Neptuna sat in the black void with nothing but her thoughts for several hours, sorting through her thoughts and feelings in order to sort herself out. She had her mission, but she also had something she desired outside that that almost required her to abandon the mission she's been trying to complete for the better part of two centuries. There was also the real possibility that she only wanted it because she knew she couldn't have it. She began to stress out over what to do and how to move forward. For the first time she had doubts about her goal to return to godhood. If her feelings were real, there was no way for the her that is to be with the Perseus that is.
Ascension with anyone means becoming someone new and as a new god she would be restricted in her ability to interact with the mortal world. Perseus is only mortal and will one day pass into either the next life or the afterlife unless he ascends and that would mean becoming someone new just the same. There was no way for her to have a physical body besides the trident. A form that had no autonomy. She couldn't just ignore her feelings as they would get in the way of her mission regardless. Admitting her feelings would likely only complicate things with Perseus. Especially considering the possibility her feelings might not be genuine.
Neptuna could not think of a solution but decided she didn't need one right now. Perseus needed time after his last heartbreak so Neptuna could take her's to figure out how she really felt. The memory of performing Unison with Perseus floated into her mind. She looked at her hand and clenched it a few times. “That moment felt both wonderful and awful at the same time. For a brief moment we were no longer two beings but one, a lesser form of what to expect from Ascension. Together, but alone. Euphoric, but also depressing. A bittersweet experience. Maybe this is why no one has accomplished it yet. Because getting close is both the best and worst feeling one can experience.”
Neptuna is suddenly brought out of her train of thought when she hears her name called and she manifests. She finds herself in Perseus' living room surrounded by the other Armatus holders and Victor. Perseus gestures to the room. “Have you been listening to the conversation or do I need to repeat myself?” Neptuna blushed and looked away. “S-sorry, I was lost in thought for a while and wasn't paying any attention to anything outside my void.”
Perseus sighed. “To give you the short version, all of us were attacked a while back at the same time. Although not entirely intentional we were put under a simultaneous if not coordinated attack. Not only that, but Hector technically didn't win his fight. I K.O.ed the user of Jord and the girls managed to two v one the holder of Chione. We were, for lack of a better term, caught off guard. No way to call for backup. Especially bad considering Hector here is basically our white mage.”
Hector grumbles. “I can fight if I have to but Perseus is right. I'm better off being a support and healer. Also, since magic messes with tech, the moment someone takes out an Armatus nearby our cellphones are basically jammed. No outgoing calls. This means I'm our best bet for sending messages during combat if something like this happens again.” Jaclyn gives June a side eye. “Teamwork requires trust and open communication. If we can't be honest with our teammates, then maybe we should reconsider our team dynamic.”
Hector looked between the two women. “I feel like I missed something.” Jaclyn crossed her arms. “Oh, you didn't kiss ch. Just the fact that June here was pulling Perseus around by the heart strings when she already had a cowboy himbo boyfriend for about a month before he even met her. Yet she still went on test dates because she “felt bad about the miscommunication” and used the first date as a trap. She had no intention of going steady with him because he's “not her type” or whatever excuse. Yet for some reason Perseus insists on letting you stay in the team over a mutual goal.”
June crossed her arms. “You guys keep busting my chops for lack of communication and keeping secrets but what about Perseus here? What about his secrets? He tells us he saw me in a dream of another timeline somehow before we even met but hasn't given us much details. You see those dark lines under his eyes? Clearly he hasn't been sleeping well meaning these dreams haven't stopped. Not to mention I overheard Hector tell his sister that when he checked on Perseus he couldn't even read his aura and thought he was dead. Also, the fact that she bounded with him long before she manifested and the possibility of him having been a demigod in a past life explain his ability to use Unison and draw directly from his weapon with little to no damage… it doesn't explain how someone who's only had his Armatus manifested for like a month or so tops can achieve the synchronization required for Unity.”
Perseus stretched out his hand. “I'm not sure what you are implying with those accusations but the exact details of the dream aren't really relevant since we already clearly deviated from that timeline. My use of Unity was likely just a fluke from the adrenaline rush.” June raises her voice. “Bull crap. The rest of us were put into fights just as desperate as yours and none of us managed to adrenaline rush into Unity. There's something… several things you're not telling us.”
Jaclyn continued to glare at June. “Maybe you should stop beating around the bush and be forward about what exactly you are accusing Percy of.” Perseus sighs. “It wasn't exactly intentional, more I didn't see it as relevant. But I'm the other timeline I saw in a dream I was some sort of tyrant that was using the Olympic Tower as a sort of anti god EMP. He had converted it to disrupt the energy of an Armatus during the transition to a new host, killing the god. He saw humans as unworthy of the power but also felt humanity didn't need the gods lording over them. From what I recently remembered from my previous life as Natalie Tesla, long story, it wasn't hard as the original design seemed intended to create an EMP the tower itself would be protected from. That design was commissioned long before this lifetime.”
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Perseus took a few breaths. “He had a list of every Armatus he knew of with all the ones he killed crossed off. When you came to fight him the only ones that weren't besides his trident were Hecate, Typhon, Apophis, and Chronos as in the primordial of time not the Titan. I think. So I'm thinking that it wasn't an alternative future but another timeline and this timeline is the result of changes made by Chronos’ holder somehow.”
Jaclyn softened up a bit. “Okay, if that is something that happened, why would you dream about the old timeline? When did this start?” Perseus shrugged. “I don't know why, but I first had the tyrant dream when I was like seven or so. It's also not the only unusual dream I've had but it's one of a few sets with actual meaning. I also dream of the memories of my past lives, so far two. And a third thing I had several questions and concerns about. I kept that under wraps because I wasn't sure if it was a genuine concern or not because we are talking about dreams.”
