Hey readers! I'm back. Did you think I was gone for good? Nah. But seriously, sorry for the wait, I was busy with stuff, like graduation. Yeah, I graduated high school, so I guess I'm an adult now, yay.

In all seriousness, I know I don't talk about my personal life on here much, but I wanted to share that with you. It's an awesome feeling, to have made it this far and graduated, accomplishing something that I have looked forward to for so long.

But enough with that, let's get on with the chapter!

Shadowhunter2077: "Well I think Hercules just voiced Percy's own thoughts , because everyone thinks Percy as this omnipotent swordsman who can never be beaten by any opponent, when this is far from the truth, most opponents that Percy defeated, he won by luck, Percy always go to the mortal world to forget the divine world and now this comes to bite his ass, in the form of the Big Four, because if Percy was the same one that fought in The Last Olympian and The Heroes of Olympus series he could probably easliy defeat those Four by himself, but no his normal life is more important tham his demigod life.

I think now Percy is finally understanding why Chiron wanted him to train instand of going back to the normal world, because Percy at his prime is at least in the same level of Malachi and Base Matt.

Also I liked when Hercules opened up to his son, because Chiron was also a father figure to him and probably was the one who taught Hercules everything to help him survive his demigod life, so while he was harsh with Percy, I think Percy needed this wake up call, because Hercules does have a good point if Percy trained his powers the Big Four wouldn't be able to do 1% of what they did in the camp, so while harsh, there is a truth, and Percy knows that.

Ps: I really want to see Harper reaction to when she see Matt again, what Annabeth did to Percy in Mark of Athena is going to be childplay compared to what she is going to do with him."

Response: I agree with you about Percy, that is a great point, and I plan on capitalizing that in the third book, which is more Percy centered (Matt is still the MC of course but like this book is Harper filled the third book will be the same with Percy.) And I'm glad you liked those scenes. About Harper's reaction to seeing Matt again...just keep reading, we'll get there, and it will be something else. I can assure you that you are right, Annabeth's judo flip to Percy in MoA will be nothing compared to what Harper's gonna do to Matt. My boy's gonna get hurt.

NiHaR OP: "this was kinda a filler chapter which was needed after the action filled earlier ones, Superone calling them big cunts, LMAO i literally died."

Response: Yeah it was kind of a development chapter, and yeah it was more needed because of the chaos chapters previously. This chapter will be a mix of both, some feels, and some fighting. Hope you enjoy. Oh and yes, the Big Cunts thing is hilarious.

thesuperone342: "Damn, 10/10 chapter. It had so many feels and crazy emotions during it. I felt like this chapter was even better than the last one. Aiden and Harper are both really alike, with both of them trying to kiss Matt lmao. I know Matt and Aiden made up pretty quickly, but Zane and Taylor make up pretty fast too so it's fine in my opinion. And the talk with Hercules was awesome, but I was pretty sure Matt knew all that murder stuff about Hercules lol. I guess he really doesn't read up on myths. All in all, great chapter and o can't wait to see what's in store for Team Harper.

P.S: Watch Overly Sarcastic Productions video on Hercules. It'll give you a really good dive into his myth and it might teach you stuff you didn't know, like Hercules fucking his nephew lol"

Response: Thanks man, yeah, a lot of feels here lol. And I agree that Matt and Aiden made up rather quick, but I personally felt that's just how guys are, based on personal experience, if me or any of my friends had an argument, we would be over it within a few minutes, it's just how we are. And no, Matt doesn't know much about myths lol, he hates studying. Overly Sarcastic Productions? Cool, I'll have to check it out. Although...I doubt I'll include the nephew thing in this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

Now then, on with the twelfth chapter. A fast food run can't hurt, right?

12. A Midnight Snack Turns Violent

Harper

"Could you turn that down please?" Sera said from the backseat of the pickup.

Talon leaned his head over, "WHAT?!"

I tapped him on the shoulder, "She wants us to turn it down."

Talon groaned, "Why?!"

"It's too loud!" She exclaimed.

Malachi leaned forward, his face also annoyed, "Agreed! You're going to destroy the stereo system!"

Talon shook his head and turned down the volume, "Fine, Fine."

So, some context. We had been on the road for a few hours in the pickup that Talon summoned with his crazy powers. For the first half hour, we rode in boring silence, a little chatter here and there, but no deep conversations, or anything entertaining. Finally, Talon and I decided that we needed something to listen to, specifically rock music. Both of us simultaneously tried to switch the radio to our respective channels, which broke out into an argument.

But that argument soon turned into an understanding that...well, Talon and I like the same music.

We got into a conversation about eighties heavy metal, nineties and early two thousand's alternate rock, bands we liked and didn't like, songs, all sorts of stuff. Before we knew it, two hours had passed, and we hadn't played any music yet. Talon did the Nikandreos thing and summoned all kinds of CD's, and we played them for the rest of the ride, up until now, blaring with the windows rolled down. It was awesome, I had one boot propped up on the dash and I leaned back into the seat, bobbing my head occasionally, trying to hide my smirk. In truth, I hadn't heard some of these songs in years, and the fact that this dude could summon any CD...was awesome. I didn't know the specifics of his powers, but damn, I wasn't going to complain.

It almost distracted me for a moment, riding down the narrow highway in the passenger seat, windows rolled down, the wind blowing my hair back and forth, my favorite songs playing on the radio, it was almost like a road trip.

Almost...

Either way, the volume of the music didn't bother Talon and I, but Malachi and Sera weren't so happy. I knew Sera liked to sing, as she had told me a couple of times, but I doubt it was to this kind of stuff, and Malachi...he just didn't like it period.

So we cut the volume down, the background of it still playing vaguely, but quiet enough that we could hear each other speak.

"That's better." Sera sighed, leaning back in her seat comfortably.

"So, where is it we are going, exactly?" Malachi asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Scandinavia." Talon replied, like it was obvious.

"Yes but, how are we going to get there? By plane?"

Talon didn't know, he looked at me for an answer, "What did you have in mind?"

I suddenly became aware that we had no game plan. I mean, we had the big picture plan, which was to get to Scandinavia, find Ouranos's HQ, and destroy it. How we would get there didn't cross my mind.

I got nervous at the sudden attention aimed at me, "I-I don't know! I just figured you could use some assassin skills, or something..."

Talon scoffed, "You planned to go alone! How were you gonna get there, had we not tagged along?"

I felt my ears get hot at him calling me out, "I would've figured something out!"

He snorted, "Sure you would've."

"You know what! I oughta-" I started.

But Malachi held up a hand, "Enough! We cannot bicker among ourselves. We are together now, so we will figure out a way, together."

He was right. As much as we may differ, these guys were my team, my support. We had to help each other, and make up where the other came short. I nodded at him, and raised an eyebrow at Talon, who groaned and nodded reluctantly as well.

Malachi looked satisfied, "Now then, let's throw some ideas around. Like I said before, a plane would be fast."

