A/N: Fourth chapter already, guys. Yahoo. (That sounds really unenthusiastic and sarcastic, but I'm actually pretty pumped.)
I'm glad I've gotten as far as I have, and I really appreciate any readers coming to enjoy the story. To talk about the writing process a little, I love writing Drew; she's a fun character to write, given that her canon characterization gives a lot of room to fill in the blanks. While I'm trying to keep her as close to the original characterization as possible, I'm still aiming to change it up quite a lot, as you can probably already see.
Anyways! I appreciate anyone who left a review last chapter. Here's the next, for your consumption!
(I'm skipping over the interaction with Boreas, here- it pretty much went the same as it did in canon, guys, and I don't think I really need to waste time writing it out for you). As a warning, guys, this chapter is really, really long- something I didn't predict happening as I wrote this. It's a lot to read, but hopefully you'll stick around till the end.
to not for granted: Really? I find your Drew to be more IC than mine, tbh, and I really love your story! If my story reminds me of yours, than I hope new developments in this chapter won't be too similar? I've been planning this for a while, so if they are... :/. I doubt they are, though, since I'm still trying to figure out the main mystery in your story, lmao.
to Irwin2000: Thank you! And trust me, I know... I've had this in the works for more than a year... I am worried about late uploads because of school and other obligations, but hopefully I can keep this story on track.
to BlackAndSilverMonkey: I know, right?! As you are my only irl friend on this site, you know how long I've been working on this and damn... it's been a long ride. If I ever need help editing or writing, you're gonna be the first person I come to, lmao.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or the sequel series.
{4.}
The atmosphere in the night sky was freezing. Frankly, Drew had had enough of the cold.
She shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest. Damn her short-sightedness for bringing such a thin coat. Her teeth chattered, the gale blowing through drying her eyes. Well, she had a nice view of the stars, at any rate, for all the good that did.
The business card Khione had given her sat heavy in her pocket. Drew patted the small bulge, making sure it was still there.
"...So, Boreas," Leo said, interrupting the silence that had fallen over them like a blanket. "That went pretty well, huh?"
"Mostly," Jason said. His normally piercing blue eyes were dull; he hid it quite well, but Drew could tell the talk had shaken him up. Badly, despite how much he pretended to be a fearless leader. Although most people found it hard to believe, children of Aphrodite tended to be more attuned and able to discern the emotions of others than what was usual. Drew suspected that it was a skill meant more for matchmaking than empathy.
A son of Jupiter, Boreas had called him. That was Zeus's Roman name. Drew's eyes traced the faint outlines of the SPQR tattoo on Jason's forearm, almost invisible in the dark and hidden by the sleeve of his jacket. If he really was a Roman demigod, that would have explained a lot of things- how they could have missed a child of one of the Big Three, for one. It also led to a larger quantity of questions than they had answers for.
"We'll find the master of the winds in Chicago," Jason said. "What did that card say again, Drew?"
"What? Oh." Pulled out her thoughts, Drew dug her hand in her pocket. She squinted, struggling to read the words in the nonexistent lighting. Her dyslexia certainly didn't help matters.
"'M's Department Store'," she read aloud. "Wonder what that M stands for- Macy's? That'd be a good pit stop. I really do need some new clothes."
She was joking, of course. The M obviously stood for another mythological being- a servant of Gaea's. Drew racked her head for possible monsters or people, but came up with nothing. Right now, her mind was too distracted by other things to conjure up any details.
"Guess we'll find out," Leo said tiredly. Drew had half-expected a joke, but ever since Boreas's palace he'd seemed out of it. Distant, and exhausted in a way that didn't have to do with lack of sleep.
He turned to face her, the laughter that had previously always been present in his eyes and mouth gone. "Maybe you should get some rest. We should reach Illinois by morning... Now would be a good time."
"Yeah." Drew wasn't particularly tired, but she didn't argue. In times of danger, you had to take your reprieves when you got them. She shifted, doing her best to curl against the dragon's warm hide, away from the cold. There was enough space to get into an almost comfortable position, and Drew exhaled softly. She wished she could at least entertain the comfort of human contact, but she hadn't had such a thing for years. The occasional boy didn't count. What she really wanted was family, a parent's loving arms...
She'd never had that.
Drew closed her eyes, and fell into a blissful sleep.
xXx
Her bliss didn't last long.
What had started as sweet dreams of pink flowers and beautiful mothers with rosy cheeks and smiling lips faded into nightmarish memories. She stood in the lavish condo she and her dad had owned in Brooklyn, tiny and cute again. A helpless, ignorant kid.
Drew walked in steps she'd already taken, years ago. Vaguely, her conscious managed to feel horror. She knew how this ended. Reliving it was a cruel, terrible thing. The rest of Drew was trapped in the emotions she'd felt in those moments; fear, anxiety, and paranoia.
