AN: The last installation. The Fearless Saga finally comes to a close.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did, I wouldn't be on this site sadly.
Fearless: Knight's Fall, Part 2
Punishment.
The word invokes a flicker of childish sense of fear for most who hear it. Even the Gods, Apollo and Poseidon in particular, are unnerved by the term. They dish it out well, but taking it in turn is not as easy.
Demigods, likewise, have suffered from the word. Being used as such when their death was brought on by another deity, as is the case for most half-bloods of Zeus. For example, the reason Thalia Grace was changed into the Pine Tree was because Hades (and likely some part of Hera) wished to punish his brother for hypocritically breaking the Oath they had made.
It was of the Hunters' opinion that no one knew what punishment was until they suffered it from Artemis.
It had been a week since his rescue and consequential sentencing, and Naruto still wasn't sure if his escape was the best option he'd taken.
The immediate venture following his escape from Seattle to visit Leto was a bit surprising. The powerful hug that threatened to break his entire being was a memory he could've done without, but it was nice to discover that his adoptive grandmother cared. Naruto, like many, forgot that Leto was a Titaness, one of the second generation. Her strength was no laughing matter: Even his mother winced when she got a similar embrace.
Leto, who insisted he call her Grandmother or something of the sort ("Gran-Gran is what I usually prefer."), managed to convince Artemis to lessen his punishment after he got to tell his side of the story. Four months was better than twelve, but now he also had an item placed on him, one that would track him anywhere he went. It came in the form of a thin silver band that wrapped around the back of his head, much like his uncle's laurel crown.
Admittedly, it was better than the collar.
Unfortunately, according to Leto, it made him look like a "fairy tale prince". Artemis wasn't amused by the comparison, given how most fairy tales portrayed maidens.
The haircut that came with the gift was weird, but only because Leto insisted upon it. He admitted to liking his hair shorter, it would be kept out of the way in a pursuit and made for less of a hassle in the mornings. Even his mother admitted the short hair suited him better.
Leto then rid him of his jumpsuit, replacing it with dark blue jeans, brown hiking boots, and a fitted Marvel-brand Moon Knight T-shirt. The shirt was the sort that emulated the comic book hero's chest, with detailed lines for the hero's build on the shirt, with lines that, oddly enough, matched his musculature definition perfectly. It made Artemis give her mother a dirty look, something Naruto missed as he expressed his gratitude to his grandmother with a hug. That time it was worth nearly breaking his spine.
Or so he thought for five minutes, until his grandmother revealed her ulterior motive: she wanted him to meet her surrogate family. Apparently, her charge Cassandra was at the right age to be betrothed, but had no suitors. Of course, Leto forgot that while in the past it was commonplace for girls to be wed before their twenties, let alone before they reached their late teens, it wasn't that way for the modern world.
That was without bringing in Artemis' opinion on the matter.
Mother and daughter bickered and argued. Artemis claimed that Cassandra needed not fall into Aphrodite's snare, and that there was absolutely no way on Earth she would allow the chance for her son to fall victim to the Goddess of Lust's poison. Leto defended Aphrodite's role in the world and Cassandra's own desire for a partner, and told her daughter to think about it from a mortal's perspective. She went on to add that not every female wanted to remain a maiden, using herself as an example.
Naruto, wisely, kept his mouth shut, and began to contemplate - again - whether he should've stayed with the Amazons or have been turned into a Jackelope.
The argument aside, the whole trip was beneficial for both Goddess and mortal. In the end, he didn't meet Cassandra, but Leto had told him in the much gentler departing hug that she would always be there for him. His sentence was reduced by two thirds, and he got a nice haircut as well as more modern clothes. It was a nice way to start a punishment.
Then came the reintegration to The Hunt.
In his modest opinion, saying it was a bad idea on his mother's part was an understatement. Artemis insisted he serve his punishment out under both her and her Hunters' orders. Many of The Hunters looked like hungry wolves after her announcement. Actual hungry wolves, the sort that craved to make his flesh come off of his body, and not the kind that he compared the Amazons to before.
Some tried to make right on the comparison by shooting at him when he was cleaning the campgrounds. Others whistled an attack call and sicced the literal wolves after him. Naruto actually thought the latter was a little fun; running with the wolves, or in this case from them, was something he always enjoyed doing when younger.
Zoë actively ignored his presence, which hurt more than he thought it would. At least Phoebe still acknowledged him. Granted, she was usually chiding him with blatant anti-male derogatory terminology whenever she had to bandage a cut that came from a 'misfire' that struck his arm or leg, but it was still a sort of acknowledgement. The rest of the Hunt, especially members that joined while he was away, generally followed Phoebe's example. There were a few that were less insulting or less overbearing, but they were just that, a few.
Thankfully, Naruto learned that he was protected from most fatal attacks to some Hunters' annoyance. And his gift from Leto was revealed to be enchanted, because it seemed to be indestructible. He had tried stabbing it while it hung on a branch to test how durable it was, and the silver forged arrowhead shattered. He once let a Hunter shoot at his back, fighting down trained reflexes to dodge as he did, and the arrow was deflected into a nearby oak tree. The follow up cheap shot through the calf had hurt, but he'd had much worse while training with Alf.
The Hunters have yet to figure out why he had a sudden hate for hockey pucks, horseradish, and hamster wheels.
Artemis seemed to be happy he was under her eye once more and, while she made sure none of her Hunters got too much damage in, mostly let them act this way. Not out of malice, but to remind him that he had earned her ire and she wasn't one to forgive so lightly. She had taken many complaints from her Hunters pertaining to his continued presence, but had alleviated their fears without much issue. It helped that he didn't go out of his way to bother the Hunt as he did when he was younger and kept to himself as best he could.
So yeah, it was bad, but it could've been much worse. He could've been killed and faced trial in the afterlife. Naruto had heard stories of punishments from Hades, and he didn't want to know what the God of the Underworld would hold against him.
If that was where he even wound up, but that was a concern for another day.
They were summoned to Olympus a few weeks after his return. According to the wind spirit that delivered the summons, Naruto was to explain why he mingled with other Pantheons to the King and the Council while he was classified as a 'Greek' mortal. It was news to him, and a little insulting to be referred to as if he were a possession, not a person, but such was life when dealing with immortals. His fate would be decided after the hearing and - judging by the distressed spirit that was sent - the King wanted a very good explanation. Or else.