"Why not just teleport?" Talon suggested, and I nodded in agreement, remembering when he teleported all three of us back to Camp yesterday.

The Demi Primordial shook his head, "I can only do that with places that I have been before, or places within my foreseeable sight."

Talon threw a hand up, the other still on the wheel, "So you mean you can teleport us further down this road? And you didn't tell me?"

Malachi huffed, "That would be problematic, and I didn't want to interrupt your music session."

Talon mockingly smiled, "How sweet."

Sera mediated, "If not teleportation, perhaps a plane isn't the best option either..."

Malachi turned to her with confusion, "Why not? It is the fastest way I can think of."

She grabbed his hand tenderly, "But your father...wouldn't flying make it easier for him to attack us?"

I hadn't thought about that. It made sense, since Ouranos was able to shield the Big Four at Camp under Levi's request, meaning that he basically controlled the skies however he pleased.

"Yeah, let's not go with that." I muttered.

Malachi looked at a loss, "Then what do you all suggest? Surely we cannot drive to a different continent."

Talon was getting annoyed, "Look, if it comes down to it, we can fucking fly, alright? But in the mean time, let's keep driving."

"To where?"

Talon motioned around outside the windshield, "Well, a motel would be nice. It's gonna be dark soon, and I ain't driving for a day straight."

I looked at him questioningly, "So, you can't feel pain, you can't physically be killed, you can create basically anything from nothing...but you get tired just like the rest of us?"

He nodded, "Pretty much. And hungry...yeah, definitely hungry. I could go for some damn fast food right now."

I felt my stomach rumble lightly, I pulled my hand up and rubbed it, silently agreeing with Talon.

I turned around to ask Sera her opinion, when I noticed her face. It was nervous, and almost...scared, which is normal for her, but right now, it looked to be something serious.

"Sera, you okay?" I asked.

She flinched a little and looked at Malachi and I, who noticed Sera's face too. She chuckled nervously and waved a dismissive hand.

"I'm okay, just...forgot where we were. Um, what state are we in, Talon?"

Talon took a hand off the wheel and concentrated, within five seconds a small phone like device popped from his hand like a portal. He turned it on and looked at the screen.

"What is that?" Malachi asked, leaning up to get a better look.

Talon glanced back and forth between the road and the device, his lips tightening with annoyance.

"It's a GPS, which would tell me where we are...if I could damn see, and there wasn't so much traffic." He grunted and turned to me, "Can you take the wheel for a sec?"

I reared my head back, "What?!"

"Just reach over here and grab it for a few seconds, I gotta look at this damn thing."

Was he serious? "I don't have my license!"

He rasberried, "Don't need one, it'll take like ten seconds, just do it."

I nervously reached over and touched the steering wheel. I had always put off driving as a normal thing that teenagers do, and with Argus at Camp, and well, me hardly going anywhere, I figured taking the test was a trivial thing. But now, I regret not doing it when I turned sixteen.

"Grab it, woman!" Talon shouted impatiently.

I slapped his arm, "Shut up! I've never done this before!"

"It ain't rocket science! Just hold it straight!"

Sera started to sweat, "Um, I-It's okay, I don't have to know where we are."

"No, we need to see anyway, It's been a while since I checked." Talon said, and urged me to grab the steering wheel again.

Annoyed with his blunt behavior, I latched my left hand onto the wheel, and immediately felt a foreign pressure that I wasn't used to. The tires on the road were obviously controlled by the wheel, but I wasn't expecting such resistance, I had to keep my grip tight to avoid us crashing.

"Don't piss yourself!" Talon said, a hint of a smirk on his face, "Just hold it firm, and wait a sec."

I wanted to deck him for taking my fear lightly, but I just kept my hand gripped to the wheel, and kept it straight as I could. Meanwhile, the idiot took his time with that GPS of his, pressing the buttons slowly and zooming in with "caution."

"Hurry up!" I hissed.

He held a hand up, "No noise, have to concentrate."

Gods, he was so annoying. I just huffed and kept my sight on the road, everytime a car would come by, I would flinch, afraid that I would somehow lose control, but I didn't. Finally, after what felt like hours, a beep rung from the GPS.

"Got it." Talon grinned, "We are in...Holmes County, Ohio. Huh, lot of Amish places around here."

"How about hotels?" I asked, impatient and ready to give him back the wheel.

"Uhh, yeah, there's a few around here." He scrolled in more on the screen, "Place called Charm Countryview Inn, it looks promising."

"Good, now take this thing!"

He chuckled and grabbed the wheel from me, I slumped back in my seat, sighing with relief.

"So, you can stab a Norse demigod in the neck, but you're afraid of driving?" He teased.

I sunk lower in the seat and glared at him, "Not afraid, just...not used to it."

"S-So, we're staying at this place?" Sera asked timidly. Again, we weren't in danger, so what was up?

I'd have to ask her later.

Talon nodded, "Yeah, it's about dark. We'll crash there and figure out what's next in the morning."

Malachi looked out of the window grimly, "Let us hope it is peaceful. But I hope that I'm not the only one who has considered the possibility that we have been followed."

We all exchanged nervous looks, the truck went silent very quick. But it was a possibility. Had the Big Four already caught our trail? What about the Sons of Thor? Were they watching us from the sky or something?

If they were, let them come. I wasn't scared. In fact, I was enraged at the thought. If they showed up, I would kill them.

"We'll just have to be cautious." Talon said, "No wandering around this place carelessly. Only go out if you have to."

With that happy note, we drove on to this Charm Countryview place.

Ohio was nice, I had to admit. It was like upstate New York, only smaller and cozier. We rode on a straight road for a while, trees on both sides overlooking path, covering trees and animal life for miles. I was surprised to see how much it reminded my of my old area in Georgia. I had always pictured Ohio as more of a suburban place, because of Cleveland. But I guess other people think the opposite of New York, that it's all city, but that's not true. It just depends where you're at I guess.

We drove in the parking lot at sunset, finding a place easily due to the small number of cars. I was thankful for that, it meant less people that could be suspicious of us, and less people to stare at my eye.

We hopped out and made our way to the front desk. While we walked, I did a quick scan of the place, and it was nice. It looked like a large fancy farmhouse, white and blue in color, plants and flowers littered the freshly cut yard. From the sidewalk, the view nearly took my breath away. Miles upon miles of green landscape sat before me, behind a white fence, trees scattered out like some giant had played a simulation game.

Malachi raised an eyebrow, "Is this a hotel, or someone's house?"

Talon shook his head, "Nah, look at the doors, there's too many for a house."

I looked where he suggested and saw that he was right. On both the first and second floors, there were a line of blue doors, about three feet in between each of them, all with little numbers and peepholes above the middle.

"So...where do we go?" I asked to no one.

Talon pointed, "Here." He pointed to an open door directly down the path we were on. We went in, greeted with a living room type place, couches and decorations were everywhere, and it smelled like air freshener.

With nobody in line, we walked right up to the desk, where a young woman sat in front of a monitor, or well, they did, I decided to check out the rest of the area.

