Land of Heroes and Forgotten: RE-DO IMPENDING

by Star-Of-Radiance

The Mist is dying. Camp Jupiter has been destroyed. New Rome and Camp Half-Blood are under siege. Jason Grace is dead- or maybe not. As Percy Jackson rallies the remainder of their forces, Jason wakes up miles away, saved by a frustratingly familiar, yet unknown stranger. The Avengers- and all mortals- are slowly becoming more aware, but safety lies on a mysterious island...

4. Chapter 4

Some of you may be wondering about the timeline. This is set after the Trials of Apollo, and the beginning of the last chapter- where Aglaia meets Tony Stark and is saved by Nico- is set the night before Tony heads off to help S.H.I.E.L.D and form the Avengers. But this chapter is nearly two weeks later, and we see Phil Coulson and his team months after the Battle of New York and Phil's supposed death

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Disclaimer: As the Wine Dude once said, well, duh! I don't own any of this.

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The Truth Is Not Always Great- In Fact, It's Usually Not

They all tumbled onto the ground of the hastily-extended infirmary.

In truth, it wasn't even suitable. Infirmaries were supposed to be sterilised and disinfected- all hospitals and med-bays were, but they had little choice. The best they could do was a spell cast by a member of Hecate's Cabin that kept bacteria, dirt and other contaminants at bay.

Aglaia wandered around, an aimless horror rising before her eyes. Before she thought that life here wasn't so bad for the ordinary folk…

Now she could hit herself for those same thoughts.

The injured were countless. She had volunteered spinning and weaving burial shrouds- she mentioned she could use a loom and they immediately put her to work- bandages, blankets, spare clothing- anything at all. Food was being hunted, though forests were incredibly risky now- that's how desperate they were. Even fish were scarce due to the monsters surrounding the camp.

Monsters. Before, she had no idea they existed. And then that guy crashed into her life like a baleful comet. She could see the climbing wall at the distance, glowing with lava.

The camp would've looked amazing to her, if they weren't surrounded and besieged, filled with the dead, the desperate, the determined, the injured and the grieving. And if she hadn't been told that Greek gods existed, she was the illegitimate child of one of them, her parents had lied, et cetera, et cetera…

All of which she had no time to absorb- other than what Nico had made clear: as dangerous as this place was now, it was a whole lot safer than out there- and you couldn't use cellphones. It was worse than sending up a flare for these monsters, especially in their current state.

Yeah, she arrived at the wrong time.

You should totally absorb that part.

After which, Laia volunteered in the kitchens, making and dishing out stew to the injured, the ones that arrived and the ones who spared a moment from duty. They were running low, the girl- Katie Gardner warned. Soon, they would have nothing left.

And everyone was already preparing to leave. She had just arrived, and everyone was preparing to leave. Huh, what do you know?

And there was no way to save any of them or help anyone.

Aglaia hated that. She hated the fact that everyone seemed desperate, strained, even manic with those emotions. Hated seeing them dying off one by one. If there was one thing she hated, it was seeing children suffer this way, put in through this situation. Yeah, she'd seen the introductory film.

But there was no imagining the cold, brutal reality. If people thought war was brave, heroic and glamorous, but were proven wrong… Imagine if myths were real.

Everyone by this point, was outraged that the Norse gods had attacked their turf, but they didn't feel too indignant on behalf of the Greco-Roman gods. In fact, they were also pissed that the gods just didn't see the futility of everything and gone to help- nor did they allow them to help, even if they could get out from camp.

Besides, they just needed to survive.

---

"Got it?" Leo called out.

"Got it," Nyssa confirmed. She fitted the part into place, clapped her hands and slid down.

Leo stared at the craft, in a brief- and miniscule- moment of awe.

It was massive. The hull was bronze, but the Romans salvaged as much Imperial Gold as they could. Skeletal workers taught nervous Hephaestus and Vulcan kids- on how to work Stygian Iron. A few brave demigods had killed monsters and took some of their supplies, like weapons, which were melted down to make more metal.

A fleet of ships were in construction, massive flying triremes with state-of-the-art technology and seriously magic. Somehow, that Hecate girl, Lou Ellen was able to fill them in on how to combine them to that degree. Leo had to admit, he was impressed. If they had the time they would be able to do things nobody had imagined.

For a split second, Leo allowed himself to feel optimistic.

It didn't last.

The ships were impressive, and they were awesome, no doubt. Anyone would be struck dumb when they saw them. But even if they could get them out, and had enough supplies and materials, would they be able to finish them on time? Leo didn't know.

Many of the ships held indoor gardens, which would be spectacular to look at, although, it was more than that. Yes, there were fruit trees, apple and orange, all kinds of other trees that had been safely transplanted- and bravely volunteered themselves (or maybe they were just too scared to stay), pools for the Naiads to move their source into, which refreshed, sustained and kept them alive and comfortable, even regulating temperature and other things. Coach Hedge, Mellie and Calypso were helping things out. Jo from the Waystation was there as well, and Emmie and Georgina, helping them set up things like the indoor gardens, the infirmary- which was sweet by the way- Will called it 'a doctor's dream'- could you believe that?

Many of the dining and living areas were similar to Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood. Leo had felt bad last time for Frank and Hazel, cause they'd never been to Camp Half-Blood before setting off to defeat Gaea, but this time round, he made sure the Romans felt included. Emmie and Jo also brought a whole heap of supplies, which Leo could not be more thankful for. Jo had formed some kind of friendship with Lou Ellen who taught her how to combine really powerful magic with awesome technology. Since Jo was a daughter of Hecate and a mechanic, she found it really sweet. Normally, she said, if they combined too much magic with too much technology, it would blow up in their faces. Leo was inclined to agree.

Calypso was also there, trying to do whatever she could. People had begun piling blankets, bedding, possessions- everything they could take with them that were necessary or irreplaceable (thankfully the Hephaestus Cabin also made chests and suitcases that were really helpful in holding a lot of things without taking too much space and being heavy). But nobody wanted to leave camp.

Nobody wanted to leave Long Island. But they didn't have a choice.

"I think if the spell works," Calypso began slowly. "We should be able to sustain plant-life and the sources for the waters for as long as-"

"Three weeks, maximum," Lou Ellen finished. She nodded grimly. "And a half if we extend it, but we'll be stretched thin."

"It's harder for plants and it's never been tried on water nymphs before, to move sources," Mellie's form shimmered and grew transparent. Everyone feared she would drop Chuck, but thankfully, that didn't happen.

Lou Ellen sighed. She looked at them. "We could get help."

Everyone stared.

She held out her hands. "There are countless demigods out there- I'm sure some would be able to help. One of them, I know, is really good with mechanics and inventing stuff. We could really use her help." She looked desperate.

Everyone exchanged glances. "Lou Ellen," Calypso began "As much as we would love that, we don't know-"

"How to contact them or even get them here safely," Nyssa finished, staring hard at Lou Ellen. "Unless you know where this person lives," she trailed off, expectantly.

"She has her ways," Lou Ellen replied. "Like how Lexie was able to sneak some portable- and un-used- MRI machines and monitors, medicine, First-Aid, surgical tools and bandages." She said helpfully. "Besides we'll have Percy to help with relocating the naiads' water sources, but while we'll be able to grow and harvest food- in the short term- on board, we'll need much more help. Look, I know this person," she insisted. She and I were the ones who figured out how to combine magic and technology to that degree- no one's ever been able to do that before." She pressed. "Besides, we could really use some of her inventions: like the glowglobes."

"Glowglobes?" Hemmithea sounded confused.

"They're portable, sometimes-floating globes that are a light source," Lou Ellen explained. "We don't waste electricity with that, they're powered by organic batteries that recharge themselves. She's invented numerous things- she's ingenious." She insisted.

Everyone looked at one another.

"Do you know how to contact her?" Hemmithea asked.

Lou Ellen nodded. She pulled out… A cellphone. Instantly everyone backed away, shouting protestations, like it was a live grenade.

"Relax- look at it," she said, exasperated. The cellphone was-

Jo squinted. "Is that Celestial Bronze?"

Lou Ellen nodded. "Monsters attack- but they don't always win. We've scrapped up enough metal. By then we figured out how to make a Smartphone." She grinned proudly. "Because it's Celestial Bronze- and Imperial Gold- it has the opposite effect on monsters- utterly repels them."

Jo looked impressed. "And she made this?"

The daughter of Hecate nodded. "We need her help."

Everyone looked at one another. "And you're sure she'll be able to get here safely?" Nyssa asked.

Lou Ellen nodded. "Positive."

"Alright then," Emmie said. "Can't hurt to try." She grimaced. "I can't believe I'm saying that now- of all times-"

The Waystation had been attacked and invaded- while Jo and Hemmithea were sure that it would magically rebuild itself, given enough time, they had grabbed everything they could take, with Calypso and Leo, and fled to Camp Half-Blood. Without them, their food, medical, tool and weapon supplies would've run out much quicker.

"What about the stables for the Pegasi- have we-" that was Calypso. The conversation went on from there.

Plans, schemes… Whatever you called it, they knew they had to leave.

The question on everyone's minds was where?

---

"Hey," Annabeth looked down, smiling gently at her- or at least trying. Laia had seen the hardness on people's eyes, the fact that joy had been hammered out of them. She stood. Annabeth shook her head. "Sit. We'll all need it."

Aglaia made room for her. She and Annabeth had been introduced prior to the big reveal about the Avengers.

"Newcomer, huh?" She smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry you came in such a bad time. You should've seen this place when we weren't under attack. It was the first home I ever had."

Laia's face softened. "I'm sorry." Annabeth shook her head. "Don't be. In fact, we should be apologising to you- no tour with a guide, no cabin, nowhere to sleep-"

Laia laughed harshly. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep anytime soon. In the last few days, I've found out that monsters exist, and now gods and demigods- all the myths I've been told by my grandparents- they're real." Annabeth looked at her curiously.

"And then I was told that my parents lied. They're not my parents." Her voice had a bitter undertone to it. "I don't understand. Why would they keep it from me? Why would my mother- or my father- even do that? They've been happily married for years."

The look on Annabeth's face grew pained. Aglaia noticed this and apologised.

"I'm sorry," she said, flushing with shame. "You've got so much on your hands- everyone does-"

"And you've been there, helping us from the minute you set foot in camp," Annabeth finished. "You were weaving with my cabin, cooking and dishing out stew, sorting and organising medical supplies, setting up tents, handing bedding- and we haven't even found you a place to sleep and helped you settle into-" she waved her hand. "All of this."

Laia's flush grew deeper. "Yeah, well I wasn't the one injured. There were plenty more. Besides, it also helped keep my mind off things."

Annabeth nodded. "I can relate." She looked over to where Piper was standing, one hand on Katopris' hilt, directing orders.

Aglaia was silent. "She's in pain, isn't she?" She said quietly. "I've been around people long enough, to know when they're trying to hide something."

Annabeth nodded, swallowing past a dry throat. "Piper's…" She couldn't really say boyfriend, but… "Friend, Jason was killed months ago by Caligula."

Laia stared. "The Roman Emperor?" Annabeth grimaced. "Yeah. Long story."

Aglaia pursed her lips, deciding she really had more than enough of an information dump that needed to be processed right now. "I'm so sorry."

Annabeth nodded, accepting her condolences.

"C'mon," she said. "I'll introduce you. And then let's find you someplace to sleep."

---

Shawarma, Tony Stark decided, was the best thing he had ever eaten. Forget Burger King- and he'd been craving that after being stuck in a cave in Afghanistan. It was months later and now Shawarma was still going strong in his opinion. He was so glad the place hadn't been trashed like the rest of New York.

To put it simply, it was the Iron Man equivalent to the Elixir of Life and Tony was not going to forget how they all sat down and pretty much scarfed everything. He was sure if he took a camera it would've been perfect footage for Thanksgiving.

