Jon put the car in park and got out. He stretched and rubbed his eyes, yawning. "I didn't get enough sleep to deal with all the crap I'm gonna have to deal with today." he said.
He had parked at the edge of town, the theoretical edge of the stone's range. The sight that met him was...disheartening. He saw nobody around, and even at the early hour, there should have been a few people out and about.
He took a few slow steps into the town, then paused. He could see the spot where Athena had altered the street to stop the cops who were pursuing Karyn and himself yesterday. "I'm definitely in her range now..."
He walked slowly into town, and the further in he got, the more eerie the feeling of the town got. He didn't see anyone at all. The houses and businesses alike all seemed deserted.
After about half an hour, he reached his destination. The school stood in front of him. Or, at least, what had once been the school. It now looked more like a gothic castle, surrounded by tall walls. He could see a large steel gate in front of him, which appeared to be the only way in.
He sighed as he approached. "What's the matter, Jon? Don't like how I redecorated the school?" he heard from behind him.
He turned and saw Athena standing behind him, smirking. She was wearing one of her usual over the top gothic dresses. "You know, I kinda preferred it the way it was before."
"But it was so bland, Jon. It wasn't even close to what an institute devoted to learning should be. It was more like a prison. A place where cretins and imbeciles were able to flourish, and those with any actual intelligence were mocked and shunned. Now, though...it will be the center of a new world, a utopia, where those who wanted freedom from the monotony of the old world will be nurtured, and those who embraced that old will will be shown the error of their ways."
"You sound insane. You know that, right?" Jon said.
"You know, I thought you would understand. You suffered at the hands of the highest tier of the social hierarchy just like we did. You should be relishing this change. Hell, you had the stone for...how long, before it fell into my hands? Why you didn't do this yourself is beyond me."
"It's because I'm not a psychopath. Now, how about you give me back the stone, and we can try to set everything right again."
"You haven't even seen the full spectrum of what I've done, Jon. Why don't we put our conversation on hold until you have." Athena said, snapping her fingers. Jon turned and saw the massive gate beginning to open.
"Why even give me the chance? Why not just use the stone on me? Why let Karyn and me escape?"
"Mainly, a promise I made to Zoe, but partly because it amuses me that you seem to think you can stop me."
Jon turned back toward the gate, watching as it opened completely. He turned back to say something else to Athena, but saw she was gone. Turning back to the gate, he shrugged and walked through. "Guess I don't have much of a choice..." he said.
As he stepped through, the gate closed behind him, leaving him trapped in school turned castle that Athena had created.