Look, I don't like drawing attention to myself, and my eye, but another thing, that comment that Malachi made about us possibly being followed...it had me on edge.

Talon glanced back at me a couple of times, like I was his annoying little sister or something, making things worse. I fought the urge yell at him.

After what felt like an hour, they grabbed the room keys, and motioned for me to walk over.

"What the hell was that?" Talon said incredulously.

"What?"

"Gee I don't know, the anti social thing? Staring at the corner of the room?"

I huffed, "Like Malachi said, we could've been followed."

He looked around as we walked to the stairway leading to the second floor, where I assumed our rooms were.

Talon shook his head like the thought was silly, "No way those assholes followed us, I kept our trail clean."

"Well, I hate to say this, but Levi's good with this kinda stuff, so let's keep our guard up."

I saw him look at me in my peripheral vision, almost in...concern. But there was no way. What was there to be concerned about? I'm fine.

"Harper, if you wanna talk about it..."

"So you're a therapist now?" I retorted, internally cringing at my rudeness, but really, I knew what it was about. My brother being a sociopath. Yeah, I know, and I don't want to talk about it.

He tightened his lips, "Forget it."

As we reached the second floor, Malachi looked at the doors curiously, "Which one is ours?"

Talon pointed down the line, "103 and 104, I got us two rooms, one for the girls and one for the guys."

Sera pouted, "But...Kai gets lonely without me. And I was hoping we could have some alone time together." She twiddled her fingers at the last part, implying more than she let on.

Malachi blushed crimson, "Sera!"

I snickered, these two really had no social sense. Talon groaned and facepalmed, "I am going to pretend that I did not hear that. But no, I ain't staying in the same room as Green Day, so your honeymoon'll have to wait."

"Honeymoon?!" Sera gasped, fanning herself.

Malachi raised an eyebrow, "What is that? I thought honey was a type of food."

I nearly laughed at the situation, but then I registered that Talon had called me Green Day again, and that only annoyed me more. Well, the feeling's mutual buddy, I don't wanna room with you either.

"Sounds good." I said, "C'mon Sera, we don't need them. We'll have uh...a girls night, or something."

That lit her up, "Yay!"

Malachi didn't look happy, "I object. Talon makes noise in his sleep. Loud, animal-like sounds."

Talon pushed him on the shoulder, "Say it louder, will ya dumbass?!"

I put a hand on my hip and raised a sly eyebrow, "So, the great assassin...snores?"

To my amusement, his ears turned red, "I do not!"

Sera had a finger to her chin, like she was remembering something. "Oh! I remember now! Back on the Island! So that's what that was...I always assumed a monster lived in the caves..."

Talon was downright embarrassed now, "Princess, you need to watch your mouth! I don't snore that loud!"

I shot up a finger, in an AHA! Position. "So you admit you snore?"

He growled and slapped a hand on the railing next to him, "Yes, I snore! Happy now?!"

This was awesome. I could finally tease him for something. It actually seemed to lift the mood for a moment, making me forget about all of our troubles, the reason we were even here in the first place.

"I feel bad for you Kai." Sera said seriously, "Talon, could you make him some earplugs?"

He roughly grabbed Malachi by the shirt and dragged him to the door next to ours, "Oh don't worry, your sweet baby boy will be taken good care of!" He threw open the door and basically tossed Malachi inside, the latter letting out a yelp. Talon turned to us angrily and muttered, "Get settled in, we'll go eat later." Then he promptly slammed the door behind him.

I waited a few seconds before cracking up, heaving with laughter. Something that I hadn't done in months probably.

Sera's eyebrows furrowed, "I don't think it's very funny. I feel sorry for him!"

That only made me laugh harder. Her density was comedy gold.

I wiped a laughing tear from my eye and motioned at the door, "Let's see what we got."

She took the key in her hand and placed it in the lock, turning it, and opening the door.

We were greeted with a two bed, one bathroom, cozy space. Next to each bed sat a nightstand, both equipped with a lamp and a drawer. Parallel to the beds stood a huge dresser with a flat screen on top, and a mini fridge next to it. Beyond the dresser was the bathroom, or at least what I guessed to be the bathroom.

We walked in and closed the door behind us. It smelled good, like fresh sheets and Febreze, a good mix that made my nostrils tingle.

Sera clapped her hands, "Lovely!" She bounced around the room like it was a theme park, examining everything with awe. The beds, the TV, then of course, the mini fridge.

"What is this?" She asked, staring at it like it was a new species of animal.

I sometimes forgot that she was basically raised in isolation, and then trapped on an Island for years. Of course she would be out of the loop.

I calmly told her, "It's a small refrigerator."

"Like a baby?"

I chuckled, "Sure."

She stood up straight and looked around the room again, "This is wonderful! I've never stayed in such a place!"

I raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you used to live in a mansion?"

Her face fell, and I immediately felt awful. I hadn't meant it like that, the last thing I wanted to do was remind her of her trauma.

"Sera, gods, I'm sorry-" I reached out to her.

"No, it's...it's okay, and um, yes, I did. But it wasn't very nice...you know. Nice looking, but..."

I touched her shoulder anyway, "I know. I'm sorry."

She smiled, "It's okay, it was an accident."

She was such a nice person. So sweet and kind. She didn't belong here, with us, with Talon and I. Neither did Malachi. Both of them deserved to get as far away from this war as possible, and stay safe with each other. How could I let something happen to this girl? This girl, who's become like a sister to me?

I felt guilty for letting her come. For letting any of them come.

She noticed, "Harper? Are you alright?"

I nodded, forcing a smile, "I'm fine Sera. So uh, which bed do you want?" I pointed at them, trying to change the subject.

That got her attention away from me, "Um...I don't know. They both look comfy!"

"Whichever one you want. I'm gonna brush my teeth while you pick."

"Okay!"

I walked away towards the bathroom, hiding the shameful expression on my face.

I closed the door behind me and looked in the mirror at myself.

It wasn't fair.

I focused on the one flaw, the one thing that I hated the most, the one thing that reminded me of it all.

The eye.

That damn marble looking thing, right next to my nose, sticking out like a diamond in sand. I hated it so much, because it reminded me of those wasted years, looking for Levi, becoming half blind for him, only to find out he's been the enemy this entire time.

I reached up absentmindedly and touched the skin around my left eye, lightly brushing my fingers against my black lashes.

I felt my eyes sting, my mouth quiver.

"Why?" I asked. The question that I needed answered. Why me? Why am I the one that suffers?

I started to cry, letting my frustration out. Everything that bothered me, ate at me, made my mind feel like a hazard zone, it all came out with each tear.

My semi-boyfriend out there, somewhere, gone for a year...

Chiron and Will dead...

Camp Half Blood, my home, nearly destroyed, every spirit there broken...

And worst of all, my brother...the person I looked up to for so long, the person I love above all others...is Ouranos's right hand man.

I slid down the wall behind me, silently sobbing. Why couldn't things be different? Why couldn't I have been born normal? Why did demigods even exist? What if we lived in a world where that was reality?