Thor had gone back to Asgard. Everyone was just busy cleaning up. The Avengers saved the day, woo-hoo, kicked the ass of the thin green sorcerer with the magical stick and the flying monkeys and now everyone could go back to normal…

Or so he thought. The truth, as Tony realised, is often very complicated.

Tony had instructed his crew to clean up alongside S.H.I.E.L.D, had deliberately forgotten to dress down Nick Fury (he owed him for that), and had seen his new Asgardian buddy-slash-thunderhead-god, Thor take his cuffed and chained brother, with a dog muzzle on his mouth (overall, that was very satisfying), back up to Asgard through the rainbow beam of light that left marks on the concrete. Tony seriously didn't like beams of light, anymore, not if they led you to somewhere. He very much preferred to stick to his jets and his suits, thank you very much.

On the other hand, it gave him time to chill and hang out with his new buddy, Doctor Banner, aka, the Giant Green Rage Monster, otherwise known as the Hulk- even if it did come with more work.

And of course, it meant the rest of the Avengers were kept busy, tracking down the remnants of the Chitauri Army- honestly, Tony needed a break. Someplace hot, with white-sand beaches, a lot of martinis, shawarma and pizza.

He squinted at the image.

"JARVIS, zoom in," he ordered. The holographic image zoomed in.

Tony frowned. It looked like…

"Hey," Bruce Banner came in. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, nothing," said Tony nonchalantly. "Just trying to figure out why a whole bunch of bogeymen are runnin' around, eating kids."

Bruce looked incredulous as he ate a crisp.

"Yeah, I've seen the news." The doors zoomed open and Natasha Romanoff came in. "S.H.I.E.L.D is going crazy right now, trying to find out who- or what- are behind these attacks and what these 'monsters' are, and why they especially attack kids. Right now, there aren't any survivors," Natasha looked grim. "Not that we've noticed. But these aren't Chitauri."

Everyone stared at her. "You serious?" Bruce asked incredulously.

Natasha nodded. "Positive." She sat down and began zooming through the images.

"What the hell is going on?" She wondered as she scanned the imagery.

Unfortunately, these were blurred. "What the heck?" S.H.I.E.L.D had the best, state-of-the-art technology. She doubted even the presidents in the White House and Kremlin had anything nearly as good.

"Anything so far?" Captain America's, otherwise known as Steve Roger's voice came from the other side of the room.

"Nothing. Except that they usually target kids." She zoomed in closer. It looked… "And they're definitely not Chitauri."

"Kids?" Banner and Rogers spoke up at the same time, sounding horrified. Even Tony was still, with no quip to throw.

These aren't ordinary teenagers," Fury said darkly, walking through the sliding doors with Agent Maria Hill behind him. "They're under suspect for terrorism."

"Terrorism?" Steve spoke up. "Sounds like a serious accusation." He frowned. "Especially if they're the ones being attacked."

"True," Fury held up a hand. "But take a look." He tossed down a pile of filed paperwork.

Natasha frowned. "Director, I don't understand. Normally HYDRA doesn't have any qualms about using kids as young as teens, but not unless they're enhanced and well-trained. Are they, in any way, affiliated with HYDRA?"

Fury shook his head. "Not that we know of. But as of yet, we don't know much. Only snippets of information. They may be enhanced, they may be mutants. We don't know.

"All we know is that there is a disturbing pattern here," Fury said slowly. "These kids have a few things in common." He paused. "Do you remember the events of August 18th 2009?"

The Avengers looked at each other.

"You mean when that one-helluva freak storm that appeared a year after the explosion in Mount Saint Helens, made it all the way from Washington to the Hudson River?" Tony asked. "And the riots that occurred, coincidentally, at the same time, possibly thanks to terrorists, gangs or the Mafia- or all three at once- using guns, tear gas, bazookas, rifles and Molotov Cocktails that appeared in front of the Empire State Building?" Bruce Banner frowned as if in thought.

"And when countless people in New York lost consciousness beforehand, when a chemical plant leaked gas for about a week," Natasha frowned at the memory. She was in Washington at that time. "The fires in the apartments, the street fights- National Security being called in?" She looked at the others and back at Fury. "What about them?"

"Take a look at this," Agent Maria Hill walked forwards. "And what most of you don't know while that big fight was raging in New York, in front of the Empire State Building, there was another big riot near Mount Tamalpais in San Francisco. And it looks like they're connected."

"By who?" Steve asked.

"By these guys." She switched on a remote.

Fury sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Normally I would never do this but take a look at these files." He insisted.

A holo-visual popped out of nowhere in front of them.

"Christopher 'Chris' Rodriguez, son of Elena Rodriguez and an unnamed father, born: 1992, Los Angeles, California. Went in and out of foster homes, his mother was an alcoholic, had an abusive boyfriend who didn't really like the kid, so he kept running away. Eventually, when some doctor at a free clinic checked out the injuries at his back, the social workers took him away. He was a troubled kid- reports of truancy in school, theft, public vandalism, even a gang getting hold of him, though nothing- if anything- was actually proven. He moved foster homes a lot. When he was almost nine, he went back into another foster home- only to disappear for good. His mother died not long after. Been seen since in and around New York, including during those mysterious attacks in August 18th 2009. He was in the street fight, and reports have it, he's been using weapons." That was Agent Hill.

"Clarisse La Rue. Born 1992, Phoenix, Arizona. Daughter of Jerry La Rue and an unnamed father. Kicked out of schools, had a reputation for being the toughest kid on the block- if not the whole city. Got kicked out of school, particularly when her mother was away on tour of duty." Steve looked surprised. "The mother was a tough disciplinarian as well as an army mother. But she wasn't always there, so Clarisse went through some pretty tough times; bullies, rumours of harassment and abuse, gangs and drug cartels made her life a living hell. She left home at around fourteen. Eventually seen in and around on New York, particularly during August 18th 2009. She was in the street fight with Chris Rodriguez and the others." Maria concluded, while an image of a tall, buff, but not-bad-looking girl with brown hair, and- no, that wasn't Greek armour, that was a gang jacket, hat and a baseball cap, appeared in front of the Empire State building.

A blurry image of a Hispanic boy, around 6'2, with black hair, zoomed forwards next. The image of him was strangely blurred, like it looked like he was wearing something bronze and metallic over his shirt and interesting headgear. At first, he thought that it looked like the kid was wearing Greek armour, which was ridiculous, but he blinked, and it looked like he was wearing some goth-punk metal-studded leather jacket, and baseball cap. The weapon in his arms blurred, at times Tony could barely make out a baseball bat.

"Seen in and around central New York, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, and a few other places too." Maria Hill continued. "Often together, Chris and Clarisse." The next one popped up.

"Travis and Connor Stoll, brothers, not twins, but near-identical. Travis is the taller and older one. Expelled from schools, rumours of petty theft, and pranks but they've never actually been caught- nothing's been proven. Born to Maria Stoll and an unnamed father-" Steve frowned as he heard this. More kids from broken homes that ended up in legal trouble. It was sick, maddening just to think about it. These dads could have easily avoided it by staying at home. But what did S.H.I.E.L.D have to do with them? Surely, they can't have done anything serious- can they?

"Born 1993 and 1994, respectively. In and out of schools, mother was killed in a terrible accident, and they ran away from their foster homes. Haven't been seen since, but they were definitely there on that August 18th, in Manhattan, New York."

Two mug-shots of grinning near-identical boys with sharp noses, upturned eyebrows and mischievous grins appeared. They had a twinkle in their eyes, and Steve would've pegged them as pranksters, not criminals.

"Leo Valdez, born Houston, Texas, in 1994. Son of Esperanza Valdez and an unnamed father." Steve nearly scowled when he heard that again and even Tony didn't look too pleased. "Reports surrounding the boy was that he was prone to 'fire accidents' in other words, there were rumours about a crazy baby-sitter but no one ever identified her, not even the Mexican-American community which they were a part of. He was part of a large extended family, but there was a fire in his mother's workshop- she was a mechanic. Only the boy survived, it's never been proven but the family- or rather, his aunt Rosa- blamed him. So, they took him to foster care, he kept running away. Last time he was seen on official government records was during December 17th 2009, during a school trip- the school's called the Wilderness School-" "Nice," Tony snorted. "And they went over to the Grand Canyon. Three students disappeared- and we're going to see them right now."

There was a picture of a Hispanic boy who looked like some Latino Santa's elf. He had dark, curly hair, a cheerful, impish grin, and even pointy ears. He also looked kind of scrawny. He looked like he was undergoing a crazy caffeine overdose.

"Jason Grace, born 1994, in Los Angeles, California. Born to Beryl Grace, a TV actress-" Tony gasped. "Man- I remember her! Had a crush on her when I was a kid!" Maria Hill ignored him, and Fury gave him a killing look. "And an unnamed father. Mother was an alcoholic, she left the kids at home, so she could party all night. Often ended up in the tabloids back then. Evidence suggests that he was looked after by his elder sister, Thalia who was born in 1987. Last seen by his family in 1996, when his sister reported him missing after her mother decided to take the kids on a rare vacation to Sonoma Valley.

"According to the girl, Thalia, their mother told her to get a picnic basket from the car and she didn't want to leave her little brother alone with her mom, but she did as she was told. When she came back, the kid was gone. Thalia reported him missing to the police, but the mom didn't do anything." Most of the Avengers looked stunned by this revelation. "They questioned her, but found no evidence. Afterwards, neighbours claim to have heard mother and daughter arguing for quite some time. It was clear- to friends at least- that the mother covered up the son's disappearance. The next day, Thalia disappeared. Evidence suggests she just ran away from home. Had enough of her mom's alcoholism and neglect. Or probably went to look for her brother. She was seen in various places in the United States, in the company of two other kids, one Luke Castellan then-aged fourteen, and another Annabeth Chase, then-aged seven. It looked like they were looking after the little girl and the three of them were living rough on the streets." The Avengers winced.

"In 2005, their mother Beryl Grace died in a car accident. She was drunk and collided into a truck. It appeared that she sunk fast after her children disappeared. Nobody saw Thalia again until December 15th 2007, two years after her mother died and six years since she was last seen in public. But they did see Jason Grace. He was in and around various parts of North America, particularly around San Francisco. Remember what I said about a mysterious riot taking place there, a fight between gangs in San Francisco as well as New York? He was there, during August 18th 2009. Him and a group of other kids were involved in a fight of some kind." Blurry images of a blond-haired boy wearing- wait, was that Roman armour? Nah, it looked like some gang get-up.

"Thalia Grace, on the other hand, was in Manhattan during that same day, in front of the Empire State building- she was seen running into the building with a group of other kids, more on that later." A black-haired punk-styled girl in silver and black was seen in the blurry images of the chaos in front of the Empire State Building. "She was also seen in and around various parts of North America, but it's strange, she doesn't look that much older. She should be in her twenties by now, but lately she's been looking younger than her little brother. She was born in 1987."

The Avengers absorbed all this in silence.

"Piper McLean, born 1994, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Father: Tristan McLean, Mother unknown." Now this was a surprise. But only a little bit.

"Tristan McLean?" Bruce Banner sounded impressed, and Tony gave a small whistle. "Love that guy. Great actor, good parties." He also looked impressed.

"Reports have it that ever since her father found stardom, she's largely been living alone in Malibu, or some kind of boarding school." Tony winced at that. "Got expelled, rumours have it of theft, but other when we questioned them, they admitted that she just sweet-talked them into giving her stuff like a car, a diamond ring, even a lawnmower." "Sweet-talked?" That was Tony. "Last seen on December 17th 2009, when she went to the Wilderness School's fateful field trip at the Grand Canyon where the storms struck. Rumour has it they and one other student plummeted to their deaths, but it was never confirmed, and clearly, she's still alive. Tristan McLean disappeared not long after, and it's rumoured that his daughter's kidnappers- if she was even kidnapped- offered him a ransom and he was on his way to save her. His assistant, Jane covered up his disappearance and was promptly fired not long after he came back. He returned with amnesia, his daughter suffered a similar case, but no one's ever confirmed it or seen her. She's been seen with Jason Grace and Leo Valdez, typically around America and Canada, but also in Rome, Italy and Greece. She was also with a bunch of other kids. More on them now.

