Disclaimer: All Marvel and PJO/HoO characters belong to respective owners.

Chapter 12

1945

She knew this much; Andromeda was not dead. She was dreaming. Not to be seen or heard. Something she was used to when it came to her dreams. Dreams that were vague, frightening, and confusing, hated what she saw most of the time. But least, it was consistent to one place in a single moment in time. And, eventually, everything would dark before she'd wake up in bed. Often confused or terrified, but she would wake up.

So, when her world went dark inside that boat, she was ready for the sensation of waking up. To feel grogginess, pain from all her injuries, and a splitting headache, yet she felt nothing. There was no pain or headache, no light behind her eyelids.

She didn't feel her body.

Instead, gold dust filtered in as if it was being carried by the wind, except Andromeda didn't feel a single breeze. It swirled around as it formed walls, cabinets, a desk, and a window with a familiar view. It was her office.

Almost as to how she left it, but the boxes and empty walls were new. Closed boxes were and closed stacked up in one corner. Other boxes were empty and scattered all other. Someone was packing up her stuff. But who was packing up her office? Why was her office being packed up? What day is it? So many questions, yet no one to ask. She was alone. Unseen and unheard. Isolated from the world she fought so hard to protect.

A creaking door became the center of her attention, holding her breath, waiting to see who would come through. When a disarray Howard stepped in, it shocked her. An overworked, sleep-deprived, and exhausted Howard was sight Andromeda had seen many times. Too many, she would say. But this, this Howard in front of her, was unmeasurable worse. It wasn't the dark scruff or dark under-eye shadows.

No, this went beyond his appearance.

He looked destroyed. The fire that enlightened his passion, his thoughts, and his actions; was all gone. A shadow of the man he was.

She watched Howard as he stared at her seat for what felt like hours before shutting the door behind him. As he passed in front of her, Andromeda raised a hand to his shoulder. She knew what would happen, but it still hurt to watch her hand slip through him. Witnessing Howard's pain and unable to do anything would haunt her. Howard began to store away files into a box, surrounded by the memories they shared. Once filled, he removed it from the table, revealing a newspaper underneath. Big, bold letters captured her eyes, but it was the date that stole her breath.

VE-DAY – IT'S ALL OVER

It was dated Tuesday, May 8th, 1945.

That can't be right. It's February. February 5th, nine days before Valentine's Day.

Yet there was no denying what was right there, in black and white. It's already been three months since they attacked Hydra Headquarters. Three months since she fought Johann.

Or longer, this paper could already be months old. The realization hit her harder but she tried to focus on the positive. At least we won.

Andromeda only had a few seconds before it was covered by another box. But it was enough to see the bittersweet images of mortals celebrating. She should've been there. Wanted to be there. Rejoicing with the world in the wake of a long-awaited victory. Partying with Howard and her family. That was the plan. She was robbed of it.

It was stolen from her.

He was deep into packing the box when two weak knocks ranged out. Whoever it was, they weren't eager to speak with Howard. Not even bothering to look up, Howard uttered quietly for them to come in.

It was her brother, Matthew and was no longer dressed in his uniform. His tailored light gray suit was a stabbed to her heart. The man lived in his uniform, to take it off meant the war was truly behind him.

"Heard you found something," Matthew asked, closing the door once again.

"Yeah," Howard shot him a dark look. "The Tesseract. That's it."

Matthew nodded, glancing around the room. Something happened between them. A horrible argument, maybe even a fight. And she hates that she missed it.

"No trace of the wreckage. Going back out in two weeks." Howard muttered, stuffing more paper into the box before placing the lid on.

Wreckage. So, we crashed then. But where, was the million-dollar question?

"You won't find anything."

"Because you won't help me!" Howard snapped, eyes shaking with fury. "Won't give me coordinates! Not even a fucking clue as to where they are!"

Her heart froze at Howard's exclamation, growing numb as she slowly processed his words. Matthew didn't say a word which only added more fuel to Howard's wrath.

"You're her brother! Her family! Why won't you look for her!" Howard began the pace at this point. "Explain that to me. Because I don't get how a son of Poseidon, who can breathe underwater, won't look for his sister, who's maybe at the bottom of the ocean."

Yes, explain that to me. I would like to know too. She thought while Matthew remained silent.

"Drop it. You won't find them." Matthew headed for the door, with a hand on the doorbell he paused. "Her funeral is in a month. I'll send you the details."

