I just wanted to thank everyone who has stayed with the story. I thought it would be shorter than this but I'm having too much fun with the story to end it anytime soon and new readers as still subscribing (Thanks for that). Anyway, The best is yet to come. Please Review!

They were up early the next morning and back on the road in less than an hour. As they rode, they started talking about their childhoods and growing up. Kaie's had been normal by a demigod's standards. She had been moved between foster families for years and used a mix of gymnastics, fencing, and martial arts classes to teach herself how to fight for the thirteenth time. Nico matched her stories of high school drama with years of camp gossip.

Twice during the conversation Kaie had shut off the com link from her bike without giving Nico a reason. It would last an hour or so then she would come back on and apologize. Nico was surprised that it didn't annoy him.

At a fundamental level he understood. Bianca had told him his fatal flaw was to hold grudges and he recognized that now. He still did it but he recognized it. Kaie's seemed to be similar. Holding everything until pressure cause something to break from the stress.

"So what's else has been going on at the camp lately?" Kaie's voice came back through Nico's speakers once again.

"The usual drama from the little kids."

"Don't you ignore them?"

"Pretty much" Nico replied honestly.

"What else?" Kaie prodded him as she swerved between two semis a car length ahead. Nico had always thought he was a reckless driver but she was reckless at an insane level.

"A pool started up back in June over which of the main couples are going to get engaged soon."

"Who are the main couples?" If a soccer mom hadn't leaned on her horn at that exact second Nico would have sworn he heard wistfulness in Kaie's voice.

"Clarisse and Chris, Katie and Travis, Percy and Annabeth. All three have more or less been together since after the second Titan war."

"Who's in the lead?"

"Percy and Annabeth of course." Silence fell and Nico thought Kaie had turned her com off again.

"Chris is the child of Hermes who kept looking at Clarisse in the dining hall right?" Her voice came back a few minutes later.

"Yup." Nico watched Kaie slide between a semi and the concrete wall of the highway with a few inches to spare at over ninety miles an hour. She truly was fearless...or suicidal. Nico shook away the dark thoughts. He hadn't known her for long but he knew Kaie was stronger than that.

"Hundred bucks on Chris and Clarisse."

Nico laughed. "You sure you want to make that bet? They've been fighting since May."

"I'm sure." Nico started to laugh but stopped when a muffled cry echoed through the headsets. Ahead, he saw Kaie's bike waiver, heading for the concrete divider between the lanes, before straightening at the last minute.

"Kaie!" Nico was surprised by the worry that crept into his voice which only grew as time passed without her answering. He followed her off the highway and into a dirt parking lot, skidding to a stop along side her as she pulled off her helmet.

Her eyes were blood shot and a crimson tear rolled down her left cheek.

Worry gnawed at Nico's stomach. "Are you okay? What happened?"

He realized Kaie was shaking. She breathed out slowly, regaining her composure. "Massive backlash. Wouldn't have happened if I still had the first implant in." Bitterness crept into her voice.

"Backlash from what?" Nico asked carefully, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"The deathgate. A whole lot of monsters were just raised by it."

"How many is a whole lot?" Nico asked slowly. Kaie looked over at him, meeting his gaze for the first times since they had pulled over. The bloodshot was fading from her eyes. Furious steel gray took its place. "Hundred. Two hundred easy." Nico cussed fluently for several minutes.

"I have a better location for the deathgate though." Nico nodded "You okay to ride?" Kaie nodded, her resolve solidified. "Lets get as close as we can before nightfall and contact Olympus and Camp Halfblood then. Kaie nodded again and pulled her helmet back on.

"Which way?" Nico asked as he followed suit.

"Southwest."

Three hours later they were once again in a ratty motel in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in Kansas. "Is there even anything in Kansas?" Nico muttered with annoyance. He was beginning to think he liked waking up covered in sand better than waking up in these roach motels. Regardless, they were both exhausted and they needed to contact the gods.

Kaie dropped her bag on one of the beds and headed into the bathroom.

"Well?" She looked back at Nico when he didn't follow. The confused deer in the headlights look on his face was priceless.

"Shower. Steam. Iris message." Realization dawned on Nico's face. Kaie laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Get your head out of the gutter."

Nico gave her a crooked grin. "How do you know what I was thinking if you weren't thinking the same thing?" Kaie couldn't stop herself from blushing as Nico walked past her and into the bathroom.

He turned the shower on high as she followed him and closed the door. The tiny room was already filling up with steam after only a moment . The size made it easy for the steam to collect enough for a Iris message, unfortunately it left very little room for Kaie and Nico to respect each others space.

Kaie reached into her pocket and pulled out and gold coin. "Gods' Hall, Olympus." She didn't bother the prayer or respect demigods had to offer.

The image formed almost instantaneously. The six eldest gods sat on their thrones. They had apparently been waiting to hear from her. The rest of the hall was empty.

Kaie push back her sudden annoyance at being in this position. She could be in college right now, getting a pre-law degree but no. She had to be fighting monsters and saving the world.

"Well?" Zeus spoke for the group.

"It opened today. At least a hundred and fifty creatures are walking now."

The gods exchanged glances but kept their composures. "Do you have a better location now?" Hestia spoke quietly from the edge of the mist.

Kaie nodded. "Arizona or New Mexico. I should be able to narrow it down further tomorrow." She could see relief in the gods' faces. The immortal being truly feared the destruction a deathgate would create.

"I will send my Hunters to the area to assist you." Artemis walked into the image. Kaie knew that Zeus must have called her in. Kaie nodded once and the gods' image disappeared from the mist. She turned and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the door open so the mist would dissipate.

Nico followed Kaie out after the Iris message ended. He could tell she was nervous. He wasn't sure what in particular she was nervous about, but something was bothering her. She had stopped by the door and was in the midst of running a hand through her hair. It hung loose for the first time since Nico had seen her in her apartment.

"I need food." She turned and grabbed a thin black wallet from the front of her bag.

"I guess we better get food then. I would hate to see you hungry." Nico grinned crookedly at the glare she threw at him and followed her out of the motel room, locking the door after them. "Where to?"

"There was a roadhouse about half a mile down the road." Kaie told him as she walked past where the bikes were parked.

Nico walked quickly to catch up. "We're walking?"

Kaie rolled her eyes. "Nico, I realize you are a lazy ass but even you should be able to manage a short walk."

Nico sighed and relented. Muttering a short response under his breath.

"What was that?" Kaie raised an eyebrow as they walked across a deserted lot.

"I said I am not an ass." Nico bumped into her as he walked around an abandoned and rusting refrigerator.

"So you don't dispute that you are in fact lazy?" He hesitated. Kaie smirked, knowing she had won.

Please Review! I have the next chapter almost done so once I have a few more reviews I will upload it.