Post by qpq on Mar 18, 2012 12:54:01 GMT -5
Synopsis: Cassie returns home to find the package that her mother withheld from her. Soon after she trouble appears in the form of the Minotaur who has been summoned to kill Cassie. Moving the confrontation to the newly minted golf course that was due to be open next weekend by Lex Luthor Cassie gets an assist by Diana (Wonder Woman) , who reveals to her that Hera, wife of Zeus and queen of the Greek gods, wants her dead.
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CASSIE: Much like I'd told them I would, I had taken my butt home after that scary trip to the hospital. My mind a whirling buzz, of worry for my Mom, anger that someone had done this to her, irritation that I hadn't protected her (when, why should I have had to? I'm a sixteen year old girl, and she's my 'guardian'), curiosity over what could possibly have been in that box, if it had meant anything at all. The last thing gave me something to do, as I skidded to a halt in our little backyard not so worried about not flying in public since obviously.. high up sorts had already seen and it was dark. It was unlikely the neighbors would have noticed me.
Where would Mom have hid it? If she even had. The house wasn't a lifelong home to me, where I would have already figured out every nook and cranny from a lifetime of snooping for birthday presents. Truth be told, I wasn't really a snooping for presents sort. I tended to leave things alone at least when Mom said them. Still. The place wasn't big. There were only so many places possible right? I'd looked in the top of the pantry. Under the sink, the closets, feeling guilty for ransacking the place but if it could help my Mom, or me, well. She'd get over it.
Finally, I found the box in the bottom of her dresser, covered up by neatly folded clothes. I definitely wouldn't have been in there normally, I didn't borrow my Mom's clothes. Tastes too totally different, beyond the fact that I was taller than her anyway. Tugging it out, the curiosity and nervousness spiked to a high, as I looked over the plain, but obviously very well made box, running fingers over it.
Cassandra.
My name, plastered on a card on the lid surprised me more. Maybe this wasn't it. Why would she have been so weird about something for me? Unable to stop myself, I tugged the card out, reading the flowing handwriting carefully.
Happy Birthday, daughter. For good or for bad, these will never fail you.
Not Mom's handwriting. Not her writing style. Setting aside the card I tugged the box lid up, brushing aside paper to reveal a pair of gold.. bracelets? Bracers? They were almost too big and thick to be ordinary bracelets. Carefully lifting out first one, then the other, I fastened them onto my wrists, turning them this way and that admiringly. Well. They were definitely unique.
Standing up to check them out in the mirror, I didn't quite get to the checking out portion of the plan. Turning to look in the surface on top of the dresser, instead of my reflection, there were a pair of eyes. If that hadn't been enough to send me rapidly backpedaling, taking out one side of the footboard of the bed when I wasn't minding how hard I cracked into it, then the voice would have been.
I see you.
With a holler (it wasn't a girly shriek!), righting myself, I'd taken the things back off. Hokay. Maybe I should just accept now that I actually am going crazy. It'd probably be easier to cope with. Shoving them into the front pocket of my hoodie, I'd zipped back downstairs, out the front door. I was going to go for a walk. Something I often did to clear my head out, or for exercise though...sadly the last bit it's provided no real exercise for me at all. Pausing at the edge of the driveway though, I rememberd my promise to stay here.
SOPHIA: “You’ve failed in your assignment Sophia. All the time we’ve taken to place you where you need to be and you can’t simply follow through with what needed to be done. I had to send in members of the Circle to deal with her mother. I had hoped for another solution, perhaps one that would have spared the mortals, but I see that I will need to take matters into my hands to finish this, to end it before it begins.”
Sophia remained silent the entire time. Her arms were crossed in front of her but she was in a kneeling position before the mirror. Her head was dipped down and there was more than a drop of fear inside o her. Her entire body was filled with fear. If she had not focused on not shaking she would be trembling at the moment. She knew this was out of her hands. Her patron was impatient, but how do you tell that to someone who had done some much and could end your life with a thought. At any moment her guardians could turn on her and take her life. The protection that had been offered would be removed and her blood would stain the floors.
“Mistress please give me more time. I have not crossed paths with Cassandra. We are enrolled in the same school, but it was agreed that I would not rush our meeting. I intend to be a presence in her life, but if I force it she may suspect and for what has been crafted I do not…”
Her patron was not in the mood for excuses. Her anger had gotten the better of her. She wanted the child dead along with her mother for her transgressions. Seething with anger did not begin to describe the depths of her rage. Sophia could feel it. It slid like invisible tendrils along her skin slowly making their way to her neck. It was enough to silence her. It was enough to remind her that her words would not still her patrons rage it would only encourage it. There was nothing that she could do or say that right the wrong that had been done. This was something that went beyond her relationship with her mistress and the only thing she could do for the moment was bear it all and hope that she would survive it.
That is what her mind told her to do. Silence her tongue. Keep her movements still and let it be, but she couldn’t. She needed to curry favor, she needed to draw her back to her side.
“If you wish her dead then let me aid you the best way that I can, mistress. Please. Let me continue you with my task. Let me prove my worth and allow me to remind you why I was chosen for this task. Allow me to present you with the prize that you have been denied for the past sixteen years.”
Sophia prayed that her words would help her mistress see reason. It was possible that she would find herself in Tartarus. There were no Elysian Fields awaiting her. She knew that would not be allowed not after all this time. Not after all the things that she had done to be placed in this position. She would suffer in the afterlife.
She began to speak again, but in the mirror she saw the eyes the eyes that she often prayed to. Now she sat in fear waiting almost frozen.
“I see her. She’s been given gifts from her father. She believes that they will protect her, but she has no idea what they will do for her. You have this chance to prove your worth. Call him forth. Send him to her. Her flesh will be added to his on. Her strength, her power, her essence will become his own. Call for him and let this child know from this point that her life will be nothing more than pain and torment that everything she touches will bring death and pain. Her soul will ache with what she brings upon this world by her continue existence. Show her. Do this and your life may be spared.”
May. There were no guarantees, but Sophia would take what she could get. She moved from her kneeled position moving quickly through the room towards the stairs of her home. Her “parents” turned to speak, but she said nothing disappearing down the stairs to the altar.
There before the stone altar she fell to her knees and began to praying and when she was done praying she began to chanting. She chanted to bring forth the one that would bring the girl to her knees. Her death would lead to the sparing to her life. She knew she could do this she could bring him forth because she knew the words, the correct tones and she knew that he had been waiting.
The more she chanted the closer he came, tearing through the earth making his way towards his target, Cassandra Sandsmark.
It was not something that happened immediately it took close to an hour, but when he arrived the daughter of god of the sky would know as the floor and walls of her home began to shake. The ground tremble and shook, but it was not until floor of the basement cracked apart followed by a great monstrous, bellow from down below.
CASSIE: The Ben and Jerry's wasn't making me feel better. I was just too keyed up for such a thing as ice cream to provide any comfort. Maybe I should call the number on the card, and tell them I was going back to the hospital. They might just figure it out though, if there really -were- patrol cars stationed out front like they'd said. Or the mysterious 'we'll be keeping an eye on you.' from.. well. More people than I'm actually comfortable with. I'm not sure why I feel so much like I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar when I haven't done anything wrong. When the house starts to rumble?
Well. I'm not stupid. I'm not just going to stay inside. Earthquakes were not really a regular thing here in Metropolis I didn't think. I didn't know of any fault lines here, though I'd lived in places where they were common before now. Of course, as I made for the doorway, and heard the crack of the concrete floor below, I realized that earthquakes don't really roar either.
Crap. So bullies and thugs had become more commonplace than I liked, but they weren't at my home. Things had ramped up tonight though. The attacks on my Mom and her assistants, the present that I could only assume was from the mysterious deadbeat of a Dad I had had zero contact with my entire life, who decided just now to give me these big bracelets, that had made for a creepy eyes/voice combo. I was a little...reluctant to put them on for just that reason. But the weight of them against my stomach, made my start to fasten them on, even as I walked backwards out of the house, and into the backyard. This little voice in my head telling me that this wasn't an earthquake at all.
MINOTAUR: When she moved he moved. She left the house and that probably for the best. If she had remained he would have torn through the basement. An arm slid up through the crack in the floor for a moment then pulled back down. The house shook for a moment or took then stopped. It took another few minutes before Cassie would feel the ground tremble beneath her. It shook for thirty seconds before a check of the ground was ejected into the air.
It was followed by another before the foul stench of rotted flesh began to reach her nose. There was another bellow and arm before a structure began to emerge from the ground it appeared to be a stone altar at first glance, but the closer you got the cracks in the structure revealed flesh underneath the stone. It seemed to split and seal continuously before it sealed itself. Cassie would have seen similar structures on the various digs that her mother had taken her in or some of the books that Helena had read from time to time.
After the altar erupted from the ground there was little movement. There was someone strapped to the table. Long cuts along the man’s body had been made allowing for the blood to spill slowly, but if one looked closely they would see that the man’s flesh was literally being absorbed by the stone table that the man was strapped to. There were was a gurgling sound from the man, but little else. He couldn’t move he couldn’t muster the strength to pull from the table the only thing he could do was gurgle and cough before his head fell to the side and his eyes which had become sunken in looked towards Cassie.
There was another gurgling sound, but what he was saying couldn’t be made out. At one point of time he had been the picture of health. Now he felt weak and prayed for death to take him but it never did. He began to pull his head up trying to muster the strength, but as he did there was a sticky sound made that continued the more he pulled his head up. It was his flesh it was pulling away from his skull. Skin and muscle pulled apart stretching through the air as the man tried to pull himself up.
“Grrrrh arrrh. “ Was all that slipped from his lips as a large part of his scalp pulled off the back of his head snapping back to the table.
“Rrurrrr. Ruuurrr…” He repeated over and over until it became clear what he was saying. “Ruuuuun.”
CAASSIE: As the rumbling continued, I couldn't help but wonder how long this was going to go on before I drew an awful lot of attention to myself. Or. It drew it to me, I suppose. Since I was fairly sure causing earthquakes wasn't something that I could do. When the chunk of earth came flying up, and then the other, I flew up into the air, trying to make sure they didn't land on anything, or anyone. Despoiting them harmlessly into the yard.
"Oh...God..."
Clapping a hand over my mouth when the reek hit my nose, and very nearly gagging in the process, eyes wide above the hand as something came out of the fissure. I didn't need a reference to tell me what the thing was. But why was there an alter in my yard? Did this have to do with what had happened at the museum? Disgust turns to horror when I realize that there's a man on the surface of the alter, and compassion wars with caution, as I dart in, trying to find some way to remove him from it. Watching sickly, as he lifts his head and the skin seems to not go with it, I rethink the plan, in the middle ofstretching out my hands to him, gross or not, to try and pull him off. If I do... I'd probably only end up ripping him off.
