#Seeing Telemachus dressed up in the Athena armor made me want to do this

[doppy-enjo]

"You're a good kid."

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Prometheus - Chapter 2

(( Sandra, Justinian, Telemachus, Iruka, Kitzeh, Agent 7, Hera of the motherly moon, and Pyrrhus/Chaodis (All not in this chapter) belong to me

Camille, Lee, Depiction of Callie, Marina (Not in this chapter) , and Pacling (Not in this chapter) belong to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula and Wish (Not in this chapter)  belong to @myzzy and @agenttwo  

Mysteeri (Not in this chapter)  belongs to @dreadangel

Designs of Marina and Wish belong to @teamuntyblue

Emerald and Sapphire (Not in this chapter) belong to @twelvetailedkitsune and @son-of-joy

Celeste and Willow (Not in this chapter) belong to @alpinesquid

Arsenic (Not in this chapter) belongs to @a-demo-of-a-hero ))

Hephaestus leave Hestia to keep an eye on the Champions and their friends in Olympus; he takes Camille to a shortcut to a city she has been to. And that city is Athens.

It was once said a wise goddess and a sea god fought over the city and the goddess defeated the sea god's salt water spring with an olive tree. This pissed off the sea god and he tried to flood Athens which only made the city love Athena more due to what her olive trees provide.

Hephaestus was taking Camille to the Parthenon, the temple built in honor of Athena. It ages into ruins and later preserved by humans only to be left in ruins again to repeat mythological history. The temple is now under reconstruction like it's human incarnation; portions of the temple have been built in a way as if someone wants to live here. The only question is who would want to do that?

Camille is in front of bronze alloy doors of the Parthenon, wearing her casual clothes again. The last time she's been here was in a dream -- a farewell to a friend. Hephaestus has told her there was a way to communicate with her parents in some way, and they needed to visit someone here to do this. Memories are coming back to her again; she shrugs it off.

"The person living here is a friend of Morpheus, god of dreams," Hephaestus explained, "The person is someone you'll recognize in a dream long forgotten."

"I just want to see my parents safe," Camille stated, "I can take a guess on who we're meeting..." She offered to knock on the door.

The two waited for a few minutes, but someone managed to respond and open the door. It was a young inkling girl -- she was about Camille's age -- dressed in a light green cape, a white chiton dress, gold wrist-bracelets, and brown denim shorts. Her ink hair is a dark tarnished bronze, her skin is as light as a pearl, her nails were painted in a feathery pattern of brown, tan, and beige, her eyes were two colors with her left eye a grayish gold and the right eye an olive green with blue speckles.

When the inkling saw Camille at her door step, she looked speechless. Camille raised an eyebrow in confusion before quickly recognizing who she is.

"Athena?" Camille addressed.

"Camille?" Athena tears up and gives a big smile.

The two soon turn into squids and jumped around, making joyous squid noises. They turn back into their humanoid forms and embrace each other. Hephaestus gave the two their moment, crossing his arms and waiting patiently.

Once the two girls let go, Athena looked to Hephaestus. "Did you tell her about our return Uncle Hephaestus?"

Hephaestus gave a nod. "Yes, and for a very important reason?"

Athena then looked to Camille. "Come on, let's have some sweet pastry bread and grape juice inside my home. It's still under reconstruction, but hey, I'm a historian who wants to rebuild a temple that's really my home, am I right? The mortals don't know I'm the goddess Athena yet, calling it a coincidence."

Camille and Hephaestus would be in a lovely interior garden with no ceiling for sunlight to come in. It was full of olive trees, apple trees, orange trees, and a patch of grain crops. The center of the garden is a pond with stepping stones. The two were in a unique gazebo in the center of that pond that doubled as a bedroom and a dining room. Athena offered her friend and her uncle pastries and grape juice, and she ate her meal with them.

"Each god in my family are living in different parts of the Mediterranean, taking jobs like Mayors, Doctors, Farmers, you name it." Athena took a big bite of her pastry. "But we still visit Olympus at times."

After their meal, Hephaestus gives a small fake cough.

"Athena, Camille wants to ask something," Hephaestus began.

"Anything for a best friend." Athena then smiles at Camille. "What is it you want, Cammy?"

Camille took a deep breath. She doesn't believe this would work, but she couldn't question the magic of the Greek Pantheon now that she's dragged back into this world.

"I know you used Morpheus to interact with me, I want him to help me interact with my parents in....wherever this Moros god took them." Camille looked serious.

Athena has never heard the name Moros for some time. She finishes her pastry bread and grape juice before getting up.

"Are you sure you want that?" Athena knows something is up.

Camille gets up. "He kidnapped my parents, if this dream communicating thing will be able to help stay in contact with my parents, I'm up for this!"

Athena looked hesitant. "Morpheus can't let you three meet just like this." She looks to Hephaestus. "You know why Zeus is afraid of Moros."

Hephaestus gets up. "Moros is destiny, meaning he's omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; he is everywhere. A powerful being that without him, Chaos would return. The only ones to stand up against him was Prometheus, and that his actions were left unpunished."

"Oh, that's barnacles! I still want to see Mommy and Daddy!" Camille asked. "There has to be something you guys can do to cover up our meetings."

It was quiet for a moment, but Athena shrugs and replies, "Alright, I'll prepare my bed for you to sleep in."

"Wait, what?" Camille didn't look surprised.

"Just trust me on this. It's not what you think." Athena has a bed appear. "Morpheus only does his work if you're asleep. As for me, I'll have to talk to him through prayers."

"Prayers..... wow, Athena." Camille takes off her shoes and lies on Athena's bed with her hands behind her back and her right legs over her left leg. "Okay, now what?"

Athena giggled at the way she's lying down. "Just relax, take a few deep breaths, and simply sleep."

"Just like that? Easy." Camille then yawns. "Besides, I didn't get much sleep anyway... and..." Camille is soon fast asleep. As she drifts asleep, she can feel herself no longer being in bed and instead, be floating in mid air.

"Alright, alright, Athena, I'll do it, if she wants to personify her again, then fine..." A voice echoed, "you owe me one, and her parents will have to personify someone too." That was probably Morpheus.

Camille opens her eyes and sees an endless darkness. She can then see Callie and Lee -- her parents -- dressed unique ensembles.

Lee is dressed in a white shirt, black shorts, a leather armor and sandals, bronze forearm guards, and a lion cloak with a lion head as part of the shoulder guard. He also has a black leather belt, carrying a golden bronze dagger with some kind of button.

Callie is dressed in a typical white tunic with a gold medallion and gold bracelets for the wrists and ankles. She appeared to have a gold cicada on the back of her neck, hanging on to the knot of her hairstyle.

