Die Cassie Die [for Cissie and Cassie]

[lightningthief]

So.... day one hundred thousand billion of seven hundred zillion on Tabula Rasa. What do I do today? I'm bored of swimming. I've done quite enough combat dummy construction. I just had a sparring session with Seifer yesterday. ....books?

I made my way to the Compound rec room and consult the bookshelf. I know I'm asking for it, but boredom drives one to do things, you know? Hmm...

Big Red Tequila? Nope. Widower's Two-Step? Don't think so. The Last King of Texas? The Devil Went Down to Austin. What is it with these books today? I'm not in the mood for Wild West, okay? And, unfortunately, the bookcase doesn't seem to be giving me anything in ancient Greek. So, squint time I suppose. If I find anything...

A comic book? Sure. Whatever.

I take it out and lean back against the wall of the Compound. I open it and begin reading. I'm a bit ADD, so as time passes, I start swinging Backbiter around while I lean back and read. I'm aware that nobody's near me, so my sword isn't going to kill anyone. Accidentally, anyway. The comic book is mildly entertaining. A heroine named Cassie has taken on the name 'Wonder Girl' and is flying around doing her superheroine thing. But the more I read it, the more I start thinking that this is just the same kind of crap the gods push on the children in Camp Half-Blood. Use your powers to serve Us. Go do battle with whomever we sent you off to fight because you're always good and they're always bad. Because you're not our expendable pawn at all, you're a Hero. And Everyone wants to be a Hero. So, we'll just sit here on our duffs feeding off the fat of the land while you bust your butt and risk your life for no apparent reason. When you're dead, we'll just find a new Hero.

So my natural inclination is eventually to start rooting for the bad guys. I go through another page and roll my eyes. Olympus is actually in the story. Apparently, Wonder Girl got her powers from Zeus. Fantastic. Superb. Now I'm reading with a bit of disgust. The way everyone bows down to and respects that old tyrant sickens me. Zeus isn't that different from Kronos. They can both go to Tartarus for all I care. Then I come to the big climax. Wonder Girl is Zeus's daughter. My hand tightens on Backbiter's hilt. Oh, now I've really got it in for this stupid story and this hero. What kind of crap is this anyway? I don't even want to read anymore. I let it fall to the ground.

"Die, Cassie, die!" I say then take Backbiter and shove the sharp tip right into Cassie's fool head.

Comments

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

It had been a great run and Cassie was impressed how much better Cissie was doing since she started taking that class with the crazy drill instructor. They'd taken the long route since it was a nice day and finally ended up in the compound to get a drink and some lunch.

Cassie may have been sweaty and tired but she was laughing at something Cissie said when she entered the rec room to cut through to the kitchen. That was until she heard the guy curse her name and start stabbing a comic book with his sword. A comic book that was open to page that clearly had Wonder Girl on it. She stopped short and blinked, "Wow, dude, what did I ever do to you?"

[arrowette]

For a moment, Cissie couldn't react. Had she just heard what she thought she had? Had Luke actually wished Cassie would die? She'd known there was some dark stuff going on with him but not anything like this.

"Did you - just say what I thought you said?" Cissie asked him angrily, her fists clenching at her sides. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't just haul off and hit him yet. She need to hear his excuse and besides, if anyone had the right of first punch, it was definitely Cassie.

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

I don't react too much to the comments.

"Hey, it's not like I was talking to you. I was standing here, minding my own business, and reading a very bad comic book story. Sorry if your name happens to be Cassie. I meant Wonder Girl, daughter of Zeus."

I direct that last part the blonde I don't know. I lift up the comic with my sword and pick it off the tip.

"Here, want it? I'm done with it."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Hands on her hips, Cassie was watching this guy skeptically until he mentioned that Wonder Girl was a daughter of Zeus. Then, all color drained from her face. "Wh...what?"

It was only her training that allowed her to catch the comic book in her shaking hands and she flipped through it quickly. Even with him striking through it, she saw herself talking to Ares, about being his champion...about being his half sister. She dropped the book as if it has burned her, shaking her head in disbelief. "No...no no no! He can't be!"

As the daughter of an only child, Cassie had always wondered who her father was. Occasionally she'd ask her mother but she never held it against her when she didn't tell. And here on the island, she'd gotten used to the idea of Anatoly being her surrogate father. But Zeus...she thought she'd done a great thing, being bold enough to as for her powers from the King of the Gods himself. That's what he'd told her. But now...instead of a wish to a worthy seeker, he'd just been bestowing a wish on his child.

It made one of the best things she'd ever had, her powers, seem tainted now.

[arrowette]

Cissie blinked at Luke in disbelief. She'd known Cassie for a long time but she had never mentioned anything about Zeus being her father. In fact, she was pretty sure that she didn't even know who he was - she remembered her saying that her mom had never answered that question.

