A PERFECTLY GOOD BUS RUINED!
(A/N: Hi guys! Sorry I took down this chapter earlier. I just reedited some stuff here. So, please enjoy. Thanks again!🫰🏻)
Everyone's eyes widened at the title, and they quickly looked at the four with their brow raised.
The demigods and satyr shared an awkward smile and looked back at the screen.
Barging into her cabin, (Name)'s siblings were lounging in the living room enjoying their afternoon indoors. Katie looked at (Name) who wore a relaxed face, but her hair was purple which tells her that she was excited and content with the selection.
"Got chosen for a quest, chameleon?"
"Well... Does mum hates Hades?" (Name) replied back.
"So, it's a yes?" Miranda perked up.
"Duh~" "Obviously~" "For sho," (Name), Billie and Zach said in unison, making the eldest roll her eyes.
Everyone chuckled at the siblings.
"With whom?" Katie asked.
"Percy, Annabeth and Grover."
"Okay, I'll help you pack," all of the siblings walked into their bunks quickly and started to help the colored-hair girl pack.
(Name) was lucky enough to own a few bags with undetectable extension charm placed on it.
"Isn't that an advanced charm?"
"Yes, it is," (Name) answered.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were shocked and looked at the girl who was smirking. Moody was smirking along too.
"Who taught you?" The minister asked the girl who pointed at the screen.
Thanks to Minnie who taught her, of course.
(Name) looked towards the Professor and shared a smile.
So, it didn't take her long to pack. Stuffing a few pairs of new outfits, a toothbrush, hairbrush, hairspray, some snacks enough for everyone, wads of cash that she was not sure how much in total was along with some drachmas, first aid kit and a few cassette tapes into her bag.
She picked her wand and placed into her hip bag; Una was waggling her tail excitedly for her. The girl quickly changed into a new pair of clothes, wore her headphones around her neck and a cap on her head.
(A/N: Ignore the sling bag)
"Where to?" Miranda questioned, holding her sister's hip bag for her to take it.
"Uncle Corpsebreath's domain," (Name) replied nonchalantly. Katie who was drinking from her bottle, choked and she quickly spat out the water onto the floor.
Snorts resonated the hall.
"Seriously?" Katie stared at her in shock and quickly said, "Wait! Don't say it!" She was not in the mood for jokes at the moment.
Sirius was seen smirking slightly at the scene, but Remus hit him on the head making him pout.
"I'm not!" The demiwitch raised her hands up with a tiny smirk on her face. "But yes, we're going to the Underworld."
"Holy shit..."
"This is really bad..."
"Mom's going to kill him if you come back with a scratch," Billie shook her head.
"Definitely true," (Name) nodded her head along with the demigods and satyr.
"I don't want you to go there," Zach murmured into his sister chest once he hugged her.
Many cooed at the boy. He really loves his sister so much. This reminded Sirius of the time when he was younger, and Regulus used to do this when he was leaving for Hogwarts for his first year.
The room became silent and a bit tensed. Everyone knew what quest meant usually, some died, some came back injured, and some went missing. Very few returned back alive.
Everyone gasped in shock of the thought of statement. Sirius, Regulus and their friends were truly afraid for what they were going to watch. Quests are definitely suicide missions for the demigods.
And going to the Underworld as a Demeter's kid? Hades wished that he wasn't born if he injured one of them, because he would feel their mum's wrath.
Those who knew the story of Demeter shivered at the thought.
'Ready to go?' Una asked, appearing on the girl's shoulders.
"Yeah. C'mon, let's go," (Name) clipped on her hip bag, shuffling out of the room with her other siblings following her out of the door silently towards the Hermes' cabin.
Reaching the Hermes' cabin, Annabeth stood there with her bag on her shoulder waiting for her best friend with her arms cross.
"Hey! Luke told us to go ahead first, he'll meet us at the hill in a while," Annabeth said.
"Okie dokie," (Name) replied.
"Is that all you're taking?"
"Yes, Brainy. You should already know. Magic~~"
"Magic is surely useful during this type of occasion," Amelia nodded her head.
They trudged along towards the other campers who wanted to say their farewell to them at the hearth in the middle of the strawberry field.
Many campers came forth and congratulated her for being chosen for the quest and wished them good luck during their journey; hoping that they would return in one piece.
The Demeter siblings gathered together into a group hug, (Name) in the middle of the other four as they silently converse with each other.
Many smiled at the interaction. The siblings are really close to each other.
"Be careful, will you?" Billie said after the siblings released her from the hug.
"No promises, Bee,"(Name) shrugged. "Una will watch out for me if anything goes south."
"Good. Just come back in one piece and preferably alive, okay, Ro?" Zach said.
"I'll try my best, kiddo."
"Don't do anything stupid on the way there, alright?" Katie advised.
"Wow..." (Name) placed a hand on her chest, mocking with a hurt expression. "You hurt my poor little heart, Kate. Having so little faith in me."
Many chuckled at how dramatic the girl was acting.
"Shut up. I do have faith in you! But please be safe and keep the three of them close to you since you're the oldest out of the two, except Grover. I love you, sis," Katie hugged the girl.
"Love you too, Kate."
"Make us proud, chameleon," Miranda said.
"You got this, Ro. I'm gonna miss you!" Zach called out.
"Missing you already, kiddo~" (Name) chuckled waved once she noticed Percy and Grover arrived while waiting with Annabeth on the side.
Many sniffled at the heartfelt moment. It reminded some of them their first time leaving home to boarding school.
Waving one last time to the other campers, the demiwitch joined the trio and left to hike up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree where Thalia, daughter of Zeus was buried under.
Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stood Argus, the head of security of camp. He had eyes all over his body and he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform with his hair gelled back for the occasion.
"This is Argus," Chiron told Percy. "He will drive you into the city and, er- well, keep an eye on things."
"More like eyes," (Name) said. "That's what I was going to say before I was distracted."
As (Name) was going to say something, but she was interrupted by the sounds of two sets of loud footsteps and panting.
"Hey! Glad we caught you," came a voice of Luke. The demigods turned to him and Ethan metres behind.
"Mhmm, sure you were," Percy murmured.
Annabeth started to blush, the way she always did when Luke was around; while (Name) frowned slightly and turned her head away to the side.
