[READERS! THIS IS A FOREWORD FROM SAXTON HALE! THIS CHAPTER IS THE ONLY GOOD ONE IN THIS ENTIRE STORY! IN FACT, THE STORY JUST MAY END IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, WHICH IS SO BORING I WOULDN'T EVEN TRY TO READ IT! SO GET YOUR MANN CO.-APPROVED DIAPERS READY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WHERE YOU WILL ACTUALLY SOIL YOURSELF, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IF YOU READ A MANN. CO COMIC! JUST REMEMBER TO IGNORE ALL THE OTHER UNFORTUNATE EXPOSITIONARY PARTS HERE!

ENJOY, AND DON'T TELL ME I DIDN'T WARN YA!]

By the time the trio woke up and got ready, Saxton Hale was already waiting for them by the car. "393, 394, 395, 3- Oh, gooooood morning, ladies and gents!" Saxton noticed Percy, Grover and Annabeth approaching him, each carrying their items and gifts they received for the journey. "I hoped I could complete six-hundred pushups before you came, but I woke up too late!" Saxton finished his four-hundredth pushup and got up, not a drop of sweat on his brow. "Percy my boy! That is a belter of a new pen you got there. We will write those monsters some nasty cease and desists!" Saxton raised his fist to his face.

Even in his nervous mood at the upcoming quest, Percy couldn't help but laugh. "It's not actually a pen, it's a sword." He uncapped it and showed Saxton the shiny blade it transformed into. "It's called Anaklusmos, or Riptide."

"Ooh, sharp!" Saxton inspected the edge. "A fine shank indeed! I almost never use any weapon other than my fists, but I reckon this piece will serve ya well!"

"Thanks. I see you found something to wear."

Saxton looked down satisfied with his new short-sleeved safari jacket that matched his other clothes' color. "Oh yeah, it's extraordinary, ain't it, mate? I could probably get me one of those silly pith helmets and fit right in the glorious concrete jungle that is New York City!"

Percy just nodded in approval. Glorious isn't exactly a word he would use to describe New York, but whatever worked for the upbeat Australian.

Saxton looked at the two others. "Annabeth, you have your hat, fashionable as ever, and Grover! Those are some fine new shoes. Guess they got a trick to them too?"

Grover showed off his basketball shoes. "Yeah, they can make me fly if I say the command."

"Ah yes, think I got a patent for something like those back home."

Chiron trotted over to them. "Well, Mr. Hale, this is it. I trust these Half-Bloods to be competent enough by themselves, but your added help is appreciated. Here, take this, you will find it useful." He gave Saxton a handful of drachmas and a bunch of dollars.

Saxton shook his hand. "Thanks! You can count on me to make sure not a hair falls off their head! And that's a River Murray promise!" No thunder sounded this time.

[You'd think those gods would have a little more respect our greatest river!]

Everybody said their goodbyes and they were off. Saxton naturally struggled to fit inside the car and had to move around the entire trip to the bus station. He tapped the shoulder of their one-hundred eyed driver and gave him the money Chiron handed to Saxton earlier. "Argus, is it? Give Chiron this stack of cash back to pay for this." He then proceeded to tear out the back part of his seat and throw it out of the window. Argus wasn't very happy with that action, but you can't really argue with Saxton Hale on anything, especially if you're a mute like the multilocular driver was.

They finally got to the station and waited for the bus. Now, in public, you could really see how ridiculously out of place Saxton looked. Someone's choice to wear jungle clothes in the cold New York weather would be strange by itself, but his tank-like figure caused all eyes to be on him. Grover sighed as another passerby stared at Saxton while walking until they hit a pole. "Great that you got a shirt, now no one will think you're unusual. Could you at least pretend to be cold?" He grumbled.

But not even one shiver went through the Australian's body. "Son, you think it's easy to catch snow leopards when you 'pretend to be cold'? Because it's not!" Saxton said, crossing his arms without looking at Grover. He knew the satyr was right; the way everyone was looking at him right now when he wasn't a celebrity felt weird. They were dumbfounded by his appearance, not his achievements. Saxton didn't want people to just know he's strong – he wanted them to know he's the richest man in the world who assaults apex predators on a daily basis. That was the true value of being admired and famous for your identity.

The stares became even more apparent when the bus arrived and they climbed aboard, making everyone lift their head to see Saxton hit his' on the roof. "Who did they build this thing for, actual greyhounds?" Saxton grumbled. Annabeth shhh'd him to remind him to keep low. The trio went to the back of the bus, and Saxton tried to fit himself in the middle, just barely managing to occupy two seats. As he debated with himself whether he could secretly tear these seats out and toss them out of the window as well, he was completely oblivious to the three old ladies that climbed aboard in the last moment, and the subsequent nervous reaction from the trio. Minutes passed, and he was still fighting the urge to ruin the bus's seats. "God-damn normal automobiles and their tiny, dog-sized seats. What do you need, Miss Chase?" He felt a familiar invisible presence next to him again, but to his surprise it was Percy who revealed himself. "Why are ya wearing her hat?"

"No time to explain, the Furies are here, we need to-"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" A screech was heard from the back. The three old ladies became demons and attacked Annabeth and Grover, who tried to hold them back with dagger and tin cans. Saxton got up, fists raised.

"Oi!" They all turned around to him, Percy was already cloaked and kept sneaking to the driver's side to continue his original plan while Saxton distracted them. "I'm going to give ya witches three seconds to fly away before I'm plucking out those wings and forcing you to buy 'em back!" He had a way of making serious threats to people while keeping a jolly smile under his moustache.

"Foolish mortal…" They hissed, all three starting to move towards him, one in the middle and two crawling on the bus seats. "Whoever you may be, you doomed yourself for an eternity of suffering in the underworld!" They hissed and attacked him all at once.

"Hoa! Hop! Hoho!" He dodged swing after swing of their burning whips, continually backing away, trying to provoke them. "Come closer now! Unlike you, I don't bite!"

