[UNDER HEAVY REVISION] After receiving an unexpected package from an unexpected sender, seventeen-year-old Amelia Kingston is thrown into the prestigious Olympian High. For someone whose life revolved around constant transferring to schools due to h...
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A couple of rides and some climbing later, we arrived once more at the summit of Mount Vesuvius. Unlike from our visit earlier, we took more time trekking to the top than before because of our dark surroundings. Even with the amount of city lights around the mountain, it was hard to see where we were stepping at, especially with the rocky terrain. I got myself tripping on the path several times, which earned me some light scratches and bruises.
When I whined about using some flashlights to light our way, Poseidon told me that the beams might expose us and we couldn't risk ourselves getting caught. With that in mind, I tried using the night vision goggles Athena gave us. It took a while before I got used to the green colors and it helped me see my steps a bit better.
At the top, the crater, which almost resembled a black hole, stood in front of us. The silhouette of Athena rested at the very edge. Her head turned to the three of us standing around her.
"Alright. You all remember the plan," she said. "Poseidon and Amelia, find a place to hide and keep yourselves low while Zeus and I will jump down the crater to retrieve the Artifact. If you see anyone or anything suspicious, give us a heads-up. Don't make a move unless necessary."
Poseidon and I nodded.
"If there's nothing else to add, then let's get started." Athena took out a long, thick rope from a bag she was carrying earlier and began tying it around a nearby rock. She clipped a part of the rope on her belt with a carabiner. Zeus also did the same.
"Good luck."
Athena adjusted Aegis which was strapped behind her back. "We'll need more than luck to get this mission done."
She took a couple of steps back before jumping into the crater.
"Man, I hope the Artifact isn't as heavy as it looks." I heard Zeus mutter before descending down the crater with his sister.
When the two siblings were out of my line of sight, I turned to Poseidon. "So. . . What are we going to do now?"
He looked around and pointed at a boulder. "Let's standby there."
"Sure."
We made our way to the huge stone and sat down behind it. A second later, a buzzing sound filled one side of my ear.
"This is Athena from the retrieval team," a familiar voice said. "Do you copy?"
Poseidon put a hand to his ear. "Yes, we can hear you loud and clear."
"Good. I thought these wouldn't work properly like the last time because of a certain someone," Athena said, her tone hinting displeasure.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault you didn't put them somewhere I can't sit at," Zeus retorted.
"Well, at least you could've checked where you were going to sit!" Athena almost yelled. "As I was going to say, we're now halfway down the volcano's caldera. What's your status?"
