"...Artemis?"
Although Van was still a bit groggy from just having woken up, the shock of seeing Artemis in front of him truly jolted his body. For him, it was just a moment ago that he plunged his hand through Artemis's heart.
"Why am I alive? And why was I able to pass through Azrael's gate?"
Artemis once again repeated her question as she slowly walked towards Van, "And it's not only that, my arm, which has been gone for almost a thousand years have healed," Artemis let out a short breath as she scanned her arm, which she has not seen for a very long time.
"I don't know," Van quickly answered. This time, there was no hesitation in his words as approached Artemis, trying to see if it really was her, "Do you know that this would happen, Angela?"
Van then looked towards Angela, but seeing the confused look on her face, it would seem that he already had their answer. Perhaps the only one who can truly tell them the reason for this would be Evangeline. But alas, she was more than ten thousand kilometers away from them.
"I seek answers, Evans," Artemis said as she stood right in front of Van, her head looking down as Van was smaller than her.
"I do too, Artemis," Van let out a long and deep breath as he looked Artemis straight in the eyes, "I think we all are. Perhaps it's time to return to Evangeline?"
"No."
Surprisingly, Artemis was the one to refuse as she grabbed Van's shoulders, "There is no time, we must continue your adventure, young god."
"...What?"
"When I… was about to pass through the Seraph's gate, I felt something… something ominous. Perhaps the time that Azrael has foretold has come, the humans of her world are upon my universe. It is true that we need to seek answers, but we must also save my brothers and sisters as well."
"...Save them?"
"Whatever it is that you did to me, it allowed me to escape my universe," Artemis said as she once again scanned herself, "But not all of me. The thing that made me a celestial is in you now."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Artemis then lifted up her hand, gently planting her palm on Van's chest, "You… have half of me," Artemis closed her eyes as she whispered into Van's ears. She was close enough that Van could feel her heart, which now beats again.
"If… you're alive, then does that mean that mister Hercules might be too?" Van then said as he slightly backed away.
"That I do not know," Artemis shook her head, "Unlike me and the rest of the Olympians, Hercules was not born a true god. He only became one when he died. If you took his godhood, then that might have been the same as death for him."
"I… see."
"But you don't have to worry," Artemis's hand trailed from Van's chest to his cheek, "He lives on in you. Just make sure you do not waste it. Speaking of not wasting anything…"
"...What are you doing?"
Van could not help but stutter as Artemis suddenly kneeled in front of him.
"Please, let me come with you in your epic. Let me help you in saving the other Olympians. And if it was the case that it is only I that was able to live again, then I would at least have said my farewells to them… please, Evans."
"That's…" Van turned his head towards Charlotte as if asking her what to do. Charlotte, however, only shrugged her shoulders. Van also looked at Angela, but she remained unresponsive. Finally, after a few more seconds, Van could only let out a sigh as he nodded his head.
"Sure. If they are as strong as you, then we need all the help we can get."
"That's great!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Artemis's pitch became higher as she jumped out of joy, lifting Van up and hugging him, "Let's go now. I haven't talked to the others in a very long time."
Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows from this sudden change. Was this… how she truly was? But… it was not like Van minded. Feeling her soft skin woke something up in him, literally.
"O… oh my," Artemis quickly dropped Van to the ground as her face slightly turned red, "I did not mean it that way, Evans."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Van, on the other hand, did not stand up as he didn't want anyone to notice what happened. But alas, Charlotte's hearing was too great.
"It seems you're growing up in all places, you brat," Charlotte clicked her tongue as she approached him, "After my granddaughter and that colossal-tittied monster, now it's a literal god? Are you going after the humans in the Seraph's world next?"
"I see, is it like that, Evans?" Artemis let out a slight gasp, "I suppose you truly are Hermes's child. That woman is in love with you as well," Artemis then pointed towards Adia.
"What!? That's not…" Adia was about to rebuke, but as soon as she saw the camera pointed at her, she could only smile. Who was this woman anyway, and why does she seem to know a lot about Van? Was she another companion of the White Imvubu?
"I remember I almost gave up my chastity to your father. Your father could be said to be the most charming of the male gods. Unfortunately, he was too busy to follow up, even abandoning his own children. But I suppose everyone abandoned their children, at least he had a reason for it…
...But we are getting sidetracked, let us go. It is time for you to meet the rest of us, Evans."
Artemis then jumped up, leaping back to the head of the Stymphalian, "I assume your companions are coming?"
"That's…"
Before Van could even say a word, Charlotte already jumped to the top of the colossal stymphalian.
"This beats having to sit on a ship for days!" Charlotte shouted; a slight excitement exuding from her voice, "Yo, Angie. Come on up so you could feel what it's like to be tall once in your life!"
"...I'm not coming."
"What's that!?"
"I'm not coming!"
"...Ms. Angela?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Van could not help but blink a couple of times as Angela suddenly screamed. "What's wrong, Ms. Angela?"
"I'm not coming with you anymore, Evans," Angela started to calm down as she shook her head, "I need to return to master Evangeline. I proved useless when it counted anyway."
"...That's not true."
"It is," Angela whispered, "And just like you need to find your answers, I need to find mine too. Why master sent me here in the first place…"
"But--"
"Goodbye, Evans."
Before Van could even reply, Angela suddenly disappeared. However, her voice could still be heard as it echoed through the air, "Take care of the boy, muscle demon! Or I will make sure to kill you if something bad happens to him!"
"...Yeah right," Charlotte only smirked as she finally sat on the stymphalian's head.
"..." Van only let out a short but deep breath as he nodded. Angela truly was like a bubble, appearing and disappearing whenever she wanted to, "...Goodbye, Angela."
After a few seconds, Van then raised his hand, and as soon as he did so, roots emerged from the ground, elegantly lifting him up towards the colossal Stymphalian's head.
"Wait, Va-an!" Adia screamed, "Where are you going!?"
"...We'll come back," was Van's only response as the Stymphalian flapped its wings, pushing it instantly up in the air, "...I think."
"W… what!?"
And just like that, Van and the others left Africa.