June put her hand out. “See?! He was hiding stuff.” Hector groaned. “It's one thing to withhold information when you don't know everything, it's another thing entirely to do what you did.” Perseus sighs. “The last set is that there have been a few times I had a dream where I visited a figure in their sleep somehow. That figure although hasn't stated their name I believe is intended to be Typhon.” June crossed her arms. “What could you possibly have to talk about with the father and King of monsters?”
Perseus sighs. “It's not like I chose to visit him. Anyway… he complains about his imprisonment and torture I say I don't believe any punishment should be endless regardless of the crime. I also pointed out he killed lots of innocent people but due to his size and power saw us as ants. I asked him if there was anything he regretted about his choices, he said he missed his wife. Just casual conversations to pass the time. If I'm going to be stuck in the guy's prison cell for a bit I might as well pass the time somehow.”
Hector reached out his arm. “That all seems reasonable and perfectly harmless, definitely not worth starting a fuss over.” June grumbles and crosses her arms. “What about Perseus' relationship with his Armatus. You really expected us to believe you achieved Unity through adrenaline when that's not how it works?” Hector tilts his head. “Are you suggesting that the reason Percy was able to perform Unity is because he has romantic feelings for the persona of his Armatus?”
June raised her voice slightly. “I'm suggesting there's something going on and it definitely isn't normal. Almost feels like he was cheating on me from the start with Neptuna.” Victor clears his throat. “I know I'm not the best to point this out because I'm the only one without an Armatus but isn't the persona not only invisible to other people but intangible to the user? How would any sort of relationship between them work? Also accusing him of having feelings for someone just because they are the opposite gender and he spends a lot of time with them is insane. Hector is gay and I don't see you suggesting he's got feelings for Hermes who definitely swings both ways.”
Jaclyn crossed her arms and went back to glaring at June. “Victor makes several great points. It sounds to me like your projecting because you got caught. Not only are you asserting you did nothing wrong and refuse to apologize but you are also saying that if you did do something wrong Percy is just as bad if not worse. When the person you are accusing him of being involved with is someone who's literally incapable of acting physically. They couldn't do anything if they wanted to.” June crossed her arms. “Lack of physical possibility doesn't actually prevent people from developing emotional attachments.”
June then raised her voice again. “Also, on an unrelated note, does no one else find it odd that our group's unofficial leader just so happens to be the one straight white cisgender male in our group?” Victor puts up his hand. “I may be somewhat tanned but I'm mostly Greek and that's technically a kind of white.” Perseus looked at his friend. “You're also one quarter Mexican and indigenous American on your mom's side. So I personally wouldn't consider you as just a tanned white person. But the color of our skin has nothing to do with our group dynamic.”
June gives a sarcastic “Sure, you totally aren't some hopeless forever virgin loser who's using the fact he was lucky enough to get one of the big three of Greek mythology to worm your way into a position of power in your friend group. The fact that someone so average looking with nothing going for them but being taller than usual and a decent cook thought he could land someone that looks like this.” June gestured to her own well developed goth fashion clad body. “Is the sign of an undeserved ego. You don't even have a solid plan or strategy to fight MacGonagall other than “sneak into his main warehouse and start shit to smoke him out”. That's not a strategy, that's punching things till you get your way. I think this group, like this nation and the rest of the world, would be better off with a woman in charge.”
The rest of the room sat in stunned silence for a while when Perseus finally got up without a word and left the room. Victor hung his head down and shook it. “You need to leave June, as far as I'm concerned you're no longer welcome in this group. I don't care how much Percy is going to probably still insist we need you despite everything you've done and said. Not only did you mess up and refuse to admit you were in the wrong, you tried to twist the situation to make Percy the bad guy somehow. Not as a form of playing the victim, but to make him worse then you and you better by comparison. You are the worst kind of person.”
June stood up. “You're just saying that because you're a man and his best friend!” Jaclyn got up and slapped June hard. “You shut up, you shut the @#$& up right now! First you bring up some bull crap Bechdel test, now you're trying to make someone the enemy just for being a guy in an attempt to cover your own toxic behavior? You make all women and feminists look bad with that sort of behavior. Perseus may be a conflict avoiding person most of the time and he may insist we not fight with you and try to keep you as an ally and make things work regardless of our differences… but Victor is right. If Percy isn't going to defend himself from your verbal abuse, the rest of us sure as hell are.”
Jaclyn paused briefly then continued. “Perseus is our unofficial leader because he earned our trust and loyalty from his actions dating back before his weapon properly manifested. And although his strategy in this case may seem simple he's one of the smartest people I know. Sometimes the best strategy is a simple one. I assure you he's thought of factors you haven't considered like avoiding collateral damage. He's just not the best at communicating why he's chosen the location and strategy he has. The main warehouse is the biggest and has the most room to move, we could draw him out to any but he picked the one that would be easiest to maneuver and surround someone in. If you considered for more then five seconds why he decided to go with this plan of attack rather than accuse him of some sort of wrongdoing to cover your own you'd see that.”
June rubbed her face. “Well you can't accuse me of staying where I'm not wanted.” She then stormed out the door, slamming it. The rest of the room gave a collective exasperated groaning sigh. Victor then looked down the hallway. “I'll go to Percy's room and… do damage control I guess. Wouldn't be the first time. Bro really has bad luck with women.” Victor walked down to Perseus' bedroom leaving the rest of the group behind.
