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...

5. Chapter 5

To lectorous (and the Guest Reviewer- who may or may not be the same person): Firstly, thank you for your honest opinion while at the same time not flaming me (I have had it with the online abuse from some horrible or psychologically damaged bullies).

But firstly:

Empathising with kids with monstrous parents are different from empathising with these parents themselves. The demigods here DO have a problem with their parents. So please don't call Percy 'An Abomination' based simply on who his father is, and because he felt a degree of affection for him. Remember, it's Zeus/Jupiter's fault Jason ended up dead in the Burning Maze.

Hazel was emotionally abused and neglected, Piper, Annabeth and many others suffered the same thing. In fact, KIDS OF THESE PARENTS ARE ALSO VICTIMS OF SAID PARENTS AND SHOULD NEVER BE JUDGED FOR THEIR ACTIONS. SO IN REAL LIFE IF YOU JUDGE SOMEONE FOR BEING BORN TO A FATHER OR A MOTHER WHO IS A HORRIBLE PERSON, PLEASE, THINK AGAIN. THIS ISN'T THEIR FAULT. Just remember, who made the Minotaur who killed Percy's mother and forced Thalia to take the punishment for her father's wrongdoing: their fathers.

This fic is about a group of kids who go from victims to real heroes but not for the glory. This fic is about kids having to deal with issues that their parents (who should've been more responsible and caring, and less cowardly, but weren't), did not. So if you are going to read this fic, I suggest you focus on THIS story, rather than my previous ones- especially on the character of Alex (I developed a rudimentary version of his backstory last time- it's a focus point on how the gods really failed in this one). This is about kids learning to be independent and to think and rely on themselves.

Secondly, I did say that my STW series was faulty. I started that years ago, and I regretted the way many features turned out. Many of which that the Greek and Roman gods were exaggerated, their kids still dealt with things thanks to them, uncomplainingly. I touched down on the issue of Western Civilisation committing atrocities, like genocide (and technically Piper as half-Native American would've found that issue touchy- considering the Trail of Tears, or the forced removal- and subsequent deaths- of many Cherokee, including her ancestors). THAT IS WHAT THE SECOND TROJAN WAR: CLASH OF GODS AND HEROES WAS ABOUT: THEIR KIDS BEING LEFT TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR PARENTS' AND HALF-SIBLINGS' ACTIONS- AND REALISING THAT WESTERN CIVILISATION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME HEINOUS THINGS. I was quite young and amateurish when I wrote the STW series. Which was why I couldn't continue (at least not yet). But this isn't just Greek and Roman mythology you should be focusing on. READ THE BOOKS- seriously, read them. Rick Riordan touches on subjects like child abuse, neglect and numerous things- his characters often experience the same things. That's why Annabeth ran away when she was seven (neglect and being an outcast in her own home), Thalia when she was twelve (also neglect and her mother was an egoistic addict with substance abuse), and ended up paying the price for her father breaking a vow (which he never paid himself). That's what the books are about, not just mythological gods who have massive anger management issues and bizarre tastes, and flashy heroes in polished armour with giant egos. I intend to take things further here.

Alex here has quite a dark past (which I barely touched upon in STW). These are the kids growing up- and trying to reconcile the fact that their families had not only left them to suffer and die (which they have) but have committed atrocities and left the kids to pay for their mistakes. This is about kids, growing up and learning to do what's right, even if it means abandoning everything they've been taught.

Just read first and focus on the characters and the plot. The gods haven't appeared yet.

Thirdly, please just PM me if you have any suggestions from now on- I'm sorry but it really saves space.

---

Don't own any of this. Too much said.

---

In Stark Tower, Manhattan…

The chink of glasses resounded as toasts were made and people enjoyed their champagne and cocktails, nibbling daintily on canapés.

Tristan McLean grinned, but looked somewhat nervous. The Hollywood hunk was in the same room as Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, the Hulk and Hawkeye.

He remembered what he once said to Piper: 'If I really believed in Ghost Country, or animal spirits, or Greek gods… I don't think I can sleep at night. I'd always be looking for somebody to blame.'

And as it turned out the Norse gods existed… And aliens. And dubious government organisations. And superheroes.

Piper was so much braver than him.

Suddenly he wished the world was much, much smaller. And that Piper was a little girl again, and they were walking hand-in-hand, barefoot on the beach.

Instead, Piper was a growing lady who had a boyfriend at some point, toting her along (it was a real struggle for Tristan not to throw up or pass out the minute he heard Piper had found a boyfriend) and while she once begged him to stay home, or to let her stay with him, now it seemed… She didn't care. She had a life of her own.

And Tristan wasn't a part of it.

That hurt worse than anything. He wished, countless times, more than anything, he could turn back the clock and go back to baby Piper, hug her to bits and never let her go. He wished that he had turned away Jane, his damned former assistant, and kept Piper at home, home-schooled her, kept her under close guard. Instead, whilst trying to protect her, he pushed her away. Now when he put up a suggestion like, 'Why don't we go surfing later, today?' and 'Do you want to order pizza tonight?' Piper would stare at him blankly, like she forgot those things existed, and that he would often suggest or like these things, before mumbling either an affirmative, or she was busy with something. Even now, in her own grief, Piper pushed him away. And there was nothing Tristan could do to comfort or soothe her. Like they had become aliens themselves to each other, worlds apart.

That hurt. Tristan was so caught up with his thoughts, he failed to notice Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, make his way towards him. "Mr. McLean- man of the moment!" He cheered.

Tristan blinked as Tony Stark clapped him on the back. "An honour to meet you, Mr. Stark."

Tony- not in a metal suit, but a tailored one- waved his hand, carelessly. "Please, call me Tony."

"Tony," another hand clamped on Tony Stark's shoulder. Tristan looked up with wide eyes to see Captain America. "Good evening, Mr. McLean. I'm Steve Rogers." He offered his hand.

Tristan McLean- the famous movie star- took his hand hesitantly. The captain had a firm grip, but it didn't feel crushing in the least.

Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, gave a smile. "It's nice to meet you,"

"Likewise," Tristan found himself saying. "It's an honour to be here tonight."

Just then another guest came forwards. Tristan recognised her: Jane McEwan, actress. They'd never actually met or worked together before, but he knew her face from her TV shows and films.

And from Hollywood gossip. He made it a point to check the tabloids every morning for anything on his private life, including his daughter Piper. It was always a good sign when they missed things out about his personal life, including her. But Jane McEwan was there a few times- though very rarely. She was one of the few actors in Hollywood that had managed to stay in a lasting relationship- she'd been married to her husband since 1989. They'd had three kids. Now those kids were grown, and if the magazines' photographs were right, the family had a happy, close relationship. No problems, nothing. Tristan's heart squeezed at the thought.

He looked away. "Ms. McEwan." He heard Captain America greet him. Really, Tristan? He wanted to scold himself. Here he was, meeting real superheroes- the world's best, as a matter of fact- and he all he could do was mope.

Besides, it was his fault. His fault he drove his precious, only daughter away.

Wonder what Cristal would do if she could see me now, he thought grimly. Piper's mother had left a note, one morning, when their daughter was just a baby. She had gotten away from a rather nasty family, she'd said. Dysfunctional, to say the least. And she feared at every turn, they'd catch up to her.

She was the greatest love of Tristan's life. No, she was his true love. His one and only, and if only he'd had her for the rest of his life, if only he'd had the guts to propose…

But you don't have any guts, he told himself. Otherwise, you would raise your own daughter from the beginning, not listen to Jane, and be able to handle a world full of gods and monsters. Instead, you're thankful Thor isn't here, and you shoved your own daughter away. You listened to Jane.

But I didn't mean to, he argued with himself. I was trying to protect her.

And look how well that ended, he thought grimly. Cristal had left a note, saying that she needed to leave their baby with him, in case her family came for her. She was seriously afraid for him and Piper. She begged him to tell their baby that her mother loved her, and that she was only doing this because she loved them. She said she knew Tristan would make a great father, the very best, she'd insisted. If only she knew how wrong she was.

He didn't realised he'd zoned out by the time another man, came up and was chatting idly with Jane.

"Oh, my apologies," he extended his hand. "Bruce Banner, pleased to meet you."

"Tristan McLean," he gave a forced smile as he took the man's hand. "But you probably knew that," he laughed awkwardly. "Err… Are you by any chance…?"

"The green guy?" He laughed even more awkwardly than him. Bruce Banner ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I guess, that would be me."

"Oh." He wasn't usually a blushing fool (only around Cristal), but now Tristan was embarrassed. "Sorry about-" he tried to apologise.

Bruce Banner shrugged. "It's okay. I get that a lot." He looked at Tristan with interest. "So, you're Tristan McLean. The famous movie star."

"Yeah," Tristan laughed. "That would be me."

"I saw you in that James Bond movie," he murmured thoughtfully. "Playing a Syrian terrorist. And then again, in King of Sparta, playing, well, a Spartan king. But I heard that you're Cherokee. Why is it that you never play any Native American role?"

Tristan shrugged helplessly. "Well, I guess, they're a little too close to home. I just wanted something that would challenge me."

"Okay," Bruce nodded as he took a sip. He looked around the place. "Crazy huh? Tony sure loves his parties." He chuckled.

Tristan waved a careless hand. "Oh, think nothing of it. I've seen crazier. I've been to crazier."

"Yeah," Bruce said, eying him curiously. "I'm sure you have. I'm sorry, but you don't seem like the type that would delve into the lifestyle of a crazy star- sorry, didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"It's okay," Tristan assured him. "To be honest, I've never really liked the insanity of Hollywood culture." For a moment he forgot who this guy was.
I'm more of a quiet kind-of-guy. I like the simple stuff: chilling out at the beach for a surf, having some black-bean soup with my daughter- used to make that for her when she got sick…" He trailed off.

Bruce Banner was eying him even more curiously. "You have a daughter?"

Tristan's mouth went dry. He wanted to slap himself. He wasn't normally this careless. Years of Hollywood and he does this? "Yeah."

Bruce shrugged. "Oh, that's cool. So, how'd you balance fatherhood with Hollywood?"

Tristan hesitated, then shrugged. "Truthfully? I don't. I'm very bad at it. I used to be there for my girl, every time she got sick, or when kids teased her in school, then I hit the big-time and I got a taste of the Hollywood insanity- and I knew it was bad news for Piper. I couldn't bring her into that, she was sweet, innocent, and I couldn't just tell her that this was the kind of life she had to live from now on- make the friends who I think she should make, live in the goldfish bowl, get buttered up by people who just want to take advantage of her instead of being friendly or helpful. So, I did something I really regretted: sent her off to boarding school." He shook his head. "Worst idea I ever had in my life."

Why was he telling this guy all this? He'd only just met him. You'd think that a professional movie star like Tristan McLean would've known better, but he figured, now that this guy was newly-famous (despite being a superhero), needed some tips. After all, who knows? Were superheroes fathers?

Is such a thing possible? He wondered.

"Ah," Bruce nodded sagely. "I'm sorry to hear about that. How is she now?"

Tristan winced. "Grieving. She lost her boyfriend to a surfing accident about a month ago."

"Ah," Bruce looked shame-faced. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she's doing okay."

Tristan braved a smile. "In any case, her friends from her summer camp seem to be helping. Piper doesn't seem to want to leave." He winced. First, for spilling the beans- it was too late now. Secondly, because of the reminder.

Bruce winced. Then they both saw Tony and Ms. McEwan coming their way. They were chatting happily.

"Which boarding school do you send your daughter to now?" He asked. "I have a few kids- might be a good idea to send them away, until the craziness goes down."

Tristan shrugged. "Or not. I'm living with more regrets than I can count." He sighed. "If you must know, though, it's in Long Island."

"Long Island?" Bruce sounded surprised. "Here, in New York?"

"Yeah. And it's not a school- it's a summer camp. Which is weird, 'cause they take a lot of kids, even when it's not summer." He sipped his drink.

Bruce looked surprised.

"Right." But unbeknownst to the movie star, Dr. Bruce Banner, otherwise known as the Incredible Hulk, was absorbing all this in silent astonishment.

Piper McLean… A summer camp… Here in Long Island, New York….

He would have to tell Fury.

---

"So, let me get this straight," Fury said slowly. "Tristan McLean's daughter, Piper, goes to a summer camp, in Long Island, New York. She has a boyfriend."

"Had," Bruce corrected. "Tristan said he died in a surfing accident."

"Jason Grace," Steve stated. He remembered what the file said Tristan McLean and the medical personnel thought Jason had died in.

"What about Jane McEwan," Natasha interjected, quite curious. "What did she say about Beryl Grace and her kids?"

"Well," Tony sighed. "Keep in mind, these are Hollywood stars and they're used to having the press grind them for info on their love lives- and their kids. They've learned to keep a tight lid on things."

"Not so much Tristan McLean," Bruce argued. "I think he's pretty unhappy about his relationship with his daughter. He admitted he regretted sending his kid away to boarding school-" "Good," Tony muttered, almost venomously. "Score one for Karma." "And that she no longer has any time or interests for him. As a matter of fact, he mentioned that she no longer wanted to see him anymore. Even after her boyfriend passed away."

Fury leaned forwards on the last one. "Why?" He asked dangerously.

"He doesn't know," Bruce admitted. He looked at the director curiously.

Tony sighed. "What else have we got?

Fury looked at the others. "What did Jane McEwan say about Beryl Grace and her relationship with her kids? I'm assuming you brought that topic up?"

Tony scratched his head. "Yeah. She said she always meant to keep a close relationship with her kids, and that she's started several organisations meant to keep foster children happy and to give them support once they've left. Pepper asked how she managed to raise three kids amidst Hollywood's craziness, and she mentioned something about keeping them grounded and having a good family life- and that one of her friends didn't do just that, and next thing they knew, both her children went missing while she was probably out partying." He grimaced. "I assume that's Beryl Grace."

"So she's had no contact with the Grace children ever since their disappearance?" Fury asked, point-blanc.

Tony shook his head. "Doesn't look like it."

The director of S.H.I.E.L.D sighed heavily. Subtlety wasn't Tony's strong suit to put it mildly. But nevertheless, he had to applaud him for what he had done.

