This is a work of gay-themed Romantic Fantasy; some Chapters contain graphic descriptions of sex, not all of it consensual or between adults: this Chapter contains a scene of emotional violence. If reading material of that nature upsets or offends you, please click away now. Likewise, if the laws in your location would put either of us in legal jeopardy, please follow the above instructions. If none of the caveats apply to you, I hope you enjoy my story. n
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Confrontation!
{{Prometheus! Athena! Hephaestus! I need you at the Arbor--NOW!}} Brad sent frantically as he and the three Gods manifested in Dennis's Demesne. {{There's big trouble, and we need help!}}
{{Yea ha' me permission tae translocate in!}} Dennis added, {{Come quickly! `Tis critical!}}
The three Gods wasted no time showing up at The Arbor. "OK, what's got your panties in a bunch?" Hephaestus demanded. "This better be important--like when you plan to start the trials for replacing my missing limbs!"
"If we survive this, I'll re-grow y'r arm an' legs!" Dave promised. "This is a lot more important t' th' whole Island!"
"By all means, please tell us!" Athena was astute enough to pick up the emotional cues Brad and the three Gods were giving her. "What's wrong, Bradley?"
"Zeus has been replaced by Loki!"
Hephaestus laughed. "Good one, kid! That's a real knee-slapper!!"
"That's not--possible..." the single woman present said. "Is it?"
"I was wondering who would figure it out and how long it would take!" Prometheus said. "Was it you, Bradley? Good deducing!"
Athena whirled on the Titan. "You claim you've known all along?" she hissed. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Would you have believed me if I told you?" the Titan replied mildly. "Mr. Forge still doesn't believe Bradley--and I can tell you have your doubts as well, Ms. Wyse..."
"Wait, what? You aren't shittin' me?" the big darkly handsome man exclaimed. "This isn't funny!"
"It's not a joke!" Brad told him, "much as I wish it was--it's completely real! I don't know how he did it, but Loki replaced Zeus some little while ago!"
"Indeed he did!" Prometheus added. "Loki arranged a `private' meeting with Zeus in order to foster an alliance between the Greek and Norse pantheons, but he murdered our King and took his place! Since taking the throne, Loki has been edging us toward war with another pantheon; he doesn't care if it's the Norse or the Egyptians--Loki is playing both sides and plans to cast his lot with whichever side is victorious! Maybe you'd better tell them how you figured it out for yourself, Bradley; I think they still don't believe me..."
"Everything came together fairly quickly," Brad told the group. "It started when I was having breakfast a few days ago--I was meeting with you and Apollo, Mr. Forge, at Ouefs. I overheard a couple of guys chatting and talking about why their rain gauges didn't match the totals they felt they should be getting..."
"It does rain an awful fucking lot here!" Forge said. Then: "Beg pardon, Tina. Sorry for the salty language..."
"We have a weather God here!" Tina protested. "When Zeus gets annoyed, it rains! What's so unusual about that?"
"The island has experienced an almost thirty percent drop in rainfall totals in the past year," the young man told her. "I had AIDIA compare that to other regions, and they don't match either. Climate change doesn't explain the drop! I also found records that show Demeter ordering extra water for her crops! No, Ms. Wyse, a lot of the rain we've been experiencing this past year is an illusion--sorry..."
"That is troubling..." the Goddess of Wisdom admitted, "but there could be other explanations!"
"I'd love tae hear one, Ma'am..." Dennis opined.
"Hephaestus can attest to what I'm about to tell you next!" Brad said. The young man went on to recite the tale of how the God of the Forge had translocated "Chester the Molester" to Winslow, Arizona. "Hephaestus refused to bring back Chester, but then Zeus couldn't locate his Bondsman!"
"I remember that!" the big dark man exclaimed. "I thought it was weird at the time--but I never really thought to question it!"
"More of Loki's illusions!" Prometheus told him. "Rather like Princess Projectra of the comics, not only can he make you see things that aren't there but NOT see things that are!"
"Fuck!" Hephaestus, at least, was starting to believe. "So, what about the accident at the Port?" he asked. "That has a giant red arrow pointing right at the Egyptians!"
"Do you really think the Egyptians would be so foolish?" Tina admitted. "Their pantheon is steeped in magic; I don't see them making such a rookie mistake..."
