A/N: Guess who decided to continue the story? Me! :'D I will only update when I have free time. But Christmas break is near so worry not! :'3 Oh, also this takes place the before The Lost Heroes series. . . Since I've never read that yet- /shot
Kyoya led them outside the school and onto the sidewalk. The streets were partially empty with very few cars passing by. The afternoon sun was a bright white dot that hung in the sky, sending blinding rays of light down onto the Host Club. "I want you all to stay behind me at all times, alright? If you see anyone suspicious-looking, notify me. Also, don't ever mention the word"—the bespectacled demigod lowered his voice to a whisper—"demigod."
Then he started walking. The Host Club glanced at each other nervously.
"Well, we've got nothing to lose, right?" Tamaki said. "We've got Mommy Kyoya to protect us."
"I can't believe that you could still call Kyoya-senpai 'Mommy' at this time," Hikaru muttered. "But you are right. After seeing his abilities, we have nothing to lose. Now, let's get going! Before we lose him."
And so, the group followed the wise demigod.
. . .
They had stopped at an abandoned alley, near the city. It stunk of cat droppings, rotting food, and trash. The walls were grimy with who knows what, decorated with years old of graffiti, and overfilled trash bags were strewn everywhere.
"This should be safe enough," Kyoya mused quietly.
"Ouchie! Kyoya, why did you bring us here? My feet hurt from walking so far." Honey whined, madly waving his precious stuffed bunny around in frustration.
"We needed to get far from the school – there might be more monsters in there. Besides, this will lessen the pay." Kyoya fixed his glasses' position. Does Kyoya really need those? Haruhi wondered.
He brought out a gold coin – a drachma, to be exact. But it looked a little different. She could see the head of a man, if she squinted enough, with an ancient Greek battle helmet. Something like the one they saw at a Greek museum.
Haruhi asked, "Is that an ancient Greek drachma?"
"I never thought you'd guess right, Haruhi." Kyoya raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Yes, that's right. It's what we. . . special people use for money."
"Whoa, Kyoya! I never thought you'd have something so precious! Let me see it!" Tamaki tried to snatch the drachma, but Kyoya swiftly sidestepped his approach.
"No. We need this for the taxi."
"Um," Kaoru spoke up, "how are we going to hail a taxi in the middle of an alley?"
"Not in the middle of the alley," Kyoya calmly replied. "I can't summon them that way."
The Host Club stared at the demigod, wondering what in the world he could be talking about. There was no way that they could get a taxi in the alley, but from the event that had happened in the school, it might just be possible. . . somehow.
So, they watched quietly as Kyoya walked at the end of the sidewalk and tossed the coin up. "Stêthi 'Ô hárma diabolês!" It was strange that Haruhi actually understood that. The words sounded like absolute gibberish, but it was, she realized, ancient Greek for, "Stop, Chariot of Damnation."
The drachma fell through the road and disappeared. For a moment, the Host Club was baffled on how the heck the coin just dove and vanished into the road as if it was water. Their mouths hung open like a broken door, eyes big as they stared at where they coin disappeared.
But then that wasn't the end of it.
The ground began to ooze a red, bubbly liquid. The strange liquid then spread until it was as big as the buffet tables in the fancy restaurant, and as thick as a Queen-sized bed.
Slowly, a car that looked as if it made of smoke emerged from the red liquid. The window rolled down, revealing a gray-skinned old lady with a beady red eye. She kept murmuring something, but it came out weird for she had no teeth. "Passage, passage?" was all that Haruhi could figure.
Kyoya replied, "Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill, Farm Road 3.141. Long Island, New York 11954."
"But that takes 15 hours!" the woman with the same grey skin gasped. Haruhi noticed that she had no eyes, but a tooth.
"Shut up, Tempest! That means more money!" the woman with the eye garbled before bursting out into a deep cackle.
"Money? Oh, yes! We could buy more hamburgers that way! Please, do get in! " Tempest ushered, signaling them to enter.
"When do you ever stop thinking about hamburgers?" another woman with no eyes said, her words distorted from her lack of teeth as well. "It's all about the fries!"
"Shut up, Anger!" Tempest snapped.
"Yeah! We all know that it's the chicken nuggets that matter!" the woman with the eye argued.
"You shut it as well, Wasp!" Tempest warned.
In the midst of the women's arguing, Kyoya spoke up, "Don't mind them, they always fight." He clicked the taxi door open, revealing one of the worst places they could sit on. The seats of the taxis were covered in a shredded plastic cover while some places were patched up with duck tape. Worst of all, instead of seatbelts, there were chains.
". . . Are you sure this is safe?" Mori asked, eyeing the inside with slight disdain.
