selene // thor odinson

XIII

mount olympus

six months later

"You have improved, Selene," Apollo mused as we walked out of his temple after training.

"You still beat my arse though," I mumbled, rubbing by bruised elbow.

"What did you expect? Me to go easy on you?" He said, quirking his eyebrow.

"Fair, especially with the influx of monster attacks," I said.

"Yes, they seem to be regenerating in Tartarus a lot quicker than their normal rate," Apollo said, thinking deeply. "Everything is so stressful and I just wanna relax."

"Do you know why?" I asked, laughing at his comment.

"No but we're investigating. For now we just have to ensure all monsters are dealt with efficiently and without any mortal casualties." He said as we walked the path to the Gateway of Hermes.

"About that, why haven't I been called to help with the attacks?" I asked, turning to Apollo with my eyebrows raised. After the insane New York experience, I had been itching to get back out there.

"You've not been staying in Olympus very much Selene," he smiled softly at me, trying to let me down softly. "Plus, it is not my responsibility. Athena sends out the Olympians to deal with the attacks and...I think maybe your mother has something to do with it."

Before I could prod furiously at his words, a shudder of lightening stopped me from retaliating. Apollo grabbed my hand as we teleported to the golden door of the Pantheon.

"Warn me next time," I said while clutching my head as shapes and colours became distorted.

"What happened father?" I heard Artemis question as I pushed myself up with my wobbly arms.

"There has been a Hydra attack in Patras, two morals have been killed," he explained pacing around the hall.

"Please, let me go and help!" I pleaded, my heart clenching at the loss of innocent lives, at Athena who sat deep in thought on her throne.

"There is no need, ten Olympians have already been sent," she said, looking at me with her stormy eyes.

"Selene," Artemis said, turning to me. "Go home, everything is handled here."

"But-"

"There are no buts, you have no need to be here. Your father is waiting," She said with hardened eyes.

I bit my tongue, wanting nothing but to protest but knew that it wouldn't be a fight I would win so I nodded my head. I wiped at my nose and walked out of the door, to the portal.

As I hiked up the mountain, my body was aching with energy. All I wanted to do was to fight and to expel this horrible buzzing that was slowly eating me up in the inside. I wanted to avenge the deaths of those two people. I wanted to defend my home not only as an Olympian, but as a Greek as well.

I pushed open the door to my house to see my father, rapt attention to the news playing at the TV.

"Selene! I thought you'll be there since you were in Olympus," he said, scooting over to make room for me on the sofa.

"No, I was told to go home," I huffed as my eyes gazed over the bold, yellow headlines running at the bottom of the screen.

I watched with bated breath as the Olympians slashed at each head then shot flaming arrows at the wounds, cauterising it immediately so that the heads wouldn't grow back.

An Olympian suddenly ran into the shot, obscuring the scene to push the cameraman back into the safer area.

The Hydra dropped to the floor, each of its nine necks burnt and headless.

"Wow," my father breathed out, leaning back othe sofa. "I will never understand how you're able to do that."

"Practice," I said getting up and walking to my room. I sat in my bed and put my head in my hands, my mind throbbing terribly with the same energy that I had while hiking up the mountain.

"Hey, are you okay, princess?" My father asked softly, leaning on my doorframe of my room.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just anxious about the attack," I lied, smiling at him while taking off my boots.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I guess I just wish I was out there. I could have saved those three people." I muttered, sitting crossed legged on my bed.

"You cannot save everyone, princess." He sighed, coming over to sit beside me.

"Still, that doesn't make it feel any better. For months I've had his horrible, bubbling feeling that feels like something is missing, right in the pit of my stomach."

"Perhaps something changed you when you went to New York. Perhaps you realised that you're not meant for this quaint life. You're supposed to be out there, protecting those who are vulnerable to those greater evils."

"That's the thing, father, I don't think it is. This is the life I have always wanted. Ever since I first stepped in Olympus, I have been fighting for this life. As selfish as it is, you come before everything else to me. You're my one and only priority." I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"As you are mine, my princess. But you must live for yourself, not for me. I figured out how to do that while you were away and one day, I won't be here. You need to find those people who will do that for you." He said, facing me.

"I have friends, father." I muttered.

"I'm not taking about friendship." He said, quirking his eyebrow.

"I have never been one for romance."I huffed, shaking my head.

"That's what they all say when that is the one thing they truly crave, when that is the one thing that is missing from their lives."

"I don't know." I hummed, fiddling my fingers.

"There must be countless men and women you could possibly be with in Olympus." He said, unconvinced.

My mind cast back to my brief relationship with Kol. "They are loyal to Olympus, they wouldn't leave their home for a life here as well. And I would be too worried for endangering a mortals life."

"What about that...Asgardian you helped save?"

My shuddered at his sudden appearance in the conversation. "Thor? He is with a mortal Jane Foster. Plus, I do not think of him that way."

"A father always knows when their child is lying and...there look on your cheek, you are blushing." He said, smiling teasingly at me.

"It doesn't matter how I feel," I sighed. "It will never happen."

"The universe has a funny way of allowing things to happen. You never know what is right around the corner waiting for you, my princess."