Chapter Three ~ We Arrive In The Middle Of Nowhere

Amy Taylor POV

Lexi and Estelle parked the car half an hour later. As I clambered out of the back, my eyes wandered around where we were. They'd parked in the middle of nowhere. I was about to tell them this, but Estelle was already pushing a button on a weird phone thing.

"This is the secret entrance." She grinned, as a small shack-like toilet appeared. Lovely.

"What, do we have to flush the toilet to get magically transported to the 'Aphrodite Rangers' headquarters?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yup." Lexi grinned. They walked into the small place.

"Wait-what?" I muttered, then walked in after them. Estelle pulled a lever-thing and the floor shot down. "Whoa!" I cried, stumbling a little as we went down in an elevator. Well at least I thought it was an elevator.

"It's underground." Lexi explained. "Not as deep as the Underworld, though."

"The Underworld?" I exclaimed.

"Oops." Estelle winced. "Forgot to explain. Anyway, do you know anything about the ancient greek myths?"

"Um... you mean like Zeus, Poseidon and Hades?"

"Yup. Well they're real."

"Estelle!" Lexi chided, rolling her eyes. "Don't just say it so casually!"

"What?" Estelle asked. "It's fact. Anyway, your dad is a greek god."

"My dad died before I was born." I protested.

"He's still alive." Lexi chirped.

"What? Then who is your parent?" I asked.

"Athena." Lexi replied.

"Hades." Estelle.

"I still don't believe you. He got my mom pregnant and he left."

"He had no choice." Lexi replied, fiddling with her dagger.

"Why-?" But just then the elevator stopped with a clang.

Welcome to the Aphrodite Rangers Headquarters. Said a cool female voice. Please state your name and business.

"Agents Lexi and Estelle with guest Amy Taylor. She's coming to speak to Aphrodite." Lexi said sharply.

You may proceed to enter. The doors opened, and this may honestly sound like Harry Potter, but the Aphrodite Rangers Headquarters reminded me of the Ministry of Magic. We had arrived on the top floor of many. The walls were tiled, and daylight streamed in through windows, yet we were at least a hundred feet underground.

Escalators ascended up to higher levels, which by my calculations equalled around ten. There were no barriers to stop you from falling off, which could be an advantage and a disadvantage. Even as I watched, a girl around ten years old leaped off, did a somersault in midair and landed on a level below to her. That's when I realised that the escalators only went up.

A girl around my age - maybe younger, despite the fact that she was taller than me - stalked up to us. She had long curly blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. Her clothes looked like she was a fighter: jeans with padding, a red shirt with a breastplate overtop and arm padding. A spear was strapped to her back and there were knife holders on her thigh paddings, which obviously contained bronze knives.

"Lexi, Estelle, Catgirl wishes to speak to you." The girl snapped, putting a hand on her hip.

"Who's Catgirl?" I asked.

She turned to face me as Lexi and Estelle hurried off. "She's co-head of the Camp Half-Blood Aphrodite Rangers Branch, visiting today. You must be Amy. I'm Angelina. If you call me 'Angel' then you're dead." Angelina glared at me.

"Where am I?" I asked, staring around at the hordes of - mainly - girls, but the occasional boy drifted in.

"Aphrodite Rangers, Camp Jupiter Branch. You were teleported in the elevator."

"Camp Jupiter?" I asked. "And you said Camp Half-Blood earlier, what's going on?!"

"Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are camps for demigods, children of the gods. Camp Half-Blood is greek, while Camp Jupiter is roman. If you come here, then you've either been recruited or to be executed." She explained.

"Am I a-"

"Demigod? Half-Blood? Yes. You should be claimed soon." I nodded my head numbly.

"And the Aphrodite Rangers?"

"Aphrodite should explain everything to you. Follow me." Angelina marched over to the edge of the floor, staring down at the hole below her.

"Wait- are you going to-" my question was answered when she leaped over the edge and started plummeting to the ground.

My breath caught in my throat as a low mist covered her descent and she disappeared. I turned to look at the escalators leading up, wishing that they would go in the opposite direction. Then I walked over to the edge, and walked off it.

The wind rushed in my ears as I fell. I stared up at the ceiling, spread-eagled, as my world flashed before my eyes. Then my body floated around so that I was facing the side. In slow-motion, I landed on my feet gracefully.

When I looked back up, there was only a roof. No other floors. I was in a tight corridor with pale pink walls. The floor was tiled white and there was lights all along the ceiling, but no sign of Angelina.

Fear pricked inside my heart. I looked at a sign next to me, which pointed to the right, and read: TO APHRODITE'S OFFICE

Lexi and Estelle mentioned that 'Aphrodite wished to speak to me'. I headed right, and arrived at a door.

The door was washed in bright pink and there was a flashing sign like the ones that movie stars have. It read: APHRODITE.

I raised my knuckles and knocked three times. The door dramatically swung open, and music started playing out of nowhere.

I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
and I'm not proud of address
in a torn up town no postcode envy

But every song's like
Gold teeth, Grey Goose, tripping in the bathroom, bloodstains, ball gowns, trashing the hotel room
We don't care
We're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everyone's like
Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tiger's on a gold leash
We don't care
We aren't caught up in your love affair

Then the most beautiful women appeared. She had silky blonde hair that shone even though we were Underground. Her eyes were bright blue, and she had flawless skin. She wore a blue sparkly dress that hung off her waist in a sea of hues.

"Greetings, Amy." Said the goddess of love. "I am Aphrodite. We have much to discuss."

A/N:

Oops. *winces* sorry for not updating ... in what? a month? Maybe less? Sorry...

Anyway, I have good news! I've finished plotting/planning this story! *throws streamers* *crickets*

Anyway, there's only three spots left for you AR OC's, and once they're gone, they're gone.

Aphrodite Rangers mentioned:

Lexi ~ @IWRITEFANFIC_11
Estelle ~ @eggsontoast