A L E K T O

It was terrifying.  It was exhilarating.  It was nothing compared to the frenzied, urgent, intense din and effort that it took to guide the sun across the sky on a blazing chariot of gold, roaring lions, his sister or Bunene by his side.  Did Utu sometimes let Bunene handle the responsibility of daylight?  Yes, maybe.  Maybe often in the later centuries.  Maybe Utu only day-raced the sun-chariot around the horizon out for the occasional thrill, as the elder god became more entranced with the justice and fairness surrounding his beloved humans.  His Gilgamesh.    

This here - riding a modded bike at intense but still earthly speeds, feeling Alekto’s biomech hand curling into his jacket - this was as close as it came to the old heady thrill of a sungod.

And then, they were swerved.  “Hey!!”  Utu protested, suddenly aggravated at the blatant attempt to sabotage from that Mathias fellow. Was this normal?  Was cheating and sabotage of each other allowed?  It didn’t count as cowardice or an unfair race?

Alekto’s knuckled rap on Utu’s helmet answered the question. “Alekto, what - what are you -”  Utu tried to engage the Fury, but the helmet muffled his words, and Utu had to focus on the race, noting Mathias edging closer again. Alekto had already nimbly shifted, braced and ready.  There was no going back now.  “Be careful!”  Utu tried to impart, and then pulled the bike closer to Mathias’ car before the crazy human had a chance to take an advantage.

It was all Alekto needed, and Utu watched in intermittent glances as Alekto didn’t just land on the car, but attacked it fully.  “Dammit!”  What mortal name did Alekto go by?  Something ironic.  Something Utu couldn’t remember.  They swerved the bike just intime to see the car’s hood burst open in flames, as Alekto dragged Matthias out and onto the ground.

An old disappointment flooded Utu that there was no more chance of fairly finishing this race.  The race was aborted abruptly, a far more serious problem took its place.

“No, no no no,”  Utu banked the bike and hopped off, tearing the helmet off as he loped towards Alekto.  “Don’t do this - hey.  Hey!  Dude,”  Utu called to Alekto, feeling a pulsing parallel to Kanaloa’s party.  “Enough, it’s over.  You broke Matthias’ foot, dude.  It’s over…”  Utu carefully pressed warm, steady fingers on Alekto’s shoulder.  “Stand down, please.”

Utu sighed, surveying the car wreck, the other people calling and hollering and approaching the site.  All that human confusion, all the questions to follow.  All of Alekto’s trauma out for display.  Utu had to get the Fury out of here.  “He’s not worth it, Virgil.”  That was it.  Some popular poet.  Virgil.

Matthias’ cries were wet, sad and pathetic. Alekto hissed as their arm pushed up against his throat revelling in that bleak desperation that fluttered like a limping moth. In the absence of working blades Alekto wanted to sink their teeth down into him. They wanted to tear at the flesh of his throat and lap at the taste of his wretched lifeblood. But there was a steady weight against their shoulder and it couldn’t have been Matthias because he was half fucking dead. Alekto snapped up to see a halo of light above them. It’s over. Nothing was ever over, but Alekto unwillingly eased up enough that Matthias’ airways could reopen. The little shit didn’t deserve it but once again they were transfixed by Utu’s calm.

Alekto twisted, crawling off of Matthias to shirk free of Utu’s grasp and stand. They licked their lips as if hoping to taste blood but got a hint of last night’s bees knees. “He’ll live.” Alekto exhaled, their gaze heavy and translucent as they bore into Utu’s light. Outbursts, as Tez liked to call them, were not permitted. They were costly. This wasn’t Tez’s mess to clean up, not even Bryn’s either. If Alekto wasn’t in the midst of riding the high of human cortisol they’d have idly wondered what had compelled Utu to intervene – again. Unlike Tez they had no stake in this. 

They weren’t Utu’s dog.

Alekto snarled, and spat to the side. Half tempted to deck Utu but there was no fun in striking someone who wouldn’t fight back. Matthias was the exception. The cunt deserved it. Alekto eyed up Utu but the contempt had gone, they wouldn’t fight him, not unless Utu struck first. Alekto held themself to absurd and deeply unique laws and standards. There was a flock of humans circling Matthias like vultures, or Alekto blissfully assumed, but the reality was they’d dropped to their knees and were working air into his lungs. Someone had called an ambulance.

The jibes were to be expected and patiently tolerated with the indulgence of an elder letting the young ones frolic and campaign in their own way.  Which of course included snarking at old fuddy-duddies like Utu.  But when Alekto spun that typical wild unpredictability (and really, Utu should’ve known better; wasn’t Alekto’s unpredictability the reason Utu had steered clear of the Fury, for all these years?) and placed Utu in the driver’s seat, the sun god startled.

“You know I used to race chariots,”  Utu started to say, tone faint and lost in memories of his sister, their sukkal, his dear Bunene.  The sun itself, a literaly chariot of light, racing across the sky….

