Chapter 4: Pandora's Box

Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. This was a really fun one to write and featuring one of my favorite myths. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.

It had been a week since Tempest and Icarus had joined their little group and needless to say the 4 of them had become quite the team.

Outside Icarus' workshop, Hercules, Nico and Tempest were waiting outside as they heard loud noises coming from inside.

"Come on! Work with me you stupid piece of metal!" Icarus yells.

"Should we go in there?" Hercules said.

"I wouldn't." Tempest said.

"I don't need eyesight to see something crazy is going on in there." Nico said when the noises stopped.

"It's done!" Icarus said as he opened the doors. "Are you ready to see my newest invention?"

"Uh…" The three of them cringed.

"Come on in." Icarus said walking in.

As they walked in they saw Icarus lifting up his spectacles and dropped his liquid into his eyes.

"Ugh I should try inventing medicine that's pleasant." Icarus groans.

"So Icarus what's this new invention?" Hercules asks.

"You see as heroes you and Tempest need to always have a weapon on you but most are too heavy or too big to carry one around so…behold!" Icarus reaches under his table to reveal a thin metal staff with a long wedge with a big chunk of metal at the end.

"Well don't keep me in suspense. What are we looking at? What is this?" Nico asks.

"Well Nico this is the driver because it will drive your enemies away." Icarus said.

"The driver?" Hercules asks as Tempest picks it up.

"Hmm this is really light. It would never hold up in battle." Tempest said.

"Yeah sorry buddy. I don't think this could work as a weapon." Hercules said.

"Aw man. I really thought this baby was a winner." Icarus groans putting the driver down.

"Sorry buddy maybe next time." Nico said as they walked out.

As they walked to class a girl with long black hair was walking by and noticed them, this was Pandora.

"Well that's an unusual group." Pandora said curious not paying attention to where she was going and ended up tripping and falling causing her scrolls to fall everywhere and one rolled right by a staircase. "Oh great."

Picking herself up Pandora gathered all her scrolls before walking over to the staircase but when she reached for it the scrolls fell down the staircase.

Slowly making her way down the staircase Pandora picked up the scroll and saw a small room at the bottom.

"What kind of class is taught down here?" She asks curious.

Walking into the small room, Pandora saw a small box. It was purple with black outlines and in the middle of it was a lock clip in the shape of a skull.

"Whoa." Pandora said picking it up and examining it before putting it down. "I probably shouldn't." She cringed as she started to walk away.

"Pandora." A faint voice said causing her to turn around.

"Huh?" Pandora looks around and saw no one was there.

"Pandora." The voice said getting louder revealing it to be coming from the box.

"No stop!" Pandora said covering her ears but she kept hearing it over and over again.

Not being able to take it anymore Pandora's curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the box and opened it.

However, once she did a burst of maniacal laughter came from inside and from it a small demon barely the size of her hand climbed out.

"Hey what are you doing? Get back in there." Pandora said trying to grab it when another popped out. "No. Stop!" Pandora said when more demons kept coming out completely overwhelming her before all the demons flew out of the box and raced out the door. "What have I done?!"

In Art Class, everyone was at their stations trying to make clay pottery.

"This is pointless. Why does a warrior need to know pottery?" Tempest growls trying to get her vase right.

"Oh come on it's not that bad." Icarus smiles.

"Easy for you to say." Hercules said trying to keep his from falling apart.

"Oh my goodness, Nicodemus." The teacher gasps getting their attention.

"Is something wrong?" Nico asks.

"No it's…incredible." She said as everyone looked to see Nico make a clay sculpture of a snake. "It almost looks like a real one."

"Thank you." Nico said.

Nearby Andromeda looks over at the little clay snake and giggles at how cute it was.

Nico was about to walk over and put it in the oven when he suddenly felt a large trembling on the ground.

"Uh guys. Something's coming and there's a lot of it." Nico gulped.

"What do you mean?" Hercules asks when suddenly the door broke down to reveal the mini demons causing everyone to scream in shock and horror as they rushed in and destroyed everything throwing clay everywhere, smashing pottery and flipping tables.