"Annabeth Chase, born 1993, Virginia. Father: Frederick Chase. Mother: unknown. Has a stepmother and two half-siblings. Family in Boston: an uncle named Randolph Chase and an aunt named Natalie Chase, who died fairly young in another mysterious accident-" Hill, Fury and Steve frowned simultaneously. "Natalie's son went missing and he was confirmed to have died years later in a brutal beating against homeless kids in Boston- only reports suggest that a similar-looking guy was found not long afterwards, though they buried him.

"Meanwhile, Annabeth ran away from home when she was seven. According to social workers and police, she, her father and stepmother didn't get along. They claimed she said that things started attacking her, but they didn't know what it was, and thought she was lying." "She was probably telling the truth." Steve interjected, frowning. The others, even Fury, agreed. "She was seen a few years later, when she was around nine or ten." Maria continued. "But mostly she was unseen until June 11th, 2006 when she appeared on a bus with two other adolescents, in New Jersey, just before the vehicle exploded. She was also in the Saint Louis Arch, barely managing to get out on June 14th, just before that exploded. Photographed at a diner with her companions and a leather-clad biker in Denver, Colorado, and then entering a Casino in Las Vegas on June 15th, popping back out on June 20th, five days later. She was also in LA at that time, seen at some streets, rescued by some life guards, when she mysteriously popped up off the coast of the Santa Monica Pier. Turns out she was kidnapped, but more on that later." There was a picture of a rather lovely girl with blonde hair, stormy grey eyes and a calculating look about her.

"Perseus 'Percy' Jackson, born 1993. Mother: Sally Jackson, Father: Unknown. Stepfather: Gabe Ugliano, deceased." "Ugliano?" Tony said in disbelief. He almost felt sorry for the guy. "New stepfather: Paul Blofis. His mother took him out of kindergarten when they found a snake in his crib that he slept in, for a nap."

"Whoa, you serious?" Clint Barton choked. As a father with kids… "And during third grade, teachers reported a man in a trench coat stalking Percy to the playground. They threatened to call police- which they eventually did- but his mother moved Percy to a different school anyway." "Nice to hear about a caring mother for once," Steve muttered. The others agreed. "During a fourth-grade school trip, the class took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World Shark Pool. He accidentally hit a lever and the class took an unplanned swim." Guffaws and snickers went around. Only Natasha, Hill and Fury kept their composure. Despite the gravity of their situation, even Steve cracked a smile. "Fifth grade, he was in a different school and they took another field trip to the Saratoga battlefield. He had an accident with a revolutionary cannon which landed on the school bus and he got expelled. Luckily, no one was on board." Tony chortled heartily, and Bruce and Clint struggled to hide smiles. "Damn, this kid is out there," Tony sounded impressed. "He probably wanted to get rid of god-awful mustard-yellow school buses." "Sixth grade, he disappeared." Maria ignored him. "His mother and he took a trip to the beach in Montauk in May 2006, after he got expelled from his latest school. They disappeared, and the family's Camaro was found in Long Island, looked like it had been smashed. Rumours suggest they had been kidnapped, Percy's stepfather Gabe was quick to point suspicions onto his stepson-" "Sounds like a nice dude," Clint muttered. "And he was seen on Barbara Walters, where our analysts pointed out his tears of grief were actually fake. He said the boy was a delinquent, probably in a gang and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Our analysts said he was lying."

"Wow, he was a nice stepdad," Clint said sarcastically. Even Natasha looked disgusted. "Seen with Annabeth Chase on the bus in New Jersey on June 11th, with one other adolescent. Strange, because reports suggest that they'd never met before. Disappeared when the bus blew up. Appeared again in the Saint Louis Arch- reports had it that he was actually there in the arch and plummeted to his death in the Mississippi." Tony, Steve and Bruce looked alarmed. "But he was later seen in June 14th in Denver, Colorado, with Annabeth and their friend, and the mysterious biker, then on June 15th in Las Vegas he entered that casino with Annabeth Chase and their friend."

"Any ID on their friend?" Steve asked. "Or the mysterious biker?" Natasha suggested. Maria shook her head. "None whatsoever.

"June 20th, they left. Ended up in LA on the same day, like I said, they were in the Santa Monica Pier, where Percy was actually seen taking a swim while the others waited on the beach. They disappeared in some alleyway in Hollywood, and then reappeared off the beach, took a few lifeguards to fish them out. Then they were spotted by the same leather-clad man whom witnesses claim they'd seen and just remembered being on the bus with them in New Jersey and the Saint Louis Arch. Police appeared on the scene, during a gunfight between Percy Jackson and this unknown man. That man shot a bullet at a police car and accidentally hit a gas main that ruptured during the earthquake on the same day, not two hours before. He disappeared, no word on him and who he was, but apparently, the kids were kidnapped by this guy. He went back to New York with his friends, and his stepfather went missing on the same day."

Clint frowned. "Probably had a hand in the kidnapping, if I could guess. Made a run for it." Natasha agreed with him. "The next year, he enrolled in Merriweather Prep School. Nothing funny happened until the last day of term, during a dodgeball game, the gym exploded. He disappeared on the scene with a friend- a homeless kid they took in for the year. Seen in Miami Beach on June 18th, 2007, apparently being accosted by a group of thugs who forcibly took them on board a cruise ship-" "Probably the Mafia," Natasha suggested, and Clint agreed. "Well, they escaped and made it back to Long Island. He was expelled from Merriweather Prep- the principal said he had 'un-groovy karma which disrupted the entire school's educational aura.'" Tony choked, laughing. "What?!" Maria Hill looked disgruntled. "It was an idiot school anyway. No grades, beanbag chairs, tie-dye gym uniforms-" Tony choked again for horrified reasons. "and the curriculum was terrible. According the school, that last day of term, the class was learning Lord of the Flies in English. The exam was to lock the kids outside without adult supervision. They had a massive wedgie contest, a big fist fight- and let's be honest- pure and utter chaos. The teacher then came outside, said they passed the test and learned, like the kids in the novel, never to be violent adults and that was it." "Heh?" Clint asked in disbelief. "In science they were instructed to mix chemicals to explode, in which case they would pass the exam." Tony smiled. "Damn, wish my old man sent me to that school." "That was Percy's classmate. When the gym exploded, we found no evidence that he was behind the explosion- what we do know was that a troubled kid named Matt Sloan claimed up and down that a group of exchange students from Detroit had a fight with Percy Jackson. The gym coach was old and senile, didn't see a thing, didn't respond to any questions.

"He was seen in Westover Hall with Thalia Grace- who appeared after six years' disappearance- and Annabeth Chase on December 15th, 2007, where they disappeared with two kids: Bianca and Nico di Angelo- and reappeared in various places like San Francisco, including Mount Tamalpais. Seen in and around Mount Saint Helens during the time of the explosion the next year, and again on August 18th, 2009, his sixteenth birthday, where he was fighting in front of the Empire State Building with Annabeth and Thalia Grace, Chris Rodriguez and the Stoll brothers. Seen again in Mount Sonoma Valley and in San Francisco-"

"Where Jason Grace disappeared?" Steve interjected. Maria nodded grimly.

"Correct. But that was months later, after the events in New York in August, on April 2010. Somehow, he made his way to a service tunnel, near Caldecott Tunnel, in Oakland Hills, near San Francisco. Seen around Canada, Alaska, and finally back in San Francisco. Seen in Italy, Rome, and Greece with Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Annabeth Chase and two others." She paused. "A series of attacks, earthquakes, explosions and a bunch of other things occurred."

The Avengers just stood there in silence.

"Right." Tony was still staring at the space where Maria Hill turned off the screen. "So… These kids…"

"Sounds like they've had it rough," Steve remarked. He looked pointedly at Fury.

"Maybe," Fury conceded. "But that still doesn't explain why they were there whenever something bad happens. Explosions, riots, natural disasters, and they all walk away, untouched."

"We don't know that." Clint looked at him. "Remember when you said that they were accosted by a group of thugs and taken on board a cruise ship? And Jackson's first stepfather: Gabe Ugliano, anybody seen the guy since the kid arrived home after being kidnapped and rescued? I mean, he did seem pretty fake, like you said, when he appeared on Barbara Walters and he was pretty quick to turn the kid into a suspect in their disappearances."

"Could be." Fury nodded gravely. "But we've searched for Gabe Ugliano, and the closest thing we could find to him is one ugly-as statue of a poker player at an art gallery in Soho, courtesy of Sally Jackson." Tony snorted. "As far as we know, he's a gonner." He looked pointedly at them.

"These things just get weirder and weirder," Natasha muttered.

"Sir," Maria Hill broke the silence. "There's some new info on Jason Grace."

Fury took them, the Avengers watched, frowning as Fury read silently, without breaking expression.

"He's dead?" He asked Maria. It was as if thunder had echoed in the room, leaving nothing but silence afterwards- only Thor wasn't there.

Maria nodded, looking grave.

Fury cast a glance at the Avengers, eye flicking over the new files Maria Hill gave them.

"Our reports have it that Jason Grace, after summer 2010, was enrolled in Edgarton's Day and Boarding School, in Pasadena, California. Six months later, on late February, he was taken out from school, by his, ahem, ex-girlfriend or current girlfriend Piper McLean, who sweet-talked the teachers into letting him out of class." No wise-cracking jokes from Tony this time. They were all too shocked. "During the time that Jason Grace attended that school, numerous weird activities occurred: rumours about some teachers going haywire, and then disappearing, only for them to act like nothing had happened- like no one could remember anything." Natasha and Clint exchanged glances.

"They headed off on a stolen vehicle, belonging to a Mr. Bedrossian who lived next door to Piper and her father in Malibu, though, judging by the sounds of what we've just seen and read, Piper also probably sweet-talked him into giving her the car. Coincidentally it was also moving day for Piper McLean and her father, Tristan."

Natasha frowned. "Why? Was it because of those… Tax evasion things?"

"Yes, it's strange on how suddenly they all cropped up," Fury said darkly. "One day, he's doing fine, on top of his world, then the guy gets kidnapped, his personal assistant lies to the police, suddenly reappears with amnesia and doesn't remember a thing- only months later, to be harassed with all these accusations that popped out of nowhere. I've sent agents to view the evidence- apparently they've all disappeared."

Natasha's frown deepened. "Fabrication?"

"Most likely," Fury said grimly. "These accusations came from a company known as the Triumvirate- they went bankrupt and disappeared around a month-and-a-half ago, and Tristan McLean got everything back- I forgot the details. But they headed off, Piper and Jason, with a couple of friends in tow- no idea who these new guys are- to Santa Barbara. Our cameras and satellites pin-pointed them arriving in Sterns Wharf, where a curious phenomenon was occurring."

Fury placed some pictures in front of them. Natasha slowly picked one up.

"Boats?" She said, sounding incredulous.

"A whole chunk of boats," Fury corrected. "All these yachts lined up side-by-side, like a bridge. Curiously, the Roman Emperor Caligula- if we're looking at Greek and Roman mythology, or at least history- had a similar structure of boats lashed together in Baiae, the Ancient Roman beach resort town. Now that was very noticeable. Several witnesses and bystanders noted that they all looked expensive, with purple and gold lights shining on the water. Each was estimated to be able to hold a helicopter and a submarine, they said. Fifty of them, each worth half a billion dollars.

"Hm. One heck of a party," Tony said quietly, but his eyes weren't joking.

"They were all named Julia Drusilla," Fury explained. "After Caligula's favourite sister." The Avengers all looked at each other.

"Something happened on those boats. The kids climbed in and tried to cross the bridge. Reports of animal attacks, thugs and numerous things- that was the last time anybody ever saw Jason Grace alive."

The Avengers and the two S.H.I.E.L.D personnel all fell silent as they absorbed this information- probably subconsciously observing a moment of silence for the boy Jason Grace.