Howard, and Andromeda, watched as Matthew walked out of the room without another word. She barely had the time to analyze what happened when her surroundings shifted, leaving her in absolute darkness. Just like before, gold dust swirled in from nowhere. Her heart raced as the dust moved in creating a new location. It was their conference room; everyone was present.

Well, except one.

She naturally went straight to Matthew, who was stiff in his chair, eyes locked on her empty chair. A look of contemplation painted on his face.

My funeral. It's in a month. Felt strange to think of her having a funeral. After so many that she attended over the years.

It was odd to see them all quiet in the room where so many screaming matches and arguments were held. It was unnatural. Even, chatty Cynthia was quiet for once.

She hated it. Couldn't stand her silence. For as much as she hated Cynthia's teasing and endless chatter, to see her like this, was unnatural.

Thomas was leaning down, hunched shoulders, hiding his face. Andromeda looked around until it came upon Edith. And at the sight of her sister, her heart broke. Blood-shot eyes were more prominent from her pale face, fingers tightly clenching a tissue. Andromeda quickly walked over to her sisters, kneeling at her side. She tried to put her hand over hers, but it just went through.

"Howard went out again." Edith comment quietly, wiping her nose.

It's been two weeks? Already?

"I told him to drop it," Matthew grumbled, resulting in the coldest stare from Edith.

"Maybe if you just told him, he'll stop," Her tone was one Andromeda never heard before. Full of bitterness. It didn't suit her. "He was her closes mortal friend since Abraham. Don't you think he deserves to know?"

Matthew met her gaze with a stony look. No visible emotions yet she knew better. It was just a front, to cover up to his emotions. This was breaking him, but Matthew stood his ground. "I don't have to explain myself. Especially to Howard Stark."

"But I do!" The words came out from Andromeda, bursting out like a broken pipe "I deserve to know why you won't look for me!"

No answer her.

She knew they wouldn't, still, she yelled, "Answer me!"

Nothing.

"Say something!" She went over to Matthew, who maintained his eyes on Edith. "Tell me, Matthew. Why can't Howard look for me? Why won't you look for me?"

He never looked to her. How could he? No one knew she was there. This wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.

"It's discussed and decide," Matthew started to address everyone. "That no one in Cabin 3 will assist Howard in searching for the Valkyrie."

Her lips trembled and it was getting hard to breathe. The room was getting smaller, walls were closing in. Andromeda's breathing became quick and shallow.

"The same goes for those in Cabin 1," Edward added quietly, hesitantly. Thomas snapped to look at his older brother with such intense fury, thunder roared outside. Andromeda shakily inhaled at the sight of his bloodshot eyes and the beard that encompassed his jaw. He always loathed facial hair, couldn't stand it. Not even a mustache. He said it was itchy, unbearable, and a mustache looked silly to him. Also, commenting how it looked like hairy caterpillars on top of men's lips.

Howard had been so offended by the comment and quickly defended his mustache.

Andromeda had expected him to argue, instead, he rose so quickly that the chair fell back. His sharp footsteps pounded the floor as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Cynthia slightly jumped from the noise.

Edward sighed at his little brother's behavior. He looked exhausted. They all did.

When the walls began to shimmer, Andromeda knew what was coming. It wasn't long before the conference walls faded away in a cloud of gold dust, and she was consumed by darkness once more.

"Wake up. I need to wake up," Andromeda muttered to herself, pacing back and forth. "I have to wake up!" Pinching her eyes shut, she went on ranting. "Come on. Wake up."

Taking in one long inhale, Andromeda slowly opened her eyes.

She was home. Camp-Half blood was a sight for her sore eyes. A large smile instantly formed; her eyes filled with tears. Her dreams didn't hold a candle to the sight before her. They paled in comparison. Years of envisioning her return, and at last, she was home. Unfortunately, her joyful sentiment was short-lived.

She was back for her funeral. Not sure how she knew, but she did. She came to attend her funeral. It was cruel, sick joke.

Soft footsteps on the grass stopped next to her, letting out a long whistle of enthralled.

"This a summer camp or a boot camp?" The familiar New York accent of Howard's filled tranquil silence. "Nothing like you told me, Andromeda."