"What are these things?!" Icarus screams as one jumped on his head and pulled his hair.

Grabbing his walking stick, Nico tried to whack them away but they jumped around everywhere dodging them.

"They're too fast!" Hercules said when they started running all over the place.

In the library, Thea was sitting down reading as her owl was sleeping nearby.

Suddenly a scroll was thrown at her causing her to yelp dodging it.

"What the?!" Looking up Thea saw a demon throwing scrolls at them. Drawing her shield, The blocks the attacks.

Flying onto her shoulder, the owl hoots.

"I told Zeus he should have hidden the box better." Thea said whacking one away when an arrow flew in and hit a demon.

Looking over she saw Luna with her bow drawn. "Finally, school is interesting."

"Maybe too interesting. We gotta stop this before they get loose." Thea said.

Down the hall, Nico, Tempest, and Hercules shoved a ton of demons into a vase and Icarus slammed a lid on top of it.

"That outta hold them." Icarus pants when they heard a loud rumbling from the vase and it shattered open allowing the demons to escape.

"Or not." Tempest groans.

"Get back in your box!" Pandora said trying to grab one but it slipped out of her hands.

"Wait, these things have a box?" Tempest asks.

"How did you know that's where they came from?" Hercules asks.

"Because I opened the box where they were hidden and opened it." Pandora said telling them everything.

"So wait you saw this box in the middle of a room and you opened it? Why?" Hercules asks.

"I'm sorry I'm a curious girl and I couldn't help myself! I saw the box. I opened the box. How was I supposed to know it would release all these evil monsters? I mean who puts all that evil into one box?" Pandora panics.

"Pandora calm down. This is getting us nowhere." Nico said shaking her until she stopped.

"What do we do? These things are everywhere." Hercules said.

"If they came from that box Pandora opened, I bet they can go back in. Do you still have the box?" Nico asks.

"Yes I do." Pandora said.

"Alright you get the box and we'll start gathering these things up." Nico said.

"Right." Pandora said running off.

"So what do we do?" Hercules said.

"We catch them and figure out how to get them back in the box." Nico said.

"And if they don't wanna listen?" Icarus asks.

"We make them listen." Nico said.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tempest grins.

Running to the room, Pandora sees the box right where she left it.

"I hate this stupid box. Why did I have to open it?" Pandora growls.

"Pandora." A faint voice said, the same one that lured her to it.

"Impossible." Pandora said opening the box expecting another evil demon, but instead a warm light shined out instantly calming her. "You. You're what called to me."

"That is right Pandora. I am Hope. I found you and knew you would open the box and release me into the world." It said.

"You did this? But thanks to you demons are running all over the place!" Pandora said.

"Never fear, for even in the darkest of places hope finds a way to stop the evil as your friends are trying to accomplish and with you, they might be able to." Hope said.

"But why were you so eager to escape knowing what this meant?" Pandora asks.

"Because this is a cruel world we live and many people need hope to get them through it. The world needs hope just as we need air to breathe." Hope said before flying into the air and leaving Pandora.

"Hope…" Pandora said before running out to help.

Outside near the school amphitheater, all the students scream running around in fear when one demon ran up a hill to catch them when Tempest leaps in and grabs it.

"I got him! Nico!" Tempest yells.

As Tempest holds the demon down Nico grips his walking stick when Icarus gasps seeing something.

"You guys messed with the wrong school!" Nico said about to whack the demons.

"WAIT!" Icarus yells stopping him.

"Icarus what?" Nico said looking up.

"Wait right there. I finally figured it out!" Icarus said running into the school leaving everyone even the demons with puzzled expressions.

Soon Icarus came running back out with the driver. "Here use this."

"Your new weapon? Icarus we told you it couldn't work." Tempest said.

"Because it wasn't made to be a weapon. Trust me it'll work for this." Icarus said handing it to Nico.

"Uh alright." Nico said putting his walking stick down and holds it.

