(Escape: #Found)

Mars POV

I see everything go down.

Things light on fire.

Boom, boom, boom.

I'm the reason we're basically in hell.

I took her here.

I told her what I thought about her.

I suck.

"Korri?" I ask, to the vein covered, condensed greek fire drenched lump that is sprawled out unnaturally on the stone floor.

It makes me sick.

I hear a giggle.

"Yeah," it's Korri. "But I can't get up."

"You are an idiot." but a heavy weight lifts off my chest anyway, and I start to feel guilty.

She smiles. "I know. And that's why we make such a good team."

I sigh, but I grin anyway.

I roll my eyes. "True, but anyway, how are we gonna get you back home?"

"You could drag me."

I raise my eyebrows. "No, I'm not that rude." I could be ruder, but I like you, so you're not gonna hear of it.

I hate how I phrased, "I like you" but thankfully, it doesn't really cross Korri's mind.

You have a cut. Korri mumbles. It looks really bad.

I bite my lip. "Oh, um, I can't feel anything right now, so..."

Her frown deepens. "Now that's bad. But um, the cut's on your arm."

"Oh." That's why my shirt sleeve's sopping wet.

And that's why I feel so damn dizzy.

I slump to the ground, too tired to do anything.

I hate it.

"Uh huh. You said-"

"Korri. Forget what I said." I look at her. "You are going to kill yourself!"

I'M THE DAUGHTER OF THE DIVINE! WORST THING THAT HAPPENS: I PASS OUT. IF SOMETHING WORSE HAPPENS, AND I DIE? IT WON'T MATTER ANYWAY! I'M ALREADY HALF DEAD! IT'S ONLY SO LONG UNTIL I BECOME SOMETHING LIKE THOSE TRAPPED KIDS, OR THOSE INSANE DRYADS!!! She snaps. It won't matter. At least one of us should live. And besides, I'm nothing. Just another thing waiting to rot in hell.
What duh...? I freeze. No. No, you're more than that.

"KORRI!!!" Someone shouts from the woods beyond.

"ARES!!!"

My left hand is pale, and my arm aches.

Damn I feel light-headed.

"I'm not looking for that twit!" a female voice snaps. "I'm looking for my sister!"

Another figure sighs in exhaustion. "Yet I am looking for both."

Apollo and Lola.

"APOLLO LETO ZEUSSON!!!" I shout.

"NEVER CALL ME BY MY FULL NAME AGAIN!!!" Apollo snaps as he comes into view.

His eyes widen.

"Yeah," I laugh, but it's weak, and clearly fake. "Déjà vu huh?"

He rolls his eyes, but he's clearly panicking. "How are you alive?"

"I really don't know at this point." I look at Lola. "But hey, thanks for finding us, I'm bleeding to death, and Korri's about to go insane."

Korri rolls her eyes, but she knows I'm right.

Whether she goes crazy from overusing her talent, and/or goes crazy from the poison coursing through her blood.

Apollo looks pist off, and Lola has disbelief written all across her face.

"What in the hell did you do to her?" Lola whispers, as she crouches down to check on the slightly crazy, giggling limp body sprawled out on the floor.

"Korri... learned some things." I look at Apollo and mouth, Such as the fact that she's apparently a Divinling.

I hope I have an expression that says, "I don't understand what she did, so don't ask me".

"Oh." Apollo seemed to get both messages. "I believe I understand, but Ms. Lola hasn't done this yet, and usually with twins it happens around the same time."

"But, what if they don't have the same parents?"

Lola rolls her eyes. "You realize I'm still here right?"

"Oh. We'll explain later."

"Okay," Lola says, getting to her feet. "Sorry to be bossy, but I need one of you to carry her."

"I will!" me and Apollo say in sync, and we give each other death glares.

"No." Apollo looks at me. "You're injured, and she... broke a lot of things."

"No." I glare at him.

"BOTH OF YOU DO IT THEN." Lola groans. "I can't stand this stupid brother-drama."