Her neck snapped to Howard; a watery smile formed from looking at him. Partly from the pure joy of seeing him more put together and that he was here. It was surreal to see him on Camp Half-Blood Hill, watching out for the place she was raised. They took her in, gave her a family and place to call home. Even the climbing lava wall was a sight she never thought she'd be so happy to see.

"It's better," she grinned and told him knowingly Howard wouldn't respond.

Stomping hooves signaled the arrival of another, the hooves of someone Andromeda looked up to like a second father. Chiron.

His prominent figure steady headed for them, wisps of his hair flying from the wind. It must have been warm since he'd forgo the tweed sports coat. Instead, he donned a tweed vest with a light blue shirt, sleeves neatly rolled up. Giving the little she knew, she put them somewhere in summer.

"Holy sh-"

Naturally, Chiron didn't let him finish. Clicking his tongue before saying, "I don't approve of that kind of language, Mr. Stark."

"But you're…I mean, you're a…" Howard rubbed his jaw. "Andromeda told me who you are and what you are but seeing you."

Chiron chuckled as he stopped in front of Howard. "I understand it's a shock." Howard scoffed, shaking his head. "Always is to new campers."

There was a small pause as Howard returned his focus to the view below them. Chiron joined him, crossing his arms at his chest.

"She'd be happy that you came," Chiron spoke gently at last.

Andromeda noticed how Howard discreetly turned away, sniffed, and rubbed his eyes. Looking back only when recollected himself. And when he spoke; it was in his usual confident and arrogant tone. "Yeah, well. Would've been better under different circumstance."

Andromeda swallowed tightly. Different circumstances would have been better. Maybe next time he comes, she'll be awake. Give him the grand tour.

Chiron solemnly nodded, clearing his throat. "She was an incredible person. Always tried to see the best in people. A true hero."

"To me, to you, and everyone in this camp." Howard started bitterly. "But to everyone else, she didn't even exist. While the world cheers on about Capitan America, and his heroic sacrifice, not one peep about Andromeda. Nothing. Nada. And that's infuriating, she deserves to be celebrated as the hero."

Chiron remained silent, listening to what Howard had to say. Unknown of other set of ears. The very topic of their conversation. What had started as a few tears from Chiron's praise turned into a full river. With no end nearby, Andromeda watched Howard vent out his frustrations.

"Steve gets front cover pages, movies, parades, and I think there is even talk about a radio show. And Andromeda gets nothing. She deserves something! I see kids running around with trash can lids they painted to match his shield. Not a single trident," Howard took in a shaky deep breath on the brink of crying.

"She never needed or wanted world recognition. To be praised as a hero by every soul that walks the Earth." Chiron said in a soft tone to Howard.

"He's right. Howard." Andromeda, stiflingly, stood in front of a red-eyed Howard. "I know you can't see me or hear me." She hiccupped and wiped her eyes. "But I don't need front cover pages or parades. I don't care about all that."

"To her, being called a hero by friends and family is more than enough," Chiron said, grasping Howard's shoulder in comfort. "And if that's enough for her, then it should be enough for us."

She never got to see what happened next. The gold dust washed away her surround, robbing her of the opportunity to see her family. Tear-soaked and sniffling, the sea-green-eyed demigod took in her new setting.

The full moon glowed from its rightful place in the dark sky, looking rather lonely without the company of stars. The unlit long alleyway offered no indication of her location. The resembles from the night of Mom's murder made her trembled. Of course, most alleyways probably looked like; a narrowed lane reeking of urine and vomit, and who knows what else.

Andromeda gagged at the horrible stench. Groaning in disgust as the drunkard staggered into the alley and added his contribution to the smell.

Afterward, the sloppy mortal returned to the brightly lit street.

The various honks hinted a populated area. A city, at least. Too loud for it to be a small town. New York naturally came to mind. She had taken one step towards leaving the alley when something else stopped her.

Hurried and frantic steps of someone running caused her to turn around. At the loud growl, she spirited deeper into the alley, forgetting all about the crowded street. Andromeda had turned the corner just in time to see her brother, William, get thrown at a wall. His body slammed to the brick wall, a clear sharp crack echoed in the small space, before flopping to the cold, wet ground. Multiple cuts marked his face, topped with a dark black eye, so swollen shut. His breathing extremely weak and rasping.