"....I'm so sorry..."
It's not me that put him here, but the fact that I don't know what to do about it is awful. WhenI finally make sense of what he's saying though.
Run? Running doesn't seem like the sort of thing I'd do. It'd make sense of course, to run from something like this in your yard. But one look around the normally quiet neighborhood, at my own house, at the next door neighbors with their small children, the elderly couple across the street... the rumbling had seemed to follow me out here, from inside. I can only hope that much of a hunch is right. Flipping the hood back off my head, of my jacket so it doesn't get in my way, I push effortlessly off the ground and into the air (so much easier the more I do it..), rocketing through the dimly lit sky. Not to the school. Not near the shopping centers.. I don't want to go too far in case the thing ...whatever it is...follows me above ground for ease.
Selecting the open sprawl of a golf course, a country club for one of the nearby groupings of homes that's much nicer and more expensive than my own, but where...probably a lot of my classmates live with their income brackets.. I set down again on the wide green. Fidgeting as I wait.
MINOTAUR: There was no way he was going to lose Cassie now. He had her scent. He would find her no matter where she went. She went into the air and he moved down pulling the helpless victim with him. The gurgling man that was being slowly devoured disappeared under the ground and he was on the move. He was a creature of myth at least to the humans he would be seen as a myth. His creation story had been told many times as did the story of his demise, but with all stories even the tales of Grimm they rarely wondered about what happened after wards. Could a monster such as him have a soul could there be some essence left that someone could work with to allow him to live again?
The simple answer would is yes. If it weren’t possible he wouldn’t be tracking a teenager at this moment. He stopped in the tunnel that run beneath the city. It had been carved and carefully made as not to disturb anyone, but he waited for the moment as he could not do nothing to her when she was in the air at least while he had not revealed himself completely.
When she touched down on the green of the golf course he knew she was there. He could feel her through the ground, through the land there was a connection. He was no longer a creature of mere flesh, bone and blood he had been brought back through the workings of magic. He still feasted on the flesh of humans, but there was more. Now they became a part of him literally. Over two hundred sacrifices had been made upon his altar. He could hear them, feel them and they all became overpowered by his need for blood and flesh. They became addicted to his need for destruction. They only added to his already incredible strength.
The man upon his back was slowly dying and it was not an easy death it was painful. It was pure torture, but a beast of this kind did not know love and compassion he knew only pain, rage and destruction so when he arrived beneath the golf course he began to push his through dirt and stone weakening it in the process until he emerged from the ground with another great bellow. The altar emerged again but it did not rise up out the ground as it had don’t before. It was vertical not horizontal and it was attached to him. He pulled himself out of the ground with his hands which appeared to shift from hoof to hand over and over again along with the spikes of ice around them along with the stone. His horns tore through the ground as his maw came into sight with the jagged teeth.
The beast that Thesus slew before was gone in its place stood a horror that almost as tall as a four or five story building when it stood on two legs. When it reached he reached his full height he released another great below. Eyes glowing when it turned to find Cassie and the first thing it did was drive it’s left front hoof down on her threatening to crush her.
CASSIE: It didn't take very long for the whole thing to start all over. Obviously it had tracked me down, and glancing at the gold bracelets I wonder if maybe they were a trick, or a trap. It was suspicious to begin with, all of this, but if that's what it was...done was done. I didn't dare waste the time to take them off, not with a freakin' minotaur shuddering up out of the ground. They were myths... or supposed to be anyway. All stories that I knew all too well, since the Greek ones had always been some of my favorites. And not just because Hollywood liked to make terribly awesome movies out of them, like Clash of the Titans. The old one. Not the new notsocampy version.
Brow furrowed, as I back up a step or five, the thought enters my head to put the man out of his misery. I don't know if I even can. I've never killed anyone before. In fact part of my big concern with the powers when they came, was that I might just do that sort of thing on accident. But I don't have much time ponder on it. Not when now that it's emerged, the monster is wasting absolutely no time on setting about squishing me.
I just don't stay meekly put, of course. Diving to the side seems a good plan. Rolling out of the way only to come up on my feet again. Circling behind to try and get a feel for how fast it might have been. I'm guessing 'pretty damn' if it got here as quickly as I did. Through the ground. Magic? Suspension of disbelief, something Conner'd asked of me when I'd talked to him, if I can believe I have super powers, and that there's a freakin' minotaur trying to squish me, I can believe in magic. At least for now.
But what am I going to ... do about it. Jumping into the air again, I zip around behind it, grabbing hold of an edge of the alter, seeing if I can muscle that free at least.
MINOTAUR: The Minotaur’s fist that came down upon the ground hard sinking deep into it not because it was soft, but because that was the amount of strength the creature had placed behind it. Despite its size it was quick to react twisting at the waist to see where his target it went. The fiery glowing eyes were joined by a similar glowing opening in the chest. It seemed where every there was a crack on the beast there was a glow and when you got closer to it there was some heat, but there was flesh beneath it, flesh that moved of its own accord. It shifted and pulsated almost like the muscle underneath was going to dart out and attack.
The entire thing was a mess and how it moved and did not come part at all seemed to be unnatural, but the beast itself was composed of all natural things, rock, ice, fire, flesh, and if one could get through the flesh and blood that ran through its body they would hit bones, but it was dense. Everything about it said that it should be lumbering about, but much like its father the minotaur could move leisure but when least expected it would move with fare more speed than one would think it should.
It snorted a bit and let out another horrifying sound as it bellowed. It could not find her because she was in the air again causing him to turn both his body and his head when he turned again Cassie was going for the altar. The man was still there and he was even less of a living creature than he had been before. Flesh was almost gone and bone was showing in several places. His eyes still moved he seemed to be melded into the table. Half of one foot was hanging out of the stone table upon the creatures back along with a leg on the opposite side. He appeared to be bent at the waist so his torso and head was still sticking out of the table, but his arms and hands were completely absorbed. Most of his upper half had been stripped of its flesh revealing the rib cage and organist within. His had patches of flesh missing, but it was apparent the brain had not been removed yet.
He moved a little, but his eyes which were piercing blow began to glow like the creatures and he began to let out a sound that was no longer human. It was very reminiscent of the sound from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The man was gone he was being assimilated, or already was and he just alerted the beast to where his target was.
“CASSIE NO!” A voice called from out from the darkness.
At that same moment the table split apart and the man lurched out towards Cassie, but his legs were gone. His torso, arms and head was there, but that muscle tissue that could be seen through the cracks along the creature body made up the rest of the man’s body.
CASSIE: I haven't really played around with how far my abilities go, how strong I am, I have more than an inkling, given the accidental destruction I'd caused to a few inanimate objects. And how easily I'd done it, but I'd never really, really tried before. Now seems like the good opportunity because... nothing should be able to punch into the ground that easy. Not with the dampening effect of dirt, and grass.
"...disgusting...'
The poor man looks beyond my help. Even worse, it looks, and sounds, like he's become a part of oit, as much as all of the rest. So what the hell am I supposed to do? I don't have any fancy king's sword. I've got my fists. I've got... God what else do I have. Feet. Shoulders. The thing looks way too spikey to attempt to pile drive without impaling myself potentially. Giving up on tearing the alter away, wary of any reaching fists, and then jerk when I hear someone yelling my name.
"Stay back!"
I don't know who it is out there.. obviously they know who I am but that could be... anyone. I guess it's easy enough to narrow down. I'd guess anyone from school would be running in terror (the smart thing to do) any of the people that I'd met who had superpowers would...ideally be helping me right now.
"...oh God, really..."
Minotaur I could actually mentally deal with better than ..I guess that was sort of like a zombie. A legless, reaching zombie. Skirting out of reach I land myself on top of the minotaurs head, hoping I can move fast enough toavoid it touching me. I'm going to go on a limb here and assume that zombiething touching me might start that same process on me. Grabbing hold of one horn, and planting my sneakered feet hard into it's skull, I heave to the side. Like twisting the cap off a bottle, hopefully it'll send it off kilter. Or rip a horn off. Hooray weapons.
DIANA: "Why me mother? This is not our matter. This is not why I left our. This is going against..." When her mind set there was little that could change it. She left to learn not become entangled in the matters of the gods. Especially one that went against the wishes of one of their patrons. This could raw her ire upon them and it was the last thing that she wanted to do.
"Diana I ask you this of you as your mother, but if this is the way it needs to be handled then I order you as your Queen. This is not request. This child is very important she must live even if it means to side against Hera. You must trust me on this. " There was no turning it away now. There was no ignoring it. She would have to involve herself against her better judgement. She wanted more information, but the information she had been provided had not earned any sympathy, because people know. There had been enough stories, but what's done is done and she gave her word that she would do this. She could not step aside. Her wordbond would not allow it.
That was several months ago and now. She was calling out for Cassie to make sure that she would not make a mistake, because mistake would be costly. She knew magic. Diana of all people knew magic she would not say she was well versed it in but she knew it and it knew her. Her voice came clear through the night air as she approached.
"Back away Cassie!" She told her not because she wanted to be the one to down the creature, because the creature would bring her down with it. The fissures within it's stone skin were at it's command. The moment her sneaker touched it to give her leverage it cracked apart so it could unleash it's inner flesh upon her. The muscle and sinew would wrap around her leg to draw her and absorb her in much expedient manner than it had the man that had been strapped to the altar if she wasn't quick enough.
Diana did not have a chance to take in the creature as it was to see what horror had been wrought ancient magics and the hands of gods. No time it wasn't her job to consider that not now. Her job was to get Casandra Sandsmark out of harms way which is why she approached from the rear and slammed right into the creature. The sound of the impact was loud enough to be heard clear across Metropolis.
Between Diana's impact and Cassie's twisting maneuver the Minotaur stumbled then began to fall down towards the ground. It's horn did break off but the Minotaur crashed through the ground landing in the tunnel that it had carved through the earth. The ground above the tunnel had been weakened so it was done for the moment.
Unfortunately the horn that Cassie claimed for her prize had been apart of the creature and had it been the Minotaur as it was there would be no problem and it could be used as an effective weapon against the creature. However as some of Diana's associates had dubbed things with numbers this was the Minotaur 2.0 and as such the the horn began to produce arms and legs taking humanoid shape ready to attack Cassie.
