Pulling up a chair, Apollo sat down next to his two friends. Unfortunately for him, they were too engrossed in their game to even look up.
"How's it going, Apollo?" Hermes asked, studying his cards.
"Not bad, you?"
"Eh," Hermes shrugged. "The same old." Apollo nodded. Even he was feeling as if the last few years had become repetitive. Nothing new was happening in Olympus anymore.
"What about you, Heph?" Hephaestus sighed, slouching back in his seat.
"Trying to beat Hermes at this dumb game," he grumbled. Apollo raised an eyebrow, defending the mortal invention.
"Blackjack isn't a dumb game, Heph. In fact, it's one of the best ideas mortals have had, along with burgers, Wi-Fi, and the glorious realisation that pizza is a perfectly acceptable breakfast food."
"Mhmm, don't forget the invention of the 'close door' button in elevators, even though half the time it doesn't actually do anything," Hermes added with a cheeky grin.
"Ahh, the perfect timewaster," Apollo smirked.
Hephaestus, still sulking, glanced at Apollo.
"It's not fun when you keep getting beaten in every way possible." He took another card, his expression growing increasingly frustrated. Without warning, he threw all his cards onto the table angrily. Then, with a swift movement, he grabbed something from his belt, a blowtorch or sorts, and with a focused burst of fire, he incinerated his cards, leaving only a small pile of ash behind. He sighed heavily, taking a deep breath, and clearly trying to calm down.
"Deal me in again," he muttered reluctantly. Hermes chuckled at Hephaestus's persistence, magicking another pack of cards and dealing them out.
"Hephaestus, my friend, you really need to stop going bust," Hermes remarked with a playful grin. Hermes then turned to Apollo with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Apollo, are you gonna join us as well?" The sun god couldn't resist a smile.
"Of course, Hermes. I'm in! What, did you think I was here to catch up with friends? Pfh, as if."
The cards were dealt and once more, the game resumed. As it progressed, Apollo noticed Hephaestus getting more and more excited, as if he actually had a chance to win.
"So, what's been happening in Olympus lately? Anything interesting?" Hephaestus raised an eyebrow.
"Apollo, you live here," he said with an exasperated sigh. "How do you not know?" He gave an honest shrug.
"Believe it or not, I've actually been on quite a few errands. With the war coming, Zeus is only growing more and more anxious." Hermes, chucked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's Father for you. Anyway, nothing happening here. You know how it is, Apollo. Same old politics, sibling rivalries, and the occasional fight between Aphrodite and Athena or some garbage. Honestly, the mortal world seems more interesting. They've certainly been keeping busy with their ever-evolving drama." Hephaestus nodded, his smirk growing wider as he took another card.
"True," the fire god agreed. "But it's not as exciting as it used to be. Remember the good old days when we'd directly intervene in their affairs? You know, before Zeus became so strict about the Ancient Laws?" Apollo grinned.
"Ah yes. Man, those were the days. I miss the epic quests, the heroes, and all of that good stuff. I miss the mortal drama as well. It keeps things interesting, to say the least." Hermes took another card, keeping his poker face.
"Well now we have new heroes, new gods and new quests. Speaking of which… What's happening down there, Apollo?"
The atmosphere around the card table shifted, and Apollo noticed both Hermes and Hephaestus gazing at him with curiosity.
"Well, you see, things have changed. Zeus has become incredibly strict about the Ancient Laws. We're not supposed to directly interfere with mortals like we used to. It's all about letting them find their own path and destiny now." Apollo paused for a moment, his expression conflicted. Hermes couldn't resist a sly grin as he glanced at Apollo.
"Oh, come on, Apollo. You've always been a rule-breaker. You've been helping them anyway, haven't you?" Apollo chuckled sheepishly.
"Well I've just been keeping an eye on them and making sure no one gets too badly hurt. Though I must say, they had a very close call earlier on with some mortals and giants." Hermes nodded.
"Now the main question. Are you watching over them because of how good a person you are, or because Artemis asked you to?" Apollo thought for a moment about how to respond.
"Artemis asked me to keep an eye on things," he said slowly, "but even if she hadn't, I'd probably still do it."
Hephaestus took this as an opportunity to interrupt.
