Percy POV
"I don't know exactly where they went. Chiron, Luke, and Annabeth were discussing two viable options for relocation. They kept the backup plan confidential so that everyone would remain calm," Thalia explained.
"So, what are the two options?" I asked.
"Give me a few seconds to think," Thalia snapped in frustration. I sighed before looking out the window. We were driving across the bridge, officially leaving Manhattan.
I felt terrible about pressuring Thalia for answers, but I wanted to get back to my sister. The longer I'm away from Stella, the harder it seems to get back to her. Nico was another problem. We have to get him back to Hazel before soon. Hazel would be able to help him through the loss of their older sister.
Nico needs family more than friends at the moment.
"Was this the bridge you were shot on?" Nico asked quietly. His voice came as a surprise because he hadn't spoken all morning.
"Yup. This is that bridge. It feels so long ago," I whispered. My arm was resting on the car's window while my hand was waving to the wind. The fresh breeze and cloudy sky felt so good compared to the recent hot summer days.
"You probably didn't trust us at all when you first came to the camp. After all, our guards shot you on a bridge."
"Yeah, but I was disguised as a zombie. I don't blame Annabeth for attacking me or Luke for shooting me. I literally had blood and guts all over my body. It was the only way to cross the bridge and get into the city," I said.
"Bianca, Hazel, and I lived in Las Vegas. We were visiting New York on a tourist trip. We were separated when the apocalypse came about. I miss her."
I paused and looked over my chair.
Nico was slumped in the backseat. His eyes were glossy as he looked out the window at the passing buildings. New York City is huge, so we'd have to travel through several miles of busy streets before getting to more isolated regions. I was looking forward to driving through more rural areas; there would be much fewer zombies.
"We all miss her, Nico. She was such a pure soul."
"Bianca was the first person who I came out to," Nico affirmed.
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. I twisted my body around to face Nico directly. Pain flared due to stretching the muscles of my back. I hissed slightly before gazing into Nico's face again.
Thalia smirked before turning a corner. She seemed to be laughing at me, which made me feel dumb. I was missing something.
"You're smarter than you look, but you're still so oblivious," Thalia teased.
"I'm gay, Percy."
"I know you like guys, Nico. I've seen your interaction with Will Solace. After seeing that kind of flirting, I had no doubts about your sexuality," I said. "I meant, most people don't tell their sisters first that they're gay."
"Bianca and I were very close. Even when my parents were absent, Bianca took care of me and Hazel. She was the one who advised me to move on from you."
That stumped me completely.
While I figured out that Nico was gay, I wasn't expecting him to have a crush on me. I didn't know what to make of the information. I decided to play it off.
"Well, my hotness is enough for anyone to be attracted to me," I sassed.
"You're cute, but you're not my type," Nico retorted.
For the first time since Bianca's death, I saw Nico smile. I nodded in reassurance before turning back around. We were just starting to get out of the city. The buildings were becoming more spread out, and more greenery was present.
The trees blurred as Thalia stepped on the gas. We were driving in an old pickup truck. We set a bunch of food, water, and resources in the trunk. Thalia, Nico, and I were driving out of the city. Thalia was leading us to the outskirts of New York.
"The backup plan had two parts," Thalia suggested. "They made two options for the camp's getaway: a small emporium in New Jersey and a hotel in Philadelphia."
"Which hotel?" I asked.
"I don't know. Just some hotel in the city."
I'm not sure where they decided to go right now. Thalia didn't know either. New Jersey is closer to New York, but Philadelphia seemed like a better location. Cities aren't great for avoiding zombies, but they also have a lot of resources compared to rural areas. There's a reason why survivors risk their safety for the comfort of cities.
Nico leaned in from the backseat and looked at the road in front of us. We entered a large highway that would lead to New Jersey in a few minutes.
"I hate New Jersey. It's so dusty and grimy," Nico quirked.
"Some people would find that very rude," I teased. Nico rolled his eyes while Thalai chuckled at our jokes. "Anyway, I suggest that we go to New Jersey first since it's on the way to Philadelphia. We can cover two things in one day if we're lucky.
Nico and I both agreed.
I guess we're going to see some statues today.
***
"Bruh, I wouldn't call this a museum," I commented. "There is no way that Annabeth would suggest this place as a refuge for survivors. She's smarter than that."
"It would seem like a stretch," Thalia expressed.
We were standing in front of a statue emporium. The building wasn't that big, and it seemed to have a large garden more than anything else. Nico was pointing his gun at the entrance of the emporium.
We were on the outskirts of a small city in New Jersey. There were barely any zombies in the vicinity. It was a good location to avoid zombies. However, there were no other stores or facilities in the area for a few miles. While the address was safe, it wasn't practical at all. Annabeth would never choose a place like this.
The camp definitely didn't come here.
