greek gods in new york

38

The competition in the New York division ended successfully.

Of course we won!

Blessed by the good luck given by Lord Stove, he played against the two weakest teams, and the short one became the general, and there was no suspense in winning.

However, Lord Stove also said that he only manages the territory of New York, and if he leaves New York, his blessing of good luck will immediately expire.

After qualifying to the general competition, we will go to the scene in Los Angeles. The good luck of Lord Stove is useless, and we will have to rely on strength to compete.

Also a good thing.

Although the blessing of good luck only helped us draw lots, and the competition is still up to us, but I always feel that winning is too easy and has no sense of reality.

Because of this, my mind for the past two days is not on the game, but on the agreement between Fernando and me before the game.

He kept his promise, and on the first Friday after the rematch ended, Fernando personally drove me to and from school.

Fernando's extremely high-riding off-road vehicle parked silently at the gate of the campus, as if it didn't show the mountains and water—but this is New York!No matter how far you drive, there are roads, and his car, which is obviously suitable for driving in the Midwest, is particularly conspicuous.

Meryl saw Fernando's car at a glance.

She adjusted the mirror frame and couldn't help sighing: "Although I have said it many times, Nicole, your godfather—"

I covered my face in embarrassment: "He really isn't the big drug () lord who walked over to the Netflix set!"

Meryl laughed.

After saying goodbye to her, I went to the car and Fernando rolled down the window.

The middle-aged man turned sideways casually, resting his elbows on the car window, and took off his sunglasses: "Where is this lady going?"

I couldn't help laughing: "Pandora is right."

Fernando: "What?"

Me: "Lose weight, Fernando. Maybe you can use this trick to get me a beautiful godmother back."

Fernando burst out laughing.

As a former god, Fernando now has the self-consciousness of a middle-aged bachelor. He doesn't mind my teasing at all, and just waved his hand: "Get in the car, I'll treat you to dinner."

Needless to say, I also knew where Fernando would take me.

Three subway stops away from my home, there is a Mexican restaurant that has been open for more than ten years.Fernando said that the dishes there are very authentic, and he liked to take me to restaurants since he was a child.

As in the past, as soon as the two of us entered the restaurant, we didn't need to order or say hello. The busy boss behind the counter nodded actively: "Sit down, I know it's the same."

Fernando was also polite, he directly found the best position and pulled out a chair for me.

"I wanted to show you my new apartment."

He sat down and said in his usual slow voice: "But I haven't packed it yet, let's talk about it in a few days."

I pouted: "What are you doing at your house?"

Fernando moved a lot, but to me it made no difference whether he moved or not.

Even though my godfather came to visit me from time to time, I had no idea where Fernando would be when he was gone.His private life is almost a mystery. Correspondingly, his apartment is always empty and unpopular, and he seldom comes back to live in it.

So where he moves, I don't care at all.

"Stop talking about me."

He took the Coke from the boss and pushed it in front of me: "How is campus life?"

I shrugged: "Very good, I will go to Los Angeles to participate in the knowledge competition next month, and I have to live this month as usual."

Fernando warned again: "Study belongs to study, and you have to enjoy your youth."

I:"……"

Again!

Fernando: "You are always with Meryl, and I have been worried that you will become a nerd too. Fortunately, now that there are Pandora and Loki, I feel more at ease."

Heh, isn't this the time for you to threaten Loki by the neck?

Maybe it was because my expression was too obvious, and Fernando laughed without opening his mouth.

"I talked to him," he said, "so no more worries."

"is not that right."

I feel a little sympathetic to the "conversation" that can make Loki avoid embarrassing expressions.

"Still using the means of the Drug Enforcement Administration?" I asked curiously.

"Yes."

"...Fernando, were you really from the Drug Enforcement Administration?"

My godfather nodded silently.

Ok.

I was mentally prepared for being repeatedly squeezed by Loki for so long.

"I didn't tell you before because you were too young," Fernando said honestly, "We are not as simple as confiscating marijuana and squatting in dens in the Midwest."

"Are you undercover?"

"To be precise, I'm an undercover agent, and Ares is directly in charge of my upline."

"Whether it's you or my dad."

I muttered, "I don't even feel suitable for being an undercover agent."

It's too big!

And Fernando's face is really recognizable.

I was just thinking about these words, but Fernando grinned: "Chica, where do you think I am undercover?"

