Futuristic An Agent of Maniacles

[mmarage]

"...We're friends though. Friends... are supposed to protect each other. I couldn't let my friend get hurt without putting up some kind of fight..." He said quietly, looking at Kotsu. He... seemed to have changed. What... happened to him...? Did this normally happen when he fought? He had only been around him once when they were fighting, but he didn't remember acting like this afterward...

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu spit blood as he was delivered the slap from Owl out of his holes of gums where teeth were slowly growing. His jaw hurt and he wanted more blood."You talk of protecting me? Protecting me my ass! That bitch slap nearly killed me." Kotsu said both audibly and mentally. He wiped the blood off of his mouth with his hand before he sniffed it, he then wiped it against his pants. He assesses the damage on his body by pulling out another blood pack and piercing it with his nails and hanging it over his mouth. He concentrated on the blood repairing his nose and his foot. In a few minutes, a swelling formed that was beginning to look like a soft skinned fresh foot out of the stump of his calve that had regenerate. "I would have just been mangled. I refuse to die. I have business to attend to." Kotsu held his head and dropped to his knees.

You need to be nicer to our friends.

The voice said, and Owl, if she was listening into Kotsu's head still, would be able to hear the voice clearly. "Dammit, shut up. I hate us. I... Regret my behavior. Now get out of here. I'll help the weak meat sacks."

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aria​

Aria watched the trio vampires flee through the scope. She was considering to aim at Vlad and pull the trigger.

It's no use.

"Y-yeah, this might not hurt him anyway."

No, I mean your aim is as good as Vampira's.

She put down the rifle and looked inside the building and she felt a surge of guilt when she saw the destruction done.

This fight is unnecessary. All of this is definitely on me. Denton's plan might not worked wonder and resulting in injuries all the time, but those were necessary. This one? If only I wasn't here, if only I was strong enough to finish them centuries ago, if only I was strong enough to defeat them today...

Stop it. Your negative thought is choking me.

Aria stared at her shaking hands. She knew she was shaking from the lack of blood, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking that it was all her fault. She slowly climbed down towards where the others were.

"This all is my fault. Please punish me later." Her voice was wavering but she tried to make it as flat as possible. Her eyes were slightly wet but she forced them to show a blank stare, like the eyes of a dead fish. "B-but for now, let's, regroup with the others."

 

[Freikugel]

Fizzy lied was sitting against the wall, his body covered in wounds and dry blood but the vials made their work closing the severe wounds, his prosthetics legs were also covered in dry blood, but he vampire's blood. He had a cigarette in mouth and damn it wasn't easy to lit that one.

As team regrouped Fizzy caught eye of each one. Aria seemed pale, like she could faint at any time. Owl seemingly worried and Kotsu... the man was totally wasted, yet his expression was something more.. visceral.

He made an effort to puff smoke

"So Aria, care to elaborate what's going on?" Asked the man

 

[Kinggunlucky]

Daicon School never collapsed. It stayed upright. There certainly wouldn't be any classes for awhile. The mercenaries managed to slip away before backup or more reporters. All of them retreating back to the hospital.

They had done it. They completed the three tasks of Dionysus. Barely in the case of attempting to catch Andras. All of them had been beaten or broken in some form, their scars both physical and psychological.

Going back through the hospital was a different experience then earlier. The weight had gone away, the weight of having the mission to think about, now all the worry could be focused on each other. The battles had ranged everywhere from bizarre to intense to downright stupid. Stupid in the sense of biting off more than they could chew. All because of Denton and whatever he and Maniacles were planning. It wouldn't be good that's for certain. Morgan suggested heading to Sam's room.

They did, Bickle accompanying them.

Denton sat by Sam's bed, sipping on a slurpee, and Dionysus stood in the corner, looking more intimidating than usual.

"Hey," Denton waved. "You found the kid."

"We did," Morgan said, gesturing to him. "This is Bickle."

Denton stared at the boy as did Dionysus, both taking in the name.

"Certainly the powerful mage you...for your age," Denton said. "The news cameras cut for awhile, he's alive...so I assume the mission was a success? You all look terrible. Did Bickle here really put up that much of a fight?"

 

[Darkling0096]

Sam choked back a giggle at the name. "I've gotta ask, who gave you the name Bickle? Did your daddy hate you?"

 

[Exzalia]

"Sam don't be mean." Owl scolds her telepathically then turns and smiles at Bickle. "Don't listen to her you have a very sweet name."