"And there's the most damning piece of evidence," Brad told the new arrivals. "Ganymede didn't recognize him!"
"It's NOT Zeus!" the youngest God said resolutely. "I've been Zeus's lover since he elevated me to Godhood! Even when we left Olympus and started living our lives on Earth, I've always been able to find and identify him--no matter which body he wore! Zeus should have been all over me like white on rice, but he didn't recognize me--and he didn't treat me like someone who has been a constant in his life for the past several thousand years!"
"This Zeus has always been aggressively straight!" Tina protested.
"Even the straightest Zeus has always been close to Ganymede," Brad countered. "They may not always fuck, but they are always close! The guy sitting on the throne had absolutely no feeling for the kid! Trust me on this one!"
"Ma'am, I know Zeus almost as well as I know myself!" DJ/Ganymede said. "No matter which bodies we wear, I know him! That's not him! Please, ma'am, you gotta believe me!"
"Young man, I know you believe you're speaking the truth..." Tina soothed. "But you need to understand--you're new to this life! You could be mistaken!"
"I'm NOT mistaken, lady!" DJ snarled. "You don't want to believe me; I can't make you! But don't discount me because I'm new to this role! I know what I know, and nothing you can say will change that--no matter how much you try to object!"
"Honestly, Teen-bean, they are convincing me!" Forge said. "There are too many things that don't add up!"
"There's more..." Prometheus said. "I'm sure you heard that young Kyle Kingsbury was replaced by a changeling..." Athena nodded. "But did you know they found evidence the Egyptians were involved?"
"That I hadn't heard!" Athena admitted.
"Zeus squashed the investigation!" Prometheus paused a moment to let that sink in. "If you don't believe me--call Ares..."
"It's true," the blond gymnast said bleakly. "I swear by our Bond!"
"Why would Zeus choose to put a stop to the investigation?" the Goddess of Wisdom wondered. "That makes no sense!"
"What if he was afraid Ares would discover his ties to Anubis!" Brad replied. "If Ares started sniffing around, Anubis would roll over on Loki so fast your head would swim!"
"True enough..." Tina sighed and threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine! I believe you! Now, what are we going to do about it?"
"We're going to have to confront Zeus!" Hephaestus exclaimed. "We'll have to topple him from the throne!"
The Demesne was filled with raucous laughter. "That's all I needed to hear!" what seemed to be Zeus's voice rolled like thunder. "I have you traitors now! You're all dead!"
Brad found himself back in Zeus's throne room at Olympus with his "fellow conspirators," but this time the other Olympians began appearing as well. "I didn't summon you!" the false Zeus exclaimed. "Go away!"
"I called them, Loki!" Athena said, her voice carrying through the marble hall. "If you intend to murder us for exposing your true identity, then you're going to have to do it in front of the entire pantheon!"
"Daughter, you were always a dramatic little bitch!" Zeus sighed; with a room full of witnesses there was no way the imposter could dispose of the conspirators. He changed tactics quickly; "I've no plans to MURDER you! What good would it do? You'd just reincarnate!"
"Any doubt of your true identity in my mind was just removed!" the Goddess of Wisdom said coldly. "My REAL father would never call me such names!"
"Sweetheart! Don't be ridiculous!" the false Zeus exclaimed. "Is it that time of the month again?"
"Loki intended to murder us!" Prometheus asserted.
"Not possible!" the man on the throne exclaimed. "I've already told you why!"
"Unless you succeeded in trapping our spirits like you did the real Zeus!" Prometheus said. "You would find it hard to maintain illusions of all of us continuing our daily lives; as one Trickster to another--it might be a bit of a challenge--even for you!"
"More nonsense!" "Zeus" sneered. "Since you're all here, I've decided that each of you need to Bond young Bradley Fox! The boy is a liar, and he spreads his poison to the Gods--so each of you will Bond him, and he shall serve the remainder of his life as slave to us all!"
"Father, that will drive him mad" Ares protested. "He's not a bad kid--surely something less harsh..."
"Just for that, you can go first!" Zeus said with an evil leer. "Son..."
"Wait!" Prometheus shouted. "Bradley is owed three Bond gifts! I think he should claim them now..."
"And I know just what I want..." the young man said. "From Prometheus I claim the right to choose the bit of Godly power I absorb! From Hephaestus I claim the strength to hold that Godly power, and from Athena I claim the ability to organize the gifts I obtain from all of you!"
