The Son Of Hercules

by Echoxenvy

Follow Matt Beckett, the Son of Hercules, as he and his friends wage war on the Primordial God Ouranos and his wide variety of allies. Love, hardship, battle, loss, and glory are just five of the many things he will experience on his epic journey. Current Book: The Rising Sun. OC-Centered.

112. We Get A Quest For Christmas

Alright guys, here we are! The first chapter of Book Five! I can't believe we've made it this far, over a million words and a hundred chapters, but the story continues, and it's not quite over yet! There's going to be a lot of content in this book, and some huge twists. Expect a lot of questions that have been unanswered over the course of the story to be answered here. Including the stuff on Talon's father, Nikandreos.

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think of this first chapter!

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.

Book Five: The Rising Sun

1. We Get A Quest For Christmas

As they walked through the fishing port, they got some strange looks. But their eyes remained focused and forward, hands not far from their blades.

The two samurai made a clear path for the boat shack next to the water. Every person in the vicinity parted for them, because the tension was unbearable. They were clearly looking for a target.

A quick shuffle down the pier and they closed in on the shack's door, the man to the right knocked on it hard, rattling the wood.

It took a moment, but the door creaked open, revealing an older man, gray hairs wisping from his lip, a hunched, withering frame, half-lidded eyes looking up at them. "May I help you?"

"We need to come in." One ordered.

"Excuse me?" The man rasped, "I don't know you, and-" His tired eyes widened a fraction at the sight of the metal on their waists. "-Are those weapons?"

"You're harboring a suspicious individual. Let us in."

"Are you with the police?"

The second samurai spoke up, a bit louder. "We know he's here. He means to kill you once he's done with you. Trust us, and let us in."

The old man was hesitant, but his eyes almost betrayed him by flicking to the side, as if to check what was behind him.

The first samurai pointed to his chest, showing the symbol of a sword being dipped in the ocean. "Do you recognize this?"

The man said nothing. As the seconds passed, layers of fear passed over his face like the water under them. The samurai remained silent and let him think for a second. They knew it wasn't his fault, he was being held hostage for his shelter. They would expose that, and get to the bottom of the truth.

The man made a tiny gesture with his chin, and then flinched at his action, as if the person 'holding him hostage' would know about it. However, nothing happened.

The samurai took it as permission and pushed past the old man. As soon as they cleared the doorway and felt the warm, musky interior of the shack, they heard the footsteps of the old man hurrying up the pier, running like his life depended on it.

It was clear now. There was someone here, and he was dangerous. Just like they were told.

There were two parts to the shack it seemed. The part they stood in, which was about as wide as a closet, then a back room without windows, completely concealed from their view. The only way they could get in, would be through the rotting, chipped door right in the middle.

It was quiet, eerily quiet, but the men didn't think twice about stepping forward. They accepted the possibility of death, at any time, the moment they became Samurai. The moment Goro made them what they are. Warriors.

They were young, inexperienced, and not as powerful as the others. They didn't have the ability to sense chi. They weren't members of the clan by blood. They'd been given small missions up until this point. This was...their test, in a way.

They shared a look of concern, silently deciding who was going to open the door. Somehow it was agreed that the first one would, and he placed his hand on the knob.

It twisted and it opened with a pull, barely any force used. It hadn't even been locked, or maybe even shut all the way, whoever was inside, part of them wanted to be found.

It screeched when it stopped, and the room was clear to them. It was tinier than the first, the bedroom of the old man that ran off, as gathered by the futon on the floor, the hygienic tools, the numerous fishing rods...

Speaking of fishing rods, one was in the hands of a man sitting cross legged, comfortable on the futon. He had the line draped over his arms, fiddling with some kind of bait in his hands. He was...threading it. Some kind of tiny fur ball that looked more like an insect than bait.

His back was facing them. Shirtless, tall, and defined to the smallest muscle. He had been granted a tan coat, skin grazed by the sun. The only thing more striking lie atop his head, a mop of blonde that swayed and hopped with every concentrated movement.

He either hadn't noticed them, or pretended not to. The men didn't know what to do. For too many seconds, nobody spoke. The man kept working on his bait, even wiping sweat from his forehead one time.

The samurai faced each other and raised their eyebrows. This is what we were sent to check out?

Finally, the first samurai gained his confidence and spoke in a deep voice. "Oi!"

The man's fingers instantly stopped fiddling, and his head turned, revealing more strands of blonde, and the very tip of his nose, nothing more.

"Yes?" He said. With just one word, they knew he had a silver tongue. The way he said it was silky and smooth, but there was a depth to it, that told them if he wanted to get loud and horrifying, he could most definitely do so.

They decided if this man was dangerous, they'd throw out masking their identities. "We come from the Temple of Izanagi. A...presence was felt, and we're here to investigate."

"A presence, you say?"

If his voice hadn't put them off before, it certainly did then. He spoke like he was in control of everything, like with one simple movement, he could blink them from existence. He was incredibly confident, and they weren't sure whether to buy into it or not. He couldn't be older than twenty two, judging by his size. His physique was impressive, but they were...samurai. They were chosen.

"Yes, full of malevolence. It leads to you, and we're here to see what's going on."

The man chuckles, "You're young." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. "Your voice is shaky, full of uncertainty. They really should have sent someone else to do this, for your sake."

He carefully picked up the rod and sat it down next to the wall, out of the way. The men heard him sigh, as if caught committing petty theft. He stood straight, taller than the samurai, and popped his neck.

Turning around, the men were terrified of the cold, wolf-like eyes that were shown to them. They were an insurmountable wall, poisonous and toxic. They held years of bitterness and hatred.

"Well, I suppose it was about time the cat came out of the bag." He smirked, "It was about time for me to reveal myself anyway."

The samurai didn't even have a chance to unsheathe their katanas. The man was far quicker. He snapped his fingers, and that was the last thing they saw.

The blue light came over them, covering their bodies like a blanket, burning them and killing them mercifully. Wood flew everywhere in the water, by the time the lightning strike sucked itself back in the sky, there was no trace that the shack, or the pier even existed.

Fire and smoke rose high up, the man walked out of it, smiling. His hands shook with anticipation...maybe a little bit of excitement too.

People screamed and ran wild. The strike was fast, they had no idea where it came from. It reminded the man of chickens with their heads cut off. No direction, only fear.

Guess he had to get rid of them too.

With just the will of his mind, dark storm clouds meshed together above, collecting and piling on top of one another until it took up the entire space of the port. Too long, he'd been under the radar. Too long, he'd been holding it in. Too long, he'd been weak. Now, finally, he gets to let loose a little.

So he snaps his fingers again.

---

Matt

Alright, so I'm gonna ask you something really quick.

Just bear with me.

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you're on top of the world? No wait, let me put this another way.

Have you ever felt...just at peace? In bliss? Surrounded by your friends, the person you love, the warmth of a fire, the best freaking holiday you could've asked for?

Then out of nowhere...it just gets ruined.

Interrupted. Someone barges in and rains right on the parade. The little perfect bubble that you created gets popped with a ten-foot needle. For a second, you had forgotten about all of your problems, all of the future's problems, nothing matters. It's just the moment, and you. But reality always has to come back, and it comes back really hard.

Ever had that happen?

Well, we did. The moment my old buddy Sigurd and his new cat mask friend came into the Big House, the latter declaring that she knows the location of Nikandreos, the most mysterious god of all time...our bubble exploded right in our eyes.

Her statement replayed in my head maybe ten times. I heard it over and over, an echo of craziness. "I'm the one that knows where your father is, boy. And I'm the one that's going to take you to him."

I couldn't even think about it, not for a second. I immediately looked to Talon, gauging his reaction.

His eyes were hidden by the trademark sunglasses, but every visible part of him showed that he was floored. Absolutely floored. His mouth fell open, his entire frame got tense, and I think his knees even buckled.

"My father?" Talon nearly beat his chest, "My freaking father? Nikandreos? You know where he is?"

The girl (who's name we still don't know) nodded. "That's right."

Talon scoffed, "Bullshit. That's complete bullshit. What the hell is this Sigurd?!"

Sigurd looked like a man that had lived through a hundred years of stress. "I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I know. But just hear her out. We have a lot to tell you all."

The cowboy wasn't hearing it. "Nah man! I don't even know where my father is! But some stranger with a weird fucking..." He gestured his hand wildly at the girl, "...cat mask does?!"

I couldn't see her eyes, but I guessed she was glaring pretty hard at him right now. "Watch your tone. I'll explain everything, don't be so close-minded."

Talon let his hands rise and flop back down to his legs, looking at me for backup. I had to look at everybody else like he'd passed the ball or something. I didn't know what the hell to do, and neither did the others. They were all just as wide eyed as me. Harper was eyeing the girl like she was ready to grab her sword, Percy and Annabeth were trying to figure Sigurd out, since they'd never met him, Malachi and Sera were deer in headlights, just watching the entire thing happen, and I think Aiden and Nico were more confused than any of us.

I finally spoke up, though it came out much weaker than I intended. "Talon...come on. She says she knows where he is, at least give her the chance to explain. Besides, Sigurd brought her here, and we trust him."

"Uh, we do?" Percy said.

I groaned, "Yeah. This is the Son of Odin that I talked about, remember?"

"Oh...right. My bad."

"I don't remember anything about that." Aiden commented.

I held up my hand, "Okay, okay, let's all just be quiet for a second and listen to what she has to say. If it's important, we need to hear it."

Cat mask girl looked at me, somewhat impressed. Don't ask me how I know that. "You must be Matt. The reasonable one."

"Uh..." Didn't really know what to say to that.

Malachi raised his hand like we were in class. For some reason, he does that whenever we enter these types of open forums. "Perhaps there's a better way to go about this? What if...we ask questions, and you answer. You know, instead of overloading us with information."

"That could work." Percy commented, looking around. "I think we all have at least one on our mind."

Sera, like Malachi, shot her hand up immediately, something obviously bugging her. "If that is what we are doing...then I have one!"

Cat mask girl didn't seem pleased with the whole question answer idea, but she basically had no choice now. "Yes?" She said.

"Why do you have that mask on?"

That was probably the number one thing on everyone's mind. Me included. If Sera hadn't asked the question in such an innocent manner, the girl might've gotten mad. But she just answered in monotone. "I'm cautious."

Harper's voice came out next to me, and I flinched at it. I was so caught up I'd basically forgotten she was that close. "Can you at least tell us your name?"

She lamented on it for a second, then decided why not. "Asuka."

Talon was quick to ask the next question. "Got a last name?"