She looks up at the god and tilts her head. "We were attacked by vampires...err, who are you?"

 

[KotaKotsu]

Earlier at the school

Owl blinks, then kneels to Kotsu level and puts her hands on his face gently and turns his eyes to her own.

"Kotsu? who was that just now? That other voice?"

Kotsu's red eyes were piercing even with the daylight creeping in. They weren't his usual dark color. He stared at Owl before turning his head. "A worry you need not trouble yourself with, shouldn't a child stay in a child's place?"

What did I say about being nice? Go ahead and tell her, dude.

Kotsu scoffed at himself, "We are all one in the same. Just different parts of the coin you see before you. Heads or tails." Kotsu said cryptically.

Owl frowns, she didn't do riddles and didn't very much care for them, what she did know was that the voice she heard was not Kotsu, not her sweet Kotsu. " I'm going into your head now Kotsu that voice will learn that what ever happens in the heads of my friends, is my business."

She doesn't wait for his consent, she dives in locating the source of the voice in his subconscious. She comes with a fury, not knowing what she would find but determined to put it in it's place, if not burn it away all together.

When Owl enters Kotsu's mind she enters an office area. There's a secretary seated behind the desk. Her hair had a pair of pens holding a sloppy bun together and she had a pair of thin rimmed glasses on. She stared blankly at Owl with a cocked eyebrow.

"Uh...? How'd you get in here?"

Owl usualy appeared in a yellow dress, but this time Owl who was in the form of her actually mental age was wearing a fiery red her eyes glowing with eather blue and hot with anger. She flies up to her face seething.

"Are you the voice tormenting Kotsu so? answer me!"

The secretary backed up, "Woah, woah, Calm down uh... What was your name again? Like a state? Dakota? Cova! Right! Uh, you've got the wrong person. I just kinda handle data entry. Sorry."

The secretary said. She pointed to a single door on the right that was made of mahogany. "You can talk with them in there." She started to fix her glasses on her face. "Gets angry, takes on more powerful appearance." Said the secretary wearing a serious expression as she typed away on her keyboard and computer. She turns to face Owl and slumps lazily in the chair. "Yeah, I dunno how you got into data entry though. And that's pretty cool. Name's uh, Valerie."

Valerie cocked another eyebrow at Owl waiting for a response.

Owl doesn't respond, her mental will and ire are focused on the door Valerie had pointed to.

"I can do a lot more than simply breaking and entering." She hisses violently then flies towards the door, kicking it open with such force it flies off it's hinges.

wl kicks open the door to see the door hit a wall in an open room with two people in it, both staring at the door that slammed against the wall with force. There were two figures sitting in a chair in a small room with a table that had 4 chairs around the table and had a game of chess going. A projection to enhance the visuals of game going on with animated creatures to take the place of each piece on the board of different eras and homages to obscure references. The figure on the left wearing a sweater with dress pants, a dress shirt peaking out from the sweater, he was wearing expensive Italian brand loafers. He looked like he was Kotsu's age, and had similar features but had much longer hair, had more of a beard, shaped onto his face, and had a more relaxed air about himself.

"Well, I'll be damned. She's here! Hey, dark and gruesome! Yo? I get you're outside right now, but you can still answer me. Eh. Maybe he can't. He's compling for now, that's the important part. Oh crap but she kicked off Valerie's door."

The other figure in the room was what looked like Kotsu but he was passed out, his head resting on the table as if he'd collapsed.

"Who or what are you, are you that voice I heard? answer me! Or I'm going to personally rip you out of his mind. Or if that doesn't work, beat you so deep into his subconscious he won't even remember you were here!" She storms towards him a fury of mental eather swirls about him throwing around chairs and chest pieces.

He holds his hands up. "Hey, easy easy. You beat me and he forgets how to feel. I'm... Well, I'm kinda the last remnants of what it's like to be human. I'm all that makes up of Kotsu before everything. I just kinda call us, us. Valerie was my sister, but uh, she's dead. So. I just kinda have her here instead of me. I just uh, never come out. No need. So it gets kinda lonely." The longer haired version of Kotsu backed up a bit, afraid.

Owl relents. "Well, it would do you some good to learn some manners when talking to me then." Owl crosses her arms and huffs turning away indignant, something was off though. She turns around slowly.

