Chapter Text
Frank should have known that he had a big problem on his hands weeks ago. He should have known that the situation was bad when he reached out to the Hunters of Diana for help and then never heard anything after they'd left. He should have known a long time ago that things were escalating, but it wasn't until Reyna, his former co-praetor turned huntress, stood in front of him that it really set in that dangerous things were just around the corner.
After the whole issue with the Triumvirate, the Senate of New Rome decided it was best to check out if there were any other emperors that had been accidentally made into gods that could potentially stir up trouble on their way to world domination. Frank didn't think that there'd be any more out there...but then again, no one in New Rome knew of the existence of the emperors of the Triumvirate and they were Romans.
A prophecy had been issued thanks to the hard work that Tyson and Ella had done recreating the Sibylline books from Ella's memory. It was decided that the team should be led by a praetor so they'd have the best chance at success. Frank had initially wanted to be the one to head the quest since he was the senior praetor between the two of them, but Hazel had given him a lot of push back; she didn't seem to think that Frank's ability to transform into any animal that he could imagine was necessary in this situation. Eventually, Frank had given in to Hazel's insistence that she be the one to go. She had always been more persuasive, even if she did sound like an old-timey movie from time to time. The fact that he'd burned Caligula to death also may not win him any points with emperors that might still kicking and sympathetic to the Triumvirate's cause. For his safety, it was best that Hazel went in his place.
The problem was, Frank hadn't heard anything from Hazel in weeks. She, Leila, and Pranjal had left two months ago without much issue. The team had been able to hunt down and neutralize Domitian (1) in about a week. And while they'd hit a fair share of dead ends, they always sounded positive as they continued, regularly sending Iris messages to let everyone in New Rome that they were safe.
That was until about five weeks ago...
No messages, no eagles, no contact from the quest members to anyone in New Rome. Naturally, Frank began to worry about three days after Hazel had missed her normal check-in according to the schedule they had made. He immediately petitioned the Senate to take action, but they wanted to give them time.
"Maybe they have a bad connection..."
"Maybe they're hot on a trail and don't have time to chat..."
After two weeks on trying to contact them without any response, the Senate had finally taken action.
In an effort to not expend the Legion's dwindled numbers after the battle with the Triumvirate, the Hunters of Diana had been asked to aid in the search and rescue of their quest team. It was ideal as they were excellent trackers and they didn't need a formal quest to go out looking for the missing legionnaires. Perhaps they should have been sent initially if it were that easy for them.
Except it wasn't...
Armed with the last bit of knowledge New Rome had about the quest's whereabouts, Thalia Grace led a small team of Hunters to Palm Springs to hunt for clues and try to get a lead from the formal imperial children of Nero's household. The last they'd heard from the Hunters was pushing three weeks ago and Lu said they'd hadn't seen them since they left for Montana around that same time.
Reyna had arrived in New Rome alone and worried for her sisters. She told Frank that she'd been given a temporary leave, but given what they were hunting something big at the moment, no more Hunters could join until their mission was done. Diana couldn't sense her missing huntresses, though she had faith in her girls to persevere.
"So, what do you think, praetor?"
"I'm more worried about them now. The fact that both our quest and the Hunter group lead by your lieutenant went missing without a trace shouldn't be taken lightly," says Frank, pacing the empty Senate chambers. "The last we heard of both groups were that they're either going to or leaving Palm Springs."
"You think those Imperial children are still working for evil emperors?" asks Reyna, giving Frank a suspicious side eye.
He shakes his head. "No, Hazel really believed they had no clue. I mean, she said most of them hadn't heard of Domitian when they returned to the compound after killing him. They only went back to try to get more clues from that Celtic woman. She had known of Domitian in the day, but she didn't think he'd be still alive, said he didn't do anything to deserve immortality."
"Hmm." Reyna taps her chin in thought. "Well the Hunters only went because that's the last place your group was seen."
"I still don't understand how this even happens with the emperors in the first place - you are either a god or you're not. I thought only demigods like Hercules or Bacchus could become gods on the decision of the other gods. There's no way all these emperors were halfbloods like us."
Reyna pauses to think. "You know some emperors were deified by the Senate, right?" Frank shrugs, this knowledge somewhat new to him. "And from my understanding those three, while not formally made gods, they were made immortal by the people. Normal people today know the names of Caligula, Nero, and Commodus. They're still alive in the minds even today, in books, the movies, museums. I don't know how we killed them truly. I guess bad emperors stay bad; why would they be any better as gods?"
"Well, excuse me for not being a good Roman and knowing this, but who are the bad emperors that could potentially still be out there?"
"Good question; I really don't know. To be fair, I'd totally forgot about Domitian and what he'd done."
"Hazel said he was comically easy to defeat; not powerful at all. I bet their power had something to do with how well they're remembered. Like you said, everyone knew of Caligula and it nearly killed me to take him out," says Frank with a sigh. "So, who are we forgetting? Who is powerful enough to take so many elite heroes down? Unless it's one that is actually a god...well, I mean officially a god."