"It's safe enough," Kyoya replied. "I've rode this several times to get to New York. It's the fastest way there."
Hikaru frowned. "But isn't New York on the other side of the world?"
"Yes, but the car can travel on water. Magic exists, you know." Kyoya entered the car, sitting on the far end of the car, right next to the window. "Now, get in. We have no time to waste. I know that we can't all fit so just sit on each other's laps."
"Well, I trust your judgment, Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi stated before entering the car as well. "I'll just hope your pay for my funeral if I die."
"If you die, I'll die, too," Hikaru said, joining in. "We're your friends, after all."
"So, you're pretty much stuck with us forever," Kaoru added a little cheerfully as he took the seat next to his twin's. "Isn't that great?"
Haruhi blinked. She had only meant for it to be a joke. But still, their speech moved her; the ends of her lips curled up into a small smile. "Not really," she lied.
"That smile lies!" Tamaki exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You love us!"
"Maybe." Haruhi said, her voice considerate. "Just maybe."
. . .
The ride could be described in one word: sickening. They drove – much like Kyoya had said – fast, swerving around turns violently and never stopping, even if the street lights were red. They had close calls in crashing into cars, trees, signs, and even worse pedestrians. The Host Club, aside from the bespectacled demigod, were screaming and screeching like crazy, complaining and shouting for their one-eyed driver to watch out for the obstacles in her path.
When they had reached the sea, they had calmed down a little bit. No cars, no signs, no pedestrians, and no houses to crash into. Sure, there was the bickering of the three sisters about the eye and tooth, though it was okay now they were out of danger. But then when things had just begun to smoothen, the worst started to happen.
The sea was much, much, much dangerous than the streets of Japan. Whales emerged from the water and flew into the air, their body arching over the ride and crashing back into the ocean. Their return into their home sent giant waves against the car; the vehicle would sink into the sea before floating back up with a cursing Wasp and frightened Host Club members.
That wasn't even the half of it. Sharks would jump against the windows and doors, baring their teeth at their soon-to-be-meal. Jellyfish would float up and zap the metallic car with electricity. Curious octopus would stick onto the doors and drag their slimy bodies along the roof, windows, and windshield.
But it wasn't that bad. Friendly, beautiful sea creatures that Haruhi never thought of seeing in her life time would appear now and then. Pacific white sided dolphins would jump up and down from the water, squeaking a hello to the group of demigods; flying fish would glide into the air around the taxi; and different schools of fish would swim harmlessly pass them.
When nightfall came, the Host Club was too weary to fall asleep, despite being awfully tired. Whenever they dozed off, close to slumber, the image of the shark's teeth, the octopus' beady eye, and the stinging sensation of the jellyfish would pop up and jolt them awake.
"You know what, in the middle of the chaos, I forgot to tell my dad that I won't be coming home. . . Do you think there is reception in the middle of the ocean?" Tamaki inquired sleepily, glancing at Kyoya.
The latter narrowed his eyes. "Never use your cell phone. It'll make the monsters aware of you."
"What? How about a normal phone? You guys have phones at camp, right?"
"No. We don't need phones. We have Iris messages instead. They're sort of a type of video message. Think of it as Skype. Except instead of internet, we need a rainbow."
"Oh, I like rainbows!" Honey clapped his hands excitedly. "I can't wait to try that out!"
"Don't get too hopeful," Kyoya said. "They cost drachmas. Use them only when you need to."
"Aw. . ."
"Can. . . Can I send an Iris message to my dad when we get to camp?" Haruhi quietly asked. "I know he must be pretty worried."
"Me too," Tamaki joined in. "He must be sending the S.Q.U.A.T. team to find me or something."
"You can all send Iris messages to your families," Kyoya agreed. "I'll provide the drachmas."
The whole Host Club cheered. "Thank you, Mommy!"
"Oh, please stop calling me that; I'm not a woman. Now, get some sleep. This will be a really long ride."
"Okay!"
. . .
It was 5:00 AM that they stopped by a gas station to eat. When everyone woke up, they kept complaining about how hungry they were. They wouldn't shut up, saying that their stomachs were eating themselves, and that their mouths were going to drool a river into the car. Kyoya had no choice but to talk the driver into stopping by a nearby gas station with the promise of extra pay.
"So this is how an American commoner's gas station looks like!" Kaoru exclaimed, observing the drinks inside the freezer. They were all labeled in English, which was the twin's weakest subject in school. But they could still read it if they racked their brains hard enough. There was Gatorade, Sunkist juice, Mr. Brown Coffee, and even Coke.
"It's filled with all kinds of cool stuff! Are these Lays?" Hikaru picked up a pack of chips from a shelf, squinting as he tried to translate the letters into Japanese. "It is! Kyoya, oh my gosh, can we buy these?"