Many were amused at how the girls act. Sirius and Percy were frowning along with (Name) on the screen when they saw Ethan there.
The girls sighed and looked away when someone tried to stare at them.
"Just wanted to say good luck. And I thought... Um, maybe you could use these," Luke handed Percy a pair of sneakers in an open shoebox, lid tucked underneath.
"Maia!" Luke called out. At the words of the boy, a pair of white wings sprouted out of the heels startling the boy, making him drop the box. The campers watched in awe as the shoes hover in the air, wings flapping rapidly.
Everyone was watching in awe at the shoes.
Percy huffed and shook his head, remembering about the true motive of 'Maia' when it was given to him.
"Awesome!" Grover exclaimed excitedly.
"Those served me well when I went on my quest. Gift from my dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." A saddened look crossed the older boy's face.
"Hey, man. Thanks," Percy said, grateful for the gift he was given.
Luke shifted, seeming slightly uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "Listen, Percy... a lot of hopes are riding on you. So just... kill some monsters for me, okay?"
The raven-haired boy nodded and shook hands with the older boy. Luke proceeded to pat Grover on the shoulder. He then hugged Annabeth, causing her face to redden.
Annabeth sighed at her past self, making (Name) pat her back.
After that, he seemed to turn his head left and right, looking for the young demiwitch, but she wasn't in his range of sight.
"Where were you?" Sirius asked his daughter.
"Oh... You know..." (Name) gestured her hand to the other boy on the screen that was not in sight.
Many were curious and wanted to know about it.
"Hey. Where's little missy?" asked Luke.
"Uhhh... Ethan took her to that side a while ago," Grover said nervously pointing to his right. Luke looked behind the tree on his left where he saw two people standing there conversing.
Annabeth and Grover turned to each other, and then to Luke silently communicating with their eyes while ignoring Percy's confused look.
The future generation were amused at how oblivious of the past Percy was acting.
Suddenly, (Name) came out from behind the tree with a new earring on her left earlobe, and Ethan had a black one on his right like they were twinning.
Many started to wiggle their brows, trying to tease the girl who rolled her eyes at them.
The muggles who know about this symbol were curious on why they were matching. The gesture may seem genuine like in a friendly way, or he had confessed to her his feelings, and she accepted. But didn't she said that she doesn't like him?
The demigods and satyr knew about this. It was Ethan's final gift to her before he betrayed her along with Luke.
The demiwitch still had the earring left back in the future. She was thankful that he gifted her the gift, but his betrayal hurt her more, since she couldn't reciprocate his feelings.
"Hey, little missy. I thought you went missing," Luke said with his arms crossed, a smile on his face and he noticed the earring on her earlobe. "I see he gave you the gift?"
"Yeah, it's nice of him. At least I got extra protection, right?" (Name) shrugged with an awkward smile. This made Annabeth, Grover and Percy confused at what she said. Una, was still staring at the Asian boy with a stern look, wondering about what happened earlier.
"What do you mean by extra protection?" Sirius asked his daughter.
"You'll know, dad. I had explained it after that," (Name) answered.
This made many frowned in confusion since they wanted to know now.
"Come on! Give me a hug before you leave," Luke opened his arms wide, as (Name) ran forward and hugged him tightly.
"Take care of them, kid," the older boy said, making his sister figure nod as an answer.
(Name) gave an inaudible sigh and leaned against Percy who hugged her. Luke was the big brother she wished for, but it was his decision that he decided to join the other side.
Suddenly, he took off the cap from the girl's head giving her a forehead kiss before slapping it back onto her head, messing it up.
"Hey! Come on!" (Name) groaned, "I just-- tch--whatever..."
Everyone started to chuckle at their interaction.
The demiwitch smoothened out her hair wearing the cap again. Luke was laughing at her reaction before he patted Annabeth's head before walking back down.
"Bye Romy!" Ethan called out.
"Wait, Ethan!" (Name) cut the Asian boy off. She grew a small daffodil flower in her palm and passed it to him awkwardly. "Here... My gift in exchange for yours."
Many were confused on why she gave him the flower. Does it mean anything? Because surely flowers have many meanings.
"What flower is that?" James blinked as he looked to Lily for her to explain.
"It's a daffodil."
"Why a daffodil?" Sirius looked at the girl in confusion.
"For love language, Daffodils are associated with 'Regard' but there is also a listing of the symbolic meaning of flowers in which the daffodil is associated with 'Uncertainty', 'Chivalry' 'Respect' or 'Unrequited love'," Hermione explained.
"I think this is her way of saying that she understands his feelings but couldn't reciprocate it and she respected him a lot unlike others," Annabeth thought as (Name) nodded, as if saying that she was right.
Those who understand nodded her head. They had come to a conclusion that the girl gifted him the flower, but she doesn't know how to apologize, since it would have still hurt the boy.
"You don't need to, but thanks anyways," Ethan beamed at the younger girl and took the flower from her grip, patting her head and said before walking off, "Bye, Romy. Good luck on your quest and see you on the other side."
Everyone was shocked in confusion along with the girl on the screen. They don't understand what the boy meant, and it was really confusing.
The demigods and satyr shared a wordless conversation. This is how Ethan had hinted to them about his betrayal along with Luke.
(Name) froze at the last statement, blinking in confusion before waving back at him as she silently asked Una, "Hey, Una... What did he mean by that?"
'Don't know... He's getting weirder by the day...' The familiar squinted her eyes at the boy's silhouette.
"What the fuck!? This is all confusing!!"
"I don't understand... But it looks suspicious as fuck."
Many started to look at the demigods who ignored them, since they are not supposed to tell them about the spoilers.
"You're hyperventilating," Percy said with a smirk, as he turned to Annabeth. (Name) noticed it and smirked teasingly too.
"I'm not," Annabeth defended.
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?" (Name) teasingly asked.
"Of course she did," Percy shook his head with the demiwitch.
"Oh... Why do I even hang out with both of you?" Annabeth let out a scoff and chuckled just a bit before grabbing (Name)'s hand, leading them away from the son of Poseidon towards the pine tree. "C'mon, (Name). Let's say our last goodbye."
Percy watched as both girls placed a kiss and leaned their forehead against the trunk of the tree, giving their prayers. (Name) grew a small lily under the tree.
Many smiled at the scene, while both demigoddesses leaned their heads against each other, reminiscing their time they spent with Thalia before her life was taken.