A look of horror crosses Reyna's face. "Then they can't be killed, so let's all hope that's not the case."
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Frank and Reyna slowly climb the stairs out of the Senate chambers and step into the crisp, Northern California autumn air. He wraps his praetor's cape around his shoulders so that it transforms into the shawl that he'd been so envious of Reyna for having while she'd shared this position with him. She smirks at him, knowing well his admiration for the function of the cape, and zips her silver Hunter's parka as a gust of wind hits them.
The two of them walk toward Tyson and Ella's bookshop in hopes of receiving a quest in order to leave New Rome to find the missing legionnaires and Hunters. Frank hadn't been granted official permission from the Senate, but he hadn't exactly been told no either. It was a desperate situation and Frank had to do what he thought was best for everyone involved; saving his girlfriend was just an added bonus.
"Welcome friends!" says Tyson the moment they step into the shop. "Are you here for books or to say hi?"
"Hello Tyson, hello Ella," says Reyna with a soft smile.
"Long time, yes, long time since we've seen Reyna," squawks Ella, fluttering toward them. "Here for a prophecy, Tyson, no books for them today, yes?"
Frank nods. "Yes, exactly! We are here hopefully to get a prophecy so we can go and look for our lost friends." There's desperation in his voice.
"Yes, Hazel and Leila and Pranjal, my friends. They got a quest here," responds Tyson. "They haven't comeback, have they? Hazel said she'd bring us mugs for cocoa."
"No and my Hunter sisters are missing too, your friend Thalia's missing. They went looking for the Roman quest a few weeks ago. We're worried they feel into the same trap Hazel and her team did."
Tyson pouts. "Why are they lost?"
"I don't know buddy, but we're trying to find them," says Reyna. "Can you help us?"
Ella shakes her head. "No, no prophecy for you today."
"What?"
"Ella doesn't have a prophecy for you today, or tomorrow, or ever. Nope, no prophecy, goodbye."
"But Ella, but we need it to go on a quest," urges Frank.
The harpy ponders for a moment. "Try someone else. Ella can't help you. Ella doesn't have a prophecy."
"Are you sure, Ella?" asks Reyna, frustrated. "Nothing?"
"Nothing, goodbye. Come again!"
Tyson sticks his bottom lip out. "Sorry friends. I wish Ella could help you."
"It's alright," responds Reyna as Tyson pulls them into a peanut butter and bacon scented hug. "We'll figure it out, Tyson."
"Maybe Ella will have a prophecy for you next time. Or a book! I give my friends a book." Tyson hands them a handmade book and a pile of glitter comes spilling out of the pages. "I made a picture one about my friend Rainbow!"
"This is too kind, I can't accept it."
Tyson smiles. "I made more!" He points to a table stacked with twenty of so glitter filled, handmade books.
Frank looks over at Reyna, who is shielding her frustration at the lack of a prophecy they were receiving from Tyson and Ella. No one seemed to understand the weight of all these people missing. Hazel, Leila, and Pranjal were skilled fighters; the three of them could slay monsters with minimal effort and keep themselves alive on the road. The fact that they got captured was because they faced a worthy opponent. Unless there was another evil primordial entity brewing, they found another emperor; a strong emperor.
When Frank had finally worn the Senate down that this was an actual issue, the Hunters so kindly offered to help and then proceeded to fall into seemingly the same trap as the Romans. Reyna says that they only got one message from Thalia and company that they'd spoken with Lu and were off to Montana. They too went radio silent, worrying Reyna, who knew just what these rogue emperors were capable of.
"I have a plan," says Reyna as they leave the bookshop without a prophecy, but with Tyson's book as a consolation prize. A trail of glitter follows them as they walk.
"We don't have a prophecy, we don't have a quest, we can't go!"
Reyna halts in her tracks, jerking Frank to a stop in the process. "There's more than one way to get a prophecy. If Ella won't do it, we have to find another source. Ella hinted at it herself that we should find another way because she couldn't help us, not that there wasn't a prophecy." She bites her lip nervously. "I was going to mention that we should contact our brethren at the Greek camp to see if Nico could sense if they were still alive. He's close enough with Thalia and Hazel's his sister, he should know if they've died. I know I should have asked him sooner, but he's been through so much recently."
"Okay, so we should try to contact him."
"The added thing is, they have two oracles there from my understanding. Maybe if we could get to Long Island, to the Greek camp, we could consult one of those oracles. It be like knocking out two birds with one stone."
A few emotions cross Frank's face before he finally nods. He didn't think that it would really solve anything, but they were running out of options to save their friends. Quests required a prophecy. Surely, people had attempted to do it before, but Frank was sure it would end in disaster if he tried. Reyna was right, their best hope was to get a prophecy elsewhere and Camp Halfblood was the frontrunner for their best hope.