Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A little theft hasn't hurt anyone!

Perseus crouched in front of the damnable black box; his ear pressed to its matte shining door. His fingers hovered over a white silver knob, covered with a hand shaped body of water turning it to the left and right causing sounds of minute clicking to pierce the air.

He warded the cramped room from releasing sounds to the outside by using the sigil of the thrice cursed hand, he needed to thank Phineas for keeping it warm for him.

The knob clicked as he turned it right and right again and it released a silent hissing noise as the door steamed, opening it slightly, Perseus willed the water hand to grab the outskirts of the door and pulled it open shuffling back slightly as he did so and inside the safe on a red cushion was the diadem of Thrace.

Or specifically the diadem of Thrax, the demigod king of Thrace and a son of Ares.

It was a circular rope of iron with downwards protruding bands of the metal on the back and forefront of the crown, on the front protrusion a motif of a golden winged pegasus was detailed with inlaid gold.

Perseus rested his tongue at the roof of his mouth and concentrated on a small well of magic, his gut pulling taught just slightly as he pulled on his reserve, just enough to not be detected by the guard rotations on the outside and clicked his tongue. It seemed the crown was laid with very nasty anti-theft curses.

Perseus flexed his right hand, and a silver ring on his middle finger slithered to his palm before warping and twisting into a small leather pouch with bundled cords on the top. He opened the pouch of endless voids and reached in, rummaging around before pulling out a small twisted brown branch with three flecked silver leaves on the tip.

He then rubbed the leaves on the diadem and with each curse the leaves fell, blackened and scorched and when they touched the red cushion they burnt through it slightly. He only had one branch of renewal and it cost a pretty penny to get his questionably worthy hands on them, but the diadem was worth it.

It was enchanted so that the wearer would be faster and stronger, but the main boon was that it allowed you to control the spirit and corpses of those you killed in battle as long as you wore the diadem. And boy oh boy did people want this diadem. It was currently under possession of Bellona, the roman goddess of maddening warfare entrusted to the amazons for safe keeping, and Perseus wanted it, nay, he demanded it.

The final leaf fell off and with that Perseus checked again if any curses lingered on the iron crown, all was clear.

He rummaged through the pouch again and a golden pen with glowing purple ink inside it was pulled out, it was a pen of reverent ownership, it allowed the user to prescribe into artefacts their nature and definition to be used only by the claimant and to be intrinsically tied to them, and all one had to do was bind their name and blood to the item via the ink. Which was easier said than done, the Lord of Olympus jealously guards these pens with passion, never allowing the elder Cyclopses to make more than two every half a millennium. The ink was made via mixing the phlegethon and the Styx and tempering the boiling rivers by using the blood of the claimant.

The pen only had two uses left, he bought it off an elder cyclops, nearly lost all his savings with this one purchase.

Perseus grabbed the diadem and got to work searing the purple ink, painstakingly writing his name, the pen heated up, burning his hand, but the boy grunted, and his grip tightened slightly, the smell of bubbling flesh wafted his nose, but he pushed on. He finished the signature, popped the pen bag into the bag and rolled his left sleeve up slightly removing a miniature vial that was tied to his wrist with a piece of string and popped the rubber cork off and allowed the golden water to float into his mouth as he swallowed, his tongue assaulted by the taste of chocolate chip syrup milkshake with blue flavored coloring, before returning the empty vial to the pouch of endless void.

He allowed himself to guffaw and mimicked a crowning as he raised the diadem to his head and set it upon himself, and he laughed, how could he not, he travelled to Seattle to the heart of the Amazon base, learnt their rotation guards, infiltrated in one of the most protected vaults bar the ones in the Underworld, Olympus and Atlantis and he stole the coveted diadem of Thrax and banded it to his being all in one month.

He laughed again his hands glowing slightly as it touched the diadem on his head," Cold and cold and cold again, may you rest when the light is shorn and the darkness complete, until then the service is due and you return to the one that claims thy metal and magic, return to my will when I will and may you be rewarded with due servitude." His voice thundered with power and magic and terrible might, wincing slightly, the amazons would have definitely felt that, but he did not care enough at the moment, he bonded his charge, no one can separate them as they are.

Well unless he was dead, but that was a minor detail.

Clamors and shouts could be heard outside the room, he did not have much time until they could pinpoint the magical outburst to him, he snapped his fingers on his left hand and the pouch sucked in the dead twisted branch, before folding and folding and folding again into a silver ring with a brown gem in the middle on his right hand. Perseus turned and hobbled to the door, touching it with the body of water that hovered near his person in the shape of a hand, and he twisted the handle slowly jamming the keyhole with some liquid too. He creeped out slowly, the guards at either side still asleep from the spell he cast.

He scurried down the corridor and opened the window on the left, and twisted some rope that was thrown up the window into a patterned knot around his waist and he jumped. As he was jumping though a shocked girl was standing on the other side of the corridor watching him float up before being yanked down, he laughed.

Three small stone cherubs were griping the ropes at the floor pulling him down, he was wrapped with an enchanted rope that gave one the effect of anti-gravity, it was relatively cheap compared to other godly gear one could swindle and barter in the black market but undoubtedly useful.

He untied himself as he was close the floor, falling with a thud and a groan before he pushed himself up and rolled to the side as an arrow embedded itself to where he was lying, "That's not nice." He called up to the girl on the windowsill, was that Kellie, or Kassandra or something? He had seen her before in another amazon storehouse when he stole the compass of never never," Ah Kerlinda! So wonderful to see you!" He shouted and the girl notched another arrow and let it loose with a guttural cry.

"It's Kenzie!" She seethed," Remember it Jackson as I skin you alive and offer your corpse to Olympus!"

"Now, now" Percy called up running away and turning his head with a smirk, he saw how her eyes narrowed even further," It seems like you need some work on your manners." he called up," That isn't how you greet an old friend!"

"Is that?" She whispered as realization seemed to set into her black, brown flecked eyes, Kyacinth was really pretty now that Perseus thought about it, or whatever her name was," The diadem of Thrace!" She screamed," I will kill you, Jackson! I will murder you! Rip you apart and feed you to the hounds for the insult you throw against my patron!"

Perseus threw his head back and laughed, oh how beautiful her shrieks of rage were, he could feel the guards zone into him, he felt a rise in magical pressure, it seemed that they activated the alarm against him. He needed to reach Mrs. O'Leary before they could even smell him much less see his exalted form.

The three little stone cherubs flew behind him as he continued on his mad dash through the tarmac maze of the industrial plant, Kaycie's screams and shouts of intruder acting as a symphony of his escape.

Mrs. O-Leary was couched in the shadow of the far building just opposite a mortal café, he neared the junction and brought his fingers to his lips and whistled.

Without a sound or further delay Mrs. O Leary bounded up from the shadow of the building her black smoked fur writhing in the nonexistent wind as she barked happily, her long red tongue wagging out her razor teeth," We can get to licking later my girl!" He called, as he dodged the wagging appendage and scrambled up her body," We have an escaping to do!" He cried, he clutched the reigns attached to Mrs. O'Leary's pink collar and yanked it up and to the side and with a sharp kick to her left flank the hellhound the size of a garbage truck started to bound straight to the building wall and dived into the shadows.

Chapter Text

"What the fuck?" Annabeth muttered out loud.

Luke swiveled his head at Annabeth and narrowed his eyes," Language." He said, but he couldn't help but agree.

When he took the quest from the admissions team, he thought it to be a simple but well-paying job, it was only a silver ranked quest anyway, they had to find and hunt some rogue demigod that angered the gods in one way or the other, and when in contact they had to simply break the moon stone and Lady Artemis and her group of followers would take the rest. Easy peas, and they even get paid one hundred thousand golden drachmas, what could possibly go wrong?

Not everything, but definitely something, or more specifically, something was unquestionably wrong with the person they were meant to hunt.

Luke had seen many things in his short but long demigod career, he saw monsters of all shapes and sizes, the unneeded deaths of his siblings and cousins when out on quests for some mundane item that one god or the other wanted, he saw them all, or so he thought, but he definitely knew he never saw anything like this.

They were in Denver during the winter, some leads told them that the demigod was going to make an appearance here during the night, according to his latest information fish. He was going to raid an abandoned forge of Hephaestus, that was squatted by some empousae, and it seemed their info was true.

The demigod was being chased by a gaggle of copper legged women specters, all screeching as they ran across the snow clearing in a waddling manner towards them. That wasn't the peculiar part, demigod high speed chases always occurred, it was the fact that the demigod was running away on the back of a hellhound the size of a lorry, as he laughed maniacally puffing white steam from his mouth due to the cold, followed by three flying stone cherubs.

"I see what you mean though" Luke said to Annabeth, he cupped his hands into his coat pocket and squeezed the cool stone tightly, just enough for it to split in half. He looked up at the night sky and the moon seemed to gaze harshly back at him, he had done the job.

"Luke!" Annabeth shouted, he snapped his head back down and watched as she started to turn and run, and Luke looked in front of him and the demigod that was far away was suddenly very close and the hellhound much bigger.

"Up ahoy!" The demigod called and all Luke could feel was an arm wrap itself around him and yank him up, he was rag dolled for about two seconds before being thrown on the back of the moving hellhound," Grab on to something!" The mad demigod cackled," You can stare at my glorious personage after we save your companion from being monster food." He laughed as he whipped the reins again and Luke scrambled on the back of the hell hound grabbing onto the shadow-tinged fur.

The young demigod was small, nearly half a foot shorter, and his black hair was wild and long enough to touch his shoulders with curled tips, it reminded him of Thalia's a bit, flowing pitch-black curls, and was that a cape?

"Yes, it is." A high-pitched voice called out behind him," The boss insists on capes"

Luke looked back and a small stone cherub that wore nothing but a fixed stone cloth around its nether regions and a slate grey quiver on its back, with a few fletched stone arrows," Did I speak aloud?" He blinked.

"You did." The demigod said," And yes Ri is right, a good adventure isn't complete without a good cape." He puffed his chest out.

Luke simply hummed to himself, he must be dreaming, there's no other explanation to this, he might as well go along," I'm Luke." He said offering his hand to the miniature cherub, surprisingly not the weirdest thing he did, riding on a monster bent on eating demigod flesh is," You are Ri?"

The cherub nodded," I am." Ri placed his small stone hand on to Luke's palm," Those two are my sister and brother" The statue waved to the two cherubs flying above the hellhound shooting the occasional arrow into the horde of screeching monsters.

"Brace!" The demigod called out," Ri, make space! We got a princess to kidnap!"

"Yes, boss!" The cherub called back and flew to join his siblings in the air.

Luke peeked his head around the driving demigod and looked down on the snow clearing in front of them, Annabeth was still pacing it, but she was lagging slightly as they caught up. The deranged demigod branched an arm down leaning heavily to the right and when they caught up, he grabbed her roughly under the armpit and hauled her up placing her sandwiched between him and Luke.

She screamed his ears off," Calm down, Annabeth!" Luke shouted over her screams and patted her arms.

"Yes, princess Annabella, I would very much appreciate the calm- Ow!" He yelped," What did I do?" The demigod rubbed his back slightly," Do you usually assault people you don't know that clearly saved you from being brutally murdered?" He muttered.

"It's Annabeth." She growled," That's for not warning me before you decided to kidnap me on the back of a hellhound!" she turned to Luke and her stormy grey eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned back," Did you, do it?"

Luke nodded and bit his lip nervously," She's taking her time though." He whispered back.

"Bullseye!" A high-pitched girl voice called behind them.

"Are they sentient cherubs" Annabeth asked slowly turning back to the demigod driving.

"Yes!" He called back, he turned completely letting go of the reins and turned his full body so that he was face to face with Annabeth and Luke." I am Perseus Jackson son of Poseidon, and what pleasure do me and my band of swashbuckling vagabonds have with you?" He grinned," Did Olympus finally put a bounty on my head?" He asked and Luke was silently pleading that whatever madness that seemed to have affected this child to not be contagious.

The demigod was no older than Annabeth, he had a scar that ran down his eyebrow and past his right eye, baby fat all over his Mediterranean features, he had writhing sea green eyes that just spoke of lunacy, and his black curls licked his face and brushed his shoulders, he wore a black cape over his white t-shirt and loose fit jeans.

"Who's driving!" Annabeth squawked and Luke couldn't help but agree as a tree seemed to come bounding up in front of them, and then the hellhound swerved causing Annabeth to lurch to the left and Perseus simply laughed.

"Worry not Betha-Anne, Mrs. O'leary is a capable friend." He patted the hellhound affectionately still turned towards them," Ain't that right girl!" and the hellhound in Luke's horror barked back excitedly," Atta girl! I'll give you a prime rib when we get back."

"It's a monster, how can you befriend it?" Annabeth asked, she did the thing with her lips, pulled up in shocking fascination, and again Luke found himself agreeing with the shock part, not really with the fascination.

"Monster? I prefer the term misunderstood!" Perseus's grin widening as he answered," You would be surprised what a simple discussion can do instead of fighting to the death."

"She kills demigods, people like us." Luke said his voice steel.

"Mrs. O'Leary would never, would you punish the few for the sins of the many?" Perseus asked, "the real criminals here I fear are the ones who can change things but simply wish not to."

"And who may they be?" The voice rang throughout the clearing, echoing and bouncing through the snow and trees, the gaggle of running empousae behind them burst in a shower of liquid green, silver arrows and gold dust. The hell-beast came to a bound stop all of a sudden and dozens of snow-covered girls seemed to rise from the floor, their white parkas meshing with the snow.

They carried drawn bows with silver tipped arrow heads and a golden point indicator that flashed a blinking lazy red. There was a copper skinned girl, wildly pretty, just stood at the forefront of them all, her silver glow was brighter than the other girls, with a tiara sitting atop her head with golden crystal pear shaped diamonds encrusted across the silver metal.

Luke wasn't a betting man, but he would bet every golden drachma that the diadem was worth more than any amount he ever seen in his life. Luke shifted uncomfortable at her piercing gaze she threw at him and Jackson, like she read his and Jackson's mind and saw something she despised, he ignored her and scanned his eyes on the right clearing of the forest and out stepped some hunters, about a handful of them creeping forward their bow and arrows pointed at the hellhound too," Jackson." The girl said in a haughty voice, the young demigod seemed to attract the wrong attention," It, appears thy run of pestilence and misery has come to a belated end." She said cruelly her arrow pointed directly at him.

"Ladies, ladies, relax." Perseus said as he slid down from Mrs. O'Leary, was that what he called her? His hands up in surrender, he levied a cocky smile at the copper skinned girl, her arrow just mere meters away from piercing him across the head, "The dog means no harm." He turned his head to the left slightly and whispered to them," Get off, now." And Luke obeyed, he hoped off and Annabeth grunted as she landed crouched on the snow, and then all of a sudden Peruses clicked his tongue and Mrs. O'leary with speed betraying her size dashed into the foliage and leaped into the shadow and it mucked inwards barely dodging the arrows staked upon the greenery.

"Atta girl!" Perseus laughed, and some of the huntresses seemed to glare at him with the intent of murder. The girl snarled and dropped her bow, before taking up two small hunting knives and seemed to ready herself to jump the boy.

"Perseus Jackson, it seems you are still as insolent as we have last met." the voice did not ring from anywhere, it simply entered the mind, a maddening womanly voice seeped with terror and Luke half expected to see pure unfiltered strength take form, instead a slender young girl with vividly wild silver eyes stepped out from the forest, its vines and greenery warping inwards around her as if her mere presence caused the whole forest to sing. And sing it did, the trees bent in a cacophony of praise, the snow around her didn't melt but the grass beneath her feet grew and twisted, rustling a tune meant only for her and them lucky enough to hear, the wind whistled like it used to whistle before but with all the added sounds it sounded new and vital. The tiara girl stood down before her and all the hunters dropped to one knee, head prostrated. The girl waved her hand and they all stood, beaming to be in her presence.

Luke winced slightly, he did not need to be a genius to recognize that this weirdly beautiful young girl was none other than Artemis, and an Olympian knowing your name is never a good thing. Luke gave a prayer to his father for the young boy, he needed it, he could tell.

"You honor me with your words." the son of Poseidon took a deep bow towards the goddess," To what honor do I have for you to visit me personally?" he asked, his head still bowed.

"You are accused of theft-"

"Your esteemed divineness, I am innocent of all accusations."

"Interrupt me again and I will make you into a jackelope where me and my girls will hunt you. Am I understood?" Perseus nodded his head, how was he still bowing? "You have done well child of Athena, son of Hermes, your presence is also requested in the throne room, to act witness to him fraternizing with monsters, amongst other litany of accusations."

Luke turned his head around, he couldn't see Ri and his siblings anywhere, it seemed that they hotfoot it when they could've," Yes, milady." he said, bowing his head with Annabeth.

"Perseus, you have slighted me and mine, last year you stole a shipment from me and flooded it on the black market." The tiara girl was growling from the base of her throat staring at Perseus with unrestrained anger, if looks could kill the son of Poseidon would have been long gone," I would like my due." Artemis said stalking forwards, she wiped her hand to the left and she called out," Zoe."

The huntress with the copper skin and tiara stepped forward her black sheen hair splaying down her sides as she bowed her head," You called milady."

"You will use this to record." And with that the goddess clicked her fingers and a black sharp rectangular camera with triple lenses appeared in thin air, the mark of Hephaestus emblazoned below the shoot button in a red x and anvil.

Zoe straightened up, her eyes dancing with glee and her hands holding the camera in reverence as she angled it directly at the trio of demigods," Yes, milady." before she quickly turned to one of the hunters and ushered her close and whispered something to her.

"Oh, great goddess, I can reimburse you for the costs and more, I can assure you."

"Look up." Artemis said just a few inches away from the son of Poseidon," I am not in the mood to repeat myself." And the whole clearing seemed to chill further, Perseus scrambled to look up his eyes blazing and writhing sea green," I do not need your ill-gotten gold, I would like to make an example of you but alas I am not allowed to kill you, so you will duel me." Her hands flashed silver, and a pair of gleaming white hunting knives glistened in her hands reflecting the snow under the foot.