"No," Kyoya replied bluntly. "We're eating Subway, okay? That would at least fill you up."
Hikaru pouted, muttering incoherent under his breath.
Honey and Mori were sitting on one of the tables set up by the restaurant; the blonde-haired senior chattering endlessly while the latter nodded every now and then.
Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyoya were at the ordering station of the American sandwich restaurant. A lady in her early twenties stood at the other end, dressed in a black and red uniform; the name tag that hung onto her shirt spelled Molly.
Haruhi and Tamaki watched as the bespectacled demigod talked to Molly in fluent English. They never knew that he could speak that fluently in the foreign tongue. Sure, he was really smart, but he spoke in English as if he grew up hearing it. Did he?
By the time they finished ordering, Kyoya had a tray full of sandwiches. They smelled of warm, toasted pork and green, leafy vegetables. Their scent aroused Haruhi's stomach, which grumbled angrily for some food. Hold on a sec, we're getting there, the brunette thought.
The rest of the Host Club was sitting on a table. Hikaru and Kaoru seemed to have gotten bored of snooping around the building and were idly playing a game of Flappy Bird.
"Darn it! Stop hitting the pipes, you stupid pixilated bird!" Hikaru whined, clicking rapidly onto the screen as if it would do any good.
Kaoru looked as enraged as his twin, staring at the screen with disdain. "Brother, look out for that—I SAID LOOK OUT!"
"Shut up! I AM LOOKING OUT!"
"Guys, that guy at the other table is staring at us. . ." Honey murmured. "He might complain."
The twins turned sharply at Honey, who flinched at their gaze. "We'll stop shouting when we beat this devil spawn of a game!"
"Now, now," Haruhi chided. "You two know better than to gang up against Honey-senpai. We've brought sandwiches so put that phone away."
"Yes, Haruhi," the twins glumly said in unison.
"Help yourselves, men!" Tamaki proudly stated, slamming down the drinks onto the table. "For this is the only time we shall eat commoner sandwiches!"
"Actually," Kyoya continued, placing down the tray of sandwiches onto the table, "you will all be eating lots of commoner sandwiches at camp. But trust me, they're not that bad."
No one responded to the fact that they would be eating commoner food at camp. Instead, they hastily got a sandwich and munched it down. The taste was like heaven, considering they haven't eaten since they left school yesterday.
They all ate in complete silence – if you counted wolfing down their sandwiches like a rabid food-deprived dog.
It wasn't until they finished all the sandwiches on the tray that one of them spoke up.
"Hey, don't those ladies need to eat?" Haruhi asked. "I mean, they don't have teeth, but I bet they can eat some oatmeal or something."
"Do you think there's oatmeal here, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Besides, they can bear not eating. Their health is not my responsibility."
"Anyways,how long do we need to travel until we reach this camp?" Mori inquired, wiping ketchup off of Honey's cheek. "Is it long?"
"Just"—Kyoya glanced at the clock, which read 5:29—"2 and a half hours."
"Do we really have to go back?" Honey asked, looking a little green. "I mean, they're really reckless at driving. We might die."
Kyoya adjusted the position of his glasses, which were slipping off. "They're experienced – not one demigod has died in their service. . . that I know of."
"That doesn't really make me feel safe!"
"Anyways, let's get going. It's a long journey."
"Wait, wait," Hikaru said through sips, "Let me finish my drink first."
"Hey, don't finish all of it! I want a drink, too." Kaoru huffed, trying to snatch the drink from his brother.
Hikaru let out a refreshed sigh, setting the now empty cup down. "Too late!"
"No fair!"
Kyoya sighed tiredly. "Come on, don't fight. There will be more drinks like that at camp."
That seemed to satisfy them both for they immediately shut up.
The Host Club was about to get up when the door chimed open. Their attention was drawn to a huge, intimidating man. He was eight feet tall with heavily tattooed arms. He wore a white shirt that said 'Canada, eh!' with the Canadian flag just under the words; his jeans were ripped and he was barefoot.
Kyoya cursed in ancient Greek. He obviously was not pleased with the man's sudden appearance. "Act natural," he whispered, "Don't look at that man."
Haruhi pursed her lips. She did not want to deal with another problem. "Why? Is he. . ."
"He's a Laistrygonian. Cannibals. Not very friendly. Now, don't just sit there, let's go."
The Host Club, as naturally as they could, stood up. Honey brought up the topic of cakes, just to make it look a little convincing that they weren't at all normal.
They passed the Laistrygonian, who stopped in his journey to the counter. A little part of them wanted to run, but that would obviously be like them saying 'Hey, we're demigods! Come eat us!', so they just kept walking.
"Half-Bloods," the Laistrygonian muttered, "That's what you are all, huh?"
