The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter XII: Pandora's Box: Dark Wraiths

"Once Pandora's box is open there is no retreat or going backward. Enjoy the web and the ride."--Anonymous

The blinding light of the transport beam faded from Cornelia's vision. Her stomach churned with the still unfamiliar sensation of being disembodied and 're-embodied' in an alternate location. Though after weeks of slow and grueling travel through the mountains, while they dragged Hercules' barely functional body she was grateful for its convenience all the same. 

Her head pounded from a side effect she did not remember from her original experience. "Are those sirens?" she stammered "rubbing her temples or am I not put back together correctly?"

"That is the sound of a red alert," Hades stepped off of the platform, "but I am not sure you were ever put together correctly." 

Zeus careened around the corner, "Finally!" His exasperated and strained expression was a foreign experience for Cornelia. The stoic captain had never raised his voice in her presence, and right now he looked ready to go on a rampage. 

"Get back on that transporter, and go to Athens," Zeus commanded. His sculpted face was an unflattering shade of vermillion. 

"What?" Cornelia asked shouting through the chaos of the sirens

"You have to go to Athens" Zeus yelled back his voice cutting through the cacophony. 

"Hebe," Hades called out to the ship, "Silence alarm but keep red alert."  "Hebe obliged and the ship fell silent but a pulsating red light remained. 

"Okay," Hades remarked as he rubbed his temple, "start from the beginning." 

They all looked at Zeus expectantly."There was a theft." 

"A theft of what?" Hades said with consternation. He sounded as cranky as she felt, and with every pulse of the eerie red light, her hopes of a hot shower and warm bed seemed to travel further and further away.

Zeus leveled Hades with a sneer. His fury did not hide what seemed to lay under his other mannerisms. The biological tells that were much harder to conceal. Zeus was sweating profusely and wringing a small cloth item between his hands. He refused to speak for several moments.

"A theft of what?" Hades said more forcefully. His bioluminescent features began to match the pulsating of the ship.

"The dark wraiths," Zeus answered. His expression was now unreadable. "Apollo has not returned, he disappeared the night of the attack."

Hades turned his glowing sapphire eyes on her, his mouth was in a stiff line, "Cornelia, you should probably sit this one out."

Cornelia had only known these people for a month and they had already become like family to her. She could not let them go off and fight whatever this thing was without her. She could not lose any of them, not even Apollo. Cornelia readied herself for a speech she puffed out her chest but her mind was a defiant blank, all that came out was a stubborn, "no."

"Cornelia, please sit this one out," Hades begged as he closed the gap between them.

"No," She said with more ire. She took a deep breath, "you guys almost got us killed last time simply by looking different." She felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins. It gave her the confidence she needed, "you need me." She knew those words to be a lie, but she could not be left behind. The worry alone would kill her so she might as well be with them. Whatever she felt was deeper than an obligation or her 'job', it was a need. She needed to help, and she was also worried about Apollo. I was looking forward to seeing him.