"Done!"
"Done!"
"And--done!"
The young man felt the Godly power of the Bond gifts enter and transform him: Brad realized both Athena and Prometheus understood what he was doing, but it was just as clear to him false Zeus didn't know. How could he? He hadn't been there when the real Zeus created Ganymede. The young man stuck out his hand. "Bond me, Ares--I can take it!"
"I'm sorry, kid..." The blood red band appeared next to the other three.
"Ares--from you I take a bit of your strength and passion for justice!"
"Now you, Hera..." Zeus instructed.
"Husband, this is cruel and wrong!" the Queen of Olympus told him. "I won't do this!"
"Do it, or I'll burn that brat to a pile of ash where he stands!" the false King thundered. "Then his death will be on your head! Choose--wench!"
"I am truly sorry, Bradley..." the woman said as she placed her teal Bond on his arm above the others. "I promise--I'll see you are taken care of..."
"Don't be sorry," the young man replied. "I know what I'm doing! From you I'll take a bit of your steadfastness..."
And it went on; from Poseidon Brad took resilience, from Aphrodite he took a bit of passion, from Hades he took financial acumen. One by one the young man took, then stored, every God gift he'd been given, growing just a bit brighter with each one. He stood tall and straight as each Olympian Bonded him, giving him a bit of themselves in the process until only "Father Zeus" was left: "Well--Sire," Brad said, "you're the last one! Since you said ALL the Gods must Bond me--here's my arm! There's room for one more Bond! Unless you're afraid that is..." "Zeus" realized he'd been out-foxed yet again. With a roar he grabbed the young man's arm and placed his royal purple band with all the others. "From you--I take the power to see through and reveal illusions for what they are!"
Brad grabbed the false King in a grip of iron (thanks to the Gift of strength from Hercules) and held him tightly even as the Bond marks seemed to sink into his skin one by one until his right arm was bare! "Ladies and Gentlemen," intoned Prometheus, "I give you the newest Olympian--ARGUS REBORN!"
Brad smiled then made a tearing motion with his free hand, and the illusion of Zeus disappeared, replaced by what seemed to be Tom Hiddleston in the Loki costume from the Marvel movies; the one difference is that he wore a gold chain with a rough-cut amethyst around his neck. "Try again..." Brad said. Another tear, and now Brad was holding an ugly, blue-skinned man with burning red eyes. "Before we let you go, I'll take that necklace--I don't want you leaving with the real Zeus's immortal spirit!" Brad crushed the stone to powder, and a royal purple mist fled the room.
"Mortal--I'll DESTROY you for this effrontery!" Loki thundered.
"You might destroy me--one day, but I'm no longer a mortal!" Brad told him. "You don't know how new Greek Gods are made, but I do! Give any mortal enough Godly power, and they break over into Godhood themselves! Yes, the Gods have to be careful in how they apply that power, or they'll drive the mortal mad or unintentionally destroy them! I saw what was done to create Ganymede, and you gave me even more power than the original Zeus gave him! I suppose I should thank you for that..."
"So--what do we do with this--fake?" Ares asked.
"I think," said a new voice from someone entering the room, "that we should truss him up and send him back to the Allfather!" They turned to see a tall, well-built man with amazing salt-and-pepper hair, blue gray eyes and a stunningly handsome face. He was dressed for work in an expensive gray suit and a blue oxford-cloth shirt that that went well with the blue and silver paisley tie and coordinating pocket square. "Hello, children!" he said in a deep, rich voice. "It's good to be back..."
"Who are you?" Ares demanded.
"That's Jonathan Storm!" Hades replied. "He works for me!"
"I AM Jonathan Storm," the man replied in his rich velvety voice, "but you can call me `Boss' or, if you prefer--Father Zeus!"
"Daddy!" DJ/Ganymede threw himself into the new arrival's arms, and soon the pair were kissing like long-lost lovers--which, Brad supposed, they were. "Yep--this one is Zeus!" the Godling assured the group.
"My sweet boy!" Zeus beamed down at the young man in his arms. "You've returned to us at last--and you're whole again!"
"That's enough f'r me!" Dave said.
