As we were speeding through D.C. traffic, a black military helicopter started towards us.
"We have to ditch the van," I said. "They recognize it."
"Maybe the military will shoot it down?" Bianca said hopefully.
"They probably think it's one of theirs." Percy said.
He was right. The helicopter was gaining on us, going much faster than our strawberry van could. Thalia closed her eyes and prayed.
"Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice right about now... Please?"
Nothing happened. Apparently Zeus wasn't listening.
"There! That parking lot!" Bianca pointed across the lanes.
"We'll be trapped," Zoë said.
"Trust me."
So she did. Zoë sped across two lanes of traffic and came skidding into a mall parking lot. We all crawled out the van as soon as it stopped and followed Bianca down some stairs. We agreed on going south. We quickly bought tickets with the limited money we had and got onto a train as fast as possible.
"Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway." I said, slipping into a seat and leaning back. The power I had used earlier had drained me a bit.
"Have you ever been on a subway? I wouldn't sit back like that if I were you," Thalia eyed me with a tinge of disgust. I slowly stood back up and stood next to Percy, hanging on to the rail. He was the least annoying out of the four of my companions. Except maybe Bianca, but she wasn't easy to talk to.
As the train came above ground, we saw the helicopter circling where we'd left the van. We made small talk that turned into a very confusing conversation about Bianca and Nico's past. The helicopter got louder, and we changed trains twice over the next half hour. Once we'd finally lost them, we made it to the end of the line. Nothing but empty railways tracks and snow.
There was no one but one homeless person huddled over a trash can fire. He welcomed us over and we shared his fire for a bit.
"You kids need a train going west?" He grinned his toothless grin.
"When did we say wes-" I started, but Percy cut me off.
"Yes, sir. You know of any?"
The man pointed one shaky finger toward a gleaming freight train with the words SUN WEST LINE written across it.
"That's convenient," Thalia raised an eyebrow.
The train was one of those trains that hauled cars around. We all climbed in and picked a car. Zoë and Bianca shared a Lexus, Thalia picked a Mercedes, and I chose a Lamborghini. It was disappointing not to be able to have a radio, but at least I'd be able to have a nap. I lay down in the backseat and drifted off. When I woke, I glanced out the windows of the train. The moon was out. I entertained myself for the next few hours with growing small sprouts from under my boots. At camp, my powers were much more powerful because I was always surrounded by some sort of wildlife. However, if I was in a concrete building, it would be a lot harder and more tiring. Like with the Nemean Lion.
I'd have to start carrying bags of dirt around.
•
At some point while I was sleeping, Percy came into my car and went down for a nap in the drivers seat. I shook him awake sometime around sunrise and we got out of the train. We were at some little town in the mountains of New Mexico. The whole place was covered in snow, but it wasn't much of a place at all. There was a grocery store, a school, a few ski cabins, a café, and some tourist shops.
"Can we get coffee?" I asked.
Thalia sighed. "Yeah, how about you and Zoë go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will go to the grocery store and see if they can give us directions."
So we separated. There was hardly anyone in this wretched little town, so there were only two people behind the counter. We stood awkwardly for a bit, looking at the menu. I went up to order three coffees, two hot chocolates, and two muffins.
I didn't know if I should say anything. Zoë and I didn't really get along, but she was better than Thalia, and Bianca was very quiet. I missed the energy of my friends. I figured I'd give it a try.
"So, Zoë," I rocked back and forth as we waited for our food. "Read anything good lately?"
I had no idea what icebreakers you're supposed to use when you're trying to get to know someone. With other demigods it was different — you have so many similar things experiences, it's easy to say hey, been almost killed lately? And with mortals it's easy because you can talk about music and stuff. But with an immortal maiden from who-knows-when? Not much in common.
"Hm?" She looked down at me. I hated the three inches she had on me. It made the immortality thing feel worse.
"I'm just trying to, uh, get to know you," I smiled half-heartedly. "I figure that if we're probably going to die, we might as well be acquaintances."
