A/N: Since a lot of people were confused, let me give a small intro to the Percy Jackson series. It's mainly centred around people who are demigods or 'half-bloods', i.e. they have one human parent and one Greek god parent. Their main work is to fight and kill monsters, and protect their Olympian civilisation (that's why they're also called heroes of Olympus). Now I'm doing the same in this story... except that I'm replacing all the Percy Jackson heroes with our CID officers and forensic experts. All of them are demigods (except Sudhakar, who's a centaur- half man and half horse). And just so you guys can follow the story a little better, I've included the following.
Brief Glossary of Gods
Zeus- King of Gods. God of the sky and justice. Father of Pradyuman, Aditi and Vivek.
Poseidon- God of the sea, storms, earthquakes and hurricanes. Father of Daya and Tasha.
Hades- God of the Underworld, riches and death. Father of HD.
Apollo- God of the sun, archery, light, healing, truth, prophecy, music, poetry etc. Father of Abhijeet, Ajatshatru and Anushka.
Athena- Goddess of wisdom, battle strategy and innovation. Mother of Dr. Salunkhe, Rajat, Niyati, Nyla and Tarika.
Ares- God of war, conflict and rage. Father of Asha, Muskaan, Kajal and Vineet.
Aphrodite- Goddess of love and beauty. Mother of Lavanya, Divyana and Shreya.
Hephaestus- Blacksmith of Gods. God of fire and metalworking. Father of Sachin and Nikhil.
Hermes- Messenger of Gods. God of travellers, communication, thieves and trickery. Father of Daksh, Kaveri and Purvi.
Dionysus- God of wine, celebration, theatre and madness. Father of Freddy.
Demeter- Goddess of agriculture, harvest and the seasons. Mother of Manisha.
Hecate- Goddess of magic.
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"Incoming!" a female voice bellowed as Purvi swooped down from the roof of the Hermes cabin on a motorised hang-glider, nearly knocking Vineet over as he watched Sachin and Nikhil fix the wheel of a chariot. "Watch it!" he yelled after his friend, and she winced. "Sorry!" she called back at Vineet over her shoulder, and ACP Pradyuman smiled as she glided right over his head, laughing gleefully.
In the lake, Daya and Tasha were holding a swimming race. They were evenly matched, however- though Daya was more powerful, Tasha had the advantage of lightness and flexibility. As one of Abhijeet's arrows shot through the air, Daya sailed upwards, riding on a wave, and caught the arrow with a grin, tossing it back to his best friend as he himself sank smoothly back down into the lake. "Stop showing off, Seaweed Brain," Abhijeet scolded, and Tasha giggled as she rose out of the water, resting on the bank. She wore a green swimsuit and her damp hair was streaming down her back, giving her the appearance of a water nymph. "We'll stop showing off our water powers when you stop showing off your shooting skills, Abhijeet."
Abhijeet rolled his eyes down at her. "Shooting skills, and dancing skills, and of course there's my undeniable hotne-" He perked up, lowering his bow as he caught sight of something- or rather, someone. "Excuse me, guys, I'll join you in a minute."
"Good luck!" Tasha called drily at his retreating figure, shaking her head in exasperation. "He'll never learn, will he?"
Daya grinned as he leaned back on the water, backstroking away from the bank. "Nope."
As they spoke, Abhijeet was heading towards the Athena cabin, his whole demeanour exuding a jaunty confidence. Tarika was sitting on the front steps, poring over a large, hard-bound book that lay open on her lap. She wore jeans and a grey T-shirt, her long curls falling forward over her shoulder as she bent over the book. Abhijeet put on his most winning smile as he came up to her, leaning against the wall of the cabin. "Hi."
Tarika glanced up from her book, and her eyes narrowed slightly before her face resumed a neutral expression. "Hi."
"So, what are you doing out here all alone?" asked Abhijeet, coming over and ever so casually sitting down next to her. As soon as he did so, however, Tarika moved a good distance away, to the edge of the step, and returned to her book, turning a page. "Playing cricket," she said curtly.
Abhijeet scooted over so that he was right next to her. "Can I play?" he asked, sweetness seeping into his tone as he flashed her a smile that would have made any other girl lose a good night's sleep. Tarika, however, looked up and glared at him. "Are you trying to annoy the hell out of me?" she demanded, and Abhijeet moved back a little, holding up his hands in surrender. "OK, OK, calm down. Looks like you're stressing too much. How about going on a nice long drive to cool off? Just you and me?" he offered, giving her his most persuasively charming look.
Tarika was about to say something not very flattering at all when the door of the cabin suddenly opened and Niyati raised her eyebrows down at Abhijeet. "What's up, Abhijeet? Do you want something?"
