My dreams were a random assortment of three-headed lizards and orange fur. When I came to the first thing I saw was a halo of gold and some green orbs. I blinked and I realized the orbs and gold were someone’s hair, and their eyes. “Where am I?” I asked as my eyes focused in on the girl sitting next to me. Whoa…okay she’s pretty. But she might've helped or is helping the crazy bitch that abducted me...Or maybe she wasn't...This could be really bad or really good  “My apartment,” said the girl tucking her thick blonde hair behind her ear. “You’re pretty banged up so please try not to move so much."

“Okay,” I grunted sitting up as best I could with one arm, which was when I noticed the sling. “How’d I get here?"

“Chance brought you here,” the blonde said handing me a sandwich and a glass of milk. “Eat,” she said placing them in my hand.  When I did, I caught the smell of peanut butter, and a shadow crossed her face. “You aren’t allergic to nuts are you?” she asked looking scared.

“Not allergic to anything,” I said taking a bite out of the sandwich the peanut butter thick and nutty just like it should be.  “Now, who are you?”  I asked through a mouthful of peanut butter. I don’t know much about this chick, sure she seems nice, but I am curious as to who she and that redhead are, and just what they want from me

“I’m Alexa Benet, but all of my friends call me Lex. And you are?” she asked holding out her hand to me.

I quickly wiped my peanut stained fingers on the sling around my bad arm and took her hand. “Xander Shannon; thanks for the food. Who’s this Chance person?” I asked taking another bite and a swig of milk. Proud that I remembered to keep my manners and say thank you.

“I am,” said a new voice that made me turn my head, my mouth stopped mid-chew. I saw a tangle of flaming orange hair and weird eyes. Her face is  lot cleaner now then I remember and her hair looked a bit darker for some reason.  She nodded at me. “Good to see you’ve come to Xander. How’s the shoulder?”

I stared at the freaky orange-haired, purpled-eyed; girl sitting on the opposite couch in what I can now see is a fluffy blue robe. Looks like she’d showered while I was out, “Um how do you know my name?” I asked after I swallowed the remainder of the food in my mouth.

“You told me you idiot,” she said rolling her eyes which gave me the strangest sensation that I was high. “What do you remember before you passed out?”

“A giant three headed monster trying to barbeque me.” I answered because that one was the most vivid.  Almost getting eaten by a three-headed monster was not easily forgotten. “And you, tumbling out of a trash can, and saying  you helped me if I'd help you."

Alexa’s eyes  when I said that and she started mouthing words that I didn’t get. “Chance please tell me you didn’t trick him."

The redhead-Chance- shrugged, “I didn’t trick him he said he'd help me."

Alexa looked back at me wide opened mouthed, “You made that oath on your own?”

“Big deal,” I said, “It’s just words really, unless she gets that Unbreakable Vow from Harry Potter or gets it in a legal document I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to.” I stopped talking when I saw the look on Alexa’s face. Clearly I was missing something very important.  “Um, is there something you aren’t telling me?"

“The River Styx,” Alexa said slowly, “is that what you swore on?”

“No," I said, taking another bit of my sandwich. "What is it exactly?” I said suddenly sure this was what I was missing

“A river in the Underworld,” Alexa said wrapping her arms around her stomach, “to make a vow on that…you can’t break it." She sounded all serious and grim like this was a wake for someone, not a good sign at all. Though she did look cute when she was worried, her lower lip stuck out more and her nose got all wrinkled hiding some of the freckles I'd seen when she was hovering over me.

“Okay,” I said shoving the rest of my food in my mouth. Good to know, so Chace what  do you need? A math tutor? Because I suck at that subject just to warn you. You need help robbing a bank?” I tacked the last one off because it kind of seemed likely at this point. Thiefs were agile and stuff weren't they?

“None of the above,” she said narrowing her freaky eyes at me, toying with a strand of her vivid hair. “I need your help in a much bigger project.”

“What’s bigger than robbing a bank? Please tell me you aren’t a Mafia hit-man. Woman, whatever.” I added after an afterthought. That was bigger than robbing a bank, but there was no way I was going to help with that. I could rob a bank I was pretty sure I could if I needed to, but not take a life.

“Overthrowing those corrupt assholes known as the Olympian Council.” She said fire lighting up her eyes as she mentioned them. For a second I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak. When her words hit home I finally had a reaction to it, my jaw didn't drop, I didn't choke on the peanut buttr remains in my mouth, I just laughed. My laughter rang out around the little apartment, my entire body shaking causing my shoulder to ache but I didn’t care. This was fucking hilarious! This chick maybe crazy but I will never be able to say she has no sense of humor. I wiped tears out of my eyes as I sat back up my breath coming in wheezing gasps. I looked back up at Chance and my laughter started up yet again. I recovered, looked up again, and started up again a second time. 

I looked back up again, wheezing for the third time, ribs and shoulder aching and Chance looked at me pretty annoyed. “You done yet?” she asked.

“Yeah I think so, good one.” I wheezed as I wiped at my eyes. “So seriously what do you need my help for?”

“Knocking those gods off their thrones,” she said her voice rising. “I’m serious you idiot so stop laughing and listen up. Their corrupt so concerned with keeping their power that they’ve thrown their own kids into a place worse than Hell and allowed the human world to fall into chaos.”

At this point in time I realized she was serious. One hundred percent serious. MY GODS THIS CHICK REALLY IS NUTS! SHE WANTS TO OVERTHROW THE GODS? THE FUCKING GODS?! “ARE YOU CRAZY?!” I shouted once I found my voice again.

