-Mika's POV.-

Ok, I'll admit (sometimes) that it probably wasn't the best use of money to reserve VIP treatment on a luxury train trip to LA.

But with how much I have in my black credit card (stole from Gates of Babylon, left a note) and with those Lotus Casino cards my friends and I kept. We could be rich enough to fill Olympic-grade swimming pools with diamonds (Or gold, then we can be Scrooge McDuck), so nobody said a word even when I disguised my voice to sound like I was an adult in a short body. Though convincing required hypnosis.

I had to use a realistically fake ID for that too, but who cares? This isn't about that.

We got to take a nap on the train and ate food- mostly dessert (Hmmm, Mint Oreo Ice cream~). Now Percy's using a fidgeting toy I bought yesterday (when we were buying clothes), Annabeth's polishing her knife when she felt the need to fidget, and Grover was looking at the scenery from the window while eating something inedible to humans.

While I was the only one mostly calm, scrolling through my phone and listening to music next to Grover because who knows how gadgets truly affect the Demigods here.

Barely an hour later, Annabeth tried to boost morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but I didn't listen. I'll just skim through the journey today and tomorrow.

At 4:30, we moved from the train to a Taxi cab which dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. Carnival rides were lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and I walked down to the edge of the surf.

"What now?" Annabeth asked while Percy started by stepping into the surf, "Percy? What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as he kept walking to the water, "You know how polluted that water is? There're all kinds of toxic—and he's under." She muttered in the end as he dove into the water.

"He'll be fine..." I said, crossing my arms. "...Unless he gets sick tomorrow or something...bacteria is bacteria after all."

"Does he go ahead without thinking sometimes?" Annabeth asked both of us.

"I think I remember that one time in...October?" I looked to Grover who tilted his head

"I don't think that counts though."

A moment later. Percy finally decided to finish his polluted bath, he told us what had happened with a Nereid, and showed four pearls on his palm instead.

Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."

"They were free."

"No." She shook her head. "There is no such thing as a free lunch. That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."

On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea and walked. With some spare change from Ares's backpack, plus some insisting from me that it's okay to spend money that much, we took the bus into West Hollywood.

Well, not before getting recognized soon enough.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," the driver told Percy. "You a child actor or something?"

"Uh... I'm a stunt double... for a lot of child actors." Percy answered

"Oh! That explains it."

We thanked the driver and got off quickly at the next stop and wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was and it didn't appear in the phone book. We also had to duck into alleys to avoid cop cars.

I'm so fucking tired now.

As we walked, Percy froze in front of an appliance store window because the television was playing an interview with somebody who looked like he'd be besties with Mr. D.

I assumed this was Percy's stepdad and I felt a pang of pity for him.

The man was talking to Barbara Walters – as if he were some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in an apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and a young blonde lady was sitting next to him, patting his hand. Who's she?

A Crocodilian tear glistened on his cheek, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counsellor. I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife... my Camaro... I – I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."

"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver." The screen cut to a grainy shot of my friends standing outside the diner, talking to Ares. I ran to Joan, Altria, and Gilgamesh before it was taken so I was never spotted in the picture which was a relief.

"Who are the other children in this photo?" Barbara Walters asked oh so dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America."

"C'mon," Grover told Percy.

He hauled him away before he could punch a hole in the appliance-store window.

Continuing on, we walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging.

As we hurried past the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."

I turned to them with a sickeningly sweet smile (That Emiya and Ishtar kinda taught me) and said. "I will ***** *** you and ****** until you ***** again while ****** if you continue, got it?" Making the group of young teens immediately back off and run.

"You know, I'm about to give up at the point of just walking around looking for clues like Scooby-doo if this is going to happen again." I sighed as turned to my friends who looked scared at what had happened.

"What? You've seen me curse more than once, a death threat is not going to kill you guys." I shrugged and looked to the sky, the sun's light turning a little orange.

"Your gonna be the death of us,"

"Well, you'll either die from me or a monster. If that were to happen I'll be fine to kill you in your sleep or eat your kneecaps."

