Percy Jackson and the Olympians belong to Rick Riordan. All credit to him.
The longest part of packing was sneaking past all the campers after I suddenly shot up a massive tree then a few minutes later removed it like nothing was ever there.
Cabin four was empty thankfully so I didn't have to sneakily hide my few things into my old duffel bag.
I pulled all my basic clothes out of my trunk and shoved them into the bag, a refill of Ambrosia and Nectar were thrown in some side pockets, all my dracma I never used were still in their leather sack in a corner of the bag, my toothbrush and newer tube of toothpaste were stuffed somewhere and I was finally ready to go.
My tree on my belt, flashlight slash sword in pocket, shield on finger, and snake dog at my heel I ran toward the big house. I ran the long way behind the Arena, Armory, and Stables then finally through the strawberry fields and into the big house from a back door.
Waiting in the silence wasn't bad while I sat in the lazyboy for hopefully not the last time. Argus, the many eyed security officer, walked into the room and leaned onto the doorway frame. He said nothing and only looked at me with his face and hand eyes in his business suit but I felt that I wasn't in trouble.
He was apparently Chiron's go to monster and I had to guess he was probably here to smuggle me and Fidi for the quest, so I stood up from the lazyboy resentfully and Argus nodded his head behind him for me to follow.
We walked silently to the top of half-blood hill and at the bottom on the street I could see a larger and more rectangular car waiting to drive us all into the city. The side of the broad white car had a Strawberry on it with the cover up name of the camp under it. I jogged down to it and climbed into the back doors of it.
Fidi and I sat back there filing down our nails with our teeth when we heard a goat scream outside the van. Grover was upside down and flying down the hill with his feet in the air and backpack dragging through the grass in a green bean hat or whatever, with pants over his goat legs and shoes covering his hoofs with little white birds wings.
Percy and Annabeth were running after him in orange camp half-blood shirts, jeans, and sneaker shoes on trying to catch the Satyr with their backpacks bouncing in the air. Argus followed them and left Chiron out of his wheelchair standing on his horse legs holding his bow up in salute at the top of the hill with what I made out as a mournful smile like it was the last time he was going to see us.
Grover was able to kick off his shoes and climb into the car. Annabeth and Percy joined and they were more than surprised to see me reaching around their shoulders and Fidi hopping into their laps.
While we drove out of the countryside and into where we could see homes and buildings of the city Annabeth only chewed me out more and more for invading on what she resentfully called Percy's quest and gasped, appalled that Argus was letting it happen and kept it secret from her like she was so important that she needed to know everything happening.
Percy and Grover were relieved to have another pair of hands and paws for this very dangerous mission and welcomed me to join them while Annabeth broke down every instance where the number three was perfect and any more or less failed horrible but we all just listened to the radio, which I was in awe of.
For a while me and Percy stared at every car, billboard, and McDonalds restaurant we drove by on the highway in which I subtly asked all the names of, saying I didn't get out much for my story.
"So far so good." Percy tapped Annabeth. "Ten miles and no monsters." She just gave him an irritated look.
"It's bad luck to talk that way, Seaweed Brain."
"Remind me again why you hate him so much?" I leaned forward from my back seat.
"I don't hate you."
"Could have fooled me," Percy scoffed.
"Look, we're just not supposed to get along okay. Our parents are rivals," Annabeth said and folded her baseball cap that was apparently a gift from her mother a long time ago.
"Why?" Percy asked. Annabeth sighed.
"How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in her temple, which is highly disrespectful." I wondered why having a lady friend in your rival's temple was so bad, did Athena not like anyone in her temple or just anyone with Poseidon. Was the girl friend the issue or was Poseidon not spending time with his wife that Athena liked or something. "Another time our parents competed to be the patron god of Athens. Your dad created some stupid salt water spring for his gift and my mom created the olive tree."
"That is a hard lie," I said, leaning back into my seat.
