@Peachylette, I am so sorry I haven't put Aurora in any of my posts! I think she is an awesome character, so please don't quit!

~~~~~~

The rest of us decided to eat while we waited for Hali, Aubri, and Silas. Aurora was shooting a knot on a tree. Her aim was perfect and she hit the knot each time effortlessly.

"How do you do that? I'm terrible at archery." she looks at me, confused, because everybody else in Apollo is great at archery.

"You are?"

"I prefer throwing knives actually. Are you hungry?" I offered her half of my scone, and she took it.

I saw Hali and Alanna with Silas and Aubri. Alana offered them each a plate, and they each sat by themself. That's weird. I thought they would sit with their friends. I went and sat next to Aubri.

"Hey Aubri, are you ok?"

"Are Aphrodites useless? I'm serious. I feel like we're a joke. Nobody wants us for capture the flag, or anything. I can't charmspeak like Zora can. I want to feel like I'm doing something, you know?"

"Of course you're not useless!"

"Then what am I good for?" I paused.

"You know, I don't know what I'm here for either. Sure I can heal people. But so can Hali really. I think we all need each other, you know. You need to support your friends. Be there for them. Like Alana. And Hali."

"I know. I guess I'm just tired of being a sidekick all the time. Hali's sidekick."

"We're not sidekicks around here. We're partners in crime. This sounds cliché, but we need to trust each other. We'd all be devastated if you left us. Trust me."

"I guess you're right. Thanks Solange."

I started to think: the prophecy states that someone will betray us. But who could it be? 

Hali~

I start walking out from the covering and climb into the van, shutting it fiercely. 

I need to calm down. I need to stop being paranoid. We need to get out of here. 

“You okay?”

I jump and look towards the back of the van where Colin puts down his book to look at me. 

I nod hesitantly, and when he raises an eyebrow, I shake my head no. 

“What happened in the woods?”

“Man Made o’ Water showed up,” I reply. “Everyone’s fine now, but I think we should consider leaving soon.”

“What’s the overall goal of this trip?” he asks suddenly. “Besides stopping Oceanus?”

“Making sure that no one betrays or dies.”

He nods. “And?”

“What do you mean?” I ask. 

“Don’t you want to see your dad?”

I’m a bit thrown off from that question and I nod. “W-Well yeah, if I had the chance that’d be nice. You?”

He nods and agrees while saying something else, but I don’t pay attention. Instead, I look behind him where another figure is seated. And it definitely isn’t a camper. 

“Colin,” I whisper. 

“What?” he asks, obviously confused. 

“Look behind you.”

He turns his head slowly and lets out a small gasp of surprise. 

It’s his dad. Hades. 

“Dad? What...what are you doing here?”

“Poseidon left something out,” he scoffs. “You need to get an artefact to defeat Oceanus. It’s a stone in the Atlas. Hali, remember the anklet that your father gave you on your last birthday?”

I nod. What does that have to do with anything?

“There’s a small dent where a small stone looks like it fell off. Look.”

I look down and inspect it, and nod in agreement. 

“You need to put that stone there. Then, when the time comes, that stone will help you all defeat Oceanus. It’s the stone of the Underworld. Figure it out.”

In a shimmer, he’s gone. 

There’s a small and slightly awkward silence between us when Colin clears his throat. 

“That’s my dad for ya. Anyway, Atlas...maybe the Atlas statue in Rockefeller centre?”

I nod. “The stone of the Underworld....”

“We need to tell the others.”

I nod in agreement, and we both climb out of the van. 

~~~~

So I’m thinking the stone will help the person who’s doomed to die to come back to life. That way, the prophecy will ring true, and 12 people will defeat Oceanus, as it has to be those 12 chosen people, and if one of them dies, they can’t defeat Oceanus. So the stone will sort of be indirectly defeating him. 

~Silas Geltz

Hali and Colin explained to us about this stone that we need to find that's probably at the Rockfeller center. All twelve of us packed into the van, double-checking supplies, eating some snacks, and headed off. 

"I don't think a single," I take a bite out of a cheese puff. "stone could help us defeat Oceanus," I take another bite. "Even if it gave us magical powers or whatever, Oceanus is immortal, and we would lack the power to fight such a being, especially," I grab another puff. "if there would be only eleven of us then."

"Maybe the stone would call down a helper of some kind." Colin suggested.

"Or maybe," Solange said, grabbing a cheese puff from my bag. "it would send Oceanus to Tartarus. It is the 'Stone of the Underworld' as your dad said."

