Reyna, Lucia, Bianca, and surprisingly Piper, were currently on their way to Camp Half-Blood with Festus giving them a ride.
"Are you sure it's safe to drive this thing without Leo?" Reyna asked. "None of us really know how it works."
"Relax." Piper assured them. "Festus is cool."
Lucia didn't know what she felt about riding a giant robot dragon. While it was indeed awesome, it didn't change the fact that it was still a dragon that could chew Lucia into pieces.
Bianca took a little more convincing and reassuring before she agreed to climb aboard Festus' back. Since she's a child of Hades, the sky isn't really her favourite place to be.
With that, they were now at a rapid pace travelling to Camp Half-Blood. Lucia felt like she's on a speed boat sailing through a sea of clouds. The weather was nice as well as the cool air brushed against her skin.
After half an hour of traveling, Festus creaked in combinations of short and long intervals.
"What's that, buddy?" Piper asked. Festus creaked some more. "Sure thing. Just land wherever's closest to the city without getting spotted."
"Are you talking to the dragon?" Bianca asked.
"Somewhat." Piper said. "Festus communicates in morse code. Leo taught me some and I can understand it a little bit."
"And he can understand you?"
Piper shrugged. "I don't know how that works either."
Line Break
They landed somewhere in Colorado where it was high up and it was freezing.
Why did it have to be freezing?
"Did he have to land here?" Reyna asked through chattering teeth.
"He said people wouldn't see us up here." Piper explained as she shivered. "Also he needed to go back."
"What do you mean 'go back'?" Reyna asked.
"Well, Festus experienced some unexpected technical difficulties. Something involving the River Lether and a loose hamster in his engine."
"What?" Lucia, Reyna, and Bianca said at the same time.
"Doesn't matter." Piper said. "He's going back to Camp Jupiter to see if Leo could fix it. If it doesn't take long, he'll swoop back in for us. But for now, we're on our own."
"Now I wished I'd taken the SUV." Reyna grumbled. "Let's get to the city first and get some warmer clothes. I feel like my nostrils are freezing."
The town wasn't very far from where they landed so they just went in and bought some warmer clothing.
Now that they were outfitted with proper clothing, they decided to come up with a plan.
"Can we get an plane ticket?" Lucia asked.
"Be my guest if you have that kind of money on you." Reyna said.
"I have enough for a cab ride." Bianca said.
"I can call my dad, but it'll be a while until he gets here." Piper suggested. "Also, my phone's out of juice."
"I thought you Romans and Greeks would have come up with a decent travel plan between two camps by now." Lucia said.
"We have, but not while we're in the middle of Colorado." Reyna rolled her eyes. "Unless you plan on going back to California."
"Uh, no." Lucia said. "Let's just walk for now."
No one argued as the four of them walked to wherever. There's no specifc destination in mind, so they just followed the road headed east.
"So, what's the plan, really?" Lucia asked as they walked down the side of the road as cars sped past them.
"Tell Percy what we know and we get to searching for Zoe, and then Gaia." Reyna said.
"Why do you make it so simple?" Piper asked.
"I leave the complicated bits to Annabeth." Reyna said with a grin. "Bianca, what's on your mind?"
"Hm?" Bianca's mind went back to reality. "Sorry, my mind was wandering."
"I still can't believe there's someone else that had the same experience as Hazel. And Nico. And all three of you are related." Piper said. "Do all children of the Underworld have this fate?"
"Uh, I don't really know." Bianca said.
"Ignore her." Reyna said. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh." Bianca said. "I was just thinking what I'm gonna say when I reunite with Percy."
"Why?"
"He probably doesn't trust me." Bianca sighed. "What if he thought I was working with Zoe?"
"Then we'll clear your name." Reyna said. "I'll vouch for you until you give me a reason not to."
"Thanks." Bianca said with a small smile.
They continued walking for about half an hour before a van black van screeched into a stop on the side road in front of them. The girls stopped in their tracks with their hands ready on their weapons.
At first, they thought someone was going to jump out of the van and engage them in combat. To their surprise, a familiar face popped out of the driver's seat.
"Piper?" Grover furrowed his eyebrows.
"Grover?" Piper said. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Grover got out of the van and walked over towards them. "Are you guys on an outing or something?"