CASSIE: I didn't need to be told twice. Or I should say, I didn't need to be smart to know that standing there was quickly a bad plan. The stuff creeping up on me was a pretty good indicator, and it was probably mostly thanks to the fact that it was already tumbling, the woman coming out of nowhere (well, not nowhere, whereever her voice had sounded from), to plow into the thing. Still hanging onto the horn, I'd jetted myself off with a lurch. Losing a sneaker to the minotaur in the process, but I could accept a shoe over ...all the rest of me.
"It's just going to follow me!...augh!"
It was sprouting legs. Why couldn't this at LEAST have been like the one from the stoires, and not some amalgamation of a really bad Resident Evil movie and Greek legend? Hurling it away from me, I hover back a few paces anyway. So. Quick brute force? It seemed to absorb anything that touched it for long so finding big boulders to drop on the thing was probably out. Wrenching a branch off a nearby tree, I send it hurling boomerang style (thank you Mom, for the trip to meet the aborigines) at the WalkingHornMonstrosity.
I'd like to demand what this thing is doing coming after me, but I think Twenty Seven Thousand Questions, assuming she has any answers for me, can wait until after.
DIANA: Diana had came in as fast as she could, but the creature only fell over. Pushing herself up from the ground quickly she looked towards the hole it fell through. The idea that the Minotaur was stunned was unfortunately the last on the list of possibilities. The ground was already shaking which meant that it was tracking Cassie again. Diana knew the dangers from observing the creatures actions it wanted to take Cassie in whether by maw or body.
There were dozens of things that they could try, but only one that Diana believed would work. Only one that she was willing to try rather than use brute force on the creature and attempt to pummel it to death or lead it to a bay and hope that could used to some advantage. They were strong enough to send it to the ground then they should be strong enough to do what she was planning.
Moving towards the air she reached to the side removing her lariat while approaching Cassie. She did not want her to run away only stand clear from the creature. There was much that Cassie was going to have to learn and probably not as quickly as either of them would hope. She could only pray for forgiveness for what was being done. She knew the girl would have questions, but would it be onto her to answer them? Should she be the one to reveal why this was happening?
Diana almost wanted to curse her mother for many things, most of all for involving her, but wasn't this what she was meant to be doing? Yes and no, but that was a discussion for another time when she reached Cassie after the younger woman dispatched the horn creature she offer her one end of the golden lariat. The minotaur was on the move rising out of the earth like some hellish creature from a child's nightmare.
"Whatever you do, do not let go of your end of the lariat no matter how much it may burn, even if it begins to cut you hold on." She told her. "You may even want to wrap around one of your arms if necessary." Because they were going to need all of the strength and power to make this happen.
"We're going to bring him down and before you ask. No I don't know if this is going to work. I don't know if it's going to end it, but it's something and better than anything else we have at the moment. We're going to catch it at it's neck going in the opposite direction that it's facing and when we're behind it we're going to cross and head in the opposite directions and pull. Pull to it pops."
Any questions? If not Diana was already in the air waiting for Cassie so they could bring the Minotaur down.
CASSIE: Golden lasso? Okay, that's kind of neat. Where do people get the toys like this anyway? Though, a glance at my bracelets, and at her own bracers, pops up another few questions that I will try to get answered later.
"Like catching a tiger by the tail."
Once you got it, it's a very, very bad idea to let go. Or so they say. I've never attempted it. Taking the end, I don't actually need the prompting to start doing exactly what she suggested. Hoping that the bracelets are sturdier than real gold generally is, I wind the golden rope around and around my wrist, hoping it'll protect me from getting it snapped off like a twig. The suggested method, though, reminds me a little of slicing cinnamon rolls with dental floss. The mental imagery, however, is a whole lot more gory.
"Ready."
Gripping the end, and my slack tightly with both hands, I take to the air as well, waiting for the giant ugly to give us a target.
DIANA: There were several thoughts running through Diana’s mind at the moment. One was that the Minotaur needed to be neutralized. This was going to draw far more attention than she or Superboy wanted. She knew what he meant by telling her that N.O.W.H.E.R.E was watching Cassie. It meant at any moment they would decide what type of threat she was and act accordingly. Diana was hoping that she would be able to speak with her discreetly about everything and make a decision how she would proceed with the truth.
With this incident there was not a doubt in her mind that they would come from Cassie, because of the potential threat. She wouldn’t say that she was the expert on that particular organization, but she knew enough to know that Cassie was in danger in more ways than one.
However, before any of that could be addressed they needed to deal with one enraged minotaur. Watching as the beast continued to emerge from the hole in the ground Diana hovered in the air nodding to Cassie’s analogy. She wanted to make sure that they gave it enough time to get clear of the hole or it would simply either try to slip away or slip back down dragging them back down with it. Once it was clear Diana pushed forward.
She trusted Cassie would do her best. Diana was already wrapping her lariat around her arm to ensure it didn’t slip through her fingers. Moving straight to the creature on one side of its head she flew swiftly making it past it’s left ear. The broken horn was an odd sight, but not one to get caught up as she pulled around and readied herself to shoot to the right.
It was a simple cutting technique, but given the Minotaur’s dense tissue they would have to pull as hard as they could as they few past one another.
CASSIE: 'm not so much thinking about the what's coming after, right now. I'm not even thinking about my questions so much, though they're an ever present buzz at the back of my mind regardless. They're going to have to wait though, I need to focus if I want to be able to ask them at all after this. It sounded like a good plan anyway, so I'm all for giving it a go.
As Diana goes at it from the left, I take the right, accelerating once I'm sure that my forward momentum isn't just going to be more like a pulley, than a garrote, and potentially pull the woman backwards. I have no idea how strong she actually is, other than she did a pretty great job helping me knock the thing down. Once we've criss crossed, I don't ask if she's ready. This was her plan. I'm assuming she's more ready than me. Flying forward with as much speed as I can muster...
It's been a matter of months since anything had really, actually hurt me. I'd gotten far too strong for it, and had to pick up the smooth act of saying 'ow' when something should have, so I didn't get looked at funny. This though. This hurts. As the rope gets tighter, as we pull, I can feel it ratcheting down around my hand, the lariat providing enough friction that... I think it's doing exactly what she warned me about. I don't let go though.
"Nnn..."
Heaving again, I keep going, waiting to either suddenly have a whole lot of slack or for a really nasty 'squorlch' sound. Possibly both.
DIANA: It's only a moment, less than a fraction of a second that passes before Diana moves in the opposite direction they pass each other quickly, but don't collide. Diana keeps going until she gets resistance, but she braces herself for the recoil but willing herself forward through the air. She doesn't look back to see how Cassie is doing, because that's not her job. Her job is to keep herself and bringing the Minotaur is keeping her safe.
She can't worry at this moment that Cassie is untested that she's relying on her wits and things that she's learned in the past to help her. If there is pain Diana can't feel it, because her focus is the girl and removing the Minotaur as a threat. It's not about pain. It's not about he fact that the lariat is digging into her flesh. Flesh can be mended. Once Cassie dies she would face a never ending hell that no one could save her from.
"Your word Diana. That you will protect this girl from the threat she will face. Your word that you will do as your Queen commands."
Command. She was commanded to do this. Not something that her mother would say or do often. She pulls even harder as the stone skin begins to give. It can't be a slow cut it can't dig through it because it might mend. She could feel herself gnashing her teeth and she wanted to cry out, but she couldn't because the aid she would ask for would fall on deaf ears. She was defying a patron, a goddesses,t he goddesses for a bastard child.
She could bring ruin to her own people over this and yet she would not yield she would not give anything but her best and more. She pulled tighter even as she felt that first tinge of pain and with a squorch sound the lariat crossed again until it was pulled straight. It was followed by a thunderous sound when the Minotaur's body hit the ground.
Its head was sent into the air and landed close to fifty yards away.
CASSIE: C'monc'monc'mon...
Focusing on pulling harder is a helluva lot better than dwelling on the first real pain. I'm tough though, I can handle a little rope burn, I'm pretty sure. It's sure going to be better than dead. I don't even really cringe when the sound that I was waiting for finally hits my ears over the buzz of adrenaline. Ew. It's still ew.
When I hit the end of the rope, I get my answer as to which of the two of us is stronger/faster I suppose. Because once it snaps taught, I get yanked backwards, and a bit stunned I land in an embarassing heap. Great. Way to put in a good showing, Cass.
Righting myself, I don't dare let go yet. Plus I'm pretty sure prying it off my arm is going to hurt, and I don't want to have to do it twice.
"Is...that it? Should we separate the parts more? Chuck the head in...god I don't know...."
DIANA: Diana has still be pulling when it gave. She shot forward, but she stopped herself before she went too far. Cassie it seems didn’t have much luck in that department.
She flew back towards the girl while gathering her lariat. She slipped back to her side landing beside the girl. She looked her over and nodded. “As best I can tell, but I rather not take any chances. I will need to dispose of the head. It’s not a hydra it will not grow another.” Magic was involved, but given the fact that the head was not walking its way back towards it’s body it was done.
The bone figure that began to attack her after changing into a humanoid had returned to its original state. In fact everything did. The minotaur lost its head. It lost its mind. It lost the one part that was keeping it together. The hundreds of sacrifices were slowly spilling out of the cracked stone skin if the creature as decomposed flesh. It left an awful stench. Unfortunately Lex Luthor’s new golf course was going to have to be shut down indefinitely for this to be cleared.
It was quite unpleasant, but Diana focused on the girl. She needed to be some place safe, but there was also the head she didn’t want to take a chance. She had to make a choice.
“I need to get you some place safe. Somewhere you can’t be seen for the time being.” By anyone.
“I need you to trust me Cassie. I know there are questions but for the moment I need to dispose of the head and I cannot do that until I get you some place safe and you will need to stay put because there are more eyes on you than you would like and from what you can see they go beyond the mortal ones.”
CASSIE: "Oh. Well. That's something."
Freakin' A. Hydras are real too? I don't dwell on that long, or the invariable 'if X is real, than what about Y and Z?' that hit my brain. I don't get a chance to. Or do I need to ask what to do about the body because I'm going to assume you don't want to just leave the hulk of a minotaur laying around to...
As much awesome self control over not freaking out I have shown so far today, all things considered? I just about lose what Chunky Monkey I had eaten while I was at my house stewing. Hrk. No. Okay. I'm fine. Really. Gingerly unwinding the lariat from around my arm, wincing as I pry it from where it had dug into my skin.
"Are we talking like, creepy eyes in a mirror being all 'Hey, what's up?'"
Okay. Not what they'd actually said. Picking myself up, I do what I can to avoid touching anything. The flying part helps.
"...like how long are we talking?"
