[culpa]

The sky above Nectar & Ambrosia was azure, the beams of sunlight bounced off the metal of opposing buildings, and despite the war beginning to brew in the heart of it, New York City was as charming as ever.

Dale's stomach turned at the thought, her golden irises following the movements of the city-goers down the sidewalks and streets outside her café-turned-military-base. It was as if the plumes of smoke from Midtown had never arced into the sky at all, as if the streets hadn't been filled with gunfire just hours earlier. Even after years of fighting battles mortals could not see, Dale still found it incredible how selective people could be when it came to their thresholds of attention. People truly did see what they wanted to see.

Inhaling as if to clear her mind of the cynical thoughts, Dale turned her attention back to the strategy meeting unfolding before her. Maps of the city and other documents were strewn across the countertop, flanked on other side by her friends.

"—We need surveillance now that Rainier has exposed himself. He could strike anywhere, at any time, and we need to be ready when he does." Tessa was saying, her turquoise eyes locked on one of the maps before her. Her fingertips brushed the street they were on, following it to the Empire State Building a few blocks north. "Have we been able to make contact with Olympus?"

"No," Kaden responded, his hands folded across his broad chest. "The gods are still...incapacitated."

Tessa looked up from her examination of the map, an eyebrow arched in question. "Why?"

Mark cleared his throat. "We think it might have something to do with the split between the Romans and Greeks.

Dale furrowed her eyebrows together, snagging her best friend's gaze. "They're split between their Greek and Roman forms?"

Mark shrugged. "That's the leading theory, at least."

"According to whom?" Tessa asked.

"Reese."

"Speaking of Hale, where is he?" Tessa straightened up, her attention aimed towards the front door of the café. "It's been like twenty minutes."

Dale took a breath, setting down the mug of coffee she'd gotten for herself. She needed a break from all the strategizing, and it appeared that this was it. "I'll grab him. Try not to miss me too much."

And with that, she glided towards the front door. She slipped out onto the street and glanced either way, nearly jolting in shock at what she saw. Standing at the end of the block was Reese, sure enough, but he was hunched over, pale, and talking frantically. Before him stood a woman much shorter than Reese, with blonde hair and blue eyes, listening intently to what Reese was saying.

Dale's eyes widened as she registered the woman's expression, matching up with every expression Reese made in critical moments. This was Reese's mother.

Suddenly, Dale felt very out of place, and she couldn't bring herself to move. It felt like her feet had been rooted into the cement beneath her, holding her there. A shiver spider-walked down Dale's spine, and she wasn't watching Reese and his mother, but herself and her father, from years ago...

Dale dragged herself out of the memory, rolling her shoulders to shake off the numbness. Once she did, she marched towards Reese and his mother, snagging their attention.

"Reese," Dale nodded in greeting. She turned to face his mother, watching her in partial relief and partial worry. "I presume you're Reese's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ms. Hale smiled curtly, nodding. "Likewise."

"I'm Dale Alcander, a friend of Reese's," Dale introduced herself, unsure what Reese had told her. "I hate to interrupt, but I'm afraid we need Reese."

"I'll be there in a second," Reese said gruffly. His eyes were dark, but not with anger, Dale noted. Rather, they were shrouded with fear. He turned back to his mother. "I...where are you staying, mom? I need to make sure you'll be safe."

"Don't worry about me, Reese," Ms. Hale refuted fiercely. "I came because I was worried about you. I haven't seen you in years, and suddenly you're fighting a war?"

Reese dragged a hand through his blond hair, the strands sticking up. "Mom, New York isn't safe. At least, not right now."

An idea blossomed in Dale's mind, and she spoke up. "Ms. Hale, do you have any medical experience?"

Ms. Hale gaped at Dale momentarily, as if forgetting she'd been there. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, I have some experience."

"Perfect. Because there are about a dozen demigods in need of some medical attention at the moment, and the gods know how incapacitated Flynn and the others—"

Ms. Hale gasped. "Flynn! Oh gosh, where's Flynn? Is he safe?"

Reese latched his hands onto his mother's shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Mom, Reese is fine. He's back at camp, helping the others."

Ms. Hale took a deep breath of relief, nodding. "Right, of course." She cleared her throat and stepped towards Dale. "I'd love to help."

Dale smiled kindly at her and led her towards the café. She slipped inside, and before anyone could ask questions, an Apollo camper surged towards Ms. Hale at Reese's command, and whisked her upstairs.

"How did she find you?" Dale asked, approaching the others with Reese at her side.

Reese shook his head. "I'm not sure. But she's resourceful. She could have started on Long Island and worked her way back through the entire state if I didn't know any better." He raked his hand through his hair again, blowing out a long, anxious breath. "This makes things a whole lot worse."

Dale didn't ask why. She already felt like she knew. What with Imogen being injured, Madi being dead, and the entire city of New York on a precipice, Dale knew that having Reese's mother in the mix would only increase tensions.

"There you are," Tessa remarked, interrupting Dale's questions before they could begin. "What kept you?"

Reese opened his mouth to speak, but Dale cut him off, earning her a baffled look. "Tourist needed directions, but Reese couldn't speak Spanish. Lucky for him, that's when I found him."

