Ronnie and Rafael's adventures

Rafael sighed and then shook his head slowly. It wasn't Ronnie's fault that his uncle had been like that and Rafael didn't want to make her explain it to him. He would just figure out some lie to tell his uncle. Finally Rafael looked up and replied to her. No, it's fine. He wouldn't care so much if it hadn't been for my dad growing depressed after Hecate left. Let's just go and I can call him later when things have cooled down. Rafael pulled out onto the road and started off for the interstate before he realized that he had no idea where they were going anyhow. Where are we heading anyhow? Rafael looked over at Ronnie.

((Power's about to go out, I'll try to post on my phone though! I dunno how long it'll be out, it may be a week. :/ Stupid hurricane!))

"You sure?" Ronnie asked him, though she could see he'd made up his mind. "They live in a small town outside of Philadelphia, about two hours from here. We'll need to go through the city and Jersey to get there, through the midtown tunnel," Ronnie directed. She wasn't great with New York geography, but she knew enough. She still felt guilty about the whole incident with Rafael's uncle... especially how his uncle thought that she was going to walk all over him. She frowned, leaning back against the soft interior of the car and turning towards Rafael.

Rafael nodded and then started toward the tunnel. Things always seemed to go awry when it had to do with his father and Hecate. Apparently Ronnie had to do with that, although she hadn't even know them and Rafael didn't see how his girlfriend would hurt him. He saw Ronnie turn toward him and he smiled as he recalled how she had acted with him hugging her the first time. Now she seemed to be comfortable and if he had been in her situation, the whole scenario would've made him not trust anyone. Finally Rafael looked into the rear view mirror and saw the hand print on his neck. That brought back memories of how that little boy had made Rafael wish he had a little brother or son to hang out with like that. It had been folly for Rafael to put the child demon on his shoulders but it was all he wanted was to help that child. Even if things were better, Rafael was still worried about how things could go bad. He spoke to Ronnie and heard the sadness and worry in his voice as well as the vulnerability. I don't know why, but my uncle seems to think that you will hurt me like Hecate did my dad. I mean, my dad was a happy man at first, but then he met her and she made him happy for a while. It must've broken his heart when she left him and then I came along and I guess I reminded him of her. It wasn't very obvious that he was depressed until I asked why my mom wasn't there. Now that my dad is gone, I am stuck in the middle and my uncle is afraid. When I told him that I got that locket for my first girlfriend, he grew worried and told me that I was being foolish. It was always his meddling that ruined things for me. Yet this time it has gone too far. I don't want his disdain and actions to hurt you and the fact that he has gone along and done that is making it hard for me to accept him.
Rafael felt the shock hit him when he realized that there were deep rooted thoughts of anger towards his uncle. He reminded himself that his uncle was only trying to protect him and make sure that Ronnie wasn't going to hurt him. Yet Rafael still had to recognize the pain toward him for making it such a big deal. It wasn't like his uncle could do anything if he did have a child, and if Rafael ever did then he wouldn't be such a jerk about it and just leave his uncle in the dark. Rafael turned his head toward Ronnie and wondered how she would feel if she knew what he was thinking. About how he was glad that he had met her and happy that he had finally lost the mask and gotten to know someone. How he was ready to go to the ends of the Earth to keep her from harm. About how he was worried of whether or not he would hurt her like she had been. If he could ever take advantage of her and how he really wanted to just express everything that bothered him. Rafael smiled and turned to the road in time to see the tunnel blocked by some strange web-like material that glistened in the sunlight. He looked around and saw that there were words written along the edge of the road. It read something like "If you continue forward, Rose will be found. If you hold hatred, Gaea will hurt you. Fear of hurting others will only bring you pain. If demigods join in relationships, it only ends in heartache." Rafael slammed on the brakes and slid forward enough to block the words, hoping Ronnie hadn't seen them. He was shivering in fear because he didn't believe any of it.

