Author's note: Hey guys! You get a two-for-one this time around! Hope you all enjoy it! And to Becky, if you're reading this, I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself and I highly encourage you to start on your own!
It took Alexa a week to get out of the infirmary, not necessarily because of the bite to her shoulder or the slight searing of her throat. No...Alexa had sunk deep into her depression. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she barely talked to anyone. All she did was curl into a ball and just...be. She hated herself for it. She had been too weak to help Thalia and now she was too weak to push through her pain and move on from the failure! Her thoughts were a constant bother, a storm of dark thoughts of disappointment, regret and far far worse. The things she was considering in those moments of darkness were good to no one, her least of all.
The only silver lining in it all was Annabeth, the young girl who had come in with Thalia. The girl had come to visit her several times after what had happened, always accompanied by Luke, the boy she had been with.
Annabeth had made it clear that she didn't blame Alexa for what had happened... although the look in Luke's eyes made it clear he did. Not that she could really blame him for that one bit. He couldn't blame her any more fiercely than she could blame herself.
Annabeth tried to make Alexa feel better, with small gestures, reassurances, and stories about her own failings in their trek to safety. She was a good kid, and in a roundabout way, the visits did give her the kick to get out of her funk. However, Annabeth had little to do with it. It was the glares and half hidden barbs from Luke that did it. Through her weakness and her inability to help she had taken someone from him and Annabeth, just like those same flaws had taken someone from her, so many years ago. Someone special, someone who made their lives better just by being in them. There was no way she could replace that...but she could do everything in her power to try to make up for it, and she knew just where to start.
She had found the book in question about a week after Jazz had left, but after her week on the cot she refreshed herself on the process and dedicated herself to it. She picked her target, and she began her work. Every single day for the next month she prayed, she sacrificed, and she crafted. Many of the campers took notice of her new drive, but most brushed it off. It was better than what had come before, and it was good that she was throwing herself back into something, even if they didn't quite know what she was doing.
On the first day of June her prayers were answered by a sealed envelope on her pillow after her morning shower. The letter within only held a few scant words, but Alexa read it at least five times before she slipped it into her pocket. She glanced around the room, briefly considering dressing up for the occasion but ultimately deciding against it. Instead she snagged her backpack, stuffed it with supplies for the trip, and made her way out of the cabin.
Chiron was right where she expected him to be, standing next to the dining pavilion, chatting with Mr D with the conch shell in hand. He was always there, just like that; calm, strong, a pillar of support for any who needed it. He had been a godsend for her in these last few years, just as he had saved so many other demigods before her.
"Oh, Alexa, my dear!" Chiron said, noticing her for the first time. His expression softened slightly as he looked down at her, no doubt thinking of how fragile she had seemed lately. She didn't bother to correct him, in fact she'd need him to think of her that way for this to work properly.
"Hey, Chiron...I was wondering if you could spare someone to take me into the city." She asks, keeping her voice soft. There was a small tremor in her tone, born from the nerves brought on by the day's plans. She made no attempt to cover it up, however. It served to help sell her story. Otherwise he'd see through her, maybe even try to stop her. She couldn't let that happen.
"I've been...feeling a bit lost lately." She explained quietly. "I thought...maybe visiting Morgan and running a few errands, maybe grab a coffee and a donut…" she allowed her voice to trail off. Chiron offered her a small, sad smile.
"Of course." He said gently. "I'll have Argus bring the van around before we have breakfast." She offered the centaur a brief, sincere smile before he turned and trotted off to find the hundred eyed guard, leaving Alexa alone with the wine god.
Mr. D looked her over in silence, an eyebrow raised. After a moment a small snort escaped him.
"What?" Alexa asked, shifting her footing slightly under the god's inspection.
"Nothing at all, Baker. Just thinking." He leaned in a bit closer. "Most mortals, when they go through what you did, take much longer to recover. Usually it only really gets better as fast as it did for you if they're truly detached, or they have something to strive for...I'm simply trying to figure out whether or not you're a psychopath. You might just be interesting if you were." Alexa took a small step back, looking up at Mr. D in a new light. It was sometimes hard to see, but Alexa was suddenly quite aware of just how perspective the wine god was. He knew madness well, but there was more to that emotional state than just blind rage, incoherent rambling or a love of tea parties and white rabbits. What was dangerous were the ones who held fast to a goal or a desire, who stood firm despite the insanity that lurked inside. They had the will to make changes in the world and the unpredictability to out maneuver anyone who might get in their way.
Before she could even open her mouth to formulate an answer, Chiron had returned, ready to lead her back to where the van waited. Argus sat in the driver's seat, three pairs of sunglasses covering the eyes on his face. Alexa gave Chiron one more small wave before they were off again.