…but his hymnal thoughts were snapped short at the mention of Peter.  Utu stared between this Mathias and Alekto, wondering what they were talking about exactly, but too apprehensive to find out.

“You don’t like that man,”  Utu pointed out, once Mathias drove off to get ready.  “What was he talking about?  With this ‘Zip’ character, and - and Peter.”

But even as Utu asked, they were putting on the helmet, getting onto the bike, nodding at Alekto’s brisk instructions.  Excitement bloomed in Utu’s stomach, into his mortal organs, and up his throat.  Utu swallowed hard, enjoying the feeling - thrill!  Adrenalin, perhaps.  It all felt so ancient, yet so novel at the same time.  If he and Alekto died on this bike; so be it.  That didn’t cause Utu alarm; and perhaps ending this descent would assuage his own capitulating worries and fears - about Pan’s murder, about Attaboy, about Erzulie’s welfare…all of it.

Revving the bike, Utu leaned into the handles, and stared down the air strip, waiting for the go.  The spit like a shot and Utu took off, with the comfort of Alekto against his back.  If he heard Alekto whoop, it was lost in the wind that whipped past them.

He looked to the side - there was Mathias in his own car, which took some air just enough to swerve - and try to hit the bike off course.

No-one liked Matthias. He was a self righteous prick who thought just because he was a commercial god, that made him better than the rest. He had his moments when he became tolerable, not palatable, but someone that Alekto could spend time with. Usually only if it was concentrated and limited to racing. Unfortunately, his worst criminal sin was thinking his dick-size would wow women into thinking he was intelligent. Alekto watched the prick drive off, distracted momentarily and totally ignoring the questions that Utu shot their way. It didn’t matter regardless, because Utu still slid onto the bike and they sat behind him.

Utu looked sweet, like a charming gentleman, as they slid the helmet back on. If Alekto thought he was innocuous then, they were proved immediately wrong as the gun went off. Utu was not afraid. Or at least they leant into the bike like it was his own. Commanding it towards the high-speeds that Alekto had purposefully unlocked it for. They giggled, shouting encouragement into the whipped winds but without a helmet and mic, it was doubtful that Utu heard it. They’d looped their mechanical fingers into his jacket. Holding onto them precariously which only served to heighten the thrill of it. 

It also, nearly served as Alekto’s end as a cursory glance to the side illuminated Matthias with balls bigger than his brains swerving his toxic green car their way. It was instinctive that Alekto reached around Utu to swerve the bike away from him. “Fucking prat,” they hissed. It could’ve been their imagination but they could’ve sworn they heard a riotous cackle. Alekto rapped their knuckles against Utu’s borrowed helmet. “Stay safe sunshine.” 

Matthias, ever the ignorant pig, came in for a round two and this time Alekto was ready. They’d rearranged themselves on the back of the bike to be crouching, grateful that the rear box gave them something to grip onto. As Matthias swerved in again, Alekto jumped to land on the hood of his car. With one hand wrapped around the passenger side door, the metal crunching beneath the fully flexed force of their biomech. Alekto slid the firearm they kept tucked beneath their jacket to shoot the remains of the window – Matthias, ever the living genius was still driving an archaic machine. Nothing about this gas guzzler was modern.

They swung around and in through the window. Either Matthias wanted the attention or he’d been driving erratic to throw Alekto off and had forgotten entirely about ramming the bike off the strip. Either way Alekto commandeered the wheel, sending the car off the strip as their own booted foot slammed hard down on the accelerator, to break the bastard’s foot. “The fuck are you doing you cunt.” Alekto hit the brakes but they wouldn’t have needed to, the car was on the fritz. Smoke and distress emitting out of the engine. Alekto grabbed him by the throat, kicking the door open to hoist him out and over the gearstick. “You fucking trying to kill us?” Alekto hissed. This wasn’t the first time Matthias had played games, but he’d only teased at it before. Jokingly revved up behind them and Pan, never had he had the audacity, the balls, or the stupidity, to follow through. Alekto threw him to the ground. Ignoring his pathetic pleads. 

Maybe this time they could protect him.

In a mirror to the last time they’d been sent into an uncontrolled rage, Alekto was on their knees with their biomech pressed up against his throat. After Kanaloa’s party they had yet to find a reputable but anonymous ripperdoc who could fix their blades. So they remained sheathed. Matthias was sobbing beneath her, ugly tears and desperation spouting up in gibberish.

Megaera tilts her head to the side as her sibling goes on a vocal rampage. Part of her wants to laugh at Alekto for their insolence, their rage - ah, but that’s so furious of them, is it not? Her sister, and much as they hate it, serves their own purpose ; for a reason there are three of them. This rage they show her now, it’s perfect, cruel irony - proving the very point Alekto wanted to trample on. But, instead of laughing at them, Meg returns their growl with one of her own.