"Uh."

I'm trying to think back to the movies I've seen: "The gang?"

Fernando: "I was in Mexico back then."

I:"……"

Undercover DEA member in Mexico 20 years ago.

Isn't that just going undercover directly to the inside of the Mexican () drug cartel? !

In an instant, the gang movie in my head became one of Netflix's American dramas about drug lords.

Turns out Meryl's hunch was right.

Although my godfather is not a big drug () lord, but he is an undercover agent to track down drug () lords, and he went undercover to people.

That's Mexico!

No wonder Fernando didn't want me to know.

He sat across from me, still awake, with the same disheveled hair and bachelor plaid shirt.

For a while I didn't know what to say.

Even though Zeus kept saying, resisting the Outer Gods and resisting the Outer Gods, and fought such a big battle, for me, life still hasn't changed much.

I still had to go to school, to live, to go to the homecoming dance, and to have a new round of homework.

At most, it is more progressive than before.

But what Fernando said in gentle words with a smile on his face seemed to be something that would only happen in another world.

In that world there is death, there is war, there is intrigue and bloody deals.

Pretty much the same as what happened when the gods were in power.

"Later, the Drug Enforcement Administration closed the line, just as the Lazarus project started," Fernando said, "Aris and I managed to transfer to the project base of Lazarus. It was there that Ares met your mother .”

My heart skipped a beat.

coming.

A few days ago Zeus was at my dining table and took out a file and told me that my mother, whom I had never met, was not human.

It was written on the file that she was an experimental subject.

and so……

I took a breath: "My mother... what kind of person is she?"

Fernando gave me a deep look.

"Is it Loki, or Zeus?" He answered irrelevantly.

I knew I couldn't hide it from him.

However, I don't intend to hide anything from Fernando either.

"It's Zeus," I said bluntly. "He disappeared for half a year and found some remnants of the Lazarus plan."

Fernan smiled slightly.

"Your mother, Nicole, Sarah Hawke," he said, "wasn't human beings, but 'the thing' found a way to connect with the world, and possessed ordinary people."

My hanging heart sank suddenly.

Sure enough.

I opened my mouth and found that nothing came out.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Whether Zeus came to me, or Loki said that only I can sense the energy of "that thing", after Fernando's confirmation, there is now an answer.

In fact, I have very vague memories of my mother.

I have never seen her before. Before Zeus appeared, I only knew that she used to be a researcher, and there is always a bust of her in the living room.

Except for the eyes and facial contours, I don't really look like my mom.In the photo, she looks like a high-level intellectual, a smart and intellectual beauty.

Other than that, there is hardly any trace of my mother in my house.

Dad naturally couldn't say anything, he only mentioned it occasionally, he would show a very gentle expression, and then silently patted my head.

As for Fernando?He will not say anything.

I knew they had stories in the past, but it never occurred to me that the truth of the story was that my mother wasn't human at all.

"That, that..."

Even if you have been mentally prepared, the facts are in front of you, it is too impactful.

I tried my best to hold my expression: "My mother... is she still, uh, a human being?"

Fernando leaned forward and patted me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry too much, Nicole," my godfather reassured, "Even though your mother wasn't human, she still had a human being and a consciousness and a mind. Sara knew she wasn't human, but it didn't matter that she loved you father. Ares also loves her very much, and you are a girl born of the union of love."

"I--"

"Even if there is no Lazarus plan, they will be together."

Fernando always knew what words I most wanted to hear.

His relief is like a flat boat in the sea. After I hold it firmly, I no longer feel frightened or afraid.

At the same time, I also realized that Fernando was not trying to comfort me with lies.

My godfather may hide, he may be perfunctory, he may change the subject, he may use silence to pass questions he does not want to answer.

But he hardly ever lied to me.

Zeus said that the Lazarus Project ended up being aborted unexpectedly, and after that, my dad and my mom came to New York and gave birth to me.

Doesn't this explain the problem?

I wasn't born with the Lazarus Project, I was born with my parents.

only……

I exhaled slowly and calmed down.

When he looked up again, Fernando's vision was complicated.

"I have another question."

I said, "Zeus said that there was an accident in the Lazarus project back then. What was the accident?"

Fernando rubbed his hands together.

The restaurant owner brought up the dishes that the two of us often eat one by one.