The girl sighed. It came out muffled under the mask. "Nakano. That was my father's last name. He's dead."

We all gave each other a look.

Annabeth didn't raise her hand, "So...you're a demigod? Who's your mother?"

"I am. My mother is Amaterasu."

"Who the hell is that?" Talon grunted, not caring how his tone sounded.

Asuka's glare was pretty obvious now, despite the concealment. "The head of the Shinto pantheon, fool. Goddess of the sun, among other things."

Sigurd tried to be helpful, "She is like Zeus over there. She's the most powerful of their gods."

Asuka's gaze snapped behind her to look at him for a moment, and for some weird reason I got the feeling it was because he compared Amaterasu to Zeus, and she took offense to that. Guess the Olympian king didn't have the best reputation in Japan?

She practically forced it out of her mouth, "Yes...you could say that. I barely knew her though; she died when I was just a baby. I was given to a mortal to be raised and trained."

Malachi was quick, "Trained where, and for what?"

Percy waved his hands around, signaling for a time out, "Woah, woah. Hold on a second. So the Shinto pantheon is involved now? How did you guys even meet?"

Before an answer could be given, Sera was oozing sympathy for the new girl. "How did your mother die?"

Talon gestured to Sera, nodding. "Yeah, if she's so powerful, what killed her?"

Apparently, the clutter of voices sent even Asuka over the edge, who had been pretty patient so far. Her aura flared for a moment and I felt a hint of its massive size. It felt overwhelmingly hot, and had a girth that could easily surpass my own, if need be. She wasn't someone that I wanted to fight, for sure. Best to keep things cordial.

She didn't let any of it free though, but I could tell Malachi felt it too, because his eyes widened.

She shouted, "Enough! This is stupid!" A loud breath was heard under the mask, "I'm done with this Q and A. I'm going to explain myself once, and you all are going to listen. No more questions, no more chatter, just listening. Got it?"

I exchanged a glance with Harper, who just shook her head a little. She looked like she wanted to just go to sleep and forget about all of this. Couldn't blame her.

Asuka was still waiting for us to confirm her order, because her head was like a sprinkler, scanning us for some kind of answer.

So I said, "Okay, we'll shut up. Go ahead."

At that, she stood straight and calmed down. "Good. Now, this is a lot. Originally, I was only going to tell Talon, because that is my mission. But after...recent events, and some context given by the Son of Odin, I've deemed it necessary to tell all of you. He has informed me that you are the best this pantheon has to offer."

For some reason, it's like I can just tell what face she's making. I mean, I can read her emotions, and right now she's pretty unimpressed with us. But I can also just X-ray right through that mask and practically see her lip curling. As if to say...wow, this is the best you've got? Yikes.

I mean, based on first glance, you might get that impression. We're just a bunch of goofy young adults you'd probably find anywhere in the world, with the same insecurities, informalities, and flaws. But in a fight...we make a pretty good team. She shouldn't jump the gun so fast.

She continued, "And if you are the best, then you could be of great help. To start with, how much do you all know about the Shinto pantheon?"

We didn't answer, we sort of just nervously looked at the ground.

"It's okay if you aren't experts." Asuka added.

Annabeth was the only one to say anything to that, "I mean, I know a little. But I'm definitely not that well-versed."

"I see. Well then, I'll go over the basics with you, so you can have a simple understanding."

"How is this shit important?" Talon blustered, "What does this have to do with my pops? I thought you were taking me to him?"

I could tell Asuka was close to knocking him out cold when Sigurd spoke up, likely sensing the same thing. "There are other factors at play here, Talon. Factors that have very much to do with all of you. Just listen to her."

The cowboy grumbled. I could understand where he's coming from. The guy has had next to no information about his father, like, at all. So the second he hears that someone knows where he is, of course he's going to freak out. I know I would.

Asuka sighed, "As I was saying, the origin of the pantheon goes back as far as the beginning of the multiverse. Sigurd has told me you all know that the pantheons co-exist, so I don't need to explain that. Our first beings were Izanagi and Izanami, the last pair of Primordials to come from Chaos."

She lifted her palms and faced them towards the ceiling. Manipulating her aura, she created little figures of orange light. For a moment, it looked exactly like fire, and that's what I thought it was, but no...it was just a wispy, flame-like light, made from aura alone. It was pretty cool how she could do that though, because the little figures of who I guess to be Izanagi and Izanami looked pretty detailed.

"Like most gods, they were both siblings, and spouses, to each other. Equally powerful, and extremely so. Izanagi wielded a katana touched by Death itself, and he used it to create Japan, by dipping it in the ocean. After that, for whatever reason, they decided to have kids. However, their first child, now known as the god Ebisu, came out deformed and ugly, so Izanagi sent him adrift in the ocean." She moved the little figures around and added a third one, a short, fat, goblin looking thing that floated away from the two taller figures.

I wanted to snort. Well, this Izanagi guy kind of sucks. Reminds me of someone else I know. Someone that threw his first kids into Tartarus because he didn't like the way they looked...

Asuka went on, "Time passed, and they gained the courage to try again. This time, the child came out with a normal appearance, but...this child, Kagutsuchi, was given the power of fire. Can you guess what happened when Izanami gave birth to him?"

Sera was invested at this point, on the edge of her seat. "It...burned her?"

Asuka nodded, "It did, badly. Izanami thought she was going to die, so she travelled to Yomi, which is essentially the underworld for our pantheon. It is the land of death and darkness. Anyway-"

I interrupted, "Sorry, just curious. What happened to Kagutsuchi?"

Asuka didn't get angry at my interruption. "Izanagi blamed him for what happened and cut him into eight pieces, creating eight more gods in the process."

Well, that shut me up. Sounds about right.

To demonstrate, she created the scene with her little light puppets, showing Kagutsuchi burning Izanami, her fleeing to Yomi, and Izanagi slicing the young god to eight pieces, basically killing him.

"Izanagi followed her to Yomi, and found her deteriorated, covered in maggots...a shell of what she used to be. He was horrified and ran from her. She followed, begged him to let her free and somehow fix what had happened, but he didn't. He sealed her inside the land of darkness, for eternity."

Percy scoffed, "Some husband."

"Wait, so this Izanami is still there to this day? Like...right now?" Harper asked.

Asuka shrugged, "Maybe. Unless she faded away over time. This was eons ago."

Harper was probably thinking of an old, maggot covered corpse just sitting among a heap of similar sights, and she swallowed down some vomit. "Okay, just wondering."

"After that, Izanagi immediately regretted what he did. He didn't know how to break the seal, and he didn't know what to do at that point. So he decided to...essentially kill himself."

"Essentially?" Nico said, speaking for the first time in the conversation. "How do you essentially kill yourself?"

"Well, he didn't stab himself with the Death katana, if that's what you're wondering. Instead, he sort of just parted from the Earth and left his soul behind. Three pieces to be exact."

Annabeth snapped her fingers, "That must be where Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Tsukuyomi came from."

Talon had given up on talking about his father at this point, and reared his head back. "What kinda gibberish was that?"

"They're gods." Asuka groaned, and praised Annabeth. "You are correct, that is where they came from."

Annabeth nodded, and must've saw our confused faces in her peripheral. "That's basically the big three for them. Like Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, you know?" She directed her attention back to the Shinto demigod, "They were siblings, right?"

"Yes." Asuka confirmed, "But they had no mother. Izanagi bathed himself in the sea to purify his soul-"

"What the hell is some saltwater gonna do?" Talon asked, crossing his arms. "Dude just sealed his sick sister away and expects the ocean to forgive him?"

Percy scolded Talon, "Hey man, the ocean is a mysterious thing. Don't knock it until you try it."

Asuka's aura was rising, and I could tell she was getting annoyed again. I probably would too if I were her, what with the constant interruptions. She just met Talon, so she's not used to...well, him. Personally, I think it would be a service to the world to give everyone that meets him a little guidebook, or a warning label. Just so they can be prepared.

I tried to calm her down, "Guys, shut up for a second." I tried to give her my best sorry about that look, but I couldn't tell if she appreciated it or not. I mean, the cat was smiling, but I doubt she is.

She kept talking either way. "For whatever reason, Izanagi was in the sea. At some point, he decided he was going to die, so that's exactly what happened. He split his soul into three parts, and three gods emerged from his face. Amaterasu from his left eye, Tsukuyomi from his right eye, and Susanoo from his nose. Amaterasu belonged to the sky, Susanoo belonged to the sea, and Tsukuyomi belonged to the night."

So a bit like how it was over here. Interesting. Zeus to the sky, Poseidon to the sea, and Hades to the night. Well, maybe not the last part, but I guess you could make a comparison. Hades is sort of a darker figure.

"With his physical body gone, only the three new gods remained. Amaterasu was first to rise, and noticed she was given a little more power than the rest. She noticed Izanagi had left his sword, the one touched by death, standing straight up in the stand. She recognized it's power, and knew if she wielded it, she would be the new ruler of the pantheon. They all went for it, but she ended up getting there first." She emphasized the point by creating three new figures with her aura. The two in the back were overwhelmed by the ocean, but the one in front was ahead, her hand already outstretched towards the sword sticking out of the sand, like her very first thought was to get to that thing.

"I can already tell where this is going." Percy said dreadfully. "Let me guess, ole' Susanoo and Tsukuyomi got jealous, didn't they?"

Asuka nodded again, "That's right. It's an entirely different can of worms that we need not get into. To skip all of that, about...a few eons later, my mother knew that her time was coming, so she had me. It was a last-ditch effort to leave behind an heir, so to speak. One that wasn't a god. She had recognized the good qualities in mortals, and wanted the next pantheon ruler to have them, along with a god's power. I don't know the specifics, but she was killed in a battle with both Susanoo and Tsukuyomi. They overwhelmed her."

I tried to not to show it, but I found that a little hard to believe. If Amaterasu was more powerful than both of them, and had the death katana, which I'm guessing is like their version of Heavenly Diamond, then she should've beat them pretty handily. But then again, it probably doesn't matter. I don't know how the other two gods fight. They might've had weapons and tricks of their own to help them.

"What happened to the death sword?" Malachi said.

"It was entrusted to Castle Izanagi before the battle. A safe place that those gods can't reach. It's been there ever since."

All of us wanted to ask at the same time, so we just sat there, our heads leaned forward, waiting for her to explain what the hell that was.

But she stayed silent.

Sigurd finally spoke for us, sighing. "Could you explain Castle Izanagi to them? You sort of glossed over that."