"Hale, you're getting too close to the people!" Annabeth yelled from the back as she attacked the right Fury, diverting the creature away. Saxton looked behind him. She was right, he was dangerously close to the screaming civilians. Destroyed property is easy to excuse in court – loss of human life is harder. The left Fury exploited his distraction and striked with her whip – but he managed to block just in time, a burning trail of fire spreading across his arm. Saxton made sure to show her the mistake she made by stepping too close to his ring of death, and sent a fist to her face that made her fly through the bus' window and into incoming traffic. He patted his arms to put out the flames, focusing his eyes forward. The main fury was still in front of him, but he had bigger concerns – Annabeth was fighting the other one, and he was committed to protecting these kids' lives first and foremost. He let the main Fury take a swing at him, sidestepping her attack and pushing her aside as he ran for the left one. He tackled her to the ground and was about the punch her, when Percy got the genius idea to pull the emergency lever.

[This is not sarcasm, folks! Pulling emergency levers is a fun way to spice up your bus-riding experience. It causes excitement, danger, action! But don't let your parents know that Saxton Hale told you this. In fact, destroy your computer or phone right now, to erase any libelous claim about Saxton Hale supporting car accidents. Actually, wait! Before you destroy your computer, you have to hear the next part!]

Because when the lever was pulled, Saxton and the Fury thrashed around the bus like a pinball machine. And when it finally crashed, he let all the panicked riders stampede her on the way out. A few stepped on his face too, but there is no price too big for the sound of a demon screeching as it gets walked over to death.

As he got up, the third Fury attacked him, hitting his back with her whip. Another irritating flaming trail spread across it, and he turned around to defend himself. She was vicious! She kept swinging and swinging at him, but his arms protected his face and chest well, taking most of the burn damage. Annabeth stepped in to help him and stabbed at the Fury, but the latter was quick and turned around to fight her. Saxton seized the moment and grabbed the demon, throwing it into the ground so hard it wedged itself under a bus seat. He was about to pull it out and finish the ugly devil, but he noticed Annabeth was already out of the bus, desperately waving for him to come. Saxton's Aussie senses tingled, and he jumped through the window in the nick of time as lightning stroke the vehicle.

BOOOOOOM!

He covered the trio with his body as the windows shattered over them. He looked back on the wrecked bus. "Whew!" Now he finally had a battle worthy to give him sweat to wipe off his forehead, though that heat played a large part in that. "Good thinking, lass! And… thanks for your help, too." It was still hard to actually thank people sincerely, but, a new start demanded new manners, and Saxton obliged. "I'm smelling like a snag now!" He looked over his many first-degree burns.

"Our bags were in there…" Grover moaned in desperation. An angry wail came from inside, signaling the enemy was not yet defeated.

"Run! She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!" Annabeth said, and they all started running to the forest. Percy noticed a few people in the crowd took pictures of them.

"I'll teach you how to survive in the wild! Let's go!" Saxton cheerfully said as he paced his jogging speed to their running one.

"Hale… you really don't need to teach us how to survive in the wild right now." Percy sighed as they walked through the dark forest for what felt like hours, especially with Saxton still trying to tell them how to make a proper campfire in harsh conditions, which did fit the situation as rain was pouring over them and he was leading them through complete darkness.

"You alright, mate? Because right now is the best time to learn how to survive in the wild." Saxton said loudly, not caring at all about being quiet as he marched confidently in the dark without tripping. "What if you go cold, or hungry, huh? You won't have a Hungry Jack's waiting for ya in the middle of nowher-" He stopped suddenly, making the three heroes crash on his back one after one.

"Ow, why did you stop?" Percy groaned getting up, but then saw that Saxton's frowning face was illuminated by a new source of light. He looked over to it and saw… some sort of a weird curio shop? Most importantly, it carried great smells of food, the best kind of artery-clogging food.

"Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium?" Grover read the neon sign.

"Pah." Saxton sniffled. "That's an exception to the rule. Do not be tempted by strange random restaurants in the wild, campers! They were created to make ya soft."

"Please, Hale... Just let us eat normally." Percy sighed. Saxton looked at their hungry and tired faces.

"Hm, fine, I'll go easy on ya for your first field trip." He took big steps to the shop as everyone else hurried after him. They all started noticing the large number of statues in the shop's yard. That's when Grover started protesting their destination.

"One of those looks like my uncle Ferdinand." He bleated, fear in his voice. "I really don't think we should go there, guys."

"Me neither, goatboy, but Percy just may be making a good point." Saxton said as they approached the door. "Maybe tonight isn't a good time to learn about outdoor survival. And don't even start with me about those statues! I want to smash 'em. But right now, we have to be polite to this place's owner!" As they had an argument whether to enter or not, he abruptly stopped before the door, this time Percy having enough visibility not to crash into his back again. Saxton started smelling the air. "Hm, actually. I don't like it either, Grover. This place has a faint smell of…" Saxton scowled as one of his most important survival abilities came back to him. "…Hippies." He turned around to the confused group. "Kids, this is gonna be one of your most important lessons today. Hippies are the scourge of humanity, and learning to survive in one of their houses is essential in case it ever happens. I'll be watching you, make me proud!" And with that, he jumped to the roof, disappearing.

"What a great guardian he is." Percy muttered as a veil-covered woman opened the door for them.

Saxton was already spying into the woman's home, watching her greet the trio and following her movements. He could tell a suspicious person when he sees one. Was the smell coming from her? It was hard to tell, because she didn't feed them evil vegan food as he thought, she fed them burgers and milkshakes and fries. But something was still suspicious about her. Grover looked like he knew it, perhaps Saxton underestimated that boy. And now Annabeth looked suspicious as well when she finished her meal. Good, good… Ah, but Percy now looked sleepy and tired. This is why you need to train yourself not to let a big meal dull your senses. The woman looked at the window and he ducked, sneaking to the yard. He looked around on the statues. They all had a terrified look on their face, and looked very realistic. What kind of crazy peacenik builds these…?

He dropped to cover when he heard the door open. He crawled on the grass, sneaking between the statues and listening to the conversation. She wants to take a picture of them?

[Bad idea, pictures are terrible. Try to explain a judge you weren't beating people up at the anti-war protest when one of them has a camera!]

He waited behind a statue, peeking. She wasn't holding any camera. Percy was still drunk on whatever she put in those milkshakes. At least Annabeth and Grover were rightfully nervous. Saxton's ears tingled as he heard a familiar noise from one of his hunting trips in a tunnel at New South Wales. Was that… hissing? As he traced the source of the sound the woman undoing her face wrap, Annabeth shouted, "Look away from her!" and they all dropped to the ground. Not him, though! He stared right at her back as she lifted her face covering and saw her snake-infested hair and sharp claws. Wait, no, her hair wasn't infested with snakes, her hair was snakes!