Camille looked at herself and noticed she was also wearing different ensemble: leopard skin sash, white combat skirt, bronze wrist bracelets, leather belt quiver, and sandals, and red tattoos. On her head is a helmet made of bronze, leather, and some kind of animal hair plume. She knew who she's personifying again: Amazon Princess Camilla Penthesilea. If she's personifying her again, then her parents must be personifying Greeks in the past. But who?

Lee and Callie looked confused but were quick to recognize Camille. But before they can have a group hug, a deity's voice had them face forward. It wasn't Moros, but it was a different voice.

"Princess Camilla!" The voice is addressing Camille. "You dare seek this journey in the afterlife? So soon after your death along with the thousands back in Troy? But what legends say are true. The Olympians left a great offer to all in the Underworld and on this earth for the dead to be put to rest. The challenge is like war, but I believe you already have the experience for that."

The voice then brought its attention to Lee.

"And you found new friends, the Hunter -- Orion The Giant -- of Boeotia--" A large pale hand points at Lee. "--And Princess Merope of Chios." Another hand points at Callie before both hands retreat to the darkness. "I must say these two shouldn't be together. Don't you, Orion, remember what you did to Merope to anger King Oenopion? When you returned for revenge, Merope swore her Championship in the name of Eos, the very Titan who loved you. Such a love life. And did you not forget your first wife, Side, back in Boeotia?"

The voice then brought its attention to Callie.

"As for Merope, do you find it suspicious that Eos has allowed you to become her champion? How did you feel when Artemis accidentally killed Orion? Did you feel jealousy towards Artemis when she was taking Orion from you? Is that why you committed suicide?"

The voice was too divine for Lee and Callie to respond to what it has spoken. Camille couldn't say anything about what the voice said; she would have to talk with someone about this later.

The voice soon reveals itself as a gigantic demigod who is a king; two others stepped forward. They all wore robes of royalty, scepters of lead, silver, and gold. However, each of the demigod kings had something unique. One of them is an elderly man with a mask of an ant and a cape of dragon scales. Another man is middle-aged with a developing beard, a mask of a human face, a sash of red, and a cape of white. The last man is a middle-aged man with a clean face, wearing a mask of a bull and a cape with two spiral seashells as shoulder guards.

"I am Aeacus," The Elderly man introduce, "These are my brothers: Rhadamanthus and Minos. Together, we are the Judges of the Dead." With a gesture of his hand, Camille, Lee, and Callie were now standing on solid ground. "And by your request, Princess Camilla, we shall allow it. You shall witness and perform the very trials to put your soul at ease, the journey to salvation and truth: The Trials!"

"Here, the journey is long and hard," Mino explained, "And we cannot assure you'll succeed. That is up to all of you."

"But it is our duty to oversee these Trials and decide the victors or -- if the time is right -- decide who shall pass on," Rhadamanthus point his scepter down and the surroundings change.

It is a dome-shaped room with several constellations seen on the walls. Corridors, and trails rose from the ground made of rocks, stone, and plants. Seven flags appeared: three green, three blue, and one white. One of the green flags and one of the blue flags are large, acting as a base. At the moment, all the other flags are lowered.

Lee took this time to talk with her daughter.

"Camille, what's going on?" Lee began.

"Where are we?" Callie asked.

"You heard those giant guys, we're in the afterlife...... as Greek Heroes." Camille rubs her arms, finding it a bit hard to explain. "I asked this god named Morpheus to help me communicate with you guys through dreams, but I didn't know he would make us do this...."

"How do you know all this, Sweetie?" Callie looked suspicious.

Camille didn't hesitate, but she didn't want to blow the cover. "It's because this happened to me before with this other goddess..... Athena."

Lee and Callie don't seem to believe her, but they knew they had to rely on their daughter to get through this. After all, it was just a dream, right? Camille might know something else, they thought.

"Mommy, Daddy, just play along with this, okay? That Moros guy is bad news, and that freak the mighty might be watching us now in our dreams," Camille whispered, "Let's perform these trials."

"...Then lead the way, Camille." Lee smiled.

Camille nods and then looks at up at the Judges with a glare and a smile.

"Alright!! Then let's do this! I'm here get myself out of this hellhole! This Amazon here is not living her life as a dead squid or even a resident of the Underworld!" Camille stated. "And if I'm going, I promise to take Orion and Merope with me! When we get out of this, we'll swear to save those still here! Athena! Artemis! If you can hear me, guide us! And help us through these trials!"

Soon bronze automatons approach the three inklings with weapons. The machines offer it to them before returning to the darkness.

Lee is given a club, a bow, a dog whistle, and a light ball of bronze with a turn-key switch. Callie is given two cicada bracelets, shoe decorations in the shape of grasshoppers legs and crickets legs, a rose tiara, a gradient cloak of red, orange, and yellow, and a unique whistle made from a leaf. Camille already recognizes Princess Camilla's weapons: A large wooden shield, a simple bow and a quiver of arrows, a bronze ax, and a bronze spear. What's new in her inventory is a war horn.

Most of the items had some way to shooting or delivering ink-based attacks along with elemental magic.

Once the Squidlys are armed, the large flags are raised. The rest were waiting to be raised.

"And so it begins, the Trial of Battles! The flags of the two factions are raised. Treat them as you would treat your homelands," Minos stated, "The flags shall appear when the Trials begin."

Camille found this too easy, but she had to play the game.

"Mommy, you raise the small green flag on the left," Camille quietly ordered, "Daddy, you raise the flag on the right. I'll raise the white flag in the center."

Together as a family, they split up to follow the orders. When Camille raised the white flag, the flag turns green. They actually played like simple turf wars back in Inkopolis.

"All white flags at the center symbolize neutrality, raising them as your own tips the balance," Rhadamanthus explains, "Your faction can work in no more than 8, but they must assure they work together in these Trials or face the consequences. Trust, Unity, Faith, these are one of the many virtues needed to complete the trials."

The blue flags are then raised.

"Now go on a take the first flag of the opposition," Aeacus tutored, "conquers its surroundings and claim glory."

Camille did so, running up to a blue flag and takes it. She pulls it out of the ground and raises it up, letting the flag change color from blue to green before planting the flag back into the ground.

"The Amazon, Camilla, know the way of these Trials," Rhadamanthus reacted, "Those who claim a flag must remain there to secure it. For a time. Their allies must continue the fight without them if they must. "

"But these Trials aren't simple," Aeacus explained as blue spectral beings appeared from the opposition, "Opponents who also seek the prize of the Trials are also going to fight for it. They have a chance to reclaim those flags. They will gather armies they wish to bring to salvation just like you. You have armies do you not?"

Camille, Callie, and Lee had no idea how they can gather armies until they saw what their opposition was doing. The specters took out their horns and blew them; One summoned a swarm of bees, one summoned a hoplite army, and one summoned a pack of wolves.

