9 BEGINNING

"Father, I am ready", Athos said, his excitement practically leaking out of his eyes. He really was tired of being cooped up on the island.

Herakles turned to find Athos on the verge of bouncing around in happiness and looked him up and down, his eyebrow twitching when noticing his tracksuit.

"Hmmm. I knew this moment would come. You are not one to be satisfied with an unexciting life", he said.

Athos nodded in agreement. He had been given a second chance and would not waste it this time. He would rather die trying to achieve his goals than do nothing.

"I see", Herakles said, his face sombre.

"I too was like you when I was young, filled with drive and ambition, filled with the need to prove myself. You know, once, I was offered a choice. A choice between a life of ease and comfort or a life of hardship and glory. I chose the latter. I wanted to be a hero, after all", he continued.

"I chose hardship and glory, for I was a demigod, a son of Zeus! I could wrestle Gods and kill ancient monsters. 'What hardship could I possibly face', I thought."

"And now, look how I ended up. My first family, dead. Murdered by the man they loved. I was driven to madness for my heritage, by the Queen of the Gods due to jealousy. I had to suffer through twelve penances forced onto me by a King who hated me to the core, for an act which I did not commit. I was killed by my second wife, who made me wear a shirt lined with acidic centaur blood and then hung herself due to grief. I then burned myself at a pyre to rid myself of the pain and to die on my own terms. But after all I did and accomplished, I was merely made a minor god and forced to serve the woman who was responsible for my madness and the death of my first family"

'Damn, The Gods really are assholes, huh', Athos thought, seeing his father's distraught expression as he narrated his life. He knew they didn't care about mortals and saw them as nothing more than playthings, but actually seeing it in person really cemented them in the position of 'people I must avoid'.

Herakles placed a large hand on Athos' shoulder and bent his head so that he was level with Athos' eyes. "I am telling you this not to discourage you from what you want to accomplish, but as a warning. I shall be frank, I resent the Gods for putting me through that. I resent the fact that I had to live up to the expectations of my father. I resent the fact that I was made a glorified bouncer for the Olympians who ruined my life. Yet, in my heart of hearts, I know that the blame lies with me, for it was I who made the choice to slay monsters for fame and glory.

Thus, I beseech you, my son. Think carefully about the choices you make on your journey, for you will come across easy ones, hard ones and ones that make you hesitate. All I hope is that you do not regret any that you make, for regret can consume you, like how it has consumed me. So, tell me, do you really want to be a hero?"

Athos was stunned by Herakles' speech. He could feel his dad's worry that he would end up like him, broken and filled with regret, but he had already that felt that horrible feeling in his past life. He knew the risks that came with his goals and would still rather die trying to become a God than live a mundane life.

He steeled his heart and answered, "No"

Herakles' eyebrows shot up, not expecting this answer, "Wha-

"I want to become a God", Athos clarified. There was no point in lying to his father, and it was no secret that every demigod wished for immortality. Except perhaps Percy, who actually turned the offer down for a promise that was broken in a few months.

A few seconds passed in complete silence before Herakles burst out in laughter.

"HAHAHA! Yes! That's how you should be! Good! Good!", his dad boomed, a large grin sprouting on his previously subdued face. "Haaa...I have not laughed in a long, long while. But again, my son, I must warn you, ambition is good, yet too much ambition can ruin you."

Athos nodded. He knew he was being incredibly ambitious. 'Pursuing Godhood without a blessing from a God'. Some may even say what he wanted was impossible, but he would be true to himself. And he would never know if he could succeed if he never tried.

"Fine. Before I send you outside, I have something to give you. Take it as a gift from a worried parent", Herakles said, materializing a large gold coin in his hand.

"This coin will allow you to teleport back to this island if you ever get the urge to visit, but only once. Mind you, it cannot get you out of any battles, because it takes quite some time to charge up", he explained, placing the coin in Athos' hand which Athos promptly examined in delight.

It reflected the sunlight and had an intricate carving of a lion's skin on both sides. He traced his fingers on the coin's carving, 'Was this his father's symbol?', he thought. Would he get to fight the Nemean lion? Imagine it became a bulletproof suit! That would be sick!

"Now, where do you want to be teleported to? I know you know the world map. I've seen you going through it. Do you want to go to Camp Half-Blood? They have others like you there, you know...", Herakles spoke, interrupting Athos' daydream of going around in a bulletproof suit like John wick.

"No. I know where I want to go. San Fransisco, California", He replied. He wanted to go there for it was where Nereus was and where he would begin his first steps to achieving godhood.

"Hmmm. An interesting choice indeed", Herakles grinned, a knowing look in his eye. He raised his hand and a golden light flickered between his fingertips. "Remember Athos, you are the son of someone who once was the most powerful demigod in the universe. Hold your head high, and always fight for yourself and what you believe in."

Athos smiled, raising his right hand to his chest and tapping it twice before the golden light engulfed him. It was time to kick some monster butt.

***

Herakles sighed after teleporting his son, looking at the empty spot on the ground. He knew he would be fine, for his son was incredibly talented in combat. Too talented. He had never seen any demigod with as much talent as his son, not even the children of Ares who were born warriors, thus, he knew that it wouldn't be long before the name 'Athos Apsifoun' reached the Olympian Council.

He stared at the sky and felt an urge to do something which he hadn't done in millennia.

He raised his middle finger in the air, flipping off his godly father.

"Fuck you Olympus", he said with a grin on his face.