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Ezekiel smiled merrily at his aunt and nodded a thanks to Kristin when she brought their food over. He ate a bit and took a sip of his drink while Leda filled Artemis in a little bit. He choked on his drink when Leda called Apollo a lord. Good gods, could Leda be any more of a teachers pet. "Gods don't call him that. We don't need to inflate his ego anymore." He resumed his eating happily, thankful for a hot meal.
"We've had to fight a few different monsters now and we know of a starting point to look for Calliope but its possible Marsyas has moved her or will move her before we find them," he briefly explained. Ezekiel glanced around Artemis and pouted a little because he couldn't see her bow and set of arrows. As it was his weapon of choice, he would have liked to see hers and talk shop sort to speak but Ezekiel supposed they didn't have time for that sort of thing but then again, when would the time ever arise again. It wasn't like the Gods showed up when you wanted them to.

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Kristin looked at Leda as she spoke feeling bad that she still ended up getting hurt in the process during their car accident. "Don't be to hard on yourself Leda it was still an accident." Kristin said, even though they weren't really friends she still wanted to reassure her that everything was alright still. Kristin didn't eat her food either just out of respect for Artemis herself, while she sat there and listened to them as they spoke. "Don't blame yourself, everything never does go as planned." She reassured her, before Kristin spoke. "So why did you come to us here?" Kristin asked.

Artemis turned to Kristin and smiled towards her. "My hunters have been tracking him, he's still in his current location, I have instructed them to watch and observe, once you have dealt with Marsyas, they will take you back to Olympus as quickly as possible." Artemis told her.

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Leda shot Zeke a bit of a death glare. It was one thing to have daddy issues as a demigod - another thing entirely to go around essentially giving gods and goddesses reasons to incinerate you. Apollo may have been incredibly good looking and talented, but he was just as capable of being cruel as any other god or goddess. If Zeke wanted to invite that sort of heat, then fine, that was up to him. Leda really liked being alive and not being sent down to the Underworld to face judgment.

She blushed as Artemis offered her reassurances over the accident. "Thanks." She was a bit shocked to hear that not only was Artemis having her hunters stake out Marysas for them, but they'd also be receiving an escort back to Olympus. She had this mental image of them all piling into a fleet of silver chariots, the Hunters sitting as far as possible from Zeke as he was a boy. "Thank you so much, Lady Artemis - that's brilliant," Leda said, still not touching her food. Like Kristin, she didn't want to eat out of respect for Artemis.

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Ezekiel continued to eat, not in the least bit ashamed. He was hungry and fast food didn't tend to keep it's heat for very long. He sipped his drink after swallowing and dunk a fry into his froster. "Would you like to try? The sweet and salty is the perfect combination," he noted, all smiles at his Aunt. He ate the one he had already dunked but offered her the chocolate ice cream and fries for her to get her own if she so desired.
Stealing some courage, Ezekiel pulled out a notebook from his pack and opened it up to reveal some words and a folded piece of paper with the drawing of the moon on it. He had gotten it off the internet and wanted it for his tattoo but was curious as to what Artemis would think of it. In his mind, it was an excellent rendering with incredible detailing. He paused while offering her the paper to look at and grinned. He knew some of Artemis and her hunters and would be honored to meet some of them, if only because of his weapon of choice. However, it sounded like they weren't meant to interfere with their mission, just observe and escort home. "Well, no pressure now that we know an audience will be watching. Although, the trip home will go by much faster. Thanks Auntie A." He settled into the booth and looked at the drawing.
"I want to get that tattooed on my arm in honor of my mom. Do you think that would be okay?" He genuinely wanted Artemis's approval on it, which was normally out of character for Ezekiel but the truth of it was plain on his face. It was one of her symbols after all and he always viewed his mother as a type of hunter and protector, in the like of Artemis.

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Kristin watched Artemis very intently wondering what she was going to do with Zeke, however she seemed to be pretty calm for the most part she wondered why Zeke was being a complete kiss ass she hadn't seen him like this before really either. Kristin was really tempted to whisper to Leda on how much Zeke was being a kiss ass towards the goddess but she didn't want to get on Artemis' bad side really either. Kristin watched as he pulled out what looked like to be a sketch of the moon as well, she didn't understand the appeal of tattoos she knew that the Romans over in Camp Jupiter did that all the time to show their rank and what not.

Artemis looked at the sketch and gave Zeke a slight smile. "It looks nice, if you want to do that I would be fine with it." She said and shook her head slightly looking over towards the two girls. "Feel free to eat if you wish to." Artemis said as she turned down Zeke's offer of his own food, preferring hunting for her meals rather than having it being prepared the way mortals did. "Be very wary of Marsyas, he really has a deep dislike for my brother, and anyone of his children as well and may set up traps for you once the three of you get to his location."

