Gale Pepperman's Story

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Gale's brown eyes flickered open, still somewhat hazy from her prolonged nap. A small yawn escaped her thin lips as she outstretched her arms and smiled as the moon's light peeked through her window. Peace and quiet filled the room, filling Gale with a sense of solace that she treasured dearly. Though the solace only lasted so long as her eyes widened to find the moon's light, which was definitely peeking through her window. As she comprehended the time only one thought was allowed to run through her mind: she was late. Very late.

Panic hit her like a brick. Why? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was late. She was very late for something very important. Without a second of hesitation, Gale launched herself off of her cheap bed and toward her dresser. She reached for the dresser's rusted knob and tore out the first outfit she could find. Next she scrambled to the stuffy little bathroom her mother and her shared and changed into red and black attire along with a pair of tan combat boots. She contemplated tying them but she decided she could do that when she got there. She was already late enough. She needed to hurry. She needed to get there very quickly, or she'd run out of time. Part of her questioned where exactly she was going, and that was when she remembered the dream she'd just had about a circus. The circus... The circus! Of course! How could she not remember? And since when did she choose to sleep through it?! She pushed the question aside. Not important.

As Gale rushed out the door of her crappy house without so much as a bye to her mother, curiosity began to grow within her. Crius had been giving her small glimpses of this circus for a while now. She knew that something about this night was very important. She just wasn't sure what yet. The simple question of what was what got her curiosity stirring. Even now, the more she thought about it, the more it piqued her interest. Now, where was that circus? Gale urged herself to remember, she was already late and there was only so much precious time until the circus was over... City Park, wasn't it? Yes, yes, yes! She lived near City Park, so it'd be easier to just run there, right? The faster the better. Her legs began moving before she directed them where to go.

Excitement began to build up inside of Gale. Her stomach fluttered with positive anticipation. She couldn't wait to get to the circus. She ran up the sidewalks, bolted across the crosswalks, and knocked several people down all in a rush to get to the circus. Joy rushed throughout her veins, the intensity increasing the closer she got. The elation inside of Gale could only grow, though the closer she got the more she began to wonder if all that joy was actually hers. It was then that it became obvious why Crius wanted her at the circus. The others must've been there. Now, just the thought of actually meeting the Titan reincarnations was enough to make Gale herself giddy with excitement... As if she weren't already. She couldn't wait to meet the others. Finally, she'd have someone else to talk to other than the titan inside of her. She'd have company who understood her troubles! Who understood how--- how irritating mankind was, and more! Oh, she couldn't wait. She couldn't wait one bit.

And she would wait no longer. As Gale finally reached the Circus and slowed to a halt, her head swayed from side to side, as her eyes tried to locate one of her own. She searched through the thick of the crowd, trying to find anyone that caught her attention, but to no avail. She knew that at least one of them had to be here. The only question was how to find them.

Gale scanned the crowd a million times over and yet no one caught her eye. A spark of anger tainted her mood as she began pushing through the crowd, growing more and more irritable by the second. There was no way that they weren't here, that she knew for certain, so where the hell were they---

Her thoughts halted as she pushed by a figure that happened to catch her attention. She turned to face a rather handsome looking boy at least eight inches taller than her. With eyes that wandered between the colors blue and green and black hair that perfectly framed the boy's face, he was nothing short of attractive. She'd found one! Within seconds Gale found herself teeming with excitement once again as her sister's name came pouring out of her mouth. "Thea!"

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_____ The show had a stunning start, but the black-haired male found himself distracted for a good part of it. Well, he was unfocused until the tale of two lovers. Even then, he found himself transfixed towards the woman, and it wasn't as if he was attracted to her. No. It was all Thea. She whispered the word Cronus almost like a litany, and it wasn't difficult to guess that the performer was related to the visions. He felt his throat run dry and more than once he had to clear it in an effort to feel more comfortable. As focused as he was, if Wren ever asked him about the show, he'd be left unable to answer. All Thea was obsessed with was the fact she'd found one of her family, and that fixation was leaking onto Rezu. He closed his eyes and steeled himself; once he opened them again, the show was over and the performers all stood in the center, paying their respects to the crowd. He clapped politely, but he wasn't in it. All he could feel was the discomfort and tension coming from Thea.

_____ "That was pretty good." Wren continued to sit with him, letting most of the crowd pass before they stood up themselves. Jostling with the masses wasn't necessary considering they weren't in a rush.

_____ When two small figures pushed past him, Rezu found himself reaching for someone. "Wait - !" The children ignored him and disappeared into the crowd. Blue green eyes looked to his own hands in distress. He wasn't sure why he did that. Thea again? She'd been a lot more pro-active lately.

_____ "Friends of yours?" The questioning look his friend gave him had Rezu thinking. After another second, he shook his head. "Not sure. They were familiar... I think."

_____ "'I think'. Yeah, I'm just not gonna ask. Crowd's clearing though." And Rezu appreciated that, as he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to explain himself. 'There's a voice inside me that tells me about things.' wasn't really going to cut it for the pragmatic Wren. Hell, he himself wasn't even 100% sure he wasn't going crazy. Maybe that's what he should use his vacation for. Checking himself into a psychiatric hospital.

_____ Blue-green eyes scanned the room, seeing that the crowd had been reduced to a much more bearable amount outside the bottleneck areas. He stood up, checking his watch for the time as he did. "Yeah, I think we can - whoa!" Caught off guard, Rezu was almost sent tumbling back to his seat when he wound up carrying the weight of whoever had thrown themselves at him. The name they shouted, however, was what sent his heartbeat racing. Thea. She knows about the - Crius. Just like earlier, Thea asserted her presence into his mind, forcing him to lose his train of thought. This was Crius.

_____ "Miss, get off or I'm going to call the police." Wren was already pulling her away from him. As bad as he felt, Rezu was glad for the slight reprieve from Thea's assertions. But it probably wasn't wise to have his friend keep his assumptions, or he might really call the cops. The last thing he needed was to explain the situation at a police box. He didn't think they'd take too kindly to his former life explanation.

_____ "It's fine, Wren. I think I know her." The cameraman continued to look at him dubiously, but at least let go of Crius' shoulder.

_____ "There you go again with 'I think'. Really Rezu, if you're not sure just err to the side of caution and -"

_____ "I can think and act for myself." The young model was getting irritated, and his companion knew that Rezu was going to force his way no matter what. "I said myself. Go on ahead. Don't waste time dallying here if you don't want to be alone. You better start now if you want to find someone before midnight." The jab was enough to have Wren leave in a huff, muttering about how pretty boys just had girls throwing their bodies at them. Rezu supposed he did have a point, and he found himself smiling a bit as he watched him join the line leaving the tent.

_____ Once he was out of earshot, blue-green eyes looked towards the girl who'd jumped him just moments before. "Don't do that with people you just met, regardless of what they say." They meaning the voices he was assuming the girl also heard. While he was used to tactile affection and being close to people in general (make-up artists just make you immune to finding closeness uncomfortable), that didn't mean he liked it.

_____ With a sigh, he held out a hand to the girl. "Rezu Sonova. Sorry if my friend overreacted; my job forces me to be wary of people." He tilted his head slightly to the left, awaiting a response from her. "You have the visions too? We're not the only ones here, are we?"

“Indeed! I’m glad we could meet again, Coeus. It’s been so long!” The hug caught him off guard and despite himself Chester tensed as the boy wrapped his arms around him, even if it was only for a split second. Chester had spent the last two years by himself, and most twelve year olds wouldn’t have been capable of making it on their own, but most twelve year olds didn’t have an ancient being sharing a body with them. But being on his own meant he didn’t have a lot of intimate human interaction, no days where he would lay around and listen to another person ramble, or nights spent shoulder to shoulder watching a movie, and definitely not hugging.

When Chester took a step back he paused for a moment to let himself really look over the boy in front of him. The boy, Castiel, looked to be about the same age as him, and they were nearly the same size, Castiel maybe just a hair shorter than Chester. His hair had looked black under the low lighting of the big top, but now that they were outside there was just the slightest hint of blue as the light hit it. Chester wanted to think that it was weird, but considering his own stark white hair he wasn’t one to make comments about unusual hair colors. The eye patch was what still stood out the most, not many people ever sported those, even when they had eye injuries, most opted for glass eyes because they stood out less than an eye patch.

“But of course! Shall we check the back of the tent?” Chester blinked as his attention was brought back to Castiel, and he nodded his head, his eyes focused as he scanned the diminishing crowd around them, surely the performers couldn’t have left just yet. He closed his eyes and tried to focus, to try and feel the pull of his strongest brother. As he did it became apparent that there were more and his eyes shot open. He looked into Castiel’s one visible eye, shock made him suddenly breathless. “There are even more of us here.”

