Chapter 1: Revelation

Zadkiel landed right behind Michael on the roof top, the paramedics and police already cleared out. Cordons were set up to keep people away from the damage of the building. Nobody was left there except for their car. "Their memories got wiped, which means they don't know about our abilities." Zadkiel walked up to the edge of the building, nobody was around to see anything. "...That might be for the best." Zadkiel dropped off the roof and landed silently in the shadows before emerging into the light. The car was unscathed though it would probably need a good washing after all the rain and dust kicked up by the storm. "Heracles threatened to kill everyone, our 'mortal' ties severed. We can't leave, not yet. He could come back, finish what he started with the others." Zadkiel Clenched his fists, and they shook with anger until he took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"Jomar, and John!" He suddenly exclaimed, "We need to get to the hospital hope you still have the keys." Zadkiel slide across the hood of their car and opened the passenger side door looking up to Michael. "We have to keep our powers secret, for now...at least until we know more." Zadkiel got into the car and shut the door slowly, one thing was for sure and that was that he wouldn't let his new found power destroy their sweet ride.

Michael jumped down to the car, so much for a low profile. It was still dark, so no one probably saw. Mike ran up to the drivers side door and hopped in. Did they both leave the doors unlocked? What ever. Pike pulled the door closed slowly as his brother did, though he was starting to get the hang of how it worked. He was forming a mental trigger, which would hopefully turn out to be handy in the long run. Starting the engine, a roar that made him flinch. Something so normal to him seemed so foreign now. He pulled out of the parking lot, back on to 15th street, and began the drive to the hospital. The events of the last hour were now given the time to really hit him, which was not a good idea. "We were eighteen for not even seven minutes...I do not want to be twenty one..."

Then the words that the old ladies said also rang in his ears, as well as the words of the Greek Hero formally of myth. "So, we are two children of Zeus and that was a third brother of ours, though that one lived for thousands and thousands of years. All right, he want s to kill our mortal tethers, so our friends. Well, if we stay, he has a reason to come back here. If we leave he will follow. So, unless we can master becoming the two newest members of Street Fighter, I suggest we come up with a plan and keep moving after we make sure no one is dead." Dead... Since when did he have to worry about that? Oh yeah, seven minutes after midnight....

The hospital lights were up ahead, Michael drifted into the parking spot of an abandoned lot, no taking the chance of parking near someone who could open the door to much and scratch the paint, and taking the time out to set the alarm and lock the doors. Pulling out his phone to see what time it was, he noticed that, up by the headphone jack, a potential scratch in the phones metal casing. Running his finger along the edge, the scratch was no longer their, it was only a scuff. A sigh of relief was released from Mike, who looked like he just dodged a nuclear bomb that was smack dab aimed for his head. Losing this hone would be as bad a s losing a friend. "All right, lets go." Placing the phone back in his pocket and running, though with great effort not to power launch, up to the Hospital entrance. The automatic door swung open, and in he went.

The Carpenter brothers didn't seem to be in to much of agreement whether or not to stay but Zadkiel understood MIchael and was reluctantly coming to the same conclusion. Ultimately, they couldn't stay because it would put everyone in danger. Their little scuffle with Heracles caused a lot of damage and he could only wonder how much damage they would cause if there was an all out fight. When they arrived at the hospital they parked in an empty lot and then proceeded to head into the hospital.

Their friend were there waiting, worried sick and having no idea where they went during the 'accident'. 'Damn them, come to our town, attack us and the toy with our friends memories?' Zadkiel thought to himself, trying his best not to let his anger show. A nurse came out of one of the rooms, obviously annoyed.

"The patient refuses to rest and demand to seem the Carpenters?" She stated, looking at the group hoping they knew what she was talking about.

"That would be us." Zadkiel stated, nodding at Michael and then heading towards the room she exited from. Upon entering Zad spotted Jomar lying in the bed bandaged up with casts on both arms. This made Zadkiel even angrier, Jomar was like a father to him and to see him in this condition did not help.

"Close the door." Jomar stated, adjusting his body as best as he could. He was on a lot of pain meds, enough to knock any average person out but he refused to go out before talking to them. Once the brothers were in and the door was shut he nodded at the boys. "I remember." Was all he said, taking a deep breath and letting out a quick cough.

