We shot forwards, the currents pushing us with what can vaguely be interpreted as enthusiasm. I would've moved us all the way to the shore like this, except we ran into some problems.
Namely, the Coast Guard picks us up from in the middle of the ocean.
Unfortunately, unlike Canon, there is no massive earthquake shaking up LA to distract them from the fact that they've found the three runaways/terrorists that have been blowing up stuff across the country.
Yeah… We got arrested.
Luckily, I'm a dramatic little shit who (may or may not) have been a theatre kid in my last life. (You have no proof!)
As soon as an actual officer appeared, I began to sob in relief.
"Thank goodness!" I cried, "We're safe!"
Luke, like the Hermes kid he is, immediately got it and began acting along.
He grabbed me and Annabeth close, and kissed our heads, muttering about us being safe and not endangered anymore- weariness and hope all but pouring out of his mouth.
Annabeth was a bit slow, but her happy tears were actually pretty good.
"What?" the officer- Jack Reynolds from his badge- asked, confused.
"We're away from our kidnapper!" I exclaimed in between sobs. "We jumped off a human trafficking boat and tried to swim to shore and you found us!"
The Mist finally kicked in. Praise the Mist.
They gave us shock blankets, double-checked whether or not we were terrorists, then took us to shore and handed us over to the FBI.
We told them all about our kidnapper, Ares Theoi, who stole me and my Mãe during our vacation. According to us, he also stole Annabeth about two years ago by telling her father that he was the driver to her year-round camp, and stole Luke too when he was 7. I told them that the bus blew up when his co-conspirators- some three older women- threatened me with a bomb because Mãe had managed to escape. The entire Arch circus was when he and his contact had traded exotic felines and somehow a lion had gotten loose and the contact jumped out of the hole in an attempt to escape being eaten. Finally, our kidnapper realised that we were too high-profile in the USA and tried to get us all down to Mexico but I convinced my fellow stolen friends to jump off the boat and try to swim to shore when he left a window unlocked.
All in all, a wild fucking ride.
Also, yeah, there are more holes in that story than a fucking sponge, but goddamnit I ain't no Hermes kid.
They bought it hook, line and sinker- probably with the Mist working overtime. All of a sudden, we were these poor children being talked about on every station in the States and beyond; traumatised and scared and so very relieved to be safe again.
The traumatised part is quite useful (and probably right) considering that Luke nearly bit the Social Worker woman who wanted to separate us.
My personal favourite part of this whole ordeal is the fact that I heavily implied that Smelly Gabe may have been part of the trafficking circle. He was the only one to know that Mãe and I were on holiday, and I've seen him with some pretty young girls when he was with his poker group. Really, I've told no lies!
Problem is, now that the FBI and LAPD officers have interrogated us, they don't want us out of their sight.
Social Workers have been called, Annabeth's dad is coming, and they have Officers looking for my Mãe in every state.
Fuck.
Luke is playing his part of abused, traumatised trafficker survivor really well and going absolutely feral when they try to take us away from him- but I feel like he isn't acting all that much- and Annabeth is flinching from everything though I can see in her eyes that she hates pretending to be helpless.
And me? I've stuck myself to the safe spot under Luke's arms like a limpet, frantically stimming by hitting my thigh and trying not to have an anxiety attack as I try to figure out how to get all the way to Olympus with the Bolt.
They haven't taken my bag holding the Bolt, thank the gods, but that might be because I refused to take it off and did my damndest to scratch the officer who tried to take it from me to oblivion. In my defence, if I lost it, we're all screwed.
I really fucked up the situation, didn't I?
oOo
A cop- Sargent Daims- entered the room.
Luke, with his protective instincts already dialled up to eleven out of ten, whirled on the cop and pushed us behind him so quickly I could've gotten whiplash. I wondered how often he had to protect Thalia and Annabeth from cops before for this to be so natural to him.
"Hey," Daims said softly, positioning himself as non-threatening as possible. "It's okay. Luke, Annabeth, we've got your families here."
Luke wasn't faking his confusion. "I don't have any family. The only ones I have are right here. What trick is this?" He snarled the last part.