Andromeda's screamed was caught in her throat when a large diamond-headed snake slithered from the adjacent alley. She ran to him, managing to scream his name, to get up and fight. In the back of her mind, she knew it was pointless to do it, still, she did it. Had to try at least. Andromeda watched in horror as the snake slithered closer revealing the rest of its horrid body. The snake wasn't just an ordinary snake, it was the chimera. The lion's head growling menacingly as the thing approached her brother.

"William! Get up!" She screamed at him, dropping to her knees by his head. William groaned, cracked open his good eye, but didn't get up. "You have to get up! William, please!"

He never moved; Andromeda cried out as the snakehead swiftly sprang at William's neck. The entire mouth enclosed around his neck, digging its fangs deep into his body, depositing its venom into her brother. William cried weakly once before his body succumbed to the poisonous bite. His body twitched then stilled forevermore, dead. Horrified and scared, Andromeda struggled to breathe as the snakehead tail of the chimera dropped her brother's neck. Sneered at the corpse and proudly walked away, already on the hunt for its next victim.

A trembling hand lifted to his cheek only for her hand to pass through him. Andromeda's lips trembled violently as she tried to hold it in. But why? What was the point? She was alone, in her own twisted bubble. Once she realized that, she let out all the pain, grief for her fallen brother. A scream so loud, it would have trembled the floor, the very Earth beneath the concrete. Volcanoes would erupt from her thunderous wail. Buildings collapsed. Cities could be swallow by a tsunami the size of a skyscraper. She could have destroyed the entire world.

Mortals had no idea how lucky they were at that moment.

Andromeda numbly peered over Howard's shoulder as he read the morning paper. Reporting the death of Senator William Brandt as a mugging gone wrong on October 17, 1945. His wife and children mourn his passing while there was no mention of any siblings or parents. The funeral mass is to be on October 25th in the Church of Saint Agnes at 11 o'clock.

Andromeda had no idea he became Catholic.

"Mr. Stark, are you alright, sir? You've been on the same page for 30 minutes." A clip posh and polite British accent addressed Howard. She had never seen the man before, he was tall and lean, hair perfectly combed, clothes well ironed. A perfect gentleman, one would say.

"Quite alright, Jarvis," Howard said with false cheerfulness, closing the paper and placing it to the side.

"Were you close to Senator Brandt," Jarvis, like Andromeda, saw right through his pretense.

Howard shocked his head. "No, he was a brother of a close friend."

"Ah, shall I prepare for a guest, or would you want me to pull the car around?" Jarvis asked.

Howard shook his head again. "Nothing, Jarvis. She's dead too."

Jarvis immediately looked remorseful and frankly, uncomfortable. "Oh, I see."

"Whisky, Jarvis. My favorite."

"Right away, sir."

1946

Vacantly she watched as new walls took place, columns grew from the floor as it was filled with hundreds of voices. She didn't pay attention to a single thing that was happening. Could not find it in herself to care. Andromeda hadn't really care for couple dream, if she can call them that, after William, she found it hard to pay attention.

It was a grand ballroom full of white roses, with a beautiful chandelier glistened from above, and right underneath it; stood Edith. In a glamorous off-white, longed sleeve, satin wedding dress. Her hair, perfectly styled away from her face, was adorned with her small tiara and a long veiled. She looked radiant, an absolute vision, just as they always talk about.

She happily stood next to her husband, a tall, relatively handsome red-haired man with his arm around her sister's waist. Andromeda smiled, it was weak, barely lifted her lips.

Andromeda glanced around, amazed to see some of her siblings in attendance. Drinking, talking, and laughing, it felt like ages since she saw them like this. She chuckled weakly when Richard and Robert began to chant for a kiss from the newlyweds. Edith and her husband gleefully laughed before he placed a kiss on Edith's lips, cradling her cheeks and slowly dipping her. Edith's smiled widely throughout the entire kiss, laughing when he whipped her back up. She watched with a heavy heart as her sister wiped her new husband's lips off her red lipstick.

When Edith looked around the room, and for a split second in time, her eyes locked with Andromeda's. Her smile lit up the darkness inside Andromeda, filling her hope and excitement. She wanted to cry from the relief. She frantically waved her hand. She had barely taken one step to Edith when the world crashed on her.

"Howard!"

Andromeda's laughed stopped abruptly when she heard the name, her hand frozen in mid-air. Swallowing heavily, she numbly dropped her hand. Aguishly watched Howard approached her sister and new husband. The weight of her disappointment was suffocating.