"That's such a kind gesture," Alice gave the girls a small smile and she received one back in return.
"They're really going to miss that tree, huh?" Percy said to Grover, stumped and confused at the girls' actions.
"When (Name) and Annabeth first arrived here with Thalia and Luke, they were chased by monsters together," Grover said with a sad look, he finally revealed the truth. "Remember the story I told you last time."
Everyone gasped at what the satyr said. It shocked them to the core that the future Black heiress managed to escape the monsters.
"You were the other two kids," Molly said in shock. "Oh, Merlin..."
"I knew it," Regulus muttered as he clenched his jaw.
"Yeah. We never really like to talk about that day ever again. It still hurts to think about it," (Name) explained while Annabeth nodded with a slightly grim look.
"Well, at least she's alive now, right?" Percy said with a shrug as the demigods and satyr shared a nod and a smile.
Sirius had to gather himself from not fainting and hugging his daughter to death while the Blacks felt angry that the girl was almost hurt during that time. McGonagall was stunned and guilty that she left the young girl she cared in the future after her arrangements at MACUSA.
"Yeah, I remember," Percy hummed with a slight frown on his face. He didn't know that both of them were together during the attack. At least he understood why they had never talked about it before and their close bond with Luke.
"But I still don't understand why the most powerful being in the universe think it's the best idea to save her is to turn her into a tree," the boy thought with an incredulous look.
"She was the bravest demigod I've ever knew, besides (Name)," Annabeth walked up towards the two with (Name) tailing behind. "She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate."
"She met a pinecone's fate," Percy said with a 'duh' tone, pointing to the tree. This made (Name) look at him offended at what he said to her other sister figure. Una shook her head and snuck back into the girl's bag.
"Man... That's funny," Blaise shook his head and burst into laughter along with some others who chuckled at the comeback.
A few others gave them a disapproved look.
"I mean... she did meet one, no? That's why we called her pinecone face earlier," Percy reminded them about what the three of them did in the previous chapters.
"Seriously? That's not funny like at all, eejit," (Name) said, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Eejit? That's a new one?" Percy looked at her questionably.
"You just wait, fish-face. There's more to come in the future," the demiwitch sassed back.
Many snorted at her nicknames.
"Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even Thalia. And you're not her," Annabeth cuts in, her voice laced with hurt as she took offence to Percy's words. "Do exactly as I say and maybe you'll survive this. Are we clear?"
Then, she jogged down to the other side of the hill, with the demiwitch following along after saying her goodbye to Chiron. There was a white SUV waiting on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.
"Does she think she's in charge?" Percy asked looking at Grover for an answer.
"Who do you think would be in charge?" Grover turned the question around. "Both (Name) and Annabeth are the ones that could lead out of everyone. I trust both of them the most, even Una too."
"Aren't you too young to be in charge?" An arrogant voice from the Slytherin group said aloud, which made the girls deadpan at the statement.
"Seriously? Annabeth is the wisest among the four of us while (Name) comes close in second, no offense, stargirl--" Percy explained. (Name) shrugged since she knows that her sister-in-all-but-blood is crazy smart, that's why she calls her 'brainy' or 'brain girl'. "--And we don't have an adult to supervise us. (Name) is the eldest among the three of us, excluding Grover and Una. So, who do you think would be in charge?"
This made them shut their mouth up as the scene continued.
In the car~~
"So, Ethan gave you an earring? Did he confess again? What do you mean by extra protection?" Annabeth started shooting questions at the girl.
"This is what we want to know!" Someone from the crowd exclaimed.
"One, yes. Two, no. If he did, I'd still reject him again. And three, it can change into a shield by just tapping the surface," (Name) answered back.
"So, he gifted you a shield?" Sirius and the others wondered.
"Yes. It was a nice gift at least," (Name) said, the last statement she murmured sadly. "Before his betrayal..."
Percy, Annabeth and Grover gave her a hug, consoling her. Even to that day, she felt disappointed in herself that she couldn't do anything to save him.
"How did he even do that?"
"He told me that he learnt to forge a shield from Charlie, and he asked one of Hecate's children to enchant it into the earring," the demiwitch shrugged.
"Huh... Well, it's nice of him," Annabeth stared at the earring with a thoughtful look. "He gave you one half of the yin yang symbol..."
"What does yin yang mean?" Arthur asked. He was confused on why it has two different colours.
Many others were confused too since not everyone knows about the different religions outside of the country.
Annabeth sighed and shared a look with the other two demigods that said, 'are they that stupid??'
(Name) lets out a snort and gave a small nod as if she said that it is very common for them to ask too many questions.
"What does it mean?"
"Yin yang is like balance. You know, yin is darkness and yang is light. It's related to the Chinese mythology. I mean... He's half-Japanese and maybe that's why he gave you that? It could also be something else since it has more than one meaning..." Annabeth said with a finger under her chin. This made (Name) and Una stare at each other and shrug, not understanding what she meant.
The demigods shared a knowing look, understanding what it meant between the girl and Ethan.
They were quite thankful for him to gift her the shield even if it meant that he would join the other side to fight against them.
After a moment of silence, both girls decided to talk about other things, waiting for Grover and Percy to enter the van after talking to Chiron.
.
.
.
Back to Percy~~
Percy sighed and picked up the flying shoes. He suddenly had a bad feeling and looked at Chiron saying, "I won't be able to use these, will I?"
Chiron shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air... that would not be wise for you."
"Definitely, lightning rod would zap me to oblivion, and he wouldn't miss," Percy commented.
Percy nodded in disappointment, but then he got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"
The satyr's eyes lit up. "Me?"
"Maia!" Grover shouted after he laced on the shoes on his fake feet. He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down.
"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"
"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading towards the van.
Laughter rang out through the hall at Grover's misfortune.
Before the raven-haired boy could follow, Chiron caught his arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy. If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason-- they all got more training."
"That's okay. I just wish..." Percy stopped himself before saying something rude, shaking his head he continued. "It doesn't matter now. I'm going on a quest."
Chiron sighed and looked at the boy with an inquisitive stare. "Can you show me your sword, Percy? There's something I'd like to explain about it."
The boy narrowed his eyes curiously at the centaur, but he brought out the pen/sword from his pocket anyways.
