Daria's energy ran out about an hour in.

She considered herself to be popular enough. The population of New Rome and Camp Jupiter liked her so much as to elect her as the primus pilus all those years ago. But she wasn't really an extrovert. She preferred spending time with her seven closest friends, and even then, Nathan was questionable.

So Daria was sitting at one of the tables, drinking punch as Reyna and Mitch debated whether Bellona or Mars was more powerful. She could see Leila with Jess, and Michael with Octavian and Benny. She couldn't see Clara, or Dakota, but who knew what they were up to?

"You're kidding me," Mitch said. "Mars is literally the god of war."

"So is Bellona," Reyna fired back. She was wearing a simple red dress and a gorgeous necklace that had been Hylla's, her older sister. "Just say you're misogynistic."

Mitch spluttered. He was less dressed up than the younger boys, just in a button-down and pants; Daria wondered where his boyfriend was. "I'm not-"

"Daria!" Clara exclaimed, running up to her as fast as she could in her dress. "Have you seen Jason or Daniel?"

Anything Mitch was going to say disappeared from the tip of his tongue. "Why?" He demanded, standing. "What happened?"

The music was suddenly too loud. Daria joined the son of Mars in his defensive stance. Immediately, she felt the ground under her feet. Mangled with the booming of the bass line, it was hard to get a definite read, but she couldn't feel Jason or Daniel anywhere inside camp borders.

"Dakota and I were outside," Clara rushed, with a glance at her partner who seemed just as frazzled. "We saw a giant light flashing from Temple Hill and rushed to the scene. There was a," she paused, looking at Mitch. "A cigarette, on the ground, alongside Ivlivs."

Mitch inhaled sharply, but if something really was going on, there was no time for shock. "Come on," Daria grabbed Reyna's hand. Her dark eyebrows were set in worry, but she looked determined. As fast as possible, the five of them raced to the statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

Daria had been training since she was five years old – a run from the Forum to Temple Hill was easy, but she was struggling to inhale. Her head rushed, she almost felt like she was going to vomit. She imagined Jason and Daniel already dead somewhere. She should have seen it; she should have followed them.

Reyna gripped her hand as they slowed. "Not now, Daria."

She was right. Daria had to get it together. She pushed any fears out of her head as she kneeled on the grass. "They were here," she decided, backing up Clara's claim. She could feel Jason, Daniel, and a third figure that had been here for less than a minute. "So was someone else."

"If they knocked out both Jason and Daniel, then they've got to be super powerful, right?' Dakota said nervously.

"Or they were taken by surprise," Mitch said grimly. Daria could see him digging his nails into the palm of his hand. "We've got to tell Leila. A quest needs to be issued."

"Yeah," Daria agreed, standing shakily. Reyna tried to place a hand on her shoulder in comfort, but Daria brushed it away, leading the pack back to the Coliseum.

"What?" Reyna raised her eyebrows as she paced beside her. She kept her voice low, but Daria could hear the anger in it. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"I'm trying to concentrate." Reyna hadn't done anything to warrant it, maybe, but Daria felt like she was one comment away from bursting. She really didn't need Reyna telling her to calm down. "Just, give me a second."

"We're not being dramatic, are we?" Clara asked unsurely. "I mean, we haven't looked around anywhere. Are we being too rash?"

"They're not here, Clara," Daria said sharply. "I can't feel them. For all we know, they're already-"

Mitch grabbed her arm, yanking her back from her charge on the hill. His gray eyes were full of panic and desperation, even though outwardly, he seemed steady. "This isn't any of our faults," he said firmly. A practiced ease. Daria remembered her doctor talking about Daniel's anxieties all those years ago. "We're going to tell Leila, and then we're going to find them."

Daria nodded, heat rushing to her ears when she realized her friends could hear a centurion reassuring the primus pilus. She had always prided herself on staying calm in tough situations, but for some reason, when the situation had to do with Jason, all composure went out the window.

"Leila," she repeated, glancing back at Clara and Dakota who wore similar expressions of wariness, like Daria was a crystal ball. That woke Daria up. She wasn't fragile. And she had a job to do.

"Mitch, come with me," she said sharply. Things needed to move quicker. "Reyna, Clara, Dakota, gather the Senators. We're meeting tonight."

Dakota checked their watch. "But... it's nearly one in the morning."

"Their praetor is missing," Daria grimaced as she said it. "I'm sure they can make an exception. Now, to Leila."

"Silence!" Leila shouted, purple cape billowing over her dress as they stormed into the Senate building. "We will not have panic!"

"Our praetor!" Someone cried.

"Evil in the camp!" Mimicked a Lares.

"More punch!"

"A prophecy!" Lucius cried rushing into the room as fast as his knobbly knees would carry him. Octavian leapt up to join his mentor. "Something very bad is about to happen." He paused, looking around at the gathered Senate. "Unless..."

"We've noticed," Mitch said dryly. "Anything else?"