"The next time," Fury said quietly as if hesitant to break the silence, "the survivors were seen, it was at the McLeans' Malibu House. Tristan McLean called an ambulance, apparently, he- and the medical personnel- thought Jason had died in a surfing accident. I don't know what made them think that. Piper was injured, but not as badly. The last time Tristan McLean ever got to use his private plane before he was paid compensation and handed a formal apology, was when he was sending Jason's body back to San Francisco in a coffin." He shook his head.

"These kids…" Bruce trailed off. "They've all got something in common."

"Broken homes," Clint frowned. "Abusive, absent and neglectful parents, or orphaned at an early age, in most cases. One parent unknown. Yet no reports on whether they've ever met before all this happened?" Natasha frowned, looking up at Hill. Maria shook her head. "Do they have any birth certificates, what do they say about their parents?" She pressed. She had a sinking feeling.

Maria Hill clicked on something else, and copies of birth certificates appeared out of nowhere. The names of the unknown parents were blank.

"There're more kids, but some we're finding hard to get- not all of them were born in the United States, so we'd have to make a deal with the Canadian government or someone else." Maria said apologetically.

Fury frowned.

"Until we have more word on what these kids are up to and where they will show up next," he began. "Then, I'm afraid, we've got nothing."

"Yeah, we don't have any proof," Bruce said gently. "And until we do, what we do know, is that either these kids are in danger, or they're doing something dangerous," Fury warned.

"Or both," Natasha finished softly. The picture of Percy Jackson popped up again: a handsome, young man, with wind-blown raven hair and sparkling green eyes.

---

People were shouting, arguing. Jason didn't think that Headquarters- wherever they were- had so many people, but they must have all been either busy, or actively avoiding him until now. They were sitting on the Mess Hall- white and bland, on benches or table-tops, standing and gesticulating as they argued.

"Don't get worked up," Drypêtis told him. She turned a screw. "Operation Theta."

Jason's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know you guys had so many people." He watched as they argued.

Jason saw Mizuki- only a short distance away- stiffen and turn to look at him with her piercing dark blue eyes. She turned away. "She doesn't trust me," he remarked.

"No one, does Jason," Drypêtis finished with the screwdriver. "They all think you're going to sell them off and expose them to the gods, and your father, being the benevolent, understanding, un-paranoid ruler that he is, will think that we hid because we were plotting to waste our time overthrowing him and blast us all with his Master Bolt. In which case all the surviving, is for nothing."

Jason stared at her. "They believe that."

"Let's be honest, Jason," Drypêtis picked up another piece. "Wouldn't your father think that way, even if it is a case of mere survival instincts?" She scoffed.

An unpleasant, squirming formed a knot in Jason's stomach.

He breathed deeply, feeling like an outsider and an unwelcome one, only there because of charity, even more than what he'd felt when he entered Camp Half-Blood- and that felt like he was on enemy territory the first time. He was there because Alex saved his life, and no one questioned him. End of story.

He kept thinking about Piper- and Leo and Percy and Frank and Hazel and Annabeth- what she- and they- were doing right now, how they were coping and if they had survived the Triumvirate.

"Why did Alex save my life?" Jason asked the one question- apart from how's Piper doing, is she alive- that he had really wanted an answer to.

"Wait and maybe if he trusts you enough, he'll tell you," Drypêtis said evenly.

"Silence!" Someone shouted. That's Andrew, Drypêtis mouthed to Jason. "Thank you," Andrew- a dark-haired guy replied. "Just to be clear, we are not certain that anyone has discovered us- yet. This is simply a precaution- a necessary one, but nothing for us hardened survivors to be panicked over."

Jason wondered if Piper were there, if her charmspeak would be enough to calm this crowd.

A murmur of agreement ran through the crowd.

"But to answer your questions, some of you may have noticed that the Mist is disintegrating," he continued. "The mortals are becoming aware, and this is the reason why."

He nodded to Drypêtis. She produced a remote and a screen popped up from the ceiling. Footage played.

"That's New York," Jason said, sounding confused.

Just then the same footage which the others had seen, replayed itself. Jason was horrified. Everyone else watched it in silence.

"That thing-" Drypêtis pointed, standing. "Sucked in the Mist, manipulated it, through ways unknown to us on earth- into creating a portal, to let aliens loose on New York."

"I don't get it," Jason began, still confused. "Why didn't the gods defend their territory? Olympus is in Manhattan."

Several people scoffed. The others simply stayed silent, staring at Jason, until he felt uncomfortable. He was used to stares but now, these people could be hostile.

"I think," a feminine voice called out. "That they didn't want to risk even more exposure. After all, they didn't know how far down the Mist is, and how mortals would react if they saw Zeus fighting alongside Thor."

The speaker was a breathtakingly beautiful young woman with smooth, deep luminous skin, a figure that could outshine supermodels, and a the most delicate, but strikingly sculptured features. She was of African descent, but her accent was also hard to place, enamelled gold bracelets hung on her wrists and other Egyptian-style jewellery.

Jason realised he had seen her in his dream: when Alex was undergoing the ritual. She was among those casting magic.

"That's a good theory, Nyasha," Andrew admitted. "It could be that." Nyasha nodded her head.

"My graver concern is whether or not they'll start hunting us down," Drypêtis spoke. "The mortals, not just the gods. The monsters are unpredictable. Except for the ones stationed long-term in various places, we have had to pull everyone in. What about the ones who are already on a mission?" She questioned.

Nyasha answered: "They are going to have to stay, I'm afraid," she said quietly. Everyone was silent.

Drypêtis' thin, arched eyebrows came together in a V. "And what of their safety?" She argued.

"You don't think," Nyasha challenged quietly. "That I don't worry about them as much as you? But there's no way we can pull them out without drawing too much attention- not unless we fake their deaths- and even then, that would be difficult."

Everyone murmured their agreement.

Jason was starting to realise just how much they really didn't trust the gods and everyone else in the outside world.

"What about S.H.I.E.L.D?" Someone else asked, loudly.

"We have eyes and ears there," Drypêtis assured them.

"But what are they doing?"

"We'd know if they are onto us," Andrew said smoothly.

"And… Them?" Another person asked. Jason felt the air tense as she said the last word, everyone stiffening, some hands even instinctively going for the hilt of their weapons.

"Still searching," Nyasha said quietly. Everyone fell silent.

"As long as they're out there, we will always be in danger," a person warned.

Drypêtis cast them a sour look. "You don't need to tell us that." She said.

Whoever Them was, Jason wasn't sure they would be welcome here, more than he was.

---

"Sir!" Maria Hill came forth towards the working team of agents, director and Avengers. "You need to see this." She looked half-grim and half-astounded.

"Agent Hill?" Fury looked up from the files he was examining on his desk.

"I've found more files on their friends," Maria Hill looked breathless but she managed to rein her voice's composure. "And you're not gonna believe this." She looked pointedly at the Avengers.

"What?" Steve stood.

She threw down several hard-copy files. "Nico di Angelo, born 1932, Venice, Italy, to Maria di Angelo, daughter of a diplomat, and an unnamed father. Had a sister, Bianca, born in 1930. Lived there quite peacefully for some time until they decided to up-and-leave Venice- on the day the Second World War broke out on September 1st, 1939." Steve's eyes widened. "Reports suggest that their maternal grandfather had died by this time, yet they somehow reappeared- rather quickly- and booked into a hotel in Washington D.C under the name of 'Mr. di Angelo.'" The Avengers looked at each other and Fury's brow furrowed. "Their unnamed father?" He suggested.

"Could be." Maria shrugged. "Bianca and Nico were illegitimate and this was the 1930s-40s. Not easy for a single mother to raise two children without the help and guidance of an Alpha male." She rolled her eyes sarcastically. Steve winced. "Still, she didn't do too badly. It looks like they went for a holiday to Split, Croatia, when Nico was six and Bianca eight. No one ever saw a man with them, or even anyone claiming to be a close family member, but Maria di Angelo- in spite of having some kind of inheritance- was a stay-at-home mother.

"On December 4th, 1941, the hotel exploded with Maria and the three children inside. They thought it was a gas explosion first, but they also entertained the possibility of an axis bombing." "But there weren't any bombings on American soil during the war, except in Pearl Harbour," Steve argued. Fury nodded. Maria shrugged. "Who knows? All we know is that she was confirmed as being among the dead, along with her children, but we never did find a burial site for any of them. But take a look at this."

She placed a series of photographs on the table, of an Italian family: a mother, and her two children, black-and-white, in the 1940s. It looked like any ordinary, happy family, just with the dad missing. The mother wore a veiled hat, gloves, pearls and a dress that had been fashionable in the 1940s. The kids were olive-skinned and had cheerful grins.

"In November 2007, the kids were seen in Las Vegas." She placed more photos of two Italian children walking out of a casino with a mysterious image of a blurry guy in a suit. The Avengers looked shocked, and so did Nicholas Fury.

"They look like they're the same age," Bruce said in disbelief." Maria Hill nodded. "Correct. And you know what else? That's the same hotel Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase ended up in and stayed from June 15th, 2006, to June 20th." Some of them might have gasped.

Fury's one eye stared at her. "You can't be serious."

"I wish," she muttered. "By December 15th, 2007, they had enrolled in Westover High- a military academy in Maine. No word on who paid for their tuition, but the teachers there don't seem to remember a single thing." Her brow furrowed. "As if they'd been mind-wiped." Fury and Natasha looked alarmed. "A few hours after they disappeared, the weather started acting funny." Fury and Natasha looked at her strangely. "There was a burnt ring of trees near the school. Cape Cod started freezing. New England started getting very, very warm." Fury's eyebrow rose incredulously. "Experts couldn't decide what in the world had happened. But this was on the same day the siblings disappeared.

"Bianca was next seen with Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace and two other adolescents at the Smithsonian Museum on December 17th. It was after-hours, yet our cameras suggest that there had been some activity there. Particularly in the dinosaur section and the Air and Space section. They'd been followed too, a black sedan was seen approaching them, and a guy who looked military with a buzz cut and shades appeared."

Fury nearly scowled. "Did the United States military authorise any sort of activity at the Smithsonian at that time?"

Maria shook her head. "No."

"Mercenaries," Fury muttered in disgust. He leaned back against his chair.

"Yup, lots of 'em." She threw in more photos.

"There were a whole lot of people in camouflage and military gear- they also had equipment- good ones. Tanks, and several vehicles, trucks and a helicopter. The kids took a white van, but I'm guessing they were smart enough to try and lose them when they disappeared, so they stole a car."

Tony whistled. "Damn."

"No word on who those mercenaries work for?" Fury asked dangerously.

She shook her head again. "None. All we know is that they were chasing the kids. They took a train to Cloudcroft, New Mexico. They were attacked by the mercenaries and were photographed fighting them." The Avengers and Fury leaned forwards. A blurry photo of four kids fighting a group of trained, armed mercenaries… How the heck did they manage to hold them off? "Four of the kids were seen after a thick snowfall. Then the next thing they were in Gila Claw, Arizona on the same day." They blinked. "Spotted four of the kids going inside a coffee and taco shop- which was weird, because it was supposed to be closed at that time. But a white limousine was seen and a mysterious leather-clad man in a black leather jacket, buzz-cut and shades stepped out- the images were blurry-" she scowled at that. "For some reason, they always have blurry pictures of these guys, even with the latest state-of-the-art technology- but facial recognition points that it's the same guy in the bus in 2006 with Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, the same guy with them in the Saint Louis Arch before it exploded, and the same guy in the gun fight trying to take out Percy Jackson in the Santa Monica Pier just after the earthquake, the one who caused an explosion."

"Their kidnapper," Steve said, motionlessly.

Maria looked grim. "He was pointing a gun at Percy and forced him into the limo. He didn't go in himself, and the car didn't drive off anywhere either, so I'm assuming that there was someone else inside who just wanted to talk."