"You have to run..." He stated, contradicting everything he's ever told Zadkiel. Zadkiel shook his head, it was hard to see Jomar in this condition. "No way, we can't just leave. Look at you, and John. It wouldn't be right to just leave you all like this. you always told us never to run from our problems and to face them head on."

"Then look at it like a boxing match" jomar was weak, short of breath but he would say his piece of mind. "...you need to take a few steps back, get some ground to observe your opponent, learn what you can from them because thats what they are doing now. Sizing you up, seeing what you got. You need to go, learn what you can and keep them on their toes and keep them guessing. its your best ch-" Jomar let out a few more horrid coughs. Zadkiel approached him but Jomar shook his head, gaining control of himself and trying to calm his breathing.

"On night stand, take it. Don't argue." he stated simply, looking over at two wrapped boxes. One was addressed to Michael and one to Zadkiel. Taking his gift, and handing Michael his, Zadkiel unwrapped it. It was a pocket watch, old and worn. "That was my fathers. Passed down from his father to him and then from him to me and now from me to you." Jomar stated, his eyes tearing a bit. "Keep track of your time and do not lose it. It is one of Gods most precious gifts given to us." There was also a check written out for a large sum of money. "Money isn't so bad either, its from all the lessons you paid for. I saved it up for you knowing one day you might need it."

Zadkiel nodded and smiled, "Thank you." He was a bit choked up, but sucked it up trying to show to much but Jomar could tell he was grateful. Looking over to Michael, Jomar nodded to him to open his gift, what was inside was a combat knife. "Both a tool and a weapon. Father used it in the war, and you can use it in yours. He never told me the whole story but he says its made of an alien metal, what ever that means."[/color]

Mike and Zad did not have to wait long before they got the information they needed. "The patient refuses to rest and demand to seem the Carpenters?" His brother immediately responded and and then the two were ushered into Jomar's room. As the nurse left Jomar told them to close the door and then told them that he remembered. Why was Jomar so special? That was a story for another time. Now it was Mike's time to shut up and listen. Jomar told them to run, but Zad was still refusing. Finally Jomar gave Zad the words he needed in order to listen by explaining it as a boxing tactic. However, the teacher was having horrible coughing fits and damn near expelled a lung right their on the bed.

Mike grimaced at ever body shaking physical sign of pain that the poor man on the bed showed. Just when the heart felt sympathy was at its peak, Jomar had a present for each of them. For Zad, a watch passed down from father to son, father to son again, and now Not biological father to son he never had. Inappropriately Mike was worrisome that this watch had some time travel woojoo. Thankfully, no spiraling magics occurred and it was all sentiment, followed by a nice check from Jomar. The gift for Mike however was far more badass then sentimental. It was also from Jomar's father, and it was a combat knife made of some alien metal. Mike gazed at the blade with is almost four dimensional angles with colors that seemed to shift across the blade. Mike took a look over his shoulder and then back down to the blade.

No one was coming so he felt for that same power that he did before when he wanted lightning. Sparks of electricity danced across the blade. He put the knife back in its sheath and attached it to his belt. "Thank you Jomar, you have been more then kind to me. I have to ask though, before we leave, why are you able to remember? Heracles also took time out of his life to actually fight you instead of plow through like he did everyone else." Basically, Mike wanted to know what the heel this man really was, he was alive now, and that was already a testament to his other worldlyness.

"I thought about that myself-" Jomar stated, nodding his head with a slight chuckle. "-I was the only one unconscious when everyone's minds were altered, it is possible that those old hags can only effect people who are awake." Jomar adjusted himself in his bed, he was bandaged up pretty good and had fractured and broken bones. "I think he could tell i was a fighter by just my presence. I'm not super human, i think the only reason i lived was because he went easy on me or he knew nearly crippling me would be worse then death."

Nurses entered the room, "Boys, visiting hours are up and he needs his rest." There were two of them and they started setting Jomar up to sleep with some pain medication and a fresh IV bag. "You best be going. When I am able i'll try and find you two. Be careful and watch who you trust."

