Alex is wearing little more than a smile, as he continues hismorning session of tai chi. His build is muscular, one of a man who takes great pride in keeping himself fit.His bedroom would be too lavish and overindulgent for aking, but it's just right for Alex.A large wall-mounted screen comes online to reveal Katherine’sface.“Good morning,” she says.Alex swings around and covers a scar on his chest with onehand. He throws on a shirt and turns to the screen.“Morning,” Alex replies.“Sorry to interrupt your morning workout, but you asked me tocontact you the moment it was ready,” she says.Alex continues to button his shirt as he smiles.“You mean she is ready?" Alex questions.“Sorry when she is ready...” Katherine replies.“Finally. Excellent. Assemble the team...no wait. Let me doit,” Alex says.Katherine nods and the screen goes black.Alex finishes getting dressed and walks over to the wall-mounted screen.“Team training room.” The screen lights up to reveal the training room.Sam, Gaia, Heph, Medusa and Hermes are watching an instructorwho is showing them various martial arts moves.Sam approaches the screen.“Good morning Alex. As you can see everyone is here...” Samsays.“Good to see. I see even Gaia is present for a change,”Alex replies.Sam nods.“I was calling to ask you all to join me on the roof,” Alexsays.In the background Heph and the instructor carry out a judomove and the instructor is quickly smashed into a wall.Gaia winces and says, “I think we may need a new instructor.” Sam looks back at the screen.“Well, we are a little short on the robot models, since Medusadid her little sushi chef impression,” Alex replies.The instructor staggers to his feet.“On our way,” Sam says as he switches off the screen.Alex takes a deep breath and smiles to himself. He straps ona wrist communicator and leaves his room.Alex stands on the rooftop looking over the city as a glassencased elevator rises toward the roof.Sam, Gaia, Heph, Hermes and Medusa step from the elevator andwalks towards Alex.“I’m telling you now if he asks us to base-jump he can go....” Gaia says before Sam interrupts her.“Alex, The team is here,” he calls to Alex.Alex turns and walks towards the team. He raises out bothhands and approaches.“Well what do you think?” Alex says.Heph look at Hermes.“What do we think about what?” he whispers to Hermes.“You’ve got me. Finally think the boss man has lost it,” Hermes says.“Eh. Sorry....What do we think about....” Heph says as hewalks into something and falls backwards onto the ground.Heph holds his head and looks on confused as he tries tofigure out what he walked into. Nothing is there.Medusa reaches out and touches something solid. And invisible.Gaia makes a fists and knocks. Sam places both hands on the invisible object and smiles as Alex flicks a switch on his wrist communicator.“Sorry my bad, need to turn off the cloaking device,” Alexsays.A massive ship slowly appears on the landing deck in front ofthem.“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...met the Pegasus,”Alex says.Heph and Hermes walks around the large ship. Both with thesame look of awe and wonder on their faces.“Coooooool” they both say at exactly the same time.Medusa lowers her glasses to have a better look.The ship looks like a modernized, wingless stealth fighter.It stretches over a hundred feet in length.“Is this...” Sam starts to ask.“Yes. This is Team Zeus’s transport. I couldn’t have my bestand brightest taking the bus everywhere, now could I?” Alexreplies.“Fully armed. It can travel at speeds of mach 10....” Alexsays.“Do you mind?” he asks as he removes the sword from Medusa’sback.He runs the blade along the side of the craft and hands thesword back to her. The scratched panels slowly healthemselves and the mark disappears.“Self-piloted. Self-healing, fully stealth capable,” Alexcontinues.“Self-piloted, isn’t that a little dull?” Heph asks.“Well it can be flown manually, but mach ten is a little toofast for the human mind to cope with... “Alex replies.“How about a God’s mind?” Hermes laughs.“Touche. But for today, I’ll think we’ll let the computerfly,” Alex says.“No fair,” Heph mutters to himself.Alex throws a communicator to Sam.“Here. Each of you will find one inside the passenger bay,”he says.Alex taps his communicator and a large ramp lowers from thecraft.“Anyone fancy a test drive?” Alex asks.Hermes blasts into the Pegasus, almost knocking Heph over.“Me first,” Hermes shouts as he runs past everyone into thecraft.Medusa and Gaia follow Heph onboard.Alex claps Sam on the back as they enter the Pegasus.“Do you mind sitting with me in the cockpit? I want to goover a few things with you,” Alex asks.Sam nods as they enter the Pegasus.The inside of the craft is a high tech dream. Screens showingvarious computer readouts, satellite images and scanningequipment.Each of the team pick their seats as Sam and Alex walk uptowards the cockpit.“Hey how come we don’t get to ride up front?” Heph asks.“Because the child seat is back here....just for you," Medusaanswers.