“How dare you.” A quiet hiss. “How dare you presume this purpose is handed to me because I’m pretty? How dare you speak of things you keep yourself blind to? Are you truly so far up your own ego to not see how these… purposes affect me? Or Tisi? You whine over you anger, and what about me? Do you have any, any idea, sister dear, how much a heartbreak hurts? Do you think it’s pretty to feel like your heart is being clawed out by a venomous beast? If you think you can handle it, then let us trade places - I will taste your anger, and you endure just one heartbreak.”

A moment passes, and Meg cracks a smile - like watching a child throwing a tantrum. But, Alekto was right in one thing ; the three of them had to part. She was thinking about the same thing, too. Loneliness cannot hurt more than a broken heart, a cheated heart. “As if I would care to stop you. Go on. Avenge. Rage. Go on a righteous rampage. From now on we go separate ways.”

“A race?” Utu blinked in shock.  The thrill of a competition in ways only a human could design: races.  On foot, by horse and carriage, now on these bikes.  Utu found races endearing to him, often considering them a celebration of daylight and fairness.  Back in his time, anyway.  Races needed sun, and they needed sportsmanship.  Utu didn’t watch much sports now, but to actually participate…

“You really think that would be fair to them?” Utu motioned to the humans loudly getting along, all vocals and bike grinding about the air-strip.  “After all, you’d win…you would win, wouldn’t you.  What could possibly stop Alekto from winning?”

It came out more of a tease than an actual wonder; so Utu decided.  Whatever answer Alekto said, Utu would agree to this ‘race’.  It felt so…down to earth, to do something like this.  The danger, Utu didn’t particularly care about.  Injury was just part of descension, and so was death.  (And this wasn’t murder.  This wasn’t Pan).  He warned Alekto gently,  “As long as you stick to the rules of the race and don’t do anything like…dramatically veer off and drive us over the edge of a cliff or something.”  There were no cliffs in this area, but knowing Alekto, their adrenalin could make them unpredictable.  Especially if one of these humans did something to set the Fury off. 

But the giggling and smiles…Alekto being comfortable and sharing their world with Utu truly softened the sun-gods heart towards the Fury.  

Utu snorted.  “I’ll keep the Volcan-X tech outside of my brain, thank you.  And you’d be wise to do the same.  As I’m sure you already know,” Utu added, so he didn’t sound like a lecturing old uncle.  

And then very carefully, Utu said.  “Well…okay.”  He smiled suddenly, beaming so brightly that the sun itself seemed to respond, as it finally peeked over the trees and spilled clean soft light over the air strip.  “Rest assured, I did not expect this day to start the way it has.  No wonder you and Pan…”  Utu started to say but then paused.  Utu looked at Alekto, then continued more gently.  “No wonder you and Pan got along.”  

Alekto smiled, the same old shark-toothed smile they’d raucously displayed like a trophy for him, time and time again. Sharing it so freely with Utu felt queer but they didn’t fancy dissecting that right now. “Sure thing gramps.” They would never let Hephaestus inside their head. Unless he was performing the autopsy, even then, Alekto hoped if they were to meet an end like Pan had, someone would have the sense to burn their body. They clapped their hands together. “We were hellfire together, you’re a poor substitute sunshine but you’ll do.” Glossing over what Pan really meant was easier than delving into the truth of it. Alekto licked their lips and glanced over their shoulder at a neon green car that was lit up like a Christmas tree.

“How about! You race them.” Alekto hummed, and then before they could change their mind they tossed them the key. Not necessary. Alekto could fiddle with the dash to unlock the biometric security precautions and that was really all that was needed. A physical key was just a little nod to an archaic old world they had all grown out of. They swung onto the toes of their boots with hands slung into their jacket pockets. About to say they’d go ask who was in for a race, but Matthias appeared with his fluorescent pink gaze and horrid green car. Alekto really hated the thing but maybe that was just because Matthias was a shit lay.

“You racing with us Darcy?” He asked, peering out through a dark tinted window that’d been only halfway slid down.

“Actually,” Alekto started, biting down on their bottom lip and looking between them both. “Gramps here is going to race, aren’t you sunshine? Gonna let ‘em ride my stead.” They snorted and leant against Matthias’ car. Elbows against his door. “Down the strip to the bottom. Zip here to lay out the course? Just so sunshine here doesn’t get lost.”

Matthias bobbed his head. What a fucking prick. “Yeah, yeah I’ll radio Zip now.” For a beat it seemed Matthias was considering having a deep and introspective thought. “Not seen Peter he promised Zip a toot on his fucking trumpet or some dumb shit like that.”

“He ain’t going to be around anymore.” Alekto hissed, resisting the urge to reach into the car and throttle him. “Zip will get their shot in the fucking limelight.” It was about all the kid talked about. They’d chewed both Pan’s and their own ears off last time they’d come around, a chance on the glittering stage. Some promise of a new life. Like life really was that blissfully easy. “Just ride, yeah?” Alekto slapped the side of the car just to see Matthias grimace. They giggled, reeling away somewhat satisfied despite his godawful meddling.

