Chapter Text
A loud explosion shook the gym.
Desks clattered, the green lights turned off before flickering rapidly. My ears were ringing, even my bad ear. The one time I wouldn't mind being half deaf and of course it's so loud it doesn't matter.
Typical, absolutely typical.
A flash of white light burned my eyes. Maybe I'll be lucky and it'll blind my other one. Smoke billowed, and the air gusted like the detonation of a bomb. My vision came to, to see two men emerging from the smoke like beasts of the underworld. The room gasped at how tall they were. They towered over us all. Their footsteps thundered with each stride. They were stocky too. Their tailored suits, one black and one white, did nothing to hide their muscles. The fabric contoured around their every curve.
I scoffed quietly, was that supposed to be attractive? It's like they're wearing straightjackets. Who was impressed?
An eagle was engraved on their chest pockets in gold. No crowns on their heads though. So they were halfbloods, probably from the House of Zeus.
"Where is he?" the one with the white suit grumbled.
The room went dead silent as his voice echoed. Mr. Brewer pointed at me with a trembling finger. The Spartans turned to me in unison and glowered. Totally not a creepy thing to do.
With slow strides the two of them stomped toward me. Nyx slithered tighter around my neck and hissed, "Stay away from her."
"Take off your hood, son." White Suit bellowed. His voice was quiet as it was deep. Was a cartoonish shout too on the nose? "And look us in the eyes when we speak to you."
My eyes narrowed as I put my hood down. The two Spartans froze. "It's a girl, boss." The one with the black suit said with a gasp. Yes I'm a girl you idiot. Why is that a shock?
White Suit frowned, "I see."
They moved closer. Who needs personal space anyway?
I could feel Nyx's cold scales trailing across my shoulder and neck as she slithered to my good ear, "I'll bite them, then you run. Just tell me when."
Neither man reacted to her threat. I couldn't respond even if I wanted to. White Suit sighed, like he was bored. "Under article three of the test, impersonating a Spartan and using Spartan blood, is a capital offense punishable by death. Are you aware?"
"Holy shit." whispered Nyx, "I had no idea ... did you?"
"Yes or no?" White Suit's voice didn't raise but there was a certain... darkness to it. I almost wished he was shouting. It's crueler that he's calm. "We need your informed consent that you are aware of this. Answer me."
I was frozen and numb. I tried to speak but all that came out was an incoherent string of sounds. Fuck my stupid stutter! Black Suit closed the distance like an angry bear and his angry gaze filled my vision. I guess he's the bad cop. "Are you aware!" he screamed. His voice rang out and I could hear the class whimper and cower away.
"Y-yes." I finally managed to whimper.
White Suit nodded and pulled out a syringe. Something silvery sloshed in there, flickering off the green lights. Oh what fresh hell was this now? "Give me your arm."
Oh hell no. "A-and if I r-refuse."
Black Suit stomped his fist on the desk and his dark eyes narrowed. "You tell us."
Fighting down the tears, I raised my arm. Black suit grabbed it quickly. I cringed, his hand was like a vice. White Suit jabbed the syringe into arm, I let out a cry as what felt like liquid nitrogen spread beneath my skin.
White Suit spoke, as if I wasn't in reeling fucking pain at the moment. "Per the Spartan Federation's merit test law, we're giving you enough purified adrenaline to kill a Cyclops . . . if you're actually an abandoned Spartan halfblood - which is extremely rare - then you'll survive." His voice was flat, as if this was something he's said a thousand times before. He held up a timer. "But, if you're a human who illegally obtained Spartan blood on the black market and are lying to me, then you'll be dead in three minutes."
He clicked the timer on. I heard a loud collective gasp, students were crying and retching. Way to make it all about them. I'm the one who's about to die here. I would rant about the absurdity of a frail, disheveled girl like me being this black market trader. Or how stupid it would be to use Spartan blood this way if I did have it on me. But who even cares anymore. My heart sank. Charlie's going to be devastated. What's he going to do?
Black Suit interrupted my thoughts as he backed away to rejoin White Suit. "Humans." he spat, like the word was a swear. "Yet another simpering idiot trying to get close to the Crimson Duo. It's a epidemic."
White Suit sighed and shook his head, "You've thrown away your life, young lady. And for what?"
I frowned, if it was all the same, I wanted to clear the air. "Jokes on you, I'm not a f-fan of the Crimson Duo."
The two Spartans paused, before giving a mirthless laugh, "So you threw your life away for something else then." muttered White Suit. "Are we supposed to be impressed?"
"I didn't steal Spartan b-blood. D-do I look like some criminal to you?"
"Well there's no other explanation. There hasn't been a female halfblood in centuries. And the heiresses are the most honorable and pure of us all. You're nothing like them."
Black Suit looked me over and gave a dismissive sniff. He snickered as he pinched his nose. He glanced over at White Suit and did a gagging motion. Classy, real classy. "An heiress would never be caught dead participating in any Spartan initiations or be found in a-" He looked around the room with thinly veiled disgust "- dump like this."
"I wouldn't want to be like you anyways." I snapped.
White Suit gave a mocking smirk, "Don't worry, you're not." He shook his head, "Halfblood or heiress, no Spartan would ever voluntarily abandon a female baby- it's blasphemous." His stern facade gave way to something strange. Was that sadness? Fear? More importantly, was I supposed to care? "Our female numbers are so low."
Now it was my turn to give a mocking smirk, "Well that s-sounds like a whole lot of not my p-problem. Sucks for you guys."