"So, you were the voice I heard then? the one telling me it wasn't my business?"

The longer haired version of Kotsu shook his head and his hands in front of him. "Woah, dude. Got the wrong cat. That's dark and gruesome who's out there. We've come to the consensus that we're gonna help people but he's also us. Just uh, kinda more primal? He's got control right now as it stands while this guys asleep." He motions at the knocked out Kotsu on the table. "What happened to him musta been pretty rough to hand over the reigns. Something about a hole in his stomach from that big ugly dude. Looked like it hurt a lot. Upside is, dark and gruesome knows how to handle himself better than this cat." He said pointing back again at Kotsu.

Owl ponders a moment. "I think I'm starting to understand. But what are you exactly? Different personalities?."

Longer haired and sharply dressed Kotsu removes his sweater and reveals he has rings on his fingers as well. "You want me to level with you? I really ain't got a clue. I was kinda dominant until I got injected in my neck. Was real nice, I got to help people and made hella cash doin' it. Bought my siblings and family anything they wanted. Forsook anything that wouldn't help further my education. Read books galore to make myself more intelligent, but I don't think anything coulda prepared me for this." He said while twisting off one of his rings and tossing it between his fingers while maintaining eye contact with Owl.

"I remember dark and gruesome being in here with me the minute we woke up in the dumpster. And this guy somehow was in charge? I don't mind it though. He's not done anything too bad. Then when dark and gruesome tried to have us, uh... Feed? On a human, we shut that shit down real quick. I took an oath to help anybody in need and hurt nobody with my practice." He stared at Owl, nodding his head to himself. "And ain't nobody taking that practice from me. Not no Vampire, Maniacle, or anything in between. We'll continue to help everyone around us if they need it. Especially medical!" The longer haired Kotsu had his eyes full of compassion.

"So the Kotsu out there is not really Kotsu, the Kotsu slumped in the chair is the Kotsu I know." Owl nodds. "I see, how do I get the kotsu I know back?"

"Uh, I'm surprised he didn't wake up from your dynamic entrance if I'm gonna be honest? Dude sleeps like a log sometimes, other times he's alert. He might just be resting. I don't really get how this thing works. I've never really taken the reigns." He said sheepishly. "Let me try something real quick." The longer haired Kotsu conjured up an airhorn from thin air and held it next to the asleep Kotsu's ear. "Ya might wanna cover your ears or leave? It's gonna be loud." The longer haired Kotsu said with a devious grin on his face as he pushed on the button forcing a loud blare out of the can. The Kotsu on the chair shook out of the chair violently and collapsed on the floor, groggily he stood up as the blaring stopped.

"Ow.... Goddammit. I was dreaming of Owl..." He said as he slowly started to stand up. "Aw crap... I musta fallen asleep again..." He said rubbing his eyes.

"Kotsu!" Owl exclaims with glee, she flies over to him wrapping him in a hug she looks up at him like a child would look up to an elder brother. "Please come back the person out there is scaring me and I don't like him."

Kotsu stopped rubbing his eyes. "Wait a sec, am I still dreaming?" Kotsu said returning the hug slowly. "Person scaring you? Where?" Kotsu said, his eyes slowly starting to become more awake and realized there was someone missing here. "Aw crap. THAT guy. I dunno why he can't just be friendly."

"Dude, I know, right? He needs to mellow out more."

"Yeah, I'll take back over control in a second. If you're here then that must mean the fights over. That was a rough one." Kotsu said holding his stomach.

"We won and the mage kid is okay well, I'm glad your alright. My magic is running low I have to go now, see you on the outside." kid Owl gives him another hug.
Kotsu gently hugs Owl back before reasserting control over his body with a minor struggle.

"So someone decided to get up for once and stop passing out. Useless and weak. You'd be better off letting me handle things."

"Yeah, yeah, bite me. NOT literally either!" Kotsu said as his eyes went from the red that they were back to his usual dark color and his fangs went back to normal. "Oh God... That's a head rush." Kotsu said holding back some puke by swallowing hard due the whiplash he went through of taking back his body.

"It's okay I'll take care of you I'm just glad your back." owl stands helping him up. "Come on, lets go home."
_________________________________________________

Kotsu leans on the window in Sam's room, not saying much to anybody. Thinking about what had transpired in that fight and ways he can improve on himself.