DIANA: “You escaped with probably some cuts and bruises. Skin rubbed raw by the lariat. You’ll survive.” She offered. “The only thing I can tell you that is that it is going to get much worse and I highly doubt it will get better any time soon, but you’re here. That much I am certain of. You’re here and you’ll continue be here.” Cassie showed promised, but the worse thing she could do right now is let her know. Cassie could not afford to go out into the world believing that she was invincible. She was at that age when she would believe just that.
Instead Diana stayed with the caution.
“At most a couple of hours. I want it far enough away that we do not have to deal with it immediately. Perhaps I’ll dump in Jersey.” She actually smirked, but it lasted only for a few moments before she went serious again.
“I’ll escort you somewhere I know you’ll be safe and you’ll have the protection that you need until I can get back and then we’ll start the question and answer portion of our evening. I can see it there. A thousand questions that you need answers too. You deserve the answers and believe, Cassie you will get them.”
Moving back into the air she waited for Cassie before she began heading in the direction that would take her to the safe place.
CASSIE: If anything, the cuts and rope burns were a pretty darn good reminder that I was not invincible. On the other hand. We just killed a giant monster out of legend. Which was pretty amazing. Conner had told me the first time I'd met him, that I'd be needing to make a choice about the fact that, I had the abilities, they weren't going away, and I had to decide what I wanted to do with them. It seemed like that was what so much was going to hinge on, huh?
"Oh, well. Jersey won't notice a little more trash, right?"
Why anyone would want to watch that show they put on there is beyond me. I'd turned it off five seconds into the first time I'd been coerced into giving it a shot. I could find non-famous imbeciles to watch if I was that desparate. Probably at he park. Or my school.
"A couple hours? Oh. Okay. I can do that. Just. Let me get my phone. In case."
I didn't want to be away long. Not with my Mom as she was. Otherwise, I was willing to go into a little bit of hiding for a couple hours, if it meant I was going to get some answers.
DIANA: “Leave your phone. I can handle that,” Diana informed her. “Your phone can be traced and you have more than a minotaur after you. You’re being watched, Cassie. What you’re able to do has placed you on list you do not want to be on. The moment you’re contact they’ll know where you are. This attack will change your status. I know it’s not your fault, but the people that Superboy works for won’t see it that way. It’ll just be another reason why you should ally yourself with them and from what little I know of them you don’t want to associate them. What they can offer you help pales in comparison to what you’ll lose.” There was no other way to put it. If there was anything she needed to let Cassie know what was out there waiting for her.
“I know you’re concerned about your mother. I know she’s on your mind considering everything that’s happened, but right now I need you to trust me when I say that you will need to leave your phone behind. You should destroy it. I’ll have a phone that you will be able to use and you will be able to check in to make sure your mother is alright.” She waited still for Cassie to prepare to follow her. When she was ready Diana would take her to the only place that she could.
There were so many precautions to take and even though she knew that there were dozens of way for her to be found she needed to at least take a few precautions. “I rather err on the side of caution than tell myself that I didn’t do everything possible to keep you at harm’s way. Even now I’m sure they’ve sent someone to intercept us both. If I understood what was relayed to me I believe we’ll have safe passage to a point, but there are others who will not be as forgiving. “
All of this was being told as they moved through the maze of the city until they reached Suicide Slums. Great place to be, but sometimes you never knew where you were going to end up. She landed in an alley waiting for Cassie. She was quite certain that the younger Sandsmark didn’t hang out in this area of the city, but if anything she would be able to handle herself.
“Think of it as a safe house of a different kind.” She offered another smile while knocking at the door of the building they landed behind. They stood before a metal door with slot at the top that appeared to slide away from the inside. After a few seconds it moved revealing a pair of green eyes that looked down them both over.
The cover was moved back into place and the sound of locks being undone could be heard. Once all the locks were undone the door opened and an old woman appeared on the otherside.
Diana raised her hand before spoke expressing what she wanted without uttering a word. The older woman nodded and motioned for Cassie to walk inside. Once she was inside Diana followed and the old woman lock the door once again.
“This is Cassandra Sandsmark. She goes by Cassie. Cassie this is Odessa. She is a dear friend and she can be trusted. She will allow no harm to come to you.”
Odessa offered a kind smile, but it was her eyes. They were as sharp now as they ever were. She was shorter than both Cassie and Diana and she was looked like a slip of a woman, but despite her age was beyond Cassie’s mother she moved quickly heading down the hall towards the first door on the right. The building itself was a brownstone that had been converted into an apartment building, two apartments on the bottom and one apartment each on the second and third floors.
When they walked into the apartment the tv was already discussing the events that occurred at the golf course and at Cassie’s house.
“It seems that the two of you made the evening news. I shouldn’t be worried should I Diana?”
“No more than the usual.” She offered while she walked over towards the console table that was behind the couch. It seemed that Diana had been here before. Removing one of the phones from the drawer she walked back to Cassie and placed it in her hand.
“Use this to contact the hospital. Ask to speak with Nurse Shoaf. She will keep you alerted on your mother’s status. Stay inside until I return. This is a safe place Cassie. It will protect you from those the Minotaur served. Everyone else like the people from N.O.W.H.E.R.E, well the less calls you make the better.”
The apartment didn’t appear to be too out of the ordinary, but of course they were in the back of the apartment rather than the front of it. It seemed to be able a den or family room that could be accessed from the rear of the building.
“Don’t worry Diana. We’ll be fine. I’ll make her something to eat or let her get some rest.”
CASSIE: I don't point out that it hadn't been my phone that had let them find me the first time, I very rarely made many calls on the thing to begin with, and I hadn't even had it with me for my first run-in, the first time I'd even heard of nowhere. Or the fact I don't think a few walls are going to make a whole lot of difference in the face of what I encountered so far, but I was going to extend a certain amount of trust anyway. So I followed Diana, wondering who exactly it was that had made her my appointed guardian of sorts. Maybe she just wanted to keep me safe because when it came down to it, I'm a sixteen year old girl. A very powerful one but still.
But the timing with finding the early birthday present, which I can only assume is from the other, never mentioned parent of mine, seems just way too convenient. By the time we land, I had a vague idea of where we are. Not an area I came to a lot, but I was fairly familiar with the city as a whole, at this point. Tucking my hands into my pockets, I wait to see what else I'm about to get into.
"Nice to meet you."
Taking the phone, I tuck it into my sweatshirt, I'll make the call when I get a moment to myself. IF I do. Or at least, I'll settle for half privacy.
"..who did the minotaur serve?"
More of them, there was more of them, wasn't there? Maybe not exactly like it but she'd said hydras. Part of me wishes my Mom was awake to tell that these things were real. Of course. I've also got the hurdle to clear of 'so, guess what. Super powers. I've got 'em.'
"I'm okay on food. I. Don't think I could eat right now anyway. But thank you."
DIANA: Diana knew that this could go either way. With everything that occurred she knew that Superboy would be pressured to bring in Cassie. There had been far too much damage done. The girl was a target on so many levels. There was so much she should have been told. So much that should have been explained. She should have been told not kept in the dark with people hoping for the best.
She knew that a switch of phones wouldn't do much with government agencies are already have individuals in their rank that can hear across vast distances and see through walls, but she had to do what she could to prevent other individuals from seeking her out.
With everything settle or at least believed to be settled she was stopped in her tracks not by Cassie, but by Odessa. She could feel her hand at her arm holding her still. Diana could easily escape the grasp, but she respected Odessa far too much to do so. Shifting her eyes from Odessa to Cassie she remained silent for a moment or so before she spoke and even then she did not want to say because it would only raise the girls awareness which would in turn lead to more questions.
"Diana, it's time. She deserves an answer. You wish for her to wait, to be patient. Meet her half way. Use the wisdom that you have been blessed with, child."
She thought of it for only a moment the barest of seconds before she turned to Cassie. Walking over towards Cassie she looked into her eyes nodding.
"The same being that the group warriors who attacked your mother serve, Hera wife of Zeus, Queen of the gods, patron of my people. You have been marked for death Cassandra."
CASSIE: This place is cozy enough, and I think now that the adrenaline's worn off I could probably manage to if not relax, at least settle down. After I ask Odessa for something for my hands, if they have anything anyway. Part of me wants to assume though that super tough means it takes a lot for things to affect me, good or bad.
When Diana walks back over though, and offers me an answer I wasn't expecting to actually get right this second, my eyes go wide in disbelief.
"What?! Whose cheerios did I accidentally piss in?" Pausing. Because while I'm upset I don't really need to be offensive. Patron gods.. "Er. Sorry. Why?"
I can't think of anything I have done that would warrant that. I've never stolen, I don't cheat on my math test, I didn't actually believe in the gods as...actually existing entities. Archaeologist mother or not, seeing all these sites or not, I'd gone along with what she had told me, and what everyone else did. They were beings that people made up, to explain the things that they could not. Nothing more.
DIANA: The very conversation that she was attempting to stave off was starting to emerge. She couldn’t say that it wasn’t the time or the place for it, because it was exactly the time and place for it. “They are not perfect beings. They are as flawed and short sighted as we are. I have felt their wrath before. “ Diana was not concerned for her own welfare when it came to opposing the gods it was her people’s safety that she was concerned for.
“There is a reason and before you ask me if the reason makes it right. No, it does not.” Even though there may be a reason it does not justify the actions that have been taken.
“I will share with you what you wish to know, Cassie. That is a promise, but I must dispatch of the Minotaur’s head before someone decides that they know better and do something that could make a bad situation worse. Order your questions and by the time you have done so I will have return and we can talk.” She wanted to answer her, but if Diana told her then she would never be allowed to leave because it would be a lot for Cassie to take in and with her mother in the conditions she’s in she would not risk that.
CASSIE: Hands lift to my temples to unconsciously rub at them in frustration, only for me to stop short, remembering my hand and the burns. I settle instead for squinting.
"I'll see if I can't organize them into a flow chart or something."
There was an awful lot of them before, now there's even more. But I'd done the whole calm under pressure thing all day. Well. For most of it. Why stop now, right?
"Be careful."
DIANA: It was a lot to take in and between everything that Diana had observed since she met Cassie she could appreciate the maturity that the young woman was displaying. There would be a point when it would become too much and she would need to let it all go, but that moment had not come and Diana was quite impressed with that. It would be a lot for anyone to bear, but to take it all in stride that spoke much to her character.
What she lacked in training she made up for in maturity, patience and inner strength.
She was also making small jokes which Diana knew from her own experience helped. It’s not every day you’re told that you’ve been marked for death by a goddess. Usually someone had to be convinced that the gods were real, but given the fact that a large enraged minotaur attempted to kill you that would probably remove any doubt that may have existed.