Saxton hid again behind the statue as the monster and the trio talked. Why do people always insist on having a conversation before a fight? He always preferred punching first and asking questions later. He looked to his side, seeing a bandana laying on the ground, and got an idea. You don't impress people by doing things with your eyes closed. You do it blindfolded.

…

Grover was at his fourth dive at Medusa, ready to hit her with his flying shoes and tree-bat, when he heard the Australian reveal himself. "Those little lizards on your head wouldn't make a very impressive trophy, would they?" Unfortunately, that distraction made Grover lose his course and crash into a bear statue. "The whole head, now, that might be worth putting on my desk."

Medusa hissed at Saxton, who faced right at her direction, a piece of cloth covering his eyes. "Aw, look at that big, muscular body… You'd look beautiful as a statue… Why don't you take off that silly cloth and pose for auntie- HAH!" She swinged at Saxton with her talons and he ducked, grabbing her leg and tossing her at Percy.

"Catch!" He said, and Percy jumped out of the way just as Medusa was about to drop on him, still holding his eyes closed.

"Hale, what the heck are you doing?!"

"Jackson! I'm not hearing a sword being unsheathed!" Saxton moved towards Medusa's dazzled body as she got up, carefully tracking her just like he tracked the serpents in that dark NSW tunnel. "I am training you in object interception right now! Keep your eyes closed and listen!" He grabbed Medusa by her neck and raised her in the air, keeping her sharp claws away from his body.

"LET ME GO, LET ME GO!" She wailed and tried to hit his face, but he could feel the swings she cut in the air when she was about to strike and moved his head accordingly, only letting her scratch his arms.

"Listen up, boy! I am going to throw her at you, and you're going to hit her! It's just like cricket!" Without warning, he threw Medusa at Percy again. The latter dodged and swinged his sword, but missed and chopped off a statue's arm. "C'mon, you can do this! Do like me – listen to the snakes on her head! They ain't smart enough to keep quiet!"

"Hale, please-"

"No pleases!" Saxton approached Medusa's body again. This time she reacted fast and managed to get a swipe on him, and he backed off, holding his bleeding side. "Oh, nice one! Ya finally hit me. But that's not going to stop our training!" Saxton grabbed her feet before she could react and threw her again at Percy. "Catch!"

Now Percy was prepared. He hated this crazy way of trying to train him, but he had no choice. He stepped to the side, waited, heard the agitated hissings approach him while in the air… and swung upwards with Riptide. With a final sound of meat getting chopped, Medusa was no more, and her head rolled on the floor, touching his shoe.

"Excellent job, my boy!" Saxton cheered after Annabeth wrapped the gorgon's head and they entered the house to eat another meal, Saxton joining them this time. "See? You don't need me at all to solve your problems."

Percy sighed. "Didn't you swear that you'd do anything to protect us?"

"Well, yes, but... Look, I can't just murder random people because they're suspicious to me. Maybe back home, but not here."

"And when she revealed herself as a monster?"

Saxton tsk-tsked. "Son, what is this whining? You, you, and you…" He pointed at each one of them. "…Are all heroes. I said it before and I'll say it again – I'm not your babysitter. Sure I could have ripped her head out in an instant, but that's too easy. You let me fight anything that poses an actual threat to you. Until then, you all need to keep your senses sharp and your abilities strong. I am here to save you from any life-risking encounters. And this one…" He pointed at the wrapped head. "…Was a valuable learning opportunity."

Percy sighed and turned to Annabeth. "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?" And then they went into another argument about who risked who's life.

[This is just sad. How can someone live life without the thrill of near-death experiences? You should thank someone when he endangers you, not scold him!]

After that, Percy had the bright idea of sending Medusa's head to the gods.

"Downright disrespectful!" Saxton clapped, much to Grover's disapproval. "I love it!"

Percy smiled as the package disappeared. "Let's get what we need and go." Annabeth nodded and said, "It's too dangerous to sleep in here."

Saxton gulped down another hamburger. "No such thing as 'too dangerous' when I'm around, or you three for that matter, but for once I actually agree! This place is too cushy and comfortable, out there you can learn the survival skills I was talking about." They went outside the lair's area and lit a campfire, Saxton assuring them they can kill whomever monster notices it. "Well, you all got your blankets and whatnot. I suggest you sleep in shifts – watching your friend's back is an important thing to know in a communal outdoor experience!" Saxton adjusted the fire, making sure it stays warm for a long time. "I'll patrol around the area to catch anything that tries to sneak by." He then jogged into the woods, letting them discuss about whatever personal issues they wanted to talk about.

Annabeth and Grover woke up to good smells. Saxton was preparing them a tasty breakfast with materials he scavenged from Medusa's kitchen. "Morning!" He waved at them. "Miss Chase, would you be so kind to wake up Jackson? Seems to be havin' a nightmare, poor sod." She did so and Percy woke up with a startle. "Percy! You look miserable. How about a breakfast to shake that off?"

Grover yawned as they started to eat. "It looks a little early to wake up…"

"'Early', hah! You always want to be back in the action as soon as possible!" Saxton tossed him an empty soda can to munch on. "Besides, I have a special job for you!"

Grover rubbed his eyes. "What?"

Saxton reached behind his back, putting his hand under his blanket. He pulled out a pink poodle and presented it to the satyr. "This pooch was the only intruder during the night! Figured you could interrogate him." Saxton threw the poodle on Grover's lap. The satyr greeted the dog and made everyone do the same. He exchanged a few words with it.

"Well… Gladiola is willing to let us collect the 200$ reward for his return, but he's very angry at you, so you'll need to apologize for mistreating him." Grover said and turned the poodle over to Saxton. He gave the dog an earnest apology and let him eat a hamburger. The dog turned to Grover and barked. "That will do, thanks."

Saxton sneakily accompanied them as they returned the dog. It was far easier for three kids to blend in the New Jersey crowd than a large mustachioed man with tattered clothes. He ran from dark alleyways to empty yards as he tried to keep his eye on them and stay unspotted at the same time. When they finished returning the dog and got back, he was very unhappy. "I HATE creeping around like that! Makes me feel like a damn rat. Being a fugitive isn't pocket billiards at all – I always prefer bribing the cops instead of running away from them."