He didn’t know which direction to go, towards the clearly strong tug that was Cronus, or the slightly fainter one that was in the opposite direction. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but he could feel Cronus very clearly in a distinct direction, if he lost the other one there was no guarantee he would find them again. The thought of losing his siblings directed his attention back to Castiel again, Themis was right in front of him now. His sister was with him in the moment.

“It’s unbelievable that you’re standing here in front of me, that another one of us is here.” Saying it out loud made his heartbeat increase, as if solidifying the fact his sister was standing in front of him. All of his nerves felt on end and he couldn’t fight the grin from growing over his lips, and with that action it felt like a lot of the weight he had been carrying was lifted with the presence of Themis standing right in front of him. “It’s nice to know I’m not alone anymore.”

He cleared his throat and looked away as his smile slowly faded, embarrassed, and he grabbed the boy’s hand to lead him in the direction Cronus. His grip was tight and his pace was fast, but determined. The fainter presence was important, but it was gamble. He knew for a fact Cronus was there, it presence distinct and nearly overwhelming, but it was guaranteed. The fast pace he had set was bordering on a run, but he restrained himself. Cronus was by one of the bordering tents, not the main one. Coeus stirred inside him and Chester couldn’t discern whether it was his own heart or Coeus’s that was pounding in his chest with each step he took towards Cronus.

Chester’s grip tightened around Castiel’s hand with nervousness and his lips pressed into a firm line as he kept his eyes focused in front of him. It was unreal what was happening, and he was more than anything scared he would wake up in that house alone with only the vague feeling of Coeus lingering with him.

---

The words were uttered in shock, though there was a part of him that expected that. They really are popping out one after another. Castiel wasn't sure how to feel about that. After trying to escape those visions all his life, things were progressing a lot faster than he expected, and he wasn't sure he liked it. The two sides might clash sooner than he thought. Maybe this was a bad idea all along. He averted his gaze quickly as Chester stared into his eye, trying not to reveal the mental argument going in him at the moment. But it was tempting to look right back. He had not gotten a good look at the other boy carefully because of manners and his hoodie, but he was sure that he could see a hint of white hair. His eyes were blue as well, a lighter shade to his own.

Yet, he didn't say anything, just followed behind silently. The boy that seemed to be around his age was handling things much better than he was, and he didn't have much of a choice than to follow behind. Castiel didn't trust Chester completely in his judgement, but now wasn't the best time to ponder about it.

Still, he was quite distracted as he followed another one of his 'siblings' in a quick trot, hurrying to catch up. Chester was fast, and Castiel could feel a hint of fatigue coming over his body. Having a weak constitution gave him frequent problems, and he could feel his breath catch multiple times, having to slow down and rest. He didn't want to be a burden to the boy's obvious excitement by slowing him down, so he was pushing himself to go faster, toward the tent of the strongest Titan.

How was he going to pick sides at this rate? He wasn't ready at all, and it was really affecting his mentality. It was conflicting, to say the least, and with the pull growing stronger and stronger, he was gradually getting more and more uncomfortable. But he wasn't alone anymore. The presence of Themis hasn't been strong enough for him to sense the fainter presence, but the one next to him and the pulling toward Cronos was enough to prove that. For the first time in his life, he truly knew that someone was going through the same thing as he was. It was a comfort to know that, the fact that he wasn't unique.

As the grip on his hand tightened, he returned the gesture, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. He wasn't sure why Chester was getting nervous, but it was the least he can do to show that he was there with him.

---

Gale was more than ready to knee Thea's friend in the groin. In fact, the moment he laid his hands on her she felt it necessary. But she was halted by the thought of first impressions. "Please. You already messed that up." ...A fair argument from the voice inside of her head. However, Gale decided there was still hope for this... unique meeting of hers and Thea's. So she settled with a nasty scowl that lasted up until she watched Thea's friend shuffle away, muttering something Gale didn't bother listening to. Though Gale's mind was uninterested, her eyes were as they followed Thea's friend until he was out of sight. Her gaze lingered even after he disappeared for a few more moments before settling on Thea.

"Don't do that with people you just met, regardless of what they say." Thea stated, giving the conversation what Gale thought was a bad start. Her lip twitched. It wasn't like she'd done that on purpose. No one rams into someone on purpose... Usually, at least. Besides, was he implying that Crius's will had control over her? That remark was enough to dampen her excitement. However, it was also enough (along with Thea's ass of a friend) to allow Gale to take complete hold of the steering wheel. Gale had gotten a bit more giddy than she would've preferred, but now that she was becoming more and more irritable she found herself gaining control. Anger had always been her strongest emotion.

Gale's face remained blank as Thea introduced her... or rather, himself. "Rezu Sonova. Sorry if my friend overreacted; my job forces me to be wary of people." Gale watched as Rezu offered her his hand. Instead of accepting it, she crossed her arms and remained silent. "You have the visions too? We're not the only ones here, are we?"

"I don't think so, no..." For a moment, Gale found herself at a loss for words. A sudden pang of anxiety hit her, and her eyes locked on the ground before it showed. She found them. She found the others. Now what? They just... destroy the human race? What was she supposed to say? Years of shunning humans and their ways did not build up social skills. Just... say something, she finally decided, before looking up at Rezu with a smirk. "So what better idea than to find 'em?"

Gale wasn't going to take no for an answer. So instead of waiting for his reply, she took a deep breath and focused on her surroundings. Now that she wasn't aloof with excitement she was sure she could find the others. She could focus now. Focus on the wind. Focus on the others. Gale smiled as the wind brushed against her cheek, and a gentle current of wind picked up. A small tug in the wind caught her attention. It was almost as if something were tugging her away. That's when she sensed it; their presence. There were three of them. Their presences tugged at her, though one tug was stronger than the others. The Titan he or she embodied Gale could not pinpoint; however she did know one thing: that was who she wanted to meet. She or Crius wanted to meet? Gale pondered as she gripped Rezu's wrist. Shaking her head, she left the topic alone before she could think about it too much.

"Don't fall behind, pretty boy." Gale exclaimed, before turning to check the crowds around the entrance/exit areas. Thankfully, they were clearing up. Just as she braced herself to rush off to find the source of the strongest tug, she added, "My name's Gale, by the way. Gale Pepperman."

She set off before Rezu could say another word, his wrist still in hand.

Chester couldn’t wipe the inevitable grin off his face as he rushed towards Cronus, the rhythmic thud of his heart felt heavy in his chest and his senses were at a state akin to live power lines. Excitement was rich and electric, and he was loving it.

The pull he felt towards Cronus was directing him towards one of the bordering, smaller tents the circus was comprised of. As he tugged Castiel along the words on the banner hanging from the tent read Menagerie, swirling and welcoming in that way that appealed to all audiences. He slowed to a halt. Castiel’s hand still wrapped in his death grip, as if he believed if he let go the other titan would disappear. He glanced back at the boy, who seemed a little out of breath, and Chester found it interesting that Cas didn’t seem to be that physically fit. It also made him curious as to what Castiel’s powers consisted of. Although most of Chester’s ability consisted only of using his unusual magnetic field to move magnetic objects, his electromagnetic state put a huge burden on his body that forced him to stay fit.

“Cronus is close, we should be able to see him at any moment now.” The performer that Cronus possessed was flashy and beautiful, and Chester suspected it wouldn’t be hard to pick her out in a crowd. She looked like the type of person who would not blend in with her surroundings in the slightest. Chester tugged forward into the animal tent, and his nearly halted again. The exhibits were unlike any animals the white haired boy had ever seen. To his left a performer held out a large snake that lazily swayed its held back and forth as it took in the small audience around it. To his right a woman with a giant bird perched on her arm ushered in guests closer to take a look at the animal that looked on menacingly at the people around it. Chester watched the animal in awe, but felt his blood run cold as the bird swiveled its head and made eye contact with him, its black eye unwavering, and unblinking as it glared.

“This place is freaking me out. He mumbled quietly to Castiel as he turned his attention back to the snake. It had turned towards the two of them, its nose pointed in their direction as its tongue flickered out at them. He curled his lip up and sneered at it before moving on, trying not to draw attention as he looked for Cronus. Chester weaved his way through the crowd, making sure to keep Castiel close to him even as the crowd began to thin. “Where is he?”

Chester turned his head back and forth before closing his eyes and focusing. He would feel Themis inside of Castiel, she was comforting yet strong, and he could feel the other titans in the area, but couldn’t figure where they were. Cronus was completely different though, when Chester focused on the titan it felt like the presence would consume him if he got any closer. But he could feel him, he wasn’t even in the tent Cronus was outside next to it. Chester pulled Castiel to the right, and they squeezed between two exhibits that smelled distinctly on piss and shit before reaching the right wall of the tent.

“I’m not sure if you can feel it, but Cronus is right there.” He pointed at the fabric of the tent and then looked down. The tent seemed securely placed, but he was sure he could uproot the stake if it was iron. He pressed his palm to the tent and focused on realigning one of the poles in his hand, and nearly immediately he could feel the iron stake react to him. It strained against its secure place in the ground. It flew from the ground and released some of the tension in the tent, hitting his palm before falling to the ground with a thud when Chester scrambled his magnetic field again. Bending down he tested the gap before getting on his knees and squeezing under. “C’mon Cas.”

