"How may I help you, Lord Hermes?"

As I turned my head, I saw a fit and athletic man, perhaps middle-aged, with swept black hair that had specks of white all over. He wore a light blue shirt with navy blue jean-shorts, a dark blue tie, and he had a sky-blue over the shoulder bag. One may be forgiven for mistaking this god for a mere postman.

Hermes walked past me with the same sly smile I see on many of his children, and he took a seat where Luke sat not even a minute ago. "Oh, nothing much to be honest. I was just curious about the prophetic little kid that sent me a very mysterious letter 2 years ago."

Yes. 2 years ago, when I wasn't at Camp Halfblood yet, and had just left the Hunters of Artemis's camp, I had come across a pen and paper during my travels, and an idea had come to mind. Before I found the paper, I was occupied with trying to come up with a plan to make sure Luke doesn't become a servant of Kronos. But the pen and paper offered an opportunity.

As such, the next morning when Hermes began his morning run of postage collection, his journey took him to a lone stump in a forest, where he found a folded piece of paper, with a single Drachma on top of it as if it were a paperweight. Beneath the Drachma, was written, 'To Hermes, God of Travellers'.

"I hope it was helpful, Lord Hermes." I calmly smile, putting my beer can down on the table between Hermes and I. Probably wouldn't do too good if I were to drink in front of a god.

"Yes, it was, more than you could ever imagine." I was a little taken aback by the sheer genuine gratitude in Hermes's voice, "I was unsure, at first, when I read the little letter that had only one sentence written. But something sparked in my immortal body when I read the words, 'Tell Luke the whole story'. Gods do not make it a habit to listen to random letters, but for Luke…"

"For Luke, you'd do anything." It was odd. Hermes has probably had hundreds if not thousands of children in his lifetime, and yet, it was Luke that Hermes adored the most. It was Hermes who still believed that Luke had some good in him despite having merged with Kronos. Who still believed in Luke even though he knew of Luke's cursed fate.

Hermes gives me a gentle smile, "Yes, I would." It was a statement, true as any. And it was something the god had etched into his very being. "And I've got to say, I'm glad I decided to listen to those words. But you probably already know how it went, what with your little powers."

"...Are my powers going to be a problem, Lord Hermes?" I tensely ask, a little nervous at the possibility of the retribution of Olympus, "I would rather not end up like Nereus or my brother Halcyon."

"No. Not at all. After all, you have the Fates supporting you." Oh yeah, they were the reason why Zeus hadn't chained me the fuck up after the Battle of Halfblood Hill.

"SSsss… Those old bags are ssscary!" I look around to try and figure where the hissing-like speech was coming from, before I remember about Hermes's little pets.

"Is that George or Martha I hear, Lord Hermes?" I ask the god, as he brings out his phone. On the antenna of the phone, were two serpent-like shapes, which I knew were Hermes's servants, George and Martha.

"Hello, demigod. Do you have ratsss?" The left snake asks. I guess that's George.

The other snake, Martha, gives her partner a scathing look, "Assk about the ratssss later!" She then turns to me, and gives me what I assume to be a pleasant smile, "Good afternoon, demigod. We have heard of how you have helped our lord and hissss sssson. We thank you. Right, George?"

"Yess… Let's celebrate with RATSSS!" Before the snakes could bicker, Hermes puts the phone away, muffling their voice.

"Sorry about them, kid." Hermes grinned. "Usually they behave way better." God of Trickery everyone. So willing to lie in broad daylight. "Now, I kinda have to admit. I was lying earlier about not having any extra motives for meeting with you" Yeah, no shit. A god doesn't meet with a demigod unless they're gonna inject some divine chaos into their veins.

"It's alright, Lord Hermes. What is it you need from me?" Right now, I was using a customer service voice that I had used when I had a part time job in a fast food chain. Back when I was 16 in my previous life. It was pretty useful when dealing with potentially sensitive people or customers, and as far as I was concerned, Hermes was a customer right now.

"It's something you'll probably do anyway, but what I want from you, is for you to look after my son on this quest" I… That was a surprise, "And, if you can, make sure he succeeds."