She knocked on the looming white bathroom door with a small fist. Daddy, she wanted to croak, but she'd never said such a thing. Father or dad, maybe, but not that. Such a childish word, meant for children who were stupid, innocent. Drew was neither of the two.
"...Dad," she said finally. "Is everything okay? You've been in there for a while."
No answer. Drew's hand began to tremble, the beginnings of terror swirling in her gut. She knocked again, more urgent, the pounding of skin against wood louder. Her pale fingers and knuckles flushed an angry red. "Dad?!"
Nothing. Terrifying images flashed in her head; things that had happened to other families, friends of hers. People who lived in poor condominiums and projects, who had nothing to live for, no happiness to look forward to. But that couldn't happen to her, not her father. She twisted and yanked the knob, with no luck. Locked, and she didn't have a key or a coin and her nails were too short...
"Dad, please," she pleaded, her voice choked with desperation and sobs. "Open the door. Open the door. Open the damn door!"
She fell to her knees, pushing against the door with weak hands. Her fingers dragged down the wood, and she ignored the pain and blood that bloomed.
"Open the door, Dad. Please. Open the door. Open the door. Open the-"
xXx
"-door," Drew gasped, her eyes flying open.
For a few seconds, she lay still against the dragon, shaking.
The mantra repeated in her head, like a nursery rhyme, over and over. Open the door. Open the door. Open the door.
"Nightmare?" a voice asked behind her.
Drew shot up in her seat, feverish and wild. "What-"
"Hey!" Two hands planted on her shoulders, firm. Drew's trembles ceased. Jason's blue eyes stared into hers, concerned.
"It's me, Jason. We're on a quest to save Hera, you, me and Leo. You're okay."
Drew let herself relax. "I'm okay." Whatever perspiration that had formed on her face was already cooling, sticking to her skin. She tangled her fingers in the fabric of her skirt, giving them something to hold on to.
"...Sorry," Drew murmured. "I'm sorry."
Jason let his hands drop from her shoulders, looking away. "It's fine. Bad dreams happen to everyone."
Drew was glad he didn't ask her what it had been about. She felt like one of the frozen warriors that stood in Boreas's throne room; still, eyes stuck in a final expression of terror. Goosebumps sprouted under her clothes. "Leo's...?"
"Sleeping," Jason supplied. "I kept watch."
The purple and blue morning light of the sky made his face look skeletal, highlighting his sharp features. There were dark bags underneath his eyelids, and his eyes looked more gray than blue. Dead, and exhausted.
Drew felt a spark of annoyance. Here he was, fearless gladiator, He Who Needs No Sleep. "You haven't slept in what? Twenty-four hours?" she demanded.
Jason glared back at her. "Leo needed it more than I did."
"Leo actually slept, sweetheart. You don't have to take care of us at your own expense, Sparky," she snapped. Jason twitched, the nickname annoying him as she knew it would. "How old are you, fifteen? You're not thirty."
"And the leader of this quest," Jason responded sharply. "You're both my responsibility, so yes; I do have to take care of you at my own expense."
"Yeah? Well guess what, Pikachu? I'm sixteen, and older than you. So as your elder, I'm telling you: go to sleep."
For a moment, it worked. Jason swayed in his seat, lashes lowering, before he jerked up, straightening. "Don't do that." Her charmspeak was much weaker, in the wake of her dream and tremulous emotional state. Drew scowled, crossing her arms.
"It's for your own damn good!"
"Oh, please!" Jason snorted. "I'm sure that's what you tell monsters before they roll over and die, right?"
"What? Like we'd suddenly be swarmed by them if you're not awake? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the only thing keeping us alive-"
"Someone has to, Dollface, considering you just like to stand back and look pretty-"
"Would you two please shut the fuck up?" Leo burst. Their jaws fell open, and he shook his head, exasperated. "Honestly."
"...And what were you doing?" Drew leered, unperturbed after her initial surprise. "Letting Jason take watch after you'd already had your break."
Leo looked rightfully guilty. "I didn't do it on purpose." He rubbed at his eyes, sighing. "You should have woken me up, Jason. You can be so stubborn sometimes, even back at school, asshole-"
He stopped, stricken. Jason's face was inscrutable.
Finally, Jason looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. "I made the decision I thought I had to make. That's it. End of story."
Drew glowered at him for a few seconds, then let the subject drop. Leo was right; Jason really was stubborn, even if he was functioning on over a day without sleep.
Still, Drew didn't feel bad for the argument. Though it was indignant, there was some life in Jason's eyes now. It made him easier to look at; his gaze had reminded her of one too many dead bodies.
