I sliced through more dead bodies than most morticians would ever encounter during their entire career. It didn't help matters that whenever I chopped off an arm or knocked out a couple of teeth onto the ground, the separated body part would quiver for a moment before flying back into place, reattaching itself to its owner.
I growled in frustration as I decapitated one vrykolaka and dodged another's chain whip, narrowly avoiding getting my foot torn off. From the end of my blades, I sent tongues of fire, my frustration only growing when I realized that all I was doing was expending my energy without any real benefits.
Maybe regular fire wouldn't work, I thought to myself, eyeing the highly flammable curtains that hung from the cave's stalactites, but another type of flame might. With one gut wrenching cry, I hopped onto one of Mellinoe's dressers and pointed my knives towards the curtains, feeling my insides tighten as the color of my flames transformed from a warm orange to lime green, quickly burning through the blood red fabric and racing down the sides of the abandoned cave.
The vrykolakas continued to chatter menacingly, but after the first few fell victim to the Greek fire, quickly being reduced to a pile of ash, the undead warriors seemed less keen to attack, especially now that I had surrounded myself in the middle of my own firenado.
"Who's next?" I yelled, goading the flames to engulf another nearby vrykolaka, his bow clattering out of his hands, burning right next to his rotting flesh and bones.
But either these vrykolakas were very brave or very stupid, because they still charged anyways, the black pits that were their eyes gleaming sadistically in the light of the Greek fire.
Knowing that I was running out of time, I moved the Greek fire off the walls of the cave and surrounded the vrykolakas in a ring of fire, bringing my hands together until there were multiple pillars of flame in front of me, each one of them chattering their teeth until they were nothing more than dust and ash underfoot.
Once I was sure the last undead warrior had been destroyed, I dropped the Greek fire, wiping away the sweat on my face with the back of my hand. My insides felt like they'd been liquefied, and my legs trembled like Jell-O, having burned through the energy that Nico had given me through his sacrifices.
The thought of Nico di Angelo hit me like a freight train. I almost fell to the ground right then and there, shocked at how soon he'd fallen into Tartarus, but I couldn't afford to wait around here any longer, not with so many of Gaea's minions around. Not to mention that I still had no idea where Bob was, something which worried me greatly.
Fumbling with my bag, I popped two squares of ambrosia into my mouth, pulled my hair back, and set off deeper into the Underworld in search of my Titan friend.
0o0o
You know, you'd think that finding a seven-foot-tall, glowing silver Titan would be easy in a place that's pretty much all different shades of black. But I felt like I was currently an extra in a Where's Waldo? book, except this Waldo was hidden among the dead.
I ran through Elysium, Asphodel, and Punishment to no avail, shouting, "Bob! Bob!" at the top of my lungs, only to have different shades curse me out in every language imaginable.
I'd even got Cerberus to try and help, giving each of his heads some of Bob's spare janitorial clothes to smell, but he only led me to as far as the entrance of the palace, where I'd last seen Bob. I sighed in frustration but still rewarded Cerberus by tossing up three red, rubber balls the size of a tractor's wheel for each of his heads, watching him excitedly chew on the toy.
I almost gave up, too, deciding that it would be better to inform Hades about what was going on than continuing to handle this by myself, but I found two familiar shades standing close to the River Styx, people who I hadn't expected to ever see again.
"Kyle? Holly?" I asked, unable to mask my disbelief. "What are you two doing here? How are you here?"
"We could ask you the same question," Holly said. But for the first time since I met her, I noticed that there was something missing from her voice: malice. She was genuinely trying to be considerate, something that shocked me as much, if not more, than the fact that I was currently talking to her ghost.
After my conversation with Achilles after witnessing Holly's death, well, I never expected to see the daughter of Ares again, in this life or the next. I thought her soul had been utterly destroyed.
I guess not.
"We are bound to the river," Kyle answered, waving towards the jagged rocks that lined the shore of the River Styx. "The water has purified us, reminded us who we are."
"And that would be...?"
Kyle sighed. "I don't expect you to forgive us, Andy, not after the things we...I did. I was just so angry at not being acknowledged, and I know that that doesn't justify all the pain and suffering I caused, but I want you to know why I helped Kronos. I want you to know so that this doesn't happen again."
Holly nodded in agreement, lacing her fingers between Kyle's.
