Author's Note:

So this fic I thought I could rate T but I had to bump it up for Reasons (mostly language). It takes place during/shortly after Sea of Monsters and it's a companion fic to The Gods' Silence. You don't have to read that fic to understand this one (or vice-versa), but they do reference each other a bit.

I started writing this because I just wanted to establish what happened on Brenna's "quest" and ended up with a lot more than I thought I would, so I figured, what the heck, let's post it. General disclaimers: there's cussing, we've got more Bad Gun Safety (which is acknowledged as such), there's violence, and since this fic's in first-person narration, and Brenna's working through some trauma, there may be parts that are uncomfortable for people to read. I think that about covers everything.

I fucking hate Tantalus.

[What, that's too harsh? Give me a break. You were there, you saw all the shit that happened.]

This might be just me, but maybe bringing a guy who fucking cooked his kids back from the dead to work at a camp full of the gods' children was a fucking stupid idea. No wonder so many people "left".

Anyways, I got a "quest", managed not to die, and now I'm stuck here talking about my "feelings" to this stupid fucking tape recorder because I can't fucking write. There. Done. Can I go now?

No?

Ugh, fine I'll start over. And yeah, I'll try to censor myself, but can you really blame me for being fu – freaking pissed?

So, here's how – [oh, what, I need a list now? Seriously? No one's gonna hear this, why do I – okay, okay, fine. I can only read, like, half of it, but I'll try. Wait, shouldn't you have to do this too, Rory?]

[What do you mean, "I'm a mentally stable adult"? I'm totally stable!]

Ugh, whatever, let's just get this over with.

My name is Brenna Stevenson. I'm fourteen years old, and let me tell you, I've seen some shit. I'm in the Hermes cabin (and yeah, I was claimed, thank you very much), and I've been here at Camp Half-Blood for four years. Three if you go by my beads (they're kinda unfair to kids that don't show up in the summer that way). And up until last summer, everything was going great.

What happened? Well, my half-brother/head counselor, Luke, tried to murder someone, left camp with half the unclaimed kids, and no one saw him again until this summer. Apparently, he recruited a bunch of monsters to help him "take down the gods for being crappy parents" or some shit like that.

Can't really argue with him there; most of the gods are crappy parents. But taking down the gods would basically destroy the world, so… yeah. Can't exactly let that happen.

Anyways, back to this summer and why Tantalus sucks balls.

I'd just made a new enemy, no surprise there, but it was one of those things that maybe lasts a few months and then you never talk again. Hey, future me, if you decided to torture yourself by listening to this, do we still hate Drew Tanaka?

That was probably the best part of the summer. See, someone decided to poison Thalia's tree, so our magic keep-most-of-the-monsters-out borders were dying too. We had to patrol non-stop; even with all the summer-only campers showing up. Now that I think about it, the monster attacks probably got worse because they showed up. Thanks, guys.

Chiron was accused of poisoning the tree, so he had to leave. We could've been stuck with just Mr. D., but instead we got a replacement activities director. Tantalus.

For, like, the first couple days, it wasn't so bad. Then the chariot races happened, and we all figured out really quick that he wouldn't care if all of us dropped dead. That night, he told us how he ended up in the fields of punishment, and I swear he pointed at me when he was talking about what little shits his kids were.

I didn't think about it too much. He was just trying to be creepy, right? But then Percy, Annabeth, and the cyclops disappeared. Tantalus said the harpies got them. Over the next few days, more and more campers got "eaten by harpies". [Do harpies even eat people? They threaten to a lot, but is there, like, actual proof?]

There was no way it could all be people sneaking out. Like, if it was, it would've only been people from my cabin because we just don't give a shit about rules. No, something weird was going on, and I didn't care but Alec did so I figured I'd try and find out what was up. So I just straight-up asked Tantalus where everyone was going.

Yeah, real smart, I know. He gave me the same bullcrap harpy story but I wasn't buying it… we sort of got in an argument, and – okay, fine, I said he was a child-eating dickweed that just wanted to scare us into staying at camp so he could watch us all die one by one. But I was right, so… yeah.

He was all "camp is for having fun and training", I was all "dude, we're literally being swarmed by monsters" and he got this really scary face and all I could think was, I'm totally gonna end up in whatever we have for dinner tomorrow, but at least he still won't be able to eat it.

Off-topic, I gave up meat while he was here 'cause I was too scared that it'd be someone I knew. I don't think I'm ever gonna eat it again, actually, and not just 'cause of that. [Yeah, I know how hard it'd be to get that by Mr. D., but you weren't at that campfire, Rory. Fucking. Terrifying.]

But anyways, instead of killing me he got this creepy smile and said, "Well, if you care that much, you can go on the offensive. Ever hear about the Marathonian Bull?"

"Uh, no, but whatever it is, like, Hercules probably killed it, right?" Hey, I might've pretty much dropped out of school, but I know Greek mythology. Unlike math, it's actually useful in real life. But no one knows everything – okay, except maybe Chiron, he was there for a lot of it. Anyways…

"Half right. Hercules captured the bull for one of his labors. Theseus finally killed the thing. But that isn't important. Imagine a bull filled with Poseidon's rage rampaging through the camp. If you thought the Colchis Bulls were bad… well, Poseidon did just lose both of his sons. He may be sending it to attack the camp on purpose as a form of revenge. And take it from me, there's nothing the gods love more than…" Than… shit.

