Issue #45: X, Plan

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And of course, here's your daily chap.

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(General P.O.V)

The cry of a crow reached Pillyphus' ears, the sound echoing through the high ranges around them.

Dela, crouched next to her, shifted her body, handing the binoculars in her hands over to the General.

"They're here."

At the same time, she informed Pillyphus.

However it wasn't needed as the General could make out 4 figures approaching the ruins of the fountain of inspiration from the East.

3 were flying on Pegasi and the last one...

Hermes, she confirmed by by a quick glance through the item in her hand. This particular equipment was useful, they were definitely keeping them.

"Cutting it a bit close, are we?"

Pillyphus muttered to herself. The agreed time to rendezvous was 3 days. This was the morning of the 3rd day.

Still, at least now they could regroup and go after Diana.

"Gather round."

Pillyphus called her warriors, who surrounded her without a moments hesitation.

"Now that we have some reinforcements..."

Voooommmm!!

Cutting her off, a loud sound, like the blare of a horn being blown, filled the air.

Looking towards the direction the sound had come from, Pillyphus and her Amazons paled.

"Harpy Shit! They found us."

One of them bit out in hatred.

"How? We covered our tracks well!"

Another one spoke up in surprise.

Pillyphus knew things were about to get hectic. On the other side of the range, multiple forms emerged along the cliff.

Some were marching on foot-with barely any armor on- and the rest were riding on top of boars and large wolves.

Using the binos, she easily identify the God at the lead.

"Deimos."

The General muttered gravely. the God of Terror.

If Deimos was here, then Ares had really found them. And to add salt to the wound, next to Deimos was someone that set Pillyphus' teeth on edge.

Half of Themiscyra's warriors were dead because of him.

Herakles.

"Listen up everyone."

She called out.

"I know all of you want revenge on that bastard, but now is not the time."

The wave of discontent emerging among them was nipped in the bud with a glare from the General.

"We will provide cover to Hermes and his companions until they're on the ground. After that we retreat."

It would have been better if they didn't descend but this was the rendezvous point.

(Kane's P.O.V)

The second we swooped down towards the ruins on the rocky beach, spider sense warned me of an attack.

"Everyone be on guard. We have company."

I told the rest, my Pegasus landing on the rocky beach with a flap of its wings.

The rest descended around me, falling in a ready formation, our backs to each other.

Hermes remained in the air. While the three of us faced different directions, his focus was on the ranges to the west.

And sure enough, many figures appeared on the hills to the West.

"Deimos."

The God of Messengers mutterred the identity of the leader grimly.

"Is he...like a God or something?"

Steve asked, noticing the expression on all three of us.

"He's the God of Terror."

Rhadamanthus revealed.

"One of Ares' sons."

"If it were up to me, I would rather we faced his twin, Phobos the God of Fear."

Hermes added in a hard tone.

"Fear and terror." Steve mused.

"Isn't that sort of the same thing?"

"Not really."

I shook my head.

"Terror is fear at its extreme. Your body has no time to adjust to the release of adrenaline into your system and your mind enters into a frantic state of fight or flight. Enough terror and it might even kill."

The spy gulped.

Even the Pegasi we were on were starting to panic.

"So what's the plan?"

I asked Hermes.

"They're still far away that we could fly away if we wanted."

Hermes shook his head.

"No. I can sense Pillyphus and the others hiding behind those rocks."

He pointed further into the beach, a few hundred meters from where we were, behind a half broken fountain.

"We can't exactly leave them behind."

They had to be hiding really well because even with my abilities, I couldn't sense them.

A vicious smile lit up my face.

"Good. Because retreating is not an option here. Especially when we have such a good opportunity before us."

I felt the others stare at me in confusion.

"You said Deimos is Ares' son right?"

I asked.

Hermes nodded, realization dawning on the God.

"You can't be thinking..."

He stared at me as if I had two heads.

"Yeah. We're going to kidnap him and use him to get to Ares."

I elaborated.

Unexpected laughter bubbled forth from one of us. Steve and I stared at each other before looking back at the chuckling Judge.

"Anything you'd like to add?"

I offered to Rhadamanthus. I also wanted to know what was so funny.

