Code name: Athena [18+]

Code name: Troppo

•Arabella DiStefano•

"Again," I said as I played with the knives in my fingers "and again until you hit the center."

Bluette, Fabiola, Magdalene, Uma, Riley, Bex, and Juliana were in the room throwing knives but gosh, what do they teach kids these days? Can't even hit the blank. Okay, fine, none of them were raised like me but they're supposed to be good at this; there's a reason why they popped up in our search.

"I'm tired!" Bluette growled looking my way.

"The door is upstairs," I crossed my arms observing the others.

"You need to give us a break!" she complained.

"The door is upstairs," I repeated.

"We are humans too!" she approached me and got too close to my face which I don't like; I'm their boss and deserve respect.

I smirked "Woah, little darling, take a step back, turn around and keep on practicing until it's dinner time."

"What if I don't?" she took a step closer.

I sighed "Salma, Paolo: Contro il suo obiettivo," I ordered and she was immediately taken away by two them until she was standing in front of the wooden board with a paper target attached to it then Salma and Paolo pointed guns at her; everyone else stopped what they were doing "If a knife goes through you you're out of the team but if you come out without a scratch you will never talk to me like you just did, again; I am the boss here, baby girl," I threw one of the small blades her way and it stabbed the wood just above her head, the following one between her right side and arm, next beside the left side of her neck and finally another one above her head "do you know your place now?"

(Salma, Paolo: against her target.)

Bluette nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks "Yes, Athena."

"Good girl," I smiled and clapped my hands "time for dinner!"

Upstairs I met my brother and Mariano (Sofía went to the oncologist with her mom) "How did the others do with the guns?"

"Good, we still have to work on some things but I think the best one is Waven," Mariano said as he looked at the results on his iPad "how was knife-throwing?"

"Kids these days prefer guns but knives are easier to hide, soundless and more precise; they sucked at it so tomorrow I start teaching them from zero," I complained.

"I'll help," Viktor said as he wrapped his arms around my neck from behind "you taught me and I'm fucking amazing at it."

I chuckled "Yeah, you can help but please don't distract them, I have a mission here."

"And that is?" Mariano crossed his arms.

I looked at the table filled with girls "To give them what has been denied to them just for the sole reason of having a vagina: power," I gazed at Mariano and he was smiling "what?"

"You're in your element, there's no one better for this job and I'm also very grateful my daughters have you in their life."

I smiled "No matter what happens they will always have me, same as you," I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Do you think they fall in love with Apollo when they see him?" Viktor asked out of nowhere resting his chin on my head.

I laughed "Of course, have you seen my husband?"

After the meal we went back down (I used the elevator and they used the stairs) all of them sat on the floor as I stood in front.

"I started throwing knives when I was 6," I crossed my arms "a year prior I gave my first blowjob, my aunt told me it would be like sucking on a popsicle. Look," I sighed "if I'm harsh with you is because I know you can do better, I know you have the power to become an Athena. Everything I do here is for your own good, maybe I'll be mean but that's just how psychology works; when someone is harsh on you, you work harder to prove them wrong. My parents practically gave me up before I was even born, they didn't believe in me and treated me like a thing. Not once did they ask me how I felt so don't expect me to do so because I'm still learning how to behave more humanely with people I didn't carry in my womb." Mariano nodded, looking at me and I smiled "I want you to meet the most handsome boy in the universe and the person who you'll protect over me." The doors of the elevator opened and Napoleon came running to me as he wore a red cashmere cardigan over jeans overalls and his black Vans "Hello, piccolo!" I squatted down and hugged him tightly "mamma, missed you."