One More Day.
Chapter 4: Problems Come In Threes.
Flashback:
Poseidon stood up from his throne, his face nearly blank and set in a tight guarded look.
"My daughter is missing?" he demanded and Luke turned his furious gaze onto the sea god.
This might look like a huge disrespect, but Poseidon knew it wasn't exactly aimed at him. Luke was simply in a rage, and it wasn't that hard to upset the god of rage – especially considering someone had taken the most important person in his life from him, and he was still a new god.
New gods, born or made always had problems with their domains in the beginning.
"I arrived at the Camp about two hours ago. I thought she was in her lessons but Annabeth came a few moments ago. She isn't in the camp," Luke said, gritting his teeth. "Only a god could have gotten into camp to take her."
The counsel burst into whispers and slowly this turned to shouts. Hestia watched from her hearth with a sad, disappointed look on her face and in her fiery eyes.
Hermes and Poseidon were probably doing most of the shouting, and Luke added his own words every now and then but mostly he just got angrier and angrier.
"This is beyond the point!" Luke shouted, drawing everyone attention to the god of demigods, betrayal, rage, redemption and mischief.
"Luke is right," Poseidon said, gripping his trident so tightly his knuckles were nearly bone white. "The matter is my daughter. If she is not at camp, then someone must have taken her and I want to know who!"
Luke, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite (though no one noticed the hesitance or glare she shot Hera), Hephaestus, and even Dionysus nodded in agreement.
Percy had done something for each of these gods. She had helped to bring Hermes his son back.
She'd been part of the effort to save Artemis, despite having been kidnapped and not exactly on the quest, and Apollo would always remember that.
Artemis had found a friend in the girl, and she had taken the sky back so she could fight Atlas, even though she wouldn't have had to.
Aphrodite was fond of Percy, her being part of the greatest love story since Troy and the fact Percy was her great-granddaughter (Roman or not). As for Hephaestus, she had gone to Mount St. Helens for him, and like he'd told her on Ogygia, he'd remember that.
Not to mention he was aware she was of his wife's bloodline, Roman as it may be.
As for Dionysus, she had kept her word to watch out for his son, Pollux. And he wouldn't admit he'd grown fond of the demigods of this generation, but only just.
"What makes you so sure she didn't simply...leave camp for a while?" Hera intervened.
"Though I do not agree with you completely, is there any evidence to say she has been kidnapped?" Zeus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aphrodite was still gazing at Hera and suddenly she stood.
"I do not know where Percy is, but maybe you should ask Hera that question," the love goddess snarled, her eyes nearly every shade in the rainbow as she descended from her throne and stormed out of the room.
Hephaestus frowned after his wife, and shot a glare towards his brother when Ares began to get up as if to follow her. Instead he did so, flashing out to where he was sure the love goddess had stormed out too.
"Hera?" Zeus questioned, narrowing his blue gaze towards his fidgety wife. "What does Aphrodite mean by that?"
The goddess looked around her and held her head up high.
"It is for the best, you will all see that," Hera said. "With the giants begin to stir, we must be ready..."
Luke snarled, his eyes beginning to glow brightly, along with a steaming aura which blazed around him.
"Where is Percy? If she is hurt I swear I – "
Hera cut him off, glaring down at him as if he were some minor insect on the bottom of her shoe.
"You'll what?" she asked, a cruelness leaking into her eyes, but only momentarily. "You may be a major god, Luke, but you are still a new one. You could do nothing to me..."
Luke clinched his fist.
"Maybe not," Poseidon said, standing from his throne. "But I am not. You may not tell me where my daughter is, Hera, but when I find her she better not have a single scratch or so help me Fates...you will be have the war of a lifetime."
With that said, the sea god slammed his trident onto the marble floors, the room shook violently, and in a crash of hurricane size winds and sea water he was gone.
Zeus rubbed his temples, and sighed in frustration when his oldest and most favored immortal daughter, besides Artemis herself, stood.