Asuka shook her head, "I didn't gloss over it. I was getting there. I told you it was going to be a lot." She took in a deep breath, "Castle Izanagi is, like this place, the stronghold for demigods of our pantheon. It is led by a descendant of Izanagi himself."

Before we could all jump up and lose our minds, Talon beat us to the punch. "You never mentioned anything about that Iza guy having other kids."

"I know. I wanted to explain the other story before getting to that."

Talon's head went back and forth slowly, eyebrows tight. "You're all over the place. How the hell do you expect us to trust you if you leave out important shit like that?"

Asuka looked like she wanted to shout in frustration, judging by the way she tensed up, but somehow she kept a level voice.

"I didn't leave it out. I'm not finished talking! Let me continue, and I'll explain what happened!"

Talon just pursed his lips and made a continue gesture.

She made a little groan of annoyance but elaborated. "Going back to when Ebisu was born and sent to adrift in the ocean. Izanagi was devastated with what he deemed a failure, so he had intercourse with several mortal women, as a sort of...backup plan. If the next child with Izanami didn't work out, then at least he would have little half breeds he could rely on. Eventually, when they grew up, they found each other, found out about their father, their power, etcetera, and started Castle Izanagi. A place where people like them could live and harness their abilities. It has been around almost since the beginning."

We were all a little surprised. It actually made sense, why Izanagi would do that. I mean, judging from what we've heard, he doesn't have the best sense of morality. I mean, hard to judge when you're talking about one of the first beings ever, but still. Throwing your own son out just because you thought he was ugly is pretty evil. Then creating a bunch of half breeds and never interacting with them is also just plain irresponsible. What if they took their powers and used them for the wrong reasons? What if they killed a bunch of innocent people? I mean, Asuka didn't elaborate, so they could've for all I know.

Annabeth was in awe, "That means...it's the oldest demigod camp of all time. Far older than Camp Half-Blood."

Sigurd nodded, "Far older than Camp Asgard. Probably all of them combined to be honest."

"It has changed some over time." Asuka said, "But it has been in the same place ever since it was built. At the time of its inception, the oldest half-blood of Izanagi, Katsu Yamaguchi, decided they should continue the bloodline of their father, so you can imagine what happened in the years to come."

Malachi looked disgusted, "Inbreeding."

"Correct. Every child came out healthy though, and it has been going ever since, all the way up to now. The current Lord is Goro Yamaguchi. There are several other descendants that make up the army. All of them very powerful. Other demigods live there as well, with their families, with children, a bit like it is here."

Silence followed, and we determined she was finished, with all of what she wanted to say. So I guess now we could ask questions.

I was the first. "Okay, so that was cool and all." I didn't want to sound sarcastic, because I actually meant that. "I mean seriously, that was interesting. I had no idea there was a demigod camp that had been around for that long, and the whole story of your pantheon's origin was cool. But Asuka, I have to ask...what does this have to do with us? We still haven't gotten to the part where you explain how you know Talon's dad, and what we can help you with."

She seemed to appreciate the way I worded it, because I could feel in her emotions that I was her new favorite of the bunch, though that's not saying too much. "I understand that was a lot, and it probably sounds like useless filler. I just wanted you to have a basic understanding of our pantheon before I go any further. Now I'll talk about why I'm here, and how all of you play a part in what's going on."

She was about to start on another tangent, when we heard a knock at the door.

It rapped on the wood three times, and all of our heads turned to look at it, Asuka's included.

"What is that?" She asked, a bit annoyed.

I reached out with my aura sense, and felt the energy of...Harper's mom?

I tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey, it's your mom."

"Huh?" She said, raising an eyebrow. The rapping was heard again, and Harper called out, "Yeah, come in!"

Nemesis opened the door and poked her head in, looking comically serious and intense. She expected to probably find just us in here but was surprised to see Sigurd not two feet away from her against the wall, and of course our new acquaintance Asuka. Who looked like she just came from a Comic-Con event.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Harper said, her ears turning a little red. Probably embarrassed that she was the reason Asuka got interrupted.

Nemesis could hardly catch her words. Couldn't blame her at all. Heh, we were probably a funny sight right about now.

"Um...I'll just wait outside for you." She awkwardly closed the door and shut it, I could feel her aura move a little and settle against the wall.

Asuka's hand was still in front of her, where she had been about to gesture something, and now she was in shock of what just happened.

"Can someone please explain?"

"It's our mom." Harper said, referring to Aiden as well. "Probably just here to annoy me. Keep going."

The daughter of Amaterasu looked towards me for some reason, and I just nodded quickly, urging her to continue.

"Um...okay then. As I was about to say, what all of this has to do with you." She cleared her throat and looked directly at Talon. "Your father reached out to me a long time ago, and we became friends. He talked about you a bit and told me that it was important you one day meet. I didn't think much of it, until recently he told me it was time to retrieve you. So here I am."

Talon didn't look very satisfied with that short explanation. "Woah, hold on there, samurai. You're gonna have to tell me a hell of a lot more than that. First off, why would he reach out to you of all people?"

Her voice came out like a hiss, "I am not a samurai, fool. I am a kunoichi."

"Don't know what that means, and I don't care. Now answer my question."

She huffed, "He was healing from the fatal blow your Olympians dealt him. Knowing he couldn't go back, he decided to stay. At one point, I had a vision telling me to go to a cave under the highest peak in Japan. I found myself in your father's presence, and we began to converse. Over time, we became friends."

"Friendship ain't enough to buy a retrieval mission." He argued. "Why'd you come all the way out here to get me? He offering you money or something?"

Asuka's head lowered a bit, "I owe him a favor. Once I return you to him, it's done."

"What did he do for you?"

She snapped on him, "It's none of your business. The point is, you're about to see your father again." She turned to the rest of us. "As for all of you, your interest lies in a new resident of our country; The Greek sky Primordial."

All of our eyes widened. Sera even gasped.

Sigurd spoke up when nobody else would. "Ouranos. He's been hiding in Japan this entire time."

I wanted to pull my hair out, or at least do something to let out the frustration. I had a feeling. I practically knew it for a fact when I saw that vision with Zane. The one of Ouranos sitting among bamboo. I just knew that bastard was over there, yet I did nothing about it. Hearing it get confirmed just feels like a sucker punch to the gut.

"How do you know?" Harper's voice was tiny.

"I travelled there to visit the Shinto's camp, for my idea of the Great Convergence, and stumbled on a destroyed fishing port. The media portrayed it as a wild storm, but I knew better. One single area completely obliderated by lightning, several dead...even two samurai were killed."

"Samurai?" Malachi said, "You mean, from this Castle you were speaking of?"

"That's right." Asuka said, "Young ones. Inexperienced and afraid. They were slaughtered like animals. That was the first time I felt his presence, though I imagine he's been there longer, judging by what Sigurd has said."

"A whole year, I'd guess." I growled, "The whole time, he was there. I knew it. I literally said it just recently, didn't I?"

Nobody answered me, they all just nodded. I couldn't be too mad. We didn't know for sure what we would be walking into, if it was a trap, an illusion, or just plain suicide. Still though, knowing that we could've jumped on it sooner bothers me.

"Did you see him?" Annabeth practically whispered, then repeated herself just to make sure it was heard.

Sigurd shook his head, "I didn't."

"I didn't even know he was there, or to be frank, alive until I felt his presence in that outburst. If he has been there as long as you say, then he's done an excellent job of remaining hidden." Asuka said.

"No telling what that psycho's done since he's been there." Percy worried, "He's probably raised up an entire army by now."

"That's doubtful." Asuka disagreed, "Not much happens without Goro or myself knowing about it. Outside of the gods, we have the best chi sensing abilities." She cocked her head, and her next words signaled it was out of distaste. "Goro is...shady, to put it nicely. But I do know that he cares about his reputation, so he'll protect the people of Castle Izanagi. He noticed Ouranos's presence the same time I did. If he was on the move before that, we didn't notice it."

We all sat there, unsure of what to say. I think we were all trying to relax our bodies, but they just wouldn't budge. Hearing that name again after the whole Tartarus debacle, it was like throwing us back into the ringer. We'd just gotten done beating his brother, and that was a huge task on its own, now we get tossed into the same old thing again? On unfamiliar grounds no less?

"I have a question for you, now." Asuka stated, looking towards me. "It's clear Ouranos was hiding to regain his strength all this time, but now he seems to have gained it back. What will he do next? What is his goal? You all know him better than I."

Talon interjected, "You'll help us fight Ouranos?" His tone was level now, and not as combative as before. He was just genuinely curious. "I thought your mission was to take me to my dad, not lead our band of misfits into battle."

"There are...good people in Castle Izanagi. Many of them I care about, along with Japan, and the entirety of the world. I'm not so cold hearted that I won't help stop a threat when it's right in front of me. If I stand by and do nothing, Ouranos's chances of destroying my home becomes far greater."

"But you didn't know about us before." I noted, "So what would you have done if you didn't run into Sigurd?"

She shrugged, "I suppose it would've worked out either way. I was coming to get Talon, and you all would've been here."

"Say we wouldn't have, though." I pushed, "What then?"

I stared at those lifeless cat eyes, no idea as to what that face looked like behind them. It made it easier to hold the eye contact, but at the same time, there was an uncertainty to it. I focused on her aura after I said it and was surprised to find it level. There was no anger or annoyance to my persistence, just a hint of nervousness, which I found interesting.

"I would have figured it out. Gotten Talon, brought him to his father, and formed a plan with the samurai of Castle Izanagi. Who knows? Perhaps Nikandreos could have helped as well."

I continued to stare.

"Is that satisfactory?"

Finally, I nodded. For some reason, she seemed a lot older than she really appeared to be. I mean, we couldn't see her, but if she was a demigod, and with her athletic, slim shape, she couldn't be out of her twenties. So why did her aura feel so much more ancient? Why did it seem like she knew way more than what she was letting on?

I tried my best not to show my suspicion. "Yeah, that makes sense."

She seemed to not catch anything. "Good. Now, are we in agreement? We shall work together?"

Everyone, instead of looking at me, looked to Percy and Annabeth, as they should. They were the camp leaders, and most mature. I mean, Malachi and Sera are older, but...come on.

Percy sighed, exhausted from all the information. "Guess we'll have to keep planning our wedding in Japan, wise girl."

Everyone nodded at the confirmation, accepting the new quest. Even Asuka caught on, and nodded firmly, pleased with our quick decision.

"Excellent. I realize this was sudden, but as warriors, you understand the urgency here. I can teleport us without issue, when you're ready."