Chester saw Cronus the moment he stood up. The performer was sitting on a crate, her outfit just as flashy as he had thought it would have been, and it was unmistakable that she had Cronus inside her. Seeing Cronus up close had the overwhelming effect that he thought would happen. It felt like his chest seized for a moment and he froze in place, wide eyed and in awe.

“Cronus…”

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_____ Clearly, the girl had no clear plan in mind when she'd approached him. He should've expected as much; she did hug him out of the blue after all. "Lead the way then." He shrugged, blue-green eyes studying her small form as she concentrated. Did she have some magical tracking ability the same way he could control light? Sounded a lot more practical than his power at least. Rezu could do without his abilities entirely.

With great power comes great responsibility,

came to mind, and quite frankly, the young model had little to no interest in additional burdens.

_____ "Don't fall behind, pretty boy." A frown quickly formed on Rezu's lips, only deepening as his companion, who he now knew as Gale, gave him an offhanded introduction. He was forcibly tugged away from his seat, but he let her, confident that if push came to shove, he was certain he could overpower her at least physically.

_____ The outside was a lot less stuffy than the exit they just went through, people having dispersed to see the circus' other offerings. He glared at the back of the brunette's head, following her steps as they weaved through the crowd. "Everyone calls me pretty boy; can't you be more original?" Despite the fact he frowned whenever he was called that, it had become a more conditioned response than actual annoyance. Years of being called variations of it was enough to make him grow used to it. At the very least, his beauty was his greatest weapon in his profession. He couldn't say he wasn't thankful he was born with a pretty face.

_____ "Not someone I actually know then." Boy, was he going to have some explaining to do to Wren tonight. "Rezu Sonova; you suck at basic courtesy. People introduce themselves earlier than that." Leave it to Rezu to be as blunt as ever. His modelling skills may be top notch, but his tact sure wasn't. He's the kind of person who'd say "Your nose looks a little smaller; rhinoplasty?" to someone he hadn't seen in a while. Many often complained he'd go up the ladder so much faster if he only knew how to keep his mouth shut. But that wouldn't do; a lie of omission was still a lie. He didn't mind that his sense of honesty was proving detrimental to his profession. As long as it was enough to provide for him, he was pretty content.

_____ With Gale's guidance, they wound up near the animal tent. As the smell of beast grew, so did Thea's whispers. So she did know what she was doing after all. "I'm surprised, you did manage to find them." There was just that hint of disbelief coloring his voice that made the statement more irritating than he intended. They were close enough that even Rezu could feel them, and he shook his wrist free of the brunette's grasp. Red marks had formed where she'd gripped, although he wasn't too surprised. His skin had always been the type to redden easily.

_____ With his movement unrestricted, he found it easier to keep in pace with Gale. Crates of animal feed and various other materials obstructed their way as they followed the tent wall, but this was easier to deal with than an unknown girl pulling him along.

_____ When they finally arrived at the scene, he almost knocked over two small figures, one of them having said something just before he and Gale arrived. "Sorry about - Ah, it's you two." He managed to recognize at least one of them as the two boys he'd brushed against in the tent. He was just going to assume the other boy was the same person he as earlier.

_____ Focused as he was, he almost didn't notice the person seated on the crates. It was only after a soft gust of wind blew that he paid attention to her, the movement of her cape catching his eye. He leaned against one of the crates, making sure beforehand it wasn't something with a scent like animal feed. He was going to be walking home; he'd rather not smell like shit on his way there. It wouldn't do for his image.

_____ A quick study of the female figure seated on the crate confirmed his suspicions; she was the acrobat in the performance just earlier. "Well, looks like everyone's all gathered. Whoopee." His right hand made a small flailing gesture, as bitingly sarcastic as his remark. "Now what?"

Even from across the entire circus area, Adelaide could feel them. Sometime during the performance she felt a slight tug but it wasn't strong enough. Shortly after she had sat down, the tug got stronger but it wasn't like they had gotten closer. Rather it was more like two had converged to become one. Cronos was inside of her, struggling to find his siblings but Adelaide wouldn't let him. Do you not feel their power girl!? I must go to them! He seemed to rage inside her, not that she cared really. "Do you now sweetheart? Aren't you the leader or some shit? From what you've shown me, shouldn't they be the ones to be coming to you. So shut your whiny ass and actually do something useful. Try calling them with those oh so amazing titan senses or whatever the fuck it is you do." Cronos seemed utterly shocked. Never had he expected anyone to treat him in such a manner, and by a little human girl. Adelaide he could feel him seething inside and she frowned. "Will you stop your bullshit Cronos! You're going to give me indigestion." Once again he was flabbergasted but at the same time he felt admiration towards the girl. It wasn't every day that you came across such a spirited young woman. You'd do well to hold that tongue Adelaide. I doubt you'll like what happens by spitting out every foul word you know into your sentences. With a shrug of her shoulders Adelaide placed her elbows atop her knees, resting her chin in the cup of her hands.


Sure she was patient and all but the others seriously need to hurry up. There wasn't much to do in this secluded area but it gave her a nice view of the carnival part from where she sat. "You're like a cat Cronos. Not one of those stupid domestic ones but like a tiger, slinking back and forth for its next meal." And she was right to think so; Cronos was at the top of the food chain amongst his fellow titans. The idea of housing the strongest titan was both unsettling and exhilerating. Only the best can contain the best she thought to herself. At this Cronos piped up, once slate blue orbs flashed to a pink hue, a pepto bismol color much to her dismay. Ah so that is what you think. Don't think so highly of yourself just because you lucked out into housing me. Adelaide rolled her eyes and let out a huff of air. "Whatever you say you shitty old man."


Her knee began to bounce as her patience was being worn down by her boredom. "Ugh how long does it fucking take to find me!?" Suddenly standing atop the metal box Adelaide stretched. In an effort to ease her crushing boredom she tugged at her scarf until it came undone. Taking the two crystal orbs she manipulated their forms into one big ball. She stood there for a bit, waiting for the carnival sounds to match up just right and the moment it did the dancer did what she did best, dance. Even without using the abilities Cronis granted her Adelaide could easily move with the ball in her hands however it didn't remain in her hands for long. With a calm expression she slowed her movements to become more controlled, letting the ball slide and roll across her body. After doing this for a while she dipped low to the ground, the orb back in her hands and pressed it into the box. Having bent backwards, everything was upside down. That beautifully calm look on her face shattered and a scowl took its place. "I'm so fucking bored!" and flopped down to the ground.


Adelaide jumped back onto her feet, barely making a sound but a softened thud. The crystal orb was still in her hands when it split into two halves. They soon reshaped themselves into the beads that were at the ends of her scarf and she returned them to where they were originally. Spinning on the edge of her heel, Adelaide faced the carnival area again now slate blue orbs searching for faces. Scoffing at this, she realized there was no way for her to recognize the other hosts unless the tug became a pull, an irresistible pull towards them. Placing her hands on her hips, Adelaide glared at the crowd in an attempt to maybe find that person with white hair. "Just where the hell did you go." It seemed Cronos still couldn't tell the difference between an actual question and a rhetorical one. If you want to find them that badly why not go look yourself? he sneered at her. Even though she couldn't see it, she could feel it. "Oh shut up. I wasn't talking to you dumbass." Sitting back down, she laid on her back with her legs hanging on the edge of the box. It was surprisingly comfortable but not that surprising as all she did was change the metals form so that it'd contour to her body and not be so rigid.


There was so much for her to do here yet soon she'd be faced with the decision of staying. She had lived in this circus since the beginning when they first started out in Germany. They were there for a few years since they couldn't exactly leave with newborn baby. The troupe was kind and looked out for one another and they didn't want to risk the health of a mother or child. Of course Adelaide wasn't the only baby at the time. There were two others but the second died from illness a couple years ago and the other left the troupe to go to college. He still comes back and makes sure to see as many shows as possible. "I wonder if that's what my life would be like had I been born normal." It wasn't often that Adelaide contemplated these things, let alone speak them aloud in her native tongue. Her fingertips began to drum against the box as she looked up at the sky. The stars were coming out but they weren't able to shine as brightly because of the city lights even if they were in the City Park.


Suddenly she could feel the tug, it was getting stronger now. The young woman resisted the urge to sit up expectantly, it wasn't befitting of someone like her. Smirking to herself, Adelaide wondered just what kind of people these other hosts were like. From what she remembered of the person with the white hair, she knew he was a male and he looked kinda small. Eventually Adelaide did sit up, more so because Cronos made her than she herself, and noticed the movement at the back of the tent. The tent itself seemed to shiver and a gap opened up at the bottom. She eyed the occurrence, leaning forwards slightly. A full head of white suddenly popped out from within the tent, along with the scent of animals. The small kid stood up with an equally small but black-blue haired boy standing with him. The white one seemed stuck in place a look of awe plastered all over his face.