"Let's just try to find some resources before we move along," Thalia suggested. "I'd rather not waste a trip to New Jersey and not get anything."
"Sounds like a plan."
Nico disappeared into the emporium. Thalia followed Nico into the building. I twirled my bat in my hand while walking to the garden. A huge garden surrounded the emporium on all sides. I decided to go to the backyard via the garden.
A bunch of lilies and vine plants was growing around me. It was quite a beautiful garden, but there weren't any colorful flowers. It was all green and white.
Marble statues of various sorts were spread around the garden. I kept my bat close to me while walking around the building. I made sure to avoid the poison ivy and spiky plants by swinging my bat against them. The marble statues ranged from people to animals to inanimate objects. They were quite realistic actually.
I walked into the backyard which was separated into two pathways. Just like the side, a dense garden spread through the back. The two pathways made a circular loop around the backyard. I took the first route.
Suddenly, a gunshot reverberated through the air.
I tensed while ducking under a statue of a centaur. Whoever owned this place had a real liking for Greek Mythology.
"NICO, OH MY GOD," Thalia shouted piercing the air.
I ran forward before freezing near the west side of the backyard. I immediately dived behind a white-flowered bush before soaking in the scene in front of me.
Nico was frozen in teh middle of the garden. A marble water fountain was behind him alongside a woman in black. The woman had a hood over her hair, but I could still see her pale and oily face. She had a rifle pressed against the back of Nico's head.
Thalia was straight in front of them with her gun aimed.
However, Thalia can't save Nico from the front. The woman in black had an advantage as she was holding a heavy rifle to our friend's head.
"How dare you come into my lair?" the woman hissed.
"We were looking for resources. We didn't know that this place was occupied. Can you blame us?" Thalia muttered. She took a tentative step forward, but it was a mistake. The woman responded by butting her gun against Nico's head.
Nico winced before dropping to his knees.
The woman continued to aim her rifle gun at Nico. Fortunately, she hadn't seen me yet, and I'm going to use it to my advantage.
I retreated behind teh bush and crawled through the second pathway around the backyard. They made it a point o get closer to the scene. Thalia's gaze wandered o me before quickly readjusting to the woman's face.
"We don't want any trouble. We'll leave if you let us go," Thalia tried.
"I'M NOT AN IDIOT. I AM MEDUSA. There is no way I'm letting you go. I'm not letting anyone who tries to steal from my emporium getaway," the woman chuckled evilly.
I took a quick dive behind the water fountain.
My back pressed against the cool marble, and I resisted teh urge to yell out. My back tensed as pain washed over my injury. The meds and antibiotics helped me a lot over the past two days, but the back was still very tight.
I cursed myself for picking a baseball bat over a gun. A gun would be so much easier than a bat. Regardless, I know how to use my weapons. I peeked around the corner to give a silent message to Thalia.
Fortunately, she understood the assignment.
"I was the one who suggested coming to the emporium. Nico was simply following me to the garden. Let him go," Thalia ordered. Her voice was slick and dangerous. If Thalia ordered me in that tone of voice, I'd certainly listen.
I couldn't see Nico or the woman's faces. Nico's hands were clenched into fists, but he was trapped under Medusa's rifle.
Suddenly, Thalia shot a bullet in a nearby statue of a vase. I got to my feet and stepped closer to Medusa and Nico.
Medusa gasped harshly.
She was preoccupied with the crumbling statue. I could feel the anger radiating off of her while her body shifted. Her arm raised to point the rifle at Thalia.
"You freaking-"
I rushed forward and swung my bat down on her arm. She shrieked in pain as the rifle clattered against the brick flooring. Nico swirled around and pushed Medusa into the water found behind us. She splashed into the water. I tossed the rifle into a nearby bush before Nico, Thalia, and I ran back into the emporium.
We took a straight shot back to our truck. My heart hammered in my chest as we climbed into our vehicle. Nico pounded on the truck to get us moving.
Thalai floored the gas, and we were out of there in no time.
of course, the truck took a few bullet holes in the process. However, Medusa couldn't follow us out without a vehicle, not that she would want to. The statues and the flowers were too well-maintained for the emporium to be empty.
We should've been more cautious.
We drove at 100 miles per hour. Thalia's adrenaline was pumping so hard that I could see veins pushing against her skin. That was very scary, but I'm so grateful for us being fine. We're fine, and no one had their heads shot to bits.
"THAT SHIT WAS CRAZY," Thalia screamed.
"It makes you think. We get so accustomed to viewing zombies as our enemies. However, humans can be just as awful," Nico expressed.
"Yeah. We have to be careful no matter what," I expressed. "At least, we know where to find our friends and family."
All three of us nodded while smiling.
"Philadelphia it is."
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"If you see Medusa's true form, you get turned to stone. If you see a God or Goddess's true form, you get incinerated into ashes. Explain the difference." - Ganesh (ME)