Bonds

Jack Takes Man Hat Ten

Can you be excited and nervous at the same time?

That was the question a now eighteen-year-old Jack was now asking himself as he gazed upon the Celestial Bronze gateway to Gaea that had been constructed solely for him and his siblings. His left boot tapped against the Tartarian Ivory floor rapidly like a hellhound with an itch, as he tapped the clawed fingertips of his left glove against his thigh; finally managing to tear his eyes away from the doors to the assembled masses.

Definitely possible, the wild son of Kronos gulped. He supposed he felt something similar all those years ago before and during what was now called "The Taming of Tartarus", but there had been a lot of fear that overpowered the other two feelings. A fear that had only grown when he found Queen on the verge of death. Seeing her unconscious in a state somewhere between solid and shadow, as Damasen and the titans did everything they could to stabilize her, while all he could do was watch helplessly. And he worried that her strange mood swings after waking up could have been prevented if he had found her sooner.

At the disturbing memory he glanced to his right where his sister stood talking amiably to the nosoi and Arachne; the cursed mortal skittering around his sister taking measurements with a silk measuring tape for what was bound to be yet another royal ensemble. Queen was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes, and he knew that she probably felt he same as him about going to Gaea.

A shadow was cast over him as a pair of hands clasped his shoulders, making Jack jump in surprise. A rare occurrence for the Hunter of Tartarus. He looked up to see Asterion looking down at him, his red eyes full of concern.

He turned to face his mentor and friend and twisted his lips up ever so slightly with a subtle nod of his head. I'm fine.

The minotaur huffed out his nose and dropped his right hand to his hip. You don't look it.

Jack sighed and held up his left hand, holding his index finger and thumb close together. I'm a little nervous...

Asterion dropped to one knee and delicately grabbed him by the shoulders and stared him in the eye. The minotaur's expression shifted rapidly, but anyone but Jack wouldn't have been able to detect the subtle changes. Use it. You know to follow your instincts. They'll bring you home.

He nodded and leaned forward to embrace his friend, who returned the gesture. "Thanks."

The bull of Minos stood back up and patted him on the head. The calloused hands unintentionally freeing a few strands of blond hair from his shoulder length ponytail. I will see you again. And I know you'll be victorious.

"Alright everyone!" Steropes' voice boomed from behind the minotaur, "we have a schedule to keep so our triumvirate reaches Olympus in time for the solstice gathering." Asterion stepped aside and Jack could see the two cyclops senators flanking his brother, who-

"What are you wearing?" He laughed, rushing over to Knight. His brother and the cyclopes were wearing matching black outfits -suits if he remembered correctly- just like the ones the venti wore when they went to Gaea to bring important beings and supplies down for the republic. Knight's hair appeared to be freshly cut and cleaned -not a spec of dirt or grease in sight- and in his right hand was a strange rectangle made of Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold.

"His first power suit," Brontes sniffled, as a light flashed on his Celestial Bronze hand; a small square of paper then ejecting from the palm. "He's growing up so fast." The cyclops' arm continued to flash as more squared of paper fell out. "It seems like it was only yesterday we gave him the tour of our shop."