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Leda couldn't help but find Zeke showing off his tattoo idea to Artemis just weird. She didn't have any issue with tattoos - her mother was the goddess of rainbows, being a bit of a free spirit tended to come with that territory and tattoos were just a means for self expression. But to her, Zeke asking Artemis about the tattoo idea felt as if he had gone up to Athena with an owl tattoo and asked what she thought. Just how did he anticipate that sort of encounter was going to go? It was just awkward. She assumed Zeke's mother was dead from the way he mentioned wanting the tattoo to honor her and that - combined with wanting to make a good impression on Artemis - kept Leda from teasing him about it.

With Artemis' permission, Leda unwrapped her cheeseburger and took a bite into it. She practically swooned. Her stomach was so empty that the greasy, ridiculously unhealthy food hit the spot. She finished her burger rather quickly and Leda didn't touch her fries or drink yet, not wanting to gorge herself too much in front of a goddess. At least now her stomach had something to digest, keeping her from feeling like she was about to digest her own stomach. "So Marysas will be targeting Zeke, cool," Leda couldn't resist a slight smirk. "Kristin and I can get Calliope while he's busy tangoing or whatever with Zeke."

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Ezekiel grinned, pleased that Artemis seemed to deem his tattoo concept acceptable. He wasn't sure what drew him to needing her approval but he appreciated and valued it all the same. He didn't see it as being a kiss ass but simply asking for advice. At least Ezekiel's temperament hadn't changed when meeting his Aunt. If he was going to be an ass, he was going to be a ass, if he was to be nice, he would be nice. It didn't matter who it was, it only revolved around how Ezekiel was feeling. Ezekiel put the drawing back into his poetry book and stowed it away in his pack. He watched the girls dig into their food savagely and he smirked. And that is why he didn't wait.
"Ah, so I'll be the bait. Lovely. Still want to keep praising the gods and goddess and saying they are all that and a bag of chips?" He looked at Leda and Kristin with accusing eyes. Apollo had sent Ezekiel to be bait, knowing that Ezekiel would probably get Marsyas going enough to distract him from Calliope so the girls could get her out and to safety. Ezekiel would be lucky if he didn't die or get seriously injured on this trip.
"Alright, I'll play along. What annoys Marsyas or puts him on edge Artemis?" He needed some type of ammunition to beat this guy, words seemed like a good bet. Apollo was also the god of poetry, hopefully that would aid him.

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Kristin started to eat her nuggets, she preferred them over McDonalds nuggets actually, as she also started to eat her fries as well before looking at Zeke when he kind of dissed the goddess before them and swiftly kicked Zeke really hard. All the while Artemis was looking at the three of them. Kristin went back to eating and turned to look at Leda, she didn't really have any issue with helping Calliope while Zeke got to deal with his father's enemy. "Sounds like a perfect plan to me." Kristin said smirking a little bit towards Zeke as she took a bite out of another nugget turned to look back at Artemis.

"Sadly that is something that you will have to figure out on your own." Artemis said, as she stood up and made her way out of the booth, looking at the three before her and smiled. "The way to Marsyays should be pretty clear of monsters, my hunters will meet you there, enjoy your meals and good luck as well." Artemis said as she left the restaurant all together.

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With Artemis gone, there wasn't an incentive any longer for Leda to be on her best behavior. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you, do you want to be turned into a stag and shot?!" she snapped at Zeke. Gods had ridiculously horrible tempers. Their lovers had never ended up in the best of positions in mythology, with the lucky ones becoming trees. Those who criticized them? Well, they ended up like Marysas - killed at worst, flayed alive at best. Leda was a steadfast believer in showing respect to all gods, minor and major, but she also wasn't stupid. She knew that their tempers were horrible and they were capable of being just as cruel as they could be merciful.

"You're so lucky Artemis apparently liked you, you wanker," she added, before finishing the rest of her food in irritation. She wanted this quest to be over with. It was just reminding her more and more what she didn't like about these two people. Kristin was tolerable, but Zeke was going to get them killed with a mouth like that. "Honestly though.... At least the rest of the way is clear of monsters. We're almost at the end."

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Ezekiel glared at Kristin and rubbed his shin when she kicked him. That was a little over the top in his opinion but what was done was done. He was a little frustrated that Artemis couldn't give him any more information on Marsyas but Ezekiel didn't think it would be too hard to think of things to annoy him. Ezekiel was good at annoying people. He looked at Leda when she yelled at him and he rolled his eyes. "Excuse me if I am not inclined to kiss ass with them all of the time. I give them a portion of my meals and I go on their ridiculous quests that always end in someone being killed or injured so I think that is plenty," he said and stood annoyed, going to the washroom before returning.
Ezekiel wasn't sure if Artemis actually liked him or if it was because her brother placed him on the quest and apparently without him, the girls wouldn't have a chance of getting Calliope out. He walked back to them, shifting his pack to the other shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road. Are you ready to drive Leda or are you still swooning over Artemis." Ezekiel was now in a mood and didn't feel like sitting around here anymore, counting down the minutes before the title fight.