"Howard! I'm so happy you came!" Edith greeted him, pulling him to hug and planted a kiss on his cheek. "My husband, Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Howard Stark, a friend of mine from the war."

Jonathan looked a bit confused for a moment before Edith looked with the tiniest of nods. Then it all clicked to Jonathan.

"Oh! Right!" Jonathan nodded multiple times before taking Howard's hand in a nervous shake. "Jonathan Sinclair, it's an honor to meet you. I didn't know you were…" he paused to look around then whispered, "…a demigod."

Howard smirked while Edith chuckled. "Nope, I'm just an average joe. Well, above average, I should say."

Edith snorted rather unladylike before regaining her composure and reprimanded Howard with just a look.

"I thought you couldn't make it," Edith said with an arched brow and small smirk.

Howard shrugged. "Almost didn't. I go back out tomorrow."

The blushing bride's face dropped while her glow dimmed. She looked to Jonathan and gently asked him to give them a moment to talk. Jonathon noticed his bride's grim expression before nodding once, telling them that he'll go get a glass of champagne. Edith followed her husband with her eyes and once he was out of earshot, she addressed Howard.

"It's about to be a year-"A year! A fucking year! "Let them go. Move on."

Howard inhaled sharply. "I'm close, I can feel it. We're going to excavated into a glacier 15 meters northwest of where the Tesseract was found."

"No, Howard. Stop this."

"Why should I?" He hissed, keeping an eye on her and the rest of the party. "Everyone keeps telling to drop it. move on with my life, but why should I?"

Her sister looked around before staring Howard dead in the eye. Andromeda leaned in, ready to listen as Edith opened her mouth, then in a cruel twist, she was gone. She shimmered to gold sand, along with everything else, and dispersed. She was left alone in the dark once more.

Andromeda shrieked out; anger, resentment, and annoyance all rolled into one. "Damnit!" New sand shimmered around her, already starting to form her next place of torture. "I've had to watch my brother get kill in front of me!" She didn't know who she was yelling at, maybe it was Morpheus, the god of dreams. Maybe to herself since it was her dream. All she knew was that it felt good. Great to shout out her anger. "Something I'd never wanted to see, but this! Something I needed, no, wantedto see, and poof!" Her voice broke. "She's gone! And Howard! A-And William is dead!"

Andromeda made herself take in multiple deep breaths. She didn't know how much more she could handle. This has been hell to her. Absolute torture. Wondering if she was dead.

"He was a pain in my neck, and we fought, but he was still my brother. And I loved him! He just wanted to protect me, and I couldn't protect him when he needed me the most!"

It was the sharp clang of metal hitting metal repeatedly that she turned around for. There she was, hammering away to her heart's content. With her sun-kissed hair up in a messy bun and grease smudges all over her face, Maria Carbonell ruthlessly pounded a piece of metal. Every inch of intimidating and unapproachable Andromeda remembered her to be. At least, when she was working.

Andromeda slowly approached her friend, hiccupping and wiping tears the entire route.

Outside of Bunker 9, she was the kindest person in the entire camp. But never let her kind persona fool you. She was kind, headstrong, and had a fiery spirit. Literally.

She was ten when Maria joined Camp-Half blood, a trembling little girl. Same age as her yet Maria's small size made her look younger. No one believed she was ten. She was claimed shortly after her arrival by Hephaestus. Being the youngest and smallest among her siblings put her as the rut of the cabin. Her quiet deposition intrigued a young Andromeda, who was always in search of a piece of silence. Having good company was a perk. They kept each other sane in their crazy, loud world.

The fact that Andromeda hadn't thought about her until now, triple the guilt. She had been so consumed by the war, Project Rebirth, the SSR, and so on. Maria, her childhood and best fiend was pushed to the side. When she first left, Andromeda frequently wrote to her, detailing her experiences outside of camp. But as her responsibilities piled on, writing letters became less frequent. The last one she wrote was before leaving for Europe.

Maria huffed tossing the hammer to the side before examining the metal. The cease of the pounding gave room for the radio to be heard.

"We now return to the Captain America Adventure Program, where our hero is on a race against time to stop the forces of evil." One exaggeratedly deep voice narrated.

Andromeda dramatically tilted her head, scrunching both her brows.

"Stop right there, you vile Nazis!" Another one exclaimed followed by the sounds of bullets.

Was that supposed to be Steve?

