A/N: Someone commented that Apollo reminds them of Louis Tomlinson & I've enjoyed that mental image so I thought I'd write this here so everyone else can enjoy it too lol

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The three boys leave Delphyne's body inside the shop, knowing it would disappear to Tartarus in the next few minutes. Ashton stands outside the tourist shop for about five minutes getting himself back together, taking deep breaths while Luke awkwardly pats his shoulder, his eyes furious and full of ice. Calum stands with his back against the wall, looking over the map that he stole from the back room after they slayed Delphyne.

He finds where they are and squints at the tiny drawn roads and street names. He trails his finger along the map carefully.

Luke turns to him once Ashton has recovered. "Where to next, Brainiac?"

Calum mentally rolls his eyes at the nickname. "I'm looking for it right now... it's, uh. Perhaps it's by the-- oh! Found it. It's on 8th Avenue South. We can walk there from here."

"But my feet hurt," Ashton complains. Calum ignores this. He stuffs the map in his back pocket, directions already memorized. He pulls his backpack back on his shoulder and faces the street.

"Follow me. It's a short walk," Calum assures them. Ashton groans very loudly but follows them anyway, Luke staying in the back to make sure everyone stays together. Calum feels like he's leading a kindergarten class.

They walk toward 8th Avenue South. A roofless bus passes them with very intoxicated and very energized people in it, whooping loudly and shouting very obscene words at no one in particular. Ashton narrows his eyes and raises a middle finger. Luke slaps his hand.

A little while longer, they pass a strip of loud restaurants, music throbbing in the background. Calum keeps looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact, as a group of girls look over at them.

One of them leans over the railing and said, "Hey, boys!"

Ashton stops, grinning. "Hey, gir-"

"Ashton!" Calum snaps. He gives Ashton a poisonous look. Ashton frowns at him but sheepishly turns away from the restaurant, crossing his arms and continuing to walk.

When they finally arrive at 8th Avenue, Ashton looks exhausted. He pants and shakes his hands. "Why didn't we just call an Uber?"

"Gotta save mortal money," says Calum. "I don't think they would accept drachmas."

Calum spots the shop, thankfully, at the end of the strip, wedged between an antique furniture store and a pawn shop. APOLLO'S MUSIC SHOP flashes in bright lights and colors, an open sign hanging tilted sideways on the front door. Calum has a lot of trouble trying to imagine an Olympian god hanging out in there, but Apollo has always been one for weird choices.

The three boys walk up the the shop. A bell jingles as they open the door, something that sounds like a mix of hip-hop and pop sounding over the speakers. A boy, looking around twenty or twenty one, lounges behind a counter, an acoustic guitar in his hands. He is tan and blonde, looking like some kind of Australian surfer. He has dark blue eyes and a handsome jaw. Calum recognizes him immediately.

Apollo looks up. A smile graces his handsome face. "Demigods! What a wonderful surprise." His tone makes it clear it isn't actually a surprise. Calum tries to hide how nervous he is. Malcolm has told him plenty of stories of Apollo being difficult whenever they met. All Calum wants is for their meeting to go smoothly.

Ashton, however, looks awestruck. "Holy shit! Did you make these yourself?" He traces the wall of electric guitars with his finger. He looks particularly fond of a burgundy one, all sleek and polished to perfection.

Apollo looks pleased. "Yes! Prices vary. I'm all for making deals, though. Feel free to try one out."

Ashton takes the burgundy one down off the wall. Calum blinks at him. He definitely would not have pegged Ashton for the musical type, but Ashton just sits down and begins tuning it quietly, his head tilted to hear the strings better.

Apollo leans his tan elbows on the table. "So. What can I do for you, demigod kids?"

Calum takes a deep breath. "Well, we're actually here to ask you abo--"

Before he can finish, Apollo suddenly narrows his eyes. "Why do you smell like ichor? Particularly familiar ichor?"

"Delphyne," Luke says. Apollo looks at him. "She owned a tourist shop we stopped at. We had to kill her. She-- didn't want us to come find you."

Apollo throws his guitar on the counter. Miraculously, it didn't break. "That bitch!" he bellows. "How dare she regenerate in my city. Unbelievable. I absolutely hate her."

While Calum thinks he sounded like a whiney child, he has a point. Calum doesn't particularly like her either. And while he had heard plenty of stories of Apollo being a drama queen about anything that comes his way, he is still an Olympian god, which means he has enough powers to blow Calum off the face of the earth if he pleased. Which means Calum sort of has to respect him.

Apollo lets out a loud sigh. "Well, kudos to you for killing her again. I wish she would stay dead forever."

"Retweet," chimes Ashton from across the store.

"What?" says Apollo. Ashton glances at him from where he sits with the guitar.

"Social media reference," he explains. Apollo nods.

"Oh. I've never liked technology very much."

Calum wants to scream. "Listen. We came to you because we thought maybe you would have a prophecy for us. We don't have an Oracle at the House, and we have had no contact with the gods. At least, not unless we go find them ourselves. So that's why we're here."

Apollo dramatically picks his guitar up again and plays a dismal sounding tune. "I've got nothing for you. Unless you want some music advice."

"Actually--" Ashton begins. Then he sees Calum's face, and shuts his mouth.

From the back of the store, Calum sees a man walking towards them, leaning helplessly against the walls as he does. As he gets closer, Calum sees he holds a wine glass full of red liquid in one hand, and a wine bottle in the other. He saunters over toward Apollo, setting the bottle on the counter and taking a large gulp from his glass. He is dressed in a yellow t-shirt and jeans with green and gold stitching in the lining. He wears red converse and pink glitter eyeliner over his eyelids, catching the light of the flourescent bulbs overhead.