However despite everything Diana had a feeling that someone as intelligent as Cassie would put the pieces together. It was just a matter of time given all the information she had been provided so far.
“I will. Stay safe and always be on guard.” Diana glanced towards Odessa who nodded and then took her leave.
----
CASSIE: Much like I'd told them I would, I had taken my butt home after that scary trip to the hospital. My mind a whirling buzz, of worry for my Mom, anger that someone had done this to her, irritation that I hadn't protected her (when, why should I have had to? I'm a sixteen year old girl, and she's my 'guardian'), curiosity over what could possibly have been in that box, if it had meant anything at all. The last thing gave me something to do, as I skidded to a halt in our little backyard not so worried about not flying in public since obviously.. high up sorts had already seen and it was dark. It was unlikely the neighbors would have noticed me.
Where would Mom have hid it? If she even had. The house wasn't a lifelong home to me, where I would have already figured out every nook and cranny from a lifetime of snooping for birthday presents. Truth be told, I wasn't really a snooping for presents sort. I tended to leave things alone at least when Mom said them. Still. The place wasn't big. There were only so many places possible right? I'd looked in the top of the pantry. Under the sink, the closets, feeling guilty for ransacking the place but if it could help my Mom, or me, well. She'd get over it.
Finally, I found the box in the bottom of her dresser, covered up by neatly folded clothes. I definitely wouldn't have been in there normally, I didn't borrow my Mom's clothes. Tastes too totally different, beyond the fact that I was taller than her anyway. Tugging it out, the curiosity and nervousness spiked to a high, as I looked over the plain, but obviously very well made box, running fingers over it.
Cassandra.
My name, plastered on a card on the lid surprised me more. Maybe this wasn't it. Why would she have been so weird about something for me? Unable to stop myself, I tugged the card out, reading the flowing handwriting carefully.
Happy Birthday, daughter. For good or for bad, these will never fail you.
Not Mom's handwriting. Not her writing style. Setting aside the card I tugged the box lid up, brushing aside paper to reveal a pair of gold.. bracelets? Bracers? They were almost too big and thick to be ordinary bracelets. Carefully lifting out first one, then the other, I fastened them onto my wrists, turning them this way and that admiringly. Well. They were definitely unique.
Standing up to check them out in the mirror, I didn't quite get to the checking out portion of the plan. Turning to look in the surface on top of the dresser, instead of my reflection, there were a pair of eyes. If that hadn't been enough to send me rapidly backpedaling, taking out one side of the footboard of the bed when I wasn't minding how hard I cracked into it, then the voice would have been.
I see you.
With a holler (it wasn't a girly shriek!), righting myself, I'd taken the things back off. Hokay. Maybe I should just accept now that I actually am going crazy. It'd probably be easier to cope with. Shoving them into the front pocket of my hoodie, I'd zipped back downstairs, out the front door. I was going to go for a walk. Something I often did to clear my head out, or for exercise though...sadly the last bit it's provided no real exercise for me at all. Pausing at the edge of the driveway though, I rememberd my promise to stay here.
SOPHIA: “You’ve failed in your assignment Sophia. All the time we’ve taken to place you where you need to be and you can’t simply follow through with what needed to be done. I had to send in members of the Circle to deal with her mother. I had hoped for another solution, perhaps one that would have spared the mortals, but I see that I will need to take matters into my hands to finish this, to end it before it begins.”
Sophia remained silent the entire time. Her arms were crossed in front of her but she was in a kneeling position before the mirror. Her head was dipped down and there was more than a drop of fear inside o her. Her entire body was filled with fear. If she had not focused on not shaking she would be trembling at the moment. She knew this was out of her hands. Her patron was impatient, but how do you tell that to someone who had done some much and could end your life with a thought. At any moment her guardians could turn on her and take her life. The protection that had been offered would be removed and her blood would stain the floors.
“Mistress please give me more time. I have not crossed paths with Cassandra. We are enrolled in the same school, but it was agreed that I would not rush our meeting. I intend to be a presence in her life, but if I force it she may suspect and for what has been crafted I do not…”
Her patron was not in the mood for excuses. Her anger had gotten the better of her. She wanted the child dead along with her mother for her transgressions. Seething with anger did not begin to describe the depths of her rage. Sophia could feel it. It slid like invisible tendrils along her skin slowly making their way to her neck. It was enough to silence her. It was enough to remind her that her words would not still her patrons rage it would only encourage it. There was nothing that she could do or say that right the wrong that had been done. This was something that went beyond her relationship with her mistress and the only thing she could do for the moment was bear it all and hope that she would survive it.
That is what her mind told her to do. Silence her tongue. Keep her movements still and let it be, but she couldn’t. She needed to curry favor, she needed to draw her back to her side.
“If you wish her dead then let me aid you the best way that I can, mistress. Please. Let me continue you with my task. Let me prove my worth and allow me to remind you why I was chosen for this task. Allow me to present you with the prize that you have been denied for the past sixteen years.”
Sophia prayed that her words would help her mistress see reason. It was possible that she would find herself in Tartarus. There were no Elysian Fields awaiting her. She knew that would not be allowed not after all this time. Not after all the things that she had done to be placed in this position. She would suffer in the afterlife.
She began to speak again, but in the mirror she saw the eyes the eyes that she often prayed to. Now she sat in fear waiting almost frozen.
“I see her. She’s been given gifts from her father. She believes that they will protect her, but she has no idea what they will do for her. You have this chance to prove your worth. Call him forth. Send him to her. Her flesh will be added to his on. Her strength, her power, her essence will become his own. Call for him and let this child know from this point that her life will be nothing more than pain and torment that everything she touches will bring death and pain. Her soul will ache with what she brings upon this world by her continue existence. Show her. Do this and your life may be spared.”
May. There were no guarantees, but Sophia would take what she could get. She moved from her kneeled position moving quickly through the room towards the stairs of her home. Her “parents” turned to speak, but she said nothing disappearing down the stairs to the altar.
There before the stone altar she fell to her knees and began to praying and when she was done praying she began to chanting. She chanted to bring forth the one that would bring the girl to her knees. Her death would lead to the sparing to her life. She knew she could do this she could bring him forth because she knew the words, the correct tones and she knew that he had been waiting.
The more she chanted the closer he came, tearing through the earth making his way towards his target, Cassandra Sandsmark.
It was not something that happened immediately it took close to an hour, but when he arrived the daughter of god of the sky would know as the floor and walls of her home began to shake. The ground tremble and shook, but it was not until floor of the basement cracked apart followed by a great monstrous, bellow from down below.
CASSIE: The Ben and Jerry's wasn't making me feel better. I was just too keyed up for such a thing as ice cream to provide any comfort. Maybe I should call the number on the card, and tell them I was going back to the hospital. They might just figure it out though, if there really -were- patrol cars stationed out front like they'd said. Or the mysterious 'we'll be keeping an eye on you.' from.. well. More people than I'm actually comfortable with. I'm not sure why I feel so much like I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar when I haven't done anything wrong. When the house starts to rumble?
Well. I'm not stupid. I'm not just going to stay inside. Earthquakes were not really a regular thing here in Metropolis I didn't think. I didn't know of any fault lines here, though I'd lived in places where they were common before now. Of course, as I made for the doorway, and heard the crack of the concrete floor below, I realized that earthquakes don't really roar either.
Crap. So bullies and thugs had become more commonplace than I liked, but they weren't at my home. Things had ramped up tonight though. The attacks on my Mom and her assistants, the present that I could only assume was from the mysterious deadbeat of a Dad I had had zero contact with my entire life, who decided just now to give me these big bracelets, that had made for a creepy eyes/voice combo. I was a little...reluctant to put them on for just that reason. But the weight of them against my stomach, made my start to fasten them on, even as I walked backwards out of the house, and into the backyard. This little voice in my head telling me that this wasn't an earthquake at all.
MINOTAUR: When she moved he moved. She left the house and that probably for the best. If she had remained he would have torn through the basement. An arm slid up through the crack in the floor for a moment then pulled back down. The house shook for a moment or took then stopped. It took another few minutes before Cassie would feel the ground tremble beneath her. It shook for thirty seconds before a check of the ground was ejected into the air.
It was followed by another before the foul stench of rotted flesh began to reach her nose. There was another bellow and arm before a structure began to emerge from the ground it appeared to be a stone altar at first glance, but the closer you got the cracks in the structure revealed flesh underneath the stone. It seemed to split and seal continuously before it sealed itself. Cassie would have seen similar structures on the various digs that her mother had taken her in or some of the books that Helena had read from time to time.
After the altar erupted from the ground there was little movement. There was someone strapped to the table. Long cuts along the man’s body had been made allowing for the blood to spill slowly, but if one looked closely they would see that the man’s flesh was literally being absorbed by the stone table that the man was strapped to. There were was a gurgling sound from the man, but little else. He couldn’t move he couldn’t muster the strength to pull from the table the only thing he could do was gurgle and cough before his head fell to the side and his eyes which had become sunken in looked towards Cassie.
There was another gurgling sound, but what he was saying couldn’t be made out. At one point of time he had been the picture of health. Now he felt weak and prayed for death to take him but it never did. He began to pull his head up trying to muster the strength, but as he did there was a sticky sound made that continued the more he pulled his head up. It was his flesh it was pulling away from his skull. Skin and muscle pulled apart stretching through the air as the man tried to pull himself up.
“Grrrrh arrrh. “ Was all that slipped from his lips as a large part of his scalp pulled off the back of his head snapping back to the table.
“Rrurrrr. Ruuurrr…” He repeated over and over until it became clear what he was saying. “Ruuuuun.”
CAASSIE: As the rumbling continued, I couldn't help but wonder how long this was going to go on before I drew an awful lot of attention to myself. Or. It drew it to me, I suppose. Since I was fairly sure causing earthquakes wasn't something that I could do. When the chunk of earth came flying up, and then the other, I flew up into the air, trying to make sure they didn't land on anything, or anyone. Despoiting them harmlessly into the yard.
"Oh...God..."
Clapping a hand over my mouth when the reek hit my nose, and very nearly gagging in the process, eyes wide above the hand as something came out of the fissure. I didn't need a reference to tell me what the thing was. But why was there an alter in my yard? Did this have to do with what had happened at the museum? Disgust turns to horror when I realize that there's a man on the surface of the alter, and compassion wars with caution, as I dart in, trying to find some way to remove him from it. Watching sickly, as he lifts his head and the skin seems to not go with it, I rethink the plan, in the middle ofstretching out my hands to him, gross or not, to try and pull him off. If I do... I'd probably only end up ripping him off.
"....I'm so sorry..."
