𝑨𝑪𝑻 𝑻𝑾𝑶 ━ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹

𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐒, how she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, how she had asked Zeus for ten wishes, how she hated men and vowed to never marry. But seeing her was different, she didn't feel the same sense of admiration she'd felt before.

Maybe it was because of the events that led to their meeting. Maybe it was denial, or maybe it was deflection.

   She didn't know.

Artemis was staring into the east, her expression focused, as if she were waiting for something only, she could see. Percy's eyes drifted to Bianca, who sat talking with Nico. 

From the gloomy look on Nico's face, it was clear that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. Percy couldn't shake the feeling that it was selfish of her, leaving her little brother behind like that.

Thalia and Grover came up to Percy, with Iris trailing a few steps behind. They huddled around him, eager to hear about his conversation with Artemis.

When Percy finished explaining, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

   "How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

   "And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, her voice thick with disgust. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

   "Who can blame her?" Grover said, sighing dreamily. "Eternity with Artemis?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

   "But she's so. . . into nature," Grover swooned.

   "You're nuts," Thalia said.

   "Nuts and berries," Grover replied dreamily. "Yeah."

Iris, who had been quietly listening, finally chimed in, "I get why Bianca would join them, though. The Hunters offer a way out, a chance to be part of something bigger. It's tempting, especially after all she's been through."

Thalia turned to Iris, surprised. "You're taking her side?"

   "Not exactly," Iris said, glancing over at Nico and Bianca. "I just think. . . maybe she feels like it's her only option. It's selfish. I don't know if I would make the same choice, but I get it."

Percy frowned, feeling the frustration rising. "Really, you too, Iris? You're just going to excuse her for leaving her brother like that?"

Iris sighed, clearly torn. "I'm not excusing it, Percy. I'm just saying it's complicated."

Percy opened his mouth to argue further, but Iris shook her head and walked away. Percy knew better than to anger her right now, but he wasn't even sure if she would fight back this time. 

As the sky finally began to lighten, Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so lazy during the winter."

   "You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked.

   "For my brother. Yes," Artemis replied.

Percy hesitated, not wanting to sound rude. He knew the legends about Apollo driving a sun chariot across the sky, but he also knew that the sun was really a star millions of miles away. 

   "It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading his mind.

   "Oh, okay," Percy started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—" Suddenly, there was a burst of light on the horizon, followed by a blast of warmth. Iris had walked back after seeing the blast of light. 

   "Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

Percy averted his eyes, noticing that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until his winter coat felt like it was melting off. Then, just as suddenly, the light died down.

When Percy looked up, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was his dream car—a red convertible Maserati Spyder. The snow around the car had melted in a perfect circle, revealing green grass underneath.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, Percy had the uneasy feeling it was Luke. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. 

This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter, more playful. The Maserati driver wore wide jeans, loafers, and a sleeveless T-shirt.

   "Wow," Thalia muttered, clearly impressed. "Apollo is hot."

   "Tell me about it," Iris added, her eyes lingering on the sun god.

Percy felt a pang of jealousy at Iris's words. "He's the sun god," he said, trying to keep his tone casual.

   "That's not what I meant," Iris replied, flashing a small smile.

Percy's stomach twisted, and he looked back at Apollo, who was now looking directly at them with a gleam of interest in his eyes. Apollo recognized the girl as the daughter of Aphrodite and the other as the son of Poseidon. 

   "Little sister!" Apollo called out; his smile almost too bright. If his teeth were any whiter, he could've blinded them even without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

   "Hey, I was born first."

   "We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

   "So, what's up?" Apollo interrupted, cutting her off. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favour. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

   "Sure, sis!" Apollo said enthusiastically, then raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned, clearly familiar with Apollo's poetry. But Percy noticed that Apollo's gaze kept flickering back to Iris, who was speaking to Thalia. He didn't say anything. He didn't even know why he would say something. 

Apollo cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically. "Green grass breaks through snow. Artemis pleads for my help. I am so cool." He grinned at everyone, waiting for applause.

   "That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

   "Yes. What about 'I am so big-headed?'" she suggested.

   "No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to the group. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, 'There once was a goddess from Sparta—'"

   "I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself.

   "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

   "These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to them. "Some of Chiron's campers."

   "No problem!" Apollo checked them out. "Let's see... Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

   "Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you, my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees." Then Apollo turned his attention to Iris. "And you're Iris? Aphrodite's daughter?"

Iris nodded, smiling at him shyly. "Hi."

   "Pretty name for a pretty girl," Apollo said, which made Iris blush.