“Hardy har har. Who died and gave you a sense of humor?” Hephreplies.Medusa sits back in the chair and crosses her legs.“Don’t think much of the in-flight entertainment?” she saysas she ignores Heph.“Now children. Play fair,” Gaia says laughing to herself.Alex and Sam sit down in the cockpit.“Thanks for this. It’s amazing,” Sam says.“I just wanted to show you that I’m committed and invested inthis team. You have my full resources. My full attention,”Alex replies.Alex places his hand on a biometric reader and the ship roarsinto life.Sam’s face lights up as the ship slowly lifts of the landingpad. Hovering above the roof of the Olympus headquarters.A three-dimensional hologram of the globe appears on thedashboard in front of them.“Where would you like to go?" Alex asks.Sam touches the globe with his fingers and the globe startsto spin.“Anywhere?" Sam questions.“Anywhere. You decide,” Alex states.Sam spins the hologram even faster and pushes his fingerinwards.“Such a hard decision,” Sam says.“That is a part of you that you must change. You need to makechoices and stick to them. Not look back and question them, no regrets. That alone is one element of a great leader, making the tough choices,” Alex says.Sam spins the globe again.“Do you think I have what it takes?” Sam asks.“I believe in you more than you know. Would I havegone to all this trouble, building this team if I didn't?”Alex says.Alex selects a destination for him.“Here let me show you something,” Alex says.The Pegasus turns and starts to fly straight up into the sky, blasting forward quickly as it does.Alex starts to strap himself in and he talks into thePegasus’s intercom.“You might want to put your belts on and check your lunch.This is going to get fast,” Alex says.Hermes smirks as he straps himself in.The Pegasus jumps to full speed and Heph is thrown back intohis seat.“Yehaa, just like a roller coaster,” Hermes shouts.“But much cooler,” Gaia smiles.The Pegasus starts to climb at an amazing rate.Sam and Alex are pushed back into their seats as the skybegins to grow darker and darker.The ship's speed starts to slow as it enters the Earth'satmosphere.Sam is clearly awe-struck of the sight of the amazing canvasof stars in front of them.Alex clicks a button and one of the walls in the transportarea of the ship changes into a large viewing area. One sideshowing the Earth below, the other showing the stars above.“Oh my goodness,” Gaia gasps.“Amazing, simply amazing,” Heph says.Medusa tips her glasses to look with her own eyes. She letsherself indulge in a rare smile as she beholds the sight infront of her.“This team has massive potential to make a difference in this world, a positive one. But without a leader, without you, it will be nothing. That is why the team should be namedafter you.” Alex says.Sam laughs, “Team Sam?” “No. Not your human name. Team Zeus. Your team,” Alexreplies.“But how will the others react to me being their leader?” Samasks.“You already are their leader. I’ve been watching them,watching you carefully. I know you're more than capable. Ineed you to do this. They need you,” Alex says.Sam looks down at the Earth below.“Where do I sign?” Sam replies.“Excellent. Now shall we take this baby home?” Alex says.Alex selects a new destination on the globe and the shipstarts to turn.The ship begins its descent and the team scramble back totheir seats.The bow of the craft glows bright white as the Pegasus rapidly makes it way back to the Olympus Corp headquarters.It lands and the team disembarks.“Next time can I...” Heph starts to say.“No!” Alex and Sam shout at the same time.Heph drops his head and walks from the roof.“Bummer...” he mutters to himself.Sam looks back at Alex.“When do I tell the others?” Sam asks.“Your team. Your choice. I’m just the guy who signs thechecks now,” Alex says.He claps Sam on the back and he follows the others inside.“Hey Zeus,” he shouts after Sam.Sam turns.“But remember, I will still be watching,” Alex says as hesmiles at Sam.Sam turns back to the team and runs to catch up with them.Alex’s smile fades as he looks at the Pegasus.He places both hands on his hips.“Team Zeus,” he mutters to himself.Later that evening, Alex walks to a wall in his office andpresses a panel on the wall.The panels all slide back to reveal a small room filled withscreens. Each screen shows different locations within thebuilding.The training room. The team's sleeping quarters. Theirrecreation room. The Pegasus. Each screen shows a locationthat the team may vacate during the course of their day.Alex taps a console and rewinds several pieces of footage.He observes the training session from earlier that day. Watching each of the team's performance and reactions. He selects another screen and watches them eating. Watches them sleeping. Watches every aspect of their lives. Forwarding and rewinding. Pausing and observing.Alex sits back in his chair. The sun sets in the background,seen through a large window.He continues to watch the screens with almost obsessiveattention.The end.
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