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Kristin watched as Artemis left and instantly she was gone Leda turned to yelling at him, she thought she was going to end up hitting him as hard as she could or something. Kristin did respect the gods, though not as much as Leda did but mainly since they could instantly turn in a second from being nice to extremely spiteful. Zeke's justification was just stupid in her opinion the gods gave them a place where they could survive and train and to protect themselves from monsters.

"They gave us a place to live and train, i'm fine with giving a small portion of my food to my mom, and going on quests for them." Kristin said shaking her head slightly as she started to finish eating the rest of her lunch and stood up, still having her coke in hand looking over at Leda. "Lets get going." Kristin said as she started to leave the Wendy's and made her way back towards their car.

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Leda's eye twitched as Zeke returned from the washroom, asking her if she was finished swooning over Artemis. Ordinarily, she did her best to just ignore Zeke and not let him get to her. However, she wasn't in the best of mental states. They were hundreds of miles from the safety of camp, pursued relentlessly by monsters, and they still hadn't managed to free Calliope yet. A switch in her flipped and she let her emotions explode. "You think I kiss the arses of the gods because I think it's important to respect all of them, not just the Olympians? You're both the children of major gods, you've never had your parents denied a throne or told that they were less than. My mother has less sacred symbols than the rest of the gods because she spends all of her time running messages! So excuse me if I think that showing some respect and appreciation to every god is a fucking good idea! And for the record, gods aren't always the most nice and understanding people. My namesake, Leda? She was raped by Zeus in the form of a swan and honestly, she was one of the lucky ones. Hera never turned her into a cow or a tree or anything. She didn't die a horrible and painful death."

"And your father, Zeke? He's one of the worst offenders. Even Artemis has her grudges. Do you know how many young boys have accidentally stumbled upon her, only to be turned into a stag and slaughtered? The gods aren't going to hold off on smiting you just because you scraped some food into a bowl and went on a quest for them. Giving them lip to their faces is just asking to be killed, along with everyone around you! And maybe you're ready to be judged by Minos and the others as to where you get to spend eternity, but I'm not ready to die yet! So forgive me for fucking giving a damn!" Leda screamed. She got up from the table and threw her trash into the trash can violently, before getting into the truck and turning the engine on, waiting for Kristin and Zeke to get buckled up.

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Ezekiel blinked in shock when Leda unleashed on him. He remained silent, eyes hard as he stared her down while she vented all of the gods flaws onto him. If he got her riled up and ready to fight, Ezekiel would take the shit she threw at him and gladly clean it up. Honestly, he was fine with this. He got to see some raw emotion come out of Leda, some truth rather than that sarcastic bullshit they all hid behind.
He gave both girls some space before he followed them out, masking the smirk on his face before he got back into the vehicle. Ezekiel wasn't going to reply back, he didn't need to. They all knew the gods were bad news, assholes and cared for no one but themselves. Ezekiel pushed the bounds of that every day by insulting them and not praising them as the others did. Ezekiel liked to think it was his own mode of survival. He was entertaining and reckless but he knew as soon as the gods got bored or any one of the demi-gods proved to be useless, they would be gone.
Ezekiel climbed into the backseat and waited another moment before speaking. "So, I guess I'll head into the comedy club first, find Marsyas and keep him distracted while you two wait outside. How should I signal for you to head in and get Calliope?"

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Kristin could hear Leda's outburst from the front door of the restaurant, she certainly didn't want to end up being turned into an animal by the gods if she ever did end up pissing them off over something. She still had her drink in hand as she waited a little bit outside of the truck, until Leda and then Zeke coming out shortly after them. Kristin climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled herself up, feeling the air was a little bit to tense for her at the moment, once Leda started up the truck and drove off.

She waited a little bit longer until Zeke finally spoke up looking over at him, she was still really surprised that he was still pretty calm after Leda's outburst which did scare Kristin a little bit. But they did need to work out some kind of plan that was true as she looked at Leda for a moment. They still needed to work together despite her being paired up with the two people who did dislike her quiet a bit. "We should go in together, but be aware of any traps that are set up though." Kristin said.

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Leda kept her eyes locked on the road ahead of her. They had a full tank of gas, so they didn't need to stop and refuel before getting to Houston. There weren't any crazy drivers on the road and she kept a good distance between her and other vehicles, just as a precaution. She didn't need to nearly get them killed in a car crash a second time that day. Besides, the more attentive she was to the road, the less she'd have to look at her passengers, Kristin and Zeke. However, her mind was still spinning, trying to think of what they could do up against Marysas. There weren't any stories of Hercules fighting him, which tended to be where Leda pulled major strategic inspiration from.