Apollo narrows his blue eyes at him. "Dionysus. Seriously. Did I not tell you to go make yourself useful and sort the inventory?"

"Music isn't my thing, darling," Dionysus says sweetly. He blinks his glittery eyes at the three boys with evident surprise. "Demigods! Incredible! I love demigods."

"You're drunk," Apollo says, his fingers moving up and down the frets. Dionysus raises his eyebrows.

"I'm always drunk." His words slurrs together. Then he drapes his arm over Apollo's shoulders. "Want some wine?"

Calum can't tell if he's talking to Apollo or himself, but he shakes his head just in case. Apollo removes Dionysus' arm from his shoulders. Dionysus instead uses it to stick his hand out to Calum.

"Dionysus. God of wine and sexuality," Dionysus says. Calum shakes it. Dionysus takes a sip of his drink. "But you already know who I am."

Apollo rolls his eyes.

"If you take him with you, I'll give you anything you want," says Apollo dully. Luke raises his eyebrows excitedly.

"Really?"

Apollo groans. "No. I guess." He straightens and places his guitar on the ground. "Listen, boys. You want a prophecy? I'll give you one. I have one for you, anyway."

"I thought you said you didn't," Calum says.

"I lied," Apollo says flatly. "I don't like demigods. But since the world is falling apart and everything, I might as well help you out."

"Thank you!" Calum says eagerly. "Thank you so much, Apollo, I promise we'll--"

"Don't push it," Apollo mumbles.

Ashton, who was listening from his spot in the back, moves up to the counter beside Luke and Calum. Apollo clears his throat.

And then he speaks in a slightly unnerving voice:

"You shall go north, to be joined by Death's child,
And face the house of the cursed and exiled.
One must be trapped in the depths of the earth,
And one friend's betrayal will soon be unearthed.

You shall find the missing one and return them so,
Then gasp for air way down from below,
You will unearth the bones that inhabit the ground,
And return to a world that wants you to drown."

A thick silence ensues when Apollo's voice fell quiet. Calum's mind works. He analyzes the words, trying to interpret their meanings first hand. He draws a blank on some of them. Some of them also makes a bit of sense. The house of the curse and exiled. Hades' house. The Underworld. And then the next line: one must be trapped in the depths of the earth. Calum looks at Ashton, who looks a bit pale. He seems to be thinking of the same thing.

Everything else seems confusing. And the last sentence surely doesn't seem very motivating, returning to a world that wants them to drown. Why even continue the quest if that's the outcome? Calum's confidence feels like it is spiraling down a drain.

Calum chews on the strap of his backpack mindlessly. Dionysus refills his wine glass. Apollo starts playing the harmonica. The happy trill of his tune makes Calum's blood boil. He clenches his jaw with frustration, but then releases it almost just as quickly.

You shall go North. That's a direct point of direction. He at least knows where to start. If he follows the prophecy directly and does as it says, then everything should work out as it should. He just has to analyze it as they go. Calum takes a deep breath.

"Thank you, Apollo," Calum says graciously. "We really appreciate it."

Apollo shrugs. "No problem, kids." He looks at them from behind his silver harmonica. "You guys really aren't too bad. I've met worse."

"Like who?" Ashton asks.

It seems as though Apollo was begging for someone to ask. "Gods. Hercules. Thought he was all that just because he could lift some fucking weights. Proved himself a hero and suddenly he thinks he's king of the world. The audacity. You don't want to meet him, trust me. He's a nightmare to deal with."

Ashton nods. "Point taken." He stands up and hangs the guitar back up on the wall. "Thanks for letting me try out your guitar."

Calum sees how much Apollo takes a liking to Ashton as he smiled delightfully. "No prob, man! Come back sometime and maybe I'll give you a bargain."

Ashton looks pleased. "Thanks!"

"Yes, thank you very much, Apollo, Dionysus," Calum says. Dionysus tips his wine bottle graciously. Apollo gives him a half-smile. "We'd better go."

"Go save the world, heroes," Apollo says and lifts his harmonica to his lips. As they walk out the door, they hear Apollo get frustrated with Dionysus once again. Ashton grins once they are outside.

"What a cool dude," he says delightedly.

"Dionysus seems like a mess, though," Luke says. Calum shrugs.

"They've been best friends since before the beginning of mankind," Calum says. "Although Dionysus sort of drives Apollo nuts since he's always drunk."

"I could use some booze, too," Ashton says.

"You're seventeen," says Luke.

"So?"

Calum leans against the wall outside Apollo's shop. He frantically thinks through the prophecy, trying to make sense of it all. He adjusts his glasses and covers his face, taking deep breaths.

"Gods. I don't even know where to start," mumbles Calum. Luke twists his lips in a sympathetic sort of way and looks out at the horizon, the yellow sun bright and radiant against the blue sky. He takes something out of his pocket.

"We start with the prophecy," Luke says, "which says we start north." In his palm is a compass, the tiny little arrow pointing to the N. The three boys stare at it.

After a moment, Calum fixes his collar and clears his throat. He takes a deep breath as he takes the compass from Luke and feels the cool silver against his palm. He watches the arrow continue to point steadily north. Calum sends a small prayer up to Athena, and then he lets out a sigh.

"Let's do this."

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A/N: Apollo and Dionysus!! I saw this painting of Dionysus all drunk and happy next to Apollo who looked so thoroughly done with Dionysus' shit that I was inspired lmao

I just finished Riverdale the other day and it was so good oh my god. Jughead is the love of my life js

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. Please vote and comment your thoughts and such. I'll see you next chapter.

I love you to the moon. Bye