I arrived at the dining pavilion not long after with a backpack slung over my shoulders. Weirdly enough, I was the first one there.
I was sitting on the Poseidon table when the first of my quest mates showed up. To say the least, I was surprised.
'Bianca?'
'Hi,' she waved to me.
Bianca was dressed for a hunt. She wore the usual Hunter's attire: a silver parka fitted with jeans and a silver pack. There were hunting knives strapped to her thigh and although I couldn't see her bow and arrows, I knew they could be summoned in an instant.
'What are you doing here?' I demanded.
'Those insufferable twins poisoned Phoebe with that T-shirt,' Zoë spat as she walked in with an identical silver bag over her shoulders. 'Bianca was the only one awake. It seems that she wanted to wish us luck before we left.'
'And, now what?' I was starting to get slightly anxious. 'You just decide to bring her along?'
'There is no other option,' Zoë narrowed her eyes at me. 'We need the best for this quest and a half-asleep demigod or Hunter is definitely not the best.'
Zoë and I glared at each other, neither willing to back down. I was pretty sure we would have gotten into a fight if Bianca hadn't stepped between us.
'Woah, guys,' she said. 'Calm down. We don't need a fight right now.'
'You shouldn't be on this quest,' I muttered.
'You don't get to decide that, Percy,' Bianca said calmly. 'This is Zoë's quest and she chose me. And plus, this is a great way to prove myself to the Hunt.'
I pursed my lips. That sounded too similar to what Zoë had said last time.
'She is right,' Zoë turned to look at me. 'And if you do not like it, thou can always stay here.'
She looked at me challengingly and I had no choice but to back down.
At that exact moment, Thalia and Grover walked into the dining pavilion.
'Hey guys,' Thalia stopped short when she saw us. 'Why is Bianca here?'
Zoë explained everything again to Thalia and Grover as I grumbled on the side. There was no part of me that wanted Bianca on this quest. Not because of her skill, but because of the prophecy.
One shall be lost in the land without rain.
I really hope that it won't be Bianca this time. I would make sure of it. I shuddered just thinking about what happened last time.
'Alright,' Thalia shrugged as she grinned at Bianca. 'Welcome aboard.'
'Are you sure this is a good idea?' Grover asked Zoë nervously. 'I mean, shouldn't we bring someone more experienced? No offence, Bianca.'
'None taken.'
'It's going to be fine, goat boy,' Thalia smirked at Bianca. 'Just don't die.' she said jokingly.
Zoë ended up driving the van. Thalia insisted on driving but the huntress wouldn't budge. Thalia mentioned that she looked closer to sixteen than Zoë but her argument was that she had about two centuries of driving experience.
Zoë won. Personally, I would have picked Thalia. Not because of Zoë's decision to bring Bianca. Not at all.
Zoë had to have the patience of the Goddess of Patience, if there even was one. The only thing she did was drive non-stop. The only reason she even stopped at Maryland for a break, which was about five hours into the trip, was because Thalia and I kept irritating her.
Don't blame me. I don't do well in enclosed spaces and I'm pretty sure Thalia doesn't either. And two irritated children of the Big Three was never a good combination.
When we pulled over at a rest stop in Maryland, the first thing I did was stretch my legs. Being stuck in the backseat of the van was pretty cramped.
'I'm going to get a cup of hot chocolate,' Thalia yawned as she stretched her arms. 'Anyone want one?'
As it turned out, all of us wanted a cup of hot chocolate, including Zoë. To be fair, Zoë was probably there when hot chocolate was invented.
While we were waiting in line to pay for six cups of hot chocolate (hey, I like hot chocolate), Grover performed a tracking spell by serenading a bunch of acorns with his reed pipes. I wasn't paying attention to the moving nuts. My attention was purely on the two cups of hot chocolate in my hands.
Also, I was trying my best to block out the "music" with both my hands occupied.
'Grover, are you sure?' Thalia asked as we walked out of the convenience store.
'Sure about what?'
'If you listened instead of chugging hot chocolate, you would know.' Thalia rolled her eyes.
'Hot chocolate is good,' I countered, taking another sip.
'D.C. is about sixty miles from here,' Bianca continued, ignoring the two of us. 'Nico and I...' she frowned. 'We used to live there. That's...that's strange. I'd forgotten.'
'I dislike this,' Zoë muttered. 'We should go straight west. The prophecy said west.'
'Oh, like your tracking skills are better?' Thalia challenged.
'Can you two please stop arguing for once,' I groaned. 'And Thalia. Stop picking fights.'
Surprisingly, both of them stopped talking, just resulting in giving each other death glares.
'We go where the acorns point us to,' I said as I finished my second cup of hot chocolate. 'We go to D.C.'
'Very well,' Zoë relented. 'Let us keep moving.'
'You're going to get us arrested, driving,' Thalia grumbled.
'Thalia.'