"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one," Chiron said and he paused before continuing. "Although you've had it since that day at the art museum..."
"Prophecy? What prophecy?"
"Is it the prophecy earlier with the oracle??"
Dumbledore had an interested glint in his eyes, wanted to know more.
"It won't be mentioned in this book. That was only just the beginning," Annabeth said.
"This scene is foreshadowing the future," (Name) stated, which made many confused on what the future prophecy would be.
Percy took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in his hand. In half a second, he was holding a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edge blade, a leather-wrapped grip and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was still the only weapon that actually felt balanced in his hands.
"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told the boy. "Its name is Anaklumos."
"Riptide," Percy translated.
"Use it only for emergencies," the centaur reminded,"-- and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."
Many were confused about what the centaur meant. How could a literal magical item not hurt a regular human?
"What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals? How could it not?" Percy admired the wickedly sharp blade.
"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the river Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."
"Good to know. But what difference does it have compared to (Name)'s one, Una?" Percy was curious about it. He touched the cap and pen shrunk instantly returned to its original form as he tucked it into his pocket.
"Una is very different from your pen. She was human once, but then there was an unfortunate event eon ago. Fortunately, she was saved. She stayed in a cave in Olympus, where the celestial bronze was mined at for centuries, and it had fused her blood. Her mother blessed her the ability to change into a weapon thirteen years ago. Making (Name) the first ever demigod to ever own one let alone wield her," the centaur briefly explained.
Percy listened and understood most of what Chiron said, but the last statement made him wonder that if there's more to her part.
"Ohhh, so that's why she can cut through monsters so easily since the blades didn't really look like the common celestial bronze to begin with," Remus nodded his head.
Many understood at the statement. However, they too felt the same as Percy. There's something they're not telling them, and it was starting to get confusing.
"In any case, you can't lose the pen," the centaur changed the subject to talk about Riptide.
"What do you mean?"
"It's enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it." Percy was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.
"It may take a few moments," Chiron told him. "Now check your pocket." Sure enough, the pen was there.
"So cool!" The pranksters exclaimed.
"Okay, that's extremely cool," he admitted. "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?"
Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."
"Ohhh!" The boy exclaimed, remembering what had (Name) taught him during their lessons. She had explained that she could use it and if she were in the mortal world, no one would notice that her hair can change colors, which is extremely useful. However, she can still change her features with her metamorphosis ability without causing suspicions. Even her wand can be disguised if she wanted to.
"It's true. The mist is extremely useful," (Name) nodded.
Many felt jealous at her ability to use the mist because in the wizarding world, they had to hide the fact that they were wiccans and could perform magic from the non-magical people.
To Percy, for the first time, the quest felt real. He was actually leaving Half-Blood Hill. He was heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone. (Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if they used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare.) He had no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.
"That's pessimistic," someone random spoke up.
Percy and (Name) frowned and glared incredulously at the person. However, Annabeth beat them to answer the person. "We were just four kids attempting to travel across the country to one of the deadliest places in our world. We obviously knew that monsters were bound to come after us one way or another. And since Percy knew the entire prophecy, there wasn't exactly much to be optimistic about it."
Annabeth's stern tone kept anyone from trying to rebut her words.
"Chiron..." Percy started. "When you say the gods are immortal... I mean, there was a time before them, right?"
"For ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."
"So, what was it like... before the gods?"
Chiron pursed his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then, Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."
"But the gods can't die now, right?" Percy asked again. "I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So... even if I fail, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up everything, right?"
Chiron gave me a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."
"Our destiny... assuming we know what that is."
"Relax," Chiron told Percy. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."
"Relax," Percy murmured under his breath. "I'm very relaxed."
"Of course you were," (Name) sarcastically remarked making the boy huff.
The others snorted quietly, knowing very well that Percy was far from being relaxed. He may have been able to hide it at times, but it was easy to read the signs.
When the boy got to the bottom of the hill, he looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute.
.
.
.
Argus drove them out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, and a year in a magical school, the real world seemed like a fantasy.
Grover sat in front next to Argus, Annabeth behind him, (Name) in the middle and Percy behind Argus. (Name) had to seat there to avoid another argument between Percy and Annabeth from happening. But if an argument happened, she would prefer Una to be the one to deal with them.
"Had to keep them from biting each other's heads off most of the time," (Name) sighed.
"Heroes quests are world defining events. They have made and broken empires. Altered the course of human civilization. Changed the power of balance on Olympus," Grover listed off as everyone in the car listened on. "A quest is a sacred thing... and to be charged with one is to be in conversation with the gods themselves."
Percy and (Name) found themselves staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of their parent's car, every billboard and shopping mall.
"So far so good," Percy said, trying to diffuse the awkward silence after Grover ended his narration in the car. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
"Don't jinx it, eejit," (Name) stared at Percy and nudged the boy next to her with her elbow.
"I definitely jinxed it," Percy awkwardly smiled at his friends who rolled their eyes at him.
Annabeth gave Percy and irritated look and said, "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."
"Remind me again, Annabeth-- why do you hate me so much?"
(Name) had to keep herself from groaning since she knows by the time both of them started to talk, another quarrel will happen.
Many were chuckling at the girl's predicament.
The two demigods were literally fighting like children.
"I don't hate you."
"Could've fooled me."
Annabeth folded her cap of invisibility. "Look... We're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."
"Sounds a little similar to how people think Gryffindors and Slytherins are supposed to be rivals," Remus muttered to James and Sirius who subtly nodded.
"It does. Stupid bloody prejudice arseholes," James huffed.
"Yeah. And guess what, it was all Dumb-old-door's fault," Sirius remarked as he remembered calling that house the house of evil when the students there only wanted to be treated with the same respect as the other houses.
Percy scoffed loudly while (Name) took a deep breath, trying to distract herself from hitting both of the on the head.
Both Annabeth and Percy gasped dramatically at the statement as they looked at her. However, the girl rolled her eyes at them and say, "Aren't I right? You both were fighting like literal children. Someone has to be the adult there, no?"
"Yeah... You are kind of right about that," Annabeth sweat dropped along with Percy.
"Not kind of, Brainy. I know I'm right," (Name) corrected.
"You honestly believe a rivalry between two gods should be carried down through their children? Really? For a child of Athena, that's like the definition of stupid."
Annabeth was too stunned from Percy's words to give a proper response, while the boy scoffed again and returned his gaze at the window.
