reflection ● jason grace

Michael's not excited to see Nathan. He's not.

 Michael had never seen Daria so mad.

Their plan worked. Michael and his questmates were all waiting on the outskirts of the Caldecott tunnel when the primus pilus arrived, layered in a light sheen of dirt and fury. She stormed up to where they were waiting, arms crossed. "Let's go."

"Where?" Dakota bounced up, following Daria's path like a golden retriever. Michael exchanged a glance with Clara as they followed.

Mitch ran a hand through his hair. "I'll rent us a car. It'll take most of our money, but if we go any slower-"

Daria nodded curtly, picking up her pace at Mitch's warning. "Let's do it."

Though it was chilly, demigods couldn't afford to get trapped in anything more than a winter coat. Micheal himself only wore jeans and a hoodie, and no one else looked any warmer. So he wasn't about to get lost on the way to Hawaii. "Where are we going?"

"To Los Angeles," Mitch nodded, as if realizing they couldn't push Daria for answers. The two looked like they hadn't slept at all the night before. "Nathan Vargas's place."

"Nathan...?" Clara looked surprised. Her normally braided black hair was tied up prettily from the dance. "But the quest says we can only take five."

"We're picking up Nathan and Mitch is coming back," Daria said briskly. "I already talked to Reyna, she knows to cover until he returns."

Oh. Michael couldn't help the lightly giddy feeling he got at her tone. It was clear that the two girls had exchanged harsh words – Michael wondered if that meant they were over, as quick as they began. Michael knew it wouldn't last long; Reyna was a blistering fire and Daria was an icy river. But he kept his cool.

Of course, Daria's temper could be aimed at Leila. No one in their little group really cared too much for either praetor; no one except for Jason or Daria really interacted with them, but nobody ever said that aloud. They would get a lecture from Daria.

Then again, Michael had never seen her so pissed.

"You're going to get in trouble," Clara warned her. "When you get back, Leila will toss you to the wolves and see if you survive."

"That's fine."

Dakota put a hand on Daria's arm, but she shook it off. Michael looked at Clara again. Daria was never sharp with Dakota. This quest was going to be rough on all of them.

"Mitch," Clara pulled her date back by the crook of their elbow. "The prophecy. What do you think?"

"What if there's a huge monster?" Dakota asked, eyes wide. "What if it's a dragon?"

"I think we would've noticed if a dragon snuck into camp," Michael said dryly. "It's probably some sort of immortal being."

Mitch nodded. The sun was just starting to come up over the horizon now. It was a wonder that Daria managed to creep out – even in the darkness, they had the highest security. "That's what I was thinking. Maybe a Titan or a minor god."

"A Titan?" Clara yelped. Micheal shushed her quickly. You never knew what was hiding in the forest and Michael couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of him.

"A minor god?" Dakota squawked. Michael snorted. They really were meant for each other.

"We can take them," Michael said firmly. He wasn't sure where this sense of courage was coming from, but he'd always been the steely type. "We have to."

Dakota morphed their face into a brave expression, though Clara still looked apprehensive. "Yeah! No one messes with the Fifth Cohort!"

"Except for everyone," Mitch muttered underneath his breath. "But Michael's right. You have no choice." He pointed at Daria. "You will get my boyfriend back, understand?"

Daria bit the inside of her cheek. "I know." She looked like she was only half listening. Michael wanted to ask what she was thinking about, but there was an intimidating glow surrounding her. He knew Daria didn't want them to be afraid of her, but he was.

"We won't fail," Michael said, mostly to assure himself. His stomach sank as the reality sank in: Jason was his friend too, after all. "To Los Angeles we go."

They reached Los Angeles with only one monster encounter.

Thankfully, Mitch had picked up the right car for the job. Without blinking, he ran straight through the troublesome centaur that was blocking their path. The front of the car was dented, but Michael figured he had no plans to return it.

Daria stared moodily out the window in the passenger seat, only looking up when something interesting happened though she never really joined in on the conversation. There were always two different Darias, the one that was happy and the one that stressed out about everything. She was the centurion of their cohort and one of Michael's best friends, so he saw both sides more often than anyone else.

The police sirens snapped him out of his own dreamland. They were actually in Los Angeles now, or at least Michael figured. Truthfully, he was a little more excited than he wanted to admit to see Nathan. He figured the son of Mercury could bring some much needed humor to their sad looking group.

The sirens flew past them in the opposite direction and Michael could hear Daria let out a sigh of relief, like the cops were after them.

"They got me," Clara said seriously.

Michael snorted. "For what? Forgetting to give a kid a lollipop after his doctor's visit?"

Dakota perked up. "We have lollipops at Camp Jupiter?"

"Are you kidding me?" Michael shifted in his seat, doing his best to imitate Daniel's drill sergeant voice. "Give me another 20 pushups! That'll teach you 5 year olds not to run around and have fun anymore!"

Mitch gave an anxious laugh from the front seat. Michael felt sympathetic for the guy. In all honesty, he had no idea how close he and his boyfriend were, but this must feel like a nightmare.

Daria sighed and looked out the window again. This time though, Michael felt a twinge of annoyance. This quest wasn't going to work if she was so determined to be mopey.

At the same time, he wasn't going to say anything. He shared a glance with Clara, the only other person that might call her out. She shook her head. Leave her alone, her eyes seemed to be saying.

"We're here," Daria announced as Mitch turned right into the neighborhood. All the houses looked like mansions. Michael knew Nathan was rich, but not this rich. The car rolled to a stop and Clara and Dakota rushed to get out to stretch.

"If I'm going to get back today, I've got to leave now," Mitch said, checking his watch. "It's nearly 3."

Daria hesitated as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Are you sure? I'm sure Nathan has room for you to stay."

"I'll be fine," he snorted. "The only thing I have to worry about is Leila's punishment."

Michael could see her pick at her fingers. "Something...something doesn't feel right. I don't think you should drive at night, Mitch."

"It's a full moon," the centurion pointed out. "Of course something feels off. I promise I'll be fine though. Go, save our best friends."

Daria looked like she wanted to protest, but if there was one thing Daria didn't have, it was good prediction skills. That was more Jason's area, and the only reason he ever won in sword fights. "Fine. Cover for us." She opened the door, glancing back at Michael with something that was almost determination. "The quest begins."

Clara: Violence is never the answer

Dakota: She's right.

Dakota: Violence is a question and the answer is yes.