The Hunt left post-haste to New York, and soon enough found themselves before the Doors of Olympus, where Naruto found himself stuck between Zoë and his mother, who was at her "proper" Olympian height of ten feet. The three were followed by the twenty other Hunters, and all of them were pointedly ignoring the awe and gossip that came from the minor gods and nymphs that watched them pass by.
"That's him?"
"I never expected him to make it more than a year."
"He's got some weird squiggles on his arm."
"What a catch!"
"We sure he's a mortal?"
"What's with the whiskers on his face?"
"He reminds me of a fox."
That last one made Naruto's right brow twitch. An echo of a bad memory laughed mockingly in the back of his head. He clenched his jaw and rubbed at his left arm when it let out a dull throb. Zoë grabbed his hand and pushed it back to his side.
"Thou will behave," she hissed. Her cold shoulder had been thawing, but it had only dropped whenever he was in need of stern talking to and Artemis was not available.
"I'm just rubbing my arm, Zoë."
"Thou are about to meet and speak before the entire Olympian council," Zoë said, a hint of urgency in her words. "Thou mustn't show any sign of nerves or discomfort. Lady Artemis will not be able to protect you here. You must fend for yourself."
"I've been on my own for almost a decade, not including my excursion…" he grumbled. She leveled him with a hard sidelong glare and he winced. "Okay, I get it. I'm being thrown to the wolves, and you can't help me."
"Does thou think this is a laughing manner?"
"No."
"Then stop acting like thou are still a child and prove it."
At her words the group came to a stop. They arrived at the council chambers. The thrones were massive, and the beings seated on them were power incarnate. Naruto wiped any humor from his face and his eyes went cold. He ignored the heated stare coming from his irritated uncle, likely on account of the initial vanishing, but he would deal with that later.
The Hunters left the room, and his mother took her place on her throne. Naruto discreetly looked from one god to the next as he stood in the doorway.
Apollo looked as he always did, immaculate and lax. His youthful appearance had altered slightly. His golden locks were kept short, and he wore board shorts along with a pair of boat shoes and a white tank top. There was annoyance in his eyes, but also elation. He could feel his uncle's struggle to contain himself, to remain in his throne, and not glomp his nephew like he had many times before. Naruto then remembered exactly what he'd offered in exchange for his uncle's help to escape the Amazons, and did his best to contain the exasperated groan that threatened to burst forth. That was something he'd yet to tell his mother about.
Seated on his uncle's left was his mother, and on his uncle's right was a beautiful woman with long dark hair. Her eyes were steeled, and it looked like she had millions of thoughts going through her mind. That must be Athena. Though he wondered why she had dark hair rather than the glowing gold her stories spoke of, he brushed it aside and chalked it up to the goddess' preference. Perhaps she wished to avoid the stereotype he had heard the...boys in Seattle use.
On her right was a man who resembled many of the poachers and thugs he'd dealt with while acting as a vigilante in Canada. His face was scarred, yet would be considered handsome if the right person were asked. Red glows emerged in the sockets beyond his wraparound shades. That was clearly Ares. The urge to throw something at him was strong, but Naruto refrained from doing so.
Next to the God of War was the Queen, if her regal aura was anything to go by. Hera was just as beautiful as Athena, but her eyes were harder, much more defended. Guarded and distrusting. Expected, considering the charges against him. At least she didn't sneer at him.
He skipped over the King, since he was not present yet, and looked to the regal throne on the right of the Thunderer's. There was a man who looked like he'd been enjoying a beach day, as evident by the Tommy Bahama shirt and tan shorts. His beard was like a fisherman's, cut short, yet full and unkempt from days at sea. If that wasn't Poseidon, Naruto would eat his boots. The God had a dark glower on his face, brooding over something that wouldn't likely spell good news if the mortal accidentally upset him.
Next to the Sea God was a woman with an earthly feel about her. Her hair was brown and her eyes just the same. She had fruits and vegetables littered about her throne, what looked like an ear of corn in her hair and a few wheat stocks popped up around her. Demeter had a gleam in her eyes much like Hera's, but it held feelings behind it that even a blind man could see. The motherly gaze made him a bit unsettled. It felt as if she was going to interrogate him about his eating habits or something.
Weird.
After Demeter came Hephaestus, easy to spot by the tool in his hand and the device he tinkered with. He looked nothing like he was depicted as in mortal text. There was the occasional fire in his beard, but aside from that he looked like a shorter, slightly more approachable and bearded Ares without the biker motif and scarring. Naruto had the feeling that, like the Hunt, the craftsman would rather be somewhere else.
Naruto glanced at Aphrodite once, not even for a whole second, and his heart nearly jumped into his throat.
She was breathtaking.
So beautiful that he couldn't find words to describe her or even think of why he felt the way he did. He was reminded of his first kiss, the pleasure that floated through his body, wondering how she would - he immediately turned away, his face flushed and heart pounding like a drum.
Holy shit.
That was absolutely terrifying.
A glance at her made him go nearly brain-dead. He shivered at the loss of self-control. Was that because of her control over love or lust? Either way, he'd be more than happy if it never happened again.
Pointedly keeping his gaze away from Aphrodite, he looked at the next god. This one, he recognized. He knew. The shrewd man who held Ms. Castellan, and who resembled his friend. Hermes...who went bug eyed at the sight of him.
"Hey, you're-!"
"Not so loud, Hermes! I'm trying to sleep!" The gruff scolding came from the last member of the present Olympians. He was a portly sort, his hair curly and looked like it was a dark purple. He had on an orange tiger striped shirt that appealed to something in the back of Naruto's mind, which made his arm tingle again. His eyes, though, were bagged and tired, and hinted at a frustration that only an addict unable to get their fix would understand. Many such individuals he'd dealt with when trying to address the drug problem in Philadelphia.
"Sorry, Dionysus," Hermes said, but he clearly did not mean it. He had his eyes locked on Naruto, slowly relaxing. An almost grateful look appeared in the god's eye before it was masked by lighthearted indifference. "I thought I recognized him from a delivery job."
Dionysus merely huffed, and whatever he was about to belch out was overshadowed by the loud crack as a bolt of lightning struck down on the King's throne. Naruto snapped his attention to the man that now adorned it.
Okay, Naruto thought as he looked at the King, I'll admit it. That was awesome.
Zeus was dressed in a blue pinstripe suit, his hair and beard longer and thicker than the others'. He almost reminded Naruto of that Jedi from Episode I, arguably one of the two greatest parts of that film - he and Alf had snuck into a theatre in Vancouver to catch the premiere. They walked out a bit disappointed from that film, and a bit disturbed with the character of Anakin.