Camille looked to her war horn, took it out and blew it, summoning what appears to be an Amazon army. Callie with the same with her leaf-whistle, summoning a large swarm of cicadas, making her army a large contingent in the team. Lee uses his dog whistle, summoning nine hounds behind him.

The spectral being with the swarm of bees made their way to the blue flag that isn't raised or conquered yet and defended it.

"Princess Merope, show us the power of Eos," Minos tutored, "let your swarm wipe the enemy out so that your ally can claim the blue flag."

Callie looked at the swarm accompanying her but didn't know how to make them move. She looked back at her leaf-whistle, she changes the pitch of the whistle and points at the swarm of bees. The cicadas immediately fly towards the bee swarm to keep them distracted. Callie waves to Lee to take out the bees' spectral leader and claim the flag.

"Your companions will always be with you, in this life and the next," Rhadamanthus explained, "Towards salvation and beyond."

Lee hasn't fought this way for some time. And the hounds at his side were interesting in combat. Still, he has put down his weapons years ago, and now's a time to return to combat until this battle is over.

"I didn't want to do this.........Here we go!!!" Lee charged towards the bees’ spectral leader and hit them with his club. "Take that!"

The bees’ spectral leader is knocked down and is dissolved into hexagonal flakes. It didn't splat since these aren't inklings, just projections. The bees that accompanied them scatter and disappear. Lee is given the honor of taking the second blue flag. He takes the flag and replants it with its color changed from blue to green. He was breathing heavily; he never harmed another for years. Still, Callie came to his side and tried to comfort him.

"Such romantic moments... rare to see it in the trials," Rhadamanthus commented.

"Members of the factions that are eliminated are absent from the game," Minos explained, "When another faction member takes a flag or if the duration of absence runs out, they will respawn to their main flag."

"Now then, finish the Trial!" Aeacus tutored.

The Squidlys soon made their way to the base, eliminated the specters, and claimed the final flag. The surroundings fade and the stars can be seen in the dome-shaped room once more.

"This Trial is complete, but this won't be the only kind of trial you'll face.," Rhadamanthus congratulated, "Before we conclude this trial, you shall give yourselves a name."

"What shall we call your faction?" Minos simplified.

I didn't take the Squidlys long to think of a name, but Camille advised them not to give any name that would make them stand out. In the end, they all agreed on one name fitting for Orion, Camilla, and Merope: The Hunt.

"Then it is done," Aeaceus concluded, "In the name of Olympus, your faction shall be called, The Hunt! Go forth and walk on the path to salvation."

Afterwards, there is darkness, then the moon, then the ruins of Troy, and then a cloudy sky. The beaches were on longer stained with ink nor studded with rubble; nature was quick to reclaim after destruction. The Squidlys are still in the dream, and they appeared as faint as ghosts. Camille wasn't surprised, but her parents were. The two looked at her in confusion.

"This is actually a dream, dear?" Lee questioned.

"If it is, then why are we here?" Callie is looking at ruined Troy.

Camille responded is with a nod.

"And to recall..... Athena... dreams...... Morpheus?" Lee stepped towards Camille with concern. "What have you got yourself into, Camille?!"

"Daddy, I can explain--" Camille is then interrupted.

"But I can explain more." A young god called out while walking by the shores. "Two princesses and a hunter shouldn't be out here... then again you're all undead."

The three looked at the young god approaching them. He is an inkling just like them, but with angel wings. He has periwinkle hair, light skin, midnight blue eyes, a white horn of ivory on his right temple, and a black horn of a beast on his left temple. He wore a cloak with half being of a white fabric and half being a fabric of black, a laurel crown with green leave and gray berries, a simple tunic and shorts, and sheepskin slippers. When he yawned, he sounded like a sheep. This is Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams.

"Awww... that yawn was adorable!" Callie complimented.

"You must be Morpheus." Camille raised an eyebrow, not expecting Morpheus to be like this.

"I sure am... and thank you, miss." Morpheus rubbed his left eye. "I am Morpheus, God of Dreams and leader of the Oneiroi. You three must be the Squidlys. Do you know that your daughter is a hero--?"

"Was a hero," Camille corrected, taking off her sandals.

"My Camille, a hero?" Callie doubted that, but with what has happened in this dream, something is up. "What did my daughter do?"

"Save the Earth from the Titans, exiled the Typhonian End back to Tartarus, and foil the plans of the Chaotic Eris." Morpheus soon floats in midair and hangs upside down. "Never told your parents about that?"

"No?" Camille replied honestly.

"Why not?" Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

"They would flip out if they knew!" Camille raised her voice.

Callie and Lee gasped when she said that. They know their daughter and hearing her say that was quite shocking. They never wanted her to see what they've experienced nor did they want to see her come to harm.

".....I.... I didn't mean it like that...." Camille stepped back. "But it's the truth!"

Camille didn't know what else to say until Morpheus intervened.

"Camille's mother and father, may I say something." Morpheus stands between Camille and her parents. "Your daughter saved our Universe, unlike the other mythos worlds. She wasn't alone. Nebula Sevenstar, Celeste Ann Weever, Telemachus Zulf Cassius, Justinian Euphemia, Hera Terepashi, and much more. They all fought by her side. Without them, our world would've been gone some time ago."

"But Camille... We didn't want her to--" Lee argued.

"I know, I know, we all gods knew it. Hephaestus knew, Artemis knew, Hermes knew, the Fates knew, I knew, Athena knew, and the whole Pantheon -- dead or not -- have knew. But Camille never cared about the danger she faced, " Morpheus rebutted, "And she knew why."

"Why?" Callie questioned, glaring at him.

"...She did it for everyone, and she had everyone by her side to face the horrors that came to bring our world to chaos," Morpheus explained, "And that was the only selfless act we will ever see her do. Despite everything, she didn't want to lose you all. So don't show disapproval towards what your daughter had done for all of us... she chose to do it."

Callie and Lee look at each other and looked a bit guilty. They're still confused about how this all happened, but at the same time, they feel like they deserve more answers. Camille is glad Morpheus defended her, but she didn't want this legacy of her known; she's the Fastest Squid Alive and nothing else.

Camille changed the subject. "Where do we go now?"

"That's up to you, Princess Camilla," Morpheus answered, using the name of her persona, "Let it be night and look to the stars."

"I'm having a feeling we're going to travel to far places," Callie assumed.

"I have someone prepare things for that, and it will come tomorrow," Morpheus explained, "For now, we'll look to our Amazon Princess here to use the stars. A constellation will tell her where to go." He picks up a handful of sand and creates spectacles out of them. He hands it to her. "And the constellations will show themselves through this sea glass."

"If we're ghosts, then--" Camille is interrupted by Morpheus.

"You guys aren't ghosts. You can still eat, sleep, drink, and such, but you aren't ghosts," Morpheus explained, "You thought you people won't need vital things in the afterlife?"

