Book 1 - The Lightning Thief
Ayden looked out the hole in the floor seeing the emergency vehicles everywhere. There were crowds of people covering the grass below that arch, but Ayden couldn't see a body. She couldn't find Percy.
She put a hand to her chest as she paced back and forth. She would have to teleport, but she didn't feel centered enough to teleport at that moment.
She grabbed her knives securing them back in her pockets as she stared at her clothes. She had a cut on her arm and her shirt was burned. A few holes in her pants as well.
She pushed her hair back as she looked through the hole again before teleporting. She hit the ground just behind the group of people. In the distance, she could hear the reporters talking. She even heard Percy's name get mentioned. She was finding it extremely hard to breathe.
Ayden didn't know what she was going to do when she found Annabeth and Grover. She had to tell them she failed at protecting him. She would have to tell Grover that she failed to save his best friend. She stared down at her hands seeing the dark tinge of blood.
"Hey." Someone touched her arm. She smacked their arm back as she barely looked up to them. She froze.
"Percy." She breathed. He smiled at her. "Oh my god, Percy." She hugged him before she could stop herself. To her surprise, he hugged her back.
"I'm glad you're okay," He admitted. "I thought that after I fell Echidna would have killed you. We could hear the screaming from down here." He leaned back his hands linging on her. She looked over seeing Annabeth and Grover come forward. Each of them wanted a hug as well.
"I thought you were toast," Grover muttered. Ayden smiled and looked up. "Literally."
"So what did happen?" Annabeth asked.
"Before I explain," Ayden grabbed Percy's hand and Annabeth's arm. "Let's move from the crowd of people." Ayden looked back at Percy again. She'd down it four times.
"How many more times are you going to look at me?" Percy laughed. Ayden's face burned.
"I'm sorry, but you slipped through my fingers-." She held up her hand. He gripped it pulling it out of his face.
"Yeah, 'cause you were trying to burn yourself to death." He argued.
"That doesn't matter. You fell to your death-well, wait how did you survive?"
"My father. He reached out from the river and brought me to the water," He explained. Ayden looked at his dry clothes and touched his dry hair. "I'm water resistant."
"Nice to know," Ayden nodded.
"How did you survive?" Annabeth asked. "Were they still up there?"
"I honestly can't remember a lot." Ayden looked down at her hands. She wasn't lying either. It was like a complete blackout. "One minute I lost Percy, the next I was freaking out, and then-."
"And then?" Grover asked.
"I fought them, but they disappeared." She clenched her hand as they hurried away from the busy streets.
"They just," Annabeth shrugged. "Dissapeared?"
"Yeah."
"Well, they didn't kill you so clearly they dissapeared," Grover added. The four of them knew the police were going to come for them so they couldn't take a bus or a train anymore. They had to walk and hope maybe someone would let them hitchhike.
"If Ayden could teleport us," Annabeth mumbled.
"Say that one more time," Ayden laughed. "I can't do that and you know that, well I can't do it yet at least."
"Why are you acting weird?" Percy asked. ayden turned and saw that he was talking to Annabeth. The girl shrugged.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been off since the arch," Percy explained. A little farther down the road, they could hear the noise of a vehicle.
"It's just a bike," Annabeth pulled Grover off the road. "Let's just wait until it passes." They hid behind one of the concrete barriers as it got closer. "Back at the arch, I saw the fates cut a piece of yarn."
"Okay, three old ladies with yarn," Percy shrugged.
"The string being cut signifies that one of us is going to die," Grover explained. Each of them stared at their feet.
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean soon."
"Yes, it does, Percy. One of us is going to die on the quest and it will be soon," Annabeth sighed. Ayden thought for a moment. She wasn't a part of the quest, but she was aiding so did that mean she was safe and the others were in danger? Either way, she wasn't going to lead any of them to die. The bike got louder and louder until it was idling. Ayden shifted when it stopped. The four looked over the barrier to see the man waiting.
"Do you need some help?"
"Nope," Percy answered as he lowered his head, but Ayden stared at him.
"You look a little lost."
"We don't want anything from you," Annabeth pulled Ayden below the barrier.
"Well you are way behind schedule," He laughed. Ayden's blood burned as she teleported to the other side.
"What do you want?" She snapped.
"The same thing as you. Zeus sent out all of his kids to look for the master bolt," Ares put his goggles on top of his helmet as he stared at his daughter. "You aren't supposed to be on this quest, little brute."
"I'm not," Ayden shot back.
"Clearly," He looked over to Annabeth and the others. "There is a diner about half a mile up the road. I'll be waiting there and don't doddle." He put his goggles back on as he started the bike up again and left them.
"That was Ares," Percy muttered. "I expected him to be more aggressive."