[Okay, Rory, what's that phrase people use when they're talking about, like, super harsh punishments for stuff that doesn't deserve it?] "… dis-per-por-shun-at re-tri-byou-shun." [Did I say that right? Eh, whatever. Thanks.]

"Okay, so basically, camp's screwed? Why aren't we getting ready for this?"

Tantalus's smile got creepier. Didn't think that was possible. "Oh, we are. Or rather, you are."

"What do you mean? The patrols? Training? – oh. Oh gods, you can't be serious. I'm, like, the worst fighter at camp."

"You don't have to fight it. Just find it and send an Iris-message to Dionysus." I thought it over.

[Hey, stop laughing!]

If I said yes, I'd probably die, but if I said no I'd definitely die. I wasn't a head counselor (apparently I'm backup, but we've got two; they'll never need me) and we weren't in public. No one would ever know.

"Okay, sounds easy enough." It didn't, but at that point I just wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. "I get companions, right?"

Tantalus nodded. "Of course you do," he said like he was explaining the most obvious thing in the world. "Ah, and one more thing: this is our little secret. Leave after the campfire tonight. The harpies probably won't eat you if you're quick."

Alarm bells went off in my head. This was either a wild goose chase or a suicide mission. But I couldn't back down. I should've, yeah, but I was still pretty sure he'd just kill me if I did. So I did this awkward laugh thing. "Ha – yeah. Our secret. Got it."

"Good. Now run along, it's almost time for volleyball. You wouldn't want to be late."

I ran out of there as fast as I could. No one even batted an eye; it wasn't the first time I'd left the Big House looking scared for my life. That's at least a monthly thing. I had, like, two hours to plan this quest or whatever. And I was spending them playing freaking volleyball.

I actually, like, love volleyball, but I really needed to pack and get people and all that stuff. Fortunately, my team was huge so I had some time on the sidelines. I faked an injury (I think it was a twisted ankle) just to be safe. No one wanted to waste ambrosia on that, so I was done.

I sat down in the sand and tried to think of who would even wanna go with me. None of my half-siblings… okay, they'd totally want to, but the rest of the camp kinda thought we were all traitors, so…

Wait. That'd be perfect! Well, actually, it really sucks, people trust us even less now, but if I just left with some other Hermes kids, no one would be suspicious. We do sneak out a lot. Like, seriously all the time. We don't really start worrying about each other until it's been like a week since whoever left.

I glanced at the other people who were sitting out, trying to figure out if any of them would be crazy enough to say yes to me. Chris probably would've, but he'd been gone for months. Sean would definitely wanna go, but he hadn't even finished his first week at camp and he was, like, eleven. So no.

Everyone who wasn't pissed at me pretty much had to stay… except Alec. He's this scrawny, awkward, ginger kid with the biggest glasses ever. He's also a son of Eos, and kind of a dick, but we were friends anyways 'cause neither of us had that many other options.

I couldn't remember which ankle I'd "twisted", so I just kinda used my arms to drag myself over to him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you, jackass," I replied.

"Shoot."

This was gonna be hard to explain. "So, basically, Tantalus wants me to track down this bull thing before it hits camp and I'm not fucking going alone, and it's kinda your fault anyways, so are you in?"

He smirked. "Duh. Damn, what'd you do to make him want you dead so bad?" I told him, and he burst out laughing. People stared at us, but that kind of shit was normal for us, so they looked away pretty fast. "Okay, I get how you might consider that my fault. When do we leave?"

"Right after the campfire. But we need one more person…"

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "'Cause I don't wanna die, dumbass."

"Oh, I do." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "But three people means more monsters coming after us."

"Y'know, you might be right. Let's just go by ourselves, then. It's not like this is a real quest anyways."

We tried to figure out what kind of stuff we'd need, and ran back to the cabin as soon as volleyball was over to pack. I just stuffed my backpack with clothes, nectar, ambrosia, ammo, and a few toiletries. "Hey, how're we gonna get food?" Alec asked. His bag was pretty much the same as mine, except he had crossbow bolts instead of bullets.

"Hello, daughter of Hermes, remember? I can just steal that shit," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Better question: how the hell do we find this bull thing?"

"I can help with that." Both of us jumped; we thought we were alone in the cabin. But there was Rory, standing in the doorway. He didn't look happy. Like, at all. [Why can't I just say "you"? This is so weird… okay, okay, gods I hate this…]

Rory's the satyr holding the tape recorder, by the way. He was a reading tutor at the last school I went to, and I have no idea how old he is 'cause satyrs age slower but he looks like an adult. Like, thirty-something. From the waist up, he's a black dude with an afro that's barely big enough to cover his horns and a goatee. He usually wears like business casual stuff 'cause he spends a lot of time pretending to be a normal human teacher.