Camille and Lee were working like father and daughter, hunting animals that are inhabiting the ruins, Callie made the tents and the campfire with Morpheus's help. During the hunt, Lee and Camille manage to detect a deer; however, when Camille aimed her bow and arrow at the deer, she stops and puts her arrow away. She just couldn't harm a deer. When Camille and Lee returned, they came back with scavenged food from orchards and farms the Greeks forgot to raid and loot: lentils, wheat, apples, grapes, and figs. It was enough for everyone to eat for the night.

After the meal, Morpheus is open to answering questions from Lee and Callie. Lee didn't want to question the powers of Greek Gods at the moment, at least he knows this is a dream. Callie, on the other hand, asked questions like about his job as a dream god and about how this will keep their meetings hidden from Moros. Camille is busy, looking up at the stars, using the spectacles that Morpheus gave her.

"So if Moros is omnipresent, doesn't that means he be anywhere?" Callie asked. "Past, Present, Future? The mind, body, whatever?"

"Moros has no interest in mortal's dreams nor their welfare, he chooses where to be present," Morpheus explained, "And he has no interest in looking in your heads dreaming this. He's focused on making your daughter suffer."

"He's been telling us that by the time he kidnapped us," Lee remembered, "He said our daughter defied destiny or something like that."

"She did defy destiny." Morpheus draws some stuff in the sand. "Moros's words are the future, and he wanted Typhon to bring the world to Chaos. But he didn't know Eris was making him do this. Your daughter's only crime now is that she defied him, and he’s making her pay the price. He wants to assure her that he is still beyond everyone just like how he assured Zeus."

"Our daughter....." Callie looks down.

"Callie and I have been through many things many years ago, sometimes like this," Lee confessed, "But our daughter following our footsteps..... It's just..."

Morpheus places a hand on Lee's shoulder. "I understand, but there are times you can't keep it away from her forever. Hermes and the Fates told me Camille never wanted to believe in your heroism and agent stories nor did she believe she'll be a hero herself... and look at her now. She learned from the Titanomachy and the fight against Typhon, sort of." Morpheus turns to Camille. "Anything yet?"

Camille found this astronomy stuff boring, but when she was about to take off the spectacles, she spotted something. The stars of the constellation, Andromeda, align and its brightest star, Alpha Andromedae, beams a light down to a city. The next Trial is in Mycenae which is across the Aegean Sea. 

The Constellation has now told her.

"Mice-and-A?" Camille is poor in pronouncing names like these. "... I guess we're heading there."

"...We'll make our way to Mycenae in the morning," Morpheus stated, "For now we sleep."

"We still have more questions about--" Lee is interrupted again.

"More questions will come later, for now, we have to sleep." Morpheus uses some invisible lasso and pulls a cloud down. He uses it as his bed and tent. "Oh and before you leave this dream, Camille, I suggest you head to Mycenae in real life."

The Squidlys enter their tents with Lee and Callie sharing one tent and Camille having the other tent all by herself. Camille has finally found a way to meet her parents in secret, by dreaming about Greek Legends and performing the Trials. As long as Moros doesn't find out, the Squidlys can see each other again, every night.

Camille closes her eyes and drifts away, exiting Morpheus' realm of dreams.

When Camille opens her eyes, she finds herself still in Athena's bed in the Parthenon. Athena was in a chair beside the bed, reading a scroll. Hephaestus was looking out a window, looking at the view of Athens before noticing Camille wake up from her dream.

She had a destination: Mycenae.

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy - Chapter 21

((Camille belongs to @inklingleesquidly​

Nebula belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo​

Agent Blueshift belongs to @myzzy​

Emerald and Sapphire (mentioned) belong to @twelvetailedkitsune and @son-of-joy​

Agent 0 and Suzy (mentioned as the new Agent 0) belong to @son-of-joy​

Celeste and Willow belong to @alpinesquid​

Arsenic and Nebulous belong to @a-demo-of-a-hero​

Agent 7, Justinian, Telemachus, and others belong to me))

Mount Olympus, Greece - 9:45 AM

Justinian's and Celeste's jaws dropped by the sight of the army, and this army isn't even complete; there's still a few more forces gathering.

Camille, Nebula, Telemachus, and Hera can see the reinforcements coming.

Nereids and Oceanids also came to join the Nymphs and Dryads, and they bowed towards Camille. Daemons from the underworld rose from the Earth and bowed before Telemachus who was carrying Hades's Helmet. Then a phoenix flew over and circled Mount Olympus. A living statue came late as the pack of hunting dogs gathered around him; it was Actaeon. Fauns, that looked more human than the satyrs and satyresses, joined in Roman armor. The last to join in the rally were the Acephali and the few descendants of the Amazons and the Lapiths.

Hephaestus, Hermes, Anteros, Arsenic, Kitzeh, Willow, Agent 7, Calypso, Cassandra, Agent 0, Agent 2, Agent Blueshift, and Nebulous all caught up with the six Champions. Everyone was amazed by the army that gathered here, and they were bowing to Camille, Nebula, Telemachus, Hera, Justinian, and Celeste.

".....Is this the Chronicles of Narnia?" Agent 7 looked at Calypso, assuming she knows the reference.

"Making that reference now, Seven?" Calypso was not pleased with how he's this whole gathering to a book. "There six children, not four!"

Hephaestus smiled, being glad to see the surviving members of Olympus gather.

It was only the deities that were given the divine right to live on Olympus: Aeolus, Dione, Harmonia, Hecate, Paean, and Pan. They were minor Olympic Gods that lived among mortals for centuries after the fall of Olympus. Sadly, the rest of the gods and goddesses that weren't there were ones that chose to pass away and become nothing but a part of nature and a memory. And Hephaestus cannot see his parents, all his aunts, all his uncles, all his siblings, all his cousins, all his nephews, all his, nieces, or all his descendants.

There were other gods and goddesses that were alive, but they didn't come to Olympus; they were the Moirae (The Fates), Iris, The Muses, Styx, and Charon.

Pan was leading the Satyrs, Satyresses, Fauns, and Animals (including the Phoenix) while Hecate had her powers over most of the Underworld Daemons. Dione and Harmonia were the ones keeping the Nymphs, Dryads, Nereids, and Oceanids united. Actaeon's golem-like appearance showed he was sort of immortal, but still vulnerable to the elements and to physical attack; he was there to lead his pack of dogs once more. Paean only came to provide assistance to the Champion of Asclepius.

The Acephali didn't have a leader, but they did believe in cooperation and coordination. The Lapiths looked to Nebula as their leader since Emerald, who was Champion of Apollo, is dead.  An Amazon named Diane was leading what appears to be thousands of archers and warriors, and they all looked up to Camille. And this is because the Champion of Artemis, Sapphire, wasn't there to lead them; Hermes has told them of the tragedy.