We all began thinking what the stone would do, as Hali drove us toward the Rockefeller Center, the Atlas statue showed up next to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

But then there was something wrong. Somone who looks like they work at the Rockefeller Center walks up to our slowing van.

~~~~~~

This person could be a monster.

Hali~

Silas says something under his breath, and I stop the van. A man approaches the window, so I roll it down. 

“Howdy,” he says with a southern twang.

“Hello,” I reply, trying to keep calm. 

“Parking is five dollars. What brings you all here?”

“Field trip,” I reply with an eased tone and smile, handing him the money. 

He grunts and nods, taking the fee. But as soon as it reaches his palm, it turns to fire. 

He looks up at me and smiles, revealing sharp teeth. 

“What’s this magic we’ve got here now?” 

“Hi, um, can you leave?” Zora says to the man. Thank goodness I had a charmspeaker in shotgun. 

“What?”

“Turn around and leave. There’s no point in causing trouble.”

His angry eyes look conflicted before he shrugs and walks off. 

I put the van in reverse (thank goodness I know stick shift, which is mainly the reason why Solange let me drive, but I’m used to beach vans and buggies in stick so) and drive carefully back before slamming on the breaks while shifting the control again to leave. 

“We still need to get the stone!” Colin shouts. 

“Thank you BACKSEAT DRIVER!” I yell, avoiding the screaming people that dodge to get out of the way. 

“Red light coming up!” Aurora announces. 

I let out a crazed smirk and step on the pedal more, running the light completely. 

Suddenly Silas starts playing Rocket Man in the background, and I groan out loud.

“Not now!”

“And if you’re going to put music on, make it hard rock and roll!” Dylan exclaims. 

I let out a shout as I swerve to avoid an entire family. 

“There’s a police car chasing us!” Solange announces, right as Rocket Man gets to the main chorus. 

“SILAS!” I yell. 

“Sorry, sorry, but the phone isn’t responding to my commands-“

“Commands,” Aubri laughs. “Is your phone a soldier?”

“Whatever,” I say under my breath, as I take a sharp left. People in the back yelp and some protest, but I block them out, looking in the side mirror. The police are chasing us down, and I can faintly see one of them radioing, as the megaphone speaks.  

This is the police. Stop your vehicle now. 

I purse my lips and steer off road and to a cliff that leads straight into a bay. 

“Hali,” I hear Brae say. “Hali. HALI!”

I lean forward, my foot going all the way down on the petal, and we soar off. 

The police cars skid and stop right at the edge as we go flying through the air, everyone screaming. 

“Dad, please,” I whisper, closing my eyes in fear of impact. 

Suddenly I hear the screams turn to laughs and cries of relief. 

I crane my head around and see them looking out the window, so I do the same. 

Water is carrying us on a large wave, until we are deposited on the other side of the bay on a clear parking lot. 

I shrug with a smile and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as I open the door, climbing out. 

Everyone bursts out, laughing and crying in pure relief of being alive. 

Until pure realisation slaps me. 

“We didn’t get the stone.”

“Yeah,” Silas gasps, his sides obviously hurting from laughing. “We’ll have to be more undercover.”

I nod. “Alright. How about we get to a clothing store and get better disguises. We’re certainly on the watchlist now. Then create a fake alibi and split up into two groups if we have to.”

Everyone nods, and we stretch before having to climb back into the van. 

“Can I still drive?” I ask hesitantly. Some give me exasperated looks, but Solange steps up. 

“Oh why not,” Solange replies. “We may need that driving again.”

Laughter follows her statement. 

Hi. So.

I’ve been thinking about my previous comment I made about Aurora.

And I really regret making it.

I’m terribly sorry about how pathetic I sounded.

I was stressed out because my county Spelling Bee was the next morning.

And I know that doesn’t excuse my behavior on that night. But.

I am really sorry. Could you guys please forgive me?

And about Aurora: I’ll RP her part this afternoon when I have more time.

Again, I truly am sorry. 

Aurora~

We casually walk through Rockefeller Center, looking for the stone.

”Ugh. I hate these uniforms!” I complain as I tug at my skirt.

Hali puts her arm on my shoulder. “Me too, Aurora. Me too.” (Boooonding moment!)

I study my map carefully. “Okay, so what we’re looking for is probably in the Greek mythology section. Which—“

”No kidding, Sherlock.” Solange comments.

I roll my eyes and glance back at my map. “Which is somewhere close by. But, there’s heavy security there. So heavy that not even charmspeak could help us. I’m talking about loaded guns at the ready and—“

”We get it.” Silas declares.

I nod. “Okay. Well, that means that we need some other way to get through.”

”Any ideas?” Hali asks everyone.

No one replies. I mean, who can? It’s not like bows and arrows or animals could help—

Wait a minute. They can. Thank you, Artemis!

“I have an idea!” I exclaim. A couple stares at me across from us.

”Thank the gods,” Colin mutters.

”So. I have a special connection with animals, and I could convince them to help us. I could make them a distraction for the security guards! Then, someone will have to do something so brilliant that it gets us the stone while the guards are distracted. Get it?”

I wait patiently for their reactions.

Hali~

“Nice thinking, Aurora!” I say. “You distract and stick with Colin and Alana. They can help. Right guys? I’ll go with Silas to retrieve the stone, Solange and Aubri can make sure to distract the guards at the south entrance, and Dylan and Zora (use charmspeak if necessary) can make sure that the exit is clear for an emergency escape. Mason, Brae, and Kathlynn, be our eyes. If anything suspicious heads towards the Atlas, let us know. We’ll try to get it as quickly as possible. Let’s move before we encounter another problem.”

We all nod, do a hands in the middle thing, and then walk our separate ways. 

“This is what the Atlas looks like, as shown in the brochure,” Silas says, pointing it out. “And we’re here. So that means we only need to make a turn to the left, walk down the paintings, then turn to the left again and it should be in the centre.”

“Let’s get a move on then,” I reply. “I bet Oceanus’ people are already pursuing all of us.”

We speed walk down the halls but also make sure not to draw the attention of the tourists or the security officers. 

“Almost there,” Silas mutters, looking at the brochure.

I look also, and we get completely distracted for a moment, causing Silas to run head first into a security officer. 

“Sorry officer,” he apologises, backing up immediately. 

A guy, with a scruffy beard but neat uniform nods. “Be careful. These artefacts are priceless.”

I nod. 

“Are you guys on a school trip?” he asks. 

I nod. “Valor International Preparatory  Academy of course,” I reply with an Australian accent. There were enough Australian local surfers back in Hawaii that I picked up their accent with ease. I’m already on the list for my looks, I don’t need to be on it completely identified with my voice and where I’m from too. 

“Nice,” he replies, although his smile makes me uneasy. “Have fun.”

He walks away and we make sure he turns the corner and his footsteps follow before we speed walk to the Atlas in front of us. 

“Alright, the stone should be somewhere here,” I mutter, scanning the Atlas. 

I hear a small click. 

“Got it,” Silas says.  

He’s opened a very small latch on the top of the Atlas, and inside is a small compartment with a stone and a slip of paper. 

I carefully pick up the stone while Silas unrolls the paper, and put it in my anklet. It locks in place and looks natural among the shells and other small sea glasses and stones. 

“The next stone is at the New York Zoo. Polar Bear exhibit.”

I nod and we turn to leave when we’re confronted with two security guards. 