"You… You want to actively alter fate, don't you?" I ask, a little nervous and confused. Gods hate doing this stuff. Whilst Hermes may have told Luke the truth of his mother, even if he said it in the canon timeline, Luke probably would've still joined Kronos. It was this quest with the Garden of the Hesperides that changed everything for Luke. If I remember correctly, both his teammates died, and the only thing he had to show for the quest was a scar across his eye.

"No." He replied, a devious smile on his face, "I want you to change fate. I don't know how, but somehow, you've managed to deviate the path created by the three sisters." It was true. Though I could only do it because I'm not actually from this universe, I suppose from Hermes's perspective, I was seemingly blessed with the ability to manipulate fate. Maybe in a way, I was more powerful than the gods themselves. "But don't worry, you won't go unrewarded. I am theGod of Merchants, after all. So, in return for making sure Luke succeeds in his quest… I will owe you one."

Immediately, I responded with, "Deal!". I mean, it's a favour from a fucking god! And honestly, I needed his help with a little quest of mine

The God of Trades grins, and reaches out a hand to me, "Wanna shake on it?" I reach out for his hand, and shake it. A bright white glow emerges from the gaps between our handshake, and blinds my eye, and so I immediately close them. When I opened my eyes again, the light was gone, and so too was Hermes.

Was that handshake supposed to be some sort of divine contract? Or was Hermes just really dramatic? Ah well, either way, I couldn't really do anything about it.

I take a seat, picking up my beer can as Icarus finally descends, clearly curious as to what Hermes had talked to me about. Of course, I wouldn't tell the chatterbox. You can never know who will be able to talk to phoenixes.

Before I could relax again, I heard a distant commotion, and the familiar voice of Annabeth. I sigh, and in one go I gulp down all my beer and throw the empty can into my Inventory. No rest for the wicked, eh?

5 Minutes Later…

Near the Cabins…

As I walk to the area the commotion was coming from, I see Annabeth pleading with Luke, "Come on Luke! I want to go on the quest as well!" Ah right. Before Percy came to camp, Annabeth tried repeatedly to find a way to get out of camp, even if it meant possibly going on a quest. I should've figured that this would happen.

"Annabeth," Luke sighed, "I can't let you come. It's too dangerous, and you're too young" It was clear that they had been talking for quite a while. I'm sure that if it goes on another few minutes, Annabeth would somehow manage to convince Luke.

"Then why does Gill get to go?" It seems that managed to stumble Luke, though he did know what he should say, he was still too good natured to say that it was because I was waaay stronger than her.

I suppose it's time for me to interject. "You can go if you want, Annabeth," Luke turned to me with an expression of confusion, shock, and even more confusion. And Annabeth's face turned both happy and very confused as well. "And you can even give us a tour of San Francisco while we're at it!"

Annabeth immediately paled as I said the name of the city, "Wh- Why are we going to San Francisco?" She asks, and says the name of the city with enough distaste to make it seem poisonous.

"You don't even know the point of the quest?" I ask, with a raised eyebrow. She looks down, as if having realised that she hadn't actually asked. "We are going to steal a Golden Apple from the Garden of the Hesperides. Which is in…"

"San Francisco" Annabeth finished off, with a look of annoyance on her face. "Dammit! Fine, you win this time Sunshine, but I'm going to go on the next quest! No matter what!" I mean, the next quest is Percy's one, so probably. Wait. Will Percy even get a quest? I mean, Luke's a good dude this time round, so I doubt he'd steal the lightning bolt. So who will Kronos use? Will he have Ares take it directly? No… Gods can't steal another's symbol of power. Damn, so many new possibilities. But this is something I can ponder upon later.

Annabeth stomps away, and Luke just looks at me with more confusion. Before he could say anything, I shook my head, "Not my story to tell Luke."

The 17-year-old sighs, "Fine, but can you at least tell me where Thalia is?" Does he think I can use my powers to find Thalia? Sorry dude, but the Gacha Gods aren't on your side.