Annabeth seemed more concerned at the fact that her father was waiting in the other room, and shared a panicked look with me.
"Hey, Luke, don't you remember?" Daims failed miserably at de-escalation. "Your father works at a post-office in LA, your mother lives in Connecticut. They've been mighty worried for you, missing you for the past eleven years. Your father is waiting in the other room for you."
We all realised what had happened at the exact same time.
Hermes is here.
My nails dig into my thigh as I quietly whisper swears. Annabeth pulls Luke backwards, making him stumble and sit back down, but we quickly grab him in a hug. Luke is both furious, in shock, and more confused than an actual kidnapee.
"My father?" he rasped.
"Yeah, your father. Can I let him and the Chase's in?" He knows he can speak to us in a less condescending tone, right? We're not children. Well, Luke and I aren't- Annabeth hasn't even started puberty.
Annabeth stepped in. "I don't trust your officers."
"That's fine, we can just watch on the cameras. You can be here alone with them."
She gave a reluctant nod.
Daims left the room, leaving the door open behind him.
A man appeared in the doorway, and Annabeth moved so quickly that she was a blur.
"Dad!" she shouted, throwing herself at him.
Frederick Chase looked so happy to see her, he was crying in relief.
A woman came up behind them and joined the hug, happily kneeling down to Annabeth's height to speak to her in a low voice.
I smiled. I knew that Annabeth was just explaining her quest to her dad and step-mom, so I left her alone to face the elephant god in the room.
Hermes was smiling softly at Luke, worry plain in his eyes from the doorway.
"Father," Luke whispered reverently.
Hermes didn't waste a second; one minute he was at the doorway looking like a kicked puppy, next he had Luke in his arms, whispering his name like a prayer like he never wanted to let him go again.
I didn't interrupt. I know full well how precious a few moments of your parents' time can be- especially when they're gone and you thought they didn't care about you for most of your life. I learnt that lesson in my last life and this one; there's nothing better than to be hugged by your parents, even if they don't truly love you back.
"Why?" Luke wondered when Hermes finally pulled away. "I thought-"
The god smiled sadly. "Hades has told Zeus what has happened, how Ares had the Bolt and Helm. He's allowed me to come bail you out so that you can complete the quest."
"We still have to finish the quest?" Luke asked bitterly.
I quickly elbowed him and stepped in. "Of course we do, Luke. We haven't even finished with the Oracle's prophecy yet."
I really don't want the Oracle's prophecy to come true, but I ain't saying anything about that in front of an Olympian.
"Ah." Hermes turned to me. "You must be Poseidon's daughter. You've caused a lot of destruction."
I don't even need eyes to know he's unimpressed with me.
"It was an accident!" I defended myself. "I would cause that much destruction intentionally- it was a meltdown!"
"Right," he sighed. "Father won't care for that excuse though."
I withered. I really hope Zeus doesn't kill Luke and Annabeth for my mistake.
Luke pulled me closer to him. "Well, he'll have to accept it anyway."
I practically melted. Luke's the best soulmate I could ever ask for, even if I feel like he deserves better than me.
Hermes squinted at us both. "I won't be able to save you both."
"Then save Luke," I said as if he's the one being stupid.
"What? No, Ophelia!" Luke protested.
"-And ignore his protests when you do. He'll be angry, but will calm down after you slap some sense into him."
"Ophelia! Don't you dare!" Luke hissed.
Hermes looked amused and approving. "I like you," he told me.
"Thanks." I gave him a sardonic grin.
Annabeth approached us, her guardians trailing behind her.
"So, you're going to get us out of here, Lord Hermes?"
"Yes." He stood back up, brushing invisible dust off his track pants. "If you'd follow me, the officers will let you walk straight out."
We nodded, scrambling to our feet, ready to blow this popsicle stand.
"Annabeth," Frederick stopped her. "Don't forget to come home afterwards."
She nodded. I pretended not to see the tears in her eyes.
oOo
Not a single agent or cop looked at us twice as we followed Hermes out of the precinct.
Hermes seemed to be shoving as many things as he could at us. "Father doesn't know about this, so keep it hush, okay?"