Even if he had done it without their permission and nearly gave away classified information.

"Did she say anything about Beryl Grace, apart from what you've told me?" Tony shook his head.

"Fine. Well, we have one lead. I think the most logical course of action is to look into all the summer camps in Long Island."

---

Later on…

Fury's remaining eye wanted nothing more than to close. He was so damn tired and sick of this.

Phil Coulson and his team had not returned from Vegas, and neither did the back-up team they sent after them. He scowled.

Sitting up on his swivel-chair, Fury withheld a growl as he summoned Agent Hill.

"Sir?" She asked as soon as she came in. "Find Coulson and his team," he ground out. "And send the strike team for them. They've been gone for far too long."

Maria Hill's eyes brightened in alarm for the fraction of the second, before she uttered an affirmative and backed out. Fury tried to restrain his temper. If Phil Coulson managed to get himself killed… For good this time…

"Who are these kids?" He muttered aloud. "That casino…"

He should contact the agents in New York too- see what they found out from trailing Percy Jackson.

---

Las Vegas, in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino…

"Damn it," Maria Hill cursed. "Where the heck are they?"

"We've got no info from inside the hotel," one agent said worriedly. "I'm not just the agents we sent in to have a sneak around, but any satellite imagery, or anything. No maps- nothing."

She frowned. "When was this hotel built?"

"I got… Nothing." The agent admitted. Jack Rollins, an agent of STRIKE (the Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies), their counter-terrorist Special Unit, was there was well. He scowled.

"We should go in," he urged. "With a strike force."

Maria herself scowled. "Fury already authorised it, but we don't know where Coulson and his team are, or if they're still alive."

"We can find them," he urged. "We'll scour every room, every closet if we have to. We leave NO TABLES UNTURNED." He said loud and clear- but not too loud. "Do I make myself clear?" He questioned.

"Yes sir," they responded. Out of the vans, the STRIKE teams came, bearing German Shepherds, AK47s, and some high-level weaponry, courtesy of Tony Stark.

They hurried out and around the back of the hotel, around the sides, sweeping in for side entrances. As there were no maps, no records, nothing, this made things much, much harder. Maria came out, wielding a gun and wearing body armour like the others. She suspected that this hotel and casino was illegal.

Silently, she pressed herself against a wall. Agent Rollins looked at her. She nodded to him. He waved his hand forwards. A squad of heavily-armoured agents came in. Another team came. They went to the back of the building. Shooting magnetic grappling hooks, they rose slowly to the roof of the building.

Above the entrance, in neon lights, were the words: You will never want to leave! A group of giggling escort girls waved passer-by in. A bellhop too.

"Hey guys," the bellhop said. "You kids look tired. You want to come in?"

The group of ragged kids looked at one another. They all wore baggy clothes, nothing expensive on them at all, mostly ratty. They didn't look rich. In fact, it looked as if they hadn't washed for days. They appeared to be homeless runaways.

"Um… We don't have any money." One of them stated.

The bellhop waved his hands. "Nah, that's cool. It's all taken care of."

The kids looked excited. They can't have been college-educated. "Really?" One them asked.

The bellhop laughed. "Here's your Casino debit cards and room keys. Come right in!"

He handed them green plastic cards and they excitedly burst in. Maria's eyes widened. She shared a glance with Jack Rollins. His brow furrowed. Not only was this making their task much harder, it was also very sinister.

Maria had never doubted Phil's ability to survive, him and his team including Grant Ward. But now she began to genuinely fear for him. And for the kids.

She remembered the white limo that was seen in Gila Claw, Arizona, that mysterious biker who kidnapped Percy Jackson and his friends and ushered him at the point of a gun, into the limo, apparently to talk to whatever boss he had in there. Could he… Could they have some base of operations here? Or some-

Jack gave the signal.

The team up above, burst a door open. They signalled. "We're in."

Now was their chance.

---

Hotel and Casino guests and party-goers screamed as STRIKE Teams appeared from every floor, on every balcony, on the elevator and from every entrance. Glass shattered, causing them to run and duck for cover.

"FREEZE- PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" Someone shouted.

"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" A STRIKE officer shouted. "Easy there, hold up," what looked like the hotel manager shouted. He came up with his hands in the air.

"Hands behind your head, on the ground- NOW!" Jack Rollin's voice bellowed.

Maria noticed that the hotel guests and casino party-goers didn't look too concerned. To be honest, this was a pretty awesome hotel. Not every hotel and casino had an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, coming from at least forty floors. There was also a climbing wall on one side, an indoor bungee jumping bridge, countless virtual reality stations with laser guns, hundreds of video games with widescreens on them. Everything down to the cheesy Pac-Man.

She was in awe. She couldn't help it.

Then she snapped out of it. How the heck could they afford this? She asked herself. They had to be filthy rich. But no wonder the guests didn't seem concerned.

The manager put his hands behind his head. Then in a single flash he pulled them out from behind them and shot something at an agent. Maria only got a flash of metal before the agent crumpled.

"Wha-" she managed before the shooting began.

Shiny metallic things protruded from the ceiling. Maria noticed they were spiders, bronze-coloured, metallic looking spiders erupting from every inch of the ceiling, every outlet, every crack from the doors. They leapt on each of the agents.

Agents yelled, shouted, screamed and fired their weapons in the air and on the ground as the spiders began biting, scratching and stabbing with sharp pincers and pointy-tipped legs, making the guests squeal and even scream. They mostly tried to dodge them, though they didn't have any spiders on them.

Jack Rollins yelled and shot his AK47 several times to kill them. Maria was fighting desperately to get the spiders off her. Some agents were down, screaming frantically as the spiders clawed on them. Maria tried to shoot some on the floor, but realised they were outnumbered. She called desperately into her com, but no signal.

She ran for it.

Ran through the guests, amidst shouts of 'Hey!' and 'Watch where you're goin'!' passed people dancing on a mirror, lounging around smooching with girls, people on video games and roulette, gambling machines, cafés and restaurants.

Phil! She thought frantically. "Phil!" She then froze to a halt.

She recognised that girl alright. That was one of Phil Coulson's agents. Sar- no, Skye. Skye was her name.

"Skye." She went over to her. "Skye!" Skye kept on shooting. She was on a virtual reality game, scaling walls with virtual reality helmets and lenses on, a plastic gun in hand. Maria grabbed her by the shoulders. "Skye!"

"Hey!" Skye shouted irritably. "Watch where you're going!" She drew the plastic weapon at Maria and began clicking. Maria rolled her eyes.

"Skye- it's me- Maria- Agent Maria Hill from S.H.I.E.L.D!" She called desperately. "Where's Phil?"

"Wha-" Skye looked and sounded confused.

"Phil- Phil Coulson," Maria pressed. "Grant Ward, Melinda May, Leo Fitz. Jemma Simmons. Where are they?!"

Skye froze. She tilted her head to one side. "Phil Coulson!" Maria shouted. "Melinda May! Grant Ward! Leo Fitz! Jemma Simmons! Your mission! You wanted to join S.H.I.E.L.D- you were in the Rising Tide- and Coulson and Ward offered you information- remember?" She said desperately. "Do you?"

Skye was very, very still. She ripped off her helmet. Wide brown eyes stared in horror and shock at Maria. "Oh my gosh," she stammered. "The mi- I forgot." She paled. "I didn't know. I forgot. I couldn't-"

"Never mind that," Maria interrupted brusquely. "Where's Phil and the others?"

"I-" Skye tried to shake herself out of her state. That was all Maria needed. "Let's go!" They started running.

They found Phil Coulson in a Hawaiian shirt, sipping a cocktail. He was lounging on a deck chair under an artificial sun, apparently having had a nice bungee jump and then diving into the pool. "Phil!" Skye shouted. "Phil!" Maria bellowed.

"Oh- hey guys." Phil beamed. "I just bungee-jumped! Man, I never knew I could make that at my age-'

Maria interrupted him. "Where's Grant?"

"Oh- he's in the slide."

"WOOOHOOOOO!" They glanced up just in time to see Grant Ward in a pair of swimming trunks, zooming down the giant slide and landing with a ginormous splash into the pool. Maria stared.

"Agent Ward!" She shouted. She was really losing her patience.

"Die!" She heard Leo Fitz's voice shouted. "Die, filthy, nasty-"

"Ha! You see that? In your face!" Jemma Simmons cheered.

Maria gestured to them. "Take care of that, will you?" She asked Skye. Skye ran over to them.

"Phil." She grabbed him by his shoulders. Grant got out of the pool. "Phil Coulson!"

"Hey, slow down," Phil chuckled. "What's the fuss?"

He said the wrong thing. "What's the fuss?!" Maria screeched. "You entered the Lotus Hotel over three days ago, with your team and you never went out." Phil couldn't hold back his chortles.

Grant chuckled with him.

Maria steamed. "Phil Coulson- you get your a** back on Planet Earth, you hear me?!" She bellowed. "You died- Fury sent you to Tahiti!" She screeched. "You got to a team with Grant Ward, Skye from Rising Tide, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons- also known as Fitz-Simmons!" She shook him again. The dazed, carefree smile on Coulson's face slowly faded. "You were sent to the Lotus Hotel to check on information about Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Nico and Bianca di Angelo and what they were doing here- those were your orders!"

Phil froze in shock. Nearby Grant also froze. Skye had also shaken him and Fitz-Simmons out of their stupor.

Phil ripped off his sunglasses. "Oh my go-" he never finished the sentence. "How- what-" he paled.

Grant Ward paled as well. He stood there, in shock, staring at Maria Hill. "How long have we been here?" Phil whispered.

"Over three days," she replied grimly.

"No- that's impossible- we were here for around an hour!" Grant burst out. "It's May 30th!"

Maria shook her head. "No," she said. "It's June 3rd."

"But that's impossible!" Skye blurted. "We were only here for half-an-hour- look!" She pointed at her watch. "We came in here about six-thirty pm-" she gabbled. "And now it's only seven-"

"Yeah- seven pm on June 3rd!" Maria shot back. "You were in here for three days!"

Phil stared gob-smacked. "We were in here for an hour."

"Hey- you!" Grant grabbed the shoulder of a passer-by. This guy had permed and gelled hair, wore mustard-yellow bell-bottoms and a red t-shirt with black piping. "What's the date today?"

"Huh?" The kid looked confused for a moment. "April 6th… 1977."

"WHAT?!" Grant drew back. "You can't be serious!"

"Hey man, bad vibes. I got a game going." And with that the guy breezed off.

"Wait- seriously." Grant grabbed his shoulder again. "Hey, what's the big deal man?" he asked laughing.

"Your name," Grant managed. "Darrin." He smirked. "Darrin Kyle."

Grant paled. He stared at the others. "And you were born on…?"

"1965- why?"

Grant was positively white. So was Maria.

"Right- we gotta move." He grabbed Darrin by the hand and pulled him out.

---

"Guys!" Leo waved to the crowd. "You gotta see this!"

What now? Annabeth wanted to ask. She was discussing the building and construction materials of some towers.

"C'mon!" Leo waved at them impatiently.

He led them to Bunker Nine.

"Good," Jake Mason said. "You're here."

Annabeth frowned. "What could possibly be so-" then her eyes caught sight of some metal.

It was luminous, even in its raw form, as ore, it glowed in the dim light. The colour was reddish-gold. It shifted, turning from a burnished red, like copper- only more brilliant- to the deepest, clearest gold, clear as a molten mirror.

Annabeth felt her breath catch her throat. Even Piper stilled next to her. "It's beautiful."

Percy frowned, squinting. "What is it?" It sort of looked like Celestial Bronze. But at the same time, it also looked like Imperial Gold. Mind you, the two of them looked similar, but could never be mistaken for one another. Celestial Bronze glowed faintly golden and illuminated darkness, but it had a different sheen and a touch of reddish-brown, which was why it was called Bronze. Imperial Gold was more yellow, much brighter and luminous than ordinary gold. It also glowed in darkness. This lump of ore seemed to shift in colour. In some lights and angles, it glowed a more brilliant yellow-gold sheen, in others it took on a reddish hue, like pure copper mixed with gold, like the two metals. Like they were related.

"Orichalcum," Chiron said gravely. He stood there in his centaur form.

Annabeth's head snapped towards him. "Isn't that supposed to be a legend?"

Then, mentally, she could've smacked herself. They were all living legends. Chiron seemed to sense her thoughts, because he smiled.

"What's Orichalcum?" Percy asked. All around them, people were voicing their confusion.

"Metal of the gods," Chiron murmured, gravely. "I thought that was Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold."

"And Stygian Iron," Nico frowned.

"They are, but this is their original form," Chiron explained patiently. "Orichalcum. The ore from which the alloys that you know of as Imperial Gold and Celestial Bronze come from."

"Wait-" Annabeth turned to look at Chiron again. "They're alloys?" Even the Hephaestus and Vulcan campers were voicing their amazement.

"Indeed," Chiron nodded gravely. "Mined from Mount Olympus- and one other place."

Annabeth remembered the writings of Plato. "Atlantis," she summarised.

"Yes, the only land of mortals where Orichalcum was ever found and mined. The Atlanteans took the secret on how to work Orichalcum to the depths when Atlantis fell. Some say that perhaps, this was the reason why."

"Hold on," Percy protested. "Mortals can use this?"

Chiron nodded, his eyes dark. "And therefore, those of your kind can use it to harm mortals, Percy, there was a reason why this metal has never been seen in its true form by us until now. Do you remember Kronos' scythe?"

Percy nodded, feeling uneasy at the pit of his stomach. He pushed those away. He wasn't the only one. Everyone around him shifted, looking highly uncomfortable and nauseous.

"Luke made Backbiter which was Celestial Bronze melded into Imperial Gold. He needn't have bothered if he found Orichalcum. Like its daughter metals, Orichalcum is highly lethal to monsters- but it can also harm mortals. Such power, is dangerous, especially for those who already boast an advantage over their fellow man in being the children of gods." There were murmurs of agreement from some.

Piper frowned. "Chiron, this doesn't make any sense. If it's so rare, and it hasn't been seen in a long time, how is it here?"

"We found it," Leo answered. They stared. "What?"

