Fears And Reality

Jack wasn't surprised he was alive. He was starting to think fate wanted him very much alive and was pulling all the stops to keep him that way.

What surprised him was the woman in front of him. She had a tanned skin tone that went well with her straight, dark hair that barely passed her shoulders. If she was a fruit, Jack would've gone for a pear because of how her slim body was shaped. She was fairly short, nowhere near Jack who was past six-foot, and Newt who was only slightly smaller. She looked like she was in her early twenties and her entire demeanor posed agitation. Her hands were pressed against her wide hips and her deep brown eyes looked at Jack and Newt like they were children who broke a glass vase.

"Care to explain?" she said, with a slight Indian accent.

Newt was the first to unfreeze. "We're just shooting a movie," he said, stealing Jack's lines.

"Right," the girl said. Then she reached into her jean pockets and picked out an object, throwing it at Jack as she slipped it out.

Catching it at once, Jack's head snapped up to examine her neck. She wore a black jacket, so it was hard for Jack to make out anything, but he soon glimpsed a small part of the chain around her neck.

"You're his host?" Jack asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. It earned him a glare from the girl.

"Shocked I'm a girl?" she sneered. "Should've left your sorry asses to die." She shot Jack a withering look. "And put that on or next time I'll leave you two children to handle the Stymphalians yourselves."

Looking around Jack finally realized all the birds had gone. He spotted the six feathers that should have killed himself and Newt, stuck on the ground.

"How-?" he questioned.

"Easy, I shifted us three into smoke, so those nasty feathers passed through us," she answered, lifting her head high slightly. "Then I just scared them off."

Newt nodded slowly. "Helm of Darkness."

"Glad to know one of you is thinking," the girl said. She lifted up her arms and held them up at either side of her head as if she was holding something in between. The object soon materialized on her head, gleaming in the morning sun.

It was a classic corinthian helmet. Her eyes bore into Jack from behind the almond shape eyeholes. The nose guard extended all the way to the tip of her upper lip and the edges were not curved, but straight and sharp. Jack took in the craftsmanship of the bronze helmet. It looked beaten up, but it was still in good shape.

Unable to break his gaze from her, Jack watched as a smirk appeared on her lips. Frowning, Jack blinked as spots appeared in front of him. He was blinded for a short second before opening his eyes. He was back home, lying face down on his bed. Confused he sprang up and scrambled to his drawer, searching for his amulet.

"Jack, what's going on in there," he heard his mom call from his door.

Pausing his search, he stood up and ran over to hug her. Taken by surprise, she hesitated before wrapping her arms around her only son. Pushing him backward slightly, she grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes with her grey eyes. The only similarity they bore was their slight reclusiveness. Unlike Jack who tried to keep his distance from people, his mum had gotten a job as a teacher. She wasn't still the best at connecting, but she was more than willing to relate with more people. Jack on the other hand had just woken up from a dream where he had spoken to more people than he ever had in his day-to-day life.

As far as he was concerned, his mother and Noel were all he needed.

"I'm fine mom," he said, his mind still lingering on the amulet. " Just a bad dream I guess."

Ruffling his hair, his mom proceeded to kiss his forehead. "Dreams are dreams," she chuckled, patting his head.

"Breakfast is ready by the way. Clean up before you come out to eat."

Watching as his mother left the room, Jack felt relief. All the events that had occured were all a figment of his imagination. Although for a bit, he felt gratified he was finally acknowledged by the cyclops and Newt, he was more than happy to find out everything was normal.

His joy was short-lived.

He was just about to take his eyes off his mother when the ceiling gave way. Frozen in shock, he could only watch as tons of wood and bricks crashed on her.

"MOM," he screamed, finding both his legs and voice. Flinging aside debris as he did with his clothes earlier, Jack tried to dig up his mother but he knew it was futile. The pile on top of her unmoving seemed endless. With clenched fists, Jack yelled tears streaking down his eyes. He lifted his fist to slam against the debris but met open air. He opened his eyes to see he had been dragged back into his monstrous reality.

"What the hell," Jack snarled hoarsely. The power of the helm had slipped his mind completely. Little wonder she had scared off the killer birds.

Taking her hands away from her head, the helm shimmered out of existence, exposing her face. Her long hair dropped behind her. as she smiled.

"Everyone is scared of something," she scolded. "Don't be ashamed of your fear."

Newt scoffed. "Don't try that again."

Jack noticed the older boy had gone pale. He was sure he looked like that.

"Alright," she rolled her eyes. "Just a harmless joke."

"Right," Jack muttered, clasping his amulet around his neck. "I wonder how a god like Hades tolerates you."

"You're as arrogant and rude as Zeus," she said, crossing her arms. "Also stupid."

"Kill that goddess," a voice in his head said violently. "Then jump off a cliff and kill yourself."

"Zeus I-", Jack tried to say, but the god ignored him.

"Gather these two somewhere secluded," he ordered gravely. "Now that the sons of Kronos have assembled, we have much to discuss."