THESEUS BY FRANKIE O’DONNELL
THESEUS
A modern day version of the Greek Myth
By Frankie O’Donnell
Chapter 1
Theseus was probably the most talented 18-year-old in the world. He had the quickest hand for a revolver in the world. He had incredibly shiny black hair, incredibly strong and he was one of the best hand-to-hand combatants and shots in America. His Smith & Wesson 610 “Classic” revolver was made of celestial bronze. His father was Poseidon and unbeknownst to the fact that his mother had also been married to the President of the United States having him, Theseus’ stepfather. But Theseus’ only had one father figure, Chiron, an ex-army General, who took redundancy 19 years before but jumped at the chance to train the son of Poseidon voluntarily. Theseus, after being told his stepfather was the president, decided he would set off for Washington. It was a long walk from his shack on an abandoned beach in New York. His last training session with Chiron was hard. Theseus was pushed to the limit. Chiron never seemed to be affected by his attacks and when they were shooting, although Theseus hit where he wanted to hit, Chiron shot was always more precise, which seemed impossible. Aethra, Theseus’ mother said that he should take the train to Washington, as the roads were teeming with criminals, but Theseus said it wouldn’t be a proper quest for him unless he walked. Theseus left for D.C, and as his mother and Chiron waved him off, he had no idea that he was walking into dangerous territory…
Chapter 2
It wasn’t long before Theseus encountered a hoodlum. Chiron had told him about this particular one. His name was Perry. An incredibly large and strong mugger. He blocked his path and before Theseus could react the hoodlum pulled out a baseball bat hidden under his hoodie.
“Periphetes,” Theseus said, “Son of Hephaestus.”
“You know of me?” Perry replied, “And by the way, it’s Perry.”
“Sorry, PERRY.”
“Who are you?”
“Theseus, son of Poseidon.”
Periphetes spat on the ground as if he disapproved of Theseus’ father. He then started to clean his bat with the sleeve of his hoodie.
“I like your bat.” Theseus said
“Pure brass.” Perry replied cockily
“That’s just brass plated wood”
“Oh yeah?” said Perry as he swung at the other demigod with his bat. Theseus caught the bat mid-swing and said cockily “Oh yes that is brass”. He yanked it out of Perry’s hand and hit him in the face with the bottom of the bat. Blood spewed from his nose and before he could recover, Theseus had pulled out his revolver and shot him in the shoulder at point blank range. As Theseus walked off, with Perry’s bat on his shoulder, he whistled as if nothing had happened.
Chapter 3
As Theseus walked on, he walked along the Grand Canyon. He saw a man standing at the edge of the canyon, carrying a very sharp axe. When the man saw him he said; “I AM SCIRON! TO PASS THESE CLIFFS YOU MUST PAY A TOLL!”
“And what would that toll be, as I carry no money.” Theseus said.
“THIS TOLL DOESN’T REQUIRE MONEY.”
“Then what does it require?”
“WASH MY FEET.”
“Wash your feet?”
“YES.”
“Fair enough.”
As Theseus washed Sciron’s feet. He remembered a story that Chiron had told him about a man who threw people off of a cliff as he washed his feet. Theseus used his father’s power to his advantage and made the water mimic his hands. With the watery hands, he grabbed Sciron by his leg and threw him off the canyon. As Sciron fell, his axe followed and decapitated him before he hit the ground. As Theseus walked on, he entered a forest filled with pine trees. He saw a very tall man bending two pine trees almost down to the ground.
He turned round when he saw Theseus and said “Hello. I am Sinis.”
“I’m Theseus.” Theseus said, sounding polite but he knew that this was the Sinis who would bend pine trees and ask others to do it. When he let go, the person would be catapulted into the sky. As expected Sinis asked him to hold down the pine trees while he rested. Expecting for Theseus to be sent flying he loosened his grip. Surprisingly, Theseus held the trees down. He then dodged Sinis’ attack and tied each of his arms to the trees. When he let go, Sinis was ripped in half.
Chapter 4
Night had fallen and Theseus was exhausted. He saw a hotel and stopped there. There was an old, scrawny man behind the desk. His name badge read: Procrustes.
“Welcome traveller. Are you checking in?” Procrustes asked
“Yes.” Theseus answered.
“For a good traveller like you, I will give you our finest bed. It is six foot but it will fit anyone.”
“Thank you, but I carry no money.”
“Free of charge.”
“But…”
“I insist.”
Before Theseus could say another word, Procrustes hurried Theseus upstairs and into the room. When Procrustes left, Theseus collapsed on the bed. While he slept, he seemed to have a vision from his father. “Theseus, wake up.” Poseidon said, “Procrustes is a murderer. He says that the bed fits but only because he either stretches you or cuts your legs until you fit.”
When Theseus woke up, Procrustes was beside his bed holding a curved knife, Theseus tried to move but he was tied to the bed. The ropes were too thick to break. He was just about to give up hope when he noticed a glass of water on the bedside table. He bumped it with his shoulder, and the water spilled over him. As Procrustes sent the knife down, Theseus ripped the ropes using the strength that the water had given him. Procrustes was shocked and yelled:
“How did you do that?”