 

[mmarage]

Joe followed the rest of them, staying near the back. Dread filled him once more. He'd be returning to the facility with 01 after this. What would happen to them...? The questions whirled around in his head, but he kept them to himself for the time being. Right now, it was time to celebrate a mission well done, was it not? We completed all three tasks... and yet... there were still some concerns. What would Denton and the Maniacles do with that demon? What would happen to this Bickle kid? He was clearly a promising mind mage... would they use him on the general population...? Then of course was the manifestation. They never killed it, would the Maniacles take it for further study, or perhaps use it as a weapon? It can't die unless it goes through the proper story, after all.

He stood near the back of everyone as they entered the hospital room. His eyes flitted over to Dionysus. The god was paying them a visit... was it because they'd finished their tasks, or was it something else? He seemed a bit... intimidating.

 

[Kinggunlucky]

Bickle forwned at Sam and stared at the floor.

Dionysus smiled a gentle smile at Owl. He patted her on the head. "I am Dionysus. We've met before. You are my champion. I was just discussing with Denton here the proper way to restore yourself." He clasped his hands together. "First thing is first, though. You all have driven away or subdued my enemies. My crops are healing, the disappearances have stopped, and Bickle here has been tamed. Well done. Denton?"

Denton smiled at Dionysus.

"You may tell Director Ward he has the support of myself and the Vineyard in the ongoing conflict with the Taylor mage. I assume you're planning to launch Andras against him?"

"Yes," Denton replied. "Among other things. It was a pleasure doing business with you. I'd say the tasks were easy, but I'd be lying." He held his fingerless hand. "This is the cost of doing business sometimes, though."

Denton cocked his head at Owl and Morgan. "Vampires?"

Morgan explained.

Unexpected. Nothing can ever be simple. It is the way of the world. You think you have an easy shot at victory and the universe will conspire to throw everything at you at once. Aria clearly had skeletons in her closet. Denton made a mental note of that. A possible weakness, a way to exploit her emotionally or keep her in line, although she was fairly loyal overall. A good soldier. Quiet and concentrated rage that bloodsuckers would dare to interfere with the mission and attempt to kill his people.

They would have to be hunted down as quick as possible. He would put in word to HQ later.

"You should have killed them," Denton said. "They'll be a problem later. Aria its best you don't wander off alone or anything for the time being."

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu stared at Denton as he spoke, and could only think that he was right. We should have killed them. They'll be a threat for Aria. "Yeah. I agree. I don't want anything happening to you either. Especially not getting your leg eaten off. That didn't feel too good." Kotsu said with a chuckle.

 

[Darkling0096]

Sam's smirk dropped at the kid's reaction. "You alright, kid? I was joking about your daddy, I didn't mean anything by it."

Looking around for something besides the kid to talk to, she looked at Dionysus. "SIr, I have a question I'm pretty sure only you can answer at present," she said.

 

[Exzalia]

Owl hops up to Bickle with a broad smile. "hi I'm Owl I'm a lot taller in real life as you can see. Well actually I'm not that much taller, just my luck I grow up to be short. But I'm glad your okay, told you nothing bad would happen."

 

[Freikugel]

Fizzy laid in bed, a boring face, he could listen to all the conversation and reply to the dialogues through the earpiece however....

He was bedridden in a different room, making him be physically outside of the meeting. The man sighed, he had a few IV connected supplying anhestesics so he could withstand the pain, but moving his body at his current condition was impossible; luckily the wounds would take roughly a week to close, the bones... that was a different story.

"Regarding Aria's persecutors, How will HQ respond to that? They weren't counted in this mission and gave us a hard time, I expect them having a countermeasure. Aria is a good asset as a soldier, however that value is lost if we consider the constant risk of them showing up again. They aren't much strong as Maniacle's vampires, but... a vampire is a vampire after all, they pose great danger"

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu's face hardened at what Fizzy had said. "Stop talking shit about vampires already. You keep treating us like a second rate citizen. Why? Because we're freaks? Because we're not human to you? Fuck yourself." Kotsu said sharply into the earpiece. Kotsu focuses on Owl and the rest of the group and huffs. "Fuckin'... Sorry." Kotsu said and plops back at the window and takes off his earpiece.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aria​

"It's... true. I have offset my usefulness." Aria was sitting in the corner with her hands hugging her knees. She was in constant turmoil ever since they regrouped. She already told everyone the gist of what actually happened though.

"Denton, Morgan. Please give me punishment. I mess up the mission and put everyone in danger."