"No," Abhijeet said sulkily, shifting a little distance away from Tarika. It was well known that Niyati was the only woman in the CID who was capable of shutting absolutely anyone up, even ACP Pradyuman and Dr. Salunkhe for that matter. Tarika gave her eldest sister a desperately imploring look, and Niyati winked at her before turning to Abhijeet. "Right, what was I-"
"You lot," Rajat called, coming over speedily. "We have to go to the bureau. ACP sir's calling everyone for a meeting." Tarika looked as if she could have hugged her brother then and there, but settled for handing her book to Niyati, who went inside to fetch Nyla just as Abhijeet walked off to find Ajatshatru and Anushka. "Was he flirting with you again?" Rajat asked Tarika, grinning at her. Though of course he loved all his sisters, she was undoubtedly his pet. She winced, brushing her curls out of her face. "Don't ask. Seriously, I don't know why he can't just leave me alone."
"I think he's got the hots for you, little sis," Nyla put in helpfully as she and Niyati caught up with their siblings, and Niyati snorted. "Nyla, he flirts with almost every girl in this camp, not just Tarika. Are you saying he's got the hots for all of them?"
"Guy as hot as he is, you never know," quipped Nyla, smirking, and Rajat chuckled as they entered the bureau. "OK, enough about him already. I think ACP sir has something important to tell us. Usually he just calls the leaders of each cabin, but this time he's called everyone."
"Must be something serious," agreed Daya as he passed by with Tasha in tow. Both of them wore blue-green T-shirts with tridents printed on the front and their father's name, Poseidon, on the back in Ancient Greek letters. Once everyone was assembled in the conference room, which actually consisted only of a very long table surrounded by a lot of chairs, ACP Pradyuman got to his feet. He looked very grim indeed as he addressed the gathering.
"Team... I'm afraid I have some very bad news indeed. Have you all heard of HD?"
The name evoked an instant reaction from most of the demigods. Abhijeet's eyes flashed dangerously, Daya's expression hardened, Vivek and Tasha exchanged dark looks and Tarika bit her lip, frowning at the table. Rajat covered his youngest sister's hand with his own, his face shadowed with anxiety and his eyes wary as he looked at ACP Pradyuman. The newer officers, however, such as Nikhil, Shreya, Vineet and Purvi, looked puzzled. "Who's HD?" asked Nikhil curiously.
Abhijeet opened his mouth at once, but curiously enough, it was Rajat who answered the question, his voice low and his gaze, like Tarika's, fixed on the table. "Harpis Dongara. The son of Hades, Lord of Death. He was in the CID once upon a time, before he turned against the Olympians and went to join his father in the Underworld. He caused quite a bit of trouble for us a couple of years ago... kidnapped many of the half-bloods one by one and tried to destroy them. The tables were turned on him, though, and Abhijeet shot him." He inclined his head in Abhijeet's direction, and the latter nodded back rather stiffly. Though Rajat hadn't been in the CID when this case had actually happened, he had heard more than enough about it to know the whole story.
"Quite right, Rajat." Sudhakar nodded. "Now it's come to our attention that HD's been resurrected. His soul's been restored to a new body in the Underworld. And..." he hesitated, looking at ACP Pradyuman, who spoke up. "He's planning to attack Olympus, the home of the gods."
"What?" exclaimed several demigods at once, Abhijeet and Daya actually jumping to their feet and staring at the ACP in shock. Rajat exchanged glances with his sisters, all of whom looked as anxious as he felt. Asha, on the other hand, merely looked impatient. "Well, what are we sitting here for, then? We should be out there, fighting!" she barked, and her sentiments were echoed by several people all around the table. ACP Pradyuman held up his hands to silence them. "Wait, wait! That's not all." His frown deepened. "Just before we got the news about HD, the Oracle made a prophecy."
Everyone stared at him, looking nonplussed. Dr. Salunkhe, clearing his throat, took a small scroll of paper from his pocket and read aloud:
"The powers of the gods once more shall unite,
To prepare themselves for the ultimate fight.
Nine half-bloods shall head forth to the west,
But only five will remain till the end of the quest.
A lost demigod shall be found on the way,
And one of his own kin a hero shall slay."
For several minutes, there was total silence in the room. Then, all at once, it erupted.
"Nine half-bloods go and only five remain at the end? Are you kidding me?" Daya exclaimed. "We're going to lose four people?"
"What's that about a lost demigod?" demanded Niyati.
"Someone's going to kill his own kin?" Abhijeet said in disbelief. "As in, his own sibling?" He shook his head, as though he could change the prophecy by disagreeing with it. "No. No way." Beside him, Ajatshatru and Anushka looked warily at each other.
"Way," Dr. Salunkhe said heavily. "It's happened several times before."
"It all comes down to how much faith you have in your siblings, and how strong your sense of family bonds is. Many times, however... the heroes just find they have no choice," Freddy said. His wife Manisha nodded in agreement, and ACP Pradyuman sighed, his face clouding over for a minute before he stood and rapped on the table for attention. "All right. To return to the matter at hand... it's evident who should lead this quest." He turned to his most trusted officer. "Abhijeet, select your companions."