Annabeth's face twitched. "We don't have any other choice, really. Especially now, when we need to get on the Amtrak train to Denver, you definitely can't climb aboard with us." She showed him a "Wanted" poster she tore off. All four of them were in the picture, but his figure was the most prominent. You could recognize him instantly anywhere. "You're going to have to find another way to get to Colorado."

Saxton scratched his neck, looking at the train. "Hm, I'll find my way, all right. You all get aboard that train and I'll watch to make sure no slimy bastard climes aboard like those… what did you call them, Flurries?"

"Furies."

"Just like those Furries did." He looked over to the area ahead of the train, smiling at what he found. "I'll get my gunzel spirit in gears." They parted ways and Saxton stared at them as they walked. He looked over to a hill in the distance that was above the train's path. That hunk of steel may move at around 100 miles per hour, but it doesn't happen instantly. He started fast walking to the hill, keeping his eyes on train station. When the doors closed and no suspicious person was spotted, he broke into a sprint. The train started slowly moving, but he was still minutes away from the hill. He ran faster, leaving mounds in the dirt as he cut his feet across the grass. The train was picking up the pace, and already started passing him, but he didn't let it bother him. When he finally reached the hill, the last cart was a few meters away from it, and he leaped off the ground, reaching his hands and landing with a steady dive in the last second, his legs almost hitting the tracks. He climbed up, adjusted his footing and slowly laid down, holding onto a roof handle with both hands and locking his feet in place. The train was now moving at half its speed, and Saxton knew it's going to get a lot colder soon. He took a deep breath and sticked his hat tighter on his scalp, preparing for the long journey.

After two days, the train was about to make a stop at Missouri. Saxton slowly raised his head as they entered the city. His body took a lot of sharp freezing wind throughout the ride, but he powered through it. He got up carefully, watching the station get closer. He can't allow himself to be seen there, it could delay everyone else. He looked down. The train was now much slower as it reached its destination. He crouched, and jumped off the roof, rolling on the rocky ground bellow him. Groaning, he got up and made a few warm-up exercises. Might as well have become a statue by that point, he thought, unwinding his contracted muscles. Saxton had no problem with freezing temperatures – the killer whales in the South Pole could tell you that much. But if he had to bear cold weather, he preferred to always be on the move. Fighting, running, swimming, and doing whatever other action kept his bones rattling. He shook off the dew that collected on his body and approached the train station. He sticked to the shadows as much as he could, avoiding all the people walking around, but this behavior started to drive him insane.

[SAXTON HALE IS NOT A #$ SNAKE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STUPID IT FEELS TO SNEAK AROUND A CITY LIKE YOU'RE SOME KIND OF CREEP?!]

He managed to keep his composure and watch the three heroes as they went into the famous Gateway Arch of St. Louis. Saxton considered his options. He could wait for them to return here... but then it would miss out on any dangerous and exciting stuff that might happen to them. He looked around. He was wanted in New York, but could his image travel as far as Missouri? Even when he watched them return the dog at New Jersey he didn't feel like needed to hide. He decided to take his chances. Adjusting his hat to cover his face and pulling his torn-up jacket together, he fast walked to the Arch. Entering it, he attracted a lot of strange looks, but no one called the police yet. He made a casual conversation with a security guard and convinced him to tell him where the trio are.

"They went up the elevator, for sight-seeing. It's going to take a bit of time to come back." The guard said.

"What about stairs?"

"They're for maintenance personnel only. Visitors must use the elevators."

Saxton thanked him and walked away. "'Maintenance personnel only', hah!" He muttered, approaching the door to the utility stairs. "I can do some maintenance, alright." He waited for the tourist behind him to look away and opened the door, breaking the lock with a soft push with his hand. He closed it behind him and looked at the sign. "1076 steps, huh?" He did a few squats in anticipation. "I needed a good exercise!" And like that, he bolted up the long staircase. He covered entire flights of steps within seconds. He bounced up each section with such casualness that would humiliate Mike Powell. As he traveled upwards and came closer to reaching the end, a sinister voice came from the top:

"I hate when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridicules animal after me. I…"

I hate Australia.

I hate Australia.

I hate Australia.

Those three words ringed in his ears as his heart filled with rage. His expression turned from calm into pure anger. He clenched his fists, and ran even faster up the stairs, leaving cracked marks on the floor. His face turned a light shade of red. He opened his mouth and shouted in a thick accent that echoed all the way above:

SAXTON…

He reached the door and charged right through it.

…HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE!

The door flew off its hinges and broke over a fat woman with a snake-like body who yelled in surprise. Next to her, a monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat and snake-headed tail scooted to protect her, growling at Saxton.

He pointed at the two of them. "WHAT THE #$% DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT STRAYA, YA LIL' CUNTS?!" Whatever remained from his safari jacket was now gone, and his glorious national chest hair stood out proudly.

The vile woman almost forgot she isn't supposed to be scared of humans. Her face changed from slight fear to hesitant anger. "I said it, mortal! hate your disgusting country and the animal they named after me; for I am Echidna, Mother of all Monsters!"

Saxton snarled and punched his fists together. "Then I am going to make all monsters orphans right now, ya gunt!" He charged at her, but her pet monster rushed to defend her, biting at Saxton's head. He moved away and punched its face with force, causing it to stumble back.

The snake lady hissed. "Let's see you defeat my baby first, before you make empty threats!"

Saxton grunted and raised his fists. The monster opened its mouth and Saxton anticipated another bite, but it surprised him when it spewed out fire from its throat instead. He jumped too late, and flames caught on to his side. Ignoring the heat, he slid on the ground, evading a bite and trying to tackle the Chimera by its neck, but the metallic iron collar it wore was too thick, and its snake-headed tail bit at Saxton's back, making him let go. Saxton rolled on his back away. The flames that hit him were much hotter than the ones of the whips the Furies used against him, and the snake's venom felt worse than any Taipan that ever bit him, but he stood strong, not letting an ounce of pain creep into his face. The woman laughed.

"Silly mortal, you actually thought you could stand against my child? You're resilient, but you will die soon like the rest." She taunted him.

Saxton gritted his teeth. "Oooh, ya can hide behind your little mongrel as much as ya want, but I will grill your wombat ass as soon as I get to it!"

"Hale!" Saxton looked to the side and just noticed Percy with his sword drawn, alongside a few other scared civilians who huddled in a corner. "You're risking everyone fighting like this, watch out!"

