They walked down the tunnel with Trophonius in the lead, talking to Rubens about the wits and powers of Apollo (that and how much he sucked at haiku and how he was still addicted to it, sadly).

"You know how many myths and legends and stories there are about him, don't you?" he asked Rubens and the boy nodded out of sheer courtesy, he didn't want to let the man down. He really had no idea and when he turned around with an expression that read Help me! Lexie couldn't help but smile, stifling a laugh. Barry on the other hand couldn't control himself as much. He chuckled and Lexie had to punch him in the ribs to make him stop. He kept smiling though.

"You think the others are okay?" he asked her when he calmed down and she looked at him suspiciously. For all the time she'd known him Barry had never cared about anyone but himself (mostly). She wondered if he'd finally come to his senses and when she eyed him she saw in his face (the crease in his forehead, the intent look in his eyes, the pursed lips… the very worry that he emitted) that he was sincere. But she had no idea what to answer. They'd been down here for at least an hour. Anything could've happened with the rest of the gang. She shook her head.

"I don't know."

Trophonius and Rubens stopped walking and the older man turned around with a friendly but sad smile. They'd reached a fork in the tunnel and Lexie knew very well what that meant.

"This is where we part," Trophonius sighed. "Remember what I told you two," he said to Lexie and Rubens and she swallowed hard as the words came rushing in her mind. You will most certainly have a hard time. But remember one thing—surprises come from the oddest of places. The box felt heavy in the pouch she'd tied to her belt. Rubens just nodded. Lexie reminded herself to ask him about what the man had told him later.

"What about me?" Barry asked innocently.

"Oh, you hold on to that dagger, young man. You will have a very important role as the bearer, holder and protector of this prophecy. Make sure it reaches your destination intact," Trophonius smiled and pointed with one hand towards the fork. "Here our ways part, young heroes. But I have reason to believe our paths will cross once more."

He lifted his staff and tapped it on the floor only once and ever so lightly but the echo was as loud as if he'd shouted. As it quieted down it turned into a light buzzing and the top of the staff started vibrating. Suddenly a hundred little buzzing creatures exploded from it. They were bees (Lexie knew the staff resembled a bees' nest!) and they were spinning around Trophonius like crazy… but they weren't touching him. Nor were they touching any of the three demigods. But Lexie didn't feel assured by that, no sir. She hated bees. Very much.

Once, when she'd been little she'd had a pretty bad sting on her neck that got her a week in bed, feeling like a slug the whole time because of the medication. At least now the bees weren't attacking. They were Trophonius's and they obeyed him. It struck her that they were the friends he spoke of before – they were going to lead them out of here and back to their friends.

Half an hour later Barry emerged from a drain on the side of the I-95 into the warmth of the beautiful sunlight. Rubens and Lexie followed and then they all collapsed to the ground, completely out of breath. The swarm of bees was buzzing calmly above their heads. Lexie took in a deep breath and smiled. She'd never missed the sunlight more than when she'd been down in the tunnels and now that she could feel it all over her skin she felt at peace. But the better news was that they were actually back—they weren't dead!

"Come on," Rubens urged as he sat up. Lexie's smile turned out to be contagious – it took Rubens easily when he looked down at her. But then he looked away as if in a hurry and quickly stood up. Lexie eyed him for a moment and then followed. As Barry was getting up Rubens was looking around. "There," he said, pointing at a set of buildings in the distance. "That's the gas station."

They started on their way and with a final collective goodbye-buzz the bees scattered across the fields.

At first Johnny, Caleb and Buch were this close to losing it. Caleb had been screaming Lexie's name and Johnny and Buch were shouting for Barry and Rubens but no answer had come. The earthquake stopped but the three wouldn't have cared even if the gas station was falling down around them—they had to get their gang back. The hole in the asphalt was big and it had a very earthy feel to it. Its walls were crumbling fast and it seemed as unstable as it could possibly get—any attempts to go in there were a suicide mission. Jared, Ellen, Marylou and Joanne saw that. Something made Caleb see that. But Buch and Johnny didn't care.

"We have to get in there and get them," Johnny was saying.

"No," Caleb said after a silent exchange of glances with Jared and Marylou. Ellen was off with Joanne who was getting a panic attack and needed to breathe. "No, you can't."

"You have no idea what's down there," Jared added.

"Not to mention that it's falling apart," Marylou noted. "You'll be practically buried alive in there and then there'll be no saving your sorry asses."

Johnny and Buch gulped and exchanged glances. Then they nodded and stepped away from the hole. "But what if they're in danger down there?"

"Yeah, what if they need help or something," Johnny added.

"They'll be okay. It's Lexie and Rubens we're talking about. They're the best fighters among us, they can definitely take care of themselves, they're tough. And not to mention Barry—he's the most resourceful guy I've ever known in my life. Don't you think?" Caleb smiled encouragingly but it wasn't clear if he was trying to convince his friends or himself. He continued anyway. "Together they have the biggest chance of survival, they're virtually unstoppable!"

That seemed to do the trick.

"Oh yes, they'll be just fine since my brother will eventually find them," a voice said from behind but it didn't belong to any of the demigods. All heads turned to the direction where it had come from and faced a tall broad shouldered figure. A translucent, half-invisible figure.

