I originally wrote a part of this to be part of Key To The Stars but... I fell in love and made a one shot out of it.
Btw. There is swearing and this is oddly long. Like really long. Why? I don't really know.
-Jaz
~~~~
What I Deserve
"Did you guys buy presents yet?" Bianca asked walking in the living room of the small house.
"What for?" Ethan asked.
"The birthday party?"
Luke looked up from his book. "Who's birthday?"
Bianca groaned. "Lee? Lee Fletcher. He lives like two house down from us."
"Ohhh," Ethan said. "When is that again?"
"Saturday. Today is Thursday. You need to buy him a gift soon."
"Don't worry."
"I'll um get him a present but I don't think I should go..." Luke said.
"Nope. You're going," Zoë said walking in the house. "I just came from over there and told him that the four of us were coming."
"Do you ever knock or do you just show up?"
"If you come over here I'll knock on your head," Zoë offered. "I'm sure it's hollow enough to make a sound."
Luke rolled his eyes.
"Let's go shopping," Bianca decided. "I feel like you two will only be able to buy him a present if Zoë and I are there to supervise you."
"We're aren't hopeless you know. I can handle myself."
"Sure you can."
"I can," Luke protested.
"And last time you 'handled yourself' there was a war," Zoë pointed out.
"...Shut up..." Luke mumbled and Ethan patted his head.
"Alright let's go shopping."
~~~~
"Okay Luke I got my gift. Your turn," Ethan said.
"I think I know what I'm going to get," Luke said leading the way through the department store.
Zoë looked at the item Ethan was holding. "I still don't think he'd want a jump rope."
"You don't know what he likes," Ethan defended.
"I don't think you do either."
"You could put a bit more thought into it," Bianca told him. "More thought than 'Hey! That's on sale!'"
"Why aren't you judging Luke's choice in present?" Ethan asked her.
"Because I'm gonna get him a CD. If I could just find the one I'm looking for," Luke said looking through all the CDs. "He is a son of Apollo so- found it!"
"So? He could've been blessed by the god of jump ropes," Ethan quickly turned to Zoë. "Or goddess sorry."
Zoë shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it would be a god. Only a male could be the deity of something so stupid."
"Let's just go check out."
Ethan went in line first and paid for his jump rope before Luke went. He placed the CD down on the counter waiting for the cashier to scan it.
"I can't help you sorry," the cashier told Luke.
"Oh is there another line?" Luke asked.
"No," the cashier said crossing his arms. "We just don't serve traitors here."
Luke blinked. "Oh. S-sorry. I'll just um-" he started for the door when Ethan stopped him.
"Really?" Ethan said looking at the cashier. "You do know what role I played in the war right? Yet I'm a regular customer here."
"Let me rephrase," the cashier said. "We don't serve Kronos's host."
"His money is the same as anyone else's," Bianca said with a glare. Zoë nodded with a glare beside her.
Luke shook his head. "Guys really it's okay."
"No it's not," Bianca argued. "Discrimination and excluding isn't okay."
"What's going on here?" The owner asked walking over. Her eyes landed on Luke and her eyes hardened. "Get out."
"No," Ethan said. "Not until we get Luke's CD."
"I really don't need it. I can get a present somewhere else," Luke protested.
"Silence," Zoë told him while glaring at the owner.
"We don't serve him." The owner said plainly and by this point everyone in the store was staring at the confrontation.
"You know what fine. We'll leave," Ethan said. "There are other places to go. Come on guys."
Luke put his head down trying to ignore the stares as he headed outside. He started down the street when Ethan grabbed his arm.
"You think we're letting them off that easy?" Ethan asked.
Luke shook his head rapidly and pulled his arm away. "No. I don't know what you're planning but no."
"Girls?" Ethan called.
"Don't tell us what to do," Zoë said knocking an arrow.
Bianca let her arrow fly first and Zoë followed suit. Both arrows embedded themselves in the front of the store.
"Stop it!" Luke shouted.
They didn't listen and more arrows flew. Ethan smiled widely as the owner emerged from the store looking upset.
