Boston felt wrong.

That was the only way Marcus knew how to describe it. Getting off the bus, he felt it almost immediately. I shouldn't be here…

"So, where to first?!" Elliot exclaimed, bounding off the bus behind Marcus and almost bowling him over in his excitement. "I've never been here! Wow ! Look at those buildings!"

"We have buildings in New York, Elliot…" Chastity replied with exasperation, following him off the bus.

Marcus tuned out the rest of the back and forth he knew was coming between the party as he waited for Joey to get off the bus. Glancing around, Marcus couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched, though what was watching him, he couldn't say. It doesn't feel like Aphrodite…

Marcus was brought back to reality by a small hand sliding into his own. Turning, he saw Maddie looking around nervously. "Mads?"

"Something… isn't right here…" Maddie said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Marcus forced a smile to his face and messed her hair up gently. "Well, of course. There are red shirts here…" She doesn't need anything else to worry about.

"There's something else though…" Maddie looked up into his eyes. "You feel it too right…?"

Marcus sighed. "Yeah, I do. But, let's focus on one problem at a time yeah?"

"Okay then… What were you and my dad talking about? Who's Lyssa? What did he mean by bad luck? What did you mean when you said you saw her twice?" Maddie started speaking so quickly she started to trip over her words, barely being able finish one question before beginning to ask the next. She must seriously be worried...

Marcus was trying to figure out the best way to deflect her line of questioning when Joey finally spoke up, having gotten his bearings.

"So, the last p-p-place my scouts sent us an Iris M-m-message was from the B-b-bunker Hill Monument. I think that's a g-g-good place to start!"

"Sounds good to me." Marcus replied, stepping away from Maddie. Thank the Gods for that. There's some things she doesn't need to know right now. "Lead the way."

With a nod, Joey scurried off down the street from where they had been parked, Marcus trailing behind as the rest of the party followed. He saw Maddie glance back at him, but she hurried to keep pace with Joey.

As the party continued on their way, Marcus slowed further and further, allowing them to pull away from him. The further they went into the city, the more Marcus kept feeling eyes on him. If anything goes wrong, I won't drag them into it. Eventually, he had fallen so far behind that he could barely keep the rest of the party in view through the busy streets, and the feeling of a presence grew stronger. What the hell…? He slipped his hand into his pocket, sliding his pocket watch out into the open in case he needed it at a moment's notice. I'm ready… Show yourself already, bastard...

"So quick to anger… Such reckless choices… You really are perfect."

Marcus jumped, scanning the area around him for where the voice had come from, but all he saw was the same city streets, the same hustle and bustle of people coming and going.

"Who…?"

"Please. Don't play dumb with me Marcus." The voice came again, sounding as if it was whispering in his ear. "You know who I am."

Marcus spun, but he saw nothing behind him. "Where are you…?"

"Looking forward to seeing me again so soon?"

Marcus turned back and continued on his way, making sure to keep the party in his line of sight. "'So soon'... So you were there… Lyssa."

"Of course I was. I've been there more times than you know." Lyssa's voice took on a slight teasing tone. "Every time you lost yourself in rage, I was there. Watching. Enjoying the show."

Marcus scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on Marcus, surely you figured it out by now. Your Maddie may have the Berserker's Blessing from her father, but you? Pure rage, unsoiled by another God… Delicious."

Marcus felt a shiver go down his spine. This bitch is crazy… "I don't know-"

"-What I'm talking about? I thought we agreed you wouldn't play dumb with me? The half bloods in that game last month? Elliot, when he hurt your Maddie? Chiron, when he insulted her? Thomas..."

Marcus stayed silent. He knew he had been more and more emotional lately but… When it gets put together like that…

"Ah, so you're starting to see." Lyssa's voice whispered in his ear. "Like I said… delicious."

Marcus flinched, and was about to reply when Chastity came into his field of view.

"Gods, will you hurry up. Ugh, I swear it's like you're trying to get on my nerves." Chastity sighed. "I know you don't want to be watched, but seriously, this isn't a walk in the park for me either you know." Chastity grabbed Marcus' hand and pulled him forward, practically dragging him.

"Hey, hey! Watch it!" Marcus protested.

As he was pulled across the grass, Marcus couldn't help but marvel at the monument in front of him. Though he wasn't one for history, even Marcus knew what the statue and monument behind it were there to honor. A fight for freedom from an oppressive ruler… Is that what the Red Shirts… what Aaron… thinks he's doing?

"There you are!" Maddie said as Chastity dragged Marcus to the rest of the group in front of the monument. "I was starting to get worried…"

Marcus pulled his hand away from Chastity's quickly, ignoring the small pout she tried to throw him when he did so. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

"And here I thought you were just lost!" Elliot laughed.

"Nah, that would be you, Circus Boy." Joel chuckled. "If it wasn't for Joey, we'd have been turned around half a dozen times already."

"Speaking of, where did he go?" Jason spoke up, the furthest away from the main group, marveling up at the monument.

"I-i-i'm over here!" Joey's face came to them from seemingly thin air. After a moment, Joey seemed to materialize, walking straight out of the base that held the statue.

"Gods! Don't do that!" Chastity shrieked. "What the hell?!"

"Nice trick you got there Blondie." Joel whistled in amazement.

"What exactly is that?" Phillip said, once again nearly causing Marcus to jump out of his skin. Gods I need to get used to that…

"S-s-scouts drop point! We have these in m-m-most major cities." Joey replied, showing them the message that he held in his hand. "We hide n-n-notes and such to communicate threats or h-h-half bloods we find."

"So what's in the note?" Maddie asked, peeking over the paper as Joey opened it. "All I see are… numbers?"

"It's s-s-scouts code." Joey responded. "'Found the Red Shirts… Gathered at Red Sox'?"

"Great. Now we're discussing their fashion sense." Chastity said testily. "Which, by the way, they don't have if they're wearing red socks at all."

"S-s-sox was spelled with an x…" Joey muttered. "W-w-why would they… They know how s-s-socks is spelled…"

"Is it a riddle?" Jason said, coming forward to join the rest of the group.

Marcus sighed and leaned against the fence surrounding the monument as the rest of the group debated the meaning of the message. They can't be that ignorant… Can they?

"And what's that sigh for Marcus?" Chastity threw at him. "It's not like you know what it means!"

Marcus raised an eyebrow. She's awfully testy all of a sudden. "You're kidding right? This is Boston."

"Yeah? And?"

Marcus sighed again. "And Boston has a fairly famous sports team…?"

"Ooh! I know, I know!" Elliot shouted out. "Baseball right?! The Red Sox! Wait…"

"Yeah. The Red Sox." Marcus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Do I really need to spell it out for them…?

"Okay, but what does that have to do with the Red Shirts being at the Red Sox?" Jason said.

"W-w-wait, if it means the team the R-r-red Sox, they have a stadium they a-a-always play in." Joey said. "I-i-it's called F-f-fenway Park. My scouts use i-i-it as a safe haven if they're ever attacked by m-m-monsters!"

Marcus nodded. "Sounds like just the place that would be useful to a group of half bloods looking for shelter… Like the Red Shirts."