That didn't cross out the fact that his "selfless" tendencies were in reality quite self-destructive, but Drew didn't even know the kid. Unlike Jason, who carried the weight of all their lives on his shoulders for no reason other than his own, Drew had no obligation to look after them. She cared if they lived or died, sure- that just didn't include their emotional wellbeing. Really, it was none of her business, and without Jason's memories, he was nothing but a blank slate; who knew what his true personality really was?
In front of her, Leo released a deep breath. "We're here."
With over 2 million inhabitants, the Windy City was huge. Without the card Khione had given her, Drew doubted that any of them would have been able to pinpoint the location of the storm spirits' mysterious mistress.
Leo landed the dragon at the outskirts of a park. Festus- if it'd actually had feathers, that is- fluffed its wings, snorting small plumes of fire. Drew was reluctant to slide off the dragon and leave its warmth, but after reveling in it for a minute she hopped off, patting down the wrinkles in her skirt.
Flurries fell down from the sky, and without the warm bubble Festus had emitted the cold bit at any naked skin she had. The barren trees looked like their branches had been glazed over with glass, some of them strung with white Christmas lights. A cherub stood proudly at the centre of the fountain in front of them, the top of his stone head lightly covered with snow. Drew's boots crunched on the yellow, lifeless grass, her exhales white puffs in the low seasonal temperatures.
With numb hands Drew pulled the card out once again, desperately wishing for a pair of gloves. She peered at the jumbled letters. "...It says that we have to go... ah, something North Michigan."
Leo cocked an eyebrow at her. "Something North Michigan?"
Drew examined her nails, hiding her embarrassment. "I'm dyslexic," she explained. "You know, it's. A demigod thing."
Before Leo could say anything else, Jason nodded. "ADHD and dyslexia are common traits, right?"
"Yes," Drew agreed, glad to steer the conversation away from herself. "It's rare to find a demigod without either."
"Huh. I only have ADHD," Leo said. "Here, pass the card over?"
After Leo took the card from her Drew tucked her hands underneath her armpits, rolling on the balls of her feet. Leo frowned at the lettering, before looking up and saying, "530 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Well, any of us know where that is?"
"Unless any of us lived in Chicago, no, I don't think so," Drew stated dryly.
Jason looked unusually bright, considering the weather currently blowing through their coats and freezing them to the spot. Then again, considering his wind powers, he probably didn't have to endure it as they did, the lucky bastard.
Drew tried not to glare a hole through his face as he beamed. "That's what exploring is for, isn't it?"
"Wonder what's got him in a good mood," she grumbled under her breath to Leo as they fell into step behind him. Leo scratched his hair and shrugged. A fond look took the place of his blank expression.
"Who knows?" Leo said. "Lack of immediate danger? The guy always smiles over the weirdest things-"
Like that time on the dragon, he was visibly stricken. Drew didn't say anything, giving him space.
"You know what's funny?" Leo asked quietly. It sounded more like a confession than a question. "I have- I have all these memories in my head, months worth of them. And then- then I learn they're all fake." He laughed, almost silent, shaking his head. "The memories of what were probably one of the best times of my life, and they're not real. They never were."
Drew opened her mouth, but Leo spoke before she could offer any sympathies. "And the worst thing? I remember all these mannerisms, traits of Jason, and he might not even have them. Can you imagine that? He was one of my best friends, but I probably don't know him at all. We're strangers, not buddies."
No, I can't imagine that, Drew wanted to say. There's no way that I can. She wondered why Leo was telling all these things to her, the bitchy daughter of the love goddess. She wasn't exactly the best choice of a confidant.
"Gods have a tendency to do that," she said instead. "Fuck with your head, and all."
"I guess."
Drew stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, looking away. She wasn't great with words, even though that was pretty much the entirety of her power. Making people feel things was easy. Making them not feel certain emotions was much harder.
Soon enough, they'd made their way into downtown Chicago. Unlike the lights in the park, the lights that were strung up in the trees lining the streets and sidewalks ranged from a wide spectrum of colours. Some of the trees were large pines, and Drew tried not to stare up at them as she passed. Like the name it was known as, the city was indeed windy, and whatever leaves were left over from autumn blew over the concrete. Skyscrapers towered over them, windows gleaming golden and orange in the early morning sun.
Michigan Avenue was north of the Chicago River, and also home to the city's famous Water Tower landmark. They passed countless restaurants, department stores, retailers, business offices and hotels. None of them was the place they were looking for. Judging by the amount of people who looked just as puzzled as they were by the area, posing in front of the occasional statue or store with a camera or looking around with awe and wonder in their eyes, this road was an attraction for tourists. Distantly, Drew wondered if there were any locals around so they could ask for directions, but anyone who lived in town was no doubt smart enough to stay inside at such a time.
