Percy Jackson, the embodiment of hope.

Chapter 52: Information should be shared in secure spaces. (Like McDonalds)

"OK, so we're... here," Zoe said, tapping a map. 

Thalia sipped her soda and pointed at a different spot. "That's where we were last night?"

Zoe nodded. "Yeah."

She looked up at Artemis. The three of them were in a McDonalds, reviewing their map and talking while the hunters rested in the nearby woods.

"We're completely sure the Assassin won't attack right now?" Zoe asked.

Artemis shook her head. "No. She won't."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "M'Lady, every time you've talked about the assassin since last night you've acted completely confident. Do you know their attack plans?"

Artemis shook her head. "No, but..."

"But what?" Zoe asked.

Artemis looked conflicted. "I- I've been reviewing the memories from last night, and -"

Thalia looked at Zoe, surprised. "She can do that?"

Zoe nodded. "She doesn't often, though."

Artemis cleared her throat, regaining their attention. "Anyway, as I was saying, I've come to a couple of conclusions."

"And those are?" Thalia asked.

"One: the assassin didn't know that you're my hunters," Artemis said.

Zoe nodded. "That would explain why she backed off so fast once you entered the fight. She wasn't prepared to fight a god. And it explains her blubbering."

"Right," Artemis said. "Two: She will only attack at night, at least when she's alone."

"Why?" Thalia asked before taking a bite out of her cheeseburger.

"Well," Artemis said. "She can melt into the darkness, which would be explained by her being Erebus's assassin. Wouldn't she be stronger in the dark?"

Zoe ground her teeth. "How did the Hunt get beaten that easily last night anyway?"

"Well... that has to do with the cabin man," Thalia said nervously.

Zoe groaned. "How?"

Artemis took a drink of her Sprite. "He uses a certain... ingredient, that apparently, when consumed on the surface, lowers reaction time and strength. At least, that's what he said, and it apparently only happens for us."

Zoe nodded. "Okay. What ingredient was it?"

Thalia choked on her soda. "Remember how the food was spicy?"

Zoe nodded suspiciously. "Yes..."

"He uses some of the Phlegethon," Artemis said.

Zoe stared at her for a moment before waving it off. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that. Is there anything else about the assassin you could figure out?"

Artemis chewed her lip. "I think... I think I figured out who it is."

Both of the girls stated at her. "That's great!" Zoe said. "We can -"

"No, it's not great," Artemis interrupted.

"What? Why?" Thalia asked.

Artemis sighed. "Because... I think the assassin is Estelle."

Thalia dropped her soda, and Zoe stared at Artemis in shock.

"Wait wait wait," Thalia said. "Like, Percy's sister Estelle?"

Artemis nodded. "Yes."

Zoe hung her head and slowly stood up. "I have to go," She said emotionlessly.

Thalia grabbed her arm. "Woah, what? Hold on, you can't just leave."

Zoe looked down at her and slowly tugged her sleeve away. "I'm sorry, Thalia, but news regarding Estelle is incredibly important. I need to return to camp and tell Percy."

"Wait, Zoe, hold on," Artemis said. "You can stay with us. I'm sure we'll have to deal with her again, so we can try and prove her identity, and then, we can complete the quest and return, probably with Estelle."

Zoe looked torn. "But... the code..."

Thalia grabbed her and pulled her back down to the seat. "Don't worry about the code. You've got Artemis with you, I don't think Percy could be mad at something if she asked him to not be."

Artemis looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "It's true."

Zoe reluctantly went back to the map, apologizing to Percy in her mind.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, why is Estelle at the top of need to know news?" Thalias asked.

Zoe froze. "He- right, of course not. Have you ever heard any of us discuss a ship?"

Thalia nodded, and Zoe continued. "We found evidence that Estelle was alive. To put a long, tear filled story short, we sent six members of our team onto a ship to retrieve her. Two members returned, the ship exploded, a primordial got his arm ripped off, and we learned the Estelle was being tested on by Erebus."

Thalia sat still for a moment. "Wow."

Artemis nodded. "Yes. Wow. From what he told me, it was a... well, terrible is putting it lightly, but it was a terrible experience."

Zoe looked at Artemis, an eyebrow raised. "How much did Percy tell you?"

Artemis shrugged nervously. "I'm pretty sure... all of it?"

Zoe looked back down at the map. "That's not surprising, actually."

Thalia tapped Idaho Falls. "That's where we're going?"

Zoe nodded. "Yes. Are you ready?"

Artemis and Thalia nodded, so they rolled up their map, threw their trash away, and headed off into the forest.
----------------------------------------------------------
Slap!

The sound could be heard from a mile away. Estelle went flying backward, slamming into a wall and sliding to the ground. Clubber snarled at Erebus. "You little!"

His ghostly hands started punching Erebus, who was fuming.

"You had one job!" He yelled.

His assassin coughed. "I- I didn't know there would be a goddess there."

"No, that's not it," Erebus said. "You played with your food. You didn't immediately kill the hunters like you were supposed to, you decided to toy with them. I gave you a little bit of freedom, and the first thing you do is screw an incredibly important mission up!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, no, I can work with this, I can... okay."

He smiled. "You're going to go back into the chamber."

Estelle's eyes widened. "No, please! I don't want to -"

Erebus raised his hand. "AND. Someone else will go with you on your next mission."

She wanted to cry. Not the chamber, please. The ghosts crowded around, trying to give her as much consolation as they could, but they knew it wouldn't really work. The next few nights would be filled to the brim with screams and agony.

"And, who is you teammate, you ask?" Erebus said. "Why it's your favorite... Blaze!"

A dark fire walked out of Erebus's throne, in the shape of a boy. The assassin recognized the fire. It was what burned the building down around her.

In her final moments of consciousness, before the knowledge of the chamber and slap from a primordial knocked her out, she could only think one thing.

I can't wait for Erebus to die.