"Athena?" Demeter asked, rather shocked by the events taking place. She herself was fond of her niece, Persephone, and was worried but the look on Athena's face worried her as well.
"If you think I am a bad enemy to have, stepmother," Athena said, shaking slightly. "Then just wait, I truly hope your plan works out for the best. Otherwise...you may have just doomed Olympus yourself."
There was a breeze, and in a whirlwind of owl feathers of all colors the wisdom goddess was gone.
Hermes was now holding onto his son, and it looked as if he was holding him back from attacking Hera who looked almost shaken.
"I may be a new god, Hera, but I didn't just have tea while hosting Kronos. I've learned a few tricks," he sneered.
His eyes seemingly to take a yellowish/amber glow to them – the color besides silver that was connected to his domains they realized, but for a moment it was eerily similar to the liquid gold orbs of Kronos.
Shaking his father's hand from his shoulder, the atmosphere now heavy and thick with tension and some weariness from his words. Then just as he'd entered he turned and began to leave the throne room.
"Luke, where are you going?" Hermes called, worry in his voice.
"To find my wife!" he called back, never turning around once.
Hermes sighed, and one by one the remaining gods all flashed out.
End Flashback:
He had been searching what seemed like nonstop since his wife had gone missing three days before. But no matter where he searched he couldn't find her.
When he couldn't sense her presence through the link he shared with all demigods, being the god of demigods, he began to worry.
Either Hera was shielding her from his radar or she was dead...the only other reason he'd not be able to find her was if she was in another gods domain.
He refused to believe she was dead, he knew he would have felt it if that had happened. They had been through too much for him not to have.
"Lord Lucian?"
Lucian shook his head to clear it of thoughts as he looked to his left where a demigod daughter of Bellona stood, a purple cap flowing from golden armor.
A purple t-shirt under the armor and jeans. The demigod had long nearly black brunette hair tossed over one shoulder and brown eyes that reminded him of Annabeth at times.
In front of him on Temple hill stood the newest temple, dedicated to him. The Romans had actually taken the news rather well, though they'd not been told he was a demigod before or that he'd been a Greek before becoming a god and gaining this roman aspect.
To them he was a god who'd been training to take his responsibilities seriously a son of Hermes.
Romans weren't exactly ones to question the gods.
"I apologize, you were saying?" he asked, his darker blue eyes – the only true difference between his Greek and Romans forms – asked.
"I asked why you wanted us to start plans for another temple close to yours?" she said.
"Praetor Reyna..." Lucian began, his voice holding a certain sadness. "That is not something I am at liberty to disclose. Just know you will all be gaining a new goddess within the next year."
Reyna's eyes widened and he swore her jaw dropped for a second before she nodded.
"Of course," she said. "I shouldn't have asked, it was not my place."
Lucian smirked slightly and nodded.
"Maybe not, but questions are bound to be raised. It's not exactly common for you to have gods at camp often."
Reyna nodded.
"We have the fourth and fifth cohorts working on further plans for the other temple, but we're unsure how to dedicate it..."
"Just begin some rough drafts, you'll have all the details when we do," Lucian said and he narrowed his eyes as he looked around and for once noticed the air of morose and uncertainty around the camp.
"Praetor, where is your co-Praetor?" Lucian asked. "Jason, wasn't it. Son of Jupiter?"
He watched as her face fell at the name and she flinched some. He'd had his suspicions about the two Praetors since he'd first been introduced to the Camp, but as far as he knew both were oblivious.
"I though you might already know the answer to that Lord Lucian," Reyna said, her mouth pursed into a firm frown. "Jason's been gone since four days ago, we've looked everywhere but he's just..."
"Gone," Lucian said, his eyes flickering as the story struck a cord in his Greek forms consciousness.
Reyna's eyes seemed to light up.
"So you do know, do you know where he is?" she asked.
Lucian sighed.
"I am sorry, I do not. But I have heard of something like this, I will look around when I can. If I find anything, I will come to you."
