Shortly after Chelsea's little declaration, the entire Pantheon was thrown into chaos. Many directed (Y/n) with gazes filled with contempt, not even bothering to hide their distaste for her. They seem to think that ever since Dimitri associated himself with her, bad luck always followed. 

(Y/n) tried not to let their judgment affect her, but it was difficult given the high-pressure situation. Of course, no one would dare to voice their hatred out loud in front of her for fear of having Aidoneus crucify them once he returns. 

Nyx and Hecate tried to diffuse the situation and restore order which proved to be quite the challenge. Tristan tried to contact Dimitri numerous times but failed to secure a connection. Meanwhile, (Y/n) managed to get a hold of all the Nymphs in her command and mobilize them to action. 

"Sorry, Hibiscus 1789 shouldn't have included you in this mess..." (Y/n) apologized to the duo, her face filled with shame and guilt. "I'll deal with the situation immediately. You don't have to worry about it. I'll report the incident to the higher-ups and get more units on the case. I'll... leave immediately."

"Oh, no, darling," Nyx replied, holding her by her shoulders. "You are not blaming yourself for the actions of your crazy ex. We're in this together. None of these whiny bitches," she gestured to the people around them "...are getting out of this high-stakes mission."

"She's right," added Hecate, smirking confidently. "This will keep the bastards on their toes. Plus, without Aidoneus, we girls run the show."

"Thanks. I'll do my best to prove my worth, I'm not just Dimitri’s pretty bitch. I'm his smart-ass, gorgeous goddess." 

"Oh, love the confidence! Now, where do we begin?" Nyx cheered. 

"Here a day of fun, flaunting his blood-covered gold; red lips, poison-filled," Hecate repeated, holding her chin in contemplation. "What does this mean to you? Is it a cipher?"

(Y/n) knew Chelsea well enough to recognize the clues buried within her taunts. It was the mall. The place where she and Dimitri had their first date. It was where they had "a day of fun" and where they went before he revealed his nefarious plans of keeping her. Later that night of the same day, (Y/n) drank poison to prove her resolve to Dimitri, and the antidote was on the red lipstick she wore to ensure that the effect of the poison wouldn't be too severe. 

"She's talking about the mall where Dimitri and I had our first date." (Y/n) revealed, making Tristan nod and hack into the live CCTV footage of the mall. 

Tristan worked furiously, fingers flying over the keyboard as he pulled up the mall’s blueprints and security feeds. Within seconds, the screens lit up with live footage from various cameras. Each one is filled with an insane number of people, likely taking some day off due to the holiday. If Chelsea set off the bomb there, countless casualties are sure to occur.  

“Got it,” Tristan said, his voice tense. “I’ve hacked into the mall’s security. I’ll start scanning for anything suspicious. However, the mall is big, do you know how we can narrow down the search?"

"The clue... it's a poem," (Y/n) pointed out. "It's a haiku. 5-7-5 with three lines. Maybe it's related to the location, like a coordinate. We visited all the floors but I guess we stayed the longest on the 3rd floor, playing on the Arcade." 

"The arcade is the fifth store from the escalator. Hecate and I play there as well," Nyx added, and Tristan pulled out the feed for the arcade where many teens and children, including their guardians, are currently playing on the machines. 

“Seven then five… The seventh row and fifth column, maybe?” Hecate suggested. “That’s near the back. I remember there were claw machines filled with stuffed toys and boxes, like a gacha game.”

“Sounds like a solid guess,” Tristan agreed. “We need to check it out and find the next clue, fast.”

“Yes, but first, we need to evacuate the people, then defuse the bomb and dispose of it safely,” (Y/n) added.

“On it,” Eidanne interjected, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“You’ve got a plan, B?” Tristan asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“Yup. While you were talking, I messaged some friends and told them to get to the scene.”

“And what exactly are these friends going to do?” Hecate asked, her tone dubious.

“Simple. We spread a rumor that Dolly Parton is outside the mall giving away free $100 and unlimited Krispy Kreme to anyone who can sing ‘Jolene’ better than her.”

“How are you going to get Dolly there?” Nyx questioned, intrigued.