It was a pity, Utu realized, that they’d never really made the overtures to know Alekto.  That it took Pan’s permanent demise before Utu really started to observe and pay attention to Alekto, as something - someone - more than ‘Pan’s person’.  Maybe Utu just preferred to stay blissfully ignorant, as he did about so much darker facets of Pan’s life.  And Alekto qualified as Pan’s darker side, didn’t they?

Except here Alekto was now, offering to take a drive, chortling, being…kind.  Casual.  Not that frenzy of madness as they curved like a sharp blade over Kanaloa, ready to strike and kill and maim.  Twisted with more than just anger and righteous, unpredictable fury.  It had been grief.  Even at the party, Utu wasn’t afraid of Alekto (not to assign hierarchy…but. Utu was a sun-god and Alekto was a Fury.  There was a difference.  Utu would never say that out loud) but the Fury’s violence was incredibly sobering, incredibly destructive.  

Perhaps that was all Utu saw.  Perhaps that was all Alekto wanted people to see; people who weren’t Pan, anyway.

But Pan was gone, and all Alekto had left, was Utu.  And vice versa.

“Coffee with gigglewater…to each their own,”  Utu said with a teasing grimace, but everything moved in an exciting blur after that.  Utu donned the helmet, making no preachy safety-comment about Alekto going bare-melon.  Instead, Utu shut his eyes through the winding streets of speeding New Orleans and thought about Alekto, coming to the speakeasy.  No specificities.  Utu didn’t want them.  But the point was: Alekto had been there, many nights, all this time.  Utu knew…but also didn’t know.  This was a feeling they’d have to wrestle with later.

For now, when Utu opened their eyes, it was to a winding road through the backwoods.  “Hahh….” he exhaled, gazing around but barely having much chance to observe much beyond the occasional shift of Alekto’s tight waist under Utu’s hands, the buzz of the bike, and the far horizon.  Still dark right now, but Utu could already feel the pinkening happen.

Sunshine, Alekto kept calling them.  Utu wouldn’t protest; it was literally what he was, after all.  And when they arrived at the airstrip, Utu was scandalized to see so many others here.  “I thought - I thought we’d be alone,” he said, once he got the helmet off.

Getting off the bike was far more comical.  Utu underestimated their legs, and the long, gawky things almost tripped off the bike, then staggered a bit as Utu tried to catch their balance just to stay standing.  “Oh my stars,”  Utu chuckled, happily embarrassed by their jelly legs.  “I guess I was, ah, holding onto the bike a bit tighter than I thought.”  He reached out, holding onto Alekto’s shoulder to keep steady.  “Phew!!  You mean you could go faster than that?!  You’re incorrigible.”

✘

It was a sight to bold watching them stumble and stagger like a first-time drunkard, or a sixtieth time drunkard. Really all those that sipped on the nectar of life ended up the same ambling mess. Utu was much the same. It was impossible not to laugh at him. “Aye, well this is a popular spot.” Pan’s place up the river was not one of those places. It was quiet there for as far as the eye could see. No mortals. No gargling engines. The pair of them would’ve dipped into the river back in the day. Pan throwing jests that Alekto couldn’t swim, and they couldn’t, not very well. This was well before they’d carved themselves out of carbon fibre and titanium. 

The airstrip however, was noisy. Loud. Rambunctious.

It was everything that Alekto loved on a Saturday night, or really any night of the week. What was it that mortals aid to appease another – it happens to everyone. Alekto had never witnessed someone else dismount a bike so ungracefully. It would be wrong to lie to Utu they supposed. No doubt he would see right through their lie if Alekto delivered it with a caustic laugh. “Fuck yeah I can go faster than that old man.” They turned to slap him on the shoulder. “Taking it easy on you!”

Alekto glanced over their shoulder at the delinquents that had made it out tonight. “You fancy a race? Even with you on the back reckon we could take the bastards that are here tonight.” 

They stared off as if calculating the affect Utu’s weight would have on the bike compared to the racers that were out tonight. Really there was only one that had modded their vehicle enough to take them on, and they weren’t here tonight. What a shame! Alekto giggled, biting down on their bottom lip with scarcely concealed glee.

“You sure you can handle this sunshine? If it’s going to be too much for you we can just drive off into the sunset. Bet I can blast some tunes in the helmet got it hooked up to my noggin.” Alekto tapped their head, then laughed again. It was a pity it wasn’t hooked up to their inner thoughts. Though that meant getting one of Volcan-x’s propriety implants and they were not about to do that. 

"You think I can feel fear?"

The smoking god’s mansion was, unique. Not in the way that Kanaloa’s was. Alekto knew that Tez had a myriad of secrets hidden within these walls. That she only let them see what she was inclined to share. It wasn’t wholly necessary to conduct their business face-to-face. They had a burner line useful for when incidents were required. Or, because Alekto had never much cared for the law they’d message her outright. Sweet little texts just to let her know that the deed was done. In this instance Alekto had been given hard-drives loaded with information of who was late and behind payments. Who needed little nudges to remind them that Tez wasn’t your sweet friendly neighbourhood bear.