Perseus mumbled something under his breath, and he looked back at the camera being worked by a short blonde huntress and Zoe, before sighing," and you will record the duel you will most obviously win your greatness?"

"See it as a penance for you, I will use it to show the hunt on how to fight vermin." The goddess smiled her eyes glowing with malice," Now raise your arms boy, I have not all day." Luke felt truly sorry for the boy, so he sent another prayer in quick succession to his father.

Annabeth and Luke spaced back as Perseus rummaged around a leather pouch and pulled out a long silver hilted spear that was clearly too big to fit into the bag and he clicked his fingers, the bag folded three times before warping into itself turning into a silver ring with a brown gemstone. The goddess smiled before stepping back exactly four paces before looking at Annabeth," You will count to three." And Annabeth did and what followed will haunt Luke for the rest of his life.

It was a slaughter, every move the demigod did he was punished with slashes at his skin, rubbles of ruby pearls dribbled down and painted the snow red, every hit he landed on the goddess he took ten, with every move he made the goddess did two more, it was a shock to Luke the demigod would last this long, every time he took something fatal a rush of water covered it up plugging in holes and he would heal as if new. Perseus went through familiar spear forms such as cutting over the ridge or pyre upon the bank, but the goddess was simply unstoppable, she weaved under his spear thrust and sank her fist into the boy's stomach and grabbed his spear shaft snapping it under her grip and punched his stomach again, hurling him back on to his knees and heaving up whatever he had yesterday.

Luke wrinkled his nose as the smell rose and watched on, Artemis stalked forward her eyes holding nothing but excitement and malice, oh gods she was twisted, she simply smiled as the boy haggard about," You are good." Was all she said before she whipped her foot around his head knocking him cold. A cacophony of banging weapons on shields and floors rang from the clearing and Artemis raised her hand and they simply stopped.

The goddess turned to him and Annabeth her eyes pining his, he quickly looked away and on to the floor," Let this be a lesson, for those who dare to steal from me." She said humour flicking her tone," Son of Hermes."

"I would never." He bit back, he grasped his right hand with his left, trying to stop it from shaking, it seemed that brutal display has really gotten to him, he peeked to his left and saw Annabeth shake a little too.

"You will do well to keep it that way." Artemis turned to Annabeth and pulled her aside, they talked in hush tones for a while Annabeth shaking her blonde curls and adamantly apologizing for something, when Luke received a glance from Artemis he quickly shifted back to the son of Poseidon. He was lying on the floor breath ragged as if it hurt to even breath and Luke could tell it most likely did. Anger bubbled under his skin, that was cruel, what Artemis did, it was unnecessary, but she was a Greek god, it came with the mantle.

Perseus stirred in the snow, his cape fanned out beneath him, Luke walked towards him and offered a hand and when Perseus finally looked up his eyes focused and writhing, he took the hand and his grin returned. He winced as he stood his, face littered with bruises and a forming welp was developing on his forehead, he twisted his hand and water rose from the snow, drying out a bit and he formed a sort of astronaut helmet made of water around his head, as he turned and stared at the broken silver sear just a pace away from him," No!" He gurgled," I really liked that spear!"

Artemis returned from speaking with her hunters, it seemed she left Annabeth halfway through to speak with them, she gestured to Annabeth to come here, and she grabbed on to her hand as well as roughly grabbing Perseus's wrist," Hold on to him son of Hermes." She said," And close your eyes lest you no longer want to see." Luke held onto Perseus arm and closed his eyes and his ears popped and his midsection seemed to bend and was that his ribs opening and closing? His body seemed to warp, too rapidly for him to even feel it, but he knew he felt it.

"You can open your eyes you know." Luke opened them hesitantly at the behest of Perseus's water gurgling and when he did, he stared at the vast expanse of the marbled and chiselled hall, there was Grecian décor, the type that made Annabeth go on a frenzy and talk to anyone that was listening until their head fell off, sleet grey marble columns that and sweated lines, tall enough to fit a house from the Delphi district,," and you can let go, I'm sure." The boy garbled and Luke quickly dropped his hand.

Artemis simply cocked her eyebrows and sauntered off to the left towards a set of large white sleet grey doors that looked to be carved into the wall and she simply walked through, even though there closed, she seemed to have phased in and bubbled ," Wait here, you will be summoned by the honourable council for the trail to commence" a voice seemed to reverberate, the very air buzzing it in its presence.

A tall man, beautiful wasn't even enough to describe his face, chiselled with a fan, long golden strands of hair reaching his bare shoulders, lightly shaven chin and gaunt cheeks eyes cerulean green. Nothing like the son of Poseidon's ones that writhed with unchecked madness.

"Ganymede!" Perseus said his voice wobbling with the water helmet, he held out his hand and the god pushed a cup into his hand and Percy passed it to the stunned Annabeth and passed another to Luke," how's the gig going? The lord of thunder taking care of you I hope?"

"Jackson, I would say it is a pleasure, but you are going to die soon." Ganymede replied, his cadence slow, his voice seemed to be punctuated with his pouring of drinks into Perseus's cup, Luke noticed that he sounded nothing like the announcing voice," the job is well, same old same old." He swept his eyes on Luke and Annabeth too, his eyes were not seeing him per say more like piercing Luke through, when he finished pouring for Perseus he moved to Annabeth, head still firmly looking at Jackson," is that that latest fashion?"

Perseus looked at what Ganymede was nodding to and stared at the reflection of inside his water helmet," no, no, the wild one had a gripe with me, this heals me well." He said before raising his goblet and looking inside," is this honeyed nectar?" He asked.

Luke looked down at his own cup, it was crystal clear and shaped like a wine goblet, filled to the brim with this amber slosh that smelled heavenly and thick enough to not be juice and thin enough to not be a soup like concoction," Worry not, it is mightily distilled." The god muttered.

Perseus hummed and took a swig, the liquid seeping into his water tank and somehow snaking into a single line into his mouth, Annabeth followed soon after and Luke decided that if it was good enough for them it was good enough for him. He placed it on his lips, and the taste he felt was disgustingly good, it tasted like his mother's berry pie and a hint of apple, and it was warm to taste but cold in his mouth, soothingly cold and when he swallowed the honey kicked in.

"Thank you, Ganymede." Perseus raised his finished goblet," but tonight is not the night the great Perseus Jackson dies and falls under the dominion of his lord uncle!" He crowed

"It better not be." someone familiar called through, Luke widened his eyes, that was Mr. D, the city mayor, and not in the form he was used to, gone was the slouched and shaggy man with a pot belly too large to see his feet, and in came the Adonis that stood before them, body chiselled to perfection toga open, laurel wreath of grape vines woven into his head of purple locks touching his shoulders, his tan gleaming and leopard shaped bands of silver wrapped around his biceps. The only consistency around him was the aura of madness, the writhing in the air that wanted you to scream the first things that came to mind," The world will be so boring if you die."

Perseus turned his body towards the god and Luke thought he might have been barking mad before, he definitely was sure now," Diabstar!" The demigod shouted arms outstretched, looking for a hug.

And Mr. D, against all logic returned the hug," Perry Jickleson!" The god preened back a smile splitting his face, he leaned back and tapped the son of Poseidon on the back. Luke shared a look with Annabeth and her eyes darkened, her stormy grey cloudy, and he couldn't really blame her at all," I saw what you did at the cult of discord and dissonance last month." Dionysus said, Luke turned back and stared at them fully," it was trending everywhere, Hephaestus caught it on camera, it was all over god-tube and father had to be restrained by uncle from blasting you to bones!" The god laughed raucously.

"I saw the footage too." Ganymede said, raising a cup into Dionysus's outstretched hand," it was utterly ridiculous, you still under the ban sir?"

Dionysus nodded," give me some grape juice, mix it with some un-spiked nectar too please." And the cup filled with purple and flicking gold," it was riveting wasn't it Gany-boy! "The cup bearer nodded, hiding the golden chalice into his toga sleeve that draped on his right elbow, Dionysus turned back to Perseus," it was wild. You stealing the golden sigil of the stars and the crossed-out moon. Madness, I tell you, madness!"

Luke couldn't help but agree that the son of Poseidon is anything but mad, he only just met the boy, and he already was assaulted by an Olympian, and charged with crimes and summoned to stand in court before the council. Luke only ever met his father three times and saw Mr. D on irregular occasions, other than that he never saw skin nor hide of an Olympian, and this twisted boy seemed to be the talk of the town amongst them.

He glanced to the right and Annabeth's face was marred with a scowl, she never met her mother, only received a hat as a reward for her first gold quest completion. It was the box standard invisibility cap that all children of Athena received once they finished a gold quest. Luke felt for her, a boy no older than her was gallivanting about breaking rules and twisting them to his likings and it seemed like all of Olympus was paying attention to him. It rankled him too; he was nothing but obedient to them, and all they could do for him and others was to give nothing but cold indifference.

"What crimes have been levelled against me?" Perseus asked humming as he seemed to place a golden vial into the hand of the god," It seems to be quite serious to issue a silver quest on me and send the wild one."

"How did he know?" Annabeth furiously whispered into his ear, he was shocked himself, but mostly not surprised, it seemed on brand with the mad boy.

"I don't know." He muttered back before staring at the demigod.

Dionysus smiled at them all, his chest puffed out and he seemed to revel on the news," Father's master bolt has been stolen!" He decreed before jabbing a finger at Perseus," And he deems you responsible, thinks you stole it for uncle, he uses your past of sticky fingering as evidence."

Perseus threw his head back and cackled, it wasn't a laugh, it was a full-blown heave and wheeze that you would expect witches to produce," Me?" He squeezed out between each laugh, he bent over and clutched his stomach," I may do what others deem to be insane but never stupid." He bellowed out grabbing on to Annabeth's shoulder for support and the girl shrugged it off huffing, he skittered to the right a bit," I am innocent on all counts!"

"That I have no doubt." Dionysus hummed," Gany-boy told me that father himself isn't sure, but he would do anything to get you gone." He raised his goblet again to his lips before adding," you will always have my vote though, worry not."

Perseus did a flourishing bow," I am grateful for your support my lord."

Dionysus hummed again, Ganymede filling his cup for the third time before he turned and left, Dionysus's brown eyes pinned on Annabeth," Your mother asked me to tell you just now." Luke raised his brows, and leaned in, Annabeth herself was chewing her lips" You are not to speak to her when the court starts, only to respond to what she asks." He said.

Hot anger laced through Luke; Perseus glanced sideways at the demigoddess, she was stoic, eyes grey and dull, but she nodded none the less," Yes my lord."

Mr. D clapped Perseus on the shoulder one last time and the smell of grapes and salted wines permeated the air as Dionysus melted into a puddle of purple liquid that cleaned itself up.

" She's an ass." Luke caught himself saying, Annabeth ignored him, turning into Perseus tapping on his chest," How did you know it was a silver quest?" Her voice accusatory, she kept on pressing forward as the demigod raised his hands and took steps back," Who is your informant? Hmm? Was it Melania Lang? Charles Weatherproof?"

"Weatherproof?" Perseus asked incredulously still stepping backwards," What kind of last name is that?"

"Don't try to change the subject." Annabeth pressed on, standing face to water tank, toe to toe with the demigod, his back pressed up against the wall water tank fusing into it," Start talking, who was it."

Luke joined her, staring down at the boy, he was about to break it up, but he wanted to know too, anything to distract Annabeth from the hurt he knew she would feel," Who?" he asked softly.

The demigod's face morphed into a grin," Now why would I do that?"

Annabeth's hands shot up and grabbed him by the cuffs of the cape and twisted her hips and legs to the left about to throw the young demigod before a bellowing cry echoed through the corridor, the same announcing voice as earlier," The accused and witnesses may enter the chamber!" It was punctuated with the doors creaking open.

Perseus dusted himself off and walked forward, Annabeth still glaring daggers at him, her eyes cloudier, darker, it seemed almost black. Luke hummed and placed a hand on her shoulders," we will find out later." He tried to soothe her, it was near impossible to get to her when she was like this unless you were Thalia, Thalia had a knack for knowing what to say to Annabeth.

Luke frowned and furrowed his brows and strode after Perseus passed the 18 feet doors and he simply halted, his breath was off, the air was thick like there was a wall of impassable something, his bones rattled in place, he could hear a chatter, it felt so far away. He tried to close his lips but the chatter dimmed and he felt his teeth graze his lips as they closed and open and closed again, Luke looked up and saw Annabeth shake behind him as if she was having a fit.

Perseus seemed unaffected, simply smiling, the only difference was that his brows were furrowed as if he was concentrating and the water bowl that surrounded his head was gone. Then the pressure lifted, gone was the wall-air and the rattling and chatters and finally Luke could see, truly see the splendour.

There was gold grass on the edges of the room walled off with small miniature marble terraces, around mid height, it circled around the room in a horseshoe formation, and the teen foot tall thrones. The thrones were carved with perfection, beauty was naught but an expression when compared them, it seems each throne was carved into its own space, its own reality.

At the right end was Dionysus, large enough to sit on his throne as the rest of them were, his throne was a husk of vines wrapped amongst themselves with grapes growing upon them each, a vivid living thing writing and moving with his own movements and around him was a haze of purple that pulsated ever second in a steady beat, like a tempo of frenzy, opposite him sat his father.

Hermes, the traveller, the jack of all trades and master some, the soverig of hospitality, messenger of the mighty overlords and Olympian of the highest peerage. And a deadbeat father who would not even visit Luke's siblings, but he will give his father this, he cut a distinct figure, clad in grey robes with a winged diadem of gold bands, his throne was enshrined with twisting snakes and on his arm which he lounged lazily was a rod with basilisk like snakes wrapped around it, the mighty cadecus, around him was orange air, golden orange.

To his left was Apollo, his skin tanned, robe on his head decked with rays of the sun peaking through and his throne was ostentatious, gold on gold and the air was shimmering with brightness, flecks of gold falling, his aunt Demeter was next to the sun god, her throne a twisting tree gold too but not as bold as the sun god large and looming with fruits of every bearing hanging down, celery leaves growing gold around her feet, her dress a sewing of midnight shade with waxy ice chill, to the opposite of the two was the moon goddess, gone was her young visage, she derelict and beautiful, seat a silver chunk and the air around her dark and bleak only shining with the crescent moon behind her bearing down.

Athena on her right, her throne a sleet grey, cold and wiped like the marble on the door, engraved with moving and jumping owls, that seems to fly across the throne , inside it like it like it was trapped inside, the air around her was foggy and cool shimmering dew with hints of olives, a fig tree branching over her, Ares was next, his throne a grafting of swords twisted and ugly to give a semblance of a seat, it was massive and wicked, malevolent in nature, his brother Hephaestus was slouching on a steaming humming thing, it was shaped like a throne but its cogs and moving parts screamed otherwise, a cup holder was on his right and it filled with molten something, glowing iridescent yellow. The air around him was orange too, much like his father's but it seared with heat waving the air.

His wife was next, Luke could not bring himself to look, he stole a glimpse however, and everything about her was perfect, too perfect that her throne of simple glass was naught to be registered, the air around her pink and heavy, her dress was modest and cut and immodest and uncut, it was everything and nothing her hair this then another and Luke thought he was not looking but a pinch from Annabeth showed he was staring.

Hera was at the head of the Dias, her throne stark white, clean like Athena's but a cow's head was carved out in the top, a radiant crown of gold and fist-sized crystal diamonds levitated overhead revolving. Zeus her husband to her right, the same crown hovering over his head, his throne was made of stark clean gold, not bright like Apollo, just gold, it was detailed with moving and active stories, all of him in his myths, it played again and again and around him constant lightning flashed, Poseidon was to his direct right, a sea green diadem was revolving of her his black curled locks, his throne was cut from coral, his feat and throne submerged in water.

A large brazier was in the middle, a young woman, a brown shawl and brown hair and brown eyes, everything about her homely, the fire she tended to itself was brown and orange and never yellow and red, or blue just homely. Ganymede was at the foot of the Dias where the thrones were, running this way and that filling outstretched goblets and buzzing by.

Perseus turned to him and Annabeth before turning back, and a bow flourished again, not much unlike the one he gave Dionysus," O, great and esteemed members of the council. I am humbled by your urgency to stand vigil at my trial. "

Poseidon simply laughed at the statement. Zeus clenched his jaws and Annabeth's ass of a mother quirked her brow, eyes trained on him, never looking at her daughter. His father though, was intent on him, he could feel his eyes boring into his skull, but he ignored it as best he could, his father promised him he would be there for Miranda on her fifteenth, he would visit her like he visited him, but he didn't, another no show. So Luke would go on, a cold shoulder for a cold shoulder.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Jackson." Zeus said, cold and chill.

"Do we really need to do this?" Demeter asked," just kill the boy and get it over with."

The air around Luke suddenly felt heavy again, a pressure so heavy, he didn't imagine how he ever walked, his knees buckled," Demeter, you will watch how you talk of my son." Poseidon said as if the air was no matter," But I agree, the whole thing is a farce."

Zeus shot his brother a look," My master bolt is missing, and I will investigate where I see fit." He growled.

"As I said before and I said again, I did not steal your bolt." Poseidon bartered back.

"I will be the judge of that." Zeus said," When the evidence is presented and I see you and your ilk to be innocent that is when you are clear of the charges."

"I will not suffer such insults." Poseidon said," If you lack sense to see reason only you will be blamed for the war that will surely follow."

"I will have my bolt brother and your thieving son will be put to the question as I wish it to be." Zeus swayed his head away from Poseidon banging his fist onto his throne's armrest," Such is my prerogative as King and no amount of threats will assuage that!"

"Take that back you oaf!" Poseidon snarled" My son is innocent!" He leaned forward," What right do you have to cast suspicion on my son?"

" He stole my shipment, and sold it to legacies and men, my items are sacred, meant only for the hands of women and maidens aplenty."

