Chapter Seven

It was Hope who found it. It was Hope who found it, buried in a book of mostly inaccurate facts about "those who leap between the pantheons".

"Guys, please tell me this is just the dyslexia acting up again."

Sam peered over her shoulder. "The Soldiers of God will one day create a leaper of pantheons for the express purpose of holding those angels who cannot find vessels."

"The one time I read something right, there's like a 99 percent chance it's about me," she muttered.

"It does make sense. You're half goddess. That has to count for something."

"Yeah, and I'm you and Dean's half-sister. How much do you want to bet that's not a coincidence?"

She bit her lip. "So, what, all the angels' vessels are either possessed or die and the rest of them just kinda share me? How the hell would that even work? Like, would one have control of one leg and another one my arm or something?"

"Actually, they'd probably give one control of your body. Whoever was most superior, I suppose."

Hope swirled round, open hoodie flapping. "Cas!"

"Vessel of All Angels. I should have remembered."

"Sorry?"

"It's what you are. The Vessel of All Angels," he answered.

"Catchy. I should make posters," she muttered.

"What do you mean, remembered?" Sam interrupted.

He looked perplexed. "Old rumours. It was a very long time ago, I presume when the Plan was first revealed to my old superiors. A Vessel of All, a pantheon hopper. I must say, I never thought you'd be a twelve-year-old girl."

"Well, according to this," Sam held up the book. "The rumours were true. I guess it runs in the family."

Hope shrugged. "It don't matter. I'd still have to say yes, and that's not happening. I mean, I think I've proven by now that I'm not a total idiot."

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Chiron was, as per the norm when dealing with a certain pantheon hopper, livid.

Cas actually looked a little nervous.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Okay, gentlemen, you've had your whole thing about who is in charge of what I do, and may I just say that only one person controls my actions and she goes by Hope Mary Winchester, not Castiel or Chiron."

"He's an angel!" Chiron stated.

Hope rolled her eyes again. "Yes, and you're a centaur. Your point?"

"He shouldn't be here! You, Hope, are only permitted inside this camp as a half-blood, and that is tenuous-"

Here she interrupted with a mutter of "Actually, I'm pretty sure God decided I would end up here," but Chiron continued "You realise I can banish you?"

"You realise that then you'd have a full-scale rebellion on your hands, which is basically the third worst thing that could theoretically happen really, really soon? Third only to the Apocalypse, which I am dealing with using my usual style and verve, not to mention a repertoire of plans which are admittedly slightly unrealistic, and the goddamn Titans deciding to go all mightier-than-thou on Olympus and blasting us all to freaking smithereens? Holy everything, are you a goddamn idiot? Just because you don't freaking enjoy my scintillating company, does not mean you can just wreck the entire camp when the rejects, myself possibly included, decide they've had enough?"

She slammed her hands on the desk, careful to avoid a repeat of the Desk Incident of the summer of '09, a frankly humiliating incident that will never be recorded, and continued "And what then? There are fifty of them, and anger can make people fight twice as well. No Hope Winchester to calm them down, Emma Carlisle most likely at their head… You wouldn't stand a chance. Emma's angry, Chiron. She's been angry all her life and she's yet to catch a break, and she is the best swordfighter I have ever fought. So go ahead. Banish me. Believe me, though, it won't do you any good."

The whole thing was delivered in Hope's most acidic, coldly furious tone, one that had last been broken out when… Nope. She'd never actually used it before. Then again, it took a lot to get her this angry.

And, as she had always enjoyed having the last word, Hope turned around and strode outside.

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Aidan Cartwright of the Apollo cabin was the only person to notice her running into the woods. Being as he was a responsible almost-thirteen-year-old demigod, he followed her to make sure none of the monsters in there decided they wanted a taste.

He stopped short when he saw her. She'd scaled a tree, and was sitting there, apparently making a valiant effort not to start yelling or sobbing.

That wasn't why he stopped, though. Aidan stopped because he'd noticed a hellhound slinking between the trees. He could see that she was armed with a sword, but she didn't appear to have noticed. Sure, she was up a tree, but hellhounds, he knew, could jump like no tomorrow and they were huge, anyway.

He reached for his bow, pulling it off his shoulder, and extracted a Celestial Bronze-tipped arrow. He carefully placed the arrow on the string of the bow, and pulled back. Now all he had to do was get a good shot.

Aidan was good at archery, sure, but he wasn't brilliant like, say, Michael Yew. He was good as in if he had a clear shot he wouldn't miss but he couldn't perform miracles.

He heard the hellhound growl, and saw Hope's head fly up and her hand grasp the hilt of her sword.

The son of Apollo crept towards the daughter of Melinoe, reasoning that two on one would be better than hoping the hellhound would come for him first.

He wasn't quite fast enough. The hellhound suddenly leapt out from the surrounding trees, and he was Hope draw her sword, overbalance, and fall to the ground. Right in front of the hellhound. She moved like quicksilver, rolling to her feet and leaping away from the monster.

Throwing caution to the winds, he yelled "Over here, you overgrown Chihuahua!"

Maybe not his best insult, but the hellhound evidently smelled Olympian, made the executive decision that the lanky Underworld kid was less of a big deal and turned.

Aidan shot it right between the eyes, and it dissolved into dust.

"I could have managed that fine alone!" It was the girl. Aidan vaguely remembered her from capture-the-flag games, but her name escaped him.

"Sure you could. Aidan Cartwright. Son of Apollo, and apparently also your new knight in sometimes literal shining armour."

She replied with "Hope Winchester. Daughter of Melinoe, and most definitely not your damsel in distress. Although, I am both female and occasionally in distress, but I can handle it just fine, thank you very much."

"Oh, so you're thanking me for saving you?"

She finally smiled. "Okay, whatever. Thank you for shooting the damn hellhound. I owe you one. You ever get attacked, I might save your ass."

"Might?"

"Maybe," she answered. "Depends what mood I'm in."

The conch horn sounded for lunch. "Want me to walk you? Seeing as how you're so delicate and all."

"I will literally stab you!"

The conversation continued in this vein until they reached the dining pavilion. "See you later?" Hope asked and he nodded. "See you."

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Okay, so this chapter was kinda random and stuff, but it brings in an important plot point and a new character, so I like it well enough.

-threelittleclouds