Steve and Bruce's eyes darkened. So did Clint. "This guy had a boss," Clint said darkly.

"My thoughts precisely," Maria murmured. "Percy got out of the car, the friends arrived back from the coffee shop, the kidnapper went inside the car, but for the life of me, I can't try to get those CCTV cameras or our own satellite imagery to track down that same limo and where it went that day." She looked frustrated.

Steve shook his head. This… This was almost too much to comprehend. "What else happened?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"They went to a junkyard there, and some kind of maintenance disaster happened. I tried sending agents to investigate, but they didn't find a junkyard- which was odd, because there was a junkyard years ago, cameras showed it but no one spotted it. It was in the desert, and for some reason, Bianca di Angelo was never seen again after that."

They all looked stunned. It sounded like the kids were either runaways, school drop-outs, hooligans, criminals, mutants, enhanced, tied with gangs or the mafia, or they simply had really, really, bad luck. But one thing could not be disputed: they were survivors. After all that, this… Was beyond shocking. It was unspeakable. No matter what year Bianca was born in, she can't have been more than a teenager when she died.

"What could possibly have killed her?" Steve interjected.

Maria Hill shrugged. "Who knows? Our satellites and cameras didn't see a thing."

"Five went into that junkyard in the dessert, but only four were seen after that," Maria continued softly. "That was the last time anybody ever saw Bianca di Angelo. The others were spotted at Hoover Dam, and looked like those mercenaries caught up to them. But they escaped and somehow, during a gun fight, made it to San Francisco. They first went to the docks, where Percy Jackson got geared up in a homeless guy's clothing-" Tony snorted. "And wrestled a homeless guy, which was strange because he was seen going to the beach, wrestling a killer whale." They gave her odd looks. "Next they went to Annabeth Chase's parents' house-" Fury and the Avengers looked surprised. "And it looks like Frederick Chase actually lent them a car."

"Percy Jackson was fourteen at that time, and we still don't know the exact ages of Thalia Grace, and Bianca and Nico di Angelo." Maria replied dryly. "If anything, they look the same as they were last seen decades ago."

Fury's lips thinned, and Steve looked like he had been struck.

"Anyway, they headed to Mount Tamalpais, but they hurried out of the car, and it exploded not long after." She frowned. "No one knows how. But there was a thick fog around the mountain and we lost all visual on them."

"No idea what could have happened at that time?" Steve asked.

"None, only a ship and it looked like some kind of organisational gathering- or a military drill- were seen, and a Sopwith Camel- a World War One fighter plane-" she shook her head in disbelief. "Of all things- was pictured flying towards them raining bullets on the forces below." They gawked at her.

"Afterwards, scientists confirmed that a new constellation appeared in the sky." Another picture. This one was of the night sky with lines etching out the figure of a girl made out of stars. She carried a traditional bow and arrow and looked like she was running.

Fury was silent as he contemplated the picture. "I remember that," Banner mused. "Scientists were all going crazy, wondering why we never discovered this before- it could only mean it was new, but how? Stars take around 10 million years to form." He sounded amazed.

Fury shook his head. "Bombings, earthquakes, mafia, gang riots, armies of mercenaries and now constellations..."

"Is there anything these kids haven't been through?" Natasha asked.

The Avengers all looked… Beyond shocked. So did Fury.

"Maria, send a team of agents to investigate that hotel Jackson, the di Angelos and their friends stayed at," Fury ordered. "That might still be in operation."

"Is there anything these kids haven't been through?" Natasha asked.

The Avengers all looked… Beyond shocked. So did Fury.

"Maria, send a team of agents to investigate that hotel Jackson, the di Angelos and their friends stayed at," Fury ordered. "That might still be in operation."

"I thought kids weren't supposed to be in casinos until they turn eighteen," Tony pointed out. He picked up the picture of the di Angelo children walking out of the hotel. "But then again, this guy- whoever he was- doesn't look like a fed or a social worker."

For once he was talking sense, even if he was being sarcastic. Fury's eyebrows shot up in amazement. "We'll question the staff, find out who was there," he ordered. "And I need to know details about the rest of these teens. Send another group to Hollywood, Tristan McLean's house, and another to Beryl Grace's former agency- or cast members. She was a famous TV star, been in a lot of good shows, see if you can find if her co-stars, the producers and directors know anything about how her relationship with her children."

"Yes, sir." Maria Hill nodded. "Percy Jackson's our main concern," he told the Avengers. "Him and his closest friends. Until we get a lead on where he- and the rest of them are- stay put and be careful. With all this craziness going on, people are just starting to accept that the supernatural does exist. And that could be a good thing or bad."

Clint wanted to snort, but Fury had a point. There were plenty of conspiracy theories pointed at S.H.I.E.L.D and the government, saying that this was all just an elaborate hoax to get people to trust them. Now that they'd started to accept the existence of gods and aliens, people were getting excited and a little too curious. "We'll get onto it, director." Steve promised.

---

Las Vegas, on the way to the Lotus Hotel and Casino…

Skye looked only slightly annoyed, as did the others. Yeah, one of her first missions and it included this. Why were they going to some Casino in Las Vegas, anyway?

"So, what's this hotel called?" She asked them.

"The Lotus Hotel and Casino," Melinda May said automatically.

"According to our files, Percy Jackson and his friends were seen entering the casino at June 15th, 2006 and leaving at June 20th, five days later." Phil Coulson remarked. "And Nico and Bianca di Angelo were spotted leaving the casino around November 2007- sixty-six years after they were supposed to have died, in 1941." Leo Fitz explained.

"Wow." Skye blinked.

"Think they might've frozen them like Captain America?" Grant Ward asked, suspiciously.

"Perhaps." Was all Phil said as he drove.

"And I thought casinos don't let kids in until they're eighteen." Skye remarked, looking out the window.

"Yes, that's another concerning matter," Phil said calmly. "Another matter is that when Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and their mysterious friend left the hotel and casino five days after they arrived, they were photographed looking at a newspaper stand and… Well, they were shocked."

"Their line of vision points towards the date," Jemma called out from the back. "Wait, they didn't realise they were in there for five days?" Skye interrupted. She looked incredulous.

"It appears so," Phil was expressionless and kept his cool as always. "Which is why we're sending a strike team to back us up and take us out if we're in there for more than two hours."

Skye and Grant both looked relieved.

"Now let's get to it," he drove on.

"What do you think- should we invite Tristan McLean to a little party?" Tony asked.

Steve shot him a look. "Fury said to keep our heads down," Natasha reminded.

"Yeah, but when has that ever worked?" Tony shrugged carelessly. "Besides, it's no big deal. I throw parties all the time."

"Don't we know," Clint muttered. Steve agreed inwardly.

"So, what's so different about throwing one around several months after I saved the world?" Tony shrugged again. "No biggie. Just a couple of movie stars, one of which includes the oh-so-amazing Mr. McLean- doubt he'll refuse- and we ask a few casual questions, like, 'how hard is it to balance kids with stardom?' I'm sure we can easily get some answers."

Steve opened his mouth to say it was a bad idea but stopped. "Actually, that's a good idea," Bruce admitted. Clint agreed. He sat up. "So, Tristan McLean… For what? Your 'We-saved-the-world-and-cleaned-up-the-mess-party?'" He suggested dryly. "Him and who else?" Natasha interjected.

"I don't know… Beryl Grace was in a few soaps, crime dramas, fantasy TV series, and Sci-fi, before she went all crazy." Tony shrugged. "Who was one of her co-stars? Her best friend? Someone she used to like?" He looked around.

"Tony, I thought you were the one who had a crush on her," Bruce mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, I had a crush on everyone," Tony shrugged. "Until Pepper came into my life- no wait, even that took a while."

"Jane McEwan." Clint shot his hand into the air and snapped his fingers. "Was one of Beryl Grace's friends, until they both had a fall-out. Starred together in Atlantic City, seasons one to three. Before that Beryl was always the favourite star, the popular one. Then Jane went and landed herself a role in the big screen, and they stopped appearing in public together- mostly. They still ended up being photographed in premiers, but everyone could tell they weren't really happy with one another." He shrugged. "My wife was a fan of that show. She theorised that Beryl might've become jealous of Jane's success. Plus, she was out on maternity leave for a while- in 1987."

"Thalia," Natasha said automatically.

"She went out and partied quite a lot," Natasha looked up from a computer screen. "Beryl Grace. By this time, she'd had a kid and Jane was getting married. She didn't name the father of her baby girl, and no one showed up with her to premiers and celebrity functions, but not long after, Jane McEwan got engaged and then married not long after landing her second role on the big screen. She had three kids by the time Beryl's little boy, Jason was born. On all accounts, they were happily married, and still are. The kids are grown, now. No dramas, nothing." She looked up at them.

"A happy ending, ironically rare for Tinseltown which itself, promotes happy endings," Tony nodded, almost sagely.

"Can't help thinking Beryl Grace must have found that hard to digest," Clint muttered. Tinseltown normally had a large case of divorces and breakups. Usually, he took no interest in celebrity's love-lives, but now this interfered with his line of duty. "And no one was seen with her around the time Jason and Thalia were conceived?"

"No one." Natasha shrugged. "After her little girl was born, gossip suggested that Beryl and Jane weren't getting along. Jane had visited their house, and neighbours heard arguing between the two women. Something about Jane not really approving of the way Beryl raised her daughter. She left the house in a mood. She complained to social workers- and others- about the way Beryl left the children to their own devices- she was pregnant with her second child by this time- and those closest to her said that she would drink and smoke while pregnant. Nothing's ever been proven, and the kids were healthy. But it did look like they were underweight- and depressed. It seems like Thalia was learning how to clean herself up and her little brother. The children were sometimes looked after by nannies who complained about the same things. Other nannies complained that they got into a lot of trouble, even without meaning to. They didn't have a nanny by the time Jason disappeared when he was two, and Thalia ran away from home."

Clint shook his head in disgust. "Nice mom." Unbeknownst to the other Avengers, he was a father and thus, found it to be an anathema when parents willingly neglected and abandoned their children. No one could disagree with that sentiment.

"So, I'm sure Jane McEwan has plenty to say about Beryl Grace." Tony insisted. He pressed a drink into Bruce's hand. "And I'm sure we might just figure out why Mr. McLean treated Piper the way he did, like sending her off to boarding school at the earliest opportunity." That was an anathema to him. Unfortunately, it was also a previous experience. Tony had been sent off to boarding school by his Jack-(with a capital J)a** father.

"More important to our current task, the question on who was Beryl Grace's children's father," he continued. "Or fathers, and the mother of Piper McLean. We could also ask them about their relationship with each other, including Percy Jackson." He paused. "You think the Grace children might've had contact with Jane McEwan after they reappeared- in secret?"

Natasha shrugged. "Who knows? All we know is that they're our best leads. Technically Jackson's parents- his mother, new stepfather and half-sister- live in Manhattan, but Fury says we can't do anything to tip things off."

Steve frowned. "What if Tristan McLean or Jane McEwan tips off his daughter? Or the Graces?"

"Or anyone of them," Clint pointed out.

"Well, it might just be a risk we'll have to take," Bruce said, nonchalantly. "When's this party Tony?"

"Two days," Tony announced. "I've already made the announcement. I'm inviting a whole bunch of people- including you guys, for, you know, charity purposes. Fancy dress, but, not too fancy. Invite a couple more movie stars, Victoria's secret models, five-star generals- Rhodey." He rolled his eyes. "Anything to make this the party of the year."

Steve nearly dropped his head into his hands. Oh Tony, he didn't need this. Not now. Knowing him, it was sure to be one hell of a crazy night.

It was a glamorous hotel lobby, from what Skye could see. The entrance was a huge neon lotus flower, the petals lighting up and blinking at the skies. There were Greek columns flanking the wide entrance and smoked, sliding glass doors and a set of chrome doors, spilling air conditioning that smelt wonderfully fragrant, like lotus blossoms. The agents couldn't be sure, but they didn't give it much thought. Palm trees framed the entrance, and the words You will never want to leave! was lit up right above it.