It's not me that put him here, but the fact that I don't know what to do about it is awful. WhenI finally make sense of what he's saying though.
Run? Running doesn't seem like the sort of thing I'd do. It'd make sense of course, to run from something like this in your yard. But one look around the normally quiet neighborhood, at my own house, at the next door neighbors with their small children, the elderly couple across the street... the rumbling had seemed to follow me out here, from inside. I can only hope that much of a hunch is right. Flipping the hood back off my head, of my jacket so it doesn't get in my way, I push effortlessly off the ground and into the air (so much easier the more I do it..), rocketing through the dimly lit sky. Not to the school. Not near the shopping centers.. I don't want to go too far in case the thing ...whatever it is...follows me above ground for ease.
Selecting the open sprawl of a golf course, a country club for one of the nearby groupings of homes that's much nicer and more expensive than my own, but where...probably a lot of my classmates live with their income brackets.. I set down again on the wide green. Fidgeting as I wait.
MINOTAUR: There was no way he was going to lose Cassie now. He had her scent. He would find her no matter where she went. She went into the air and he moved down pulling the helpless victim with him. The gurgling man that was being slowly devoured disappeared under the ground and he was on the move. He was a creature of myth at least to the humans he would be seen as a myth. His creation story had been told many times as did the story of his demise, but with all stories even the tales of Grimm they rarely wondered about what happened after wards. Could a monster such as him have a soul could there be some essence left that someone could work with to allow him to live again?
The simple answer would is yes. If it weren’t possible he wouldn’t be tracking a teenager at this moment. He stopped in the tunnel that run beneath the city. It had been carved and carefully made as not to disturb anyone, but he waited for the moment as he could not do nothing to her when she was in the air at least while he had not revealed himself completely.
When she touched down on the green of the golf course he knew she was there. He could feel her through the ground, through the land there was a connection. He was no longer a creature of mere flesh, bone and blood he had been brought back through the workings of magic. He still feasted on the flesh of humans, but there was more. Now they became a part of him literally. Over two hundred sacrifices had been made upon his altar. He could hear them, feel them and they all became overpowered by his need for blood and flesh. They became addicted to his need for destruction. They only added to his already incredible strength.
The man upon his back was slowly dying and it was not an easy death it was painful. It was pure torture, but a beast of this kind did not know love and compassion he knew only pain, rage and destruction so when he arrived beneath the golf course he began to push his through dirt and stone weakening it in the process until he emerged from the ground with another great bellow. The altar emerged again but it did not rise up out the ground as it had don’t before. It was vertical not horizontal and it was attached to him. He pulled himself out of the ground with his hands which appeared to shift from hoof to hand over and over again along with the spikes of ice around them along with the stone. His horns tore through the ground as his maw came into sight with the jagged teeth.
The beast that Thesus slew before was gone in its place stood a horror that almost as tall as a four or five story building when it stood on two legs. When it reached he reached his full height he released another great below. Eyes glowing when it turned to find Cassie and the first thing it did was drive it’s left front hoof down on her threatening to crush her.
CASSIE: It didn't take very long for the whole thing to start all over. Obviously it had tracked me down, and glancing at the gold bracelets I wonder if maybe they were a trick, or a trap. It was suspicious to begin with, all of this, but if that's what it was...done was done. I didn't dare waste the time to take them off, not with a freakin' minotaur shuddering up out of the ground. They were myths... or supposed to be anyway. All stories that I knew all too well, since the Greek ones had always been some of my favorites. And not just because Hollywood liked to make terribly awesome movies out of them, like Clash of the Titans. The old one. Not the new notsocampy version.
Brow furrowed, as I back up a step or five, the thought enters my head to put the man out of his misery. I don't know if I even can. I've never killed anyone before. In fact part of my big concern with the powers when they came, was that I might just do that sort of thing on accident. But I don't have much time ponder on it. Not when now that it's emerged, the monster is wasting absolutely no time on setting about squishing me.
I just don't stay meekly put, of course. Diving to the side seems a good plan. Rolling out of the way only to come up on my feet again. Circling behind to try and get a feel for how fast it might have been. I'm guessing 'pretty damn' if it got here as quickly as I did. Through the ground. Magic? Suspension of disbelief, something Conner'd asked of me when I'd talked to him, if I can believe I have super powers, and that there's a freakin' minotaur trying to squish me, I can believe in magic. At least for now.
But what am I going to ... do about it. Jumping into the air again, I zip around behind it, grabbing hold of an edge of the alter, seeing if I can muscle that free at least.
MINOTAUR: The Minotaur’s fist that came down upon the ground hard sinking deep into it not because it was soft, but because that was the amount of strength the creature had placed behind it. Despite its size it was quick to react twisting at the waist to see where his target it went. The fiery glowing eyes were joined by a similar glowing opening in the chest. It seemed where every there was a crack on the beast there was a glow and when you got closer to it there was some heat, but there was flesh beneath it, flesh that moved of its own accord. It shifted and pulsated almost like the muscle underneath was going to dart out and attack.
The entire thing was a mess and how it moved and did not come part at all seemed to be unnatural, but the beast itself was composed of all natural things, rock, ice, fire, flesh, and if one could get through the flesh and blood that ran through its body they would hit bones, but it was dense. Everything about it said that it should be lumbering about, but much like its father the minotaur could move leisure but when least expected it would move with fare more speed than one would think it should.
It snorted a bit and let out another horrifying sound as it bellowed. It could not find her because she was in the air again causing him to turn both his body and his head when he turned again Cassie was going for the altar. The man was still there and he was even less of a living creature than he had been before. Flesh was almost gone and bone was showing in several places. His eyes still moved he seemed to be melded into the table. Half of one foot was hanging out of the stone table upon the creatures back along with a leg on the opposite side. He appeared to be bent at the waist so his torso and head was still sticking out of the table, but his arms and hands were completely absorbed. Most of his upper half had been stripped of its flesh revealing the rib cage and organist within. His had patches of flesh missing, but it was apparent the brain had not been removed yet.
He moved a little, but his eyes which were piercing blow began to glow like the creatures and he began to let out a sound that was no longer human. It was very reminiscent of the sound from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The man was gone he was being assimilated, or already was and he just alerted the beast to where his target was.
“CASSIE NO!” A voice called from out from the darkness.
At that same moment the table split apart and the man lurched out towards Cassie, but his legs were gone. His torso, arms and head was there, but that muscle tissue that could be seen through the cracks along the creature body made up the rest of the man’s body.
CASSIE: I haven't really played around with how far my abilities go, how strong I am, I have more than an inkling, given the accidental destruction I'd caused to a few inanimate objects. And how easily I'd done it, but I'd never really, really tried before. Now seems like the good opportunity because... nothing should be able to punch into the ground that easy. Not with the dampening effect of dirt, and grass.
"...disgusting...'
The poor man looks beyond my help. Even worse, it looks, and sounds, like he's become a part of oit, as much as all of the rest. So what the hell am I supposed to do? I don't have any fancy king's sword. I've got my fists. I've got... God what else do I have. Feet. Shoulders. The thing looks way too spikey to attempt to pile drive without impaling myself potentially. Giving up on tearing the alter away, wary of any reaching fists, and then jerk when I hear someone yelling my name.
"Stay back!"
I don't know who it is out there.. obviously they know who I am but that could be... anyone. I guess it's easy enough to narrow down. I'd guess anyone from school would be running in terror (the smart thing to do) any of the people that I'd met who had superpowers would...ideally be helping me right now.
"...oh God, really..."
Minotaur I could actually mentally deal with better than ..I guess that was sort of like a zombie. A legless, reaching zombie. Skirting out of reach I land myself on top of the minotaurs head, hoping I can move fast enough toavoid it touching me. I'm going to go on a limb here and assume that zombiething touching me might start that same process on me. Grabbing hold of one horn, and planting my sneakered feet hard into it's skull, I heave to the side. Like twisting the cap off a bottle, hopefully it'll send it off kilter. Or rip a horn off. Hooray weapons.
DIANA: "Why me mother? This is not our matter. This is not why I left our. This is going against..." When her mind set there was little that could change it. She left to learn not become entangled in the matters of the gods. Especially one that went against the wishes of one of their patrons. This could raw her ire upon them and it was the last thing that she wanted to do.
"Diana I ask you this of you as your mother, but if this is the way it needs to be handled then I order you as your Queen. This is not request. This child is very important she must live even if it means to side against Hera. You must trust me on this. " There was no turning it away now. There was no ignoring it. She would have to involve herself against her better judgement. She wanted more information, but the information she had been provided had not earned any sympathy, because people know. There had been enough stories, but what's done is done and she gave her word that she would do this. She could not step aside. Her wordbond would not allow it.
That was several months ago and now. She was calling out for Cassie to make sure that she would not make a mistake, because mistake would be costly. She knew magic. Diana of all people knew magic she would not say she was well versed it in but she knew it and it knew her. Her voice came clear through the night air as she approached.
"Back away Cassie!" She told her not because she wanted to be the one to down the creature, because the creature would bring her down with it. The fissures within it's stone skin were at it's command. The moment her sneaker touched it to give her leverage it cracked apart so it could unleash it's inner flesh upon her. The muscle and sinew would wrap around her leg to draw her and absorb her in much expedient manner than it had the man that had been strapped to the altar if she wasn't quick enough.
Diana did not have a chance to take in the creature as it was to see what horror had been wrought ancient magics and the hands of gods. No time it wasn't her job to consider that not now. Her job was to get Casandra Sandsmark out of harms way which is why she approached from the rear and slammed right into the creature. The sound of the impact was loud enough to be heard clear across Metropolis.
Between Diana's impact and Cassie's twisting maneuver the Minotaur stumbled then began to fall down towards the ground. It's horn did break off but the Minotaur crashed through the ground landing in the tunnel that it had carved through the earth. The ground above the tunnel had been weakened so it was done for the moment.
Unfortunately the horn that Cassie claimed for her prize had been apart of the creature and had it been the Minotaur as it was there would be no problem and it could be used as an effective weapon against the creature. However as some of Diana's associates had dubbed things with numbers this was the Minotaur 2.0 and as such the the horn began to produce arms and legs taking humanoid shape ready to attack Cassie.
CASSIE: I didn't need to be told twice. Or I should say, I didn't need to be smart to know that standing there was quickly a bad plan. The stuff creeping up on me was a pretty good indicator, and it was probably mostly thanks to the fact that it was already tumbling, the woman coming out of nowhere (well, not nowhere, whereever her voice had sounded from), to plow into the thing. Still hanging onto the horn, I'd jetted myself off with a lurch. Losing a sneaker to the minotaur in the process, but I could accept a shoe over ...all the rest of me.