Zad nodded, pocketing the watch in his jeans. "Take good care of him." He said to the nurses as he walked out of the room into the hallway. He still didn't feel good about leaving everybody all of the sudden, they weren't planning to leave so soon and now they were leaving immediately. The only question was to where. Jomar said to take a few steps back and take a look at their opponent. First he and Michael would have to go over what they've learned from their encounter then decide where to go from there but what were they expected to do exactly. Do they kill Heracules, and if they do then what? Obviously Zeus wouldn't take that sitting down. Would they always be on the run? Zadkiel pondered this was their friends approached them, asking about Jomar which Zad ensured them he would be alright.

Michael sheathed the knife and tucked it into his waste line at the small of his back. He nodded to Jomar and said "I think you won't have any problems getting ahold of us." For one, even though they had new phones they had the same number, and two, 11 chances out of ten they would leave a trail to follow with adventures and hell. Michael then stepped outside with his brother, side stepping the nurses that otherwise would have plowed through him. The words of Jomar were still spinning in his head. He was not metahuman, but because he was trained in something, because he had a skill, he was given the respect of a fight instead of a mangling toss like John. Also, he kept his memories by being unconscious, but would any other meta human have kept their memory if they were not apart of this Disney tail come true?

"Oh Shit!"

Mike turned to Zad "We need to hurry or we wont get to see John and the rest of the gang at all!" Gotta get the closure right? Thats what they came to do. "Plus, I have an idea. We need to get information right? Well, considering that the up State New York, toward Buffalo and the Canadian boarder, have a large portion of Cities, schools, towns, and roads all named after Greko-Roman content, that is a good spot to try." Mike knew about thiis because he was looking at a college brochure once for Monroe Community College, and that was in that area. "The other place is The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. It's a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens and was built The 1890's, so its old enough to have some secrets right?" He knew about this because it was in a movie and a book series he had read. Sometimes having a nerdy side came in handy...especially when you go bowling and become a demigod...

The knife however suddenly caught Mike off guard. The metal, originally cool to the tough, began to rapidly heat up. Pulling the weapon out he realized the heat even traveled through the sheath. It cooled down once it was out in the open again. Shrugginf, Mike undid his belt and laced it through and the knife now hung at his side. "You get a watch and a check, I get an alien blade with abandonment issues. It damn near set me on fire until it came into view. Anyway, lets go." He turned towards a Nurse. "Excuse me, I need to speak with a patient recently admitted, John smith, his hand was his reason for being here." The nurse looked at her watch "I'm sorry" she said "But visiting hours are over."

Mike wanted to face palm, but kept his composure "I do believe that the rule only is applied to friends and non immediate family. I am his brother, and I am pretty sure I need to make sure he is being taken care of before our dad comes in and causes a real problem." It was a bad thing to lie,but hey, if the nurse was dumb enough to buy the story, why not sell it? The lady walked over to a desk with papers and two computers. She pulled out a form and looked up John on the desktop. "Fill this out and do you have any identification to prove you are related?" Uh - oh. quick, Lie on the spot more! "I am only seventeen." False "And I do not have a license." False again. "This is a friend of mine, he has the license and was my ride." Kinda false. License yes, brother not friend, but he was friends with hsi brother so maybe not false? The nurse was ready to pull her hair out.

"Forget it, just fill out the form." Mike grabbed a pen. Fake name, Johns address, random Birthday, odd stream of numbers for a fake SS, relation is brother, and sure I'll be allergic to peanuts with a prior disorder of pancreatitis. Turning the form in th elady looked at me dumbfounded and then lead us to John's room. "You have ten minutes Mister..." She looked at the paper "Alabaster Smith?" "Call me Al." I said cheerfully. "Ten minutes" was her turt response. Yikes. Mike walked into the room. John was still Awake. "Hey Guys". He said through gritted teeth.

Zad was always impressed on how his brother could lie on the spot like that in order to get his way. He was able to get them into Johns room where their friend waited with his hand mangled. "Damn man" Zad started, "What did you do to it?" He knew John wouldn't remember Heracles.

"Well, that lightning bolt that hit the bowling alley sent debri and somehow i got my hand crushed beneath some rubble." John stated, his hand was covered in bandages and the pain medication kept him from feeling to much pain.