"What I don't get is why can't Artemis do it herself? I mean, they're her hunters. Not that I'm complaining," he added hurriedly. "I mean, it is my daughter as well, and she's doing a decent job for her first quest."
"Wow," Hermes sighed. "You don't give any credit where it's due, do you?"
"As if you're any better?" Hephaestus shot back. Apollo's gaze flicked to the blacksmith.
"Zeus is keeping a very close watch on her," he explained. "He's not dumb, and he knows she wants to help, but he wants to leave it all up to fate."
Hephaestus snorted in disbelief.
"Fate? You'd think with a war brewing, Zeus wouldn't be leaving anything up to Fate."
"I mean it's no surprise that Zeus freaks out whenever he sees the Fates. He's downright scared of them." Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Sorry Dad," Hermes mumbled. "Great, now I'm probably getting a lecture at the next meeting, whenever that is." Apollo nodded knowingly.
"It's true though. He believes they hold more power than even the gods themselves, which they probably do. He's terrified of anything that might upset the balance of fate."
"Terrified because they're the goddesses of Fate, or because they're Nyx's children?" Apollo's face turned grave.
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter," he sighed.
"All her children give me chills," Hermes whispered, wide eyed. "Moros, Thanatos, Ker, Eris…"
"Don't get me started on Eris," Hephaestus muttered. Apollo couldn't help but agree. She gave him the creeps!
"Okay, we're getting side tracked," Hermes said, before locking eyes with Apollo, his expression serious. "Apollo, even though they're going on this quest, I want to know if you really think they'll find Percy and bring him back." Hephaestus spoke up, his tone surprisingly sombre.
"I've been wanting to speak to Percy for a very long time," he admitted, before adding, "I still have his ring." Apollo sighed.
"There's a reason I never wanted to tell Artemis about any prophecies." Hermes frowned, clearly puzzled.
"And why's that?" he asked. Apollo slowly got up from his seat, revealing his cards-a perfect blackjack. Hephaestus slammed his hand down in frustration, but Apollo paid him no attention, speaking with a heavy heart.
"Because if no one could find Percy, and if he couldn't come back in five hundred years, why would anyone think four hunters and a demigod can make him?"
Vivienne's dreams made no sense. As she slept, flashes of visions flitted through her mind, like fragments of a forgotten story. A puzzle, but half the pieces had been locked up. First, she saw a man with dark hair and sea-green eyes, standing on the edge of an endless ocean. The waves, harsh and cold, seemed to relentlessly lap at his feet, but he didn't care. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, filled with determination and longing, as if he missed something dearly. He had a mark on his neck, but Vivienne couldn't get a good view of it. In one hand, the man held a long sword, and in the other, he had a candle, burning brightly against the cloudy sky. Waves crashed around him, a storm in his eyes.
The scene shifted abruptly, and the same boy was now in a fierce argument with Artemis. The moon goddess was yelling something, and he stood there, sighing. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and it wasn't making Artemis any less angry. Vivienne could feel her aura, and it was… intense.
Another flash revealed Phoebe and the pale, olive-skinned boy from before. They were sitting high up in a tree, their faces bathed in the soft glow of twilight. The boy seemed to make a joke of sorts, followed by Phoebe chuckling and smiling, something Vivienne rarely saw her do. Then, Vivienne saw someone she didn't recognise, a tall woman with golden-blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her eyes were a warm blue, but she had a troubled look etched on her face. She wore a clean, white dress that went to her ankles. Next to her was a man, strong, but calm. He listened as the woman said something, before nodding his head slowly. Vivienne couldn't tell what they were talking about, but it must've been important.
A vision of Jason, the camp director, suddenly appeared, holding hands with Piper. The two seemed much younger, in their teens. Both had many cuts and bruises, and both seemed to be fighting for their life. A gleaming sword in his hand, Jason soared through the sky, with the wind rushing through his hair. She couldn't help but admire how confident and bold he looked, a warrior in his element.
And then, the most bewildering image of all, a moment frozen in time. Artemis, her face scarlet red, leaning forwards to the same boy with sea-green eyes. He seemed nervous, brushing the auburn hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. However, just as their lips were about to touch, the entire sky burst into flames, a vivid inferno of red and orange that consumed everything, roaring in anger.