"Here in Bunker Nine," Jake Mason replied. "It was hidden in a safe."

Annabeth looked astonished. "For how long?"

"We don't know," Jake replied. "But it's not the only piece."

"Whoa, whoa," Percy held out his hands. "Slow down. I trust everybody at this camp, but it doesn't mean I'm stupid." Piper could've sworn his eyes shifted to the Stoll brothers and the Ares kids. "This shouldn't be used for weapons."

"And if the mortals hunt us down?" Clarisse challenged.

"You're theorising," Annabeth said, exasperatedly. Clarisse had been on the defensive ever since she learned that mortals now knew monsters existed.

"Annabeth, she has a point," Malcolm said quietly. "We have to be prepared. I'm not saying we should make nukes and other mortal weapons from them- I doubt there's enough Orichalcum anyway, even if there is a stash hidden here. But we could use them."

"But what if the monsters get a hold of them too?" Katie Gardner protested. "They're foraging and scavenging for metals and weapons, not just food. This could be a very dangerous weapon in their hands." People voiced their agreement.

Aglaia stepped forwards. "We could use this for the ships." She looked at Chiron. "We need to build a fleet, right? Well, I'm guessing- and it's a wild guess, so please don't judge- that since it can be used against mortals, it can also be used to shield us from mortals. Like a force-field, around these ships. It's lethal to monsters, but mortals won't be able to attack us if it comes to that."

Everyone stared. "She's right," Annabeth breathed. "Isn't she, Chiron?" A tingle of excitement spread through her, and a sparkle in her grey eyes. "This is a sign. We need this."

Shouts of agreement followed. Chiron frowned. "It's awfully tempting. And it could be the key to our survival."

"A force-field?" Travis asked. He looked at Leo. "Dude, can you guys whip that up?"

Leo shrugged. "Sure." Jake nodded.

Chiron still frowned. "I'm still not sure. If Atlantis was destroyed because of their use of Orichalcum, the gods-"

"The gods," Percy said, his voice growing in volume. "Aren't here. They shut down Mount Olympus and abandoned us, refusing to see the threat so they could stay safe. They left us to defend Mount Olympus and take down Mount Othrys even though they knew Typhon was a distraction and it was a trap." He knew that they needed to take down Typhon, but Percy couldn't bottle his resentment anymore. "They blamed Apollo for all the things they ignored or let slide and forced him to fight against a powerful enemy that's been waiting for the right time to strike, including at us. They turned a blind eye and forced us into another war we weren't expecting or were ready for. They allowed Jason to die." Thunder boomed, but the lightning only served to illuminate the anger on Percy's white face.

"They've left us to die on our own now." He finished. "Do you really think rules can apply when we're fighting for our survival? When was the last time Camp Jupiter ever fell? When was the last time New Rome came so close to being totally destroyed?" A murmur and a ripple of unease ran through the crowd. "When was the last time this camp was ever so threatened? Not when Thalia's tree was poisoned, not when the hellhound got in, not when the monsters entered through Zeus' Fist in the Battle of the Labyrinth. We've never seen this many monsters before- and despite the Fleece, our boundaries have never been so weak.

"I think what Percy's is trying to say, is that we're fighting our own extinction here," Annabeth finished quietly. "I think in cases like these, regular rules and procedures tended to be thrown out of a window. We don't have a choice."

Chiron sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked much older and more tired than Percy and Annabeth had ever seen him, and that was saying something. The camp he had maintained and carefully guarded, the students he had put his hopes and dreams into, the legacy of his immortal life was about to be thrown and flushed down a toilet.

"No," he said quietly. "Fates forgive me, but we have no choice. And yes, in times like these, when faced with extinction, regular rules and procedures do tend to be thrown out of a window."

Murmurs and shouts of agreement rang. "On one condition," Chiron shouted above the noise. "That we all swear an oath on the River Styx, not to use this metal for evil or remotely mischievous intents and purposes- including setting out to harm mortals, conquering or overthrows, or pranks."

"Awww!" Shouted some of the kids.

"Otherwise, there will be no use of Orichalcum," Chiron said sternly. "Especially as we already have Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold."

Reluctantly- for some- everyone swore. Thunder boomed, sealing the oath.

Piper sighed. "Annabeth, I need to talk with you. Aglaia- could you come with us?"

"Sure," Laia replied. She saw Percy giving her a strange look.

"Hi," he said. He reached out and offered his hand. "I'm Percy. Sorry I couldn't introduce myself and welcome you before," he sounded sheepish.

Aglaia took his hand. "Don't worry about it. You had a lot on your hands, and you're doing great as it is."

"Thanks." Percy stared hard at her. "I'm sorry, I know we've never met before but…" He trailed off expectantly.

"My name's Aglaia. You can call me Laia, but don't call me anything else," she said with a laugh. "Sorry, excuse me, I hope I'll catch you later."

"Good to meet you, Laia." Percy forced a smile. "Hope I'll see you soon." Laia nodded and raced after Annabeth.

"I didn't introduce you to Percy," Annabeth said sheepishly.

Laia shrugged. "It's fine, you've got a lot on your mind- and your hands." She looked at them. "What's this you wanted to talk to me about?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. "Piper thinks you have amnesia."

Laia pursed her lips. "Right."

"I'm sorry, it's just a real cause for concern," Piper admitted. "You're not the first person who's come here with a loss of memory."

"Whoa- seriously?" She asked incredulously.

They nodded. "Laia," Annabeth said slowly, eyes never leaving her. "What's your surname?"

Aglaia flushed. "It's… A long and unwieldy one." Her flush deepened.

Piper and Annabeth actually looked understanding at that. "It's Cretan," she excused.

"Okay, you're from Crete?" When she nodded, Annabeth continued. "You remember your life before now? Why do you think you have amnesia?"

Aglaia was silent. "Months ago, I had a… An accident, I'd say. I was sailing, I think. I can't remember the specifics, but…" She frowned. "When I'm not thinking about it, I remember… Flashes. Like storms and lightning, as well as sunlight. I see someone. Sometimes I see a group of people, but mostly I see this one."

"What one?" Piper asked, slowly.

"A young man," she said softly. "With golden-blond hair and blue eyes. He looked like a statue of a Greek god- or someone playing a Greek god. He was good-looking, but not in the way you think. Not like a male-model." Piper and Annabeth exchanged glances.

"He had this charisma, this authority, without even trying. More than a military officer, or a prince or king. But he didn't seem like a tyrant of any kind, or someone who thinks of himself as high and mighty. He's concerned, but he normally doesn't show that." Laia frowned. "Or so I think."

"What do you remember about him?" Asked Annabeth softly.

"He's telling me something, I think. Telling me to be careful. But it's insane. I've looked back, and I don't remember a moment where I've actually met a person like him," Aglaia threw her hands exasperatedly into the air. "I feel like he's a part of me, like he's one of the most major parts of my life, but I don't know who he actually is, or even his name!" She looked frustrated. "It's like on the tip of my tongue! I keep asking my parents what happened following my accident, years back. But they always brush it aside, like they didn't want us to think about it. So what, is he a figment of my imagination?"

"Maybe, but I have the feeling, that's not the case," Annabeth said slowly, hesitantly. She looked at Piper. "Piper told me that you handled the weapons like you've used them before."

Laia shook her head. "And that's just it. For months now, I was afraid I actually had amnesia, but I never saw the need to handle a bow and arrow, or some throwing knives, so where would I have learned to do that? But for a moment, when I was handling the weapons, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. Like I was somewhere else, someplace else, some time I'd forgotten about, but without a single clue of- and I wasn't even thinking about it, but I let the arrow loose-"

"On instinct," Piper finished, giving a meaningful look towards Annabeth.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I've read about amnesiacs. Sometimes, they may not even remember their name, but give them a pen and tell them to write their signature…" She trailed off. "But you remember your life, don't you, before you arrived here?"

Aglaia nodded, mutely.

Annabeth drummed her fingers on the side of her knife hilt. "So you're an archer."

Aglaia hesitated. "I think I can hold my own in a fight with a bow, but I don't know. It didn't feel entirely natural. The knives too."

"Hmm," Annabeth looked thoughtful. "We've got to see Clovis."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"The head counsellor for the Hypnos Cabin," Piper explained. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. He's the expert on this." Annabeth looked grim. "After that, we need to find you a weapon."

---

The three of them walked to the Hypnos Cabin. For some reason, Annabeth looked mildly surprised to see members of their cabin, running around like headless chickens.

"That's not normal," she remarked.

Piper agreed. "Their nightmares have been so bad, none of them could sleep- none of them want to sleep." Annabeth winced. "That usually means there's trouble. And we're in way over our heads."

Even before and during Gaea and the Giants' War, the Hypnos Cabin were peacefully dozing away.

Laia looked ahead and saw a building. It didn't look much, made out of mud walls with a rush-roof. The only thing remotely strange was a wreath of poppies hanging from the door.

"Come on," Annabeth pushed the door open. Inside a warm fire crackled in the fireplace, flooding all the cold she didn't even remember she had from her bones. Above the mantlepiece, a poplar branch hung, dripping milky, cloudy white liquid into a tin bowl. There were plenty of beds, large and soft, with fluffy comforters, feather pillows and fresh sheets.

One of the kids walked over to them. He had dark purplish half-circles underneath his eyes; a face whose skin looked like it had been stretched taut; a stocky body with strangely thin and spindly arms; features that looked normally gentle but twitched constantly; and a wedge-shaped blond haircut.

"Clovis?" That was Annabeth.

"Annabeth," he said hurriedly. "Piper. Please tell me you've got some good news and we can actually fall asleep without bad dreams," he almost pleaded.

"Actually, we need your help." She explained, apologetically.

"What could I help with?" He asked, hastily, like it could get rid of his nightmares.

Annabeth gestured to Laia. "Clovis, meet Aglaia."

He gawked. "Wow, and I thought I my dreams couldn't conjure anything as good as this," he muttered. "I mean- what can I help you with?"

"She may have amnesia," Annabeth explained the situation to Clovis. Laia filled in on the details.

"Hm," Clovis murmured thoughtfully. "Strange." He looked at Annabeth and Piper. "It's not like the amnesia that- erm, that Jason used to have." He looked apologetically at Piper.

Piper nodded, her beautiful face set in stone.

"I mean, we know that Percy and Jason didn't remember anything of their lives before being switched- long story, remind me to fill you in later- but they did remember their names- and in Percy's case, he remembered Annabeth. Or at least her name. You on the other hand, remember your life before this, but you don't know or can't pin-point the time when you had memory loss- or even remember when you started suspecting that you had amnesia. And you don't know who that guy is- or who those people are."

Laia shook her head. "No."

"You said you were in an accident? What kind of accident?"

Aglaia hesitated. "I- I can't remember. I used to think it was a sailing accident, but even so, I can barely remember being in a hospital. Just bits and pieces, like the fragments of a dream."

"Hm. So even then your memories aren't clear on when you woke up?"

"Clovis, accidents do that to people," Piper said gently, looking at Laia.

"Maybe," he said. "But did you ask your parents?"

Aglaia hesitated. She cursed herself for seeming so stupid. "I might've asked a few questions. They said I had an accident, but that was a long time ago. They told me not to worry. It's like I never even had an accident- like it really was a dream." She bit her lip. "Besides, I've never crashed a boat before. Or a kayak. I've swum, dived, sailed and canoed, but I've never gotten into any minor accidents whatsoever. It may sound strange, but I've always loved the sea- I felt safe there. It was natural, so I can't imagine crashing. But something must've happened. Even so, it's like I'm may even be imagining the times I've asked my parents about the accident, because when I try to remember those conversations…" She shook her head. "They're all blurry," she ground her teeth. "And hazed. Like they really were dreams. So I've always dismissed them, like they were only my imagination. Like dreams that make no sense."

Clovis' eyes went wide. "I've never seen a case like yours before." He looked at Annabeth and Piper. "There's something funny going on here. It's like whatever is causing this isn't just trying to erase her memories- it's trying to stop her from realising that she has blanks in her memory. And even her suspicions." Both Annabeth and Piper looked alarmed.

"How is this possible?" Piper wondered.

"I don't know," Clovis admitted. "But it's like when we used to manipulate the Mist-" his eyes bugged.

"The Mist." He realised. "It can sometimes affect demigods as well as mortals. That's what's happening. Somehow, along with your memories being erased, the Mist was used to convince you that nothing had happened. I think it almost certainly convinced your family. I don't know if you're a demigod or a legacy, but you're no mortal." He looked at her up and down. "Sorry, but you don't look like a mortal. Any idiot can tell."

"Thanks," Aglaia grumbled sarcastically. But either he didn't notice it, or he let it slide.

"But the Mist can also affect demigods. And that's probably why you are starting to realise that you've lost some memories- because the Mist is breaking down. But I don't think it's the Mist that's the source of these problems," Clovis said slowly. "If it was, you'd start to remember more and more. I think it was used along with whatever power took away your memories, but it wasn't the main ingredient."

"Do you think a god or a goddess could've taken her memories?" Piper questioned.

"Maybe, but I'm not so sure. Like I said, this isn't like the other cases I've ever seen. Her memories aren't lost forever, I think. And I don't think they've been stolen either. I think," he said. "They're suppressed."

"What?" Aglaia and Piper breathed.

"They've been suppressed," Clovis repeated. "See, she's getting some fragments. Now, as a demigod, I think we know that those aren't figments of her imagination- or dreams. Knowing our world, they're real. They're as real as you and me. So, not stolen, not borrowed, and not lost forever. The only other explanation is that they've been suppressed; buried deep within the confines of your mind."

Aglaia was silent. "Is there any way to get them out?"

"Maybe," Clovis' face darkened. "Maybe not. Something like this has never been tried before. It could be dangerous. We could kill you, quite possibly, slowly and painfully. You could be reduced to a vegetative state. You could lose every memory you've ever had, and there are other possibilities. And we wouldn't even know where to begin." He looked at them.

"Well, if there's one good thing about the Mist breaking down is that at least the more it happens, the more flashes you'll get. But as for your memory…" He shook his head.

"I'm gonna need to do a few scans." He looked solemn.