"Excuse me," Annabeth said, turning around and frowned at me.
"Athena didn't create the olive tree," I said, looking into the girl's growingly offended storm grey eyes.
"So what? Did Athena just summon an olive tree?"
"Probably. Olives have no place in Athena's realm of power. Even if she is a god she wouldn't just create the first of a whole new living thing of its kind. Demeter, Gaea, or any other god of some aspect of nature would be able to. Is the olive tree the wisest tree of all, no, so then how would Athena create something like that? When competing for the title Patron she must have summoned one from a different or unexplored place." I explained. Annabeth was fuming. She tried to form a comeback and only opened and closed her mouth and remained red in the ears and face.
"What would you know? You weren't there and haven't even studied the history of the gods like me," Annabeth spat.
"I know that I don't believe your mother pulled a feat of nature magic out of the blue. I believe she lied about creating such a thing and you finally got the facts wrong." I leaned forward and was now in Annabeth's face, calling her and her mother out.
Thunder rumbled like back at the camp but here on the highway it was almost cloudless. I took that as a warning from Athena and sat back in my seat. I may not believe that story that happened after my time but I still was a god fearing mortal and respected them all still.
"Your big head wasn't there back then anyway," Annabeth said, getting in the last words as she sat back forward. If only she knew.
Traffic on the highway slowed down our car in Queens and when it sped back up again and we made it to Manhattan. It was sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped us off at the Greyhound station.
On a box for mail there was a perfect colored painting of Percy with numbers under asking for anyone who saw Percy to call it.
"Stupid Smelly Gabe," Percy grumbled pulling up his jacket and flipping up the hood of it over his face.
"If your piggy mortal father painted that then I gotta say his artwork isn't as ugly as his personality sounds," I told Percy who's looking at the wet paper.
It was like they took Percy's face off his head and put in on paper exactly, it was impeccable. Percy ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover walked over to see what I was talking about. Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got tickets for the coming bus, then drove away but watched us with an eye on the back of his hand as he did so.
"You want to know why she married him, Percy?" Grover asked Percy who was staring off toward the taller buildings of the city.
"Were you reading my mind or something?" Percy stared at Grover.
"Just your emotions," Grover shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you Satyrs could do that. You were thinking about your mom and your step-dad right?" Percy nodded. "Your mom married Gabe for you. You call him smelly but you have no idea. The guy has this aura. Yuck, I can smell it from here. I can smell traces of him on you and you haven't been near him in two weeks."
"Yeah. Fidi kind of said you stink," I added. Fidi exhaled sharply from his snout and wagged his head.
"Thanks. Where's the nearest shower?"
"You should be grateful, Percy. Your step-father smelled so repulsive as a human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff of the inside of his Camero I knew he had been hiding you for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer then you probably would have been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy, if it makes you feel any better."
Percy didn't look like he was bothered by any of it. I didn't know how Percy was feeling or if Grover could tell but I wish I could so I could relate or help with the boy's issue. I had no idea what fatherly issues were like.
We all grew tired of sitting and waiting for the bus so we started playing a game called hacky sack with one of Grover's apples in the growing rain.
Annabeth was really good and could bounce the apple of any part of her. Percy was really good and surprisingly athletic for how skinny he seemed. Grover was nimble and always balanced with it like I guessed a goat would be but the game ended when Percy passed it to Grover and instead of butting it with his rasta hat he just ate it out of the air.
Annabeth, Percy, and I were too busy laughing over Grover's apologies for stopping the game. The bus came and all of us boarded except me who had to argue with the bus driver over if I could take Fidi on with me until Annabeth explained that it was my service dog and showed a playing card she pulled from Grover's pocket.
The mist must have changed it to something that said I was allowed to have Fidi with me. After stepping on Grover and Fidi sniffed the air like how I did during barbeque night, but instead of sniffing out food it was like they were checking for any monster stench.
"What is it?" Percy asked Grover while I followed wherever Fidi's eyes scanned for monsters.