Saxton ducked to the right as the monster breathed fire in his direction again. He ran at it from the side, baiting the snake-tail to bite him, and instead stepped away and hit the lionhead again, this time right between its eyes. The Chimera staggered back a few times, but Saxton noticed the snake-tail was still protective of its mother, hissing at him. Percy moved in to help Saxton, swinging at the snake's head, but he miscalculated its speed and it bit his arm, causing him to drop Riptide and stumble back. Saxton punched the snake's nose and almost got close enough to Echidna, but then the Chimera turned around and pounced on him. The Chimera opened its mouth to bite him, but Saxton grabbed its jaws and held them apart. He could see fire forming inside its throat again and quickly kicked its frontal leg with his elbow, causing it to fall off him and destroy the floor with its explosive breath. Despite the monster's heavy weight, it turned out goat hooves are much worse than feline claws at keeping prey pinned to the ground. Saxton rolled to the side and got up, facing the Chimera just like they did in the beginning of the fight.

"Damn it, Jackson! Now you got snake venom in your veins, and I can't suck it out!" He yelled over to Percy who now held his arm in pain, and dodged another bite from the lionhead, shoving it back. He crouched on one knee, and inspected the beast closely. Both heads stayed close to their mother, not straying too far from in order to attack him, keeping an eye on Percy at the same time. This is something the monster kept doing throughout the fight, it didn't let Saxton get close to Echidna any time. It made monster was too focused to fight effectively. He could exploit this by… Saxton giggled upon the idea he just got. He dashed forward towards the Chimera. It barked at him [I still have no idea why it barked!] and bit at his belly, but Saxton disarmed it with a roundhouse to its frontal face.

LION KICK!

The Chimera tripped and switched sides with the snake-tail to let the lionhead recover. It lunged at Saxton's chin but he was prepared, and an inch before its fangs touched him, he slapped its head with his hands like he was playing the cymbals.

SNAKE CLAP!

Now the reptile fell to the floor dazed. The Chimera turned around again, desperate to protect its mother, but the lionhead still didn't fully come to its senses after the kick. Saxton ran forward at it, luring the big cat to chomp at him again, and then using its nose as a ramp, jumping and changing his form into a mighty flying kick right into Echidna's face, which had exactly one second to see the sole of his boot coming at her and widen her eyes before her body was sent flying through the window of the observation deck, tearing another hole in the Arch. She was flung so far you couldn't even hear her terrified scream as she plunged to her death. Saxton looked out the hole he created, staring at Echidna's falling body with satisfaction. He turned around to and grinned at the furious glare the Chimera gave him.

"I LOVE committing matricide!"

The monster roared in grief and started attacking him frenzily. It was completely unrelenting now, biting and snapping against Saxton without stopping, but it had no strategy, and he could keep deflecting and dodging its mindless attacks.

"Jackson!" Saxton yelled to Percy as the lionhead sinked its teeth in the ground where he just stood. "I can't comfortably kill this bugger in a tight space like this! And I bet all the security guards in this building are running here right now to block the exits. So listen!" He managed to cop a punch on the lion's jaw. "Believe in yourself, believe in your father, and believe in jumping down that dirty river down there!" He quickly pointed to the many holes that were created during the battle, then helped the Chimera create another one in the roof by pushing its head up when it tried to blow fire on him, keeping the snake-tail under his boot.

"Are you crazy?!" Percy realized this is a rhetorical question when the lionhead bit Saxton's hand, and he just laughed and punched it away.

"You're more than welcome to discuss that with the rent-a-cops!" Sure enough, guards poured in through the doors, evacuating the civilians and aiming their guns at the Chimera, Saxton, and Percy. The Mist confused them enough not to shoot, but that was not going to last long. "Or, you can man up and grab life by the balls!" He put the Chimera in a wrestler's grip, dragging it to one of the holes, the monster's goat legs not strong enough to resist him. "SEE YA ON THE FAR SIDE, MATE!" Saxton shouted and jumped out of the hole, hugging the Chimera's body. Percy and the guards looked at him with astonishment as he vanished.

SAXTONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

The Chimera lost its balance now that it was free falling, and Saxton used it to his advantage. He held its blood-caked mane and shaggy behind like a surfboard, and positioned it so both heads will absorb most of the impact. He tensed his body and braced his knees. He was in control of the fall now, just like he was every time he jumped from a plane, and he knew how to make it out safely. Five seconds from the Chimera hitting the ground, he springed off its back and did a perfect somersault, landing on the grass in front of him as the beast crashed into the earth behind him, dying instantly. Saxton turned around and admired his work - a crater with a dissolving monster in it. But he couldn't stay for long. Police officers started running to his location, and his body still took a serious beating – he had second-degree burns all over it, several bleeding bite marks, and he could feel the magical venom inside him fighting against his Australium-powered blood. It could defuse normal snakebites with ease, but this one was much stronger and required more work. He glanced at the Mississippi River – there will be time to find them later. For now, Saxton ran away from the cops yelling at him.

After losing the cops chasing him, Saxton turned around and ran back to the Arch. Staying out of sight as much as he could, he got in the Mississippi River and swam to a place he saw on his way to the Arch. He quietly rose out of the water and sneaked into the Gateway Helicopter Tours booth, knocking the guards inside there unconscious before they could see him and stealing a pair of keys. He got out of the booth, looking right and left, and quickly ran for one of the helicopters, entering it and flying away, evading the police ones circling the city as much as he could.

[Readers! Instead of boring you with the details of my long flight towards the speeding train in a borrowed Bell 206 at what pilots call "never exceed speed", how about I just tell you an interesting fact, like how I know to fly a helicopter? The answer is quite simple: Sometimes I NEED to jump out of a plane, but my pilot Jerry isn't available. For those situations, I got some basic flying training to get the job done. Story over, back to the story!]

Saxton managed to successfully follow the train, trailing behind it while keeping it in his view. During the flight he sucked out some of the venom, and let his blood do the rest of the work. Magical or not, Saxton has been bitten by snakes thousands of times. That was a fact of life every Australian learns to accept, and in the case of people like Saxton Hale, their bodies did too. Amped up by Australium exposure, his immune system naturally developed and hardened to counteract any venom injected inside it over the years, and not just snakes, but any deadly animal who carried such weapons. He would survive this Chimera's bite just like he did the rest, even if it was much more painful than them. Someone left a water bottle on the helicopter, and he used it to treat a few of his burns. He also had a first aid kit he took from the booth which he bandaged some of his wounds with. Overall, Saxton's body was now very battered, and it made him smile widely like a happy child. The Chimera finally gave him what he longed for – a worthy opponent! Saxton enjoyed sweating and bleeding properly again. He loved the feel of pain surging through his nerves. He hasn't felt this alive in a long time. So far, he easily defeated most monsters he encountered. If this world could offer him more fights like this one, it was certainly worth the unexpected trip.