"Sit here, please."

He directed Laia to a chair. "Close your eyes," he instructed her.

Laia took a deep breath, and receiving encouraging nods from Annabeth, closed her eyes. At first, she felt nothing. And then, she felt, like she was floating or drifting in the air, like she was weightless. Her mind became hazy, turning into mist, soon they would evaporate-

"Laia." Piper grabbed her arm.

Aglaia snapped her eyes open. "What the-"

"Oh," Clovis' face looked really grim. "It's bad alright. Truth is, I don't know who or what the heck did this to you, but it's really powerful."

Piper shivered. "You became transparent. Like you were dissolving or evaporating or turning into a ghost. We found it harder to see you."

"Whoa," Aglaia breathed. She went pale.

"And we know it's nothing like anything we've ever seen before." Clovis' grim face came into her line of sight.

"Usually," he began. "Memories are lost for a good reason. They sink under the surface, the forefront of your mind like dreams and I can bring them back after a good sleep. But this is too serious. I'm gonna need to consult my cabin members on this. And the Hecate Cabin, when they're available." His eyes met Laia's.

"Usually, I wouldn't give this much thought. But if there's one thing that's for certain in the supernatural world, is that there are no coincidences. You arriving at camp with a large portion of your memories erased- someone's done this to you. And whoever they are, they're hiding something.

"Now, I don't know about you, but this-" he waved a hand. "Happening all at once, even if we can explain the Mist's disintegration being responsible for hazy fragments of your memory returning, it's quite interesting that you should appear with amnesia at this time. We'll talk more later, right now," he straightened. "We've got work to do."

"Annabeth, Piper," someone peeked through the open doorway. "Meg McCaffrey is here."

Piper frowned. "Let's go."

They thanked Clovis and walked out of the cabin.

"That was weird," Piper remarked. "I'm not used to seeing these guys not sleeping. Or being in that cabin without feeling sleepy."

"Tell me about it," Annabeth muttered. "Sleepy?" Aglaia asked. "Usually when you go to the Hypnos Cabin, the aura there makes you sleepy. It's the power of Hypnos."

"The god of Sleep," Laia sighed. "So you're certain. It's confirmed then, I have amnesia." She looked at them.

Walking past with a troupe of spellcasters, Lou Ellen froze and her eyes widened as she saw the trio that walked out of Hecate's Cabin.

Fury studied the flower in front of him. He remembered seeing the team for the first time after days of waiting and no contact.

"YOU WHAT?!" He had gaped, speechless like he'd never been in his life.

"We were in there for about half-an-hour," Grant said through gritted teeth. "Or at least it felt like it."

"No- you were in there for three whole days!" Fury shot up from behind his desk. "And you're telling me you've been indoor bungee-jumping, sunbathing and having the whole theme park-casino-slash Universal Studios treatment?" He sounded disbelieving.

"Sir," Maria interrupted. "It's true. We've brought someone else."

She opened a laptop she'd placed on his desk and the footage started playing.

"What's your name?"

"Darrin," the kid from the casino stated. "Darrin Kyle."

"Okay, Darrin. Where're you from?"

"Milwaukee, Wisconsin," came the reply.

"And you were born on…?"

"April 6th, 1965." He said slowly. "We went to Vegas for my birthday. Visited my grandparents. Me and my pals snuck out after the party ended. We weren't supposed to-" he looked guilty. "But we wanted to. We took a walk, explored the sights, and saw the casino. They invited us right in."

Fury's eye had widened. "Did you get DNA identification?" He asked, abruptly.

"Already did, sir." Maria replied. "Darrin Kyle went missing on March 6th, 1977. His family went crazy trying to find him and his friends- including his cousin. And now, decades after the seventies, he's been found- aged thirteen."

Fury stared. He looked back at the screen.

"His mom's still around." She admitted. "Might as well send a S.H.I.E.L.D team to-" Fury rose a hand.

"So, wait a minute," he interrupted. "This hotel… Freezes people?"

Coulson shook his head. "Sir, we weren't frozen. We stayed there for nearly an hour- it turned out to be three days."

"Yeah, and the STRIKE team came on seven-thirty on June 3rd," Maria said grimly. "We exited on June 5th. Two days later."

Fury stared. "Is that why I couldn't get a hold of you?"

"Yeah," Grant said slowly. "It must have been." They looked at each other grimly.

Fury was very still. "What happened to the STRIKE Team and the rest of the agents?"

"We pulled them out," Maria said slowly. "Didn't took long- thank God." She heaved a sigh of relief. "The spiders came in like, thousands. Or hundreds of thousands. It was chaos. Apart from the mechanical spiders' injuries, no one was seriously injured, but the agents that were bitten or scratched- they're in some sort of high. Like a drug haze, only much stronger and we can't seem to find the antidote. They started hallucinating, and we had to get them out. They're being treated in the infirmary, but-" she shook her head.

Fury sank back. "The hotel staff?"

"We shot the manager," Maria said, helpfully. "But with the STRIKE guys hallucinating, we had to get them out as quickly as possible- they were seriously feverish. There weren't enough emergency services for them, and we had to get them to the nearest hospital. Even then, it was serious." Fury was unblinking. "Once we pulled them out, we had ordered our team to secure the perimeter, but then when I came back, they turned out to be unconscious and they couldn't remember anything that happened once they woke up."

"And the staff?" Fury demanded, slowly, dangerously. "What happened to them?"

Maria took a deep breath. "We couldn't find the hotel."

"What?!"

"We went back to the hotel," Grant supplied, grimly. "At its exact location. It had gone."

"That's impossible." Fury bit. "The witnesses-"

"All of whom swore up and down that there had never been a hotel and casino at this site, had never heard of a Lotus Hotel and Casino," Maria continued. "And we checked. There was a construction site. No hotel, no casino, not even a creepy motel. According to the city council, the site had been operating for years- five years to be exact. There had never been a hotel and a casino there, until they started building one, and it hasn't even been finished. They even showed us the official documents." She handed them to Fury.

The director stared at them. "The hotel and casino were in operation during 1941," he said slowly.

"But the city council, the call-girls and escorts, the Vegas Bunny girls, the cab drivers, bellhops and staff of other casinos and hotels don't know it- even the neighbouring ones," Phil said slowly. "As if their minds have been wiped blank."

"Impossible!" Fury slammed the papers onto his desk. "We have the pictures! We have the proof!"

"Well, we can go back there now, only that when we go to the exact site, it's not there." Phil emphasised.

"Our operatives did a sweep of Vegas and it seems we can't find anything," Maria said grimly. "Not even on our maps."

Fury stared at Coulson and Grant. "What do you remember?"

Grant shook his head. "We went in there… Saw the giant waterslide, going round the elevator, coming down from forty floors in the lobby. Saw a bungee-jumping bridge, climbing wall, and a bunch of other cool stuff like restaurants and bars. Lots of video games too. It was pretty amazing, like a theme park and a resort as well as a casino. Looked expensive. Some girls came up-" his eyes bugged.

"Damn," he whispered. "Phil- the flowers."

Phil stared. "What flowers?" Fury asked suspiciously.

"The flowers- the ones that we ate, they offered to us- the lotus blossoms!" Grant blurted. "We ate them and they-" he shook his head. "They must've contaminated them with drugs or something, 'cause they were the best things we've ever tasted. And after that, we couldn't-" he looked helplessly at his superior.

"We couldn't remember anything," Phil finished. "The reason for why we were there. I also smelled lotus blossoms in the lobby- the hotel was perfumed with them."

"They gave you flowers to eat?" Fury questioned.

"Yeah, and they tasted good." Grant said, his brow furrowing. "The best things I've ever had."

"Me too," Phil said softly. "I couldn't remember tasting anything so good. After that, I felt like I was on a sugar rush- I was on high."

"How many did you consume?" Fury was almost afraid of the answer.

"Eight or nine-" Grant frowned. "Though probably more."

"Those waitresses kept popping up with more flowers," Phil confessed. "And I couldn't resist."

"None of us could," Grant pointed.

Fury could only shake his head, aghast.

---

"So let me get this straight," Tony began holding a hand up. "Your agents… Went to this casino to investigate those kids, were offered some flowery canapés, forgot everything and decided to go on vacation- which sounded really awesome by the way, wish I was there- bungee-jumped, slid down a giant slide, started playing virtual-reality video games, and lounging around a pool as well as gambling, which I'm pretty sure kids weren't supposed to do- and they found some of those from 1977?" Tony sounded incredulous. "And they say they couldn't remember anything- like total mind-wipe, amnesia?"

Fury shook his head. "No," he said slowly. "They remembered who they were, who each other were. They just couldn't remember why they were there and didn't know how much time had passed.

"What about eating and sleeping?" Steve asked, suspiciously.

Fury shook his head. "They were mostly out, partying. Couldn't remember doing anything but have fun."

"For days?" Natasha asked, disbelieving. "Non-stop?"

"Without even knowing that days had passed," Fury said slowly.

"What about those flowers?" Natasha questioned.

"Unidentified, but most definitely natural," Fury sighed. "No LSD, no Ecstasy- nothing we've ever encountered. But definitely strong."

"What about the original chemical composition itself?" Natasha questioned. "Is S.H.I.E.L.D able to replicate it to find an antidote?"

"No," Fury replied. "It appears to be natural. Which is strange, because despite that being lotuses, lotus blossoms don't have hallucinatory properties-"

"Well, if they did, Chinese restaurants would have to look for a new ingredient," Tony pointed. "But what's this about Percy Jackson?" Of course it would be something about this guy.

Fury sighed and rubbed his head. He'd had a tiring day.

He threw the files in front. "You'll want to see this." Natasha picked one up. They all peered at it with interest. "These are Percy Jackson's other companions."

"Frank Zhang, born 5th June 1994, Vancouver, Canada." Fury declared. "Father unknown-" "Yet again," Steve muttered in disgust. "Mother: Captain Emily Zhang, a Canadian soldier of Chinese descent." Steve looked mildly surprised- but only mildly. "Her parents and grandparents migrated from China, from the village of Li Jien, in the sixties, set up an import-export business in Canada. Their business has been largely successful. By the time Frank was born, only two members of his immediate family were living: his mother and his grandmother.

"His mother had met his father during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She never mentioned who he was, only she had a kid. She was a good soldier, Emily Zhang," he said softly. "S.H.I.E.L.D would've definitely taken an interest in her- only she died in 2010 during another tour of duty in Afghanistan, during a botched raid. She was helping her fellow Canadians and their American and British allies to escape. She held the enemy off and died fighting."

Steve was silent. "She was a great soldier," he said softly.

"Yeah," Fury agreed. "She was. But what I wanted to talk to you about- the enemy they were fighting had ties to the Ten Rings."

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin. "Wha- you don't mean-" he spluttered. Tony Stark actually went pale.

"As in the guys who kidnapped you and tried to get you to build your Jericho missile for them?" Fury looked grim. "Yeah. The raid was botched from the start: new evidence found suggests that the Canadians had a double agent. A double agent who suggested that Emily Zhang and her squadron were the right ones to send to assist the Americans and the British in a tight situation."

Clint's eyes widened. Bruce looked on in shock. "They targeted her?" Steve asked in shock.

"It appears so," Fury appeared aged, for some reason. "In any case, she died, her son was left orphaned and living with his grandmother. Yet, not long after his mom was buried, he disappeared. By April 2010, he was in San Francisco- with Percy Jackson."

The Avengers sat very, very still. Tony stared, unblinking.

"There's more," he warned them. "Six weeks after Captain Zhang's death, another teenager appeared with her son and Percy Jackson. Her name is Hazel Levesque."

He threw a black-and-white photo out in front of them. "This picture was taken in 1941, New Orleans," he confessed. "And this one, more recently."

It was of a girl of African-American and Creole descent; an undeniably beautiful girl with rich, satiny cocoa-brown skin, curly cinnamon-brown hair tinged with gold, and strange golden eyes. That was a colour photograph taken recently. But the black-and-white photograph taken in the 1940s, showed an undisputed resemblance. That was Hazel Levesque.

Natasha's eyes widened and she looked up at Fury. "Anything to do with the Lotus Casino?" She demanded.

"It doesn't look like Hazel has ever been to Las Vegas at any point in time," Fury said dryly. "But like Nico di Angelo- and you, Captain Rogers- she was definitely born prior to World War Two: on December 17th, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her mother was Marie Levesque, otherwise known as Queen Marie, a Voodoo priestess and a fortune teller. She dealt with tarot cards, crystal balls, tea leaves, gris-gris and séance- the whole nine yards. Her father was again, unknown, but she went to Saint Agnes' school for girls- and befriended a kid in the neighbourhood named Sammy Valdez."

Natasha's eyes sharpened. "Relation to Leo Valdez?"

"His great-grandfather, according to genealogy experts," Fury replied. "Sad to say, he was her only friend. Though observers described her as a sweet girl, her mother's reputation wasn't a good one. They called her a witch and then she started selling diamonds."

"Diamonds?" Bruce interjected.

"Gold and jewels," came the response. "Weird things started to happen. "When a gold nugget was sold to a jeweller's by Marie Levesque, it was made into a bracelet. The person who brought the bracelet, had his arm cut off with the bracelet attached. Normally, people would've rubbed off that incident, but more stuff started to happen with the diamonds and emeralds, rubies, sapphires, gold and silver nuggets that Marie Levesque had sold. People started saying they were cursed. With a reputation for Voodoo, even though the police didn't buy that s***, the two of them gained a reputation."

"Huh, remind me next time to be careful about which diamond I buy for Pepper on her birthday," Tony remarked, but his eyes and countenance were grim. Nobody knew what to make of this. A few years back, they would've all called it hocus-pocus, but now…

"They actually believed that?" He demanded. "People in the 1940s- no offence, Cap." Steve shrugged.

"She was a Voodoo priestess," Fury pointed. "And a single mother in the twenties, thirties and early forties. I don't think people back then were inclined to be genuinely helpful and kind to her or her kid." Steve winced.

"Anything on the jewels themselves?" Natasha interrupted.

"Nothing's been found," he stated. "But rumours suggest that the valuables were found by Marie's daughter, Hazel, ever since she was just a kid."