Poseidon glared at Artemis," That shipment was left stranded in a warehouse for near on five years, it was practically abandoned."

"That does not excuse stealing from an Olympian brother." Zeus growled banging on his fist on the throne." And do not forget that he stole the diadem of Thrace from the Amazons."

"Me and Bellona have reached a suitable agreement, she has been reimbursed and has decided to leave the matter-"

"Paying and threatening her isn't reaching a suitable arrangement you-"

"Uncle, father, tone it down a bit wouldn't you?" Luke's father chimed up, "You're scaring the children", he cocked his head to their general direction, still standing in front of the door, and the pressure subsided and he wasn't buckling anymore or forgetting what walking was and his mind clear. His father sent him a wink and relief flushed him.

"Father, Poseidon, all this argument is of no matter, the trial will determine his innocence, let us proceed," Athena said.

Zeus nodded and Poseidon simply grumbled before agreeing, "Then let us start." Athena tapped her armrest twice and Luke found himself at the foot of his father's throne. Annabeth was next to her mothers and Perseus Jackson was in the middle, just three paces in front of the brazier, immortal eyes locked on his.

"That's a tacky cape." Aphrodite muttered, and clicked her perfect fingers, a shower of pink rained atop the boy, his cape and clothes melted off, and were replaced with a three-piece suit, sleek black and elegant," that's better."

"Thank you, o esteemed one, but don't you mind adding a cape please, adds to my aesthetic." Aphrodite simply raised her brows before clicking again and the rain of pink added a black cape, collar wide and long but less eccentric than before," You have my thanks."

Zeus scowled," You are standing here today, accused of stealing my lightning bolt on the 26th of April 2005, what do you plead."

"Not guilty Your Majesty!" Perseus chirped a smile on his face.

"Where we're on you the 25th of April," Athena asked.

"In the labyrinth, visiting some friends."

"No, not friends, monsters, and known criminals of Olympus."

"No, I mean friends, and brothers too, father was not picky when it came to his children." Hermes and Ares chuckled, Poseidon grinned proudly, chest puffed out.

"You do not deny the charges of fraternizing with criminals."

"With all due respect your most graciousness, do you really think that a group of Cyclopes, and a hellhound are dangerous top-priority criminals?" Perseus asked, and Luke felt hot, he was friends with Cyclopses those sick and twisted abominations, Luke looked over and saw Annabeth too, she was chewing her lips she did that often, when deep in thought.

"You do not deny the accusation."

"I wholeheartedly do Athena Promachos, I simply assumed you would give me grace as to not assume me that stupid to do so." He grinned.

Athena glanced at Apollo, he was all golden lines and anger marks," He tells the truth, yet my soul does not soothe." Luke blinked, why does Apollo speak in rhymes?

"I am innocent of all machinations pertaining to the stealing and capture of the esteemed lightning bolt from the king of heavens!" He declared.

Athena nodded and leaned back after Apollo confirmed again," Now on to your charges of other crimes." Zeus smiled a cruel one in place," you are charged with the theft and destruction of godly equipment, fraternizing with monsters and contempt of the council and specifically the high king of the sky what do you plead."

"Guilty on all accounts." He answered with no hesitation," Guilty, guilty, guilty is what I am." He cackled on.

"So do you admit on destroying the temples of the ordained?" Athena asked.

"It was an accident, life and death situation had to collapse the building."

"You were there for what exactly?" Athena asked.

"Sightseeing." Perseus said," it's not every day you see the temple of the great Eris, she also invited me personally, said she was a big fan!"

Demeter quirked her brow," And you collapsed her temple?"

"She asked me to do something amazing and let the Nemean lion loose on me, she liked it indeed, even gave me some drachmas and a charm." He grinned, the boy was mad.

Dionysus threw his head back and laughed audaciously, Athena turned her lips up slightly before Zeus slammed his arm on the throne and the flashing lightning was accompanied by its first bout of thunder," Order in the court!"

"So you are saying the destruction of the temple of ordnance was designed by its owner?"

"Not exactly but she was most happy with my services."

Ares shifted forward slightly," I heard you were in another one of the forbidden lands, the twisted land straights." He grinned," That one is punishable by death."

Athena coughed slightly," The punishment is the land straight itself brother, the punishment is merley a deterrent."

"But the laws still stand." Zeus said coldly, "Death should be admitted swiftly, first we must focus on his contempt of me and pass the judgement."

"I will not lie I do not like you." Perseus said, and Luke knew him mad before but now he thought him insane." How can I? You killed my mother for simply being my mother." Luke felt something tug at him, the boy was alone, wandering about, he was young, so young and already alone, he closed his eyes and offered up some prayers for him meager as they may be. But like was not heartless.

Do not pray for him my son, he is dangerous, volatile and destructive, he is hurting but his heart is filled with our worst.

Luke looked up and at his father, his voice was murmuring in his head, but he looked away as if he did not speak with him, Luke twisted a scowl and carried on praying, he was not heartless, and whose fault is it that he is the way he is.

Be careful, son when dealing with him, I have seen many men with his drive and ambition, they drive for greatness untold or misery of untold proportions, take my warning if naught else, do not mix yourself with him. His father's voice whispered.

And Luke made a decision right there and then, he would mix himself up with this boy, just to spite his father.

"But I am not stupid, I know the way of the world, what's a little contempt have to do with anything? If I can not voice my displeasures that would simply make you a tyrant." Perseus said, and the air grew still, the fabric of what is and what not started to blur, Luke's eyes were hurting his skin tingled, static seemed to pop in and out and out again.

Zeus's throne started to glow iridescent yellow his hair rising, he had a braided bear and it unravelled his eyes stark white with energy," You said what boy?" He didn't below or thunder or roar but it was just as loud and bearing," A tyrant?"

Perseus nodded and the electric shocks peppered the air more," You wouldn't be one if you let my slice of contempt go, I merely stated my displeasure never worked against you actively, in fact I am offering my services right now."

"What?" The air stopped whatever was being done to it, Luke let go of a breath he forgot he was holding," what services you planning to offer?"

"I will retrieve your lightning bolt, treat it like a legendary quest of course with all its benefits, Three million drachmas for each participant and full pardons of all aforementioned crimes!" He grinned.

"No drachmas!" Zeus bellowed," and you can-"

"Father that is a good offer." Athena said her eyes focused on her father," The boy has many skills, he can prove useful to us if implemented right."

"Father, why not send my hunters, kill the boy, and be off." Artemis said, Apollo nodding along.

Athena leaned forward," I believe that to be unwise, the boy will die if he fails anyway. Might as well use him for matter."

Zeus mulled it over his argument weak," But look daughter he makes friends with monsters destroys and steals and pillages, we even have witnesses." He waved his arm towards Luke and Annabeth.

,"Did we ourselves not make them and walk amongst them once?" Aphorodite said.

"That's different." Zeus said not really into it, he rested his head on his fist before popping up," You will only have a limit of eight people, you will each be paid two million instead of three, and all crimes that were brought up will be pardoned, and the benefit of the legendary quest applied." Zeus said," However, you will get it done by the solstice, failure to return the bolt means death."

And thunder clapped and bellowed, lightning struck, and a golden sigil of captured lightning encrusted before them, the sign of a legendary quest, it floated to Perseus before searing into his outstretched arm," You will receive no aid from the gods nor financial aid from the Barracks, the solstice is three weeks away." He grinned cruelly, "good luck."

He laughed then, lightning flashing and flashing and flashing and the air was too bright so he closed his eyes and the next thing Luke realises is that he was standing in front of the gates of new Greece, "they didn't even ask us anything." Annabeth muttered annoyed, and Perseus simply grinned.

"So this is new Greece? I thought it would be smaller. Nevertheless, we can go sightseeing later first we will have to recruit for the legendary Quest!"

"We?" Luke asked, and this was probably the worst question he had ever put forward in his life, he was sure that he would regret no question as much as the one he just uttered.

"I never knew you were French, nice of you to agree." And with that dread simply bubbled in his stomach as Annabeth shot him a look to keep it quiet.

Chapter Text

Ethan Nakamura should've known that today of all days was going to be horrendously bad, he was the son of Nemesis, goddess of balance, retribution, revenge and indignation, he should've known today would be horrible to balance the scales.

He had an amazing day yesterday, nearly the best day of his life, he made a bet that Charles Beckendorf will join the great quest on the behest of the mad boy running around. He was recruiting demigods left and right for this suicide mission and was able to get quite a team. And the bet pulled through, the odds on 50-1 with a down payment of one thousand golden drachmas, and the mad demigod tied up Beckendorf to a wooden post until he gave a binding vow of subservience, for the duration of the great quest.

Which Ethan found to be a bit odd when it was announced, but he did not care for it much other than the fact he received fifty thousand golden drachmas, more than most people's yearly wages unless you worked in the finance and law sector of new Greece.

Ethan also had his favourite pudding he bought from the New Athens shopping district, the café was called the great nymph's touch. The pudding was heavenly. He made good money had good food and even a good nights sleep thanks to him paying off the drill sergeant for an early release to his barracks and he can sleep in because tomorrow, today, was his off day from training, but the pudding caught up to him.

He forgot to get the non dairy version, the damn thing had milk and one would think that being half god would stop the vile onslaught of lactose intolerance. It did not.

Ethan was hunched on the toilet seat, his stomach twisting left and right and he let loose stool after stool, one looser then the other until he was just shitting brown water, the more he shat the thirstier he grew and the more he drank the more he shat.

It was a terrible start to the day.

When it stopped and subsided , he cleaned himself up and left the bog and cracked open all the windows, he shot a look to his younger half-brother Nathan who slept on the bottom bunk of the bed," Don't go in there." And all his younger brother did was nod his head with his covers over his nose trying to block the smell.

He left the barrack, big enough to house his siblings and then some, it was a bungalow with five rooms a kitchen and three bathrooms, spacious and relaxing with the décor of a drug fuelled rock band, but his mother decided that all she wanted this turn of generation or whatever you call it was to have only three demigod children. Ethan Nathan and Jason.

His mother thought herself funny with the names, that's all he would say on the matter.

The rest of the day did not go as the beginning. It did not get better, not at all, it went worse, marginally worse, so worse in fact it's like waking up to a dead animal corpse in your room and when you finally remove it and clean up, you return to find that it was infected by a child of Hecate's spell and turned into a zombie as a prank, but the prank backfired so now you genuinely have a possible zombie pandemic on your hands and all you have is your pjs and duvet to defend yourself. Imagine that, (Ethan definitely knew how to imagine that, albeit a bit too well,)but on steroids, and wearing the face of a certain son of Poseidon that has a general consensus marked about him, of being barking mad.

Ethan hated his life.

It started with Ethan trying to make his day generally better by moving on past pudding gate and to go get some preferably none dairy breakfast at his usual place, the golden celery. It was owned and ran by the Demeter food company, a small brunch spot just east off the barracks, and into the city proper, inside the New Delphi district. It was amazing, they offered meat based food plates, vegetarian food plates and even vegan, perfect for him and his siblings. Children of Nemesis are required to switch between being heavy meat eaters or vegan depending on the diet the day before to uphold the dietary balance.

And Ethan was trying to be optimistic today, he really was, he knew that he had to make up for the ridiculously good day he had yesterday, in fact yesterday was so good he was pretty sure he even flirted with the nymph cashier from the betting shop and she responded positively, to be fair Ethan has not been around long enough on this earth for him to really know what is a positive reaction to his advances but he would take the fact she did not shut him down and laughed at his jokes as win anyway.

He sat down on his usual seat, just left of the golden gallery, the main hall of the brunch spot, on his favourite window seat that allowed just enough sunlight so that it was bright enough to read a book, but not too much for it to glare and warm his hands. He was reading a series he picked up recently, his younger brother was raving about it called the wheel of time, and it was a good read, he was on the first book so far and he hoped that today being his day off and all he would make some good headway.

He ordered his usual carnivorous day meal, the meat feast plate, and the waiter scampered off and Ethan got to reading, it was five minutes or so passed and when he looked up to a person standing opposite his table, whom he expected to be his waiter, was when the horrific sinking feeling of the realisation that the simple introduction of misery his bowel movement in the morning, was in fact not enough to correct the scales.

In front of him stood the most famous demigod of the past 48 hours, he kidnapped a total of six demigods, including Ethan's best friend Luke, tortured them into submission to enter this suicide mission of his to retrieve the lightning bolt all because he could not keep his madness in check and insulting the master of Olympus.

Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon and walking legend amongst the children of Dionysus and Eris.

With the ways people talked of him Ethan always assumed him to be taller, bigger, more menacing, from the outside the kid looked just like that, a kid. Mediterranean looks black curly long hair, the only thing that fit the image that Ethan has of him in his head was the scar on his eye and the cape. And don't get started on his eyes, sea green and murky that writhed and twisted like he revelled in its lunacy.

"You must be Ethan."

Oh gods, the beast knew his name," who told you?"

A smirk just graced the boy's face, it had to have been Luke, or was it Malcolm?," My name, my good friend, is Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, and me and you will do many a great terrible deeds."

The boy sat down opposite him and lounged on the chair, his cape splayed around him, he wore a black shirt with some paint splatter, his jeans were blue and he wore some black and white shoes.

Ethan shuffled back slightly, the waiter came up to them, he was mousey and a little scrawny, with a balding top and comb over," would you like to order something sir?" As he placed Ethan's plate on the table.

The son of Poseidon smiled," I'll have what he's having." He gestured to Ethan's plate. The waiter nodded his head and scampered off.

"How did you get the papers to enter the city proper?" Ethan asked," you was barely in the barracks for two days, you didn't have enough time for clearance."

Perseus blinked," I needed clearance?"

Ethan looked at him incredulously, to enter the city proper you had to be inducted into the barracks and that took minimum a week," how did you get past the checkpoint?"

"So that's what they meant by I needed my ID card." Perseus muttered to himself, and Ethan felt dread build up in his stomach," Don't worry about how I got here!" Ethan slapped the boys hand away from his plate, the demigod simply shook his hand before leaning back again," You see my greedy friend, you should be worried as to why I am here."

"Why are you here."

"To visit a good friend of mine of course!"

"We are not friends." Ethan replied," I don't know you, you don't know me, and I would like to keep it like that."

"Oh but I do know you." Perseus said his smile still on his face, but more dangerous, more twisted," I know you have two younger brothers, you're good with a sword." And this time the boy leaned in eyes pinning his, and fear creeped on the Ethan's nape," I can smell your mothers essence on your right eye. What are you so scared of that you marked your right eye up as offering hmm?"

Ethan recoiled his cutlery falling back on to the table, his heart racing a mile a minute, too fast that it felt like it was leaping out his chest," who told you?" He asked, frenzy was gripping his skin and peeling it whole," who was it? Did mother send you?" But mother wouldn't, he knows mother, she would never do such a thing like send someone else to be her messenger, it couldn't have been another god, they usually steer right away from his mothers buisness," how can you tell?"

Perseus lazily held up a copper amulet, it was circular with a gilded silver edges and in the middle was a motif of a hand holding a dagger and another a scale, the symbol of Nemesis," Bought it at a Sunday market, nice little trinket this." Perseus hummed," This charm allows me to see your mother's magic and essence as you can tell, amongst other things, and your right eye stinks with it, not a bad smell I tell you but still you get the point."

"What do you want?"

Perseus smiled again, innocently and leaned back pocketing the amulet," You know what I want."

"No. I won't go." Ethan said shaking his head and looking down again, he picked apart his food and went back to eating. The demigods eyes bore into his head and he couldn't ignore it any longer he squirmed on his chair," what would I even get out of it if I go?"

"Two million golden drachmas-"

"I already heard about that." Ethan cut in," it's not worth it, 2 million if we succeed and with no godly help or funds from the barracks. It's everywhere."

The mad demigod's smile was still stuck in place," I did quite a good job advertising didn't I?" He hummed and leaned back, the waiter placed the meat feast in front of him and the boy picked up his fork and leisurely picked up small pieces of chicken and ate peacefully," not good enough though, 2 million drachmas without bonuses, and a little something else for you."

"Bonuses?"

"Bonuses indeed, in fact bonuses a plenty, my good friend." The demigod carried on eating and Ethan opened his mouth to reply but Perseus raised his finger at him and finished swallowing," new intel came in, it seems that we will have to embark to my dear lord uncles domain, the underworld and retrieve the lightning bolt."

Ethan's eyebrows creeped up, the underworld? The land of the dead and the damned and the in between, monsters a plenty the very pit itself inside and it's mercurial overlord as its sovereign," where's the bonuses in that?"

"Pay attention pay attention, gosh." Perseus muttered," it is not in my Lord uncle's style to steal the bolt, never met the man, or in this case the god but intel suggests that it's a setup, something is afoot that wants to embroil the three most powerful beings on this plane of the cosmos into war."

Ethan blinked, staring at the motionless grin the boy sent him as if he should be on the uptake by now,"And?"

"And when, not if, we clear my lord uncles name we will receive an extremely rich bounty, filthy rich bounty mind you, you will live your days in ecstasy and hedonism, all the finest fineries drachmas can buy and more at your fingertips." The boy paused scuffing down a potato wedge before he began again," Money, fame, glory! Everything the world has to offer all brought into one place!"

Ethan leaned in he noticed, damn it he got caught up in the boy's pace, but before he could pull back, he asked, he regretted this question, not nearly enough as the one asked next though," where?"

Perseus grinned his finger pointed to the sky before tapping on Ethan's wallet," At the great quest."

He could do with some money, Ethan made a bit with the bet but there was nothing wrong with some more, and the boy's confidence was infectious," you said there's something extra for me?"

Perseus's grin turned wicked," The amulet I showed also has the ability to always correct the wearers balance, not physically mind you, but in terms of karma."

Ethan found himself again intrigued, he heard of something like this before, Jason received a blessing of some sorts last year that did a similar thing, but this on an amulet was other worldly, charms and amulets can be amplified with magic and affinity," there's a catch isn't there?"

"Indeed, only a child of Nemesis or herself will be able to use it to its full potential, your actions no matter what will be balanced."

