-Chapter 26-
3 weeks later
Zoe POV
"Hey do you want go to the movies tonight?" Catherine asked once the students had been sent home for the day.
"Sorry but I already have plans to meet with Trey over at the food bank in an hour." I replied packing up the last of my things I'd need for the day.
Catherine broke into a mischievous grin "You sure seem to be spending a lot of time with you boy friend recently."
"He's not my boyfriend!" I snapped.
"Whatever you say." She laughed walking out of my class.
-2 Hours later-
'He's not my boyfriend.' I thought as Trey and I carried boxes of canned goods down the hall. 'I mean sure we see each other a lot but that doesn't mean anything. I see the guys at school and grocery store all the time and there is no way I'm dating any of them.
"Is there anything else you guys need help with?" Trey asked.
The receptionist looked up from her computer screen "No you've taken care most of the stuff we needed done today you two can head home if you want." She said "Oh and Trey just so you know I'm off in an hour." She said with a grin a kin to Aphrodite.
Trey gave her a nervous smile "Sorry but I'm supposed to be helping my brother with his studies at that time." He replied walking away.
"One of these day's I'm finally gonna get a date with you." The receptionist mutter before glancing at me "And you better stay away from him he's taken even if he doesn't know it." She seethed.
I didn't bother answering, in my experience girl like this were always best left alone, and decided to head out myself. I took two steps when Trey came back around the corner "Hey Zoe I just realized I never paid you back for cab money you gave the other day." He said fishing a twenty
"There's no need for that." I said waving it off.
"I insist." He said "I don't like having debts, especially when I can pay them."
Before I could say anything my stomach rumbled. I wasn't a girly girl but even in the hunt certain things were considered to un lady like. "How about I buy you dinner instead there's a nice little cafe around the corner."
"Sure why not." I said quickly trying to get over my embarrassment, seconds later I realized what I just agree to. I almost took it back but then I thought about that annoying receptionist behind me. Trey had already started walking back so I took the opportunity to give her a victorious smile. I stifled a laughed a the furious look on her face.
Thomas POV
"Hey I'm back." I called walking into the gym. Over the last few weeks Ares had been beating me into the ground, saying he's getting me ready for something. Whenever I ask just what that is he refuses to answer. All I know is that somewhere inside me something is cracking and….I think I like it.
Annabeth POV
"Hey Percy." Emily called. Percy, Malcolm, and I had been on our way to the lunchroom when Emily finally caught up.
"Oh hey Emily." He replied, for a moment their eyes met then both of them looked away blushing.
'When are these two finally going to get together?' I thought. These two have been playing this game for weeks now and it was getting kinda old.
"So h-how was your day?" Percy asked.
"G-Good." She replied.
I glanced at Malcolm who was standing next to me, he simply shrugged. 'Oh ya he's been trying to get them together for a while now.' I thought. I glanced over my shoulder at the two of them and noticed they had fallen a good ways behind us.
"H-Hey Emily I-I was wondering do you want to head down to that new restaurant smashburger saturday er well tomorrow I guess?" Percy asked.
Emily blushed even more "S-Sure Annabeth was telling me earlier she wanted to go try it out. When are we going to meet up."
"I-I was actually hoping it would just be the two of us. You know like a date."
Emily smiled "Took you long enough!" She snapped smacking his shoulder "You kissed me almost two months ago."
"Sorry I didn't know if you were mad or not." He defended.
"It's okay you can make it up to me later." She said.
"How?" Percy asked.
"Well this could be a start." She said giving him a quick peck on the lips. Turning red she ran off for who knows where.
'I am so going to tease them about this.' I thought.
Percy just stood there like a statue "Is he alright?" Malcolm asked.
"I think he just fainted." I said tapping his forehead and knocking him over."Timber."
Third Person POV
Up on Olympus the a certain training field was being used like it never had before. In Apollo's palace the sun god furiously fought against his brothers Ares, Hermes, and Hephaestus.
He fought like a madman slashing left and right with his blade. Hermes came up behind him and was promptly kicked in his abdomen. Hephaestus launched himself at Apollo swinging his hammer heavily at his brother's side.
Apollo blocked with his shield and was thrown back by the sheer force of it. The sun god rolled into the fall and came to his feet just in time to block Ares sword. Hermes landed a of his own in Apollo's back knocking him completely to the floor. The god of the forge brought him hammer down on Apollo's head as if to crush it only to stop inches from it.
As the defeat was clear the three gods backed away from their brother. "Dang it!" The son god growled "Again!"
"Apollo you've already fought us 20 times I think you should rest for a bit." Hermes said in attempt to calm his brother.
"No I need to be in peak condition and not rusty for then." He growled standing up.
"Peak condition for what?" Ares asked. "You've been training like mad for almost a week. If there's something you need to fight you know we'd back you up no matter what."
"If you want to help than fight me." Apollo said.
"No you need to rest." Hermes said receiving nods of agreement from Ares and Hephaestus.
"Fine than I'll train by myself." Apollo said 'I need to be at my best for next week it'll be the first time the seed will be vulnerably in a 1000 years.' he thought.
-Flashback-
"Apollo." Persephone said.
"Yea?" He replied
"Do you love me?" she asked.
"Of Course why wouldn't I?" Apollo said. Shiftin on the picnic blanket the two gods were resting on so he could face.
"If we could get married would you marry me?" she asked refusing to meet his eyes
"You know I would. What is this about anyway you've been acting strange for some time now, what's going on?"
"It's just that down in the underworld Hades has a seed from the fruit I ate kept under guard in the dungeon. It's existence is what keeps me bound to him. Normally no one can get in or near that part of the dungeon without his permission. I can't even go in there without him being with me and even than I can't touch the seed ever.
However because of the winter solstice we had a partial break out in the fields of punishment. Hades and Thanatos are trying to stop the chaos and restore order. His strength is being drained and in a two weeks his strength with have been sapped enough I could sneak one person into that portion of the dungeon. If you manage to reach and destroy the seed before he he catches you my marriage to him would be over."
-End Flashback-
'If I can destroy the seed I'll have at best 5 minutes before Hades Realizes what's happened. I already got Hestia on standby that day to perform a marriage for me no questions asked, although she doesn't know it. I really just need her to do the vows and have us say I do and the marriage is set. And I need to be at my best if I'm going to pull it off.' He thought taking the basic stance for his combat style.