((o.o that's a bit frightening bahaha))

Ronnie leaned into the car interior, the heat from the car's vents circulating around the vehicle and causing her to relax. After a moment, Rafael spoke, and she watched him carefully. He seemed so... lost. Was that really it, though? She wanted to ask him more about his father, but she didn't, because she knew that it wouldn't bring out a good response in him. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts though she knew it was pointless.

"Maybe your uncle has a point, Rafael," Ronnie stated, her voice measured with its tone controlled carefully.

"I'm not saying this because I agree with him completely, but maybe... maybe you shouldn't trust me so completely. I think your uncle is just trying to protect you, to do what he couldn't do for your dad. I wouldn't leave you so suddenly, like Hecate probably did with your father, but I... even I don't always trust myself. And you seem so devoted, which is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but..." Ronnie paused, because she didn't know how she was handling this. "I can't always return every one of your sentiments. When you say you love me, or talk about how you felt when you met me... I can't match that. And it's not because I don't feel anything towards you, because I do... but I just can't throw around terms like 'love,' because they have such a weight to them and they're scary and I don't know how I'm supposed to be-"

Ronnie cut herself off, breaking his gaze. "I'm sorry, Rafael," she murmured, feeling guilty as a blush filled her cheeks. "I don't want to hurt you, but I need you to understand that." She kind of hoped she didn't ruin anything. "What I really meant to say was that maybe you should give your uncle a little more credit... not that I know him well at all."

She looked to Rafael and he was driving. At least he was until he slammed the brakes, sending Ronnie flying out of her seat. The seatbelt restrained her, cutting across her chest tightly. She gripped the seat, turning to look at Rafael. "Is everything okay?" she asked, even though it obviously wasn't. "Are you alright?" She hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, but he looked pretty shaken.

Rafael was too shaken up to have heard all of what Ronnie had said but he had caught the part about the word love and all of that yet he really didn't care much. At the moment, Rafael was only thinking about how the words were threatening him and Ronnie as well as Rose. Before Ronnie had even finished her question, Rafael had already thrown the car into Drive and was flooring the pedal. He was really not sure about whether or not the following action was intelligent but it was the only way to successfully make it in time. Rafael flipped a secret cover on the back of the steering wheel and pressed a button with a diameter of about a centimeter. The button activated a rather large oxygen intake valve and soon the Nitrous was fueling his car and the vehicle was going 120 mph down the city street and Rafael was forced to do a 90 degree turn in order to exit and get onto the right road to reach Rose and her adopted parents. He hit the brake long enough to give some traction and he spun the wheel so that the Taurus spun around the corner and they made it onto the road leaving New York.

Yeah I'm fine, why do you ask? We need to reach Rose quickly or there may be some problems when we arrive. So, do you have your weapons to fight some monsters?

Rafael looked to the back seat and hit a lever under the middle cushion and the leather flipped back and inward to reveal his demigod weapons and armor. Enough to fight an army, but not enough to supply two warriors with an equal amount of force. He kept his eyes on the road after opening the armory case that he had built into the car himself.

Rafael looked back at Ronnie just enough to flash a look that spoke the urgency and that he wanted her to trust him. He didn't have time to explain everything that happened in his life but she did need to know about his fears of Rose being in danger. So, Rafael opened his mouth and pressed the brake pedal so that they slowed down. Ronnie, I saw a threat carved in the side of the road back by the tunnel. We really need to get there and it is of the utmost importance that we don't go unprepared. Have you heard of the war that is starting with Gaea? I believe she is sending minor monsters to Rose's adopted parents' house to hurt us. As the car passed into the streets of the city that they needed to be in, sirens sounded and blue and red lights began to flash behind the vehicle. Rafael was so shocked that he swore and then slowed down to pull over. He was almost at the side of the road when he saw the claws hanging out of the driver's window of the police cruiser. The claws were attatched to a normal hand but they were black and vaguely familiar. Suddenly the PA system sounded behind them with the eerie sound of a recognized voice. "Rafael, son of Hecate, stop your travels or I will be forced to kill you and your girlfriend. It is too late for the child, but you may still live." The voice was that of the boy who had attacked him at the restaurant. Yet he couldn't accept the fate set before them about Rose. He wouldn't allow the little girl to die or even get injured for any reason. So the son of Hecate slammed his foot against the pedal and felt the metal grind against the panel that held the last Nitrous tank. He pressed the button and watched the speedometer as the speed went from 5 to 80 mph in a matter of seconds. Rafael spun around the corners using his battle reflexes to guide them away from the danger that was the demon child. Cars squealed as they avoided him and he continued to fly around the city.