Ethan should have got up and walked away when he saw the demigod, he should've never asked about the the little extra for him because it was too much to bear.

Jason's blessings is that he naturally would do the most balanced actions, he will naturally wake up and eat vegan today instead of making effort, it makes his life effortless. But not any less bothersome. This amulet however, completely negates it if what Jackson said was true, it made any action you did by definition, balanced, Ethan can finally stop eating vegetarian every other day and eat what he wanted, when he wanted. He could finally have good days in succession instead of dreading it when the day was over, he could finally stop making his bed over and over again until the duvet was directly in the middle of the bed in line with the pillow, he would be free!

"I knew you would get it." The boy said and finished off his plate, Ethan sat in silence stewing his demise and sent a prayer to his mother for mercy to be placed upon his soul.

"Meet me and the rest at the front of the Poseidon barrack at exactly 6pm, don't be late, briefing and provisions allocation will begin, we will leave first thing tomorrow, 5am, say bye to your loved ones for now."

Ethan nodded, he didn't even say he would come to the quest and the smug boy's grin wrangled him so deeply, mainly because the boy was undoubtedly right.

The demigod got up and slapped a couple of golden drachmas on the table," don't be sad my good friend, imagine all the nymphs you could woo with such a tale of daring deeds aye." And walked away, clapping his back, and Ethan was sure that his face was scarlet.

He tried to carry on his meal with little difference, read his book and enjoy his meal, but the plague of overthinking haunted his every bite and turn of page. He put the book down and scoffed his meal, and drank some orange juice, he was in the sun too much yesterday so now he has to indulge in vitamin c, but if he got that amulet from Jackson however…

Ethan shook his head, the son of Poseidon was crafty, craftier than Luke castellan dreams himself to be, if Ethan knew no better he would say he was a love child between Hermes and Dionysus. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 12pm, he had a whole six hours to kill.

He wanted to go see his friends, but half of them are still on the regiment rotation, and with the hunters of Artemis over, Castor had to do some extra filing. With his belly full and his mind half made, Ethan got up and made his way through the streets of the new Delphi district and made his way past the barracks checkpoint after he flashed the guards at either end his active service tablets seen in a necklace with beads and a pair of dog tags.

He walked across the wooden bridge, passed the Demeter barracks that were covered in wall moss and had vines of strawberries growing on the wall. He went past, dozens of small barracks that situated at the other end of the bridge, attributed to minor gods of any persuasion. He found his and stepped through.

There he saw his two brothers relaxing outside with some deck chairs bathing in the sun," You had too much oranges yesterday, not enough sun?" He asked them both, Jason nodded and Nathan simply raised an eyebrow lazily as if to say can't you see.

"What got you back early?" Nathan asked.

Ethan didn't even hesitate, he reached towards the door as he sad," I'm going on the great quest."

Jason shot up and grabbed the sunglasses on his face, and pulled them up, Nathan was up too. His two brothers were twins, and looked exactly the same apart from the mismatching scars Nathan had on his neck, he got it from a hellhound attack two summers ago when they both made their first trip to the city," You're what?" Nathan asked.

"He said he's going on the great quest."

" I thought I was daydreaming, thanks jay, lemme ask this big bro, are you stupid?"

Ethan spluttered," what?"

"He means like an idiot, low iq, relatively slow, cognitively challenged- "

"I think he gets what I mean, thanks jay."

"I'm not stupid." Ethan said," to be fair this is really stupid, I think you boys are on to something, I've gone stupid."

"What did he offer you?" Nathan asked.

"Was it money? Heard from Sierra when he kidnapped Silena Beauregard he promised her money too, crazy amounts like 2 million drachmas." Jason added

"He offered me more." Ethan said, he let go do the door knob and crouched down next to them, the sun was beaming down on him, oh gods he's going to drink another litre of orange juice and this times with bits," don't tell anyone about this, but he offered me bonuses on top, more than 2 million he hinted at, and a charm he got that was made by mother."

"That's nice and all." Nathan drawled," but that's only if you succeed, no? Rumours are about that Lord Zeus himself wants the boy to die horribly, what if you succeed and he kills your all anyway?"

Jay nodded from beside him," he will leave the rest of us alone if he was going to do something like that." Ethan said," won't make sense to anger so many gods just to kill one half blood. Besides heard that Poseidon is fond of the boy, Zues wouldn't risk war with Poseidon over a demigod."

Jay leaned back into his deck chair," Just be careful alright, heard that the boy was mad, well not heard more like seen. Poor Beckendorf."

"Poor him." Nathan echoed to his twin before leaning back on the deck chair again," Poor Ethan too, but hey! Look on the bright side, that's a whole lot of money if you survive, when your back can you open a trust fund for us both with the bank of Athena and Owl? They got really good rates."

Ethan chuckled softly," half a million each, I promise." Ethan walked into the barrack and before he was halfway through the door he called out to his brothers," I got a meeting at 6pm can you guys wake me up for 4? Gonna get some sleep in so I don't mess up the balance for tomorrow."

Jason chimed with a sure and Nathan with a grunt and Ethan closed the door behind him and changed into his pjs and went to bed.

Ethan on a usual night doesn't have trouble sleeping, and in that regard today was just the same, but unusually though was when he dreamt of his mother and today he did just that too.

The dream starts off the same, him in his father garage, with nothing but tools and a Harley Davidson, grease marks on the floor with pictures of him and his dad on some shelfs, the dream is always during midday, the sun at the top just bright with no real heat behind it and his mother on a small blue chair, wearing red leather pants and a white t shirt that had the graphic , an eye for an eye with an eyeball stabbed with a Swiss Army knife through it. She had her black flowing hair and features of her being too pretty or beautiful to be anything but a goddess and a black chunky rectangular shades and hoop earrings.

"You look well, a little bit low on the Vitamin C but well nonetheless." She said and clicked her fingers and an identical chair appeared next to her.

Ethan walked up to it and sat down and relaxed, it was always so easy to relax when with his mother, it felt like he could do no wrong when he was in her presence, he did not need to think about his actions and the next or its consequences of how he affected the scale and the balance," what brings you here today mom, not that I don't like it when you visit, it's nice to see you."

" why can't I just visit my baby boy hmm?" Ethan blanched and his face must have been funny because his mother laughed, and warmth and something else just tingled inside of him," don't make that face you make it seem like I only come for buisness."

"Well, you mostly only ever come when I accept a quest."

"What mother would I be if I didn't warn my little munchkin about the dangers of the big bad world?" She replied doing a baby voice near the end," can't let you go without a little help and advice."

"But I thought we aren't allowed godly help with this quest?"

"Jackson isn't, not you and the quest didn't start yet, now did it, you're not on the move yet." His mother said, confident in herself as usual, stalwart and sure.

"True." Was all he muttered and relaxed back," what have you got for me then?"

"Advice only this time, can't toe the line too much by intervening." His mother shifted to the right inching closer, she smiled fondly and reached for his face and softly stroked his cheek with her thumb," Remember, just because you can see does not mean you are not blind."

Ethan hummed before asking," what does that mean though?"

"You will know in due time baby." She said before retreating again," just don't forget what I said."

Ethan nodded," I won't mother, I'll try not to."

His mother smiled at him," any questions?"

"What's Jackson like?" He asked, his mother has good read on people, she was the one who told him Luke would make a good friend for him and she was right.

"I don't know much about him. But from the way he yearns for me you would think me his patron." Ethan wrinkled his nose and turned away from his mother as she laughed," No, not like that son."

"In what way." He asked, he was relieved that the demigod wasn't after his mother in that sort of relationship, weirdness wouldn't even cover half of what that sort of situation would be like.

His mother quieted down and simply tapped her armrest," Just be careful around him." She clapped her hands once and leaned forward on to the deck chair," Enough about mad men and terrible quests, how are my boys doing."

And Ethan spent the rest of the dream time just talking to his mother about his brothers and himself, about the new model of phone where you can touch the screen and surf the myth-web that the children of Hephaestus over at Anvil tech came up with using a team of Athena developers and how he was planning to get some on launch after he came back from the quest. Time seemed to move so slow here but before he knew he felt his mother's sad smile wash over him and his body shake and his brother's voice melding into hers as she opened her mouth," hey Ethan wake up, wake." And he did.

He sat up groggily and felt his mouth taste dry and icky, and looked over to his right and saw his brother Jason hovering over him, shaking and pointing to the clock. It was quarter to five, he overslept a bit.

He rolled out of bed and Jason took a step back and made to leave the room," Mom says hi." Ethan groaned and Jason whipped his back to him.

"What did she say?" He excitedly bounced back and leaned in and Ethan opened his mouth to reply but then Jason grimaced," Brush your teeth though, it smells like off oranges and milk."

Ethan frowned before walking to the bathroom, it couldn't really be that bad. Jason hurried off to find his twin probably to tell him that Ethan spoke to mother; he brushed his teeth and fixed his hair up before going back to his room and changing out from his Pjs to his casual clothes. The twins knocked on his door and he let them in," What did mother say!" Nathan exclaimed, making way to his bed and sitting on it," Did you tell her about my new personal record at the viper pit?"

Ethan nodded," She said she's proud of you, but you could try the spinning slash she told you about last time."

"You're always busy through, who's gonna teach me?" Nathan asked, and Ethan felt something grip him hard.

"Jason knows how to do it." Ethan replied.

"I do, can't teach it though." Jason puffed out his chest," Geniuses can't explain things well to commoners."

Nathan gave his twin a sidelong glance," You never even tried to explain it."

"Yeah, you never asked." Jason said sitting on the bed next to Nathan, he looked up at Ethan," Did you tell mom about the new phone?"

Ethan nodded," Said she will get them for you when you turn 14, said you two are too young."

The twins pouted, kicking their feet in the air but content none the less," And you are?"

Ethan raised his eyebrows," I make the money round here, I buy what I want to buy." Ethan grinned at the twins before crouching," And last I checked I'm over 14 so yes, I am allowed." Ethan walked out his room and entered the kitchen pouring himself a litre of orange juice and capped his flask. He turned to the two boys and called to them to the living room in front of the tv to watch their favourite show that was about to air.

It was called Oakley, follows a young oak nymph as she tries to live her daily life and falls in love with a bashful satyr. It was a hilarious romantic sitcom and the main character, the nymph, was played by Marceline Woods, a beautiful oak wood nymph and one of Ethan's crushes. The episode that aired was funny, it was about how she got stuck in the lift with her Satyr boytoy and comedy ensued.

Ethan got ready and left when it was ten to six and made sure that Jason and Nathan would complete the list of chores that needed to get done for the day before he left. He crossed the great bridge, the one that separated the Olympian barracks with the rest of the gods, and went passed the Demeter cabin.

The Hermes cabin was opposite it on the right, it had three levels with panelled windows and great rustic grey beams, it was the largest barrack by far, it housed the unclaimed and the unwanted as Hermes was the patron of the travellers. The Apollo cabin followed straight after, two floors with a miniature sun floating a top the barrack, with solar panels fitted directly underneath, it was a gift purchased by a son of Apollo from their own father some years back so they can have free electricity all year round. The barrack of Artemis was next, made from solid silver and white powder dusted on the silver walls in patterns of the moon, darkness enveloped it, a direct contrast with Apollo's barrack. Athena and Ares were next, Athena looked just like a modern mansion, sleek and grey and white, whilst Ares looked to be a fortress, with spiked walls and sentinel turrets on them.

The Olympian's were gaudy and the Hephaestus barrack was no exception, sleek and metallic and something ripped off a sci-fi film, sat snugly against Aphrodite's glass palace that was not see through but simply a reflection.

The Poseidon barrack came into view, it was deep blue carved out of marble or something, with corals encrusted into it. In the middle, just below the second floor was a slit with a waterfall falling through creating a moat of likes around it, with a small pavilion bridge in the middle.

Ethan walked through and knocked on the wooden timber door that had a carved trident in the middle and a small conch shell peep hole," Come in!" Perseus called and Ethan pushed open the door and walked through, the inside of the barrack was decadent, small marble benches on either side of the hallway for shoes, he took them off and slid them in and stepped past the wooden tiling, and onto the glass flooring, with water beneath his feet, a small marble terrace on the left and a horse head shaped statue jutting out the wall as a fountain.

"Impressive, isn't it?" A high-pitched voice called from beside him, too high pitch to be human.

Ethan turned his head and to his surprise a stone cherub wearing nothing but a sleet grey cover around its nether regions was floating two or three paces away from him," You can speak." He muttered.

"Yes, I can!" The cherub said with triumph before jabbing his thumb behind him, a dead pan voice hitting him," the boss is waiting for you in the living room." Ethan stood their stunned, was the cherub sarcastic? The cherub hovered towards a room with a carved door frame and no door before turning back to him," Hurry up, you're the last one." The cherub called.

Ethan walked in and then he saw them all, he saw Pollux, Castor's younger brother, Luke Castellan, Annabeth Chase, Charles Beckendorf, a startlingly beautiful girl with long brown hair that could not be anyone else but Silena Beauregard, A pretty emo with short grey highlighted hair, and a typical surfer dude, most likely the child of Apollo.

"Look who made it!" Perseus called from a single sofa chair, he gestured for them to sit and they did, Ethan walked u to Luke and did their usual handshake and ruffled Pollux's hair before they sat on a long blue sofa for the three of them. Charles sat with the Apollo kid on a double sofa and the girls all squeezed in together.

Perseus sat back and clicked his fingers, and three small cherubs appeared, flying from a corner in the room to hover beside the son of Poseidon. Ethan recognised the one on the far right being the one who opened the door and such, but the one in the middle had flowing stone ribbon covering its nether regions as well it's chest and had slightly longer hair and wings, the one on the right had the same getup as the one that opened his door, the only difference being that it had a black headband with a metal plate in the middle with a swirling leaf like symbol tied to its head.

"Since all of us lovely ladies are here it's best we get to the meet and greet." Perseus grinned," I am Perseus Jackson, supreme leader and master tactician extraordinaire, daring rouge and many a monster's nightmare." He finished with a shake of his hands, Pollux muttered something to Luke causing him to chuckle lightly, Perseus nodded his head towards the Cherubs and pointed at the one that opened the door for Ethan," That's Ri, deputy in tactician and planning."

The cherub did a small mock bow, winking in the general direction of the girls," Glad to make you're acquittance." Then the girls giggled, as if what he did was funny, a blinding murderous rage seemed to see into Ethan's stomach towards Ri.

"The one in the middle is Ra©, Head of espionage and information gathering." Perseus said.

Ethan blinked," Did you just make a copyright symbol noise?" Silena asked for them, flabbergasted," How?"

The cherub answered instead," The boss copyrighted my name because people kept on mistaking me for the Egyptian poser." she said," I'm Ra© nice to meet you."

"But how did you make that sound?" Silena badgered on before being swiftly ignored.

"And last, and definitely is least, is Ro, he's the official comic relief, and what was it that I said when we was practicing?" He turned to Ra©.

"Your caretaker." She supplied.

"Yes that, he cares so I don't have to." Perseus flashed them a grin as if the comment didn't deserve him to be locked up in a facility.

"Ohio, everyone, I am in your care, desu." The cherub said bowing from the waist down, and Ethan scrunched his face up in pure disgust.

"I forgot to mention he is an absolute brain melt."

"Don't be rude." Pollux said," He's just foreign." Ethan shot him a glare and Pollux met his, his brown eyes dark and sluggish, and Ethan winced, he must be on the grape juice again.

"So!" The mad demigod started to rub his palms together in anticipation," Let's go in a circle and introduce ourselves ay?"

And that they did, the pretty emo girl went first, said her name was Lou Ellen Blackstone, daughter of Hecate, And Ethan was right about Silena being the beautiful one, with her being a daughter of Aphrodite and all. Michael Yew was the Apollo kid, and Annabeth chase and the rest all introduced themselves including himself.

"Now that the boring things are out of the way, lets focus on the important ones!"

"Like plans?" Annabeth asked.

"Don't worry about that for now, I got that all under control." Perseus said as if soothing a child," No, something much more important than details of our daring deeds and the plans to defeat terrible beings of untold might in our quest of great glory."

"Provisions?" Ethan asked, he heard the demigod mention it before.

"That's second, no we need a name for our daring crew as all great things do, and it seems I got just the one." Perseus grinned wickedly again and dread for the umpteenth time seemed to pool around Ethan's stomach," I, with my power granted to me as supreme leader of the quest, do dub us as the Bastard Bunch!"

With that Pollux roared with laughter, and Silena argued in the background and for some odd reason Luke thought it was the best time to tell him," I heard what you did in the morning by the way, you traumatised poor Nathan." He cackled.

Before he could reply, Beckendorf tapped his knee and spoke to him near his ear, loud enough for Luke and the still laughing Pollux to hear, when did the boy move?" You're that fucker that made that bet, aren't you?" Beckendorf said, laughing slightly," Look how the turns have tabled." Before he, Luke, Michael Yew and even Pollux started to laugh harder.

Perseus was in the background arguing with Silena and Lou Ellen, something about being called bastards being offensive and Perseus shouting back that they are by definition bastards, whilst Annabeth was conversing with Ri.

Ethan opened his mouth to reply," Gomen Beckendorf-San, but don't you mean how the tables have turned? Desu."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ethan was already having third thoughts on entering this quest, who the hell even brings along a useless culturally appropriating cherub?

"Did I say something wrong? Desu." Ro asked, and disgust twisted in Ethan more.

Beckendorf and Michale Yew were in hysterics, Luke and Pollux too, but Castellan composed himself enough to say," No, Ro, you're doing amazing, keep up the good work." And Ethan groaned, he was going to kill himself before the monsters got to him at this point.

Chapter Text

Lou Ellen simply stood staring at the wreckage in front of her, metal beams and splinters of iron everywhere;some rubber and pieces of chairs and goose hair from pillows skittered the stone bed tracks. The air was thick with smoke, the stench of burnt and roasting flesh and the stark screams of horror and roars as hordes of giant scorpions ripped apart the train.