The train reached its destination, and Saxton parked the helicopter on the roof of a random building. It was a miracle the thing didn't break throughout the flight, as it was smoking and beeping with alarms right now. He looked down and saw the three heroes get out of the station. He maybe could blend in the crowd earlier, but now, when his body looked like rotten charred tomatoes, there was no chance.

He started following them by jumping from building to building, sometimes having to break into apartments in order to make way, until he saw them eventually reach a diner and enter it. Saxton realized he hasn't eaten a real meal in some time. Come to think of it, he hasn't eaten a REAL MEAL in some time. It seemed so long since the last time he went out into the wild and hunted his own food, or ordered his assistants to illegally procure rare animal meat. He will need to find some time for that later in this world.

Suddenly, a loud motorcycle cut off Saxton's line of thought. He looked down from the water tower he stood on and saw a big guy pull over next to the diner. Saxton couldn't help but whistle. Now he looked like a man's man! His motorcycle, his clothes, his appearance, they all reeked badass! Saxton knew that whatever happens, he had to meet this fine chap. Or even have a nice little fist fight with him. He dropped down and jogged over to the diner. When he got there, he looked through the window and saw the man was talking with the trio. He thought about coming in, but he then noticed a hateful expression on Percy's face. He liked seeing Percy heated, it was an important lesson for his manliness. So Saxton waited, checking out the shotguns on the man's motorcycle, until he heard the doors open and a voice spoke.

"Who're you, and what're you doing next to my bike?"

Saxton turned to face him. Up close, the man looked even more impressive. He approached him and was struck by the best feeling a man can feel: Anger. He wanted to beat the %$# out of this punk. Turn him into a bloody pulp right there and then. Pulverize him under his boot. And when he took off his sunglasses and revealed his flame-filled eye sockets? Whoo, boy! He loved this guy.

"I'm your worst nightmare. Saxton Hale, pleasure to meet ya." They shook hands, and he enjoyed finally feeling a strong grip crushing back his palm.

The man grinned. "Ares. I like you, mortal, those scars tell me you aren't a soft one like the rest. Don't get on my bad side, and maybe I won't incinerate you." The god got on his motorcycle and saluted Saxton off, then disappeared in front of him. He blinked. All the anger his felt dissipated.

"I should've kicked his teeth in." He muttered.

"Hale?"

Saxton looked to his side and saw Percy, Annabeth and Grover all looking at him in shock. "How's it going?"

Annabeth looked up and down his body. "Oh my gods, you look horrible! No offense, but…"

"None taken. I like looking like this. In nature, a lot of animals respect each other by the number of wounds they have on their bodies, sustained in previous battles." He flexed an arm muscle which had a deep bite mark imprinted in it, looking at it with loving eye.

"I… okay. I won't tell you how to live your life, I suppose."

"Good! Instead, how about we tell each other what has happened since we left off?" They exchanged stories of what each one did since they parted ways. "So that was the god of war, huh? He's no poofter, I'll give him that."

"I don't even want to know what that means, but we need to get his shield. Are you coming?" Percy asked.

"With you, son? To hell and back."

Percy almost blushed from that sentence. Saxton said it with so much sincerity, you'd think they were longtime friends. They walked to the waterpark that Ares told them about.

[Boring conversations here! Let me sum it up for you: I broke through a padlocked gate, and we all found clothes that fit us. Yes, even ME!]

"God bless the American obesity epidemic." Saxton mumbled as he put on an extra-large Waterland shirt he found. He used a few other clothes as makeshift bandages for any uncovered wounds. "Quite a bad idea to leave all these products around for the taking. If your business is going to fail, at least try to make a profit from the scraps you have left before closing it."

"We got clean clothes, so I'm not complaining." Percy said, looking at the ride in front of them. "'Thrill Ride O' Love'? Let's check it out." Saxton already ran forward and scanned the perimeter. Apart from a dozen Cupid statues, there was no danger in sight.

"If this piece of bronze is that thing, you better come pick it up." He yelled. Percy and Annabeth walked down the slope. Saxton was tense, ready for a fight. When you're the world's biggest gun runner, you learn to know your clients will try to set you up whenever they can. It was too calm in here, but his searching found no land mines or armed soldiers ready to ambush them. "Jackson, when you pick up that shield, make sure there's no…"

Loud metallic noise erupted all around them suddenly. The Cupids started activating and Saxton prepared to defend the two kids with his body, but the statues instead shot their bows over their heads, forming a golden net that enclosed them inside the ride's area. Saxton realized this too late, as hidden spotlights blinded them and a loudspeaker began a countdown.

"…Trap." Saxton cursed and tried tearing apart the cables that caged them in, but the threads were too strong and would wrap around his hands whenever he held them. Behind him, Annabeth screamed. He glanced and saw a massive army of metal arachnids swarm her and Percy, and the latter started dragging her towards the boat. Saxton grunted. "I'm not here to #$% spiders!" He ran to the couple and started helping them fight off the swarm, but there was too much for him to kick and punch away. They weren't actually dangerous, as he quickly discovered, but they were extremely annoying, especially when they climbed on his body and bit his injuries. "These toys are ridiculous!" He shook them off his body.

"Hale, we're leaving!" Saxton managed to turn his head to Percy just as water exploded from the pipes, and the boat went off its merry way down the ride. He ran and dived into the water, swimming after them in speed. The water made him feel refreshed – it both cleaned his wounds and cooled his burn marks. As the burst of energy flew through his body, he swam in sharp strokes until he reached the boat. "There's a gate ahead!" Percy exclaimed.

