Wow, had no idea that this would get so many views.
Alright, so, I got a review wondering if I would pair Danielle up with Apollo. The answer for that is a big fat NO! The relationship between them is complicated but as a Hunter of Artemis, Danielle is not going to be breaking her oath for a guy. Why Apollo anyway? He is essentially the ultimate bachelor and is the epitome of everything Artemis hates. With Artemis as a mother figure and Zoe as a big sister figure, of course Danielle is not going to leave her FAMILY to be with a guy who might be with her for a couple of weeks before dumping for his next fling. Sorry, but that's just how Apollo rolls.
Danielle is going back to Britain, but she has to deal with a certain Titan Lord of Time first. I mean, really, a powerful magical terrorist kind of pales in comparison to an immortal Titan king that wants to destroy all of western civilization.
As for the idea of Danielle becoming the lieutenant instead of Thalia, well, that is in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All props go to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.
After the brief wave of nausea was over, they saw Percy had joined them, looking shaken form his meeting with the goddess.
Zoe sighed and she looked around, "Lord Ares teleported us in here."
Percy nodded, "he wanted me to talk to Aphrodite."
"What did she want with you?" asked Bianca.
"Oh, uh, not sure," Percy said, his left eye twitching like crazy, showing that he was lying. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to pick anything up."
Zoe narrowed her eyes, "the goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Percy, Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."
"For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."
Grover looked at Percy funny, which was understandable being empathic. Danielle was sure that Aphrodite wouldn't do anything with anyone unless love was involved somewhere.
Percy seemed eager to change the subject, "so, how do we get out of here?"
Zoe and Danielle looked at the stars. Danielle frowned, "well, we have to go west…"
"That way," said Zoe. "That is west."
"How can you tell?"
It was amazing how everyone could see her rolling her eyes at Percy in the low light of the moon.
"Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west."
She pointed west then at the constellation she had referred to.
"Oh yeah," said Percy. "That bear thing."
Zoe looked offended while Danielle sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Percy," Danielle started. "Who do you think put the bear into the sky in the first place? Lady Artemis saw it was a worthy opponent and turned him into a constellation."
"Wow."
"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!"
They had reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of metal swords and shields and other weapons, along with more modern stuff like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.
"Whoa," said Bianca. "That stuff…some of it looks like real gold!"
"It is," said Thalia grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."
"Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver and jewels. It was also broken on one side, as if someone had split it in half with an axe. "You call this junk?"
He bit off a piece and began to chew, "it's delicious."
Thalia swatted the crown out of his hand. "I'm serious."
Danielle looked around, "the gods wouldn't throw any of this stuff away if it wasn't cursed or defective. Everything here has some flaw or problem that couldn't be fixed. Best if we ignore everything and make our way west."
They didn't get far when Bianca suddenly ran down the hill. "Look!" she raced around some bronze coils and golden plates. She picked up a bow that glowed silver in the moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!"
She yelped in surprise when the bow began to shrink and became a hairclip shaped like a crescent moon. "It's like Percy's sword!"
Zoe's face looked grim, "leave it, Bianca."
"But-"
"Danielle is right, it is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay here."
Bianca reluctantly put the hair clip down.
"I don't like this place," said Thalia. She gripped the shaft of her spear.
"You think we're going to be attacked by flying refrigerators?" asked Percy.
Thalia gave him a hard look, "they're right Percy. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on, let's get across the yard."
The hills and valleys of junk across the junkyard seemed to go on forever. If it hadn't been for Ursa Major, they would've gotten lost. All the hills pretty much looked the same.
They tried to leave the stuff alone but some of it was too cool to not pick up. Percy found an electric guitar in the shape of Apollo's lyre. Grover found a broken tree made of metal. It had been chopped to pieces, but some of the branches still had golden birds on them. Danielle even had to pick up a wand that was said to look exactly like the Elder Wand of legend.
Finally, they found the edge of the junkyard about a half-mile ahead of them, the lights of a highway stretching through the desert. But between them and the road…
"What is that?" Bianca gasped.
Ahead of them was a hill much bigger and larger than the others. It was like a metal mesa, the length of a football field and as tall as goalposts. At one end of the mesa was a row of ten thick metal columns, wedged tightly together.
Bianca frowned, "they look like-"
"Toes," said Grover.