~~~

DUN DUN DUUUUUNN!  

Kathlynn-

I of course was stuck being the eyes of the opperation with Brae and Mason, and after being stuck in a car for the last three hours, sitting in the back squashed between Max and Brae, well, I'll just say Max spilled a few secrets about me to Brae that I didn't want anyone knowing unless I was dead. 

"you should make a move!" Brae whispered in my ear, looking over at Mason. 

"is that all you aphrodite kids think about? I have mucher bigger problems that my love life, or the lack there off," I hissed back, she shook her head a dissapointed look on her face. "I don't even know what we're watching, like miss almighty and powerful can't handle things herself?" 

"Kay, come on, give Hali a break, she needs us," Mason said, turning to face us. I rolled my eyes typical of him to defened miss queen of any and everything. 

"yeah, needs us to get out of her way," I said back, out of habbit my hand went to my necklace, the one that could transform to a sword, making me feel safe with the touch. "when has she actually trusted us to do anything?" I said. 

"just relax, we've done just as much damge to the word as she has the last few hours, I mean we got in here and-"

"what are you kids doing here?" a gruff voice asked, the conversation stopped as I turned around, facing a large man dressed in a black suit, and dark sunglasses hiding his eyes. 

"well sir we're on a feid tri-"

"shut it little girl, we're gonna need you to co-

"why don't you shut it?" I said, walking over to stand side by side with Brae, "who died and made you king? you don't have any right to speak to her that way," I said, glaring at the man and the two people behind him, a skinny woman with dark brown hair, and obese man whose stomache poked out from under his shirt. "besides we have everyright to be here, we're on a feild trip with our school."

"no you're not, Miss. Peterson, you and Mason and Braelynn are most certainly not on a school trip," the woman said, I could almost detect a russian accect to subtle to draw attention to it. "like my boss said before, we need you to come with us. and without warning they grabbed us, the main man going after Brae the other man taking Mason, and the woman, launched herself at me, I struggled against' her as she pinned my arms behind my back, forcing me forward. coming face to face with the one and only Hali to seemed to have gotten herself in a similuer situation.  

There is no need for distraction until two security guards find Hali and Silas.

Darn! I have to act fast!

I whistle a beautiful melody and wait.

Then, I hear thumps. Thump. Thump. Thump.

”Um, does anyone else hear that?” Alana asks.

Colin nods, and the confusion on their faces is quite funny.

Then, a door breaks open with a huge CLANK and animals are storming in. People all over Rockefeller Center scream in unison. 

And then they see what the animals are really headed for. Me.

A deer gets to me first. Daughter of Artemis, you called?

I nod and say, “Yes. I need your help. You see, we must get the Stone of the Underworld in order to save Earth, but those security guards are not helping. Could you please be a distraction? We would really appreciate it.”

Very well, Daughter of Artemis, the deer nods. But you must act quickly. Or else we animals will be killed.

“I won’t let that happen.” I reassure.

Then, I throw a bow and arrow to Colin and Alana. “Shoot all the security guards you see.”

”But then we’d kill them!” Alana protests.

”Um, no. These are just tranquilizing arrows. It will just knock them unconscious. Now hurry! The animals won’t distract them forever!”

Then we get to shooting. Colin and Alana aren’t the best at archery, but that’s okay.

All that matters is getting the stone and protecting the animals.