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October 5th, 2013:“I still don’t understand how pricking us with needles is going to protect us from disease.”Jemma Simmons let out an exhausted sigh. When she had enrolled at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, she had envisioned herself making amazing scientific breakthroughs that revolutionized the field of biochemical engineering. She did not imagine she would ever find herself having to explain basic concepts of modern medicine to two temporally-displaced Greek heroes who had no awareness of basic medical concepts that people today took for granted.Given the fact that their immune systems had never been exposed to modern diseases, the staff at the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in Athens had insisted on slowly administering contemporary vaccines to ensure that the time travelers’ bodies would be able to fight off modern diseases. To a degree, she could understand their skepticism. From the perspective of Achilles and Patroclus, almost everything that the team on the Bus talked about was sounded like utter madness. Of course, that made her and Fitz’s job of providing the requisite vaccinations harder because they needed to find the words to explain why this was important.“Your bodies are unprotected against modern diseases,” Fitz tried to explain, taking a deep breath as he answered Patroclus’ comment. “These vaccinations will strengthen your immune systems to fight off infection.” “That doesn’t explain what a vaccination is,” Achilles interjected. “And how do you even know we have these “immune systems”?”“Let me see if I can explain it in a way that you can understand,” Simmons interrupted. Neither her nor Fitz were good with explaining things, or with people in general, to begin with, but of the two, she was the most outgoing, so she stood a better chance of finding a better way to get their two guests to understand. “Imagine your body is like Troy. Your skin is the walls that protect it from invasion. The human immune system is the archers atop the walls, shooting down enemy soldiers before they can breach the walls. Vaccines” she gestured to the row of syringes. “Are target practice for the archers. Each disease attacks the body differently, and so these vaccinations teach those little archers how the disease works so that if you are ever truly infected, they’ll know how to fight the illness off before it can get past the walls and do further damage to your body.”Achilles did not resist the shots after that, through he still clung to Patroclus’ hand for support each time the needle went in. Patroclus was next, and though he too held his lover’s hand through the procedure.Three hours into their flight, Simmons declared that they were done for the day. While technically safe to give multiple vaccines at once, she and Fitz did not want to take the chance because of how underdeveloped the two ancient heroes’ immune systems were, and so they elected to space things out over the course of a few days so as not to overwhelm their bodies. With the work done for the day, Patroclus and Achilles headed elsewhere on the Bus for the rest of the flight, leaving Fitz and Simmons to clean up in the lab and continue their work.“Could you teach me?”Patroclus’ voice jolted her out of her thoughts, and she looked up, startled to find him back in the lab. She glanced at the clock and realized that five hours had passed, and they were an hour away from landing. She dimly recalled Fitz heading upstairs to grab some food, but she’d evidently neglected to feed herself, if the growling of her stomach was any indication. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Patroclus.”“Sorry,” she replied. “I lost track of time. What is it that you need?”“Would you be willing to teach me?” he asked. “I treated wounded soldiers at Troy. I kept me busy while Achilles was on the battlefield, and I enjoyed using the medicinal knowledge I’d learned from Chiron to help others. If medicine has changed this much over the centuries, I want to bring my knowledge… up to date, I believe the phrase was.”Simmons paused for a moment, thinking of how she should respond. On the one hand, she wasn’t a doctor. Her specialty was biochemistry, and while it did draw on knowledge of the human body, that did not make her qualified to teach modern medicine to a man whose understanding of medical care was still in the bronze age.But then her mind flashed images of the impromptu surgery she’d performed alongside Fitz to remove Akela Amador’s cybernetic eye. She had no surgical training and they’d managed to do just fine. But image how much easier things would be if we had someone on the Bus dedicated exclusively to medical care, her inner monologue whispered.Another part of her pointed out that Patroclus had not signed on as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and was not a medically licensed doctor by modern standards. But he wants to know how it works, her inner voice argued. And how else is he going to learn about modern medicine and science if neither you nor Fitz are willing to teach him. Giving in to her own internal arguments, she looked up at Patroclus.“I’m not an actual doctor,” she replied. “But I can give it my best shot.”
