Chapter Nine
It isn't nearly as tall as the buildings around it, but for what the Oculus lacks for in height it makes up for in intimidation. It's gothic appearance is accented by tall narrow windows, each one framing pulses of fire that flare up, over and over behind each pane. The two large gargoyles that accent each side of the wide archway in front, breathe with fire and frame the entrance. As they pull in, Apollo notices a large crowd outside. They're surrounding something he can't quite make out and he cranes his neck trying to catch a glimpse. Luna slams the bike to a stop, reiterating what she said before, "I said keep your head down!"
They venture inside and Apollo's courage quickly cowers from the sight of the Corsair soldiers, everywhere. There has to be at least a hundred packed into the modest space because Luna practically shoves them out of the way and squeezes through. They finally make it to the bar and she speaks to the woman behind the counter cleaning beer glasses, "Where's Seth?" The lady continues looking down at the sink and snaps, "He's not here." Then the woman looks up to see who she's talking to, and her demeanor instantly brightens, "Hey Lu! We didn't know you were going to be here, is everything okay?"
"Yeah everything's fine I just need to talk to him." The woman motions over at Apollo, "Who's your friend?" And Luna turns to him, "Petra, this is Apollo." The woman then gives a nervous smile that clearly makes Apollo feel a slight hint of discomfort, "Indeed." She turns back to Luna, "I'll tell him you're here. Let me know if you need anything." Luna smiles back, "Okay, thanks."
As the woman walks down to the other end of the bar, Luna starts to say something to Apollo but a hand lands on her shoulder, "Where have you been hiding?" Behind her stands a really tall soldier just a few years older than them. He has greasy blonde hair and his skin almost completely covered in tattoos. He just stares down at Luna as she tries to blow him off, "Leave me alone, Marcus. I'm here with someone." The man looks at Apollo and points, "You mean this little twerp?"
Suddenly, Luna leans in and presses her lips hard against Apollo's. The boy's eyes widen in shock before they close and he takes in the sensation of her kiss. After a few seconds, she finally breaks it off and instantly looks back, "Yeah, now leave us alone!" Marcus glowers at Apollo, looking him up and down, "Then I challenge you!"
Luna scoffs, "You can't challenge him, you idiot. He's not a soldier." The man keeps his leer locked on Apollo, "What kind of Corsair calls himself a man and not fight?" Luna realizes she has already said too much and searches for a way out. That's when Apollo speaks up, "I'm with for the Kaines, on Furious' orders." The act stuns Luna and causes Marcus to erupt in a mad fit, "Well, is that so? I'm about to put an end to this!" The man lunges, but suddenly, stops just a few steps short. A look of fear suddenly grows on his face. Then Apollo realizes Marcus isn't looking at him, he's looking behind him. That's when a voice emerges, "As you were, Soldier."
A gray-haired man walks past and goes in to hug Luna, "You should have told me you were coming." Luna embraces him, "I'm sorry, we didn't have much time. There's someone I want you to meet." Apollo doesn't move, his attention is still on Luna's lips and the man who just tried to kill him. He finally snaps out of it when he feels someone grab his arm, "Seth, this is Apollo." The older man smiles as he shakes Apollo's hand, "Yes it is, you two come in the back."
They walk behind the bar and through a door. Seth leads them down a hallway and into a room with a large table surrounded by several plush chairs and a large monitor on the wall. He shuts the door behind them and motions, "Have a seat."
As Apollo sits, he notices the man studying his every move. "So what brings you here today?" The man asks and Luna answers, taking a seat beside Apollo, "I need... I mean, we need to know more about the End Game." Seth strokes his white goatee as if he's deep in thought and paces back a forth a couple of times before finally answering, "Julia send you here?"
"Yeah, this is Oriah's son. He.."
"I know who he is."
Apollo tries to join in on the conversation, "Well who.." Luna kicks Apollo's legs underneath the table and whispers, "I told you to let me do the talking." Seth interrupts them, "No, let him speak. What do you want to know?"
"Who are you?"
"My name's Seth. I'm the owner of this establishment."
"That's not exactly what I asked, but why should I trust you?"
The man then takes a seat across from them as attempts to explain himself, "Because I want the same things you want, Apollo. I care about the same things." Apollo jumps from the table, "What do you know of the things I care about?" Seth starts to answer but Luna interrupts, "Look, we don't have time for this! If you guys want to get together later that's fine with me. Could you just please tell us, what is the End Game?"
"It's a weapon my dear, well more of a power source for a weapon really."
"A weapon to do what?"
"To kill the Nephilim, of course."
Apollo feels Luna look at him and he returns her stare. He's surprised by the trepidation clearly showing on her face. She snaps her head quickly back to Seth and speaks with urgency, "We are going to the Acropolis. Is there anything else you can tell us?" Seth remains silent as he taps the table with the ring on his left hand. He stares intently at Luna.
Finally he speaks, "When you face the Kaines, keep in mind that they were engineered with the intent to be dominant on the battlefield. But there's something else you need to know. Varius and Vitus never meant to exist as two people. During the Project, the embryo split soon after insemination but the team was so intrigued they decided to allow the development to continue. Soon after the birth however, they found that just one of the twins met the criteria, while the other did not."
Apollo questions the man's response, “What does that supposed to mean?” Seth immediately counters, "Meaning they are genetically flawed and so are their children. Brutalius is the dangerous one, I assure you, but he has no real power. His prowess is keen but he lacks stability, not to mention the genetic talents that evidently fell to, let's say, Vitus' side of the gene pool."
Apollo retorts, "Well, what does this have to do with us?" Seth quickly quips back, "It means Brutalius is the one you must kill, son. Really, you should learn to listen better." Apollo almost snaps again but Luna disarms the conversation before it gets out of hand, "I get what you're saying Seth, use their flaws against them. Brutalius is unbalanced, we get it."
"Right, but also remember the other two aren't what they appear to be, either." Seth gets up, "Follow me, I want to give you something." Apollo and Luna rise and follow him further down the hall. They reach a doorway that frames a staircase apparently leading down to the basement.
Seth stops and holds his hands out, "Wait here." He walks down the steps and soon reemerges, handing Luna a black leather belt with a black "L"-shaped, nightstick type weapon. "You remember the Tong Fa, right?" Luna answers with a smug smile, "Of course I do, you taught me well." Then Seth gives her a small black metal box with a phrase etched in golden letters, "Host Inhibitor NL". She opens the lid and inside is a single syringe filled with a green liquid. "What is this?" Seth closes it back, looks at her and chuckles, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. But when the time comes to use it.”