"Honestly, I say we just show up, take out our weapons, and just fight him," Leda said. "Maybe Zeke challenges him to a music contest. He'd probably say yes, he's obsessed with Zeke's dad." Her voice was more level and calm than it had been in the Wendy's when she screamed her head off at Zeke. The subject had been dropped and it was time to come up with some sort of plan to keep them all alive. There was no way she was going to die in Texas.

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Ezekiel wasn't sure how he felt about them all charging in there, he thought they should have some advantage on their side but he was outnumbered and refrained from starting another fight. "I supposed I could challenge him. I might be able to find a guitar or the kidnapper might be able to provide one," he said with slight humor. He watched the world pass outside as Leda drove much more cautiously. He found it a bit amusing but as he didn't drive, he didn't comment.
They were still a few hours from Houston but Ezekiel was starting to grow fidgety in the anticipation. He drummed his fingers on his leg, the seat beside him and along the door. Trying to keep himself distracted and calm. "So, is there anyone at camp you guys hate more than me?" He asked curiously.

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"I'm pretty sure Marysas wouldn't be able to turn down a challenge because he hates your dad, and by extension you." Kristin said with a slight laugh as she rolled down the window resting her hand outside of the window. Feeling the wind blowing against her was pretty calming as well, trusting Leda's driving despite getting into an accident earlier. Which she didn't blame Leda at all she was glad that she was driving more cautiously now as well.

"Oh, we should suggest a dance off, i'm sure Zeke would love to dance right Leda?" Kristin asked Leda teasingly looking over at her, wondering what Marysas would actually do, whether it was a standard regular fight, or if it was some kind of contest much like Apollo did. Kristin's mind started to wonder over to the little cyclopes Hercules as well, and if he was doing alright as well.

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From Atlanta to Houston, it was about a twelve hour drive. Leda drove for six hours from Atlanta, before pulling them over to a rest stop where she took a brief nap. Once she finished napping and had gotten something to drink and eat, she drove the final six hours. The tank of the truck ran out of gas right as they hit the Houston city limits, Leda pulling over to the side of the road. Artemis had said her hunters would escort them to Olympus with Calliope, so she didn't see a need to keep the truck much longer. Someone else could take care of it eventually. She didn't really care. They had killed the owner anyways and kidnapped the kid.

"We're here," Leda said, yawning slightly. It was pretty late in the evening now. "I feel like there are monsters surrounding us, so that's bloody brilliant... The lorry won't go any further, we're out of gas. But I figure from here, we head on foot and confront Marysas. Who knows, maybe we'll get to be sleeping in our beds back at camp after this is all over - or at least we'd get to go party some on Olympus."

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Ezekiel dozed in and out on the drive. He didn't have any worries about Leda drive, despite the car accident. It hadn't truly been her fault and Ezekiel knew she would be on top of it from here until the end of the trip. He woke and stayed awake when Leda took her nap but dozed again while she drove the rest of the way.
Ezekiel was awake now, stretching out before he grabbed his stuff and got out of the truck. He yawned and finished up a bottle of water before looking around. He wasn't to surprised to hear there were monsters in the area. This was the epicenter of where they needed to be at the moment. "Well let's just hope or rather pray that Artemis and her Hunters help us out," he said and looked around.
Ezekiel shut his eyes a moment, getting a lay of the land before he opened them. "Still, it would be best to keep to the back alleys in order to get to the comedy club. This way," Ezekiel said and started up the road. He pulled out the medallion from his pocket, the weight a comfort in his hand while they walked to meet Marsyas and save Calliope.

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Kristin remained awake for the whole twelve hours between Atlanta and Houston, she just mainly wanted to stay awake and alert in case they did run into more monsters. Even though Artemis herself did say that there weren't any, she still wanted to be aware of what was actually going on as well, she was a bit paranoid about having getting into a car accident earlier as well. Eventually they were now just outside of Houston Texas. It was the evening now, and seeing the lights from the Houston skyline did remind her a little bit of New York, Kristin climbed out of the truck, at least they were there. Kristin didn't mind walking at all really she did need to stretch her legs out some as well.

"Eh walking isn't that bad it shouldn't take us that long really." Kristin said she imagined that they could get to the comedy club in an hour or two if they walked. Kristin started to walk, she looked around there were monsters here as they started to get closer Kristin started to feel the ground shaking a bit when she turned Kristin saw a Colchis Bull rushing over towards them. Kristin managed to roll out of the way from the bull's charging, but managed to hit both Zeke and Leda sending them both flying. Zeke getting the worse of the injuries, a broken rib and a broken arm from the impact. Leda would just get a few really bad scrapes. She drew out her spear and charged forward, but the bull's celestial bronze plating was really hard to get through. "You guys okay?" Kristin called out.