Chapter 23: Chapter 23: President

“Faith, why are you not coming in?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry I still just can’t process what happened today. You killed the speaker of the house, addressed the nation while uncovering what the government has been doing, and then had the fucking President of the US send out a public message saying not to do anything regarding the incident with the speaker, and he sent you a direct message asking for a meeting? I was not expecting this outcome from a simple boring hearing.”

Hm, I guess she would be surprised, even I didn’t expect it to take that turn, but I mean, that hearing was going nowhere, and the lies and hypocrisy annoyed me. The fact that they’re already enslaving and torturing changed makes my blood boil. I know how it feels to be helpless, powerless, chained up and be experimented on. 

I walk over to Faith, take her hand in mine and drag her into the bedroom. Lying down and patting the area beside me. Faith looks at me and then lays down, snuggling up close as she purrs.

“I wasn’t really planning on doing any of that, but I guess I couldn’t control my emotions. I don’t know. Maybe the fact that they were openly trying to discriminate against changed, against you, against me, just let my inner self loose? I still think this was for the best.”

“But what about that last little statement, “I am a Goddess”. How did you do that? I could feel the divinity emanating from you, your aura expanded to cover the entire room. Even your voice was different.”

“That is a little trick me and Athena figured out due to how we’re connected. Seeing as my body is sort of primed for divinity, she can channel a part of herself into my body, essentially making the two of us become one. Athena is Ethenia, and Ethenia is Athena. I can’t quite explain it any better than that. It requires me to be in goddess form though, the vampire side and divinity still doesn’t mix that well.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? You’ve let all the gods and avatars know about you?”

“I was planning on being a bit more discrete at first, but being a public figure, untethered by bureaucracy would make it easier to do a lot of the things I want to do. While what I said was technically true at the time, the fact that I’m more of a demi-goddess in this form isn’t public knowledge, so a lot of people would probably think twice about whatever they’re planning once they see a demonstration of that channeling ability.”

I let out a sigh, stroking Faith's hair and wiggling down, laying my head on her chest. She’s so warm and comfortable.

“At first I just wanted to live my life, go to university, make friends, I wasn’t even planning on getting a girlfriend, not that I’m complaining.” I tilt my head up, for once I’m looking up at Faith, and plant a kiss on her lips, not one of hunger or lust, but a slow, loving kiss filled with emotions. “Things didn’t go according to plan. The avatars are stronger and more dangerous than I thought, the players are already circling around, doing whatever they can to grab power. Even if I didn’t do anything, it would eventually affect me. Plus I have another reason I want to make the world stable and not a chaotic battlefield of gods.”

Our roles reversed, Faith is now cradling my head in her embrace, stroking my hair. I don’t purr, but If I could, I would probably be doing that right now. It feels nice to be taken care of at times. I tilt my head up again, looking into the icy snow filled blue eyes of my lovely fox.

“Oh? What would that reason be?”

For once I’m not sure if she’s teasing me or seriously asking.

“You, my foxy girl.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

I don’t often see Faith embarrassed, but when I do she’s really adorable. Oh now she’s doing it on purpose. Moving her hair around, placing my head on her shoulder so my mouth is aligned with her neck. This is her fault. Don’t blame me. I transform in the blink of an eye, licking her neckline and sinking my fangs in, eliciting a yelp of surprise from Faith. She’s looking down at me with reproachful eyes.

“What? I was tempted, and you were practically offering.”

I give her a smug wink, licking my lips and laying my head back down onto her body.

“Little vixen vampire, shouldn’t you be out there dealing with the aftermath of your little proclamation?”

She’s right, but I don’t feel like doing that right now.

“Mmm, you’re probably right, but not today. Today is for cuddles.”

Faith lets out a giggle, giving me a mischievous little wink and poof, tails galore. This is going to be the cuddliest cuddles.

 

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The next morning a helicopter picked us up on the roof, something that is quite convenient since I sort of half own it I guess? Maybe I should just buy the entire building? Renting income? Anyways the ride to the White House took about an hour, as we were landing in the backyard.

Originally I was planning on taking Ingrid, well, Mystica, with us, but she refused. Something about paperwork, applications, and I swear I heard a comment about a murderous goddess, but I’ll let that slide. Anyways she instead wanted to have Faith come with me as Devotion, seeing as she’s “better at calming me down”, I’m not really sure what she means, as I feel I’m generally quite calm as long as someone doesn’t talk about inhumane experiments or slavery.