 

[Freikugel]

"Be objective and no emotional Kotsu, vampire or not the problem is that her persecutors are dangerous, we don't know where or when they plan to strike again. Either HQ deals with them separatedly or we take measures to prevent the risk." Exclaimed Fizzy through the earpiece

".... And also, vampire or not, Aria proves at least a more obedient soldier unlike you" He added

 

[KotaKotsu]

Kotsu got even more annoyed and walked over to Aria. "You didn't do anything. I'd get my leg eaten off again for you in a heart beat if needed. I consider you a friend. I'd put my lif on the line for any of you any day of the week. Why the hell are you asking for punishment if you didn't make it happen?" Kotsu asked getting clearly aggravated. "Denton and Morgan know you weren't at fault. You didn't do anything to warrant a punishment, for Christ's sake..." Kotsu said sighing. He could hear what Fritz said on accounting of him having excellent hearing despite launching his earpiece. "This was what I was talking about. This shit gotta change."

 

[Exzalia]

Owl hops in the middle if them swaying her yellow dress. "Awww don't be grumpy everyone, we won! And no one died, we should celebrating, and Aria you did good taking on that Vampira person."

 

[mmarage]

Joe looked down at the ground. He hadn't really been paying much attention to what was going on around him. He finally looked up at Denton. "...Denton, what is going to happen to me and 01 now?" He asked, finally plucking up the courage to ask. He can't keep agonizing over the answer. He knew that Denton knew what they were. That conversation at the beginning, their memories of him, he had to have known.

 

[Kinggunlucky]

Morgan sauntered over to Aria. The girl was taking what happened to hard. Yeah, they had come for her, but how many skeletons existed in all their closets. Morgan figured it could have been any of then, enemies from their pasts.

Of course Morgan tried to do the reasonable thing and make sure her enemies would never comeback. She didn't do it to be harsh...although it could be. This is an example of what happens when loose ends aren't tied. Morgan extended her hand, patting Aria on the head.

"Relax," she said. "It's really no big deal."

"It's a big deal."

"Good job must be rewarded. Bad job must be punished." Aria was desperately trying to find a something, a justification, to keep her mind in peace. In that desperation, she revert back to what she always conditioned to do. Take punishment.

"No. You didn't do a bad job at all. Aria you backed us up when we needed it." Morgan sat beside her. "You're a member of the team. Your problem are our problems. No one died, Kotsu and Fizzy survived, we still got Bickle. It sounds like a pretty good mission, right?"

Denton cleared his throat, cracked the knots out of his back. "I see no reason why there needs to be any punishment. Aria...a bad job doesn't automatically mean punishment. The mission was successful. You stood up against an unknown enemy. And while what happened wasn't ideal and will certainly need looked into, in the sense of who these vampires are. You showed bravery and honor in the field of duty. You think that's bad?"

"N-no." Aria answered hesitatingly.

But, bringing dangers to your 'friends' is bad... Alucard whispered into her mind.



She got up and tried to smile at Morgan, albeit it was a weak one. "Thank you Morgan. I'm feeling a bit better after hearing that."

Oh. Sweet sweet lie.

"I need some fresh air."

Or fresh blood. Straight from their corpses.

Aria hastily walked out of the room. She was conflicted, confused, and Alucard's whispering didn't help at all.

***

"...Denton, what is going to happen to me and 01 now?"

Denton smiled at Joe. "Nothing to extensive. You'll be taken back to the research facilities, Joe 01 will be given a new leg, and you'll await your next deployment. Did you have something on your mind?"

Denton looked at Kotsu. "Kotsu, relax. I'll talk with Aria about the three vampires. HQ will take it from there. We have operatives special suited to vampires. They should have no problem hunting this trio down now they are on our radar. Also, can we please not kid ourselves about what vampires are...or aren't. I give Kotsu gruff about his vampirsm, but it is mostly to piss him off. Bloodsucking, regeneration, immortality, and transformations aside, vampires aren't so different from humans."

Denton leaned back in his chair. "I mean really...they are just humans with special abilities. So judging them is better suited to the individual. None really good or evil, only creatures struggling to survive. Kotsu and Aria are proof that every monster in the shadows is not a threat to society."

"Ask your question," Dionysus said, smiling. "Maybe I'll answer, maybe I won't."