Seeing this Adelaide grinned wide and giggled. She threw her brown locks over her shoulder as if she expected this sort of reaction. “Cronus…” Her grin faltered a bit at having been called Cronos instead of her real name but then again he was the only reason they came looking for her. “Oh please, call me Adelaide, or Adele if you want. That old coot can hear you regardless.” She said rolling her eyes as if it was common knowledge. To some it would seem like Adelaide didn’t understand the importance, the significance of the god that dwelled inside her. She certainly understood but that didn’t mean she had to care. This was still her life for the most part.


Adelaide looked at them carefully, noticing just how cute the two looked. “Well aren’t you two just the cutest things.” Another strong pull kept her from continuing as two more people showed up. One of them was a girl, the other a boy and by the gods he was a fine looking boy. It would seem the taller boy knew the little ones, or at least one of them. From what she could tell he hadn’t noticed her yet which annoyed her. With a frown Adelaide adjusted her clothes, just in time for a gust of wind to catch her cape. Well, looks like everyone's all gathered. Whoopee." A snort escaped her lips and she followed suite with a small clap of her hands. "Now what?" His sarcasm was quite enjoyable but she had had enough. Adelaide jumped down from her lofty perch on the crate, landing just in front of the two kids. Suddenly she grabbed the two and hugged them tight. “My goodness you two really are cute, I could just eat you up.” Putting them down she patted both of their cheeks tenderly, like an old grandmother would.

She then turned her attention to the handsome one. "As for you sweetheart, why not drop the shitty sarcasm?” Her entire demeanor laced with attitude. “You guys have kept me waiting for so fucking long so why not apologize?” This time a sneer appeared but she was being sarcastic. Adelaide paused for a couple seconds, shushing anyone if they were about to say something. “No? That’s fine. Now that we’re all here as Mr. Sarcasm pointed out earlier, let’s introduce ourselves mm? I’m Adelaide by the way but I’ve got Cronos. ” Sweeping her arms out to welcome anyone who wanted to introduce themselves.

"Sorry about - Ah, it's you two." Chester was startled out of his awestruck when someone nearly barreled into him. Moreover for two more titans to have found their way to them left him shocked. The man that apologized to him was incredibly good looking, tall and slim and it looked like he had been dragged to them by a younger girl with long brown hair and determined eyes. His eyes widened at the realization that nearly half the titans were standing before him, right at this moment, after years of not even feeling them. Chester opened his mouth in the attempt to say something back, but his jaw closed and he ended up imitating a fish out of water. Cronus tore his attention away from the new titans.

Chester had tensed the moment he saw Cronus, but the moment his vessel started speaking it broke his awestruck and a huge grin replaced his gaping mouth. Themis was beside him and Cronus was in front of him. This was his family, the family that he had spent all of his time looking for for the last two years. Her name was Adelaide, and she seemed full of life. Even when she spoke so casually of Conus Chester felt amazed. She seemed completely at ease with the situation before her, and Chester wondered if her heart pounded in her chest the way his did when he looked at her.

“Well aren’t you two just the cutest things.” The white haired boy couldn’t keep the blush off his cheeks at the comment on their appearances. He figured that it was because they were young, both Castiel and himself were young, but Chester himself was nearly a teenager now, clearly too old to warrant being called ‘cute’.

Now what. That was the big question and even though had spent all his time fantasizing about meeting his fellow titans and destroying humanity, now that they were there, right in front of him, he felt his mind drawing a blank. How did you even go about bringing the end to an entire species. The powers that Coeus gave him wasn’t strong enough on its own to bring humanity to its knees so he hadn’t even considered wrecking havoc when he had been by himself, but with the other titans his horizons were expanding. But if the other vessels were anything like Chester they would all need to train and build up their individual power. Still, five titans together may have the ability to destroy a city.

“My goodness you two really are cute, I could just eat you up.” That was the second time the woman had called them cute, but this time she pulled both he and Castiel into a warm hug. It caught him off guard and Coeus stirred inside him. Adele did not seem like she would take him seriously because of his age, and that irritated him to an extent. Coming in contact with Cronus was a completely different experience than just feeling his aura, Chester could only describe it as soul crushing. He squirmed away from her grasp and looked at the handsome man who had spoken first.

“Well, isn’t obvious? We are all here for a reason, we should destroy this city.” He said it confidently, with cold eyes and clenched fists, and made sure to run his eyes over all his siblings so they knew he was serious. Chester had long since abandoned the idea of staying loyal to his human side. Only Coeus had been there when he was alone, and Coeus was the one who had granted him the power to escape his old home. He would do anything Coeus wanted him to do, his loyalty resided only in Coeus. He looked at all of them as Adele gave a cue for the group to become aquainted.

“My name is Chester Calico, I’m twelve, and Coeus resides inside of me.”

---

“Cronus is close, we should be able to see him at any moment now.”
“Can we sightsee?” Castiel muttered quietly under his breath as he was pulled along again with boundless excitement. Chester’s energy seem to never come to an end, much to Castiel’s envy. It must be nice, being able to run without constantly worrying about how your health might be affected later on. The place they were in, the Menagerie, was full of interesting things he had hardly ever seen in England. It was rare for the boy to go to some place like this in the first place, and he was intrigued by the many different creatures there were housed in this tent. Without letting go of Chester’s hand, he stared right at the bird, trying to look into its mind. His powers could be used to a certain extent on animals, not only restricted to humans, but Themis was really not in the mood to help him. She was constantly egging him to stop wasting time in his mind, much to his annoyance. I’m going to learn how to block you out one day. Castiel glared inwardly at the goddess inside him, before Chester spoke and snapped him out of his quiet glower at the voice inside his head.

“This place is freaking me out.” It is? Castiel turned to see Chester sneer right back at the animal, making him smile. Despite the close age of the two, Chester seemed like a genuinely interesting person. He was never allowed to run and play with the other children since he was small because of his weak health, and even as he matured the people he met were business partners of his father. This was the first time he had explored a circus with another child his age. This was… fun. They were technically searching for the vessel of an ancient titan, but he was enjoying the whole experience, going to a circus and making a new friend that could understand him. Yet, there was a small worry that nagged at the back of his mind. “Father will be worried.” The words escaped his lips in a soft, unheard sigh. His family was the only thing stopping him from giving up on the whole of humanity. They were his sole source of support, and he was worried about what his father would think if he had been in the circus grounds for too long. His parents were always rather paranoid about him ever since he was younger, especially after the incident with the robber. What if they came looking? Castiel fixed the white-haired Chester with a worried glance for a second. He might be strong, housing one of his own. Whose side was he on?

However, before he got the chance to speak, Castiel felt himself being pulled to the right once again, and for once he thought about pulling away. Cronus’s presence disturbed him. It was sheer power, and every step he took, it felt like he was going to be consumed with the pulls and tugs. Calm down, Castiel. Our brother isn’t as bad as you would expect.Castiel didn’t have time to argue with her this time, holding his breath as they passed through two exhibits. They stank of animal excrement, and as much as it was all fresh to him as well, it wasn’t too pleasant for his senses. “I’m not sure if you can feel it, but Cronus is right there.” Chester was pointing at a tent, and Castiel nodded, watching with rapt attention as he pressed his palm to the tent. To his amazement, the iron stake reacted to his touch. It lifted from the ground, opening a place in the fabric. “C’mon Cas.”

So that was his power? Castiel bent down with some apprehension, squeezing in after Chester quickly, standing next to him after he got up. The performer was right in front of them, making Chester look much like someone who has come face to face with their idol, an unmasked expression of amazement. That was when another man ran in, almost knocking right into the two of them.

"Sorry about - Ah, it's you two." He tilted his head to the side ever so slightly at the statement, taking a second to think about where he might have saw the teen before. It was… A magazine. That’s it. He was a model, wasn’t he? There were several magazines his father had given to him for the examination of what society reads for entertainment. It more or less helped him identify some of the more popular topics in society while he was still at home, but he did remember seeing the boy’s face on one of them. “Oh please, call me Adelaide, or Adele if you want. That old coot can hear you regardless.” Castiel turned back to the performer again as she spoke, Themis’s disgruntled voice in his head. Did she call big brother a old coot? The nerve. Themis grumbled at the woman’s attitude, and he could almost visualise her turning her mouth up into a pout. She can be extremely childish at times, and this time he chose to ignore her behaviour.