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October 5th, 2013Despite all that had changed in the last three thousand years, the sight of the clouds rolling by outside the windows of the airplane as it sailed across the sky was something Achilles found comforting. It was a reminder that for all that the ways of men had changed since the days of his youth, other things in the world had not.The vaccinations with Agents Fitz and Simmons had been uncomfortable, to say the least. He could understand Simmons’ comparing it to training archers to defend the walls of a city, that did not make being stabbed with so many needles any less painful. With nothing else to do to occupy themselves, he and Patroclus had retired to the room they’d been given and curled up in bed together. Part of him wanted to make love with Patroclus just for the sake of remind themselves that they were still alive, but for now, he was content to lay together beneath the blankets.As Achilles lay there in bed, feeling the rise and fall of his beloved’s chest against his hands, he could not help but wonder about his own future. As the child of a goddess, his path was pre-ordained from birth. He would train and fight like all the other heroes before him. Growing up he had reveled in his athleticism, his skill and speed and strength. But with the Trojan War gone and no one for him to fight, Odysseus’ prophecy haunted him.
"The gods have seen fit to share with me a prophecy about you,”
“What prophecy?”
"That if you do not come to Troy, your godhead will wither in you, unused. Your strength will diminish. At best, you will be like Lycomedes here, moldering on a forgotten island with only daughters to succeed him. Scyros will be conquered soon by a nearby state; you know that as well as I. They will not kill him; why should they? He can live out his years in some corner eating the bread they soften for him, senile and alone. When he dies, people will say, who?”
The slippery king’s words gnawed at him. He had gone to Troy. He had fought and raged until his name had carried on for generations such that men born three thousand years later knew his name.But part of him still worried. Would his gifts wither now that he was no longer in Troy? And if they did, what would he do then? Being a warrior was all he had. It was all he had ever been expected to be for so long that with the burden of that expectation lifted, he had no idea what to do with himself. “I want to speak with Agent Simmons again when I have the chance,” Patroclus said. Achilles' brow furrowed, both at the broken silence and at his lover's words. “What for?” he asked. “I worked in the physicians’ tent at Troy while you were in the field,” his beloved answered. “The men requested me personally because of Chiron’s teaching. But listening to Agent Simmons speak of immune systems and vaccines made me realize how much more there is for me to learn. I want to know how mankind’s knowledge of healing has grown over the millennia. I think, looking back, I found my place in that tent at camp, and I want to continue that.”Achilles smiled. Of course, Patroclus would find his place in helping others. That was one of many things he loved about the man’s gentle soul.“I think that is an amazing idea, Philtatos,” he replied. “You will be amazing.“What about you? What do you want?” Achilles dreaded that question, earnest though he knew his lover was. Without war or glory to look forward to, there was nothing to give him direction.“I do not know,” he admitted. “All my life I was raised and trained to be the best warrior of our generation. Aristos Achaion. But now that we are away from the war, I have no idea what I will do with myself.”“You will find something,” Patroclus commented, taking Achilles’ hand in his. “I know it.”“But what if I don’t?” Achilles replied. “Do you remember the prophecy Odysseus spoke of when we were on Scyros? Of how my godhead and skill would wither if I did not go to Troy? I fear that because I did not die at Troy they will still fade and there will be nothing left of me without them.”He was about to continue, but Patroclus flips onto his stomach and kisses him, their fingers entwining on their other hands. The gesture calmed Achilles, the anxiety fading.“There is more to you than your skills as a warrior, Philtatos,” Patroclus replied as they broke the kiss. “You were foretold to be the greatest warrior of our generation. Nothing was ever said of your musical talents. Or your ability to dance. None of that was from your godhead. Every song, every dance, was you, and you alone.”Tears welled up in Achilles’ eyes at his beloved’s words, a warm feeling in his chest as he heard Patroclus call him “most beloved.” Patroclus was right. If his martial skill withered, he would always have music.A knock at the door disturbed their quiet moment. Patroclus moved to allow Achilles to push himself upright.“Come in,” he called out.The door opened to reveal the woman the other agents on the plane referred to as Skye. Apparently, she was not an actual agent and was only there as something called a “consultant”, which Achilles presumed was an advisory position like Phoinix had.“Hey,” she greeted. “Just wanted to let you guys know dinner’s ready if you’re hungry. We usually get takeout whenever we land but Fitz figured you two tagging along was enough of a special occasion to whip up some grub in the galley.” Achilles looked to his lover. He did not necessarily care which, but as he assumed Patroclus wanted to dine with their hosts.