(Name) and Argus shared a look through the rearview mirror; hers was an exhausted and deadpanned one while his was in amusement. The driver smiled at her and winked, making her roll her eyes as she crossed her arms and leaned her head down with her eyes closed, trying to get some rest. After a while, the music blasting in her headphones managed to lull her to sleep.
"What a mood!" Marlene chuckled at the demiwitch.
Many were laughing at her reaction.
It was suddenly the car drove over a hump and Percy felt someone's head hit his shoulder. This gave the boy quite a fright at first, but soon he calmed down and noticed the young metamorphmagus talking a nap on his shoulder.
Percy started to blush when everyone stared his way.
Many raised a teasing brow at the couple.
A blush quickly formed on the boy's face, alarmed by the pretty girl who was resting on him. He was even concerned about breathing, not wanting to wake her up since she had just woken up that morning.
Snorts came from the future generations because Percy didn't know how to act without being awkward with the girl he likes.
Sirius felt slightly irritated, but he didn't say anything. In his opinion, it does look a bit cute.
Annabeth and Grover couldn't help but stare at both the demiwitch and son of Poseidon in amusement. Even Argus and Una kept an eye on them at all times.
Only a few minutes later, Percy was fast asleep on (Name) head, both of them using one another for support.
"Awww," Marlene cooed. "How cute!!"
Sirius huffed at the scene but still didn't say anything because it had looked like an accident.
When this happened, Grover smiled while Annabeth slightly smirked in amusement while shaking her head. The blonde wished that she had brought a camera or a phone with her so that she could take a picture to blackmail her best friend.
(Name) rolled her eyes at her best friend's thoughts.
.
.
.
The scene shows a room with green bedsheets and a bookshelf behind the bed. There were pictures hanging on the walls of sceneries.
(Name) froze and blinked in shock as she saw her bedroom in Grimmauld Place. The other future generations looked at her in wonder too, since they've been into her room before. It was confusing that it was showing there.
"That's a nice and comfy room, but a bit too dark for my liking," Marlene commented.
Lily and Remus were in awe at the sight of the books behind the bed.
"This room looks familiar," Regulus commented, because even if there are so many rooms back in his old house, he remembered that there's one bedroom with a bookshelf there just a few doors down Sirius' room.
"Yeah. I think we used to go there when we were kids," Sirius sent a small smile to Regulus who hesitantly smile back.
Just bits by bits, they could maybe reconciliate their brotherhood.
A five-year-old (Name) was seen reading a book on her bed. The bedsheets were covered until her chest as she flipped the pages while muttering to herself. (Name) blinked in shocked, wondering what she was doing in her old room. As her mind wanders, her mouth was moving unconsciously, as if she was in a dream or more like a memory.
Everyone was as confused as the girl on the screen.
"Is this your room?" Sirius asked turning to the girl who nodded her head in reply.
"Yeah, this was a memory in my past. That's why my thoughts looked confused," (Name) answered back after a short pause. The demigods and satyr looked at the girl too in slight confusion, wondering what she was dreaming about.
"...another wi--wizard crept u-upon him as he lay sleep-ing. He took the El-elder Wand..." The girl's small voice stuttered silently in the room since she couldn't read well due to her dyslexia.
"Elder wand?" Remus asked in confusion. "What are you reading about?"
Most were confused, except those purebloods and certain half-bloods who had read the story knows.
"Wait. Are you reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard?" Fleamont asked the girl who nodded yet again. "No wonder that sentence sounds familiar."
The golden quartet and the two other demigod gave each other a knowing glance, remembering their time when they were on the run during their supposed seventh year.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand slightly from under his cloak and his eyes glistened at the words. He had always wanted to know about the Deathly Hallows.
Suddenly a knock came from the door of her room, making her stop.
"Come in," the little girl said.
The door opened and there stood Walburga with a permanent frown on her face and her arms crossed to her chest.
Many groaned as they saw Walbitch, the loudest being Sirius.
"Her face still looked bitchy as the portrait," Percy couldn't help but insult her. He had seen the noisy portrait in (Name)'s house when he came to visit her.
This made many snorts and chuckles at what he said. Sirius started laughing loudly, enjoying the satire moment.
"I really like this boy," Sirius panted after laughing hard which made Percy quirked a smile at the demiwitch. He was enjoying the moment of getting Sirius' approval and it was working.
"Why are you still doing up, (Name)?" The old woman asked as she stepped into the room. Her dark green nightgown dragging from behind as she stood next to her granddaughter's bed.
"I'm trying to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard as you can see, grandmother," (Name) huffed and closed the book shut, leaning back against her pillow. "I must say that it's rather an interesting book."
"I don't want to know why you're reading that, child. Peu importe [translation: whatever]," Walburga huffed as she sat on the edge of the girl's bed and talked to her sternly. "You should be asleep. You have to wake up tomorrow early in the morning. We'll be going to town to settle some documents and I don't want you to wake up late yet again."
"Oui, grand-mere," the little girl rolled her eyes inwardly. "Goodnight." [translation: yes, grandmother]
The older woman hummed and nodded. As she stood up, turning back and started to walk out of the room, she suddenly hunched her back and started laughing evilly. This sent chills down the girl's back.
"What the fuck??" Sirius and Percy said in unison. Many shivered at the laugh and younger students hid into the older ones' chest as they tried to drown the voice out.
Many turned to the girl in confusion, but the girl groaned lightly with a frown and hid her face into Percy's chest, making the boy confused at her action. Annabeth was concerned about her friend and was not sure how to comfort her.
'What the heck?' (Name) thought.
'Join me, (Name)~ Give me the son of the sea and I will help you with your quest,' a scratchy and familiar voice came out from Walburga's mouth and turned around looking at (Name) with her eyes glistened black. By the time the little girl hears this she glared at the woman scornfully, knowing that someone was possessing Walburga's body and trying to manipulate her. 'He's only going to slow you down from seeing your mother. That's all you want, right? To make her proud? Give me him and I can make it happen~'
"Don't agree with her!"
"Tell her to fuck off!"
Everyone started yelling and shouting, telling the young girl on the screen to not accept the voice's help. The demigods and satyr on the other hand stared at each other, then to (Name) who lifted her head looking at them.