"Icarus!" I call out, as the orange phoenix swoops down to my shoulder, "Hey bud, you wouldn't happen to know where Thalia is?" I take out a piece of bacon from my Inventory, as a little encouragement.

Icarus snatches the bacon from my hands and gobbles it down, "She's at the Arena, dad!" He says, before flying off again.

I repeat the information to Luke, who thanks me and goes off in the arena's direction. I look up at the sun. Just after afternoon, huh? I think I can fit in some sword training. Only a week or so to go until Sasaki finally fucking teaches me how to do his Shinsheina Kenjutsu thing. By the gods it better be worth it. It's been well over the two years he had told me training would take, and that was because he had decided to extend my basic sword-training by an extra couple of months because I had decided to go on a small vacation after Skorpius instead of training!

I walk off to the Apollo Cabin, and I wonder, how will Thalia react inside of an aeroplane?

1 Day Later…

In the Sky…

"Gill, when we land, I will fucking burn you to ashes with a billion volts. I'll make Freddy Kreuger seem like a kindergartner when I'm done with you!" She threatened, as the plane we were on rumbled a little from some minor turbulence. Well, it better fucking be double turbulence because I sacrificed a shit ton of food to Hermes and Zeus so that we could have a smooth flight, and if some random bullshit like the Nue that attacked me last year happens, I'm storming Olympus.

After Luke had gotten a quest yesterday, the three of us had planned our journey together. Or rather, Thalia and Luke were making a really complicated journey that involved riding on a cargo train to Minnesota, and then sailing down the Mississippi. When they had finished their planning, I came to the rescue and suggested we take a plane, which I would obviously pay for.

My Mist Manipulation was close to level 100, so I could use it far easier than Thalia, though she was still very proficient with it for someone who didn't have a multiversal-level power. It actually kind of annoyed me at how fast my Mist Manipulation was increasing. Because despite the level growth of Mist Manipulation, the skills that I like the most, such Photokinesis or Heliokinesis, were progressing far slower. Photokinesis had only recently reached 46, which was clearly lower than skills such as Meditation (which was now at level 121), and Forging (which was now at Level 87, which was still amateur compared to a Hephaestus kid). It's possible that they take longer to level because of the sheer potential power they have.

Anyway, we easily got through security, because no matter how much TSA tried, the Mist was too strong. We easily got through every security check without even breaking a sweat. We stopped at a KFC inside the airport, as we waited for our flight, and I was a little surprised (and a bit depressed) that neither Thalia or Luke had KFC before. Of course, it wasn't like I dined on it every night in my previous life. That shit was expensive. But still, I had it once.

After lunch, we boarded our plane and as soon as we got onto the plane, Thalia began acting like a frightened mouse. I suppose her fear of heights is just as, if not greater than, described in the books. Kudos to her for not freaking out on our ride to the airport. Although, when the plane took off, the 15-year-old girl let out a scream of fear, and unlike my previous flight, there were many people on the plane. Thankfully, we only got a few weird looks, and though a flight attendant came to ask why there were two teens, along with a screaming teen, sitting in the first class section of the plane. Of course, a quick Mist solved the problem.

But that still left us with a very frightened, and now angry Thalia, "Geez, Thals. You need to relax." I calmly told her, as Luke was staring intently at the manga he was reading. I doubt he was yet that fascinated in One Piece, but was much rather doing his best to not attract Thalia's wrath.

"Relax? Relax?!" She shouted, incredulous, "I'll relax your face against the floor!" Damn, I only ever see her this angry only once a month, or when I'm beating her up during a spar.

"Come on Thals. That doesn't even make sense!" I responded. Honestly, how is my face meant to relax against the floor? I doubt plane carpeting was that soft to relax on in the first place.

"Sense? Sense!?" She shouted again, "I'll-" However, I decided to interrupt her before she developed an annoying gag that she might repeat for the next 5 to 7 years.