I thought about it for a moment. Every aspect of my life, but normal...

I would be in high school right now, probably hanging out with the "social outcast" girls, all wearing gothy makeup and listening to punk music, secretly crushing on the star football player, Matt.

My older brother would be in college, or already graduated, doing whatever he wanted, supporting me all the way.

I would have a normal, loving mother, who stayed, and loved my father unconditionally.

This fantasy only made it worse though, because it would never be true. That reality, as appealing as it sounds, was just, at the end of the day, a fantasy.

My head leaned against the wall, the light above nearly blinding my watery eyes, so I closed them, and more tears fell down my cheek.

Of course, Sera decided to come in on me.

She opened the door, "Hey! I figured out which bed I want-"

She saw me on the carpet floor, knees tucked to my chest and face tear streaked, and she fell to her knees too.

"Harper...what's wrong?"

I wiped furiously at the tears, trying to remain tough. I had to remain tough. I was the leader of this quest, dammit!

"It's nothing!" I said, almost snappy. "I...I just got some toothpaste in my eye, that's all."

She saw right through my lie, "Then why are you on the floor?"

I struggled, "Um, because it hurt."

She shook her head, her lips pursed and eyes sad, like a mother.

She held out her arms, "You don't have to act tough around me, Harper. I am here for you."

My mouth fell halfway open, and I gave in, quickly turning my legs so that they were under me, and I wrapped my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly, and crying some more.

She rubbed my back, "It's okay" She said soothingly, "Tell me what's wrong."

"I-It's just not fair. Why..." I sniffled, "Why me, Sera? Why does it have to be me? Or us, better yet?! Why do horrible things happen to us? Do we deserve it? Or..." I shook my head and buried it in her neck, not caring at the moment how needy I looked. It was just Sera and I, I could talk to her.

She stroked my hair, her soft fingers running through each strand, "Harper, what do you mean?"

"Ch-Chiron...and Will...they're dead! They didn't deserve it! And I...well, I've done bad things, but...I try, and I'd like to think that I-"

"You are a good person, Harper. None of your tragedy was deserved."

"Then why?!" I shouted helplessly, "Why does it happen?! Why couldn't I have been born normal?! Why can't the world be normal?!"

She didn't say anything, she just kept hugging me.

With a final dry sob, I let out the thing that broke my heart the most.

"Matt...I-I miss him so much." I sniffled, snot all in my nostril now, "I wish he was here. I wish he never left me..."

She pulled away and held my shoulders, eyes locked with mine, they were serious, but comforting.

"Why did he leave me?" I asked, the words soft, pleading.

"Harper, listen to me. I want you to know, first of all, you are an amazing person. You are smart, brave, beautiful, and caring. You shouldn't blame yourself for anything that has happened."

I wiped my nose, listening intently to her words.

She sighed, "I don't know why bad things have happened to us. I truly don't. But I can say, in your case for sure, and Talon's...that it has made you stronger, better, and what you are today. I don't know what it would be like if everything were normal, but I can say...that this life, it has given us great things..."

She took my hands in hers, and smiled at me.

"That's what you have to focus on. The great things, the upsides, the pros. They are what keep us going. Think Harper, on all of the things you have gained in this peculiar life of ours. A home in the form of Camp Half Blood, friends in the form of us, and...love, in the form of Matt."

I gasped. Love?

Love?

That wasn't...I mean, love?

I had no time to think about it, because she spoke again.

"It's not about what we have lost, Harper. It's about what we have gained. And as for him leaving you, I...can't speak for him, as I don't know him very well. But I know that he cares about you, and he would never intentionally hurt you. So just...hope for the best, okay?"

"B-But, you guys, I...I shouldn't have let you-"

She shushed me, "Listen. We're adults, we made our choice to come, and your not responsible for that. Besides, Kai and Talon are strong, and me...well, I'm not always strong, but...I'm going to start, for you."

Her face was determined, and I realized that she actually meant it. It had never hit me that she was insecure about her timidity, I always thought she was rather confident in herself.

I looked at her, "Thanks, Sera. That helped a lot." It really did. Some of guilt had left me, because I knew that she was right, that she and the others could take care of themselves, and that I had things to be thankful for, that...it wasn't all dark.

But love?

I couldn't get that out of my head. Did I?

I'm not sure. I mean, I definitely liked him, but...we weren't that close, we had only started dating before he left.

I shook my head, not wanting to focus on that right now, as it would only bring more stress. I stood up, Sera along with me, her eyes never left.

"Are you okay now?" She asked.

I smiled, the last of my tears wiped away, "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

We stood in silence for a moment, not sure of what to say next. It was kind of awkward to be honest. I'd never broken down in front of her like that before, or in front of anyone really.

"So..." She said, "Wanna see the bed I picked?!"

I chuckled, "Yeah, show me." And just like that, my mood was lifted, a little at least. For someone who didn't have social skills, she sure knew how to cheer a person up. I guess that was just her personality.

We walked back into the main room and she pointed at the bed closest to the door.

"There!"

"Okay, sounds good." I said, and looked at the other bed. Both were the same size, and had a cream colored comforter on them, with white sheets and pillows under. I sat down on it, bouncing lightly. It was comfortable, and could probably fit three or more people.

"Damn, that's comfier than my bed at Camp." I muttered, rubbing my hand across the smooth sheet.

Sera flopped on her bed, facing the ceiling, "It feels like a cloud!"

I laughed, about to take my boots off, when my stomach rumbled, loudly.

Sera looked over and held a hand up to her mouth, "You're hungry, aren't you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, starving. You?"

She shook her head, "Not really."

I got up, "Well, I guess me and that idiot'll go somewhere. I'm sure he's hungry too."

She raised her head, "Idiot?"

I waved a dismissive hand, "Talon."

She nodded, giggling, "Oh."

A sudden thought hit me, what Talon said earlier about a honeymoon, and Sera's reaction. I decided to tease her on it.

"So, Sera..." I walked slowly over to her.

"Hmm?"

"When will the honeymoon be, exactly?"

Her eyes shot open, "Wh-What?"

"Well, you seemed to know what the word meant when Talon said it, so...I figured you've thought about it."

She blushed profusely, "W-Well, I have, b-but, not too much thought..."

I smiled, "Oh c'mon Sera, you guys are twenty one now, and you obviously love each other, so why not?"

"I-I don't know. We just...never got around to it, I suppose. But maybe, soon..."

She twiddled her fingers and wouldn't look at me. I snickered and decided not to mess with her too much.

"Ah, I'm just messing with you." I walked back to the door, "If you see anything dangerous-"

"I'll be okay." She promised.

I nodded, "Alright. We'll be back soon." I walked out and shut the door behind me, surprised to find Talon already standing at the railing, looking out at the green landscape ahead, now unlit by the night that had fell.

"How long have you been out here?"

He turned his head for a moment, then back again, "Couple minutes. Malachi ain't going, he's full. Of what, I don't know. Must be some Demi-Primordial stamina thing."