"Whatever would we do without your linguistic skills, Alcander?" Mark mused.

"Be a lot less cultured, that's for one," Dale fixed Mark with a look, sitting back down.

Mark quirked a brow. "You seem to forget I'm half-Japanese."

Tessa raised her eyebrows at the son of Iris in contempt. "And you know how much of Japan's language or history?"

Mark narrowed his eyes at Tessa, but the daughter of Poseidon just smiled smugly. "That's what I thought." She cleared her throat. "Now, back to business."

"Yes, yes," Reese said as he took a seat beside Kaden. "Back to strategizing our best way out of war, mayhem, and absolute destruction."

"Huh," Kaden marveled at that. "Must be Thursday."

And despite the chaos, despite the darkness encroaching upon them, Dale could feel that flicker of light blossom between her and her friends. Maybe that light would be all that they needed to win this war, a torch, a beacon against the impending night.

And if that was the case, Dale would do whatever possible to turn that flicker into an inferno.

She leant forward, surveying Tessa's maps. "What's next?'

~~

Later that night, after they'd run themselves nearly insane with strategies and battle plans, their group dispersed. The patrols had come back, and promptly swapped themselves out at Reese's command. Kaden assisted the wounded, dotting the main floor of the café. Mark had gone on a city sweep, checking for any signs of Rainier's forces or inevitable chaos. Tessa had gone somewhere, and no one had it in them to try and find out where she had gone. Given the circumstances, Dale couldn't blame them.

But Dale knew Tessa and knew how she could get during times like this. She forced herself to become someone that she wasn't, and in doing so, only made her problems worse. If she could only find her...

Dale was just getting to her feet from where she'd been sitting behind the cabin when Mark sped through the front doors, sending a flurry of papers and supplies into the air as he stopped.

Mark winced. "Sorry."

"Good, you're back," Kaden noted, finishing up with a half-blood, now bandaged around the bicep. "What'd you find?"

Mark's dark eyes seemed sullen as they regarded Kaden and Dale. "Nothing good."

Dale furrowed her eyebrows together. "What do you mean 'nothing good'? Did you find Menoetious?"

Mark shook his head. "No, no, just...all over the city, things are already beginning to deteriorate. Menoetious wasn't kidding when he said he didn't care about Rainier's reputation going down the drain with the news of his little stunt. People are furious."

"Shouldn't that be good, though? If the people start to hate him, he'll have nowhere to run. He'll have to face law enforcement." Dale figured, but even as the words came out of her mouth, she could hear how pointless they sounded. Menoetious was a Titan, older than time itself. He had nothing to fear and could wreak as much damage as he dared. A run-in with the police would only create more violence.

"If only it were that simple," Mark sighed. "People are already taking to the streets, and it's just a few steps from a riot in some areas."

"I just don't understand what he's trying to gain from this," Kaden folded his arms across his chest. "If he wants destruction, why not just wreak it? Why leave us all in suspense?"

"Because," Reese answered, coming in from the elevator. "He's got more up his sleeve."

Dale turned around, watching as Reese approached them. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's raised Typhon, who's causing his own destruction as it makes its way across the country. It's like he's basking in as much chaos as he can muster," Reese explained. He glanced around the room. "And we've already taken a few hits."

"He wants to weaken us," Mark said. "And then unleash his final moves."

Kaden cursed under his breath. "What're we going to do about these riots then?"

"They're mortals," Reese countered. "There isn't much that we can do."

Dale shook her head. "No, Menoetious has made it clear that he doesn't care if mortals are harmed during this. We need to have some form of peacekeeping."

"We're just going to be spreading ourselves too thin," Reese rebuffed, a desperate look in his sapphire eyes. "We'll practically be inviting Menoetious to strike."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Dale asked. "You're the master strategist."

Reese took a deep breath, his eyes lost on some point in the distance. Finally, he averted his attention to Kaden. "Can the Hunters handle the peacekeeping for now?"

"I can see," Kaden nodded, getting his phone out. "What about the Amazons?"

Dale glanced at Kaden in confusion. "The Amazons hardly fight for anyone except themselves."

"They helped in the Battle of New Rome," Reese quipped. "And the Masked Battle."

Dale blinked, taking in the information. "Well, if they can help, then I don't see why not."

Kaden nodded, holding his phone up to his ear and walking over to a corner.

"Have either of you seen Tessa?" Mark asked Dale and Reese.

Dale shook her head. "She disappeared a little while ago. She needs some space right now. Why?"

"Before Madi...intervened, Menoetious had Tessa cornered. He was talking to her." Mark answered. "Aren't you curious what about?"

"It was probably just standard villain fare," Reese shrugged. "You know, the whole song and dance about his evil plan."

"No, I don't think so," Mark shook his head. "I think there was something else. Tessa looked genuinely worried, even before Madi ran in."

Dale turned, looking to the elevator. Chances were that Tessa was somewhere in the building, and as stealthy as Tessa was, she forgot that her friends were very good at finding her. Especially Dale.