What kind of nine-year-old boy hits on a fourteen-year-old girl?
Zeus' eyes were the same electric blue as Thalia's were. The memory of her made him recall her current status as a Pine Tree. His admiration and respect for Zeus faltered, but he kept his features from reflecting it as best as he could.
"Step forward, mortal!"
Gods, he even sounds like thunder, Naruto thought as he walked around the hearth and knelt in front of the King. He bowed his head and recited the words his mother told him to say: "Lord Zeus, thank you for the honor of allowing a mortal such as myself to walk your halls. I'd bring you offerings of physical value, but nothing compares to what you rightfully own. Instead, I bring you myself, my honor and my word, that I shall not speak falsely before you."
"Heh. Nice trick, Artemis. You teach him to roll over and play dead, too?" The biker, Ares, said after a moment of silence. He was given a frigid glare, and smiled toothily in response.
Zeus ignored his son's interjection and his gaze burned a hole in Naruto's head.
"Rise, mortal."
Naruto did, standing tall with his head up to look the King in the eye.
"You are brought here accused of treachery. Of conspiring with ...others. What have you to say in your defense?"
"I'm mortal," Naruto said. "Clear-sighted, different than most, but I am mortal all the same. I'm not Greek. Not Roman. Not Egyptian. Not Norse. I'm a mortal who had the fortune to be considered worthy to be raised as the only son to your chaste daughter. If I conspired against Olympus through my actions, it was never done intentionally."
Zeus sat back and the sky rumbled. The room was tense and began to smell of ozone. He glanced to his right, and Athena spoke next.
"The runes on your left arm. What are they?"
"I have no idea." Naruto glanced down at his arm. "I know when and how I got them, but I don't know what they mean, do, or why they appeared. I was in Canada. Relaxing after a spar with my teacher, whittling at a stick, when I was attacked by a creature that called itself a Kitsune."
"A Japanese spirit attacked you in Canada?" Apollo asked, incredulous. He got a deadpan stare from his nephew.
"It called itself a Kitsune," Naruto reiterated. "I'm only describing it as it claimed to be one. Thus far it was never able to attack me physically. It was either a mental attack or spiritual. I'm not sure, but it didn't exist on our plane until I...used Nordic runes to bring it forth."
"Could you show us?" Athena asked. "To prove your claim."
"The runes I used were carved absentmindedly. The incantation that followed I cannot recall. My mentor would be better to ask about this, but I haven't seen him since that day."
"Convenient...Who was your mentor?" Zeus asked. "Not the...Egyptian?"
A heavy layer of ozone filled the room once more.
"No. The Egyptian I've interacted with was Khonsu," Naruto said. Hermes audibly caught his breath in a strangled gasp. The mortal paid it no mind and continued, "He and I struck...an accord of sorts."
"Explain." The whole or else thing continued to loom over his head like the bolt of lightning that was waiting to be thrown.
"We made a bet during our initial encounter. One I should have walked away from." The last bit he grumbled to himself, before meeting the King's gaze again. "He wagered his soul and I my life. With this."
Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out his die. The little cube refused to leave his side, as if it were the physical proof of his bond to Khonsu. It appeared in his pocket once he had been reclothed by Leto since the Amazon jumpsuit didn't have any way for it to stay on his form. Eyes of Olympus' council zeroed in on the game piece, none more intently than the Goddess of the Hunt, who glared at the latest addition to her list of enemies. Try as she might, Artemis could not keep it from his person. She had even shot it into the night sky, launching it from the confines of the planet, but it returned within the hour to Naruto's possession.
"And?"
"We tied." Naruto held two points so that the cube rested on a vertice in either finger. "He wagered it would land on an edge after I had bet it would land on a face. It landed like this, balanced on a flat stone."
"...Hermes?" Zeus asked, the room looking to the god of thieves. Gambling and dice games fell into his domain. The spry god rubbed his chin.
"Anything is possible," Hermes said after a moment. "But I would be a fool not to suspect foul play from Khonsu. He could've enchanted it to land that way before it was thrown."
"He swore to both Ra and on the Styx that it wasn't and wouldn't be tampered with before the bet was made," Naruto said. He pocketed the Die and waited as the council contemplated the Egyptian's bold move. It wasn't every day that a deity from another pantheon invoked the Styx's Oath. "So while I don't have control over him, he does not own me. We reached an accord. I would do three tasks for him, and he would owe me three favors in turn. He's cashed in two requests, I've only made one."
"What were his requests?" Zeus asked immediately.
"The first was to leave the continental United States. He wanted me to train out of your sight. Given who I trained with-"
"And that was?"
"Freyr, the Norse God of Summer."
Demeter flushed and corn atop her head began to pop as her face began to glow. Apollo whistled his awe while Hermes rolled his eyes. Dionysus had fallen asleep and Hephaestus looked bored, tinkering with another abstract device. Ares picked at his nails with an enormous knife in disinterest and Athena began to knead her temple as she became overwhelmed by the possible disastrous scenarios that could've been. Poseidon hummed, as did Hera, but it was Aphrodite's reaction that drew his attention, before he quickly averted his gaze, lest he be bewitched by her again.
"My, no wonder Frigg gave me warning." She tittered, ignoring the blond's action.
"What does that mean?" Zeus asked, eyes narrowed.
"That there was a new heartbreaker on the prowl. Really, Artemis, how could you keep him from us? There's so many possibilities," Aphrodite said, her voice held a smile to it that Naruto knew would make him melt if he dared look. Probably in a literal manner. Not how he wanted to go, especially since he was sure his mother would revive him just for the sake of punishing him further.
He looked instead at his mother, to see her response. Artemis kept a stony face, but quirked an eyebrow at the goddess of love. It was a rather dumb question on Aphrodite's part, he decided. As he grew in her care, Naruto had heard his mother and her Hunters curse the Lady of Doves more often than he heard them insult the sex he was born with, and that was saying something.
"As interesting as that tidbit of information is, I believe we still have the other request to make note of," Poseidon said, looking at his brother pointedly. As if to say there were other things to concern themselves with.
Naruto got the feeling that the Lord of the Sea wasn't talking about his trial.
"Indeed. What other action did you perform for the Egyptian?" Zeus asked.
"I hunted, killed and then banished a revived warlock that threatened all of New Orleans with a zombie apocalypse. Some kid named Rick helped me out. I think he was Greek. Can't say for sure," Naruto said with a shrug.