Bianca nodded. "Really, really large toes."
Zoe, Danielle and Thalia all shared a look. Who would leave large statues of toes in the middle of a junkyard?
"Let's go around," said Thalia. "Far around."
"But the exit is right there," Percy protested. "Quicker to climb over."
Ping
Thalia raised her spear and Zoe her bow but then realized that it was only Grover. He had apparently thrown a piece of scrap metal at the toes and hit one, making an echoing noise, proving that they were hallow.
"Why did you do that?" Zoe demanded.
Grover cringed at the angry huntress, "I don't know, I don't like fake feet?"
"Come on," said Thalia, looking at Percy. "Around."
Percy stopped arguing and they made their way around the statues. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the highway, an abandoned but well lit stretch of asphalt.
"We made it out," said Zoe. "Thank the gods."
The gods apparently didn't want to be thanked though as a huge sound stopped them in their tracks. What sounded like a thousand trash compactors crushing metal at the same time made them freeze.
Everyone turned around and saw that the massive scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The ten toes tilted over and they could see why they looked like toes, they were toes. The mountain rose up to show that it was actually a huge bronze giant in full Greek battle armor. He was impossibly tall, a huge skyscraper with legs and arms. Gleaming wickedly in the moonlight, he looked down at them, which was hard as it looked like half of his face had partially melted off, like a green army man if left next to the microwave too long. His joints creaked with rust from disuse and on his chest, written by what could have been a huge hand, were the words WASH ME.
"Talos," Zoe gasped.
"Who's Talos?" asked Percy in a shaky voice.
"A huge statue that guards a path into the sea of monsters," Danielle said. "Jason and the Argonauts had to face against him. But this can't be the original, it's too small. Most likely a prototype or a defective copy."
The metal giant didn't seem to like the word defective.
He moved a hand toward his sword belt and drew his weapon. With a horrible clanging of metal on metal, he brought out his sword. It was a hundred feet long, easy. It looked rusty and dull but being hit by that thing would be like being hit by an ocean liner.
"Someone took something," said Zoe. "Who took something?"
She immediately glared at Percy.
Percy raised his hands to show they were empty, "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."
Bianca got a guilty look on her face but before anyone could comment on it, the defective Talos took a step forward, cutting the distance between them in half and making the ground shake.
"Run!" yelled Grover.
It was a good plan but it was hopeless. At a leisurely stroll, this thing could easily catch up with them.
Everyone split up, just like they had done against the lion and the boar. Thalia brought out her shield and ran down the highway. Talos swung his sword and brought down a whole row of power lines, which sparked across the road and into Thalia's path.
Zoe was shooting arrows at the giant's face but they all shattered harmlessly against the metal. Danielle knew that arrows wouldn't work and brought out her wand, sending bolts of magic at the giant. Whatever magic in the statue seemed to counteract the magic in the attacks however and the blasts only seemed to slow it down slightly. Grover brayed like a baby goat and climbed up the mountain of metal.
Percy and Bianca had somehow wound up hiding behind the same chariot
"You took something," said Percy, "that bow."
Bianca shook her head, "no," her voice was quivering.
"Throw it down, maybe the giant will stop."
"I, I didn't take the bow! Besides, it's too late."
"What did you take?"
Before she could answer, a large sounding creaking noise got their attention as the sky was suddenly blotted out.
"Move!" Percy yelled and pushed Bianca out of the way as they ran out of the way. He got surprised when he and Bianca started zooming toward Danielle, who was pointing her wand at them, her eyes closed.
Danielle looked at them, "summoning charm." She looked and they saw that where Percy and Bianca had been standing was now a big crater in the ground where the giant's had stomped down.
"Hey Talos!" yelled Grover, who was at the top of the mountain made of scrap, trying to get the giant's attention. Talos ignored him and lifted his sword, looking at the three teens.
Grover started playing a quick melody on his pipes and the downed power lines started to dance. One power line with a live wire hit the back of the giant's leg and wrapped around it, sending volts of electricity through the giant's backside.
Talos turned around, creaking and sparking, Grover had bought them a few seconds.
"Come on!" yelled Percy as he and Danielle started running, they turned back when it was clear that Bianca was still rooted to the spot. When they ran up to her she pulled out a tiny figurine, a tiny model of a god.