"I was angry, too," she explained. "My mom was serving overseas for most of my life, so I grew up with my grandmother, who constantly compared me to my mom, telling me that I'd never be half the woman that she was. When they both died and I came to camp, I was even more upset to learn that my dad had been there on the battlefield on the day that my mom was killed, and he did nothing to help her.
"Couple that with the fact that the Ares cabin was one of the biggest cabins at camp, and you can see why I was desperate for any sort of attention. That's why I helped Kyle bring back your father. I thought if my own father couldn't give me any sense of validation, maybe Kronos could.
"But I was wrong, so very wrong. I see that now. I just wish I'd seen it earlier."
I nodded in understanding, biting my bottom lip. "I can't forgive you right now," I said, watching their faces fall, "not after causing the deaths of some of my best friends or aiding in the torturing of innocent children. But maybe that'll change with enough time. I just can't right now. It's too soon."
"We understand," Kyle said, his caramel brown eyes shining with a newfound urge for redemption. "So, if there is any way we can help, please let us know."
"Actually, you can help."
"Anything you need," Holly said, nodding eagerly, her ethereal form seeming very well off despite the fact Achilles had told me her soul had been sent straight to the Void.
"You haven't seen a Titan running by here recently, have you? He has silver hair and either has a broom or a spear in his hand. He was wearing janitorial clothing. He also responds to Bob."
"Bob? Do you mean Iapetus?"
I waved off the question. "Long story."
Kyle stayed quiet for a few moments, tapping a finger against his chin before saying, "He headed that way," pointing downstream of the Styx. "Be careful down there. Something dangerous lurks nearby."
"Great," I huffed, absentmindedly twirling the knife in my left hand. "Because I haven't had enough danger today. Thank you, anyhow."
"Of course."
The pair bowed in my direction and dissipated in a puff of white smoke, the smoke melting into the hazy mist that floated over the murky waters of the River Styx.
I stared at the mist for a few more moments before following the path of the river downstream, finally finding some newly made tracks. I followed the large footprints into a decimated tunnel, the entrance having been blasted open by some weapon in order for something bigger to pass through.
I sheathed my knives at my waist as I started climbing over the rubble, wincing whenever the obsidian stone would slice my hands open, leaving thin lines of ichor flowing towards my wrists. By the time I reached the other side, my hands were bleeding profusely, and I'd scraped my knee.
Why did everything in the Underworld have to cause so much bodily harm?
The other side of the tunnel emptied out into a cavern as large as Grand Central Terminal. However, instead of a completely solid floor, there was a vertical drop off thirty feet from the entrance of the tunnel, the cliff being the edge of a perfect circle that encompassed most of the cavern.
From down below, a brilliant blue light glowed like a brand new glow stick, casting its ethereal shine onto the otherwise black stones. Curiosity getting the better of me, I approached the cliff and peeked over the edge, watching as five different bodies of water emptied themselves out into a huge basin, which was easily the size of at least 150 Olympic sized swimming pools.
The basin of the five rivers of the Underworld – arguably the most dangerous place in the entire world, even more so than Tartarus itself.
And if that was the case, then why the hell had Bob come here? And where was he?
"Bob?" I asked, my voice echoing off the cavern's walls, reverberating like a broken record. "Bob, are you here?"
No one replied.
I began searching around the rubble, stifling a gasp when I found Bob behind a huge pile of obsidian rock, the end of a stalagmite jutting through his thigh. Half of his head had been sliced open. His spear was crushed underneath all the rubble, the shaft having snapped in half as easily as a twig by the weight of all the rocks.
As quickly and painlessly as I could, I got Bob off the stalagmite and started wrapping his wound, constantly looking over my shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that something evil was heading this way. What the hell was going on here?
First Nico was kidnapped and thrown into Tartarus, now Bob's unconscious next to the most volatile water source in the entire universe. What's next? A dragon's going to fall from the sky?
I really wish I hadn't had thought that, because the next thing I knew, the cavern shook like I stood in the epicenter of a massive earthquake, loose rocks and stalactites falling to the ground at a deadly pace. I barely had enough time to yank on the charm that released my shield before a stalactite almost turned me into a shish-kabob.
Although the ground felt like jelly, rocking back and forth in tumultuous waves, I somehow managed to crawl towards Bob, shielding the both of us to the best of my ability. On top of my shield, I summoned a dome of shadows, but it continued to weaken every time something smashed against it, my power reserves almost entirely depleted.