“My goodness you two really are cute, I could just eat you up.” And now she wants to EAT you? Run Castiel. Run for it while you have the chance. I can’t guarantee your safety since she had Cronos in her mind. He could hear Themis screaming rather frantically as he was pulled into a hug, trying to force him to pull away. It’s a metaphor, Themis. Be quiet. He hushed the goddess quickly, though it did make him break into a small smile. Those are the times he actually quite enjoyed Themis. Her quirk of taking things word for word has really spiced up his life by quite a great deal. She then patted him on the cheek affectionately, a gesture that he didn’t understand. It was the first time it was coming from a stranger, he was nearly embarrassed about being called adorable. It was a compliment, sure, but he was more mature for such an adjective to be used on describing him. Then, she did more mystifying things. The woman called out for them to apologise, yet she shushed anyone who tried to speak. Crowd control tactics? Castiel was rather puzzled by her behaviour, but he made sure to make a mental note of that to ask his father later.

“Well, isn’t obvious? We are all here for a reason, we should destroy this city.”
“We… We are?” Castiel asked with some hesitation, trying to assess if Chester was being serious. Unfortunately, the gaze that met his was a shockingly cold one. It was one that he had seen many times, enough to let him know that Chester was absolutely serious. Nothing was going to stop him, though that expression devoid of mercy was something Castiel wasn’t accustomed to seeing on a face as young as his. It chilled him to the bone, causing him to flinch involuntarily, letting go of his hand quickly.

Thankfully, the topic was changed, and as Chester introduced himself Castiel went next. “My name is Castiel Starr, and I am in possession of Themis. I’m thirteen.” He was just one year older than the boy next to him, and some annoyance made him wrinkle his nose at the concept of a person a full twelve months younger still taller than him, despite by a small portion.

---

"Everyone calls me pretty boy; can't you be more original?" One of Gale's eyebrows raised. He was a pretty boy; she was calling him what he was. What was she supposed to call him? Maybe she'd call him ugly boy, just to screw with him. Yeah, that was his new nickname. Ugly boy. Gale couldn't help but snicker at his new name.

"Not someone I actually know then. Rezu Sonova; you suck at basic courtesy. People introduce themselves earlier than that." Gale couldn't help but scoff as she maneuvered through the crowd. Thankfully it was smaller than before, so she'd have a much easier time pinpointing the others. "He is right, you know." "Well," Gale murmured in response to Crius, "Human courtesy won't matter soon enough, right?" She uttered it quietly enough so that Rezu wouldn't hear. However the next sentence she made sure was audible. "...Didn't you already tell me your name?"

Whether he responded or not, she did not hear, though taken either way it would not and did not please her. That displeasure took to building as they carried on, coddled by the silence, and boosted by Rezu's next unsatisfactory remark.

"I'm surprised, you did manage to find them." Gale's eye twitched. Rezu was surprised? Their conversation prior to the remark was already enough to irk her, but that he had the nerve to assume she was less than competent! Wow, did that piss her off! In fact, she was more than ready to snap at him. Though before she could say anything, her attention wavered, and for a few seconds she forget he was there. A blissful few seconds, it was. Instead of focusing on Rezu, her eyes focused on three new figures: two males, who couldn't have been older than Gale, and the other was a woman with honey brown curls. The other titans, Gale immediately assumed. Maybe they aren't blossoming assholes, she thought scathingly as Rezu brightened the mood with a bouquet of sarcastic remarks.

When Rezu's bouquet was soiled by the woman's sweetly uttered yet sardonic comment, Gale couldn't help but snigger. Her snigger lasted for a while, up until the white haired boy spoke about destroying the city. Immediately the chuckle faded, and was replaced by a look of strong enthusiasm mixed with fierce determination. She could feel Crius stir inside of her as everyone began introducing themselves, along with their titans. Adelaide was the first to speak, followed by Chester, followed by Castiel. Gale took it upon herself to be next. "I'm Gale... Pepperman. Gale Pepperman. I've got Crius, and..." She paused before revealing her age. It was embarrassing that she was fourteen years old and only 5'2"... though not as embarrassing as being, what, 5'0"? That Castiel kid couldn't be taller than that... She smirked. "I'm fourteen."

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_____ Rezu remained unfazed by her remarks; his mother had better comebacks than she did. If this was the best she could do, he'd have no trouble answering right back. "I don't see the need to apologize, princess." The word dripped with sarcasm. Her talent as a performer was great, but other than that he couldn't really say she was very remarkable. Pretty, but again, he'd seen better. "We aren't servants waiting on you hand and foot. Thea may be to Cronus, but I'm certainly not."

_____ Before the woman could continue, a young boy spoke to answer his previous question. He didn't care if it would paint him in a bad light; Rezu simply refused to agree to the idea just like that. "We are not destroying a city overnight." The subject moved to introductions, but he remained reeling from Chester's words. He mentioned the loss of thousands of lives as if it were the natural order of things. From what the model knew of Thea's opinions, it probably was the case. He definitely didn't agree. Coeus likely had a stronger hold of his psyche than Thea did on his own. To Rezu, it felt entirely possible his viewpoint was shaped entirely by the titan. The thought made him uncomfortable; even Thea felt restless at the implications.

_____ Next was another boy whose voice had shown hesitance in contrast with Chester's resolute stance. At least one of the kids had a bit of sanity left in their bones. Gale then introduced herself to the rest of the group, an eyebrow coming up in surprise at her young age. A quick re-study revealed that it was probably true; she'd just appeared larger than life when she forced herself into his presence.

_____ "Rezu Sonova, twenty-one. Model by profession." He sat atop the crate he'd previously leaned on. Being with these people was going to be exhausting, to say the least. Might as well prepare himself for the worst. "As I said earlier, Thea's with me."

_____ "Now that we're all acquainted by something other than Titan names, let's go back to Chester's previous statement." Pausing for effect, he met everyone's stares with a steady gaze. "Whatever everyone else's plan is, I'm not agreeing to destroying an entire city. That's just plain fucked up." If the kid could talk about the loss of human lives so casually, Rezu found no need to watch his language.

_____ "I know about why the titans want to wreak havoc and destruction and all." A non-committal shrug hat accompanied the statement. "But isn't it exactly this same kind of behavior that got them imprisoned in the first place?" He looked pointedly at Adelaide, referring to the story of Zeus and his siblings. When he read about it in the mythology books, the only thing he could say was this is really messed up, accompanied by Thea's laughter in his head. "Killing everyone as a 'prevention measure'," The air quotes only further implied his doubts on the idea. "I'm pretty sure that's not going to work out."

“We… We are?” When the first thing Chester’s declaration was met with hesitance he faltered for a moment. He was more than shocked that one of his siblings was unsure of their purpose. In Chester’s mind it only made sense that they decimate the city they found themselves in, after years of not seeing any titans suddenly finding almost half of them was fate. Gaea had brought them together to save her, and New Orleans just happened to be their ground zero. But when he felt Cas’s hand slip from his grip Chester felt his chest constrict in worry. He hadn’t taken into account that the other vessels would not want to end humanity.

Even when the handsome man chimed in that they couldn’t possibly destroy a city overnight, Chester supposed that at least was a reasonable statement, the white haired boy couldn’t help but think he also had reservations about a species wide annihilation. Ok, even when Chester phrased it as ‘species wide annihilation’ did it sound a bit brutal and drastic, but he knew it was necessary to save Gaea from dying. Only one side would be left standing and it was between the humans and their mother.

The actual introduction of everyone took him away from his panic momentarily. It was especially interesting to learn about Castiel, even though the white haired boy had already known his name learning that Cas was just a year older than him was exciting. He had expected that by the time he had met any of the titans that they would all be older like Rezu and Adele, but Cas and Gale were both close in age to him and that was infinitely more comforting, adults had always been so boring to the boy and he doubted he would feel much differently even if they hosted a titan.

"Whatever everyone else's plan is, I'm not agreeing to destroying an entire city. That's just plain fucked up." Chester’s jaw nearly dropped when Rezu started opposing the war deceleration. He had been nervous when Castiel had shown resistance, but Rezu was flat out rejecting anything of the sort. Chester realized leveling an entire city was ambitious, but this place didn’t have to crumble overnight. The five of them could have at least started reeking havoc, a few weeks and the city could have been at their feet in shambles. Chester was going to propose that at the very least they could start planning their onslaught, but Rezu didn’t stop with just rejecting his ideas.

As the man went on Chester felt as his shock began morphing into anger. Rezu wasn’t simply being disagreeable, it sounded as if the vessel was completely rejecting the will of the titan inside of him. It sounded as if… he was defending humanity. The very thought had Chester’s lip curling in disgust. The boy clenched his fists at his side, the very idea of one of his siblings not putting Gaea as their first priority was sickening. He stared at Rezu with vacant eyes, if one vessel was capable of defying Gaea it was possible that the others were too. His eyes traced over Gale, she was the only one that had not shown any outward apprehension to his suggestion, she was definitely on his side. He moved on to the others, Castiel specifically, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. He had been so relieved when he had first met the boy, but he suddenly seemed dangerous, he suddenly looked like a human when mere moments ago that had been his sister. He snapped his eyes back up at Rezu trying to keep his voice level.