They weren’t however expecting, or looking, for a companion. Or, someone to talk to. But the elusive Tenjin skulking about their boss’ mansion wasn’t a surprise. It had been just long enough to warrant Alekto grinning with a shark-toothed smile and sauntering down the stark black hallway. “If it isn’t the Jin.” There was dark glass lining the other side of the hallway, and it was impossible to tell if the view led to the outside or within. Their mood was high – definitely had something to do with Tez. 

Utu caught the helmet, dry hands skimming along the matte finish.  So beautifully crafted, like a black egg.  Utu wondered if Alekto got it custom-made for some specific need or comfort.  And here was Alekto, giving speed stats on their bike, and then adding reassurances that crashing was not in the stars.  Pulling from human superstition about bragging and hubris, Utu hummed the chorus of Pan’s hymn under their breath, as if like a ward against the evil eye.

“No roads, huh,”  Utu said looking up just in time to see Alekto imitating Utu’s dance ‘moves’.  Utu immediately flushed with tongue-clicking embarrassment, but it was the sound of Alekto’s giggle that made everything come crashing down.  Utu’s caution and worries, his burdens and stresses, all of it seemed to snap and fall away when Alekto giggled.

Alekto.  Giggling.  And not some evil, semi-unhinged, ‘it’s so fun seeing you suffer’ kind of unnerving giggle.  It was…nice.  

No, Utu needed a better adjective than merely ‘nice’.  It was like witnessing a wild animal coming into your yard and very carefully coming into the shade to sit for a spell.  Like it pretended not to even notice you were there, but it just wanted the cool shade and some safe, companionable quiet before it disappeared into the wild again.

“Yeah I’m sure you can really turn up a dancefloor yourself,”  Utu said sourly, and then asked something he realized he genuinely didn’t know.  “Did you come to the Attaboy speakeasy often?  I know we don’t boast as big a dancing area as Vamp, but.  Well.  You know Pan, he loved to prance.  He looooved the dance circle.”  There Utu was, bringing in that magical name.  At least Alekto would understand why.  Pan was woven into both their shrouds, and it would take a long time to work that stitching out.  

Maybe, like Utu, maybe Alekto didn’t want to take that stitching out.

Where the river meets the sea.  Utu smiled, vividly recalling the Euphrates.  The sun that shone on a bright stripe of water, making it look like gold pouring out into the sea.  The twin Tigris, by its side.  Beautiful, bountiful.

Alekto, wanting to take Utu for a ride on their bike.  

“I - can we do both?”  Utu said, with one glance at the paperwork; but it was an easy choice to step towards Alekto.  No, Utu wasn’t procrastinating.  This was Alekto.  He can’t pass up this rare opportunity with the Fury.  “I’d love to see the river at sunrise.  And getting some speed going…wow that would be a thrill.  A safe thrill, as you’ve assured me.”

Utu nodded for Alekto to lead the way, as the older god locked up.  The coffeeshop manager could handle opening, if Utu was returned late.  “So I take it everyone cool already turned you down?”  Utu grinned, excited in his self-deprecation.  “When we get back, you get your choice of coffee, or tea. Or whatever you want.  Gigglewater…” they added, thinking of Alekto, giggling.

Alekto chortled. “Yes but not to dance.” That wasn’t necessarily within their remit. The speak however, had been a fond place for them. Except for when they had an argument with Pan – which was frequent. He’d bicker and shout about how Alekto was bringing the mood down. How they were being vexing. Alekto would wring his neck and then, they’d part ways. Besides Attaboy had all their favourite people. Including the insufferable Veles. Alekto presumed that they didn’t want to hear about what Alekto did partake in within the walls of Attaboy. 

“I don’t go to Vamp, if that sets your mind at ease.” It was too polished for Alekto’s liking. “Too bright.” Their favourite speaks were all the grotty ones that lingered in the underbelly of the city. Aušrinė was a pretty thing, all starlight and cosmic smiles. However, Alekto had heard enough of the fall-out between the golden trio – Erzulie, Pan and Utu, to steer clear of Vamps. They weaved their way back out of Attaboy together, Alekto a little surprised that Utu hadn’t taken much convincing to join. They’d half expected him to say a flat-out no. Muster up some sad pathetic excuse as to why they couldn’t join them.

They held their tongue from saying speed wouldn’t kill them. And, if it did well, that wasn’t a permanent death. In the past they would’ve laughed and declared that they both would’ve been quickly reborn. What was life without a little danger? But even Alekto couldn’t bring themself to joke about it, not now.

“I’ll take a coffee with gigglewater.” Sugary sweet, and just the right kind of kick to get you going in the morning. They slinked towards their bike. Knowing full well that if their goal had been to liberate Utu of their shrine, then all they were really doing was luring him into another. Alekto grinned, flipping the engine on their bike so it hummed with a quiet roar into life. “Right you are sunshine.” Alekto said with a noxious laugh, they swung a leg over their bike and freed it from parking mode. “Sunrise for the sun-man.” 