They were in the middle of California, about a hundred or so miles away from the nearest town or city, and stranded. So very stranded.

Lou Ellen did not know for the life of her why she succumbed to her desire, or her thirst of knowledge, why her mother cursed her with avarice and wanted to know, to learn, to see all the wonders again that Jackson showed her when he waltzed into her barracks—past their charms and defences and started to throw spells left and right she only ever dreamed of, as if they were mere parlour tricks! He even turned a stick into metal! He performed transfiguration of an unliving soul, something only wizards and witches with knowledge of the deep arcane knew how to do, yet not hard in and of itself.

But here she was, in the middle of some train tracks with a nest of double decker bus sized scorpions tearing through some poor mortals running away from the train.

Luke hurried past her, soot and dust staining his face and arms as he grabbed his sword off the floor and hurled a bag that was steaming with something at the scorpions, "smells like Demigod essence." He called out to her, "It keeps them away from us and mortals." He turned and grabbed her hand and lightly jog-limped to the rest of them.

Perseus was tapping his foot with his hands crossed and eyes narrowed," What took you so long?" He admonished her harshly," I have use of you yet, witch, so no being scorpion food."

"There are mortals being killed." Michael Yew pointed.

"Were." Luke curtly replied.

Perseus scrambled and rummaged through his brown pouch and pulled out a dusty grey tome with an engraving of a wailing man's face on it, before also taking out a spear and laying it on the floor. He turned to a specific page, muttering to himself before shoving it on to Lou Ellen's chest, "read this spell and apply the same layer matrix you used on Silena to turn her into a pig, but on me, Luke and Ethan." Lou Ellen scanned the page and Perseus, glaring and impatient, barked,"quickly!"

And Lou Ellen did, "Severed one, Kind one, blessed be you upon the eve of violence;I soak their blood and rend their flesh, and call upon the flames to grant me strength." Focusing the words into the three-layered matrix and letting the magic coalesce around the three boys. The power hummed amongst them, coating, cloaking, and shielding them from all harm. The magic in the air, small bubbles of blue, frazzling light that encircled them, clamouring to embrace them as she applied the charm.

Perseus grabbed the tome off her hands and panic gripped Lou Ellen. She did not want to lose that book; she wanted that book—no, she needed it. She bit her lip and Perseus' knowing gaze fell upon her as he put the grimoire back in his pouch.

"Let's go!" Ethan called from the left of them, just a pace away from Luke as he hurried out onto the wreckage jumping over metal and molten shards.

Luke followed after him and Perseus grabbed Michael Yew and pointed at the sleeping Silena on the floor, "Make sure the three of you stay back; we will deal with this quickly— don't let her die, Yew."

Michael muttered to himself, about something with curses and Perseus bounded off towards the battling Ethan, with Ra behind him carrying around something sizzling,"Are those explosives?" Lou Ellen asked herself, baffled, and before Beckendorf or Pollux could say anything an ear popping explosion rang across from afar, scorpion entrails falling from the sky along with sprayed bolts and pebbles.

Ethan screamed in the distance and the sound of bullets rapid firing rang through the air as the demigod unloaded a clip of celestial bronze bullets, "I guess they are." She said, before staggering back and dropping to the floor, gripping her shirt . She liked this shirt; now it was more grey than black, encrusted with dust and pockmarked with holes near the bottom hem from molten sprays.

The boys did battle, and her charm seemed to work as they weaved through scorpion after scorpion killing them whole; Luke even split one in two from a single stroke and Perseus was puncturing holes into their heads. It did not take long. Sometime after, a couple of mortals were rounded up and given first aid before Perseus charmed them and sent them on their way.

The boys jogged back," Alright, that went well." Luke said huffing with his hands on his knees.

Annabeth appeared on their right from nothing, hand holding a Yankees baseball cap, "I found us a ride."

Perseus smiled, clapping the girl on her back," Splendid job! Ri!" Perseus called out to his left and the cherub appeared.

"Yes boss!"

"Go with Pollux and Annabeth to the ride." He turned to Pollux, whose face was covered in black oil. The only person that looked pristine was Perseus, who had cleaned himself off with the feather of a dusty roach and would not use it on the others, the stingy bastard, "Carry Silena there."

Beckendorf hefted Silena up and gently placed her upon the child of Dionysus' back as he turned and moved. "What was that spell?" Lou Ellen muttered and Perseus crouched down next to her.

"Enchantments. Makes the target faster, stronger, and most importantly, exuberantly increases stamina." Perseus said, a brief grin twitching at his lips, as he reached forward and gently touched her shoulder and she witnessed him glow. She felt the magic in his body surge and wave and crash upon hers, fighting and twisting, "you did well, just relax, I'll make sure the tiredness goes away." And she did, and his magic rushed in, sweeping all around her. She felt flushed, cold, and heavy, so very heavy before the lightness ripped it away. She gasped for air, not knowing when she began holding it in and everything around her seemed more clear—more vibrant—as if she was not seeing before.

"Thank you," She muttered, before standing up flexing her hands a bit, which felt oddly light, "you gotta teach me that." She muttered quietly.

Perseus nodded, turning his gaze "Beckendorf, you got any liquid molten cases?"

"Yeah, but what we need em for?" asked Beckendorf before rummaging through his enchanted backpack and pulling out a grey and white case with an orange glowing circle at the top.

"Scorpion scales." Perseus grinned toothily, "Slap them into that bad boy and they come out boiled and stretched enough to enchant into a coat, hard as Stygian iron but as light as a jacket."

Michael Yew guffawed and jogged away, Ethan and Luke followed suit and Perseus waltzed, crooking his finger at them, "Those scales aren't gonna rip themselves." He giggled.

Lou Ellen grimaced, and got up to follow them past the ripped wreckages. There was blood everywhere, dried from the flames and the smell made her queasy—she briefly had to fight the urge to hurl. Golden dust scattered everywhere, black hard shells sitting atop them.

Perseus handed her a small jagged blade with a serrated tip on a wooden handle and showed her and the boys the motion to rip apart the hard case. Ro and Ra were flying here and there, collecting the hard carapace fragments and depositing them off to Beckendorf as he slow-cooked them piece by piece.

They got to work, the sun wilting away and an annoyed and clean Pollux stalked up to them, " We're waiting." He huffed, "The Nymphs are getting impatient."

"Nymphs?" Ethan asked.

Luke chuckled, "That got your interest?"

"Shut up, you know what I meant. "Ethan retorted, "What Nymphs?"

"Taxi drivers." Pollux said, "Annabeth got them using the phone book Jackson gave her."

"Money must be tight." Beckendorf whistled, "Did you tell em there's nine of us?"

Pollux blinked, "No…"

Lou Ellen sighed audibly, "Boys." Pollux turned to her, looking offended, "Don't be surprised, you're all idiots."

Perseus laughed and walked towards Beckendorf and crouched down in front of the liquid molten case, "How many do we have cooking right now?"

"Three," Beckendorf said, "That would be sixteen in total."

The demigod stood up, this time hefting up the case. Beckendorf took the three scorpion scales out that were now loose and floppy and opened up his backpack and slid it in one by one before Perseus dumped the case inside as Beckendorf held the bag open, "Alright lads and ladies, time to go!"

And everyone stood still. Jackson was pointedly staring at Pollux, who was staring at Ethan and Ro having a sort of one-sided argument, with the cherub more confused than anything. Pollux turned away and looked at everyone staring at him except for Ethan, "What?" He answered," Oh! Yeah sorry, let's go!"

And off they went, walking south east away from the tracks and down some hill like thing decorated with pebbles and jagged rocks. The sun's heat was beating down on them all except for Michael Yew, who seemed to glow and radiate in the sun.

Down the hill at the foot of the base of another hill was a sleek black Cadillac with tinted windows, bouncing up and down with the music as it belted out the latest hit from Euterpe, the muse of music. She recognised the song, it was 'Never had I let you down'. It was a classic; her younger brother Martin always used to play it on Wednesdays just after training and arcane lessons.

"That's not going to fit us, is it?" Pollux asked nervously.

"Don't you worry your drunk little head my friend." Jackson said.

"I'm not drunk though." Pollux whined, "I can't even drink yet."

"Don't you worry your drunk little head." He repeated in a whisper and Lou Ellen simply raised her brow as he confidently walked to the car and opened the door and sat inside. So she followed suit, and opened the door only to discover that there were no seats. Silena was on Perseus' left as she sat in the middle and she was still out cold, despite the car practically shaking from the music. Annabeth was on the far right, bobbing her head up and down and tapping a beat on her knee.

At the front two seats were water nymphs, with aquailine features and blue skin, beautiful in their own ethereal way. One was wearing a summer dress with flowers and the other an all-white blouse and gold earrings.

"How many did you say again, love?" The nymph in the passenger seat asked, not bothering to look back.

"Eight." Annabeth said.

"Mm, that will cost you extra, love." The water nymph said before pressing a protruding red button and the car just seemed to elongate, seats popping out of place, Annabeth, Silena, and Perseus shifted to the left as they started to sit on diagonal, forward facing seats.

Lou Ellen stepped in, crouched, sitting opposite Jackson and peeking her head through the door watching as the rest just gaped. Luke sobered up and walked through. Pollux was next, followed by Yew and Beckendorf. Everyone was seated and ready,

"All settled in-" the nymph abruptly cut herself off, adjusting the mirror so she could look at Jackson, "Is that…?" She muttered out before fully turning and gripping the driver's headrest.

"Euridia!" The chauffeur nymph called out indignantly.

"Shut up." Euridia hissed, "is that you milord?" She asked Jackson, "The princely demigod."

"Princely?" Perseus asked, confused. Lou Ellen raised an eyebrow, staring at his confused face before it quickly morphed into a conniving grin. Gods he was wicked, "Ah! You must be from Atlantis?"

"No milord, just south of the provinces." The nymph replied, "Freshwater Nymphs, me and my sister."

The driver Nymph nervously peeked at them through the side mirror before getting lightly slapped by Euridia, "Ow!"

"You're embarrassing me." The sister whispered harshly, though there was no point as Lou Ellen was sure that they could hear it all, "Introduce yourself, go on."

The nymph turned her head around her seat and bowed lightly, "I'm Calliope, my prince." She said, meek and without all the vigour from before, "where would you like to go my lord?"

"A hotel-"

"The cave of distinguished woes!" Perseus interrupted, looking absentmindedly at Annabeth, who stared back indignantly,"A hotel?"

"We need to rest," Annabeth huffed and Lou Ellen felt herself grow giddy with glee—rest sounded good, really good,"Silena is out cold; we are tired and we need rest." Annabeth crossly stated before folding her arms and turning to the Nymphs who had begun sharing looks amongst themselves, "The closest hotel in LA please."

"No." Perseus said again, this time far harsher, "If you want rest, we will rest; for tonight we dine, lords and ladies—in hell. Kind of." Perseus beckoned for them to lean in, "The entrance to the underworld we are using is from the Shadowed Lands, and to get to it we must offer the Heart of the Ancestral Elk."

"The ancestral what?" Pollux asked.

"The Ancestral Elk." Annabeth repeated drily,"A massive beast, imbued with the power of spirits by the Lord of the Underworld and given dominion to guard on earth by Demeter and Zeus himself."

Lightning crackled in the distance and Lou Ellen peeked outside the windows, and noted that the sky was clear.

"Careful." Perseus warned.

"Sorry." Annabeth winced, "But the point nevertheless stands, to get between life and death—without being in a coma—is to fight a beast that cannot be killed in the way it was killed before."

"Who killed it before?" Lou Ellen asked, marginally curious.

"Theseus and Pirithous." Annabeth said, "They killed the Ancestral Elk by burning it, so fire is useless against it now, and after that we have to appease the Game Master."

"Game Master." Pollux chuckled lowly, Ethan, Luke, and Perseus shared a look as they tried to keep it in. Beckendorf and Michael Yew were covering their mouths. Lou Ellen rolled her eyes—boys.

"Yes." Perseus cut in, his face wobbling as he tried to stop from laughing, clearly failing, "It's-"

"Melikertes." Calliope said,"Sorry my lord, I just knew this one and it just blurted out."

Euridia scowled at her but Perseus simply clicked his fingers and pointed at the Nymph, "That's the name, Melikertes, the minor god of games." Perseus composed himself and carried on, "And to enter the Shadowed Lands we must fight and kill the Ancestral Elk who only appears in the Cave of Distinguished Woes, on the third day of the week."

"Which is today." Lou Ellen quietly muttered to herself.

"Bingo." Perseus grimaced, " we have no choice."

"Why on the third day?" Luke asked,whileBeckendorf shuffled around slightly and opened his bag to bring out a chilled cherry fizz, and began passing it around. Lou Ellen opened hers and drank it greedily—surely it must've been sent from the heavens itself, "Why not any other day of the week, why Wednesday?"

"Because in chthonic culture, it is when the Lord of the Underworld holds court." Lou Ellen elaborated, "It's the day when he holds public judgements and all others may look in, so the line of souls diminish quickly." Lou Ellen took another sip before adding, "And that generates power, so followers of chthonic cults and my mother's priestesses always mark Wednesdays as the best days for communions and other activities."

"Exactly, and the solstice is a week away." Perseus said, his cherry pop already finished—how did he drink it that fast? "So, we really have no choice." He turned to the still staring nymphs and ordered, "To the Cave of Distinguished Woes please!" And Calliope nodded and turned to finally begin the drive.

The nymph put her foot down and the pedal slammed and Lou Ellen looked up frantically at Euridia who smiled back in a knowing grin, "Hold tight, it can get a little bumpy." Was all she said and the car just warped, dragged was the more appropriate word. Its wheels were moving—and somehow—the earth was draped itself along. The scenery outside was simply blitzing past, cows, sheep, and Lou Ellen was sure that they also ran over a man and a chicken but they simply phased through.

"Is it true my lord?" Euridia asked, awed, "that you held my cousins in your embrace?"

Lou Ellen perked her eyebrows up curiously—embrace? She really studied Jackson;he was handsome enough, but too childlike. His cheeks too round and his jawline dulled just slightly from the baby fat, he could be no older than 15, but they were Greek. It wouldn't be too surprising if he was active in that regard at this age.

"Embrace? Cousin?" Luke asked, spluttering,"How old are your cousins?"

Euridia blinked,"204. Why?"

Beckendorf exclaimed a small 'damn' in the background and Lou Ellen's eyes widened to the point she was sure they would fall out her head, "that's statutory rape!" Luke bellowed,"That's disgusting. Your cousins should be behind bars."

Perseus waved his hands, "Hey! Hey! I'll have you know I have not lain with another in my whole life, ma'am!"

"Oh! No! No, I don't mean coupling, I mean using their waters to do things like make shapes or something. "She rushed out, her hands up in defence, "My cousin Romina said you used her waters to split a boat in two."

Lou Ellen breathed an audible sigh of relief with the rest of them; even Pollux was sober enough to grasp the situation.

"Hmm?" Perseus hummed, "Maybe I did, was she in the Lake District?"

"Yes my lord she was," Euridia replied, excited, "when next in LA please visit the Castaic Lake!"

"And the Pyramid Lake!" Calliope called up looking into the rear mirror, "We are most happy to help!" She squealed.

Lou Ellen twisted her face and looked away—that was strangely odd. Maybe she could slightly understand, once her mother was impatient in teaching her a spell that she possessed her body to impart the knowledge via a matrix layer in her brain. When her mother did, the mere fraction of her power going through her body was intoxicating, the feeling of being so complete and whole and strong. Lou Ellen closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her nose;perhaps if it was anything like that then it could explain the way the nymphs were acting. But it was not an excuse. Definitely not that, it can't be, the boy was still just that, a boy. It felt weird.

The car came to a sudden stop, the sun still in its full glory bearing down covered by jagged peaks, each higher than the last. Approximately half a mile away were several enclosed houses. Their car was now parked on a road—desolate and deserted, just on the foot of the fat rocky cliff.

On the cliff side, at the bottom, was a large and gaping hole with a carved elk's head at either side.

"We are here!" Perseus exclaimed.

"Please not the liner!" Silena suddenly yelled jumping out of her dream and all of a sudden she was transformed, a torrent of pink smoke fell on her and when it cleared away gone was the slack jeans and white shirt and in was the backless black dress and makeup.

"Well well sleeping beauty." Perseus said," nice of you to join us before certain peril."

Silena scowled and Ethan closed his mouth and Luke stopped staring," Very funny Jackson."

Perseus clamoured out the limo-Cadillac car and Silena clicked her fingers reverting back to her usual look," Aw!" Pollux groaned," how come I can't do that!" He slurred.

Michale Yew shot him a look before leaving the car afterwards and one by one they all climbed out.

"How much?" Perseus asked through the window on the drivers side.

Calliope blushed and looked away," Free my lord, if you promise to come and embrace us like you did our cousins."

"Why don't you join us now?" Perseus said, pointing to the cave of distinguished woes. Lou Ellen looked at it and something heavy sat on her chest, something twisting and roaring, something sucking her in," I would definitely need some water in there."

"Thank you for the offer my lord." Eruidia said hastily and Lou Ellen felt fear that they would accept, she's not too sure she can handle groupies of the mad demigod," but I'm sure we would just get in the way."

"Tis a shame then." Perseus said," but I promise I will, you have my word." And the nymphs giggled amongst themselves before driving off shouting out good byes and my lords along the way.

"'Tis is a shame isn't it Ethan?" Luke said waggling his brows.

"Shut up." Ethan growled and Michael yew and the rest of the boys seemed to understand some joke that Lou Ellen and the girls couldn't as they started to crack up.

"Where are we?" Silena asked," what happened on the train."

"It blew up." Michael said," Bunch of scorpions attacked."

"What?"

"Yeah, it knocked you out cold too, clean hit on your head and you was out like a light." Beckendorf added rummaging through his bag again and taking out a bundled wrapping of something long, too long to fit in the bag, it was nearly as tall as him, definitely taller than Lou Ellen," we took a cab after dealing with them to the cave of Distinguished Woes."