“Perks of being son of the water god.”
“NO!!! PLEASE NO!!!” Procrustes screamed as Theseus picked him up and tied him to the bed.
“I insist.” Theseus said calmly, mocking what Procrustes had said previously that night.
“Looks like you’re too small” Theseus continued and stretched Procrustes.
As Theseus walked out Procrustes screamed
“Please don’t leave me here.”
“Sorry Procrustes.” Theseus said, “But you made your bed. NOW LIE IN IT!!!” and he walked out the door and continued his journey.
Chapter 5
When Theseus reached the White House, he ran into trouble at the gate. He was explaining that he was the stepson of the president. When he wasn’t given admittance, he waited at the other end of the street, until the president finally showed himself. As he came out in the car, Theseus climbed a neighboring building and used a lightweight technique Chiron had taught him. He jumped onto the car silently. He opened the top window and climbed in. When his stepfather saw him, he just said:
“Hi.”
Theseus had two secret service agents pointing guns at him. When they clicked them to show they were serious, he put his hands on his head.
“Whoa. Listen Mr President. I’m Aethra’s son.” Theseus said defensively.
“Aethra?” the president asked. “Put your guns down,” he said as he gestured to his guards. When they didn’t obey he yelled, “NOW!!!”
One of the guards put down his gun. But the other turned his gun to the president.
“Sorry Mr President.” the traitor spat in a Russian accent.
Before the traitor could fire his weapon, Theseus had opened the door, grabbed the president and as the gun went off, Theseus went rolling out of the car along with his stepfather. The president thanked Theseus and then said
“That was probably a Russian spy, here for the seven boys and seven girls.”
“What do you mean”, Theseus asked.
“The seven boys and seven girls to be sent to the new Soviet empire to fight the M1N0T4ur. The first cyborg. Created by us. Stolen by the Soviets”
“Let me go then. I can fight it.”
“NO!!! I’m not sending you to your death.”
“Listen,” Theseus argued, “I promise to you that I can defeat it.”
“Fine.” The president muttered reluctantly.
Chapter 6
Theseus was ready to go. He was going on a helicopter to New Moscow. His stepfather said that if he came back alive, he should fly an American flag beneath the helicopter. If he died, he was to fly a Soviet flag. The helicopter took off almost simultaneously to Theseus’ climbing on. When they arrived in New Moscow after a 4-hour flight. As soon as they stepped off the plane, the eighteen youths were held at gunpoint. Theseus had his revolver taken off of him. They were put in handcuffs and climbed into the back of a truck. When they came out, the Russian president, Minos was waiting for them. Minos came to Theseus first and kicked him down saying:
“So this is the great stepson of the American president.” In Russian he said to his guards, “Send him in first tomorrow.”
Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, helped Theseus up and took him to his cell. She didn’t say anything but she gave him a ball of golden string and left. Theseus knew what he had to do.
When he woke up, Theseus was being hustled into a labyrinth with Minos following. Just before he entered, Minos said:
“Any last requests?”
“Yeah.” Theseus said. “A bottle of water.”
One of Minos’ guards threw him a bottle and as the door closed, Minos just whispered:
“Good luck.”
Theseus drank his water and took the string out of his pocket and left a trail as he walked through the labyrinth. When he stopped, something came up behind him. The M1N0T4UR. It held him in a headlock and tried to choke him but Theseus had strength from the water. He threw the cyborg over his shoulder and stepped away. The cyborg jabbed but Theseus grabbed the punch. He crushed the half-robots regular human hand. As it screamed in pain, Theseus grabbed its head and pulled it off. He thought that would finish it off but the robot side still worked. It threw him into the wall and it started to crumble. When he fell down the cyborg jumped on top of him and just as it was about to finish him off, apiece of the wall fell off and hit the cyborg in the back. As its systems shut down, Theseus rolled to his left and the wall fell on top of the robot.
“You put up a good fight.” Theseus said. He picked up a piece of the wall and walked out of the labyrinth, following Ariadne’s string.
When Theseus emerged from the labyrinth, Minos was furious. He pulled a pistol from one of his guard’s holsters. He aimed at Theseus but before he could pull the trigger, Theseus threw the piece of wall he had picked up and it hit Minos in the forehead and knocked him out. Theseus was disappointed, as he would’ve liked it as a souvenir. As he climbed into the helicopter, he thought that he was to remember something but he dismissed it.
When Theseus returned he heard cheers but they went silent. The president was looking through some binoculars at the top of a watchtower he swiftly had built next to the White House. When he saw the Soviet flag hanging from underneath the aircraft, he was distraught. He threw himself off the watchtower instead of enduring the pain. But what he didn’t know was that Theseus was alive and well but he had forgotten about the flags. When the helicopter landed on the White House helipad. He saw the body of his stepfather lying on the ground. He ran over and held the president in his arms screaming with anger. When the guards realized it was his fault, they pursued him. He dropped the lifeless body in his arms and ran. His pursuers were no match for him and he ran into the middle of a forest, and he intended on staying there…
