Spectrum ⇒ Avengers [ 1 ]

Gods and Monsters

NEMESIS ; goddess of retribution, came after those who threatened the gods
ICARUS ; mortal man given wings, flew too close to the sun, and died
HADES ; lord of the underworld, king of the dead
POSEIDON ; god of the sea, brother to Hades

I look at my scratchy notes carefully. Three gods, one mortal, three of the six, one unknown factor. Who is Hades? I'm still half convinced it's simply another name for the Soldat, but Lee's convinced it isn't. Perhaps if I can find out the names she's given to Jo, Freya and Jake, I can figure out what she's done to them. After all, there's a very clear correlation between our names and our newfound abilities.

"He's ready to see you." Sharon says softly. I look up from the floor where I'm sat, and stand, clutching my notepad to my chest, and follow her into the pool. The lights are dimmed- he can't stand lights that are too bright anymore, which Tony thinks is because he's now adapted to the sea, the deep sea.

I walk in on shaking legs, into the pool, smiling nervously at Lee, who is sat on a bench by the water. Then the surface ripples, and there he is. He lies on his back lazily, gills submerged, and looks at me.
"Nemesis," his silver voice rasps. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your other name."
"Brynn." I supply quickly. "Hello Killian."
"Brynn- yeah, that sounds familiar." His hands make waves across the surface of the pool. "The first to escape. The problem one."
"So I've been told." I look at Lee. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

He has a spluttering laugh. "You sound like a cop. Whatever, go ahead."
"Did you see the others?" I blurt out. "Did you see Jake?"
"Hardly ever." His eyes slide shut. "In passing, perhaps. They had to keep me in a tank of water, and I didn't exactly get visitors." His tone slides towards the bitter.
"Did you know someone called Hades?" I continue. He says nothing, lying in the water, but his jaw clenches ever so slightly.
"I heard the name. That's all." The subject is very clearly closed.
"Did you know anyone else's name- their code name?" I ask hurriedly, my pen poised.
"Gaia. I heard them talking about a Gaia." I scribble the name down hurriedly, smudging ink with my hand. "That's the only different name I ever heard."

Gaia. It's familiar- something to do with the earth, I'm pretty sure. It sounds like a girl's name, too, so it's probably Jo or Freya.
"Did you ever see a soldier with a metal arm?" I ask quietly. Killian's eyes open, and meet Lee's.
"I don't know." He says guardedly.
"You don't know?"
"I know that someone matching that description took you away. We were told the same would happen to us, but it never did." My eyes flutter shut briefly. "They told me you chose me."

"Yeah." I say hoarsely.
"Why me?" My eyes reopen. "Why not Jake? Weren't you... Together?"
"I don't remember," I say, to spare myself the pain. "I chose you because you two needed each other."
Lee's wings tremble, and the feathers brush my shoulders. "You really chose for us?"
"I abandoned you." I remind him. "All of you. The least I can do is help you now."

It must be the strangest meeting on earth, the three of us in this room. The water boy, the angel and the hulk-girl, discussing the terms of their imprisonment.
"You're so..." I try and grapple for the right word. "You aren't as brainwashed as I thought you'd be." I think of Lee on our first meeting. The hatred in his eyes, the pain. Killian is much more like me, scared but still himself, for the most part.
"It took longer to adapt me physically, I believe. And after Lee didn't come back..." Killian flips over in the water. "Well, I had something to hope for."
"Did you ever see the girls?" I ask. He thinks for a moment.
"Rarely. She kept us isolated, for the most part. I think Jo was causing problems, though."
"Why?" Lee asks, leaning forward and almost knocking me over.
"They kept bringing her back and forth, trying new things. I don't know what they were trying to do, but she was a failure, for the most part."