"Hey!" She screamed. Zoë sent an arrow toward her head she ducked just in time.
"Let's go!" Bianca shouted running for it. The other three followed suit. They stopped running around the corner and paused to catch their breath.
"You guys shouldn't have done that," Luke told his friends. "Now they won't let you go back."
"If you can't go there then we shouldn't either," Zoë told him.
Bianca nodded. "Now come on. Let's go get some pizza."
Luke smiled slightly. "Pizza sounds good."
"Great I'm hungry!" Ethan smiled. "Oh, and here's the CD."
Luke's eyes widened. "You stole it?"
"Yeah," Ethan said handing it to Luke. "guess your Hermesness is rubbing off on me."
"Thanks man."
"No problem."
"This is adorable and all but I need food," Zoë said starting down the street with Bianca. The boys hurried to catch up.
~~~~
"You think three pizzas will be enough?" Luke asked carrying the pizzas as they walked home.
Bianca opened her mouth to speak when someone else shouted.
"Bianca!" A man grabbed her arm as they were walking by and pulled her away from the other three.
"Hey!" She jerked her arm away from him, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"You're a hero, dear." He said, shooting Ethan and Luke dark looks, "unlike those traitors. You shouldn't have to room with people who deserve Tartarus!"
"I asked to room with them," Bianca said glaring defiantly.
"How dare they corrupt such an innocent girl! Not to mention the daughter of Lord Hades himself!" Another woman cried walking over to Luke, "You Honorless snake!" She shouted poking his chest.
Ethan's ears turned red and pulled Luke back and stepped in front of him. "Hey lady, back off!"
"It's the traitor again," another voice said.
"Why is he even here?" Someone else asked.
"Because he deserves it!" Bianca shouted.
"He's trying to taint us," another voice chimed in.
Ethan, Bianca and Zoë started yelling back at the forming crowd while Luke stood silently.
"That's it!" Bianca screamed. The shadows flew to her, clinging to her and her three friends before the four of them sunk down through the shadows.
The four dead demigods were deposited in the middle of the river. Luke stood near the edge (thankfully the pizza wasn't wet). Bianca was in the middle of it shocked. And Ethan landed on top of Zoë on the edge. Zoë was face down flailing her arms.
"Styx!" Ethan shouted scrambling up.
Zoë got up coughing and spluttering while glaring up at Ethan.
"Um..." Ethan started. "You okay?"
"I'm going to kill you," she said between breaths standing.
"Save that for that crowd," Bianca said swimming to shore. "I'm gonna kill them all. I'll talk to my father about it."
"Not until we destroy that manager," Ethan said grabbing a slice of pizza from the boxes Luke was still holding.
"I'll help in that," Zoë offered. "For now let's dry off at my house."
They sat in Zoë's small living room eating pizza, drying, and talking about revenge. Well, not Luke who sat silently.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Bianca asked Luke.
Luke shook his head. "I'm not hungry anymore..."
"Don't be put off by those idiots," Zoë said.
"They are snobs," Ethan told him. "We're in Elysium so we are so perfect! We've never done anything wrong in our whole lives!"
"You guys just don't get it," Luke said quietly. "They are right... I don't deserve this..."
Zoë stood and Luke watched her confused as she walked closer to him until she punched him right across the face. "We are the only ones allowed to make fun of you and your past insolent male. Never forget that. You deserve Elysium. That is why you are here. Understood? I said, understood?"
Luke massaged his face and nodded slowly.
"Good."
"I need some air," Luke said finally. "I'm gonna head home." He didn't wait for them to protest as he headed outside and began to walk home.
~~~~
"Is the moron gone?" Zoë asked entering the house the next morning.
"He already left work," Ethan confirmed.
"Okay so what are we doing?"
"I talked to Silena earlier," Bianca told the other two. "I told her about what happened and she is happy to help. She said the owner of that store goes to her hair salon every Friday. Aka today. Silena agreed to distract the woman for extra time so we can do something to the store."
