Death's child

I die for a minute there.

Zoë POV

We loaded up into the van as Thalia began to drive in a hurry to get away as we took a moment to catch our breaths when Grover spoke up with grave news.

Grover: Uhhh, guys, Y/N feels extremely cold, and I can't find a pulse anywhere.

I rushed over and tried to find a pulse, finding none as I tried to restart his heart and get him breathing. My glare turned to Perceus Jackson.

Zoë: His death will be on thy hands if I can't save him.

Y/N POV

I was in a dark cavern, but it felt normal to me as I walked down the path I passed by cages with souls in them as doors opened up as I kept walking and eventually came before my mother who had a golden sheep next to her.

Ereshkigal: Oh, son, you're here.

Her voice was full of shock and confusion, and so was her face, but eventually, her calmed down as if she noticed something I didn't.

Ereshkigal: So your soul came here because you're injured, and it went on instinctively to the one place it could be fixed.

When she said that, I felt the injuries on my body slowly fading as if they were healing.

Ereshkigal: Oh, while you're here, son, you'll need this later.

She handed me a small cage I could carry in one hand.

Ereshkigal: You'll know what to do with it when the time is right. Oh, and you'll need the physical body to. Good luck. I'll see you again on your birthday, sweetie.

I was so confused I couldn't it respond as I felt myself being dragged back through the doors I had walked through and spit out in a mountain range that seemed familiar before I blacked out again.

Zoë POV

I was trying so hard to save this stupid boys life trying everything to restart his heart, but unlike Thalia, I can't use lightning to shock him back to life, all I could do was try and prevent damage from lack of oxygen but he was going to die and there was nothing any of us could do to save him, my arms felt heavy as I finally realized no matter what I did Y/N was dead... then a dead gasp for air tang through from where Y/N was as his eyes shot open, and I felt a rush of emotions I never thought  I would feel.

Y/N POV

I gasped for air as I opened my eye and looked around seeing Zoë right over me, as I feel my ribs are slightly sore. I look to my left hand, seeing the cage appear there.

Y/N: So I really was in Kur for a moment there.

Zoë lunged at me, hugging me while yelling.

Zoë: You Idiot boy, thou can't just go dying here, not when my lady needs thy help.

I was confused at Zoë's reaction as I slowly wrapped my arms around her to comfort her as she softly hit my chest with her fists. I looked at the others with a questioning look.

Percy: You were dead Y/N for a good minute or two, and Zoë had been trying to keep your blood moving and you getting oxygen with CPR. We thought you were as good as gone.

Y/N: So my soul going to Kur meant I temporarily experienced death. Just how bad were my injuries back there?

Zoë eventually returned to her own seat as we were still driving like crazy given we were being chased. Eventually, we pulled into a parking lot and ran into a subway system and going south away from D.C.

Grover: Nice job rhinking of the subway there, Bianca.

Y/N: Agreed.

Bianca: Yeah, well, I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it cause it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C.

Me and Grover frown as we had the same thought.

Grover: New, but that station looked old.

Y/N: It is Grover, I know it's older then all of us, just not the exact year it was built.

Bianca: Trust me when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway at all.

Thalia: Wait, no subway at all?

Bianca nodded. Just how old is Bianca?

Zoë: Bianca. How long ago...

The helicopter was on us, and for the next half hour, we were forced to switch trains twice. Eventually, we reached the end of the line after losing the helicopter as we exited into the industrial district. With nothing but warehouses and railroad tracks, oh and lots of snow. We searched for another passenger train, but there were only old freight cars all long since it was used. We eventually came across a homeless man who's soul seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place where from. He gave us a toothless grin, and I swear I saw him wink at me as he knew I knew something.

Homeless: Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over.

We huddled around his fire as Thalia's teeth could be heard chattering.

Thalia: Well this is g-g-g-great.

Grover: My hooves are frozen.

Percy: Feet.

Bianca: Maybe we should contact camp. Chiron-

Zoë: No, they can not help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves.

Y/N: She's right. This is a test of our resolve. If we continue to rely on others for help this early on, we will crumple when it gets even harder or one of us dies.

Homeless: You know you're never completely without friends. You kids need a train going west?

Percy: Yes, sir, you know of any?

The homeless man pointed to a train completely free of snow that carried automobiles and was called the Sun West Line. As Thalia was going to thank the man, who he was clicked in my mind, it was Apollo who had been talking to us, and when I turned to look at him, he was gone.  We each got into our own cars, Zoë and Bianca got in a Lexus, Grover in a Lamborghini, and Percy and Thalia were in a Black Mercedes SLK fiddling with a radio, while I got into a Audi and leaned the seat back to try and get comfortable. I heard the passenger door open and heard someone sit down next to me as they closed the door.

Zoë: We decided thou should not be left unsupervised given thine brief death, so I've elected to join thee for the night, and Bianca is staying with Thalia.

Y/N: Okay, well, I feel fine better then I have in years, actually. So what's really happened that your bunking up with me tonight?

Zoë: That foolish satyr caused poison ivy to fill our car, so we had to quickly get out of it, and we did decide you can't be alone after nearly dying boy.

Y/N: Oh, so you do care for me in some way?

Zoë: Shut it, boy, before I kick you out of the car. Get some sleep.

Zoë eventually fell asleep as I couldn't as my mind raced, trying to fogure out what my mother meant when she said I would need this cage during the night I saw Zoë shuffling and looking closely at her, I noticed she was having a nightmare and probably was feeling cold. I took off my jacket, draping it over her softly so as not to wake her as I continued to stare out the windows as we went west.