((Alright so we will have the demon thing as the leader and a gorgon as well as a couple storm spirits. That is a total of four monsters and I hope it won't turn badly. I'll leave the family under your NPC control.))

Rafael felt the fear begin to grow within him as he saw that they were running out of Nitrous and the cruiser was still behind them, except now it was shimmering and looking more like a horse that was pure evil. Yeah, he wasn't ready but he wasn't going to allow mortals and a child of Ronnie to be hurt. Here, take the wheel. Rafael had never been too good with arrows but he couldn't fight with swords from that distance. He jumped into the backseat and grabbed a silver wood bow and a quiver of arrows. He nocked one of the feathered missiles and slammed his foot into the rear window. The slightly tinted glass shattered and Rafael aimed the arrow at the horse. He took in a breathe and hoped he was able to do this. He pulled back and released the projectile at the horse's head. With the arrow, he sent some fire and then watched as the arrow fell a bit and struck the mount in the throat angled down into the chest. As an aftermath, the horse hit its knees and crumbled to ash. Rafael was glad and he put away the bow while grabbing some knives and handed three up to the passenger seat where Ronnie had been. He had enough weapons but Ronnie wasn't equipped enough. Then the son of Hecate pulled a large kite shield out and strapped it to his back.

Rafael glanced over to Ronnie as she asked him what he was expecting but the last time something like this had happened it had been an attack on his father and he hadn't survived. So, needless to say, Rafael felt it was time to be prepared. Yet Ronnie deserved to know everything. So, he started at the beginning while watching behind them at the road. He could just barely see the demon thing that was now riding on top of a car. Ronnie, the last time I was in a situation like this, my father died. Except then there was no real war, I believe that was around the time of the Titan War though, and it was because I had pissed off some monsters by being alive and escaping them. Now, I am beginning to think that the demon that we met at the restaurant was an assassin that tried to kill me. Since I lived, they must know that you are here and that we are going to Rose. I don't think we can expect some small fight. Yes it will be a small number, but there will be a gorgon, almost guaranteed. There was one last time and I killed her. So, yeah, it has something to do with me. Hecate may not be a major god but she is still one that has more power than people give her credit for. Just know that I am in this deep and I will fight to the last breath I take for you and Rose. It is my fault and now I am gunna jump to the car behind us to try and shorten this fight. With that, Rafael slipped through the broken back window and drew both his short swords. The son of Hecate stood up and shot forward off of the Taurus toward the demon.

Rafael felt the wind whip at his face as the other cars seemed to blur by but the target car hadn't even moved. Then Rafael felt his feet hit the car roof and he swung his swords up toward the demon, who had disappeared. It was such a shock that Rafael was stunned by the very sight and almost missed the signs pointing to the demon's attack. But he did see the gleam of a dagger and the evil whistle of metal flying toward his throat. So, Rafael slammed his back to the roof and slipped his feet up over his head so that he propelled the monster over the car and into the traffic. Unfortunately, the son of Hecate noticed that the demon had just fallen to the ground and then fled so that he didn't die. That really upset Rafael but he just got up and waited until he felt it was safe. He sheathed both swords and then pushed his feet against the hood of the car. It was another time loop of blurring cars but his car wasn't moving. Then he hit the trunk of his Taurus and rolled through the busted window while collecting a few cuts along his forearms. I think we should be good for now, but they will still know where we are.

