Chapter 1: Arrival

Present Day:

Tara C. Delgado. She was a skilled archer. Milky chocolate hair and soft hazelnut brown eyes. An average height for her age. She wore a red plaid shirt tied around her waist and a black tank top on. She wore black nikes. A crossbow was hung over her shoulder. It had her initials carved into it. But right now it was in her backpack.

Walking with the other three she had met over six months ago, near three o'clock in the morning, they each had a bag for ammo, food and water. And for more weapons as well. For Alexa she had more blades and for Max more bullets or tranquilizer darts. With more guns. And for Tara it was more Arrows and three more bows. She had three quivers, arrow full.

Trask lead the way towards the hill. Alexa groaned. "When will we get there, Trask? We've been walking for three hours!" Alexa complained.

"We'll be there by sunrise if we keep going, Alexa," Task informed.

"By sunrise!? Max!" Alexa yelled. She looked at Max for support. But Max shrugged not really caring. The two looked at Tara. But she just kept walking and didn't bother to look back at them, even though she knew they were looking at her. Right when Alexa was going to give up, Tara spoke.

"Alexa's right, Trask. We should stop and rest. It's almost dark and we could get some sleep. We eat, we sleep, we go," Tara announced as she stopped walking. She dropped her things and looked at the group and kneeled starting to pull things out of her bag. "Let's start a fire. Anyone up for a little hunting ?" Trask knew better than to argue with Tara. But Max? Well…

"Sound great! Let's-" Trask was cut off.

"But if we keep going we'll be there by morning. Like Trask said. "Maybe even before sunrise," Max said. He really didn't care what they did. He just didn't want to listen to Tara.

"Yes. I know. But we need to eat and Alexa needs to rest as well," Tara opposed.

"But we should-"

"We need to eat. If you want to continue hungry and tired, be my guest. But I'm not gonna starve. Nor am I gonna let Alexa and Travis starve and go tired and weak," Tara hissed.

"And me?" Max asked. Tara looked at him, not confused but, in wonder.

"When did you start caring whether or not I was considering you in my concern?" Tara asked in an angry tone. Max was getting sick of this. He put up with it for six and a half months. He was done.

"I've saved your life multiple times," he hissed. She scoffed and now she felt like tearing him apart limb limb.

"As I did to you!" she yelled, standing up.

"And yet I was the one making sure you were okay! Making sure that your body was not hurt. I cared. I do care! Why can't you do the same?! Why can't you make sure I'm okay? Unhurt?! Why can't you care about me?!" Max yelled angry. He seemed genuinely pissed. But she understood why. Understood that he wasn't only mad at her but at himself. For what she did not know.

Max did. He was tired of not being enough. The moment he laid eyes on her, he wanted to get to know her and have her. But she was taken. Her heart was already claimed. But after everything they went through together, he thought maybe now he was enough. And now he knew he probably never will be.

"Max…" Tara touched his arm when she saw a couple tears slip but he shook his head and set his stuff down. He grabbed his gun and walked away wiping his tears.

Tara felt horrible. She didn't know she was that cold towards him. She thought...she just...she didn't know why she had this thing or what she had against him. She looked back towards the other two.

"I'm gonna go… You guys...Start a fire. We'll go hunt," she said quietly before gathering her quiver and crossbow. She started to jog after Max.

"Max! Max, come on!" Tara yelled. She had caught up and now she was tugging at him to slow down. He did after getting annoyed. But it was very abrupt so her poor face collided with his muscular back. She groaned and he gave a small smile in amusement.

"Cut it out," he said trying to stay mad. It was hard with her. She tended to make him laugh and he usually ended up forgiving her. But he needed to stay mad.

"Max, I am sorry. I didn't mean...I mean I did...It's just…" Max sighed nodding.

"It's fine. I know you're still-"

"I'm not," Tara interrupted. "And it's not fine. I can't keep doing this to you. It isn't right. It's really wrong. And I try to look at you and pretend I don't...I can't seem to let go. You are the strongest. I'm the skill. Trask is special and Alexa...we don't know what she is other than the one we have to protect her. Which is what Trask is usually doing and we have to protect those two. I didn't think it was necessary to…"

"To care and be concerned? About each other?" he asked. She looked away. She didn't know they were supposed to care. She only ever cared for those she took care of. Max always took care of the others with her. Even Walker...She took care of him. She was the overwatch.

"I'm sorry, I just...I don't even have an excuse! I'm just sorry," Tara said her eyes full of guilt and sorrow. He sighed.

"Yeah, it's fine," he shrugged and opened his arms. She smiled softly and ran into his arms feeling the warmth of his embrace. Suddenly she pulled away and and looked him in the eyes.

"Run," she whispered and he followed her aas she took off back the way they came. Max looked over his shoulder as he ran with her. A minotaur was racing towards them and was speeding towards them faster than than they were running.