Drew caught their reflections in the window of a boutique as they walked by, and she lagged behind to take a long look. Her steps were slow and measured, her expression sluggish and exhausted; while Leo and Jason walked faster than her, their faces were more or less the same (Jason's initial cheeriness had worn off pretty fast). On the other side of the glass, white mannequins stood, dressed in colourful and expensive dresses that Drew could only dream of affording. The kind of clothes she'd spent much of her childhood imagination wearing.
Her eyes drifted down to the shoes, jewelry and accessories, the sunlight only adding to their shine. Drew's hands came up to rest on the frosted windows, the corners of her lips turned down. They were so beautiful... too beautiful for a girl like her.
"Drew?" Jason asked. They'd stopped, and were looking at her. "You coming?"
Drew tucked her hands back in her pockets, stepping away from the boutique. "Yeah, I'm coming."
xXx
M's Department Store was a large, glamorous building. Way more glamorous than Drew had imagined.
Jason frowned up at it, then directed his frown at Leo and Drew. "You sure this is it?"
Leo glanced below the fancy lettering of the sign on the small lawn. "M's Department Store, 530 Michigan Avenue. This is it."
Jason sighed. "Yeah, I figured. It just seems too..."
"Conspicuous?" Drew filled in. "You're not wrong. Most monsters like to lay low. Being flashy is more of the gods' type of thing."
Leo blew out a breath. "Well, what are we waiting for? Might as well get it over with."
The inside of the building was just as glamorous as the outside. The door let out a high-pitched ding behind them as the door closed, a welcome that largely went ignored. The silver, tiled floor glittered, the occasional sparkles visible. Posters of models showing off the latest fashion and styles were pinned to the wall, and at the other side of the floor two escalators stood, one leading to the room they were standing in and the other leading up.
At the front desk, a girl looked up, pulling out her earbuds. There was nothing mysterious or monstrous about her; she looked to be college-aged or so, kind of plain, but pretty. Her smile lit up her face. "Hi, can I help you with anything?"
"No thanks," Drew managed to choke out. "We're okay."
The girl nodded, plugging back in one of the buds that had fallen. "Happy shopping."
They strode across the floor and up the escalator. Drew released an exhale she hadn't realized she'd been holding once they were out of hearing range. "This doesn't make any sense."
Jason looked to be just as bothered as her, though Drew guessed it was instinctive more than anything, while Leo only looked confused. "What?"
Drew shook her head. "Mortals," she said in a low voice. "That's... pretty rare. Not a monster's usual MO. I mean, it happens, but... not often." Drew doubted that the girl at the desk was the sole human employee here. "Paranoia, maybe," she muttered. "This doesn't feel right."
They'd reached the second floor. Drew stepped off the escalator, glancing at their surroundings. While the first floor had seemed to be comprised of clothing, this one was littered with various furniture. Anxiously, Drew's hand closed around the spare change in her coat pocket, fiddling around with it. Nothing in particular seemed to be amiss.
She turned to the other two. "Keep on the lookout," she murmured. As it seemed, she was the figurative mythological tour guide of this quest. It didn't bother her much, rather giving her the familiar feeling of smugness that had been missing the past two days. "The Mist can hide anything out of place. Try to focus as much as you can- it's harder to hide things from demigods than mortals."
They separated, each of them heading in different directions. Drew weaved around more than a few beds, casting them regretful glances. Compared to the hard metal shell of Festus, the fluffy sheets of those beds were temptations of Heaven. She shut down the growing urge to collapse on one of them, even if only for a second. If she sat down, she'd never get up, and she had more important things to do.
Seconds later Drew found herself at the back of the room, near the change rooms. She ran her fingers over the wall, searching for any discrepancies. She was glad the store was deserted, or else she would have received a couple of strange looks for certain.
After finding nothing, she walked over to the elevator, and scowled at the directory. It took some time, but after the letters had arranged themselves, Drew read through the list painstakingly. Nothing close to fantasy at all, just the usual department store crap.
Drew backed away, ready to give up and ask Leo and Jason if they'd had any results, when she glimpsed the right of her and blinked. The air there shimmered, like a heat wave; Drew stepped closer, knowing she shouldn't have, but curiosity won. She stared at the doors of a golden elevator, much different from the standard gray, steel-issue, and didn't turn around as she yelled, "Jason? Leo?"
They came running, the sound of their feet loud and frantic. "What?" Jason panted, once their sneakers had screeched to a stop. "You find something?"
Drew smiled grimly. "You got it," she said, pointing ahead of her.
The doors opened with a ping not too different from the entrance to the store. The low notes of a slow, romantic tune played from the speakers at the roof of the elevator. Drew settled against the silver railing, letting her shoulders relax from their tense position and tilting her head upwards.
Leo took a similar stance beside her, while Jason frowned at the buttons. "Which one?" he asked.