Much easier to lean into ridiculous jests than it was to admit that Alekto had wanted a few hours with someone that knew what loneliness felt like. “No-one left in the city they’ve all scampered off.” Not true, but Alekto didn’t care. They were avoiding one place in particular so sure that if they kept prancing about the city, they wouldn’t ever have to face their valkyrie. That and, no-one else was so willing to jump on the back of Alekto’s bike. Even Perun wouldn’t ever do it.

“Hop on or I’m going to leave without you sunshine.” Alekto gave the engine a small rev, and hastily turned off the auto-pilot. Damnable thing wanted to ride itself and where was the fun in that? 

They purposefully chose to keep the bike land-locked. Alekto road through the streets of New Orleans with a little reckless abandon and just a hint of caution in around the corners. They didn’t bring a spare helmet but they supposed if there was any way to ruin their mortal body, it would be on their bike. A blissful end. The city streaked into a neon blur until even that faded away. The ticking timer in their vision confirmed they had three hours until sunrise. Alekto diverged off the highway down a scantily lit road that led to the airstrip. Finally, slowing down to a stop. They weren’t the only ones there tonight. Half a dozen others were out racing up and down, some twat of a kid was doing doughnuts in the middle of it all.

It hadn’t meant anything, it had meant everything, it was a mistake, it was on purpose. Tez wasn’t sure what to think in the whirlpool of emotions that flooded her after kissing Alekto. Alekto’s little jest, calling the kiss a deterrent brought a chuckle from Tez, dissipating some of the electricity that threatened to arc between them catastrophically.

This arrangement was only supposed to work because Alekto was completely disposable. Someone Tez could wipe her hands clean of at a moment’s notice, feel nothing for as they severed the ties. Yet somehow, over the years Alekto had won a place in Tez’s thoughts, her concerns. It was a liability, if left unchecked. If it festered.

The kiss hadn’t been caring, it had been a mark of possession, Tez rationalised, remembering the bite between their lips fondly.

“You’ll need to get your arms fixed first,” Tez said wryly, following a step behind Alekto back into the party. More pleased than she should be at Alekto’s tease of *master. “Your reflexes were sloppy,” Tez said, even though her face still ached from Alekto’s punch.

“Let me get you a drink,” Tez offered to Alekto as they both stepped back into the comforting din of Attaboy.

“Is that the best insult you can muster?” Alekto asked with a wicked sly grin. If there was anyone in this city that was dangerous to prod it was Tez. Their master. Their boss. Their bitch of a friend. Occasionally Alekto fed into whatever circling mass of unknowns had brought them together. They were fairly certain it was what the mortals liked to announce as a hate fuck. Alekto craved leaving their mark on Tez. But there was no tenderness in it. The closest Tez had ever gotten to that was a sucker punch to the face.

“Byaaaooow - bump-buh-bummmm…”  Utu was alone and therefore Utu felt he could air-guitar bopping solos to their heart’s content.  Some new band - for Utu, in the past 30 years was ‘new’ - that Pan produced or wrote or did something for.  The entire album paired quite nicely with the hymn constantly playing in Utu’s head.   And Utu was feeling the nighttime blues crawling into his system; what better way to beat it, than tackling some organization and some boppy tunes.

So Utu didn’t hear Alekto calling out as the Fury wound their way through the back office and hallway of Attaboy.  At one point Pan had literally wanted to build a mini labyrinth in the back of Attaboy.  For the fun of it.  Get hapless employees (particularly the nymphs) lost on the way to their employee bathroom or storage closet.  Pan had only got halfway through the project before abandoning it, leaving Utu with one more mess to clean up.

‘And you loved it’, Utu reminded themselves. ‘You loved that it made you feel useful.’

Lost in a world of digitizing and filing, his biomech arm only belatedly notified Utu that a second person was in the building; and when they turned - there Alekto was.  Standing tall and strong and unrepentant.  Grinning that awful, pointy-toothed smile as Utu startled wildly.

“Stars above - !  Are you -?!“  Utu tugged off his musi-clips in embarrassment, casting them on the desk.  “Are you kidding me right now, Alekto?  You don’t just sneak up on a guy like that!  What’re you doing here?!”

Alekto asked: wanna get out of here.  And given Alekto was wearing their biking leathers and cradled their helmet, Utu could guess how they’d arrived.  “And go where?”  Utu asked, but then eyed the helmet again.  Temptation crawling over him; that same temptation Utu always felt when Pan proposed some insane idea, and grinned that same grin Alekto was giving Utu now.

Utu pointed to the helmet.  “On your bike, huh.  How…how fast does it go?”

✘

The sight of Utu doing a little air guitar and dancing in a manner that could only be described as abhorrently, did bring laughter to their lips. He always seemed so, stiff. Not that Alekto had ever cared to investigate deeper. They would’ve happily sat there watching him wave his lanky limbs about to get another giggle if Utu wasn’t practically beaming with radiant embarrassment. Maybe this was why they’d been drawn back to him. Alekto had shrouded themself in violence, in darkness and chaos. Becoming companion to those that society had cast out. Utu was none of those things. In fact he was quite plainly the opposite.