Lou Ellen tuned him out as he and Luke took their time explaining things to Silena. Something about the cave felt heavy and wrong and she shared a knowing glance with Pollux and Ethan and watched along as Jackson merrily skipped forward towards the mouth of the cave

"Come along slow pokes, I'm dying to get in." He said a wide grin on his face at his own dumb dad joke.

Bryce was thankful for the simple things in life, he really was. The sun shining, the grass green, the lines across his tea dancing with every sip.

But everything was stripped away, it was gone and casted to the side, he ventured into the Cave of Distinguished Woes and was met with a ghastly fate.

The sun was gone and he no longer remembered the shade of green the grass grew. But the tea was always with him, he had a near endless supply of death violet flowers, with the cave being the entrance to the Shadowed Lands. The precipice of life and death.

The tea never left him. He hoarded water and made fire, and cooked them atop a pot near nightly, his forever companion being the tea.

He even had a supply of singers. Sometimes stragglers of mortal descent or the foolish satyr or nymph, many a demigod in search of a loved one trapped in a coma. And he found them and drank his tea and convinced them to sing.

He has a son of Hermes now, strapped on to the floor, he sloshed his water in his hand slightly, he needed to practise, the Lord of Olympus himself came to him offering him freedom. A way out of this twisted cave. Distinguished woes indeed, aptly named.

It kept the person fool enough to venture into its mouth trapped with all of their needs and vices but never free. Trapped in an endless limbo as you wasted away from loneliness and madness. But Bryce was never alone; he had his tea, his beautiful violet tea.

Zeus himself, the thunderer promised him passage and money, money enough to buy himself a villa or two, maybe in new Greece, he was currently on the run from new Rome and his father was the same no matter it's aspect.

The lord of thunder came to him in the morn, or he thinks it's morning but time is all muddled and messed, and said that he should make Perseus sing, sing amongst his choir, and deliver unto him his head.

Easy enough request, he saw the image of the boy, he looked easy enough to kill too. But he had to practise, the son of Poseidon was to arrive later in the evening.

The boy of Hermes was starting to wake," Where?"

"Hush now." Bryce had to chastise him, he ruined the pre ritual," You are to join the glorious choir, may your voice carry high."

"Wha-" the boy slurred tugging on the green rope, straining harder as time when on, "what!"

"Quiet!" He roared and crushed the pestle on to the violet flower rubbing in the paste, he placed some on the boiling kettle, "you are not meant to sing yet."

He shuffled back into the dimly lit crook and clasped a cleaver, fat and sharp and a small pair of surgical scissors.

The boy seemed to see so he started to struggle harder, Bryce sighed, no matter, he will sing well enough soon anyway.

The boy struggled even more as he sharpened the cleaver,"please, please, I beg you please-" he choked.

Bryce perked up, "Don't beg yet!" He chuckled, "I didn't drink the tea yet." And he wailed, tugging and pulling harder and harder so much he scraped his back on a jutting rock and cursed.

"Please, please no, please." He whispered sobbing and holding tightly on the rope, "I-" He swallowed, "I'll do anything please, I'll even beg better please!"

"You'll do it either way." The smell of the flower wafted in the air, the tea was ready it seemed, and poured himself a cup, "Want some?" He asked and the boy nodded a no, "suit yourself."

He drank it down, and sat, the effects weren't instantaneous, they took some time, his vision started to haze colour, purple and brown and and viscous red. The sounds he heard were twisted and heightened, "Ready?" He asked the boy, nay the angel.

He picked up his surgical scissors and started to make incisions on the muscles, right between the back and sides of the knee and the singing began, gods was it beautiful, he was no child of Aphrodite, they sang the most beautiful of songs, but the boy he had now was close enough.

Bryce closed his eyes, the tea letting the boy sing as he got to work, he was so good now that he did not even need to see. Just feel.

And what a beautiful symphony the child of Hermes sang. His fingers were slick with red when he was done, the singing stopped. He put the tools away and grabbed an orange that lay near him and he quickly smelled it, it brought him down, he hated this part, he absolutely adored their singing. But making people join the choir left so much to clean up afterwards.

He did well today, he would be able to make Jackson sing. He was getting paid for this though, the first time he ever got an admirer of his work, so this time the son of Poseidon had to sing to perfection, he was to be the choir leader after all.

Chapter Text

Annabeth Chase looked from right to left and left again, the floor was caked with small stumbling rocks and uneven lumps of granite over each other, they entered the Cave of Distinguished Woes and the entrance behind them simply ceased to exist. Michael Yew objected to it vehemently begging to be let out but Jackson simply laughed and stated that anyone but the cherubs could not enter and leave.

Annabeth's opinion on the matter was simple, it was fascinating, absolutely fascinating. Travelling with Jackson was like travelling with an open reference encyclopaedia with knowledge of the unknown and the mystical just begging to be explored. But it rankled at her that a boy of 15 was able to have access to all this knowledge and will not even share a morsel of how he came to stumble upon it.

Luke was with them on the quest too so in terms of this quest being unbearable is astronomically low, and Lou Ellen is also the pursuer of deeper knowledge which she can respect and Silena is just an overall nice person. The boys on the other hand, were boyish, Pollux was unbothered, Yew was too scared, Beckendorf is the most normal one other than Luke, and Ethan is just obsessed with nymphs according to Luke and too busy fighting with Ro. Jackson was Jackson, that's the most apt description.

The ground around them shifted slightly as Perseus scaled on the right wall using his finger to press a small jutting elk head "Takes us to the lower levels." He called after Beckendorf yelled an incoherent mess of surprise, "keep to the left."

Annabeth stalked towards him and examined the elk head, it was finely carved and jutted out about a pace or so, judging from how the floor simply descended and winded out into a set of stairs that led below, it was most likely engineered using a pulley system with water at its base excursion and powered by a magic stone, or a gathering generator.

Annabeth reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small pad that had a pen stringed to its spine and jotted out a couple of notes and sketched the elk head in detail," Journaling?" Perseus asked.

Annabeth nodded, "It's not every day you go on a great quest." Annabeth hummed, "We are going to study everything back at the barracks." Perseus cocked his head and stalked off and grabbed Pollux away from the ledge as he tried to leer into the darkness, and walked down ahead.

"Lou Ellen!" He called and the young witch walked up to the demigod and whispered conspiratorially amongst themselves and all of a sudden, a blinding light emitted from Lou Ellen's palm. A small orb, twirling and twisting and she pushed it into the middle. Hovering over the pitch-black gap and the stairs illuminated.

Annabeth whistled; it would be nice if she could do that. She will ask Lou Ellen for lessons in magic, now that Perseus expelled the notion that only Hecate's children can do so. Annabeth glanced to the back and Ethan and Luke were just mucking about talking amongst themselves and giggling. She had to admire them, able to joke and keep lax in a situation like that. Jackson skipped down the stairs dragging along Silena and Lou Ellen yelling at Beckendorf to hurry up and to bring Pollux too, something about the priestess of the rites going to be making an appearance.

The priestess of rites? The name was familiar, itching and scratching at the back her brain so Annabeth just filed it away for later and walked ahead, "Hurry up Yew," The demigod yelped and jumped up.

"Yeah." He said muttering to himself more than her, "I'm coming down, I'm on my way."

They walked down the first flight of stairs, pristine in condition, clean too, as if in constant maintenance. In the walls were depictions of the story of the Elk, the birth of it through the earth chasm as the seed of Epimetheus fell into it, creating the Ancestral Elk and being gifted to Zeus as a gift for his rule and ascension as master of Olympus. It depicted the story of the Elk and Pirithous and Theseus. Of how they wrestled the elk to the floor and burnt it's hide, so it cooked from the inside out as it was impenetrable with mortal inflictions. They were inscriptions of the Priestesses, how the first ones were chosen and imbued with the spirit calling flame by the Ancestral Elk, how they maintained their charge and gave supplications and every year before the summer solstice they would clean the temple for the priestess of rites to visit and offer sacrifice to the elk.

Annabeth felt a small something bump into her ankle, she turned quickly and by her foot on the floor, was small orblike shape of pure condensed shadow, "What?" Yew asked a flight of stairs down just a few steps from the grand spiral floor the rest were on.

And then the orb expanded, more like exploded sucking in Annabeth in and in a twisting motion, it felt like she fell from a high place into water, smacking right into it and flaying her skin. She heard Luke's cries wash away with the touch of something and her lungs filled and unfilled and filled again before she could breathe once more. Her eyes shut tight.

She haggard on to the floor, smooth and even. Wait, where did the stairs go? Annabeth opened her eyes once more and frantically looked around to a well-lit room with black spherical walls all around her, she quickly stood up hands on her back pocket taking out small two knuckle duster like knives, sleeked with celestial bronze edges. She slid them into each hand and raised them up in the opening stance.

"S-sorry." A timid, girl-like voice called from her right, Annabeth whipped right round her back leg a pace tucked in and bent with her front forward pivoted to the sound of the voice. A lanky tall black garbed woman stepped out; her black hair tucked under a silver cap with blue illuminating twisting elk like branching antlers. Her eyes were black flecked with blue glowing embers, her hand was wrapped around a tall staff with a circular top, empty in the middle with eight spikes protruding inwards. On her shoulders were a cloak of fur, white and blue over her nun like garbs.

"Who are you." Annabeth barked, she made sure to keep a distance away from the woman, judging from her lanky build, she had nearly fifty percent more reach than her.

"I- wait I am, no, no, umm" The girl stuttered about her right-hand waving in front of her, "Guh! Why is this so hard." She muttered, just barely loud enough for Annabeth, she looked away shuffling into her coat, and Anabeth carefully walked forward. She stopped suddenly when the girl turned around and in her free hand was a small flash card," I am Vistana, Priestess in training, and today I will kill you!" She read aloud from the card, "What? No!" She hurriedly looked up at Annabeth, "Sorry wrong card, I meant I will kill you, but please don't resist I will cleanse you with the spirit calling flame." She shuffled some more, "Please! It will feel good, and you can pass on to the afterlife content! I will even bury you outside with full rites!" She pleaded.

"Where is this." Annabeth asked curtly.

"The cave of Distinguished Woes." Vistana said.

"No, i know, where is this exactly." Annabeth said taping her foot on to the floor her eyes never leaving the Priestess's form.

Vistana blinked looking around before realisation sunk into her face, "This is just a dimension, in the plane of life between death. Don't worry when I kill you, it will dispel and I'll be where your friends were." She said as if it was a good incentive," I'll send them straight to you too, so please, this is my first-time doing cleaning and sacrifice duty."

Annabeth frowned slightly, judging from the logic the dimension pocket collapses with a kill, "You can only leave here when you kill someone right?" The priestess nodded, her pale face in a constant nervous grimace, "What if you kill yourself."

The girl froze, her eyes darting left to right, she stuffed the cards into her pocket and griped her staff, "It won't go if i die you know." She giggled nervously. Bingo, Annabeth grinned, it goes if the Priestess dies.

She flexed her wrist and took a step to the left before crouching and leaping to the right, the girl startled, taking a step back before raising her hand above her head and a blue-black flame licked her palms before hovering off above her right shoulder. Annabeth stopped, straightened, before crouching again when the fireball darted too her.

She waited a beat, but the girl didn't sit idle and raised her staff, it twisted from a circle and straightened into a sickle with eight barbed points protruding out, so Annabeth dashed forward, towards the ball of flames and rolled quickly to the left , she looked up and the sickle whistled near her head so she rolled again in quick succession.

The priestess had her sickle lodged, and yanked it hard up, Annabeth used the opening to leap forward off the floor and cocked her right fist back and threw a straight hook. Her fist sank into Vistana's left and something hard met her fists, she sliced sideways anyway.

The girl twisted her body, a howl of pain escaping her before she raised her hand again as she took a step closer, and burning flames of blue waxy chill coated her hands, the air around Annabeth grew cold and lifeless, the colours of the flame became grey and black and everything around her sucked away.

She closed her eyes and jumped backwards landing on her knees, and the cold chill rushed towards her face and she rolled to the right. She scrambled up and opened her eyes and Vistana was right atop of her, sickle overhead.

Annabeth, jumped forward closing the distance and punched twice into her face, left then right and grabbed the horn shaped helmet and dragged the girls head to the left and before she can punch again, Vistana's knee flew into her midriff, air knocked out her lungs and Annabeth struggled to keep her grip.

She staggered the the right and the sickle-staff creaked and twisted into a spear and Vistana held it by the head and tried to shove into her lungs.

Annabeth folded her middle just in time, heat pooled on her right, the blade made a small incision, just a flesh wound.

Annabeth pushed forward closing the gap even more, braced her left leg to keep Vistana's knee in check and sank her blade portion of the knuckle dusters into her shoulder and before she can drag to the left, the girl screamed. It was archaic and pain-filled and cold spirit flame burst from her skin, some catching on to Ananbeth's and the pain was excruciating.

She gritted her teeth and gave a guttural cry before dragging her blade out and rolling back, she slapped at the skin in her forearms that stung with the flames.

"It eats," the girl said heavy breathing, "At the very soul, inflicts the deepest cold." She made a grabbing motion at the air and a ball of spirit flame roared to life into her hands, "colder than the winter frost, second only to Khione's wail." She saved savagely, "Oh elk of the highest virtue, oh caller of the flames of the in between, the cold and misery the father of woes so very distinguished, cast upon me your Virile power! Cast!"

The air warped around her, at near her feet, small jagged peaks of flames erupted, soaring into the sky, her clothes burnt, and instead of ashes was left garbs of silk white with intricate patterns of blue swirls were left behind, the flames changed her clothes and her helmet melted too. Only the antlers were left and it looked to be fused into her head.

Annabeth breathed slowly and calmed down, she focused her eyes and called upon the aspect of war she locked upon herself. Her eyes sharpened, details were clearer, she could see the bundle of corded muscles below Vistana's dress, how they relaxed and tensed with every move.

"You should have just died quietly." Vistana muttered, " I don't like violence." She said, her staff raised and in the shape it had when Annabeth first saw it, a circular middle with eight points turned in.

Annabeth felt a ripple of goose flesh erupt along her skin, hair standing straight. She kept calm and tensed her left foot forward, right foot back and both fists up in the natural stance. She breathed normally and waited. Something in the air was rising, everything around her felt colder, her tongue and lips grew dry and her saliva just simply receded from her mouth.

"What are you doing." Annabeth asked Vistanna, the priestess just met her with her black coal like eyes. Annabeth pushed forward and every step she took closer, her skin burned with cold. Searing hot cold, chill so cold it felt her very bones turn ice but she gripped on. Step after step, it felt like pure torture, Vistana's face morphed into horror.

"Stay away!" She called, "You'll die from the pain."

Annabeth ignored her and soldiered on, it felt like her left arm was gone and dead, but she took another step. Vistana was rooted to the spot her arm still up, Annabeth guessed right. She can't move when she does this, Annabeth was face to face her arms still up in the boxing stance, then she let it loose, her punch rocked across Vistana's face and the crippling pain ceased in slow embers. Annabeth threw another from the left, and she carried on for about four more punches. Vistana was laid on her back, staff away, her eyes glistening with unshed liquid.

Annabeth straddled her slowly, she still felt so very numb and she held her right blade over her throat and pressed gently down, "Please." The priestess croaked, "I don't want to die."

"Dispel this then." Annabeth said, "I'll let you live."

"You won't." The girl simply moaned.

"I promise I will." Annabeth shook the girl some more, "On the Styx I will." And clap of something echoed in the distance rolling even in this dimension.

The girl moaned and muttered something under her breath, "The dimension around her shook, the floor crumbled and with a crash and a flash of black, Annabeth blinked and opened her eyes and she was atop of the girl but she was laying on a set of stairs.

Perseus was right behind them sword out, silvery and glistening in the limelight pointed at the girl, "Who's this straggler?"

Luke rushed ahead and grabbed Annabeth and pulled her up, "Yew!" He called and the demigod son of Apollo rushed to her and grabbed her arms.

"You're freezing!" He yelped and pulled his hand away as steam hissed from their contact. Yew turned and fiddled around with the fanny pack bounded across his waist and pulled out a small packet of golden liquid, punctured it with a small syringe and drew it out, "Hold still." He said and poured it in.

"Help her too." Annabeth said pointing at Vistana, "I promised her." Perseus sent her a glance, and Silena hovered to the left with Lou Ellen, the daughter of Hecate's hands raised and glowing black.

Perseus hefted up the priestess as she gave a small yell, and walked her down the steps until they was on the floor, carved with a massive elk head in the middle of a circle of eight braziers. Pollux swaggered over to each, pouring a something into the middle of them and lit them on fire.

"We are going to the Ancestral plain." Perseus said drily, the priestess whimpered in the floor, the only sounds that were made was Pollux walking to each brazier and lighting them on fire, "Now you can come with us and fight the elk." Perseus said, "Or lie here and behave."

"I'll behave." The girl said fast, "Please don't make me fight, I-." She choked on something and coughed up a sob, "I beg of you."

Perseus nodded satisfied and whispered something that Annabeth couldn't hear and small blue light bonded atop the girl's wrists and feet and she struggled slightly on the floor and no movement was made, "Don't worry, when the elk is dead it will go."

"Can I join?" A voice called from the left, Annabeth shuffled and out came a demigod of middling height, he had long black hair with grey streaks randomly peppering his hair, and mud brown eyes. Mediterranean looks too and a squared jaw, cheeks slanted down and grimy haggard overalls with a small tool pack on his left a bastard sword strapped to his back, "If you're going to kill the blasted elk, can I join?"

"Who are you?" Pollux asked, standing near the last unlit brazier.

"Bryce Lawrence, son of Orcas." The demigod offered, "been trapped here for a couple of months."

"How did you find us?" Beckendorf asked squatting near the base of the stairs looking up at the demigod that was descending down, a rustic metallic spear leaning on the black smith's shoulder.