"Oh! You're the one who helped Roderick!" Demeter smiled. "Thank you for that, dear. He had such a hard time getting back to Camp."
Can't imagine why...though considering he was being hounded by those lions… Naruto mused to himself while giving a nod to the Goddess of the Harvest. He returned full attention to the King, who continued to level him with a hard stare.
"That is all he asked of you?" Zeus asked.
"Yes."
"You approached the Camp with the Æsir - "
He's a Vanir, actually, but I doubt you care about that detail. Gods know that Odin doesn't.
" - You will tell us why."
"In my teacher's defense, I was the one who wished to visit the boundary. When I performed requests for Khonsu, he constantly pulled me from the standard flow of time, to keep us out of limelight. Not for malicious deeds, but to ensure no conflict would come between the pantheons," Naruto said. A hint of frustration appeared on his face. "He would tell me after the time distortion of things and events that he thought I would find important. It was from him I learned of Thalia's...sacrifice."
Tension filled the room once more, along with ozone. A lot of ozone. It was actually starting to become uncomfortable and very difficult to breathe.
"Choose your next words carefully, Mortal." Zeus did not have to warn him, but the courtesy was likely more for Artemis' sake than it was his. There was a gleam that appeared in the Queen's eye that made Naruto uneasy, and he swallowed.
"Although we did not know each other long, I consider Thalia to be a friend. As I do with Luke and Annabeth," he said after a moment. Athena was stoic at his words, but Hermes had gained a small smile. The mortal continued with: "I felt it necessary to visit and apologize for leaving them so abruptly."
The glare he got from his mother did not go unnoticed, but it was ignored for the sake of keeping the trial on track. She apparently had been aware of his presence at that clearing and his flee from The Hunt. He'd tried explaining that he was only doing what he had thought she had willed, but that conversation would always be interrupted by a Hunter's timely arrival in one shape or another. Why the Fates (of any pantheon) had decided to keep this debate from happening, he didn't know, but it was starting to grate on his nerves.
"Which begs the question of why you left them," Zeus said, unknowingly interrupting the mortal's train of thought. His eyes began to spark. "Why did you abandon them-?"
"Zeus, this trial is not to shift blame for the consequences of your mistake," Hera interjected. The air dropped about twenty degrees as Zeus looked at her. The husband and wife held heated gazes, and the higher tension made Ares look up from his nail cleaning in mild interest. And perhaps a hint of hope.
Hera and Zeus held a hushed, angry conversation in Ancient Greek, and Naruto chanced to look at his mother. She seemed bored, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. A simple glance to him conveyed all of her thoughts on the matter, and wrapped up with a stern glare that told him to pay attention.
The King and Queen of Olympus sat back in their thrones, their bodies still tense and their brows furrowed by their tempers. Zeus looked back at him and let out a sharp breath through his nose, like a raging bull that was cooling off after beating down a rodeo clown.
On a related note, Alf had some weird training ideas. They were effective, but still weird.
"What was your request to Khonsu?" Zeus asked as the ozone in the air steadily and slowly dropped.
"To see the night of my birth," Naruto said. He felt his mother's gaze fall upon him, but kept his attention on the King. She wasn't aware of what he asked for, and he wasn't exactly happy that he'd been cheated out of clear-cut answers from Khonsu, but he should've expected it from the Egyptian God of Thieves. He balled a hand into a fist and then relaxed. "I witnessed my birth and a few moments after it."
He'd initially wanted to see if his father had done the harm that had befallen his birth mother, but he hadn't phrased it correctly. Khonsu used that against him, and turned it into a lesson. One had to be very specific when making requests of any God, and doubly so for a Trickster God.
"Is that all?"
"It is. I swear on the River Styx that all I have said to you is the truth."
The skies boomed. Not of Zeus' will.
Zeus sat back in his throne and glanced around the council. They each looked up and met his gaze, with Poseidon being the last. The God of the Sea drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne.
"Brother," he began, only for Zeus to lift his hand. Poseidon's gaze hardened, but he went quiet.
"Your testimony has spared your life, but I find your presence intolerable mortal," Zeus said. "Leave these chambers and Olympus. Never to walk here again, lest you wish for your demise."
The sky boomed again, with added lightning to emphasis Zeus' decree, and Naruto ducked his head.
"Thank you, Lord Zeus. Your sentence is wise and shall be obeyed."
He left the chambers without any further questions, but heard Poseidon begin to speak again as he left. The blond's brow furrowed. He wondered what it was that was so important about a ship named Andromeda.
"Absolutely not!"
Months had passed and Naruto's punishment had been lifted for some time. The Hunters' had stopped their lethal assaults, but still used him as a mobile target practice when they could. Their anger worked out in his favor, since their attacks kept his evasiveness, agility and reflexes up to par. (Not as well as a raging rodeo bull could, though he wasn't about to share that with them. It wouldn't be smart for him to give them ideas.)
To the Hunters' annoyance, rather than send him away once his punishment ended, Artemis revealed to them that he would become one of the few male members of the Hunt after the Winter Solstice. She had to inform The Council before making him the offer, so as to ensure that her father didn't do something foolish from shock. When questioned about her decision by her lieutenant, Artemis had only this to say:
"Like many boys, my son has become too prideful to seek help from his mother, and has lived far too freely like his foolish uncle. I will not allow him to fall under Aphrodite's sway or become a loathsome man, something that would have happened if Donna hadn't messaged me. On that note, remind Diana to give Lycaon a smidge of leeway if he starts hunting Amazons."
However, there was a small, itty-bitty, little detail that was left out of her son's recount of his trials that put a massive, obnoxious, ego-inflated hole in her plan.
"Artemis, he swore an unbreakable oath to me. One night as my wingman," Apollo said, oddly stern as he stared down his irate twin within her personal tent. The rest of the Hunt was packing up the camp and his nephew was preparing the wolves for travel. Apollo crossed his arms and matched her glare with his own. "Let's face it, with that ruckus last summer over the fleece, the Great Prophecy is getting closer to playing out. Speaking of last summer, did you tell him yet?"
"No, not that it is any of your concern. For you will not be allowed to take my son out for one of your stupid 'Guy's Nights', Apollo," Artemis said. Her eyes were cold and her posture tense. She would not falter in her stance. Her son would not become a stupid boy like her brother.
"It's not like I'm going to go bar hopping with him, Artemis!" Apollo deadpanned. He rubbed his face with one hand, trying to calm down. "Look, I know I lost him, but that was one time-!"
"For eight years." She was still a little sore about it.