"Max!" Tara yelled and he looked back forward realizing he had slowed down. She was at the campsite where a fire was burning. He forced his legs to carry him faster and he soon caught up and she had just finished helping Alexis packing her things. They all started running as fast as their feet could carry them.

"Tara!" Trask yelled as the minotaur was catching them. They all ran faster. All four were scared. The feeling in the chests were anticipation and fear. They could their heartbeat pounding against their chest. Tara let out a shaky breath,

"Max, come on!" Tara said called. Her voice cracked and she wanted to take it back. Max followed her as she curved away from Trask and Alexa as they kept running and they lead the minotaur away. She suddenly took her crossbow and started to shoot at the minotaur. Max kept running and ducked so she had clean shots. When she finally stop the minotaur was slowing but was still running. She ran and pulled Max behind a tree. They breathing slowed and then they heard the trampling of the minotaur. It was as steady as a heartbeat and as hard as a hammer. They could feel the thumps of the Earth as the minotaur ran.

Tara pulled on Max's shirt and motioned up into the tree. They started climbing as their hearts raced in nervousness. She never once did this before. Outran cops, yeah. Chased off bullies, criminals, and child-abusers. She did the things a regular rebelled child would do. Or she thought so. It seemed normal for a girl like herself. Then she meets these other teens and everything changes.

"Tara," Max whispered. She had stopped climbing. He was holding out his hand to pull her up onto another branch. She took it and let him pull her up. "You okay?" he whispered. She nodded and held his hand as they climbed higher till the tree finally shook as the minotaur ran head first into it, trying to knock it down. She screamed as she almost fell but Max caught her. He gestured to the tree next to them. She nodded and he swung her and she caught the next branch on the next tree. Max pulled up and walked backwards just a bit to gain some speed. He ran and launched himself onto the next tree landing silently on the next tree. They kept jumping from tree t0 tree trying to lose the minotaur. But one tree after the other, it followed them.

Finally, breathless, they came to a stop. They held onto the trunk as the tree shook. "Max we can't shake him. He can smell us. He knows when we breath and when we move, we can't-..." she sighed. She looked down to the minotaur. It was growling and shaking, and...And it had her arrow right below it's horn. A lightbulb went off inside her head. "Duh. Of course," she looked at Max. "We need to drop," Tara said. Max looked at her with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, what?!" he yelled. Tara just smiled. SHe grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the truck and they both fell, Max screaming while Tara perfected her aim. She got closer and closer and the minotaur caught Max as she grabbed the arrow, swinging herself onto it's head. It was squeezing the life out of Max as Tara cut the horn off and the minotaur roared arms flailing but never letting go of Max. Tara yelled Max's name and threw the horn at him. He caught it and getting close enough he stabbed the minotaur with it making the flailing slow to a stop and drop Max onto the ground to which Max yelled out in pain.

"Max!" Tara yelled as the minotaur dropped dead. Tara jumped from the minotaur and rolled to the ground beside Max. He was groaning in pain. "Where does it hurt?" she asked and Max, still groaning, pointed to his back and ankle. "Your head hurt?" he groaned and nodded. "I need you to roll over just...a...bit," she slightly pushed him.

"AH!" he yelled in pain.

"Your back isn't broken, Max. You fell on a rock. It's in your back," Tara said.

"I'm well aware! GET IT OUT!" he yelled.

"I can't not till we're close to the camp. You'll start bleeding really bad and by the time we get to camp, you'll have lost a lot of blood and who knows what else," Tara explained. Max groaned and nodded. "Your ankle looks sprained but considering you're a demigod, you'll probably be okay in a while," she said. "Aside from the fact that there is a rock in your back.

She helped him up as he groaned and yelled out in pain. Tara let him lean on her for support as they walked to catch up with Trask and Alexa. But the strangest thing happened as soon as they walked under a large tree, They were at a campsite that Alexa and Trask had set up. So close to the fire that Tara threw herself and Max backwards.

"Wh-Where did you come from?!" Trask yelled shocked.

"I-I don't-" she looked to Max who had passed out. "Max!"

"Here," Trask said and pointed to about a football field away. "We can make it if I help you carry him." Trask explained. "Thought we would be farther away but we're not," he said.

"Alexa put the fire out, we're getting Max some help. He has a rock pierced in his back," Tara said and Trask lifted the other side of Max and bringing Max's arm around his neck and pulling him up. The two dragged Max across the field with Alexa following them with their belongings.

Knocking at the door, a horse stepped out and onto the porch. Oops. Not a horse. Half man half horse. Tara recognized the face of the centaur immediately.

Hi! Thank you for keeping up with my crazy plot ;) I hope you're enjoying. R&R please! More to come asap! Loves yous alls!

-leilostx