Reyna explained the whole thing to him. She knew Grover and was on good terms on him, especially since he was better than most fauns that she'd met.
"I see." Grover said. "Well, we have room in the van if you want to hitch a ride. We're not gonna go all the way to Long Island, but we can make your journey closer."
"That'd be great." Reyna smiled. "Thank you, Grover."
"My pleasure." Grover said. He turned towards the other two. "I don't think I've seen you two before. Well, at least you I haven't seen." Grover said to Lucia. He then gestured at Bianca. "But you seem familiar."
"Uh," Lucia said. "I'm Lucia. Recently claimed daughter of Poseidon."
"What?" Grover's jaw dropped. "Poseidon had a kid?"
"It's a long story." Reyna said. "I'll explain later."
"Hey man, what's the hold up?" Someone called from the van. "Are you okay out there?"
Bianca tensed. "That voice . . ."
"Dude, you should see who's out here." Grover called. The other person stepped out of the passenger seat.
"Oh hey, praetor. And Piper as well. Long time no see." Nico said.
Line Break
It was totally unexpected and uncalled for. Jason was just minding his business and was on his way to Long Island before he was literally plucked out of the air by some frozen harpies. Jason found himself battling against these demon birds midair.
With him being too busy fending off harpies, he couldn't focus on controlling the winds so Jason was pitching and stumbling all over the place in the skies.
Luckily, the only thing he could run into were harpies or oncoming traffic in the form of aeroplanes.
As the harpies tried to claw him to shreds, Jason slashed and sliced them away but they wouldn't stop coming. He could feel one of them had a sharp grip on his shoulder.
Jason took his sword and whacked the harpy gripping him and it disintegrated with a dying caw.
But again, they kept coming. Jason could feel every inch of his body getting clawed and pecked at.
Having enough of it, Jason let out a loud roar and held his golden sword up. Thunder rumbled in a distance before his sword was struck by lightning like a lightning rod.
As soon as his sword was struck, the lightning snaked out into millions of tendrils and struck the harpies and electrocute them, similar to how the eagle standard acts for the Twelfth Legion Fulminata.
Because of that, he passed out while free-falling towards the ground at terminal velocity.
Line Break
Thalia and Zoe was on the move, but they weren't moving very fast as Thalia would've liked. Zoe had gotten slightly better but she hasn't fully healed from her injuries since Thalia's supplies are running low.
They were in the city, which was nice but they didn't have money on them. What mortal money Thalia had had been used for their injuries.
Usually, Hunters wouldn't be concerned about traveling since Artemis took care of that but since Artemis was now under maintenance, they had to resort to other means.
With Zoe being injured and Thalia not doing very good herself, they were moving slower than Thalia would've preferred.
Zoe was still wincing with every step and Thalia had to support her. With one less hand in her arsenal, a monster attack was the last thing they needed.
"If we only had some nectar." Thalia muttered.
"I'm sorry for being a burden." Zoe said.
"I told you to stop apologizing after the fifth-hundredth time."
"Sorry." Zoe said again. Thalia just rolled her eyes.
"We're almost there." Thalia said. "In a day or two, we can make it to Camp Half-Blood."
At the mention of Camp Half-Blood, Zoe tensed because she wasn't looking forward to seeing Percy again. He had every right to hate her if he did.
The pedestrians were giving them weird looks. Two girls struggling to walk. They probably looked homeless, knowing what they've been through. But public opinion was the last thing Thalia had to care about. If they had a problem with it, they can shove their-
Thalia never finished her thoughts. She was interrupted when something came crashing down the dark and narrow alleyway on their right. It was mostly hidden so people didn't look like they cared what was in here.
But the thing came crashing down from the skies and whenever something fell down from the sky, Thalia was nervous about it.
"What was that?" Zoe asked.
Thalia and Zoe walked over and Thalia propped Zoe onto a wall. "Stay here. I'm gonna check it out."
"I'm going with you." Zoe said.
"No. You're in no shape to move. Stay here." Thalia said as she unslung her bow. At the end of the alley, Thalia could hear grunts and groans of pain.
"Fucking harpies . . ." The voice muttered.
Wait, she recognized that voice.
Thalia moved a bit quicker to see the familiar face of her brother, Jason Grace, covered with garbage.
"Jason?" Thalia called.
"Oh, hey sis." Jason grumbled. "What are you doing here?"