Tony snorted. "Right. Cause kids find diamonds in playgrounds all the time. Might be another way to get rich." He scoffed.

"Nevertheless," Fury cut in. "On Hazel's birthday in 1941, Marie made an abrupt move out of New Orleans. Neighbours suggest that she had been behaving erratically at that time. She never had anything good to say to anyone, and even her daughter preferred to spend time outside of the house, even if it meant being harassed by the neighbourhood kids."

Steve looked upset. He always hated those kinds of kids. And her mom didn't sound like a good person, either. Whoever this kid Hazel might be, she didn't deserve to be so unhappy at home and outside.

"So they left and ended up in Seward, Alaska," Fury continued. "Where Marie worked as a waitress and cleaner. She dropped all kinds of Voodoo and fortune telling, and the family lived in extreme poverty. Finally, reports suggest that some uninhabited island off the coast, near the Hubbard Glacier, and the whole sea and coast around the island were suffering from tremors, like earthquakes. There were floods and other catastrophes. Finally, Marie and Hazel Levesque's bodies were found. They'd died."

Natasha's eyes widened in shock. "But then-" she managed.

"Yeah," Fury said. "She was seen in April 2010 with Percy Jackson and Frank Zhang in San Francisco- a place where she'd never been to in the twentieth century. Facial recognition identified them. CCTV and satellite imagery tracked them.

"According to Zhang's grandmother, she'd sent the boy to summer camp to help him cope with the loss of his mother," Fury continued. "She never mentioned where he went- never indicated he went to the United States. But they were spotted in Multnomah County, in Portland, Oregon, and around the Jimmy Carter Library. Then they ended up in Vancouver, Canada, at the Zhang family mansion. Frantic neighbours called the police, calling about gangs and thugs surrounding their house, trespassing on private property. They shouted death threats to Frank Zhang and his grandmother, and some rumours-" Fury's mouth twisted. "Suggested cannibalism."

"Uh, ew," Tony remarked like a teenager.

"Those monsters," Steve breathed. "At Leanne Williams' house, I've seen them on TV," he almost stood.

"Yeah," Natasha said slowly. "Yeah, I remember." Bruce's eyes widened, like he remembered too.

"Either way, the garden's irrigation system exploded and either the thugs fled or were killed on spot. They must've fled 'cause we've found no bodies. Nothing on the grandmother either, though the whole mansion was destroyed.

"But the three kids must've made it, because they were seen in a nearby airspace, used by the Zhang family for their business, and flew to Anchorage, where they took a train to Seward, the site of Hazel Levesque's old home. Unfortunately, the train was destroyed- totally wrecked, and by the looks of it, attacked. There were no survivors, apart from those three. And for the life of us-" he looked frustrated. "We can't figure out who attacked them!"

"Nothing on satellite imagery?" Natasha questioned.

"Nothing." Fury replied blankly. "But they made it to Seward, anyway, where they visited Hazel's old house- well, house is a generous term with how rough and how little the family were living. But they were seen going around the Hubbard Glacier, and crossing the border to Canada, with some heavy junk in tow."

"What?" Tony sputtered.

"That and an elephant." Fury said. Tony, Clint and even Bruce and Steve looked ready to laugh, some even snorted. "Funny, cause there were no zoos, or breakouts nearby.

"Either way, they must've made their way back to the United States," the director continued dryly. "Because Jason Grace, Piper McLean and Annabeth Chase were seen in Salt Lake, Utah. I don't know how they got there. Reports have it that they must've flown, but there were no aircraft- private or commercial- associated with them. They were also in Topeka, Kansas, and this woman in Atlanta, mentioned speaking to them about salt water-"

"Salt water?" Steve asked.

"Yes, Rogers. Salt water. She told them there was an aquarium. The aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia is, after all, the biggest in the world. She gave them some brownies, a jar of peach preserves and money for a taxi ride to the Aquarium."

"Nice lady," Tony laughed. "You don't meet people like those as a billionaire."

"Yeah, I wonder why," Clint remarked.

Fury ignored him. "All we know is that a tank broke after Percy Jackson and Frank Zhang were spotted going inside. And then Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase and Hazel Levesque were in Charleston, talking to some Southern Belle in a crinoline."

"This story just gets weirder and weirder," Natasha muttered. No one could disagree with her.

"For an international organisation with high level tech, usually courtesy of you, Mr. Stark-" Fury pointed dryly. "The pictures were damnably blurry. We can't even get any facial recognition on who the Southern Belle was, or if there was anyone dressing up like a Southern Belle in Fort Sumpter at that time."

Tony raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"As it turns out, Fort Sumpter was the last place the seven- and Nico di Angelo- were seen in Northern America," Fury explained. "The next time they appeared, they were in Europe- they ended up in Rome. Some satellite imagery showed them sailing on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, but the name of that ship is blurred again- and we don't even know what kind of ship."

Fury paused to take a deep breath. "We also don't know how they got there so quickly," he admitted. "Normally cruise ships, and even naval vessels take over five times the amount of time to get from one destination to another- and that's not as far as these kids have travelled. They were in Rome."

"Rome?" Natasha and Clint spoke at the same time. "Why Rome?"

"Why anything?" Clint asked dryly. "Jackson, Grace and Tristan McLean's daughter were seen in and around the Colosseum, but somehow, though they were looking around, it didn't look like they were tourists. Normally, reports of a scuffle at a historical site would've attracted a lot of attention- particularly from the police- but we got nothing."

The Avengers were alarmed. "The next time, we see them, was in Greece."

"Hold on-" Steve held out his hand. "Greece?"

"Greece," Fury confirmed. "They circled the whole Peloponnese Peninsula on their weird-as boat-"

"Sounds like they were having the time of their lives," Clint remarked.

"Sounds like a private vessel," Natasha remarked.

"-And ended up in Athens." Fury continued. "They were in Olympia- the site of the ancient Olympic Games- the very first ones which our modern ones were modelled after. Now, Olympia gets a lot of tourists, including at the ancient stadium, but these guys weren't taking pictures, or anything of that kind.

"Oh, so they went on vacation, without going on vacation," Tony smirked.

"Frank Zhang was spotted in Pylos- with a whole lot of birds," Fury remarked. "Sometimes, we couldn't even see him amidst all those birds." He shook his head. "Funny how the images of these kids just keep getting blurrier and blurrier, by the second."

Tony was serious for once. "Can you hand 'em over? JARVIS and I might just be able to make something out of it."

Looking far more aged and worn, Fury waved a hand in consent.

"They were in Sparta-"

"Oh, come on, seriously?" Tony sounded amused. "Tristan McLean's daughter- the city of macho men-"

"Yes, that." Fury was irritated at how quickly he was able to go from being serious to his normal, chirpy self. "They were seen around the olive oil museum-" Tony snorted. "Very Spartan." "But Annabeth Chase and Piper McLean were mostly spotted at the temple of Ares."

"Like the god of war?" Steve frowned thoughtfully.

"Yes, the Greek god of war. Ruins. Some kind of catastrophe, the girls ran out as fast as they could, looked like there had been a scuffle of some kind- and this crazy dude came running after them, but didn't last long. There wasn't much in the temple, last we checked. But there was a pretty big statue of Phobos."

"Phobos?" Steve interjected.

"The Ancient Greek god of fear," Natasha explained. "It's where we get out modern word, 'Phobia' from."

Tony smirked, Natasha shot at him: "Stark, don't you dare!"

Tony raised his hands. "I wasn't."

"That's highly debatable," she retorted. Natasha looked back at Fury. "Where did they head to next?"

"The Aegean Sea," Fury pointed. "Which should've been catastrophic, because a giant sea storm was spotted by our satellites."

"And they survived?" Tony asked sarcastically. "No, really?"

Wisely, Fury chose to ignore him. "They stopped over at the island of Mykonos, and Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang were seen talking to a couple of people- only we don't know who the heck they are. Like that Southern Belle in Charleston, we have a very hazy, blurry and confusing image at best. In some cases, the picture was cut."

The Avengers all frowned.

"The pictures keep getting more and more blurry?" Steve questioned. He knew that photography and satellite imagery was way more advanced than they had ever been, he still didn't know that much about them as compared to the others, but he was certain they were supposed to be better than that.

Particularly if they had been designed by Tony Stark. Steve shot a look at Tony who was frowning intently, all traces of humour gone. Irritation was evident on his features and he knew he was going to be hounding for answers very soon.

"Where did they go next?" He asked.

"Epidaurus- an ancient city on the Argolid Peninsula- it's part of a new city now, but they didn't go to any of the modern sites."

"That's very interesting," Natasha mused slowly. She looked at Clint.

"What are they, historical tourists?" Hawkeye frowned. "Ever since leaving the United States, they've only been to ancient Greek and Roman sites. The Colosseum, the temple of Ares, the stadium at Olympia…

"Yeah, it's getting weirder and weirder," Clint admitted. "These kids don't seem like history nerds."

"Well, you never know," Bruce Banner shrugged. "Has anyone ever taken a look at their grades, favourite subjects and all?"

"Well, if they are, why would they go to the world's biggest aquarium in Atlanta?" Natasha pointed out.

"In any case, they were at the Acropolis in Athens," Fury picked up the conversation. "There were photos of some big riot- but then all our cameras went black."

"Whoa, seriously?" Now Tony looked angry. "Who's responsible for maintaining this equipment?"

"We've all looked- even members of your team, Stark, personally trained by you to repair, maintain and keep high-level equipment in optimum condition," Fury replied. "And nothing was wrong. It wasn't so much the equipment itself as what was going on down there."

Natasha leaned forwards, alarm barely visible in her eyes. "And what was going on down there?"

"How could these kids possibly have interfered with your equipment all the way down there- when they were busy travelling no less?" Bruce asked.

"We don't know." Fury said softly. "We don't know how or why we can't see anything, any more than we know why and how these monsters suddenly appeared now or what they are."

"But this isn't all. There's a whole lot more, we just couldn't make sense of it… Yet."

"Make sense of what?" Steve asked.

"You'll see," Nick Fury's remaining eye darkened.

---

The conversation haunted him as he typed away on his computer

Tony Stark scanned his laptop screen.

He was trying to fix those damned pictures.

He didn't know what on earth was wrong with the satellite imagery and CCTV cameras, but they sure as hell were fine when he looked at them!

If it isn't the tech…

Then it had to be the kids.

The kids which included Frank Zhang. Frank whose mother had been targeted by the same terrorists who were responsible for Tony's transition into a better man (good side-effect), and catastrophic near-death experience, days of imprisonment, torture, threats and the death of many good soldiers (all bad things).

Why did they target Emily Zhang?

Tony found it curious that these kids only had one known parent. He found it ever-so-interesting that they got into a lot of trouble and the majority walked away scotch-free.

Not to mention, they could hardly have met beforehand. Percy Jackson lived in New York his entire life, Annabeth Chase lived in Virginia and California, Frank Zhang was a Canadian from Vancouver, Hazel Levesque came from New Orleans, then Alaska in the 1940s… Did he really need to continue?

Tony found Emily Zhang's file. It was a lengthy one. The Cap was right- she was a damned good soldier. Her record was exemplary. And then unexpectedly, she went on maternity leave in 1993-94. No mention of the father. No mention of a husband, a partner or a boyfriend, so Tony assumed the kid could've been the product of a one-night stand. But he looked through the pictures of Emily Zhang in her uniform on tours of duty, with her comrades and locals, he noticed one picture held a bit of a blur at the edges. Which was weird, considering that the pictures were all good-quality, and showed nothing or no one else in a bad view. Everything was clear and defined, except for that one blur at the edges of the photograph of Emily Zhang with some of her own troops and local Afghan soldiers. Tony zoomed it and vaguely saw the outline of a man, in leather, with sunglasses?

Tony blinked. No, that can't be right. But there it was, the very blurry image of a Caucasian man dressed as a biker (a biker of all places?). It didn't make sense.

Tony scanned the other pictures to see if someone similar could be found. There. A picture of Emily Zhang with her teammates. And next to them, a hazy image of a man in a Canadian military uniform, with a flat-top haircut, and wrap-around shades.

Tony blinked. This was clearer than the rest. He had to investigate this man.

"JARVIS?" He called out.

"Yes sir?"

"I need you to identify all the soldiers pictured here in this photograph with Captain Emily Zhang."

"Of course, sir." Facial recognition and imagery began to pop up and zoom.

"Lieutenant Mark Riley, Bombardier Nathaniel Darrow, Private Mathew Jacobs and Sergeant Mick Johnson."

Each time JARVIS said a name, their individual ID photographs and details popped up. "And the fifth guy," Tony began. "Who's he?"

"No identification, sir." JARVIS replied. "Whoever this man was, he wasn't a member of Captain Zhang's group."

Tony paused. Definitely something there. He was silent for a moment. "JARVIS, can you tell me which of Captain Zhang's teammates in this picture is still alive today, and where the nearest one lives?"

---

Toronto, Canada…

The nearest surviving guy was Nathaniel Darrow, now a sergeant in Joint Task Force 2, the elite Special Operations division of the Canadian military. He lived in Toronto, but fortunately, Tony, Steve and Bruce (once he had alerted them) were able to go there overnight.

"So, what can I do for you, Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner?"

"Yes, we are here about one of your former teammates, a Captain Emily Zhang?"

Nathaniel Darrow stared. "Emily?" He said slowly. They nodded.

"Yeah, I remember Emily." He was silent for a while. "Great soldier, one of the best I'd ever seen. Amazing, outstanding. She would've been a member of JTF2, except that she died before that could happen." Then his eyes sharpened. "What about Emily?"

"Well, it's more about her son, Frank." Bruce tried to explain. Nathaniel's eyes widened.

"Frank?" He stared. "I remember the kid. Saw him at his mom's funeral." He shook his head. "Heard his grandma died too. We have a support group for families, including kids who've lost parents in the Canadian military, but he never came. Neither did his grandma, and I heard his whole house, and the lady…" He shook his head. "Horrible." He rasped. "Whatever happened to him? Frank? We tried searching for the guy."