Black Suit scowled and clenched his fists. Looks like we're speeding things up now, couldn't wait a little bit longer could we? I could hear Nyx hissing beside me. He strode over to me but before he could do anything, White Suit help up a hand. With a stern flick of his arm, Black Suit crept back to White Suit's side. White Suit turned back to me and stared for a long moment, "You got audacity girl, I'll say that much. Maybe if humanity had some more of that it wouldn't be in the miserable, embarrassing state that it's in. But no, instead they keep doing fake outs like this! You're the eighteenth person to do this so far this year! Do you think we like doing this? Do you think we like wasting resources on this trivial pointless nonsense?"
Can I die yet? Anything to end this guy's monologues.
The timer beeped.
All three of us turned to the sound. Both Spartan's eyes widened. They looked at the timer, then at me, then glanced back at the timer again. Black Suit tilted his head and White Suit took a deep breath.
"Stand up." he said, his voice now soft and calm.
I stay seated. What was going to happen now? Was he going to murder me since the drugs didn't work? I was not ready for this at all.
"Alexis, you need to listen to him. " Nyx whispered with urgency, "Stand up now. I'll cover you if they try anything."
With shaking knees, I pushed out of my desk and flexed my core.
The two Spartans stared me down. I stared back. It felt like an eternity of awkwardness. Please, if they're gonna kill me, could they just fucking do it already? Must my death be as awkward and miserable as my life? Black Suit leaned into White Suit's ear. I could barely make out any words. Something about 'changing everything'. Whatever that meant.
After several more agonizing moments of nothing, I finally snapped. "I-if you're going to kill me, can you just fucking g-get it over with!?"
I expected them to charge at me like animals for that. Instead, they merely turned to me. White Suit cleared his throat. "Per article three," he began, "you have been confirmed as an abandoned female Spartan halfblood. By right you are hereby declared a citizen of Sparta."
Wait ... what?
"Are you nineteen years old?" he asked softly.
"Yes," I whispered on numb lips.
He nodded, "Are you already associated with any of the twelve Spartan Houses, including heirship or sponsorship?"
"No."
"Do you have any reason to believe that you are an heiress to a House?"
"No."
"Do you have any reason to believe you are Chthonic?"
"No."
"Have you, at any point in time in your life, been recruited, lived with, or had any contact with a Titan?"
I flashed back to my Foster Father pounding at the bathroom door. His last words pleading for help. My Foster Mother howling in agony as she was ripped to pieces.
"N-no," I said.
"Do you have any monster heritage?"
"No."
"Do you have any reason to believe you failed to fill in both bubbles?"
"No." I whispered hoarsely. The weight of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. This is really happening. I'm a Spartan. Somehow... I'm a Spartan.
"What's your name?"
"Alexis." I cleared my throat. "Hert."
White Suit took a step forward. "Well, Alexis Hert. You have two choices. While you may be a citizen of Sparta, immortality and godhood are not yours. They are a privilege, not a right. Something that must be earned through great deeds. As a Spartan youth, we hereby offer you a chance to prove yourself at the Spartan War Academy. This year's Agoge will start soon and there is just enough time for you to join."
I could only stare at them in utter disbelief. I thought I was going to die literally two minutes ago and now they're offering me... college? "W-war Academy?" I replied dumbly.
Black Suit nodded and he stood forward, circling me like a vulture. "It is a brutal training regiment, many do not pass, and others do not survive. We test your strength, skill, wits, intelligence and courage."
"But if you pass." added White Suit, "You'll be firmly on the path of glory and legend!"
Ah, so it's a shitty boot camp then. Except it's even worse cause I could literally die. I took a step back. "What's the other choice?"
Black Suit shrugged, "You stay in this dump. Like we said, immortality is not a right."
Whelp, easy choice then. Better the devil you know right? "I-I would have to decline then."
White Suit shared a glance at Black Suit. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course I'm sure! Look at me!" I pointed at myself up and down. "Do I l-look like someone fit enough to go to b-boot camp?"
"War Academy."
"Whatever."
Black Suit scoffed, "She's not wrong. Look at her, she's frail and filthy." Of course, the only time they agree with me is when it's about how pathetic I am. Why am I not surprised?
White Suit shook his head, "But you have Spartan blood in your veins. You're stronger than you think. Not everyday someone has the gall to talk to us the way you have." He stood forward and got on one knee, putting his face right next to mine. "And I don't think you fully understand what you're giving up. Do you know how many humans would kill to be in your shoes?"
Was he trying to come across as kind? It wasn't working. "I'm not like most people."
"If you pass the Agoge, unprecedented opportunities for power and wealth await you. Don't you want a better life for yourself? One where you're clean, and fit. Where you're respected, where you have money? Where you wouldn't be scraping by in some dump in a small town? Think of the pleasures and luxuries!"
Now that was... tempting. The class was still there, all those dumb, annoying faces. They way they gushed over the Crimson Duo, the way they constantly made fun of me and put me down. All the bullshit I had to put up with over the years. Not having a home, losing half my sight and my hearing. No money, starving, night after night after night! It had always been my life.
Charlie.
I nearly forgot about him in the chaos. If I somehow actually did this, I could keep him safe for good. We wouldn't have to struggle or starve anymore. We could get out of this hell we've been stuck in.
But then again, literal boot camp, and something told me it would be even worse than that.
"I think you should do it." said Nyx, "I got your back."
I took a deep breath. I looked up at White Suit and put on what I hoped was my bravest face and nodded. "Fine. I accept."
White Suit gave a faint smirk and nodded, "Per article three." he began, "Alexis Hert, you are now an initiate at the Spartan War Academy. May the fates guide you, child of Kronos." He stood up and held out a hand. After an eternity, I gave him mine. "Domus."
The world exploded into thunder and smoke.