"He is a mortal that ran away! Do you know how many mortal kids run away from home? There's a lot of them out there! I'm sorry I lost him, Artemis, but it's not my fault! He's mortal! I warned you, way back when I first met him, I warned you he would have a crazy life."
"And you did nothing to stop his interactions with the Egyptians or the Norse? To warn me about his meddling with foreign magicks?" Artemis hissed as her eyes began to shine a bright silver.
"It doesn't work that way and you know it!" Apollo snapped, his eyes glowed gold. They held angry stares for a long while before the god of the sun closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "This argument is over. I will take Naruto out tonight, Artemis-"
"I would sooner join Aphrodite's handmaidens before I would allow that!"
"-Because if I don't, he will die fighting against the Manticore."
Artemis' scowl deepened. "Explain."
"You've been hunting the Manticore for some time now. I don't know why, but I'm certain Zeus has a reason for it. If you take Naruto on this hunt, he will sacrifice himself to protect a Camper, someone who you are considering for the Hunt," Apollo said. The weight of the warning made Artemis pause to take it in. She pursed her lips, her son was selfless enough to do such a thing, especially if his sacrifice was for who Apollo thought it would be for, as he'd claimed the girl as his friend. Her twin put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a concerned glance. "If we lose him again, he will be lost to us forever. There is no guarantee he'll go to the Underworld."
"How do I know this isn't a ploy to get me to agree?" Artemis asked. She hoped it was, because if it wasn't, she could lose her son after just getting him back.
"Artemis, I swear on the Styx, that what I have told you is what will come to pass if I don't take him out tonight," Apollo said.
The sky boomed outside and she closed her eyes, silently cursing her brother. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. Her eyes opened, her frigid silver locked onto her twin's blue, and she leveled a pointed finger in his face.
"Swear to me that Naruto is not going to aide you in finding others to sate your lust."
"Why do you make it out to be so crude?"
"Swear it, Apollo, or I will take my chances with your sudden 'prophecy'."
"Ugh...Fine! I swear on the Styx that while we're out tonight, my honorary nephew, Naruto, adopted son of my beloved lil' sister, will not be used to find others to help me sate my lust."
"For the last time, I am not the younger sibling!" Artemis growled as the sky boomed again.
"Now how can you be so sure about that? I'm the god of truth, after all."
She regretted this agreement already.
"I regret ever making that prayer," Naruto said, scowling out the window of the golden sports car. He kept his gaze away from his uncle while they rode across the sky in the Sun Chariot. The God of the Sun often forgot to dim himself when he was behind the wheel.
"Not the regret you should have, Lil Nephew." Apollo smirked at the boy. He reached over and flicked the blond in the side of the head. A flash of light encompassed the blond teen and when it died down, his clothes had changed. Gone was the practical silver attire, and in its place was a casual black suit, jacket and shoes. However, it was what lay beneath the jacket that made his nephew's brow arch.
"Uncle Fred." Naruto was trying so hard not to snarl at the deity that had done away with his personal belongings (including his gift from Leto). "Tell me why I'm wearing an orange dress shirt."
"You need a brighter color scheme." Apollo hummed. "You know, not many blond men can pull off orange. I think it's your color."
"Give me my shirt back, or I'll tell mother where you're taking me."
"Little...Fine!" With another flick, this one just a tad harder to get his annoyance across, the god of the sun reverted his nephew's shirt back to the original gift. "Be happy that this is a film premier. I've heard good things about this movie from my man Kevin."
"...Uncle, I swear on the Styx that if this is a Footloose remake-"
"While I'm absolutely thrilled you know what that film is, I wasn't talking about Bacon. I was talking about Kevin Sullivan."
Naruto furrowed his brow. "The Canadian director?"
"No, the one from Zimbabwe - yes, the Canadian!" Apollo shook his head. "I would have taken you to see an action movie, but unfortunately someone was too busy with his Amazonian girlfriend to enjoy the summer."
Fire danced across his face and he sputtered.
"She-She wasn't my g-girl-!"
"Right, right." The god of the sun grinned. "I'm so proud of you, kiddo. Them Amazons, whoo, almost as hard to flirt with as Hunters sometimes. I blame Ares for that, being the thick headed idiot he is. Although, it is thanks to him that we have managed to bring the phrase 'Death by Snu-Snu' into pop culture."
"Uncle, can we please not talk about this?"
"Well, I guess I can lay off. You always ask so nicely for permission to do things," Apollo gave the boy a scathing glower, eyes glowing to put an emphasis on how upset he was. "Except for that one time where you disappeared for eight years! With not just an Egyptian trickster god of all things, oh no, you just had to make friends with an Æsir! An Æsir! Those guys are crazy and flaunt their version of the apocalypse without a care in the world!"
"They actually care a lot about it. And he's Vanir, not an Æsir." Naruto sank into his chair at another glowing glare and quickly added. "Most of it wasn't my fault."
"Maybe not, but you're the one that left Pennsylvania, kiddo. And guess who got the brunt of your mother's anger?" Apollo rubbed his head at the twinge of a phantom pain. "Do you know how long it takes a god to heal from a silver arrow to the head? Do you?"
"I get the feeling you're going to tell me anyway."
"It takes a long time! Like, five whole hours!"
"Haven't you been turned into a mortal before?"
"I-That is so not the point! I am angry with you, dammit, let me rant! You-"
A ringing phone interrupted this time. The source was a golden Blackberry marked with a laurel crown that had been strapped to the dash. Apollo glared at the device set on his dashboard, then at the boy he considered kin. With a frustrated growl, the god snatched the phone off its holder.
"This isn't over." He growled before he gave his attention to the phone and answered it. "What? I'm busy—Oh, sorry, Arte."
"...How did Mom contact-Does Mom have a cell phone!?" Naruto stared incredulously at his uncle. Apollo glanced at him in amusement, as if he'd suddenly sprouted a second head from his shoulders.
"Yeah...Yeah, he's here. We were just on our way to-You knew what we were going to do. Yes you did. You agreed to-I am not going back on my word, Artemis! You sound just like Mom." Apollo rolled his eyes. "Look, we can argue about this for decades right now, or we could get back to the point of your call."
Naruto strained to listen in. He got maybe every other fifth syllable. A sense of growing dread settled in his gut as his uncle's excitement became more apparent. He gulped when Apollo hung up, smiling brighter than his chariot ever could on a cloudless day.