The Avengers looked at one another and sighed. "Sergeant Darrow," Steve began. "There's no easy way to tell this but-"

"Captain Zhang was targeted by the same people who went after me in Afghanistan." Tony interrupted.

Nathaniel nodded. "Yeah, I remember. We were up against those guys too."

"Yeah but…" Tony sighed in frustration. "Look, this… This is classified information. We could get into serious trouble for this, but we feel it's necessary to inform you."

"We need your help." Steve interjected. "Captain Zhang's son- Frank- we think he may be in danger."

That set their new friend on alert. "Wait- what?"

Steve set the photo in front of him. "This is a picture of Captain Zhang and her team members, including you." He fingered the image of then-Bombardier Nathaniel Darrow there. "Can you explain you the fifth man in this picture was?"

Nathaniel stared blankly at the photograph. "There was no fifth guy. It was just Emily, Jack, Mick, Mark, Matt and me posing for this photo that day. I've never seen this guy before."

The Avengers exchanged covert, alarmed looks.

"Never?" Bruce asked cautiously. "No." He looked up at them. "There was no other guy posing in this photograph. This is the first time I've ever seen another guy. Here," he stood. "I have another copy."

Nathaniel Darrow went to a chest of drawers and picked up a picture frame. He sat back down, before passing the frame to the Avengers. "Here."

Bruce took it and they all looked.

Sure enough, there was Captain Emily Zhang, smiling at the camera, right arm draped around Mick Johnson, while Private Mathew Jacobs knelt in front, weapon in front. Nathaniel Darrow had his left arm around Mick Johnson and Mark Riley was in front with Mick Johnson. There was no one else.

No man with a flat-top haircut and shades. Whilst Mick Johnson and Mark Riley both wore shades, they could not be mistaken for the mysterious fifth man.

"Are you sure that guy wasn't…" Nathaniel hesitated. "Photo-shopped?"

The Avengers stared at one another.

"No, we're certain he wasn't." Bruce looked pointedly at Tony.

"Definitely not. JARVIS could detect anything funny in the photo, like colouring, lighting and fix-ups." Tony stated. "Even with a damn good photo-shop he would've seen it."

"Sergeant, have you ever seen this man before?" Steve asked seriously.

Nathaniel shook his head. "Never."

"Not in Afghanistan? Or in your training? Or anywhere else in any tour of duty? Do you have an idea of who he may be?"

Nathaniel shook his head again. "No." Then he grew concerned. "What is this about Emily's son?"

"Frank?" Iron Man groaned. "He and some friends have been spotted all over the United States, Canada and Alaska, and some parts of Europe too."

"Please understand," Bruce interjected. "This is classified information."

"I understand. I'm in JTF2. We're sworn to secrecy."

"Okay then," Bruce showed him some pictures and began explaining. "Frank disappeared not long after his grandmother's funeral. He reappeared in San Francisco six weeks after."

"San Francisco?" Nathaniel sounded baffled. "Why in the world would he be in San Francisco?"

"No idea. But he was spotted with some friends, whom we will get to later." Bruce took out some more pictures. "This is him in Multnomah County, Portland, Oregon, around the Jimmy Carter Library. In this one, he's back at Vancouver, at his grandmother's mansion. This was before the neighbours called the police saying thugs and gangsters had circled the whole house and were threatening them with chainsaws, Molotov cocktails and other things, yelling death threats among other things." Bruce grimaced. "That was before the mansion exploded."

Nathaniel's eyes were wide, as he looked aghast. "Frank was there?" he choked.

"He escaped," Steve hastily reassured him. "In fact, he was seen in a nearby airspace with his two friends, and they made it to Anchorage. They were seen in various places in North America and Europe."

Bruce gave him a slightly-altered version of the events. No need to tell him the full details.

Nathaniel stared, horrified and aghast. Normally very few things would have shaken him, but Emily Zhang had been a good captain and team-mate who ensured the survival of just about everyone, and she had been a great mother who lived for her son. And now it turns out, the entire squadron had been walking into a trap designed specifically for Emily. And her son might be next.

"But why?" He asked hoarsely. "Why would they target Frank? Why would they target any kid- he's just a kid!"

"Someone is clearly after him and his friends," Steve admitted. "And we think it may have be the ones that went after Captain Zhang. They targeted her specifically."

"Sergeant Darrow," Bruce sat forwards. "Did Emily ever mention anything about the father of her son?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "Nothing. She didn't have a boyfriend at that time, though she had some admirers. She wasn't the type either to have one-night-stands, certainly not on tours of duty or training in the barracks. Serving was her whole life. So, it surprised us when she announced she was pregnant and going on maternity leave."

Bruce blinked. "So… What did her family say about that?"

Nathaniel Darrow sighed. "Yeah, we were kind of wondering that." He confessed. "We knew her family were traditional and conservative. I've been to her house in Vancouver, met her folks- this was before her father died. They were definitely traditional, I didn't know how being pregnant out of wedlock would affect her mother- she was the only one in the family apart from Emily still alive at that stage, but Mrs. Zhang didn't seem to take it too badly. That surprised us."

He looked serious. "If Emily's kid, or any of our families are in danger, I want in. The rest of us will want to as well. Emily Zhang was a great soldier who gave her life for her friends and her country, maybe this is the only way we'll get to pay her back now."

"Alright." Steve agreed. "We'll keep you updated. But for now…" He looked at the others. "We have some investigating to do."

"And speaking of which-" Bruce winced. "Perhaps we should tell you the other thing."

They told him about the fact that the Ten Rings might have had inside help. Nathaniel Darrow stood stock still, absorbing all this in silence. Nobody could describe the intense feelings and emotions running through him.

He promised the Avengers all the help they would need. And he would definitely be on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour, especially from those in command.

"So nothing on his dad." Tony sighed. "And nothing on the guy in the picture. Our next bet is to hunt down any member of the Ten Rings, see who was behind this, but those guys-" he scowled. "I prefer HYDRA. At least I know more about them. And they actually have the decency to be extinct."

Bruce and Steve couldn't help but agree. The Ten Rings was as dangerous as they were mysterious. The worst part about knowing so little about them, was not knowing how they operated and what their motives were. Why this person? Why Emily Zhang?

Even HYDRA had not been as elusive as that.

"So, what should we do?" Bruce asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tony demanded. "We need to find out more."

"How?" Steve retorted. "You heard what Fury said. You yourself said these guys are about as mysterious as next year's weather."

"I don't remember that." Tony corrected abruptly. "And besides, even without Weather Satellites, you can always try to guess next year's weather: rain, sun, clouds and storms." Seeing Steve's unimpressed look, he conceded. "Alright. I have a hunch. All I need to do is go to Afghanistan."

"Afghanistan?" Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Tony-"

"I need to see one of them. JARVIS?"

Right away, pieces of Iron Man's armour began assembling on Tony's body. He zoomed up to the sky. Down below Steve sighed.

"He never stops doing that, does he?" Bruce asked, hand shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked up to where Tony had left.

"Nope."

---

"Hello?"

"It's Nathaniel Darrow." The voice said.

In the dark, Alex's eyes narrowed.

"I take it there's trouble on your front, then?"

"Yes. They're onto them."

"Who?"

"The Avengers."

Alex ground his jaw. Damned, flashy, idiot show-offs. "And?"

"They came to my house, asking questions about Captain Emily Zhang, Frank's mother. They had a photo of Mars."

Alex's eyes narrowed further. "A photo? Of the war god?"

"Well, of Emily, me and our teammates, with Mars hanging around. I had the copy which didn't have Mars, but somehow they've managed to obtain a picture with the war god and enhanced it."

"Damn," Alex cursed. "They know Frank Zhang's involved?"

"Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Leo Valdez and possibly more."

Alex sighed. "Then we'll just have to accelerate our plans, then. Can't have the Avengers or damned S.H.I.E.L.D, including the one-eyed personification of paranoia, catching the existence of Olympus before they're ready."

"How long is that gonna take?"

"I hope no one's listening in on you."

"Oh, I've made sure. But Alex," he lowered his voice. "They've found out that the Ten Rings targeted Emily- specifically. They're the ones who targeted him in the first place."

"Do they know who's infiltrated your military's command centre?" Alex asked.

"No- they just think it's the Ten Rings. Or maybe they'll start to suspect HYDRA still exists, knowing them. Although it's not likely.

"But are you sure about this? Heading into Olympian territory? What if the gods find out?"

"We'll just have to stay two steps ahead until it's right," Alex answered. "Be careful. I wouldn't put it past Stark, Romanoff, Barton and S.H.I.E.L.D to bug, track and follow you."

"Do you intend to tell Jason Grace about what happened to his friend, Frank Zhang's mother?" Nathaniel questioned.

"I will," he assured him. "But we have to have an explanation as to how we know this. Plus, this may prompt him to do something reckless."

"In other words, galvanise him into action."

"Nothing's a coincidence in this world," he said flatly. "Thanks for the tip, Nathan."

"Don't mention it."

The line went dead. Alex put his phone down and took a deep breath. Everything was happening so fast, which was both good and bad. They needed to get moving.

Jason had not reacted well, Alex remembered.

Well, that was obviously expected. He had grabbed his new weapon and would've run out of there (never mind that he didn't know an exit), except that Drypêtis blocked his way. Alex explained to him that someone was already in Camp Half-Blood assisting them- and Drypêtis would be going herself.

Jason demanded to know why he couldn't come. "It's my friends who're in danger- it's my family," he insisted. Alex could see the anguish in Jason's eyes and he knew New Rome and Camp Jupiter had been his home for most of his life. Camp Half-Blood had also become his home. All his friends- all the people he loved- were stuck in Camp Half-Blood, surrounded by monsters breaking in.

Alex shook his head. "And what do you intend to do, once you get there?"

Jason gritted his teeth. Alex knew he was thinking that Alex was keeping him here, because he didn't trust him.

"It's not just trust," he made it clear. "What can you do once you get there? Oh, you're healed, and you're in good form, and you've been practicing. Still, you think you're better than Percy Jackson? Than Annabeth Chase? Then your girlfriend- or ex-girlfriend- Piper McLean? Than Leo Valdez? How about all of them combined? Do you think you're better, stronger, smarter, braver and more skilled in fighting than the ones who gave their lives, fighting to defend their homes?" Alex's voice took on an icy tone.

He could see Jason falter. "No," he protested. "I didn't mean-"

"You'd be just another extra to them- Hero of Olympus or not. They've got plenty of those. Just another one, just another person, isn't going to make much of a difference. And you're right. We can't let anyone know that you're alive- you've no right to risk the safety of everyone here." His eyes narrowed. "Especially as you've just promised you wouldn't harm or expose anyone."

Jason faltered even more. He hated to admit this, but Alex had a point.

"There's no time for long explanations, anyway," Alex said flatly. "Besides, you'd be more help outside of camp, then you are over there. Did you imagine we haven't helped you, for how many years now?"

Jason froze. "What?" He breathed, incredulously.

"I told you when you woke up, that when you were fighting to take down Mount Othrys, more legions of monsters were headed. And that they fought and killed one another. Who did you think that was? There are some toxins that can induce madness. One of ours did that. Another time, how did you think your friend Reyna and her sister Hylla, both now Praetor of Camp Jupiter and New Rome, and Queen of the Amazons, managed to get off the island infested with pirates after they decided to take their revenge on Circe and her minions for turning them into guinea pigs?" Alex scoffed. "We contained everything. Circe's gone, thanks to us, but Hylla and Reyna got away and they got away safely- until they were forcibly parted. Many things happened, Jason, more help than you could've ever known was handed to you guys. We even helped keep the Greeks and Romans far apart from before the Giant War- and then Hera interfered with the Mist and exchanged you and Percy into different camps. That was when we nearly shut down everything. It was too risky for us. We didn't want the gods to notice us. But once they made it clear that Olympus was in lock-down, Mizuki had a vision of you dying. And Eleana.

"And then, they had a vision of the Herophile Sibyl saying that if one of you- you or Piper- entered the Maze, you'd die. So obviously, we decided to pull some strings. To trick them. We operate outside and beyond the Greek and Roman cosmology, Jason," Alex said, eying him sternly. "Which is why the gods would be paranoid, even terrified- to hear about us. Greek and Roman demigods, working with the Norse, Egyptian Magicians, Shadowhunters and whatever else-"

"Shadowhunters?" Jason interrupted.

"Long story. But the point is, that if your father and his fellow Olympians ever found out, they wouldn't care that we've made no move to harm them- none whatsoever, I can promise you. They'd still consider us a threat. And us surviving those people- even as children- would be all for nothing." He said finally.

Jason was silent for a long while. He knew Alex was right. Zeus wouldn't hesitate. Zeus didn't hesitate to banish Apollo and force him to fight without him immortal powers, a fight that no single person- former god or not- could've possibly hoped to do by himself and survive, much less win. All because he blamed Apollo for everything that went wrong in the Giant War. Zeus had locked down Olympus long before the Triumvirate reared their ugly heads. And as a result, Jason had been nearly killed.

"Like I said, we tricked them. We snuck in, and I have to confess, we kidnapped you, placed your body in suspended animation, whilst connecting it to that fake body that we'd grown biologically from your genetic matter and through magic. Cunning, complex, ingenious magic that's more than Greek or Roman." He glanced at Drypêtis. "I assume you've met Nyasha?"

Jason blinked. "That girl in the meeting, in the Mess Hall?"

"Yes, that's her," Drypêtis agreed. "She had a part in this. She initially came from the Egyptian cosmology- as a Magician in the House of Life. She also joined the Kanes during the battle for their Doomsday, and she's the descendant of Pharaohs. We wouldn't have been able to save you without her."

Alex nodded. "And like I told you, your life force was joined to that fake body. It wasn't all fake, like a shabti, it was a living organism- a clone that we'd grown, just not sentient until we connected your mind, your soul, your life force, joining it from your body into that."

"Wait," Jason interrupted again. "You cloned me?"

"I did say it was difficult," Alex sighed. "But that's what we managed." He gave Jason a look.

"Alex's idea," Drypêtis explained. "Nyasha, Mizuki and a few others including myself worked on the thing. Lou Ellen Blackstone did too."