“We will join you,” Patroclus told Skye.“Great!” she replied, clapping her hands together. “I’ll make sure we leave you guys enough space for you to sit together.” Reluctantly, Achilles pulled his legs out from under his beloved, and Patroclus climbed down from the bed beside him. As they followed Skye into the common area, he heard the other occupants of the airplane laughing and talking. Though he could not follow the conversation, he was familiar with the tone. It reminded him of many nights around the campfire in Troy, sharing stories and laughing to keep their spirits up. The meal was quite good. Achilles did not quite understand what it was made from but he loved the taste of it. He could not follow most of the conversation happening around him, but he still enjoyed watching Agents Coulson, Ward, Fitz, and Skye reminiscing over something they'd apparently accomplished on a mission just a day prior to his and Patroclus' arrival from Troy. Agent May's face was like stone during the conversation, even as Skye glowingly praised the older woman's skill in combat. It was when the conversation turned towards the two Greeks and Skye asked if there was anything in particular they wanted that Achilles finally spoke up. “Do you have a lyre, perhaps?” he asked. “We don’t have any musical instruments on board,” Agent Coulson replied. “But we’ll be landing in a few hours. We can pick some up tomorrow.”“We’ll be landing in Chicago, right?” Skye commented. “I know a few good music stores in the area. Lyres are a bit hard to find, but maybe Achilles will take a liking to guitar or something.”“And you know so much about music how?” Agent Ward inquired jokingly.“I may have considered a career in music once upon a time,” she retorted, not admitting to the assessment, but not denying it either.“What is a “guitar?” Achilles asked. He was unfamiliar with the term, but from Skye’s comment, it sounded as if it was a similar instrument to the lyre.He had brought Patroclus’ mother’s lyre to Troy with them, but it had likely been left there or passed around to one of the Myrmidons until time finally destroyed it. But they had such fond memories of it that even if he was open to trying new instruments, he still wanted a new lyre for the sake of sentimentality and nostalgia.“Let me show you,” Skye answered, pulling that small device he’d seen her holding earlier that day. She did something on it with her fingers before turning around and showing him something that looked as if someone had crafted a hybrid between a club and a battle-axe, then attacked the strings of a lyre to the handle. He said as much, prompting a round of laughter from the rest of the group.He wasn’t sure he would be as good with it as he was with the lyre, but since it sounded like it was more reality obtainable than a new lyre, he would teach himself how to play it.“Hang on,” Skye added. “Let me find some songs that’re played on guitar so you can hear what it sounds like.” That had prompted a round of debate among their hosts over which songs and singers to choose from. Achilles didn’t understand how images and songs could be presented on that small device, but he supposed he would learn in time. For now, he was content to simply recline with his beloved as they dined. Their almost magical surroundings were a far cry from the fields of Troy, but the atmosphere of camaraderie was comfortingly familiar, even if that camaraderie did not presently include himself or Patroclus.A few hours later, they had all dispersed. Agent May returned to what she called the “cockpit” to begin preparing the plane for landing. Agents Ward and Fitz cleaned the dishes in the galley while Agent Coulson went upstairs to his “office,” which Achilles was given to understand meant the chambers where he conducted his business and fulfilled the more mundane aspects of his duties. Simmons had not come to dinner, and Patroclus had offered to bring her plate down to her so that he might ask her to teach him what he needed to know of modern medicine.As he waited on their bed, he thought back to his beloved’s words, and of what Skye and Agent Coulson had said. He had never chosen to be a warrior. A weapon. A hero. But music? That had always been his choice.Pushing himself off the bed, he walked out of the room and saw Skye’s door open on the opposite side of the common area. He walked across and knocked on the door, echoing her gesture earlier. She looked up at the sound.“I still want a new lyre,” he told her. “But I think I would like to learn how to play the guitar.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chicago, Illinois
October 6th, 2013