Argus drove the van down the path towards the main farm road. Alexa turned in her seat, her eyes on the Big House, unwilling to let it out of her sight until it was physically out of her view. When the camp was finally swallowed up by hills and trees she sighed and sat forward.
Argus was watching her, no big surprise there. Forty of his eyes stared at her with concern.
"It's nothing…" Alexa assured him. He continued to watch her throughout the trip, which thanks to the early morning commuters, took almost an hour. Alexa found herself glad when they eventually made it to the graveyard. Argus turned to face Alexa and pointed to the floor of the van. He then tapped his wrist, right above one of his eyes, and gave Alexa a curious head tilt.
"Yeah, we'll meet here. I think about five hours should do it." Alexa responded. He bobbed his head and Alexa popped open her passenger side door. She walked slowly between the headstones, slipping her hands into her pockets. Despite the hour, there were a few mourners there, like her. None paid too much attention to the child there by herself.
Alexa sighed and sat in the grass next to her sister's headstone, looking down at Morgan's name and the picture she had left there. She had been here many times over the years, at least once a month if not more. She placed a hand on the etched stone, her fingers gently tracing the letter B in their shared last name.
"I may not be back for a while…" she said gently. The stone said nothing, as per usual. Alexa sighed again.
"...I'm scared, Morgan...but I feel like I'll break down again if I don't do this." They sat there in silence for a long while, long enough that she was sure Argus had made himself scarce. She nodded her head and slowly got to her feet. She grabbed up her backpack, took one last look at the picture, and walked purposely out of the graveyard.
She flagged down the first taxi she saw and climbed into the back.
"West and 34th, please." She said as she shut the door. The man behind the wheel took a quick drag on his cigarette, nodded, and ferried her off in silence.
Half an hour later Alexa stood in front of the Empire State Building, licking her dry lips slightly as people hurried past all around her. She took a deep breath, and began her march forward, only pausing to slip a letter into a mailbox on the way.
The security guard was busy with his nose in a book when she walked up to the front desk. She cleared her throat once, but he didn't look up.
"Excuse me" she softly prompted, tapping a fist on his desk. Still he ignored her. He kept on reading all the way up until the phone next to him rang. He quickly answered it, said a couple of quick things to the person on the other end, and finally turned to face Alexa.
"I have a nine o'clock meeting with Mrs. White on the top floor, should be under A. Barber." She said promptly, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. The guard raised an eyebrow, turned, and began to tap away on his computer. His confused frown deepened.
"That seems to be in order." He said as he reached into his desk and pulled out a small key card.
"Wait until no one is in the elevator, insert the key, then hit the button for the six hundredth floor." He instructed. Alexa nodded and headed off to wait for a free elevator.
Several minutes later, she was rising up through the building, some easy listening song playing over the elevator's speakers. Alexa paused as the elevator's doors opened, taking in the grandeur and majesty of Olympus. She had been on this very spot no less than 5 times over the years, when she and the other year rounders had taken their trip up this way. No matter how many times she saw it, the home of the gods always took her breath away.
The elevator doors had begun to close before Alexa slipped past them and started for the palace at the top of the mountain. She marched right up to the big golden doors, and only there did she hesitate. She stood there between the statues of Zeus and Hera, feeling as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff. Could she really…? If it were just for her, no. But it wasn't just her she did this for.
She took a deep breath, stepped forward and knocked before letting herself inside.
To say that the room was massive would be like calling warfare a little dangerous. The hall of the gods was so big that you could easily hold four simultaneous football games, and not worry about any of the games mixing.
Twelve thrones lined the halls, all empty except for one at the far end. It sat on the left side of the U shape, and in it sat a giant of a woman to match the size of the huge ivory throne. Her brown hair was done up in an elegant bun, she was clothed in a simple white blouse, a black pencil skirt, and a pair of heels that at her current size could easily impale someone.
In front of her, lifting a tray with a half eaten muffin and the peels of a grapefruit, stood a god about half her size, with black towselled hair dressed in a polo and slacks, who disappeared with the meal in a tinkle of bells and a whoosh of wind.
On her right side, hovering on a cloud, was a little, normal sized girl of about five or six, dressed almost identically to the larger goddess, her hair was even styled similarly, though it was a shade or two darker. It almost looked like a child dressing up for 'Take Your Daughter to Work Day' or something.
"You have about fifty-five thousand weddings to deal with before lunch, and one hundred and six asked for you directly, I have those highlighted. Then you have lunch with Demeter and Hestia. Then there's a ceremony going on in St. Louis you wanted me to remind you of…" The small goddess talked in that rapid, over eager way that Alexa most associated with younger children. The larger goddess smiled softly.
"Hebe, sweetheart, I know you like playing secretary but we don't want to be rude to our guest." She prompted gently.
"Huh?" Hebe asked, looking up from her papers. "Oh! Hiya! I'm Hebe! Welcome to Olympus! You must be Mom's- umm...I mean... Queen Hera's morning appointment!"