"He's an airhead," Annabeth scoffed. "Come on."
Ayden was the first to walk in. She hadn't said anything since they started walking again. She didn't know what to do or say, but she was aggravated. She could yell at him or hit him, but she wasn't going to do any of that until he helped them. She didn't want to ruin their quest, but she did want her father to pay for what he'd done. Obnoxious laughing came from a table to the right.
"I guess we're at the right place," Annabeth muttered. They walked over to the table, not all of them could fit on the same side. Ares smiled at Ayden.
"Sit brute, I don't bite," He grinned. ayden rolled her eyes but sat down.
"Don't talk to me."
"I think I've struck a nerve," He whispered to the others.
"Are you going to help us?"
"Oh, sure, sure," Ares put his phone down. "I love starting arguments on Twitter." Ayden put her head in her hands. Ares put his arm across the booth behind Ayden. Percy clenched his jaw as he watched Ares stare at his daughter. "You have to get to Los Angeles in a few days and you have no money." He picked up his phone again. "Also this," Ares showed Percy the video of his stepdad saying how troubled Percy was.
"I'm gonna kill him," Percy muttered. Ayden crossed her arms as Ares smiled at her.
"I knew I was going to like him." He put his phone down. "Now I left my shield in an amusement park not far from here, you get it for me and I'll get you a ride to Los Angeles."
"That's it?" Grover asked.
"That's it," Ares nodded. "But don't make me wait." Ayden looked at him. She couldn't believe this was how he truly was. Ayden expected him to be more aggressive when meeting people, but he just seemed to be childish. All the gods seemed to be that way after they'd been alive for so long. "I get to keep Ayden as collateral to make sure you come back."
"No." Percy shook his head. Ares stared at him.
"What makes you think you get a say in this matter cousin," Ares glared at him. Ayden took a deep breath. "So do we have a deal or do I have to kill all of you so I can eat my food in peace!" He slammed his hands down on the table. None of them were startled.
"I'll stay," Grover interrupted. "I'll stay as collateral instead of Ayden."
"This isn't even her quest, why would you want to stay and not her?" Ares pointed at the satyr as he took a fry. "Or are you just a coward."
"Ayden could be useful, also I don't think it's the best idea to let you both be alone together just yet," Grover admitted. Ares chuckled and then looked at Ayden.
"We do have a lot to talk about."
"You killed my mother." Ayden hissed. "I don't think there would be much talking if they left." Ares leaned back and smiled.
"That was not my fault," Ares shook his head. "That was yours. Anyway, this is a wonderful diner, would hate to destroy it while we fight."
"Let's just go!" Annabeth interrupted. "We get your shield and we can go, correct?" Annabeth stood up and Percy slid out of the booth behind her. Ares and Ayden were locked in a staring contest.
"That's it." He muttered. Ayden stood up and gestured for Grover to follow. "Nope. He stays remember."
"Shut it," Ayden snapped. "He can walk us to the door." Ares held up his hands as he chuckled. "Now eat your food in peace."
"You have to calm down," Annabeth muttered. Ayden shook her head as they moved farther from his booth.
"I can handle this," Grover muttered. "You just focus on getting to that shield."
"We can still switch back," Ayden stared back at the booth as Ares laughed at his phone once more.
"No cause I'm afraid you might try to kill him."
"He's a god."
"You'd find a way and we're in enough trouble as it is," Grover explained. "Just get the shield and get back here."
"Got it," Percy nodded. "Good luck."
***
They stood outside the Waterland amusement park. It truly wasn't that far from the diner, but it looked like something you'd see in a horror movie.
"It's giving Horror movie," Ayden muttered.
"I wouldn't know." Percy and Ayden both looked at the girl. "I've never seen a movie."
"Uhm, yeah that has to be fixed. If we get out of this we are watching a horror movie, I have a perfect one." Ayden wiggled her eyebrows.
"Maybe not a horror movie," Percy muttered as he stared at the rundown amusement park. "This just screams for us to run away." Ayden's thoughts were racing as she stood on the other side of the rusty gates. Percy moved through the turner as something clicked.
"What was that?" Ayden asked. She looked up and saw something turning above Percy's head. "Annabeth?"
"That celestial steal," She muttered. "For a human, it's not lethal, but for a demigod or god," She cut off her words.
"Great, how do we get him out?" Ayden asked. Annabeth was staring at the mechanism as she muttered to herself.
"Annabeth!" Percy called. She was snapped from her thoughts.
"Push," She told him. Ayden looked from her to Percy.
"You want me to just walk through?" Percy asked. Annabeth nodded. Ayden slapped her hands over her face as she heard the metal screeching.
