[center][img]http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo63/NMShape/coollogo_com-14706267_zps64516cfe.png[/img][/center]
[center][b]Aubrey Adkins[/b][/center]
	[b]“Right.”[/b]  Icon said after I told him how I also ‘volunteered’ to help Athena.  And when I say ‘volunteered’, I mean that I was impressed into service.  However, almost as soon as that single word response had exited the blue and silver clad superhuman’s mouth, we were both airborne, soaring after Athena’s little owl friend.  Icon had picked me up with his right hand, carrying me so that we were parallel to each other.

	[color=B22222]“Holy $%!@”[/color]  I blurred out when I finally realized what the heck was happening, seeing that we were several yards off the ground and rising as every second passed.  Instinctively, so that I might not fall if for some strange reason Icon dropped me, I wrapped my arms around his neck and my eight legs around his body, just as any rational person would do if she ever happens to find herself far off the ground.

	[color=B22222]“What the hell?”[/color]  I yelled into Icon’s ear.  [color=B22222]“If you’re going to pick me up, at least give me a warning first!”[/color]  However, my yelling did not seem to faze Icon at all.  In fact, he did not even seem fazed by having a half-human, half-spider person wrapped around himself.  I know that there was a ‘demon’ invasion in Lost Haven (I would know, I actually helped out for a while until that Iron B!#&* restrained me after I decked that wannabe Iron Man), but come on!  How many animal people do you see running around the country?

	[color=B22222]“Please don’t tell me you have some weird fetish.  Because this could get very awkward very quickly.”[/color]

	Icon slightly turned his head to give me a glance and then immediately turned his attention back to following the small owl named Bubo.  From his expression, it seemed like he was trying to say ‘where the heck did that come from’.  On one hand, it was a relief to know that he did not have any weird ‘interests’ that would apply to me.  On the other hand, I’m kind of embarrassed that I asked that.  Well, what’s done is done, I guess.

	[b]“Actually, I ran into a wasp-girl and a raptor-man several weeks ago.  They were quite the cute couple.”[/b]

	[color=B22222]“WAIT.  YOU MET THEM TOO?  HOW THE HECK DO THEY GET AROUND SO MUCH?”[/color]

	Icon just shrugged his shoulders, or at least as much as he could while he was flying.  I guess I shouldn’t expect him to know how those two get around so much.  For their own sake, I just hope they don’t have someone like Athena dragging them around from place to place.  That gets kind of annoying really quickly.

	After a few minutes of following Bubo the owl (I cannot believe I just said that), we finally arrived at the Temple of Ares that was constructed in Lost Haven by the Greek God of War himself.  Once we were firmly standing on the ground, I immediately released my grip on Icon and jumped to the side, just to make sure I wouldn’t give the paparazzi any bad ideas, if there were any around, anyways.

	Athena had already been waiting for the two of us on the steps of the giant temple, with that man clad in Greek-like armor still in her hands.  Bubo the owl promptly landed on her shoulder, which prompted her to pull out a little food and feed him with it.  Then she turned and began to enter the temple, assuming that we would follow her in.  Once inside the temple, Athena tossed the servant of Ares onto the floor in front of Ares.

	“Your champion has been vanquished, half-brother.  Remove this temple from this city at once and leave these lands immediately.  Hopefully the beatings that I have given you in the past, which have been recorded by the poets, should spur you to obey, lest you suffer more embarrassment.”  Athena declared to the seated God of War.