Okay, so maybe having Jasper along the quest wasn't such a good idea. He acts like a total slob and doesn't care much about how he's reducing our food supply to bits. Look! We only have two Pocky boxes left. I had to snatch them away before he could finish them all.

In the van, we all lay about just doing nothing. Since Jasper couldn't eat, he used his iPod for some music therapy. Nico was asleep. Megan, well.. She was fiddling around with her necklace.

Mine was just a chain with a clear gem hanging on it. Hers was more exquisite. It was gleaming and glittering, even when it wasn't in the sun. The rubies shimmered a bright crimson hue, while the sapphires glimmered a fantastic cobalt blue (Oooh, I rhymed!). Of course, it was just a simple silver chain that hung from her neck as the jewels were gathered at the center. It was a gift from her mom. She kept it hidden under her coat so that nobody would dare steal it, but I could still see a peek from it. (Who wears a coat during the summer?)

She seemed to notice me staring and asked me, "Vivi, what are you looking at?"

"Um, that came from your mom right? The necklace, I mean." She clutched it in her hand like it was really important to her. Of course it would be. How often would you get your godly parent to visit you at a random time, much less giving you a present?

"Yeah. You have one, too, right?" She pointed to my neck, and there hung my silver chain. "What does it do? Anything special?"

"It casts a rainbow," I said as-a-matter-of-factly. "No need to concentrate of water sprays," I giggled. It would be easier to IM with this on hand.

"Have you ever seen your mom? At least once? My mom was absolutely pretty. Well, that's to be expected. She is the goddess of beauty," she stifled a laugh.

"I got this from a Hermes delivery, actually. I've never seen Iris. You're lucky you ever got to see your mom. It makes me wonder if I actually have anything in resemblance to my mom."

"You'll see her," Megan said, sympathetically, "soon enough."

As if on cue, Argus skidded to a stop. We'd reached our destination, and he was about to drop us off. He looked at us through the rear-view mirror and signaled for us to get out.

"Dude, hey. Wake up," I said as I nudged Nico. He was still asleep and he just leaned over more to the side. "Nico, if you don't wake up, I'll ask Megan to scoot over here and do it for me."

"Do that, and I'll murder you," he murmured.

"Wake up or else we'll leave you in the van." Phew, waking Nico up is a really tedious job. "Nico!"

Jasper and Megan had already left the van, leaving me and Death boy to hang around. Argus honked the horns. We had to get off, quick.

"Five more minutes."

That's it, I've had enough. I grabbed hold of Nico's hand and dragged him. He was insistent on staying inside the van. He's too heavy. He kept on resisting my pull and I just had no strength to even move him by an inch. This is pathetic.

"Nico, come on!" I groaned. "Argus, help?"

"You know, every time you say my name, it makes me feel all mushy on the inside," Nico said as if he were drunk. Nothing to prove that what he was actually saying were true.

Despite that, I actually smiled. "Dream on, Nico."

Argus opened the back door and unwillingly carried Nico like a new bride. He came to his senses and protested angrily. "Argus, let me down!" His arms flailed in the air and he squirmed out of Argus's grip.

"Serves you right," I said. "I would have been less drastic with you than Argus." I stifled a laugh as he fell down. Accidentally, as Argus motioned. He saluted me, and went back to the van.

Nico dusted himself off and stood up. "No thanks to you, Vi."

"Come on. Where'd Jasper and Megan go?" I scanned the area. We were in New York, although, I'm not quite familiar with it. I was from the Michigan country side, and I never actually left there. It was strange for me to be in a big city. My dad was just so persistent that I go to this Camp Half-blood just for me to be safe. I guess he was overreacting because Iris is just a minor goddess and my scent isn't so overwhelmingly strong but it had attracted a few monsters.

"I think they're over there by that doughnut store," said Nico, quite unsure, but judging the fact that he'd know Megan anywhere, I decided to trust him. They were, as a matter of fact, at Krispy Kreme, buying original glazed donuts and some coffee.

"Oh, Tori. Come over here. Would you like a cappuccino?" Jasper asked. I grimaced at him and said that I didn't like coffee, but he was so persistent that I just obliged. I never really liked coffee. They were just too bitter for my liking.

"What are we doing here? Aren't we on an adventure?" I asked. I clearly expected that we'd probably be in a forest, fighting monsters and stuff. Engaging in a conversation at Krispy Kreme was far out of my line of sight.

It was Megan that answered my query, saying that we should discuss this quest even more before doing anything else. I sighed and just sat down by a table. It was Jasper that sat by me, and Nico was by Megan's side. If you were an ordinary customer here, you would have thought us to be on a double date. Megan and Nico, they seemed to be tight. I mean, they get along well. They never seemed to have any arguments and they pretty much look like a couple already. I sighed.

"So, about that prophecy," I started. Megan shushed me. "What?"

"Don't say those things out loud. Mortals'll hear you and think you're crazy." I rolled my eyes at her and started again.

"Well, we all know we're gonna talk about that, so here's the thing: The events that were mentioned there doesn't necessarily go in that order, right?"

Nico nodded. "Although, it would also be possible that it would happen the way Rachel said it. As long as we fulfill the prophecy," Nico used air quotes, "it shouldn't matter too much." He chomped a mouthful from his doughnut.

"A quest from your fathers to prove your worth," Jasper quoted. "I mean, Nico and I have godly fathers What about you guys?"

I took note that as Jasper said Nico's name, he sneered.

"Well, my dad's a normal human. What kind of test would I get from him? I mean, Apollo as Jasper's dad would be like, drive my chariot for me, fight a monster. Hades would be all 'visit the Underworld' and stuff. What could be expected from us?" Megan queried.

"Maybe it's acceptance."

We all looked at the sandy blonde boy, saying such simple things, although it seemed to have a much more deep meaning than what it actually implies.

"Acceptance," Megan said, looking down at the table. She picked up a doughnut and bit through it, relishing the flavor. I took a sip from my cappuccino, grimacing at it's bitterness. "Yeah, maybe it is that. I mean, if I see my dad, I'd probably yell at him. For not telling me what I really am. Keeping me a secret for so long. And his taste for women. Can you believe he chose Aphrodite?"

"Believe me, everyone would want to pick her," mentioned Jasper wryly. He smirked a bit, and finished the remains of his food.

I, on the other hand, was thinking of my own dad. How could he have chosen the rainbow goddess over any other woman, I didn't know. I guess I looked lost in thought because I realized that everyone was done with their share of food and mine was barely even touched.

"Hey, you gonna finish your drink?" asked Megan.

"You can have it. Not really hungry nor thirsty." and I looked away.

Someone could die first before we even get past half of this quest. Or maybe vice versa. Stab of a chest, would that pertain to something bloody? Or maybe it's even simpler than it seems. I've got a knife. Megan has a knife. Nico has his Stygian Iron sword and Jasper has his archery stuff cleverly hidden. Maybe we'll get in an accident.

Will this quest ever make sense? I sighed as we left the store, and headed on for gods-know-where.

A/N: Ohai. Not much action squeezed in here. Somehow, I think this chappie is a bit unnecessary. For the following chapters, I shall probably put up everyone's (Megan's, Vivi's, Jasper's; Except for Nico's) past. Just so you know more of them. They shall either be told by 1st person or 3rd, depending on what I'd like to write in. Tada! Review. If you wanna flame, do it in the most polite way you could think of. Thanks! :)