"Don't mind me."

He waved me off.

"I just wasn't expecting you to take initiative like that."

What was he talking about? They did hire me right?

Before we could go on, Hermes cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen and spider lady, We might...have a problem."

Following his gaze, something goldish glinted in the distant ranges among the incoming enemies. It looked...like a man.

I blinked and then that man was sailing through the air. A single leap had allowed to him clear hundreds if not thousands of feet.

(General P.O.V)

Wearing a completely black armor with spiked pauldrons and a green cape flapping behind him, the God of Terror looked the part.

He had blonde hair a bit richer than his father, and his face held the same touch of malice as the latter. Only, his gray eyes were even colder.

He sat on a majestic horse, the stead stomping the hard ground as it's rider stared down at the targets.

After a long chase through the European landscape, they had finally tracked them down.

But it wasn't the Amazons alone now.

The new additions had to be their reinforcements. Or at least they had to be working together.

Deimos didn't really care, he would kill them all.

And of course there was Hermes.

Just like his father had said, the Gods would send someone to keep an eye on the situation.

His rowdy Men wanted in on the action immediately.

But Deimos had a different idea.

"Herakles."

He softly called out.

And from the back, the sound of heavy steps rang out. They belonged to a man or rather a Demigod touted as the God of strength.

"Go and greet our friends."

Deimos ordered.

Herakles, covered in glowing chains started running forward and once he was at the ledge, he jumped down into the cove.

Down below a few things happened almost simultaneously.

Arrows filled the air- shot by the Amazons as they tried to snag Herakles out of the air. Some missed, but most of them shattered on his skin.

The Pegasi Kane and the others were riding on became restless, somehow sensing the incoming calamity.

It prompted them to move out the way lest be squashed.

Baaaamm!!!

The ground cratered under the Demigod's landing.

Kane and the other two had immediately taken to the air, avoiding the Demigod's descent.

Below them dust filled the beach, obscuring Herakles from sight.

Spider sense screamed at Kane but not to warn him of danger coming his way.

A Golden chain cut through the air, headed towards Steve's Pegasus.

Clang!

Before it could land, Kane appeared in front of the chain, two golden carved daggers in his hands, which he used to block the attack.

As a consequence, he was thrown back-sent sailing through the air after underestimating the strength behind the chains.

A brown shadow appeared behind him, his Pegasus managing to scoop up his form before he could smack onto the bank of the hills behind.

"Kane!"

Steve called out, reorienting his Pegasus to face the Assassin.

Boom!!

Another loud sound caught the Spy's attention and as he turned around, his eyes widened comically as a fist covered in chains was headed for his head.

Whoosh!

Hermes figure intercepted Herakles, his shoulder colliding with the Demigod's midsection and sending the two on a flight over the ranges.

"Steven!"

Rhadamanthus called, appearing beside him and slapping the back of his head.

"Focus."

Something was handed to him. Looking down the Spy found a crossbow in his hands.

"You and I will cover the Amazon's back as we retreat to higher ground."

The Judge explained.

"What about Kane?"

Steve asked, looking behind at the direction the Assassin had been sent flying.

"Wrong direction."

Rhadamanthus told him, pointing below them.

Steve looked down and was left gaping.

-0-

Kane controlled his Pegasus to fly low along the beach.

He passed above Pillyphus and the Amazons who had run out of cover to create distance between them and the forces of Deimos running down the hill.

"Yiah!"

The assassin coaxed his ride forward even faster.

Deimos' forces contained the souls of Spartans and the Mongol horde- they were a part of the souls Ares had stolen from the Underworld, perfect for exterminating anyone.

Unfortunately for all involved, even the God of Terror himself, they had no concept of who they were actually messing with.

Once Kane was above the warriors, Spyra sprouted into being above his shoulder and then she flowed down his arms and into the Crescent Moon bow in his hands.

The whole bow caught on fire.

Kane pulled the string back, an arrow made of blue flames molding in the space between the string and the shaft.

He released it and in a defiance of physical laws, the single arrow split into more.

Hundreds of flame arrows covered the air above Deimos' forces. And when they fell, half of his warriors went out in a blaze.