"Thats crazy." Zadkiel looked at Michael, knowing that he was thinking the same thing he was, and that was that those old woman were powerful if they could rewrite a persons mind. IF he wasn't convinced to leave before, seeing how they could effect their friends minds have made him for certain that they had to go to draw the heat away from the city. "We just wanted to see you before we go..." Zadkiel felt like crap, with everything thats happened and they are just leaving them behind with nothing but a good bye and a lie about why they are going now. "Tight schedule to keep and all, we'll be sure to visit you again man, and thank you for everything and for being there for us."

Zadkiel couldn't thank him specifically for standing up to a 'demi-god' but he could thank him for being a good friend. "What a night, we best head back to St. Thomas' and get some shut eye." Suddenly Zadkiels heart skipped a beat as he realized it would be the last night they stayed at the orphanage. Their entire lives had been spent as orphans and now they were about to go off on this insane quest to resolve what ever issue the Greek gods have with him and his brother.

John had the most lame story for how his hand was mangled. Really? Did people really buy such a story as a freak lightning storm? How did the debris only his his hand and not his arm...Then it clicked. Those people who ignore the news, who plindly can not see what happens in the world. Those kinds of people that Mike and his friends made fun of. Now he watched as his friend became one of those sheep who follows the Shepherd and is not to stray off course. Zad said his good bye, and John nooded and said to "make sure that both of their asses kept in contact." Mike shook Johns good hand, wishing that he could heal over shoot lightning right now. "Make sure you heal up, thats your bowling hand and I do not want to have to take it asy on you for being crippled."

Thats right, laugh it off. Swallow the pain of truth and and make sure your fake smile reassures them all will be well. Turning to leave the room John called back. "The rest of the gang went home, make sure you at least call them." Mike nodded. "Will do man, now get some rest. I doubt those pain pills will last forever." With a look that said "good point" John rolled over and hit the switch to turn off his light. Mike walked out the door and closed it after his brother would walk out as well. "All right...time to head back ho...er, to St, Thomas." What was the point? Mike would not be able to sleep for shit, so really this was just a formality. Mike pulled out the keys and walked through the hospital. Half of the lights were off, power saver mode for when it was not busy.

As he left the building and went into the parking lot, Mike took a deep breath, a somber moment fled him and a bot of excitement wiggled in. Even with all this hell, their adventure was about to begin at least. Unlocking the car and hopping inside, the engine roared to life and it too sounded excited. As soon as Zad was in and buckled up Mike drove them back to what used to be their home. He made sure to take in all of the sites, sounds, and memories that he could could before they arrived and he threw the car in park. After getting out of the car he tossed the Keys to his brother. Pulling out his phone Mike grimaced "Damn dude, 3 am. If it were two days ago we would be dead meat if we showed up this late." The difference that sort of time could make, wow.

Patting his brother on the shoulder Mike said "Well, I wont sleep, but I will try to get some rest. See you in a few hours right? I might grab a drink from the fridge first, you want anything?" Mike knew for a fact there was a half gallon of Hawaiian Punch left in the fridge and he was dying for a chance to have some sweet and sugary 'Berry Blue typhoon'. Walking in after his brother would answer, he would get the drink, or drinks, and then crash on his tiny mattress for the last time. Sleep would not come, but dawn soon would. His thoughts would linger as would the memories. The aches of his Birthday transformation would fade, and he would adopt acceptance of the situation. His mind faded into a dreamy haze where the face of an older man appeared. Rough, chiseled, gray hair, and beard. The eyes were a swirling storm of Topaz and amethyst then back to stormy gray. "We will find you...we will."

Hitting the fridge for a drink, probably one of the most normal things that have happened in the last few hours but Zadkiel really didn't feel like getting anything. "No thanks man" Zadkiel started heading towards his room. "Think i'm just going to head to my room." He entered his room, it was as he left it. On the floor was a weighted bar he would curl and use for a morning work out. He lifted it up, it felt like a feather to him and curling it took absolutely no effort at all. 'What the hell am I' He thought to himself, sliding on as much weight onto the bar as he could and then curling it again, still with no effort at all.

Setting it down gently as to not damage the floors, Zadkiel walked over to his desk which had a tattered notebook which he used to keep track of all his lifting and then caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. "jesus" He said out loud, now seeing his transformation for the first time in the mirror. He looked strong before but now he straight up looked unreal. Fortunately he didn't look large or bulky, it would slow down his boxing if that was the case. Zadkiel started throwing a few punches, shadow boxing with himself and his speed was incredibly faster.