Well, this wasn't exactly how I imagined the day would go. I didn't wake up this morning expecting Sigurd to bring in some stranger, who dumps a load of information on our laps, and then teleports us to Japan. Let this be a lesson kids; always expect the unexpected.

I wouldn't be going anyway. At least, not right now. I still had to train with Zeus (which I'm still freaking out about) but I'll break that to her later.

"Give us an hour." Annabeth offered, "That work?"

"That is fine." Asuka said.

Harper and Percy both looked at Annabeth with a side eye, silently saying um, only an hour? I'm gonna need a whole hour just to process this! She ignored them.

Malachi and Sera seemed to be pleased with it, as if they were a pebble flowing in a river today. Whatever came their way, they were absolutely fine.

"I suppose we are leaving Camp for a while." He muttered.

Sera squealed, "I've never been to Japan before! I've heard it's pretty!"

Sigurd cleared his throat loudly, "Um, Asuka, could you wait outside for a moment. I...think they need to talk amongst themselves for a moment."

She didn't argue, "Yes. I'll be waiting by the campfire."

Sigurd opened the door for her and when she was clear of it, he shut it. Immediately, my tired friend leaned against the wall and rubbed his face.

"I apologize for...all of that. Especially on your holiday."

Aiden, for the first time, spoke up. He was incredulous. "No, don't worry about it man. I just gotta say though...that was some crazy shit! Like Japan?! Ouranos in Japan?! Am I the only one that doesn't know what the hell's going on?!"

"No, you're not. Believe me." Harper grumbled.

"It's gotta be true." I said, "It makes perfect sense. He used Tartarus as a tunnel to get there, and he's been hiding out ever since. Regaining his strength, laying low, avoiding the gods over there...it's textbook Ouranos."

Talon was pacing now, shaking his head. "Something just ain't right about that chick."

"I don't think she's lying, Talon." Malachi reasoned, "Sigurd backs it up, and it does sound like my father. He hates being under the radar. He wants everyone to know how powerful he is."

"Not about Ouranos, I believe that. And hell, if he's over there, then I'm all for chasing him down and fighting him. I'm talking about the stuff with my dad." He stared expectantly at Malachi, who said nothing. "She knew where he was, man, this entire time, and I didn't. Nikandreos picks some stranger over his own son. Friends, my ass. Their entire relationship is based on that one favor she mentioned, and I wanna know what it is."

"Does it really matter?" Sera muttered cautiously, afraid to piss Talon off further than he already was.

But he didn't blow up, "Kind of! I mean, I can kind of accept not telling anybody, and not telling your son either. Okay. But telling some strange girl and not telling your son? Doesn't make sense. She's holding back some information, and if we're going with her, we'd better be on our guard."

Percy nodded, "I...actually agree. I mean, just sensing her aura is enough to give me a headache. Did you guys feel it?" He looked back and forth between myself and Malachi.

We both nodded. "It's huge." I said, "Way bigger than ours. If she picks a vulnerable moment...she could kill all of you." I turned to Harper, "Even you with the Eros sword."

Harper was in disbelief, "Guess Amaterasu is the shit over there, huh?"

"Like I said-" Sigurd cut in, "-Shinto Zeus."

Talon pointed at me, "And you're not even going, so that just makes things ten times better."

"You know why, man. As soon as I'm done with Zeus, I'll be there as fast as possible. It's not like I'm leaving you out to dry."

He calmed himself. Closing his eyes, he retracted his pointed finger. "I know, kid. Sorry. I'm just wound up, that's all."

Annabeth leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees. We could all see the gears turning inside that well-refined machine in her head. "Looking at it from afar, this is a really bad situation guys. I mean, it's a shot at Ouranos, so we can't really refuse it, and...we sort of already agreed, but I think it'll help to look at the dangers here." She began counting on her fingers with each point. "Asuka is very powerful, so if she's not who she says she is, then that's one enemy we've got. Since more time has passed, Ouranos is more powerful now, so that's two. And knowing him, he'll try to recruit Shinto gods to his side, so that could be...an untold amount of enemies. Castle Izanagi may be a big trap as well. She even admitted that their leader is shady."

Percy looked like he'd sunk in his seat with every point Annabeth made. "So we're basically having to keep our guard up on all sides."

"Not to mention you're going in unfamiliar territory." Nico noted, "Like, entirely different pantheon territory."

Annabeth smiled humorlessly, "There's that too. I know we've got our heavy hitters...but that's a lot of odds against us, guys."

"What choice do we have?" Malachi asked, "Wait for my father to get more powerful and fight him here?"

I remembered what he said back in Scandinavia, on top of that mountain. "We know at some point he's going for the Adam Tree. I've seen it on Olympus, and I'm guessing it's like a huge power boost or something."

"So we could wait for him?" Sera asked.

"We could, but that wouldn't be smart." Annabeth urged.

"She's right." I said, "It's too big of a risk. Better to cut him off and take the fight to him while we can. Which...I know usually doesn't work out for us, but maybe this time it will. Maybe things will work out."

Harper looked at me over her shoulder, "What about you? I mean, you said the training takes five days, right? What if we can't hold out for that long?"

I bit my lip, "I wouldn't worry about that. You guys will be fine. Just for a second...assume that Asuka is good, assume that this Castle Izanagi is good. That should be more than enough support to last you five days."

"And if they aren't?" Talon pressed.

I wasn't sure what to say. If Asuka turned out to be setting a trap, for whatever reason, and this Goro guy was even more shady than she mentioned, then they'd be in serious trouble. If Asuka wields the kind of power that I think she does, then it's safe to assume that the other demigods over there are strong as well. It would be like walking right into the middle of a lion's den with meat strapped to your neck.

"If they aren't...well, let's just hope they aren't."

Talon cursed under his breath, "Great."

Percy stood up and looked at Aiden and Nico, "You guys got the Camp covered? I know it's a lot to ask...but we might have a better chance if Annabeth and I go."

Nico nodded in agreement, and Percy nodded back thankfully. Aiden waved a dismissive hand.

"Ah, you know we'll take care of it." He nudged Nico on the arm, "It's gonna be so much fun bossing Mr. D around."

Nico deadpanned at him, "You'd better take this seriously."

Aiden looked offended, "I always do!"

Sigurd walked right up to Percy and held out his hand, a look of sympathy crossing his features.

"I apologize for bringing such a...heavy burden. I never intended to interrupt your wedding plans."

Percy just sighed and half-smiled, shaking the Son of Odin's hand firmly. "Ah, don't worry about it. Not your fault. Guess your Sigurd, huh?"

"I am." He then shook hands with Annabeth, "Nice to meet you. Matt said many good things about you the last time we saw each other."

"A son of Odin..." Annabeth sounded like she was on the verge of asking a question, "Matt said you had a theory on the differing pantheons years ago. What brought that up?"

Sigurd was pleasantly surprised by the question. "Well...it's a rather long story. I could tell you if you like."

Annabeth smiled and shrugged, "We've got almost an hour."

She motioned him out of the living room to talk more, their voices echoing down the hallway. I smirked. I already knew those two would get along.

Percy chuckled, "Guess Annabeth found a new friend."

"Eggheads, both of em'." Talon snorted.

All of us began standing up, Malachi and Sera were next, saying if they had only less than an hour to prepare, they'd better do so.

Percy was next, saying he should probably tell the campers what was going on, and that he and Annabeth would be away for a little while...which, to be honest, probably wouldn't be shocking news to them.

After him, Harper went, gathering Aiden with her to see what Nemesis had stopped by for. I took that as my cue to leave the Big House as well, since it's probably rude to ignore your girlfriend's mom on Christmas. I only met Nemesis a couple of months ago, so I was still new. Better be on my best behavior.

We left the house and found her waiting in the same spot I felt her aura before. She turned her head and her entire laxed expression changed.

"Harper, Aiden..."

"What are you doing here?" Harper asked. Gently, not with attitude or anything.

Nemesis looked slightly uncomfortable. Her hands kept fidgeting, like she was in a completely foreign situation. "I just figured I should see my children on a holiday." Her icy blue eyes flicked to me for a moment. "Hello, Matt."

"Hi, ma'am." I greeted awkwardly. As in, very awkwardly. "It's good to see you again."

She nodded, "Um...sorry if I interrupted. I didn't realize you were having visitors."

"I think the term you're looking for is weird ass visitors, Mom." Aiden joked.

"One of them is a friend." Harper informed, "The other is...yeah, a weird ass visitor. She basically just laid a new quest on us."

"A new quest?"

"Yeah um, I'll explain." She turned toward me, "Can we meet back up in a few?"

I already knew what she was thinking, so I obliged. "Of course. I wanted to catch up with Sigurd anyway."

She nodded gratefully. Her and Aiden escorted Nemesis across camp to their cabin, and I sighed. I didn't want to think about it, but the thought already slipped its way in my brain. What if this was the last time they saw each other?

I couldn't help the fear that crept in watching those three walking together. It kind of reminded me of that little frame on Mount Othrys, the group hug that included Levi. That was the first, and last time they had been happy together. All of them content with each other. It was such a shame. Harper longed for peace with Levi, and the moment she got it, he gets killed.

Just the same way I'm sure Nemesis longed for peace with him. It's not fair for both of them. Not fair at all. How cruel can the world be? Is it karma? Is it the fates? Once Levi tries to change, he's destined to die for the things he's done? Am I supposed to die because of the things I've done? The things I caused?

I think back to those times, a long time ago, when I attracted all kinds of monsters. Put mortals in danger. I think about the times I lost my head, not being able to put a cap on the power. It poured over at times, and I lost it. I nearly killed Hephaestus because I couldn't control it.

The way I thought about my dad. When all along he was trapped against his will, wanting nothing more than to see my mom again. To see me again. I hated the man that loved me for years.

What about Talon? What about Harper? Or Malachi? Are we all going to fail just because of our past actions? Is that the way fate works? Because I have no idea.

I heard the door to the Big House creak open and close with quick succession, footsteps on the grass walking towards me. Then a voice.

"You've changed."

I don't even turn, because I recognize the accent instantly. Sigurd.

"How so?"

He comes up next to me and I see red hair in my peripheral. A black cloak swaying with the wind.

"You have a different look about you. Before, you were nervous, sad, and angry all at the same time. Now you're just sad."

"I think...tired is a little more fitting." I chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds better."

Sigurd chuckled too, "It's good to see you again. I'm sure you've saved the world a few times since our last meeting?"

I shook my head, "It was all them. I just punched a few faces here and there."

"I'm sure there was far more to it than that."

