Thia's POV
"So you fell off the face of the earth for two years to hide in a cave while everyone thought you were dead?" Andy snapped as they trudged through the wilderness.
"It wasn't my choice," I sighed, "but you have every right to be angry."
"The hell I do! You're my best friend!" Andy snorted, ducking under a tree branch. "You realize how heartbroken everyone was right?"
"I'd rather not think about it."
"Trying to explain to your parents why we were alive and you weren't was hell in itself," Andy's fists clenched for brief moment before relaxing as he glanced over his shoulder at Luke and Marianna. "Not to mention the rest of your family."
"I know it was hard," chewing on my lip I clambered over a boulder, "but some of them knew."
"You told people you were alive?! Who?" Andy demanded, stopping suddenly.
"Maria, Emily, and Jaxon."
"Are you serious?" Andy's eyes narrowed, and in them light reflected like balls of fire. "I thought you were dead! I grieved!"
"It wasn't my choice."
"You keep saying that. I need more than that as an explanation."
"If you knew I was alive you would be in an exceptional amount of danger." Meeting Andy's eyes, I was startled by how different he looked. He looked older, worn, and mature. "Just before you and the others found me I was watching everything unfold."
"What do you mean?"
"Kronos is back, Andy. He's alive and stronger than before, you know that. I couldn't beat him the first time but I weakened him like he did with me. He's been laying low too. But now? Now, he's back and he's killing everyone and everything. He's trying to find me. That cave was the only place I could recover my strength unnoticed. Only because Order used the last of my energy to make a barrier."
"So everyone at home is in danger," Andy's eyebrows creased in worry.
"Yes. I can't sit by anymore but I needed a sign that it was time to face him again. That sign was Luke. He was supposed to find me." Glancing back at Marianna I noticed the way she was helping Luke. He'd recovered incredibly but it was a lot to ask of him to traverse this level of terrain.
"What now? If you go tromping back home all hell is going to break loose. What's everyone going to think?" Andy asked.
"I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet," I admitted. Andy ran a hand trough his hair in irritation. "I'm sorry Andy. I really am. I didn't want to hurt you or anyone else but I needed to protect you."
"What's that done for anyone now, if Kronos is already causing havoc?" Eyebrows arched expectantly, Andy waiter for an answer. I had none. "That's what I thought. So where are we going exactly?"
"Back to the beginning."
"To the massacre?" Andy frowned. "Why?"
"There's someone I have to meet there."
"You're horrifically vague!"
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing."
The rest of the journey was silent.
— — —
That night, they camped in the ruins of New Athens. Andy was quick to fall asleep, and he remained distant. Marianna on the other hand was more warm in receiving the news.
"I'm glad to see you." She smiled, "i know it's not the most ideal situation but...thank you for protecting all of us."
"Someone had to."
"I just wish it wasn't two years of hiding. Maybe about two weeks?" She laughed softly, her eyes settling on her broken fingernails. Part of me hated that she and the others had to work so hard just to find me. It didn't seem fair.
"I think that would've been a lot better," Luke agreed happily.
"Me too." Smiling, I bid Marianna good night as she yawned.
"I'm not tired," she insisted.
"You are," I laughed. She didn't give anymore argument before curling up beside Andy. "She hasn't changed a bit."
"Neither have you," Luke remarked.
"It's good to see you again." Fiddling with the hem of my shirt I finally met his gaze. It was fatherly in a way.
"You too."
"The back has healed I see."
"Mostly. It's still difficult, but I was determined. I had to find you. It's not easy to explain but there was a dream and-"
"It's okay. You don't have to explain. The bottom line is that you showed up. I was counting on it." Luke's eyes softened and for a moment I thought he would cry.
"I never got to thank you for saving my life," he sighed.
"You don't have to. I'd do it all over again." And I meant it with every ounce of my being.
"You're so much like your mother," he chuckled, shaking his head.
"So I've been told. As for you, you need to rest. I know it sounds stupid for me to tell you that but I can feel your strength-"
"I'm aware. I just wanted a moment to say thank you." Luke stood unsteadily before hugging me. He was warm, and comforting, and familiar. What surprised me the most though, was the realization that I hadn't had a hug in years. Eyes closed, I didn't want to let go, but hugs don't last forever.
Luke eventually fell into a deep sleep like the others with his arms as a pillow. My own body was screaming for me to sleep, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I wandered about the old battle ground. Images of the fight flashed across my eyes in vibrant colors. Explosions of pain arched across my skin in memory of the injuries, and my heart ached at the recollection of death.
So many kids laying lifeless. All of them had depended on me but it hadn't been enough. I hadn't been enough. Swallowing the lump in my throat, forcing away the sting in my eyes, and stepping over the remnants of small bones I stumbled upon the item of my dreams.
The old radio station. It was rusted and worn but it had been made with care and I prayed to every god I knew, Greek or Roman, that it would work. Fumbling with the switches and dials I held the headset to my ears.
"Does anyone copy? Hello?"
