The flight from camp to Miami took several hours. During that time, Zoe had filled her companions in on her dream, the gist of her conversation with The Huntress, and the prophecy. Blackjack tried to make small talk with Zoe about meeting his dad, dealing with rampaging hurricanes and the odd earthquake. As they began their decent through the clouds, Blackjack neighed. Alright Little Boss, I'm going to be dropping you guys off at the hotel. What you do once inside I don't know but I got faith in ya.

Zoe gave the horse a smile, patting the side of his massive neck. "Thanks Blackjack. I'll make sure to get you some donuts after all of this is over."

Shoot, Boss owes me a couple dozen already for dealing with his domains after he was dumb enough to be captured. But I won't turn down more free food. He laughed in her head.

Zoe laughed at the pegasus. "Don't worry buddy. Reyna and I will make sure he takes good care of you."

Breaking the cloud cover Miami came into full view, the morning sun just breaking over the horizon. The metroplex reaching from Homestead to Fort Pierce, the gods had put a lot of effort to prevent the city from growing across the peninsula. Demeter and Artemis had apparently thrown a fit when they found out the mortals were planning to demolish the national preserves to the west of the city. Some deliberate suggestions here, a satyr lead protest there, and they had secured the safety of all national preserves in the country.

Blackjack sped up their descent, banking to take them south. The pegasus dropped them off in front of a massive hotel. As tall as Central Station in New York, taking up the entire block, and labeled 'Mr. C's Hotel and Casino,' it kinda reminded Zoe of a shopping cart with an orange topper. The three climbed down from Blackjack. Zoe took the opportunity to pet his snout, placing her forehead between his eyes, forcing Blackjack to bend his head down so she could reach.

"Thank you for your help Blackjack," Zoe said, putting as much gratitude as she could into her voice.

Blackjack huffed. All in a days work Littlr Boss. Now get going, your dad isn't going to find himself.

Zoe gave a small smile. "At least he's got you out here helping him out while he slacks off. Now go on, I'm sure there's a wildfire you need to manage in California."

Yeah yeah, I'm going. Blackjack snorted. Be careful Mini Boss. Whoever captured your dad, they're trouble.

"We will be careful," Zoe told him, giving a quick hug before joining her friends. Blackjack neighed loudly before galloping and taking off into the air. Zoe turned back to her friends, noticing several mortals looking in the direction Blackjack had departed with utterly confused looks.

Karina gestured to the gawkers. "Uh, should we be worried about that?" Her purple shirt contrasting Zoe and Liam's orange.

"Nah," Liam responded. "I'm sure the Mist will make Blackjack seem like a helicopter or something."

Zoe nodded in agreement, though she didn't want to push their luck. "Still, let's get inside before they try asking us any questions." The others nodded and followed her to the hotel.

The trio entered the large lobby, with a makeover from the early 2000s, making their way to check-in. There were small groups of people and couples interacting with one another causing a variable noise level. They stopped at a massive semi circle desk made of oak, with a young woman typing away at a holographic computer. Noticing the teens approaching, the woman turned in her chair to face them with a bright smile. "Hello, welcome to Mr. C's Hotel and Casino. How can I help you?"

Zoe turned to her friends with an eyebrow raised, who simply shrugged at her. Turning back to the woman Zoe placed her hands on the desk. "We are looking for somebody who supposedly visited here recently. He is a bit over six feet, black disheveled hair, and sea green eyes. Probably looks to be in his late twenties, early thirties. Has skin like mine. He would have visited around a week and a half to two weeks ago. Do you remember anyone like that?"

The woman looked at the trio confused. "No, I don't recall a man like that around. Are you kids okay? Do you need help from the police?"

The questers eyes widened together. Before they could wave the woman off, they heard the distinct clacking of high heels on marble despite the moderate noise in the lobby. "Rebecca, honey, it's okay I'll handle this," came a very feminine voice, smooth and sultry. The three teenagers turned, eyes widening even further. Before them stood, perhaps, the most beautiful woman in the world. But it was like her form would stay still, constantly shifting between various forms of attractiveness. One moment she had deeply dark brown hair, another silky onyx, and again strawberry blonde, before shifting all over again. She was a few inches taller than them, wearing a purple blouse with skinny jeans and high heels.

Zoe managed to recover from her stupor first, bowing before the goddess. "Lady Aphrodite." The others quickly shook themselves and followed her lead.