"They're so dramatic..." Annabeth sighed as she leaned against Harry who was chuckling at her in amusement.
"Wait, was that Alecto?" Percy asked the girl, since the voice reminded him of Mrs Dodds. The girl nodded her head in answer. "Oh, you know what... Fuck her. I know that you're not easily listen to her since you know..."
"Of course, you know me well, darling," (Name) winked at him. "That bitch tried to kill me since I was eight too."
"Get the fuck out of my mind you bitch!" The little girl shouted once she managed to take control of her body. "And hell to the no!"
Everyone cheered at her outburst, especially Percy since he knows that she was loyal to her friends and family.
When the car came to a halt, the sudden stop startled both teenagers awake. (Name) took a deep breath, took off her headphones, sliding them down her neck. Then, she quickly turned and looked at Percy, noticing how close they were. Their cheeks suddenly painted in a deep red hue [(Name)'s hair turned extremely bright pink] finally realizing the position, they were in.
The couple sitting there ignored the looks given by the others, but their cheeks were slightly red due to the embarrassing scene.
The demiwitch turned away and coughed as she turned to Annabeth who had a brow raised, a tiny smirk painted on her lips teasingly.
"Don't," (Name) muttered silently, pointed a finger to the blonde who raised her hands up in surrender, but the smirk haven't wiped off her face.
Everyone chuckled in amusement.
The four teenagers stepped out of the van onto Greyhound Station on the Upper East side of Manhattan. Rain clattered as it hit the ground and the sun was beginning to set. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with Percy's picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?
Percy quickly ripped it down before (Name), Annabeth and Grover could notice.
"Why did you do that for?" James asked Percy.
"You'll know when the show continues," Percy commented, not wanting to explain anything into details. He hated thinking about his ex-stepfather.
Argus unloaded the bags, made sure they all had their bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch them as he pulled out of the parking lot. The girls quickly walked ahead towards snack bar near the bus stop to buy some extra food.
Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction Percy was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"
Many were confused at the sudden question.
Percy stared at him. "Were you reading my mind or something?"
"Just your emotions." He shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?" Percy nodded, wondering what else Grover might've forgotten to tell him.
"Your mom married Gabe for you," Grover told the boy. "You call him 'Smelly', but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura... Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a fortnight."
Everyone cringed and made a disgusted face at the thought.
"Wait a minute, doesn't this seem familiar with what Hecate said to (Name) about your mother?" Remus asked Sirius.
"Yup," Sirius nodded.
Many noticed the similarities about them too.
"Thanks," Percy said. "Where's the nearest shower?"
"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy – if that makes you feel any better."
"Of course, she does," Percy said with honesty. "But it didn't really make me feel better at that time, G-man."
"Sorry about that, Perce," Grover sighed.
It didn't, but Percy forced himself not to show it.
'I'll see her again,' the boy thought. 'She isn't gone.'
The boy wondered if Grover could still read his emotions, mixed up as they were. However, he was glad Grover, Annabeth and (Name) were with him, but he felt guilty that he hadn't been straight with them. Percy hadn't told them the real reason he'd said yes to this crazy quest.
The truth was, Percy didn't care about retrieving Zeus's lightning bolt, or saving the world, or even helping his father out of trouble. The more he thought about it, Percy resented Poseidon for never visiting him, never helping his mom, never even sending a lousy child-support cheque. He'd only claimed him because he needed a job done.
All Percy cared about was his mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back.
"Did you just indirectly threaten the God of the Underworld?" Ron asked with an astonished expression. Many were shocked too.
Percy scrunched his face up slightly and thought before saying, "Yes, I did."
This made the others even more stunned to even give another reaction.
You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, the Oracle whispered in his mind. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
"So, someone would betray you... but who?" James asked.
"I know it would never be my child even if the voice earlier told her to give you away," Sirius told Percy as he stared at his daughter had a sad look with her other friend.
"Yeah... It was someone else. It's not either of them," Percy answered as he pointed to the three demigods and satyr next to him.
'Shut up,' Percy told it.
"So..." started Grover after their long-gone conversation earlier as the both of them took shelter at the bus stop. "You and (Name). What's...uhm... going on there?"
"W--what? What do you mean?" Percy stuttered as his cheeks turned bright red. "There's nothing going on."
"Sure, there was nothing..." Annabeth huffed under her breath, staring at the couple who had blush on their cheeks.
"Yeah, as if," Ginny sarcastically said as she shook her head.
Remus and Sirius heard that since they were nearby and stared at Percy who started sweating a bit.
"I mean both of you were practically cuddled up half an hour ago," Grover joked, bumping the boy's shoulder with his, making Percy to blush yet again. "Just kidding. The bus may take a while to come. We'll just wait for the girls to come back with the snacks."
.
.
.
As they waited for the bus to arrive, the rain kept coming down at the same time.
Soon, they got restless and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was, as usual, unbelievable. Same with (Name). Both of them could bounce the apple off their knees, elbow, shoulder. Percy was not to bad himself.
The game ended when Percy tossed the apple towards Grover, and it got too close to his mouth. In one bite, their Hacky Sack disappeared-- core, stem and all. Grover blushed and tried to apologize, but the three other and the familiar were too busy cracking up.
Everyone burst out into laughter along with the other three.
Finally, the bus came. As the quartet stood in line and boarded the bus. Once they found their seats, Grover started to look around; same goes with Una in the hip bag. The satyr sniffed the air like he could smell his favorite food while Una sensed the presence of monsters close to them. The familiar was much sharper in her senses than Grover to say the least.
"Well, Una is way older and experienced. There's nothing much I can say," Annabeth said with a shrug. "But goat boy became better later on in the future."
"What is it?" Percy asked Grover, while Una quickly crawled out of the bag onto the demiwitch's hand.
"I don't know," Grover replied tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."
'It's not nothing, (Name),' Una mind linked her human. 'Get ready. There's something coming.'
Many groaned at their predicament.
(Name) nodded her head as she suddenly felt the air shift slightly and she quickly looked towards the entrance when Una turned her head sharply at that direction as the last passenger got on.
"Oh fuck!" Barty groaned out.
An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves and a shapeless, orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, making Una hiss silently.
(Name) didn't recognize them, but she felt their aura and the unmistakable smell of death. She might have not known who the lady was, but she knew what she was and it's too good to be true that she brought her lackeys along.