Inside a backpack, there was a wallet filled with mortal and immortal money (about 1000 bucks and 30 drachma), some snacks, water bottles, ambrosia, nectar, a first aid kit, and- surprisingly- a phone.
"Father and Monsters can't track it. I want at least a yearly call, okay Luke? And you too kiddos, make sure your parents don't think you've died."
I wanted to make a quip about prank-calling Zeus since he apparently can't track it, but then remembered that I've already almost gotten killed by a god via my dumbassery today. I've met my quota, thanks.
Hermes opened a door, hurrying us all outside into the sunlight.
"Don't forget, Father wants you dead still. Try not to give him a reason to go through with that," he warned. Moving as if to leave, he paused, hesitating. Quickly spinning around and cupping Luke's cheek, he declared, "I'm proud of you."
Luke gaped, blue-screening.
Hermes turned to me. "Protect my son, whatever the cost."
I nodded solemnly. That's a task I already gave myself.
He nodded back, eyes glinting with something a bit less obvious than Dionysus', but the gaze he pinned me with told me why he's the God of Thieves.
It wasn't because he was smart enough to get away with it- it was because he would get away with it, and nothing could say otherwise.
Hermes disappeared in a flutter of wings.
oOo
We all let out a sigh of relief, nigh collapsing on each other as we slumped onto a park bench.
I think I could've sat there for all of fucking eternity, but this? This deserves commentary.
"So. Your dad."
None of us needed clarification on whose dad I was talking about.
"Yeah," Luke sighed out, still coming off his adrenaline high.
"... Not gonna lie, the gods are fucking scary when they set their minds on something."
"Mhm," Annabeth agreed.
"I mean, we're out. No questions asked, no complication, no nothing. Makes me wonder what exactly he had to do. I mean, is he capable of brainwashing?" I rambled.
"Ophelia?" Luke yawned.
"Yeah?"
"Relax already," Annabeth finished.
"M'kay."
The conversation puttered out into exhausted silence. I don't really care how much time had passed- the events of the day were really catching up to me. People began looking at us weirdly though, so I got up with a sigh,
They grumbled when I urged them off the bench, but I was quick to point out that we should get moving.
"Okay, here's the plan. We go to a mall, we get cleaned up, disguised, re-freshened to the point where we're not liable to stab someone if they look at us wrong, and we go from there. We've got time, and a couple of hours won't hurt. All in favour?"
"Aye," Annabeth and Luke chorused.
"Excellent, let's haul ass."
"Can't you ever not be crude?" Luke muttered.
With that, we dragged ourselves to the closest shopping centre/mall/what-the-hell-ever we could find. Soon enough, I was staring up at a blue and yellow building proclaiming, 'Walmart'.
"This is one of the single most clichéd places for things to happen, ever ," I stated.
"Let's go," Annabeth huffed impatiently. "I want to change into something that isn't charred and ripped by the Underworld. We'll need to cover up too- can't have anyone recognising us as the infamous kidnapped children. We're going to need hats, sunglasses, a hoodie and a nice pair of shoes before we go see the King of the Gods."
Luke didn't say anything, guiding us both patiently into the building instead. We quickly picked out everything we needed, paid at the register, then secluded ourselves in one of the more private changing rooms. As soon as nobody was looking, Luke slipped into the same cubicle as us. The tension eased down by a few notches as soon as the lock clicked shut.
"Sooooo," I drawled after finishing up with the deodorant and tossing it to Annabeth. "What's the plan, guys?"
Luke hummed in thought, taking advantage of the bench our cubicle has to finally lie down and relax. "Well, I can see a couple of options, but the best one can also be called the worst one, in a manner of speaking."
"Some options are better than no option," Annabeth grunted, securing her hair into a tight bun.
"Indeed. Other times, it is better to take what you have and leave well enough alone ."
That wasn't any of us.
I only had a split second to thank whatever had come over us that had us claiming the biggest cubicle available as Riptide tore through the air, only to stop and reconsider my opinion as to exactly what I was thanking.
Or, should I say, whom .
The Moirai stared back at me, their expressions distinctly unimpressed.
" Child ," they intoned, their faces somehow falling even flatter . "We need to talk. "
Someone behind me gulped.