Once the earthquake ceased, I heard a pair of heavyset beings land, sending one last shockwave so intense that I almost bit my tongue off.
"Oh, to be free at last!" one of the monsters enthused, clapping his hands repeatedly. "And we already have a plaything!"
"The boy's not a plaything, you dolt!" the second admonished. The sound of a hand slapping against flesh filled the cavern. "He is a pawn and nothing more! You best remember that before-"
"Before I arrive?" a third voice said.
It was all I could do to pull the darkness tighter over myself and Bob, afraid to even breathe as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing. I broke out into a cold sweat, forcing myself to keep my eyes open if only for our safety.
A spider the size of a Volkswagen buggy crawled out of an opening in the wall, releasing a thin, yet incredibly strong line of silk to lash around a stalactite before expertly lowering itself to the ground. Next to the two giants, she was tiny, but still a gruesome sight to behold.
Although her abdomen made up the majority of her size, where the massive, furry head most spiders should've been was the waist of a woman with thick, coarse hair wrapping around a petite torso. The only part of her not covered in hair was her face, which was whiter than freshly fallen snow and marred by the fact that she had eight dark eyes curling around her head in a demonic halo sort of way.
Arachne.
"Your Ladyship," the second giant, who I'm guessing is Ephialtes, said cordially. "Thank you for permitting us to set up shop in your home. We are ever so grateful."
"Enough groveling," Arachne spat, "it's beneath you. Come. I have more important things to do than escorting giants around."
"Thank you, your Ladyship!" Otis added. "We'll make sure to throw on a great celebration in your honor." He turned to his brother. "But this time, I get to wear the wizard's robe with the gold shoes."
Arachne grimaced, which only made her more horrific to look at. Her pincers snapped irritably, as if they were sentient beings instead of weapons under her control. "That will not be necessary. Follow me, you two, and don't get lost. I will not come back to find you."
And with that, she lifted herself back up on the same silk thread, her legs clattering across the rocks as she landed back onto the little cliff of the opening she came out of. The giant brothers gave each other a look, shrugged, and pulled out a couple of rocket launchers, blasting the cavern wall to smithereens as they followed Arachne, careful to not shoot the spider.
They couldn't have left a moment too soon, as Bob began to stir, a grimace on his face as he forced his eyes to open, a groan escaping his lips.
"Stay still, Bob," I ordered, dispersing the shadows back to their rightful place.
After sifting through some more rubble, I managed to get all the pieces of Bob's spear and placed them in my bag, determined to fix the weapon when I could. Once that was done, I splinted up Bob's injury and shadow-traveled us back to the palace's infirmary, which was quickly becoming one of my most frequented places on this visit so far.
When we got there, I lost myself in my work, not stopping until I got the bleeding to stop and shoved so much ambrosia and nectar down Bob's throat that he refused to take another bite of the godly food.
I refused to pay any attention to the flaming barrel behind me, the fire still going strong despite having left it alone for the past two hours. It reminded me too much of Nico and how I'd failed to save him.
"He is strong," Bob said, staring at the flames, scratching at the bandages that wrapped around his head. "He will come back."
"Gods, I hope so," I replied, finally waving a hand over the barrel, extinguishing the flames once and for all.
0o0o
Because my day couldn't possibly get any worse, when I finally left the Underworld, I was confronted by a very impatient looking Hera, irritation written across her every feature when she finally saw me heading towards Bunker 9.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" she asked, clamping a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stare at those piercing brown eyes of hers.
"To let out my frustrations in a useful manner by hammering stuff," I answered, fighting the urge to yank her hand off of me. "I am not in the mood, Hera, so I'll only ask once: what do you want?"
Hera glared at me, like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to throw me off Mount Olympus or tear me apart herself. Instead, she said, "It's time," through gritted teeth, digging her nails into my shoulder.
"And you need me because...?"
"You're the only one with free reign in the mortal world," Hera explained, her grip tightening. "If my brother learns what I've done, he will kill me before this war is over."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "We've already gone over this before. If you'd only listened to me-"
"I know, I know." Hera sighed. "Just move the boy to the Wolf House. Lupa will take care of him from there."
"Fine. But if Poseidon still tries to go after you, I can't help."
"I'll be fine on my own."
I shrugged. "If you say so."
