They'd gotten to Thomas's' house within ten minutes of the call. A thin, frail person was knocking on the door vigorously. Their hair bright, dyed to look like a neon rainbow, and dressed in a stylish, striped shirt, jacket and jeans, was Talyn.

"Talyn?" Asked Thomas, shutting his car door.

"Thomas! I could've sworn you were inside, I kept hearing talking!" Talyn said, waving a hello to Joan.

One of the car doors nearly flew off the car and Roman stepped out with a flush, Logan in close pursuit.

Talyn frowned. "Who are they?"

"This is Roman and Logan, both male." Joan said, waving their hand to each god in turn. "So, what are you doing here, Talyn?

The new mortal gave a small sigh, looking warily down the street. "So I was scrolling through Twitter, right? And then I saw loads of tweets that some big body builder has been going up to people's' house and searches them. Like, he knocks on the door, you open up, he shoves a search warrant in your face and then walks into your house!"

"That's crazy!" Thomas said, confused. He could hear Logan tensing over his shoulder. "What does he want?"

"I don't know," Whined Talyn, dragging out their words with a pout, "Nobody does! He just searches all your closets and cupboards and looks in your garden and then he takes the warrant back and leaves!"

Roman gasped quietly and nudged Logan, whispering something to him which Thomas could only imagine was Ancient Greek. Logan took out the Book, before hurriedly replying.

Talyn tilted their head. "What are they doing?"

"It doesn't matter," Joan said quickly.

"Sorry, Talyn, but us four were about to pack for a big drive around the states! Road trip, you know?" Shrugged Thomas brightly, putting on the widest grin.

Talyn was not convinced. "Without telling me? And so spontaneous? Thomas, what's going on?" They asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joan opened their mouth to continue the little stall but Thomas sagged, not wanting to lose a friend over this. "Just come in."

.:*:.

Logan shut the door behind them, making sure it was locked to anyone outside. Talyn moved to the kitchen counter, sitting cross-legged on top of it and Joan joined them. Roman wandered into the middle of the room and Talyn frowned at the broken coffee table. "When did that happen-?"

"Virgil? Patton? We're back!" Thomas yelled.

Virgil appeared on the sofa, holding something in his fist. "Yeah, I saw you come in..."

Patton rushed down the stairs happily. "Hey, everyone! Virgie and I fixed your room, Thomas!"

"Okay, who are you? Why did you fix Thomas's' room and when were you on the sofa?!" Talyn yelled, obviously handling this surprise with a calm manner.

"I was on the sofa before you got here. I was just invisible."Scoffed Virgil, rolling his eyes. He slipped a polished ring, studded with beautiful gems, onto his middle finger. "Who are you?"

Talyn turned to face Joan, who shrugged in response. "These guys are the children of Greek Gods. They fell from the sky and landed in Thomas's' back garden and they don't know how to get back."

"Mhm, that's right," Thomas said, nodding, "That's Logan, son of Athena, Roman, son of Aphrodite, Patton, son of Zeus, and Virgil, son of Hades."

Talyn blinked. "There's no way I'm believing that."

Virgil sighed, standing up. He locked eyes with Talyn and let his eyes blank over. Lifting off the ground, he hovered there, skin tightening around his bones as shimmering outlines of people appeared around him. Talyn shrieked, falling backwards to be caught by Logan.

"How is he-?!" They tried, scrabbling as far away as they could from Virgil.

"He's the son of Hades." Thomas answered simply.

Virgil dropped to the ground, returning to his normal self again. "Believe us yet?"

"Th-There must have been some sort of rig up, there's no way-!"

Logan passed Talyn the Book. "Ask it something only you would know. You don't need to say anything, just ask it in your head."

Talyn took the Book, flicking it open to the first page. They narrowed their eyes and then the number '15' appeared on the page in a beautiful cursive.

"What did you ask it?" Logan inquired, touching the Book. Instantly, the number was replaced by: They asked what their unlucky number was.

"Oh my god..." Talyn whispered. They were incredible pale, and Joan rubbed their back with small circular motions.