I nodded, leaning my arms against the railing as well. The cold of the metal sent a small shiver up my bare arms, but after a moment, dulled. The night was dark, only a crescent moon in the sky. I felt enhanced, better, like I was at my peak. A common thing for a Nemesis kid, since the crescent moon is one of her symbols. I'd never tried to spot any difference in my speed or strength at night, but based on what I had gathered, it didn't help much.

But it looked nice. The small sliver of light gave some illumination over the hills, allowing us to barely spot some trees. The crickets and cicadas were wild tonight, chirping and buzzing with all they had, offering a continuous tune. The lights above the railing were bright, lined up as many as the doors, all yellow, and barred, so that no one would break them I guess.

"You good?" I heard him say.

"Yeah." I replied, not sure if my face was still tear stricken, or noticeable in the night. But when I looked over, he hadn't unlocked his gaze from the landscape, so I guess he was just making conversation.

"You ready? I'm hungry as hell."

"Yeah, let's go." I said, and we walked down the stairs towards the truck. As we reached the last step, I heard a vague rustling in the bushes nearby.

I stopped walking, and looked at the source, to see the leaves swaying lightly.

"What is it?"

I leaned my head to look better, but saw nothing.

"Nothing...thought I heard something." Probably just the wind, it was blowing pretty well tonight, so that would make sense.

He scoffed, "Come on."

We got in the truck and drove off down the road. It took a while just to get out of the country area, and into an actual town. But eventually, we did, and not one of us had talked.

Usually I don't mind silence, but it got to be too much, so I broke it.

"Look" I sighed, "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"Huh?"

"When you asked if I wanted to talk about it. I'm sorry for snapping, It's just...well, I don't wanna talk about it."

He stayed silent for a moment, but then nodded, "Then don't, simple as that."

I proceeded to do the opposite, "It's just...the entire year, I thought he was dead. I blamed myself for not being able to save him, to somehow convince him that what he was doing was wrong. Then, I find out he's alive, and my heart lifts a little, because I think that I have another chance...only to be dead wrong."

"He's too far gone, Harper. You know it, everyone knows it."

I sighed, expecting that response. "I know. And I'm gonna do what's necessary. I'm gonna kill him."

He didn't reply, or raise an eyebrow, he just nodded. And that made me feel worse. I had hoped he would challenge my claim, say that I wouldn't be able to do it, because I had been prepared to argue. Why? Because...I wasn't sure myself.

Everytime I pictured a fight with Levi, where I won, and had the opportunity to kill him, right when I would bring the blade down on him, I would see that young boy that I looked up to so much, smiling at me, and I would stop. How could I kill him? I would think. He helped me, he loved me.

I needed to get over that quick, because if I didn't, I would be dead.

We drove on for another minute, houses and buildings passing by, edging closer into a populated area.

"What were you thinking?" I heard Talon say.

I turned my head, "What do you mean?"

"Food, what were you thinking?"

"Oh, uh..." I shrugged, "Doesn't matter, whatever you want."

"Alright, well I'm starving, so I don't really give a-" He stopped, and leaned up towards the wheel, something catching his attention.

"What?" I asked, trying to find what he was looking at, only to see a bunch of store signs and parking lots.

"See that?" He pointed, and slowed the truck down to twenty.

"No, what are you talking about?" I bobbed and weaved my head like a lunatic, trying to figure out what he was pointing at.

He groaned, and thrust his finger in annoyance, "See that? That sign? Lipos Burgers"

I reared my head back, "Lipos?" I racked my brain, recognizing that from somewhere, "Isn't that Greek for-"

"Fat, yeah." Talon snorted, "Why the fuck does that sign say Fat Burgers?"

"Sounds like a fast food place."

He grunted, "No shit, genius, but why is it in Greek?"

"Dunno. Pull in and find out."

He did, and as we got a closer look, we saw the building clearly, right next to a McDonald's. It wasn't as big as the latter, and didn't stick out that much. It didn't have a color scheme like the other fast food places, it was just...plain, like a diner. The lights were on inside, a cash register sat on a long metal counter, with...no one behind it. In fact, now that I looked closer, there was no one at all inside, not in booths, tables, anywhere. But it had a neon OPEN sign and the lights were on, so...maybe just a bad place to eat?

"No one inside." He said curiously, "That's weird."

"It's not that late, is it?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nah, it's not even midnight."

Something in my head told me that there was something wrong, something odd about that place. Something that...might apply to this quest. I couldn't place the feeling, but it was like my mind was steering me toward it.

"Let's check it out."

"Huh?"

I repeated, "Let's check it out. A fast food sign in Greek, and no one inside while the lights are on...seems worth it."

He looked like he wanted to retort, but thought better of it. Maybe he was as curious as I was.

He parked near the front door, again, no one could be seen inside at this angle. It was honestly starting to freak me out for some reason.

We got out and stood for a moment, taking in the place. Machines and lights whirred faintly, giving the barren parking lot and area an ominous feel. I wanted to see what was happening inside.

So we did, we opened the front door and walked in, the door giving a little ring once we entered.

The smell hit me before I could brace myself.

Imagine the largest, most disgusting grease trap in the world, then imagine diving head first into that. That's what this felt like. Immediately, the horrible smell of fat, grease, and other liquids hit my nostrils in a giant wave. I gagged and covered my nose with my short leather jacket, but that didn't help much.

Talon coughed and waved his hand in front of his nose, "What the hell is that smell?"

"The food. What else?" A new voice said.

We turned to the source. Sitting in the left corner booth, was the fattest man I had ever seen. I'm not trying to body shame here either, but this guy looked like a cross breed between a walrus and a baby whale. He had rolls upon rolls of stomach fat, arm fat, and chin fat. His red shirt only covered his upper chest, leaving his enormous discolored gut sticking out, full of stretch marks. His face was babyish, like what you imagine a stereotypical gamer to look like, and he had a tuft of brown hair on his head. In front of him, sat trays of food, and I mean heaps of burgers, fries, nachos, hot dogs, onion rings, sodas, candies, and any other unhealthy thing you can picture. The worst part though, was that he had grease all over him, caked on his fingers, dripping from his mouth, leaking down his roll lines. How I didn't throw up, I'll never know.

Talon reared his head back in disgust, and turned to me, muttering, "Holy shit, what the hell is that thing?"

I gagged again, the putrid stench hitting me in another wave, "I don't know, but he's the only person here."

"I can hear you, you know?" The fat man said, his mouth oozing grease and fat.

"Oh gods..." I said, seriously disgusted.

"Dude, don't you have a napkin?" Talon said to him.

The man ignored him, and took a huge bite out of a quarter pounder, filled to the brim with all the toppings, in another hand, he grabbed a bundle of fries, and tossed those into his mouth, then the nachos, then the onion rings. It seemed like his appetite had no end. In fact, we watched him for three minutes straight, eating, and eating, and eating some more, never stopping, and the food...it never wavered, it always seemed to multiply when he took a bite.