"Holy Styx!" Buch exclaimed and did a weird set of jumps from one hoof to another. "That's a spirit." He cursed and shivered but when he composed himself he didn't look scared at all—just surprised and a little annoyed. Now everyone was probably thinking he was a weirdo, way to go!

"A what, now?" Johnny insisted. Jared took a precautionary step back and Marylou just stared in fascination.

"An actual ghost?" she breathed and a smile appeared slowly on her lips. Her eyes shimmered with excitement.

Caleb stepped forward protectively and Jared followed his example. For now they were the best protection the group had. The ghost stared at them in amusement. He didn't look old, he'd probably been around 35 when he died. What didn't allow anyone to let down their guard (even Marylou) was the air of mischief around him – he was the type of creatures that you shouldn't trust under any circumstances.

"What a jolly group you all are," the ghost beamed.

Buch nodded towards him, "Can I help you?"

"Oh, how kind of you to ask… no. I believe not. But your friends here might be able to," he said with a bright smile in the direction of Caleb and Jared. The boys looked at one another in confusion.

"Sorry, what?" Jared was saying but he was interrupted by an inquisitive Marylou.

"Hey, what was it that you said before? They'll find your brother? Underground?"

The ghost eyed her for a moment. His face turned into a grimace for a split second but then returned to his smile.

"No. My brother will find them, daughter of Apollo," the ghost said and that made Marylou freeze and take a step back. "Yes, Trophonius has always seen well to guests. Apollo is his most common one these days," he said with a hint of distaste and eyed Marylou disapprovingly. Something got everyone thinking – maybe those brothers weren't in the best of relationships… "I always try to tell him that Apollo is nothing like he was before but, hah, stepbrothers never listen, do they?"

"So your brother is a god or a spirit like you?" Buch asked, wrinkling his nose. He was trying to connect some dots but no memories were coming up. He was sure he'd heard the name Trophonius before… so he should know the story behind it. Brother… did his name start with an A? Maybe a G…

"Well, you can say he is considered a god by many but he has always been nothing more than a prophetic daimon, a spirit." The ghost gritted his teeth. "You know that we were equal once? Two of the best architects of Greece, you should've seen our palaces and temples. We even built Apollo's temple housing the Oracle of Delphi! Oh, such great times they were… and then came Hyrieus. That stingy rich bastard. We built him a great treasury which he filled with riches he took from his poor people. My brother and I, we used to go there and steal from him—you see, we knew all the secret entrances to it since we'd designed it!" He laughed but it wasn't a laugh of joy. It sent shivers up everyone's spines. "But the king wasn't stupid. He put snares and when my brother was about to step into the trap I pushed him out of the way and lost my life saving his." He paused for a dramatic silence. "Then do you know what my brother did? He cut my head off. He cut my head off! Why? So that Hyrieus couldn't know who the thieves were—so that he could save his sorry skin! Served him right that he was swallowed up by the earth!" The ghost moved around the demigods, gliding weightlessly in the air, talking quietly and almost threateningly. "My brother was later seen as a hero! They started worshiping him and he, as a true son of Apollo, gave them prophecies. He gets all the glory and offerings and what do I get? I am stuck like barely a consciousness—I only get such a ghostly shape when a ram is offered in exchange for a prophecy from Trophonius, or when there are many demigods in one place. Just like now." The ghost sighed and smiled as if relieved. "And now… the time has come for me to get away from my stepbrother and finally gain a long-deserved permanent shape." He had glided right behind Caleb and Jared. "What do you say, sons of Hecate? You have the power to help me! Will you do an old and tired soul a goodness?"

"What was your name again?" Buch asked, as if the ghost hadn't asked for anything. It irritated him immensely. But he had to be nice so he smiled.

"Call me Agamedes," he said with a slight bow.

"Okay, Agamedes, why don't you just go to work in Camp Half-Blood? There are many demigods there and you will have your permanent shape and live happily ever after," Buch suggested and Caleb cast him a scolding glance.

"Because, my dearest satyr," he said the word like an insult which didn't really impress Buch, "I am tied to my brother, who roams the tunnels deep below. I can only go where he is. Right now he is in this area and I can stay here and talk to you. Do you understand?"

Buch nodded and took a step back. He was starting to really dislike this asshole of a ghost—he might be trying to look all sweet and nice but it couldn't fool anyone. Gods only knew what would happen if this freak was out in the loose. A speedy thought crossed his mind that perhaps if the two brothers were reunited, they'd deal with their differences and make up or something… and knowing that Lexie, Barry and Rubens were down in the earth where Trophonius could find them, he only preyed that Rubens and Lexie didn't kill one another first.

He nodded to Caleb and Jared to come to one side and left the three girls with Johnny and the ghost, hoping they'd stay as they were and not create any trouble. The three guys stopped in a tight triangle away from Agamedes. And for a momentr they all stood silent before all three of them started talking in forcibly hushed voices full of rage, confusion and frustration, and tried to make sense of the whole situation.

"Who the fuck is that guy?!" "Is he for real?!" "How the hell am I supposed to help him?!" "What if he's some sort of freak and goes on a killing rampage the moment we untie him?!" "The fuck does this guy want us to do? I mean… is there even a spell we could work?"

Caleb sighed in the end. This was not going to be an easy one. Where the hell was Rubens when he could easily give them the solution to the situation… Where the hell was Lexie, when she could cast a single glance at the guy and say if he was friend or foe.

Gods, this was a touchy one…