"Change of plans, bud, we've got damsels to save!" The God of the Arts was quick to raise a finger before Naruto could speak. "I know what you're going to say, Artuto...but I meant it quasi-literally. A couple of girls have been stranded in the wilderness and they're both technically princesses. Hence, damsels."
"You know that Mom knows what you meant, right?"
"And a couple of princes are there, too. And a goat. And the Hunters—""
"Wait…" Naruto furrowed his brows. "Are...Did Mom just call you for a ride? For demigods? Isn't...isn't that against the rules?"
"Not my kids, so don't sweat it, Kiddo. We're just helping some family get home. That makes Hestia happy, so Pops won't pay it no mind. Much." Apollo pursed his lips, then added under his breath. "I hope."
"I can't tell you how much I regret that stupid prayer."
"You were bullied in school, weren't you? I knew I should've personally babysat you more often. The fun we could've had, the single parents I could've met...Ah, well. You know what they say: Foresight is fifty-fifty, Hindsight is 2020."
"I don't think anyone says that."
"They don't...Yet."
Naruto started to massage his temples.
"Since we're being diverted from guys' night, which will be rectified on another day," Apollo grinned at his nephew's groan. "Want me to tell you about the little children we're picking up?"
"You're going to anyway." The blond leaned his elbow on the door and propped his cheek up by his fist, staring out the window in disinterest.
"Yeah, I am. So you know Poseidon has a kid, right?"
"...Paul ...Jefferson?"
"Not even close, geez. What, do the Hunters not gossip?"
Naruto leveled his uncle with a flat stare. "Last I checked, Mom's past times do not include gathering at the Olympian water cooler to chat about the office."
"...Kudos for the cultural references, but points deducted for the attitude. She didn't mention anything, huh?" The sun god rolled his eyes. "Ugh, my sister is such a killjoy. I swear."
"Anyway, about Poseidon's kid?"
"Right, right. His name is Percy Jackson. Ring any bells now?" The blank stare remained. "C'mon, the whole Lightning Thief incident? Retrieving the Golden Fleece? The kid's trying to set a record, I swear."
"What part of my 'training in Canada' explanation, did you miss?"
"Ey, watch the cheek or I'll smack it. Wham, pow! Straight to the moon, Alice!"
"...Why do you keep saying things I don't understand? What about a Lightning Thief? Why was there a need to retrieve the Golden Fleece?"
Apollo just kept his eyes on the sky, shoulders slumped. "Cracks jokes about modern office life, but doesn't know The Honeymooners?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. He did a double take when he saw a large snow-covered clearing start to get closer.
"Uh, Uncle Fred…?"
"We are marathoning good TV, and I don't care what Hera or Hestia say about the show. It's a staple of American history!" Apollo started to rant. The ground was getting closer. There was a large crowd of people near the clearing.
"Uncle Fred?"
"Television is culture! It's history! Memes-It'll be a thing, you just wait for that one. ...Oh, right. Demig-Wait! No, you will be able to enjoy them! Awesome! We should make the first one! It'll be a good time!"
"Uncle Fred!"
"What?"
"Is the sun supposed to be this close to the ground?"
"Hm? Oh, f-!"
Faster than Naruto could perceive, Apollo pulled back on the steering wheel and pressed down on a button on the dash. A bright flash blinded the mortal riding shotgun, before he was reminded that G-forces were a thing and was jostled by the immediate halt. Naruto's stomach lurched up to his throat and dropped back down. His nails were embedded in the leather interior and his eyes were the size of dinner plates, staring blankly at the bright glow that came through the windshield.
He looked at his uncle, who had both a blinding grin and sunglasses on his face.
"Nnnnailed it."
"...I am never riding in this thing again..."
"Sure, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." Apollo waved him off and unbuckled his seat belt. He opened the door and stepped out, raising a hand up to someone outside. "Hey, Lil' Sis, we made it!"
0brk0
Being in the forests of Maine during the peak of winter was not the idea of fun for one Thalia Grace. Sure, the snow was plentiful and fluffy, and the scenery she would reflect was beautiful, but the area was tainted by loss, anger, and ...Them.
Anger coiled through her veins, and static danced at her fingertips; a normal occurrence for when her emotions were out of whack. Thalia took a deep breath in an effort to calm down and pulled her jacket tighter. She felt like a caged animal, restless and in need of something to do. Annabeth was missing, possibly gone for good. Percy was acting like a puss about it, Grover was distracted by his new charge who was, in the daughter of Zeus' modest opinion, way too excited about everything. Oh, and to top it all off, The Hunters were here.
It was a picture perfect shit day, snowfall included. They were waiting for transport back to Camp Half-Blood, which was good. Unfortunately, her choice in company was...lacking.
"So we're waiting for Apollo? The sun guy?" The little runt of a demigod asked. Nico di Angelo. Only half of the demigods they were supposed to escort back to Camp. That little quest turned out about as well as the rest of the night, that was for sure.
Closing her army jacket around her tighter, the raven haired teen blew some of her hair out of her eyes.
"Yeah. Lord Apollo's a pretty awesome god." Grover, her satyr friend, told the runt.
"Cool!"
"Wouldn't it be hot?" Percy asked the kid, who scrunched his face in concentration at the question.
"Hm, I guess that makes more sense."
Thalia closed her eyes. She would not mock Percy for being an idiot. He was just trying to keep Nico distracted...and away from the Hunters.
Electric blue eyes glanced at the silver-clad troupe, then narrowed when they met with the dark browns of the Hunt's Lieutenant. The last time she'd met the Hunters, they'd saved her friends from being overwhelmed by Hellhounds...save for one.
The mortal that had befriended Luke, Annabeth and herself had not been seen since that night. According to Annabeth, when Luke was given his quest to steal one of Hera's apples, he'd made time to seek out Whiskers (she adamantly refused to call him something as ridiculous as 'Naruto'). The apartment they'd stayed in was demolished a year after he disappeared, and there'd been no rumors of a Marvel-fan taking his cosplay to the next level. Thalia told Annabeth what Artemis had revealed to her shortly afterwards: Whiskers was the goddess' son.
They made an agreement to find him and rescue Luke together...but now...
"Finally. Here he comes now," Artemis said, still looking like a child as she used her pale hand to shield her eyes. Thalia looked up, grateful for the distraction, and found what looked like a star that was coming towards them. Rapidly.
"Hey, is it me or is that star getting bigger?" she asked.
"That pompous-! Everyone down!" Artemis cried out as a massive ball of light rushed towards them. The Hunters listened to her command, while Thalia tackled Grover and Percy pulled Nico down. The daughter of Zeus grimaced when she got a bleat to the face from her goat-bodied friend as a hot flash shot over them, scorching the area.