"It, it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."
"How can you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" asked Percy disbelievingly.
Bianca didn't answer; there were tears in her eyes.
"Throw the statue down," said Danielle, trying to be comforting while not panicking at the same time. "Talos might leave us alone if you do."
Bianca reluctantly threw it down, but nothing happened.
Talos kept advancing on Grover. It stabbed its sword into the junk hill, narrowly missing Grover by a few feet, but causing a junk avalanche to fall on top of him so they couldn't see anything any more.
"No!" yelled Thalia, bringing out her spear. An arc of blue electricity flew from the spear tip shot out hitting the giant in his rusty knee, which buckled. The giant collapsed onto one knee but was immediately up again. It was impossible to tell the possible emotions the giant was showing, having his face half melted, but it was clear that he was as ticked off as any twenty-story tall warrior could be.
He raised his foot to stomp down and they could see that the bottoms of its shoes were treaded like sneakers. There was a hole in its heel, like a small manhole, but it was painted with bright red letters saying: FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY.
"Crazy idea time," said Percy.
"Anything," said Bianca, eager to make up for her mistake of starting all of this and willing to do whatever it took.
Percy told her about the maintenance hatch, "There has to be some sort of levers or switches or something in that thing."
"We could control it from the inside," said Danielle, understanding. "The only question is, is it safe inside that thing? Odds are it should be pretty hot in there."
"How would we get inside though," asked Bianca, "you would have to stand under its foot! We would get crushed."
"Distract it," said Percy, looking determined. "I'll just have to time it right."
Bianca shook her head, "no, I'll do it."
Both Percy and Danielle shook their heads, "Bianca, you're new at this, you could die," said Danielle.
"It's my fault that Talos is here in the first place," she said. "It's my responsibility, here." She handed Percy the figurine that had started this, "if something happens to me, give that to Nico. Tell him…I'm sorry."
"Bianca!" yelled out both teens but Bianca was already running toward the giant. She charged at the monster's left foot.
Thalia had the monster's attention at the moment. She had figured out that the giant was big, but slow. It was possible to stay close and then run around Talos to dodge the attacks. At least it was working so far.
Bianca was right next to the monster's foot, trying to balance herself on the junk hill that swayed at the monster's huge weight.
Zoe yelled out, "what are you doing?"
"Get it to raise its foot!" Bianca yelled back.
Zoe shot an arrow that went right up the monster's left nostril. Talos straightened and shook its head.
"Hey junk boy!" Percy yelled. "Down here."
Just as Percy ran forward and slashed at the giant with Riptide, Danielle shot magical lightning from her wand, hitting the monster's back. The magical blade of Riptide made a large gash in the bronze and the lightning shot up Talos' back.
Unfortunately, their plan to get the monster's attention worked. After Talos was done shaking off the magical electricity, he lifted its foot, ready to stomp them both. Unable to see what Bianca was doing, they both ran for it, being thrown a good ten feet from the shockwave Talos had made. Danielle skidded down the road while Percy had been thrown into an Olympus-Air refrigerator.
Talos advanced on Percy, ready to finish him off when Grover came out from the junk hill he had been buried under. He played a quick tune on his pipes and another power line hit the giant in the thigh. Talos turned. Grover should have run but he was obviously exhausted from using so much magic. He took a few steps, before collapsing, not getting up.
"Grover!" yelled Thalia. She, Percy and Danielle all ran toward him but they knew it was too late. Talos raised his sword and was about to impale Grover, and then he froze.
Talos cocked his head to the side, as if he was listening to strange new music. He then started to wave his arms in strange ways, doing the funky chicken. Then he raised his fist and punched himself in the face.
"Go Bianca!" yelled out Percy.
Zoe looked horrified, "she is inside?"
Danielle could only nod before Talos started staggering around, almost stepping on them. Realizing that they were still in danger, Danielle used the same levitation charm on Grover as before and they all ran down the highway, Zoe in the lead. "How is Bianca supposed to get out?"
The giant punched himself in the face again, dropping his sword. With a shudder, Talos staggered through a few power lines.
"Look out!" yelled Percy.