Being led through the halls by the Chief of Staff and a few Secret Service “guards”, we arrive in front of probably the most popular room in the world. The oval office. After getting confirmation that the door can be opened, we’re let into the room and the president is sitting on one sofa reading through a file, assuming that’s some last reading on my file? Not that he’s going to find much. I notice that woman, uhh, whatever her name was standing in the corner of the room. “Elin Glass, seriously Ethenia, are you reducing a goddess to being a secretary? I feel like lately all you have me do is run around gathering information and pacifying gods.”

I have to hold myself back from letting out a chuckle at Athena’s comment, I guess she’s right. So far we’ve only dealt with one avatar, well, I have definitely “dealt” with Faith, but that’s different. Oh well, guess It’s time to see what mister president wants.

“Find anything interesting in my file?”

He looks up, giving us a nod. I assume we’re already past greetings and we’re just getting straight to the small talk before the serious stuff.

“Well considering there’s basically nothing on you. Arrived in the country a few months ago, suddenly became a citizen with greek noble roots, ties to an ancient priestess line that were considered Athena’s closest believers in ancient Greece. Attends university, double major in business and history. Works with the HDA as, well, at least publicly we had no official role for you until you said strategic advisor, but I’m obviously assuming you’re much more. Resolved a hostage situations with tactics and swiftness typical of special forces who specializes in off-the-books operations. Has an apartment in a high-class area with incredibly thorough network defenses. Last thing of note is that you’ve recently been seen around campus and the city with a certain lady, her name is, ah, Faith? Assuming that’s a girlfriend?”

“Hmm, yep, that pretty much sums it up. Also yes, that is my girlfriend.”

Faith, undercover as Devotion looks between me and the president with an expression that is thoroughly amusing. Looks like Elin Glass is looking at us in the same way, as the president of one of the largest and most influential nations, as well as a self-proclaimed goddess, are currently chatting like old friends, I guess I can understand. 

Motioning for the couch opposite where the president is sitting, he gives me a nod and I sit down, looking at Faith as she sits down besides me. I’m impressed, she’s actually keeping professional distance, she usually doesn’t do that. I guess she’s still sort of not over the fact that we’re meeting the president of the country she grew up in?

“So, how political do you want this meeting to be, I see you’ve also brought the Chief of the new department?”

“Honestly I was caught off-guard by what you said during your little, Q&A with the press. While I was aware of a few rogue high-ranking officers in the military doing something, interesting, I didn’t honestly pay that much attention to it as I’m still swamped with other countries, especially European ones asking for help in resolving their situations, while we’re also trying to figure out what to do domestically.”

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I wasn’t expecting him to be that completely honest and not try to sugarcoat or hide away the fact he didn’t know about things. I guess I’ll pay him in kind. Funny how he completely disregarded my comment regarding Elin. I look towards her still standing there.

“Aren’t you going to sit down? This conversation might take a while.” Turning my gaze back towards the president. “I’m assuming you want her to hear this conversation?”

He gives me a nod and Elin comes over to sit, funnily enough, besides the president. I haven’t gotten a close look at her, and I was wondering why she was standing so far away, until she sat down, that is. Athena, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t our standing theory that Avatars had weird pupils?

“Considering our sample size, yes, but I have no clue anymore. She obviously doesn’t have any sigils for pupils, and neither does Ingrid, but we assumed that was due to it being a different kind of being? We never really paid attention to the Ifrit avatar, but as far as I can recall, he didn’t have any either.”

Hm, I’m starting to believe it might be depending on how the contract is set up? I mean you and I are a special case, but we did enter a contract of equals, right? As far as I know, and I’d like to think you never lied to me, not that I would know, probably, there is no way for you to enforce your will on me or make me do what you want besides making me into a mindless puppet?

“Honestly I’m not even sure I could if I wanted to, due to how special we made your soul, as well as your vampire side. I honestly don’t think any mind altering would work on you for more than a short duration before your cells would regenerate or whatever it is they actually do. To answer your question though, I think your theory might be right that it depends on the contract type.”

What does that make our little chief here. Hmm. Guess there’s only one way to find out.

“Sorry about that, I just had a little epiphany. So, before we start there is one thing I’d like to confirm.” Turning my eyes to stare into Elin’s. “Who is your goddess?”

I can feel Faith’s body tense beside me, apparently she didn’t notice, and neither did Sigyn or Khione. That reminds me I need to talk to them about their blessings, as something is weird. The president is looking at me with a confused expression, okay, he doesn’t know about avatars.

On the other hand Elin has stood up taking a defensive position, ready for a fight. Is this seriously her reaction to that? She doesn’t even try to deny it. It’s not like it’s noticeable, wait, how did I actually notice? Athena? “I’m equally as surprised as you are, as even I didn’t notice. I think you noticed the connection of divinity between her soul and the realm I’m residing in. I’m assuming your vampiric instincts soaked up that particular information from when you killed Ifrit and his avatar.”

