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"Are you serious?" Alabaster groaned, playing with a small green orb he conjured up. "This place is in the middle of nowhere!" He glanced at the map in the middle of the room. All five of the traitors were gathered in Luke and Silena's shared room, looking over the map Peter Pan had given Luke.
"It's not the middle of nowhere, Alabaster," Silena chided. "It's a safe place for us to get back on our feet."
"It's states away from the fight!" Alabaster snapped. "If we are to make a point, we should go there." He slammed a knife on the map in the New York state section.
"Alabaster!" Luke grabbed the knife and ripped it out of the table and map. "What is a strategically better choice: going now when we aren't fully prepared or getting help, allies, and supplies?"
Alabaster narrowed his eyes. "You sound like you're on their side! You said we would get revenge!" He growled, the orb in his hands gradually growing.
"I said we would make things right," Luke pointed out, trying to stay calm. "Everything will work out, but we need to go about this more carefully. It's a full out war we want."
Alabaster scoffed and leaned back in his chair, making the orb disappear into a cloud of green and purple dust.
Ethan looked from the son of Hecate to the son of Hermes, the grip on his sword tightening. He narrowed his eye at Alabaster. Ethan trusted Luke more than the other demigod.
"Listen," Silena, the voice of reason, sighed. "Let's just get this settled. We are going to need more supplies before we can even attempt this journey. Chris," she looked at the other son of Hermes, "you and Luke are in charge of getting said supplies. Ethan, Alabaster, and I will stay here, formulating a plan. Good?"
"Great," Chris smirked, jumping up from Luke's bed. "It's been forever since we had a little fun." He leaned against Luke and innocently smiled up at his brother.
Luke pushed him off, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. At least you and I know not to get caught." He thought of Travis and Connor. Gods, he missed them. "Come on," he dragged Chris to his feet and out the door. "We have work to do."
Time flew for Luke and Chris. Luke had a sneaking suspicion Peter had told the other Disney members to turn a blind eye as he and Chris were stealing supplies. Luke would be lying if he said he didn't miss this. However, it also reminded him of the times he lived in the streets.
Once they agreed on having enough stuff, the two demigods regrouped with the other three. Silena organized and packed everything with Luke and Chris's help. Being children of Hermes, they had the ability to make bags seemingly endless so they could bring everything they would need. A very useful skill Ethan had commented with a look of awe. Alabaster flicked his wrist and the rooms looked the way they looked when the demigods first arrived.
"Before you all leave," Peter Pan approached the group with Aladdin, who grinned at them mischievously. "We have something to give you. Well, Laddin does. I already gave you my gifts." Peter had given them each a punch of fairy dust.
Aladdin nodded. "Yeah, I don't have long, but my brother," gestured to Peter, "asked me to help you on your journey. I can't leave without...repercussions, so I give you all these." He handed each demigod a small golden lamp. "I had Genie infuse them with magic, so you all get one wish. Use them carefully."
"Thanks," Chris grinned, putting his lamp in his small backpack. He quickly hugged the Disney character and let go, face flushed with embarrassment.
Aladdin laughed and ruffled Chris's hair. "There's a bus leaving the parks in half an hour. Take it to Orlando and a friend will pick you up and take you to the next checkpoint."
"Checkpoints?" Ethan tilted his head. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go straight there?"
"Not exactly," Peter spoke up. "Its--"
"It's easier, kid, because it will confuse the monsters out there," a second man walked up. He had ginger hair and freckles, wearing a green shirt with a tie and tan pants. "It's not about how fast you get there. It's about getting there safely."
"And you are?" Luke stared at the newcomer with distrust.
The man gasped and placed a hand over his heart. "I come as a human so I don't freak or confuse them, and this is the thanks I get? Nick Wilde, at your service. Now bunny needs me, so take this and stay safe, kids. Oh, and don't get caught by tax fraud."
"Wait a minute, as in the fox from Zootopia?" Silena questioned. "And why are all of you here giving us stuff?"
Nick looked at the other two and laughed. "She has a point," he said between laughs. "Well, kid, it's more of a familial thing. You see, we share the same dad with Luke and Chris here. And, with what you five are about to do, you need all the help you can get. Things will get a lot harder before it gets easier."
"One last piece of advice," Peter spoke up, looking directly at Silena. "Be careful. To do what you must be careful who you trust. There is always one." Peter glanced to the side and Silena tensed.
"Come on," Luke snapped. "We're going to miss our bus." He glared at Peter before taking the group to the bus stop.