“I know a drag queen who does a killer Dolly impression. She’s a Nymph too. I briefed her on the situation and sent some of our people to act as her security. It’ll be believable enough to draw people away while our ace ops deal with the bomb. Once it’s done, Dolly and her entourage will make a dramatic exit, and it’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

“B, that’s so ridiculous it might just work.”

And to everyone’s surprise, it did. The crowd dispersed, flocking outside for the rumored performance, leaving the arcade relatively empty. The bomb was quickly located and defused, and the next clue was secured.

🌹

"I've just got off the phone with Hibiscus 2196," (Y/n) announced, re-entering the room with a somber expression.

The small gathering of Frost Bringer members and Nymphs turned their attention to her as she delivered the news. "The first building that exploded was an abandoned factory used by a syndicate to manufacture drugs. The Matriarch approved it, so Chelsea won’t get in trouble for that one. No innocent casualties, at least. But…" (Y/n) hesitated. "My request for backup was denied. The Garden’s spread too thin. They’re in the middle of an operation in Afghanistan, rescuing children from being sold into marriage."

A murmur of discomfort passed through the group. The reality of their limited resources, the ticking clock, and the danger Chelsea posed loomed heavy in the air.

"Don’t worry," Nyx interjected confidently, her voice cutting through the tension. "Frost Bringer can supplement your numbers. This is a good drill for us—an opportunity to foster effective coordination."

Her confidence was palpable, her smile bold after a recent mission's success. She and Hecate, just as Dimitri had promised, wasted no time assuming control of the situation, organizing teams, directing efforts. They ran Frost Bringer with surgical precision, ensuring the missions in progress remained unaffected while juggling the bomb crisis.

Despite this, (Y/n) couldn’t help but notice a growing unease in the room. Tristan and the other hackers still hadn’t been able to establish communication with Dimitri. The silence was concerning, heightening the tension among the group. Was Dimitri in danger? Or was it just a terrible connection because of the distance?

Tristan’s fingers moved rapidly over his keyboard, sending yet another encrypted message. “Still no word,” he muttered, eyes narrowing at the screen. “I’m doing everything I can to relay the info through ciphers, but if he doesn’t see them…”

(Y/n) frowned, worry gnawing at her thoughts. The thought of Dimitri being in danger stirred something deep inside her, but she pushed it down for now. There were more immediate threats to deal with. Dimitri is strong and competent, he can take care of himself.

The sound of a door opening sharply brought everyone’s attention back to the room. Eidanne strolled in, a mischievous smile on her face as she tossed a heavy object onto the table. “Hello! I bring gifts from the mushrooms.”

The sight of the bomb—a real, diffused, and very dangerous bomb—made the room go still. Eyes widened, and several people instinctively stepped back, as though the device might suddenly explode.

"Please don't throw bombs around like they're party favors," Tristan groaned, looking like he might faint.

Eidanne shrugged, completely unfazed. "Relax, it's already been diffused."

"It's still a dangerous object, B. Please be more careful." Tristan chided.

"Worried about me much?" Eidanne grinned at him making a cute shade of pink dust his cheeks. "I may be aloff but I actually follow all the standard procedures in handling explosives. It's what kept me alive. That and my awesomeness" Hecate cleared her throat and reminded everyone to stay focused on the matter at hand.

(Y/n)’s gaze fixated on the object. Despite Eidanne’s nonchalance, the sight of it sent a chill down her spine. “You sure about that?”

"Positive. We took it apart for inspection." Eidanne pointed to the dismantled pieces. "Hecate was right. The bomb was hidden inside the gacha game prizes." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping. "But we found something strange. One of the bombs wasn’t a bomb at all. It was a fake."

The room leaned in, curiosity overtaking their nerves.

"The casing looked like the others, but inside? Diamonds. No explosive powder. Just diamonds."

A hushed silence followed, the tension palpable.

“Why would there be diamonds in a bomb?” (Y/n) asked, leaning forward.

“We’re still tracing the serial numbers on them,” Eidanne replied. “But that’ll take some time. In the meantime, we’ve got another clue.”

She pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to (Y/n). The poem scrawled on it was cryptic, taunting, and full of hidden meaning.

(Y/n) read it aloud:
  
"Look at that silver-feathered owl 
Who commits sins so foul 
Built a nest to stalk a flower 
The fool ignorant of her power 
Bird of prey, more like a fowl!"

Tristan frowned. "It doesn’t hint at anything! It’s too vague!" He slapped his hand on the table in frustration.

"Actually, I think it’s more than that," Hecate said, stifling a laugh. "She’s mocking Aidoneus."

Eidanne nodded. “She called him an owl. That’s Athena’s sacred animal. And… isn’t our old university named Athena’s University for Trades and Arts? Maybe the bomb’s there.”

“That’s a solid guess,” Nyx said. “We should check it out.”

(Y/n) was about to agree when something tugged at her thoughts. “Wait…” she mused. “The first bomb was at a place that held meaning for both Dimitri and me. What if all these places are significant to us?”

Hecate raised an eyebrow. “Meaning what?”

(Y/n) took a deep breath, her mind racing. “It could be connected to places tied to our memories, like the classroom where Dimitri first confessed his feelings to me.”

Tristan chimed in, curiosity piqued. “Yeah, it makes sense. These bomb locations might be personal, places Chelsea knows are important to you both.” He hesitated for a second, then blurted out, “But wait… Did you say you found diamonds on the bomb casing?”

Eidanne looked up. “Yeah, like the kind you see on an engagement ring or something. Why?”

The room fell quiet as Hecate cleared her throat. “That’s… part of Aidoneus’ signature. Whenever he kills a high-profile target, he leaves a low-grade diamond in their mouth. It’s his calling card—something to flaunt his wealth and prowess.”

A cold knot formed in (Y/n)’s stomach. “When did he last do this?”

Hecate’s expression darkened. “Shanghai. A few months ago. But I don’t think this bomb is pointing to Shanghai…”

(Y/n)’s heart raced. “So, if the diamonds are involved, it must be related to something Dimitri’s done recently. What else could the poem be referring to?”

Tristan shifted nervously, looking anywhere but at (Y/n). “Uh, well, the part about ‘building a nest to stalk a flower’... That might refer to the apartment Dimitri bought.”

(Y/n)’s brow furrowed. “What apartment?”

Tristan winced, realizing too late that he had spoken out of turn. “Uh… you weren’t supposed to know. He bought the apartment across from your house. You know… to, uh, watch you.”

The room froze.

(Y/n)’s anger flared, her chest tightening with fury. “He did what?” she growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Dimitri bought an apartment to stalk me?"

Tristan paled, raising his hands defensively. “I—I’m sorry! Please don’t tell the boss you heard it from me! I don’t want to die! I still have so many hopes and dreams!”

(Y/n) clenched her fists, emotions swirling in a storm of betrayal and disbelief. But now wasn’t the time for personal grievances. There were lives at stake, and this mission took priority.

Still, the thought lingered in her mind. Dimitri will pay for this later.

She sighed, forcing herself to focus. “Fine. We’ll deal with that later. For now, we should check both of these locations. If Chelsea’s targeting places that mean something to us, we need to be ahead of her.”

Nyx nodded. “Good call. Let’s move.”

As the team began mobilizing, (Y/n) felt her phone buzz. A message from Cerberus: Perimeter secure. Awaiting further orders.

Her eyes scanned the room one last time, the weight of everything pressing down on her. “Stay sharp,” she typed back quickly. “We’re onto the next clue.”

Just as she hit send, a new message popped up on her phone. She tapped it to open it up and saw that it was sent by an unknown number. 

Unknown Number

Did you have fun with the first challenge?

I know it's too easy but I'll Be sure to up my game this time. 

Ahhh, you're so Smart. 🥰🥰🥰 I love how you can do Everything. 

I want you to fuck ME and punish me for being such a bad little bitch. Not gonna lie, it's such a Turn on. 

Chelsea is your good little whore. 

(Y/n) did not answer her texts and deleted the entire conversation. She turned off her phone and left it on Tristan's table. She left discretely, yet unaware of a certain pair of eyes watching her every move.