"This is insane." I said.

"Eating's not insane." The guy said clearly, even though his mouth was full.

"How do you eat that much?" Talon asked incredulously.

The guy shrugged, not missing a beat with his soda, as he guzzled half of it in a second, "I'm just hungry, I guess."

Talon looked at me, wide eyed, "Something's going on here."

"No shit, genius." I deadpanned, and he groaned at me throwing his words back at him.

We walked reluctantly closer to the man, trying to figure out what the trick was, or if he was something of...our world. But how does that make sense? What does an obese man have to offer to our quest?

The man looked up, a grease covered eyebrow raised, "You're still here?"

Talon shook his head, "Who the hell are you?"

The man stopped eating for a moment, "What?"

I chimed in, "Who are you? You can't be human."

He grabbed a fistful of fries and tossed them into his wide mouth. "How do you know?"

Talon laughed, "A human can't eat all this shit! Look at you man! You weigh like a thousand pounds!"

The man lifted his chin a little, with what seemed to be pride. "Over a thousand, actually." He said.

"No human weighs that much." I said, "Now come on, who are you? A god? A monster?"

He took a minute to finish his fries, and we waited. Finally, he held up a greasy finger, "The first one."

Talon was in disbelief, "You're a god?! What the hell of? Junk food?"

The man shrugged, "Sure, why not. The name is Lipos, god of gluttony, food, eating, etc."

So that explained the sign outside. I was in shock though, a god of gluttony? There seemed to be a god for everything, so just how many were there?

"Wait, so if you're the god of food..." I said, and he nodded, "Does that mean, you're also the god of healthy food?"

Lipos nodded, shoving an entire burger into his mouth, a hot dog replacing where it lay almost instantly, "Yes, I could appear as a fit athlete type. I could have heaps of kale, salad, vegetables and whatnot instead of this. But where's the fun in that? This tastes way better."

Just then, a loud banging erupted in the kitchen area, pots, pans and other items flew all over the back room, making an ear shattering noise.

"What was that?!" Talon said before me.

Lipos waved a dismissive hand, "Oh, nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

He raised an eyebrow, and looked at us like we were stupid, "Wait, you're still here?"

Talon put his hand at his side, "I'm gonna shoot this fat prick!"

I put a calming hand on his shoulder, "Wait. Maybe he can give us some information..."

Lipos put down his basket of onion rings, "Information?"

I nodded, "Yeah, you see...we're demigods, and we're on a quest. We need a way to get to another country...without being spotted. Would you know of a way?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Nah." And he went right back to eating.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, "How do you not know a way? You're a god!"

"Doesn't mean we know everything. Have you tried a plane or something?"

Talon grunted, "Last resort."

Lipos threw up a hand, grease droppings missing me by an inch. "Then I don't know, sorry demigods."

Something told me this guy was lying, that he was holding something inside all of that skin. We were gonna get it out.

I motioned my head at Talon, who understood and gave a smirk.

"Say, fat man. What ya really got goin' on in that kitchen back there?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh no, it ain't nothing. It sounds like a problem." Right after he said that, another loud clanging split the air, a loud hissing followed.

Lipos looked up at the noise, then at us, and groaned.

"Fine. I caught some storm spirits earlier, and I can't get rid of them."

I leaned closer, not too close though, but just enough to show I was interested, "As in, Ouranos's storm spirits?" At the name, the faint sound of thunder boomed outside, disappearing after a few moments.

Lipos tightened his lips, "Don't say that name, but yes, they are his. And I can't get them out! They're interrupting my eating session!"

This was a perfect opportunity, and Talon knew it too. We could get rid of the storm spirits, and in turn, Lipos could tell us what he knew.

Talon propped a boot up on the booth in front of Lipos's, "Tell ya what, Lipos. The girl and I, we're pretty good, and we can get rid of the storm spirits for ya."

Lipos looked at us suspiciously, "And what do you want in return? Free food?" Well, he wasn't dumb, that's for sure.

Talon shook his head, "No. I mean...well, not from here, so no. What we want, is information."

"I already told you, I don't know what you want."

I smirked, "Oh I think you do. I think you may not know of a way...but perhaps you know someone that does..."

Talon raised a finger, "Yeah! That! So what's it gonna be? We take these pests off your hands, and you tell us what we wanna know? Or do we leave, and you stay here longer than you want, babysitting Ouranos's minions?"

Lipos stopped eating altogether, and put a nasty finger to his chin, in thought. After a moment of anticipation, he gave an indifferent shrug, "Fine. But I can't promise you that the information is what you want."

Talon slapped the table, "Good enough for me! Let's bust some storm heads!" We started to walk to the kitchen, when Lipos stopped us.

"Wait."

We turned around, fifteen feet away from him now.

"How good are you two, exactly?" He asked.

Talon snorted, "Seriously?"

Lipos was serious, "Really, can you kill these things?"

Talon and I looked at each other, like do we really have to prove this? But nether the less, we sighed and prepared a demonstration.

Talon quickly pulled out his revolver and shot it in the air, at his hip. A trail of smoke emerged from the barrel.

I looked where he had aimed, and saw that the fry Lipos was holding, was now cut in half, steam coming off of it as well.

"Nice." I said.

He nodded, and twirled the gun, holstering it.

"My turn, I guess." I muttered, and faster than anyone could blink, I unsheathed a single knife and flicked it across the room at Lipos's soda straw, the throw rang true, as my knife lopped off half of it, the red cylinder fell and landed on the table, my knife hit the back wall. I stuck out a hand and pressed my thumb to my palm, summoning the knife back into my hand.

Lipos looked at his half fry and half straw, then back at us.

"Proceed."

We both smirked, and made our way into the kitchen.

Storm Spirits suck.

First of all, they're pretty much invisible, and quiet as a mouse when they want to be, making it hard for us.

We stepped back into the kitchen, walking cautiously as we did so, past the fryers, bins, and other items, checking each one, but finding nothing.

"Can these things hide?" I asked, shutting the drive thru window.

Talon shrugged, "Hell if I know." He checked under another lid and shut it with frustration, causing a BONG to echo through the kitchen.

Then another bong.

He looked at me.

"You hear that?"

"Yeah."

He motioned with his finger for me to check it out, so I did. Both knives gripped in hand, stabbing position, I creeped towards the source of the noise, back towards the freezer room, my steps as silent as an insect's.

Ten paces in, and I made it to the corner. I took a pause, and counted to three.

One...

Two...

"RAAAAGHHHH!" A hissing noise erupted in my ear as a large misty figure burst from the freezer room, the door flew open, unleashing a cold wind with it. The storm spirit itself came out flying, bashing into equipment, knocking over stuff.

"Get it!" Talon yelled.

I threw a knife at it, but it missed, instead of hitting the thing in it's blue heart, it went through the back, hitting the wall behind it.

"Damn!" Talon said, and I heard two gunshots fire, cracking the air like a whip, then the whirring sounds of the bullets ricocheting. I ducked for good measure.