Hephaestus walks over to Camille and pats her shoulder, changing his mood by laughing.

"See, Champions?" Hephaestus is really happy. "Look how many of us are here to fight for you. And you, Camille, have Amazons by your side, ready to avenge the Champion of Artemis even after your exile."

Camille stepped forwards and looked at their leader, Diane. She had blue heterochromia eyes, tan skin, and auburn ink hair; she was almost Camille's age, but she's taller  and slightly muscular than Camille; there were distinct tattoos on her arms just like Camilla, and the shape and pattern was the same as well, but they were colored green instead of red.

"Champion of Zeus and Athena?" Diane addressed.

"Yeah?" Camille raised an eyebrow.

"Why aren't you properly dressed?" Diane noticed that Camille is still in the dress she wore last night during her meeting with a ghostly Artemis and Sapphire.

"...The war's not coming yet." Camille doesn't want to be in her Olympian Armor right now. "And I just got here a few minutes ago." She folds her arms.

"Oh... well... the Amazons and I got you a gift." Diane gestures one of the warriors to hand her a package that was wrapped in animal skin. She carefully unwraps it to reveal a girdle. "It was meant for the Champion of Artemis, but we heard of your strong bond with her, so we suggest you keep it."

The girdle was made from leopardskin with leather laces, bronze rivets, and colorless gemstones beads. Camille, at first, wasn't excited about the gift, but when the Amazon mentioned Sapphire, she couldn't just reject the gift.

Diana explained what the girdle is. "This Girdle is an heirloom passed down from generation to generation of Amazons. It is a symbol of honor and leadership to my people. Only I, as queen, can carry this garment, and I offer it to you to share leadership over my people."

Camille hesitated to take the girdle, but it wasn't in a nervous way.

"Is something wrong with the gift, Champion?" Diane asked.

".....No, I'm glad you're offering it to me... it's just that....." Camille doesn't have a certain reason.

Diane looks at the girdle and then nods to Camille. "I think I understand."

Then Camille decided that Diane keeps the girdle. "If this girdle is what makes you a leader... then I suggest you keep it. The Amazons need you as their leader more than me."

Diane can understand that, and so did the other Amazons, and they bowed again this time in a more traditional Japanese style. Camille smiled, hoping that it's enough to help her and Agent 0 in avenging Sapphire and Emerald. She can see the fire in their eyes, and that fire says, "Rhea will pay -- all the titans will pay".

Nebulous looks at Agent 7, Agent Blueshift, and Agent 2. "What kind of world war did you guys say that this was?"

After hours of mingling with the armies and then the minor gods, they started building camps around Mt. Olympus. Hephaestus had everyone return to the Forge to continue their meeting.

Hephaestus's Forge, Mount Olympus, Greece 10:00 AM

Camille soon realized something. "I forgot to ask this: while I was exiled, what did you guys tell my parents? They would've been real worried about me."

Hephaestus looked like he had an answer for that, but stopped. He looked to Agent 7 and Blueshift. Agent 7 was nervous as he answered.

"We told your parents....." Agent 7 took a deep breath. "We told them that you were missing, and I fabricated that I sent a search party to go looking for you."

"...Seriously?" Camille glared at him.

"It could've been worse than telling them you got exiled to a deserted island... that wasn't deserted at all." Blueshift turned his head towards Hermes.

Hermes shrugs.

"And as for my school?" Camille asked.

"They all shut down by my ordinance until further notice now that I have military powers." Agent 7 stops leaning back and takes off his flat cap hat. "No need to worry if you were tardy or anything. I told them it was for safety reasons. The same was with the turf wars and other events planned. However, there were exceptions as long as they have limited permits.

"It's the same for Octo Valley, Holy Byzantium, and all the countries part of the Argus Initiative," Justinian added.

"So what's next now that I'm back?" Camille wondered.

"First, we need to do a ceremony to make you a Champion again," Hephaestus explained, "And after that, my Champion and I need to complete the Hekatonkheires; the rest have to keep watch for Titan activity."

"You mean those gold, thousand-armed robots you're building out near the forge entrance?" Camille points outside.

"Well the three original ones died centuries ago, they were major players in the war against Titans." Hephaestus folds his arms.

"What about Chaodis?" Nebula asked. "Do you think we should go after him?"

"I rather not. I may want to give him a what for, but going after him not worth a super sea snail." Camille just wants to focus on the Titans. Her returning apathy is telling her not to deal with the betrayal.

"Derailing from the Hero's journey, Camille?" Agent 7 teased. "Or are you just too shocked that your boyfriend betrayed you."

"Oh eat an oyster, Uncle Sev," Camille responded.

"Ohhhh.... burn," Arsenic and Nebulous both commented.

Agent 7 rolls his eyes. Calypso chuckled.

"Camille has a point, the Champion of Eris can be dealt with later," Hephaestus answered, "All of you will need to continue keeping watch for Titan Activity."

"But what if Chaodis still has plans to stop us?" Celeste supported Nebula's concern over Chaodis.

"You two need to chill. Camille may have been betrayed by her boyfriend, he's stolen the Key to the Underworld along with the Omphalos Stone, and he's left some massive damage on all of us and to this forge." Telemachus puts Hades's helmet on the table. "And if we even go after him, who knows how powerful he is, and Eris might be alive and with the traitor. There's no chance our cooperation might defeat him, and it's a waste of time anyway. If you two want to go after him, be our guest."

"....You don't have to be mean about it." Nebula shook her head.

"Yeah.... but thanks to defending my choice." Camille sighed.

Communication devices started to go off, and they're coming from Agent 7, Agent Blueshift, Agent 2, Agent 0, and Calypso. They began taking them out and answering the calls.

"What now?" Justinian wondered.

Hera was getting a phone call from her mother, Erikka.

"The real question is how they're getting reception here," Hera wondered before answering the call.

After some chatting on their devices, the squids stopped to look at one another.

"Guys, my district is telling me something is coming towards Inkopolis, "Agent 7 warned.

"My island is saying the same thing," Calypso replied.

"Inkopolis Government is telling me and Agent 2 the same thing," Blueshift replied.

"You can say that it's the same for me," Agent 0 replied," The new Agent 0 is told me that it's some kind of meteor."

"My mother warned me about it as well," Hera responded.

"Kitzeh, any word from your mother or from the Octarian Government?" Agent 7 asked her stepdaughter.

"No, but I know the guys back at Octo-Valley have a sense to get civilians to safety." Kitzeh leans back. "Then again...." She got up, took out her cellphone and walked away.

"Arsenic, Hephaestus, do you think you can upgrade the transport to carry the army we have here to Inkopolis?" Nebula asked. She expected this to be a final battle.

"But we need to complete the Hekatonkheires projects," Hephaestus argued, "There's not time if a meteor is coming towards your city."

"Then how are those armies going to get to Inkopolis? It'll take days for them if they go by foot!" Camille supported Nebula.