Skye guessed it was true, judging from what she saw inside. "Hey guys," the doorman looked warm and friendly- normal, judging by his appearance.

"Thank you," Phil said without much thought. They stepped inside.

Skye, Leo Fitz and Jemma gasped. And even Grant, Phil and Melinda looked amazed. "Whoa," Leo breathed.

The whole lobby was one giant game room. There was an indoor waterslide that snaked up around the glass elevator and descended from about forty floors. There was a climbing wall on one side of the building and an indoor-bungee jumping bridge. There were rows and rows of individual video games and virtual reality suits and machines with working laser guns, dance floors, a high-class bar, a restaurant, a café and snack bars with every kind of food available. Each of the video games were the sizes of widescreen TVs. Laughter, music, and thrilling screams of excitement- the kind you hear about in amusement parks- echoed throughout the place.

"This place…" Leo Fitz couldn't find the words.

Phil was the first to snap out of it. "Now guys," he warned. "Remember: we're here on business."

"Yeah," Grant said, as if slowly waking from a daze.

Unseen to them a bellhop pointed them out to some waitresses.

"Hello, welcome to the Lotus Hotel and Casino," one of them beamed. They all came forwards. "Here." They held out a tray of canapés or hors d'oeuvres. On second glance, Phil realised they were individual lotus blossoms, pink and perfect. "Would you please try one of these?" She all but begged. "It's our signature dish- it's really good."

"Oh, really? thank you." Phil gingerly picked up the little pink flower, as did the others, Grant blinking. Melinda eyed it suspiciously. "Well, I know Chinese sometimes eat lotus roots, but this is new," she remarked.

Grant sniffed it. "It smells good."

Phil took a whiff. He was right. It smelt like rich honey and spices, meats, sweets, pastries, fresh fruits, ice creams, and a whole bunch of other things that shouldn't have gone well together but did. The smell alone was enough to set his mouth to watering. Without thinking of what he was doing, he picked it up and took a bite.

The others did the same.

"Mm." Grant chewed. "It's not bad." And then the flavours exploded on their tongues.

Spices; Rich and rolling in their mouths, dancing a mischievous tango. Fruits, exploding their tart sweetness in a rolling dance of harmony with them, a merry jig which excitedly gave way to the honeyed sensual delights of exotic almonds and walnuts, of sweet chocolate and hazelnuts, waltzing away in their mouths, filling them with a haze of dreams and delight.

Blearily, Skye opened her eyes. The others did the same. "That…" she began weakly. "Was the best thing I have ever tasted." The others agreed.

"Mmm," Skye moaned. "I'd like another one."

"How'd you think they make this?" Jemma asked weakly as Leo Fitz moaned.

"Never mind that," Melinda May interrupted. "I want more." She grabbed another one from an eager waitress.

They gulped down their second flowers. And their third. By the time they were onto their last bites, there seemed to be a pink, warm, rosy haze around their visions. They felt full, warm, yet strengthened and energised. Everything smelled sweet, the fragrance of the lotus blossoms sang in their nostrils and their other senses. Skye felt strangely giddy and light-headed- like she wanted to dance, though not like she wanted to pass out.

"What should we do?" She found herself wondering.

Grant shrugged as he finished his last flower. "I don't know. What were we doing?" He wondered.

In hindsight, they should've realised that this was a bad sign. But in reality, they couldn't even remember to care. None of them had ever felt so full, and warm and safe in their whole entire lives.

"I- don't know." Melinda blinked. Leo Fitz gulped the last of his flowers down. "What shall we do?"

"I don't know," Jemma murmured thoughtfully, looking regretfully at the last bite. She ate it anyway. "What are we going to do about that?"

Skye couldn't control the laughter bubbling from her lips. Phil stared at her and broke out laughing. Grant giggled- yes, giggled- and tried to muffle the sound of his laughter. That set the others giggling and laughing too.

Phil finished his lotus blossom. "I think I know what we're here for." He smiled.

"For what?" Leo Fitz asked. He glanced up at the slide. "To have fun." Phil smiled hazily as he looked up.

---

Campers were running around like crazy. The sound of hammering, drills, sparks, chainsaws and other things as well as kids shouting to one another, could be heard.

"So these are the ships," Annabeth sighed wearily. On some other day, she would've found them awe-inspiring and impressive. This day, she knew that they could soon take her and her friends from the first real home she'd ever known, to gods-knows-where.

"Whoa," Aglaia breathed. "And to think the makers are kids?"

Annabeth smirked. "Mostly."

"You'd be amazed at how much useless, juvenile delinquent kids can actually accomplish," a voice said behind them. Piper was walking towards them, rubbing her hands clean on a cloth. "Hi, I'm Piper," she said, extending a hand towards Laia.

"Aglaia," she shook it. "But people also call me Laia." Piper smiled. "What are you planning to hold in there?"

"Well, some of them have stables for the Pegasi," Piper walked with the three of them, looking up at the massive bronze hull of one ship. Aglaia looked farther upwards and saw hints of foliage.

"We're moving the nymphs," Piper explained, seeing where she was looking. "Transplanting the trees, we need to sustain and keep them alive if the nymphs are going to survive. Percy's already begun the process of moving the water sources for the naiads- we couldn't leave them behind either." She pursed her lips.

"You're leaving camp," Aglaia asked quietly. "Forever?"

"We don't know," Annabeth said, just as quietly.

Aglaia understood, nodding. "They look amazing but what about fresh water- and electricity? If we don't know for how long we're going to be on the water for-"

"Lou Ellen and Lexie have begun contacting people," Annabeth explained.

Laia nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "This sounds like a really great place.

Piper laughed softly. "Yeah, you came at the wrong time. A few months earlier would've been-" she froze, remembering that was around the time Jason died.

Laia saw her look and asked: "So Greek gods and Roman too?" She asked.

"They're the same," Annabeth explained. "They just have different aspects, not just names."

"Like the Hindu gods," Laia realised. She shrugged when they stared at her. "I took mythology and theology from various countries." She flushed.

"Huh." Piper exclaimed. "Look at that, Annabeth might've found a friend."

"Shut up, you," Annabeth shoved her gently on the arm, flushing red.

"We've made contact," Lou Ellen and Lexie were walking towards them. "We have help."

Drypêtis, needless to say, wasn't happy about this. But they agreed to let her out of Operation Theta.

"C'mon," Annabeth nudged her. "We need to find you some weapons."

Laia blinked. "Weapons?!"

Just then, Julia Feingold walked up to them. "Annabeth, Percy and Malcolm need you at command."

"Right," Annabeth sighed. "Sorry, my fellow commandoes, boyfriend and brother are both calling. Piper could you-"

"I'll take her," she volunteered. "Come on," she guided Laia away as Annabeth hurried off.

"So, are you right-handed or left?" Piper asked.

"Right," Aglaia explained. "Though I can handle things with my left hand as well."

"Hmm," Piper pursed her lips. "Let's see you at the archery range. Just to test things out." Laia nodded.

The archery range was, unfortunately, packed. Archers were practicing, and mechanics and spell-casters were helping them test innovative new arrows. Piper managed to find a target that wasn't crowded and handed Laia a bow and a quiver of training arrows. "Let's see you shoot."

Laia hesitantly took the bow. It didn't feel bad, but it wasn't as great as she would like it to be. She'd done archery before, but that was years ago, when she was a young girl. Still, there was something bizarre about this weapon; it didn't feel awkward, heavy and clumsy the way she expected a weapon to feel, for someone who wasn't suited to such a thing, but neither did it feel like it would be the easiest weapon for her to use. She felt bizarre, like she should know something, like she should remember using this weapon, and was experienced enough at the very least, even if she couldn't shoot as well as some of the other archers on the range. But that was ridiculous.

Unless…

Laia hesitantly nocked the arrow. She remembered that no thumbs were used in archery. She felt like she was out of practice- which was stupid, because Aglaia had never held a bow in her life, except for the time at summer camp. Unless….

Aglaia let her mind go blank. She let her instincts fly a thousand miles as she aimed and let the arrow fire.

The arrow hit its mark, but not in the exact centre as the target.

"Huh," Piper looked impressed. "Not bad for your first time."

"Thanks," Aglaia muttered, not taking her eyes off the target.

"So, you think you might be an archer?" She asked.

Aglaia shook her head. "I don't know… It didn't feel natural to me, like I was taught- or even forced to take up the weapon. I think I can hold my own in a fight, given enough training, with a bow, but… It doesn't feel right."

It feels like a whole chunk of my life is missing, Laia thought. This sentence wasn't new to her. She'd been feeling that for months, now, or years.

Her mother had refused to specify and tell anything, simply gathering her up close in a hug, giving her soup, and pressing a cloth to her head, like she was sick. Her father told her not to think or worry about it.

What the heck was going on?

Piper gave her a long look. "It's like you're trying to remember something."

"I think I am," Aglaia said quietly.

"Okay, well, archers here are usually the children of Apollo," she explained. "Or legacies. But if you are, it would feel more natural for you. Still, we don't know, we won't know until you're claimed."

"Chiron mentioned claiming," Aglaia said slowly.

"Yeah. When a god or a goddess claims you as their child, they send a sign for everyone to see. For Leo it was a sign of a fiery hammer above his head- he's a child of Hephaestus. For me, it was my mom giving me a makeover and a white dress."

Laia looked amused. "A makeover?"

"Yeah." Piper nodded. "I think there's a chance you might be a child of Aphrodite. Which of your parents was mortal, again?"

Aglaia winced. "I don't know. I have- or had- two parents. They didn't treat me badly at all." She looked in the distance.

"Sorry," Piper held out her hand. "Didn't mean to pry. You learn after a few quests, wars and some time in camp, not everybody has a happy background- in fact most people don't." Laia flinched. "Don't get me wrong- I'm glad they gave you a happy life. In fact, you might not even be a demigod. You could be a legacy."

"A legacy?" "Someone who is a descendant of a god or goddess," Piper explained. "Like a grandchild, or a great-great grandchild. You get the idea." Laia nodded.

That would be better- much better. She felt a touch of resentment to Chiron for not informing her about legacies. But then, she felt herself flush with shame remembering that Chiron probably had waaay too much on his hands to think about and deal with. She didn't think the Trainer of Heroes ever felt that his pupils and his entire life's work (and he was immortal), was ever so threatened until now- especially as the camp's boundaries were falling, kids were dying every day and the gods- according to Annabeth- had cut themselves off from the mortal world- including their children.

Laia felt her hands clench. What kind of parents would do that? Hook up with every mortal, bring kids into this world, leave the kids on earth to fend for themselves and survive whatever this situation is? And then cut themselves off from the outside world, leaving them be? As a person… Laia just didn't understand and couldn't understand- could never understand why.

As someone who had the privilege of growing up with two loving parents and a brother… She swore she would never take that for granted ever again. If she ever made it out of this alive, she would give them a call.

But she couldn't abandon them. Not yet. Aglaia watched as someone ran, yelling for a medic- any medic, while two more people carried a stretcher between them, the kid on it was covered in blood.

Aglaia took a deep breath. Now her eyes had been open. Everything was possible.

"What else can I use?" She asked.

Piper guided her to a shed. It was open, anyway, she figured with everything going on, it was definitely in use. "How about a dagger or a knife?" She held out a pair of bronze knives.

Laia hesitated. "Why are you guys using bronze?" She asked.

"It's Celestial Bronze," Piper explained. "Mined from Mount Olympus. It's lethal to monsters but harmless to mortals."

Laia studied it, frowning. "How can it be harmless to mortals?"

"It'll simply pass through them." Piper watched as Laia lifted the knife.

Throwing knives. For some reason, Laia liked it even less than arrows. Unless your quiver was refillable, then it was like a gun. It didn't make sense to refill and reuse them when you needed to fight to stay alive.