“I cannot believe this. It sounds like you are defending the humans?” His tone cracked in incredulous disbelief despite his efforts to keep it level. “Humans. The ones who are literally killing Mother with each second that ticks by. You say that what I purpose is a prevention measure, but I don’t think you realize that species eradication is the solution here.

Humans don’t even deserve to be defended at all. They take from each other, and they kill each other because their ideas do not align. I’ve read their history books; they have more willing turned on each other because of the color of their skin than because one group has done something morally wrong. They do not embrace things different from themselves, and if they knew what any of us were capable of, the abilities we possess and the titans inside our bodies, we would become their lab rats, they would ostracize us, they would call us aliens and continue to kill Gaea as we became their seventh grade science projects. Humans are nasty parasites that take from the weak and destroy that which does not belong to them. They act in ways that only benefit themselves, yet you would rather stay with them then your own siblings. I cannot believe this.” The boy’s fists unclenched as he finished the rather long tirade. Humans were horrible creatures, and he knew from experience that they were not accepting of those not like their own, ’Why be different when you can be normal’, his father’s favorite saying, rang in the back of his mind. Humanity was not something worth saving, let alone defending.

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_____ Rezu's attention span didn't even last the entirety of Chester's tirade. He got the message less than halfway through. "Siblings? I have more in common with humans than you." Was he defending humans? Yes. Did he think that they deserved a form of discipline for their actions? Also yes. Did they deserve total annihilation? A very strong no. "It's easy for you, thinking only from the perspective of an angry god and a hurt child. But I, not to mention Thea, think differently. She's a titan, she's one of Gaea's children, but she's also a mother herself. She's thinking of the youth, who haven't done a single thing wrong, yet will be punished for a crime they didn't commit."

_____ "Oh, don't think I don't know about a human's many faults." The specific wars and cruelties he mentioned came to mind, as well as images of last night's headlines. "But aren't they simple reflections of what other gods have done? I dare you to tell me that wars amongst the divine didn't happen over something as petty as a flower." He stood from his perch and paced around the small area, commanding, practically demanding their attention. It was times like these that he felt thankful for his natural charisma. "I fucking dare you to tell me each and every atrocity you mentioned wasn't committed by a god in one way or other."

_____ He turned towards all of them, knowing how to carry himself with confidence and resolution. "I'm going to be blunt; you're all young. Impressionable." Blue-green eyes were uncharacteristically cold as he stared the younger members of the group down. "How much of your belief and resolution is your own opinion, and how much of it is the Titan's? Ask yourself that."

_____ "They're not one-sided, Chester. Humans. They're capable of great cruelty, but also great kindness. They're reflections of their creators." Wren would have a field day if he heard him talking like this. Speaking emotionally and patiently wasn't his forte; he usually kept the first part more or less to himself. That was just so uncool. "My human mother's a smart woman, as frustrating as she is. I love her just as much as Coeus loves Gaea. She has these quotes and words of wisdom that she relays to me every once in a while. For you, I'll give you one of personal my favorites. Revenge is human, forgiveness is divine."

_____ "Do I think they deserve to go unpunished? No, of course not." He idly kicked aside a loose rock. "But if you think everything will go to right after they're gone, then that's naivety speaking." His sigh was audible in the silence of the group, and the young model neared the crates he'd walked around only just moments before. Ten minutes with them and he was already beyond exhausted. "I'm done here. If you share what I think, then feel free to follow after me. But if you don't, then don't bother showing your face until you've changed your mind. Ciao." Without so much a backward glance, he walked away from the immediate vicinity, steeling himself to join the crowds that milled about.

You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me right?” Adelaide looked at the young Titan with a look of scorn. There was absolutely no way she was going to destroy New Orleans. Sure there were a crapload of people that sucked ass in her opinion that didn’t mean they had the right to just eradicate the whole damn place of humans. There was just no way. That cold look in his eyes was almost unsettling. It was almost like looking into the maw of one of their many dangerous animals. All it wanted to do was bite your head off while you showed off to the crowd that you could wave your arm around its face and not get bit. At least the pretty boy was thinking similarly to her.

Adelaide scoffed at the idea that the kid thought he knew the reason they all met up. “I don’t know about you but since when did you fucking know why we’re all here? My reason for being here is my family not for your shitty mission you little brat.” The kid continued on as if killing hundreds of thousands was like watering down an ant hill for amusement. He introduced himself as Chester, the human who housed Coeus. Her pink hues darted to the other kid who accompanied Chester. By his words of hesitance she could tell that he wasn’t exactly on board with the idea. It even seemed he was entirely new to the idea.

The next person to introduce themselves was Gale. She didn’t seem fazed at all by Chester’s words, making Adelaide a bit wary of the much smaller girl. The young girl housed Crius in her body but the performer didn’t really care much about who had who at this point. Finally pretty boy introduced himself as Rezu who had Thea in him and was also a model. “That certainly explains a lot pretty boy.” Adelaide looked at him closely this time, taking note of those handsome features of his.

"Now that we're all acquainted by something other than Titan names, let's go back to Chester's previous statement." Adelaide nodded in agreement. Chester’s idea of spending their family reunion was laughable and quite frankly sickening. "Whatever everyone else's plan is, I'm not agreeing to destroying an entire city. That's just plain fucked up." For once Adele listened to someone other than herself talk and she nodded along with his words. However when he gave her a look she glared at him, “What the hell did I do?” Suddenly a voice spoke up at the back of her head and bit her lip in anger. “Oh shut up you old bugger.” She looked back at the rest of the group as if nothing happened.

The young woman was exactly expecting a huge ass speech from the kid but what a speech he gave. He sounded pretty damn self righteous as if his way was the only way. It certainly pissed her off which was why she stopped listening halfway through. Towards the end Adelaide couldn’t help but snicker at Chester’s words, particularly the last part about humans only doing things that benefited themselves. ‘You’ve gotta be shitting me right. Benefit themselves? Every damn living being on this shitty planet does it. Do you think wolves hunt being careful not to take a mother from her babies. No they hunt the mother because it benefits them. She can fill their stomachs a lot better than a bunch of fucking babies.”

Then the notion of rejecting what they don’t know came to mind and she thought of her family and the circus. Those very words allowed her to give Chester a cold shoulder and not think even for a moment that she’d join his ridiculous crusade of “justice”. Her attention did settle on Rezu as he took up a confident stance and addressed the lot of them, including her. Adelaide was a bit irked by that but she didn’t say anything, at least not with words. Instead she glared at him for pushing her into the kiddies table. She agreed with almost every single word that fell from Rezu’s pretty lips. Adelaide herself has yet to experience the cruelty that Chester and Rezu spoke of. Her entire world was centered around what occurred within the tents. She honestly couldn’t give a rats ass about what happened outside of them. It wasn’t her problem until it arrived at her doorstep and when it does she’ll just kick it right in the ass.

"I'm done here. If you share what I think, then feel free to follow after me. But if you don't, then don't bother showing your face until you've changed your mind. Ciao." Again Adelaide snickered at Rezu’s show of leadership after comparing it to Chester’s false facade. Pink orbs followed Rezu as he disappeared into the crowd and she knew she’d have to meet him but there was no way she was about to follow him.

Turning her attention to the trio of brats, Adele smirked. “And here I thought you’d be a cute little brother. I don’t think I have to say that I agree with pretty boy over there.” She motioned to where Rezu had gone off to. Jumping down from her perch, Adelaide landed right in front of Chester and stood a bit close. She made use of her height as her entire figure loomed over him. The sweetness from before was completely gone and replaced but utter disgust and a savageness that would not falter. “I don’t give a fucking rats ass as to what people did to you Chester but I will say I pity them for having let you go. Unlike you I have a family, a very big one, that loves me for who I am, Titan and all. If you so much as go anywhere near them I will fucking kill you understand?” Her head tilted to the side briefly as she paused for effect.

Taking a step back from the white haired boy, Adelaide began to walk away. She did stop briefly to look over her shoulder, giving Chester a glare that could kill. It was further offset by the sickenly sweet smile on her lips. “Again touch my family and I’ll kill you. Oh and please leave the circus area. We’ve no intention of hiding shitty brats that think they’re entitled to something because they had shitting lives.” With that being said Adelaide walked away from the group.

It didn’t take her long to find Rezu. She knew the circus layout better than anyone. “Say where’re you headed off to pretty boy? You can stay here if you’d like or do you have other places to be?” She stepped right in front him, seemingly coming out of nowhere. For the briefest of moments her thoughts wandered to Castiel and Gale. If such an innocent looking kid was capable of having such thoughts then who was to say they didn't agree with Chester. It would mean they were already at a disadvantage, even if they were just kids.

ignoreeeeee...