"Wait," said Jason very slowly. "Lou Ellen? From the Hecate Cabin in Camp Half-Blood?"

"The same. Lou Ellen is one of us," Drypêtis said nonchalantly.

"If she's one of you guys, what's she doing at Camp Half-Blood?"

"She volunteered to go there," Alex said matter-of-factly. "To keep an eye on things. First, she wanted to find out if you guys were a threat or were worth helping, even saving. When she decided that you were worth helping, she decided to stay as an insider. That way, if we were working covert from anyone inside your camp's forces and allies, and externally, we would be able to coordinate with inside help. Which we did."

Jason paused, catching something up.

"You helped us during the battle with Gaea," he realised. "But… How?!"

"That's out of the question, and you'll figure out soon," Alex said. "The question is, strange as this might seem, are you willing to do it?"

"To do what?"

"Help," Alex said softly. "You said it yourself. Your friends are in danger. I'm not prohibiting you from helping them- no one is, if they even have the right. I'm just asking you to do it in secret- to keep everybody safe."

They both looked at him.

Jason took a deep breath. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"I'm leaving," Drypêtis said suddenly. "As we've said. I've been contacted by Lou Ellen and Lexie- another girl who's inside the camp. They're calling for my aid- to help build a fleet of ships."

"Ships?" Jason asked, puzzled. "What for?" Jason remembered the Argo II. Was Leo building more copies of the Argo II? he wondered.

"It's more than that," said Drypêtis, and Jason realised he must've spoken aloud. He could've hit himself. But nothing could've prepared him for Drypêtis' next words.

"They're preparing for evacuation."

Jason's eyes widened. "Wait- evacuate from- to where? And… Permanently?"

"We don't know," Drypêtis said quietly. "Only that this will be difficult with Strixes in the sky, lethal sea monsters around the shores, and all of them surrounded with the barriers crumbling."

"But what about the Fleece?" Jason demanded. "Why isn't it working?"

"Not even the Fleece is strong enough when the Mist starts to fall," Alex said quietly. Jason could've cursed. "The cause is… Complicated. But the Fleece is tied to the Greeco/Roman cosmology, and if the Mist disintegrates, it's exposed to the mortal world."

"And the Fleece would fade if they don't get it to a safe location." Drypêtis said mysteriously.

"But how is this possible?" Jason almost pleaded. He wanted answers. How to save her- how to save the rest of his friends.

"It's the cosmology," Drypêtis said quietly. "It was New York that was attacked by the Chitauri- and which witnessed the battle between two Norse gods. But Manhattan is Greek territory- or Roman, depending on which aspect. Whereas Brooklyn is Egyptian, but we'll get to that later."

Jason wanted to ask them, what she meant about Brooklyn being Egyptian territory, if the Egyptian gods moved the way the Olympians did, but decided to file away the conversation for later use.

"But as I was saying, it's possible- and this is just a theory, although it's plausible- that the Mist is more than just a filter."

"What?" Jason breathed.

"We haven't developed it yet," Drypêtis sighed. "This was the idea of- a close friend of mine. Well, ours. She was not a conventional genius."

Behind him, was it Jason's imagination that thought that Alex's back might've stiffened? It was hard to tell.

"What happened to her?" He asked.

"She felt that everything was taking a toll," Alex turned around to face them from the window. Jason didn't know what he was gazing at since the window didn't offer him any clear view apart from light. "And had other commitments

"Unlike us, our… Friend had a family life. And this was a big secret to contain within the mortal world."

Alex seemed… Hesitant to talk about it, Jason realised. This was a sensitive subject among them.

Drypêtis sighed. "I should get going."

"Jason, if you wish to come on a mission," Alex began. "Then may I suggest that you get prepared? Drypêtis is going to Camp Half-Blood, and I'm trusting her to have a reasonable backstory, so no one asks too many questions." He said dryly.

"Not too much lies- too implausible. Nothing overtly outlandish. Something close to the truth, but not that much." Drypêtis smirked, amused.

"Excellent." Alex nodded. "Good luck." She nodded back, and then to Jason who could only nod mutely in return, before going out through the door.

---

The City of New Rome….

"This is it!" Dakota shrieked. "We're dead- we're going to die!"

They were hiding out in a makeshift barrack, not far from the Forum- which was now half the monsters' territory. The Coliseum had fallen days ago.

Frank gritted his teeth. He was used to Dakota's antics by now. It didn't mean necessarily mean that he liked them or found them useful.

"They're approaching from the east," Hazel said, her face half-hidden from under her helm.

The lares flittered nervously. Some of their shrines had already been destroyed. "We'll take them," Frank vowed. "But first, we need to get to high ground."

Hazel gave something that sounded suspiciously between a laugh and a sob. "Frank, what high ground? They've taken the Circus Maximus and the Coliseum, and now we can't even hold them back at the Forum! It's too close. We don't have much time."

"We have to try," Frank insisted. He could see the tears shimmering in her golden eyes, running down her beautiful face beneath the shadow of her helmet and he knew. If they died fighting, this would be the second time Hazel had given up her life to save everyone else.

Frank couldn't let it happen; not this time.

He took her hand. "We need to get to the Senate House," He insisted. "Reyna is running reinforcements. The Greeks sent us some weapons. Look," he pointed.

Earthenware pots of Greek Fire were rigged- a special surprise for the nasties that were already making their way past the Coliseum and the Forum right now.

"We've rigged them," Frank said quietly. "Under the Forum. At the signal, our forces will start the contingency plan. Once they get out, the traps will spring." The children of Vulcan and Mercury had risked their lives setting those traps. Some hadn't survived. Frank decided to steer Hazel's memory away from those times. "They want supplies? We'll give them some bait," he insisted, his eyes gleaming, staring deep into her own.

"We make them pay."

Hazel took a deep breath and nodded mutely, golden eyes still shimmering, but tears mostly dried.

She had to do this. She had to be brave. She survived worst. She survived Porphyrion. She survived being dead. She survived Gaea.

The problem was, if anyone would survive this.

Even here, she could hear the monsters roaring, jeering, yelling, shouting. Several legionnaires had been taken prisoner, and according to their scouts- none of them survived. The smell of roasting meat hung in the air, radiating all the way from the Coliseum, and Hazel knew they weren't having pork roast. The stench and smoke lingered in her nostrils and stung her eyes, and shutting or blocking them out, didn't work.

"We have to protect the Senate House," Gwendolyn was saying. "If they take that, they take New Rome."

Frank nodded. His mouth was set in a firm line. "Have the others left?"

Gwendolyn nodded. "Nico shadow-travelled half of them, and Lexie took the others." She whispered. "She's come back, though. Lexie wants to speak to you."

Frank's eyes widened. "She's here?" He was incredulous. "Why is she here, we can't afford to lose her! If she dies, everyone's dead, for sure!"

"She wants to speak with you guys," Gwendolyn insisted. "She says she has a plan- a plan to save the city."

Frank gaped and shook his head. "What could possibly save us now?"

"You'll be surprised." Frank turned to see Reyna walking towards them with Lexie by her side. "It's… An unusual arrangement."

"Yes, and you probably wouldn't believe it," Lexie said calmly. "But considering that most of your citizens with families have already fled, it's probably safe to try- if you're willing."

Reyna sighed. "I think at this point, we'll take anything, just to keep the city intact- or at least, what's left of it."

"Good. Well, they haven't taken the Senate House. Most of your houses and villas are gone, but not all of them. And I've heard your plan to explode the Forum." She nodded gravely. "Sounds bold, but it's not going to be enough. The first wave of monsters will disintegrate, but the rest will storm through in vengeful fury."

Reyna and several others grimaced.

"So this is the plan- and it's Lou Ellen's as well as mine- we need time. A distraction." Lexie nodded.

"I can sneak into the Coliseum."

"It's too dangerous," Reyna said flatly. Frank agreed.

"I've been sneaking back and forth from Long Island to here and back- and Camp Half-Blood is completely surrounded too. I don't know why their barriers haven't fallen completely as opposed to the ones here, but we don't have much time. Remember the portals Lou Ellen and the Hecate Cabin set up?"

Everybody nodded. "Well, we've altered them," she said quietly. "To transport more than just people with whatever they're carrying with them. Unfortunately, I've had to knock down and destroy one portal, and I don't know how long we can keep setting them up- it's getting harder and harder as we speak, because they're crowding in and fast. But Lou Ellen has managed to modify some portals- portable teleporters, she called them. And- you might find this hard to believe- but this can take what's left of New Rome and transport them into one of our ships- that is, the Senate House, and a few other monster-free areas."

Everyone looked incredulous. "Whoa, whoa, wait," Frank held out his hands. "You can do that? You can actually do that?"

Lexie gave a small smirk. It disappeared abruptly, though. "It'll take time," she warned. "That's why I'm asking you to buy some time. And it's a one-time thing- no failures, no setting it off prematurely, no triggering it accidentally. Which is why I need to sneak into the Coliseum," she insisted, looking back and forth from Reyna to Frank. "I have this." She held up a bottle of red glass.

Frank squinted. "What's inside?"

"Yeah," Hazel said. "What's that going to do?"

"It's Basilisk Blood," Lexie said calmly. "It gives meat a savoury, delicious smell. But if you eat it, it causes violent hallucinations. You'd feel braver, stronger and more confident, but your temper will go off at the slightest disagreement- even something so small that it wouldn't normally cause a brawl. It turns you violent. You could even attack a dragon, before it knocks you out and kills you."

Everyone stared, like they didn't know whether to be horrified, aghast, or impressed.

"If I take this bottle and sneak into monster territory," Lexie began. "I could buy us some time." She gestured to some Greeks she brought behind her. "I have some spellcasters from the Hecate Cabin at Camp Half-Blood, and some of the children of Hermes or whoever is good at sneaking around and not getting caught. They can help set up the portals, with a few of you guys- the ones that know their way around the city best. The monsters will go crazy and attack each other- just keep out of their way. They'll be distracted, because they're having a feast anyway. But we have to do this fast- we don't have a lot of time."

Frank looked at everyone. He could see the desperation in their eyes, the hardened lines of their faces. He knew they were ready to die fighting. But he couldn't just let them die. He couldn't.

He looked back at Lexie. "Do it," he said in a determined tone.

Lexie's beautiful brown eyes gleamed and she nodded. Twisting her hair into a knot, she knelt to the ground. She withdrew a bottle of deodorant- or at least, that's what Frank thought. She nodded to her friends. "You know what to do." They nodded and Reyna chose Bobby and Leila to help the Greeks find their way around.

"How long until this kick-starts?" She asked.

Lexie winced. "A few weeks."

Frank almost cursed. A few weeks? They barely even had a few days!

"Which is why we need plenty of time," Lexie insisted. "I've got more than Basilisk Blood up my sleeve- thank Lou Ellen for that, by the way. But you see, there's another problem."

Everyone groaned. "What problem?" Reyna asked, warily, passing a hand over her face.

"Mortals," Lexie replied. "They're coming. S.H.I.E.L.D agents."

Frank frowned. He wiped a hand across his forehead. "S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Directorate." She smiled. "It's a mouthful. They're the ones who gathered the Avengers though. Some children of Apollo dreamt of them approaching, and I'm sure that they'll be here soon."

Now Frank cursed. "Oh, great!" He threw his hands in the air. "First monsters, now mortals?!"

"Oh, don't worry too much, this is also a blessing in disguise," she smirked. "Who do you think appears the bigger threat to mortals, a group of kids, even in armour, or a bunch of monsters?"

"Monsters," was the collective response. "Exactly. So, while they battle it out, we can make an escape."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Hazel protested. "We can't just let these mortals fight for us! They'll be killed!"

Frank and Reyna agreed.

"Who said they're fighting involuntarily?" Lexie shrugged.

"They'll be killed! They don't know our world! They don't have the weapons-"

"They stand a chance of surviving if the Avengers are here," Lexie countered. "And the monsters are absolutely freaked out by mortal authorities, imagine if they see the Avengers and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. A large group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents in black vans, their STRIKE force and more. I think if a handful of Avengers can deal with aliens and a Norse god, an army of monsters- no problem."

Reyna shook her head. "Aliens are aliens. I don't think they're invulnerable to mortal weapons."

"And I don't think monsters would like to see the Avengers. I've been studying their patterns in these attacks- some of us have. Locking themselves in, fleeing at the sighting or mortal authorities- oh, they've killed a few, but most of them flee. Do you know why? Because killing a mortal basically means they've declared war on the human race. And basically, while some monsters are dumb, they're not that stupid- not yet," she insisted.

Lexie by now, had geared up. Frank noticed she had been wearing a cloak with a hood- rather unusual for someone who liked to get around fast, he thought. But now, as Lexie shifted, the top half of her cloak fell open to reveal armour like a Scythian Dracaena; a scaled cuirass. She also had a shield- likely stolen from them, a helmet, and a pike of some kind. Her arms were painted- and scaled- green.

Lexie put on her mask. It shimmered like metal, but then morphed like it was molten gold, turning green until it resembled a Dracaena's. She pressed a button to one side and some lenses popped over her eyes, turning yellow and opaque- and slit-pupiled. Except for her bottom half- which was completely covered- she looked just like a Scythian Dracaena.

She smiled. It was creepy and disconcerting to see the fangs. "I can slither too- or at least, imitate their slithering. "Now, all you have to do is stay back. I'll be back- trust me."

And without waiting for permission, Lexie slipped away.

Frank stared at Reyna. "Now what?"

Reyna took a deep breath. "Now we wait for them to finish setting up the 'portable teleporters' and wait to see if it works."

"And if it doesn't? What if it's too late?"

Reyna didn't say anything, but everyone already knew the answer.

---

New Rome, Lexie thought, would've been a nice sight if it hadn't been totally trashed. It reminded her of the history books and films she read on the fall of Rome at the hands of the Goths. The fires burning, the statues and exquisite sculptures fallen to the ground, smashed. The temples totally trashed (well, actually, it was mostly Christian anyway). Their columns smashed into rubble on the steps. Soot, debris and rubble littering the streets with huge braziers tipped over (what, they didn't have street lights?) and of course, the dead bodies.