His tone urged me to tell him, and I didn't really have a problem in doing so. He deserved to know. It's just...some of the Tartarus details are still fresh. I don't like talking or thinking about that guy at all.

So I told him. I summed it up in about five minutes. That's all it took. It's funny how quick it was, all of the Atlas stuff, the Tartarus stuff. We went through so much, yet it only takes about five minutes to explain.

Of course I left some stuff out. I didn't really feel comfortable or at liberty talking about Malachi almost killing himself, certainly not about fake Harper's death, or some of the crap Tartarus put me through. I surprisingly had no nightmares so far of the events, and I'd personally love to keep it that way.

When I finished, Sigurd stared at me in disbelief. "Odin's beard. To be honest, I thought I might have you beaten with my own tales, but they don't really compare."

"How'd the search go?" I said, "Did you find the other camps like you said you would?"

He moved his head around in a so-so manner. "I did. Not everything went as expected, of course, but I more or less achieved what I set out to do."

"Man, I can't believe it. You actually travelled around the world and found all these demigods. Was it hard?"

"Hell yes it was. It feels like a lifetime of work, but it was only a year. I still cannot believe that I've been away from home that long."

"You haven't gone back?"

"No, not yet. I will after I finish here, though. I miss Arya, I miss...everybody." He breathed out, long and hard. "It's funny, homesickness was always foreign to me."

"You have more now than you did." I noted.

He agreed, "Oh yes."

"Any promising warriors out there?" I actually was curious. If Sigurd really had found the other pantheons like he said, then that's a real gamechanger. It makes the fight against Ouranos a lot easier, if it comes down to it. Which it may not now, if we get lucky in Japan. But still, it's nice to know you have a backup.

"All of them. The leaders especially were very promising. I met a Mayan demigod, who I actually ended up dropping a meteor on."

"A meteor?"

"Yeah. Just a misunderstanding. Then I met a Slavic demigod who had a knack for shapeshifting. We fought a god together, and I had to use a last resort to emerge victorious. Then an old Hindu demigod, who was particularly strong. Finally, a Christian man who had been killed in a car accident as a child, but brought back to life by God."

I raised an eyebrow at that, "Wait, the Christian God brought him back to life?"

"Yes, and left him with a little gift. He can basically channel some of his God's power to himself, and use it. Very powerful, but he doesn't have the best control of it."

Man, he had been pretty busy. "Sounds like your year's been just as interesting as mine."

He didn't say anything, just gave the hint of a smile. We both looked around Camp, but I drank it in. Here we go again. I was getting that feeling that it might be a while before I see it again. Zeus's training is five days, but who knows how long this Japan thing will last.

Thinking of Japan, I found my eyes trailing towards another black cloak, topped off with a white cat mask. She sat by the campfire we'd set up in the middle of the Camp. The others had drifted away once she sat down. I could tell, because there were many in the tree line giving her weird looks.

She wasn't warming up. She didn't have her hands out, her posture was straight, and her head didn't budge a millimeter. If I had to guess, she was just staring at the heart of the fire, waiting for time to pass. She was ready to get back home as soon as possible.

"She trustworthy?"

He followed my line of sight and found Asuka, "Her? From what I've gathered, she seems genuine. Could've killed me several times over, yet she didn't." He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Could've destroyed this place already if she wanted, but she hasn't."

"Doesn't seem like the type." I said, "She's smart, I can already tell. She'd probably lead you into a trap if she could. Get you cornered with some of her other friends, then take you out." I shrugged, "Or not. She might be the most noble person in the world. But that's the thing, we just don't know."

He nodded silently, "You're right."

"And I don't like everyone going off with her and me not knowing what's going on."

"Talon mentioned you weren't going. Is it true?"

"I want to now. I really do. But first I have something else to take care of." It felt surreal saying it. "Zeus offered to train me for five days. He says...he can make me strong enough to defeat Ouranos, even at the level of power he's at now."

"That's quite the offer. Odin has never offered me such a thing. Heh, and I'm his son."

"Yeah, it's a backup plan. According to him, at least. He thinks that it'll come down to them fighting. And get this..." I looked at him, and the same expression I had when Zeus told me came up. "...He's not sure if he can stop him. He wants me to be ready to finish Ouranos off."

"He's unpredictable." Sigurd said, "It's not impossible for him to reach that kind of power." His good eye bore into mine, "Or you."

"True. Gotten this far, both of us." I wanted to cringe. It sounded like I gave a shred of credit to Ouranos. Which is never something I want to happen again. I tried switching it to a darker note. "But it will end. Maybe this Japan thing is the answer, or maybe Zeus's training is the answer, I don't know. But it will end."

We let the words hang for a moment, then Sigurd nodded. "I believe you."

I meant it. Whether it's delusional or not, I meant what I said. We keep getting burned and burned, but we have to keep hope alive. Hope that one day the dam breaks, and it ends. Ouranos has to die.

"You can speak to her, if you like." He gestured to Asuka with his head, "See for yourself."

I hesitated, and almost said no. But then I remembered what I literally just said. I didn't trust her. I wouldn't see my friends, or this new girl for five days. It might help to get to know her better. Or...as well as you can get to know someone in a single short conversation.

"Alright, I will. Are you heading home soon? If you want to stay the night, you're more than welcome. I'm sure you're tired, and Percy won't mind."

Sigurd immediately refused, "Thank you, but no. I'll rest better once I'm home."

I got the hint and held out my hand, "Hate we didn't get to talk that much, but hopefully we'll get another chance after all of this."

Sigurd shook it and smiled, "I do as well. Perhaps I could come back again sometime. Arya wouldn't believe how warm it is here."

"It's...like thirty-eight degrees right now."

"I know." He chuckled, "Very warm to me."

I laughed and shook my head, "I'll see you around, man."

We said goodbye and parted ways. I walked over to where Asuka was, deciding to find out a bit more about the supposed daughter of Amaterasu. At least as much as I could before I had to talk to someone else.

She didn't move at my presence, but she clearly knew I approached. She said something about chi sensing abilities. Didn't take a genius to figure out what chi was. Energy. Or to me, aura. So I took it as permission to sit down.

So I did, three feet away, not facing her. I wasn't sure how to start a conversation with her, and I really didn't know what questions to ask. She already gave her explanation, and to be honest, I hadn't planned on how to pick it apart. I wasn't one for interrogations to be honest. I'd probably just screw it up.

For some reason, I decided to comment on the weather. "You know, we have this dome around Camp that lets us keep the place warm, like an endless summer. But the campers like the whole Christmas vibe, and snow with it. So Mr. D- I mean, Dionysus lets it down." I smirk, "He says it's because he wants everyone to suffer, but I know he really cares about the campers. If they want something trivial, he'll cave in."

Asuka was quiet for a moment, but she did finally move, breaking the statue like trance she'd been in for the last few minutes. It was small, just a little posture break of her neck slumping, but movement nether the less.

"You have a good home here." She actually stumbled over her next words, like she didn't mean for them to come out. "Mine used to be like that."

Here I am, trying to get to the bottom of this mystery person, yet I didn't press on that. That little voice in me that forces me to be polite stopped me. I'm the wrong person for this kind of thing. I can't be blunt, or quick to ask personal questions. If I hear even a hint of emotion in someone's statement, I immediately place that to something they don't want to talk about. I just know if it were me, like with the Tartarus situation, I wouldn't want to talk about it.

So I continue the small talk, "How did you and Sigurd meet?"

"I saved him from Goro's samurai."

"Why did he need saving?" Okay, now I was getting a little fire in my voice. There it was.

"He was curious. He intended to follow them back to the Castle, for his own reasons. The thing is though, if the samurai see power in foreigners, most of the time they assume the person is a threat. They most likely mistook his curiosity for an attack."

"And you told him about your mission to retrieve Talon?"

"We found out we were going to the same place and decided to travel together. Nothing more."

Before I could even think about the next thing to say, she beat me to the punch. "He mentioned you quite a bit. Made you sound like a god."

"I'm not even close." I snickered, "I just got myself roped into some sick game. Might as well try to win."

Finally, she turned to me, and those lifeless eyes stared at the side of my face, daring me to turn and meet them. I didn't.

"But it's personal, isn't it? He killed your father in front of you."

I felt my jaw tighten. So Sigurd had mentioned that too? "It became personal. I never asked for this." I didn't expect to go on a roll and start gesturing with my hands, but the words just came out without haste. "I would give anything to keep the good things this life has given me and get rid of the bad. I'd trade every bit of my power to just have another year with my dad. He took that away from me."

"He is a demon."

I snorted, "That's one word for it."

Asuka's aim moved from my face to the fire. Her hand slowly reached out towards it, fingers entering the flame without the slightest flinch. Like she was testing the temperature of water. She cupped her hand and scooped out a piece of it, pulling it near her chest and holding it like a small pet.

"You know...I have a similar conflict." It was the most vulnerable her voice had sounded thus far. I mean, it wasn't weak or timid at all, but noticeably softer than the drill Seargent we got earlier. "I barely knew my mother because of Tsukuyomi and Susanoo. I get pieces every now and then, little pictures of yellow light, her face above me, smiling." I could practically hear her smile in her next words. "I'm not quite sure why, but it always makes me feel better. The most powerful goddess in our culture, the one that wields the power of a billion suns, the master of death itself...and she's smiling at me."

"They took that time away from you." I said.

"Yes. All for jealousy and greed."

"You want to kill them?"

"Sometimes. But the death katana remains with Castle Izanagi. The failure broke them, and they became husks. It brings me enough satisfaction to not turn to savagery."

I nodded. If by savagery, she meant revenge, then I see where she's coming from. Look at Harper and how that whole thing played out. That's enough to let me know that it's not worth it.

But it's Ouranos.

"I understand. But...I will kill him. I want to kill him. I want to stop him from hurting people, yeah, but I want him dead." I leaned toward her, "I even dream about it sometimes."

I realized I'd gotten pretty close, and a little intense. So I backed up. "I'm sorry."

"It is reasonable. But don't stay on the middle of the fence for what you want." She really must like using visual examples, because she broke off a piece of the fire and held it in her other hand. They were of equal size.

"It might help to decide which is more important to you. Avenging your father..." One of the flames grew a little taller, "...Or preventing the world from being destroyed." The tall one died a bit and the other one took a turn at glowing brighter.

"I think about it a lot."

She closed her hands to fists and the flames died. "But you may not get your chance now, since you will not be there."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you- Oh...you heard." She's got good hearing. I'd have to remember that.