Alexa bowed her head politely.
"It's nice to meet you." She then turned and bowed her head to Hera as well. She was about to reach back to grab her bag when the queen of the gods spoke again.
"Sweetie, afraid this isn't really a conversation for secretaries. Don't you have some of your own duties to do?"
"But mom!" Hebe whined. "I wanna see what she wants! We don't get meetings with mortals that often anymore!"
"Ah ah ah!" Hera chided "We talked about prying! Now unless you want to miss out on dessert and visiting your husband you'd better scoot! And no more lip!"
"Yes ma'am!" Hebe harrumphed. She gives Alexa one last wave before she disappeared in a blink.
"Such a sweet girl, but sometimes she has her father's willfulness. " Hera chuckled before turning her massive brown eyes on Alexa. On impulse, Alexa dropped into a deeper bow.
"Ma'am, I made you a gift for agreeing to meet me today." Alexa said.
"Oh none of that ma'am, nonsense.I may be your queen, but I'm still your grandmother first." Hera said with a soft chuckle. Alexa's head jerked up slightly, finding Hera's gaze just as soft as her smile.
Sometimes Alexa forgot about the family connection between herself and Hera. After all, they had never spoken. But it suddenly hit Alexa that she only had three godly children, Hebe, who had just left, Ares and Hephaestus. Out of all the kids in camp, not many could claim a direct relationship with Hera.
Alexa smiled sheepishly.
"Well...still, I wanted to be respectful." She said as she pulled out the large bronze egg. She rapidly tapped on the shell in a precise sequence, then she stepped back. The bronze shell shifted and broke into pieces, shifting and clinking as it rearranged itself. Before too long the automaton raised its head and gave it's beak a little click. The bronze bird rose gracefully and fanned out it's tail, it's beautiful tail feathers sparkling in every color of the rainbow.
Hera smiled and reached out to the metal peacock. It responded by nuzzling against her finger tip.
"He's beautiful, I doubt your father could make much better." Hera praised. Although part of her swelled with pride, Alexa couldn't help but feel that might be going a bit too far. Before she could voice that, however, Hera continued. "You taught yourself Morse code?"
"Only a few phrases, so far" Alexa responds with a blink. "S-O-S, A-O-K, and a few others. That one was probably the longest I've memorized." For the briefest of moments, she thought she saw the goddess smirk in a knowing way but a second later she was sure she had imagined it.
"How peculiar...I suppose R-O-L-L-O-U-T has some sort of pop cultural reference I've missed." Hera mused. "But that is neither here nor there. I believe we have business, you and I. So what can grandma do for you, sweetie?"
This was it...Alexa took a deep breath and said in a rush.
"I want to take on the Labors of Heracles!" The moment the words were out of her mouth Alexa realized she had said something wrong. Hera's entire demeanor shifted, she sat forward, she looked straight down at Alexa and her smile had disappeared. Hera was almost glaring down at her. It took several seconds for Alexa to realize why.
"I'm s-s-sorry! I didn't mean...I mean he's...I mean…" she tripped over herself in her attempts to cover the mistake. Hera raised a single hand and Alexa fell silent.
"I've made my peace with him, more or less." Hera said in such a stiff manner that Alexa was willing to bet, of the two options, less was probably more accurate. "But that doesn't excuse the fact that you asked in the first place! How on earth did someone your age even find out about the Trials of Purification?"
Alexa hesitated before sheepishly answering.
"I met Rhea a few years ago while I was on a quest. She mentioned some things about it and I did a bit of research when I got back."
Hera huffed, grumbling something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse.
"And why would you want to take on the challenge? Do you know how many have actually succeeded in their trials?" Hera asked, glaring down at her.
"About seven thousand have tried, eighty three have made it through" Alexa answered automatically, that question she had been prepared for. "But to answer your question...I have to try. I let someone die...one person I loved with all my heart, the other I barely knew for five minutes. I let them both down. I need to make up for it."
"And what makes you think you won't fail like all the heroes before you?" Hera asked with half a scoff.
"Because I'm different than those other guys, Hera!" Alexa protested, taking a small step forward. "I can go the distance!"
Hera paused.
"Did...you honestly just quote a Disney movie, trying to make your case?" Hera asked.
"I'm sorry" Alexa mumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly "I don't know where that came from."
"Be that as it may, every hero who went through the Labors had something to carry them through; Psyche had her love, Heracles had immeasurable strength, Romulus had his conviction, Farrokh had his passion. What do you have? Convince me." Hera leaned forward on her throne, staring down at Alexa.
"I have a few things going for me. One, like so many of the other's you just mentioned, I've got a mile long stubborn streak." Alexa explained, her blush fading slightly now that she was making some headway. "I have a decent amount of power, pretty good training and I'm pretty good at the academic side of monster hunting, and probably most important...I don't really care if I fail."