As usual, Fernando put my favorite dish in front of me: "You do have the right to know, Nicole."

39

In the restaurant, the boss continued to complete the fixed dishes for me and Fernando.

However, Fernando and I are not in the mood to eat for the time being.

My godfather pushed the plate containing Taco in front of me, and continued to speak slowly: "The Lazarus Project back then was planned by the new gods."

I:"……"

It's a real bombshell.

I thought it was some kind of mysterious government project, or secret research, after all, it was played like this in the movies.

But after thinking about it, the god of video games is a famous game producer in Japan, and Athena even sat on the position of Minister of Education in New York.

I'm not surprised that some of the new gods became officials and approved funds for the Lazarus project.

"Twenty years ago, the new gods were researching the existence of 'that thing'," Fernando said, "trying to collect its energy. But even they didn't make progress at that time, and the final result was to choose to take a detour and find the 'thing'." The thing 'possessed humans. Nicole, your mother was in it."

"My mother...was voluntary?"

"She volunteered."

Fernando smiled mockingly: "Coincidentally, Sara herself is a researcher of the Lazarus Project. I don't know if she was possessed because of contact with 'that thing', or after being possessed by 'that thing', she That’s why I chose to join Project Lazarus.”

"Then how did you meet your mother?"

"When Ares knew about the Lazarus project, he persuaded me to join. It was he who proposed to the new gods the idea of ​​having offspring with humans possessed by 'that thing' - the new gods wanted energy, and Ari What Si wants is to solve the problem that the old gods are gradually coming to an end."

"New God, are they willing?"

"Of course not," Fernando said.

really.

Just what Zeus said a few days ago is enough to prove that the new gods and the old gods were not as harmonious as Loki said before.

What you want is different, but the source is the same.It is also relying on the power of "that thing" to change the status quo, why should it be distributed to gods who are different from their own camp.

The old gods will not provide any benefits to the new gods, nor do they have that ability.

"But I was born anyway," I said.

"Yes."

Fernando nodded: "While Ares was continuing to discuss with the new gods, because the energy of 'that thing' could not be transferred and stored, the entire Lazarus project base exploded, causing heavy casualties."

I:"……"

This coincides with what Zeus said about the accident.

"The only surviving subject is Sarah, who is also a researcher."

"I guess that provided a turn in my dad's mind?"

"That's right," Fernando smiled approvingly, "If you want to store 'that thing', you must be related to 'that thing'. However, 'that thing' cannot exist independently in this world, which is a contradiction , Nicole, so Ares' idea has meaning: if he can conceive offspring with your mother, then you, who are related to 'that thing', should have access to his energy."

This... This is true.

Not only did I get access to his energy, he even tried to talk to me.

It's just that the things he said on homecoming night, I can't understand at all.

"But at this time, Ares and Sara developed feelings, so he put forward the condition that he can have children, and he wants to take Sara away, and whether he participates in the project or not, his offspring must be voluntary."

I felt very sad all of a sudden.

"It's just that no one thought that the old god and "He" could indeed conceive offspring, but the price was that Ares lost his soul and Sara died. And you, Nicole, who was born was completely like an ordinary person. God never mentioned it again."

Having said that, I probably understand the cause and effect.

The reason why Xinshen didn't come to me should be because they have been studying BB, which is the fetal model on my bookshelf.

I can feel the energy of "that thing" because I am connected to it.

I'm afraid the same is true of BB, the fetus in the petri dish, perhaps as closely related to "that thing" as I am.

It can only stay in the petri dish, and it will activate when it senses "that thing", maybe it is a product of the other side of the world.

"So," I said slowly, "you keep saying you didn't get involved too much."

Fernando did not intervene too much.

It was my parents who gave birth to me, and the new gods did the research.

From beginning to end, Fernando was a bystander.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."

Referring to the past, my godfather was very emotional: "But Nicole, Ares will not regret giving birth to you, he loves you very much."

This is true.

No matter how many sons my father and his lovers had in the past, over the years, there have been many old gods who came to my door, but none of my cheap brothers showed up.

Maybe my dad didn't have a great relationship with his sons.

But he loves me even though he lost his soul, and I can feel it deeply.

Not just him.

"Don't apologize to me, Fernando," I said, "I'm not a quick-tempered fool."

Fernando loves me too.