'Fine!' she threw her hands in the air. 'I'll shut up. Happy?'
I smirked. 'Very.'
I want to say that the drive to Washington was good, but I would be lying. Even though it took only a little under an hour to get there from where we stopped, it was still more time spent in a van than I wanted.
As we entered Washington, Grover directed us towards the Smithsonian using his wonderful acorn GPS.
Zoë found a spot to park the van and everyone stepped out of the vehicle. Looking around, I couldn't help but feel the sense of deja vu as cars sped past. Then again, this whole blast to the past courtesy of the Fates was a giant deja vu experience.
I knew why as soon as I spotted the black sedan pull up to park a block away. Throughout the entire trip to D.C. I had felt an uneasy feeling, like we were being followed. At first, I couldn't tell why because I couldn't recall what exactly happened but seeing that car, seeing the person that stepped out of the car, I understood.
I watched as subtly as I could as Dr Thorn walked onto the kerb. He whipped out a cell phone and said something into it, all the while looking at us out from the corner of his eyes. He must not have noticed me looking at him because he didn't give any sign that I spotted him.
I looked over to my quest mates. They didn't seem to notice Thorn and they weren't paying any attention to me at all. Thinking quickly, just like last time, I took out Annabeth's invisibility hat and followed the manticore.
As Thalia, Zoë, Grover and Bianca headed into the Smithsonian, I followed Dr Thorn to the Museum of Natural History across the street. Being careful to follow a few steps behind, I walked in after him.
The place was just as I remembered it to be, or at least the parts I remembered. Huge halls and chambers and corridors filled with objects with historical value. A stuffed mastodon here and a skeleton of some ancient creature there. To me, they didn't really mean anything. All I was focused on was Dr Thorn.
I followed him into a huge room with a balcony ringing the second level. Mortal guards were all over the place, mercenaries paid by the Titan army to do things they had no idea about. There were two Scythian Dracaena standing on the balcony and between them was Luke Castellan himself.
He didn't look so good. His hair no longer looked blond, but instead looked a sickly shade of grey. He was supposed to be at the age of twenty, almost twenty-one, but he looked as if he was in his mid-thirties. All in all, Luke looked like he had just gone through Tartarus.
Next to Luke was a rather large man hidden in the shadows. Only his knuckled were visible but I already knew who it was.
Atlas, better known as the General of the Titan army, was sitting on something akin to a throne waiting for Dr Thron's report.
Even though I was hidden with Annabeth's Yankees cap, I was still extremely cautious. Now that I was here again, I knew exactly what was going to happen. And I didn't like it one bit.
Hidden in the shadows, I watched as Dr Thorn stopped in the middle of the room just as Atlas spoke.
'Well?' the single word echoed around the entire room. He didn't speak loudly but there was a sort of power behind his words like he was using the earth to speak for him.
Dr Thorn removed his shades, revealing those two-coloured eyes. The blue one seemed to glow a bit in the dim lighting, but I didn't know if I was seeing things or not. The hot chocolate was probably starting to have an effect.
'They are here,' Thorn said after a stiff bow to The General.
'I know that, you fool,' his voice held annoyance towards Thorn. 'But where?
'The rocket museum.'
'The Air and Space Museum,' Luke corrected while rolling his eyes.
'As you say, sir,' I could tell Thorn wanted nothing more than to send one of his spikes between Luke's eyes.
'How many?' Luke asked.
Thorn pretended not to hear.
'How many?' Atlas repeated, and I could tell his patience for Thorn was slowly diminishing.
'Five, General.'
'Let me take them,' Luke said to Atlas. 'We have more than enough-'
'Patience,' the word came out like a low hum but yet, it still held a sort of quiet power, as if it was just itching to burst out and consume everything.
'They'll have their hands full already,' I could hear the smirk in his voice as Atlas spoke. 'I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied.'
I nearly groaned out loud when I remembered the Nemean Lion. At least I knew what its weakness is. I just need to use the power of strawberry parfait.
'But-' Luke protested but was cut short by Atlas.
'We cannot risk you, my boy.' the Titan mused.
'Yes, boy,' Thorn mocked as his face contorted into a cruel smile. 'You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off.'
'No'
I turned to face Atlas as he rose from his seat. Even though I remembered exactly what he looked like (his face was kind of hard to forget), seeing him in the flesh again brought up two very distinct emotions inside me. The most prominent one was fear but I could feel some anger bubbling up as well.
He was the one that took Zoë's life. He was the one that killed his own daughter. I would never be able to forget that.
'You have already failed me, Thorn,' his voice was level and calm but it told everyone in the room that he was still in control.
'But, General-'
'No excuses!' His voice was suddenly raised to a point where it produced a low rumble that shook the room.
'I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence,' Atlas spat out and I could tell that he had finally had enough of Thorn. 'I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods and you bring me a scrawny child of Athena.'
I clenched my fist.