"Well, it certainly isn't enough for me!" Hera snapped. The Queen of the Gods strode over to where Zeus stood. "Prove you are who you claim to be!" she ordered. The man began whispering in her ear, and Hera's face grew red, then pale, then red again until she finally fled. "That's my husband!" she informed the group after getting as far away from the man as she could without leaving the throne room. "I'll hear no more discussion of the matter! All hail his Majesty!"
The new Zeus, rather like Ganymede, seemed singularly prepared for his role; he ordered a sumptuous breakfast for everyone then took them in to the Olympus's "grand" dining room and presided over the meal. Brad found a seat at a far table, paying careful attention to all the different conversations swirling about him. Fortunately, the newest Olympian found he was barely mentioned; most people were far more concerned about the new Zeus and how he would impact their various departments.
After a while though, Hephaestus, bearing yet another large plate of food, came wandering over. "You OK, kid?" he asked, putting the plate down. "Um--can I even call you that now?"
Brad smiled. "Compared to you, I'm still a kid..." he admitted. "Honestly, I don't mind. Would you care to sit and chat for a while--or are you still circling with the other bees trying to get the new `Queen's' attention?"
"I've had my talk with Zeus," the big man replied. "Mr. Storm tells me he's satisfied with the way Thunderbolt Technologies and my other departments are being run, so I don't anticipate any trouble from him. But, um, now you're a God in your own right, I suppose you'll be too busy doing your "new God" thing to finish the bioprinter project?"
"Why would you think that, Mr. Forge?" the young man asked. "Actually, if I can get a few days of uninterrupted work at The Forge, I think I can work out the details, and we'll be good to go! The trick is going to be finding the time to do the job! I expect I may be a bit busy' over the next little while--if only by being called to meetings with all the other Gods trying to figure out how I'm supposed to fit in around here... All that being said, I think the bioprinter' project is important, and I'd like to see it through to completion. Yes, Asclepios or Apollo could regrow your limbs, but they shouldn't have to expend that much energy! I promise--I'll find a way to get it done."
Before Forge could answer, one of Zeus's servants approached the table. "Excuse me, my Lord Argus," he said politely (and with a completely straight face), "but his Majesty would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience!"
"And by my earliest convenience' he means now'?" Brad asked with a smile. The servant gave a silent nod. "Ah, well--if you will excuse me, Mr. Forge? His Majesty requires my attention!"
Brad made his way to the head table where he found Hera, Athena and Ares already attending the monarch. "Thank you for joining us, young man!" Storm said in his wonderfully resonant voice. "I will be summoning Odin shortly, and I'd like you there."
All three of the other Gods at the table looked less than pleased at this comment. "Sire--do you think that's--wise?" Athena asked.
"He was your Bondsman, daughter!" the King replied. "Young Bradley discovered the truth about my--predecessor's abduction and subsequent murder before you were even aware of the problem! Is there some reason you don't trust him all of a sudden? Speak up, child!"
"No! Yes!" Tina Wyse sputtered. "It's just that Brad is--awfully young--and new to his Godly abilities to be given such a singular privilege!"
"And the Gods know he's not dressed properly for a meeting between the heads of two pantheons!" Hera grumped. "None of us are!"
"I can fix that!" Zeus snapped his fingers, and Brad knew he was now wearing something right out of Saville Row, stylish yet understated and perfectly suited to his new strawberry blonde coloration. Ares was in his finest dress uniform, while Hera was clad in a draped gown of teal silk-satin that flowed over her womanly frame to perfection. The Queen of the Gods had her abundant hair piled high and bound up with strings of golden beads in a classic Grecian style; she somehow managed to look both completely "classic" and "au courant" at the same time. Tina Wyse was wearing a simple, yet very high-end, gray business suit that whispered, "I'm the baddest bitch in the room!" without being the least bit unprofessional. Unlike Hera, her hair and makeup were subtle, designed for the board room not a night at the Oscars.
"I'll say this..." Hera observed. "You certainly have a sense of style your predecessor lacked, dear brother!"
"Brother?" The others looked confused.
"Harriet and I have been chatting about our relationship..." the new Zeus told the group. "While Zeus' and Hera' will maintain their roles as King and Queen of Olympus, Jonathan' and Harriet' will pursue our pleasures as we desire. I am a gay man who lived a closeted life until my youngest son graduated high school. Then Catriona and I decided to separate amicably; I don't intend to pretend to be something I'm not!"