Vivienne's eyes snapped open abruptly, her heart pounding. She seemed to be laying down in the car, her head on the shoulder of an uncomfortable Atalanta. As she sat up straight and rubbed her eyes, she took a look out of the window. The dreams still clung to her mind, their meanings evading her grasp. She had no idea what any of them meant, or whether they were even real.
"Where are we?" she asked groggily.
"Oh, finally you're up!" Atalanta sighed in relief. "Next time, try not to sleep on my shoulder."
"Sorry," Vivienne muttered. Atalanta nodded.
"It's fine, and to answer your question, we've just passed Greensboro. In fact, we only entered North Carolina an hour or two ago." Vivienne almost snorted.
"What! We've been on the road for over thirty hours! How aren't we at the southernmost point of America yet, or something!?"
"Because," Reyna interjected through gritted teeth. "Someone keeps needing to stop for snacks, and someone else keeps needing toilet breaks."
"Hey, I have an appetite to take care of! Thalia glared, her mouthful of some crisp. Reyna snorted.
"You do what you want, but we have a deadline to meet and-"
"Wait," Vivienne frowned. "We have a deadline? Since when?"
"It's nothing," Reyna muttered. "Don't worry. What we need to worry about is this car! Who's idea was it to pick a car that goes forty miles per hour, and a manual at that! If I stall one more time, Phoebe can drive us!" Reyna slammed the steering wheel, causing the car to let out a horn that made Vivienne jump in her seat. Thalia, still munching on her snacks, grinned mischievously at Reyna's frustration.
"Relax, Reyna! It's just a car. We'll get there eventually." Reyna shot Thalia a withering look.
"Eventually? Thalia, we don't have the luxury of 'eventually.'"
"Well what are you gonna do then?" Phoebe sighed. "Because we're still waiting for Vivienne to figure out what she's meant to do, and where we're meant to find him. She is the key. A slow car or a fast car makes no difference if we don't know where we're going." Reyna took a deep breath.
"Be honest with us," Atalanta smirked. "Is it the speed that's annoying you, or the fact that it's a manual car?" The car erupted into a chorus of laughter.
"Oooh, busted!" Thalia grinned.
"Reyna?" Vivienne asked.
"What's up," she replied.
"If you're so bothered by the car's speed, why not get another car." She chuckled.
"I'd love to, Vivienne, except I don't have a few thousand in cash lying around."
"You didn't need a few thousand for this car…" Vivienne pointed out. Reyna sighed, turning to Thalia.
"You wanna tell her or should I?" Reyna asked. Vivienne was confused, until Thalia turned around, handing her a neatly folded newspaper. Carefully, she opened it, and right there, on the front page, was a picture of her, Reyna, and the other hunters fleeing from the gas station.
"What the…"
"And that's not even the icing on the cake!" Phoebe seethes. "They're accusing us of leaving the gas metre running and then deciding not to pay! Forget the explosion, and the monsters; they barely even mention that! Like we were expected to turn off the gas when the station explodes." Vivienne gingerly handed the paper back to Thalia.
"You sound annoyed?" she noted.
"I am annoyed!" Phoebe yelled. "They're making us seem like gas thieves, which is way less cool than kids who ran from an explosion. At least Percy had something cool to say if someone asked, 'are you the guy running from the FBI?'"
"Percy would hate it though," Thalia snickered. "He went ballistic when Atalanta told those girls he was on the FBI's most wanted list-"
"Wait what!?" Vivienne interjected. "Percy is on the FBI's list?"
"Ehh sorta," Reyna explained. "See, him, Apollo, Hermes and Hephaestus went on a side quest, only it went wrong really fast. Anyway, he was in trouble for a very long time, until eventually, Artemis used the Mist and all was good. However, that didn't stop Atalanta from telling an entire restaurant full of people that Percy was on the FBI's list, and that they should get out fast." The car burst into chuckles again, this time with Vivienne joining it.
"So how was your sleep, Vivienne?" Reyna asked. "Any more dreams we should know about?" Vivienne shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hesitating for a moment before deciding to share what she could remember.
"Well," she began slowly, "it was all just a jumble of images. First, I saw a boy with dark hair and sea-green eyes, standing by the ocean. It was like he was waiting for something, but I couldn't figure out what." Thalia raised an eyebrow.
"Sea-green eyes? That sounds like Percy, doesn't it?" Vivienne nodded.