"It's meant to scare us, but it's not meant to harm us. Hephaestus wants to know who comes into his playground. He's the only one who would enjoy making contraptions like this." Annabeth explained as she walked through next. Ayden last. She noticed the little number turned had gone from 0 to 3 after they each entered.
"Welp he knows now," Ayden muttered. She looked around at everything that was worn and old. "This seriously looks like clowns should come out of nowhere and attack us."
"Why would you say that?" Percy stared at her. Ayden just smirled and grabbed his arm pulling him after Annabeth. They walked toward the ride that said Tunnel Of Love. "This isn't weird."
"Who said it was weird?" Ayden asked.
"Why would he be in here?" Percy asked. "Wait."
"Ares has a thing with Aphrodite. I think they were on a date or something here in Hephasteus's playground and they were caught that's why he left his shield," Annabeth explained. Ayden didn't know why she was angered by him being with Aphrodite. Her mother was dead, she'd been dead for several years, but it still hurt knowing that Ares used her mother like that and then moved on without another thought.
"Well let's get this over with," Ayden muttered as she moved forward through the gate. The lights started up as they entered one of the boats. A song started playing as the walls lit up showing a story.
"I know this story," Percy looked at the images as they changed. "It's Hephasteus's story." They watched as it ended. "My mother always said this is how the gods treated each other."
"A great family," Ayden shook her head.
"I think my mother was trying to keep me from you," Percy muttered. "from all of you."
"Or she was trying to prepare you," Annabeth added as they went around a corner.
"Your mother has always shown you things for a reason, for you to see things differently so you could be better," Ayden reminded him. She wanted to meet Sally Jackson. From what Percy had said about his mother she seemed to be perfect and loving. Suddenly the boat dropped and the three gasped.
"What is," Annabeth's voice was drowned out as the boat moved faster taking corners quickly almost throwing each of them off the boat and then down a fast tunnel. It slowed when they got to an open room. It had a golden statue holding Ares's shield.
"There it is," Percy muttered.
"Uh, guys," Annabeth pointed to the boat in front of them as it fell off the water's edge.
"Jump!" Percy yelled as each of them jumped from the boat. The water seemed to pull Ayden down no matter how strong she swam. Percy's grabbed her arm as his magic pulled her from the water. Each of them was coughing as they lay on the podium. Their legs were still dangling in the water.
"Did you just?" Annabeth breathed.
"I don't know."
"I think you did," Ayden laughed as she pushed herself up. They saw the golden throne in front of them. Ayden knew the story of Hera and Hephaestus already. How he trapped his mother in the chair and exchange for her freedom Aphrodite had to marry Hephaestus. "Great parallels, here." She gestured to the chair.
"I'll do it," Annabeth stepped forward.
"No, I can do it." Ayden offered. "I can teleport out at the last second!" She shouted over Percy as he tried to speak over her. She knew that her magic wouldn't work the moment she sat in the chair, but she wanted him to listen to her. Ayden would do anything for them and she had never been able to say that about people before. They were her friends, and Ayden would do anything for them. She'd do anything to help them, no matter what.
"No, no," Percy grabbed her arm. Ayden stared at her father's shield. "I chose you because Chrion and I both agreed that if I needed someone to sacrifice me for the quest that would be you. It had to be me, but," Percy looked at Ayden noticing how she stared at the chair. "I just need someone to promise me something." His voice wavered as he blinked a few times. Tears were pooling in the young children's eyes as they all stared a the golden chair. They knew this would be the end for one of them.
"We won't leave the underworld without your mom," Annabeth answered.
"I guess the fates were right after all." He let go of her arm and took a step closer to the chair. His heart was racing. "And uhm when you're done with the quest, can someone swing back here and get me out of this thing." Ayden would have laughed if she wasn't fighting off her tears.
"You didn't have to ask Percy," Ayden muttered. "I wouldn't leave her without getting you out of the chair." She watched him step closer to it, but her body reacted first. "It has to be me." She sat in the chair before either of them could stop her.
"Ayden, no," Percy stared at her feet as the gold started to consume her body.
"We all have to pay for the mistakes of our parents, I guess this was my turn," Ayden took a deep breath as she watched the gold consume her body. The claustrophobic feeling was slowly shutting her inside. Ayden tried to clear her mind.
"Ayden, get up!" Annebthyelled at her.
"I can't," She watched the gold move over her hands until she could only feel a warm sensation.
"Teleport!" Percy yelled at her. "Ayden, come on please!" He stepped forward, but Annabeth held his arm keeping him away from the chair until it was finished.
"It's okay," She breathed. "It's okay. Just get the shield." Percy and Annabeth both had tears in their eyes. "I'm okay." Her words stopped as her body turned to gold.