The woman looked down at the trio, a dazzling smile across her perfectly sculpted face. "Hello dears, why don't you all follow me?" She suggested before turning back and heading to the attached cafe, the questers following quickly behind her.

They ended up at a booth against the windows, cars and bystanders passing by going about their normal mortal lives. Aphrodite took the side closes to the register, while the three piled into the booth opposite her, with Liam against the window and Zoe in the middle. The goddess took a good, long look at the three, her eyes filled with interest and excitement. "My, my, now it's been a while since I've had demigod visitors. And dear, would you please pick your jaw up from the table? You could catch a Fury looking like that."

Liam, after quickly closing his mouth, blushed heavily at being singled out. "You own this place?"

Aphrodite gave the boy a smile and Zoe could tell he was fighting to keep his composure. "No. But I tend to visit quite often. After all, what mother wouldn't visit her children?"

"Cupid?" Karina asked, tapping Zoe's shoulder before pointing at the menu up against the window. Zoe raised an eyebrow at her. "We didn't eat breakfast. I'm hungry," she deadpanned. The older girl, without preamble, reached for the menu, handing it to her friend.

"Figured it out did you?" Aphrodite seemed to shimmer, her features turning sharper, more regal.

"Mr. C kinda gave it away," Karina answered, turning her hungry gaze to the menu.

Venus turned to Zoe, giving her a critical eye. "Now you," she pointed a manicured finger at the teen, "are certainly an interesting specimen. You know this is the first time we've met. In fact, it's the first time I've even seen you." The three give her confused looks. "And can I just say, you are quite beautiful. I know you agree." She gives Liam a knowing look, who decides the table is much more interesting than the gorgeous woman in front of him.

Looking back at Zoe, Venus smirked. "A perfect mixture of Percy and a beautiful woman, whoever it is. It's a shame you didn't inherit Percy's eyes. I will say though, you do seem to have familiar features. I just can't place them."

Zoe's eyes widened in surprise. "You think you knew my mother?"

"No." Venus countered the girl, who's shoulders slumped. "Normally I could probably figure it out but, like everything else with you, I am being blocked from looking too deeply."

"What do you mean?" Karina asked, looking up from the menu.

"Hello, are you ready to order?" A male's voice interrupted.

The three turned to see a young man, wearing a black vest and pants and a white button shirt with a notepad and pen. Karina opened her mouth to respond when she was cut off. "Just some tea for the kids, don't want them to get to energetic, and some biscuits, especially for the young southern girl at the end." The man wrote down the order before departing with a quick farewell. "Now, where were we?" Venus began. "Ah, yes, you see our friend here has powerful wards on her. They prevent any of the gods from actually being able to actually observe dear Zoe and they seem to keep her beneath our notice. So while we know of her existence, we are unable to detect her, observe her through any godly means, or even really notice her without her being present or directly talked about."

Confusion seemed permanently plastered on Zoe's face. "What are you talking about? What wards?"

The goddess laughed, a melodic sound that seemed to make Liam swoon involuntarily. "My dear, you have had powerful spells protecting you your whole life, even now I can not detect just how powerful you are or can be. If it wasn't for the fact that I can see you in front of me, I would have no way of knowing you were there." She paused, pulling a small makeup mirror from her purse, checking her mascara. "There is also the fact that, not only do the wards protect you, but they notify Percy if someone where to try snooping at you. So that makes you quite untouchable and unknowable as the only ones willing and able to survive such an encounter, have no care for you."

Zoe looked blankly at the goddess. "I-I got nothing," she looked at her companions. "Guys? Something? Anything? Help?"

Liam shook himself, using all his strength to look at the woman. "So Percy put wards on Zoe to protect her from the gods? Why would he do that?"

"No," Venus answered. "Percy does not have the skill to place these kinds of spells. So it has to be someone else. I doubt he would trust Hecate with something like this, in fact the number of gods that could do this that he would trust is incredibly small."

"I don't understand," Zoe said. "Why would the king of the gods not have issue with it? With his famed paranoia, I would have thought he would have forced Dad to either remove them or something?"

Venus gave the girl a sad smile. "It's because Zeus is not worried about Percy. It was established very early in Percy's godhood that he is incapable of defeating Zeus. Having a demigod child does not upset that balance. Especially when Zeus has his own offspring around who could counter the balance," she gestured to Liam.

Liam looked confused. "But I would never hurt Zoe intentionally," he countered.