"Ok, Thals, before you go off on another threat, I'll show you an ancient Chinese secret that can cure fear of heights." She looked at me with suspicion, but nodded at me as affirmation that I can do this 'technique'. "Very well, close your eyes." And as soon as she acquiesced, I swiftly karate chopped the back of her neck, causing the punk goth teen to slump forward, unconscious.

Luke looks up from the manga, and seems to be impressed, "Wow, that's pretty cool. You gotta teach me that sometime." As mature as he may be, Luke was still a boy, and the karate chop to the neck would astound even Gods.

"Yeah sure, if you've got a month to spare" I wasn't lying. Even if you did know the right pressure point to hit, you had to get the pressure right, the angle of your hand, and the force needed for the hit. And on top of all that, you had to be consistent. I look to Thalia, whose unconscious head rested against her seat. "She's gonna kill me when she wakes up, isn't she."

"I'll be sure to come to your funeral again" Luke says with little emotion, as he returns to read his manga. Hehehehe… Soon Luke, you shall become part of the meek that shall inherit the earth.

I noticed that some of the other passengers were looking at us, or rather Thalia, with looks of confusion and curiosity. "Ah sorry about her," I apologise, "She gets cranky without her teddy bear." Oh yeah, she'll definitely kill me if she ever finds out I said that.

As the flight goes on, I begin reading a popular new novel that's been all the talk in book communities. It's called the DaVinci Code. I do believe it'll have a movie adaptation in the future.

It's stuff like that which reminds me of all the fascinating things that'll happen in the future. New movies, new shows, and new books. And most importantly… big increases to my bank account. Stocks will be rising, companies will be falling, and coin shall be mined. Power, Wealth, and Fame… In only 10 to 15 years, all will be mine.

I hold in the desire to cackle aloud, mostly because I would melt if I got weird looks because of my actions.

9 Hours Later…

San Francisco Airport…

Finally we arrive at San Francisco, with Thalia groggily walking next to us, Luke drinking a can of Monster, and me looking around for a taxi to hire. Honestly, it's like I'm the adult here. Over the course of the flight, Thalia had woken up 5 times, though I had immediately karate chopped her to unconsciousness immediately after. Still, she was thankfully too frizzled out to get mad at me… for now.

As we walked out of the airport, we're stopped by the calls of what I think is a young girl. We turned around, and just as I expected, a girl, about 3 years younger than me, was running to us. As it wasn't like we had anything better to do, we waited for the kid to make her way to us.

When she reached us, the girl nearly buckled over, out of breath, but she still managed to make out her words. It was clear she was going to talk to Thalia, and I noticed she was holding something in her hands. Wait… this kid wasn't going to actually…

"Sorry for making you wait, pretty lady!" The child says, causing Thalia to fluster. The girl gives Thalia the item in her hand, a brown cuddly bear toy, "I want to give you this. I also get nervous without my own toys!" Without letting Thalia even have the opportunity to speak, the girl runs off, probably to her parents.

Thalia stares down at the teddy bear in her hands. For a moment, I thought she'd fry it up, but instead, she looks at the toy with a pleasant smile, and puts it into a bag, "Hey Gill, when we get back to camp, you're dead meat." Yeah. Probably.

With that out of the way, we hailed a taxi, though they were very weirded out by the fact that our destination was some random hill. But a few extra dollars kept their mouths quiet. Thalia was busy listening to some music on her mp4 player, Luke was sleeping, and I was playing on my GameBoy.

Finally, after like an hour of driving, we arrived at the hill which Chiron said would be the place where we could access the Garden of the Hesperides. The driver was really concerned about leaving us so far away from the city, but I ended up making him think we were adult hikers.

"Alright, so it's just up here?" Thalia asks, as we go up the vibrant green hill. She had her spear ready to take out in case we got ambushed, and she had a spyglass in her other hand. Apparently Luke had gotten it for her last Christmas. Naturally, it was all black. You know, a couple of demigods have seen the inside of the Zeus cabin, and apparently, Thalia had decorated it so much that it looks more what people imagined the Hades cabin would look like. Hmm… If she ever meets Nico, I wonder how the punk and the goth will react.