"I cannot blame you. Zeus offering training is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"It won't be for long. Only five days. I'll be there." I didn't like how unsure I sounded, so I repeated it. "I'll be there."

"It may be over by then. For either side."

I gave her a disapproving look, and she shrugged. "I like to remain realistic. I understand that you don't trust me, and I can't blame you. But you'll have to take my word for it, I'm not out to set a trap for anyone, I'm not going to turn on your group or put them in danger. I will do my best to help and protect them, because they could be the only chance of keeping my home from being burned to the ground."

She obviously heard the entire conversation with Sigurd, yet I still tried to play it off. "Don't worry about my opinion. Percy's the leader."

"Percy isn't the one that doesn't trust me."

I wanted to say well, he probably doesn't, he's just not saying anything, but I held back. "I...trust that you're powerful. I just hope you use that for the right reason."

I think Asuka might've started to argue with me. Either that or calmly dispute everything I said, but I didn't get the chance to find out. I felt Harper's aura emerge from her cabin, and I immediately turned around.

We locked eyes immediately, and I somehow made out the little head gesture she made towards the opposite end of Camp. And I knew it could only mean that she was urging some kind of talk in my cabin.

I would've liked a little more time to talk with Asuka, but if Harper needs to talk about something, then you'd better believe I'm going to talk about it. She's top priority. Not to mention this might be the last time we talk until the five days are up.

"Look-" I started, but Asuka cut me off.

"Go." She said, "Go on. We'll see what happens. Perhaps we meet again in five days."

"We will." I assured. Who am I assuring? Myself, I guess. "Just...take care of them."

She said nothing but nodded. I took that as a good enough answer and walked towards the waiting Harper. I didn't even make a beeline towards her, I sort of turned at about the five foot mark, and she followed. Both of our steps in line with each other, almost robotic towards my little abode.

Without words, I opened the door and she went in, I followed, and shut it behind me with a loud thud. The way the wood slams together makes it sound like I just closed the gates to a freaking dungeon.

It's loud, but it's a really awesome cabin, I have to say.

Leo Valdez built it, so that should give you an idea. The guy is a master craftsman. It looks like the inside of a seasoned hunter's den. Just a little...fancier. It smells like fresh cut lumber, with a log cabin style build. Dark colored wood, a coat of prime that's pretty much everlasting, because the little shine that it gives off hasn't gone away since it's been built. But two things that really stick out to me is the statue of my father, and the lion's pelt above my bed, sprawled out on the wall.

The statue is the best though. It's painful, sure, a constant reminder of what happened, but it's also a reminder of the good times we had. I can wake up and see his face, even if it is made of stone.

Alright, so you've had a little reality TV tour of the house, let's get back to what's important. Harper.

She didn't hesitate to sit on the center of my bed. She didn't look lost or anything, she just looked like she'd been dragged around on a trip she...didn't necessarily hate, but she didn't want to go on it either.

"You alright?"

She sighed, "Oh yeah, I'm good. It's just crazy how fast this is. It was...what, two days ago? Two days ago when we dealt with that Tartarus crap? Now we're getting thrown back into something else."

"I know." I laughed humorlessly, "We didn't even get all of Christmas Day. Honestly thought we'd at least make it that far."

I expected her to rant a little, but she surprised me with a shrug. "Just roll with the punches, right? Got another shot at Ouranos, might as well take it."

I reared my head back, "That's optimistic of you."

"Hell, you have to be." She grumbled, "At this point, it's like a sick, twisted sport, with a really short offseason."

I closed the distance and sat next to her slowly, my weight pushed the mattress down a little, which made Harper's shoulder brush against mine. "That's probably the best analogy I've heard so far."

Comfortable silence followed, and we locked eyes. She'd changed so much in the time that we've known each other. Physically of course, but comparing that to her emotional growth is like comparing an inch to a mile. Her outlook is completely different than before, and the good eye has a different glow to it. If you looked at her face, at her body, you'd see a young woman, but if you glanced into that blue eye, you'd see someone that's suffered a hundred years of pain.

But the difference now is, she's getting over that pain. I just know it. I hope I'm not misreading it, because that's all I want for her. Peace of mind.

I placed my hand over hers, the one closest to me. "We're gonna be okay."

She shook her head, "Oh, I know. I'm not worried or anything. We'll probably get rid of Ouranos before you get to show off your new powers anyway."

I know her. And I know that she's about...fifty percent confident in that statement. Part of it's a front, so I don't worry, but she doesn't know that at this point, I've pretty much learned every tell she has. The way she squeezes my hand quickly and shakes her head, not looking at me. It's a clear sign that she's unsure.

I want to just tell her it's okay to be unsure. Completely. The only reason that I'm so sure is because I want it so bad.

But stupid me just laughs, "New powers? Maybe. I really don't know what to expect. I really can't guess as to how I can get stronger than I am now. But if anyone can pull it off, it'll be Zeus."

"Are you still mad at him?"

"Nah. It was pretty stupid of me to be mad to begin with. I just...felt like such a failure at not being able to stop...you know, that from happening, that I just wanted to place the blame on an easy target." I felt her tense up at the hint towards Levi. "And Zeus is an easy scapegoat."

As quick as it came, she eased back into a relaxed position, "So it won't be awkward for you guys?"

"I hope not. Besides, it's not just for me to get stronger, it's for him to have a backup plan. I get the feeling he's not going to be my grandfather for the next five days."

I tried to switch the subject, because the more I talked about training with Zeus the more anxious I got. "So what's up with your mom? Did you guys have a good talk?"

Her gaze averted to the ground, the stray locks that escaped her braid long before now fell over the side of her forehead. "She showed up to see us for Christmas. Nothing crazy."

I was surprised. To be honest, at first, I thought Nemesis was just saying what she said in the moment on Mount Othrys, but she wouldn't actually deliver. She's definitely proven me wrong. She fully intends to make herself a part of Harper's life, and hopefully make up for all of those years she was absent. Going against the ancient laws no less.

"She's really making an effort." It came out as a whisper of disbelief. Harper didn't smile. Her gaze was a thousand miles away, her mind in a tunnel blocking out sound.

"What's wrong?"

She was pretty zoned out. I thought I might have to tap her on the shoulder, but a quick burst of blinks broke that.

Her eyelashes dipped up and down several times, lips stretched out into a tired half smile. "It's just weird, you know? I know she means well, and I really, really appreciate her following up on her word. But...this is the first time we're actually talking. Over the years, I saw her maybe a handful of times, hardly any words spoken. I hated her, you know that." The hand that wasn't in mine lifted a little, then plopped back against her leg. "It's like she's a stranger. I hate to say that, but that's how it feels."

I nodded, completely understanding. "I think it just takes time. I mean, when I saw my dad, it was really weird at first. He was training me, and it felt like he was more of a mean coach than a father. But there were these quiet moments, these glimpses that he gave me of the real him. When he'd talk about my mom, when he'd talk about his hero days, that was when I got to know him." I shrugged, not sure if any of this was helping. It's similar, but it's also different in many ways. Hercules didn't have two kids with my mom, and my mom wasn't abusive in the slightest. "You just have to give it a chance."

"You're right. And I'm more than willing to do that. I want this to work, because she's...I mean, she's my freaking mom, Matt. You know how it is. I just want something normal for once. I couldn't have it with Levi, I need it with her."

"You'll have it." I soothed, "You will. It's only been a few days, Harper. You just have to let it develop. You're just now getting to the point where there's no animosity, of course it's gonna be awkward to start with."

"And there's Aiden." She sighed, "Aiden. He deserves a better sister."

"You're a great sister to him." I said, my voice getting higher, because I couldn't really believe what she was saying. "Why would you say that? He adores you."

"I'm never there for him anymore. We used to have such great talks. When I first came to camp, I only opened up to a select few. Chiron, Annabeth, Jett..."

"Asshole."

She snickered, "Yeah. And Annabeth sometimes. She was great, but you know, busy with the Titan war. Aiden though, he was family. He understood what it was like losing a parent. It felt...comfortable talking to him. Then when I found out Levi was the Cloaked Man, I wanted to be the role model for him that Levi wasn't for me. I promised myself that I wouldn't fail him."

"You haven't." I fought like crazy to keep my hands away from her. Not sure what I was going to do with them, I just wanted to comfort her somehow. "You can't think like that. As soon as you think like that, it spirals. It spirals and spirals until you reach the end, and that's nowhere you want to be. You've already been there, and I really don't want to see you there again."

Her head came up quickly, the weight of my words immediately crashing into her ears. I didn't intend on my gaze being as intense as it was, but it must've been, because she seemed to melt at it. Her eyebrows drooped and her good eye darted back and forth between mine, like a shooter switching targets at light speed.

"You ever think about what it's going to be like in a few years? After all of this?"

It was out of left field, and I'll admit, it took me off guard. It was definitely a valid question, but I wondered where it was coming from. Had she been thinking about this for a while?

She seemed to realize the huge subject shift. "Sorry, that was completely out of nowhere."

"No! No, it's fine. I mean...yeah, that's a good question." I thought about it, and I couldn't really remember any time I thought in depth about my future. I mean obviously I had that little naive picture in my head of all of us together forever, but nothing attached to that. Believe me, I know there's a lot attached to something like that. Harper, what I'm going to even do as an adult, a job? Be a hero? Try to live as a mortal?

I finally came to the conclusion with a laugh. I probably looked like a lost puppy. "It's actually scary how little thought I've put into it."

"I'm in the same boat. I've never, ever thought about it until now. For my entire life, it was revenge, and finding Levi. Those were the reasons I continued on." She let out a short exhale, like a scoff. "It's completely different now. I mean completely different."

"I know." I said, "I mean, for me it was just...stay alive, and stay away from everybody else. I guess the only thing future wise I dreamed of was helping my mom get better somehow. I never really knew how I would do it, but I just wanted to. It was like the only goal on the horizon I had." Like Harper, a burst of air escaped my lips. "And now that's all changed. She's better. She's...better, now. I feel like there's a chance for something way more than just survival. And it feels weird."

"Because it's gonna end." She said, "It has to. It can't last forever."

I came dangerously close to reminding her of my older counterpart that gave me the Master Bolt. In his timeline, Ouranos won and now he's locked in a battle for eternity with the Primordial. It was a prime example what could happen. But I managed to not say anything. I knew it would just dampen her mood.

"Not here, it won't." I squeezed her hand, "So what do you have in mind? What do you wanna do after all of this craziness is over?"

She shook her head and let out a rumble of laughs, "I have no fucking idea. Like none at all."

