Chapter Text
ODYSSEUS POV
Just as the cyclops appeared before them, Odysseus found himself somewhere else. It looked almost like Quick Thought, but... Different. Yellow instead of blue, and instead of being surrounded by a clear night sky, the area around them seemed to be obscured by thick fog.
"Hello!" It was clearly a god who spoke, but Odysseus didn't recognize him.
"Apollo…" Athena stepped forward, holding her spear threateningly towards the other god, and moving her shield just slightly so it was covering Odysseus slightly as well. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Nothing bad, dear sister," Apollo said, "I'm here to help actually."
"How so?" Athena did not sound like she believed him.
"You see, your student is about to make a mistake. One that will spiral into something much bigger. I would like to avoid some of the consequences of that, so I'm going to be showing you all the future. Or at least, what the future will be if you don't do anything about it."
Athena scoffed, "He already made the mistake. He already walked straight into the cyclops lair, because THAT IDIOT-" she pointed at Polites, "thought it would be a good idea to ask the magic creatures that tried to mind control them for DIRECTIONS!"
"I was not referring to that, actually," Apollo said, "I know that already happened. I plan to show you the next mistake he's likely to make."
"And what do you get out of this?" Athena asked, crossing her arms.
"Simple! I get to show off my newest artistic invention!" Apollo told them, clapping his hands excitedly, "It's called a musical! It's like a play, but it's sung through, almost like a bard singing for a group. I, of course, made the whole thing, but since I'm being so helpful, I figured you wouldn't mind if I borrowed your voices for it."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Odysseus asked.
"I just made a magical copy of your voices, along with anyone else who appears in this story, to make it sound like YOU are the ones singing," Apollo explained, "Since the idea of a musical is that you have a bunch of different actors, just like you would in a play.
Athena frowned, "Well, whether we're fine with it or not, you already did it. So let's just get this over with."
"Fair enough," Apollo said, "Go ahead and take a seat—" He gestured to five chairs in the middle of the realm. "—And make sure not to hold back your reactions! I want your honest feedback, so I swear on the river styx, I won't smite you for anything that you say in here. Also we'll be starting from the final battle of the war. That way you can get used to the format of a musical before trying to understand the future as well."
"Fair enough," Polites shrugged, he sat in the middle seat. Always the social butterfly.
Athena looked rather displeased by this. Odysseus knew she didn't particularly like Polites. She probably didn't want to sit so close to him. However, she didn't say anything, she seemingly just waited for Odysseus to take his seat.
So Odysseus sat on Polites's left, and Athena sat herself on the end next to Odysseus.
Eurylochus sat next to Polites, which also meant he was sitting next to Apollo. This seemed to make him deeply uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. Eurylochus had always been rather terrified of the gods.
"Alright!" Apollo said, "Let's get this thing started! Oh- and for the most part you'll just be listening to the music, buuuut I might show you a few bits and pieces of the actual future if I'm feeling nice. The lip syncing won't line up though, which annoys me…"
"We'll live," Athena said dryly.
"Alright," Apollo said, "Well, let's start with the first one then. The Horse and the Infant!"
"Alright, my brothers, listen closely. Tonight, we make the Trojans pay. Ten years of war, they've killed us slowly, but now we'll be the ones who slay!"
"Well this seems a bit… Flattering," Athena said, "Weren't you helping the Trojans?"
"I was," Apollo said, "And I'm still a bit angry about it, to be perfectly honest. However there are things, and people, more important to me than that. So I decided to play nice."
Athena regarded her brother with visible suspicion, but Odysseus just wondered who on earth was going to get so hurt in the future, that Apollo was willing to put aside all the bad blood.
Think of your wives and your children," Odysseus continued, "Your families wonder where you've been. They're growing old and yet you're still here, do what I say, and you'll see them again!"
"Yes sir!"
"I think you should do all your speeches like this, Ody," Polites joked, "Make them all rhyme, and sing them."
"Oh I'd like to see that," Eurylochus said, grinning.
Odysseus laughed.
"Diomedes will lead the charge. Agamemnon will flank the guards. Menelaus will let our mates. Through the gates to take the whole city at large. Teucer will shoot any ambush attack. And little Ajax will stay back. Nestor, secure Helen and protect her. Neo, avenge your father, kill the brothers of Hector!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Find that inner strength now. Use that well of pride. Fight through every pain now. Ask yourself inside: What do you live for? What do you try for? What do you wish for? What do you fight for?"
The other men echoed Odysseus's words. "What do you live for? What do you try for? What do you wish for? What do you fight for?"