“Don’t worry, as long as you heed my warning I don’t particularly care, and since you’re in this room besides knowing what I am, or who you assume me to be, you want what’s best for this country. Now I don’t know what you or the president think is the best, but that is what we’re here to discuss, isn’t it?”

Elin looks towards the president, he’s still confused about what we’re talking about, but for some reason she’s asking him permission, weird dynamic. He gives her a nod and she relaxes her stance, sitting back down.

“Veritas.”

That explains so much. Athena correct me if I’m wrong but she is the roman goddess of truth? “Well, she is as much roman as I am greek, but yes. She doesn’t have a lot of fighting potential, so I don’t assume our little mortal there is going to be a problem, at least not if you have to get rid of her. If you do, could you possibly not kill Veritas? She’s actually one of my few friends I have.”

I mean I’m not planning on killing the entire divine realm, but yeah, no worries Athena.

Now then.

“Then I assume you invited yourself into this meeting, without him even knowing why or what you can contribute besides being in “charge” of the changed?”

Elin gives me a shy nod, I guess nobody truly knows about her, huh.

“Excuse me, can you explain what is going on here?”

“Right. Sorry about that, it’s just not often I meet others. Anyways. As I previously mentioned, and as you probably know from some HDA report or another way, the gods are real. Most the ones we know about are real and alive, and there are a plethora of other divine beings we don’t have names for, lesser divines if you will. Our little Elin here is in a contract with a certain Goddess of Truth, named Veritas. I’m assuming she’s here to make sure I don’t spout any lies or try to manipulate you by deceiving you. She probably already used her ability on me during the hearing, except I don’t think she had a lot of success in reading my words in that setting. Assuming you would prefer a quieter environment without that many distractions and floating thoughts around, as well as sitting face to face with me?”

By the annoyed expression on her face, I’m assuming I was right. I guess Athena’s divinity overshadowed whatever the contract gives her, I’m not even sure why Veritas has a contract with this type of girl, Athena you should probably check on that sometime.

“Anyways, that brings us to what I wanted to talk about. Gods are very, very much real, and there are already traces of multiple divine beings just in this room. The goals of the gods differ, some don't care that Earth has been reconnected to the divine realm, heaven, realm of gods, whatever you want to call it. Others care very much, as a few of the more malevolent ones see Earth as a playing field, a board game if you will. They are essentially playing a mix of monopoly and war on a planet scale. I assume you can realize how that will go for our planet, and the mortals living on it.”

I give the president a minute to contemplate on what I already said. Meanwhile it seems there is something Elin wants to ask me, so I look at her.

“Are you really a Goddess? I figured there would be others like me, my goddess doesn’t speak too much with me, but I find it hard to believe you are one.”

Hm, I really don’t want my little bluff to be outed just yet, Athena, you should probably get ready, sorry for occupying your time when I know you’re busy researching, but the longer we can pull the wool over their eyes, the better.

“That Is what I said, no?”

“You did, but I still find it hard to believe. I felt the room, and I felt you emanating something akin to what it felt like when I first spoke to my goddess, but it’s different, you feel more like me.”

“Well I wouldn’t want divinity leaking out of my aura wherever I go, would I? Very well, it seems words won’t suffice, and I assume our president here would want a demonstration as well.”

I feel my bond with Athena strengthen as her god essence flows through and encases my soul. It feels warm, good, right, like I’m meant to have this, but my body can’t handle it quite yet. I can feel my muscles constricting as they’re trying to accommodate the massive increase in, everything. My mind and Athena’s mind become one, and once again I can feel the shift in my mentality. I don’t usually care for people, but now they’re nothing more than insects, pests, bugs that I don’t care about, that I’m only humoring for my own entertainment.

“While I don’t enjoy being seen as a circus pet doing tricks, I will forgive your insolence this once, but do not test my patience.”

I can feel Elin’s heart rate soar, as realization dawns on her, she just offended a Goddess. Self proclaimed or not, she can not deny what she felt, what my aura told her. In this moment, as I was during the hearing, I am Athena and she is me. While I can’t manifest her full divinity in this body, well, in this form, it doesn’t matter. There is enough to convince them. I notice Faith’s breathing growing erratic, and I can see the president stop breathing all together. Right, they’re in close proximity with the full force of the divinity bearing down on them.

I revert back to my normal goddess form. Well, demi-goddess is probably an apt description, but changing how me and Athena think about my different forms isn’t really important or worthwhile.

“Now that introductions are over, maybe we can get on with the meeting?”

The president and Elin look at each other, before giving me a nod. Perfect, now then, let’s begin.

 

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