Unlike the normal one, their magical ride hadn't had a directory. Drew pursed her lips in thought. "What's that saying again?"
"When in doubt, start at the top?" Jason wondered.
"Not that one, but-" He pushed the button for the highest floor before she could finish, and Drew didn't bother to continue. "Or you can just do that, I guess. Whatever."
"Sorry," Jason said, without any remorse. He crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowed, his coin clenched tightly between his fingers.
Like him, Leo was gripping his only weapon- his tool belt. Drew didn't think it would help much if a situation arose, but she didn't bother voicing the thought.
Underneath her sweater, a pistol was tucked into her skirt, safety on and filled with Celestial Bronze bullets. Drew reached back and touched her fingertips to the gun-shaped bulge, then pulled them away. Hopefully, they wouldn't come across any antagonistic mortals. That would be... harder to deal with. She tugged at the collar of her jacket, wishing that it wasn't so hot. The sudden temperature change was hard to deal with, but Drew entertained the brief thought that maybe it was her own fear and anticipation playing tricks on her. Wouldn't be the first time.
The elevators opened, and they walked in willingly to what might have been their certain doom.
The sunlight coming through the painted glass mosaic windows spilled rainbow light over the floor, the type of art that you'd see in a church- except the figures weren't Jesus, but the various gods of the Greek pantheon. Stacked in shelves were various weapons from all over the world, liquids in glasses of various colours and sizes, the decorative shields on the walls framing it all. To the left of them, an escalator that too was golden lead to more floors, and more...
Drew swallowed. "What..." Who could have these kinds of resources? They definitely weren't dealing with the standard run-of-the-mill monster... but they couldn't leave. Not until they had answers.
"Hello!" A voice piped behind them. All three of them whirled around, weapons at the ready. A gorgeous woman stood, wearing an elegant black dress. Brown hair fell past her shoulders in soft curls, her dark eyes shining. Over her heart, the words M's Department Store were emblazoned in silver. She had to at least be in her forties, but that didn't detract from her looks. No name-tag...
"Demigods, correct?" The woman opened her arms, smiling. "Welcome to M's Department store, where we fulfill all your godly needs. We've been waiting for you."
Oh, shit. Those kinds of words never meant well.
The woman snapped her fingers, calling out. "Lucy!"
A girl ducked out from the aisles of weapons, her eyes wide in surprise. She rushed up, carrying an armful of boxes. "Yes, manager?" A different employee from the one downstairs, another human- Drew's heart sank. Manipulated by the Mist, most likely.
"Help out these two gentlemen here, will you?" the manager asked, nodding her head at Jason and Leo.
"No, that's fine-" Jason started, but the manager cut him off. "No, I'd think the both of you would much rather like to check out some of our weapons, wouldn't you?"
Drew recognized the familiar tunes of charmspeak, but could say nothing- she was shocked into silence. She'd never heard such powerful charmspeak, from herself or Piper; this woman was talented, and if a Greek character, had centuries of practice. Drew's mouth went dry. This woman was leagues ahead of her, and although they had a natural resistance, even charmspeakers could be fooled.
Nothing Drew could say would stop this woman.
She watched as Lucy pulled her companions away, throwing Drew a strangely guilty look over her shoulder.
At least... with a mortal, they'd be in less danger than Drew currently was. Distantly, she realized her legs were quivering, the pounding of her heart blocking out every other sound.
The woman held out her hand in front of her. "Walk with me, daughter of Aphrodite."
xXx
Drew followed the person who might have been- no, most likely was the mistress of the storm spirits numbly. She hadn't been given a reason to escape or pull out her gun yet- though she expected it was coming soon.
The manager of M's department store walked with her hands folded behind her back, humming to herself as she casually glanced over the floors they went up, maybe to check inventory. Drew didn't know. Obviously, there was a purpose to this, but the nature of that-
"Do you know who I am?" the woman asked, looking back at her. Hey eyes were curious, and gave away no glint of danger, if only for the moment.
Drew hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I haven't figured it out."
The woman hummed. Those strange notes, again. Drew listened as best she could, unable to decipher it. A... folk song, maybe? Or nursery rhyme. "Keep trying."
The next floor they landed on was different than the others.
The floor, ceiling and walls were a fathomless black, made of a metal that Drew didn't recognize, but one that made her knees more tired than they already were, slowed her heartbeat and her mind fuzzy. Stygian Iron, if she had to take a guess. For one to get their hands on that...
The ceiling was striped with fluorescent white lights at its edges, illuminating the path in front of them. Drew swallowed, her mouth a desert. Ice crawled up her spine, and she shivered. Distantly, she could hear... moaning? This wasn't right. All of her instincts screamed for her to get away.