"I don't know," Grover said stiffly. "Maybe it's nothing."
All of us could tell it wasn't nothing if two of our party members were smelling trouble so when we all sat in the back of the bus where nothing was at our back except the wall, we kept ready for action.
I held Fanos in my hand ready to press the button if any bullman made a last minute entrance to the bus. I sat in the aisle seat also ready to throw up Pistos to shield whoever or throw with Grover in my window seat. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees hat against her thigh across from me and Grover with Percy.
As the last of the passengers boarded the bus I heard a small slap and saw that she was whispering to Percy as she gripped his knee.
I tapped Fidi's leg in the aisle with my foot and tapped my nose, signalling for him to smell again, to see if any new passengers were suspect but he already had his nose in the air.
Fidi bared his teeth at one old lady dressed all mismatched in orange, bage, and purple pelts and bonnets whose eyes glittered coal black.
Two more identical ladies boarded behind her with the same hats but purple and green with all the same dark eyes. They sat in the front row calmly without lunging at us with fangs showing.
I held Fidi's collar wanting him to not pounce until they made a move so we didn't make a commotion or have to immediately fight or run. Two of the old women crossed their legs in the aisle making an x, showing simply enough that no one leaves. The bus pulled out of the station and we drove through a wet Manhattan.
"She didn't stay dead long," Percy hissed through his teeth without looking from the window. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."
"All three of them," Grover whimpered.
"Do we know the evil elderly ladies?" I asked, keeping Fidi from priming to pounce so the bus driver wouldn't make us leave.
"Di immortales," Grover cried, biting the empty seat in front of him.
"The kindly ones," Annabeth said, gripping onto the sleeve where she had her dagger hidden.
"One of my evil math teachers," Percy said.
"It's okay," Annabeth said, thinking really hard from how she was massaging her temples with a hand. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem, no problem. We'll just slip out the windows."
"They don't open," Grover moaned, throwing his head back.
"A back exit?" she suggested.
There wasn't one, but it wouldn't have helped because we were about to make our way under a tunnel.
Annabeth grunted, hitting her head against the seat in front.
"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy asked, "will they?"
"I don't think three of the wardens of the Fields of Punishment are going to care about who sees them tear apart some kids," I sighed.
"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth said. "Their brains can only process what they see through the mist."
"They'll see three old ladies killing us won't they?" Percy asked, feeling for something in his pocket.
Annabeth thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. We can't count on mortals for help. Maybe the emergency exit on the roof," Annabeth offered. The inside of the bus went dark and the noise it made when started echoed through the tunnel but it was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
The first old lady who boarded the bus stood up and announced to the whole bus, "I need to use the restroom."
Then the second sister stood up. "So do I."
And then the third. "So do I."
They all started coming down the aisle toward us.
"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat." He wasn't catching on.
"What?"
"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away," Annabeth said.
"But what about you guys?" Percy resisted.
"There is an outside chance they may not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three, your smell might be overpowering."
"I can't just leave you." Percy sank lower in his seat as the grandmothers came forward.
"Don't worry about us," Grover said, putting on a brave face, but his cracking voice gave it away.
"Just go, Percy," I said, flicking my eyes to Fidi who looked ferocious and was ready to pounce if anything went wrong.
Percy threw on the Yankees cap with protest but his brooding face was unable to be seen when he disappeared.
I watched Fidi follow the sound of Percy's footsteps but then Fidi looked to me and I read that he couldn't even hear him anymore.
The lead Fury stopped abruptly and looked down into an apparently empty seat because she and her sisters kept walking. All three ladies stood in front of us now, handbags at their sides.
"No," I thought to myself. "We're almost to the end of the tunnel."
"What a lovely doggy you have there, young man." The lead one in an orange said, reaching a hand out to pat Fidi's head.
Fidi held perfectly still until the old bats hand sat atop his head, until when he twirled his head and snapped down hard on her hand and made her yell out a horrendous cry.