"Come on, Hephaestus, we can leave the work to the cyclopes." Arsenic wanted to help her friends get the armies to Inkopolis. "We would need Celeste on this. She has Hestia's Heart."

Celeste takes out her clay orb and it lights on fire, making her change into her Olympian form. "You got it!"

Hephaestus sighs. "Alright... you Champions go on without Celeste and Arsenic. They'll be here to find a way to get the armies here to your city."

"This path is leading all the way to my guild, right?" Kitzeh isn't comfortable having a large tunnel opening behind her hideout.

"Just go, Champion of Dionysus," Hephaestus ordered. He then looked to Camille, "Before you go with the other, we'll have to make this ceremony quick."

Nebula and the Olympian Champions (Minus Arsenic and Celeste) started to get ready and leave the forge with Anteros and Hermes following. Anteros has his brother's Bow, Arrows, and Quiver; they were all tinted in shade of pink and the feathers were in shades of red. Calypso, Cassandra, Agent Blueshift, Agent 2, and Nebulous followed afterward, taking the usual tunnel to Octo Valley.

While Hephaestus performs the quick ceremony, Agent 7 quietly snuck around to enter The Vault where the Olympian treasures were. Camille actually detected him, so once she had Athena's spear in her hands, she follows Agent 7.

The Vault was still the usual all with 20 pedestals. The Pedestals of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite,  Hephaestus, Hermes, Hestia, Dionysus, Hades, Persephone, Asclepius, Eros, Hebe, and Eris were empty.

The Pedestal of Apollo still has his Lyre and Bow; the Pedestal of Artemis still had her antler crown, the Pedestal of Heracles still has his Nemean Lion Cloak.

Agent 7 was reaching out to touch it.

"What are you doing?" Camille gets in the way and moves his hand away from the cloak.

"...Sorry, I was curious," Agent 7 replied.

Hephaestus followed Camille into the Vault. "You shouldn't be in this vault."

"Again, sorry... I'll be going." Agent 7 quickly leaves, following the other to Inkopolis.

Now that Camille was in the Vault again, it pains her again to see the Antler Crown that Sapphire wore and the Lyre and Bow that Emerald wielded. No matter how much she fought the pain, the past experience has somehow got to her. Yet, this pain wasn't the same pain that left tears and agony.

"You miss them, do you?" Hephaestus asked.

Camille shook her head. "Let's not talk about it."

"It's okay to feel that way," Hephaestus picks up the Antler Crown and Apollo's Bow and Lyre. He and them to her. "Even if they don't call to you, you should take these."

Camille declines. "I'm sorry, but I--"

The two artifacts glowed blue and green in Hephaestus's hand. He is surprised to see the glow in those colors. To him, it was a sign; to Camille, it was a message from Emerald and Sapphire. The Nemean Cloak started taking shape as well, forming into a scabbard without a blade; it was marked with the Roman Numeral: VII.

Camille took a deep breath and took both the crown, the bow, the lyre, and the empty scabbard. She knew what to do with the remaining artifacts. She immediately leaves the Vault and heads on her way to Inkopolis.

Hephaestus followed her to the entrance of the path to Inkopils. He waves to her farewell. "May Olympus be in your favor, Champion of Athena and Zeus!"

Camille's shoes glowed gold and owl wings sprouted from her back again. The carts were all used, but that didn't stop her. She decided to go on foot, finding her speed to become faster than the race car she drives; And even in flight, the speed is crazy fast. Next stop: Inkopolis.

This is it, she thought.

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy -Chapter 12

(( Lee, Pac-man depiction of Callie, Janine, and Camille belongs to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula, Blueshift, and depiction of Marie/ Agent 2 belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo

Nova Sparks, Paige Marchant and their parents belong to @inkstriker-fynn and @eiden-squid

Sapphire belongs to @son-of-joy and @twelvetailedkitsune

Sylver belongs to @twelvetailedkitsune

Jacar belongs to @son-of-joy

Arsenic (cameo) belongs to @a-demo-of-a-hero

Celeste belongs to @alpinesquid

Chaodis, Telemachus, and others belong to me

Author’s note: Camille’s backstory in this story is only canon in my timeline, @inklingleesquidly has not yet confirmed an official one.))

Cemetery - Inkopolis - 11:15 AM

Lee and Callie Squidly were visiting the grave of Sapphire (the false one that Agent 7 was requested to make) with Pac-man, Camille, and Janine. Nova Sparks, Paige Marchant, and their parents, Fynn and Eiden, also visited along with Justinian and Sea Angel Splatoon, Quintin (Q) and Julia Noh, and Agent M and Agent C.

When the Squidlys paid their respect and returned home, Callie decided to meet with Sylver about the incident after work. They meet in the Cafe of Inkopolis Plaza for some hot cocoa and sea-salt ice cream cakes.

Inkopolis Cafe - Inkopolis Plaza, Inkopolis - 12:00 PM

Callie and Sylver were sitting across from each other at a table booth. Each of them had a cup of hot cocoa in their hand and a plate of sea-salt ice cream cakes in front of them. They enjoyed their meal, but Callie didn't come for that; she came to talk about Sapphire.

"You must be going through a rough time," Callie mentioned, "losing a daughter."

Sylver, at first, didn't want to talk about it, but she nods and replied. "I know.... they told me that her killer was unknown."

Callie sighed. "Camille was really quiet when we paid our respects to Sapphire. Marie's daughter and Robin's daughter were also the same."

"Everyone that knew Sapphire is quiet." Sylver looked down.

"How's your husband handling this?" Callie asked.

Agent 7 actually told Sylver and Jacar to never tell the Squidly about Camille. Therefore, she can't tell them Jacar was going to help out Neo-Squidbeak Splatoon. The same was told to Blueshift and Agent 2 in case the parents ask them about Camille in addition to Nebula.

"Jacar is asking Agent 7 to send him to search for the killer," Sylver replied.

"Yet, we don't know who killed her?" Callie was getting suspicious.

Sylver was silent for a moment and evaded the question.

"Oh sorry, it's top secret, isn't it?" Callie then gave a weak laugh.

Sylver then changed the subject. "I remember during winter that Camille and Sapphire were a lot closer together. They were both in love."

"My daughter? In love?" Callie has almost forgotten about it. "I can recall that now... It was really adorable."

"I wonder what Camille thinks now that she's gone." Sylver wondered.

".....I don't know, but what I do know is that she's hasn't been acting like her usual self since the incident." Callie cuts a piece of her sea-salt ice cream cake and eats it. "And I fear she's hiding something from me and Lee. We would usually talk about it, but we've noticed empty gaps during her time going out. We didn't know what she's doing. I just feel so worried about her safety..."

".....Don't be." Sylver eats her ice cream cake as well. "It probably just her growing up. She just needs time to handle things."