"You guys are not very quiet." Bryce grinned, "Look, I need a way to leave this blasted cave, and I overheard that you kill the elk and you're out."

Perseus shared a look with Annabeth before lazily drawling, "In a way yeah." The mad demigod walked towards the newest addition, on closer inspection the boy looked to be of the same age as Luke, and on his left arm a patch of skin was red and raw like it was sliced off and a new layer of skin grew.

"You can join us." Perseus said, "On one condition."

"What is it?"

"I am the boss, if I say start dancing the chimichanga?"

"I dance the chimichanga sir!" The demigod straightened and saluted the boy.

He grinned and clapped the man on the shoulder , "Welcome to the bastard bunch cadet! You are not a member of the squad as of yet! Probationary Period."

"I'll be happy with that too sir." On the boy's clothes were a dots of purple something, as if it stained his clothes recently, he wasn't far off but the smell of blood was thick, she couldn't tell if it was hers or his.

Perseus turned around and motioned to Pollux and the final brazier lit and all of a sudden the scenery around Annabeth melted, smudging out of view and new cleaner walls took its place, white walls, stark and tall and stalwart, the grass on the floor was covered in lines of moss. The air was fresher, clearer and the sound of a stream was running nearby.

"Come on!" Perseus called magically infront of them all, Yew finished patching her up and stood up packing his supplies with him and following the young demigod after him.

Annabeth did too, falling into step with Luke, "I was worried." Was all he said, blue eyes glossy.

"I know. But I did well though."

Luke's hand ruffled her hair, warmth spread across her head from his touch, "That you did." He cocked his head backwards as if pointing to something, "was she hard?"

"Very." Annabeth shivered, "never been that cold before."

Luke grinned slightly, "you was practically ice when we got you. Tell me how the fight went." And Annabeth did, going into detail, following down a path that when they went on further the sound of a running stream grew louder.

Something about Bryce kept Annabeth's eyes on him though, his smell was still there, and the way his eyes scanned everything like he was assessing something, looking for something specifically was off putting, as if he came here before.

Perseus muttered to himself, Lou Ellen was craning her neck towards him most likely to eavesdrop, Beckendorf and Silena were talking animatedly at each other with Yew, Pollux and Ethan arguing over cereal.

The foliage on the floor took into cobblestone, a path of slated granite polished and laid atop of it began and a small ascending bridge took over with with two garbed women on either side, same sickle as the priestess from before.

"Halt." The one on the left called, "Halt I tell you!" She barked again as Perseus ignored her.

"Milday told you to halt!" The one on the right said, she was more slender and slightly shorter with auburn hair as opposed to her superiors black.

"Hmmm." Was all Perseus said, he tapped his right forefinger in his crossed elbows before coming to a stop, "Stop me again, and I'll kill you." He said casually.

"And you call yourself a hero." The superior said, "No matter, state your business."

"Business?" Lou Ellen muttered.

"You already know why we are here." Perseus took a step closer, the one on the right readied her staff into a spear and leaved it at him. "We are going to kill the ancestral Elk."

The woman laughed, head back and melodious , the ringing shrills of it bouncing round the green grass as if it joined in too, "I doubt that, it has been killed countless times, it seems like you are too late."

The superior turned and clapped her hand and the one on the right lowered her spear and followed suit down the bridge.

"Come on!" She called back to them, "I'll take you to the transport altar." She sneered at them, "Since you're so adamant to fucking die."

Perseus hummed, "Today is a good a day as any to." He peered at the priestess that lowered her spear, flashing her a feral grin that made Annabeth's spine tingle in whatever madness Jackson had planned for them, "don't you agree missy."

Chapter Text

Beckendorf grunted as they stood on the wooden oak bridge, the stream of freshwater rushing beneath them, lulling him into a sense of ease like no other, the priestesses stood at the other end near Perseus the mad one, Ethan , Luke and Annabeth besides him.

"It is a good day." The junior priestess said, barring her teeth in a gritted smile. She turned on the signal of her superior and stalked up on the bend on the other side of the bridge, a tall marble carved pillar with stories and exultations of the Divine Spirit beast were placed on either side of chisels marble stairs leading up to a grey carved temple. The cherubs were not to be seen waiting in the next step of their quest, something aout them being neither alive or dead, and the new additions straggled into the crew was darting his eyes lazily between them all.

That was odd.

Beckendorf didn't really know much about people, he knew about machines and weapons and things that don't talk back to you when you don't want them to talk or say unnecessary stuff all the damn time. But he had a skill that saved him quite a bit. He can tell if he would like someone based on their first interaction. He liked Jackson funnily enough, knew liking Jackson was not good for one's health, but damn it that boy knew had to get stuff done and have fun. The new guy on the other hand, had vibes so bad his whole body screamed to get away from him, or brutally murder him.

"Stare any harder and I think he might die." Silena whispered on his left, amused, Beckendorf jumped mid step, Lou Ellen sending him an amused smile, as Ethan chortled with Yew about something unimportant.

"Somethings off." Beckendorf whispered back, "I just don't like the guy." Silena nodded her head and moved in sync with him. She was a pretty girl, startlingly pretty, as all daughters of Aphrodite are. She had long silky black hair so black that it seemed to suck you in, kaleidoscope eyes that changed colour with every passing moment, a buttoned nose and jawline and cheekbone so curated for her it seems like an artisan spent hours filing away to make sure it was the perfect blend of sharp yet soft. She was cool peoples according to Beckendorf, his energy checker told him as such which was really odd considering he has never met a child of Aphrodite that his radar didn't scream at him to get the fuck away from.

"I think we all would have something off if we were trapped in a cave for near enough a couple of months with nothing but your own supplies." Silena reasoned lightly, she turned to Lou Ellen," Don't you think?"

"What?" Lou Ellen blinked distractedly staring at the carved column in-front of her," sorry I wasn't listening, you was saying?"

Silena sighed, "Beckendorf saying that guy is off,"

"I see it." Lou Ellen whispered back, the stranger was staggering out of earshot doggedly staring at the junior priests back," it's like he's never seen people before."

"Yeah, but can you blame him? He's been trapped for how long."

"I get it, I really do." Beckendorf said cutting in," but I just don't think he's you know, trustworthy? Hmm how do I say this." He paused before speaking again," he feels like he gon kill me if I look away."

Lou Ellen and Silena stared at him and that guy again before Lou Ellen whispered, "You don't think he's a racist do you?" She said pointedly looking at Beckendorf arm before looking at the guy again," Did he say or look at you funny?"

Beckendorf blinked owlishly, Silena stared at Lou Ellen, her face turning a shade of crimson morphing away from her serious furrowed brow expression," no, I wouldn't say so, I just don't fuck with his energy is all."

Silena carried on staring at the witch," What?" Lou Ellen said sheepishly," it's a real possibility ok, ignorance is rife these days."

"Nothing, I just never really thought about that." Silena turned to Beckendorf," do you usually have to deal with that?"

He never faced anything like that in the barracks in new Greece, but it was mainly in the city around the southern districts in the legacies quarter.

"YA SWANKY DOGS LISTEN UP!" Perseus's voice bellowed from the top of the stairs, the imposing temple behind him, the roof was distinct with a triangle base held up by a set of four columns in either side totalling to eight, on the base of the foyer was a carved head of a deer with heavy antlers, encrusted with blue gems that was sanded to look part of the statue and not adorned on it. The door was cast iron and tall easily three meters. The walls were the same grey and carved, it was an architectural marvel from the looks of it.

"We are to kill the sacred beast, a terrible ferocious monster with power over the spiritual planes, it has a shriek that can suck one's soul if not anchored properly, so unless you want to die a horrible agonising death listen up!" Perseus started to pace up and down the top of the flat surface after the stairs, the priestesses staring at him intently as he did so, the junior one gripping her staff tighter.

"He has access to the spirit calling flames, they burn cold, so cold in fact that it burns hot and rips at the very soul if it burns you for too long." Perseus rummaged in his pocket and brought to two little earbuds with dotted backs riddled with small holes," you will need these, ear buds that allows everything but the frequency of the spirit calling wail, or if you do not wear it, you must have will and conviction so strong that your soul will not leave your body." Jackson's face split into two with a grin so wide," I would advise personally on not taking any chances and taking these buds., those of you who want to test your mettle and mental strength raise your hands." Not a single one raised their hands and Jackson's face morphed into an actual pout," how disappointing, I assumed at least Pollux or Ethan would be up for the challenge." The said demigods shook their heads quickly, "alright alright."

Perseus handed a couple to Luke Castllen who passed it on after taking his pair, when it reached to Beckendorf, the buds were waxy and clay like, red in nature as if it was baked and had a clipping like hook most likely for it to be secure during battle, he slipped them on and secured the hook in his ears and sound seemed to muffle a bit but not too much.

"Now ladies and questionable men, we are here gathered today the inglorious bastard bunch to commit a deed many had done but never at this level!" He said wagging his fingers in the air," We are to kill the infamous beast who can never die the same way twice, and since our esteemed ancestor Kronos decided to play a cruel cruel joke on us."

The air seemed to tighten with the mention of the titans name, time seemed to crawl then speed up then crawl again, Beckendorf's mouth was dry and wet and dry again as if he skipped the motion of producing saliva as if he was paused and fast forwarded, the air seemed to lighten and his shoulders stopped sagging as if a pressure was bearing down on him, the senior priestess hissed at Perseus, "Fool, do no meddle with names you know nothing of!" She raged in a shouting whisper as if the titan king can still hear them.

Perseus looked disinterested," yes yes keep your pants on, as I was saying, he decided to play a cruel trick on us making us three thousand years too late to kill it easily, so now we must deal with a nigh unkillable beast, so here's the plan!"

"I don't like this." Silena muttered to Beckendorf," He's smiling, that's not good."

"That's never good." Beckendorf agreed.

"We are to kill that damnable beast, means i can have no dissent amongst my ranks am i understood?" A chorus of yes rang from them all, "Oh Lou Ellen your services will be required once more."

Lou Ellen fidgeted slightly beside Silena," You ok?" Silena asked and Beckendorf looked intently at the young witch.

"Yeah." Lou ellen said her hands grasping each other," I'm alright, nothing big, i got this!" She whispered, seemingly replying to Silena but Beckendorf had a sneaking suspicion that she was talking to herself more if anything.

Silena raised her hands and rubbed the young witch's back soothingly," No dillydallying you bunch of scurvy dogs! For tonight!" Jackson screamed, a crazed smile on his lips, his murky eyes swimming with passionate madness, "We dine with the souls of the interstice!" Pollux let out a small triumphant roar, as Yew slapped him on the back of his head, shutting him up, the junior priestess gave a disgusted look to her senior that was met with a shrug of shoulders.

Perseus turned and walked ahead, followed by Annabeth and Luke and a distracted Ethan that was muttering to himself as he stared at the carved walls of the temple. Yew and Pollux were bickering to themselves as Beckendorf and the two girls followed behind the new comer that got onto the paved path that led to the temple.

The path was about five paces wide and sixteen long, with lush green grass with the occasional hyacinth and thistle dotting the grounds in an obvious array of neatness. The sky was fresh blue, startingly bright with a sort of morning sun that hanged inside it. Beckendorf heard of space folding, where you sow the magical seams of reality around a small section and connect it to the astral plane of Aether under a special binding contract, that was how smith's such as he and his siblings were able to make magical bags that were bigger on the inside than the out, but never has he seen that done on a larger scale as an outside temple inside a building. He looked at the sky and squinted looking for the hinge axels that one needed to be able to weld the building with the astral plane, and did not notice a single white crease.

He looked back down, the priestess was just a couple of paces to the left, "Did my father build this plane?" He asked, loud enough for the Priestess to hear.

The Senior Priestess turned, not breaking stride her face scrunched up," And who may he be boy?"

"Hephaestus."

"Yes, yes he did, Pallas Athena made the building but the forging of the plane was done by him." she said slowly and turned away.

With the mention of her Mother Annabeth seemed to visibly perk up from her slouched position, her chest puffed out. Jackson reached the door and stopped and pointedly stared at the trailing priestesses, he took a small step to the left as they reached the cast iron doors.

The senior of the two, raised her gloved right hand and pressed on a small square slab on the door, and the crevices of the door started to glow an eerie blue, before creaking and squalling open as if it has never been oiled in all its time. The shadowed room burst into blue light as rows of braziers hanging off internal pillars came to light with cerulean flames. The Dark ceiling was carved with twisted visages of the sacred beast and in the middle of the hall was a circle of braziers unlit just yet and in the centre was a marble skull of a wailing person, on the other side of the temple, the wall was encrusted with bones, littered with femurs and skulls.

Jackson stepped through and a gust of freezing wind rushed out and blew past them all, Annabeth shivered loudly and Beckendorf was hard pressed to hear it over the chattering of his teeth, clicking against his brain like a hammer on an anvil. The priestesses stepped forward after Jackson and passed him as they walked past the rows and rows of lighted braziers.

Beckendorf milled in after the rest of them did, Silena was close to his left with Lou Ellen hurrying up ahead because Jackson called for her to him, and this is when he truly saw the temple.

The inside was made from slated grey bricks, dark grey and damp looking on the floor, the roof was carved and arched with domes and triangular shapes each one hosting a death, in the middle atop the circle of unlit Braziers and directly atop the carved raised skull that was unleashing a wail was a moving statue that seemed to run across its circle area as if the marble was fluid, it depicted the sacred beast charging through a moving forest.

Beckendorf followed the rest into the middle of the unlit braziers and Jackson motioned for them to huddle round, the two priestesses standing outside the unlit brazier's circle.

"I take it you know the words?" The senior Priestess called at them.

Jacckson turned to her, shooting a grin," Yes, thank you for asking, but before we go I would to speak to my lawyers."

He spun back into the group, and Luke who was huddled between Ethan and Pollux directly opposite the mad leader of their group spoke up first, "Annabeth can't come with."

"She will." Was all the mad demigod said.

The newcomer was awkwardly positioned between Annabeth and Beckendorf's left, "I can stay behind with her."

"And miss out on all the fun?" Perseus asked, "No, there are two priestesses here, the will probably cut their losses and try to kill you both, it will be better if you all come with and someone is designated as Annabeth's protector, besides we will be fighting the darned beast together, it won't notice young Annabeth alone."

Luke grimaced, clearly not liking the compromise but finding no fault in the logic," What's the plan of action though, what do you need me for." Lou ellen asked next to Silen and Yew in the huddle.

"You my dear, dear, witch, will be learning a spell." Perseus tweaked a silver ring on his finger that morphed and snaked down his hand in a long silver-brown line before warping and twisting and spiralling out into a small brown-red pouch no bigger than Beckendorf's backpack and rummaged through bringing out a grey dusted tome with stitching on the middle of the cover as if it suffered a split wound on its skin and was brought together.

He flicked through pages muttering to himself something about blowing up the internal circuits in the air before landing on a page with distorted calligraphy and drawings of circles and lined shapes. He handed it to Lou Ellen, "You want me to learn this?"

Perseus nodded, "I will tell you when and how you will use the spell, I need to do quite a bit of set up before the spell can be used you see." Lou Ellen nodded muttering to herself reading the spell over and over again muttering it under her breath," And that is where you all come in, Luke will be in charge of keeping Annabeth safe, The rest of you will be in charge of distracting that damnable beast from Lou Ellen as I do the setup, i will be engaging the beast with good old Beck Ethan and Pollux, Silena and Yew will be supporting roles where Yew will fire arrows and Silena will be using her Daggers too, when a member is injured Yew will be assisted by Silena in removing them from action and healing them as the daughter of Aphrodite will be covering them with dagger fire." Perseus paused looking at them all, "Any questions." The newcomer raised his hands sheepishly, "Yes Bryce."

So that was his name," What do I do?"

"Survive and help me and the boys distract that damn beast." Perseus said, "Look i dont know your skillset but if you can fight and fight well i would heavily advice you to join us for the maximum chance of completing the mission, if not help Silena and Yew."

"Can I not just take care of Annabeth? Wouldn't Luke be an asset for you guys there?" Bryce said slowly.

"Good point, but no, this would be optimum." Perseus said smiling, as if he was forcing it, his teeth bared, "join us or help the support, Luke is skilled enough for a last case scenario." He stood up and straightened and cleared his throat as he always did before declaring something inane or insane, never in between," Lads and Ladies today we stare at the jaws, or antlers, of death in its face and declare what!" He paused staring at them as if they knew something but they clearly did not," we say not today! Today is the day we live to see another day; today is the day we live so gloriously that those two fuckers!" He pointed at the Priestesses," Will rue this day, rue it for it is the day the great Perseus Jackson and his motley crew, the ever-glorious bastard bunch, will break free and wreak havoc on all they hold sacred and dear, on all the world's benefits we will take for our own!" He declared his hand reaching high pointing to the ceiling, his eyes started to shine, the air was thick and heavy with some sort of pressure building, Beckendorf's breath was fighting him, begging him to stay inside as it clutched at his throat, he could see that it was Jackson's doing and then the mad demigod spoke," I and what I hold challenge you oh guardian of the in-between, guardian of the perilous journey, divinus of the auditor of the great beyond, grant me an audience, deem me worthy to place thy heart upon the mantle of the praecipe!"

Small particles of blue lights started to stream out the connecting lines from the brazier, the brazier themselves ignited blue flames, and the particles of lights were no longer small but a tall wall of connected brightness searing Beckendorf's eyes, he looked away and into the middle the carved skull of wailing lament started to morph into a beam of pure white that expanded sucking in Jackson as he jumped in gleefully.

"Fool boy!" The junior priestess screeched behind him, "your captain's arrogance will be your undoing you filthy dogs!"

That was the last thing Beckendorf heard before the whole world just went white and wrong. Up was not up and down was now left and he did not even know that whatever plain of limbo he was in even had a right. It was just motionless for a clap of a second where the only thing Beckendorf could even do was just see the limitless plain of just brilliant light in all directions. His body twisted and twisted and his midsection felt like a phantom of itself where it no longer existed.

