Apollo's POV

Hermes stacked the brown box packages on top of each other, and a then proceed to scratch his pen across the paper pinned down by his clip board, he repeated this five more time before acknowledging my presence.

"Yes" he said agitatedly

"Do you love me?"

"Apollo, there are like 75 gay bars in New York alone go pick one."

I made a face "No," I said "Not like that!"

"Oh, well somewhat I guess." there was a loud clatter as 25 more boxes appeared in the air and fell to the ground knocking over more boxes on the way down, Hermes threw his head back and groaned, he miserably stopped over to the boxes and began to re stack and mark them on his list.

"I need a favor."

"Let me guess, it has something to do with Perseus?"

My face grew warm, "Well, yes..."

He continued writing, "Okay I'll bite, what's up?"

"I need to go to Hades."

"HA! you sure do."

"Damn it Hermes, you know what I mean, I need to get someone."

I stopped writing "Whoa there, do you even realize the trouble I can get in with father?"

I crossed my arms "I though god of pranks wouldn't care about getting in trouble."

"Getting in trouble, and becoming a pile of ash are two very different things!"

"Come on I promise, we won't get caught, last time I saw Zeus he was on a Chinese food and Spanish soap opera marathon."

Hermes looked unsurely around the room, "I need to finish these package, and then I have to deliver them, and..." 50 more boxes came tumbling down into the already box crowed room.

Hermes let out a long groan and began wading through the sea of packages, and envelopes, to the door, he tugged open the door, and stuck his head out looking up and down the hall before finally spotting something, "Hey!" he called "You, nymph girl get over here."

I joined Hermes and stuck my head out also, I bit my lip when I spotted that weird nymph that dressed like one of those mortal teenagers on that one website Aphrodite and Artemis talk about. What was it? Something about tumbling?

"Not her..." I mumbled

"Shh." Hermes said

"Y-Yes Lord Hermes?"

"What's your name girl."

"J-June." she stuttered

Hermes shoved the clip board into her hands and began moving June into the room, steering her with her shoulders," Here's the mail, more comes every 5 minutes, I need you to count each one writing down were it's from where it's going to, the weigh, size, type of packaging, what's in each one then I need you to sort them and deliver it to its proper location all in about 5 and a half hour.

"W-wait how do I know what's in each one without opening it?"

"Oh you'll figure it out."

We left June alone in the middle of the room, with tears streaming down her face

A regular drive from New York to California would take about 42 hours but for us it only took about 20 minutes, well it would have taken 20 minutes if Hermes didn't have to stop and every fucking truck stop, to chat.

"You done?" I asked as he slid back into the passenger's seat, I shifted into drive and pulled away.

" Sledge-pork gave me his hat." he said with a large smile, I snatched the trucker hat from his hands and chucked it out the window and we drove over the bridge and into California.

Hermes frowned at me, "You know I have a bucket list to complete."

"Do you know what bucket list is?"

"Yeah!"

"Hermes there's really no point when your immort-"

"LET ME LIVE."

10 minutes later we pulled in front of the DOA studio, the lobby was less packed than I though it would be, people die every day how is it possible that only 10 people could be here?

Hermes hoped over the counter, and jabbed the elevator button.

"Haven't seen you about here in a while." said Charon

"Just visiting." said Hermes

The elevator dinged and slid open, and I hoped in with Hermes

"So what this all about, you never told me." he asked

I took the opportunity to explain what happened a few days ago

"I'm sorry to hear that, just do me a favor and try not to get into too much trouble, I understand that your're trying to protect him but god modeing it like that at half power is really dangerous."

That's the second time I've heard that this week, the doors opened and a blast of hot air his my face, the moans and groans of the Underworld echoed. "You never really get use to that sound." said Hermes

We boarded the ferry, a took up the oar and began paddling us across the river, in no time we were at the main gates, with Cerberus drooling and snarling at us. I nervously backed up as a large drop of thick saliva dribbled from his mouth onto the floor. "Hey," I put one hand on my bow "he won't eat us right?"

"Of course not I've been past him a million time." he said this was an uneasy look on his face, from his bag he pulled out what look like a doggy treat, that was as big as a stone. He hurled at Cerberus's middle head, he happily munched it up, His tail wagged happily and took out a few ghost in the process.

Gingerly we walked under the large dog through the main gates, just in front of the gates was the Judging Pavilion, the unliving filed in and popped out on the other side making a the long trudge to the Punishment Fields or the happy joy filled walk to Elysium.

"That's weird there's usually a line that stretches for miles." Hermes pointed out

"Sally died just a few days ago, I didn't see her in the lobby so she has to be somewhere over here."

Hermes nodded in agreement, "Oh and before I forget," he pulled out a small glass vial filled with a thick red liquid I knew was goat blood "one drop to talk to her, the whole bottle to bring her back I'll wait for you back at the gates."

"Thanks Hermes."

"Just get back here as soon as you can."

I eased my way down the hill and started going down line examining each person, it wasn't long till I found Sally. She was so pale she looked almost see through, her hair blew in the wind, and a dazed look rested on her face as she stared into the distance not really focusing anything.

"Sally?" I said she wouldn't look at me, I touched her shoulder and she felt cold as ice. I removed the cork from the vial and dropped a bit of blood over her head, colour spread through her like ink in water.

"I was hold a string," she said " I was holding it as tight as I could, everything was so white,there was nothing but light a-and then I saw him. He stood there looking at me and then he cut it... the string just snapped..." she finally turned her head to look at me "Apollo" she whispered "I haven't seen you in ages... is Percy alright? Is he still with Gabe?"

"He's fine." I assured her "He's at camp, Gabe...passed away." a guilty feel fell on me

She gave a slight nod, I caught a tear in the corner of her eye "Good." she said

"I can bring you back, you can see him again." I held up the vial for her to see, she looked at the bottle and gently closed my fingers back around it. "I think it would be best if I stayed down here."

I looked at her with disbelief "What?"

"I did my best to protect him, but I'm starting to see what ever they have planned for him,... he has to figure it out for himself, and with me around he would have even more to worry about."

"So you know about..them?"

"I have a feeling, when the time comes and he needs you he'll tell you what's going on, just protect him for me."

"I always will, I never break a promise."

She gently touched her hands to my cheek, and smiled. I departed from her and returned back up the hill, halfway up I stopped to watch as Sally entered the Judgment tent, and a few minutes later I saw her emerging the other side and walk up the road toward Elysium.

Hermes was just where he said he would be he sat next to the boat talking on his phone, he looked confused as I approached him, "Where's Sally?"

"She..uh..decided to stay."

"I see... well can't change a person's mind."

"Your right..." I picked up the ore and stepped into the boat

" Row quickly, Artemis just call we need to get to Camp, right away."

"Camp? Already? What happened, we're not suppose to be their till 3:00."

"I'll explain to you on the way."