"Well let's think about it for a second. Like...would we work? I mean, I've never considered a career or anything." It was crazy to even talk about, and suddenly a little image of me in an office space, nearly ripping a dress shirt to pieces came in mind, and it kind of horrified me for some reason. "I'm only finishing high school because of my promise to mom."

"Jobs, Matt? I mean, maybe you could...but all I know how to do is fight." She pressed her tongue to her cheek, "Fight and make stupid jokes. So I guess comedian's off the table."

"Hell, I'm the same way, Harper. I'm just a big, dumb guy that punches things really hard. Oh, and sometimes swings a stick around. Can't forget about the stick."

"Would we stay at Camp?" She asked, "I mean, I know there's really no age limit, but does it really look good if we're twenty-five and still technically campers? It's home, though. It's the only damn place I've known other than the farmhouse. And that was just...a complete shitshow." I'd never really seen Harper like this, she looked almost desperate. Like she couldn't stand the fact that she had so many questions, so much uncertainty about the future.

"And I don't know that much about the city, or how apartments work, how a mortal life even works. Just...damn, there's so much to it. I need a freaking aspirin just to think about stuff like this."

I had such a delayed reaction to it, but I found myself rewinding back to the we part. Would we stay at Camp? She said. She had said it so casually it wasn't even a second thought.

I had to interrupt, "Wait, you said we."

Her nose scrunched up. "Huh?"

"You said we. Like would we stay at Camp. Implying...we live together."

"Yeah..." She trailed off in a duh manner. It was so obvious to her, and I felt kind of horrible for even questioning it myself. But I don't think it was so much as questioning it, as just being surprised by her certainty.

"In ten years, you see me in your life?" I was completely still, grounded to the bed, which now felt like a layer of rocks instead of a soft mattress. "You think we'll still be together, even then?"

Harper took a moment of silence to just stare at me. She didn't take it the wrong way, and I was grateful for that. I didn't mean for it to sound like I was questioning our relationship, I just...couldn't believe she felt that strongly about it. I never doubt that Harper loves me, but in all of her uncertainty about the future, it makes my heart run a marathon to know that the one thing she's certain on is what we have.

Finally, she gave her answer. With a small nod, she said, "Of course I do." She made the most movement she has so far in this conversation by shifting to face me completely, taking her other, free hand and sliding it on top of mine, forming a little hand smore.

"Matt, my life has been a fucking mess for years. For the longest time, I never knew where I was going. I never wanted, or expected my life to ever mean anything past the point of killing one man. In my own mind, I wasn't even human. I was just a vessel for vengeance. At one point, I reveled in the bodies I left behind, I accepted that I was a monster. It didn't matter what I did, how evil my actions were, because the only thing I cared about was one death."

It hurt me to think about that. A young Harper on the streets, alone and bitter. Killing at such a young age because she thinks she has to. As much as I tried to push the imagery out of my head, it persisted with each word that came out of her mouth.

"It was pathetic." She insisted, her voice rising. "I had nothing going for me. I had no one to love, no one to talk to, no one to look after. My life meant nothing."

I had no chance to refute, because right after she said that, she gave me the most beautiful smirk I'd ever seen. Her eyes were so full of love, more than I'd ever seen before from her. It was weird, because I'd felt intensity from the likes of Ouranos, Atlas, even Tartarus, and it somehow couldn't match what was going on right now. Wildly different, though. This was the opposite of danger. This was the ultimate feeling of security. Of safety. I never knew someone could make me feel as safe as this with such a look.

I feel safe when fighting next to my friends. I felt safe when my father patted me on the shoulder. Back to back with Malachi, or with Zane. But that was more of a brotherhood thing. Like 'these guys have my back' feeling. This was on a different plane. It felt like in that moment I could tell her anything. My deepest, darkest secret, if I had one. If I were half octopus, and I told her, I honestly felt like she would fully accept me for it.

"But I found you." She said, "Whenever you came along, everything changed. What we have...it's special, Matt. So you'd better believe I'm not going to be an idiot and give that up."

I may have looked like a stroke victim in that moment. I felt so warm and complete at her words.

"That answer your question?" She chuckled.

I had no words. Every fiber of my being was on fire, my heart seemed like it might explode at any second. I had to do something, not say something. It was the only way to express the strength of my feelings to her.

So without thought, without hesitation, I leaned forward and kissed her.

It was a crash of lips. Not a soft, easy kiss at all. Her lips were blissfully soft, as they always were, and within a movement, we found that familiarity between us, the groove in which our mouths met and locked together, unbreakable.

I didn't expect anything more to happen, or for it to even last that long. I just wanted to show her how much her words meant to me. I'm a bag of bricks, and I knew that anything I came up with would pale in comparison to the beauty of her speech. So my body acted on its own.

However, just as I began to pull away, Harper's hands found their way to the crooks of my neck, her thumbs stroked the skin under my jaw and kept me firmly in place. The sensation of her skin against my stubble sent tingles dripping down my spine, and I followed the urge to grip her by the waist.

Hands in position, the kiss became something far more than I intended. I wasn't complaining at all, certainly not in that moment. I had no thoughts at all about anything, except for how good it felt, how soft she felt, how good her hair smelled. It was like every box was being checked, every part of my body being pleased.

Somehow in the kiss, Harper had left her sitting position on the bed and stood up in front of me. Gently, she pushed me down on the center of the mattress, aimed towards the headboard. Our mouths pulled apart, and I opened my eyes to see what she was up to.

She had climbed on the bed when she pushed me, fingers now tickled my collarbone, yet I didn't flinch or shiver. It was like I had been hit with the ultimate freeze ray. My thoughts began to race, but my body was completely frozen.

We were still in normal territory here. Nothing too crazy that we haven't done before. However, all of that got thrown out of the window when I felt her weight on my hips.

I glanced up to see her straddling me, knees bent on both sides, and the center of her gravity positioned on my...groin area. I instantly felt a series of jolts enter my body, and I thought at first I might instinctively push her off, but curiosity kept me flat on my back.

Harper, just like during her little speech, had no uncertainty. At least none that I could gauge. She looked really determined, her eyelids narrowed like she was staring at an enemy, but the shine in her eyes allowed me to differentiate that from whatever her gaze was now.

Leaning down, she kissed me again. I felt sensation all over the place. Her lips on mine, her hands running up and down my chest, her sitting on my hips. It was all starting to get into uncharted territory, because Harper and I had...I mean, made out and stuff, but nothing really this heated. Which I guess it's kind of about time by now. It's been two years plus after all.

But I'm about as smooth and suave as that awkward kid that sits at the back of the class. This is all new for me. My instinct's telling me to do all of these things that I'm not sure I want to do, my hands want to reach out and touch things that I'm not sure I'm supposed to touch. It's all...freaking weird.

But not a bad weird. Not at all.

Apparently, Harper didn't want my hands to just sit there and take a breather, because she removed her own from my stomach to grab them and guide them to the beginnings of her hips.

I found myself asking, "Harper...are you-"

She cut me off with a nod, her voice quiet and sultry. "Yeah, I'm sure."

That was the signal to go to town, I guess. But I still hesitated, just because I was so nervous. Ask me a fighting question, ask me how to punch, how to swing a sword, or a club. Ask me what Ouranos is gonna do first thing in a battle, or Atlas, or a Greek god. Anything of that, I might be an expert in, but this? Uh, no.

But an entirely new section of my brain just opened up, and it's screaming you better learn, buddy.

It was clear she was waiting for me to do something to keep the ball going, because so far, it's been her carrying the team. I've been on the bench. It's time to make a move.

So like in a fight when I don't know what to do, I just followed my instincts. I took my hands off of Harper's hips momentarily to grab the hem of my t-shirt. Sitting up for a second, it allowed me to slip out of its bind easily and free my upper body.

The shirt fell to the floor silently, and we took a second to just drink in the situation. Harper, for the first time in the sequence, was a bit taken back. Her eyes widened a little bit, and we stared at each other for a second, almost challengingly. Like okay, I took a big step here, so what are you gonna do now?

She broke the tension first, and smirked a smirk that sent chills down my exposed arms. "Now we're talking."

Harper started to lean down again, but right before our lips could meet, the door to my cabin burst open.

"Guys, that weirdo's throwing a fit-OH!"

Aiden had popped his head in and then ducked it right back out, "SORRY! Oh shit, I'm sorry!"

Harper snapped up, "Dude, knock!"

"Sorry! Asuka's out here saying it's time to go!"

"No freaking way," I grumbled. "No way it's been an hour."

Harper rolled her eyes, "That bitch." Reluctantly, she untangled herself from me and got off the bed. I scrambled to find my shirt and somehow not put it on backwards. I wasn't so dense to know that it would pretty obvious if that happened.

I threw it on the best I could and followed Harper out the door. In the camp's center, I saw the entire group gathered around the campfire Asuka was sitting at. She was standing now, with the gang gathered around her. Percy, Annabeth, Malachi, Sera, and Talon. Both Aiden and Nemesis were standing in front of the group.

Asuka must have sensed Harper was about to raise kane, so she spoke up first. "Apologies, but the hour is up. It's time to go."

Annabeth smiled sympathetically at us, "She's actually right. It's twelve on the dot."

Harper wanted to blow up, but when the logic is backed up by Annabeth, well, you can't really get mad. It's a fact. So she let out a deep breath, and the anger went with it. To be honest, I was kind of bummed out too, but also kind of relieved. I'm not sure what the hell was going to happen there, I mean, I had a pretty good idea, but the idea kind of freaks me out.

Is that bad to say? Maybe. It's not like I don't want that to happen, but it's the first...time. That's a big deal, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

She looked back at me, not sure of what to say.

I reached forward and took her hand, "It'll be alright, just be strong, stick together, and remember what matters."

By that time, Nico came out of the Big house holding Eros's sword. He handed it off to Aiden, who in turn walked up to Harper and offered it to her, a reassuring smile on his face.

Harper took it, "Alright then." She squeezed my hand, "I'll see you in five days, Shark Boy."

I cupped the back of her head and gently pulled it to me. Leaning down, I closed our height gap and pressed my lips to her forehead. "I can't wait."

She smiled quickly at me, and I made my way over to the rest of my group. It wasn't even a week, but still, a lot could happen in that time. I wanted to make sure there were no regrets, no spaces for it whatsoever.

I gave everybody a hug, even Talon, who patted me on the back and said, "Don't worry buddy, we'll keep Ouranos within an inch of his life for you to finish the job."

