double bed, a wardrobe, a bedside table, and a 50-inch TV mounted on the wall.
I place the suitcase on the bed and put my things in the wardrobe, then collapse onto the bed, which is quite soft.
I finally let my body relax, letting my shoulders loosen. I need to rest as much as I can, though I'm sure the training won't be brutal. Athena isn't Ares, which gave me a brief scare, thinking about the possibility of him being my teacher. But I quickly dismissed the thought, remembering the terrible relationship he has with his siblings and the other Olympians.
Ares is someone I hope not to meet anytime soon—his personality and violence are too problematic.
And like an angel, I drift into my glorious sleep.