Thomas rushed to his small friend. "Talyn, it's fine, it's all good. I blacked out when these guys fell from the sky and then Virgil just sat up like nothing happened."

Talyn gave a small smile, eyes trained on the edge of the counter. "You'd black out if someone said your name louder than you expected." Thomas gasped.

"Thomas, although I understand that this is an important moment, surely we should be focusing on the fact that there is a man going around knocking on doors and then barging in!" Roman said, getting everyone's' attention. "The Book said that the man was looking for us and I don't need my mother jumping down my throat when we get back to Olympus because some man kidnapped us or whatever!"

"Yes, I agree with Roman's' point. Your falsehood earlier about a 'road trip' sounds like a plausible reason to escape this area and put some distance between us and this man." Logan stated.

Patton frowned. "A road trip?"

"It's an earthling activity, often attempted by younger, richer mortals. The partakers travel around in a car or a caravan only, and often have a planned route until they reach home. They take all the money they'll need as well as food. It's a valid excuse for getting around A-America, was it?" Getting a nod from Joan, Logan continued. "Ergo, a good alibi."

Talyn frowned. "If you're going to do that, where will you get the money?"

Joan grinned. "Virgil has some cool illusion magic where he can illusion something and in, like, ten minutes it's actually there!"

"I love this idea!" Roman said enthusiastically. "It'd be a great way to learn more about this new world too!"

Patton squealed happily, clapping his hands together. "Ooh, this'll be amazing! Learning modern, mortal customs all together, like one big family!"

Virgil hesitated. "B-But this whole thing could bring more attention to us... What if we can't stay in America or something? Where will we go first?"

"Oh, quit worrying, you sulky gorgon! Lighten up, we're gods, what could possibly stop us?" Argued Roman.

"You'd be surprised..." Virgil mumbled ominously.

Patton tackled his cousin in a hug. "Virgil, I said no bad thoughts, remember? Positive-ness all the way!"

"How could we get a camper-van?" Asked Joan.

Thomas shrugged. "We could ask to borrow Valerie's'? She never uses it."

"I'll get the camper-van off Valerie if you two pack!" Talyn suggested. They'd gotten over the shock very quickly, now completely on board with the idea. "I can stop off at my house to pack some stuff before heading back here!"

Joan grinned. "I'll head to my place, pack some stuff myself. Thomas, you're gonna need to get Virgil to make passports or something. And spare suitcases!"

"Great idea, buddy, be right on it! Meet back here at ten pm? It'll be good to leave with no on around." Offered Thomas. His friends replied with a bright nod, beginning to head to the door. "And don't tell anyone why we're leaving!" Thomas yelled after them.

.:*:.

Thomas stood in his driveway in the cold, spring air of night in Florida. He held a large, pull-along suitcase in his hands and stared out into the road. Out of paranoia, he'd constantly check Twitter, just to see where this man was. It seemed like he'd stopped at a town a junction away from his on the highway.

Virgil was sleeping while standing, swaying back and forth slightly. He had a draw string bag that was slung over his shoulder, a backpack that hung off the other shoulder and a black pull-along suitcase. Patton had two duffel bags of a baby blue color, one in each hand, as he spun around, bored.

Roman had a perfectly white and pristine suitcase with a padded texture. It looked even better than what the beautiful god had asked for, but Thomas wasn't prepared to question Virgil about it. It'd be pointless. Roman also had a backpack, red with a golden crown on it.

Logan had his messenger bag that he'd pulled from Thomas's' closet, still used to hold the Book but now housed several bobby pins, pens and scissors. He had a dark blue duffel bag and that was all he needed.

A sudden burst of movement made Thomas jump, jolting Virgil awake, as Joan rushed around the corner. They were dragging two yellow suitcases behind them, a stuffed draw string bag bouncing on their shoulder. They reached the four men, panting for air. "Hey..." They breathed.

"What's in the draw string bag?" Asked Thomas.

Joan grinned. "Beanies..."

"Of course."