What did he mean? Silena blinked, thinking as she walked. She knew everyone in the group was a traitor to someone. They had all hurt people. Silena trusted Luke. He'd never hurt her, but deep down, she doubted.
The bus ride was quiet and short enough. Nothing happened. No monsters attacked when they left the borders of the park. Something seemed off. Silena shook away the feelings of dread she felt. She had to stay focused and alert. Being alert kept her breathing. She liked breathing. Breathing meant she was alive. Being alive was her only mission at the moment. The bus stopped at the Orlando airport.
“Looks like we get off here?” Chris guessed, yawning and stretching his arms. He helped Luke with the bags while Silena and Ethan got off the bus. “Who exactly are we looking for?”
Before anyone could respond, a suspicious looking van pulled up. It pulled to a stop in front of them. A girl just a little younger than Luke stepped out. She had darker skin, black hair, and was wearing a black and white checkered shirt with a black jacket.
"And you are?" Alabaster scoffed, raising an eyebrow.
"Jaycee," she grinned, pulling off her sunglasses. "I'm here to pick y'all up." She opened the back doors of the van. "We have a long trip ahead of us."
Luke looked at Jaycee with distrust. "Why should we trust you?"
"Double P sent us a message to come pick you up," Jaycee responded with a 'duh' tone. "You are Luke Castellan, Silena Beauregard, Ethan Nakamura, Chris Rodriguez, and Alabaster Torrington, correct?"
"Alright," Silena sighed. "You are who we are supposed to meet. Can you tell us where we are going?" She glared at the boys and gestured for them to get inside the van. She smirked at Luke as she took the passenger's seat.
Jaycee got into the van and turned on the engine. "Sure can, Silena." She turned on some rock music and started to drive. "I have been told you are staying with us until you can get back on your feet. All you need to know is that the Way is safe."
"What is the way?" Silena asked. "You all keep mentioning it, so what exactly is it?"
Jaycee glanced at her. "You'll find out." She turned up the music and focused on the road, dropping the subject.
"Are we gonna let the youngest drive? Why can't you or Luke drive?" Chris asked, leaning against Silena's seat.
Jaycee smirked. "Because I drive like I don't want to live tomorrow. Hold on." She pushed the driving stick forward and pushed the red button. "Things are going to get bumpy."
"YOU HAD TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" Ethan shrieked as the van jolted forward at supersonic speeds. He held onto the seat belt for dear life.
Luke and Chris looked like they were having a blast while Alabaster and Silena tried not to throw up. Jaycee whooped and bobbed her head to the loud rock music.
"Are you an Apollo kid?" Luke yelled over the music.
"HECK YEAH!" Jaycee screamed. "Dear ol' Dad is the great Apollo." She turned down the music. "But, I've only ever met him once. He helped bring me here. Well, sent people to bring me here. Mom disowned me. But, that doesn't matter. What about you?"
"Hermes," Luke growled.
"That's enough there. Daddy issues," she shuddered. "It's painfully obvious," she explained after seeing Luke's confused gaze.
"Why aren't you at Camp?" Chris asked, leaning forward.
Jaycee rolled her eyes. "What is this? Twenty questions?" She laughed and looked ahead. "I didn't belong," she sighed. "Anyway, we should be there in a couple hours. Get some sleep. You'll need it."
Silena didn't know how long the ride was, but she was extremely grateful once the van stopped. She stumbled out of the car and promptly threw up. Her legs wobbled as she blinked, the world spinning.
"A train station?" Chris scoffed. "This is the Way?" He looked at Jaycee for confirmation.
"Sort of," Jaycee shrugged, making sure everyone was okay. "I can heal you if you need it."
Silena shook her head. "I'm fine." She wiped her mouth and stood straight. She looked up and sighed. "If we have to get on the train, I'll walk."
Luke laughed. "Come on, Lina. It can't be that bad." He slung his arm around her shoulders. "We can handle this. Just remember what all of this is for."
Jaycee walked up to the station and waved for the five of them to go down the side alley. She tapped a couple of bricks and a door appeared. "Welcome to the Waystation!"
Ethan looked in awe as the door disappeared behind them. He assumed the place was run off of magic, but then again, he wasn't quite sure. The building definitely seemed to be alive. "What is this place?" he asked.
"Cee! You're back!" A small girl came running up to the older female. She had dark hair and bright eyes. "New friends?" she tilted her head, blinking at the five.
Jaycee easily picked up the toddler. "Yes, Georgie. New friends," she laughed, booping the young girl's nose. "Em! Jo! They are here!"
