Percy's butt was starting to hurt.
After two days on the Amtrak train—luckily without any attacks—he was becoming restless and tired of being tired as they headed west through hills, over rivers, and past amber waves of grain. He was ADHD, so it wasn't exactly his fault. His body felt sedimentary, not having been moved from his seat in forty-eight hours.
As they passed fields of wheat, Aurora mumbled nonsense about hating whole wheat and something about the Demeter cabin.
Percy was trying to keep a low profile because his name and picture was splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. Deep, deep down, a smile tugged at his heart, solely because Aurora's pretty (annoying) face was pictured right next to him. (It was hilarious how annoyed she was about being Percy's sidekick. That was the only reason for any joy coming from his being wanted by the police). Her hands looked like they were covered in blood, but in reality were dusted in monster shavings. It was weird how the Mist distorted things. Oleander and Riptide alike were a metallic blur in both their hands. It might've been a baseball bat or a lacrosse stick.
Percy had a wild look in his eyes, while Aurora looked mostly angry.
Life threateningly angry.
The picture's caption read: Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here with partner Aurora Miller fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. Miller murdered one before the other two escaped to safety. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson and Miller fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy and girl may be traveling with two two teenage accomplices. Jackson's stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.
Their reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver, but the three demigods couldn't sleep. Percy felt especially self-conscious knowing Aurora was sitting next to him. He didn't want to be caught having her leaning against him sleeping again. How embarrassing.
Grover, however, had no trouble dozing off. He kept snoring and bleating. Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Annabeth and Aurora had to stick it back on before any of the other passengers noticed.
The three sat in silence until Annabeth's head drooped, indicating that the blonde too had fallen asleep.
"What were you dreaming about?" Aurora asked quietly after a beat of relishing the quiet. She glanced over at Percy with a mix of concern and annoyance. "Someone needed your help. I doubt they know how stupid you are if they actually want to be around you."
Percy didn't even crack a smile or banter back. In a normal circumstance, he would've, because Aurora's insults were far too easy. He wanted to retort, but instead, he played dumb. He could imagine Aurora's jokes about that. "What do you mean?"
"You were asleep just now. You said, 'I won't help you.'" Aurora cocked an eyebrow. "I know it's in your nature, but try not to be stupid right now and actually talk."
Percy looked away.
Aurora sighed, not letting go of the argument. "Shark Boy, you know nothing about anything right now. I'm not Annabeth, but I could help. I'm actually trying to help you."
Percy was reluctant to say anything. It was the second time he'd dreamt about the evil voice from the pit. But Aurora was sitting there, all expectant and pretty looking, waiting for him, so he finally gave in and told her. Plus, she was trying to help him, like she said. That was one step closer to them being friends.
He told her everything.
Finally, after a long time of contemplating, her eyebrows furrowed into a frown. "That doesn't sound like Hades. Trust me, I know what he sounds like." She shuddered so quickly, Percy wouldn't have caught it if he wasn't looking. It took him a second to realize he was looking.
"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?" Percy countered.
"I don't know, but Hades would never give up a pawn in his chess game of insanity." Aurora caught Percy's eye, as if she knew what he was thinking. She narrowed her gold-rimmed eyes at him, and Percy tried not to squirm under her scrutiny. "Percy, don't even fucking think about bartering with Hades. I know what you're thinking, and you'll be dead before you even try. He's the worst fucking god out there. He hates kids like us. And I don't care if his little slaves weren't as aggressive this time, you would have to bite my head of before I let you—"
Percy did a double take, his brain dwelling on the certain phrase she used: and no, it was not 'I let you,' although that made him feel uneasy in a slightly better manner than 'aggressive this time' did. "This time?" He asked. "They knew who you were. You've run into them before?"
Percy frowned at Aurora's silence. She had turned her head, gazing at the endless rolls of hay as the train whizzed by. Three days ago, te entire night they were talking, Aurora had constantly avoided questions about herself. They talked about colors and candy and food and activities, but never about her past, no matter how much Percy went on and on about his mom.
"We've met on multiple occasions. It's like they watched me grow up." She snorted, sarcasm leaking into her words as she leaned her head against the window. Her joking facade melted before her face went stony. "They're merciless."
"How so?" Percy leaned forward. Aurora's hazel eyes flashed, a gold ringlet outlining her pupil in a way that was dangerous and beautiful at the same time. "I mean, duh, they're the fucking Furies, but... what did they do to you? What did Hades do?"
"You're so annoying." Aurora complained, but she turned so her back was facing the window and her front towards Percy. In the dark, her eyes looked electric: a light honey color, like dripping caramel adorned with a golden interior. "Why should I tell you?"
"I promise, I won't tell anyone else." Percy stared at her with his best impression of puppy dog eyes. "I'll pinky swear. You can trust me. We're friends, right?"
She was the one who offered help to him. Why in the world could she not just accept help for once? Why couldn't she just let herself be listened to, instead of doing the listening? Honestly, it pissed Percy off so much, because she deserved to be treated like how she treated others, but he was trying to win her over, so he kept his mouth shut—for once.