"So, it only affects monsters," Laia mused. She hesitated. The grip didn't feel too bad, in fact, there was something quite comfortable about that knife hilt in her hand. It was wrapped in leather, and the knife had a triangular blade.

"I take it monsters aren't affected by normal weapons?" Piper shook her head. "No."

"What about Nico's weapon? I saw him using a black sword of some kind. It sucked the essences of the monsters."

"Yeah," Piper grimaced. "That's Stygian Iron. Mined and forged in the Underworld, cooled in the River Styx. It's deadly not just to monsters, but mortals and everyone and everything that comes in contact with it." That was what Nico told her. "And there's no way monsters can reform from that- and those with souls don't end up in the Underworld. So, don't even touch those things."

Laia swallowed, paling. So, the Underworld existed and this sword could… Double nightmare. She told herself to snap out of it. They had no time.

"Most of us have no idea on how to work Stygian Iron and how to use it. It's more likely that unless your name is Nico, you'd likely destroy yourself first, rather than an enemy if you tried. Most of us use Imperial Gold or Celestial Bronze." Piper pursed her lips to hold back the pain at the memory of Jason.

"Imperial Gold?"

"Consecrated at the Temple of Jupiter or the Pantheon of Ancient Rome. For Greeks- Greek demigods- we use Celestial Bronze, which is mined from Mount Olympus, tempered in Mount Etna and cooled in the River Lethe."

"The river of forgetfulness," Aglaia murmured, studying the weapon.

"You sure know your mythology." Piper managed a smile. "Let's see how you manage with a short blade."

Laia nodded and headed off. There was an arena. Unfortunately, it was jam-packed with people training for battle, kids and adults alike. She spotted someone.

Aglaia blinked. "Is that… Marcus Evans, the singer?"

Piper nodded. "Yup. Many demigods who survive- and only a handful do- make it to the big time. The Beatles; Roosevelt, Churchill and Hitler-" she grimaced. "Louis the Sun King of France, Shakespeare, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain- those guys."

Laia's eyes widened. At this point, she realised she was a part of something huge.

And they all had a hard life- which promised great rewards should they succeed.

"Here," Piper directed her to a straw, cloth-covered dummy. "Try it."

Aglaia took a deep breath- and one again her mind went blank, and she felt her vision swerve a thousand miles away, ages away, not knowing, not really being aware of what was happening, where she was and who she was trying to fight against, but only knowing that she was fighting on instinct; fighting to survive.

She flung the knife.

It hit straight and true. Like the bow and arrow, it wasn't her first choice, but it did. Piper held out a series of knives. Laia took them without hesitation and flung them at the dummies which were now moving around.

"Huh." Piper's eyebrows flew up. "Now I'm really impressed. Where'd you learn to throw like that."

Laia hesitated. "I don't… I don't know."

Piper frowned. "You don't know."

"I don't- I don't remember," Aglaia admitted, stretching her memory to remember. "It's like on the tip of my tongue. But… I can't damned well remember!" She gave a growl of frustration and threw her last knife which struck a dummy in the centre of its face.

Piper looked alarmed and concerned. "Do you- I'm sorry I don't want to seem rude, but do you think you may have amnesia?"

Laia blinked. "Wha-" she hesitated and took a deep breath.

"I think," she slowly began. "That you might be right."

---

"Listen," Drypêtis insisted. "We don't have much time. If you want to help, if you want to save lives- then you're going to have to prove yourself trustworthy."

Jason blinked. "Okay. What do I need to do?"

"Train with Alex- when you see him. Right now, he's busy rescuing some people, and it's getting harder and harder for us to disappear without any questions or any of the mortals and monsters noticing- or the gods." Drypêtis looked grim.

"Train with Alex- but not just him. There are plenty of people around. I know they don't trust you, but-"

"I'll have to make them trust me," Jason sighed. "Thanks."

"No problem. They'll let you out only if you won't betray them. And even then, you can bet everyone will have their eyes on you."

Jason shifted, frowning. "Drypêtis, I'm not going to betray you to Olympus. Or to the mortals. Or the monsters."

She gave a wry, sad smile. "I know. But you have to protect everyone. At all costs. Keep secrets. Disappear. Act indifferent at times, because there's no saving everyone. The gods don't like it when others keep secrets from them." She handed him something.

It was a coin. A shiny coin of pure gold, an aureus, glowing with light, more yellow and lustrous than any coin Jason had seen, except…

"Is that-" he spluttered. His eyes were wide.

It had a double-bladed axe on one side and Julius Caesar's head on the other.

"You know what happens when you toss it, heads or tails," Drypêtis smiled. "And here," she handed him something else.

The other thing was….

"A cellphone?" Jason was incredulous. It looked like a regular Smartphone, only it was made of Imperial Gold as well. "Imperial Gold?"

Drypêtis nodded. "I made it. Here," she showed him how to use it.

"We first learned to do it with Celestial Bronze as well as Imperial Gold," she explained. "Usually phones attract monsters better than a flare, but we managed to create a battery that wouldn't melt when it came into contact with any magical metal or blow up. Monsters avoid them like the plague, we've discovered. Going anywhere near the signal is lethal to them at worst, or at best, makes them very sick."

Jason was impressed. "Thanks." He smiled. "Wow." Leo would love this. He would be annoyed that he didn't create this first.

Jason missed his friends- his family. He missed Leo and Percy and their goofy jokes and grins that always seem to brighten up a room. He missed Annabeth and the frown she always had when she was contemplating a battle strategy or reading a book. He missed Frank and his solid, calm presence, and Hazel's gentle, kind nature. Most of all, he missed Piper, the beautiful, toughest, fiercest and most determined, yet gentle, wilful and independent girl he had ever met or seen. Piper could charmspeak, but she could also fight her way out of any situation and win. She would make it out alive.

Jason never stopped loving or even thinking about Piper; how she was doing, how she was getting on, was she even still alive? If so, where was she now?

Would she take him back? He wondered. If he ever saw her again? Would she want him back?

Jason knew it was pathetic, but he still loved her.

Back to the present moment: Drypêtis showed him how to use his Imperial Gold iPhone.

"This app is used to track anyone else who has a phone like this," she instructed him. "This has already scanned your thumbprint so only you will be able to access this. And like your weapon, it's enchanted so it will always return to you."

"Thank you," Jason said. He meant it. She'd been a friend.

Drypêtis smiled sadly. "I'm leaving, Jason."

Jason was startled. "Why?"

"Someone needs my help." Her eyes darkened. "I'm sorry we've kept this from you, but you should see Alex now- just promise me- don't go rushing there- not without gaining your trust.."

"Rushing where?" Jason asked, warily.

"Promise me," Drypêtis insisted.

Against his better wishes, Jason promised. But he trusted Drypêtis.

See Alex, he's that way." she nodded her head. "Come on, I'll take you."

Alex looked up when Jason entered. He looked grim.

Jason was surprised to see that this was an office. Somehow, he'd never imagined that mysterious, powerful Alex, or so he seemed, would ever use a desk. He would've smiled, except that by now, he felt like that Alex was the last person you should laugh at. Very last.

Alex sighed when Jason arrived. Jason noticed that Alex looked… Worn. He had as strong and powerful an aura as ever, but his eyes were tired. Jason had seen eyes like that: in the Legion, in Chiron, in the campers of Camp Half-Blood; someone who had seen many battles, lost many loved ones, barely made it out alive, but still had to fight more. Like there was no end.

"What's happened?"

"So this is the boy," Jason swivelled to see the guy he had seen at the meeting- Andrew- sitting right there. His steel-grey eyes seemed to pierce Jason's soul while he sat there, sizing him up. He slowly stood, circling him like a predator.

"The guy that you risked your life- and ours- to save." Andrew's eyes narrowed as he turned to Alex.

Alex gave a non-committal grunt.

"And now you're about to tell him," Andrew continued. His eyes narrowed. "Doesn't all that sound unusually foolish or far-fetched to you? Or maybe you're too blinded by your hope and optimism that family is family and must always help one another." He scoffed.

Drypêtis hissed. "Andrew!"

"It's alright, Drypêtis, you know I never get insulted," Alex said smoothly. "I think you were trying to goad me," he informed Andrew.

Andrew smirked. "Maybe I was just testing you." His agate eyes cut like razors as they scanned Jason over. "He's too dangerous to be let outside."

Jason took a step back. "I won't harm anyone here," he insisted.

"Yes, that's what people always say," Andrew said, sounding bored, as he circled Jason again. "Heroes, gods… But your sister Thalia wouldn't have been born if your father hadn't broken the most sacred and binding oath a god could ever make." His grey eyes glittered. "And your cousin, Percy."

It seemed odd, to Jason that he should refer to Percy as his cousin. Sure, he was family, Jason thought of him practically as a brother, even. Percy was his best friend, like Leo, Frank, Hazel, Reyna, and Annabeth- even Piper, though she was more than that. But no one had ever called him a cousin, though technically, he was.

"Heroes break their vows too," Andrew turned to face him full-on. "They never keep their promises, are more interested in more money, more power, more love, more everything. Nothing is ever good enough for a hero- or a god."

Jason bit his tongue. It was clear that Andrew was trying to goad him as well. Alex leaned against the desk, watching expressionlessly.

"So it'll be the height of stupidity to let you leave," Andrew whispered, drawing closer, eyes never leaving Jason's blue ones. "Or to live. If it were up to me, you would've been left in this body in the maze to be skewered by Caligula. You were stupid and useless enough, anyway. Leaving your friends to fend for themselves for the second time- the first was with the cyclopes." Jason stiffened.

Andrew drew back, laughing. "I see he's learned restraint since arriving here," he chuckled, looking at Alex. "Well done."

Alex shrugged. "If he doesn't learn, then he's a lost cause. Same as everyone else."

"Still, it's our habit to save those that can't save themselves- if Jason Grace here had been smarter, he would've never left his friends behind." Jason gripped his new coin, stroking it to calm himself.

"There are other, more urgent people that needs saving," Andrew insisted, looking at Alex as if he had forgotten about Jason. "Why must we bother with them? They have the gods." Jason noticed he said the word gods, like it left a nasty taste.

"The gods have shut themselves from the outside world in their abodes," Alex said, disinterestedly. "And now we know that these kids never expected to survive without them," Andrew said scornfully. "Mummy and Daddy's favourite little pets." He sneered.

Heat burned inside Jason, but he knew better than to lash out his temper.

Also, Jason noticed there was a grudging bitterness as well as scorn in his voice. Like he had a grudge.

"If you're going to insist on this path of compassionate stupidity, then fine, I won't stop you," Andrew said flatly. "Just remember, he's dangerous- they're all dangerous. His father could blast us simply for existing, even if we never harmed anyone, even if we saved his life. He's worse than a monster. And why the hell are you showing compassion to any of them?" He spat. "When they sure as hell never showed it to us? They didn't just abandon us- that's to be expected- they ignored us. We were products of their lack of restraint, results of them being irresponsible- or selfish because they wanted to use us as tools to continue and fuel Western Civilisation, and they didn't even have the decency, the conscience, to make sure we were with someone when we were kids. We were starved, we were tortured, while they ate off the cream of Nectar and Ambrosia- no one ever gave a damn about us when we were children, captured too."

A chill swept down Jason's spine and ice spread through his blood as he registered what Andrew had said.

"Andrew, go and pour as many secrets, why don't you, the Hero of Olympus is right here," Alex remarked dryly.

Andrew gave a menacing crooked smile. "Maybe. But it's not like we'll let him leave, even to see the light of day again." He turned tail and walked out of the office, bumping Jason on the shoulder aside, on purpose.

The door slid shut after him. Alex sighed. "Sorry about that. Grudges flare high, especially when the Hero of Olympus is a reminder to all of us."

Jason stared. "You're demigods," he breathed.

Alex inclined his head. "Took you that long to figure out, Jason? I thought you were smarter than that. Anyway, it doesn't apply to all of us- everyone you saw in the Mess Hall, anyway. Some of us are mortals. Some of us are the blood of ancient, now-mummified kings; others are legacies, and others are demigods, like you." Alex's blue eyes pierced him. He then turned away.