We glare at her. "Fine."

I make it five feet before the pain in my shoulder stops me.

"Okay," I sigh. "Now I give up."

Apollo takes Korri from me, and she looks at me like I'm the most amusing thing in the world.

Yet she doesn't laugh.

I look out at the little light of where home is.

It's all the way out across the lake.

"We're not gonna be able to get home before daybreak." I say, wincing as I bump my shoulder on something. "We should probably make camp."

"You make the most absurdly uncomfortable ideas, Ares..." Apollo and Lola grumble.

"Well," I shrug, trying my damndest to not curse random things. "I am the god of war. And that isn't the most uncomfortable thing I've done."

They both frown and stop their chatter, but they glare at me, as if they're mentally debating whether or not to boil me in oil with snakes, or to just slowly cut off my head.

I snort. "And I'm even better at ruining conversations."

"I'm gonna look for firewood," Lola mutters, and goes off into the woods.

"And I'm gonna find a splint for your arm, and her leg." Apollo says, and walks off in the opposite direction as Lola.

It's almost as if their time alone together nearly killed them. Then again, it probably had.

"The view looks pretty." Korri breathes, looking out onto the lake.

"Hey," I pause. "I thought you broke your leg."

"I broke both of them." She sighs. "But I just played with a few sticks and made some supports. Blisters my hands like crazy, but at least I can walk... kinda." Granted, I can't do a lot of things now.

"Cool," I look at her. That you made the supports I mean.

A little smile brushes the edge of her lip, as if she is seeing some joke that I cannot.

Her eyes twinkle in the moonlight, and my heart does a weird fluttery thing.

What is wrong with me?!

"Um," I stammer, trying to remember what I was gonna say. "I was just wondering, um, does it seem like Lola and Apollo are about ready to kill each other?"

That was the best I can come up with?

SERIOUSLY?

"Yeah," she breathes. "It does seem that way." She looks at me. "But you look like you just saw a ghost. You okay?"

I blink. "What?"

She puts a hand on my good shoulder. "I said you look like you just saw a ghost. Are you okay?"

I run a hand through my hair. "Uh huh.

"Thank you," she whispers, and turns around.

Then I hear them too.

Footsteps running into the clearing.

"Look who I found." Apollo says, as he walks over with two limp figures swung across his shoulder.

They're the dryads from the labyrinth.

Then I look over at Korri, in her gray rainbow striped shirt, and jeans, make me feel fluttery again, and she looks like the prettiest girl in the world.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

Oh.

CURSE YOU TWEEN HORMONES!!!

My face goes crimson.

Korri frowns. "Didn't those attack us in the cave? Also, Ares, you're face keeps going crazy."

I'm pretty sure my entire face is purple now, and Apollo starts snickering. 

"Uh huh." I knock a loose pebble from out of the packed dirt. "Hey, Apollo-"

"Oh, 'Apollo, wanna do those test thingies on the dyads?'" Apollo says sarcastically. "Sure."

He gives me his death glare as he walks off.

"Hey dorks." Lola frowns as she walks into the clearing. "I need you to help me find some shelter that won't try to kill us."

"Okay." Me and Korri say, and look our separate ways.

It makes my anxiety ramp up.

Why? Dunno.

"Okay, Korri, wanna come help me-"

"No." Lola says. "I'm not going with Apollo."

"How did you-"

"I know how other kids bring up the buddy-system."

"I say mortal with Divine, Divine with mortal." Korri says. "On the buddy-system thing."

"Well, who do you wanna go with? Me or Apollo?"
"I'd rather go with Apollo..." Lola grumbles.

"Great." I say. "That settles it. I'll go with Korri?"

"Just like you to do that Wonder-Boy." Lola hisses, as she storms off.

I ignore her, then I realize what she said. "What do you mean 'Wonder-Boy'?"

But she is already out of earshot.

"Well." Korri breathes. I would put my talents to good use, but it would probably blow me up, or something and or someone else up.