"You're all toast now that Captain America is here!" A heavy, breathy feminine spoke.

"Look away, sweetheart. Things are about to get ugly." 'Captain America' stated as, what Andromeda could only assume, punches were heard. "Take that!"

Andromeda couldn't take another second of it and luckily, neither could Maria. She groaned in disgust while turning the dial to another station. A soft tune filled the room, it didn't last long since Maria began to hammer again. It was nice to see some things never change.

For the first time since she's been trapped in this hellhole when the image faded, she felt at peace and content. Nothing happened but just seeing her best friend working was so best thing to happen to her, aside from her sister's wedding, of course.

"Isn't it sad how we don't see much of each other since the war ended?" Edith's voice out from her end of the sofa. They were in a living room, whose house Andromeda couldn't say. She never stepped foot in either of their homes. It looked spacious, even more since it was hardly furnished or decorated. The fire from the chimney was the only source of light. "After we left Camp, we hardly ever spoke. Then the war happened, and we saw each other almost every day." She paused to sip her drink. "I miss it."

Matthew snorted from his end. "You miss the war?"

She laughed, "Not the war, I miss how often we saw each other. Having dinner together, going out for drinks, and even those meetings."

Andromeda couldn't agree more with her sister. The war was horrible, no doubt about it, but it was nice to be close to her siblings. Andromeda was twelve when Matthew left camp and eighteen when Edith left. They wrote letters to those behind in the camp, but she didn't see them again until she left to join the fight. It never occurred to her that they hardly saw each other.

Her brother nodded, taking a sip. "I heard Howard finally ended his search for the Valkyrie."

Edith stared at Mathew "You're late on finding out. He stopped about three months."

She wasn't sure how to handle the news. Andromeda noticed how ragged Howard looked, running himself to the bone looking for her. It was selfish to want him to keep the search. She was alive, at least. Perhaps one day, whenever that may be, she'll wake up on her own. Until then, it was unfair to spend his time searching.

Now more than Andromeda's curiosity burned. What had they told Howard? What did they know? Would she wake up soon, so they knew it was pointless for Howard to keep looking?

"Around the same time as your wedding," he commented quietly.

Edith never liked to beat around the bush. Always more of a straightforward gal. "If you're implying that I told him, then you are correct."

Mathew kept his gaze on his sister, taking on his cold emotionless front. "Why?"

Edith finished her cocktail before she spoke. "I don't know why you try to put up this tough guy act when you're just a big softie." Matthew cleared his throat, looking somewhat mortified. "I knew you were just trying to save Howard some heartache, but it was causing more damage not telling him. So, I told him."

Edith gave him a hard look with a single arched brow as if challenging him. Even though he was the older sibling, Matthew knew better than to argue with his sister.

"I'm back!" A voice she knew to be Jonathan's called out bringing about all three siblings to look at where it had come from.

She never saw Jonathan come into view since things went dark before being thrust into a room full of people talking and bright flashes blinded her. On one end, three aged and bald men sat behind a long table with American flags on either side. The large circular bronze plaque of the United States Congress above them didn't look promising.

"May I ask a question?"

Why was she not surprise it was Howard?

"Not until you answer the question already before this committee." One of three stated.

Howard looked down deject. "It's been so long, I don't even remember what it was."

Andromeda watched as the shiny head man leaned into his microphone and asked," Did you knowingly sell military-grade technology to enemies of the United States?

Her eyes bulged out at the question. Howard was called different things; a traitor was not it.

"Not knowingly," Howard answered rather vaguely.

"Did you do it unknowingly?"

"Now, by definition, that would be impossible to answer," his snarking response erupted laughter from the other men.

"Mr. Stark, this is no laughing matter." Another one spoke out; his tone was angrier than the last.

Oh, Howard. Andromeda shut her eyes, slapping her forehead.

"Oh, really, because I thought –" Howard's voice was cut off mid-sentence since everything swiftly vanished into dust.

This is getting old. Andromeda said to herself as a new place began to form.

She was home, again. This time she was in her favorite spot, Firework Beach. The soft rhythm of small waves crashing to the shore was a symphony to her. The view was incredible. Andromeda's eyes naturally closed while inhaled deeply, taking in the aroma but smelled nothing. It was a twisted reminder that she wasn't here. She breathed out slowly, trying not to get overwhelmed. Forced herself to listen to the waves and wind, focus on what she can do. Hear the leaves rustling. See the water glistening from the sun's rays. Her time here was short, but until she was ripped away, Andromeda would enjoy every second, every wave.

