So my day started out great and then I received news that my cat (an adorable heathen who never failed to make me laugh even though half the time he was terrorizing our entire household) so I'm writing this chapter to take my mind off things. Enjoy :)

Chapter Quote:
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."
~Richard Bach
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Chapter 5: Like Father Like Daughter

Bryn woke up to a massive clap of thunder. It didn't jar her awake but it was enough to prevent her from falling back asleep. She sat up, rubbing her eyes to get the sleepiness out. She glanced around the Poseidon cabin. Luke was still conked out, the other beds were empty as usual. The fountain in the corner trickled quietly, almost impossible to hear over the cacophonous storm.

"You okay?" Luke mumbled.

"Yeah. Storm woke me up. Go back to sleep."

Luke began to listen to her when the door threw itself open. Both demigods jumped into fighting position, both having their swords immediately elongated, ready to fight. They lowered their weapons when they saw who it was. Silena stood sheepishly in the doorway.

"Sorry," she said. "The wind..."

"What kind of maelstrom is this?" Bryn asked.

"Your father. My grandfather. Hades is bound to show up soon. Have you seen the waterspout outside?"

"You're saying that way too casually," Luke said, glaring suspiciously at his sister before peeking out the window. Bryn followed him. Sure enough, a water spout, half a mile wide, made half of air and have of water, was hovering over Long Island Sound.

"What are they bickering about?" Bryn inquired, turning back around. Luke went over and put a shirt on.

"No idea. All the campers are taking shelter in their cabins. I would be as well but I saw Zeus enter the Big House. I'd go but I have a feeling if he and Poseidon are arguing, he probably doesn't want to see a relative of Poseidon. Figured I'd come get you."

"Let's go get the others. They'll probably want to be here for this. You want to round up Hallie and Derek and I'll get my brothers?" She suggested. Silena nodded in agreement. Luke took a hold of Bryn's hand to prevent her from getting soaked by the rain. Even though they only had to walk a few feet to get to Zeus's cabin, they were nearly blown away by the wind. Bryn could barely control it. Once inside, Bryn woke up her brothers. They grumbled something unintelligible but shot up into sitting position when their sister explained what was happening. Throwing shirts on (Bryn was pretty sure Brady's was backwards and Bradley's was inside out), they headed to the Big House; Derek, Hallie, and Silena met them halfway. Even over the howling wind and being twenty feet away, all seven demigods could hear the roaring voices of their divine relatives.

"Are we sure we want to go in there?" Brady asked.

"You know, I think I'm actually going to agree with him," Luke said.

"I feel like entering that room spells certain death for us," Bradley added.

"I've already died. I don't plan on doing it anytime soon," Bryn chimed in. "But I'm going in. I'm mad at them."

"Why?" the twins inquired.

"Because they woke me up." She strode into the room where Poseidon and Zeus were practically at each other's throats. They kept switching between Greek, Latin, and English, and some languages Bryn was pretty sure were extinct.

"What's going on here?" Silena interrupted, stepping up beside Bryn.

The two gods whirled on the demigods. Zeus pointed an accusing finger at Luke. "You stole my lightning bolt!"

"While it's not the first time a boy named Luke has stolen your bloody bolt, this Luke saved your kólos in the last war. He saved all of ours with his friends. Why do you always go for my children first?"

"Because they're like you! They're wild and reckless!" Zeus boomed.

"He's actually not wrong," Luke whispered to his girlfriend. She stifled a laugh. At that moment, Hades literally popped into the room via shadow-travelling.

"What is the meaning of this and which one of you has it?" Hades demanded, glowering at his brothers.

"Why do you assume we took it? We can't touch that shady helmet of yours," Poseidon retorted.

"Did you really just make a pun about my helmet during a time like this?"

"It was unintentional."

"Would someone please tell us what's going on?" Hallie interrupted.

"Someone has stolen my master bolt!" Zeus snarled at her.

"Don't get mad at my daughter for something she didn't do!" Hades snapped.

"How do you know she didn't do it? She can shadow travel just like you and it would be so easy for her to just slip in and out."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I did not steal your lightning bolt. I literally just finished fighting a war two months ago and I have no intentions of purposefully starting another one," Hallie said.

"Why are you here arguing about it and not up on Olympus?" Derek queried.

"Because evidence points to someone at this camp and I can assure you, we're going to figure out who. Mark my words, it was the Jackson boy here," Zeus declared.

"Hey!" Luke protested. "Look, I have an alibi."

"He does," Bryn said, blushing slightly. Her father knew that she and Luke were dating. He had no idea they were sharing each other's beds and last time he'd caught them, he hadn't exactly taken it well. And that'd just been once that he'd caught them. If he knew they were doing it every night...

"What exactly is your alibi then?" Zeus asked, crossing his arms.

"No, you're going to smite me if I tell you," Luke replied.

"You probably will," Bryn agreed.

"Have you two-" Zeus started.

"NO!" the two responded simultaneously.

"Why does everyone keep thinking that?" Luke asked no one in particular.

"Well I mean that comment about you enjoying him being tied up-" Brady began.

"And the sexual tension between you two when you were arguing and during the battle-" Bradley added.

"Not to mention those nights you two spent together when no one else was around," Silena said.

"Et tu, Silena?" Luke stared in annoyance at his sister. "Do you want Zeus to kill me?"

"Do all of you honestly think that we-" Bryn started.

"Yes," Silena, Derek, the twins, and Hallie answered at the same time.

"We have not slept together!" Luke said vehemently. "I mean we have, but not like- I mean we've shared each other's beds. That's all. I mean yeah we're cuddling and there's some kissing- why I am saying that? You don't need to know that. No. Just sharing each other's beds. No... fondueing occurred between us."