"Spray paint always works. So do eggs," Ethan put in.
"Silena should just dye the woman's hair a horrendous color," Zoë suggested.
Bianca tossed Zoë her phone a wicked smile on her face. "Call her."
"So spray paint and eggs?" Ethan asked.
Bianca nodded. "Spray paint and eggs."
~~~~
"Oh my gods... What did you do!?"
"I'm so sorry!" Silena said with fake surprise. "This is a new brand I'm trying. It wasn't supposed to make your hair blonde not neon green... Here sit back down and I can try to fix it."
"No! You are never doing my hair again!"
"I think it suit you."
The owner whirled around to see Zoë smirking at her. "Well done Silena."
Silena shrugged. "I'm good at what I do."
"You- you- did this on purpose!" The owner shrieked.
"Not that you can prove that."
"Ugh!" The owner screamed and ran outside.
"I've got another client coming in. But be sure to tell me what happens," Silena told Zoë.
Zoë nodded. "Will do."
"Oh and I still want to wash your hair next week!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Zoë ran outside after the owner who ran down the street attracting stares and laughter. Zoë followed her all the way back to her shop where a scream escaped the owner lips.
"What the Hades!?" She yelled staring at her precious store. The store front was covered in spray paint spelling things out like: HATER, DISCRIMINATION, EVIL, STUPID and a few swears too. Eggs covered the window glass. And spray painted on the ground on the front read: "From the LC Protection Squad".
The owner whirled around and her eyes found Zoë, and Bianca and Ethan who joined her. The three exchanged high fives.
"You scum! I don't care if your Lord Hades' daughter or not!" The owner screamed.
"I'll be sure to let my father know," Bianca smiled before turning and walking off, her friends following.
~~~~~
Luke walked home from a long day of shrine cleaning tired. He considered stopping for some coffee when something caught his attention. The store.
The store from yesterday was covered in spray paint and eggs? Mean things written everywhere and the owner of the place with bright green hair trying and failing to clean off. Luke stared for a moment wondering what could've happened when he saw the message written in he ground. "They didn't..."
"You!" The owner yelled causing Luke to jump. "This is all your fault! You should've never been allowed here!"
"I-I'm so sorry! I had no clue I promise!"
"Like your word means anything to me."
"I'll- I'll clean it! I'll clean everything!"
The owner paused still glaring at him. "This place better spotless by the time I get back.
Luke nodded quickly. "Yes ma'am."
~~~~
"You're home late," Zoë observed when Luke walked in the door. The three sat at the coffee table playing poker but looked up to see Luke covered in dirt and grime and smelled oddly of eggs.
"Sorry," Luke snapped. "I spent all afternoon cleaning up the mess you guys made!"
"So you saw our handiwork then?" Ethan asked proudly.
"Yeah I saw every fucking piece of it as I scrubbed the place down and paid for damages! What the fuck where you all thinking?"
"We just wanted-" Bianca started.
"No you weren't thinking! You guys didn't put a fucking ounce of common sense in and instead decided hey let's make thing even worse!"
"Luke you know we didn't meant to," Zoë said calmly.
Ethan nodded. "We wanted to show how that lady was being unfair to you."
"Then you might as well egg every fucking house in Elysium! Everyone is unfair to me because I deserve it. It's what I deserve! You know what I'm wasting my breath. You guys don't give a shit about what I think anyway."
Luke stormed out the house slamming the door behind him and marched down the street. "Those idiots!" He shouted kicking a rock down the sidewalk. Why was he even here? He asked himself. Despite what his friends say to stand up for him he couldn't possibly deserve Elysium. The judges must have made some kind of mistake. He should be in the Fields of Punishment for what he did. He should be cast down to Tartarus with the king of the Titans that he tried to raise. Was this all part of his enteral punishment? To live as a hero along side those whom he killed?
Luke was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a voice. He stopped walking noticing the man who stood beside him. It took Luke a moment before he was able to realize who the man was: Odysseus.
"What did you say?" Luke asked him surprised.