Rafael looked shocked at the distinct worry that he heard in Ronnie's voice but he didn't allow the shock to show for longer than a couple seconds before he put his poker face up. He may have been a little insane with his reaction to the appearance of the monsters but he still believed that they were being followed, at least by the demon child. So, he told Ronnie what he believed about the monsters. No, I still think that we should continue to Rose's. It isn't like a monster to just quit because they are being attacked. Plus, the demon child disappeared as soon as I showed up on his car. We aren't out of the dark yet, so it my belief that they are still there. Rafael intentionally avoided the question about him jumping from the car, because he didn't want to scare Ronnie any more than he had already done.

Rafael looked at Ronnie as she spoke and felt his heart race as she told him not to do that again. It was almost like she truly cared, which she probably did, but still he felt really surprised. His face started to burn as he realized that she had been worried. I didn't realize it meant that much to you. Rafael's voice was really low and he almost hoped she hadn't heard him but he knew that he had said it loud enough so that she could. The son of Hecate felt bad about jumping out of the car now that he knew Ronnie had worried about him.

Rafael just looked at the road as he watched the many signs pass by. He wasn't sure what to expect but he knew that there would be a fight waiting for him. If only he had kept his old dirtbike from when he was younger. Maybe he could have made it before the fight really became a threat. Instead he would have to wait and pray that no more surprises arose within the situation. Finally he glanced at Ronnie and thought about something he needed to ask. Ronnie, what would happen if you saw Rose's dad again? Rafael was uncertain as to why he asked but it bothered him that the jerk had made it to where Ronnie couldn't trust easily and it made him feel angered that the daughter who he had sired was being attacked and the moron didn't even care enough to make contact. Rafael hoped that he hadn't made Ronnie upset and he started to hold his breath out of sheer worry.

((Alright I am going to try to make this good but no promises. Also, I can't get on at home until after Thanksgiving so until then it will be a spotty posting schedule))
Rafael just tried to ignore the fact that he was getting nervous, since he was the cause for the monsters appearing, and instead looked out the window. Then he pulled out the journal and read some of the entries, which were in Ancient Greek, and discovered that his father had stumbled upon an Ancient Greek ruins that had somehow ended up in America and that it had covered an old burial tomb dedicated to some historical hero that was a son of Gaea, supposedly. Well the book detailed that the burial tomb was originally built by a child of Hecate and that since it was desecrated by a father of a child of Hecate, then the curse of Gaea had been placed upon him. It also said that there were previous attacks upon Rafael and that monsters had been coming after him since he was three years old. It all made sense and so Rafael put the book away. He then climbed up to the front seat and grabbed a drink from his bag, a Wild Cherry Pepsi, and opened the bottle. He was thirsty and needed something to take his mind off the coming fight.

Rafael reached over and grabbed the phone, then passed it to Ronnie in the same fluid motion. He wasn't very sure about the car but he never cared much either. Yet, it would be safer if they had a vehicle to take a quick escape with. So, Rafael shook his head slowly. It would be safer if we had the car close enough to the house to escape in a pinch. Maybe a couple blocks away and then we can run the rest of the way. Rafael started to unbuckle his seat belt

((ULTIMATE FIGHT SCENE EVER!!!)



Rafael nodded and then turned toward the backseat. He flipped the seat back up so that all of the weapons were concealed again and then stepped out of the car. Immediately, he knew there were monsters nearby. Rafael slid his sword out of the sheathe and walked toward the house, hoping he was wrong about the monsters. As he neared the hedges, Rafael's battle relexes acted and he swung the blade up just in time to block a battle axe swing toward his temple. Rafael spun around and saw the demon child grinning at him and then he swung his sword over his head and decapitated the demon. Assholes like you don't deserve to live. Rafael spit at the pile of ash and then continued on toward the house, looking for the gorgon. That was his greatest fear, that the gorgon had already killed Rose. But he knew that she was still safe and the gorgon was laying in wait. Rafael switched his grip so that he could pull the shield off his back and then he felt the slight breathe of air as an arrow whizzed past his face, narrowly missing his cheek.