"We were just kids," Alex said, pouring a drink from the sideboard. "Some of us were poor, others were rich. A few of us came from happy, loving families. Most of us either lost these families or were… Mistreated because of them." There was a hardness in Alex's voice, but he didn't waver.

Alex turned around nudging a glass into Jason's hand. He gestured at the leather armchair. "Some of us were captured and kidnapped. Others were sold outright. It didn't make a difference- we ended up in the same place."

"What place?" asked Jason quietly.

Alex's eyes were a million miles away, most likely aware, but not seeing anything. "No one knows who or what they were. They were an organisation, that certainly sought us out. At first, I thought they were insane, talking about gods and monsters, but as time went by, I realised they were right. Not many kids have Drypêtis' skills with fire and metal." To prove his point, Drypêtis held out a hand during which fire flared upwards engulfing her entire hand.

"Drypêtis," Jason stammered. "You're a-"

"Fire-user," she said quietly. "Sired by the god of fire and metalworking," Alex finished quietly.

Jason was too stunned to speak. "So you are demigods," he realised. Then he remembered, looking up. "You were captured? When?" He demanded. "Why?"

"When we were young," it was Drypêtis who answered him. "We were tortured, starved, made to fight and kill each other for sport. And we were also forced to kill in order to test our ability to do so. To encourage no loyalty or ties amongst us. And after that we were subjected to their scientific experiments." Her eyes narrowed.

Jason was speechless. "Scientific experiments?" He asked, incredulously. "They wanted a slave army," Alex said quietly. "Of assassins, spies and soldiers. And human guinea pigs whom they could use in their sickening experiments. Not everyone survived. In fact, most didn't."

Jason felt sick. He never imagined, never could've imagined- that something like this was happening to kids.

Kids like them. "Wait- mortals too?" Jason blurted.

A smirk twisted Alex's lips. "Not always. They wanted a superhuman army. Better than anyone and anything ever had." He took a sip. "Regular mortal children were used in the Red Room. But in their eyes, they weren't good enough. The few mortals here, we rescued from monsters when they were young. The supernatural made it their fight, brought them into this. Countless children died in their hands, they wanted to test our boundaries, break us into a life of death, torture and servitude. They wanted to push our limits." He looked at Drypêtis. "I think you remember, don't you?"

She nodded tightly. "I remember. I was eight or nine, I think. They stripped me bare, along with a whole other group of girls. We were forced to walk six kilometres in a snowstorm. Then we sat there for about an hour, before going back to our clothes and the indoors." She smiled, grimly. "At least four to eight others- aged from six to ten- died that night- failures, our handlers called them, and their bodies were left up there to forever remind us that failure wasn't an option."

Jason was silent. "How did you survive?" He asked quietly.

"Demigods are… More resilient than regular mortals, stronger, faster, sharper senses- though most usually don't know it. But some were luckier than others. Four died that night, but more started dying the more our 'training' progressed. We had to endure torture, Jason."

"What?!"

"Nothing new, Special Operations forces worldwide, including the US Navy Seals with their Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape programme. But our handlers wanted even more than that. They wanted us to face our fears multiplied over a hundred. They wanted us to be flayed, mutilated, burnt, electrocuted, sliced up, cut open, doused in toxic chemicals and more and be able to fight harder and better than ever. What better way for teaching an army to not only endure, but to thrive on pain than when they are just children?" She asked, her voice quiet.

Alex nodded, eyes hard, face seemingly carved from stone. "They also wanted us to kill our consciences- to destroy all remnants of our humanity- our weakness. To become mindless killing machines." He smiled grimly. "That is the enemy the gods earned for us. They gave us an existence, without giving us a life. Sometimes, I wonder which is crueller: an existence where we escaped their clutches but watch the world live their lives to the fullest the way you will never do, or one that we will never be free and forever in servitude and bondage in the darkness, without an inch of hope?" He shrugged and downed the rest of his drink. "But I have better things to do than to ponder this."

Jason felt like throwing up. He remembered Alex's back and torso from his dream, marred like a nightmare. "Who are they?" He whispered.

"We don't know," Drypêtis admitted.

"All we know is that they are as clever and manipulative as they are diabolically sadistic," Alex stated. "They didn't show us a symbol or an emblem. They weren't like the Ten Rings or HYDRA- the terrorist organisations- in the fact that they operated to inspire fear or to enslave others and gain territory- not outright, anyway. They didn't have a salute like the ones HYDRA did, or a phrase, like 'Hail HYDRA!' They didn't want anybody knowing, including us." He said voice still quiet, gazing out into space, mind a million miles away. "But they were rich, manipulative and clever. And that's part of the thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"'Part?'" Jason questioned incredulously.

Alex gave a sympathetic grimace. "Brace yourself for what could possibly be the world's largest and worst information dump in history," he said sarcastically. "The Triumvirate."

Jason chilled as he heard that name. "What about the Triumvirate?"

Alex stared him in the eye. "Commodus, Nero, Caligula. What did they have in common apart from the crown or shared blood, in ancient times? They were responsible for the near-collapse of the Roman Empire. They weren't administrators. Augustus, Claudius, Marcus Aurelius- their predecessors among others were remembered for their administrative skills, their successful campaigns, their reforming laws, transforming the Roman State and Empire… The Triumvirate were spendthrifts, hedonists, indulgent spoiled brats. You've seen the Bridge of Boats-" Jason tried not to wince. "And how much do you think they must've cost? Nothing is ever cheap for these Triumvirates. I told you that the ones who enslaved us were rich, didn't I?"

Jason choked. "So you're saying they might've funded the Triumvirate?"

"Or made outright money for them," Alex shrugged. "Nero, Caligula and Commodus aren't that clever to force tax accusations and everything else on Tristan McLean and Philip McCaffrey among others. The Pandai of Caligula can't even use a cellphone, let alone work in an office. They can't infiltrate or hack into anything. And it's not just them they fund. The Avengers are under the impression that HYDRA died out decades ago with Captain America's enemy, the Red Skull. I know this can't be because HYDRA exchanged me to them. Or rather, they gave them a 'present' in return for something else: more funding, more scientists, more laboratory equipment, tools, weapons, human lab rats, serums and other things they invented like cures for numerous things, serums similar to what Captain America used, and sometimes they do the experiment for them. I'm not saying that HYDRA knows they exist- or even believe these scientists owe a different loyalty other than to them- but they are very manipulative, and they make a lot of money for funding. They sometimes help the Ten Rings too. They're expert infiltrators." Alex breathed deeply.

"And if they've infiltrated the most secret, powerful and dangerous terrorist organisations and are manipulating them… Imagine where else they've infiltrated? The Kremlin… The White House?" Alex shook his head. "Or the camps- Olympus itself? If Luke Castellan could steal Zeus' Master Bolt, I've no doubt they can infiltrate Olympus. Not every demigod escapes, you know," he said darkly. "Drink," he nodded to the glass in Jason's hand. "You'll need it."

Jason realised he was still holding the glass, gripping it tightly. He took a gulp. It burned his throat, like alcohol, but it also strengthened him, like the potion he had when he first woke up.

"But there's more to the story," Alex said slowly. "And I'm afraid it gets much worse. I'm telling you about our enemies, because I suspect they had something to do with what's happened to Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter." He looked grave.

Drypêtis took a seat next to Alex. "The Mist is disintegrating- you remember that, don't you?"

Jason nodded. "I remember." What was this about?

"Now because of what happened in New York, the Mist has weakened considerably. It's highly unstable. So monsters are attacking left, right and centre. Mortals are now faced with the undeniable proof that gods exist- due to seeing Thor and Loki and being made aware of them- not just aliens."

Jason realised first. "That's why the Mist is breaking down. They've been immunised to its effects."

"Precisely," she nodded. "So monsters are confronted with the realisation that mortals could see them, just as mortals are confronted with the fact that the supernatural exists. On their own, monsters usually prey on the stray humans: the homeless guy foraging in the bins or sleeping on park benches and alleyways. The trekker that strayed from the group. The lone hitchhikers on their own. The mountaineer in the wilderness far from civilisation. Or the farmer who lives out in the middle of nowhere, isolated from urban society. Those that live in the big cities, choose retail, as a way of drawing customers- and meals in."

Jason remembered those lessons. Some monsters' life forces were tied directly to a chain store. Others, like Phorcys and Keto were at the Georgia Aquarium. Monsters liked stores and shops, so they could draw in fresh, unsuspecting prey. Besides, they could easily supply weapons to the foes of their enemies: heroes, and anyone who might be a hero.

"But now everything's changed," Drypêtis sighed. "They have nothing to lose now. Even the ones that don't seek out to attack demigods and mortals are being spotted and hunted. They're growing desperate."

He stared. "So they're panicking?"

Drypêtis nodded. "Mortals are panicking. S.H.I.E.L.D- the mortal agency that deals with extre-terrestrial- and supernatural threats- are often called in, not just SWAT. But it's not just in America. The gods from all pantheons travel all around the world. Isn't it possible that during a summer holiday-vacation, they could have a fling- which would result in one child or more?" She shook her head. "Olympus has never cared."

Jason felt his stomach twist. He felt shame. Jason had hated the way he was taken away from Thalia and his mother and made to serve the legion (even though he did love it). He had hated the way he was taken by Juno again to Camp Half-Blood (again, not something he regretted- heck, he cherished the homes he gained, the friends). But Jason always had someone watching his back (terrible pun for the way his life supposedly ended, he knew). And while he was very young, his father did try to protect him from Juno's wrath (even if it was by offering him as a champion) who also protected him from growing up with his mother's neglect, which happened according to Thalia. She gave him to Lupa, who made him strong, and then he joined the Legion when he was old enough.

These kids had nobody. They escaped, they stuck together, and they looked out for one another. They were camp, but with no adult supervision, no proper training and no safety regulations. They were on their own.

Jason would never take for granted on how lucky he had been.

"I'm afraid," Drypêtis said gently. "That this gets worse. With monsters so desperate, and demigods likely to be aided by humans due to them appearing as kids and without the filter of the Mist- which usually aids monsters- they have begun attacking the homes and schools of children outright. No disguises, no filters. Terror and panic is spreading everywhere. It won't be long before this is worldwide."

His stomach dropped into a black pit, like Tartarus.

Jason stared at them. "And my friends?" His blood ran cold when Drypêtis bowed her head.

"As far as we know, many of your closest friends still live," Alex said quietly. "Reyna, Annabeth, Percy Jackson, Frank, Hazel, Nico and Piper." Relief flooded through Jason's whole form. "But the death toll is catastrophic and rising."

He stared at Alex. "How many?"

"We don't have the exact number," Drypêtis said quietly. "Because it keeps rising. But Jason-" she took a deep breath. Her next words ground Jason's world to a crash.

"Camp Jupiter has fallen. Most of New Rome has been overrun and taken by monsters. They broke the barriers and crossed the Little Tiber. Your friends Reyna, Frank and Hazel are holding out, with a group of the most loyal, clever and bravest legionnaires. The rest have either been killed or have fled with their families to Camp Half-Blood. Nico di Angelo and a group of others take turns ferrying them from Oakland Hills to Long Island in New York. However, not everyone makes it to safety."

"And those that do are besieged," Alex stated, his voice gentler than what Jason had previously heard. "Camp Half-Blood is completely surrounded. Every day, or every night, monsters push past the boundaries, despite the Fleece and your sister's tree, only to be repelled. Those that do are usually killed, but at great cost. The camp cannot hold that many groups of individuals. They are running low on space, beds, food, tools, weapons and medical supplies. Sea monsters patrol the shores preventing anyone from leaving. Monsters like Strixes patrol the skies to prevent escape. The forest has become even more dangerous and armies of monsters have camped, making a perimeter around the camp's borders." Alex paused.

"They're in danger. And it's only a matter of time before they break in."