 

[mmarage]

Joe looked at Denton and blinked a few times. "He... he is...?" He asked quietly. His shoulders slumped with relief. If... that was true, then they'd be fine... at least for a little while longer. "No. Nothing. Sorry for bothering you about that. Just... was worried, because... our... contracts will be up in a few months, that's all. Didn't know if the Maniacles would bother paying for a prosthetic limb for someone that will be out of their employment soon, that's all." He said.

 

[KotaKotsu]

Morgan sauntered over to Aria. The girl was taking what happened to hard. Yeah, they had come for her, but how many skeletons existed in all their closets. Morgan figured it could have been any of then, enemies from their pasts.

Of course Morgan tried to do the reasonable thing and make sure her enemies would never comeback. She didn't do it to be harsh...although it could be. This is an example of what happens when loose ends aren't tied. Morgan extended her hand, patting Aria on the head.

"Relax," she said. "It's really no big deal."

"It's a big deal."

"Good job must be rewarded. Bad job must be punished." Aria was desperately trying to find a something, a justification, to keep her mind in peace. In that desperation, she revert back to what she always conditioned to do. Take punishment.

"No. You didn't do a bad job at all. Aria you backed us up when we needed it." Morgan sat beside her. "You're a member of the team. Your problem are our problems. No one died, Kotsu and Fizzy survived, we still got Bickle. It sounds like a pretty good mission, right?"

Denton cleared his throat, cracked the knots out of his back. "I see no reason why there needs to be any punishment. Aria...a bad job doesn't automatically mean punishment. The mission was successful. You stood up against an unknown enemy. And while what happened wasn't ideal and will certainly need looked into, in the sense of who these vampires are. You showed bravery and honor in the field of duty. You think that's bad?"

"N-no." Aria answered hesitatingly.

But, bringing dangers to your 'friends' is bad... Alucard whispered into her mind.



She got up and tried to smile at Morgan, albeit it was a weak one. "Thank you Morgan. I'm feeling a bit better after hearing that."

Oh. Sweet sweet lie.

"I need some fresh air."

Or fresh blood. Straight from their corpses.

Aria hastily walked out of the room. She was conflicted, confused, and Alucard's whispering didn't help at all.

***

"...Denton, what is going to happen to me and 01 now?"

Denton smiled at Joe. "Nothing to extensive. You'll be taken back to the research facilities, Joe 01 will be given a new leg, and you'll await your next deployment. Did you have something on your mind?"

Denton looked between Kotsu and Fizzy. "You two, stand down. I'll talk with Aria about the three vampires. HQ will take it from there. We have operatives special suited to vampires. They should have no problem hunting this trio down now they are on our radar. Also, can we please not kid ourselves about what vampires are...or aren't. I give Kotsu gruff about his vampirsm, but it is mostly to piss him off. Bloodsucking, regeneration, immortality, and transformations aside, vampires aren't so different from humans."

Denton leaned back in his chair. "I mean really...they are just humans with special abilities. So judging them is better suited to the individual. None really good or evil, only creatures struggling to survive. Kotsu and Aria are proof that every monster in the shadows is not a threat to society."

Kotsu smiled widely at Denton gaining a new respect for him and walking over to him to give him a light hug. "That... Actually means a lot. Thank you..." Kotsu said. "Thank you for understanding with Aria. And helping the Finder twins. And thank you for helping with Owl..." Kotsu was relieved and felt like this was exactly what he needed to hear to relieve some of the weight off of his chest. "You really are a good guy, Captain." Kotsu said, with a wider grin on his face.

 

[Darkling0096]

"Ask your question," Dionysus said, smiling. "Maybe I'll answer, maybe I won't."

"Do you know where the rest of the Olympus gods are?", Sam asked, "Specifically Hephaestus?"

 

[Kinggunlucky]

Denton made a face like had swallowed dog vomit when Kotsu's arms wrapped around him.

"Do you know where the rest of the Olympus gods are?", Sam asked, "Specifically Hephaestus?"

Dionysus pondered this question for a moment. His rainbow eyes shimmered. "You may find the Builder wherever high points of manufacturing are .He is a lord of creation, of design after all." He produced a card and handed it to Sam. "This number should give you a way to contact him. Thank you for your service."

Denton clasped his hands. "I think that concludes our business here. Lets rest, heal, and relax. We'll be catching a flight out of here within the next week. I'll contact you all once I have further information regarding Owl's memory or any other work."