Hindsight is 20/20 - part 3

The gang got back a bit ago and filled me in. I've cashed out the tills so I can write this up properly. It's been a while since we needed a true log of events. It has been a peaceful while since the end of the war.

Aphro and the new priestess get back first. She's named Cybil and it seems the Oracle was taking over without permission - woke out of her trance being dangled by her neck off some scaffolding in the middle of the Atlantic Yards. Epimetheus was apologetic about the ugly situation, yet unwilling to give up his leverage. Shouting to Theeny that he was going to break the mortal.

Thena, as is her way, tried to talk him down, and it mostly worked. As is so often with us (and with mortals), it has come full circle again, back to his big turning point. He's stuck on rerun, repeating the same mistake over and over again. Re-living his big fight with his brother Prometheus. He is just taking back the fire Prometheus gave mankind, figuratively and literally, and is trying so hard to reach a different outcome. Athena tells him this will not end well, and poor Epi breaks. Way back in 1666, Prometheus said those exact words. In hindsight, the brother is always right, and things will never end well. Just like in 1871 in Chicago and at the great fire of London as well. Don't think Athena had known about London. Oops.

Epi is begging Thena. Begging her to not make him go back to Tartarus. Not awake. Let him take a nap. He puts Cybil down, backs away. And Xipe was waiting there, with his knives.

Athena gives what I'm sure was an inspirational speech. In short, she reminds Epi this one didn't end so badly as last time. He smiles. She nods to Xipe who tosses her a knife and in one not-so-fluid motion she hacks off his head.

Aphro, Xipe and Heph stare uncomfortably at Thena until Heph feels the need to point out the obvious. "Crap" says Athena, and kneels to reattach Epi's head long enough to ask him.

"How in Hades did you paralyze an entire town?"

"I didn't. It must've been one of the others." She raises an eyebrow... "I didn't bust out. We all got out. I thought you knew."

Frustrated, she pulls his head back off his neck and rolls it away from her.



The gang piles back in here just before closing. The band is packing up as I pour the drinks that loosen lips to get a full picture. We all agree, Athena needs to take Epimetheus, in two pieces, back up to Tartarus to store him for his naptime and to find out what has happened up there at the penitentiary of the gods.

And we need to figure out what the Oracle's message really means. Theeny will stop by the Seattle crew on her way up to Alaska and Tartarus to get their take on this new, strangely exciting disaster.

This poor bartender needs to rest well (though not as well as Epi) and will report back after I recover.

~Dionysus