"Yes, it does. But then the scene changed, and I saw him arguing with someone who looked like Artemis, the goddess." Atalanta, who had been focused on the road, glanced at Vivienne.
"It's not surprising," she said. "Percy and Artemis were a wild couple, always fighting about the small things in life. Without a shadow of a doubt, Artemis would take a bullet for Percy, and vice versa, but the second they were discussing who's side of the bed the lamp goes on, it was a full fledged war." Phoebe smirked.
"Such a cute couple they were, but so full of arguments." Reyna just nodded thoughtfully.
"Go on, Vivienne. What else did you see?" Vivienne continued, "There was another image of… er well of Phoebe, and she was laughing with that person who said goodbye to us before we left." Phoebe frowned.
"Chiron?" Vivienne shook her head.
"No, no. It was the other boy, the pale one." Thalia's eyes sparkled with understanding as she let out an amused "Ohhhh." Phoebe's cheeks flushed slightly, though Vivienne might've just been imagining it. Reyna leaned forward, her tone playful.
"No, no, I'm sure Vivienne would love to know. Tell us, Phoebe, who was that boy?" Phoebe's glare could have melted steel.
"We don't need to talk about that," she muttered. "Vivienne, what else did you see?"
Vivienne's brows furrowed as she recalled the next part.
"Umm, , I saw someone else, a woman I didn't recognize. She was talking to a guy, and they both looked troubled. Hmm, wow it's hard to remember dreams. A young Jason and Piper were flying through the sky at some point." Thalia grinned.
"Yep, that sounds like Jason, alright. Always ready for action.
Vivienne hesitated before revealing the last, most bewildering part of her dream.
"And then, there was Artemis, leaning in to kiss the boy with sea-green eyes, Percy I think, but just as their lips were about to touch, the entire sky lit on fire." The car fell into silence as they heard the final scene. It was almost like they were hiding something from her again.
"Do you guys know what it is?" she asked hopefully.
"No-" Reyna began, but Thalia interrupted her.
"Let's just say," she said slowly, "that some things are better left unsaid." Vivienne nodded, though a sense of frustration gnawed at her. The secrecy of Percy's disappearance didn't reassure her at all and only made her feel more annoyed..
Breaking the heavy atmosphere, Phoebe told Vivienne to turn around.
"Vivienne, let me check your back," she suggested. Vivienne complied, turning around and letting Phoebe inspect the sound. After a moment, the huntress smiled reassuringly.
"It's healing well," she stated, before producing a small vial of nectar and handing it to her.
"Here, take a sip. It'll help speed up the healing." Vivienne accepted the nectar gratefully and took a sip, feeling a warm, soothing sensation spread through her body. Then, Phoebe turned her attention to Atlanta.
"Alright, let me see your leg, Atalanta," Phoebe said as she examined the injury. The huntress reluctantly took off her bandage, letting Phoebe poke and proof and make sure everything was healing properly.
"Hmm, well the bleeding stopped which I'm sure is a good sign. Thalia, get me another nectar for Atalanta, please." However, the huntress only shook her head.
"No can do, Phoebe," she sighed. "We're OOS. We've just drained the last drop." Phoebe's brow furrowed as she glanced around the car in a futile search for hidden nectar reserves.
"Anyone got some extra nectar stashed away somewhere?" she asked, but there was no immediate response. Vivienne muttered, "I had some, but it got lost in the explosion." Phoebe sighed, her concern evident.
"Well how are we supposed to heal injuries without nectar? We need supplies. If we've run out already, and we're only half way down America, things are looking rough for all of us."
A moment of silence hung in the car as she let that sink in. Vivienne knew they'd encounter much more monsters on their way to Percy, and no nectar or ambrosia sounded bad. Finally, after a while, Thalia spoke up.
"I know some people," she muttered, before jerking her thumb to the left. Reyna raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'are you sure?' Nevertheless, she complied, turning the car onto the slip road and steering them into Charlotte.
I do want to apologise for the short chapter and if it doesn't sound too good in terms of quality. This week I've been pretty ill and tired. I'll try to make it up wit a longer chapter next week. Also gotta say thanks to WinterKing, he really helped me out with this chapter, and is awesome in general! Anyway, I do hope it makes sense and it was a sort of good chapter. Do leave a review if you can please :)