But as she read the comic over Cissie's shoulder, she realized that it must be true. There she was on the page and there Ares was... god. It was unbelievable.

"So what?" Cissie confronted Luke, stepping in front of Cassie. She knew her friend was upset and she wanted to comfort her but Luke had threatened her. That couldn't slide. Not now. "You want to - what? Kill her because Zeus is her dad? Look, I don't care if you hate all the gods everywhere and want them to die but you don't get to threaten my friends. Ever."

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

I watch all of this drama with a momentary disbelief. The girl in front of me is actually the one from the comic. Wow, Thalia. Wait 'til you hear about your half-sister 'Wonder Girl.' I can't help a bit of an amused smirk as I shake my head and say sarcastically, "Gods, I just love this island..."

I address Cissie first, since she's the one who wants to have it out with me.

"Look, Cissie, I was just bored and reading a comic the bookshelf gave me. Don't give me this 'threatening my friend' stuff. I didn't even know her."

Then I direct a few comments to the shocked Wonder Girl.

"If your Zeus is anything like mine, you may want to think twice about good ol' dad. He's only going to use you like he uses everybody. And if you think I'm wrong, just wonder why it took years upon years for him to get around to claiming you. Or check on your mom if she was okay. Or care at all about you, except for what you can do for him."

I lean in low as I finish with, "Welcome to the family."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

It wasn't Zeus using her that she was worried about. Wonder Woman would have his godly balls before that ever happened. And she and her mom had done just fine without him in their lives.

It was more about her worth as a super hero, that by which she had defined herself for so long. Her powers had been given, not earned and she just felt so...so cheated. Plus...did Diana know? Would she still want her as a protege when she knew?

Who was she now, as Cassie and as Wonder Girl?

"Just...just shut up!" Cassie knew it was cowardly, knew a hero didn't run. But she wasn't about to break down in front of this asshole. She looked at Cissie with eyes that were starting to tear up and then she bolted.

Straight for the dad she'd chosen. The one that she'd often wished had been hers. The one she really needed right that second.

[arrowette]

"That doesn't matter," Cissie said angrily, taking a step towards Luke. She knew Cassie was hurting majorly but she also knew her well enough to know that she needed some alone time to deal with all of these revelations before talking to her. She would be okay - it was Luke who needed dealing with.

"You put Backbiter through the comic book! I think that says what you thinking pretty clearly."

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

When Cassie starts getting upset, I just shut it off. What do I care if she's upset? What do I care if Cissie's upset? I knew she'd sooner or later be my enemy a long time ago.

Now I'm alone with Cissie. I get an are-you-for-real look as I give her a annoyed shrug.

"Seriously? You're going to go off on me for sticking a sword through a comic book?"

I've done much, much worse things. Out of everything I've done, she's actually upset about the comic book?

[arrowette]

"It's not just a comic book," Cissie shouted at him. Did he really not get it or was he just being obnoxious on purpose? The trouble was that she thought it go either way with him and it all made her angrier.

"This is a real life you're talking about here and you just treated it like it was nothing and wished death on her. How would you feel if I read something about you and wished you fried by Zeus or something like that? You wouldn't get angry?"

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

I'm already done with her.

"You'd probably do that anyway, Cissie."

I go back to leaning against the wall.

"Go find your friend. She at least wants you around."

[arrowette]

"If you think that about me, then you don't know me at all." Cissie said, just itching to swing at him and wipe that superior attitude off his face.

She knew she had to turn around and walk away. She could feel herself lose her self-control and there wasn't any Kon who could move at super speed to save her from herself. If she took Luke on, it was just her versus him and Backbiter and really, there was no contest. If she had a weapon... but she didn't.

All the same, she didn't want to let him get away with threatening Cassie like it was nothing, like they were nothing.

"Apologize and I'll leave."

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

I probably should just write her off now and tell her to go take a hike. But, I'll give her a partial apology. Why? I don't know.

"Fine. I'm sorry that when I was alone I stuck my sword through a picture of your friend that I didn't know from a story I didn't even know was your world."

It was probably the best she's getting from me.

[arrowette]

As apologies go, that was probably the worst one Cissie had ever heard and that was including all the ones she'd heard from her mother. It was condescending, obnoxious and didn't sound sorry at all. Really, she should have expected this - it wasn't as if he'd given her any reason to think otherwise.

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Could you at least attempt to make it believable? But I guess I'm asking too much."

[luke-castellan.livejournal.com]

"Look, this is childish."

I've been annoyed with everything and everyone lately, myself included. If I take it out on the people around me, then oh well. Cissie was going to turn on me anyway. Maybe it's good to finally get it over with.

"I'll just go."