Silence.

Nothing else, but silence after that. I reached over and pulled my knife out of the wall.

We stood there for a moment, wondering if we actually got it.

"You good?" I heard.

"Yeah, did you get it?"

He grunted, farther away now, "Nah, fucker's still here."

Lipos called out from the dining room, "Actually there's more than one! I think I already said that!"

I gritted my teeth, "Of course you did."

We waited around for a couple of minutes, knife and gun in hand, on our respective corners, but not a sound was made.

"Where'd it go?" Talon asked, bewildered. "It's not that big of a space, so how can they hide?"

"They're spirits, Talon." I said like it was obvious, but really I was talking out of my ass. "They can hide in mid air."

"True." He agreed, unlocking the chamber and popping two bullets in to replace the fired ones, "Bastard's could be anywhere."

"Sssssssss" Another hissing noise, like a snake slithering under our feet. I literally looked at the floor for a second on instinct, and that was my mistake.

As soon as I looked up, two storm spirits were coming at me, their mouths wide open, like gray grim reapers.

I slashed at them, but it went right through their heads, and they grabbed me, lifting me in their misty claws, dragging me to the back room.

"HARPER!" Talon called.

I made a loud grunt in an attempt to break my arm free, but they were strong, and fast. They zoomed in the freezer room and threw me on the ground, causing me to skid across the cold floor. Luckily I had on my leather jacket, or else my arms would be freezing right now.

It was still pretty cold, my ears were immediately starting to feel nippy, and my breath came out in a puff cloud.

A flash emerged from the doorway and then a crack, Talon fired another round at them. I heard a loud hissing noise, and multiple crashes of plates. I guessed the storm spirit and Talon were in a struggle.

Two more of them floated in the freezer room, I was standing at the back, cornered, but ready. The storm spirits first of all, were like six feet tall each, and grim reaper shaped, gray mist outlined their shape and mist emitted from their bodies. The only parts that had color were their eyes, and heart, which both glowed a bright blue.

They held out their thin skeleton like hands and snapped their fingers, a blue crackle sparked, lighting up the dark room. Before I knew it, they gripped two full length swords made of electricity.

They whirred and crackled with energy, about five feet long each, both aimed at me. If the storm spirits could chuckle evilly, then they would, because they thought they had me trapped.

Boy were they wrong.

I smirked wickedly, "Wanna see something cool?" I asked them.

They seemed to rear their heads back in confusion, then anger, and they leapt at me swiping their swords at my head, but I was already gone.

I bounced off the floor and onto the wall in a fraction of a second, already coming back at them, knives in hand. I pounced on the closest spirit and stabbed it in the blue heart. It went all the way through, and started dimming, until finally, it went out completely, and the storm spirit dissipated.

The other spirit wasn't dumb, because right when it saw me, it swung. I ducked and weaved back as it struck again, this time angled at my neck to the right. I sidestepped and jabbed at it with my left knife, to which it flew over and darted on the ceiling.

It thrust itself downward on me from the ceiling, jabbing it's lightning sword like an arrow. I easily dodged and kicked the electric blade out of it's grasp, to which it disappeared once it left it's hands. I took my chance and swiped at it's heart. The hit proved accurate, and it too, disappeared.

I breathed in and out, "Piece of cake." Time to check on Talon.

I heard another gunshot, then another, then a loud taunt.

I jogged over to the door and kicked it, the door flew open and hit the wall with a BANG! Alerting the nearby storm spirits.

And there were a lot.

Like ten, or a dozen, I don't know, but they were all bundled up in the kitchen, on either side of the pile of fryers and grills, all lined up against Talon like a zombie wave, who was standing at the other end of the kitchen, against the wall, like I was, a huge grin on his face, two guns in hand.

"Where'd they come from?!" I said, the Storm Spirits started to charge him again, and a couple at me now.

He fired at their blue hearts, killing three within a second. "Ah, they keep multiplying! I think you gotta get rid of the leader! He's the one doing it!"

"The leader?!" I yelled, slashing a storm spirit in two, then another.

He fired again, and dodged another sparky sword attack by sliding on the ground, head reared back like he was playing limbo. He slid right under the spirit and fired right up, hitting the blue heart perfectly. I had to admit, that move was pretty badass.

He hopped up and shot another, "Yeah, the leader! He's got the biggest heart!"

I snickered, not able to contain the joke, "How sweet of him!"

He groaned and grabbed a plate, throwing it like a shuriken at the drive thru window, it connected at the glass shattered audibly, pieces falling everywhere.

"No jokin' around! Find that leader, and kill him!"

I nodded to myself. The biggest heart, the brightest glow...

More spirits spawned by the dozen, coming at us like flies, darting around and swiping at us with their swords. We dodged and slashed, fired, whatever. But it wouldn't last forever, they would keep coming if we didn't find the leader.

I looked around and around, scanning the area for any sign of him, but no, they all looked the same.

"Ugh, it's no use!"

"Keep looking!" He insisted, and fired a round behind me, knocking a spirit dead.

I slashed and searched for another few minutes, getting sick of this.

Then I spotted something strange.

A faint line of steam, or no, smoke was coming down from the vent above...

I followed that smoke with my eyes, and watched it swirl, and eventually, a blue glint emerged inside, and soon, a storm spirit spawned.

That's where the leader is. Above us.

In the vents.

"Talon, I got it! He's above us, in the vents!"

He laughed, almost maniacally, firing his guns rapidly like it was a video game, killing spirit after spirit, "Get up there then! Here, I got ya!"

He jogged over and I jumped, knowing what he was gonna do. When I came down, my boot hit his hands, and he thrust me upward, sending me towards the ceiling. I held out my knives and slashed the vent to pieces, creating a human sized hole for me to fit through.

I tucked my body in, and my back hit the top of the vent, but I landed safe on the bottom. I raised my head up, and found myself face to face with the leader.

He was larger for sure, by two feet probably, and while his blue heart was the brightest, it was small, and it's rays gave off the illusion that it was big, tricking whoever tried to attack him. But I knew better.

"Got you now." I smirked, and slashed at him, but he was quick, and I had underestimated his speed. Like lightning, literally, electricity surged from his body and the entire vent system exploded, causing us to crash onto the floor below.

I groaned in pain, my back hurting a little, but nothing I couldn't handle.

"Hey!" Talon yelled, and I saw him start towards the leader, but it was definitely tougher than the rest. It stood up and held out a hand, blasting a small bolt of electricity from it.

It arced and hit Talon in the chest, knocking him back into the wall, the other storm spirits hounded him, and more gunshots rang.

I gritted my teeth and leapt at the leader spirit, side kicking at the blue heart, but it dodged and grabbed my leg, using my momentum against me. I felt my other leg leave the ground as it slung me towards the drive thru window.

Realizing that the window was shattered, that made it easier. As I cleared the opening, I shifted my heel upward and my toes downward, catching myself on the ledge of the window by my boots. It caught me just long enough so that I could do a backflip onto the asphalt outside.