As quietly as she could, Drew reached for her pistol, withdrawing it from her sweater as the woman continued walking in front, clueless. Drew didn't care who, or what she was. She'd waited- no, refused to take action for long enough. Drew aimed at the back of the mistress's head. A nice, clean shot.
Before she could pull the trigger, her hand burned. Drew clutched at it, her mouth open in a wordless scream.
The woman had stopped, staring at her with cold and cruel eyes that resembled those of a snake, narrowed to slits. If she'd been Medusa, her gaze would have turned Drew to stone. "A poor attempt, child, but an attempt nonetheless. That's more than can be said for others."
The skin on her hand was already peeling, scarlet, and covered with welts- anything that had been in contact with her firearm. In front of her, smoke rose from the gun, mixing with the ventilated air. Drew stared at it, shaking, her heart now racing with terror.
"Follow me, girl," the woman said harshly. Her words were filled with disgust, like she couldn't be bothered to hide how she truly felt any longer. Drew shook her head, already knowing that what she said next would be futile.
"I'm not following you anywhere," she snapped, her voice quavering. "Find another lapdog." Drew struggled to her feet, her balance off. "I'm getting my friends, and I'm leaving." Like she could make demands. She was a child of Aphrodite, not some brave warrior kid of the Big Three. She had nothing fearful in her disposal other than her charmspeak, and now even that didn't help her. Still, a trembling sense of hope kept her talking. Stupid, how idiotic having faith that things would go right made you. At her side, her hand hung uselessly, sharp pain shooting up her arm.
"You will follow me." Her charmspeak pierced the air. Drew could do nothing but obey, her mind clouding more than it already had.
It got colder and colder the further they progressed down the long hallway. Her hand hurt a little less, as long as she didn't move her fingers more than necessary. Drew stared at their surroundings. "What... is this?" Her words were sluggish, her voice like a child's- high and quiet, scared, even through the magic numbing her thoughts and feelings. She felt like she was talking through cotton balls.
Around them, pods lined the floor. There had to be at least a hundred of them, Drew realized. They looked like something straight out of a sci-fi novel. "From a spaceship," Drew whispered to herself, and giggled, delirious from both the charmspeak and pain.
After she kept stopping to talk to herself, laughing, the woman had to take her good hand and lead her along. Drew kept giggling like a drunk, and in the far recesses of her mind knew that the only thing stopping her from turning into a complete robot was that she possessed the same power.
"Hey, miss..." Drew slurred. "You don't happen to be a daughter of Aphrodite, do you?"
The woman glanced back at her, disdainful. "No." A few more steps, Drew stumbling. The woman laughed, and it was a harsh, mean sound. "You know, it's strange- no, quite funny, actually, how your society works."
"What?" Drew asked blankly, but the woman kept talking.
"War, discrimination, violence; the castes of your people, the rich and poor-" She shook her head. "Not too different from Greece. Humankind never changes." Her gaze was almost longing, before it glazed over with an expressionless cover. "Do you know what the rate of the missing in your country is?"
Drew opened her mouth, but the woman didn't allow her to speak. "I'd imagine not." They'd reached the end of the hall. She waved a hand over the path they walked, lingering on the pods. "At any given time, about ninety-thousand people are missing in the United States. Fifty thousand of those adults, thirty thousand of those children." She tilted her head, tapping her chin in consideration. "Obviously, we aren't responsible for all of that, but we are responsible for some."
As the effects of the charmspeak gradually faded, Drew's horror grew. She stared at the pods as the realization sank in, fully snapped out of her daze. "Are you telling me there are..."
The woman arched an elegant eyebrow, looking away. "Take a look for yourself."
Drew walked to the closest pod slowly, ready to snap at the slightest provocation from the woman. She wiped her sleeve over the condensation that fogged the material of whatever the pod was made from- it felt like glass. Once she'd dried enough, droplet still on the fabric of her jacket, she peered in-
To see a pale, still face, only separated from her by the thin substance of the pod. She fell back with a yelp, barely managing not to land flat on her ass.
"Cryogenics. Impressive technology these days," the woman said, looking rather unimpressed. "They're sleeping, not dead. Nothing to raise your hackles about."
The pain returned once the shock faded, and Drew pushed back a grimace, regaining her footing. The moaning was louder in noise now, and Drew stared at the wall in front of them. A dead end, which didn't explain the sounds.
"There's more." The woman pressed one of the tiles on the wall. A symbol glowed in light blue, a circle, with two lines crossing inside horizontally and vertically. A crack appeared, running straight through, and the wall slid open, separating into two.
"Do you know what alchemy is, child?" the woman asked, beckoning for Drew to fall into step beside her. Drew shrugged, unwilling to hazard a guess.
"In the old days, people thought it was the key to divine powers," she said. "Later, gold, and then an elixir. A way to play God, if you would."