Yet, perhaps they could see why Pan had been drawn to him.

There was another point. Utu was the only other person in this city that understood the pain that came accompanied with losing him. Something that humans liked to call – trauma bonding. Alekto tossed them their helmet. “Yeah it only goes 185 in the city don’t worry, it’s limited.” However, outside of the city bounds they’d managed to modify the bike so limits could be ignored. Unfortunately the city had extra precautions in place to ensure any bikes, grounded or airborne, would not exceed speed restrictions. Which was utterly boring if you asked Alekto.

Not that it was an issue. They knew all the best places to race outside of the city. It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d taken Perun out for a test spin. “I’ve never crashed my bike for the record so you’re perfectly safe with me. Now, the other assholes on the road. Those I cannot account for. Good job she’s a hybrid, eh? No roads to contend with.”

“Also, cute moves by the way.” Alekto did a wave of their hand in demonstration of Utu’s dancing skills. Giggled. Then turned back towards the door again. “I don’t know sun-man. Somewhere away from all this shite. Have you ever been down to where the river meets the sea?”

Incidentally it had been one of Pan’s preferred spots.

So much for getting away from the Pan-shrine.

"You think you can kill a fury? Shall we put that to the test?”

The night was young, violent, and particularly pink as the neon glare of the city strobed overhead. They hadn’t texted ahead. Partly because they didn’t have Utu’s details. Though it wouldn’t take much to search them up, Alekto couldn’t be bothered. Not when it wouldn’t take long to cross the city. Their bike screeched to a stop outside of Attaboy. The shutters had been drawn, so Utu really hadn’t been lying about closing up shop for a little while. Alekto unclipped their helmet and knowing full well that if Utu was inside, he wouldn’t hear them banging on the front door, so they nipped around the side alley. From there all it took was to jimmy the fire escape door open, which Alekto had done many a time after being locked out. This lead straight into the back offices, and the speak.

“Utu,” they called.

Would they really want to see them? Alekto hadn’t really considered that. They’d just rode over with the intention of inflicting themself upon Utu. “Come to spice up your cinnamon-vanilla evening.” Well, time would tell whether Utu could be dragged out of their Pan-shrine, and if they’d consider getting on Alekto’s bike. “F-Y-I it isn’t breaking and entering, you were closed so I thought I’d let myself in.” Which didn’t lend any credence to Alekto’s argument of not being burglary. Except the only thing Alekto intended to steal was Utu himself.

Alekto came chest to chest with Tez and Tez’s fury flared at the way Alekto looked down at her. As if the stupid inadequcy of her mortal form meant anything, as if Alekto had the right to look down at her. Some little voice in the back of Tez’s mind reminded her that this was what Alekto enjoyed. They took delight in winding others up, feasting on their rage. By pinching Tez’s chin with their strong, mechanical fingers and holding her in place as they threatened her.

They were impossible!

Tez gripped Alekto by the back of their head, lip half-curled up in a snarl. A move they had used in the past to headbutt Alekto, bring them both pain and blood. But this time the only thing that clashed was Tez’s lips on Alekto’s, their sharp teeth cutting Tez’s lower lip. Tez hummed in delight, the thrill of doing something definitely very dangerous and stupid in the heat of the moment. Because it hadn’t been about her name, Alekto dragging it through the mud. Tezcatlipoca was reviled as much as she was loved, and yes she would prefer for Alekto to keep themselves contained and neat, but there was an appeal to their ire. The damaging flames of their rage that threatened to burn Alekto to a crisp, and if they would just listen to Tez they might not destroy themself with their own anger! Because Tez didn’t want Alekto to to self-implode.

Tez stepped away from the kiss, before Alekto could push her away. Now, well, she couldn’t remember what it was they had been arguing over. Alekto beating up the nymph, being a stubborn fool who was trying to get themself hated by all the gods. “I can’t control you,” Tez said, something of a mantra she needed to repeat around Alekto. “But might I request that such beatings occur anywhere else but the greatest gathering of the divine in New Orleans?”

Of all the things Alekto had expected Tez to do. This was not one of them. It started out familiar. Tez’s hand on the back of their head and usually, what would follow was a flood of pain as Tez used her own forehead as a weapon. Clearly, Alekto wasn’t the only one turned on by a little sweet violence because Tez was kissing them. Biting as much as she kissed. Alekto might’ve chased more if that had been an option. If Tez didn’t practically push them away as she stepped back. Alekto licked their lips. No you can’t, they thought. That had never been part of their little bargain. Tez had always known that.

The moment did serve to sever Alekto’s ire, for the time being.