"It's just going to follow me!...augh!"
It was sprouting legs. Why couldn't this at LEAST have been like the one from the stoires, and not some amalgamation of a really bad Resident Evil movie and Greek legend? Hurling it away from me, I hover back a few paces anyway. So. Quick brute force? It seemed to absorb anything that touched it for long so finding big boulders to drop on the thing was probably out. Wrenching a branch off a nearby tree, I send it hurling boomerang style (thank you Mom, for the trip to meet the aborigines) at the WalkingHornMonstrosity.
I'd like to demand what this thing is doing coming after me, but I think Twenty Seven Thousand Questions, assuming she has any answers for me, can wait until after.
DIANA: Diana had came in as fast as she could, but the creature only fell over. Pushing herself up from the ground quickly she looked towards the hole it fell through. The idea that the Minotaur was stunned was unfortunately the last on the list of possibilities. The ground was already shaking which meant that it was tracking Cassie again. Diana knew the dangers from observing the creatures actions it wanted to take Cassie in whether by maw or body.
There were dozens of things that they could try, but only one that Diana believed would work. Only one that she was willing to try rather than use brute force on the creature and attempt to pummel it to death or lead it to a bay and hope that could used to some advantage. They were strong enough to send it to the ground then they should be strong enough to do what she was planning.
Moving towards the air she reached to the side removing her lariat while approaching Cassie. She did not want her to run away only stand clear from the creature. There was much that Cassie was going to have to learn and probably not as quickly as either of them would hope. She could only pray for forgiveness for what was being done. She knew the girl would have questions, but would it be onto her to answer them? Should she be the one to reveal why this was happening?
Diana almost wanted to curse her mother for many things, most of all for involving her, but wasn't this what she was meant to be doing? Yes and no, but that was a discussion for another time when she reached Cassie after the younger woman dispatched the horn creature she offer her one end of the golden lariat. The minotaur was on the move rising out of the earth like some hellish creature from a child's nightmare.
"Whatever you do, do not let go of your end of the lariat no matter how much it may burn, even if it begins to cut you hold on." She told her. "You may even want to wrap around one of your arms if necessary." Because they were going to need all of the strength and power to make this happen.
"We're going to bring him down and before you ask. No I don't know if this is going to work. I don't know if it's going to end it, but it's something and better than anything else we have at the moment. We're going to catch it at it's neck going in the opposite direction that it's facing and when we're behind it we're going to cross and head in the opposite directions and pull. Pull to it pops."
Any questions? If not Diana was already in the air waiting for Cassie so they could bring the Minotaur down.
CASSIE: Golden lasso? Okay, that's kind of neat. Where do people get the toys like this anyway? Though, a glance at my bracelets, and at her own bracers, pops up another few questions that I will try to get answered later.
"Like catching a tiger by the tail."
Once you got it, it's a very, very bad idea to let go. Or so they say. I've never attempted it. Taking the end, I don't actually need the prompting to start doing exactly what she suggested. Hoping that the bracelets are sturdier than real gold generally is, I wind the golden rope around and around my wrist, hoping it'll protect me from getting it snapped off like a twig. The suggested method, though, reminds me a little of slicing cinnamon rolls with dental floss. The mental imagery, however, is a whole lot more gory.
"Ready."
Gripping the end, and my slack tightly with both hands, I take to the air as well, waiting for the giant ugly to give us a target.
DIANA: There were several thoughts running through Diana’s mind at the moment. One was that the Minotaur needed to be neutralized. This was going to draw far more attention than she or Superboy wanted. She knew what he meant by telling her that N.O.W.H.E.R.E was watching Cassie. It meant at any moment they would decide what type of threat she was and act accordingly. Diana was hoping that she would be able to speak with her discreetly about everything and make a decision how she would proceed with the truth.
With this incident there was not a doubt in her mind that they would come from Cassie, because of the potential threat. She wouldn’t say that she was the expert on that particular organization, but she knew enough to know that Cassie was in danger in more ways than one.
However, before any of that could be addressed they needed to deal with one enraged minotaur. Watching as the beast continued to emerge from the hole in the ground Diana hovered in the air nodding to Cassie’s analogy. She wanted to make sure that they gave it enough time to get clear of the hole or it would simply either try to slip away or slip back down dragging them back down with it. Once it was clear Diana pushed forward.
She trusted Cassie would do her best. Diana was already wrapping her lariat around her arm to ensure it didn’t slip through her fingers. Moving straight to the creature on one side of its head she flew swiftly making it past it’s left ear. The broken horn was an odd sight, but not one to get caught up as she pulled around and readied herself to shoot to the right.
It was a simple cutting technique, but given the Minotaur’s dense tissue they would have to pull as hard as they could as they few past one another.
CASSIE: 'm not so much thinking about the what's coming after, right now. I'm not even thinking about my questions so much, though they're an ever present buzz at the back of my mind regardless. They're going to have to wait though, I need to focus if I want to be able to ask them at all after this. It sounded like a good plan anyway, so I'm all for giving it a go.
As Diana goes at it from the left, I take the right, accelerating once I'm sure that my forward momentum isn't just going to be more like a pulley, than a garrote, and potentially pull the woman backwards. I have no idea how strong she actually is, other than she did a pretty great job helping me knock the thing down. Once we've criss crossed, I don't ask if she's ready. This was her plan. I'm assuming she's more ready than me. Flying forward with as much speed as I can muster...
It's been a matter of months since anything had really, actually hurt me. I'd gotten far too strong for it, and had to pick up the smooth act of saying 'ow' when something should have, so I didn't get looked at funny. This though. This hurts. As the rope gets tighter, as we pull, I can feel it ratcheting down around my hand, the lariat providing enough friction that... I think it's doing exactly what she warned me about. I don't let go though.
"Nnn..."
Heaving again, I keep going, waiting to either suddenly have a whole lot of slack or for a really nasty 'squorlch' sound. Possibly both.
DIANA: It's only a moment, less than a fraction of a second that passes before Diana moves in the opposite direction they pass each other quickly, but don't collide. Diana keeps going until she gets resistance, but she braces herself for the recoil but willing herself forward through the air. She doesn't look back to see how Cassie is doing, because that's not her job. Her job is to keep herself and bringing the Minotaur is keeping her safe.
She can't worry at this moment that Cassie is untested that she's relying on her wits and things that she's learned in the past to help her. If there is pain Diana can't feel it, because her focus is the girl and removing the Minotaur as a threat. It's not about pain. It's not about he fact that the lariat is digging into her flesh. Flesh can be mended. Once Cassie dies she would face a never ending hell that no one could save her from.
"Your word Diana. That you will protect this girl from the threat she will face. Your word that you will do as your Queen commands."
Command. She was commanded to do this. Not something that her mother would say or do often. She pulls even harder as the stone skin begins to give. It can't be a slow cut it can't dig through it because it might mend. She could feel herself gnashing her teeth and she wanted to cry out, but she couldn't because the aid she would ask for would fall on deaf ears. She was defying a patron, a goddesses,t he goddesses for a bastard child.
She could bring ruin to her own people over this and yet she would not yield she would not give anything but her best and more. She pulled tighter even as she felt that first tinge of pain and with a squorch sound the lariat crossed again until it was pulled straight. It was followed by a thunderous sound when the Minotaur's body hit the ground.
Its head was sent into the air and landed close to fifty yards away.
CASSIE: C'monc'monc'mon...
Focusing on pulling harder is a helluva lot better than dwelling on the first real pain. I'm tough though, I can handle a little rope burn, I'm pretty sure. It's sure going to be better than dead. I don't even really cringe when the sound that I was waiting for finally hits my ears over the buzz of adrenaline. Ew. It's still ew.
When I hit the end of the rope, I get my answer as to which of the two of us is stronger/faster I suppose. Because once it snaps taught, I get yanked backwards, and a bit stunned I land in an embarassing heap. Great. Way to put in a good showing, Cass.
Righting myself, I don't dare let go yet. Plus I'm pretty sure prying it off my arm is going to hurt, and I don't want to have to do it twice.
"Is...that it? Should we separate the parts more? Chuck the head in...god I don't know...."
DIANA: Diana has still be pulling when it gave. She shot forward, but she stopped herself before she went too far. Cassie it seems didn’t have much luck in that department.
She flew back towards the girl while gathering her lariat. She slipped back to her side landing beside the girl. She looked her over and nodded. “As best I can tell, but I rather not take any chances. I will need to dispose of the head. It’s not a hydra it will not grow another.” Magic was involved, but given the fact that the head was not walking its way back towards it’s body it was done.
The bone figure that began to attack her after changing into a humanoid had returned to its original state. In fact everything did. The minotaur lost its head. It lost its mind. It lost the one part that was keeping it together. The hundreds of sacrifices were slowly spilling out of the cracked stone skin if the creature as decomposed flesh. It left an awful stench. Unfortunately Lex Luthor’s new golf course was going to have to be shut down indefinitely for this to be cleared.
It was quite unpleasant, but Diana focused on the girl. She needed to be some place safe, but there was also the head she didn’t want to take a chance. She had to make a choice.
“I need to get you some place safe. Somewhere you can’t be seen for the time being.” By anyone.
“I need you to trust me Cassie. I know there are questions but for the moment I need to dispose of the head and I cannot do that until I get you some place safe and you will need to stay put because there are more eyes on you than you would like and from what you can see they go beyond the mortal ones.”
CASSIE: "Oh. Well. That's something."
Freakin' A. Hydras are real too? I don't dwell on that long, or the invariable 'if X is real, than what about Y and Z?' that hit my brain. I don't get a chance to. Or do I need to ask what to do about the body because I'm going to assume you don't want to just leave the hulk of a minotaur laying around to...
As much awesome self control over not freaking out I have shown so far today, all things considered? I just about lose what Chunky Monkey I had eaten while I was at my house stewing. Hrk. No. Okay. I'm fine. Really. Gingerly unwinding the lariat from around my arm, wincing as I pry it from where it had dug into my skin.
"Are we talking like, creepy eyes in a mirror being all 'Hey, what's up?'"
Okay. Not what they'd actually said. Picking myself up, I do what I can to avoid touching anything. The flying part helps.
"...like how long are we talking?"
DIANA: “You escaped with probably some cuts and bruises. Skin rubbed raw by the lariat. You’ll survive.” She offered. “The only thing I can tell you that is that it is going to get much worse and I highly doubt it will get better any time soon, but you’re here. That much I am certain of. You’re here and you’ll continue be here.” Cassie showed promised, but the worse thing she could do right now is let her know. Cassie could not afford to go out into the world believing that she was invincible. She was at that age when she would believe just that.
