Here is the second part (i hope) you've been waiting for. Thanks for the reviews. I incorporated a few suggestions. I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: i don't want to talk about it, it only depresses me...
Archie followed the team, led by Odie, to the car. Herry wouldn't lend them his truck so they were going in Jay's old car.
"tell us about the lead, Jay" Neil said, without really caring, "why is it so important that i have to miss my spa day?"
"Well, Polyphemus overheard from an anonymous source" Jay began, ignoring the blond model "that someone was raising a hydra in Canada somewhere. There's only one person who could do something like that, would do something like that."
Archie shuddered. "so we're going to fight the Hydra?" Jay shook his head.
"that's too dangerous." his tone conveyed leadership "we will track the hydra, it has to obey its master and return to its master, so if our suspicions are correct, it will return to Cronos. Once we find Cronos, we call the others and bring them both down." he nodded his head once to finalize the order. The others murmured in agreement and Jay unlocked his car, stepping into the drivers seat. Odie took shotgun and set his PMR to GPS. Neil put his seat belt on and drew his mirror from his pocket. Archie sighed, it was going to be a long few days.
"Atlanta," Jay addressed him and Archie nearly forgot to look up in recognition "when we get to Canada, have a look around, see if you can find anything." Archie responded non-commitaly. Why did this have to happen now of all times, He thought, if Atlanta were here, everything would be fine. But she wasn't and Archie knew he would have to deal with everything by himself. They reached Canada in record time and Jay shoved Archie out of the car to begin searching. Archie wandered around, pretending to look for a clue, he waited until he was out of sight before retrieving his PMR and dialing Atlanta.
"hello?" she answered
"Lannie, quick i need your help." Archie focused the camera on the ground and swept over the ground. Occasionally Atlanta would make his move closer to a particular spot but then he would have to move again.
"there!" Atlanta exclaimed after a while, "follow that trail. Good luck!" Archie hung up and called to the others that he had found something. it appeared to be huge scrape marks. nothing any regular animal could have made.
"is that from...a tail?" Odie gulped. The group followed the tracks deep into the Canadian wilderness.
Atlanta lead her group towards the park.
"i don't know exactly where the pendant would be" she lied but tried to sound commanding "so scan around with your PMR. If you think you found something, start digging."
"Bossy boots" Herry munched on a donut "you sound just like Atlanta."
"you've been hanging around her too much" joked Theresa "you need some more man time" she and Herry giggled. Atlanta scowled at them
"just dig" she growled and stalked off.
"whats wrong with Archie?" Theresa and Herry exchanged a look.
"he's probably sad that Atlanta isn't here. And that Jay didn't let him go with them." Herry made a face.
"aww, poor Archie is lovesick!" Theresa giggled. She didn't mention that she was missing Jay. A lot.
Atlanta looked back at her friends. She knew they were laughing at her. It made her so mad. With Archie's manly strength, she threw down the shovel, surprised when it snapped in half.
Damn, she thought although she couldn't help but marvel at Archie's strength. She stashed the shovel behind a tree, hoping that the others didn't notice. then she wandered around the park, pretending to look for a sign.
Archie sat in the diner of the nearby town, angsting over the menu. He couldn't remember what Atlanta liked to eat After a while, Odie grew sick of waiting and asked if he wanted his usual.
Archie's mouth watered at the prospect of a double cheeseburger but the product that greeted him was anything but appetizing.
"what is it?" he poked the meal cautiously with the straw from Atlanta's usual Pepsi. Archie sighed, he would have preferred coke.
"um, your favorite" Jay frowned "A veggie burger."
"oh" Archie tried to conceal his disappointment and bit into the burger.
He shrugged apprehensively. It wasn't terrible but it was no double cheeseburger.
After a while Jay went to call Herry for an update, Neil went to check out the shopping in the small town and Odie went to the nearby arcade. Archie stretched, wincing at the twinge in his abdomen.
All of a sudden he doubled over with cramps. Crying out in pain, he ran to the bathroom.
Was that...blood?... he shuddered and realized just what it was. Everything went black.
