"What were you thinking?!" Laoise hissed the moment the cell door closed, moving over to Octavian as she resisted the urge to hit him. He was just so...hitable, with his stupid face and his stupid existence, just looking at him sent anger boiling in her.

"I wasn't," he sighed in response, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "I wasn't thinking."

"Well that's fucking obvious!"

"You said a bad word!" Logan exclaimed from the opposite side of the cell, though neither of them paid the boy any mind, leaving him to play with his teddy bear while they continued to bicker.

"You got us arrested!" She continued, flames dancing in her eyes.

"Well, your part in the plan wasn't working, so I took matters into my own hands," Octavian shrugged, though judging by the color in his cheeks, Laoise could tell he was embarrassed by his actions.

"She had a gun! You could've been killed!

"I didn't know that! I thought she'd just...chase me."

"It didn't occur to you that the guards of one of the most temperamental borders in the world would have a gun? How stupid are you, Octavian? Seriously, I'm in awe of your sheer, utter incompetence-"

"Says the one who couldn't seduce one little patrol officer."

"She might not have been a lesbian."

"With that haircut?"

"Wow, way to stereotype," she folded her arms over her chest, continuing, "You're such a fucking asshole, Octavian, you know that, right? When we finish this stupid quest, rest assured, I will find a way to have Reyna kill you, if I can't do it myself-"

"If you hate me so much, Laoise," he cut in, tilting his head to the side, "Riddle me this; why'd you cry my name like a girl losing her lover, when you thought I was about to be shot?"

Her throat went dry, but she mustered a cocky grin, banishing any thought she had about why she could've sounded the way he implied she had. "Easy - I didn't want Logan to witness your brutal murder. That'd traumatize the kid. Besides, like you or hate you, we need you for the quest. It can't just be me and Logan - you're better with kids than me."

"Wow, Laoise Campbell, admitting to a flaw. Maybe you're not a complete narcissist after all."

She bared her teeth.

"What's a narcissist?" Logan asked, now sitting on the ground, moving his teddy bear around, pretending it was walking back and forth on its worn down legs. He didn't seem at all phased that they'd been arrested, and Octavian nearly killed.

"Someone who's obsessed with themselves," Octavian answered.

Logan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, like Lee-Lee?"

Octavian grinned, as Laoise's face flared red. "You're lucky you're cute, kid," she muttered, more to herself than to him, before moving towards the bench and sitting down. The iron sent a chill up her spine the moment her ass met the cold, but she kept herself planted firmly on the uncomfortable bench, as it was as far away from Octavian as she could get.

"Oh, quit giving me that look," he grumbled, "You know it's true. You're fucking obsessed with yourself, always staring at your reflection in anything you can get your hands on."

"Naughty word!" Logan scolded.

"Sounds like someone pays an awful lot of attention to me, if you notice such a small detail," she cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure you're not the one obsessed with me?"

"Yeah, Octavian, are you obsessed with Lee-Lee?" Logan teased, and Octavian glared furiously at the boy.

"I'm not obsessed with anyone," he insisted with a hmph.

"Well, I most certainly doubt that," a voice said - a voice that didn't belong to any of them.

Frowning, Laoise looked away from the death glare she had on Octavian, reverting her attention towards the entrance of the cell, where just outside of it, stood the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. It was a classic beauty, with arched cheekbones, wavy blonde hair, and a sly smile that meant nothing but trouble.

It took her less than a second to realize who it was that stood before her.

"Dad?"

"Hello, Laoise," Cupid grinned at her with all his teeth, swaying as he walked over to her, sitting down on the bench. "I see you three have got yourself into quite a pickle,"

"It was his fault," she childishly pointed at Octavian. "He thought it would be a good idea to break through the border. Freaking dumbass."

"Bad word!" Logan exclaimed, moving his teddy bear so the animal was was giving Laoise a disapproving look. "You shouldn't say bad words, Lee-Lee."

"I agree with Vulcan's kid," Cupid nodded. "I cannot fathom why he would send you three on this quest. Did he not think that a son of such a young age would face hardship?"

"That's what I said," Laoise bit down on her lip. "It's ridiculous. He's just a kid - he doesn't deserve this. Can you...can you talk to Vulcan? Maybe have him change his mind, undo the quest?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, my darling daughter," he sighed. "Though I've been observing your progress, and I must say, you did an awful job at seducing Emily."

"Emily?"

"The border patrol officer," he explained.

"We don't know she was a lesbian," Laoise attempted to save her honor, though when her father shook his head, she sighed in defeat. "I did my best, Dad. I'm sorry."

"You'll get the hang of it," Cupid patted her on the shoulder. "A gem like you, once you get into your grove, you'll have everyone falling at your feet. Well, the ones that aren't already," his eyes shot towards Octavian as he spoke, who was watching the encounter go down with a pointed fascination, for once not looking at her with a scowl, but eyebrows raised with interest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Octavian growled, immediately switching his expression back to the typical pissed off one he wore in Laoise's presence.

"I think you know, kid," Cupid shot him a wink, before reverting his attention back to his daughter. "I'm here to bail you out, since you were stupid enough to get yourselves arrested."

"For the last time, it was Octavian!" Laoise groaned. "I didn't do shhhh - I mean...poop. I wanted to just climb the fence."

"And what, fall and break your neck?" Cupid sighed, shaking his head. "You weren't bred for brains, Laoise, but surely you're smarter than that."

Her cheeks flared with anger, anger she did her best to suppress. If her father was here to help her, she couldn't ruin it by lashing out on him.

Besides, perhaps he had a point. It was all Octavian ever said to her, all just about anyone back at Camp Jupiter did. Bred for beauty, bred for sex. It was all she was good for.

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Octavian interjected, voice pinched, as if angry over something.

"Steal a boat, sail across the Rio Grande," he shrugged as though it were obvious. "Closest port is about a day's walk from here - much faster though, if you hitch a ride. Can't give you one myself, you know, I have things to do, but..."

"Steal a boat," Laoise repeated, staring at her father with wide eyes. "You think it's a good idea to steal a boat?"

"The river has much less border patrol," Cupid waved a dismissive hand, "Unless you want to rot away in jail for attempting to illegally immigrate."

"It wasn't illegal immigration. It was just...illegal vacationing." She attempted to protest.

Octavian barked a laugh. "Illegal vacationing. That's the quote of the year."

"Where are the cops, anyways?" Laoise glanced around the empty cell. "Shouldn't they be like...monitoring us? You know, making sure no rogue Gods break in?"

"I took care of them," Cupid answered with a shrug. "Nothing you need to worry about."

Laoise decided she didn't want to know what taking care of them meant, and kept her mouth shut.

"Now, come on kids. Let's get going," he stood up from the bench, motioning for them to follow him. To her utter surprise, he simply opened the cell door, as though his touch had dissolved the lock that kept them trapped inside, pushing the bars away so they could step through.

The police station was completely barren, void of any people at all, and not for the first time, Laoise wondered what Cupid possibly could've done to drive everyone out. Surely he hadn't killed them. Maybe he sent them to an orgy. Not that an orgy was much better.

"Here," Cupid reached into his pockets and yanked out a massive wad of bills as they stepped outside, shoving it into Laoise's hands. "For a hotel. You rest for tonight, since it's already so damn late, then tomorrow, catch another bus ride to the river."

"A hotel?" Octavian's brow furrowed together.

"A hotel," Cupid insisted with a smirk. "Get a good one too. No daughter of mine is sleeping in a damn tent when she should be luxuriating."