"Ugh, gross!" She grumbled as she stood up. That was some serious stank. She covered her nose and took a step away from the satyr. "Grover, you need to cut back on the onions in your enchiladas."
"Sorry, Thalia."
"Just...at least brush your teeth more often." Thalia grumbled. She couldn't stay mad at Grover. The reason she got a cheesy bleat to the face, however...
"I can't believe, of all the irresponsible, inconsiderate-Apollo!" Artemis sounded livid as she switched to her adult form. Thalia stepped out of the irate goddess' way, and tracked her to her target.
The smoking golden hot rod that nearly reduced them to ash was still dimming when the driver's side door popped open. Stepping out was a young guy that looked like he just walked out of a Californian advertisement for a surf shop. Despite the distance, and slight glare from the car, Thalia could make out the features of the youth's face. She gulped.
"Whoa, Apollo's hot."
"Well, duh," Percy said, stepping up beside her. "He is the Sun God."
She levelved him with a flat stare and crossed her arms. "That's not what I meant."
"Hey, Lil' Sis, we made it!"
"Why in the world do the gods let you drive this thing?!" Another voice spoke up once the passenger door popped open. A voice Thalia swore she could recognize from somewhere. A blond teen with a white shirt stood and slammed the door shut.
"I was just asking myself the same question," Artemis said.
"Hey, watch the ride!" Apollo snapped, glaring at his accomplice. He shifted a bright grin back on his face when he looked at his sister. He held his arms out. "Lil' Sis, I can explain-"
"Save it." The Goddess looked at the teen that was glaring at her twin's head. Her features softened slightly, but hardened when she looked back at Apollo. "At least I'm not the only one who thinks you need to be re-evaluated."
"What? I'm the best driver on Olympus!" the Sun God boasted. Artemis, the Hunters (sans Bianca) and the other blond unanimously scoffed. Artemis poked her twin in the chest.
"We will be having a long conversation about this-"
"About what? I'm a fantastic driver with the coolest car!"
"I would sooner trust your stupid car to drive itself than I do with you!"
"You take that back!" Apollo gasped and turned to hug and drool over his car. "It's okay baby, she didn't mean it. She's just ignorant. Shh, shh. Daddy's here."
"We're standing right here." The teen crossed his arms.
"I care not, you traitor!" Apollo growled at the other blond. "Ichor or Blood, your sucking up has stained our relationship!"
"That is not even a thing!" The teen threw his arms up before he looked at Artemis. "Right?"
"Do not encourage him. He will continue if you engage." She reached out and started to respectfully check him for injuries. Thalia arched a brow, that's way different than how she treated Grover (who let out an indignant bleat at the sight) and Percy. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Lady Artemis." Her silver eyes snapped to his, the stare pointed and he ducked his head. "Err, I mean, no, Mom."
Thalia felt her throat tighten because what in Hades had Whiskers been doing while she was a freaking pine tree? When'd he get so tall? And where did he get that really tight tee-shirt? Now her eyes were wandering, drinking in the view.
Stupid hormones.
"Wait, what?" Percy muttered next to her, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I thought Artemis was uh...the whole...Um."
Oh, for the love of.
"Virgin." Thalia said, smirking at her cousin when his cheeks darkened. "It's pronounced Verr-Gin, Wethead."
"Shut up, Pinecone Face."
If there weren't two gods right there, she would've decked the little shit. Her attention went back to the goddess and her son.
"If you're sure…"
"I'm sure, Mom. I'm fine." A small smile graced the teen's face and Thalia felt her chest tighten. Oh, gods, what was wrong with her?
"That's good. Now onto other business." Artemis reached up, applied what looked like enough torque to turn a truck and wrenched her twin's ear.
"Ow! Ow! Arte! Artemis!"
"What in the world were you thinking?!" Artemis' eyes were glowing. "If I hadn't been there to protect them, my Hunters and the Demigods would've been roasted to ashes!"
Thalia pursed her lips. Great. That marks three times she owes Artemis. Her eyes glanced to the Hunters and met Zoë's once more. The lieutenant smirked and she huffed before looking away, back at Whiskers. He seemed amused by the fight occurring before him.
"That's not my fault!" Apollo winced as he jerked away and rubbed the side of his head.
"Really?" Artemis arched a brow as her glowing eyes dimmed. "Do tell, how is it not your fault that you can't keep your eyes on the skyway?"
Apollo did what many before him had done, Thalia was not excluding herself from that, and pointed his finger at the other blond.
"He was distracting me!"
If eyes could actually pop out of sockets, Thalia was sure that Whiskers' would probably circled the globe.
"Wh-buh, that's-! I didn't even-! He's lying!"
"God of Truth." Apollo smirked at him. He looked at his twin and nodded. "That little traitor has the gall to go see the Phantom Menace with Freyyyyyyank. Frank of all people!"
"Nice save. Totally covered himself there." A Hunter murmured, before being elbowed in the side. Thalia glanced at the group, noted the smirks on their faces, and frowned. Why did she get the feeling that they knew what the twin gods were talking about?
"...and then he has the gall to come back with some, some mind you, knowledge of modern culture."
"This distracted you...how?" Artemis asked. Her twin smirked and put a hand on his chest.
"Being the Intelligent god that I am, I did my best to bestow all my culturally savvy knowledge on his young mortal mind." Apollo sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Sadly, he just wouldn't listen to fact and reason."
"You were talking about spousal abuse being iconic and a cornerstone of American history!" Whiskers threw his arms up.
...Was it just Thalia, or did the temperature just drop by another ten degrees?
"You nearly roasted my Hunters because of your stupid fascination with that Hermes-spawn's damned sitcom!?" Artemis snapped. Apollo crossed his arms and met his sister's glare with one of his own.
"The Honeymooners is a staple to American culture! That kids don't know of it today would be like saying they don't know who the Lone Ranger is!"
"Who?" Percy, ever the master of timing that he was, chose that moment to voice his ignorance. Unlike Thalia, who wisely kept her mouth shut. She would be asking someone about it later, though.
"It was an old western show." Grover mumbled.
Well, that answers that.
Apollo and Artemis looked at the gathered group before looking back at each other.
"This isn't over." The goddess grumbled. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I called in a favor, and time is of the essence. So, now that you are here, you will take both those half-bloods and my Hunters to Camp."
"Uh," Whiskers held a finger up. "Problem."