Slipping away, around the hard way so that she wouldn't get attacked by her allies, Lexie fake-slithered like a dracaena.

She smirked, the features of the mask, moulding with hers. Nothing gave you such a rush, as to when you were brushing close with danger- and about to wreak havoc on the enemy.

This had been Laia's idea, once. It still stunned, even shook her to the core, to see her friend, not recognising her, without any of her memories, looking so hopelessly… Lost. But memories or not, Aglaia had always been great at adapting to the situation- they all were. It took every ounce of self-will for her and Lou Ellen to stay away.

She knew the campers would figure it out- all of them. It was something agreed on by the descendants and children of the Greek and Roman gods (if there were any), among the survivors. They couldn't keep Jason hidden away from his friends forever. They would do anything to protect their friends and comrades from the other cosmologies, but with most- if not all- of them feeling compelled to save their friends and comrades, it had been decided that- while they wouldn't reveal anything, they would gradually reveal themselves to have been banded together, scavenging stolen weapons from monsters when they were kids, staying together to survive, before growing skilled enough to sneak around helping their half-siblings behind the scenes. At least they wouldn't see them as a threat. Not all of them would reveal themselves, of course. But a handful of them would. Unless the gods were extremely stupid (and while they were void of good sense, Lexie doubted they were that stupid), they wouldn't go past the Romans and the Greeks just to wipe them out, especially since they'd already abandoned most of their children and descendants to certain death- and torture. It would be a major mistake, even for powerful beings such as the Olympians.

But they couldn't be sure. They needed the campers and the campers needed them.

Aglaia stared at Chiron. The centaur looked part-concerned, part-intrigued and part-alarmed.

"This is indeed… Unusual," he said his eyebrows high on his forehead. "I admit when you first came here, my dear, I was quite surprised. You are older than most campers when they first arrived."

Aglaia blinked. "Oh. How old…"

"Well, Percy made the gods promise to claim their children by the time they turned thirteen," Annabeth explained. Then she scowled. "Another broken promise."

Thunder rumbled but everyone ignored it.

"Oh." Laia paused. "Then, why was I not claimed?"

"Why do you have amnesia? Why is your amnesia different from Jason and Percy's when they were switched?" Annabeth and Chiron had explained the situation to Aglaia, earlier on. "Why do you arrive now, of all times? I've been here long enough to know that there's no such thing as coincidence in this world. Someone is, in a manner of speaking, pulling the strings."

Strings… Laia looked back on her readings of Mythology. "You mean the Fates?"

"Oh, there's no doubt the Fates are involved with everything that's going on," Chiron said, smiling. "But because Hera was involved with the last time, we are wondering if any of the gods are involved this time, with your case."

Laia blinked again. "I… I don't know."

"What can you remember?"

Laia took a deep breath. "Flashes. Bits and pieces. I don't know if they're from dreams, I don't know when I had them, or maybe they're my imagination, but they're there. I saw a young man…. With golden-blond hair and blue eyes." She paused. "He looked like a king and moved like a highly experienced military officer. But he's neither of those things. He doesn't act high and mighty."

"Did he say anything to you?"

Aglaia hesitated. "Some things. But I can't make them out. I know his voice is strong, but it's not that obvious and not harsh. He's charismatic, but that's not obvious either." She frowned. "I feel as if I know him, as if he's a major part of my life, but… I don't." She looked frustrated and helplessly up at Chiron.

Chiron's face gave way to concern. "We should consult the Oracle of Delphi. Or the Herophile Sibyl." Everyone else winced. "We have both oracles here, and I don't know whether it's a good thing or bad- don't get me wrong, I am happy they're both safe," he said hastily. "But with all this happening…" He trailed off, then froze.

"Wait, Chiron," Percy interrupted. "Don't we have three oracles at this camp?"

"Three?" Annabeth and the others looked puzzled at him.

"Last week, you told me that plenty of Romans had fled Camp Jupiter when it was destroyed," Percy insisted. "Including their new Augur."

"What?!" Annabeth whirled to look at Chiron and Percy. "You never told me that."

Well, that was a first. Usually it was Annabeth and Chiron keeping things from him- before they exchange a look saying, it's time. Did he ever mention that he hated it when they did that?

Piper was frowning too. "Their Augur also left Camp Jupiter?"

Aglaia grimaced. "Wasn't that the guy who used to read the future using animal entrails for the Romans? They still do that?!" She looked grossed out.

"No, not animal entrails," Annabeth hastily corrected. "Just teddy bear stuffing," Nico muttered.

"Teddy bear stuffing?" Aglaia asked incredulously, half-torn between laughter and surprise.

"Main point," Annabeth continued. "Is why would they send their Augur here?"

"Well, we are keeping in communications with them, my dear," Chiron explained. "So, should they require the services of their new Augur, he would be there, without the risk of him being harmed. Reyna and Frank took the precaution of moving him here- although that also came with its own risks." His face sobered. The mood around the room did too, as they all remembered not everyone made it from New Rome to Camp Half-Blood alive.

"We have the Rainbow Maker," Annabeth realised. "But surely they must've realised that it was too risky to move their Augur to Camp Half-Blood. The monsters would be out searching for him."

Aeithales itself had been raided. Under such uncertain times, even with the fall of the Triumvirate, everything was in chaos and turmoil. So naturally, with the monsters going all-out crazy, an oracle or Augur could be seen as a natural target.

"They deemed that the risk would've been greater if he remained until there was no way to get out and New Rome was in the hands of their enemies." Chiron said gravely. "They needed to take the advantage. Jacob is young and new to his craft. The monsters do not know that the Romans have a new Augur just yet."

Oh, that was clever, Aglaia thought. She didn't fully understand the backstory (she only received a few pointers at that), but she did know the importance of an oracle to the ancients. And that if the enemy had them in their grasp, that was it.

"Jacob may be new to divination," Chiron explained. "But he is no fool. He's a legacy of Apollo, like Octavian, but I assure you, he is not like him- or Nero and Caligula."

"Thank all that is left holy," someone muttered. Aglaia couldn't pin-point who. She didn't know who this Octavian was- she doubted Chiron was referring to the Roman Emperor Augustus- but he did not sound like a great guy. And as an augur, he would have been in a position of power.

"So where are they now?" She asked hesitantly. She didn't really want to consult any oracle, particularly if they weren't charlatans, but the real deal; it hardly ever ended well in the myths, she had no doubt it would not in this world.

"Working together," Chiron answered. "Consulting. Ella the Harpy, who memorised the Sybilline Books, is also with them, at a secure location." He gave an exasperated sigh. "Three or four Oracles at the same place, working together. Normally that would have been too powerful to risk without severe danger to oneself and others, but now, they are in a deadlock. Their visions, the future, is just too confusing for any of them to interpret into a prophecy."

Some of the others exchanged a fearful glance. But Aglaia wasn't deterred.

"Well, if there's one thing the Greek myths taught us is that nothing is a coincidence, right?" She asked.

"Right," Chiron agreed. "Still, without a clear vision of the future, some may have interpreted this as being a sign of not having a future."

That was exactly what everyone was thinking, Laia thought, observing everyone with dismay. But heroes don't give up. Do they?

Well, sometimes they did. At the very end, they could. But Laia…

She was no hero. Not yet. And the truth was, she never aimed to be. But hero or not, her story was just beginning.

And she would be damned if she allowed it to end without so much as a pop. Same with the others.

"My father once told me," she said quietly, but clearly and loud enough to hear. "That while there is destiny and there is fate, some things are meant to happen. But the journey hasn't ended in its destination just yet. The Fates and gods might control things; they may set the stage. They set up the chessboard, but we aren't immobile pieces in a game. We have the choice to go right or left. To climb up or let go. To do right or wrong. To keep fighting and to think ahead, or to give up. In the end, destiny and fate sets the stage, the beginning of the journey. They arm you with whatever things you will take on that adventure. But the destination, the end of the journey, is determined by oneself. How you react to every situation, how you respond when your life and those of your friends are at direct risk, how strong you emerge after this incident, how you think, how you plan, how you act- it all depends on you. In the end, we have a choice. And predetermined events can only tell you so much. They don't make the whole story. This isn't the end."

And with that she turned and strode out of the room.

---

Laia didn't know what she was going to do. Heck, she didn't even know if she was qualified for this sort of thing. But she needed to help, she needed answers, and it seemed that there would be no way to save them and get answers if everyone was dead, so they had to get out of there.

She sat at the beach, thinking. Being near the gentle swishing noise of the small waves on the sand, and the rhythmic crashing of the larger ones at a distance always calmed her. Hey, she was Cretan, this was normal. But as Laia saw, there were monster birds swooping around, attacking even normal birds. The sight of a seagull being ripped to shreds made her stomach turn. As did its scream.

The bubbling and moving of massive tentacles and fins beneath the surface didn't make her feel any easier either. Whatever was down there, she was sure it would make a Great White cringe.

This was not the sand or the sea where she played at as a child. But these monsters were there for one specific reason: to keep the children in.

Laia closed her eyes. She missed the beaches of home. She missed Crete. She missed her mother's gentle, soft hands smoothing her hair away from her face, her father's warm, strong embrace. The laughter of her brothers and father on the dinner table, the games they would play in the evenings, the stories they would tell. She missed the scent of the lamb in the kitchen, sautéed with hot oil, oregano and the stamnagathi which always made her think of relaxing during the school holidays. She missed going barefoot, gathering mountain bulbs, other wild herbs and seasonings, until she was up to her elbows in salad ingredients, and that was before she walked to Sopina, who made the best cheeses. She always saved some for Laia to sample.

But even if she could go back, none of these kids could. For some, this camp was home.

And Laia could die, sit there and allow it to be taken from them, or she could do something to save them.

Then she heard a bubbling sound in the water. At first, she thought it was a monster. She almost jumped to her feet, getting ready to back away, very slowly in case anything should happen. Her figure tensed, ready also to dash away.

How could she have been so stupid? Especially when monsters kept breaking through the borders? And right now, she was defenceless and alone.

But then something started to happen that made her eyes really pop.

Firstly, the water started bubbling, like a jacuzzi, and then building up foam, which was exceptionally weird. Then it started glowing with a green-blue light from beneath and Laia didn't think it was from a submarine. The glow intensified, and the water started to rise.

Eventually it formed the outline of a woman in a dress, wearing some kind of tiara or diadem.

The woman, made entirely out of water, opened her eyes and zeroed in on Laia.

Laia's jaw dropped. "Help." She managed to squeak. That was on instinct- entirely on instinct, don't blame her.

"Aglaia," the water-woman whispered. "Aglaia." Her voice was clear, ringing, strong yet feminine. It echoed like the waters of the deep. It also reminded her of marine mammals singing.

"H-how?" She managed weakly.

"Leave this camp," she stated. "Follow the dolphins."

"I can't leave this camp," Aglaia's voice was now steady, despite the creepy situation. "Not without permission. It's blocked, anyway."

"There is a pathway." The woman stated. "That can only be followed by sea. Monsters avoid the light of the moon, the goddess of the Hunt is restrained by Zeus, but even she can hunt any wild creature within her sight if it offends her. The way is below. It is lit by moonlight. The dolphins will take you home. You can leave, child."

You can leave… As if it was all a dream.

Laia glanced at the woman. Then back at the camp. Medics were still running around to the wounded, satyrs held torches, and officers barked orders to the warriors in their command. She made a decision.

"I can't leave," she stated. "I'm sorry."

The woman looked at her expressionlessly. "Then speak to the Fates. If the Oracles cannot see clearly, only their source will show you the way. But beware: such a request may be interpreted as an invitation to trouble, as is their way. But you were always special, Aglaia."

Aglaia asked: "How do you know me?"

There seemed to be a sadness in the woman's water-eyes as she answered. "I've always known you, Aglaia." The woman whispered. "I've always watched you. Closer than I should have. Now listen carefully, there is little time: three items are lost: a beater, a shuttle and a pair of scissors. There will be no future if the world stops turning. The Fates have managed to stall this outcome, but it is inevitable unless they are returned so that they may resume their work on the loom. In return for this, the Fates may give you what you seek".

"Safety for the world, or answers?"

"Who knows?" The woman's watery face formed into a smile.

"You said may," Aglaia said slowly. "Not will."

"Only you can determine the outcome. But beware. Even should you deliver these important items and the Fates grant your wish, there is still great danger. The gods and their enemies did not see your birth, because I shielded you. They do not know whose daughter you are, because I protected you. I gave you a family and a home, of your own blood and who love you as their own, but it was done to protect you. Now you are here. If the gods take an interest in you, just remember, it is never a good thing."

No, Aglaia thought. She remembered Helen and Paris, and so many others.

"You have beauty, Aglaia, more than the world could imagine. You have strength, which you have forgotten. And more power than you could possibly imagine. You must seek out the Fates. Only they can give you the answers you so desperately need."

"Just tell me this," Aglaia pleaded. "Who are you?"

The woman looked pained. She might have been made out of water, but Aglaia could see that much. "I am not your enemy," she said quietly. "And I wish to protect and save you. That is all you need to know."

And with that the water began to recede, and the lady sunk slowly from the surface, her eyes never leaving Aglaia until they disappeared, swallowed without so much as a ripple.

Aglaia stood very still. It was a long time before she could move; she would have jumped a thousand feet if someone said something at that moment. When she did move, she noticed something glinting at the sand beside her foot.

It was a bracelet. Beautiful and exquisitely fashioned, out of gold. But no, not gold. Imperial Gold? Or Celestial Bronze? Or a mix of both?

No, the answer was Orichalcum. Laia's eyes widened as she recognised the metal she had seen in the bunker.

It was a charm bracelet, with many curious things on it. But the charms, she realised, were all weapons. One held a bow and a quiver of arrows. Some were sets of throwing knives and daggers. Some were spears, darts, javelins, shields and two were a pair of twin swords, shaped more like Japanese katanas than anything Greek or Roman.

It was instinct, and she didn't really know why, but she fastened the bracelet on her left wrist, just to test it out. It felt… Right.

Sucking in a breath, Laia took off the bracelet, and hid it safely away. She remembered that some children of Hermes would take it, but somehow, she felt as if the bracelet would be safe.