Malachi backed it up, "Take your time and learn from Zeus, Matt. Don't worry about us."

"Yeah," Annabeth said, "Nobody's ever been offered such a thing, god or demigod."

"The guy will get under your skin, though." Percy half-joked, "That'll be the hardest part if you ask me."

I nodded, "I'm sure it'll be fine, guys."

Sera's eyes were watery, she reached forward and gave me another hug. "You can do it, Matt. You are strong."

"Thanks, Sera." I chuckled.

Talon gently tugged on Sera's shoulder, "Jeez, Princess, the kid'll survive. It's only for five days."

She pulled away and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Five days is a long time!"

"Trust me guys, I'll be okay. I'll come back better than ever."

A silence followed where we all smiled at each other. Man, I really loved these guys. I feel like I've known them my entire life, not just two years and some change. I think when you almost die together, fight together multiple times, and defeat villainous immortals together, it speeds up the bonding process.

Asuka looked around awkwardly, "Are you all...ready to go?"

They all nodded. Harper hugged both her mom and Aiden, and joined them, taking the far end to the right, next to Annabeth. The campers had all gathered around, with me, Aiden, and Nico at the front. We shared a wave with each other, and the campers cheered when Asuka's aura started to surround them, a last hurrah of support from their home. They'd be entering a completely different territory, so I'm glad they did it.

An orange wall engulfed them all and blinked them from reality. It was flashy, it was powerful and explosive, but it only lasted for a moment. It appeared and disappeared, taking my friends with it.

I felt all of their auras disappear, and the cheering died down. Just like that, they were gone, it was happening. The quest was on.

And now I needed to make sure I did my part. I had to learn all I could. Whatever Zeus taught me, I would absorb to the fullest, for them, for everybody. Because if they don't succeed, or if it doesn't end in five days, then I need to come in and help them.

If it gets to that point, I'll have to make it overkill. No chance for contingency.

While the campers all left, Nemesis, Aiden, Nico, and I remained. Just standing there.

"Hopefully they'll be okay." Nico muttered.

Aiden wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "They will. It's them."

Nemesis didn't comment, but she did glance over at me, maybe about to say something reassuring, like not to worry about her daughter or something. But I saw her eyebrows furrow in puzzlement. She'd noticed something.

"Your shirt is on backwards, Matt."

I blushed like crazy, and didn't dare make a grab to switch it around out here. I just had to accept that I'd been busted. But it had to be her mom? Come on.

"I-I can explain! We were just-"

She held up a hand, and I cringed, expecting the worst. Expecting her aura to flare and turn me into a rabbit. Not sure it would work on me, but I still didn't like the idea.

Instead though, she sighed with annoyance. "Just...take necessary precautions, and we won't have a problem."

With that, she walked away, leaving me wide eyed, staring at nothing.

"Precautions?!" I shrieked.

Aiden was a mess, laughing his head off on Nico's shoulder.

"Condoms, dude!" He was doubling over now, "In all seriousness though, the Stoll brothers can probably hook you up with some. Not sure what you'll have to pay for it though."

If my face could get any redder, it did. I felt like I would be doing myself a serious favor if I dug a hole and curled up in it.

Nico groaned and tugged Aiden away. "You really need to learn to shut up sometimes, Walker."

---

After they left, I knew I had to visit mom.

I said goodbye to the others, to Aiden and Nico, then I went to the city. It was Christmas Day, I had to spend a good chunk of it with my mom.

I still remembered the Christmases we spent together before the incident that put her away, and they're some of the best memories of my life. The smell of the cookies stick with me, the few presents I got were so meaningful years later. When I found out that she scrounged up what she could to get me what I wanted, I felt so guilty. If I knew, I would've never asked.

She moved back into our old apartment, and took a job working front desk at a gym. She told me she wasn't quite ready to go back to personal training just yet, which I understood. I couldn't imagine living for years in a hospital, then coming out of it abruptly. It had to be a huge shift that's no doubt going to take time getting used to.

But Mom seemed perfectly fine these days. Granted, it's only been two since Zeus healed her, but I expected far worse. It's honestly like she's back to normal. I guess I'm just trying to keep my hopes at a realistic level.

I knocked on the door, holding the Christmas present I got made for her at Camp. A little ornament for her tree. It's this really cool lion figurine made of chiseled stone. Yesterday I went into the Hephaestus cabin, begging for help. I had the idea of it, but I'm no craftsman. I made it, with their supervision.

Okay, they may have helped in some areas, but I did most of it. I would've done it all, but I wanted it to come out perfect, and it totally did. It was so detailed and awesome; she might as well just let it sit on the dining room table all the time.

Mom answered and smiled when she saw me. "Matt! Merry Christmas!"

I hid the ornament behind my back and hugged her with one arm, grinning. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

She quickly noticed my hidden arm, "What's that in your hand?"

I stepped into the apartment, and she closed the door. When her back was turned, I brought it out and held it out to her. "This is for you. Made it at Camp."

Her smile widened and she eyed the gift, taking it gently. "Oh Matt, what is it?"

"A little lion ornament. You can hang it on the tree."

She beamed, "It is!"

"Hope it looks good, I'm not really a sculptor."

"Matt, it's so cute!" She walked over to the tree and hung it up. Made me feel really good to see her so happy because of something I did. I missed that.

She turned around, confused. "But it's only noon. I thought you and your friends were going to open gifts."

I shrugged. Boy, how would I even begin to explain this? "We did, but...things kind of went sideways."

She nodded, "Oh. Well sit and let's talk about it." She rushed over to the refrigerator, "You want something to drink?"

"No thanks."

"Well, I'm going to get something." She chuckled.

I sat down at one of the dining room chairs and took the second to look around the apartment. It's kind of awesome how a woman's touch can really make everything shine. The last time I was here, this place looked like a mess, and now it looks like it should be shown in an open house. It had been dusted, vacuumed, organized, and some stuff had even been added.

"So what's going on?" She asked while she poured a glass of water.

"Well, it's a lot. I'll just try and sum it up the best I can." I took a breath, not even sure if it would support the words. "So this strange demigod from Japan showed up with Sigurd and said that Ouranos is over there causing trouble and we need to help out. Oh, and she knows where Talon's dad is, she's supposed to retrieve him and reunite the two, for some reason."

Okay, so it actually wasn't all that hard. But it still didn't sound normal.

Mom was wide eyed, "That is...a lot. By strange demigod, you mean she's..."

"Shinto." I supplied, "The Japanese pantheon. Her mom is like the Zeus of that culture."

"Got it. But how does she know where Talon's father is? I thought nobody knew."

"Well, apparently their friends. She wouldn't elaborate, but Nikandreos specifically told her to get his son over there."

"So you're going to Japan?" She said it so casually it was funny. "When do you leave?"

"Well, that's the thing, they've already left. I have to train with Zeus, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. But why wouldn't they wait for you?"

I let out a quick exhale, "Well it's Ouranos, mom. You know how crazy he is. Giving him even one day is super dangerous. He could take over the entire country if he wanted in that time."

"And how long does the training last again? A week?"

"Nah, it's five days. Well, out here it is, but in there it's five years."

She shook her head, "I still can't believe that. Isn't that like, impossible?"

"You're asking the wrong guy. I have no idea how it works, but it's Zeus, so you just have to throw all logic out of the window."

She laughed, "Well I hate you couldn't spend the whole day with your friends, but your more than welcome to stay here if you like."

I smiled, "Thanks, mom. Zeus will get me in the morning, but we can hang out together. Watch Christmas movies if you want."

"Okay. What was that one that you liked so much? The one with the train."

I remembered watching it every Christmas, I loved it so much. "Polar Express." I lifted my hands up for emphasis, "Single greatest Christmas movie of all time."

---

We had a lot of fun. Mom and I managed to find a rental store that was still open today and got the movie. We made hot chocolate and watched it together, just like old times. It was awesome. Best Christmas ever, despite all of the chaos earlier.

It really felt like things were back to the way they were. We talked some, surface level stuff, Harper was mentioned, and I got a little warm in the face at that, because I thought back to the bed fiasco, but didn't dare reveal that to mom. Also didn't mention dad, because that's a trigger subject for both of us.

It was good though. It was a good night.

I crashed on my old bed, got a decent amount of sleep, maybe...six hours or so. Enough to keep me going and feeling refreshed. Ready for training.

Light had barely started to peek itself through the window when I heard the knock on the door. I had been awake for a few minutes already, clothes still on, I just had to slip into my shoes, and I was ready to go.

I got up and speedwalked to the door so he wouldn't wake mom up, if she wasn't already up at that firm knock. Opening it, I saw exactly what I expected. A tall, broad shouldered, completely beefed-up Zeus, nearly ripping a pin striped suit. He wasn't in his prime form, but his casual one. The most obvious way to tell is the salt and pepper hair instead of the pure white. Also no glowing eyes, and the building wasn't melting away at his sheer presence.

I didn't smile or say hey, I just nodded, impassive. "I'm ready."

And he nodded back, "Good. Then let's go."

"I don't have my armor. Do I need to get it?"

"Don't worry. You'll get a new set."

A new set? Was he going to make me one?

I exited the apartment and stepped out in the hallway. If mom wasn't coming out of her room by now, she was more than likely asleep, so I wouldn't wake her.

I wouldn't even know what to say. I have no idea how this is going to change me, other than just physically. I may come back an entirely different person for all I know.

Zeus tapped his shoulder, "Grab on."

I did.

"After we leave here, there is no turning back. Are you sure you want to do this?"

I was confused he was even asking. This is his backup plan. Why would he even give me a chance to turn back?

"If I say no, you'd let me just walk right back inside?"

Zeus didn't look happy about it, but he shrugged. "I won't force you to do something you don't want to do."

I read his emotions, and they were genuine. I couldn't believe it. He would actually have let me go if I said no.

But I'm not going to say no.

"I want to do this." I said, "I'm ready to get stronger."

"I see. Then the biggest change of your life is about to begin, Matt."

I swallowed hard and braced myself. With a bright white light and a pull at my stomach, the apartment hallway faded to nothing, and I found myself at the beginning. The beginning of my transformation.

---

(000)

Alright, so I know that was a bit of an info/exposition dump chapter, but I felt it necessary to get the explanations out of the way first chapter so we can move on to the juicy stuff moving forward. Hope you still enjoyed the character reactions though, because I sure had fun writing them.

Also, new character Asuka is here! Daughter of Amaterasu. Let me know your thoughts on her, if she's trustworthy or not, because I'd love to know your theories.

Get ready for the ride guys!

Until Next Time.