I smile weakly. "Agreed... Do you ever think we'll be normal? Like, go to school and stuff?"

"I dunno." She laughs. "I'm pretty sure I'm missing it." she looks at me. "I don't know whether we'll be normal or not. I doubt it. Apparently I'm some all powerful mighty being. You're a god. But there's always a little possibility. Even if it's the faintest hint of a chance."

Her charisma, although defended by her hot temper and attitude, brought hope to me. A hope I haven't had for eons. A hope... a hope to be a kid again.

"I wonder what the other Divine are up to." I mumble. "Like, when I still somewhat liked them, me and Loki would toy with the world basically. Not giving a crap on what happened. But Odin and Zeus would care more, making sure everything was oh-so planned out. I'm starting to wonder what happened naturally, that couldn't have been avoided, or... what did the Divine cause that could have been avoided?"

So some things aren't because of the gods?

The Divine if we're being specific. That is basically ALL of the gods and goddesses in mythos. I believe Athena came up with it a few hundred years ago...

Oh. Korri sighs. What are you gonna do after this? Like, are they gonna send you up to the heavens or something?

I shake my head. They wouldn't send me to the heavens. They know better than to do that. I sigh. Plus, they don't just "send you to the heavens". If anyone would go to the heavens it's you.

Why?

Because. I whisper. I'm basically a warrior. I have no need to cause trouble there. Plus, they don't want me to be pure-blooded immortal, and luckily, neither do I.

Where would they send you?

Probably to Valhalla or something.

Would we still see each other?

I smile sadly. No, not much. But not none.

This looks like a good spot for camp. Korri says.

The clearing looks more like a dome woven by the trees, leaving only a glimpse of moon light through the little frame at the top.

"I'll get Lola and Apollo." Korri says, then pauses. "Um, will I die using my powers again?"

"Unlikely."

"Thanks."

I frown. "For what?"

"For talking to me."

I smile. "You're the only one to talk to me, in, let's just say forever?"

She giggles sheepishly. "Well you're the only one who tried and succeeded in dragging me out of my pit of doom and despair." Even if it was a rough, painful ride on that one.

I shrug. "Well, you're also my only friend at this point, Fey."

"What does 'Fey' mean?"

"Um, it's a kind of fairy, but if you call them that, you'll probably die."

"'Kay, but do you call me that?"

"Oh." I change subject. "We need to tell Apollo and Lola-"

"Right! Well, since I can't use my powers, and I'm pretty much dead, I'll stay here?"

I hate that idea, but I agree and set off.

I find them a few minutes later, mainly by the shouts (etc.) that they're making.

"Guys," I frown. "We found a spot."

"Good." Lola groans. "'Cause if I stay with him alone for any longer I'm gonna die."

"AND," Apollo snaps. "If I am less than one-billion feet away from her, I'm gonna die until I'm ACTUALLY dead!"

I roll my eyes. "Okay, okay, just follow me."

We walk through the woods, not getting lost thanks to my photographic memory, and Korri's telepathy.

We get to the campsite, and see that it had already been set up most of the way.

Korri is sitting in front of a campfire, her face glowing beautifully in the firelight-

SUPER CURSE THESE TWEEN HORMONES DAMMIT!!!!!

Took you so long? She looks at me.

I had to search for where the most punching and shouting was.

"Well, I still need to get them to sleep."

"WE'RE NOT TODDLERS!!!" Apollo and Lola shout in unison...

...But I feel like Korri was intending to make it look like they ARE acting like toddlers.

And in my opinion, Korri's right.

Korri giggles, her dirty blond hair bouncing on her shoulders, she's laughing so hard.

We eventually fall asleep.

But I'm wide awake.

I pull out my small dagger.

It feels good, something I hate but equally adore.

It's also something I can somewhat control.

And I love the feel of the well-worn leather in my closed palm.

I look over at Korri, and see her beautiful iridescent hazel eyes glitter in the moonlight.