The room was filled with cages and vats and large glass cylinders hanging from the ceiling, filled with a strange liquid. In the cage to the left of them, a girl sitting in the corner, her blond hair limp and straggly, stared at Drew- no, stared through her. She wasn't seeing Drew at all. Not really.
"W-What is this?" Drew stammered. Without her gun and disabled, she couldn't attempt to attack the woman. Or even run away, lest she set Drew's legs on fire instead.
A smile played on the woman's lips. "Subjects," she said, "Tests. The next advance of evolution. It's all so grand, isn't it?"
Without any other alternative, Drew followed the woman, her hands trembling. A man rattled the bars of his cage with wild eyes- screaming, no, begging for her to help, before he dissolved into sobs. Drew could do nothing but keep walking. In a tube, a boy with wings crudely attached to his spine floated, curled in the fetal position, his thumb in his mouth like a baby. More and more mutations, pleading people, abominations- the back of Drew's eyes heated.
Don't cry. Don't cry.
Finally, they came across a golden cage with a satyr inside. He sat slumped on its base. The satyr looked up and noticed Drew, his eyes widening. "Tanaka-?"
"Hedge?" she repeated, just as confounded. At the campfire, Jason had relayed the story of how he'd been captured by storm spirits- dead for sure, Drew had thought. Obviously not.
He leaped to his hooves, reaching for her. "You can't trust this woman," he hissed. "She's Med-"
The woman snapped her fingers and Gleeson Hedge's mouth slammed shut. "That would be enough."
Medea, Drew's mind finished for her. She's Medea. The enchantress who'd helped Jason and the Argonauts.
Medea studied Drew, and turned back to the satyr. She waved a hand over him, muttering under her breath, and a gray sheen began to spread over his skin- stone. The Coach realized what was happening before Drew did, his gaze piercing. "Get out of here, before-"
He stopped, unable to speak. Inanimate. A statue.
"Saying something like that," Medea began in distaste, "Does not go without punishment. I'd have preferred you to figure it out for yourself."
Drew stared at the gorgeous sorceress, stunned. "Why... why have you shown me this? All of this?"
Medea moved forward, back towards the hall with the sleeping mortals. "Come." Without her will, Drew's feet followed.
This time, she retained some semblance of herself. "Doing all this..." she gritted out from her teeth, unable to vanquish Coach Hedge from her mind. "Why? What's the point?"
Medea waited until they'd began to descend down the escalator before she answered. "What's the point of anything?" she asked, tapping red nails on the inside of her elbow. She tilted her head. "To experiment, I suppose. Change the boundaries of our world... this equilibrium, between those who are mortal and those who are not."
"There's a balance for a reason," Drew snapped. "You can't just change things however you see fit."
Medea raised an eyebrow. "I can't?" she repeated, mockingly. "Who says? The Olympians? Child, if you believe in their rule, you are a fool."
I don't, Drew thought, but knew better than to say it aloud. "At least answer my first question."
"I have the gift of prophecy," Medea said. "I can see many futures at once, different timelines. Limited, but you... you are unusual. Of all the possibilities, the most unlikely, yet... here you are. Do you know why that is?"
Drew said nothing. Medea hummed in agreement. "Neither do I. The Fates work in mysterious ways, that is for certain. But you, demigod-" Her eyes glittered. "If you escape this place unscathed, your future is no doubt... interesting. As is your past. Perhaps I wanted to show you... a little of what is to come. Compared to your brethren, you are an anomaly."
They were back to the first floor that the Mist had hidden, and Drew still had no idea how to get away. From the corner of her eye, she tried to look out for Leo and Jason, then looked back to Medea, the brunt of the sorceress's words finally hitting her.
"...My past?" Drew said. Bitterness slipped into her tone. "Interesting?"
A song floated past Medea's parted, blood-red lips, low and gentle. The same song she'd been singing earlier.
"Mori mo iyagaru, bon kara saki-nya," Medea sang, in soft, sweet lilting Japanese.
Drew's heart stopped. She felt her blood drain from her face. "What?" she croaked. "How did you..."
Medea smiled, no doubt amused of Drew's devastated expression.
Run. Run away, find Leo and Jason, now.
She only made it a few steps before Medea lurched towards her, hand outstretched, her nails like talons as she grasped Drew's head.
Immediately, flashes.
There was nothing we could do-
Silena's dead-
She was courageous, and beautiful, a daughter and sister that you would be-
Listen to me, Drew-
You want to hear a story-
I hate you.
Drew heaved before she could stop herself, emptying the little food she'd eaten onto the floor. She gasped, unable to control her breathing as she clawed at her scalp, tears streaming down her face. Sweat trickled over her forehead. "What... what was..."