Apollo frowned at them. Probably for their long silence.
"What?" Athena said, "Do you expect us to have big reactions for every single line? This already happened."
Odysseus nodded slightly. Trust Athena to say what he was THINKING but unwilling to actually say to the other god.
"The- The music IS very good," Polites offered, ever the peace keeper.
Apollo grumbled slightly, but said nothing more.
"Penelope… Penelope… And Telemachus. I fight for us. I fight for us!"
"Of course you do," Athena's tone was ALMOST affectionate, as she rolled her eyes.
"Penelope… Telemachus… I'm on my way… Attack!"
There were the sounds of swords clashing, and of bloody battle. Then—
"AHHHHH!"
Thanks to Apollo, they actually got to see a brief image of Odysseus doubling over in pain.
"About time you actually SHOWED us something," Athena huffed.
"Look, I don't like that the talking won't line up with the songs okay!" Apollo said. "I'm probably not going to show you much."
"What happened?" Polites asked Odysseus.
"I—"
"NO SPOILERS!" Apollo snapped, "I worked way too hard on this musical for you to just give away the plot!"
"I— Okay," Odysseus said.
So they continued listening.
"Who was that?" Odysseus asked.
Then a new voice.
"A vision of what is to come, cannot be outrun. Can only be dealt with right here and now."
"Tell me how," Odysseus pleaded.
"I don't think you're ready."
"I was not ready," Odysseus said.
"Who was this, anyways?" Eurylochus asked.
"Zeus," Athena answered for him.
Most of the time he hated when she did that, but in this case he was somewhat grateful.
"Zeus?!" Polites asked.
Athena nodded, "I'd recognize his voice anywhere."
"What did he want with you?" Polites asked Odysseus.
"Listen and find out," Apollo said, grumpily.
"A mission to kill someone's son, a foe who won't run, unlike anyone you have faced before."
"Say no more," Odysseus said confidently, "I know that I'm ready!"
There was a moment of just music, and then—
It's just an infant," Odysseus said, incredulous, "It's just a boy… What sort of imminent threat does he pose, that I cannot avoid?"
"An INFANT!?" Polites demanded, "Why would he want you to kill a BABY!?"
Athena briefly looked like she was going to say something, then seemed to think better of it, and remained silent.
"This is the son of none other than Troy's very own Prince Hector," Zeus explained, "Know that he will grow from a boy to an avenger. One fueled with rage as you're consumed by age. If you don't end him now, you'll have no one left to save. You can say goodbye to Penelope.
It almost sounded like a dozen people were saying Penelope's name. Though Odysseus knew that was likely an artistic decision.
"You can say goodbye to Penelope..." Zeus said again.
"I could raise him as my own!" Odysseus suggested.
"He will burn your house and throne."
"Or send him far away from home!"
"He'll find you wherever you go."
"Make sure his past is never known!" Odysseus was starting to sound desperate.
"The gods will make him know."
"I'd rather bleed for you! Down on my knees for you! I'm begging please--"
"Oh, this is the will of the gods!"
"Please don't make me do this! Don't make me do this!!!"
Athena scoffed, "I'm sorry, did you honestly think 'please' would work? He's never caved to 'please' in his entire immortal life."
"Never?" Polites asked.
"I've seen him cave to it ONCE," Apollo said, "Granted it was in a vision of the future, and it was Athena who said it."
Athena looked at him, "Under what circumstance would I EVER say 'please' to him, or anyone else!?" She demanded.
"And THAT," Apollo said, looking at the three of them, apparently ignoring Athena, "Is probably WHY he caved. Considering Athena doesn't say stuff like that often… Or ever, really."
"I think I'd rather lose an eye than say 'please' to anyone," Athena huffed.
Apollo choked, looking like he was trying not to laugh. Or maybe trying not to cry.
"The blood on your hands is something you won't lose…" Zeus said ominously, "All you can choose is whose."
With that, the music stopped.
"So that was the first song," Apollo said, "What do we think?"
Eurylochus just nodded.
"It was good music!" Polites said, "I didn't really LOVE what was happening, but I suppose you have to work with what you're given! You're very talented, lord Apollo!"
"I agree," Odysseus said, "This is certainly an interesting format." He was going to focus on that, instead of the fact that he was probably about to have to relive what he'd done to that infant…
Athena let out a long sigh, "I SUPPOSE this does seem like it'll be fairly informative, once we actually get to hear about the future."
"Well," Apollo said, sounding quite pleased, "The sooner we get through the rest of the past, the sooner you get to hear the future! So I think I'll just play the next song!"