When Archie came around, he couldn't help but gag. He knew nothing of girly issues and he didn't want to learn. Especially not first hand. Rummaging around Atlanta's stuff, he withdrew what he thought, hoped, was a product used to deal with the situation. After a few complicated minutes he decided to call Atlanta.
"oh Archie" she bit back a laugh after he explained. Archie blushed a deep beetroot.
"i'm sorry, i shouldn't laugh" she couldn't hide the laughter in her voice. "i remember how awkward my first time was." she calmly told Archie what to do.
After a while, the brave warrior emerged, Embarrassed and hating being a girl.
Atlanta sat on Archie's bed. Bored. After a while she decided to hit the track. Changing into Archie's gym clothes, she ran outside and began to stretch.
A deep, throaty rumble sounded behind her. She looked up to see the huge form of Ares, the god of war, looming behind her.
"you missed training yesterday." the huge god sounded mad and Atlanta gulped.
"Sorry sir..." she stammered "it's just..."
"i don't want your excuses" Ares thundered "because you missed out yesterday, you'll do double the work today." he nodded in satisfaction at his punishment.
"d..d..double?" Atlanta couldn't help but feel terrified. She didn't know how Archie could bear this guy as a mentor. She stood up, ready to obey.
Ares had her run laps of the track at first, an easy enough task. But after fifty laps she was beginning to tire. Then Ares made her do push-ups and sit-ups as well as weight training and weapons training. When she finally hit the showers, every muscle in her body burned. She stumbled into Archie's room and crashed out on the bed.
"Never again" she groaned although she had to admire Archie for being able to cope with workouts like that. She uttered a prayer that Artemis wasn't nearly so tough, but then, Ares was the god of war, if anyone was going to be tough, it would be him. she grabbed the first book she could find. choking on the title. Archie read poetry? she thought, who'd have know? Atlanta shrugged and began to read. after a while, she started to get into it. she had never thought of herself as a poetry lover and she decided not to tell Archie. he would never let her live it down.
Jay was driving carefully. He was a good driver, Archie knew that, but there was a point where you could be too careful. It was storming so he was going slower then usual and Archie, sitting beside him, sighed in annoyance.
"we have a deadline, Jay" he reminded him "couldn't we go a little faster?"
behind them, Neil shrieked as a crash of thunder and a bolt of lightning lit up the night sky.
Jay frowned and Archie groaned. Atlanta called that particular expression Jay's 'Lecture face' so Archie knew he was going to get a lesson on the importance of driving slowly in the rain. But instead of talking, Jay pulled over.
"did you guys see that?" he asked. The others shook their heads. Jay opened the door and stepped out.
"c'mon" he motioned for the others to follow.
"no way." Neil folded his arms stubbornly "you have no idea what precipitation does to my hair."
Odie gave him a quizzical look. "how do you even know what precipitation is?" he asked teasingly.
Neil made an insulted noise "i occasionally pay attention in class." he whined.
"yeah" joked Archie "when you forget your mirror and have nothing better to do."
Neil pouted and Jay sighed and drew out raincoats from the boot of the car.
"here" he handed them to everyone
"ooh, i call the pink one" squealed Neil. Odie sniggered. Neil slapped him across the arm and Odie winced in pain. Neil looked triumphant.
Jay led the group down a walking track.
"so tell me, why are we walking in the rain?" Archie pulled his hood up and shivered.
"you didn't see it?" Jay sounded confused
"see what?" the others sounded exasperated
"the lightning."
"what about it?" Odie prompted.
"it was all converging over one location" Jay rolled his eyes, as if the answer was obvious
"which means..."
"something huge, dangerous and powerful is there."
"do you think it could be the Hydra?" Neil sounded terrified and Jay nodded solemnly.
"well check it out and then send for the others." he said.
Archie hoped that they would send for the others soon. He and Atlanta only had three days left before they were themselves again. Or where stuck as each other forever.
Well thats the next chapter done i hope you liked it. Sorry if it was a bit short but i wanted to save some stuff for another chaper. Keep reading next chapter nearly finished!- Reviews loved, suggestions welcome