"Pandora get ready to catch a demon!" Icarus calls out.

"Catch? How are they gonna get them all down here?" Pandora raised an eyebrow.

"Now Nico!" Icarus said as Nico whacks the demon sending it flying through the air screaming as it flew right towards Pandora.

Gasping she ran along the courtyard and held up the box causing the demon to get sucked back in.

"I got it!" Pandora cheers.

Around the school, everyone dropped their jaws in shock.

"What? What are we looking at? What happened?" Nico asks.

"You knocked that demon right back into the box with one swing." Hercules said.

"I did?" Nico said.

"Quick let's grab another one and do that again." Icarus smiles.

"Pandora you ready?" Hercules calls out.

"Ready!" She smiles.

Grabbing one of the demons, Tempest put it down in front of Nico.

"Come on baby! Let's go two for two!" Icarus said.

"Here we go!" Nico said whacking this one and it flew causing Pandora to leap she could catch it in the box causing people to cheer.

"Okay this is kinda fun." Nico smiles.

Thea looks over and curiosity getting the better of her she leaps up and grabs a demon by the neck.

"Can I try?" Thea asks walking over holding up the demon.

"By all means." Nico said as he handed her the club.

Putting the demon down Thea took the driver and swings but hits the ground instead. "Ugh."

"Here try like this." Nico walks up behind her and puts his hands on hers causing Thea to gasp slightly as he moved her arms. "Now you try."

"Uh okay." Taking a deep breath Thea whacks the demon sending it flying across the field forcing Pandora to run and catch it in the box causing everyone to cheer.

"Yes! Hole in one!" Icarus cheers causing Thea to smile.

"I did it!" Thea smiles.

"Hey I wanna try this. This looks fun." Hercules said.

"Where are more of those demons?" Tempest asks wanting a turn.

Around the school everyone started to realize if they wanted to swing they needed a demon.

And just like that everyone was running around trying to catch as many demons as they could.

"Look at them. Commoners, their lives are so dull they are willing to run around the school like idiots." Adonis scoffs while Andromeda couldn't help but smile a this when she noticed a demon by the window.

"As royalty, it's comforting to know that we would never stoop to such pathetic forms of entertainment, right Andromeda?" Adonis asks but got no response. "Andromeda?" Turning around he saw Andromeda running out of the room.

Back on the hill, people were lining up for turns whacking demons across the school towards Pandora who acted as the goal.

"Come on Pandora! Give me a challenge!" Tempest calls out.

Getting an idea, Pandora held the box over her head and ran around in a wild and unpredictable manner.

Narrowing her eyes, Tempest whacks the demon sending it flying before landing in the box causing everyone to cheer.

"Hole in one!" Icarus said as everyone cheered.

When Andromeda stepped up and whacked the demon but it fell short.

"Darn." Andromeda groans.

As the demon tried to make an escape Luna appeared in front of it.

"Where are you going?" Luna asks grabbing the demon and ran back to Andromeda. "Here try again."

Andromeda put the demon down and whacks it again sending it flying to the box causing everyone to cheer.

Soon the last one up was Hercules with the last demon from the box. "Alright folks, this is it. Hercules lines up his demon and Pandora is a good 200 yards away. Will he make it or will the Pandora's Box Open go to someone else?" Icarus asks in a whispered tone acting like an announcer while Hercules lined up the shot.

"Come on baby!" Hercules said whacking the demon sending it flying.

Looking up Pandora runs back before sliding across the grass catching the last demon and closing the box.

"I GOT IT!" Pandora calls out causing everyone to cheer.

"I love this game!" Nico cheers.

"And none of them got loose." Icarus smiles.

Unfortunately, that wasn't quite true. In the mountains, one of the demons was coming out of the forest cackling evilly as it looked around for its first victim.

Looking around it noticed a female figure by a lake getting water.

Sneaking over the demon went up to the woman and made a scary face when the woman turned around revealing her to be Medusa causing the demon to turn to stone.