Too late, a live wire wrapped around the giant's ankle, sending blue sparks coursing throughout its body. They had no idea of what was going on inside the giant. Talos careened back into the junkyard, his right hand falling off into a pile of scrap with a huge CLANG
His left arm fell off too; he was falling apart at the joints.
Talos began to run.
"Wait!" yelled Zoe as they tried to catch up, but there was no way they could. Pieces of the robot kept falling off, getting in their way.
The giant crumbled from the top down. First his head fell off, then his chest, finally only his legs were moving before they too fell over. Getting to the wreckage, they shouted out Bianca's name, trying to find her. They couldn't find anything, not even the summoning charm worked. They crawled through the hallow parts and its head, nothing. They searched until the sunlight came up, not coming up with anything.
Danielle sat down on one of the robots legs, her head in her hands while Zoe broke down completely, sitting in the sand and crying.
Thalia roared in anger and shoved a sword she had found in the junkyard through the giant's head.
Percy tried to be optimistic, "it's light out, we might be able to find her now."
Grover shook his head sadly, "we wont, it's just like in the prophecy, 'one shall be lost in the land without rain.'"
Why hadn't any of them seen it? They were in the desert, and Bianca Di Angelo was gone.
Thalia was the first to snap out of the stupor that everyone had found themselves in and walked off, nobody stopping her. After a few minutes, she came back driving an old tow truck, "get in, we still need to get to California, and we still have those skeletons after us."
The truck was so old that it looked like it could have been thrown away itself, but it had a tank full of gas and nobody had a better idea so they got in. The front had only two seats so Thalia drove while Zoe grabbed shotgun, still in shock about Bianca.
That left Percy, Danielle and Grover to ride in the flatbed in the back. The bright morning light and the sand giving them little concern as Thalia navigated them through the desert. Percy and Grover managed to make themselves comfortable along the back of the truck while Danielle rested off to the side, wondering.
She had been a part of the Hunt for a few years but this was the first time she had seen a Hunter die. Zoe should be more used to it by now, being in the Hunt for thousands of years, but her lieutenant had taken the news the hardest. It was like Zoe really was the biggest sister in their family and she had personally lost her youngest sibling.
She herself wished she could have saved Bianca but she hadn't the chance. For all of her magic, some things even she couldn't do. She vowed to save Lady Artemis as soon as she could, make sure that Bianca's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.
She snorted inside her head, if only more witches and wizards knew about the gods, they wouldn't be so arrogant or inwardly focused.
Danielle looked at Percy, who looked miserable and was still holding that little god figurine that Bianca had wanted to give to Nico. Oh gods! What were they supposed to tell Nico!
They hadn't found Bianca's body but they were all sure she was gone. It felt like her presence had vanished from their group.
"It's all my fault," said Percy, breaking the silence. "It was my plan, I should've gone into the giant."
"Don't say that!" Grover yelled at him. "It's bad enough that Annabeth's gone, and now Bianca. Do you think that…" he sniffed, "do you think anyone else would be my best friend."
"Ah, Grover…"
He wiped his face with a grimy cloth that left his face smeared, like he was covered with war paint. "I, I'm alright."
He wasn't all right but neither Percy nor Danielle had anything to tell him. Ever since New Mexico, when Pan blessed them, Grover seemed a lot more fragile, like he could break if he was given enough pressure. He was so emotional now, that they were afraid to say anything that might upset him.
Danielle wondered how Zoe had dealt with this, odds are she had seen dozens if not hundreds of Hunters fall in combat over the millennia. She promised herself to toughen up, like Phoebe had tried to tell her, if she could move on, she could focus on the quest and rescue Lady Artemis.
Danielle sighed, "Bianca died a hero's death. I hope she finds Elysium." She put her face in her hands and didn't say anything else.
The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well as it was a dead end.
Thalia got out and slammed the door shut. Immediately, one of the tires blew out. "Great, now what?"
Everyone looked around but couldn't see much, just desert in all directions with the occasional mountain in the distance. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe only about fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below them.
"There's a path," said Grover. "We could get to the river."
Danielle looked and saw the path that Grover was referring to. "Grover, that's a goat path." With magic she could probably make it, possibly Zoe as well, but that would leave the others behind.
Grover looked confused, "so?"
"The rest of us aren't goats," said Percy.
"We can make it," said Grover. "I think."
They all thought about it. Cliffs weren't that hard but the look on Thalia's face was clear. No heights.