That last one got Hera's attention.
"You don't care if you fail?" Hera asked, grandmotherly instincts starting to creep into her voice. "Sweetie, you know what happens if you fail, don't you? Once you pass on-"
"I know." Alexa interrupted. "I know what I'm signing up for. But I feel like if I don't do something to...to make up for what I did...what I failed to do..." Alexa bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay, to give herself something to focus on rather than the slight tremble that was trying to make its way through her. "If I fail...I'm a failure. That's just how it is. But if I succeed, I make their deaths mean something. I need to do this. For them, just as much as me."
Hera had a thoughtful frown on her face as she stared down at the girl. A girl barely holding herself together but, perhaps, not entirely unsalvageable.
"One last question before I make my decision." Hera said. "Why ask me? I don't exactly have a good rapport where heroes are concerned."
"Well for a start, I don't really know many gods, and of the ones I've met in person most would either refuse to let me do this, or give me tasks so hard as to be a suicide mission." Alexa explained. "But you? You're the glue that holds Olympus together. You're loving enough to deal with the cult of personality up here, patient, smart enough to see the big picture and won't let sentiment entirely get in the way of what has to happen. If there is anyone, any god or goddess I can trust to be firm but fair, and put me to use for the good of Olympus, you'd be the top pick or at least in the top three!"
Hera's smile grew thin.
"Flattery will get you far in life." She said. She stood from her throne and took a step closer to Alexa. As she did, her body began to shrink in size, every small step bringing her closer and closer to Alexa's own size, until she stood in front of her only a foot or so taller than her.
"The odds are against you, Alexa, not many have succeeded in accomplishing what you intend to do. But given the last one was ten years ago, perhaps this is a hot streak. They have been known to happen on occasion." She reached out a hand and gently grasped Alexa's right arm.
"Repeat after me. Lady Hera, I give myself to your will. To absolve my soul, I swear upon the river, the bones of the earth, and the very blood in my veins that I will work your will through my labors." Hera instructed. Alexa didn't hesitate for a moment.
"Lady Hera, I give myself to your will. To absolve my soul, I swear upon the river, the bones of the earth, and the very blood in my veins that I will work your will through my labors" she repeated.
"I accept your pledge" Hera said simply. In an instant pain shot through Alexa. She caught a brief flash of gold under her sleeve before the painful burning sensation firing through every nerve forced her eyes shut. It might've lasted only a second, it might've lasted a year, but eventually it faded, leaving Alexa feeling raw all over. Alexa lifted her right sleeve slightly to reveal a hand sized tattoo, rapidly fading from gold to black. A laurel wreath overlooked by the snarling face of a lion, with a large Roman numeral I set in the center.
"Now, the standard number for these labors tends to be ten." Hera began. "I see no need to break from tradition, so you'll have ten labors. When you complete a task, you'll return here if you haven't heard from me before then. Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." Alexa said, nodding her agreement.
"Good. Your first task is a classic, you're going to hunt and capture the Ceryneian Hind. Make sure not to harm her, catch her alive, otherwise you'll likely end up a pin cushion. At the moment I believe she's roaming the Smoky Mountains National Park. I'd suggest going back to camp, preparing some sort of transportation, getting your affairs in order, and, of course, visiting the oracle before you leave." Hera gave the girl a small pat on the shoulder and pointed towards the door. Alexa had only just turned, when Hera added "If I may offer one bit of advice. She likes black licorice."
Alexa pulled a face at the thought.
"Who even eats that?" She couldn't help but ask.
"A deer living in the Smoky Mountains for a start." The queen of the gods replied with a small smile. Alexa sighed and shook her head, making her way for the door...but something Hera had said tickled her brain slightly.
"Lady Hera...you said someone completed their own set of labors in the last decade...who were they? Anyone I'd know?" She asks, turning to look back at her grandmother. Hera's smile grew a bit more genuine and, unless Alexa was mistaken, just a touch mischievous.
"Not personally, unless you were very lucky. His name was Farrokh Bulsara. I believe he was a son of Apollo if memory serves." Hera said, retaking her throne with a sigh. "You may go now. You have lots to do!"
Alexa wanted to press forward, wanted to continue asking questions, but there wasn't any more obvious a dismissal. She turned and headed out of the throne room's large doors. She took in the marvel and splendor of Olympus, looking at all the minor gods, vendors, shops, and boutiques as she passed. She took in all of it, and yet her mind was elsewhere...her mind was on her tasks, on her quest. She barely even noticed when she found herself in the elevator, heading back down to the bustling streets of Manhattan. A familiar song played from the speakers above her.
She couldn't help but smile, maybe someone up there was giving her some sort of sign. The song playing was Queen's Keep Yourself Alive.