"Siblings? I have more in common with humans than you." The words hurt more than Chester would have liked to admit. Rezu was nothing short of despicable in his eyes, yet to hear that he did not feel the level of closeness that Chester still felt towards him was undeniably heart wrenching. Coeus did not speak to Chester, all the boy had to work with were images of unworldly things and vague feelings and instincts to act on. The pull towards Thea inside of the model was permanent and unshakable, and despite the growing anger in side of him the boy still had to fight the pinprick feeling behind his eyes as Thea refused him.

As he continued to challenge Chester the boy had to continue to push down the growing sadness inside of him. It burned in the pit of his stomach like flames and with every blink and clench of his fist he smothered the feelings until his eyes were blank with apathy. The titan inside of him loved his siblings, even if Thea was going astray, and Chester couldn’t allow himself to have his goals shaken by her abandonment of the cause. Rezu spoke poetically, and convincingly like a leader should, but his words did not resonate inside the white haired boy. Even when Cronus’s vessel opposed him, with a fouler mouth than Thea’s, it didn’t cause him to flinch.

“My opinion is my titan’s and our alignment in ideals makes me all the more stronger.” It was true, Coeus was willing to supply him power because he was loyal to the titan’s cause. Although the titan had never spoken to him the visions he was shown gave insight into his potential with his magnetism and the use of electricity in his body had amplified is abilities tenfold. But, despite the anger boiling in his stomach Rezu still spoke with reason and understanding, and although he hated it, the urge to kill him was not strong enough to act upon. It was Cronus’s vessel he was having trouble dealing with, she was rude and immature at best.

“… Every damn living being on this shitty planet does it.” The use of vulgarity to describe Gaea sent a surge of adrenaline through his veins that literally seized his muscles. The anger that had remained at a steady boil since Rezu started talking surged through him like an erupting volcano, it was Coeus’s anger and Chester felt the bloodlust consume him in a palpable wave. His heart felt so heavy in his chest that each rapid beat felt painful and it almost seemed as if the entire world around him was vibrating.

Even as she continued on her own tirade, dismissing his past while bragging about how great of a life she had, he couldn’t bring himself to care about it. All he could see was spoiled brat, loved by humans, and in no way worthy of consideration as anything more than that. She appeared so human to him that killing her didn’t weigh on Coeus’s conscious inside his body. Cronus was a capable god, and no doubt could he return in a vessel more suitable to the cause. This one was clearly no good.

“I should kill you right now.” His voice rumbled in a growl and he weighed the possibility of being able to kill Cronus’s vessel. From the way the conversation had been going with Rezu it seemed doubtful that any of the vessels had ever used their titan powers to kill before. Chester had used all the variations of his power to kill humans before, and no doubt he could take down the woman that stood before him. As his magnetic field aligned the small metals bits around them began to pull towards the boy. The iron stakes resistant from their firm place in the ground, and the nails in the crates groaning in protest from being pulled from their places in the wood strained towards him, and as the two adults began to walk away he forced himself to disperse the strong field. The boy couldn’t risk scaring Castiel away, but he wanted to dispose of Cronus’s vessel before she grew accustom to using her power lethally, if that were to ever happen.

The boy produced the handheld tazer from his pocket. A zap from that would send him into electromagnetism, his most powerful state, but the burden placed on his body from using it was tremendous. Plus, the electrocution messed up his mind a lot, and the more often he used it the worse he was at controlling his temper, the boy barely had a grip on it as it was. He turned towards Cas and Gale.

“I didn’t mean to almost lose control back there, but Cronus’s vessel it no good.” Gale was surely on his side, and he turned to Cas as the light returned to his eyes.

“Surely, you won’t leave me, right Cas?” Trying to pull a guilt trip on the other boy did make Chester feel a little guilty himself, but at this point he was desperate for vessels who would stay on his side.

---

It was when the ugly one started speaking out against Gale's ideals, which she happened to share with Chester, that she noticed her clenched fists were now red. It was when he started defending murderers, when he started defending selfish, cruel, inconsiderate, and greedy human beings that she felt her body stiffen. It was then she tried to wash away the sour taste that held her hostage. But no, it didn't wash away. It only grew with every word Rezu added in order to coddle his gratuitous speech. This... rancid taste spread like ivy, until it tainted her very being with a mix of disgust enmity. Her lips curled into that of a snarl and her attitude darkened. If you looked closely, you could see the unmistakable concentration of anger that eradicated the once ambitious yet energetic spark in her eyes.

Gale was... beyond mad. She was beyond angry beyond outraged, and beyond furious! Her rage combined with that of Crius's could only be described as godly. It was miracle that she wasn't bursting into flames this very instant, though that'd probably be another story if she housed Hyperion. Or at least, she would guess so from the way the wind was picking up. What was a slight breeze had turned into an onslaught of aggressive winds. With every second the wind's intensity grew, and Gale feared that if Rezu's nonsense went on any longer it'd turn into a gale. "How much of your belief and resolution is your own opinion, and how much of it is the Titan's?"

Nonsense.

That word stuck in her mind for a while. The wind stop stirring quite violently; now it was more of a rough breeze. Was all he was saying... nonsense? "Ask yourself that."

She did. She asked herself that every day. Was it Crius or Gale? Was it Crius or Gale who was in charge? She even asked herself that on the way here. Her emotions, even the anger she felt now, it was never her own. It always seemed to be mutated, compromised... Gale's mood always seemed to switch with Crius's. Surely it was possible that Gale's opinion switched with his, too, but... no.

"Nonsense!" She growled. Gale lied to herself when she decided she'd said that in order to convince the others. Her opinion was her own! Crius and her agreed, that was all! She spent years of her life looking into humans, trying to reach out to them and being punched in return. She spent those years of her life because she believed in the people around her, she believed in that false kindness! If Crius had some kind... some kind of control over her, then she would've agreed with him immediately, right? Of course. Gale's thoughts were her own, and she--- she knew this. At this point the wind had died down by a lot, as now it was the same small breeze from before. After a deep breath, Gale decided that her anger had seen its worst.

"...on this shitty planet..." They say it takes but a few words to set Gale off. Whatever possessed Adele to say such a thing, Gale could not imagine. Nor could she imagine the deformities the woman would have when Gale was done with her. Gaea was the primary reason Gale was on the titan's side. Humans were a secondary matter. The world's welfare was what caused Gale to consider the value of humans. The fact that they didn't give a rat's ass about Mother and the creatures inhabiting this planet was what convinced Gale they were better off dead. So when someone insulted Gaea... A titan vessel, no less, Gale started to get... angry. And the nerve! That the woman chose such... ribald words to describe such a beautiful sight! Adelaide had no right to say such boorish things about Gaea! Had she ever seen the beauty of dawn, as its colors painted the sky and blessed the horizon? Had she ever climbed to the highest hills and basked in the sunlight, felt the grass on her feet, and breathed in the fresh air? Of course not; she would never bother. She was blind. She was like all the other humans. She was cold. She was nothing.

The wind was stirring again; but the start was more abrupt this time, and it wasn't going to die down. As the trash walked away, she couldn't help but glance over at Chester and Castiel. The two C's. Her eyes glazed over Chester as he mentioned his mistake in losing control. She took a moment to sort out what happened, as she'd been so caught up in her anger that she wasn't registering the world around her. And nor was she now. As soon as Chester turned to Castiel, Gale turned away. She was still fuming, and she'd rather they not see. No, Gale never liked being angry. Nor did she like showing anger. All it did was support the false statement that she was nothing more than her father. She'd never be her father. No, she lived to oppose people like him. And the people who dared to compare them on any level!

The wind took a violent turn as Gale thrust a strong axe kick toward a nearby crate. The impact generated a loud thud and the slightest bit of relief for the girl in distress. "Well, it's three against two. That's gotta give us some kind of advantage, right?" She mumbled, assuming Castiel was with them due to his lack of leaving. Though something about the apprehension in his stance told her that he wasn't exactly sure about his place in everything. But surely that could be fixed. "Can the both of you fight? Um, actually, nevermind that. Before we do or decide anything we should get somewhere better than this. I can't stand this stupid circus, with all the stupid smoking and humans and..." She cut off her sentence with a sigh.

---

[OOC] "...Gale feared that if Rezu's nonsense went on any longer, then it'd turn into a gale." <--- I have been dying to use that pun since I first created Gale. The satisfaction is real.

* = Start of graphic imagery
~~ = end of graphic imagery

---

Breaking News…

---

At approximately 9:32 p.m. today in downtown New Orleans what appears to have been a terrorist attack has left many residents in the area shaken and scared. The authorities and first responders on scene are reporting that they had never seen anything like it, the damages ranging from arson to murder… Live at the scene is our New Orleans correspondent Claudia Yeuings- Claudia?

Thanks Janet. I’m here Live in the New Orleans city park where for the last week a foreign circus has taken to performing with seemingly no incident. Today was supposed to be the last day of their New Orleans tour when the unthinkable happened. Now, the authorities here are reporting this as a one man terror attack, possibly armed with explosives from the amount of damage dealt in the amount of the attack lasted. They say it couldn’t have been more than two minutes, and the attacker had already vanished by the time the police and first responders had arrived, but the eye witness accounts of the attack seem a little too farfetched to be true.