"Wait," Daria said. She always functioned better in front of a crowd, where she couldn't be consumed by her thoughts. "He said a prophecy. That's different from a prediction." She looked at the elderly, bearded man. "Well?"

Lucius took out a piece of parchment from his pocket.

"To the land surround by sea

The heroes of Jupiter's prophecy be

Quest of five reveal thy heart

Of Rome and power do earth depart"

As was the case anytime earth was mentioned in a prophecy, heads turned towards Daria. But she wasn't thinking about that. Five people was a lot for a prophecy, more than any quest she had ever gone on.

"Land surround by sea," Michael mused, shoving through people to stand beside her and Mitch. "Assuming the gods' reach only extends to America, there's only one island."

"There's Puerto Rico," Reyna pointed out, shrugging. "But that's irrelevant."

"Indeed," Leila agreed. "Mitch, you will take four others on this quest."

That didn't sound right to Daria. Or Mitch, apparently. "Leila," he started. "I'd love to go, but you can't honestly be suggesting-"

"I am," Leila interrupted, plunging Daria's heart into her stomach. "And may I remind you, that you are addressing your praetor."

"What's going on?" Reyna whispered in her ear, a bit too close for Daria's rising anxiety. "What are they talking about?"

"They're talking about," Daria gritted her teeth. "Me staying behind."

Michael's eyebrows flew up. "Well, then you'd better make your case."

"Leila," Daria interrupted the light chatter that had started to fill the room. Mitch pushed her forward. "Or rather, praetor. May I ask why you've made this decision?"

Leila's gaze turned on her like she was insignificant. "The last line of the prophecy." She turned to Lucious. "Your interpretation?"

"I-if I'm reading it correctly," Lucius stuttered out, Octavian staring at his shoes. "Daria Jackson being the earth. We will lose her."

"And I cannot have that," Leila announced, ignoring the gasps filling the room. "So you will not go."

"So you're gambling away Daniel and Jason?" Mitch demanded. "Daria's got a good head on her shoulders. She's more powerful than either you or I. You may be willing to take such a risk, but the people of Rome are not."

Leila glowered at her friend as the Senate roared in a mixture of approval and jeering. "Do you speak for the people of Rome, centurion? You weren't elected, after all."

"But I was," Daria said. She knew she was pushing Leila's limit, but it was Jason for heaven's sake. "And I will not stay here while other legionnaires sacrifice themselves."

Dakota spoke up timidly from beside Clara. "Sacrifice?" They said weakly. "Doesn't that imply, well, dying?"

"Shut up," Clara hissed.

"This isn't up for debate," Leila said furiously. "Mitch will leave in the morning, and you Daria Jackson, will stay here. That is an order."

Even after everything, Daria was still loyal to Rome. To disobey an order from your praetor would be an act of treason. She wished Daniel was here – the only person who could argue with Leila without repercussions.

Daria would listen for now, even though it would kill her to do so. But if Daniel had taught her anything, it was how to read people, and hurt them. "Ryan would let me go."

Leila's eyes were cold. "Senate dismissed."

"This is fucking ridiculous," Mitch said as he packed. Daria was with him in his Third Cohort room, helping create a plan. "I shouldn't be going. Daniel and I made a promise, well that doesn't matter. It should be you."

Clara, Dakota, Reyna, and Michael had all immediately volunteered to go with him, meaning Daria would be left all alone at camp. With Leila, who she despised at the moment.

"I know, Mitch," Daria snapped. "What do you want me to do about it?"

He looked up at her, gray eyes piercingly sharp and disobedient. "Run away," he said. "Replace me. I'll cover for you."

"That won't work," she sighed. "Even if I was brave enough to defy Leila, Terminus knows you're supposed to lead the quest. What promise did you make with Daniel exactly?"

"I can't go on this quest, Daria." With the tone he was speaking in, Daria wondered if he had sworn on the River Styx. "I love him, and I need him to come back alive. You have to go."

"I could get someone else to stay behind," Daria suggested slowly, a plan unravelling itself in her head. "Reyna maybe. I'm worried the camp will get attacked again."

"And then what?" Mitch asked, interested. "I just wait in the forest somewhere?"

"Five people," Daria murmured. "Nathan's in Los Angeles. Come with us there. We'll make the rest of the plan when we get there."

"That's very spontaneous of you," Mitch pointed out. He wasn't packing his stuff anymore. "Where will you meet us?"

"I'll tunnel out somewhere as soon as I talk to Reyna," Daria said. "Tell everyone else the plan. We only have a couple of hours."

Mitch saluted her grimly. "Let's hope this works."

Oh Daria...

Incorrect quote featuring the praetor gang!

Mitch, over the phone: Leila, I need you to come pick me up.

Leila: Um, okay. Did something happen?

Mitch: Daniel is passive-aggressively doing the dishes that he asked me to do three hours ago. This house isn't safe anymore.