Saxton raised his head and saw what he talked about. The ride's gates were closed. Their boat would crash right into that if it wasn't opened. He waded faster, and moved his body in front of the boat. Since his mouth was submerged, he was unable to communicate his plan with them, but he hoped they'd understand he's going to break the gate with his body. He aimed his fists forward and punched through the locked barrier, but in a moment of inattention, he forgot the boat was gliding on his back, and as he dived down into the pool, they flew in the air. He quickly climbed out the water and looked up. Luckily, Grover came in to save the day and was in the air with the flying shoes gifted to him by Luke, holding Percy and Annabeth, but he was already plummeting down from their weight. Saxton ran accordingly and held his arms out, and all three came crashing into his hands. He quickly let them down before it got awkward.

"Next time when you take a dip, give me some time to put on my boardies!" He joked, squeezing water out of his shirt. He looked behind him, seeing the camera Cupids were still filming them for Olympus, and gave an award-winning smile.

"Show's over!" Percy yelled. "Thank you! Good night!" They shut off.

Saxton noticed Percy's upset expression. "Don't be so cranky, son. You got your fifteen seconds of fame straight to the hall of the gods!"

Percy sighed. There was no point trying to explain Saxton how embarrassing the incident was for them. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."

When they got back to the diner, Saxton let the kids do the talking and have Ares tell them about a truck to Vegas, as well as giving them supplies and a few tips. Truth is, the war god's power ignited Saxton's angry spirit too much, and he had to hold himself from punching his stupid face. The only consolation was when Percy finally got the grit to respond to the god like he deserves.

"You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues." Percy spit out with balled up fists.

"Oh-ho-ho, tell that sniveling son of a bitch like it is!" Saxton punched his fists in the air.

Ares glared at him with hate in his eyes. "You're this close to getting turned into a piglet, mortal, watch your mouth."

Saxton really wanted to turn this chump's face into stew, but he noticed Grover's and Annabeth's eyes staring at him with panic and waving to stop. Even Percy shot him a look that said, let it go.

"Sorry, mate, you just really know how to get an Aussie fired up." Saxton creaked through his teeth.

Ares smirked. "You know what? You don't get to ride on that truck. Find another way to get to Vegas, but if you climb aboard that eighteen-wheeler, you'll find an explosive ending."

Saxton could feel smoke coming out of his clenched palms from how much they wanted to hit something. By sheer willpower he let Ares get on his bike and drive away unharmed, staring at him with disappointment.

"Hale?" Percy cut his line of thought. "I know how you feel. Thanks for holding out for us. We're going in the truck. Good luck finding another route." Saxton nodded and watched them enter the back of the big rig, thinking about how to follow them.

[Now readers, you're probably wondering, "Is he about find ANOTHER suspiciously convenient helicopter that had no right to be there? Haha, no! Because Ares didn't think his how weak his threat was, and I just climbed aboard the first taxi I could find!]

"There's a truck I need you to follow, do it." Saxton said as he quickly entered the yellow car, his large figure surprising the driver. "Give me your business card. I'll pay you back with interest double for this ride, and triple if you don't call the police." The driver obliged and nervously sped down the road, searching for the truck.

After some time driving, they stopped at a traffic jam. Another driver told them from the window of his car that there's an abandoned truck on the road. Saxton reminded the taxi driver of his reward if he keeps silent and got out, starting his search. He knew it would be hard to try to find them now, but he nevertheless went from street to street, looking everywhere he can. For some reason, he felt drawn to a particular destination. He turned corner to corner until reaching a place with a neon sign and shiny doors.

"'Lotus Hotel and Casino'?" He read the sign.

"That's us, sir." The doorman got his attention. "Why don't you come in, and we will serve you with dignity?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Saxton followed inside, and was greeted by the bellhop.

"Good day to you, fine sir! You look like a man of class. You deserve the presidential suite." He handed Saxton a platinum card. "Enjoy only our best luxuries, please! Your body looks like it could use some care, as well. Why don't you pass through our medical bay, and they will give it some premium treatment? Don't even mention paying for anything my friend, it's all covered by us."

Naturally, Saxton should have been suspicious. He knew better than anyone that there's no such thing as free gifts. But it was the first time in a long while he has been treated with the respect he deserved. The bellhop made him feel like a CEO again. "Sure, I'll stay for the night. Is there any chance you saw three kids walking in here?"

"Hm, I'm not sure. Maybe earlier, sir. Why, if I may ask?"

"They're, err, my children. I'm looking for them!"

"I will check with our staff and report back to you soon. Don't worry sir, I'm sure they're safe. Why don't you enjoy yourself meanwhile?"

And Saxton enjoyed himself. He went to the medical area and got all his injuries properly taken care of. He went on to take a shower in his presidential suite. He got to the dining area and ate a large, satisfying meal full of meat. After what seemed like just a few hours, he felt like he was home again. But when the reception called him and told him about the new bear-fighting arena they set up, something started feeling wrong. This was all too perfect. And Saxton didn't like too perfect – he likes the challenge. He's not a man who enjoys being spoiled. This casino is just letting him have all this luxury for free? That's not right. Instead of walking to the arena, he started searching around the casino. After a while, to his happiness, he found a fellow Australian and had a conversation with him.

"…Right, mate. Couldn't said it better myself. By the way, have ya heard about Banjo's death? Such a shame, really. I'll miss that bloke." The fellow countryman told him. Saxton blinked in confusion.

"Banjo… Paterson? Yeah, I-I guess… Got over it after a few decades, though." he said.

The guy frowned. "'Few decades'? Mate, are ya playin' jokes on me? We're in 1941. He died last week. Or maybe weeks. I don't remember exactly how long I'm in this place."

Now Saxton knew something was really wrong. He left the guy and tried asking other people questions, but they all acted dreamy and ignorant. All the waiters acted if nothing's wrong. All of them starting to make him mad. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" He grabbed an arcade machine and threw it on a wall, destroying it and finally getting the attention he wanted.

The bellhop came rushing in. "Sir! Sir! Please, just tell us what you need and we will- GAWK!" Saxton grabbed his throat.

"You know damn well what I need! Where are the three kids I talked about?!"

"There he is! Hale!" Saxton looked over the bellhop's shoulder and saw Percy, Annabeth and Grover, all in an agitated state. "We are leaving! Come on!" Percy said in a hurried voice.

Saxton threw the bellhop aside and darted after them. A few unlucky security guards tried to stop him and quickly found themselves with several broken bones as he ran over them on his way to the exit. Once out, he saw a worried expression on Percy's face. "What's wrong?"

Percy raised his head off the newspaper he read. "We were in that place for five days. We only have one day left to complete the quest."