"Yes," Luke confirms. I could sense the nervousness in his voice. I knew this was a big deal for him. And I had no idea how he would react if we failed. "Remember guys, keep to plan." Sorry Luke, but I honestly doubt that your plan will go smoothly. They never do.

As we reach the peak, I reach out my arms to stop everyone from moving, "Stop," I command, as I look out to the scene in front of us. The Garden of the Hesperides was truly beautiful. A brilliant emerald field, filled with all sorts of wildlife such as rabbits and birds. However, towering above the field was a giant tree that resembled three tree trunks twisting with one another. The top of the tree was covered in enchanting green leaves, but more importantly, there were glints of gold hidden behind the leaves.

But at the bottom of the tree was the greatest threat to the quest. Resting on the grass was a gigantic winged lizard, with like 50 fucking heads, bright scales that shone like bronze in the sunlight. Its numerous necks were thick as tree trunks, and the grass around its head died a little every time the monster breathed. The monster was Ladon, Guardian of the Golden Apples.

"Holy shit. We're supposed to kill that?" Thalia whispered, scared that Ladon may hear her.

"Fight him? Thals, the real question is whether we can survive him!" I replied. It was true. There was no way any of us could beat Ladon. He was simply too powerful. He is unlike any monster I have fought to date. I would not survive in a straight up fight, nor would I be able to beat it in any context. At least for now,

"Guys, look." Luke says to us, bringing our attention back to Ladon. And a good thing we did, as something very interesting was happening. The caretakers of the tree, the owners of this garden, the Hesperides, arrived in our sights. I have to be honest, they are as breathtaking as the myths describe. They were clearly older than what Zoe looked like, maybe about 15 or 16 in appearance, however their white robes gave them a more ethereal look.

Alongside them were a herd of cows, that walked without a clue in the world. When the cows got near enough, Ladon raised up from his rest, letting out a deep rumbling growl. The Hesperides stay far back away from the cows, as Ladon walks to the herd. He opens his mouth, and a purple gas erupts from him, as it engulfs the herd. The gas stays for a minute, appearing like a purple cloud, before dissipating. Where once was a herd of cows that were at the prime of their lives, was now a pile of rotting corpses. And in a single movement, Ladon eats the bodies of the cows, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Fascinating" I murmured, watching the scene.

Luke looks at me with a questioning look, "What do you mean?" He asks.

"I thought that poisonous gas that came from his mouth was actual poison," I explain, "But looking at the bodies, I think the gas operates more like an entropy curse" Whilst curses weren't really the Apollo Cabin's forte, we still had some books on the subject. Entropy curses were very common and easy to deal with, but when it came to a monster such as Ladon, his curse could probably only be destroyed by a god.

"Is… that good?" Thalia asks, clearly not understanding what I had said. Not that I blame her, In my previous life, I wouldn't even know the first thing about poisons or medicine.

"No. Not good at all" I answer, a hint of fear in my voice, "If you get hit by that gas, I won't be able to heal you at all. Or even slow down the curse."

"Then let's hope that all goes well." Luke says, to which I nod. In the best case scenario, I wouldn't even have to get involved with the quest.

"Let's hope" I reiterate. Perhaps internally, I believed that if I said it again, our hopes would come true. "Well, let's move out!"

And "Operation: Keep the Doctor Away" began.

Author's Notes: KAAABOOOM! ANOTHER CLIFF HANGER BABY!

Oh and sorry that it's late. I had no fucking clue it was Friday today. Genuinely thought today was thursday. Summer Holidays really be fucking my up my sense of time.

Uhh… Really don't know what else to talk about in this Author Note, so uh don't do drugs, and shoutout to my one and only reader from Brunei Darussalam. I didn't even know that was even a country.

Anyway, here are Gill's stats:

Name: Gilgamesh Ashford
Age: 10
Level: 54
Title: Child of Apollo

HP: 8903/8903
MP: 10509/10509

Stats
Strength: 450
Agility: 500
Endurance: 450
Charisma: 515
Intelligence: 500
Willpower: 500
Luck: 450

Stat Points: 0