His feet fell into a puddle of damp flooring, he flailed his hands around as he tried to find balance, his backpack jostling with every step. He blinked wildly, his eyes having floating black specks scurrying around his vision.

His nose was hit the smell of a rank cave, and moulding plants, he looked up and saw the ceiling of the cave to be nowhere, only pitched black darkness staring back at him, he heard the rush of water as if a waterfall was nearby and the twisted laugh of a certain demigod.

Jackson was on the floor, his hands and knees planted in the water as he cackled, his head bent up staring at something shrouded in mist just ways away in the centre of water. Beckendorf wrinkled his nose, how can the demigod stand his cape being in water," What you laughing at?" Beckendorf called to the demigod.

Perseus spun his head back and smiled," We in water!" He cackled again in glee, "They want a child of Poseidon to fight the ancestral Elk in water!" He laughed again before spinning his head back and staring at the oncoming mist with legs, "Oh how the fates favour me so! Though they do little, so I must offer my thanks to you oh Ananke!" The mad demigod declared as he got to his feet.

Silena staggered forward, silver-copper daggers on each hand ready and up facing forward, her tanned skin hueing in the dark. A disorientated Yew followed her, he was already equipped, quiver and bow in his hand, made of ovary oak and gleaming light for a draw string, with an upright and sword ready Bryce on his left.

Beckendorf took off his backpack and unzipped it, rummaged through and brough out a small metal disk, the automaton arm mark V, "Spruce." He called and the metal disk unfolded snaking up his right arm in black cloth, metal gearing clicking and wiring around as it enveloped his fighting hand, it finished and black jagged metal peaks with wiring and spinning disks of yellow glowed with a circular panel on his palm. It augmented his strength and allowed him to shoot flames out his arm using pre topped oil as fuel.

Beckendorf reached into his bag once more and wrapped his arms around the shaft and he pulled up, a black sleek pole of pure steel fashioned and adorned with carved ivory depicting images of the Colchis bulls its head connecting to a flat wide one-sided hammer with a weighted spike on the other ended gilded with celestial bronze on both. It was half his height in length and a quarter in weight and he needed his augmented arm to wield it with maximum efficiency.

Pollux was waltzing by, a bottle of purple pre poured Kool aid in one hand and a standard bronze leaf shaped blade on the other, "Sweet hammer you got there." He whistled, "Come on, Jackson said we the muscle today."

"Didn't even fucking ask us." Ethan muttered under his breath, he was just on the left to Pollux, walking whilst swinging a weighted ball connected to a chain, that wrapped around his left arm and snaked across his body to a black and red sharpend sickle that had a small circle dent that looked to be made to hold a gem or an orb inside it.

"I heard that Ethan." Jackson called back, "Just for that you three will be the muscle again tomorrow with me, but Luke will join us then!"

Ethan groaned and Pollux chortled and Beckendorf just felt dread settle into the pit of his stomach, he would have to fight again back to back? What would they even be fighting.

Beckendorf looked to his left and he saw Luke with his celestial bronze blade resting on his shoulder as he stood in front of Annabeth that was leaning on him, "Don't have too much fun without me today boys!" He called, "Where is the Elk anyway?"

"It's coming." Annabeth said loud enough for all to hear, Lou Ellen jumped suddenly as if her obsessive reading of the Tome was suddenly stopped from that information and hurriedly closed into Perseus where they whispered conspiratorially," It's in the mist."

Perseus pushed Lou Ellen away making her stand just on the edge of the pool of water about twenty paces away and nodded his head towards the mist, "Come lads we got to wake the beast." The mad demigod clicked his fingers and water arced around his back in small circle before morphing into shape of three blue floating arrows held into shape behind him, floating over his wild loose curls. The demigod stuck his hand into his still out pouch pulling out a long silver spear with detailed engravings, Beckendorf walked just behind Pollux and Ethan each of them standing on either side of their quest leader.

They walked forward, Beckendorf's shoes filling with water, making his toes fidget, he grimaced and before they reached the veil of heavy fog that was curled into a dome he reached down and took shoe and sock and threw them into the bag before throwing the bag to Castlen using his enhanced strength, "I need me one of those." Pollux said, "So cool."

"I know right." Perseus sighed as if he was jealous, "I want to get my hands on them too."

"Twenty thousand drachmas each." Beckendorf said squaring his shoulders as he faced the fog," I'll make em when finish the quest, how about that, questers discount."

"Add me one too." Ethan whistled.

"i like the sound of that." Pollux said before uncorking the lid off the bottle and squeezing it all into his mouth in one big gulp, wiping his mouth and throwing it away," I like the sound of that!" He roared and the hairs on Beckendorf's flesh raised, Perseus clicked his fingers again and the miniature spears of water darted through the fog dispelling it in a twist of wind and a shriek of pressure. A wail of pain echoed the cave, so visceral it gripped at Beckendorf, and the fog sucked in so heavily he felt himself moving slightly against his will.

The mist was gone and in the middle was a laying Elk with white fur so startingly silver it glowed, marred only with three grotesque splatters of red, marking holes, sinew and muscle bubbled under the lesions leaking red fluid copiously, the beast moved its head as if crushed under the weight of massive curling antlers scratched and crusted with blue. It's ruined left eye twisted and bubbled growing back into a startling chilling blue, its knees were jagged in the same shade as his antlers and it rose to full height, the size of garbage truck, the only mark left that signified Jackson's attack even connected was a ring of red blood on its fur and the stripes of it beneath.

"Aw shucks," Perseus muttered loud enough for them to hear, "I half hoped that would kill it."

As if on a cue the beast opened its maw, rows of flat teeth lined on it and it raised its head, a wail of pure gripping something, left's its mouth, the earbuds were clipped in, Beckendorf frantically looked around for anyone without the ear buds in and found no one.

He sighed a relief and focused forward, his mind clearing, his breathing levelled and controlled, he hefted his hammer and ran, Pollux was flexed his wrist and a beam of purple energy lined through and cut the beast cleanly in half in the middle, a crimson line appeared from the Elk's forehead before red blood sprayed out, both half's leaning towards the floor that suddenly halted as blackish tendrils jumped from with it pulling each clean half together and fusing the elk back.

Beckendorf raised the hammer and ran forward, his feet slapping in the wet floor and sloshing with the pool water he tilted his right knee slightly and swung the crunch of bone felt under the hammer before it mended and broke again. The elk staggered to the right before swinging its antlers. Beckendorf rolled and raised again swinging at the midsection before the elk twisted its body in a painful bend and kicked out its hind legs at Beckendorf.

The elk brayed in pain as Beckendorf raised hammer to defend himself barely seeing Ethan throw the weighted ball at the Elk's eye, crushing it in a squealch. Perseus dashed in and shovde the silver long spear through its flank. The legs connected to Beckendorfs braced hammer and arm and the pain flared against him, as he flew, off went his right clipped earbud plopping into the water. Pain lanced through his midriff as he connected to the pool water, he breathed out before he got hit so he wasn't winded but he might as well be with the amount of pain that rocked his right ribs.

A flurry of arrows hit the the elk and a silver dagger embedded itself on its left flank, it bucked and brayed and the silver spear was still placed, slowly sliding out as if it was rejecting it as it clearly was. Pollux charged through slicing down and missing the head by and inch as it stepped back quickly, it lowered its head and swung up hitting Pollux with the flat stumped end of the antlers into the floor.

Ethan dashed in wraing the chain around the beasts head as he darted away, abrely dodging the flailing head of the Elk. Ethan leaped on the its back and used the wraped around chain to sueeze. The elk bucked and kicked, the son of Nemesis quickly amde an incison on to the beasts neck and squeezed again using the chain and the head poped off with an audible wrenching noise.

Ethan slid down the back of the dropping beast, its river of black blood snaking and connecting to it's severed head before violently grabbing it and slamming it back to it's body , and kicking Ethan away from its wrongly bent legs sending the boy careening away.

The beast opened its mouth, and blue flame blew out, towards the son of the wine god but the water bubbled around him and pushed him away quickly, making him slide on to the floor.

A deadly chill spread the air as the beast did not stop exhaling the cold flames and instead aimed at Jackson, who rolled and clapped his hands together and beam of piercing water shot out and tore through the elks head in a spray of red and grey and white cartilage that flew in the air. The beast crumpled onto the floor again its head sagging and bleeding before stitching and closing and all of sudden rising rapidly, its mouth open again and this time Beckendorf heard the wail.

His skin ripped at him begging him, something in him was stirring and leaving and wanting to go, it pounded at him, agonising cold gripping his every fibre, "Hold to your sense of self!" Annabeth yelled at him, he could barely hear over the agony, the pain was horrid, sense of self? He knew nothing but the pain, he couldn't feel anything but the cold, he felt so cold, he think he didn't remember anything but the cold. But he was Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus and his mother Sarah Beckendorf. He remebered the things that makes him happy, The things that made him, him, hours at the forge or when he was young in the park with aunt Latties kids, Micheal and Solomon, playing in the park as he wasted hours away, he was Beckendorf, engineer and smith, maker of many things yet to be and and been. He remembered the things that made him sad, the things that made him, him, of how he rembered the death of his mother, ravaged by an Empousa because she smelt like him, like beckendorf, oh the pain then was unbearable. Like how he flet now, he knew nothing but the pain, but it was diffrent pain, ain so deep he did not merely feel it in the soul but was scarred, a iece of him was changed a piece of Beckendorf.

He clawed at the something that wanted to run and flee, grabbed at it and pulled it back, grabbed and didn't let go and he screamed, he wailed he grabbed his hammer and flexed his right arm, liquid flame licked the shaft and crackled up into the flat hammer circling it where the gilded celestial bronze was inlaid and ran forward, the beast didn't bellow anymore, didn't rage and instead opened its mouth, a faint cruel glow shined in the base of its throat but Beckendorf hefted his hammer and just threw it, straight into the maw and smashing some teeth loose and the beast staggered, he crouched and jumped punching using his left and then opening his palm as the elks head was flailing and just unleashed liquid flames all over its face. The smell of cooked flesh filled him and the beast's mangeled and leaking face grotesquely sucked up into perfect condition and Beckendorf let loose again, sending another torrent of fire.

Pollux rushed in bare handed his blade in the water behind him and grabbed the antlers of the elk and twisted the whole body in a roar, Perseus rushed in using his spear that was still inside the beast as leverage and twisted it out, coating his free hand in a rotating saw of water he cut through the bottom, Ethan bounded the legs with his chains, and Perseus shoved his hand inside before ripping out a beating pulsing thriving heart that was the size of the mad demigods head, he turned towards the three of them blood caked, "Run!" Pollux let go and ran forward away from the beast, Ethan snaped its legs and withdrew his chain as he ran away and Beckendorf turned and hot footed it, Perseus started to glow chanting something, he stopped and jogged backwards holding the heart in his hands as if he was pulling against imaginary forces"Now! Lou Ellen."

The witch's hands were locked over head, her eyes glowing coal black her hair raised and licking the air in small flicks," Oh crevice and nook you reside in the air, oh how you enjoin with the aether of all, I beseech upon you the very foundation of all heed me, heed me as I enjoin you together as all things came with pairs, kill those who stop you from finding your vessel!" The witch was glowing brighter with every word so did Perseus and the elk, a small red outline shone around the beast brighter and brighter before the body floated in the sky, the hole in its stomach twisting into a black tendril shooting towards the heart in Perseus hand," Enjoin yourself honoured one! Enjoin yourself great one! I have paid the toll!" Lou Ellen uncrossed her wrists and the air trembled.

The red glow surrounding the elk stretched into a pillar of pure power, ripping, tearing , rendering. Beckendorf felt it from here, the whole cave trembled, Jackson was glowing too, his arms in the air feet wide apart, the heart of the elk in his left as it slowed down its rhythmic drum.

The elk screamed and wailed again, pain and hurt welled into Beckendorf's stomach as the something he fought so hard to contain fought to leave again, he beat it down, this time with memories of his cabin mates, his half siblings, young Nyssa only eleven who listened to his stories of machines and dreams with such raptor, young Leo Valdez who would run across the wooden flooring to babble about his designs and drawings and would tinker away at one project or the next. The something was held at bay and Beckendorf focused on who he was today and all he felt was the shake and tremor of the brilliant light, continuously destroying and ripping apart the elk over and over.

Lou Ellen was glowing now, her arms apart in the same stance as Jackson and the beam started to intensify, the air around it started to simply melt, no other word was to describe it, it bent and twisted and writhed and the magical power was so potent Beckendorf could taste the nickel like zest in the air.

The heart stopped beating and Lou Ellen collapsed. Yew shouted something as Silena and him rushed to go and grab her and Jackson staggered. The pillar of power slowly phased out, the air righted itself, the mirage of bending was no longer and the body of the ancestral elk was simply gone. Not a hide or hair, no sign at all other than a 5 pace wide hole that sucked in the water.

Beckendorf blinked and swayed and all of a sudden his hearing returned to him, the pillar's noise was so absolute he did not even notice it there nor the absence of all other sounds. The rushing of water filling the hole left behind filled his ears, overtaking the constant ringing, he sagged with relief on to the floor, Bryce was behind Perseus hand out stabilising him, and Beckendorf turned to check on Luke and Annabeth but the whole place started to just warp.

He felt his body stretch as if it was being flushed through a small line and pulled like woollen cloth, he opened his mouth and screamed but it felt like cotton was shoved inside. He was being pulled harder and harder and harder through the line nearly stretched and all of a sudden he was on rock floor, marble even, and he blinked and blinked and blinked once more and he was back in the temple. On the dais of encircled braziers still aflame with their cold blue chilling fire and in the centre the raised skull with an ajar wailing mouth, its loose jaw hinged to its breaking point.

A scuffle of feet caught his eye and to his left a platoon of priestess all hooded in dark wools and the same staff of obsidian curling steel in their left hands. Five rows of three, the head priestess at the forefront cruel smile in her lips, "We thank you for your service heroes." She smiled barring her teeth, pearly white except for one that was chipped and yellowing, "You have strengthen the divinus of the in between. And for that honour we decided to deliver you to your destination with post haste."

"And where would that be?" Pollux asked, his voice was rough and slightly slurred as if he was buzzed.

"I would assume the underworld?"

"We are to return the master bolt, on order of the master of Olympus." Annabeth reasoned walking forward, a slight limo in her step that Beckendorf was sure was the best she could manage at the moment.

"He did not pick you specifically, a great quest was issued, another insane group of heroes will try anyway, but last I heard there was a bounty on your captain's head." The juniour priestess replied smugly,

"One and a half million gold drachmas, oh how lavishly we can recodecorate, and the great son of the seas shaker's bones on the wall of the damned!" The Senior priestess squealed clapping her hands in a rapid flurry ," Delightful." The Senior priestess was only fifteen paces away the platoon another five behind her, "give up the boy and the heart and I'll send you off to the interstice without a single haired harmed."

Bryce sprung forward grabbing the heart from Jackson's lax hands and rolled forward Gladys out pointing to it," Away from the girl." He yelled at Yew and Silena, Yew's hands were out hovering atop of Lou ellen's and yellow light was pulsing through, "Away from her! Whatever her fucking name is I said get away!"

"You sure you want to do this?" Perseus asked bored, "you sure you want to sell us off to a girl squad who serves an undying elk?" He asked again this time fingering his ear with his pinkie.

"Not cool dude." Yew muttered out loud.

"Not cool." Luke, Ethan and Pollux echoed after him and Beckendorf couldn't help but feel he missed an opportune moment to join in too.

"Keep the boy, I get the girl, I'll give you the heart for 500 thousand drachma and safe passage to the interstice."

The senior priestess's face twisted with disgust ,"Why would I want to do that? I could just kill you."

The boy shifted his body so that he was sideways and walked backwards so he could see them all, "I'll stab the heart unless you promise on the Styx to agree to the deal."

The priestess clenched her jaw, "250k and you got a dea-"

"I can't believe this." Perseus said turning fully ignoring the traitorous newcomer, "well I clearly saw this, he smells like a certain narcotic." He threw his head back facing them quickly," Don't do drugs kids." And turned back again.

"Don't come closer or I'll stab it!" He roared, "don't you need it to leave this godforsaken cave."

Bryce hovered his blade on top of it pressing it lightly.

Jackson ignored him and carried on walking forward, "And you said your name was Bryce Lawrence no? Only Bryce Lawrence I heard of was a son of Orcus who's been missing for a couple of months in the account of killing his superior."

"How…" the boy muttered in disbelief before setting his brows down harder and shouting once more," Come any closer and I'll-"

Beckendorf didn't blink at all, his eyes was set on everything but he still missed it, missed what Jackson did, the boy swiped his two fingers on his right hand across where Bryce's neck was with an exaggerated jerk of his arm and then the son of Orcus's head was blown back disconnected from his neck, the only thing tethering him was a string of red. The body convulsed and jerked backwards falling arms still outstretched and Perseus casually stepped forward and grabbed the heart from the body's dropping arm before it fell to the floor.

"Kill them!" The head priestess roared.

The clad women started to rush forward ," Grab the statue!" Perseus screamed at them, he turned on his heels and rushed before cocking his hand back and throwing the heart straight to Annabeth, she fumbled the heart, before stabilising and holding it in her hand, he resumed his mad dash to the dais tucking and rolling as a beam of waxy flames singed the spot where he stood," Put it in the jaws!" He screamed again, up and running.

Annabeth shoved it in and secured it, Luke, Ethan and Pollux were the first to grab the statue, Silena and Yew were dragging Lou Ellen and grabbing onto the statue as they haphazardly threw Lou so her midriff was ecircling its base and still holding on to her.

Beckendorf held down on his hammer and got up running and grabbing his backpack a pace away from the dais and Perseus slid in, in-between Luke and Annabeth grabbing the back of the head of the skull and chanted ," Melikertes accept our offering, grant us passage in your domain!" The words spilled out in a cascading rush and Beckendorf prayed that for the last time ever he would feel this feeling as he felt his midriff fold and fold again as if he was 2D on paper. And the cold temple room was no more.