“Tezzy is that the best deterrent you have?” They teased with a hum. The memorial was thereabouts winding down and frankly, there was better places to be tonight. They’d honoured him. They’d sniffed about and wrung out their free drinks for the night. If Tez wasn’t going to extend her generosity and let Alekto loose, then they’d find somewhere else to do just that. Alekto wanted to raze the city to the ground. They giggled to themself and stepped past Tez, the fire escape door had been left slightly ajar so no need to jimmy it. “Let’s keep work and our little fun separate.” They repeated the words Tez had spoken one night, a long time ago, head cocked with a wicked grin. “Come to the hall. We can do it properly there.”

Alex is anything but pragmatic. They are impulsive, irresponsible (particularly in this descension), 90% action and maybe 10% thought. They do of course hunt, so there needs to be some level of strategic planning but it isn't often. Alekto's version of a hunt is akin to swinging a bat at random and hoping it meets its maker. By no means are they an idealist or a visionary, quite to the contrary.

“Mm. Well, vanilla goes with everything.  Although I wish I was cinnamon,”  Utu murmured off-handedly, getting a little too into this flavour-profiling.  They smirked at Alekto.  “You are like mastic.  I should try to source mastic, perhaps get a new trendy latte flavour out of it…”

Utu was momentarily lost in thoughts of coffee innovation - thus proving how happily boring he was - and tuned back in when Alekto mentioned forming their own cult.  Utu laughed as well, joining Alekto’s cackling.  “You could try, my friend, you could try!  But they don’t make cults like they used to!  You’d have to be Heph levels of technological-wunderkind, or some manner of FAMA-esque phenomenon for human social media and gossip, in order to entice humans now.  Good old-fashioned god-worshipping cults are dead.  Dead, dead like Pan is dead-dead.”

Utu rubbed their face, groaning.  “Oh Pan…Pan.”  Alekto provided further kindle for Utu’s roller-coaster of manic grief, talking about Pan’s supposed plans.  Utu snorted. Wild fancies that Pan dreamed up to impress or frighten others.  Pan had an new idea every new minute - and not all of those minutes were well-used.  It was like Pan needed to unload every thought live and in-person, to whomever was paying attention at the time.  Utu smiled, wobbly and warm.  “You know - Pan played it smart.  He got the attention of humans, sure.  But you know what else he got?  The attention of gods.  Of immortals.  For better or worse, love him or hate him, everyone paid attention to Pan.  He was gaining power, notorious as he made himself.  I could never garner that much attention.  Neither could you…”  Utu looked around the room; neither could many of the immortals here tonight.

Utu shook his head.  “I’m not so sure about the hippie commune but I think you’re right about one thing:  Pan was…experimenting.  He wanted something new.  I was still struggling to catch up and he was already light-years ahead.”  And waiting for Utu to catch up - that was the clincher.  It would be wrong to say Pan forged ahead and never looked back.  He did.  He did, to pull Utu along.

Utu opened their eyes at the sound of their name uttered out of Alekto’s mouth.  The name enough was surprising.  What Alekto said next, pierced Utu’s ancient heart.  Utu leaned forward, meeting Alekto’s fiery, bleak gaze.

“Hate his killer, Alekto,”  Utu whispered back, his voice dropping to something so low, incredibly old.  Solely for Alekto.  “Swear to hunt his killer down, and mete out justice the old way.  Pan wasn’t given the chance to survive.  He would’ve.”

Trust Utu to turn an off-hand comment into an idea. Alekto listened to them, the easy steady pace of Utu ambling on and on, it was a monotonous drone. But it was not dislikable. He wasn’t wrong either. Pan had captured the attention of thereabouts everyone. There was a reason his funeral parade had filled countless streets. Over-spilling with a myriad of emotions and people. No-one else had captivated people quite like he had. Then, Alekto had never strived for that. They welcomed that little convulsion shiver people experienced when they whispered their name. They weren’t worshipped. They were feared. Hated. Invoked for retribution and revenge. Utu? Ancient beyond belief.

Though of course, Pan had seen to that. Now Utu had a cluster of mortals that were latched onto whatever it was he served them upfront – coffee? Pan had been relentless in his quest to renew, they idly wondered if Utu would suffer or thrive without him. If this really would be a new beginning for Utu and their cafe-come-worship-ground. Or, if without his hymn he would fade into oblivion.

It wasn’t their problem, yet maybe they owed Pan one final debt.

Alekto’s gaze lifted, and for once it seemed an immortal didn’t defer to an obscene moniker. Even Pan hadn’t been able to stomach their name. They nodded, slow and considered – wholly unlike them. “Blood for blood,” they murmured. Then because it didn’t feel enough. Because this felt like an old oath. Alekto reached out to touch their hand to Utu’s biomech arm. The nervous connection registered the pressure but there was no feeling, Alekto had long since severed themself from that.

Their glare amassed one thing – there will be no mercy. 

Alekto offered him a sickly sweet smile, fuelled by an exorbitant amount of bee’s knees. “He was half my soul. I won’t stop until they’re dead, destroyed, just as he is.” Which meant finding out precisely how a god could be killed.