"I trust Jonathan won't--embarrass me with his affairs any more than I intend to embarrass him with mine!" Harriet said. "I think it will work out for both of us!"
"Catriona?" Brad said. "Like Dr. Catriona Storm? Head of the Caduceus Clinic?" That's your ex?"
"Yes," the new King of the Gods replied. "In fact, `Cat' is the reason we moved to Olympus Island; she was offered a position she couldn't refuse, and I went along to support her! Luckily, I was able to find a position with Hades, so we didn't have any issues..."
"Ah--congratulations...?" Ares said.
"There may be a few rough patches here and there, but I trust my dear `Sister-Queen' and I can work through them," Storm said. "Wouldn't you agree, my dear?"
Harriet nodded. "Shall we adjourn to the throne room?" she suggested. "I think it might be a better location for our meeting with the King of Asgard!"
Once in the throne room, Zeus and Hera took seats, while Athena stood slightly behind and to the right of the King. Ares was on the Queen's left, with Brad a few steps down and even farther to the left. Loki, bound hand and foot in chains designed to prevent a God from translocating or using any other powers, was dumped rather unceremoniously on the marble floor at the base of the stairs. With everyone in place, Zeus reached out. "Allfather Odin, I would speak with thee!" he boomed. "I have something that belongs to you, and, if you wish it, you need to come and claim it at once!"
Odin's appearance was hardly dramatic; he simply faded in. The King of the Norse Gods was tall and broad with muscle overlaid by a comfortable fat pad. His single eye was blue and piercing, and his wild long hair and flowing beard were white as fresh-fallen Nordic snow. Unlike the Greeks, he was casually dressed, choosing a red buffalo-check flannel shirt, soft jeans, and heavy work boots. "Ya wanted ta see me, guy?" The king of Asgard sounded more like the upper Midwest rather than Scandinavia.
"Your adopted son murdered my last incarnation and held my immortal spirit prisoner for over a year!" Zeus told him.
"Was wonderin' when ya'd figger that one out!" the Allfather chuckled. "So, ya finally caught him! Well, good on ya!"
"You knew what that little bastard was up to here, and you didn't tell us?" Ares thundered. "Are you looking for war?"
"War? Oh, no!" Odin said. "It wasn't my place ta interfere in YOUR business, ya know!"
"Calm down, son..." Zeus told Ares before turning his full attention to their Nordic visitor. "Next time, Allfather, we'd appreciate you getting in touch with someone here if you see one of your people getting up to mischief! We don't want to start a fight that will end up hurting both of us, do we?"
"Oh no!" agreed Odin. "Yah, I can see your point! We don't need no trouble, ya know!"
"Bondslave!" Loki barked at Brad. "FREE me from this--I order you!"
"In case you've forgotten, `asshole', I'm not your Bondsman any longer!" Brad said with a positively wicked smile. "Thanks to you, I am, and always will be, free!" He turned his attention to the King of the Greek Gods. "Sire, do you mind if I give Loki a good swift kick in the nuts?"
"Oh my! Now who is this little spitfire?" Odin asked. "I haven't seen him around before, ya know!"
"Allfather Odin, may I present Argus Panoptes!" Zeus said. "He's the one who discovered your son's plot! Now, Bradley--why don't you instruct the prisoner on why you don't need to obey him?"
Brad smiled. "I suppose I should thank you, Trickster," he said. "When you ordered the other Olympians to Bond me, you thought all that Godly power I was forced to carry would drive me mad or destroy me! But what you didn't know is that I was aware of how Ganymede was created. I used the same powers--using my `Bond Gifts' to bear and organize each little bit of God-power I was given. Eventually I was ready to break the Bonds, but I kept absorbing little bits of power! From you I took the power to pierce illusions! And THEN I broke the Bonds! I'm nobody's Bondsman now!"
"Loki was always an over-reaching little scamp, ya know!" Odin observed.
"I'd hardly call regicide and an attempted coup the acts of a scamp!" Tina said coldly.
"Oh yah!" Odin said mildly. "It all depends on how ya look at it, ya know!"
"If he ends ONE MORE sentence with `ya know', I swear I'll jam my Size 14 boot crosswise up his ass!" Ares growled.
"Oh my, that one's a little tightly-wound, isn't he?"