The sunlight was what ultimately woke Patroclus from his slumber. The first thought through his mind as a yawn escaped his lips was that either he or Achilles had failed to secure their tent last night.Then his eyes opened, and he was immediately reminded of the events of the last few days. On instinct, he reached out for his beloved, letting out a relieved sigh as his eyes confirmed what the rest of his body already knew. Achilles had fallen asleep with an arm wrapped around Patroclus’ abdomen.His initial panic quelled; Patroclus took a moment to examine their surroundings. By the time they had arrived at what Coulson had referred to as a Marriott the night before, the two of them were too tired to truly appreciate the room.A switch-activated lamp sat on a small bedside table. A door made completely of glass led outside to a small balcony looking out over a lake called Michigan. A large, sleek device sat atop a piece of furniture with multiple rows of handles. Next to it was a smaller version of something he’d seen in the galley aboard the Bus that Ward had referred to as a Refridgerator. On Achilles’ side of the bed, a short hallway led toward a basin with which to wash their hands. And though he could not see it, past that was a door that led to what was apparently the modern equivalent of a chamber pot, and a bath with a shower attached to it.Next to the lamp on the table was a small boxy thing that displayed the numbers 10 and 45. Although he did not understand the significance of the number, watching the 45 change over to a 46 seemed to indicate that the device measured time. Opposite the table was the second bed in the room that Coulson had claimed the night before. The blankets on the bed had been put back as they had been last night, so the man had likely left to search for food.As Patroclus shifted his body to look back at the door that led out to the main hallway, he felt Achilles stir by his side. With a gentle squeeze, his lover pulled him closer.“Good morning,” Patroclus commented with a smile as he repositioned himself so that he could slip his hand under Achilles and wrap his own arm around his beloved. As he tightened their embrace, Patroclus leaned against Achilles’s neck and savored the scent of his lover’s hair as he took a deep breath. Achilles chuckled.“Were you awake long?” he asked warmly.“Not long,” Patroclus replied. “We didn’t get a good look at everything last night.”“I still can’t believe this is real,” Achilles admitted. “I feared that when I woke it would all have been a dream. That I would be back in our tent and you would still be dead and I….”Patroclus cut him off with a kiss. Achilles’ breathing slowed. His heartbeat steadied.“I am here,” Patroclus reassured him. “I am alive. And we never have to worry about the prophecy again.”Achilles’ eyes watered, and he pulled Patroclus closer just to reassure them both that they were real;y there.When the time measuring box read 11 and 15, they heard a chirp from the door that Patroclus vaguely remembered hearing when they opened the door to the room last night.Sure enough, the door opened to allow Coulson entry, the small card that unlocked the door held in his hand. If the man was surprised to find the two Greeks awake, his face did not show it.“Oh, good,” Coulson commented. “You two are up.”The man came into the room and rummaged through the bag he’d brought with him.“May and I have to handle a few more things with our bosses but the others are all down having brunch in the lobby,” Coulson said. “They’re planning on taking you both shopping today. You do need some modern clothes to blend in.”Patroclus didn’t really know how to respond to that, or what brunch was, so he simply nodded his agreement. Achilles followed suit. After receiving directions from Coulson, the lovers disentangled themselves from the sheets and got ready for the day. After a morning meal with the rest of Coulson’s underlings – during which Patroclus and Achilles were bombarded with words and sayings that were unfamiliar to them and had to be explained – they set off for a day of shopping.Since having such a wide range of merchants offering goods was unfamiliar to the both of them, the numerous stores their hosts brought them to all blurred together to Patroclus. He caught snippets of names like H and M, American Eagle, the Gap, the Old Navy. Skye and Ward debated at length whether the merits of shopping at a business run by people named Abercrombie and Fitch were worth the high prices.Patroclus was more than a little overwhelmed at the sheer variety of options for clothing. But something about the sight of Achilles in tight leggings which clung to his lover’s skin and emphasized the muscles of the man’s legs ignited a fire in Patroclus’ lower body that made him want to make love to Achilles right there. And he could not stop blushing when trying on the various articles of clothing they’d sampled made Achilles look at him the same way.The rest of the day was a blur of activity as Fitz, Simmons, and Skye dragged the two of them various shops. With their inexperience with the modern world, Patroclus and Achilles were content to be pulled along in the wake of their companions. Their tunics had been switched out for more modern clothing, both to get them used to wearing their new attire, and to better blend in with the people around them.Patroclus now wore a dark green collared shirt with cargo pants, while Achilles wore jeans and a pale crimson shirt with a jacket the cover of the night sky. Compared to their tunics the fabric of their new clothes was much softer against their skin. Patroclus didn’t know if he would ever get used to the new attire, butTheir next stop was a place called Barnes and Noble. Patroclus barely had time to marvel at information and stories written in bound tomes instead of on stone tablets before their guides piled volumes on everything from history and medicine to science and maps in their arms. Achilles balanced the growing stacks in his arms with his usual fluid