"What now?" Artemis asked.
"I can't go to Camp."
"Oh, yeah. He's right." Apollo nodded. "Not only is he mortal, but Pops might take offense to him being there."
"He is a probationary Hunter. He goes where the Hunt goes."
There was a lot of unsatisfied grumbling from the Hunters.
"...Since when is that a thing?!" Apollo asked, eyes wide.
"I was going to bring his ...membership up at the Solstice meeting."
"I could just go back to Canada."
Canada? Thalia furrowed her brow. Why was he in Canada?
"No." The Twins leveled him with a pointed look and he held his hands up.
"Joke. It was just a joke."
"You will go with the Hunters and play with Chiron's wards. Go...Apollo what is the word I'm looking for? To show superiority in the games of youths?"
"You want him to go Flex?" Apollo cocked a brow.
"Yes. That." Artemis nodded, looking pleased. She smiled at Whiskers. "Go Flex on the Demigods."
"...Yeah, sure. Okay." Whiskers looked like he was trying to hide a smile. "Sportingly and wreck their dreams?"
"Make sure Hypnos has nothing to work with." Artemis nodded again.
"A mortal after my own golden heart…" Apollo sniffed. He wiped his crocodile tear away and planted his fists on his hips. "Very well, Lil Sis! I, the great Apollo, shall do this favor to you...and watch as my only Lil Nephew trounces my kids and their ilk."
Recalling the fights where the blond mortal stood his own against countless monsters, a tingle went up Thalia's spine. Whiskers was going to be with the Hunters. They didn't seem pleased about it, and that might even throw them off of their game. She has a chance to rub their face in defeat, to prove them and their smug Lieutenant wrong.
"...Anyone else get a chill down their spine?" Percy mumbled. "No, just me? Cool. Great."
"Hm, but not everyone will fit on my ride as it is…" Apollo's voice broke through their thoughts again. He snapped his fingers. "I've got it! We'll forgo style this time, and ride something culturally appropriate. If only to instill something in my foolish nephew's head."
"You are the only fool here…" Artemis grumbled.
Whiskers looked wide-eyed when the god lifted his keys, and turned to look at them. "All those currently without godly status should cover their eyes!"
A bright flash and the chirp of a lock later, and the god's sports car was reverted to a large golden school bus. In place of a number was the phrase 'Wahoo!' and the headlights were styled to look like eyes. Thalia did all she could not to think about happier times when she was younger, before...That Woman did The Unforgivable Thing.
"Alright, field trip everyone! Form up a line, ladies and gents." Apollo clapped his hands. "Oh, and goats."
Thalia hung back, not wanting to sit anywhere near the front or risk being crammed next to a window. Doing so allowed her to witness the interaction of a goddess and mortal.
"You want us to ride with this wiz? Oh, man…" Whiskers asked the goddess beside him. She sighed.
"It's the fastest ride I know of, sadly." Artemis smiled at him. "Be safe."
"You too." The blond chanced a glance at the Hunters and, before she could stop him, wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Mom. I know this is a test. It has to be."
The goddess of the Hunt froze. Her finger twitched, before she awkwardly patted Whiskers' back, which prompted him to let go. Thalia winced, recalling the time when she and the blond were the only two awake, before she knew what he was.
Artemis turned to her brother when she noticed him helping a Hunter get her bag.
"Need a hand sweetheart?"
"Do not call my Hunters sweetheart, Apollo!"
"I am trying to be helpful, but you're just being hurtful!"
Rolling her eyes at the sibling banter, Thalia looked to Whiskers again, only to find him climbing into the Bus. She was the last to board after him. He sat behind the driver's seat, next to the Lieutenant. She saw a prime opportunity when she realized that the seat across from the one he took was free, save for her cousin. With Percy at the window, Thalia popped down beside him and stared at the whiskered blond, thinking about what she was going to say. Provoking conversation after watching him for so long was going to be awkward, but she needed to know why he left.
Then she noticed the tattoo on his left arm.
"When did you get a tattoo?!" She really hoped that he didn't notice the envy in her voice.
"Look, I don't want to talk about-" His eyes met hers and his mouth dropped. "Th-Thalia?"
"Yes." She grumbled, was it really-...well, okay she had been a tree for the last five years. That was a problem.
"Wow... I didn't... Um, how have you been?"
"I was a tree. In limbo. Look, it doesn't matter." She waved her hand, frustration written on her face before she leveled a hard glare at him. "Where were you?"
He blanched and his right hand rubbed at his arm, stroking the intricate design. What did it feel like, she wondered. Then promptly assured herself that she meant she wanted to know what he was feeling.
"Thou need not answer her, Naruto." Zoë, mistress of inserting her opinion when it wasn't needed, said beside him. She put a hand on his shoulder and glared at Thalia, who matched it with a volatile glower of her own.
"Thank you, Zoë, but it isn't a problem." Whiskers' voice was subdued and soft. Zoë gave him a curious glance and he waved her off. Then he turned in his seat, putting his legs in the aisle to meet her face to face. "Thalia, I've waited seven years to say this: I'm sorry."
"Wha, seven years-? I was only a tree for five!"
"Yeah, where I've been…" Naruto rubbed his neck with his left hand and gave her a sheepish smile. "It's kind of complicated like that."
"Time is really irrelevant!" Apollo called from the front as he stepped onto the bus, efficiently butting in on the conversation Thalia felt she was long overdue. "Except for the here and now! Head count, Hunters!"
Dead silence. The glares were nearly audible.
"Okay! I'll take that as you're all present!" The god's chipper attitude was mildly infuriating. Thalia leveled him with a glare, too. Not because of his sex, but because of his crap timing. She was in the middle of something. "Campers? Let's see: Cabin Three?"
"Here." Percy said beside her.
"Cabin Eleven?"
There was a soft "That's you" from Grover before Nico went, "Here!"
"And I see the noteworthy horns of a satyr, which leaves Cabin One…" Apollo's eyes locked with Thalia's and his grin widened. "Hello, Thalia Grace. Welcome back."
"Thanks." She huffed.
"You're the daughter of Zeus, right? Big man on top? The pretty girl who was a pretty tree?"
Percy snorted and Thalia glared at him, before looking at the god once more. "Yeah, and?"
"Cool. Cool." Apollo sniffed and leaned against the dash before he nodded at the driver's seat. "...Want to drive?"
This couldn't possibly go wrong.
Did I end with another cliffy?
Guess I may have to continue this series.
...Maybe...
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