Sighing, he took off his shirt and tossed it next to his already packed suit case.He then pulled his phone from his pocket and checked for messages, but he had none. His friends were probably all asleep by now, its been a rough night. Zadkiel took a seat at his desk and opened a drawer which contained a small steel container. Opening it there was a folded piece of paper, yellowed with age and worn creases from being folded and unfolded. It was the letter left with him when he was abandoned by his mother. It was fuel for him, when he boxed and when he lifted. The anger he felt for being abandoned. The letter didn't say much but it told him so much. His mother didn't care about him, she didn't even care enough to name him. For his entire life his anger made him give not a single fuck about who she might have been but now that he knew that his father was Zeus it raised questions. Heracules said his name was Alexios, which meant he had a name chosen for him, and that he had a very large extended family. Was his mother simply trying to protect him from Zeus and felt it better he had no desire to find her?

He took the tin and placed it in his suitcase, heart heavy with uncertainty. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and he answered it only to find Mother Marabeth, the closest thing to a mother he ever had. "I heard about everything, are you alright?"

"Yeah, John and Jomar are pretty beat up but their alive, so there is that." Zadkiel felt like he couldn't look Marabeth in the eyes, he couldn't tell her the truth. "...big storm, right out of now where."

"I thought you two were staying longer, You are welcome to stay longer. You don't have to leave so soon, the orphanage considers you like family and you two have done so much good work for us." Marabeth placed a reassuring hand on Zadkiels shoulder and offered a warm smile. Zadkiel had to look her in the eyes one last time, the kindest person he had ever met and practically his mother. John, jomar, Marabeth, and his brother Michael, the people he cared about most, were all hurt and threatened by Heracules and soon doubt started to melt away from him as it filled with a bit of anger as well as determination. "We have to do this." He stated, taking a deep breath. "I'll write, and i'll make sure Michael does too. We'll tell you all about our little adventure and I promise to make you proud."

"You already have." The old lady stated, hugging Zadkiel who returned the hug. "I best go see your brother, try and get some sleep before you go and here..." Marabeth pulled a small silver cross necklace from her pocket and handed it to Zadkiel. "Keep it with you at all times, and always remember that no matter how alone you may feel in the world that the Lord will always be with you. You are a good man, and there will be days were you'll face difficult decisions. You will stumble, and you will fall but you have grown to be so strong. I know you will pick yourself after every failure and find what ever it is you are looking for."

"I will. Thank you." Marabeth gave Zadkiel one final squeeze before letting go and headed off towards Michaels room to talk to him. Zadkiel shut his door and placed the necklace around his neck, the cross dangling near his heart.  He got ready for bed and then laid down, staring up at the roof and then closing his eyes.

*Knock*! *Knock*! Mike lept from the bed as if he was late from school. "May I come in?" Chimed the sweet voice of Mother Marabeth. The words were just a dream. Right? Walking over to the door, Mike let her in, and the nun immediately hugged him. She began to explain how they did not have to go so soon, how they were family, and that they would be missed. "I know, I know, all very valid points, but we gotta do this." Its not like he wanted to empark on some heroic journey to find his real mother or to impress his father...He needed to find himself, hope not to find his real mother on the corner or dead, and have to potentially vanquish his father... talk about the dark side of Disney.

However, looking at the sweet Mothers face, he knew it was time to go. Memories flooded Mikes mind but were damned up for now, no time for that. "We need to go, we are staying even to long now. We wont disappoint you, we wont do the world wrong, and most importantly." He took a deep breath and stood tall and proud "We will not forget that, no matter what, this is our home, our origin, and our roots." One last finally hug was exchanged before the mother left the room, and bid her last farewell. Mick returned to his bed and phone in hand, began looking up directions to New York State. He also started charting other important information down such As "Demigod" activity, strange occurrences on the date of them ganging their powers, and non wikipedia based history on their new found linage.

There was also a bunch of crap to filter through. From Movies and books like Percy Jackson, to something called an RP site like Ninja Village and Super Hero RP. "Oh boy, morning can not come fast enough."