Instead Diana stayed with the caution.
“At most a couple of hours. I want it far enough away that we do not have to deal with it immediately. Perhaps I’ll dump in Jersey.” She actually smirked, but it lasted only for a few moments before she went serious again.
“I’ll escort you somewhere I know you’ll be safe and you’ll have the protection that you need until I can get back and then we’ll start the question and answer portion of our evening. I can see it there. A thousand questions that you need answers too. You deserve the answers and believe, Cassie you will get them.”
Moving back into the air she waited for Cassie before she began heading in the direction that would take her to the safe place.
CASSIE: If anything, the cuts and rope burns were a pretty darn good reminder that I was not invincible. On the other hand. We just killed a giant monster out of legend. Which was pretty amazing. Conner had told me the first time I'd met him, that I'd be needing to make a choice about the fact that, I had the abilities, they weren't going away, and I had to decide what I wanted to do with them. It seemed like that was what so much was going to hinge on, huh?
"Oh, well. Jersey won't notice a little more trash, right?"
Why anyone would want to watch that show they put on there is beyond me. I'd turned it off five seconds into the first time I'd been coerced into giving it a shot. I could find non-famous imbeciles to watch if I was that desparate. Probably at he park. Or my school.
"A couple hours? Oh. Okay. I can do that. Just. Let me get my phone. In case."
I didn't want to be away long. Not with my Mom as she was. Otherwise, I was willing to go into a little bit of hiding for a couple hours, if it meant I was going to get some answers.
DIANA: “Leave your phone. I can handle that,” Diana informed her. “Your phone can be traced and you have more than a minotaur after you. You’re being watched, Cassie. What you’re able to do has placed you on list you do not want to be on. The moment you’re contact they’ll know where you are. This attack will change your status. I know it’s not your fault, but the people that Superboy works for won’t see it that way. It’ll just be another reason why you should ally yourself with them and from what little I know of them you don’t want to associate them. What they can offer you help pales in comparison to what you’ll lose.” There was no other way to put it. If there was anything she needed to let Cassie know what was out there waiting for her.
“I know you’re concerned about your mother. I know she’s on your mind considering everything that’s happened, but right now I need you to trust me when I say that you will need to leave your phone behind. You should destroy it. I’ll have a phone that you will be able to use and you will be able to check in to make sure your mother is alright.” She waited still for Cassie to prepare to follow her. When she was ready Diana would take her to the only place that she could.
There were so many precautions to take and even though she knew that there were dozens of way for her to be found she needed to at least take a few precautions. “I rather err on the side of caution than tell myself that I didn’t do everything possible to keep you at harm’s way. Even now I’m sure they’ve sent someone to intercept us both. If I understood what was relayed to me I believe we’ll have safe passage to a point, but there are others who will not be as forgiving. “
All of this was being told as they moved through the maze of the city until they reached Suicide Slums. Great place to be, but sometimes you never knew where you were going to end up. She landed in an alley waiting for Cassie. She was quite certain that the younger Sandsmark didn’t hang out in this area of the city, but if anything she would be able to handle herself.
“Think of it as a safe house of a different kind.” She offered another smile while knocking at the door of the building they landed behind. They stood before a metal door with slot at the top that appeared to slide away from the inside. After a few seconds it moved revealing a pair of green eyes that looked down them both over.
The cover was moved back into place and the sound of locks being undone could be heard. Once all the locks were undone the door opened and an old woman appeared on the otherside.
Diana raised her hand before spoke expressing what she wanted without uttering a word. The older woman nodded and motioned for Cassie to walk inside. Once she was inside Diana followed and the old woman lock the door once again.
“This is Cassandra Sandsmark. She goes by Cassie. Cassie this is Odessa. She is a dear friend and she can be trusted. She will allow no harm to come to you.”
Odessa offered a kind smile, but it was her eyes. They were as sharp now as they ever were. She was shorter than both Cassie and Diana and she was looked like a slip of a woman, but despite her age was beyond Cassie’s mother she moved quickly heading down the hall towards the first door on the right. The building itself was a brownstone that had been converted into an apartment building, two apartments on the bottom and one apartment each on the second and third floors.
When they walked into the apartment the tv was already discussing the events that occurred at the golf course and at Cassie’s house.
“It seems that the two of you made the evening news. I shouldn’t be worried should I Diana?”
“No more than the usual.” She offered while she walked over towards the console table that was behind the couch. It seemed that Diana had been here before. Removing one of the phones from the drawer she walked back to Cassie and placed it in her hand.
“Use this to contact the hospital. Ask to speak with Nurse Shoaf. She will keep you alerted on your mother’s status. Stay inside until I return. This is a safe place Cassie. It will protect you from those the Minotaur served. Everyone else like the people from N.O.W.H.E.R.E, well the less calls you make the better.”
The apartment didn’t appear to be too out of the ordinary, but of course they were in the back of the apartment rather than the front of it. It seemed to be able a den or family room that could be accessed from the rear of the building.
“Don’t worry Diana. We’ll be fine. I’ll make her something to eat or let her get some rest.”
CASSIE: I don't point out that it hadn't been my phone that had let them find me the first time, I very rarely made many calls on the thing to begin with, and I hadn't even had it with me for my first run-in, the first time I'd even heard of nowhere. Or the fact I don't think a few walls are going to make a whole lot of difference in the face of what I encountered so far, but I was going to extend a certain amount of trust anyway. So I followed Diana, wondering who exactly it was that had made her my appointed guardian of sorts. Maybe she just wanted to keep me safe because when it came down to it, I'm a sixteen year old girl. A very powerful one but still.
But the timing with finding the early birthday present, which I can only assume is from the other, never mentioned parent of mine, seems just way too convenient. By the time we land, I had a vague idea of where we are. Not an area I came to a lot, but I was fairly familiar with the city as a whole, at this point. Tucking my hands into my pockets, I wait to see what else I'm about to get into.
"Nice to meet you."
Taking the phone, I tuck it into my sweatshirt, I'll make the call when I get a moment to myself. IF I do. Or at least, I'll settle for half privacy.
"..who did the minotaur serve?"
More of them, there was more of them, wasn't there? Maybe not exactly like it but she'd said hydras. Part of me wishes my Mom was awake to tell that these things were real. Of course. I've also got the hurdle to clear of 'so, guess what. Super powers. I've got 'em.'
"I'm okay on food. I. Don't think I could eat right now anyway. But thank you."
DIANA: Diana knew that this could go either way. With everything that occurred she knew that Superboy would be pressured to bring in Cassie. There had been far too much damage done. The girl was a target on so many levels. There was so much she should have been told. So much that should have been explained. She should have been told not kept in the dark with people hoping for the best.
She knew that a switch of phones wouldn't do much with government agencies are already have individuals in their rank that can hear across vast distances and see through walls, but she had to do what she could to prevent other individuals from seeking her out.
With everything settle or at least believed to be settled she was stopped in her tracks not by Cassie, but by Odessa. She could feel her hand at her arm holding her still. Diana could easily escape the grasp, but she respected Odessa far too much to do so. Shifting her eyes from Odessa to Cassie she remained silent for a moment or so before she spoke and even then she did not want to say because it would only raise the girls awareness which would in turn lead to more questions.
"Diana, it's time. She deserves an answer. You wish for her to wait, to be patient. Meet her half way. Use the wisdom that you have been blessed with, child."
She thought of it for only a moment the barest of seconds before she turned to Cassie. Walking over towards Cassie she looked into her eyes nodding.
"The same being that the group warriors who attacked your mother serve, Hera wife of Zeus, Queen of the gods, patron of my people. You have been marked for death Cassandra."
CASSIE: This place is cozy enough, and I think now that the adrenaline's worn off I could probably manage to if not relax, at least settle down. After I ask Odessa for something for my hands, if they have anything anyway. Part of me wants to assume though that super tough means it takes a lot for things to affect me, good or bad.
When Diana walks back over though, and offers me an answer I wasn't expecting to actually get right this second, my eyes go wide in disbelief.
"What?! Whose cheerios did I accidentally piss in?" Pausing. Because while I'm upset I don't really need to be offensive. Patron gods.. "Er. Sorry. Why?"
I can't think of anything I have done that would warrant that. I've never stolen, I don't cheat on my math test, I didn't actually believe in the gods as...actually existing entities. Archaeologist mother or not, seeing all these sites or not, I'd gone along with what she had told me, and what everyone else did. They were beings that people made up, to explain the things that they could not. Nothing more.
DIANA: The very conversation that she was attempting to stave off was starting to emerge. She couldn’t say that it wasn’t the time or the place for it, because it was exactly the time and place for it. “They are not perfect beings. They are as flawed and short sighted as we are. I have felt their wrath before. “ Diana was not concerned for her own welfare when it came to opposing the gods it was her people’s safety that she was concerned for.
“There is a reason and before you ask me if the reason makes it right. No, it does not.” Even though there may be a reason it does not justify the actions that have been taken.
“I will share with you what you wish to know, Cassie. That is a promise, but I must dispatch of the Minotaur’s head before someone decides that they know better and do something that could make a bad situation worse. Order your questions and by the time you have done so I will have return and we can talk.” She wanted to answer her, but if Diana told her then she would never be allowed to leave because it would be a lot for Cassie to take in and with her mother in the conditions she’s in she would not risk that.
CASSIE: Hands lift to my temples to unconsciously rub at them in frustration, only for me to stop short, remembering my hand and the burns. I settle instead for squinting.
"I'll see if I can't organize them into a flow chart or something."
There was an awful lot of them before, now there's even more. But I'd done the whole calm under pressure thing all day. Well. For most of it. Why stop now, right?
"Be careful."
DIANA: It was a lot to take in and between everything that Diana had observed since she met Cassie she could appreciate the maturity that the young woman was displaying. There would be a point when it would become too much and she would need to let it all go, but that moment had not come and Diana was quite impressed with that. It would be a lot for anyone to bear, but to take it all in stride that spoke much to her character.
What she lacked in training she made up for in maturity, patience and inner strength.
She was also making small jokes which Diana knew from her own experience helped. It’s not every day you’re told that you’ve been marked for death by a goddess. Usually someone had to be convinced that the gods were real, but given the fact that a large enraged minotaur attempted to kill you that would probably remove any doubt that may have existed.
However despite everything Diana had a feeling that someone as intelligent as Cassie would put the pieces together. It was just a matter of time given all the information she had been provided so far.
“I will. Stay safe and always be on guard.” Diana glanced towards Odessa who nodded and then took her leave.