She raised an eyebrow, and didn't answer. I huffed, and collected the pastries and drinks from the counter with a quick nod at the barista.
"Let's go meet the others," I leaned on the door to open it. So far, no luck with bonding with Zoë. Percy next.
We distributed the drinks and pastries when we all reunited. A warm breeze rustled past, a breath of nature and spring.
"Did you feel that?" I asked, making sure it wasn't just me. "It felt like... Persephone?" I had no idea if I was correct, but the goddess of springtime may be trying to help us. The birds decorating our cups peeled off and flew away. Before I had time to consider what nature had done for us, Thalia ran up. "We have to get out of here."
There was no time to question it, because the first two skeleton warriors arrived just as we reached the town border. They'd changed from their grey camouflage into New Mexico State Police outfits. We drew our weapons and got ready to fight. I formed myself a shield out of the ground, and Thalia opened her shield.
The warriors drew handguns. Great. Swords against guns was a real fair fight. Not.
"Back up," Thalia said. We did, but two other skeletons appeared behind us. They had us surrounded.
"Let's go one-on-one. Five of us on four of them. I'll try and sneak behind some of them." Thalia said, prompting us to nod and separate. We charged. That's when they started firing. My shield absorbed one of the bullets, but I knew it wouldn't last long. I threw my shield forward at my skeleton buddy and it knocked him over. I sliced him across the waist and he fell apart. It wasn't that easy. He reassembled himself immediately. As I realized what was happening, I kicked his gun as far away as I could, and buried it in a hole in the earth.
He stood, but I strapped him back down to the ground, wrapping him in a cocoon of long grass.
I had him stopped for a bit, maybe long enough to turn and help someone else. The Hunters' arrows flew through the skulls, doing nothing at all.
A skeleton lunged for Bianca, but instead of getting K.O.'d, she stabbed her hunting knife into the skeletons chest. It burst into flames and landed as a pile of dark ash in the snow.
"How did you do that?" Zoë asked. Bianca just shook her head and said that she didn't know.
"Well, do it again!" Zoë called, turning back to the skeletons. Bianca tried, but the skeletons didn't let her get close enough.
There was a giant crash from my left and the sound of thousands of tiny branches snapping.
"Plan?" Percy asked as we retreated.
"Watch out!" I called, just in time for Thalia to jump out of the way of a giant boar. It was thirty feet tall with spiky brown hair and angry eyes that could kill with just a look. It threw the warriors to the side and definitely demolished them for good. At least, for a while.
"The Erymanthian Boar!" I said in wonder. I'd never expected to see it. "Don't kill it!" It turned on us.
"I don't think we can kill it," Zoë said, trying to keep her voice level and calm.
"It's from the Wild, I thought the breeze earlier was from Persephone but I think this is bigger than that! We have to tell the satyrs as soon as we get back!" I yelled to the others as we rolled out of the way of the beast.
Thalia decided to take the offense and raise her shield. Percy happened to be behind her. The pig did not like this one bit, and charged them.
"No, not through the..." I called after them, but the boar had already chased them into the woods. "...forest."
They were being chased deep into the forest, so I ran after them. We hurried after the boar, but they had made it pretty far. By the time we caught up with them, they were sitting in Thalia's shield at the bottom of a gorge, next to the boar. We joined them, climbing down the cliff.
"It is a blessing from the Wild. We must use it." Zoë said.
"Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing," Thalia said, crossing her arms.
It all clicked. "It's our ride west!"
I jumped onto its back and held down my hands to help everyone else up. I made some sort of steering machine with wrapping some sturdy branches around the boars neck and connected an apple to it. The boar went crazy, trying to get it.
"West bound?" I turned to look at everyone. They all looked miserable. I couldn't blame them, boar riding isn't exactly luxury seating.
•
hey y'all how goes it ik this is a weird place to cut the chapter but i had to cut one in half to make more shorter chapters rather than like five long chapters
also this is unedited so if you see any major mistakes lmk
sorry i have been inconsistent with posting finals are coming up and i'm crazy busy