"... I guess." Callie looks out the window, remembering the old times. She smiled slightly.

When I was back home in Inkopolis, I needed something to clear my head of what I saw. Then there's was the date Chaodis offered me... I accepted the offer. Chaodis said it was going to be in 3 days.

And you're probably wondering what my friends and I were doing; the whole team was meeting at Mount Olympus after school to see if Hephaestus has found any sign of Titans. Then we just return to Inkopolis to continue our daily lives.

And when it was time for that date..... I hanged out with Nebula and Celeste in Telemachus's residence in Alexandria district, trying to tell them to convince me not to go.

.....What? I was having second thoughts.

Telemachus's Residence (Dorm) - Alexandria District, Inkopolis - 3:50 PM

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Camille was pacing back and forth.

Nebula and Celeste were sitting on their beds, watching her pace. Poseidon's trident and Hestia's heart were on a nightstand, being unused at the moment.

"Camille, it's just a date," Nebula advised, "Just go on the date."

"Yeah, no one is stopping you," Celeste agreed, "Your parents did give the green light, right?"

"They also told me to say safe like any other normal parent should say to their kid." She rolls her eyes while still pacing back and forth. "I never had a date before."

Nebula gets up and stops Camille from pacing. "Camille, just calm down." She places her hands on her cousin's shoulders. "It's just a date, keep calm, and just do whatever friends do: Chat, eat, and do some stuff."

"Do some stuff?" Camille asked.

"You know what I mean: dance, play, sing, anything!" Nebula pats her shoulder.

Camille takes a deep breath. "I still think I shouldn't go." She walks over to a door to a large closet. "I don't have anything to wear..... And I would need to bring my..... where's Athena's spear anyway?" As she opens the door to check if it's there, there was an inkling mannequin with a dark green dress.

The dark dress had a carmine collar with a light green shawl over the right shoulder. The skirt part of the dress was long and adorned in agate and tiger's eye. There were amazonite bracelets and bronze earrings to go with the dress. In addition, there was a large hooded shawl that looked like wings. There were silk ballet shoes that were more like slip-ons than the laced shoes.

A white purse was next to the mannequin with Athena's spear and a scarf. The spear was shortened to fit in the purse.

Athena's pet spider, Arachne, is on the mannequin's shoulder. It jumps happily, wanting Camille to try it on. She even makes a tiny squeak.

Camille's jaws dropped, Nebula and Celeste ran over to see the dress.

Nebula smiles at Camille. "Well, your pet spider is encouraging you to go."

"How quick did Arachne make this!?" Celeste asked.

There was no way I was going to avoid this date. I can just turn now and not go at all, but Arachne was giving me puppy eyes. And if Athena had a ghost, I bet she'll disapprove of me rejecting a dress made by Arachne.

Once I put on the dress, jewelry, and the shoes, I was picked up by my Mom and Dad who took me to Octo-Valley. We arrived at Grandpa Cuttlefish's shack where Chaodis and Telemachus were waiting. Why Telemachus was there was because for security reasons.

Cuttlefish's shack, Octo Valley - 4:00 PM

After Camille is dropped off, Lee and Callie said their final goodbyes. Callie teased her daughter about the squid she's dating which made Camille blushed. Telemachus rolled his eyes, and Chaodis just kept on smiling.

"Stay safe, Camille," Lee reminded.

"Be back around ten, okay, dear?" Callie requested.

"I will, Mom," Callie promised.

Once Lee and Callie return to Inkopolis through a familiar kettle entrance, Telemachus quickly escorted Camille and Chaodis to Kitzeh's Kettle Pub. And there, they used the secret shortcut to Hephaestus' Forge.

Telemachus bids them good luck on the date before pulling the lever and sending the cart carrying the couple.

In the middle of the transportation, Camille felt Chaodis's hand touch hers. She then hears Antero's words ring in her head. Her face turned red when hearing Antero's voice again, so she holds Chaodis's hand and sticks her tongue at the ceiling.

Hephaestus's Forge, Mount Olympus, Greece 4:10 PM

When they arrive, they pass by Hephaestus and Arsenic at the entrance of the Forge. Arsenic was with the Blacksmith god, helping some cyclopes finish up on an elevator.

Chaodis and Camille try it out and it leads to the outside where a large little owl was waiting for them. It looked awfully familiar to Camille and realizes it was Athena's pet owl. However, there was a note stuck in the owl's right wing. Camille takes it and reads it.

“Champion of Athena and Zeus, Nyctimene is your problem now. I hope she becomes of use to you. 

        - Pan Faunus”

Chaodis chuckled. "I guess Pan was doing a solid for Athena."

"She looks just like Athena's other owl, Noctua," Camille remembered while petting the large little owl, "So you're name is ..Nick... Timmy?"

Nyctimene puffed up a but when Camille pets her and the owl nods.

"I'll just call you Nicky," Camille giggled.

Nyctimene stops puffing up and turns around, offering them a ride to Athens.

And it took less than 5 hours to get there. One way, Chaodis and I didn't really talk, but he was trying to bring up one about our hobbies. It was racing car, obviously. To be honest, there wasn't really anything to talk about.

Parthenon, Athens, Greece - 8:00 PM

Nyctimene lands in a park in Athens, dropping off Camille and Chaodis. Camille pats the owl's head twice.

"Just stay here and wait for us okay, Nicky?" Camille requested.

"Who." Nyctimene sits and takes a nap.

"Come on, there's a lot of things to do." Chaodis lends her a hand.

"No need to rush." Camille smiles a bit and holds his hand.

The party being held around reconstructing temple was in honor of Athena. Everyone wore either tunics, armor, or robes over some light clothing. Some citizens were wearing costumes representing mythological creatures.

Tents and stands were established, selling snacks and drinks, displaying artworks and crafts, and setting up games and entertainment.

Chaodis and Camille took the time to try out the games, taste the cuisines, and looks at the arts and crafts. There was even one point where they tried out a horseback riding race with Camille winning in the end.

(( Music plays at the Parthenon Entrance: https://youtu.be/q_UAWwg8D24 ))

When it was time to attend the dance, the inklings and marine life there were dancing to the songs of ancient Greece. The flutes and ocarinas sounded, the drums and sticks beated and clapped, the tambourines and cymbals chimed, and the lutes and lyres were strummed faintly.

The music filled the air with divine rejoice and peace.

Chaodis noticed how crowded the dance floor water and didn't like being in an almost tight space of the dance taking place. Camille then quickly took his hand and guided him inside the temple itself.

And once inside the empty halls of marble and granite, Camille smiled at him.

"Here, you still hear the music loud enough to dance to," Camille assured.

"Clever." Chaodis then took a bow and offer her a dance.

Camille to his hand and held him close. He did the same and began dancing with her. As they danced to the music, the atmosphere changed for them. Anteros and 3 other winged gods of love were watching the dance from behind an altar.

