Peter
Time didn't feel real. It passed by Conner in waves of gentle touches upon his shoulder, heavy rain blurring his vision, and soft condolences whispered into his ear. Standing beside Jessie's grave as she was lowered into the ground, as each splash of dirt was thrown over her casket, he didn't notice how fleeting it was. How hours could be counted by blinks. How seconds were the raindrops that soaked his black suit. 

Time didn't feel real because for him, it had stopped the moment Jessie died. When his past caught up to him and punished him for running and hiding all of his life. She was taken from him by the gods just like his father was before her. Just like so many innocent lives throughout the years because Conner - Alexios - refused to take a stand against Zeus.

Now Jessie was nothing but another statistic in a line of statistics spoken by a news reporter with fear in his eyes as death rolls mounted from the war.

The gods stomped on all of the people who worshipped at their feet without a second glance at what they were treading across. Conner watched it happen for years, trying to help where he could as a regular person, but there was only so much one could do with limited resources in a world that the gods no longer seemed to care about. Jessie had understood that. She had pushed for him to fight back with his full power, and make a real stand against the gods. But he never listened to her, choosing to work on the sidelines. 

A lot of good it did him. 

He took in a deep breath as cold air soaked into the wet clothes sticking to his body. The grave was completely filled in - where did the time go? - and he was standing alone underneath a tree nearly bare of its leaves. He didn't want to leave her. He wanted to wake up from the nightmare with her in bed at his side, arms draped over him protectively. He wanted to feel her warmth, touch her soft skin, smell her perfume. But he couldn't. 

She was gone forever, and he would always be rooted to his guilt.
Andrew
The soft rain tapped against the black umbrellas in a melancholy rhythm as the preacher spoke. The words came out melded together, the true syllables not forming the words Esmeray knew he was speaking. She had heard it all before, words that were supposed to comfort those who had lost their loved ones. They always spoke the same message, thanking the gods for the life that was given and blessing the soul as it were to cross the River Styx. But this funeral was different, this one hit a part of her heart she had tried to keep from ever being touched again but never had the strength to completely block out. 

Esmeray stood back from the group under the safety of the rain, keeping her distance from the people who held some semblance in Jessie's life. She watched as they took their turns tossing dirt onto the casket, each of them passing looks of worry and sympathy at Conner. It didn't take long for them to realize he would not react to their soft apologies and words of unwanted wisdom. Not even the rain could affect him as he sat in a puddle of his clothing, his sturdy form showing he was far too lost in the world inside his head. 

It was when everyone was gone and she could see the water physically dripping off of him that she pushed herself off of the post of the pavilion and walked towards the gravesite. It was far too late for the umbrella she had tucked into her bag alongside the towel, but she grabbed them both as she walked. She didn't necessarily care about getting wet, her concern more for the man who sat in front of the muddy pile of dirt as if he were nothing more than a statue, forever frozen in a state of mourning.

It was when she neared she saw his deep breath, an indication that his escape from reality had finally ended. She unfolded the towel and stepped closer to him, tossing it over his shoulders without a word. She knew that no words would make the pain go away, no words would comfort a man who most likely blamed Jessie's death on himself.

Instead, she opened the umbrella and stood next to him in silence with a lone tear falling down her cheek.
Peter
Conner only truly snapped out of his thoughts when someone appeared at his side, umbrella snapping open to allow him refuge. He shifted uncomfortably as he realized that everyone else was gone, and it was just him and Esmeray standing before the grave like their very own memorial statue dedicated to Jessie. He with his stiff posture and soaked clothes, and her with a tear running down her cheek - unable to use the excuse that it was the rain since she was shielded by the umbrella as well. 

A brief glance had told him everything. She had stuck around despite a storm threatening to get worse, despite how he wasn't the best company to keep. He didn't know if she just wanted the extra time to mourn her loss or if she were there to support him in his, but it didn't matter. They had each other which was more than he expected to have after all he lost. 

It was still a long time before he spoke. Before he even moved. The first signs of life were his shoulders slumping as if the weight already bearing down on him just got heavier. He didn't turn to look at Esmeray when he spoke, but he addressed her all the same, his deep blue eyes never leaving the gravestone in front of him. 

"This can't continue," He said, his voice low, but just loud enough to be heard over the heavy rain. 

It was a simple statement, but one that held so much weight behind it. Conner never wanted to live a life in constant fear. He never wanted to be a warrior fighting against *Gods* Of all things. He just wanted a *Life*, one that allowed him to keep the people he loved alive and well. But the blood that ran through his veins wasn't the blood of Matthew Donnelly; it was the blood of Zeus. And the Blood of Zeus didn't run and hide. It stood and fought back. 