Two elderly women appeared at the end of the hall. One had silver hair and wore a white shirt, reddish pants with a tan jacket. The other had darker skin and wore a pair of green overalls over a pink shirt. A tool belt sat around her waist.
"Welcome!" The first one grinned. "I'm Em. This is Josephine. I see you've met our daughter, Georgina. Come!" She gestured for them to come into the kitchen. "You must be hungry."
"Yeah, I could eat," Chris grinned, walking forward. Alabaster narrowed his eyes as the others walked ahead. Why can they see what's going on? His eyes glowed green before he was shaken from his thoughts by Jaycee bumping his arm, nudging him forward.
"Woah," Luke breathed when he stepped into the kitchen. He could see many young demigods and other creatures sitting around, eating and laughing with each other. "It's amazing."
"Yep!" Em smiled. "We are a safe haven to many, many beings." She handed Luke a plate of salad and tofu tacos. "Find a place to sit and enjoy your food."
Luke found a corner and sat down. He watched Chris, Ethan, and Silena sit with Jaycee and a couple other Demigods. Alabaster was sitting alone, reading a book.
"You're in my spot," a young boy deadpanned. He stood before Luke and glared at him.
"Oh, sorry," Luke moved out of the way. "I'm Luke. You are?" He bit into the tacos.
"Silas," the boy responded, slowly eating his salad. "That's all." He avoided Luke's gaze and focused on eating.
Luke sighed. He knew when a kid was hurting. He was a cabin counselor. If he had five drachma everytime he helped a hurting kid, he'd be the richest demigod in the world. "How long have you been here?"
"A few months," Silas mumbled, he huffed and stood up. "Goodbye." He walked over to the sink, placed his plate inside, and told Em he was going to bed early.
"This is why we started this whole thing." Luke jumped and saw Alabaster next to him. "Demigods are still being hurt. The gods don't care!" he snapped. "They never did. Their time is up. We have to--"
"No," Luke stressed, standing up. "You're right that the gods are hurting their children, but we shouldn't have to hurt our own to make a point!" he hissed. "We've already hurt enough people." He thought of Bianca, Zoe, Thalia, and Annabeth. He thought of almost killing Percy and Grover. "We can't hurt our own. We were supposed to protect our own."
Alabaster growled. "You've gone soft, Luke. You've given up on the cause!" He stood up and pushed Luke into the corner. "You're weak. You've always been weak. No wonder you were so easy to manipulate."
Luke snarled and punched Alabaster in the jaw. "Shut up," he said lowly. "I am not weak. I was strong enough to know when to stop, yet it seems you are too weak to stop. I didn't join up to hurt other Demigods. I joined up to hurt our parents and make them realize their mistakes!"
Alabaster grunted and touched his jaw, eyes blazing with rage. "You will regret this, Luke Castellan. You won't win. You all will fall before Lord Kronos." He summoned his strength and teleported out of the station, leaving Luke shaking in the corner, eyes wide.
Sliding to the floor, Luke held his head in his hands, hunched over his knees. "This is what you meant. Alabaster, why?" he whispered to himself.
"Luke, get up," Ethan snapped, tossing Luke a bow. "It's time for training."
Luke snapped back to reality. "How long have I?" He caught the bow and looked at it with disgust.
"A few hours," Chris called. "We thought you were sleeping. You okay?"
"Fine," Luke mumbled, standing up. He glared at the bow and followed Silena, Chris, and Ethan to a large archery range. "Do we have to use these?"
"Yes," Em laughed, holding her own bow. "You should all be skilled with both long distance and short distance weapons."
"Good luck, Luke," Chris said in a sing-song voice. He turned toward Ethan and Silena. "He's worse than Percy with a bow!"
"Shut up, Chris!" Luke snapped, sloppily nocking an arrow.
"Seriously? Worse than Percy ?" Silena gaped. "Is this true?"
"Chris, I'm about to have one less sibling," Luke growled.
"Ha! When he shot his first arrow--"
"CHRIS IS SCARED OF SNAKES!" Luke yelled, smirking at his younger brother.
"They don't have any limbs!" Chris shot back, flushing with embarrassment. "They are just tails with a head!"
"Isn't the snake your father's sacred animal?" Ethan gaped, struggling to hide his laughter.
"Yes, it is!" Silena laughed. "Oh, Chris, it's okay," she comforted between laughs. "Come on, let's focus on beating Luke in archery."
"Traitor!" Luke playfully called, laughing.