The Host Club stopped in their tracks. Kyoya turned to him and politely smiled. He asked in his fluent English, "Are you talking to us, sir?"
"Don't play dumb," the Laistrygonian spat. "I know what you are!"
Kyoya never lost the calm in his voice. "Sorry, but we don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you'd excuse us, we better be going."
The Laistrygonian let out an angry roar. The other customers stopped what they were doing to stare at the group. "My nose doesn't lie! Come here, I'll skin you and pick your bones clean!"
Haruhi knew it was pretty late, but she noticed that the Laistrygonian had sharp, yellow teeth. Which she guessed, was going to tear into her skin unless she made a run for it. However, she was glued on her spot from fear; no matter how much she tried to move her feet, it was all in vain.
"Run! Now!" Kyoya shouted, taking off his glasses. "Into the car!"
The other Host Club members ran out, but Haruhi stayed where she was. She could feel the tears prickle the side of her eyes. She was going to die here. At this gas station, away from her father, away from home.
But then suddenly, she felt someone tug her out of her trance. She turned – as if the world was in slow motion – and saw that Hikaru had grabbed her hand and was dragging her out of the gas station store. She stared at him with dazed expression. The store's lights sent shadows across his face (he looked a little cool that way, she had to admit) and his eyes were like two circles of chocolate. His mouth was moving, he was saying something, but Haruhi couldn't hear it. The world was mute to her.
Hikaru quickly ushered her inside the car. She entered, a little reluctantly, and sat right next to Tamaki. The said blonde smiled at her, a little nervously, and said something. This time, she could hear him. The world's sound had returned. "Did you see the guy's teeth? Someone is totally not going to get a quarter from the tooth fairy; those things were absolutely hideous!"
"You might not want to say that, King," Kaoru insisted. "He might hear you and eat you up!"
"Oh, please. Kyoya will save me."
"Are you sure about that?"
While the two engaged into a small argument, Haruhi averted her attention to Hikaru. He was looking out the window of the car, seemingly in deep thought, and when he saw Haruhi staring at him, his face contorted in anger.
"What were you thinking?" he snapped, his voice dripping with venom. Kaoru and Tamaki stopped arguing to look at Hikaru. "You could have gotten hurt, standing like that! Why didn't you run? If I didn't drag you out of there. . . If I didn't grab your hand. . ." Tears were welling up at the side of his eyes and his voice cracked when he spoke, "You would have died."
Haruhi felt like someone jabbed a sword into her heart. It hurt her to see her friend like this. She had made him worry. She deserved his anger; she deserved to feel this pain. Turning her gaze down to her hands, she said in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry. . . I. . . felt scared—no, terrified. I couldn't move. I tried, but my legs. . . they just wouldn't budge. . . I thought that I was going to die. But you saved me. So, thank you."
This seemed to soften Hikaru for he started to stammer, "Ah, no, Haruhi, I. . . I didn't mean to. . ."
"It's okay," Haruhi looked up, a smile on her face. "I understand. So. . . please, don't feel bad."
Hikaru was about to say something, but the three ladies in the front cut him off.
"HAH! This is amazing, just like a telenova." Wasp cackled, obviously amused. "We shouldn't be paying for a TV when we have this."
"Hey! I wanna see, too! Give me the eye!" Tempest tried to scoop the eye out of Wasp, but ended up squeezing her nose. "Is this it?"
Wasp let out a hiss, slapping away the latter's hand away. "Back off, that's my nose, you nincompoop! Besides, you had it last time."
"Why don't I get the eye instead?" Anger whined, "I never get to see anything good when I have it so I deserve a sneak peek!"
"Now, now, ladies," Kyoya chided, "let's not get started on the eye-hogging. Right now, we need to get out of here. Fast."
Haruhi stared at the bespectacled demigod. He had blood stains on his uniform, which was torn here and there. "How did the fight go?"
"Led him into the restroom. It was a cramped battle, but I won." Kyoya replied, signaling Hikaru to get up. The latter merely stood up, hunched from the low ceiling of the car, and went to sit on Kaoru's lap.
"How did you get away with killing him? Wasn't everyone suspicious?" Haruhi inquired.
Kyoya sat next to her, slamming the door shut. He smelled of sweat, blood, and soap. "I controlled the Mist. Don't ask what I showed them. You don't want to know."
"Um. . . What are you talking about?"
"The Mist is a supernatural force that distorts the image of things such as memories or monsters to make it seem normal. We demi. . . special people can see through it, but sometimes it can be strong enough to fool us." Kyoya brushed a hand through his dark locks, letting out a sigh. "Wasp, drive."
"Got it, pretty boy!" And with that said, they darted off in the speed of light.