"I'll go find her," Dale decided, turning back to Reese and Mark. "You guys keep running surveillance. If anything comes up, find us."

And with that, she marched towards the elevator, her quest for the daughter of Poseidon beginning.

~~

After a strenuous search of the whole building, Dale found herself headed up the last flight of stairs, emerging onto the roof. At first, Dale panicked and thought that maybe Tessa wasn't there after all, but she'd heard the sniffling, and sure enough, there she was.

Tessa was sitting in the center of the roof, her knees pulled to her chest and her sleeves pulled down over her hands. Despite her stony expression, silent tears slid from her eyes in rivulets. Her dark hair was wind-swept and tangled, but Tessa must not have cared enough to fix it.

And in all her years of knowing Tessa, Dale felt a little part of her heart twist at seeing her best friend like this. She'd seen Tessa cry, of course, but not like this. She'd never looked so...defeated.

Tessa must have sensed Dale's presence, because she slid her glassy eyes over to where Dale was standing. She sniffled, taking a shaky breath as she wiped her eyes with her sleeves. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Dale said swiftly, taking a cautious step forward. "I was just looking for you."

Tessa halted in the wiping of her tears, letting her arm fall back to her side. "Well, you found me." She motioned around her. "In all my glory."

Dale walked over to Tessa, sitting down beside her. "I'm so sorry, Tessa."

Tessa's chin wobbled, and she forced her eyes towards the horizon and its shimmering lights. "I am, too."

"There was nothing you could have done," Dale refuted. "Menoetious could have killed you too."

"I wish he did," Tessa muttered. "Then all of this could be over."

"Tessa," Dale breathed.

"No. No, Dale. You don't get it." Tessa turned to face her. "All of this, every battle, every villain, every casualty these past few years has been because of me. It was written into the stars all those years ago that I would be the one to see the destruction of the world, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't prevent it."

"But you could stop it," Dale offered. "It's up to you to stop it."

Tessa scoffed, a wry smile on her face. "And look at how great of a job I've been doing at that. My own sister is dead, my brother is probably as good as dead, my other brother is actually dead, I haven't seen my mother in months." Her voice cracked. "Everything I touch just...turns to dust."

"Tessa," Dale took her best friend's hands. "None of that is your fault."

Tessa's eyes shook with tears. "How do you know?" She whispered. "I've dragged you with me on all of this. I'm so sorry."

"Tessa, you didn't drag me on anything. You might have chosen me for that quest, but I accepted it. I went with you. And I'd do it all again. You know why? Because I love you, Tessa. You've been one of my best friends since you got here. And the second I saw you, I knew that we would be tied together from that moment forward." Dale said, feeling tears of her own swell to her eyes. "So I don't care how many battles we fight or enemies we face. I'll be standing at your side for each one, and I'll be watching as you lead us to victory every time."

Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line. She cast her gaze back out to the sparkling city lights. "I remember when I was little, I loved superheroes. I'd always dreamt of being my own sort of vigilante, saving innocent people and defending cities. And then everything happened and..." She sucked in a shaky breath. "Being a hero is not as easy as Marvel and DC make it seem."

"Every hero has their trials, Tessa," Dale affirmed. "But what makes you a hero isn't Tempest. It isn't your godly blood, and it isn't your powers. It's what's in your heart. You fight for good, and so long as you do, there isn't an enemy on this earth that you cannot defeat."

A tear slid down Tessa's cheek, and despite it all, Tessa laughed. "Gods, Dale, stop. I'm already a mess."

Dale smiled, laughing herself. "Hey, I don't mind being your therapist whenever you need me to be." She sat up straight. "Being a prisoner makes you contemplate life choices."

Even though Dale was joking, Tessa's eyes went dark. "Do you think we'll find Adhara and Lukas?"

"Of course, we will," Dale said. "And we'll heal Chase, and we'll save the world in the process. We'll do it all, Tessa. Because we have you."

Dale squeezed Tessa's hand. For a moment, Dale thought Tessa would slip back into her sullen thoughts. But then, Dale felt the slightest squeeze in return, and that was enough to let Dale know that while Tessa's grief would never truly leave her, her determination would burn brighter.

"Now, as beautiful as this moment is, we do have some matters to take care of—" Dale was saying, getting to her feet, when her eyes landed on her, standing on the corner of the roof. Her heart went cold, and she let go of Tessa's hands.

She seemed ethereal, not truly of this earth. Her hair floated in the wind, just like the swathes of her regal chiton. Jewels and flowers shimmered in her hair, around her neck, on her arms. She was a queen.

And she was staring right at Dale, some message from beyond passing into Dale's mind. She blinked, and the woman was gone.

"Dale?" Tessa asked, her voice filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Dale breathed. She looked around, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. She sucked in a quick breath, feigning a smile. "Just thought I saw something."

"You looked like you'd seen a ghost," Tessa said in passing, and Dale just forced a laugh.

Thankfully, Tessa didn't ask questions. But even as the two girls shuttled down the stairwell, Dale couldn't shake the feeling of every hair on her body standing on end, shivers running up and down her spine, as if the ghost was still there, watching her every move.