I regret that I did not get my mother's love, but life will never be complete.

This is enough for now.

"Zeus was obsessed with the energy of 'that thing,'" I said. "He said not to give it to the new gods, but to keep it for myself. Maybe it would bring my dad back to his senses."

Fernando, who was sitting opposite, sneered.

As a heavenly father, he may well understand what Zeus is thinking.

"Zeus wanted the energy of 'that thing'."

Having said that, Fernando picked up Taco.

"The New God gave you the energy-collecting equipment, and he actually had the same idea," Fernando said disdainfully. "All the forces come to you, Nicole, and they all have needs. Even Loki, although Right now we don't know exactly what he wants."

is not that right.

Loki has been missing recently.

He couldn't even pretend to be a campus prince, and "Kaynas Uld" asked for leave after he advanced in the quiz.

Rocky's reason as a human being is to go back to Denmark to deal with family matters, without delaying the general event in Los Angeles.

But where exactly he went, did not say at all.

"how about you?"

I looked up at Fernando again: "Whether it's the new god or the old god, I need help. No matter what I can do, I can't make it easier for outsiders, right? Fernando, what do you want?"

I responded with Fernando's extremely complicated eyes.

He looked at me quietly, and the depression and mystery that always haunted him disappeared, replaced by deep thinking and observation.

Fernando has a pair of eyes and a face full of stories. When he looks at me like this, it seems that he has a lot of past in his heart, but he can't say it for various reasons.

"I hope that no matter what you are from now on," he said sincerely, "whether it's the new god or the old god, even if it's 'that thing', you can live happily, child."

Fernando who said these words was almost sad.

But I don't understand where his rare sadness comes from.

…………

……

A month later.

Kaynas Ould, who claims to be back in Denmark to handle family affairs, is back, and we are about to embark on a journey to Los Angeles to participate in the encyclopedia knowledge competition for middle school students.

In this regard, Pandora has a lot of opinions.

She just didn't like Loki's behavior of disappearing at every turn, and thought it was a lack of team spirit.However, facing Pandora's glare, Loki did not feel any guilt at all.

With Aragorn's face still on his face, he accepted all of Pandora's accusations with a smile on his face.

Then the day before we left, Rocky grabbed me in front of the lockers outside the classroom.

"Wait."

I lost my footing and almost fell into Loki's arms.

It's like a handsome and sad middle school student reunited with his lover after a month's absence, and the two young people make love to each other when they meet - Rocky just loves to make everything so messy.

But actually, Loki shoves a thick portfolio into my arms as he moves closer, close enough for me to smell his perfume.

"Here you are," he said, "the results of a month."

"what?"

"Take it apart and see."

I looked up at Loki suspiciously.

The latter just returned me with a bright smile.

The facial features of Nordic descent are profound, like a knife chiseled into stone, so smiling in the sun, it really has the meaning of pleasing the sweetheart.

I:"……"

How should I put it, the more he is like this, the more I feel that Loki has no good intentions.

I opened the file bag and took out the thick documents inside.

A document nearly three inches thick was presented in front of me, and what fell into my field of vision was the title written in black and white on the first page.

- Lazarus Project book.

For a moment, I almost forgot how to breathe.

Lazarus, project book?

The confidential document that Zeus said was sealed in the university?

What would it take for me to be part of the Ivy League if I had the chance to find it?

Just like that, like a joke, Loki stuffed it into my arms casually! ?

I just felt that the blood in my whole body was drawn from my limbs, and my hands were uncontrollably cold.

"you you--"

I stuttered and said, "How did you get it?"

Rocky's face was filled with uncontrollable pride: "I went to Boston, that's all."

I took a deep breath: "You went to Harvard University to steal information? You won't hurt me?! I told you that if something is wrong, I will report you to the police!"

Loki: "...can you get to the point, Nicole."

The point is, you got the project book!

An analogy is that I am still fighting monsters and upgrading in order to get the secret treasure of customs clearance, but my teammates have already stolen the secret treasure.

"Then I'm still trying to learn what to do."

My mind was in a mess, and I couldn't help complaining: "Anyway, the goal has been achieved!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as these words came out, Loki immediately restrained all his smiles.

His handsome face suddenly became very serious.

"Okay, you can give up."

Rocky said.

"It's up to you, are you studying for the old gods, or for yourself?"