grace, but Patroclus narrowly managed to avoid dropping his own load of books before they made it back to the cashier.Late in the afternoon the two Greeks realized they were hungry, which prompted another round of debate from their tour guides as to which restaurant would be the best place to eat, and also whether he and Achilles had taken enough vaccinations for them to avoid the risk of an illness spread through their food.Once they did find a suitable establishment that sold food, Fitz and Simmons pulled out the book of maps they’d insisted on buying and decided an impromptu lesson in geography was in order. Patroclus had known on some level that the plane had traveled far to reach Chicago from Greece but seeing a visual not just of how far they had traveled but of how large the world was left him feeling uncomfortably small. Achilles squeezed his hand, and the wonder in his lover’s face was enough to make Patroclus see the bright side. Yes, it was staggering to realize just how little they knew, but that meant that they had so much more to learn and discover. By the time they returned to the hotel, the sun had already set. The clock on the bedside table read 7:59 PM, and Patroclus was exhausted. Fitz and Simmons had explained concepts like time zones, and jetlag, and while Patroclus still had questions, he understood the basics enough to understand that traveling so far had thrown off his body’s sense of time, and that only several nights of uninterrupted sleep would allow their bodies to adjust.Coulson and May were back aboard the Bus handling phone calls to arrange fabricated records for Patroclus and Achilles to live in modern society. As Skye and Ward had explained, while they were fine for now, should the two men part ways with S.H.I.E.L.D. everything from finding employment to treating injuries required various official records and documents.While Skye and Ward retired to their own rooms to sleep, Fitz and Simmons joined them back in their hotel room to do a quick evaluation of their health and confirm that neither Patroclus nor Achilles had contracted any illnesses while they were all out shopping. Once the two scientists were satisfied, they too turned in for the night, leaving the two Greeks to themselves. Once Fitz and Simmons were gone, Patroclus opened up the new suitcases that had been purchased for them that day and started carefully placing their new clothes inside. After a few minutes, he reached the bottom of the shopping bag and pulled out his and Achilles’ tunics, still clean enough to wear.“I want to keep those,” Achilles said. Patroclus turned to look at his beloved.Achilles’ face was contemplative, a melancholy smile at home in his features. Patroclus knew at once what his lover was thinking because he had seen the same thoughts echoed in his reflection when he got dressed that morning. Even with the amazing sights and discovers of the last few days, part of him longed for the familiarity of the palace in Pthia, or Chiron’s cave on Mount Pelion, where they could whittle away the hours training or swimming or listening to Achilles make music. The two of them were grateful beyond words for the second chance they’d been given, but with how overwhelmed they’d been in the last two days, they both still missed the familiarity of their own era.“Of course, we will,” Patroclus finally said, setting down the bag as he stood up and hugged Achilles tightly. For several minutes they sat together on the edge of the bed, content with the reassurance of each other’s arms. In the warmth of each other’s embrace, all doubts that the last few days were a dream faded away, allowing the two lovers to once more revel in their new beginning.Eventually, Patroclus pulled back and knelt down to put their tunics in the bag. Achilles let out a yawn as he stripped out of his clothes and pulled their new “pajamas” from the top of their suitcases. Patroclus chuckled as he planted a soft kiss on his lover’s cheek before heading to the bathroom to shower. Achilles joined him of course, and together they managed to thoroughly scrub themselves clean.Patroclus continued to marvel at how fresh he felt as he and Achilles poured out the bag of “toiletries” Ward had insisted on picking up. It took a moment for him to recall Skye’s explanations of what each item was for before he figured out how to squeeze the toothpaste onto the accompanying toothbrush.Once they were freshly cleaned and dressed in their nightwear, Patroclus pulled one of the history books from where they’d dumped the stack of tomes next to the suitcase. It was one which Simmons and Skye insisted that would be easiest for the two of them to understand without prior background knowledge. Considering that the civilization of the Roman Republic had apparently been founded by Aeneis following the Greek victory at Troy, Patroclus agreed with them, and figured that there was no harm in getting a head start before he fell asleep.As he climbed beneath the blankets, Achilles curled up against him and threw his arms around his torso. Despite the layers of fabric separating their skin, having Achilles’ arms on him comforted Patroclus.“Would you read it to me?” His lover asked with another yawn.Patroclus chuckled softly. He didn’t know if his lover would stay awake past the first page, but who was he to say no? So, he wrapped his free hand around Achilles’ shoulder and began to read.