'But you promised me revenge!' Thorn took a step forward in protest. 'A command of my own!'
'I am Kronos' senior commander,' Atlas said as he held his head high. 'And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all.'
He waved his hand nonchalantly but yet, still demanded respect. 'Get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you.'
I had to back up further into the shadows as Dr Thorn visibly restrained himself from attacking the Titan. That would have been a terrible idea because I fought Atlas once before and it wasn't something I was planning to do again. Even with all of Thorn's power, he was no match for the General.
Bowing awkwardly, the manticore left the room. As soon as he was out of sight, Atlas turned to face Luke immediately.
'Now, my boy,' Atlas said to Luke. 'The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her.'
Bessie the Ophiotaurus popped up into my mind. I had to keep him away from Thalia. They were awfully close, too close, last time. I don't even want to think about what would happen if Thalia hadn't resisted the temptation of power.
'The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of,' Luke said. 'And then there is the matter of Percy Jackson.'
I raised an eyebrow at the mention of my name.
'He will be disposed of shortly,' Atlas brought a hand to his chin. 'He is more powerful than we anticipated, but he will no longer be a problem.'
He pointed to a guard on the lower level, 'Do you have the teeth?'
The mortal stumbled forward with a ceramic pot. 'Yes, General!'
'Plant them.'
I relaxed for a brief moment. The guard got the teeth wrong. I have nothing to worry about for the time being.
'Ready, General!' the guard said as he stepped away from the dirt patch in the centre of the room.
'Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey.' Atlas said with a grin.
The guard, exactly like last time, watered the planted teeth with a tin watering can filled with blood. I had to suppress a smile when the soil began to bubble.
'Soon,' the General announced. 'I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant.'
Luke clenched his fists, looking insulted. 'I've spent a year training my forces! When the Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best-'
'Ha!' the General threw his head back in laughter. 'I don't deny your troops will make a fine honour guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play-'
I frowned when Luke visibly turned paler at Atlas' words. A thought hit me. Had Luke planned to host Kronos this early? It seems that Kronos wanted to use Luke's body from the beginning. That was his plan.
So why did Luke look like he wanted nothing to do with it?
'You!' the shout brought me out of my thoughts. 'Get me the right teeth. Now!'
I turned back to the scene just in time to see a bunch of cute kittens being carried out of the room by a frightened guard. Another followed him out a moment later.
'Imbeciles,' Atlas muttered.
'This is why I don't use mortals,' Luke shook his head. 'They are unreliable.'
'They are weak-minded, easily bought and violent,' he replied. 'I love them.'
The rest of the mortal guards in the room didn't even seem to hear the conversation. It's a shame mortals can be bought so easily to do things that they don't even fully understand.
Another guard hustled into the room carrying an armful of large pointy teeth.
'Finally,' Atlas said before jumping off the railing down to the ground six metres below.
Cracks in the marble floor spiderwebbed outwards when he landed. Atlas stood and rubbed his shoulders with a wince. 'Curse my stiff neck.'
'Another hot pad, sir?' a nearby guard asked. 'More Tylenol?'
'No! It will pass,' the General said as he brushed off his silk suit. Snatching up the teeth from the guard, he approached the circle of dirt. 'I shall do this myself.'
In less than a minute, the planted teeth were already inside the dirt and were watered with a ripoff version of grape juice. I sank deeper into the shadows as the dirt trembled.
'Rise!'
A single skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping the air, looking for a handhold to pull itself out of the ground.
'Quickly, do you have the scent?' the General said to a pair of dracaena on the balcony.
'Yesssss, lord,' one of them hissed as she took out an orange T-shirt, something I did not expect to see.
My eyes widened. Instead of a piece of a Hunters' attire, the dracaena held what I recognised as a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. My Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.
'Excellent,' Atlas' grin grew larger. 'Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. At last, Percy Jackson will be out of the way for good. Toss it here!'
I watched in horror as more and more skeletons erupted out of the ground, coming to a final number of twelve. All of them wore the same clothing: grey vests, camo trousers and combat boots. Their yellow eyes seemed to glow as they stared emptily into the air. Their transparent grey skin made them even scarier than they already were.
The dracaena let go of my shirt as it fluttered down towards the General's hands. I didn't even see it land in his hands because I was already on my way out. I needed to get out of there.
I looked over my shoulder just before I exited the room to see twelve pairs of glowing yellow eyes staring straight at me.
I was so screwed.
A/N: I'm back. After more than a month... Terribly sorry guys.
So here is the next chapter. Again, sorry it took so long. That is completely on me.
Bad things aside, thank you all for over 24000 reads! To be completely honest, I do not deserve all these reads. I haven't even updated for more than a month! Even then, thank you all for the support.
I really, sincerely hope that the next chapter will come up soon. I guess it really depends on how big my author's block is.
Anyways, thanks for being so patient and as always, I'll see you all in the next chapter.
~Sacai2005