"No," Percy muttered as he stepped closer. His hand went out to touch her but hovered over the metal. The gears stopped shifting as the shield fell from the statue behind her chair. "No, no, how do we get her out?"
"I don't," Annabeth moved around the back side as she looked at the gears. "I don't know." Percy stared at the gold statue and felt the way his chest caved in.
"Why do you always do this." He whispered to Ayden's statue. He knew he and her were similar in the way they would sacrifice themselves for others. He knew her reasons were because she didn't think her life was as valuable as others, which to Percy was entirely false. Annabeth tried turning the gears behind the chair, but they wouldn't budge.
"Do you need help," A man called from the second story. He blew a whistle and a latter appeared from their island to the balcony he was on.
"No," Annabeth muttered.
"We aren't leaving here without our friend," Percy watched the guy.
"Well, that's not how this works."
"I already said no now can you please go away so I can focus," Annabeth's voice wasn't harsh, she was almost pleading.
"It wasn't made to do that, my dear."
"You're Hephasteus," Percy looked at him. "Help us get her out of this. She doesn't deserve it."
"Again, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." Annabeth stood up. "You have recently gotten in trouble with your mother Annabeth. If you leave now you will be a hero."
"It should. This family is horrible with the way we treat one another. We are always cheating or trying to drag others down to bring ourselves high. That's not what family should be like. the gods are selfish, my mother is selfish, I won't be that way." Annabeth explained to him.
"We have to be better than our parents, better than the other people in this family because it can't be like this anymore," Percy shook his head. "We won't leave here without her."
"Are's daughter," Herphasuteus muttered as he tilted his head to the side staring at the golden girl. "Paying for her father's sins."
"She shouldn't have to," Percy shook his head. "Please Hephastues she is better than her father."
"I can see that," He muttered. He blew his whistle. Slowly the gold started to disappear from Ayden's face. She gasped as her face was uncovered. "Not all of us want to be like that, you know. Some of us want to be better. I'll put in a good word with your parents." Hepahatus dissapeared. Ayden moved forward but stumbled. Her legs were stiff still from being turned solid.
"Ah, that felt so wrong," She muttered. Percy gave her a brief hug before they turned to Annabeth. She was smiling. "You both saved me?" She looked at the shield. "And we have the shield." They nodded.
"Let's not ask questions now, let's just go," Percy added as the three of them left. Annabeth tried to carry the shield, but it was too heavy for her so Ayden carried it instead.
When they got back to the diner Ares smiled when he saw Ayden carrying it inside. He was surprised to see all three of them still together, but he knew Ayden would still somehow come back.
"You hold that shield like it weighs nothing," Ares told her. Ayden slammed it down on the table.
"Great, now our ride," She told him as Annabeth and Percy stood behind her. Ares nodded.
"Straight to the point, fine," He grabbed his shield and moved outside. He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler as he put the shield on his bike. "That's your ride straight to Vegas and if you're nice maybe you can get a ride from Hermes straight to L.A."
"Great," Annabeth scoffed.
"Here," Ares tossed a backpack at Percy. "Ayden," He gestured for his daughter to come toward him. She did to his surprise. She also slapped him across the face. He was shocked for a second before he laughed.
"That was for sending us into a trap," She clenched her hands at her sides. She wanted to grab for her knife since they were done with Ares, but she didn't. "I should try to kill you for my mother's honor, but I won't."
"Your mother was a horrible woman," Ares laughed. "I'm surprised she kept you for as long as she did." Ayden touched her 'A' necklace on her neck as she glared at her father. "I'd wish you luck, but it's not worth it."
"We're not going to fail and I'm getting pretty tired of you saying it. You think you know who I am, but you don't," Percy stepped closer to Ares. "And if you aren't careful, you're going to find out." Ares stared down at the son of Poseidon.
"Percy," Grover grabbed his arm. "Thank you, Lord Ares. We will take the ride." Grover pulled him toward the eighteen-wheeler. Ares snapped his fingers the back doors opened.
"Great friends, brute," Ares muttered. Ayden turned back to her father with a murderous look that made a small part of him proud.
"I will come for you one day and I doubt even the gods could stop me if you try to run or hide. There isn't a place on this earth or in Olympus that would save you from me." Ayden threatened.
"I look forward to it, family fights are always the bloodiest," Ares winked. "Just next time don't bring your little friends." He looked at Grover, Percy, and Annabeth. "Now if you want to get to L.A. get in." Grover got up first as he helped the others in. "Good luck." He snapped his fingers closing the doors.
"I hate him," Ayden shook her head.
"He was lying," Grover muttered. They all turned to him. "I got him to slip up while you all were away. I know who stole the master bolt."