Reyna smiled slightly but then frowned.
"You seem different from any gods we've seen or heard of. You actually seem to care," she said.
Lucian chortled almost darkly.
"I am the god of demigods, Praetor, it is my job to care," he said.
xXx
Three days soon turned into a week, and then two and eventually it became months. She had gone missing in October, now it was December.
No matter how hard he looked, as Luke or Lucian he couldn't find her. His father couldn't even locate her and being the Messenger god he usually could find anyone, anywhere.
Hera wouldn't talk and eventually she couldn't.
It was the middle of December, close to the Winter Solstice when Luke was summoned to Olympus and told how Zeus had hit a all time low.
"He can't be serious," Luke fumed, and Hermes sighed, leaning his head on his open palm.
The god of travel, thieves and other things sat upon his throne, the meeting where Zeus had given the news having just been given.
"Zeus doesn't kid, son," Hermes grimly. "As of now all gods are grounded to Olympus. Even I am not allowed off, not even Artemis!"
Luke shook his head.
"Why? Was this Hera's doing – "
Hermes snorted.
"You've been out of the loop for a few days son, but Hera ain't doing jack right now. The last few weeks since Percy..." Hermes stopped at seeing his sons pain at the name and reminder of his missing wife before continuing. "...well no one has been her number one fan, but it's been worse. Even the minor gods, once word got out, have been giving her the cold shoulder."
Luke smirked, feeling a bit better at this.
"I thought that might appease you," Hermes said, smirking. "But this is serious. Hera has gone missing, taken, kidnapped. No one has seen her in over three days now. We think it might be the enemy...the Giants and whoever they are listening to now."
Luke frowned suddenly.
"That's karma," Luke muttered, and ran a hand through his hair. "But not good. If someone is powerful enough to keep a goddess captive..."
Hermes nodded grimly.
"Exactly."
"This new rule, it applies to me too doesn't it?" Luke suddenly asked.
"I'm afraid so."
"I can't, I have to find Persephone," he said.
Hermes smiled.
"That you do, and I might have a lead on that."
Luke's head snapped up at this.
"What? Did you find her?"
"No," Hermes said, shaking his head. "But you should talk to Venus, or Aphrodite. Either might know, she seemed to know Hera was involved when you came to tell us she was missing."
Luke frowned, wondering why he'd never thought of that.
"And Zeus' lock down?"
Hermes smirked.
"We're gods, son, we don't always listen to orders."
'Luke, we need your help...'
Luke furrowed his brow as a familiar voice echoed inside his head and seemed to cut in and out. He thought it might have to do with Zeus' lock down, and the fact he still wasn't used to people praying to him.
"Annabeth?" he muttered, realizing who the voice had been.
Hermes raised an eyebrow and then he nodded.
"Go, answer her prayer. It might be important, I'll keep father off your back if he catches on," Hermes said, and Luke nodded.
"I know we've had our problems father," Luke began, smiling slightly. "But thank you."
"You've made me very proud, son, always remember that," Hermes said.
Moments later the blond god had left Olympus in the customary way of what looked like a form of fire-steam. The area he'd been smelled of Hawthorn, which in reality didn't smell all that good. Thankfully, when he wasn't in a rage it wasn't nearly as pungent.
When Luke appeared again it was beside Annabeth.
"Holy mother of – where the hell did you come from?"
Luke looked around him to find he was on a familiar chariot which had caused so many problems for the Apollo and Ares cabins – a story told to him by Percy after the war. He recognized Butch, son of Iris who gave him a nod from where he was trying to steer.
Annabeth sighed in relief, but there were three new kids he didn't recognize as well.
The one who'd practically screamed in his ear was a elfin looking boy, who he thought might have been a son of Hermes if it weren't for the fact he looked to dark for the normal child of Hermes.
Black curly hair, brown eyes, a Latino elf like look to him and in his eyes was a look as if he'd drank more coffee than was safe for demigod consumption.
Beside him were two others, just as shocked by his arrival.