Thalia didn't say anything and gave his brother a big hug. After what she'd seen and what she'd been through, seeing her brother was the most comforting feeling ever.
"Hey, you okay?" Jason asked. Thalia didn't even realize that she'd been sobbing.
"I'm just . . . relieved." Thalia said. "Artemis and I ran into some trouble. It's a long story, but basically we have to get back to camp."
"I thought that shouldn't be a problem." Jason said. "With you being a Hunter and Artemis on your back."
"It's a long story." Thalia muttered. "And we're in no condition to move quick right now."
"Thalia? Are you alright?" Zoe called over from the other end of the alley.
"I'm fine." Thalia said.
"Who's that?" Jason asked.
"A friend. Well, not really. Only for now. It's really hard to explain but for now, we need to get to Long Island." Thalia said.
"Say less, sis." Jason said. "I was on my way there anyway. I have someone that could help."
Line Break
Percy was sparring, and he wasn't alone. He was training with Helen, one of the Hunters of Artemis who had healed from their injuries.
For someone whose leg was in a cast a few days ago, she healed remarkably well compared to the Hunters. Then again, some of the other Hunters suffered far wose injuries.
So far, the Hunters were getting used to staying in here. Not that the campers would dare mess with them. They were on edge.
Which was part of the reason why Helen joined Percy for a sparring session. Both of them needed to take their mind off of things.
Helen launched into a series of movements while slicing her daggers. It was almost she was dancing. Not having nearly enough time to block or deflect the strikes, Percy backed off.
As Percy retreated, she pursued. The two exchanged blows with ferocity that you would've thought this was a real fight.
When Percy pushed her away she quickly used her bow and fired three arrows in arrow with quick succession. Percy deflected the first two, but the third one grazed his cheek. Percy rolled under another two arrows that were shot and swept his blade towards Helen's feet.
Helen jumped over his blade to avoid, but when she landed she stumbled with a yelp, losing her footing. This gave Percy more than enough time to grab her arm, disarming her and holding her at blade point.
Helen muttered a curse. "I yield."
Percy let out a deep breath. "Good session." He said as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. "Does your leg still hurt?"
"Somewhat."Helen said as she sat down and massaged her ankle. "It'll be fine in a day or two."
If Helen said so, Percy wasn't going to argue about it. Percy doubted she'd appreciate it if Percy thought she couldn't take care of herself. "You wanna take five?"
"Let's." Helen agreed. Percy sat down next to her to catch his breath. "Any word from Lady Artemis or Thalia?"
Percy hadn't told anyone about his little private chat with Artemis. He figured Artemis didn't want her Hunters to worry about her too much.
"Nope. But I'm hoping for something soon." Percy said. "It's been a while since I've heard anything from anyone."
"That makes two of us." Helen sighed. "With the Hunt being in a rough shape, we need Lady Artemis' help to get back on track."
"Can't you get yourself back on track?" Percy asked. "Why do you need Artemis all the time?"
Helen seems confused by the question. "Because she's our patron. She leads the Hunt."
"Yeah, but you can't rely on her all the time." Percy said. "I think she'd want you to be strong for yourself without her help."
"Maybe, but we're in a tough spot. It's not easy to get up from it."
Percy chuckled at her statement. "It's never easy." Percy said. "When did you join the Hunt?"
"Um, I'm one of the newer members." Helen said. "I joined probably about two years ago."
"So, I'm still technically older than you." Percy said.
"What's your point?"
"Look, in all my life I've been in some really tough spots. I've been in situations where it's mortally impossible to escape from." Percy said. "I've been to literal Hell and back."
"I found that hard to believe."
"You can choose not to believe it, but it's true." Percy said. "As a demigod, we're always gonna be in a tough spot. It's in the job description. And it will never be easy. But what matters is that you don't give up."
"Who says I'm giving up?"
"Well, you sure don't sound like you're keen on moving forward." Percy said. "All I'm saying is, you need to rely on your own strength and wits. I didn't have a god or goddess by my side all the time when I'm in danger. Artemis would want you guys to be strong even without her."
"Aren't you a child of Poseidon? You're like, the strongest demigod here."
"Yeah, but you have the Hunt." Percy said. "That means you will never be alone. You can rely on your sisters the same way you rely on Artemis. When you work together, you're stronger."