"No," said Percy. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."
"But-"
"Come on, a walk won't hurt us."
Thalia sent a quick thank you look at Percy. That just confirmed Danielle's suspicion that she hated heights. Ironic for a daughter of Zeus.
After following the river for about half a mile, they found an easier slope to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season. Leaving a few golden drachmas and a note saying IOU two canoes, they put the boats in the water.
"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. It was the first time they'd heard her speak since the junkyard and she sounded horrible, like she had the flu. "The rapids are too swift."
"Leave that to me," said Percy.
As they got ready, Danielle looked at Zoe. She was so quiet that she had to say something.
"Zoe, are you alright?"
Zoe jumped slightly but nodded. She sighed, "my apologies, Danielle, just thinking."
Danielle knew it was more than that though. "Zoe, you're my sister, you can tell me anything, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," said Zoe sharply.
Frowning at being brushed off like that by someone she saw as an older sister, she joined Thalia in her canoe.
Thalia nodded to her, "asked Percy to ride with Zoe. Maybe he can cheer her up."
Danielle smirked. Percy was so laid back and clueless that he might be exactly what Zoe needed. She got into the canoe with Thalia and Grover while Zoe was forced to be with Percy.
Percy was going to do his 'son of Poseidon thing' when it turned out he didn't need to. A few naiads were staring at them. Other than the fact that they were underwater, they looked like any other teenage girl one would find at a mall. After a lot of giggling, Percy was able to convince them to help and they each grabbed a canoe. Within moments, they were speeding up the river.
Grover fell on his furry butt, they were moving so fast. He righted himself as soon as possible but Thalia and Danielle both burst out laughing.
Grover blushed, "not funny."
Thalia smirked, "sure it wasn't," she said sarcastically.
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a splash of water from the other canoe and Zoe's face was wet. It seemed that a naiad had splashed her.
"She-devils!" Zoe went for her bow but Percy was able to calm her down before she could put an arrow through their help's faces.
Thalia shook her head, "wherever did you find her Danielle?"
Danielle shrugged, "in the wilderness of Wales before some hellhounds could kill me. Why?"
Thalia actually looked curious, "just wanted to know how a magic user who had never heard of the gods joined the Hunt."
Danielle looked at the water for a moment before answering. "My parents disowned me right after I turned thirteen. I had no money, no friends to turn to, and no help. If Zoe hadn't found me and brought me to lady Artemis I have no idea what would have happened.
"My parents and brother are minor celebrities in magical Britain while I was pushed into the background. I became the one that no one wanted to deal with. It was like my parents had their legacy in my brother, why would they need me? Only one of my parent's old school friends treated me with any kind of respect.
"Even when I saved my school from a killer monster that had petrified several students, I was ignored in favor of my brother. He spun some stupid story of how he had managed to defeat the monster while I hadn't done anything. In reality, I dealt with the monster while my idiot of a brother was knocked out for the entire fight. My parents didn't believe a word of what I said and threw me out of the house that summer."
Thalia and Grover were silent for a moment before Thalia spoke. "I ran away from home when I was nine. My mom wasn't the most stable and I couldn't take it anymore. For the first few months, I was alone and scared, fighting monsters and trying to find my next meal.
"I ran into a son of Hermes named Luke and we hit it off at once. He ran away from home as well and had done pretty well against monsters. He was eleven."
"Wait," said Danielle. "Didn't this Luke join Kronos?" She remembered what Percy had said at the Smithsonian.
Thalia sighed, "He was like a brother to me. When I was twelve and he was fourteen, we ran into a daughter of Athena. Annabeth was only seven and was fending off monsters with a hammer when we found her. Luke and I pretty much took her in as our sister.
"Since we brought in Annabeth, Athena decided to help us out by sending us a guide to Camp."
Grover brayed sadly, "fat lot of help that did us."
Thalia smacked his arm, "Grover, I don't blame you and neither did Luke or Annabeth! Anyway, it was mostly Luke's fault. I had been injured in a fight and Luke was forced to take us to his mom's place. He talked to his dad but he never told me what they spoke of. After that, Luke became more impulsive, challenging any monster we came across. I doubt Annabeth thought anything was wrong, she saw him as her idol.