“Maybe,” she said, “but something has to be done about it. Do you know what’s happened because of them?”

“The fact that they threw us in prison,” I said instantly, but as much as I hated that place it was not worth my life to get back at them for that. It wasn't enough, despite what Chance seemed to think I wasn't stupid enough to think this was a good idea. We were mortals, or rather we where half-mortals, they were gods older than us by more than a few centuries. What the hell could we do about it?

“And more," she stated flatly, crossing her arms whether it was to make herself look tougher or to keep her robe from falling I didn't know. She looked pretty scrawny to me.  "You know what war in Iran and Afghanistan? They caused it.”

“What now?” I said pretty sure I sounded ghetto.

“Hermes is in the weapon’s business, he deals both ways.  Ares is the god of war-he lives for conflict. Eris is the goddess of discord and chaos-you want to know how chaotic the lives are for people living in that region? How about the earthquake that hit Chile? Posiden did that, he wanted to shake up Zeus’s trip with one of his many mistresses. Hera-.”

“Okay I get it!” I snapped, cutting her off, anger turning my blood to a boiling point. “But what the hell can we do? They're gods, we are mortals explain this logic.”

“There are some people who can help us, I’ll explain as we go, now get your ass up and get dressed. We’ve got to get moving, we’ve been here way too long."

“Hold on,” I objected, “what does that mean? And I never agreed to come with you!"

“Explanations come later," she said standing up and twisting her hair into a ponytail. "right now I am going to leave, if you stay they will find you and you can kiss your freedom goodbye. Stay with me and I show you how I've made it out here so long. Lex can you get him dressed?” asked Chance as she already disappeared into the bathroom like I'd already agreed. Truth was I already had when I heard my freedom going out the window, I wasn't willing to go back there. Either way she was right about one thing, she'd made it on the outside for a long time, didn't know how, but I needed to find out or I was dead or worse.

Alexa looked at me, face red and she started to speak. “Um, well come on, I have some of uncle’s jeans in the other room. Yours have breathed their last. "

“Thanks for the heads up,” I said getting up to my feet and low and behold I had no pants on or underwear, just an oversized t-shirt. I looked up at Alexa. I couldn’t think of her as Lex, to me the name ‘Lex’ made me think of Lex Luthor-the evil bald guy in Superman. Alexa was a pretty blonde girl who just saved my life.  I couldn’t think of her as Lex.  “Alexa, where are my boxers?”

“On the bed in the spare room," she said pointing to the door. "I decided it be good to wash them-you won’t have the chance to do so for a while after this.”

“Thanks,” I said as I stepped inside. Sure enough a pair of very faded jeans, my boxers, a pair of socks, old shoes and my sweatshirt are waiting on the bed. Alexa went all out to clean my stuff out for me. That was nice of her.  I put on the clothes-which was kind of hard to do with only one good arm, but after a struggle I did it and stepped outside.

Chance was already out there, in the kitchen actually filling up an old army backpack. Her clothes look cleaner-excluding those jeans, nothing will ever, ever help take those stains out.  She glanced up at me as she shoved about six plastic containers in there. “Good your done getting dressed, nice timing,” she said as she zipped the many pockets shut and slung it over her shoulder.

“Be careful,” Alexa said grabbing Chance and giving her a hug. She patted Alexa on the back with one arm.

“I’m always careful," she said with a grin  showing some weirdly straight teeth. She didn't seem like the type of girl to havev had braces. "See you soon. I’ll keep in touch as best I can.

  “When did you get careful?” asked Alexa sounding truly amazed, eyes wide open with surprise.

“When I became wanted by the gods, Xander say goodbye, say thank you and let’s go.” 

“Thanks,” I said waving with my good arm to Alexa as I walked backwards out the door. “I’ll make sure Chance is careful.” Though I wasn't sure how well that was going to go considering what she intended to do. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, well not everything, no matter what happened I was not going back to that Hell.

“Good luck,” she laughed as I ducked into the garage. “Now what?” I asked as she straddled the bike and placed a helmet over her flaming hair.

“Get on the bike you idiot,” she ordered handing me a helmet. “We’ve got to get somewhere safe. We’ve been here way too long.”

“Eh?” I asked as I tried to snap the helmet strap on with only one hand. A little click told me I was victorious. Sweet.

“Hang on,” she warned as she gunned the engine and we zoomed out backwards. I threw my good arm around her waist and soon we were tearing out on the nighttime streets of NYC.  The light of a small crescent moon and some street lamps as giving us some light to see some road signs which are just zipping by.

  “Where are we-?”I asked as the night air shot cold into me taking my breath away.

“Shut up!” she growled giving the thing more gas and breaking the speed limit for sure. “I said we’d talk later!”

“Now seems pretty good to me,” I argued as we made a sharp turn on Fifth Avenue.

“Not now!” she hissed and it might have been just me, but she sounded worried what was with her?

“What’s with you?” I asked, but five seconds later I quit worrying about her not telling me stuff. I saw a hand on the pavement. An honest to gods hand made from shadows-like something out of that Disney movie with the frog.  It reached out towards us and gripped the bike-the actual freaking bike! And suddenly Chance, the bike and I were airborne. I think I now know what had Chance so worried.

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I loved this ending more than I should have XD so what'd  you guys think about the new characters and my take on the gods? I'd love to hear them! =D