Shattered

Lake PT1

"You all are crazy!" Bianca exclaimed, as she stubbornly pushed herself against the bark of a tree. "There is absolutely no way I am going to do this."

Rachel Berry sighed at the daughter of Hades' tenacity. Bianca really did not want to go swim. "Come on, you'll be fine. We're just going for a swim."

"Across Lake Ontario?!" Bianca moaned, as she stared out onto the chilling expanse of navy blue water. Waves walloped and swooshed onto the sands of Mississauga Beach. Despite the clear blue skies and the unusually high sun, the beach was vacant.

Bianca suspected that her lady Artemis had something to do with it.

The air was also notingly frigid. Winds howled across the water like a legion of incoming ghosts. On the horizon, Bianca could barely make out wisps of the Toronto skyline on the horizon.

"Yes, Lake Ontario," Rachel answered, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, we do it every year. At least, that's what the other hunters told me, it's gonna be my first time too."

Artemis' powers gave the hunters enhanced physical abilities, but it was important to stay in tip-top shape. Apparently every year, the Hunters would take part in the Lake Ontario challenge. Swim the 52 km length between Niagara-on-the-Lake all the way to Toronto. To add to the challenge, Artemis instructed the hunters to do it during early Spring, when the water was still near freezing.

Rachel pulled at the daughter of Hades to get up, but Bianca stood her ground.

"I am not going to swim out on the lake! It's like the middle of winter!" Bianca said, shivering in her swimsuit. "It's... Cold!"

"First of all, it's early spring. Second of all, didn't you live in Maine?" Rachel raised an eyebrow in question. "Shouldn't you be used to the cold?"

"I was only there for a semester," Bianca protested, pulling her knees into her chest. "And I never had to swim outside! Much less 52 kilometers into Canada!"

Rachel laughed. "We're already in Canada. Don't worry about it, the swim is easier than it sounds."

"How would you know?" Bianca mumbled, shaking her head.

"Trust me."

Rachel leaned in. She proceeded to point down along the beach towards where the rest of the hunters were preparing to swim. In the midst of them, a certain daughter of Zeus was, with difficulty, trying to wiggle on her swim cap. "Come on... Thalia's going too and she looks awfully cute in that electric blue swimsuit of hers..."

Rachel winked not-so-subtly.

Bianca unwillingly perked at the thought of seeing the said daughter of Zeus in her swim wear, and Rachel smirked.

"Gotcha?" Rachel laughed. Bianca's face reddened in embarrassment at the prospect of anyone else figuring out her crush.

"Who else knows?" Bianca asked.

Rachel smirked. "Just me... for now."

Bianca gulped.

"How about we make a deal," Rachel smiled mischievously, "If you at least try swimming the length with us..."

Bianca gaped, interrupting the shorter brunette, "You wouldn't!"

Rachel only shrugged. "Your fate rests upon your choice."

Bianca's shoulders slumped at the words, in defeat.

"Oh don't be like that. It's actually easier than it sounds," Rachel promised. "Come on, the others are waiting, and Thalia looks absolutely smokin'!"