Hera released her vice grip on my arm and dissolved in a bright flash of light, causing for some nearby campers to stare in my general direction. I shooed them away, walking a few paces before turning into mist, reforming only once I was back inside Hera's Canadian residence.
The parlor was still as cozy as I left it, the fireplace still keeping the room at a comfortable temperature despite the cooler temperatures outside. The scent of freshly baked cookies and blooming flowers hung in the air. In the corner of the room, Percy was still bundled up in a myriad of blankets, his face expressionless as he continued his forced slumber.
Slowly, I unraveled the blanket cocoon around Percy until he was just laying on top of the thin sheet that covered the mattress. I frowned at the Camp Half-Blood shirt he was wearing, the bold, black lettering still there. With a single touch, the writing faded beyond recognition, exactly as it had happened the first time.
Then I scooped Percy into my arms and mist-traveled us into the Wolf House, which still hadn't been fully repaired after the battle in December. I found a dumpy couch that seemed in good enough condition and set him down there, frowning at the multiple shattered windows and gaping holes in the roof.
This spring had been colder than normal across the country (no thanks to Khione), but it was to the point that there was still the occasional snowfall. To put this into perspective, let me mention that it was late May in southern California, and there was snow. It was practically the end of the world.
I so desperately wanted to drape the warm blanket I had stowed away in my bag over Percy, but I knew that would only be a disservice to him. The wolves would tear him apart if they saw him like that.
I placed my index and middle fingers against Percy's temple, muttering the counter curse to Hera's spell under my breath until I was sure that it was gone. Almost instantly, Percy started to stir, and I took that as my cue to leave, having already sensed Lupa's pack coming in this direction.
Percy rolled over and flopped off the couch. And just as his eyes opened, I vanished, wishing that I could forget that painfully vacant look on his face as he turned towards me, totally oblivious as to who I was.
0o0o
This time when I got back to Camp Half-Blood, no one asked me any questions as I stormed off into the woods, following the now well-worn path leading down to Bunker 9. Even before I reached the doors to the bunker, I could hear the sound of machines whirring, the construction of the Argo II well underway.
I stepped into the huge building, picking up a pair of safety goggles and gloves, tugging them on. Then I grabbed the biggest sledgehammer I could find and headed for the hull, which still needed reinforcements.
"'Sup, Andy?" Leo asked, peering over the railing on the starboard side, a wrench in one hand and a screwdriver in the other.
"There are still rivets that need hammering in the hull, right?" I asked, watching as Leo's grin melted off his face at the sight of me.
"Y-Yeah," he stammered. "Especially by the engine room."
"Good. Let me know if you need my help elsewhere." I hefted my sledgehammer over my shoulder and walked through the wooden frame of this side of the hull, finding a line of rivets and hammering them into their place.
Honestly, with how hard I was hitting these things, I think I could've given Coach Hedge a run for his money. I didn't stop until every last rivet in the hull was in its proper place, my arms aching something awful, sweat causing my clothes to cling to me.
But I welcomed the soreness with open arms. At least I didn't have to focus on everything else that had happened today, my mind too consumed with the task at hand to remember the sound of Nico screams as he fell into Tartarus, of Bob's pained whimpers when I sutured his gaping leg wound, of Arachne's terrifying appearance as she led Otis and Ephialtes to Rome, of the empty look on Percy's face as he realized that he had no idea where he was.
I didn't realize how late it'd gotten until Annabeth came into the bunker, demanding for me and Leo to stop working. Leo, who was still petrified of getting on Annabeth's bad side, immediately stopped blowtorching the metal sheets lining the outside of the hull, hurriedly wiping off some of the grime and dirt on his sullied pants.
As for me, I didn't want to stop working, but after seeing how Annabeth was looking at the Argo II, like she wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or burn it to the ground, I set down my saw, gloves, and goggles, allowing Annabeth to drag me away.
"Where have you two been?" she asked, concern flooding her voice. "No one's seen either one of you all day. We were so worried that something had happened, and..." She trailed off, sensing that I'd stopped dead in my tracks, tightly holding onto a tree to keep myself upright. It was all I could do to not lose it right then and there.
"Andy, what's wrong?" Leo asked, illuminating the otherwise dark forest with a small fire in the palm of his hand. "Are you okay?"