"Guys, it's Talyn!" Whispered Patton as a camper-van swung around the corner with a familiar, rainbow-haired mortal at the wheel.

The camper-van had been custom made by a good friend of Thomas called Valerie. It was a pretty red, and had enough room for eight people. Thomas had been in there once, having slept on the single bed that could be pushed up from the roof. It had been awkward to get up too, but had a little window that he could look out from and a trapdoor he could close at night. There were two very small double beds at the back, which was were he believed he, Joan and Talyn would have to share, with the three of the other gods taking up the other one. 

A tiny table sat behind the driver and passenger seat, in front of two extra passenger seats to make up a small dining table - a bench could be pulled out of the wall. And then, in a row in front of the double beds were four seats. The middle two would pull forwards and that would be how to get to and from the double beds. There was a small shower and sink, but no toilet - why? Because Valerie did not fancy sorting out toilets in a tiny bathroom and had told everyone that they'd need to hold it in until they got to a substation.

The oven and hob were one unit and the microwave was stationed above them. Next to them was a mini freezer, followed by a mini fridge and a cupboard. The trunk lined under the floor, surprisingly spacious for a simple storage compartment. Thomas could remember when he and another friend, Terrence had hid in there when they'd stolen Valerie's' maple syrup one morning.

Talyn pulled over, leaving the drivers' seat to push open the sliding door. The four gods looked amazed as they beckoned everyone in. Thomas helped Roman in, then offered his hand out to Virgil. The skinny god hesitated and slapped Thomas's' hand away, climbing in himself.

"This place is so much bigger than I remembered!" Laughed Joan, keeping their voice down as much as they could.

"I know! We just need to organize who sleeps where," Talyn agreed, looking around the camper-van thoughtfully.

"Well, the lightest will have to sleep in the roof-bed..." Thomas mused.

Logan cleared his throat. "That would be Virgil, he is, apparently, lighter than a feather. It comes from his half-present mortal form, for he is half trapped in the Underworld and half free."

Virgil nodded. "Me it is, then. Where's this roof-bed?"

Thomas reached up and pressed hard on a small rectangle. It popped down, followed by a metal bar. "Here you go! You can clasp it shut from the inside and the bar tucks into the wall when closed. If you clasp this from the upstairs, we can't open it from down here, so it's secure. Need any help up?"

"One second," Virgil mumbled, eyes blanking over. He stepped back onto something above ground level and then quickly moved his other foot back. Nearly falling forwards, He was caught by someone and was moved very cautiously under the new hole in the roof. Virgil was propelled up and his eyes grew back as he caught himself, easily swinging into the bed with a tiny thump.

He ducked his head out of the trap door, looking at everyone else while upside down. "Where will you be sleeping?"

"There are some double beds back there, so it's gonna have to be mortals in one, gods in another." Joan said with a shrug, despite their amazed expression.

Talyn opened their mouth to speak, but only managed a small squeal. Clearing their throat vigorously in embarrassment, they said, "I'm gonna drive us along for a bit so we can get out of this town before tomorrow. You guys can get changed behind me and then, once we've found somewhere with overnight parking, I'll get ready for bed and we can all sleep. Sounds like a plan?"

Logan gestured to the luggage. "And these will go...?" He prompted.

"I've got them, don't worry!" Promised Roman. "Thomas told me that they get stored under this all, he'll help me out with it all."

Patton moved to look at Virgil. "Can I come up there?" He asked.

Virgil looked down at his cousin and then grinned. "Sure, give me a moment."

Patton was suddenly picked up by something invisible and was hoisted up towards Virgil who reached for him and pulled the other god up into the bed.

.:*:.

Talyn had pulled over at a public parking lot along the main road out. They'd payed the necessary amount to stay overnight in the 'caravan' parking area and were now sleeping soundlessly. Well, five of them were. Joan snored like an elephant.

Virgil was sitting in his bed, trap door closed firmly. Ghosts flitted through the walls and he whispered orders to them. He didn't want this 'road trip' going south. And he was doing everything he could to make sure the other one liked him back.