Ferry of Woe [malexmale]

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"Of course," Prometheus breathed, "How could I not have seen it before?"

Xenon's glare could freeze the Sahara desert as he reached up to remove his glasses, revealing piercing white eyes. Not white, like Hannibal's left eye, but white as in the entire iris was snow white, except the black ring on the outside and the black pupil at the center. It was eerie.

"Because we were really good at hiding. You're a very stupid god to think you can handle what we have." He told Prometheus dangerously, crunching his sunglasses in his fist and letting the remains scatter to the floor. Callias looked incredibly uneasy as he looked around, fists in his robe, not that the robe hid anything from our view and it was plain to see he was rather well endowed.

"I can't be here," Callias told us after a moment, "Apollo--"

"Is incompetent," Prometheus cut him off sharply, recovering from his moment of awe and wonder, "He wouldn't risk days, weeks, if not years, of not allowing daytime on earth. And he can't break the barrier we put up, so his attempts to teleport here would be blocked anyway. Besides, you have a new master now." Callias didn't like the look of that. Xenon didn't either.

"We're not servants," Xenon snapped, "We're gods just as you are. You cannot possibly think you can harnass the power we bleed. We're several centuries ahead of you, Greek." Prometheus's eyes flashed dangerously at that as he took a step toward Xenon, who didn't even look slightly intimidated. It was odd to see Prometheus shorter than Xenon, though. Xenon's height was probably that of Cerberus's, a good way to break your neck looking up.

"I am your master and god, Atlantean. Your previous master is dead. No thanks to your worshippers no doubt," Prometheus added, making a tic form in Xenon's strong jaw, "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I've summoned you and gained your powers and even have the ritual hosts." He gestured to Hannibal and I. Xenon's eyes glowed.

"You and your brothers have made a very grave mistake." He said, his tone chilling. I winced and opened my mouth to defend myself, then thought better of it and just looked down at Hannibal, who still remained unconscious on the cold floor. Xenon looked back at Prometheus, who still seemed to be admiring them with the kind of attention a scientist would do to an alien. We'd seen Xenon thousands of times before. He was fond of cities and frequented the shopping section, mostly buying things for imps or the poor, like Robin Hood or something. But now, we were looking at an Atlantean god, a god from a supposedly extinct pantheon. It was like having dodo birds come back.

"I didn't actually think this would work," Epimetheus admitted, then paused to rake an interested stare over Callias, "So, you're Apollo's lover?" Callias frowned, but didn't answer. He looked at Xenon, who was glowering at Prometheus.

"This is magnificant," Prometheus exclaimed, delighted, "We're way ahead of schedule. I thought this would take much longer, what with the black heart--"

"Black heart?" Callias asked with a frown. Xenon sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking irritated.

"They needed the heart of a god of death, so they chose Charon because he's the most defenseless, and he's only defenseless because Hades is a jackass. Charon's caretaker was murdered in front of him and it blackened his heart, but these two buttheads tricked Alexion into making his heart bright again. I feel like I'm reciting a Disney rip-off." He added under his breath, making me blink.

"W-Wait. Alexion didn't do it on purpose?" I asked in disbelief. Xenon glanced at me, then sighed and shrugged.

"What does it matter? You can't pay me for that information and I can't use my powers without Captain Asshole's permission." He responded dryly. Prometheus gave him a glare and Epimetheus snickered. Prometheus simply shook his head and cleared his throat.