"Hmm been a long time since I turned anything to stone. What is this thing?" Medusa asks picking up the little stone demon. "Boy this thing is ugly."

Hissing the snakes say they weren't much of an improvement.

"True enough. Maybe if I gave this to Nico, he could take this into town and sell it for a few drachmas." Medusa said taking it inside.

At the end of the day, Pandora put the box down at the table as Nico, Hercules, Icarus and Tempest sat around her.

"Again I'm really sorry for you know opening the box and causing all of this." Pandora apologizes.

"Hey relax. If I had a drachma for every stupid thing, I've done I'd be rich." Icarus said.

"Oh believe that." Tempest mutters.

"Still this invention of yours really made gathering all the demons fun." Nico said holding up the metal club.

"Yeah…hey Pandora you wanna hang out with us. I wouldn't mind doing something like this again." Icarus said.

"Are you serious? I almost let all the evils of mankind escape." Pandora said

"And then we whacked them back into the box." Nico said.

"Well…it was kind of fun, but next time one of you has to run with the box." Pandora said.

"How about my buddy right here?" Icarus offers.

"That's a great idea, let the blind boy run around catching flying objects." Nico said sarcastically.

"I was talking about Herc." Icarus said.

"That would make more sense." Nico said.

"What do you say Pandora? Want to hang out with us?" Tempest asks.

"Sure." Pandora smiles.

"Yes! The Pandora's Box Open will make a reappearance!" Icarus cheers.

"I think we're gonna have a lot of fun Pandora." Nico said.

"Assuming I don't open the box again." Pandora said.

"Well maybe you can find something else to be curious about so the box doesn't get the better of you." Nico suggests.

"Maybe, like what?" Pandora asks.

"You're a curious girl I'm sure you'll find something." Nico chuckles causing Pandora to smile.

"You know I think you might be onto something." Pandora said looking at the blind boy interested.

"So uh what should we do with this box?" Hercules asks.

"I say we put it in a safe place so no one else gets any funny ideas." Nico suggests suddenly they heard a hooting and Thea's owl landed on the box.

"Ooh pretty birdie." Icarus said.

"It's an owl." Tempest said.

"My owl to be exact." Thea said walking over.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Nico asks.

"Oh yeah I think I saw you earlier during the whole game." Hercules said.

"Come on Nico who is she? Who? Who?" Icarus asks.

"Hoo. Hoo." Her owl hoots.

"Stay outta this." Icarus said looking to the owl.

"Yeah this is Thea. I've run into her from time to time." Nico said.

"If you guys want to put the box in a safe place, I know a pretty good one." Thea offers.

"That would be much appreciated." Nico said as he picked up the box.

"Show us the way." Icarus said.

"I think it would be better if just Nico knows." Tempest said.

"It's not like I'll be able to see where it goes." Nico shrugs.

Leading him to a dark room, Nico held out the box and Thea took it before she went inside.

"I'll admit I'm surprised you were able to handle yourselves so well." Thea said.

"Yeah we kinda invented a game in the chaos earlier and you gotta admit it was fun whacking them back into the box." Nico said.

Thea pauses to think but instead of the game, all she could think about was when Nico had his arms around her and how nice it felt causing a faint blush to appear on her face.

"Yeah…real fun." Thea said.

"So Thea, I hardly see you much. Why don't you join us again sometime?" Nico offers.

"I guess I can find some time for it." Thea said.

"It's a date." Nico smiles as they walked out.

'Date?' Thea thought surprised.

"Bye Thea. Always nice talking to you." Nico said as the sun started to set and the light reflecting of them and when Thea looked into his cloudy eyes she couldn't help but smile as he walked away.

"He is something else." Thea smiles softly when her owl lands on her shoulder and hoots.

"What?! No I don't!" Thea said but the owl just lifts its eyes up to show it was smiling. "I don't have time for this. I came here to find heroes to guide."

As she walks away the owl hoots causing Thea to pause.

"Well…he is kinda cute for a mortal." Thea mumbles.