Medea looked down at her, cocking her head, her face blank. "Your memories. Do you know what makes a person, girl?"
She walked over to the railing to peer down at the floor below, hands clasped at her back. "Your experiences, your pain, your happiness, your selfishness... All is what makes a person. Rather simple, in truth. Without those, what would you be?"
"Nothing," Drew murmured.
Medea seemed pleased. "Right."
At that moment, Medea's employee came back into sight, Jason and Leo behind her, looking confused. Jason saw her first- instantly, worry and anger sparked, and he ran to her, helping her up. His eyes were a dark, stormy blue- fire, as he glowered at Medea. For a second, Drew's heart rate spiked from its already fast pace. It was the predatory glare of a wolf; an alpha protecting its pack.
"What did you do?" he growled.
Medea shook her head, ignoring the unspoken threat. "Like this boy, Jason," she snarled. "Once a brave warrior, the son of Jupiter, the golden child. And now, without his memories- nothing."
Jason's expression faltered. For once, his feelings were raw and visible. Sadness, frustration, and... loss. It made him look years younger.
Drew clutched at his sleeve with her ruined hand, ignoring the aftershocks from the action. "She's Medea- we have to, we have to get out of here- this isn't a fight that we can win."
Leo was beside them now, a hammer in his hand. "You sure about that, Drew?" His face was fierce, determined- it was a look that seemed out of place. He shouldn't have been able to form such a glare, not Leo, who was always smiles and laughter.
She was dizzy, everything- everything was spinning. "Go," she muttered, her voice fading in and out of her ears. "We gotta go-" Her vision was fuzzy, black and white- an old TV, static.
"Sorry, Drew. That's not happening." Jason flipped his coin, catching it as a lance, its light blinding. Drew stared at it with half-lidded eyes. She wanted to go home, she wanted to cry, she just wanted to die-
Medea's face glowed with a kaleidoscope pattern from the light the windows cast. "Stand still."
The life faded from Jason and Leo's bodies before they could even move. They stood, weapons at the ready, without motion. Toy soldiers, like the ones Drew used to play with at Christmas time, in her purple dress, like the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Medea walked over to one of the weapon displays, withdrawing a knife- wicked and sharp, the same material as Jason's weapon, with an ivory handle and held to the hilt by a ring of silver. Through her haze, Drew recognized it; a ceremonial knife, the Roman Secéspita. For sacrifice.
The sorceress examined the weapon, turning it over carefully in her fingers. "If memories are what make a person, I suppose you could say my history is why I am here today. I helped the first Jason and the Argonauts obtain the Golden Fleece, in return for my hand in marriage. Not long after, we married, not because of real love- no, the whims of your mother, playing her usual tricks. I might have loved him, though, in time. But it was not a long marriage." She twirled the knife, a dangerous game- too easy to cut or stab yourself. "I helped them, lead them into the grove where the fleece was kept. I kept my promise. In return, Jason murdered my brother, and found another woman to marry, just to please a king."
Medea's eyes had a mad gleam as she glanced back to Drew. "Children. We'd had our own sons and daughters... But in the future the king had offered him, there was no room for us. So I did what was natural, what any other person would have done. His children... I killed them, for their own benefit. They were not any child of mine." The words seemed haunted, almost. The justifications of a psychopath. "Would you like to see..."
She stepped over to Leo, pressing the secéspita into his hand in exchange for the hammer.
"...How I killed his children?"
Ending note:
This chapter is a little over 7,000 words. I know readers tend to prefer long chapters, but if you're not that type, please be patient with me, because lbr; the chapters will only be getting longer.
I can't say I'm entirely pleased with this chapter, but once I progress further into the story I might clean it up a little. Anyways, guys, please read and review! Even if it's not criticism or constructive, a little comment saying that you enjoyed the chapter helps- motivation always helps.
Also, to explain everything:
If it wasn't clear, at the end of the chapter, Drew's starting to have a little meltdown. Reliving your worst memories will do that to you.
Medea's motivation/characterization might seem confusing, but I promise there's a reason. She's really the calculating type, and not the person to play all her cards at once, I think, in the way I imagine her from reading the myths. Especially considering that she can see the future. Her lab will also have an explanation later, I swear.
I just want to clarify, in case you guys found this line confusing as well: Leo was beside them now, a hammer in his hand. "You sure about that, Drew?" His face was fierce, determined- it was a look that seemed out of place. He shouldn't have been able to form such a glare, not Leo, who was always smiles and laughter. Leo was a street kid, running away constantly- life on the streets is definitely not glamorous, and if it came to a situation he'd be far from rainbows and sunshine, IMO. My own personal interpretation, and something that may differ from canon- but considering the various characters' histories, in reality, they'd definitely have somewhat darker aspects of their personalities.
