𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 (Annabeth X Malereader)

[11] Fred

As the group wandered through the railway yard, Y/N noticed that there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless man was standing at a trash-can fire. He gave them a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!'

Y/N breathed out, drawing the flames around him like a firey blanket. The snow melted underneath him, and the fire charred the burnt grass. The trash can glowed much brighter, and the group all sat around it.

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Percy corrected, glancing at the homeless guy, who didn't seem fazed by Y/N at all.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe said. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves." Y/N gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. And they were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless persons fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly Y/N noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was an automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's... convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh..."

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of them was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames and Y/N's fire blanket with him.

.

.

.

An hour later they were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because they all got their own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C., with Y/N laying across the back seat.

"Join you?" Percy said. She shrugged, so he climbed into the shotgun seat.

"Nice coat," Y/N mumbled, his face smushed into the leather seat like a pillow.

Percy pulled the brown duster around him, thankful for the warmth. "Yeah, but the Nemean Lion wasn't the monster we're looking for."

"Not even close." Thalia sighed. "We've got a long way to go."

"Whatever this mystery monster is, the General said it would come for you. They wanted to isolate you from the group, so the monster will appear and battle you one-on-one."

"He said that?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Well, something like that. Yeah."

"That's great. I love being used as bait."

"No idea what the monster might be?" Y/N said.

She shook her head morosely. "But you know where we're going, don't you? San Francisco. That's where Artemis was heading."

"Why?" Percy asked. "What's so bad about San Francisco?"

"The Mist is really thick there because the Mountain of Despair is so near. Titan magic—what's left of it—still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn't believe."