"Now your just scary,"

"When was I never? Let's just go find this Studio before it gets super dark" I shrugged and carried on until I spotted a pastry shop at the corner. Ah right, did anyone know how to distract Cerberus when we get there?

"By the way, do you guys have a plan to distract Cerberus? He'll be a pretty big obstacle. Literally " I turned to them.

"I have a ball, we could distract it with that." Annabeth answered, I nudged my head to let them see the pastry shop I spotted. "I'll go get some treats to persuade the dog just incase it goes wrong, You can stay here but if ya'll want to keep searchin, I'll find you guys sooner or later" I said, and with a little bit of talking and promises I headed off.

-No one's pov.-

Upon entering the shop, Mika immediately fell as the floor beneath her faded away and she was sent tumbling down some sort of slide built into the floor screaming wtf. Suddenly she saw light and prayed that she was in for a soft landing, she shouldn't have bothered.

"So did you enjoy the ride?" Asked an amused voice making Mika quickly pick herself up from the floor. Looking around, she wounded up in a empty cafe with a few cat like creatures that seem to work here. They seem familiar...

She then looked at the figure before her. He was a huge, old man with spiky grey hair and a beard, wearing a black robe that covered a black tuxedo. The British looking gentlemen's look was completed with a gold cane that looked more like a troublesome assessor than actually useful. But what caught her attention the most were his eyes. They were a deep crimson, like blood. Also...he looked familiar too...

"Who are you?" She said as she was forming a stance, "I suppose you've forgotten eh? We've met before at the clocktower when you tagged along your foster siblings." He said and Mika did recall an old man she met, called himself something in German...? It was a few years ago but she had forgotten already.

"So you're...also a mage, right?" Mika asked and he smiled.

"I'm just here to have a chat with you, there's no need for violence here, after we're done you can exit this place scott-free" the man said and gestured to a bar stool next to him but Mika was a bit suspicious so she sat at another seat and he didn't seem to mind.

"Welcome to Ahnenerbe, would you like to order miss," says the cat-like bartender with a menu. Not truly weirded out, Mika began to look at the menu and asked "Water is fine, and can I get some pet-safe treats to go?" And to her surprise the cat nodded and gave me a glass of water and left to a door from his left.

After some silence, Mika asked what the old man's name was and he answered.

"I am Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. So do tell me, how did it feel using the Lancer card for the first time?"

Mika frowned when he knew she was going to question him again, but decided to humor the old man as she brought out the Lancer card which he had given days ago.

"It felt odd, just odd really...I've never felt that kind of power before but at the same time it felt like I knew how to use it without breaking a step."

"That feeling will pass in time as you become more in tune with the card's Heroic Spirits," assured Zelretch.

"Heroic Spirits?" Repeated Mika in surprise and confusion. "How did you put Enkidu in there? What are those voi-"

"Please, questions later. I'll be answering them soon enough," he said cutting her off.

"The card your holding is similar to the ones your Illyasviel Caster has explained in her world called Class cards. The card you hold is completed with the power of their Noble Phantasms, skills, abilities and the works; but it doesn't mean you've completely gained their power, when you acquire the card and install it, you only get half of their power" explained the magician with a surprisingly serious expression.

"Those voices you might've heard, it could possibly be the collective consciousness from the Heroic Spirits. I'm surprised that they decided to trust you completely with their power, but I suppose that's because you were raised by 'them' in a way." He said and formed a calm smile.

"The question about how you think I could have gathered numerous Heroic spirits in one card is actually simple. You see, all the Heroic spirits of the Lancer Class in this card are actually from another world," he replied and one of Mika's eyes slightly twitched.

"That does not sound simple." She said with a glare.

"It doesn't, magic isn't simple too yet you know how to wield some or a few of it in a young age. So it might be best to not question it further." Zelretch said with a calm smile.

"Now then, time to check to see if the cards are working properly, I would like it if you would use the Lancer card now. Maybe a Heroic Spirit other than Enkidu. As long as its a Spirit from the Lancer category, it would work."