Camille sees them and just makes a look, telling them that she's got the point about love. Anteros just shrugs and shakes his head. Camille just blushes with an annoyed look on her face.

"Maybe we should take this dancing to a garden." Camille didn't want Anteros and his love god friends watching them.

"You know a garden here?" Chaodis asked.

"Only in a dream." Camille took him through the Parthenon's temple just as Athena showed her in her dreams.

The garden was similar to the one in Camille's dream, but what was missing was Athena's gazebo. Instead, there was a structure that acts as a sanctuary for little owls. The nocturnal avians were currently sleeping.

The garden today and the garden in my dreams were different from each other.

Camille and Chaodis continued their dance with the music becoming faint. That music ends up being replaced with a maiden playing a lyre. Camille can hear it, but could see the musician; she wonders if Athena's playing it.

(( She plays:  https://youtu.be/fPpcI9PZuuM?list=PLUlxGSeIx8osPzR4J_j8jSueqbGRsQh9M ))

Camille felt some comfort from the music and the dance. Even though she felt her heart being heavy from the death of Sapphire, she carries on with endurance.

But at the end of the lyre's tune, Chaodis stops dancing. He lets go of Camille and steps back with an uncertain look on his face.

"You didn't come here for the date, did you?" Chaodis asked.

"...Whatever do you mean?" Camille asked.

"Camille, I know you didn't just come on this date just because of the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing." Chaodis smiled a bit. One of his eyes were still a  quarter closed as usual.

Camille now felt something in her chest. It wasn't pain... but anxiety. Yet, she kept a serious and strong demeanor.

"I know that a relationship between us is not gonna happen," Camille replied, "It's just a date."

Chaodis decided to push further. "If this is about Sapphire's death, then using my date as some kind distraction is really cruel of you."

"What?" Camille glared at her.

"Don't act dumb!" Chaodis stomps with one foot. He shared a glare with her. "You're better than this! You lost someone that meant something to you, and now it's gone!"

"Oh, how would you know what it's like to lose her!" Camille snapped. "You don't even know her!"

"Well, I know her enough to understand that you two had something." Chaodis stands in front of her. "And you need to stop bottling up emotions like this."

"Me, bottling up emotions!?" Camille denied. "I don't give flying squid about how I feel about others, but I am sure angry that I couldn't save her!"

"Angers always something people feel. When I saw you with Sapphire in your arms, I saw something!" Chaodis mentioned. "You were showing a soft side no one has seen!"

"Oh, sure, I did that," Camille replied sarcastically.

"Well at least, I can be human unlike you!" Chaodis argued.

Camille clenched her fist. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Chaodis lists a few things she finds about Camille: "Single-minded, apathetic, ill-tempered, remorseless, and stubborn." Chaodis folds his arm. " I can list more, but it's coming from not just me, Telemachus, Justinian, or Agent 7."

Camille turns around, ignoring him. "Hmph.”

Chaodis then steps closer to her. "Do you even realize what's going on in our damn universe! Titans are roaming the lands, leaving destruction and disasters, and your friends and family will have to put their lives on the line to stop them. All except you!"

"Shut up." Camille clenched her fist tighter.

"And your parents don't even know what you're doing!" Chaodis yelled.

"Shut up!" Camille raised her voice.

"And you hate being an agent!" Chaodis exclaimed while stepping closer.

"I said shut up!" Camille shouted.

"And what's so different about serving the gods than going back to a plain boring life of being a race and nothing else!?" Chaodis's question gets under Camille's skin. "Some heroine you are!"

Camille has had it and delivers a hard slap to his cheek. Chaodis stepped back and place a hand on his cheek. He looked at her and noticed tears.

"I didn't ask for this..." Camille muttered.

"What?" Chaodis asked.

Camille stepped closer. "I didn't ask to be a hero, Chaodis!" She was now crying. "I never wanted the role in the first place!”

"Camille..." The hand one his cheek was now reaching to Camille. "You can't escape from everything.”

Camille stared at him. He offered a hug.

"If it makes you feel better, we can talk," Chaodis sympathized.

Camille took the hug and embraces him, continuing to cry.

And at that time, I will never forget that... then again I would just store the memory away. Still, this the first time I ever told someone about my past.

Camille and Chaodis sat a ledge, watching the view of Athens. Again, this the was same ledge where Camille sat with Athena in her dreams. Camille was holding Chaodis's hand again.

"I loved race cars since I was a baby, and my path was already set for me. But at 10, some of the kids at my school told me no girl has ever raced. Some bullies even mocked for what I wanted to be..... I'll never forget the time they stole my toy car and smashed it to pieces. My parents found out about bullying that they moved me to another school where I meet Nebby."

Chaodis is listening clearly. "Is that why you are what you are?"

"The way I was treated changed me. I proved them wrong--" Camille explained.

"No wonder why you're acting all tough and like a--" Chaodis noticed Camille starring.

Camille just looks at him with a depressing look on her face.

"... Sorry for interrupting..." Chaodis apologized.

Camille sighed and continued. "I proved those bullies wrong and worked hard to become 'The Fastest Squid Alive', and I got the last laugh." She looks down. "And from that day I became what you, Justinian, and Telemachus know me as today."

"Camille, can I tell you something?" Chaodis asked.

"What is it?" Camille replied.

(( Play this: https://youtu.be/PjCVGBwL8PY ))

"I never really had friends because of racing," Chaodis confessed while letting go of Camille's hands, "And I never had parents to support me on that path I chose. And the race club I joined mocked me for my eye disability. Yet, I kept a smile and a positive look on life. I never got aggressive and welcomed everyone in my social circle. And the best part is that I care for everyone's well-being. I get a lot in return." He looked at Camille. "After all, I gave you my trophy and offered you a rematch."

"...You know it wasn't necessary." Then Camille thought about it and smiled a bit. "But thanks."

Chaodis gets up and lends her a hand.

"There's one more thing: do you still think we can be boyfriend and girlfriend now?" He has his usual smiled.

Camille looked up at him and then at his hand. She grabs his hand and he helps her up.

"Oh, now you're just teasing me," Camille replied giving a smirk.

They then laughed.

The two squids looked into each other's eyes and as the got closer, their lip were about to touch. At the last minute, there was the sound of screaming and crowds running about. Chaodis and Camille stopped and looks at the direction of where the scream came from. They looked back and realized what they were doing.

((Song transitions to this: https://youtu.be/bDmAyIIWjws?list=PL08FEE6C0B34C86B6 ))

"...We should go see what's going on." Chaodis blushed.

"Yeah..." Camille was blushing as well.

Camille pulls Athena's spear out of her purse and runs off to see what's causing the scream. Chaodis followed behind her before going over to a well to retrieve a gold apple from below it.