Bryn pinched the bridge of her nose in embarrassment while Derek complimented, "Nice Captain America reference."

"Okay, before we kill Bryn of embarrassment, let's get this straight. All of us have alibis because we're always together, whether that's in our cabins or at breakfast or with other campers. If one of us actually did go steal one of your weapons, someone here would've noticed our absence," Silena said firmly.

"What about when you're sleeping?" Zeus countered.

"Trust me, we don't sleep well anymore," Derek said grimly.

"Brady and I have always been light sleepers," Bradley said.

"Coming from the hell hole I lived in, I wake up to almost every noise I hear," Hallie told the god.

"Why don't you send us on a quest? Surely you have some idea where the bolt and helmet are," Silena said hopefully.

"Don't forget my trident," Poseidon remarked.

"You guys should really lock those things up when you're not using them," Luke suggested. "Maybe then this wouldn't happen so often."

"If you keep talking, I will smite you," Zeus warned.

"Smite my grandson, I'll smite your daughter," Poseidon growled.

"Why me?" Bryn asked indignantly.

"You're closer. I do quite like you, I promise."

"That does not make me feel better."

"Where exactly are the items? Surely you at least have some idea," Hallie said.

"We do actually. One is in a cave in Russia called Kungur Ice Cave. One is in the middle of an island called Ilha da Queimada Grande, and one is in a cave in the Waitomo Cave of New Zealand," Hades explained. "None of us can grab the other's weapons for ourselves. We would have to have a mortal or demigod grab them for us."

"Then we'll split up. Bryn, Bradley, and I can go to Ilha da Quiemada Granda and get whichever one is there. Silena and Luke can grab whichever one is in Russia at the Kungurskaya Cave, and Hallie and Derek can grab the one in Waitomo Cave in New Zealand," Brady decided.

"I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up. I know quests typically go in threes but I think we need to stick together on this one. The person stuck these weapons there for a reason. These places are probably dangerous, and we're stronger in numbers," Bryn noted. "Besides, the last few times some of us went into caves, we've had some bad experiences..."

"Did you say Ilha da Queimada Grande?" Silena questioned.

"Yes," Hades said.

"That's Snake Island. Do any of you realize how deadly that island is?" Silena looked around the room, as if hoping someone would say something. When no one did, she continued. "It's home to the Golden Lancehead Viper. It's the only place in the world where they're found and pretty much anywhere you step, you have to look up, down, and around to make sure you're not stepping on one, standing under one, or standing beside one. They will bite you and unless we have significant amounts of ambrosia and nectar, you will die."

"Thank you for that positive learning experience. I feel great going to that island now," Luke grumbled.

"I say we go to South America first, get to the closest one first and get the most dangerous one out of the way," Derek claimed. "We can head to Russia second, and New Zealand last."

"We can drive to Brazil and get a boat to Snake Island," Bryn said. "We'll need a plane to get to Russia and New Zealand. Father, I know we've talked about this but let me reiterate that I need Luke, Silena, Derek, and Hallie to not get sick while flying so if you could create the least amount of turbulence possible, it'd be greatly appreciated. Derek and Hallie, depending on how our adventure goes on the snake infested island, we can maybe shadow-travel to Russia and New Zealand but I know we'll be exhausted afterwards so that's why I'm asking for the plane."

"Fine, you have my word that I'll create the least amount of turbulence possible," Zeus conceded reluctantly.

"All right. We'll leave once we have our things packed. You should probably alert Chiron about all this. Where is he anyway?"

"He left earlier in the night to go pick up a demigod. We shall alert him when he gets back.

"We'll call you when we find your weapon so you can collect it from us," Brady said.

"No! Only if you find mine first. I don't trust these two not to try and overthrow me if they get their master weapon before me," Zeus replied.

Poseidon looked downright offended. Hades rolled his eyes.

"Father, I don't think they care. Besides, Poseidon likes the water and Hades, I know you complain about the dead whining, but I can assure you, the living are much, much worse," Bryn commented. Bryn's eyes flitted briefly to her father, making a ghost of a smile appeared on Hades' face.

"I don't care! Now go. I want my bolt!" The demigods closed their eyes as Zeus showed his divine form before disappearing into thin air. Upon opening their eyes, they found Poseidon shaking his head and Hades rolling his eyes once more.

"Bryn, Brady, Bradley, I like you, but your father is very dramatic," Poseidon said.

"I don't know the twins that well so I can't speak for them but Bryn has some of her father's dramatic flair," Luke laughed.

"When did I ever-" Bryn began.

"How about the first day I ever met you and you threw the door open without even touching it because Zeke was messing with you and you were going to turn him into fried 'zeke-chini'? Ring a bell?"

"Shut up." Bryn hit him lightly in the stomach. He grinned impishly at her.

"Now I see why the others think what they do," Poseidon said. Bryn and Luke flushed a deep crimson while the other demigods snickered.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that. I shall see you soon. I look forward to having my helmet returned." Hades went out in a much less ostentatious way, simply disappearing into the shadows.

"Like my less temperamental brother, I too shall be leaving. And I'm not going to blind you by doing it so. Good luck kids. I know you'll succeed." Poseidon smiled and turned into a cloud of mist that breezed itself away.

Bradley turned to Luke and Silena. "Can you two do that?"

"I'm working on it," Luke said.

"You're going to fail," Silena told him.

"Boy, you're just Debbie Downer today aren't you?"

"Bryn can't be the only one preventing you from doing stupid stuff."

"Someone has to prevent Bryn from doing stupid stuff too."

"I at least come up with plans when I do stupid stuff. You just run headfirst into trouble," Bryn defended. "Come on everyone, let's go pack."
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Hope you liked the chapter :)