"Alright! I will be working with you to improve your aim," Em spoke with authority. "By the end of this, you all will have the skills to rival any child of Apollo."
"Steady your arms, Luke," Em ordered. "You need to stay steady. Use your dominant eye to help aim. That's it. Steady now." Luke took a deep breath. "Shoot." Luke let the arrow go and watched it sail to the target. It wasn't a bullseye, but at least he hit the target. Em smiled and his friend cheered.
The next few hours were exhausting for each of them. Surprisingly, Ethan was the best shooter of them all. Luke was still the worst, but he was slowly getting better.
Em let them go for the night and told them to rest well. Luke couldn't shake the feeling that Alabaster would be back, but this time with an army. How could he have not seen it? Maybe Alabaster was right. No! He couldn't be. Luke refused to hurt any more demigods.
"Luke!" Silena snapped. "What is going on? You keep spacing off!" She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Something is troubling you."
"I'm fine, Silena. Just tired. I'm going to bed." He pushed past her and found an empty room. He curled up on the bed and drifted off to an eerily dreamless sleep.
The next few days kept Luke on his toes. He helped with the chores, practiced in the archery range, and secretly patrolled the city for attacks from Alabaster. He was slowly driving himself mad to keep his friends safe.
As he made his way back to the Waystation he heard a blood-curdling scream. He unsheathed his sword and raced toward the Waystation. "No!" Luke roared, slashing through the stomach of an empousa .
His eyes widened. All around him battle raged on. Alabaster had returned with only one mission. To destroy the Waystation. Luke's heart was pained as he heard the screams of terrified demigods and peaceful beings.
Luke bared his teeth and lunged into battle. He slashed and stabbed any creature that got in his way. He tore through the enemy to reach his friends.
"Silena! Run!" Chris shouted, stabbing a Cyclops in the thigh as Ethan slashed the monster's throat.
Silena screamed as she crawled back from a hellhound, her left arm broken and her right ankle swelled up.
"Silena! It's going to be okay!" Luke promised, leaping up and bringing his sword down onto the hellhound's skull. He rolled to the side as the dog turned to dust.
"I've got her!" Jaycee yelled, rushing to Silena's side and began to heal her. "Keep the others safe!"
Luke firmly nodded and jumped back into battle. Chris and Ethan fought by his side. Luke could see Em and Jo fighting for their home. To his surprise, Silas was also in battle, fighting off another empousa .
"LUKE CASTELLAN!" Alabaster roared, stepping forward, using his magic to block any attacks.
"Chris, Ethan, get the others to safety," Luke ordered.
"But--" Chris tried to protest.
"NOW!" Luke snarled.
"Come on, Chris." Ethan warily looked between Luke and Alabaster before dragging Chris back.
"Why are you doing this?" Luke asked, holding his sword defensively.
"You aren't with us, so you are against us," Alabaster scoffed. "Besides, we can't have you telling our plans to the enemy," he said innocently.
Luke glared at Alabaster. "You monster!" he screamed. "This is what we were trying to avoid!"
"No, Luke! This is what you were trying to avoid," Alabaster yelled. "If they aren't with us, they are against us. All who fight us shall die!"
Luke lunged forward, using his sword to stab at Alabaster. Alabaster flicked his wrist and Luke's sword turned to putty. "Don't do this!" Luke begged. "Please, don't do this. They are innocent."
Alabaster scoffed. "So what? You brought this upon them, Luke." He sent a blast of magic toward Luke. Luke rolled to the side.
The son of Hermes looked around. This was all pointless. "Alabaster, if I go with you, will you promise to stop this attack?"
"What?" Alabaster blinked, pausing.
"If I go with you, will you stop the attack?" Luke growled, standing before Alabaster.
Alabaster slowly nodded. "Yes."
Luke took a deep breath. "Then you can have me. Just don't hurt anyone else. Swear it!"
Alabaster chuckled. "Fine, I'll humor you. I swear on the Styx I won't harm anyone here if you come with us." Thunder boomed in the distance. The deal had been made.
"I'm sorry," Luke whispered as the son of Hecate with his magic chained the son of Hermes. Alabaster slammed the hilt of Luke's reformed sword against Luke's head, knocking him out.
"Luke, no!" Silena screamed, shooting an arrow, hitting Alabaster in the left shoulder. "Let him go!"
Alabaster snarled and summoned a cloud of smoke. "Give up, you've lost, Silena. Everything will fall, and we will finally rule."
Silena screamed and it all went dark.