"Maybe you are older. You sound so wise." Helen mused.
"Oh, shut up." Percy chuckled. "I'm not saying that you don't need Artemis. I'm just saying that you might be doing her a favor by learning how to fight without her so she wouldn't have to worry about you girls all the time."
Helen thought about it for a while. "Maybe you have a point."
Percy grinned. "Since Thalia and Artemis aren't here, you're kind of in charge right now, right?"
"Technically, no." Helen said. "We don't have a system for it. The chain of command goes from Lady Artemis, to Thalia, to Phoebe. After that, we don't know. And since all three of those people are not here right now, we don't have a person in charge."
"You led the Hunters here to safety. If it wasn't for you, they would've died." Percy said. "I'd say you're a top candidate for next in line in the chain of command."
"That's just a one time thing. We were desperate." Helen muttered. "Plus, I'm new to the Hunt anyway. Someone who's been a Hunter longer should be in charge."
"I'm just saying, you have what it takes." Percy said. "Now, let's-"
Percy was interrupted by the sound of a conch horn. A call for lunch.
"Let's eat, shall we?" Percy said.
Line Break
Percy sat all by himself on the Poseidon's table, enjoying his meal when Annabeth sat on the seat next to him.
"Hey," Annabeth said.
"Uh, hey." Percy said while trying to maintain composure. He felt stupid. After their last interaction, Percy was like a little boy talking to his big time crush. Sure, he and Annabeth had dated before this but that doesn't mean Percy didn't have feelings for her now.
It's been a few days and Percy and Annabeth haven't spoken to each other ever since. For one, it's because Percy has been intentionally avoiding her because he was scared that Annabeth wou
"You okay?" Annabeth asked.
Percy wanted to say that he was fine, but being the malfunctioning idiot he was, it came out like: "Uh, um, sure."
"What?"
"What?"
Annabeth sighed. "I guess your mind is still stuck on what happened."
"Somewhat." Percy admitted.
"Listen," Annabeth said. Just that word was enough to send Percy's heart to his throat. What was she going to say? A million possible scenarios ran through his head and each was worse than the last.
"I've been thinking about what you said." Annabeth said. "And I do believe you. There's this feeling when I'm around you that I just can't explain. It's like . . ." Annabeth struggled to find the right words for it.
"Meant to be?"
"That's one way to put it." Annabeth sighed. "It's a lot to take in right now. The stuff with Gaia, the monsters attacks, and now this thing between you and me. It's a lot."
Annabeth hadn't said anything that Percy was afraid of yet, which was good.
"I know that you love me. I can see it in your eyes." Annabeth said. "When you look at me, you're looking through years of memories that we have together. But for me, I can't look at you that way."
Percy's heart dropped. "Does that mean you don't love me?"
"No, I'm not saying that." Annabeth said. "I just . . ." Annabeth groaned in frustration. Percy knew that she hated it when she can't explain things. "I need some time, Percy. I do have feelings for you. And they're overwhelmingly strong. But I just can't figure out what they are yet."
Well, it wasn't really a rejection but Percy can't help but feel a bit disappointed. "Okay." Percy said sadly.
"Just give me time, okay?" Annabeth grasped one of Percy's hand softly. "I want to figure this out as well. I know that you're special to me. I don't take a blade just for anyone. But for now, let's stay like this."
Again, Percy's head filled with a mixed bag of emotions. He was happy that Annabeth didn't reject him, but he was disappointed that she wanted to stay as friends for now. Then again, it was all his fault so there was no one to blame but him.
"I understand." Percy forced a smile.
"Thank you." Annebeth said with a smile. "Besides, if you've done it before you could do it again, right?"
"Uh, do what?"
"Make me fall in love with you." Annabeth said.
Percy chuckled. "It would take a few more near-death adventures before that happens." Percy said. "Or a volcano."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "A volcano? What do you mean?"
"Our first kiss was in a volcano." Percy grinned.
Annabeth's face turned as red as a tomato. "How in hell did we end up in a volcano?"
Percy laughed. "Story for another time." Percy said. "Right now, we-"
"Annabeth!" A person shouted out. Percy turned around to see someone in full leather armor rushing towards them. "We have an emergency."
"What's wrong?" Annabeth asked urgently.
"It's Thalia." The camper said.