I just shook my head, sniffling once, refusing to let a single tear escape. I had to be strong right now. My friends were looking at me for guidance and answers. I couldn't afford to breakdown.
"We can't help if you don't tell us what's wrong," Annabeth said, placing a gentle hand onto my shoulder. "Please, Andy, how can we help?"
"You want to help?" I asked, my voice cracking despite my best efforts. They both nodded. "Alright. Annabeth, no matter what, do not talk to your mother. Even if you see her here in the mortal world, stay away from her."
"Wait, why would I-?"
"And Leo, for the love of God, get the other Hephaestus kids to help you with the Argo II. You're going to burn out at the pace you're working at, especially since you want to do this by yourself or with me only. They're extremely qualified and will follow your instructions to a T, but you have to let them help."
Then, as an afterthought, I said, "And don't invite Octavian onto the Argo II."
"Who's Octavian?" he asked.
"You'll find out soon enough." I sighed again, running a hand through my hair, watching as the gray streak that I'd sustained from holding the sky fell into my line of vision. I tucked it behind my ear as I started walking again, not answering the questions that Annabeth and Leo were peppering me with.
Eventually, as the dining pavilion came into view, Annabeth and Leo stopped asking questions, but I could see it on their faces that they were nowhere near done trying to get answers out of me.
Go ahead, ask away, I thought to myself miserably, cradling my head in my hands as I took a seat at Poseidon's table, hearing a wood nymph laughing at a friend's joke as she set a plate in front of me. I stared at the enchilada on the plate and immediately started looking around.
Was Grover here? Juniper somehow always managed to get the nymphs in charge of making dinner to make enchiladas whenever Grover came back to camp after a long mission, and as far as I knew, he hadn't come back since Percy disappeared, hell bent on finding him.
As I thought, I found Grover standing next to Chiron at the head table, looking worse for wear. His Rasta cap was caked with mud and twigs. One of his shoes had gone missing, and the other had its sole practically peeling away. The hem of his shirt was in tatters, as if someone had tried rubbing a cheese grater across the fabric as hard as they could.
But despite this, his reed pipes remained intact around his neck, and he managed a small smile as Juniper waltzed into the pavilion, giving him such a tight hug that his face started to turn a slight shade of purple.
Chiron stood up, stomping his hoof against the marble floor until all side conversations died away, seventy or so kids were expectantly waiting for him to speak.
"Good evening, campers," Chiron began, raising his eyebrows at me when he saw me sitting at my table for the first time in two weeks. "I will keep announcements fairly brief tonight seeing as we have a very important celebration to get to. Anyhow, Leo has informed me that anyone willing to help build the Argo II, meet at Bunker Nine tomorrow after breakfast. Those that help are exempted from all regularly scheduled activities.
"Secondly, there is the matter concerning the whereabouts of a certain Percy Jackson." Many campers gasped. Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows together, concentrating on every word that Chiron said. "Grover Underwood here can explain."
Grover stepped forward. "I felt our empathy link reawaken for the first time in months. That means that I should be able to make contact through dreams if nothing else is interfering." He shuffled nervously. "I know it's not much to go off of, but it's the first lead we've had in months..."
Grover was cut off by the uproar of cheers flooding the dining pavilion. Even Piper, Leo, and Jason, who'd never met Percy, celebrated the good news. Grover blushed and walked back to his spot by Chiron, blushing even more when Juniper pressed a kiss to his cheek in front of the entire camp, earning himself wolf whistles from half the Hermes and Apollo boys.
"And one final announcement," Chiron promised, laughing as Travis and Connor Stoll groaned, wanting to sacrifice their food and be allowed to eat. "I would like to wish a very happy birthday to someone who has tried her best to help anyone who asks her while balancing a multitude of other duties and responsibilities. And with that, I say, happy birthday, Andromeda!"
Once again, the pavilion roared in approval. I swear I could've heard someone pulling confetti cannons (probably the Stoll brothers) as Chiron walked over, setting down a blue cupcake with a single candle sticking out from the middle right in front of me. I stared at the cupcake, shocked that I'd been so occupied that I'd forgotten my birthday.
"Make a wish," he encouraged, the tiny flame flickering as a light breeze blew through the camp.
It didn't take more than a few seconds until I blew out the candle, hoping that Salina had heard my wish, wherever she may be at the moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, guys! Thanks for sticking with this story despite my absence.
Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!
Stay safe! I love you all!