"It matters not," the goddess told them. "The fact that you two are friends baffles those in the know. Zeus and Percy have been at odds since the Second Gigantomachy. The idea that the children of those two is as preposterous as a child of Poseidon and Athena dating." She then gazed up to the ceiling thoughtfully. "Though, I suppose that has happened before so it's not unreasonable to suggest."

"As fascinating as this is," Karina interrupted. "We need answers. We were lead here for a reason, and I'm guessing that was to have a conversation with you about Percy."

Venus pouted a little, before giving the girl a small smile. "Why yes, I have been told to expect you and your questions. However, you may be new to questing but surely you know the rules of godly interference?"

Zoe's shoulders slumped again. "A favor for a favor. What do you want."

"Now I actually want you to succeed. Mainly because I'm interested in what will come out about you," Venus pointed at Zoe. "So I'll give you a relatively easy one." She paused as the waiter came back with their drinks and food, which Karina promptly devoured. "Near Fort Lauderdale, there is a monster running amok. It hasn't been hunting mortals mind you, simply claiming a space for its own and attacking any who get close. I want you to find it and kill it. It's been causing havoc during spring break and I don't want it to continue ruining the fun."

Liam raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Killing a monster is an easy one? Couldn't we, I don't know, find a scarf or something?"

Venus laughed again. "Been there, done that. Besides, you three can handle it. Consider it a trial run. To see if you three are really up to the task of freeing the God of Heroes."

"Do we not get any other information?" Asked Zoe, frustration clear on her face.

The goddess gave the girl a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. Now get going you three, the sooner you finish the sooner you can look for Percy. I'll be here when you're finished. You can leave your bags at reception, I'll see to it that they are put somewhere safe." She turned to the counter and waved the waiter over.

The questers left the goddess to her order, dropping their bags in front of the receptionist. They exited the hotel before huddling together. The summer sun beginning to bear down on the city with a vengeance. "Okay so we have a task and we know roughly where to go," Zoe reiterated. "How are we going to get to Fort Lauderdale and how are we going find the monster."

"Taxi?" Liam asked, fiddling with his ring.

The two girls looked at each other before shrugging. "If a monster is interacting with mortals, the Mist would make it seem like something else. So we could ask around the area if they had seen anything weird. Once we get close enough I should be able to detect a gathering of Mist around the creature," Karina explained.

Liam rolled his shoulders. "Sounds like a plan. Uh, what are going to do once we find it?"

Zoe gave the boy an exasperated look. "Kill it, obviously. Without knowing what we are dealing with, we can't really come up with a plan. So we will figure it out later." She glanced around the parking lot. "Hey Karina, can you go back and ask the receptionist to call a taxi?"

"Yeah sure," Karina answered. "Be right back," and the girl turned around heading back into the hotel.

Liam stuffed his hands in his pockets, kicking a rock laying on the sidewalk. "So, what do you think it'll be?"

Zoe crossed her arms across her chest, gazing down the city streets packed with cars. "Probably a hellhound. She said it would be easy so it can't be anything to dangerous."

The boy glanced at his friend before looking to the sky. "True. But when Percy and Annabeth went down the tunnel of love at that water park, Ares told them it'd be a simple grab and dash." He looked back at Zoe. "I don't think the gods are capable of putting things into true perspective for mortals."

"You make a fair point," Zoe admitted. "But I don't think she would send us after a hydra or something on our first quest."

Liam gave the girl a smirk. "Well, Percy did fight the Chimera in his first quest. And Jason fought the Trojan Sea Monster. And then there was Piper and Leo fighting Enceladus on their first quest. Or-"

"I get it," Zoe shouted, a smile across her face. "Still, until we know more there is no use speculating. Let's just focus on getting to Fort Lauderdale." Liam stuck his tongue out at her which forced a laugh from the teenage girl.

They were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps. "It'll be about 30 minutes until the taxi gets here. And then about an hour to get near the fort depending on traffic," Karina informed them.

"Welp," Zoe began, "guess we have time to kill." She looked between the two. "What shall we do in the mean time?"

Liam dug in his back pocket, pulling something that Zoe couldn't see yet. "Well, I have this?" Showing the two his hand, Liam revealed a standard card deck.

Karina gave him a bewildered expression. "You just happen to have a deck of cards on your person?"

Liam had the decency to look embarrassed. "I figured we might get bored. Come on let's play some Texas Hold'em." Zoe and Karina shared a look before, once again, shrugging in unison. The three sat down on the sidewalk as Liam shuffled the deck and began dealing.