"War Gods usually are," Zeus replied, a bit coolly himself, "even reformed ones! But listen, Odin--we need some assurances from you that Loki isn't going to get some light punishment and be back to cause us trouble in a few years! In spite of how amusing Loki might find it, all-out war between our two pantheons isn't good for either side! We need some assurance your son won't try anything stupid for a while!"
Odin conjured a gray-black hunk of raw crystal. "We'll put this boy in prison for a few hundred years!" he promised. We have a nice out-of-time cell he can relax in--and if he does something stupid, this spirit stone will catch and contain him! Is that enough?"
"Fine," Zeus agreed. "We'll leave his punishment to you!"
"Oh, and maybe we can arrange something in the way of a trade agreement," Odin suggested. "If we have enough interests in common, we won't need to fight!"
"Worth considering...." Zeus said.
Once Odin was gone, taking Loki with him, the other Gods went back to their regular routines, leaving Brad alone with Zeus. Ares and Athena had "regular" jobs, and Hera had a busy social calendar she didn't like disrupted. "Do you have a moment to chat, Bradley?" the Monarch asked.
"Sire?" The newest Olympian turned his full attention on the King.
"Take a seat..." He patted Hera's throne.
Brad stood frozen where he was. "Sire--that's not appropriate..."
"If the King of Olympus tells you to take a seat--TAKE A SEAT!"
The young man sat. On the floor at Zeus's feet. "Sire--I may be the newest God in Olympus, but, with all due respect, I'm not about to start out my career by getting on the wrong side of Hera! That way lies a never-ending road of pain and trouble! Thanks, but no, your Majesty!"
"Congratulations, Bradley, you passed my little test!" Zeus told him. The newly-minted King stood and offered the young man at his feet a hand up. "We're going to have to work together, you and I..." he said. "I need all the allies I can get--especially now! Let me translocate you to my office! We can talk there privately..."
"Excuse me?" Brad found himself whisked away to an expensively furnished but over-decorated office. The young man was secretly pleased to note that, thanks to his elevation to Godhood, he no longer felt queasy being translocated. He decided this just might be the best part of the package. "So, now that we're here, Sire, what can I do for you?"
"Will you have a seat now, Mr. Fox?" Brad took the visitor's chair on the far side of Zeus's desk. The new Monarch looked around the office. "The only taste my predecessor had was in his mouth," he observed sourly.
"Surely you didn't call me in for decorating advice?" Brad replied. "Now that you're a God, you can change this to whatever you want as often as you choose!"
"Yes, I'm well aware of that..." Storm told him. "I called you in here because I'd like to know if I can count on you, young man?"
"Like I told Loki when Prometheus was first presented, I am a loyal servant of Olympus!" Brad replied bluntly.
"I'm glad to hear that," Storm said, "because I'm convinced some of my `brethren' aren't loyal!"
"Sire?"
"Young man, Loki couldn't have pulled off this deception without help!" the King said. "Surely you realize that..."
"It--makes sense..." Brad admitted. The newest Olympian tried hard to follow the trail of the false Zeus's past but found he couldn't. "Loki fogged his past, so I can't tell you if or who he was working with on the inside! I'm sorry, Sire..."
"Then we'll just have to resort to some old-fashioned detective work and maybe set a trap!" Zeus said.
"I'm sure you can eliminate Prometheus from your suspect' list," Brad told the king. "After our little dust up,' he opened everything to me; he's willing to be loyal to Olympus if Olympus will be loyal to him! You can also eliminate the new Dionysus, Asclepios and Ganymede; the previous Dionysus was working with the imposter--and, yes, the previous Dionysus knew who he was--but Dennis never did!"
"And neither of the van Daams have been around long enough to put an `oar in the water', as it were," Storm concluded. "Still, that leaves a very long suspect list! I think we can also eliminate Athena, Hera, Demeter, the Sisters of the Moon and Hestia..."
Brad nodded. "Yeah, Tina' is a total daddy's girl', Hera has too much invested in being Queen, and the other `girls' just don't have the interest; they're busy with their own things. I think you can also eliminate Pan and Hercules for the same reason."
"Which leaves Ares, Hades, Hermes and Poseidon..." Brad said. "Ares has become very much a `Law and Order' type, so I don't see him getting involved..."
"Unless that `Law and Order' pose is deep cover!" Zeus replied.