He held up his right pinky. Aurora sighed, but mimicked his position, entwining her finger with his. As their skin touched, it was as if there was an invisible string of loyalty, a thread binding them to each other—if only just for a moment. "Fine, I'll tell you. But we are definitely not friends."
Percy shrugged. He could live with that as long as he found out a little more about Aurora. His mission on the quest wasn't just getting his mom from the Underworld. It was wearing down the great daughter of Persephone, trying to figure out a little bit more and more about her each day.
Aurora took a deep breath and avoided his eyes. Her voice was unsteady as she began.
"When I was five, I was attacked. The Furies came to me personally. They were sent to kill me by Hades, because the monsters that were sent when I was two and three and four just weren't enough. It wasn't because I was powerful, it was because my mom birthed me and didn't kill me right then and there. My dad couldn't really take it, so it was just me and the Furies." Aurora's voice shook as she shut her eyes tight, as if trying to rid herself of the memory. Percy yearned to reach out to her and touch her hand comfortingly, just as he had done with his mom all those weeks ago.
"My mom came and talked to me after a couple days of the Furies chasing me, taunting me, whipping me, basically being absolute bitches. Hades had apparently conceded to her begging for my safety, but only for a little while. The Furies still didn't leave me alone, so my mom sent Artemis to protect me and bring me to camp. I still don't know why she didn't do it, but whatever. That's why I got my ring. It was a parting gift by Artemis, an apology from my mother." Aurora shrugged like being personally hunted by the Furies and the god of the Underworld was some casual feat. "Monsters had instructions to find me and make my life hell to this day. It's okay though, because camp was safe. I hadn't left for this long in, like, seven years."
Percy's jaw was dropped. He might've had ADHD, but her words seemed to be labeled with an important sticker on them, because his receptors worked overtime to process them. His thoughts swam in the ocean that was his head, steaming from her story.
How could Hades be so evil? How could anyone, despite how angry they might've been at their wife for cheating, attack and want to kill a cute little five year old girl? Hades himself had over a hundred children out of wedlock. Why did his Ro deserve that?
His insides bubbled with a rage he'd never felt before.
Anger surged within him like a tempest, like an intense fire piercing through the air with a palpable sense of menace. He wanted to fight Hades, challenge him to a one-on-one duel. He wanted to kill the god, choke him with his own blood. He wanted to see him fall into the depths of Tartarus, trapped in his own creation, the evil where he really belonged.
But mostly, he blamed himself.
He wanted—needed—Aurora on his quest to go to fucking Hades, and he never thought about what this would mean for her. Seeing the man who personally tortured her for years? He couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt.
"I'm... I'm so sorry." He choked out, wringing his hands until they turned white. "I didn't know. I would've never—"
Aurora nudged his hand with her knee, rolling her eyes at his solemness. It was a simple action, but it said all the right words. She understood. Even still, Percy didn't relax. How could he? But her touch blanketed him with a small dose of calamity. "Relax, Shark Boy. It's fine. It was bound to happen, really. I'm just glad it's with you."
Although it didn't brush off the guilt he felt, Percy's lips spread into a huge grin at her words of comfort. As if she could predict what he was going to say—he was a classic teenage boy, so Percy knew it wasn't exactly hard—Aurora scoffed.
"Only because he'll probably be more mad at you than he is with me." Percy ignored her explanation, however, and only focused on the warmth in his heart. He couldn't think anything but "yay." He felt like a lovesick child of Aphrodite. The reason behind it, he had no idea.
"I had a really bad stepdad too." Percy supplied, trying to break the heavy aura around them. "Obviously not as bad as Hades, but, like, still pretty bad. He was super abusive and smelled really bad."
Percy was happy to see that Aurora's lips quirked up slightly. A slow smile crept across her face, like the first rays of dawn stretching lazily across the sky. It started small, barely noticeable, then gradually widened, as if each inch was savored before revealing the full warmth and brilliance within. She looked away bashfully as her pink lips seemed to gather its energy from some hidden reservoir of joy—joy that he caused. Behind her, the sun peeked over the horizon, as if Aurora's beautiful grin summoned day from the depths of Nyx's night.
Even though there was nothing around them—no soil, no grass, no sunlight, no water—at the edge of Aurora's seat grew a water lily. It was beautiful, really. Its blossoms were light pink, the color Aurora had stated to be her favorite, and its stem was sturdy. Percy was confused, because wasn't the whole point of water lilies that they grew in the water, but he didn't care hard enough to think about it for too long.
"He smells worse than you?" Aurora snorted, hazel meeting aquamarine in a moment of pure bliss, innocently and without arguing and disagreements. As if they were friends. "Impossible."
ೀ⋆｡🌷 notes ...
word count: 2223
date published: march 1, 2024
thoughts: i feel like they're moving a little too fast but also it's necessary and lines up with the plot and the percabeth timeline in the books so idk. thoughts?
also tell me why we have so many chapters and we're only half way done... and all five books are going to be in this one book... it's concerning, yes. the problem is that i like updating like a little too much.. anyways
sorry this chapter is so long but i love this scene sm so i hope u guys enjoyed <3