Mika debated disobeying just to spite him but as her common sense quickly made her throw that option out the window, she sighed before grasping the card,

"Include Lancer: Cú Chulainn"

The card glowed bright at the command, so bright that it made her eyes close. She felt the thin card morph into a thick bar, opening her eyes it had morphed into the recognizable shape of Gae Bolg, resting comfortably in her hand.

Her clothes have changed too, taking the form of a tight blue suit similar to the Irish dog's but with her neckline a little more exposed and her shoes having flat heels.

Zelretch, with permission, examined the spear before muttering in a language Mika couldn't understand, and nodded, apparently satisfied.

"Well it seems to be working now, thank goodness..." he murmured

"What do you mean?" She replied while hiding the card back.

"Each Class card like the one you hold requires you to be in tune with the Heroic Spirits it contains in order to be used, there might be multiple of them so to speak. But it will quiet down. The bond will naturally increase over time and with how much you use them, but the process can be sped up in different circumstances depending on the Heroic Spirit itself. So if you find yourself in a similar situation that the Heroic Spirit faced, then it will likely improve your connection to that card," he elaborated.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, with what you've been doing this week. Who knows what will come afterwards?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Mika grumbled

But Zelretch merely smiled, "You'll know soon enough." He only replied causing Mika to take a deep breath to put away her frustration for the trolling magician aside and smiled as she imagined chasing the old man around with Gae Bolg.

"So how do these cards work besides turning me into a half heroic spirit? Could anyone could use them?" She asked, a little worried.

Zelretch shook his head "No, the Heroic Spirits may reside in the card but they are bonded to your soul when you first touched the card. You're connected to each of them in ways that even I struggle to comprehend now."

"Could I use their abilities without the cards?"

The magician gave a serious look, "In theory yes. But in doing so you will likely suffer irreparable physical and mental changes. These cards act as catalyst for you so you can easily activate the Servant's power but they are also your protection, preventing your mind from being consumed by theirs."

"Even with the cards, using Install still has major side effects," Muttered the magician quietly.

"Install?" repeated Mika.

"Something you have been doing till now, I suggest you start with an Include instead. Include is like Install, but with weapons instead of the full get up. Say it with me now, Include Lancer: Cú chulainn"

"Include Lacer: Cú chulainn?" Mika said questionably, in an instant, her original clothes were back and the only thing that didn't change was Gae bolg.

"Just like that! Include actually lessens the burden of expending your energy, so its wise to use that. Now, the way to turn back is to simply say Uninstall." The magician said, when Mika muttered those words, the spear turned back into a card.

"Good, now that we got that straightened out, are there any more questions before I send you back?" asked the magician.

"In the other card you sent, you said there were more? How many will I find exactly?" Mika asked

"Now why would I tell you that? It wouldn't be nearly as entertaining for me if I did that now would it?" Laughed the magician.

"Here's your to go order, miss" The cat waiter came bag with a brown bag.

"With that now set and done, I believe you should hurry and go to your friends. I'll pay your order in return for our conversation, so may we see each other again in calmer circumstances Mika Akashi, good night." Zelretch said as he ushered Mika to the door.

"But how do I-" Mika said but she was out the door by then, "Get out..." she huffed at the rudeness but was surprised as it turns out she was at the entrance of the store she 'was in'.

The sky was dark blue with spotted stars and the moon. Luckily, the lampposts were on making her able to see the street somewhat.

Looking back at the store, then the food she held, the girl thought. 'All of this...I don't know how to make sense of it...but I should find the others for now.' She moved to the side walk, placing her stuff on the ground. "If I recall..." She muttered. "Berkana is used for tracking purposes. But I need some material components to activate it."

Mika remembered the rune symbol as she got a few calla lily petals and stones from her inventory. She held them close to her heart before making the rune symbol with the items as they began to lit up. Soon the objects disappeared to a white light that traveled to her hand.

"Find Perseus Jackson, Annabeth, and Grover Underwood." Mika told it, and the light transferred to the pavement and moved north with her following behind.