"When we finally got to half-blood hill, monsters sent from Hades were after us. After some wrong turns and Luke slowing us down, I sacrificed myself to save the others. Dad turning me into a pine tress to prevent me from dying." She still looked annoyed at that.
Grover nodded sadly, "the council of Cloven Elders blamed me. They said I should have done more."
Thalia shook her head, "the Cloven Elders are idiots. Anyway, Luke apparently took my supposed death hard and he blamed the gods for letting me die. Since I was brought back last summer, I found out he joined the Titans. Partially my fault since I never really spoke well of the gods around him either."
Danielle had taken in the story Thalia told her without interruption but she had to wonder. Thalia had sacrificed herself to save her friends at twelve. All she had managed to do at that age was kill a basilisk and an evil diary thingy.
"You're definitely brave, Thalia, I have no idea if I could do that at your age." She was silent for a moment; "you really think that Luke will leave Kronos if he finds you're still alive?"
Thalia shrugged, "I hope so. Hope is all I got left."
Before anyone could say anything else, the naiads got their attention and they could see why. A huge dam right in front of them was blocking the sun.
"Hoover Dam," said Thalia as everyone got out of the canoes along the edge of the river. "It's huge."
Huge was an understatement. The dam was the size of a football stadium. The people walking along the top of the dam looked like ants.
The naiads left with a lot of grumbling. While they couldn't understand them, it was obvious that they hated this dam blocking their nice river. The canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake of the dam's discharge vents.
"Seven hundred feet tall," said Percy. "Built in the 1930's."
"Five million cubic acres of water," said Thalia.
Grover sighed, "Largest construction project in the United States."
Zoe and Danielle stared at them, each other, than them again. "How do you know all that?" asked Zoe.
"Annabeth," said Percy simply. "She liked architecture."
"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.
"Sprouted facts all the time," Grover sniffled. "So annoying."
"I wish she was here," said Percy sadly.
The others nodded. Zoe and Danielle looked at them strangely but didn't comment. It was clear that they missed their friend and wanted to remember her.
"We should go up there," said Percy. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."
"You are mad," Zoe decided, shaking her head. "But that's where the road is," she pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."
Danielle nodded, "and you'll be able to show Annabeth around when you bring her here yourselves."
The others seemed to like that idea.
It took almost an hour walk before they found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. They then had to straggle back toward the dam. It was cold and windy at the top so Danielle was forced to use a warming charm on them all. On one side of the path, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feel below, the water churning from the dam's vents.
Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything but everyone knew he smelled monsters.
"How close are they?" asked Percy.
Grover shook his head, "maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us…the scent can possibly carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."
Percy looked anxious but nodded. Danielle didn't like it either. Lady Artemis had to be freed by the winter solstice, that was only two days away. Without her at the meeting Olympus would waste more war-preparation time.
"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," said Thalia suddenly.
"You've been here before?" asked Percy.
"Once, to see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.
"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."
Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.
"What are they doing?" asked Percy.
"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."
"Why?"
She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas."
"Got that right," said Danielle, who had been listening. "I was in Edinburgh in Scotland once and they had a few statues like that. Tourists would do the exact same thing."
Thalia nodded, "Mortals get crazy sometimes. Anyway, these tourists don't know that these statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."
"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?" asked Percy.
Thalia's expression darkened, showing that that had was exactly the reason why she had come here. Looking for a sign from her dad. Some connection. "No, they don't do anything. They're just big metal statues."
Percy grimaced, as if thinking of the last big metal statue they had met.
"Let's get to the dam snack bar," Zoe suggested. "We should eat while we can."
Grover cracked a smile, "the dam snack bar?"
Zoe blinked, "yes, what is funny?"
"Nothing," said Grover, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam French fries."
Even Thalia and Danielle smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom," said Thalia.
Danielle was trying not to full burst out into laughter, "remember to use the dam sink when you're done."
Maybe it was the fact that they were so tired and strung emotionally, but everyone started cracking up. Zoe just stared at them, "I don't understand."
That only made them laugh harder. "I want to use the dam water fountain," said Grover.
"And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."
By now everyone had broken down laughing. Zoe was the only one who was still trying to work out why they were laughing, looking confused.
Suddenly, both Percy and Grover stopped laughing, smiles melting off their faces.