Percy felt a surge of envy at the way Apollo was looking at Iris and how she seemed to be enjoying the attention. He tried to keep his expression neutral.

   "Brother," Artemis interrupted, her tone sharp. "You should get going."

   "Oh, right." Apollo's gaze shifted to Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

   "Yeah. I mean. . . yes, sir," Percy replied, trying to be polite.

Apollo studied Percy for a moment longer, and the silence was unsettling. "Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

Percy glanced at the Maserati, which could only seat two people max. There were about twenty of them.

   "Cool car," Nico said.

   "Thanks, kid," Apollo replied.

   "But how will we all fit?" Nico asked.

   "Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose. . ." He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. 

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those shuttle buses.

   "Right," Apollo said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled, her eyes flashing angrily, while Percy watched the exchange. Seeing as she didn't need his help, Apollo went on to help Iris and Thalia.

The way Iris smiled back at Apollo made Percy's stomach churn, and he found himself wishing he could do something—anything—to stop it.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐒. Iris, standing close to Percy, was the last to board, giving Apollo a quick smile before joining the others. The Hunters piled into the van, cramming into the back to stay as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of the guys.

Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang out in the front with everyone else. It seemed a bit cold to Percy, but Nico didn't seem to mind. 

   "This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

   "Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

   "But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumour probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting." 

   "They've got a lot riding on the sun... er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No."

   "Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

   "Can I drive?"

   "No. Too young."

   "Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

   "Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He looked past Percy and focused on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

   "Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

   "C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So, she should be nineteen if you went by years. But she still felt like she was twelve, and if you looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

   "How do you know that?" said Thalia.

Apollo smiled, his gaze drifting briefly to Iris, who had been watching the conversation unfold. He winked at her before turning back to Thalia.

Apollo leaned over Thalia, his easygoing smile faltering as he saw the stress on her face. "Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week," he said, trying to keep his tone light.

Thalia blinked, her knuckles still white on the wheel. "That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

   "Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!" Apollo said, as if this was the best news ever.

Thalia shifted nervously. "Uh—"

   "I know what you're going to say," Apollo interrupted, cutting her off. "You don't deserve an honour like driving the sun chariot."

   "That's not what I was going to say."

   "Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly, except no one else laughed. Percy's gaze flicked to her, seeing how she looked worried but also a bit amused by the situation.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. 

   "Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

   "Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So, start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel tighter. She looked like she was going to be sick. "What's wrong?" Percy asked her.

   "Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel, and the bus lurched upward so fast that Percy fell back and crashed into something—or rather, someone—soft.

   "Ow," Grover said.

   "Sorry."

   "Slower!" Apollo said.

   "Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

Percy managed to get to his feet. Looking out the window, he saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where they'd taken off. "Thalia," Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

   "I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

   "Loosen up," he told her.

   "I'm fucking loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

   "We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw Percy into Grover, who yelped. "The other left," Apollo suggested, his tone a bit more strained.

Percy made the mistake of looking out the window again. They were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.

   "Ah..." Apollo said, and Percy could tell he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel, her face chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. Iris had never seen her like this, but she had an idea of what was happening.

The bus pitched down, and someone screamed. It was Percy.

Now they were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to their right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back, but he started climbing up the rows of seats. "Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

   "No worries," Apollo said, though he looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"

Iris gripped her seat with strength she didn't even know she had. 

   "Pull up!" Percy yelled.

Thalia yanked back on the wheel. "There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia managed to level out the bus, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. Percy glanced over at Apollo, who was trying to keep his cool, but Percy could tell the god was relieved they were almost there. 

He looked back at Iris, who was holding on to her seat, her eyes wide with fear. Apollo seemed to have everything under control, even when he didn't, and everyone just seemed to be drawn to him.

   "Almost there," Apollo said, his voice more confident now. "Just bring us in nice and easy, Thalia."

The bus descended toward Long Island, and Percy found himself wishing that this ride would end soon. 

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach, the fields. Percy could see the dining pavilion, the cabins, and the amphitheatre. 

   "I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control."

They were only a few hundred yards away now. "Brake," Apollo said.

   "I can do this."

   "BRAKE!" yelled Apollo and Iris at the same time.

Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake.

Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets. The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

   "Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

Iris almost passed out. 

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❪ ៸ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ━━━━━ ! ﹆◞ ❫
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❪ . . . the 4th chapter for act 2 of LOVE STORY everyone, this was so funny ❫
❪ . . . This is about 3k words ❫
❪ . . . PLEASE tell me how you guys feel about it ??❫
❪ . . .PLEASE don't be a ghost reader, comment and vote, I love to reply to everyone and interact with my readers, love all of you darlings <33 ❫