Annabeth got the idea of using a casino card to pay for a taxi. But Saxton took one look at the small car and knew there was no way he could fit in with the three of them. "I won't be able to get in that thing! I'll find another car to follow you to Los Angeles with, go on!" He watched their taxi leave and then waited for another one. Since it was Vegas, he found one easily, and gave the driver the same deal as he gave the last one. Again, the driver didn't have much choice, since no one in their right mind even tries to disagree with Saxton Hale. But someone in their wrong mind does break someone's wing mirror with their car in front of Saxton Hale, making him waste precious time following the other taxi in the ensuing argument. When he caught up, he managed to see them boarding a bus, and told the driver to follow that too.

Finally, they got off, and he could continue following them on foot. He was still a bit of distance away, but obviously couldn't yell at them to stop, and he still had to hide as much as he could from the authorities and citizens. As they walked into another street, he had to duck behind a trashcan as cop car passed by. He ran after them and turned the corner. There they were! But as he was about to continue following them, a sound from an appliance store window made him stop and look to listen at the TV that was showing news inside.

"…And perhaps one of the biggest questions remain, who is this person?" A picture of him running was shown. "He's very tall, extremely muscular and talks with a thick Australian accent. He wears nothing but a slouch hat, shorts and boots, and he apparently has Australia-shaped chest hair. By any measures, he is one the most unusual figures we have ever seen – but no one seems to have ever actually seen him. Not a single person has come forward claiming they know him, nor does the police or government has any records of his existence. We have contacted Australian authorities for more information about this person's identity. For now, he remains a complete mystery. At any case, despite being apparently unarmed, he is considered extremely dangerous, and citizens are requested to report him to the police at the first sight of him. Next up, we will discuss the various mixed and confusing reports of his supposed crimes, and try to make some sense of them with our experts. Until then, this is Mike Whitley, Weasel News."

Saxton dreamily stared at the television as it reported on his dastardly deeds. He was famous again! Well, famous in a sense that everyone thought he was a dangerous criminal, but famous nonetheless. Well, he was also a dangerous criminal back home, but he paid the law enough not to bother him about it. Saxton looked at the street and cursed, realizing his mistake. "They're gone!" He started running between alleyway to alleyway, searching for them frantically, and accidentally clashed with a group of teenagers running as well when he turned a corner.

"Ow…" The one in front of him groaned, rubbing his head. Saxton grabbed him.

"Have you seen two boys and a girl running around here?" He barked at them.

"Y-Yes! They probably turned the corner here…" The teen mumbled, scared. Saxton knew this was wrong as he saw the street and they weren't there, so he put the teen on the ground and instead rushed the way the teenagers came from, and stopped in his tracks once he spotted something in a store window. He read their sign: Crusty's Water Bed Palace. Looking inside, he saw his prize: All three heroes together. But they seemed to be in quite of a pickle. Grover and Annabeth were tied down to water beds, and Percy was facing an ugly-looking fellow who held a double-bladed brass axe. Saxton stepped back, then sprinted at the window, breaking through it with his fist up, the glass shards puncturing a few water beds and miraculously not harming anyone.

PROPERTY DAMAGE!

Percy managed to take cover behind a water bed, and raised his head. "What took you so long?"

Saxton ignored him and pointed at the store owner. Up close, he looked even uglier. "You! You're taking my advice a little too much to heart!"

The raptor-looking man held the axe in the air, ready to attack, and narrowed his eyes. "Your… advice?" he asked slowly.

"Yes! Crusty, is it? You did read my comic, right? 'Bidwell's Big Plan', page five?"

The man nodded in uncertainty. Saxton continued, "My titular assistant recited that stupid old saying, 'the customer is always right', and I told him," he held his fist up to his face, "'The customer is a dead man'."

The man laughed. "Ah, yes! That sounds like a great saying, I agree. Are you a salesman yourself?" He slightly lowered his axe. Percy signaled to Saxton that Grover and Annabeth were still getting restrained by those strange beds, and they were losing oxygen fast.

"Aye! I sell water beds too, among many other things. And you know what's my first rule of making business?" Saxton gave the man a shark-like smile.

"What?"

"Murder competition, then sit back and hike the price up." Before the man had time to respond, Saxton dashed towards him. The man raised his axe too late, and Saxton applied a precise sucker punch to his stomach, causing the man's body to break through his store's wall. Saxton turned his head to Percy. "Untie them, I'll finish this drongo." He ran after the hole he created and wrestled with the man for a few seconds, before thumping on his back with his fists and immobilizing him.

"W-Wait! I'll give you a 50% discount on all products!" Crusty begged, trying to push Saxton off.

"Is that your best offer? Pathetic, I'll give ya a better deal than that." Saxton smashed Crusty's face against the floor, killing him and watching him dissolve between his fingers. He dusted off his hands and walked back to the group. "Don't feel spoiled now, Jackson! I only intervened because the other two were getting strangled. You're the one who should have skinned this leathery bastard."

Percy sighed. "Well, I actually did have a plan in mind, but I guess brain doesn't matter much when you have brawn." Annabeth pushed him. "Hey, I was joking!" Percy looked at the wall and took off a bulletin board, reading it. "There's the address to the underworld here. Let's go."

"Top Drawer! On the way there, let's talk about our plan before we cark it."

[SLIGHTLY LESS DISSAPOINTING THAN PREVIOUS CHAPTERS, WASN'T IT READERS? GOOD! YOU CAN STOP READING NOW, BECAUSE THE NEXT ONE HAS EXACTLY ZERO EXCITING EVENTS LIKE THIS HAD! AT LEAST THE LAST ONE WAS SOMEWHAT REDEEMABLE, BUT IF I WERE YOU, I'D ABANDON THIS STORY RIGHT NOW!

THAT IS A SAXTON HALE PROMISE!]

Author's Note:

I'm arriving to the ending much, much faster than I expected. Like, the problem with my first fanfiction was that I felt the chapters were too short. Here, I put as many similar events as I could in one chapter. Obviously, I leave out a ton of exposition and character interactions, but that's because I want this to retain a Mann Co. Comics spirit. Me wanting Saxton Hale to be more developed doesn't mean he needs to turn into a philosopher who ponders morality of good and evil. At the same time, I'm afraid people won't like this format of low number of chapters with a lot of text. Again, tell me your opinion and give me your constructive reviews, though at this point I'm really just about to finishing the story.