I’ve interviewed countless eyewitnesses, and nearly all of their stories report a glowing blue boy to be responsible for all the damage caused. Now, how a glowing child can exist, and cause so much damage and causalty in such a short amount of time is still unclear, but what has reigned crystal clear is the video evidence produced by multiple witnesses at the scene.

What you are seeing on the screen is what appears to be a child, it happens incredibly fast, not more than two seconds, but when the video is slowed down to a frame by frame viewing the distinct shape of a child can be made out in the blue flash. Now whether or not this is even possible will have to be looked into by authorities, but what has been most devastating about this attack is not the loose animals, or arson damage, but the animalistic damage delivered to the performers of the circus troupe. Many are unharmed or with minor injuries, but more than twenty have been severely or gravely injured in the attack, the worst of the injuries were taken by the lead male dancer of the troupe, and the authorities believe that the attack may be race crime and hate driven.—

Ah, hang on, I’m being told that new developments are being made right now. One of our helicopters covering the story has just arrived and is reporting that, as they flew over, the strange scorch markings on the ground aren’t just the random paths the terrorist traveled. We are cutting to the footage now.

What we are looking at appears to be a message, to who we are not really sure, but those marks are an undeniable message reading: UNWORTHY.

This is Claudia Yeunings reporting live from New Orleans, back to you Janet.

---

---

With Cas’s confirmation that he would stay loyal to the titan side the dread that had been pooling in his gut began to subside just slightly. Having the first titan vessel he met stay on his side some how made the boy feel monumentally better. Despite only having a few minutes of a head start in their relationship compared to the other vessels it seemed to make a world of difference to Chester, as if they had been friends for years rather than minutes, and he couldn’t keep the big grin off his face when the boy stayed on his side. He was about to voice his approval of the decision when the wind around them seemed to kick up in a sudden flurry.

He turned to see that the other girl, Gale, was still with them too, looking about as angry as he felt. The wind gusted around her powerfully, and even with her back turned to them he could tell she had reacted the same way he had to Adele’s words, she was probably just as appalled as he was by the situation. He was impressed by the demonstration of her power though, as her body moved the wind moved with her, like an extension of her leg as she sent the strong kick into the side of the box, it was beautiful really. Even if he couldn’t see the wind the boy could still feel its change, the pressure that adjusted around them as she moved. Gale would be a powerful ally.

“Well, it's three against two. That's gotta give us some kind of advantage, right?” Chester nodded at her statement, his mind already abuzz with a plan that was a little reckless, but definitely worth it. It was his debut as a titan vessel in this human dominated world, and his chance to demonstrate the power that he and Coeus had collaborated on. He looked up to meet Gale in the eyes as she continued to talk, asking if they had fighting abilities, and he couldn’t keep the smirk off his lips.

“Don’t worry, I can fight. And personally, I doubt those human loving idiots have ever thought of using their powers as weapons so they are probably worthless anyways.” He looked down at the taser in his hand, running a thumb over its smooth surface and turning it over in his palm. The deadly little instrument was the key to one of his most developed abilities. “… And I’ve got a place for us to camp out in, but first I’ve got some business to attend to. Just… don’t freak out, ok?”

Its not that he didn’t trust the two vessels that had sided with him, but he didn’t know the extent of either of their powers yet, or the best way to utilize them in a combat situation and he couldn’t risk getting caught by the humans from a miscalculation. He wanted to hit that bitch where it hurt though, and he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

The boy pushed up the sleeve of his black hoodie, his arm was as pale of the rest of his body, revealing his forearm littered with tiny snakebite scars. They were small circular puncture marks that corresponded perfectly to the cap of his taser. The taser in his hand was police-grade that he had swiped off an unsuspecting cop, over a year ago, and had rigged it to make the voltage it spat near deadly, he had found that was the only way to give him enough juice to activate his ability.

The boy took a deep breath, tensing his left arm as he pressed the button of the taser, the small device zapped to life with a violent pop. He closed his eyes as he slammed the small metal bits into the flesh of his forearm, wincing as the electricity shocked its way through his body. The process never got any less painful as the magnetic poles in his body began to align and vibrate to hold the charge in his body and a few seconds later the entire boy’s body gave off an eerie electrical blue glow.

The taser fell from his hand and the boy exhaled the breath he had been holding. Electromagnetism was an ability that did not come easy, and once he achieved it the power sent an unimaginable burden on his nervous and muscular systems, but the overwhelming power that came from it was undeniably worth it. He looked towards his two allies, his body sending off small static shocks as he moved. His right arm twitched violently, nearly untraceable in speed, as an electrical impulse sent a nerve haywire. He couldn’t keep the smile from growing over his lips though. His white hair stood on jagged ends, the black hoodie unable to contain the now stiff locks and his head twitched towards the Menagerie.

“As soon as I get back get ready to run. Oh, and watch out for tigers.” He paused, his glowing blue eyes traced over his comrades, and he could hear the electricity buzzing inside him. “Things are about to get electric.”

The boy didn’t have time to hesitate over the lame one-liner as his muscles brought him into action. He shot across the lawn and towards the main circus tent, making it to the destination in a matter of seconds, it was getting later so there were fewer pedestrians wandering the attractions, but there were enough to witness him move. He paused only for the briefest moment and people were pulling out phones to get pictures and videos of him. The white haired boy ignored them, stepping into the big top where he began to wreck havoc. The metal of the bleachers pulled up and curled as he raced by them, succeeding in crushing a few unlucky people who had lingered after the show, but they were irrelevant, the boy was aiming for something a bit more personal. People screamed as the metal inside the tent began twisting and mangling itself, drawing the attention of the others still around the circus grounds.

The boy’s destination was a doorway towards the back of the tent where he had seen the performers exiting and entering, and he ignored the flames that caught the loose ropes hanging as he passed them, more damage that he wouldn’t have to personally cause. The boy had a particular face in his mind, the dancer Adele had performed with, surely a casualty of that size would cause her a fair amount of grief. As he shot through the narrow pass the flaps on either side of him lit aflame, and he was confident it would spread into a horrid blaze. He continued his path, having left Castiel and Gale not even ten seconds ago by the time he reached where the performers were staying. Not one of them reacted at first as the glowing boy appeared in the middle of their group. It wasn’t so much they were slow to react, but that Chester’s mind was moving too fast for the rest of them. Every one around him looked as if they were moving in slow motion, easy targets for him to pick apart.

*The boy squatted slightly, bunching the muscles of his quads before he sprang forward at the nearest performer. She was an older looking woman and he didn’t even bother to look back at her reaction as he sliced her arm clean off, the spray of blood barely grazing him as he darted through the crowd. Skipping over some when handing out varying degrees of damage to the rest. The wounds ranged from things as minor as skin grazing abrasions to lethal puncture wounds hit through stomachs and chests. Moving as fast as he was, clearing a hole straight through the bone of an ordinary person was as easy as snapping pencils, he barely had to think about it.

**

~~The sight made even Chester a little queasy and the jumped back a few paces to examine the damage he had caused. Adelaide’s partner had been left alive, withering in immense amounts of pain on the ground, and Chester left him that way, hoping Adele would find him alive like that. He took a few quick steps back and shot out of the area and leaving a blackened scorch mark behind him. The trail he was leaving left him with a creative idea as he began scorching the ground around him in large looping lines, jumping every now and again to create breaks in his masterpiece. If he did it right the message would be there, not that Adelaide would have much doubt as to who attacked her circus.

After finishing he set his sights on his last task, the menagerie, where he would take less than a second the rip open and apart all the metal cages the animals were confined in, successfully freeing them in one fallow swoop as he spat himself out the opposite end of the tent, sparks and tiny shots of lightening shooting around him as he looked on to the havoc he had caused. Already animals were escaping the tent, and the noise from within proved hell was beginning to break loose. The fire he had started at the main tent had taken nicely as well, lighting up open yard of the circus and spending strong pulses of heat in every direction. He aimed himself in the direction of Castiel and Gale, using up the last of his stored energy in the few steps it took to return to them.

He couldn’t have been gone for more than two minutes, but when he shot back to them the boy was completely exhausted. Everything hurt immensely now that he wasn’t on the high electromagnetism gave him, and the headache that always accompanied the ability was beginning to bloom nicely. His chest was heaving with an effort to get oxygen back into his system, and he was completely soaked with the blood of the people he had injured. He looked towards the two of them with a weak smile, and continued to pant, sweat beginning to drench his skin as his humanness caught up with him.

“We’ve gotta get out of here, fast.” He panted, forcing himself forward with heavy feet, even taking a few steps proved to be too much for him as he tripped over the unevenness of the ground, barely catching himself as his forearms connected with the ground. Coeus was stirring inside of him, itching at the edges of his mind to keep him conscious, and he was glad for it. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of enemy territory.