She first burst out of her skin and sprouted bat wings, massive claws, and talons and in unison behind her both her sisters did the same which made me regret calling her an old bat.
The handbags had turned into fiery whips. Light from the street lamps burst through the windows of the bus and blinded me and the Furys for a long enough moment that I heard a crash of glass and the shriek of the closest Fury.
When I opened my eyes Fid and the front Fury were gone but a new hole in the window by Annabeth's seat was present. Fidi had thrown him and Percy's math teacher out of the bus.
The mortals ahead of us were screaming and covering their eyes like a hot wind was blowing into them, they must see a fire from the whips being distorted by mist.
"Where? Where is it!" the second lady cried in a shrill voice, cracking her whip in between me and Grover.
"He's not here. He's gone," Annabeth yelled over the screaming passengers.
The Furies raised their whip but Annabeth drew her dagger, Grover pulled out a tin can, and I drew Pistos and Fanos.
Before any weapons could be swung, thrown, or whipped the bus lurched right and the two other Furies followed their sister's lead and crashed out two different windows.
The bus barreled through colorful and shiny signs and drifted on its slick wet wheels and didn't stop smashing it's way through much of the city and road for a while.
After Grover, Annabeth, and I smashed into each other and landed on top of each other for several minutes the bus finally stopped and crashed into some trees on the side of a woodsey road where there was a river across from it, the Hudson I think I once heard Percy talk about it.
"Run!" Annabeth called, pushing Grover off her and looking out a window.
I looked too and two of the Furies were air born with whips in hand and neither looked pleased to have been thrown out of the window.
I pulled Grover up, handed him his bag, threw Annabeth her's and scooped up mine and Percy's before booking it out of the bus.
We leaped down the bus stairs and Percy shimmered into our eyes before us, looking at the raging grandmothers in the sky.
One hovered hid air and in sync with her wing flaps she cracked his fiery whip at Annabeth who had her back turned, running. Her backpack got on fire which made her sling it off quickly.
The other dove at us and I raised my shield but it first kicked me to the ground, sending me sliding across the wet road. I spun back up right and ran back to the three who were getting a little personal with the flaming whips.
Annabeth was slashing at the Fury that was keeping her and Grover from helping Percy during his interrogation about the bolt while Grover pitched cans at whoever he could.
"Where is it!" The bat hissed at Percy, while she pinned him up against the bus with her talons against his throat.
I willed Pistos to drop into my hand and with all my strength I threw it at the Fury but she turned and struck it upwards with her flaming whip.
I slid feet first like I saw one of the Stoll boys do and kicked the Furies' feet out from under her and slashed off one of her feet.
While twisting back up I saw Percy with a sword in his hand cut the Fury down and into dust before she could scream.
The last Fury present looked back to her sister and, distracted, Annabeth stuck her in the back with her dagger.
The Fury turned on her and batted her away and Lunged at Grover. I called my shield which must have landed past the lunging Fury and while returning to my arm the shield bashed the Furies head away from biting Grover.
Percy rushed to stab it, leaving it as a smelly pile of dust already getting washed away in the rain. The sound of thunder right above us rumbled the loudest even and Annabeth yelled.
"Get away, now!" She began running and we all followed her lead.
We pushed past passengers who were arguing with the driver or crying how they were going to die. Some mortal pointed an atomotone at Percy holding a sword, flashed light and a louder more violent flash of light followed immediately after, blowing up the bus in a fireball.
A murderous wale cried from further out in the sky. The last Fury was not dead.
"That sounded like a cry for help," I noted, throwing Percy his bag. Did Fidi lose? These Furies were supposed to be the toughest monsters Hades had, but Fidi was tough too.
"Keep running! She's calling for reinforcements," Annabeth told us, still running down the street and into the woods without waiting for us. We all dove into the woods at full speed with destruction behind us and dark unknowns ahead.