"What are they??"
"Guys..." The demiwitch whispered, locking eyes with the first Fury-- Alecto, the one who almost attacked her and Annabeth at the borders weeks ago. "Guys..."
"What?" Annabeth asked as the other two turned to the demiwitch.
"Something's wrong."
"Apart from those creepy looking ladies?" Grover questioned nervously.
"Of course it is," Sirius groaned, rubbing his face with distraught.
"No, it is in fact the creepy looking ladies," she pointed out. "And their aura feels like... death. It means they're the Furies..."
"Oh no..."
"They're in so much trouble..."
People groaned at the monster. It had been the second time it had appeared in the screen and Percy had been attack three time before that.
Annabeth's head snapped to the lady and her jaw tightened.
Two more ladies followed, nearly identical except for the different coloured hats. At the realization of who they were, Grover paled, Annabeth gasped, and Percy scrunched down in his seat.
They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.
The Blacks were in distraught. They wondered how the kids are going to escape now that the front door is closed.
The bus pulled out of the station, and they headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.
"She didn't stay dead long," Percy commented, voice came out quiet and slight shaky. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "Obviously you're not!"
"You had worse luck than me," Harry sighed, making Percy nod.
"To be honest, Ann. Furies never stay dead for long regardless," (Name) defended the boy.
"Wonderful!" James said with a heavy sarcasm in his voice.
"Just great!" Sirius groaned out, slumping back into his seat.
"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"
"Easy, Goat boy. It'll be okay," (Name) assured the satyr.
"Yeah, it's okay," Annabeth said. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out of the windows."
"They don't open," Grover moaned helplessly.
"A back exit?" Annabeth suggested. (Name) checked along with Una; and there wasn't one.
"Nada," the demiwitch shared a grim expression with her familiar.
Many started to panic internally at the scene.
What are the children going to do? They have no way out... The only choice they have is to break the window and jump out.
"No open windows, no back exits," Percy said as he looked around. "They won't attack us with witnesses around, will they?"
"Mortals don't have good eyes, Percy," (Name) reminded. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"
Both girls thought about it, and the blonde said, "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof...?"
"Don't tell me the bus don't have that too?" Regulus asked his niece.
"Well..."(Name) said and she made an 'obviously' look at him. This made the Blacks groan at the girl.
They hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark, except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
One of the old ladies got up and in a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it and announced it to the whole bus: "I need to use the restroom."
"So do I," said the second one and the third one later on.
They started coming down the aisle, towards the back of the bus where the quartet sat.
"Well, that's creepy as fuck," Blaise commented.
As (Name) and Annabeth turned to each other, the blonde looked at the brown cap on her head, while the brunette looked down at the folded Yankees cap. An idea struck their mind and they nodded to each other.
The girls gave each other a smile, knowing that they thought the same thing.
'Smart,' Moody thought with a smirk.
"Percy," the demiwitch started. "Take Annabeth's hat."
"What?" The boy looked at (Name) with confusion written on his face.
"Just take it," Annabeth said. "You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."
"But you guys--"
"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," (Name) said.
"You're the son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering," Annabeth continued from where the brunette left off.
"I just can't leave you all--"
(Name) clasped the boy's hand and looked at him with a calm smile, her eyes were covered by the cap. "Please, Blue. Just do as we say. We'll be alright."
"Yes, do as she say! They're the one who wants you!"
Marlene was squirming in her seat, trying to hold her squeals.
Percy stared back. He couldn't see the desperate and slight fear in her eyes. Nevertheless, he nodded as he clenched his jaw. He didn't want to leave them, but a part of him knew that everything will be okay.
With a trembling hand, he took the Yankee's cap and placed it on his head and his body disappeared.
Percy glanced back as he began his slow trek down the aisle, looking back at (Name) who winked under her cap, sitting calmly on her seat, petting Una with a smile. However, he could see her familiar in a stance, getting ready to transform; the demiwitch's honey-brown eyes were following the Furies with a glint of danger in her eyes.
Shivers ran down everyone's spine at how dark the girl's look was under her cap.
The Fury stopped suddenly, sniffing and looked straight at Percy. (Name) cursed inwardly and snapped her fingers, hoping the Mist worked enough to hide him.
Apparently, the old lady didn't see anything, at least not something worse worrying about. Her sisters and her continued walking. (Name) lowered her cap to cover her face, hoping that they wouldn't notice her.
Many sat at the edge of their seats waiting for what was going to happen.
Percy continued forward with a small sigh of relief. Well, until noises from the back row stole all the attention.
The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same, but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown bodies with bat's wings and hands with feet like gargoyle claws and their handbags turned into whips.
Many started to scream and gag at the sight. They thought that the sight of Voldemort fusing with the back of someone's head would be the weirdest thing to see, but this was way worse.
The Furies surrounded (Name), Una, Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips and hissing: "Where is it? Where?"
'It??' Una mindlinked to her human as they shared a confused look.
Everyone stared at the demigods confused. It was very odd.
"What do they mean by it?" Sirius asked but went ignored since everyone was too invested in the scene.
The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They had saw something, all right.
"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"
The Furies raised their whips.
In an instant, (Name) was out of her seat; Una had transformed into her rapier form and the white earring had turned into a shield. She was standing protectively in front of the two, eyes glowing gold.
"Wow... So cool," many gasp at the sight of the shield.
Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it.
Suddenly, the bus lurched. (Name) yelped in surprise as she was thrown to the right along with everybody else, monsters included.
Many gasped. They had anticipated a fight, but the scene in front was not what they had expected.
"What happened?" Sirius asked, worried for his daughter's safety.
The bus driver seemed to be wrestling for the wheel with the air and (Name) grinned slightly, knowing Percy had a brilliant idea in mind.
Percy smirked proudly at how she reacted.
"Hey!" The driver yelled. "Hey-- whoa!"
The bus then slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind them. (Name) fell backwards from where she stood, the back of her head hit the side of the window hard, making her groan.
Everyone hissed at her pain.
"Take a hold of something!" Yelled Annabeth.
The demiwitch leaned against the seats, using her legs as a leverage to hold herself from swaying along with the bus. Her shield protecting her from sliding away and getting caught in the crossfire.
They careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel, sliding on the wet floor. The Furies' shrieks were drowned under the passenger's screams as cars took dangerous turns to avoid the bus.