I waited with my knives in front of me, and within a few seconds, the storm spirit emerged, practically gliding through the wall like a ghost.

I smirked again, this spirit was so dead. It was at a clear disadvantage out here. The night made it's blue heart stand out even more, and the silence of the area made it's hissing and movements more audible to my trained ears. I've already won.

That is, I thought, until it decided to tackle me.

Yeah I'm fast, but I can be stupid too. I underestimated it's speed again, and it flashed blue, disappearing, then reappearing at my stomach, jabbing me like a spear into the next parking lot.

I fell and rolled on my back, the storm spirit and I twirling around in the air and road. I slashed and stabbed, but it kept dodging, not letting me get close to it's heart.

I grunted, annoyed at the change of events. I decided to try something else.

I planted my foot on the ground firmly, causing the road to crack, dent, and catch me. I used this as a launchpad to jump off and dart around the parking lot, off of light poles and stop signs, like a light speed pinball. I looked over, and smiled, the thing was slower than me. It was having trouble keeping up.

Nice. I thought, if I can just throw my knife on one side, then the other, it'll have to block one and let the other hit it.

I thought I had this in the bag, I grabbed my knives again and prepared to throw it.

Then it shot lightning at me.

CRACK! A bolt connected with the light pole I intended to land on, sending it flying towards the ground. I lost my balance for a second, and flailed my arms a bit, but gained my composure, staying calm, I had to stay calm.

A simple fix. I waited for the ground to come, then I braced my legs, preparing to roll. The instant my boots touched the asphalt, I tucked and rolled, a light sting shooting up my feet, but nothing more. That was like thirty feet, so it wasn't bad. Fifty feet, we would have a problem.

I turned and saw the spirit charging up another bolt.

"CRAP!" I yelled, and jumped, the bolt hitting right as I did so. I rolled and rolled, dodging bolt after bolt. Granted, they didn't seem very strong, but I couldn't take those like some other people I know. I would have to keep dodging.

I darted around, more bolts hitting just behind me.

I need to close the distance...

Or a distraction...

I decided to go with a new plan.

I bounced off the next sign and stayed suspended in the air long enough to grab a knife. I held it behind my head and aimed it, using my other hand as a sight, like I was throwing a boomerang.

When I caught the head of the spirit, I threw, and let gravity take over. Once I hit the ground, I would need to move again.

Thankfully, the knife hit the spirit in the head and passed through right when I touched the ground, disorienting it long enough for me to go for the kill.

I landed on the road and immediately dashed forward, head first, knife reared back in a swiping position.

I reappeared in front of it, before it could react, and swung.

The blade hit the blue heart perfectly, right in the middle, it dimmed, and soon faded to nothing, along with the spirit.

Mist dissipated and flew sideways with the wind, never to be seen again. I stood there, breathing a little heavier than I should. But I shook it off and sheathed my knife.

"Alright." I confirmed, and ran back to the window, now a couple hundred feet away.

I closed the distance and jumped through the window again, fitting easily, due to my slim body.

The last of the spirits were attacking Talon, about seven or so. And he was angry.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted, and his eyes glowed red, an aura of death emitted from him, and then surged. I ducked just in time as the entire restaurant filled up with a red tint, bloodlust seeping everywhere. The spirits hissed wildly and ran frantic, sounds of death could be heard, like a windmill of chaos.

After a second, Talon shot all of the spirits dead, and eased the bloodlust effect, the room going back to it's dim white.

I looked around to make sure it was safe, and stood up.

He turned to me and smirked, holding out his hand for a high five.

I obliged, my glove hit his hand with a smack. "Haven't seen you use that ability in a while." I remarked.

He chuckled, "Forgot how awesome it was." Then he motioned towards Lipos, "might have to use it on him next."

I shook my head, "Nah, he'll tell us what we want." I hope...

We walked out of the kitchen and strode through the diner, over to Lipos in the corner, still wolfing down heaps of junk food.

Talon and I walked right up to him, three feet away, not caring about the smell anymore.

"Hey, we got rid of em' now tell us what we want."

He looked up, mouth full of burger, grease dripping from his lip.

"Disgusting..." I muttered, looking away.

He leaned his head forward and glanced in the kitchen. After a long look, he nodded, "Nice job."

I was a bit surprised, "What about the damages? We...kinda tore the place up."

Talon elbowed me in the side, "Shut up!" He hissed.

I punched him in the arm, "Don't hit me, dumbass!"

Lipos chuckled for the first time tonight, "No, damages are covered, as long as you got rid of the spirits, it's fine."

We turned back to him, "Oh...Okay."

Lipos's face got serious, and he snapped a finger. Instantly, all of the food on the table disappeared, no trace of grease or crumb anywhere, not even on him. He even looked...clean.

He motioned his hand, "Sit."

We did, and I noticed the smell was gone, replaced by a fruity scent, like apples.

I looked around for the source, and when my eyes fell on the god again, he had changed form completely.

He was now middle aged, clean shaven and lean, short salt and pepper hair on top of his head, no longer the brown tuft earlier. He had on a polo shirt and khaki pants with loafers. A complete one eighty from before.

"What the..." I gasped.

He smiled, "I did say that I could change form if I wanted. This is the healthy version of me, I use it for serious discussions."

Talon leaned forward, "So you know something? About how to travel without a trace?"

Lipos nodded, "Well, I know of someone that would. But it's dangerous. That's why I was hesitant to tell you."

I snorted, "Did you not see what we just did?"

He shook his head grimly, "This family is far worse. They are strong, and extremely dangerous."

Talon raised an eyebrow, "Wait a sec, family? What do you mean family?"

He used his hands to gesture, "A family of demigods, a long line you see. They deal with illegal businesses, murder, trafficking, drugs...and any other heinous thing you can imagine. Their manor is heavily guarded, and that's not the worst part. The worst part...is the inside."

Talon took his glasses off, and his eyes were wide.

The dots were starting to connect too. A family of demigods, illegal businesses, heinous things...

It sure sounded familiar.

"This family...they wouldn't happen to live in a manor...would they?" I asked slowly.

Lipos nodded, "They do. Have for generations. It's surrounded by gates of ice, and it's entire yard is engulfed in a constant blizzard, which is odd, because it's only one state away, in Indiana."

Our faces darkened, we knew good and well who it belonged too, and we were conflicted. Very conflicted.

Still though, I had to confirm it. I had to hear it for myself.

"And this family...what's their name?"

"Griffith." Lipos said, "The Griffith Family, Children of the Snow Goddess."

(000)

Huh, guess I need to start eating better...

Hope you all enjoyed that! A little bit of feels with Sera and fighting with Talon.

Speaking of Sera, looks like we're going to meet her family. I've had this planned for a while and I'm excited to explore this plotline. Team Harper's gonna have to be careful with this one...who knows what they're capable of.

Anyway, thanks for reading as always! And be on the lookout for the next chapter! I'll be at the beach for a couple of days, but I'll get it out soon enough!

Until Next Time.