The Armageddon

1. A Second Chance.

 I got out of bed and did my usual morning routine. after I was done I simply  grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and headed out to the gym where I volunteered as a swim and track coach.

My day went on fine as usual and lunch came surprisingly fast though I didn't mind because I was going to meet up with Daniel for launch today. He had been away on some business and I had really missed him.

I met up with Dan at our usual diner. A really shameless waitress who I noticed had been openly ogling Dan came to get our orders. 

'humans' I thought shaking my head mentally. What if I was his Girlfriend or something? 

Though I couldn't blame them when Dan looked like the finely sculpted Greek god that he literally is.

A few minutes later, our food came and we caught up on lost time as we ate. when we were done. we agreed to meet up at my place tonight to binge watch movies while eating junk food before going our separate ways back to work.

Even though we didn't really need to work, we still did to blend and just for the fun of it. we are aftercall deities who had riches far beyond the expectations and imaginations of any human.

the rest of the day went quickly and by the time I got back home, it was already dark.

I checked my phone and saw that it was 7:51. I got out of my car and rummaged through my bag from my keys as I headed for the door. finally, I found them and unlocked the door and stepped in.

I halted in tacks when I felt something. someone was here or had been here, I could feel it.

I flicked on the lights and looked round. this aura didn't feel like that of some simpleton human who broke in, no it was stronger and not human. another deity perhaps.

I checked my time again and I knew for a fact that it wasn't Dan because the time was 7:56 and we had agreed to meet at 8pm. Dan was never ever late or too early, he was always just on time. He was the freaking god of TIME!

something felt incredibly wrong. I switched on the remaining lights  and checked the rest of the house for any signs, but found none. I came back out front and almost had a heart attack when a voice suddenly called out.

"Hey" Dan said giving one of his goofy smiles.

"don't do that you scared me half to death" I scolded him

"you do realize that you are immortal right?" he laughed.

"of course I know that you moron" I let a heavy sigh. I could be a little at ease now that Dan was here.

"What's got you so tense? you're usually the cool and level headed one" he asked wearily.

"Don't you feel it?" I asked carefully.

"feel what?"

"That Aura. someone else was here"

"no I don't feel anything what are you talking about?"

Was I hallucinating? was this all just in my head?

"I don't feel anything strange and beside losing a few diamond  or gold earrings to a scrawny human could hardly be a problem and its no like they can kill you either. not that they could even get close enough to try it" he reasoned.

I let out another heavy sigh before relenting. he was right as he always was. but then again what I had felt wasn't human.

I decided to let it go for now, though I still couldn't shake off the feeling of dread.

"I'll find us something entertaining while you get food," Dan called from the couch. I hadn't even realized when he got there.

"fine" I said shrugging off my coat and strolling into the kitchen. I brought out the ice-cream and then put some popcorn in the microwave.

I shifted from foot to foot as I waited for it to finish popping.

"it has been a while" a deep voice said and I immediately spun to face the voice. my eyes immediately widened when I saw who it was.

he gave me a sickingly sweet smile. my mouth opened and closed like a fish. I was at loss for words.

"speechless I see" he chuckle taking a step toward me and I instinctively took two back.

how in bloody Tartarus was he here and who was holding up the earth if he was here in front of me.

I finally found a pinch of courage and my voice as I whispered "Atlas"

his smile widened "I feared you had forgotten who I was for a second there love". my heart squeezed with dread at his words.

"I know what your thinking but that isn't what you should be worried about … yet"

"Why are you here" I asked

"to take back what is mine. what is that saying that the humans have. 'Give to Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser' right?"

"that's never going to happen and you know it" I spat and he responded with a resounding bitter laugh.

"Hey Nicky who are you talkin to in there?" Dan asked strolling in and immediately halting when he saw our august visitor.

"you" he let out a shaky breath 

"Yes me" Atlas casually replayed

Dan slowly moved toward me " are you alright?" he asked me and i nodded. 

"Well Nike I thought you were smart enough to realize that because you were lucky once doesn't mean that things would always go your way."

"it has nothing to do with luck. we did it once and we will do it again if need be."

"really now?" he asked amused " this time around not even your mighty Zeus can do a sing thing to stop me as wipe your pathetic beings and your creations of this planet or any other."

"I don't know how you are even here but know that your going back wherever you crawled from or more worse'

suddenly he was in front of me. he hit me so hard I saw Zeus' thunderbolts circle my head as I was sent flying. I groaned as I stood and glared at him. he stepped towards me again but Aidon blocked his path. They exchanged a few hits and Aidon was equally sent flying.

something was weakening our powers and draining us even physically. I helped Aidon up.