"I can't let it continue."
Andrew
The silence between them was both comforting and welcoming. The soft sound of the rain against the umbrella like white noise as she let Conner contemplate his next move. Esmeray had been unable to fathom a world without Jessie. Unable to fathom a world where she was not smiling and laughing with one of her best friends. She remembered meeting Jessie, being introduced to Conner and Jared and them becoming like family. It seemed as if it had always been the four of them, would *Always* Be the four of them but now as she stared down at the muddy grave she remembered the feeling she tried so hard to forget. 

"This can't continue." Esmeray looked at Conner, his blue eyes focused on the grave just as hers were before. She knew what he meant, knew that the trauma of Jessie's death would alter him in some way. A life in hiding quickly being risked so that her death would not be in vain. Esmeray remembered the letter that sat next on her kitchen table at home. Words written and meant for a day much farther in the future than any of them anticipated. Esmeray turned towards him as he spoke again. "I can't let it continue." 

Esmeray nodded her head and looked over at the black SUV just a small distance away from them. It started up as if she had queued the driver, the windshield wipers quickly clearing the rain before driving down the cemetery street slowly. She bowed her head and looked at the mud ridden boots and sighed. 

"I can't watch any more people die." She knew he felt the same and part of her wished it didn't come down to Jessie's death for him to finally make a stand. "Jess... Jessie will be proud of you no matter what. Whatever you have planned. I'm in." She said it without hesitation as she looked back up at him, determination and anger in her own eyes. 

This wasn't just a fight against his father but also her own. Children of gods who never felt the consequences of their egotistical behavior. She would not only be standing alongside Conner, but fighting the ver

Y father she had spent her whole life without. 

"I'm in."
Peter
Conner's mind was a mess of thoughts. About Jessie. About his father. About the war. About his upcoming part in it all. After being on the run for so long and hiding his true identity from the world, from *Zeus*, he was finally going to take a stand. It didn't feel real. Like he was floundering in air, unable to get his balance or touch his feet down. 

It wasn't until Esmeray spoke that he was finally grounded again. He opened his eyes and glanced at her, turning to meet her gaze in the hopes that it would continue to keep him focused. She was a beacon in the dark, her voice a reminder that he was awake and alive despite feeling like he was trapped in a never ending nightmare. 

Her words were reassuring because they told him that she wanted the same thing he did. Both of them watched too many people die to the destruction caused by the gods. Entire generations completely wiped out over minor disputes in the heavens. It was like the gods had forgotten that there were people living below them, that they had families and lives. They needed to be reminded who they existed for, who worshipped them. 

He nodded to Esmeray's declaration. His first ally in what would be defiance against the gods. Looking back at Jessie's grave one last time, he turned to walk away, staying by her side. 

"We'll need to recruit more like us." 

It was an obvious statement, but one that needed to be said. Conner was sure that Jared would willingly join them, but his knowledge of other demigods was limited. It was a good thing Esmeray was on his side. She was a lot closer to that life than he was, considering she actually kept in contact with her family. 

"Do you know anyone?"
Andrew
The idea of Zeus' son and Poseidon's daughter teaming up to fight the war between the two gods was crazy. As Conner met her gaze she saw the new spark of anger now taking the forefront. He would not easily let this go, it was not some simple stage of grief that mortals had painted with simplicity in therapy. He had lost almost everything because of his father and that wasn't something anyone could just walk away from. 

It seemed as if just yesterday, Esmeray had heard Jessie try to convince him to fight. She had brought both Jared and Esmeray into the conversation many times, hoping that if she could convince them they would help her with Conner. But in the end, they all denied the responsibility. 

Now here they stood, staring at her grave, and this was what propelled them into a war they tried to ignore. Esmeray's gaze bounced between Conner's eyes. All doubt, all fear, all hesitancy was gone. She had been so sick of death and now it was almost as if they were asking for it. 

Esmeray watched as Conner took one last look at Jessie's grave before letting himself walk away. 'We'll need to recruit more like us,' She nodded to his words. Esmeray thought of her brother and sister, gods and goddesses she had reached out to when she first tried to find family and while they had been close, she wasn't sure if they would take her side. It was a delicate line to cross, a world drawn like a line in the sand from gods to demigods. 'Do you know anyone?'

Esmeray stopped walking and looked out along the cemetery plots. There had to be more people that were sick of Poseidon and Zeus' antics. "I may have a few ideas."