The next morning, Jim stepped into the intelligence office and was immediately struck by the hive of activity surrounding him. Soldiers occupied desks throughout the space, their fingers flying across laptop keyboards with focused intensity. Assistants weaved between the workstations, pushing carts heavy with books and ancient artifacts that seemed to whisper of forgotten worlds.

  His eyes swept across the walls, taking in the eclectic mix of resources—towering bookshelves crammed with reference materials, massive LCD displays flickering with data streams, and detailed maps marked with locations he could only guess at. What caught his attention most, however, were the posters that decorated the space like wanted notices from mythology itself. A large illustration depicted a half-woman, half-spider creature, her eyes seeming to follow his movement across the room. Nearby, another poster showcased a muscular humanoid figure with the unmistakable head of a bull, bronze axe raised menacingly in its grip.

  Another wall had a map of Greece with various colored pins stuck in it; thin nylon string radiated from the base's location. He stepped over and examined the pins. Many were black, but a few were green. He stared at two green pins placed in the region where he had found Medusa.

  Two?

  "We were hoping Phineus might join us, too."

  Jim turned around to see Major Chang standing behind him holding a tablet.

  "Optimistic, I see," Jim replied.

  "We have faith in you. You managed to recruit Medusa after all, which is a major accomplishment."

  "Thanks. About Phineus..." Jim began, concern evident in his voice.

  "What about him?" Chang asked, looking up from his tablet.

  Jim exhaled sharply. "Two things. First, are there any records of him turning into some kind of hulking demon? And second, he has a condition I'm not sure we can meet."

  The uncertainty in his own voice bothered him. As a negotiator, he was used to having all the facts before walking into a situation.

  Chang rubbed his chin, considering the question. "Ancient history is unreliable at best," he admitted. "If a transformation really happened to him, it's possible the details were lost, misinterpreted, or even deliberately erased over time." He tapped his fingers against his tablet. "As for his terms, I read your report. If we manage to pull this deal off, we might be able to secure Phineus—another promising candidate."

  Jim felt his eyebrows furrow slightly. "You want Phineus, but not Perseus?"

  "One thing at a time, Jim. There's a lot more behind the scenes, but it'll all make sense later. For now, just focus on fulfilling our end of the deal with Phineus," Chang said, waving his hand dismissively.

  Jim's eyebrows lifted slightly at the evasive response, but he'd learned to recognize when Chang was operating on a need-to-know basis. "Understood. I think I can handle that."

  "Good," Chang said, nodding. "Everything's going to come together. We just need to proceed without any mistakes." He looked at Jim with the same confident expression he'd worn before their biggest missions. "Don't worry though. We've got this handled."

  Jim nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that he was only seeing pieces of a much larger puzzle. In his negotiation work, he'd learned that the information you weren't given was often just as important as what you were told. Chang studied him for a moment before changing the subject.

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  "By the way, those specialized glasses—how's Medusa handling them? Are they comfortable for her?"

  Jim let out a slow breath, considering his response. "So far she hasn't complained about comfort, but I'm worried about them slipping off."

  "I agree, that would not be good," Chang muttered, rubbing his chin with obvious concern. "So bring her in and I'll add an elastic band—like goggles. We can't risk her turning people to stone by accident."

  An idea struck Jim. "What about contacts?"

  "Tinted contacts?" Chang asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

  "Yeah. I'd like her to have choices—glasses might become uncomfortable for her. She shouldn't have to wear glasses constantly."

  Jim watched Chang mull this over, recognizing the thoughtful expression he'd seen countless times during their briefings. Finally, Chang nodded. "Fair point. Neither should regular glasses wearers, but I get your meaning. She can wear contacts while she's on base. But off base, it's goggles or glasses. Contacts aren't as easy to remove in a firefight."

  The practicality of that statement hit Jim immediately. In his negotiation work, he'd learned to think about worst-case scenarios, but this was a whole different level of contingency planning.

  "Thanks, Major. Now, I've got another question—Medusa's history. Something doesn't add up," Jim said, crossing his arms as he organized his thoughts. "The records say Athena cursed her after the Poseidon incident out of disgust. But Medusa told me Athena gave her the armor and bow. Why would she punish her, then arm her?"

  Chang rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Jim could see him working through the contradiction. "Maybe she received those gifts before the incident?"

  Jim shook his head firmly. "I doubt it. A warrior priestess? That doesn't fit the story we've been told."

  "I agree—there's more to this than what's been recorded. We should look into it."

  "How?" Jim asked, though he suspected he wouldn't like the answer.

  Chang's sly smile confirmed his suspicions. "Simple—ask Medusa."

  Jim felt his chest tighten. "I'm afraid of bringing up an uncomfortable subject."

  "Ok then, how about... ask Athena?"

  Jim raised an eyebrow, certain he'd misheard. "Really? And how exactly do we do that?"

  "For starters, get Medusa to a temple and see what happens."

  Jim studied Chang's face, looking for any sign this was a joke. "You sure that's going to work?"

  Chang's smirk widened. "I'm pretty sure. Here's an opportunity to recruit a god, and I'd like you to take it."

  Jim ran a hand down his face, feeling the weight of responsibility growing heavier by the moment. "A god. All right, I have to ask—what's the real endgame here? Are we more than just forming a superhero team?"

  Chang's expression shifted, becoming more serious as he leaned forward. "Knowledge. Understanding their abilities, magic, their mastery of biotechnology—and especially their so-called immortality. Even with all our advancements, we still can't match what they're capable of."

  Jim found himself genuinely curious despite his reservations. "Do you really believe in immortality?"

  Chang leaned back thoughtfully, his fingers drumming against his desk. "That depends on how you define 'immortality.' Are we talking about truly eternal life, or simply an exceptionally long lifespan? After all, a human's hundred-year existence would seem like immortality to a mayfly that lives for only a day."

  Jim let out a short laugh, recognizing the academic enthusiasm in Chang's voice. "You're really into finding out these gods' secrets, aren't you?"

  Chang chuckled in response. "Not just me. Pretty much everyone from our time wants to crack that mystery. There are so many unanswered questions when you start thinking about it."

  Jim exhaled, shaking his head as the enormity of it all settled over him. "I guess I never really looked at it that way. I've been too busy worrying about the mission in front of me."

  Chang nodded with understanding. "I get it. It's a lot to take in. But let's circle back to the Athena situation—see if anything comes of it. You don't have to grab Medusa and drag her off to a temple this second. Take your time. Get to know her better, see if she opens up about her connection to Athena. The more you learn from her, the better we can understand what we're dealing with."

  Jim mulled it over, his negotiator instincts appreciating the patient approach. After a moment, he gave a nod. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'll keep that in mind. Appreciate it, Major."

  Chang acknowledged him with an approving nod. "Good. Anything else you're wondering about?"

  Jim chuckled, feeling some of the tension ease from his shoulders. "Nope, that covers it. Thanks for the insight."

  "Anytime, feel free to stop by whenever."

  With that, Jim stepped out of the building and headed toward the main hangar, his nerves mounting as the upcoming briefing drew closer.