And every shout too.

"You are insufferable!" Maria proclaimed in a screeched.

Whipping her head around just in time to see Maria land a strong blow to Howard, hissing from the way his head snapped. First Congress now Maria's punch, things were not looking good for him. Howard cried out as he fell to the sand, cradling his jaw.

Maria watched in satisfaction as the famous genius and womanizer grunted from her blow.

"You pack a mean punch," Howard remarked.

"I didn't train for years not to," Maria retorted with a large grin as Howard stood up.

Howard huffed out wiping away sand from his body. "You know, usually when a beautiful gal like yourself hits me, at least they have a good reason to. At least, that's what my butler tells me. So, what's yours?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Maria practically growled; her tight-fisted hands began to glow dimly.

"Oh, you pissed her off," Andromeda stated, fully stunned.

"You come to my home, Andromeda's home, your so-called best friend, begging sanctuary from Chiron when the whole world is looking for you. The entire country is on a manhunt for you, putting the entire camp at risk! Putting Matthew, Edward, Thomas, Edith, and Cynthia, in a very difficult position because now, they have to lie to the government to cover your ass!"

"Now, hold on-" Howard tried to intervene to point out her fiery hands but Maria wasn't having it.

"No! I'm not finished!" Maria shouted, pointing a finger engulfed in flames to Howard. "You also bring that glowing blue cube, which I'm guessing is something very powerful and very dangerous! To a camp filled with kids! What is the matter with you?" Maria paused to inhale. "And despite all that, you still have the guts to shamelessly and blatantly flirt with every woman. Even the nymphs! That's my problem with you!"

Maria panted furiously, glaring at Howard while all he did was stare at her hands. Like a little kid, eyes wide, filled with amazement and curiosity, and a little crazy too.

"Your hands are on fire," Howard stated dumbfounded.

Maria looked at him in outrage. "Are you serious? Did you listen to a word I said?" When he didn't say anything right away, Maria growled and walked away, putting out the fire in her hands.

Andromeda watched with wild and vivid interest as Maria stomped past her. Grumbling under her breath too low to catch anything but she got the idea. Howard going after her was the last thing she saw before everything dusted away.

Everything went pitch black, again.

She was alone, again.

Andromeda's breath trembled, tightly wrapping her arms around herself. It didn't feel the wind as more gold dust breezes in and begins to form a new setting. She never noticed it before. Or maybe she did, just never paid attention to it. There were more important issues at hand back then. Never the time.

Now, all she had was time. Time to watch and listen. Just watch and listen. A ghost.

Over the horizon, a beautiful setting sun graced her. A fusion of light blue and soft oranges spread across the sky; a few clouds shifted gently. If it wasn't for all the noisy and angry honks, Andromeda would have enjoyed it more. Brooklyn Bridge, she had to guess from a glance around.

Among all the honks, Andromeda caught the sound of heels. Slowly approaching her, clicking on the hard cement. Body still to the sunset, Andromeda craned just her neck to get a glance of the heel's owner. It was the red lipstick Andromeda noticed first. Never seen her wear any other color, brand, or variation of red.

The second thing she noticed was her eyes. None of the lively spark she saw when they first met; only a sea of grief and pain.

Peggy stopped right next to her, gazing out at sunset. Unaware of the company she had.

It felt as if Andromeda was intruding in a private moment. It was evident that she wanted to be alone. And she was alone, in a way, physically. Andromeda bit her lip, making sure to breathe as quietly as possible, irrationally afraid to be caught. Silently watched Peggy pull out her hand from her coat, holding a small clear vile. Inside, a dark deep red liquid, blood.

Taking a small breath and with tears, Peggy removed the cap and slowly poured it out.

"Bye, my darling," she whispered brokenly.

Andromeda couldn't stop the small gasp, looking down to the water. The blood was untraceable now, diluted. It was Steve's blood. Andromeda looked back to Peggy as she inhaled deeply, wiped away her tears, and walked away. Her departing figure disappeared is the last thing she sees. If anyone could see, they would see the daughter of Poseidon's transparent shape fade away into the wind. Reduce to grains of sands, leaving no evidence that she was there in the first place. Nothing more than a blip.

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