" Whos planning on stopping me. you?' he let out another humorless laugh.

we tried to stand our ground against him but we were no match its like he took some power booster before coming here. at this point the house was completely destroyed and we were barely standing. he came at us again at an alarming speed and I used my wings to shield us but we still tumbled like dominos. 

we tried to call for help to any deities who could hear us but it was no use. something blocked us off.

"I think its time we ended this, I have an apocalypse to engage, and you were a rather large nuisance the last time, so ill be starting with you" atlas sneered as he pulled out a dagger.

My breathing stopped at the sight of one of the daggers of Delphi. Aidon also tensed beside me a and pushed me behind him. the daggers of Delphi were the only things capable of actually killing a god.

Even though he had the dagger, I knew that he was no match for all the gods at once especially Zeus, Poseidon and hades. that only meant one thing. He was going to release the other titans. The humans everything else were going to be involved.

There was going to be another war  and this time it would lead to an Armageddon (Apocalypse)

"Aidon I really suggest you run now" I said trying to push him away

"I'm not leaving you" he snapped.

"You have to warn the Olympians" I tried again.

"No, we'll warn them together" he said.

Aidon was like the overprotective elder brother I never had, but I didn't think he would go as far as putting his life on the line like that. I really did care about him and my fear grew when I realized that he wasn't going to move.

through out my entire existence I had seen and felt many things but fear was hardly one of them. I was always confident I would win. After all I was the goddess of victory. I was always level headed and calculative and I was one hell of a warrior too, but now I was not so sure.

"Aidon please, you have to leave. He came for me you were not supposed to be here" I begged.

Oh how the mighty have fallen I never begged before, Zeus always gave me whatever it was I desired.

"but I am here and it must be for a reason or the fates wouldn't have let it happen." he answered back.

Atlas came at me again and this time with the intention of delivering the last blow but Aidon was equally as fast as he dove in front of me and the dagger sunk into his back.

"Aidon" I screamed immediately catching him. no, this couldn't be happening. I managed to materialize my victors shield to block of his next attack and used as much force as I could to send him flying.

I crawled back to Aidon and held his body close and cradled his head. I could feel the life slowly seep out of him as I cried helplessly.

Ichor oozed out of the wound no matter how I tried to stop it. NO, no ,no, no I kept repeating. "you cannot die Aidon".

I was roughly grabbed from behind and thrown back to the ground. I knew this was the end for me too. I saw a small light, the size of firefly floating toward me and looked at Aidon. He gave me a sad smile as  his eyes finally close and my heart broke at the sight.

Alas plunged the dagger into my heart. and all I could feel was pain. He further twisted the blade in. The little light exploded into a blinding light.

"what in the bloody cosmos is that?" I heard Atlas curse before the darkness took me.

I was dead... or so I thought.

 I kept floating in darkness for what felt like hours un end. I expected to see Chiron in his little ferry waiting to take me across the river of lost souls to the underworld, but all I saw was darkness.

after a while I heard someone call out to me.

"Nike your lazing around and ignoring me again." my eyes flew open and my heard turned towards the voice and found Kore pouting at me.

"What?" I gasped taking in my surroundings.

there were no broken walls, no debris around, no wounded Aidon, no ichor spilled, no dagger of Delphi and no Atlas.

"are you alright Nike? your acting strange" Kore asked.

"I'm fine" I answered disbelievingly. I thought I was dead seconds ago and here I was sitting in a beautiful garden with my dear friend Kore.

"Maybe she has unintentionally inhaled on of those ridiculous plants your mother likes to grow in the gardens Kore" another voice said from behind. I turned to find Athena standing behind me.

"Athena?!" I asked in bewilderment.

"Yes I believe that is what I'm called" she answered coolly looking at me like I was just plain stupid.

"Are you really oaky Nike?" kore asked again.

"yes" I answered. What was going on?

"Anyway I found something the other day. come, ill show you." Kore continued.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Its a black rose. it was the most mysterious and beautiful thing I had ever seen" she gushed.

'black rose?' I thought to myself I had never seen one before either... wait a minute.

this felt familiar, this whole scene. Like de ja vu.

suddenly everything fell in place I was sent back in time.

My eyes widened at the realization of what Aidon had done. He could have saved himself but he didn't.

he gave me a second chance.