I didn't think he could be scary if he tried, but I was so wrong. "What the hell, man?" Alec yelped, trying to duck behind the nearest bunk bed. "We're not turning traitor, I swear!"

"Dude, how'd you find out?" I complained. We hadn't been loud, or even near anyone else while we were planning.

"Ah, that would be my bad." A middle-aged guy in running clothes stepped past Rory and into the cabin, furiously typing on a cellphone. It looked like the phone had snakes on its antenna… and they were moving. "Not again! Can't the forecast stay the same for one hour?"

I'd never seen him before in my life, but something about him seemed familiar. I stared at his face, trying to figure it out. Aside from the salt-and-pepper hair and the "I'm so fucking done" look, he could've been a member of the cabin. He had the same upturned nose, kinda pointed ears… oh, duh, it was his freaking cabin.

"Hey, are those real snakes on your phone?" I blurted. Not how most people react to Hermes, probably, but what was I supposed to say? Hey Dad, great meeting you, please stop sticking your dick in crazy? "They're hella cool."

Thanks, kid.

I'm the smart one. And the good-looking one.

Also the modest one.

"George, Martha, so help me I will put this phone on vibrate," Hermes warned. Okay, so the snakes talked. Not the weirdest thing I've seen. He finished his text and closed the cellphone. "Hello, Brenna. To answer your question, yes, they're real. But depending on –"

"Dad? I don't wanna be rude," I started [Gods, it felt weird to actually call him "Dad" and I still don't know why my brain jumped to doing that right away], Alec interrupting me with a cough that sounded an awful lot like "bullshit", "but as awesome as it is to finally meet you…"

"You're on a schedule? So am I. Don't worry, this won't take long." He looked me over, like he was trying to find a way to tell me just how screwed I really was. But hey, he didn't zap me for interrupting him, so he probably wanted me to live. "I assume you know why you've been chosen for this… well, I wouldn't call it a quest, per se… task, so I'll cut to the chase. Do you know what you're looking for?"

Alec answered before I could. "Yeah, the bull Pasiphae fucked." I was this close to strangling him. [Yeah, I know, I've said worse shit, but not in front of my dad.]

"That's one way to put it," Hermes said, obviously trying not to laugh. "The father of the Minotaur. Not as fearsome as his son, but not a threat you should take lightly."

"Yeah, but the Minotaur got taken down by a twelve-year-old last summer, so why are we even worried? Well, I know why Brenna's worried, she thinks everything's out to get her –"

"Tell me I'm wrong. I dare you."

"–but it's one bull. Even if the borders go down, we can handle it," Alec continued, completely ignoring my interruption.

Okay, seriously, the dude agreed with me earlier, what the hell?

"The camp could probably handle it," Hermes agreed, "if you were at full strength. Right now, though… everyone who isn't injured is exhausted. Some of your strongest fighters are off on a quest. And the bull may not arrive alone."

I… hadn't thought about that. "Hey, Dad… why's the bull headed for camp anyways? Is Poseidon really that mad?" Yeah, Tantalus had given me a "reason", but like I was just gonna trust him.

Hermes looked like he was trying to decide how much to tell me. "Well, someone definitely sent it… but I don't think it was Poseidon. He doesn't often leave the sea."

I hate underwater deliveries, Martha complained.

Eh, we get rats afterwards. Worth it.

Hermes sighed, but didn't tell them to shut up. "Now then, you'll need transportation, cash, drachmae… and this should come in handy when you find the bull. Otherwise, you did a pretty good job of packing." He snapped his fingers and a black duffel bag appeared at his feet. I'd definitely be looking through that as soon as he left. "Oh, and before I forget, you'll be needing this," he added, holding out a plastic rectangle the size of a credit card.

I took it and held it up to the light. "A McDonald's gift card? Thanks, but I'm not sure how that'll help."

"Um, it gets you McDonald's, when doesn't that help?" Alec interjected.

"What kind of photo identification do you need to leave the country?" Hermes asked, ignoring him.

"A passport, but…" The "gift card" suddenly changed into a U.S. passport. I opened it, and the front page had all of my information on it. "Okay, that's wicked cool." Really could've used that when I was running away… it would've been way easier to just fly from LA to New York. [Yeah, I know we made it eventually, Rory, but remember all the monsters we ran into hitchhiking? …oh, right, you were the one who needed a photo ID to fly. But it still would've worked!]

"Any form of identification you need is right there. Less risky than manipulating the Mist." Hermes flipped his cell phone open and sighed. "Seven texts from Zeus…"

And fifty missed calls… oh, and one incoming call from Zeus. Martha added as the phone's ringtone started playing. George seemed to be hissing along.

"Thirty seconds on hold won't kill him… but I really should be going now. Best of luck to you all… oh, and if you happen to run into Luke, Chris, or –"

"I'll try to talk some sense into them," I promised. "Thanks for all the help, Dad." I noticed that Rory was bowing, so I figured I should too. Alec wasn't getting it so I elbowed him in the gut. Bowing was just bending over, right?

Hermes smiled sadly. "May the gods go with you." Then he was gone, leaving me, Alec, and Rory alone in the cabin.