"Uh," I tried. "Can it wait? We need to get the Master Bolt over to the Empire State Building and not to mention all the mortals around right now-"
"It is of no concern," one of them dismissed, the Mist tightening its hold around us as she spoke. And wasn't that interesting- there's so much smoke and Mist and I-don't-even-want-to-know clogging up my sight right now that I could barely make out their baleful eyes.
Said eyes were glaring. At me. What the fuck.
" What the fuck ," one of them hissed, "is exactly what we should be asking you , Persephone Ophelia Jackson. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"N-no," I stuttered out, hands reaching blinding for the reassuring presence of my family.
"'No!' she says!" they roared, gnarled hands tearing images into reality.
I watched on in horror as a pulsing mass of otherness manifested itself into something my mortal eyes could comprehend, and even then, it was just barely. Images flashed over and over again, searing itself into my brain, but that was just the subtext. Even as I struggled to breathe, five words etched themselves into my consciousness with all the subtly as the fucking Masterbolt.
LIFE.
AND.
FATE.
ARE.
FRAGILE.
I won't scare you off with the horrifying MindbreakingSanity destroyingWORLDEnding A-FUCKING-POCALYPSE details, but as my legs finally gave up the ghost and sent me careening to the ground, I got the basic message.
According to the Fates, I done fucked up.
"We intertwined your-"
"H-Hold up!" I struggled and clawed at the walls, but the Fates continued on mercilessly.
"-thread with the boy's, but you weren't satisfied with that. Now it's all off-script, and unmade and undone and the old threads don't fit anymore. Everything's falling apart, Time does not wait, and We can only give what We have got. Do you understand, Persephone?"
I tried to reply, to say something, dish out some of my sanity-saving snark- I really did. It's just, each time I did, the smokey grey thing wriggled it's way down my throat and stole the words from my tongue. I was retching, and I felt like I was falling and I was adrift and ohgodwhat where-
A hand clasped my shoulder. Another one joined it.
Breathe girl, you can do it.
Letting out a breath, I spat out the gunk and-
"In English?" I managed to gasp out, finally bracing myself with Riptide, the divine metal glowing in the fog.
"You did what never should have been done," one of them sneered, breaking synchrony for the first time since they ambushed us. "Now we have to pay- now the world has to pay."
"I was saving us all!" I howled my defiance to their faces, to the world . "Your blasted world would see hundreds, thousands dead and I can change tha- "
"Fool."
This time, the Mist simply took away my mouth. I had nothing to speak with, so I didn't. Instead, I furiously swiped my sword in their direction.
"Fool," they chanted, their wisps of aura churning reality faster and faster. "Fool. The world you so seek is uncertain, unstable and untested. You seek a world where All the World's Evils can win, whereas we guided the world so that All the World's Evils will not. The odds are no longer in favour of either; it is Balanced, and it is most Terrible. We gave you the chance to save One, but to be the saviour of One is not to be the saviour of Others. The Strings you have twisted will longer accept Our weavings. We curse you, Persephone Ophelia Jackson, for no more are Our Certainties. Fate is uncertain and frayed, and so the Fate of the World is Undecided. You have betrayed Us, Persephone Ophelia Jackson. You are Balancer, Chaos Maker, Order Bringer, the Maker of Free-Will, and We curse you for it."
They finished their scathing tirade, because that's really what they were doing, and disappeared into the Mist, the Fog, and the Other.
They disappeared, and I was spun around to face a wide-eyed Annabeth.
"What!" she managed to choke out before being moved aside.
I glanced up feverishly to thank him for giving me space, but cut myself off.
"We need to talk," my soulmate rumbled, and I shrank back.
I just knew Walmart was a bad idea.
A/N
Raven: We said in the summary that some butterflies would come home to roost, but we never did say that the prophecy's going to play out in the next chapter, now did we?
Izzy: The prophecy is nearly done! And we've reached the Point of No Return! Ophelia has truly fucked up, Canon will slowly show up less and less as we fuck more things up! Ophelia is def going "Mothertrucker, this is as bad as a buttcheek on a stick!" as she panics lmao