"Hermes has always been a practical joker and a trickster," the young man said, "but in all his incarnations he's never shown a lot of interest in anybody's politics! I think you can safely cross him off the list as well."
"Which leaves my brothers'..." Zeus said sadly. "Hades has always resented that he got pushed to the side by the luck of the draw, and Po-Po always felt that since he was older' he had more of a `right' to rule!"
"Plus the current Poseidon is dumb enough to fall for sweet words and could have his vanity played on," Brad concluded.
"We'll have to watch all of them," Zeus agreed. "I hope I can count on your assistance, Bradley!"
"Indeed, Sire," the young man said. "I have one concern that's not related to this matter though..."
"Go on," the King said.
"What do you plan to do--about--um--with Ganymede?"
"That's going to be a problem..." Zeus admitted. "Yes, I'd love to spend some time with the dear boy, but I'm not sure it would be good for him to live with me full time!"
"Plus it would upset Dave..." Brad added.
"I suppose it would," the King realized. "No, I think if I can spend some time frolicking with my boy, that will be enough to satisfy us both. DJ needs to grow up and have his own life--and Ganymede needs to be something more than just my `cum dump'! I think the boy has some real potential, but he'll never realize that if he's just my bed warmer--especially while I'm in such an uneasy position..."
"Dave will be relieved to hear that!"
"Maybe the two of you can join me on my `Royal Yacht' for a sail on Saturday...?" Zeus suggested. "Having a chaperone there should make Dr. van Daam happy and having YOU there will make me happy! You're quite the tasty little morsel, young Argus!"
"Thank you, Sire, I'll look forward to the visit!"
"Oh, and tell Dr. Van Daam I'll sign off on him establishing his own Demesne; I believe him to be a `true' Olympian with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that come with it! The same goes for you, young Argus; welcome to the ranks of the Olympians!"
With that statement Zeus had made the young man's life just that much more complicated; the right to hold a Demesne gave Brad, like Dave, recognition as a full Olympian with all the pluses and minuses that came with it. Brad could now Bond mortals to him and would be expected to find some way to assist OlympusCo or take responsibility for something on the island. That was going to play hell with his college plans. "I'll tell him, Sir," Brad replied. "With your permission, I'll go and give Dave the good news."
Brad translocated back to The Arbor where he found himself instantly swarmed by an excited DJ. "Didja see Zeus?" the kid asked breathlessly. "Did you guys talk about me?"
"Yes, we talked about you!" the young man replied. "He thinks it would be best if we maintained the custody arrangements as they are now..."
"Aww!"
"Deej--he has a lot to do--between running OlympusCo, riding herd on the island, and being King of the Gods, he doesn't have time to wrangle a teenager! But he does want to spend time with you--he wants to spend Saturday sailing with the two of us--how does that sound?"
"You're not going to be a `wet blanket', are you?" the kid asked.
"I don't plan on it!" Brad told him. "I like the new Zeus, and he likes me! He also likes you DJ! He likes you a lot! But you being Dave's biological nephew adds a whole new wrinkle to this dynamic! Also, Zeus wants you to have an independent life of your own! Times have changed, and we all have to change with them--including you!"
"What else did you talk about?" the kid asked, probing gently.
"We talked about some OlympusCo stuff..." Brad replied vaguely. "Oh, and Zeus granted your uncle and me Demesnes!"
"Wow, that's cool!" DJ said. Then his truly-beautiful face grew a little dark. "Did you know that as long as we Olympians have lived on Earth, I've never had a Demesne?" he asked.
Brad did a quick scan. "You're right..." he finally said. "Good news--the current Zeus is giving you the opportunity to be something more than all the previous Ganymedes ever were! You can become a God in your own right--help make a real difference on Olympus Island!"
"All I have to do is study hard and keep my nose clean, right?"
"That's a good start!" Brad agreed.
"Hey, guys--are we interrupting?" Brad turned to see Corey Carpenter emerging from the house, closely-followed by his brother Chase. Corey, as usual, was naked, but Chase was in his full police cadet uniform. "No, come on and join us! I was just thinking about ordering some lunch--surprising considering how much food I ate at Zeus's impromptu brunch earlier today!"
"Baby Gods eat A LOT!" Corey reminded Brad. "If that isn't one of the notes in your book, it should be!"