Somehow, the driver found an exit and got off the highway. The road turned bumpy as they neared the Hudson River.
Suddenly, the emergency brake was hit.
The bus stopped spinning and hurled itself onto the trees without warning, making passengers yelp as they crashed against their seats. The emergency lights came on and the doors flew open, the driver being the first one to run out with passengers following in suit.
The Furies regained their balance and hissed at both girls when they recovered from their fall. They lashed their whips, readying themselves to attack.
"Oh no..."
"Come on! Get up!"
Many started shouting at the screen. The demigods and satyr shook their heads at how dramatic they were being.
Before they could do anything, (Name) pointed her rapier back at them, glaring at them intimidatingly, her bronze shield in front of herself and Annabeth protectively. The blonde was waved her knife and yelling at the Furies to back off in Greek. Grover threw tin cans.
Everyone sat at the ends of their seats and were excited for some action.
Out of a sudden, Percy ripped the cap off his head and turned to the Furies. "Hey!" The boy suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, gaining the attention of the Furies. (Name) clicked her tongue and muttered, "Stupid idjit!"
Some chuckled at the scene and they agreed with what the girl said.
Percy looked at (Name) in offence, who just shrugged back.
"Well, you kind of are," the demiwitch stated the obvious.
This made the boy pout at her, but he knew that she was protective over him, that's why she called him an idiot. Nonetheless, he is her idiot.
The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at Percy, and one of them stalked up the aisle towards him. Slashing her whips a couple of times, trying to scare the demigods as sparks came from it. Her sisters slinked along the seats, crawling over Percy like huge lizards.
"Perseus Jackson," Alecto said with a raspy voice. "You have offended the Gods. You shall die."
"When don't I," Percy mused, making (Name) roll her eyes at how he finds it amusing.
"I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy retorted back.
The short quip made the less scared ones let out small chuckles.
This made the Fury growled.
Grover, Annabeth and (Name) shared a look of determination before sneaking behind the Furies, trying to find an opening. Annabeth stuck with the satyr, while (Name) stood alone moving towards Percy. It's not because she thought that Grover was weaker, but because she knew her best friend could fight on her own and also protect the son of Poseidon.
Percy took out his ballpoint pen out of his pocket, uncapping it; Riptide elongated into a double-edged sword, one that, to anyone who was sound of mind and body, was a threat in and of itself.
The Furies hesitated. Just slightly.
Suddenly, a pulse of warm heat hit him, he felt energy sizzled through his body. Percy looked at the corner of his eyes, beside one of the Furies, finding (Name) with her rapier drawn. Its blade shimmered in the air, deadly and intimidating due to the aura of a living being. He also noticed a beautiful bronze shield in front of her protectively.
"Oh, no... They're so dead..."
Alecto had felt Riptide's blade before. She was familiar with its searing heat against her skin. But now, with Thornpiercer in its company, she hesitated.
"Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."
"Nice try," Percy told her off.
"Percy, look out!" Annabeth yelled out.
The Fury lashed her whip towards his sword arm while the Furies on either side tried to lunge at him.
However, before it made contact with him, a large bronze shield flashed in front of him, blocking the whip, making a clank sound, burying into the side of the bus. Heat can be felt from behind the shield. (Name) had threw her shield to save the boy from getting his hands burn from the hot whip.
"Captain America type shit," a muggle student commented.
This made many of the wiccans to be confused at what they meant.
"Percy! Use the shield!" The demiwitch called out. Without being told twice, he pulled out the shield with a quick and hard pull. Striking the Fury on the left hard with it, sending her toppling backwards into a seat. Then, he turned and sliced the Fury on the right, cutting her. But the cut wasn't deep enough to dispel her.
(Name) was seen ruthlessly attacking another Fury with her rapier. Her intimidating stance and attacks pushed the Fury back until she managed to pierce it through the shoulder and slashing downwards, causing them to explode into dust.
Cheers filled the hall, Blaise, Sirius and his friends being the loudest of them all.
Annabeth had the other Fury in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward, while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.
"Ow!" The satyr yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"
The Fury that Percy slashed at came at him again, talons ready, but he swung Riptide, slicing the Fury, making her break open like a pinata.
Many cheered again for the next kill.
Alecto was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but Annabeth held on while Grover got her legs tied up in her own whip. Finally, they both shoved her backwards into the aisle. The Fury tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down. Now, her chest was pinned as well, with (Name) standing on her, holding her down with the rapier pointed to her neck.
"Zeus will destroy you!" Alecto promised. "Hades will have your soul!"
"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled.
Those who know latin burst out laughing.
"What did he say??" Blaise asked.
"He said, 'Eat my pants' in latin," (Name) answered as she snickered.
This made some look at the boy incredulously while others chuckled in amusement.
Suddenly, thunder roared and the bus shook. The hair rose on the back of (Name)'s neck as she looked up to her friends, wide eyed.
"What now!" Sirius groaned out. There were so many turns of events and it's quite hard to keep up.
"Get out!" The girls yelled out, understanding. "Now!"
Percy, of course, was confused. He hesitated, even at the girls' warning.
"Come on!" (Name) grabbed the shield off his hand, quickly making it shrink into the earring and she grabbed his hand, tugging him along with her as they ran through the aisle of the bus and onto the New York streets.
The quartet rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped a photograph of Percy before he could recap his sword.
"Oh shit!"
"That's bad!"
"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our--"
BOOOOOOOMM!
Many jumped in shock at the explosion.
The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told everyone that Alecto was not yet dead.
"Run!" Annabeth yelled, pulling all of them, urging them away. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"
"Wait! Reinforcement?!" Sirius began to panic as he stared at is daughter who held his hand, trying to calm him down.
Annabeth too was calming a shocked looking Harry.
"To the woods!" (Name) shouted as she led the group to the direction of woods.
"Everyone, grab on!" The demiwitch said. She held Percy's and Annabeth's hands, while Annabeth held Grover's and once, she stepped on the grass, everyone disappeared into a flash.
Everyone lets out a sigh and groaned. No one expected this chapter would be so chaotic and gut wrenching.
Author's note
Heyoo! How's the chapter so far?
Please give me your opinion and also vote if you like it.
Thanks for reading so far until this chapter.
Love you all!
Chidoristream over and out~~