A girl, who was beautiful, he'd admit, but not as beautiful as his wife. She had some similarities to his wife though, with blemish free skin, and a look as if she tried to down play a natural beauty. She also appeared to be of Cherokee descent.
Her eyes were Brown, blue and green it seemed, and he realized it was like they changed on a whim.
Her hair was brown, also similar to his wife's but seemed darker, and wasn't as silky looking as Percy's usually was. Hers was put into two braids and cut very choppy. She seemed weary, and stuck to the side of the last boy.
Inspecting him his eyes widened slightly.
Jason Grace, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, and son of Jupiter.
The boy was tall, blond hair and electric blue eyes – which reminded him of Thalia – and a confused look about him. Like he couldn't believe anything that was happening to him, this was odd since Luke knew the boy had years of experience as a demigod.
The tattoo on his arm was the final link to his suspicions, and he felt his Roman counterpart stir bellow the surface before he turned back to Annabeth. He'd taken this all in in only a minute, which was good since they seemed to be plummeting to the camp grounds fast.
"Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "We've got a problem."
"Uh, is anyone going to explain how he...appeared?" the girl asked, unsure of what to do in this situation.
Luke sighed.
"I'm not a wind god, Anna," Luke said, coming closer to where Butch was.
"So we're screwed?" Butch asked and Luke smirked.
"I'm still a god," Luke said, and placed his hands on the chariot and began to concentrate.
"Whoa...you're a god?" Jason asked, eyes wide.
"God? He's God?" the Latino elf asked.
"A god," Annabeth said, sighing. "Not God."
"Okay, I'm confused," the boy said, blinking.
"Just let it go for now Leo, I think we're about to crash," the girl said, clutching onto Jason.
Luke laughed and suddenly the chariot jerked and moments latter it landed more gently then it could have in the lake, splashing everyone as it came to a stop at the banks of the lake.
"Well, we're in one piece," Butch said, letting go of where he'd held on to keep from flying out when they'd crash landed.
Luke shrugged.
"Next time you need a godly miracle, give me more warning," he said, and jumped over the side and out of the chariot.
"Wow," the Latino boy, Leo, he thought the girl had called him said. "You sure he's not God?"
Annabeth sighed.
"I've told you already Leo, Luke isn't God. He's a god, like in the Greek myths."
"I've never heard of a god named Luke," Jason said, looking at the blonde boy with suspicion.
"I'm new, kid," Luke said. "I'm Luke, son of Hermes, and god of demigods, betrayal, rage, redemption and mischief."
"Awesome," Leo said, grinning.
"Luke these are new campers. The one who thought you were God is Leo. The girl is Piper and the boy is Jason," Annabeth said.
"When we talked last you said you were following up a lead on Percy...not new demigods," Luke said, and he saw Annabeth flinch.
He sighed mentally, that wasn't supposed to sound as accusing as it had.
"I thought I was," Annabeth said. "I think it was one of Hera's tricks. One shoe, no of course it can't be that easy. I thought maybe Piper might be...but they look nothing alike up close."
Luke nodded, and it was true enough. Up close his wife and Piper were opposites except maybe with the fact both had great skin, and were beautiful, but from behind or from a distance they looked enough alike to mistake them for one another.
"Who are you talking about?" Piper asked, and they could see the fact they were talking about her as if she wasn't there bothered her. And she wasn't sure whether to be complimented or offended by being compared to some unknown person.
"Annabeth!"
Everyone turned at the yell and Luke wasn't to surprised by seeing Will Solace running up to them.
"You know when I said you could barrow the chariot, I didn't mean for you to crash it."
Luke snorted as the two talked, and Annabeth tried to conceal a blush.
"Come on," Luke said. "I'll begin to show you around. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay though so forgive me if I hand you off to another camper."
The new trio nodded and followed after the strange man who was said to be a Greek god, and considering he'd stopped them from being splattered demigods on the camp grounds they were inclined to believe it.