Brad made an elaborate show of pantomiming writing himself a note. "Yeah, I keep forgetting all the lessons I taught Dennis and Dave apply to me and DJ too..." he finally said. Then: "So, Chase--aren't you supposed to be at work for another couple more hours?"
"The Chief told me about what happened, and I kind of melted down," the blond jock admitted shamefacedly. "He gave me the afternoon off so I could come see you. So--um--I guess you don't want to be friends with me anymore?"
"Why would you think that?" the newest Olympian asked. "Chase--I'm going to need real friends now more than ever! Yeah, I may be a full-fledged Olympian now, but I still put my pants on one leg at a time!"
"He just has `em flown in by snowy owls!" DJ quipped.
"I do NOT!" Brad said, "and I never would. That's just cruel to the poor birds! DJ--the last thing I want to do is annoy my friend! By showing off."
"Sorry..."
"No, he's not!" Corey said.
"OK, I'm not!" DJ agreed. "But I'm sorry you're upset, Chase; look--Brad is telling the truth! We Olympians need real friends who can keep us grounded more than ordinary people! I hope you don't turn away from Brad just because you're jealous!"
"I'm not jealous!" Chase sputtered. "OK, I am just--a little! Please don't hate me!"
"Dude--even when you were making my life a living Hell--I was still attracted to you!" the newest Olympian told him. "Look--you don't treat me any differently, and I will return the favor!"
"Except for the cool presents he can give you now that he's a God!" DJ said with a smirk.
"Deej--NOT helping!" Brad said. Then: "So--you guys ready for some lunch? I'm hungry!"
Brad spent a pleasant afternoon with the guys in and out of the pool at The Arbor. Eventually though, Chase and Corey departed to attend a family dinner with their parents, and the newest Olympian decided he needed to speak to his father. A quick check told him that Athena had given his ad the news, and Robb hadn't taken it well. He summoned his cell phone and placed a call. "Hey, Dad--It's me..."
"Hello, Bradley, I'm surprised you called..."
"Why wouldn't I call you?" he asked. "You're still my father after all..."
"Now that you've been elevated to Godhood, I wasn't sure you'd want anything to do with us `mere' mortals!"
"Jesus, Dad! How do you think I feel?" Brad asked, growing exasperated. "This was about the absolute last thing I expected!"
"I wonder if the same thing could be said of Prometheus?"
"If he planned this, he didn't inform me!" Brad said with a sigh. "Look, Dad, I'm sorry I didn't call or visit you at work! In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the wisest choice I could have made! But, for God's sake, Dad, I could have been killed or driven mad! As it is--Zeus dumped a whole new pile of responsibilities on my already-overloaded schedule! I still have to be available for Dennis, Dave, and DJ, and now I have to set up my own Demesne and undertake a--new assignment for his Majesty!" The young man almost blurted "confidential mission" but caught himself in time. "I'm sorry I didn't call you from the get-go--but it's not like you could have done anything about any of it!"
"So--are you going to drop out of college?"
"I hadn't planned to," the young man replied. "I'll have to drop cheerleading and gymnastics though--not that I'm crying over that... Luckily, I've got a full-ride scholarship through OlympusCo, so paying the bills isn't a problem! I suspect I'll be spending a lot of time translocating between Westwood and Olympus Island though: really not looking forward to that..."
"With the cash you now have access to, you should consider buying a place down there," his father told him.
"I guess I'll have to look into that as well..." Brad replied. "Honestly, I hated living in the dorms..."
"So--are you still coming to dinner on Sunday?" his father asked.
"I don't see why not--unless Zeus decides he wants me for something!"
"We'll see you then, Son..."
"Thanks, Dad. Love you.
"Love you too, boyo!"
END CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Thanks to everyone who continues to read and enjoy the continuing saga Olympus Island. Shout out to my crack Editorial Staff "Rockin' Robyn, "Midwestern" Mark and especially "Marko the Magnificent" who, in spite of surgery this week continues to spot things that need shoring up. If you enjoyed my story it is probably due to these worthies.
Questions, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome. Drop me a line to HonableRonable@gmail.com or RonVenable@hotmail.com and I WILL write back. Ask "Stubbleface": he seemed surprised that I'd actually keep my promise.
I appreciate all your ideas but I can't always find a way to fit all of them in to my stories, but I do try!
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