Abhijeet stood up at once. "Sir, I don't have to take eight people with me if it means four of us will be in danger. We can manage with just five of us going."
"I doubt that'll work, Abhijeet," Rajat said quietly. "Prophecies can't be changed. Even if you don't take eight of us with you, there will be nine half-bloods on this quest one way or another." He raised his head, his calm dark eyes meeting Abhijeet's blazing ones. "And you should know this better than anyone, Abhijeet. Your father Apollo is the god of prophecy, after all."
Not even Abhijeet could think of anything to say to that. Instead, he merely glared at Rajat and looked around at the other demigods. "OK, so if I do have to take eight people... Daya," he said, turning to his best friend, who grinned back at him. "Then-"
"Hang on!" Asha thumped her hand on the table, fixing Abhijeet with an angry stare. "This isn't fair! Kajal hasn't returned to camp yet, how can you start selecting just like that when there are officers missing?"
"Asha," Sudhakar called across the table. "Kajal is involved in her own quest. You know the law- one quest isn't supposed to interfere with another." Asha glowered. "Very well. Then I won't be a part of this quest," she declared violently. "Abhijeet, you'll have to take one of my siblings instead." Abhijeet was ready. "Muskaan? Coming?" he asked.
"You bet I am," Muskaan told him emphatically. "I haven't been on a quest for months. And believe me, there's nothing more tiring for a child of Ares than sitting quietly." Daya smirked at her, and she grinned back at him as Abhijeet, looking as though he had been forced to swallow a lemon, turned to Rajat. "Rajat, I suppose we'll need you too. You'll come, right?"
"Of course," Rajat nodded gravely, and Abhijeet looked at Aditi, his expression unchanging. "Aditi?"
"No." Aditi shook her head, looking decisive. "I already led the last quest. I won't go on this one- Vivek will." She put a hand on her younger brother's shoulder. "He deserves his chance as much as anyone else."
"Right," Abhijeet agreed. Sachin was next, followed by Purvi. Abhijeet frowned- there were only seven people in the team so far, including himself. "Sir," he called to ACP Pradyuman. "There are only seven cabins in the camp. All of them have been represented. And yet, the prophecy clearly says nine half-bloods."
What happened next was something no one had expected. As Abhijeet spoke, Tarika got to her feet, her face set and determined. "I'm coming."
The effect was immediate. "What?" Niyati and Nyla exclaimed in unison, and Abhijeet's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?" he demanded, gaping at Tarika. "You are most definitely not joining this quest if I can help it!" he said firmly, and Tarika glared at him. "Yes I am, and you can't stop me, Sunshine. Whether you're prepared to admit it or not, you guys need me."
"Tarika-" Dr. Salunkhe started, but she turned fiercely pleading eyes on him. "Sir, please. You know it's true. I have to go on this quest." Her voice cracked slightly. "I need to know..." She fell silent, and Abhijeet seized the opportunity to continue his tirade. "Didn't you hear the prophecy, Tarika? Don't you realise how dangerous it is to have two children of the same god- in this case, goddess- on this quest, when we know a hero's going to end up killing his own-"
He was cut off in mid-flow by a flash of bronze as Tarika pulled out her knife, her face livid and her eyes blazing with rage as she held the celestial blade to his neck. "Don't... you... dare," she breathed, and in that moment Abhijeet was very powerfully reminded of the fact that Tarika's mother, Athena, was the goddess of battle strategy as well as wisdom.
"That's enough!" Rajat was on his feet now. He caught his sister's hand, taking the knife from her and making her sit back down. She glowered up at Abhijeet. "I'm coming, all right? I trust my brother enough to know that if I'm in any danger, he'll be the one protecting me from it, not putting me in it." Her tone had such finality in it that no one dared to question her. Rather, it was Tasha's turn to rise. "Abhijeet, I'm coming too."
"Tasha..." Daya was shocked. "Sis, it really isn't a good-"
"OK, Tasha," Abhijeet interrupted. The fight seemed to have gone out of him after Tarika's little onslaught. "You can be the ninth one." He met Daya's gaze. "I trust Daya with my life, and yours too." Tarika smiled at Tasha before scowling darkly up at Abhijeet, taking Rajat's arm in a gesture of support as her brother gave her a faint, rueful smile.
"All right, then." ACP Pradyuman stood up, as did everyone else. "The nine of you should be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon. Everyone else, please help them make sure they're prepared sufficiently."
As the demigods filed out of the bureau, led by Manisha, ACP Pradyuman exchanged glances with Dr. Salunkhe, Sudhakar and Freddy. All of them looked grim- this was the quest that would decide the fate of Olympus. The heroes would have to succeed at any cost.
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A/N: I'm pretty sure I already know what everyone's going to say in the reviews, but please review anyway. :)