"Everybody makes mistakes," Odysseus answered. "People here seem to hate you yet they forget you died to save everyone still alive."
"I deserve the hate," Luke said. "I'm not a hero like you."
"I threw a baby over city walls to kill him," Odysseus deadpanned.
Luke's eyes widened. "What?"
Odysseus nodded. "Yeah... Not my proudest moment. But, everyone knows how my story ends. And I ended up here. Meanwhile you started a war and you ended one. Give it time. People will forgive you."
With that said the ancient hero left Luke alone. Luke stood by himself for a while before turning and heading back home.
When he walked inside his three friends hadn't moved since he left before. They each looked up at him unsure of what they were supposed to say. Instead Luke spoke, "I'm sorry," he said plainly. "You guys were just trying help. So um... can I buy in?"
"Can you afford it?" Ethan asked.
"Course," Luke answered sitting down. "And I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to blow up at you guys."
"We should've taken your thoughts into consideration," Zoë said. "I'm sorry too."
"Same," Ethan nodded.
"Agreed. Oh and off topic, remember that Lee's birthday party is tomorrow afternoon," Bianca reminded them. "We can't be late."
~~~~
They arrived at the party late and headed to the back heard where Lee was receiving presents form other people. A large smile on his face and party hat on his head. He noticed the four and waved them over. "Hey! I'm glad you could make it."
"Sorry we're late," Bianca apologized handing him her gift.
"No problem, oh cool! New guitar strings thanks! I was gonna go buy some tomorrow."
"It's Ethan's, fault we are late," Zoë said.
"Shut up," Ethan muttered.
"Happy birthday," Zoë said handing him a wrapped gift.
Lee unwrapped it. "Ooh new arrows. Perfect thanks."
Luke was next. He awkwardly handed Lee a small bag. Lee opened it and pulled out a CD.
"I heard you liked that album," Luke mumbled. "If you don't I could get another. Or something. A puppy? Cause I'm really really sorry for everything and um-"
"Cool thanks man!" Lee said with a wide smile. Luke's mouth hung open in surprise at Lee's response.
"Please, let me show you a real gift," Ethan said pushing Luke out the way. He pulled his present out a plastic shopping bag and tossed it to Lee who caught it. "Here's a jump rope, don't say I never did anything for ya."
"Oh my gods! Thank you!" Lee shouted happily a huge grin on his face. "I told Michael I wanted one and he just got me another crappy set of headphones!"
Ethan smirked triumphantly.
"Crappy?" Michael asked taking the jump rope and looked it over. "At least I spent more than 2.99 on your gift."
Zoë looked over at Bianca trying to hide her face of disbelief, "I cannot believe he actually wanted a jump rope...."
"Time for cake!" Someone else called.
After a round of Happy Birthday and the passing out of the cake Luke sat eating a slice watching Lee try out his new jump rope being swung by Ethan and Bianca. As Lee jumped they sung a jump rope song to go with: "Cinderella, dressed in yella, went downstairs to kiss a fella! By mistake she kissed a snake! How many doctors did it take? 1. 2. 3. 4..."
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Zoë observed.
Luke shrugged. "I guess."
"Good. Because this is what you deserve. You deserve to be happy."
Luke didn't speak and kept his eyes on the jump-ropers.
"15! 15 doctors!"
"Hey Luke!" Lee called. "Come jump while I throw that CD on!"
Luke nodded setting his cake aside and stood up and Zoë nodded at him as he made his way over to play jump rope.
"Fudge, fudge, call a judge! Luke is having a baby, his boyfriend's going crazy! How many babies did he have? 1! 2!..."
"Hey Zoë!" Luke shouted over the counting a smile on his face. "I think you're right!"
Zoë smiled. "Of course I am!"
He rolled his eyes but messed up in his timing and the rope hit his ankles.
"19 kids. Wow you've been busy," Ethan commented. "And what is she right about?"
"About what I deserve," Luke answered.
"Which is?"
"That I deserve to be happy."
Ethan reached up to ruffle Luke's hair. "Glad you finally realized that."