Silence.
"I repeat, does anyone copy? This is Thia speaking from the ruins of New Athens. Are any allies in the vicinity?" Cutting the outgoing transmission I waited for a response. Nothing came again until a faint crackling grew in distinctness.
"This is a read. I hear you loud and clear kiddo!" The voice was gruff, thundering, but warm and inviting.
"Hephaestus?"
"Yeah."
"Where are you?"
"I've erected a bunch of communications towers. I'm keeping in contact as best as I can by moving every few days. You're the first reply I've gotten." His voice dipped low as if he were listening to something while speaking.
"What's going on? What's the outside world like?" I asked.
"It's a shit show kid. I don't know where anyone is." The warmth became cold with worry.
"Artemis?" Came my next question.
"Not a reading."
"Apollo?"
"Nope."
"Zeus?"
"No."
"Anyone? Anyone at all?"
"I wish I could say yes, but I can't. For now, people are laying low. It's wise to stay off the air for a bit. This is an emergency line anyways," he explained.
"Yeah, yeah okay. Do-do you know if New Rome is okay?" The question was caught in my throat for a moment before I could force it out.
"Yeah, for now. The big man left. Something scared him off." Hephaestus chuckled in mirth.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. What are you up to?"
"Trying to find my way home." Just thinking about home made my chest ache. It'd been so long since I'd been there.
"I wish you luck."
"If-if I take this with me could we keep in touch? I need to know how everyone is. At least until I can help. I don't really know my purpose at the moment. Things come and go when Order wants to show me." Listening to silence only worsened my anxiety.
"Yeah. It's a little lonely anyways."
— — —
"Thia, wake up!" A rough hand jerked my shoulder. In less than a second my eyes flashed open to see a dark starry sky and a concerned expression.
"What is it?" Sitting up, a wave of nausea racked my stomach.
"You were crying in your sleep,"Andy explained.
"And you're hurt," Luke worried.
"How-" but the blood was sticky on my arms.
"Did you do that?" Marianna worried.
"I-no. It's...it's a, well, it's normal." Shivering against the breeze, I became aware of the sweat on my skin.
"Normal?" Andy snorted, "that's not normal."
"It's what happens when I take the sin of others. It's not without its consequences. They heal. Fairly fast in-fact." It was something I'd grown used to over time. Already the skin was beginning to knit itself back together. "I don't really dream anymore. On occasion I do, but I try to balance things out at best as I can."
Andy shook his head and his eyes shut for a brief moment. A muscle in his jaw twitched but he remained quiet.
"You're angry."
"Of course I'm angry!" His words came out in an angry hiss.
"Why?"
"I don't know!"
"Easy," Marianna warned.
"If it makes you uncomfortable I'm sorry, but I can't help it." Tugging the sleeves of my shirt down to cover the wounds, I crossed my arms across my chest.
"Just-whatever. Let's go. It's nearly morning and we need to get back home if everyone's in danger," Andy clambered to his feet.
"They're not."
"How do you know?" His eyebrow arched in question.
"Because I talked to Hephaestus last night. They're okay." Nodding to the machine not far away I watched Andy study it.
"That doesn't mean they don't need help. Emily and Leah haven't handled something of this caliber before. They can't do it themselves," Andy insisted. Marianna regarded Andy with a look of slight distaste. "What?"
"You're being mean," she replied simply. "I don't like it."
"It's the truth."
"Yeah, but sometimes the truth needs to be handled delicately," Luke noted, crossing his arms.
"Listen, if Thia cared she wouldn't have left everyone alone. She would have gone straight back home instead of going here. There's nothing here except bad memories and corpses!" Clenching his teeth, Andy scooped up a rock and hurled it into the trees.
"That was uncalled for," Luke glared, "Fix your attitude. I don't care if you're angry but right now we have other things to worry about and playing the guilt game isn't going to fix anything. We have to trust each other. Wasting time arguing is only going to tear us all apart."
"He's right," Marianna nodded, "we can't keep doing this. Yes, we have to get home, but there's also things Thia has to do. She's the only one capable of matching up to Kronos, Andy. Even then she's been beat once before. We need every edge we can get."
"Fine," Andy sighed, shaking his head so his hair hid his face from view. "What other stupid journey do we have to go on?"
"There's an old friend," I explained hesitantly, "he helped my mother and I need him now. I need to learn how to use my powers to their full potential."
"Then let's go."
Saying nothing, I collected the transmission machine and took the lead of the group. Marianna matched my pace despite being shorter with a smaller stride before hesitantly giving my arm a light comforting squeeze.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Of course."
"I mean mentally," Marianna replied. "Being in a cave for two years can't be good for your mental health. Let alone after the incident with Chaos. You've never really been given a chance to recover from anything. I know how taxing that can be."
"Like I said, I'm okay. Thank you though. For caring I mean." Neither of us brought it up but Marianna knew very well the struggle of mental strength and mental health.
"Of course. It's what friends do," she smiled.
"I suppose it is."