Grover looked confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"
That sounded so random that Danielle calmed down enough to focus.
"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.
"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."
It took all of Danielle's willpower not to say: 'no, my supposed godfather is Sirius!'
Zoe listened, "I hear nothing."
Thalia looked at Percy, who was concentrating hard on something. "Percy, are you okay?"
"Yeah," said Percy slowly. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."
"What's wrong?" asked Grover.
"Nothing. I…I just need a minute to think." Percy sounded distracted.
The others hesitated, seeing that he looked upset, but they finally went into the visitor center without him.
"So, what's up with Percy?" asked Danielle. The visitor center was full of people. Tour guides were leading tourists around, telling them about the area and how the turbines worked. Various exhibits were lined along the walls. The café and snack bar was obvious though and that was where they were headed.
Thalia shook her head, "who knows what goes on in that head full of kelp?"
Grover, still slightly confused about hearing a cow of all things, was more interested in food at the moment. "Awesome! They have Guacamole Grandes!" he pointed at the snack bar's signature burrito.
Zoe shrugged, "get whatever thou wants. A simple salad for me."
Danielle nodded, "whatever, I don't care, just something big."
Grover nodded and left with Thalia to order the food. The two Hunters managed to find a table that was free just in time and sat down.
"So," said Danielle, rubbing her hands together. "You've been quiet all day. Anything you want to talk about?"
Zoe instantly looked uncomfortable as she looked at the younger hunter. "No, just the loss of Bianca is all."
Danielle nodded, rubbing her face with her hand. "Zoe, you know we don't blame you, right? Bianca died to protect us, it was her choice, and I respect that. If anything, it was my fault for not talking her out of going through with the plan."
Zoe still looked uncomfortable, like she hadn't told Danielle everything. "Percy said it wasn't my fault either. Bianca was a powerful demigod and I feel like I pushed her too hard too soon. I just thought she would make a good replacement lieutenant."
Danielle stared at her guilty face. "Zoe, you're the lieutenant. Is there something you're not telling me?"
Zoe was shifting in her seat, looking everywhere but Danielle. "Nothing lasts forever Danielle. I have led the Hunt for over two thousand years, but-"
Her speech was cut off by Grover and Thalia, loaded with burritos, a salad and fountain drinks, collapsed into their seats.
Danielle gave Zoe a look that said that they were going to talk about it later, after their dam lunch.
They were just about to start when Percy came bursting into the café, looking scared and sword drawn.
"We need to leave," Percy gasped as he approached them. "Now!"
"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.
Zoe apparently caught onto what Percy had seen though. Muttering an Ancient Greek curse, she stood up. "He's right! Look."
The café windows wrapped around the observation floor, which would have looked nice if it wasn't for the skeleton warriors coming to kill them.
Two of them were on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Two more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them armed with batons and pistols.
Suddenly three more appeared from the stairs. They looked at Percy from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.
"Elevator!" said Grover. They bolted in that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and two more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was now accounted for, minus the ones that Bianca and Danielle had blasted to flames in New Mexico. They were completely surrounded.
Before they could get their weapons. Grover had a brilliant idea.
"Burrito fight!" he yelled and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.
Danielle had to see it to believe it but flying burritos were apparently pretty dangerous projectiles. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off its shoulders. Zeus knows what the other kids in the café saw, but they went nuts. Throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.
The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.
Not wanting to create fire in a crowded café, Danielle made a roundhouse kick that Phoebe had taught her with Zoe and knocked a few skeletons out of the way. Percy and Thalia tackled the two others blocking their way out on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. They all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.
"What now?" asked Grover as they burst outside.
No one had an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from multiple directions. Their brethren from the café were closing in to join them. One was still putting its head back on its shoulders. Two more were covered in ketchup and mustard. Two others had burritos lodged in their rib cages. None of them looked happy as they drew their batons and pistols.
"Five against nine," muttered Zoe. "And only one of us can kill them."
"Its been nice adventuring with you guys," said Grover, his voice trembling.
Danielle took in a deep breath. "Guys, I'm the only one who can do any real damage to them. I'll hold them off, find some way out of here." She brought out her wand.
Zoe's eyes widened, "no, we shall fight together."
Danielle knew that she was having a Bianca flashback but this wasn't the time. She took in another breath. "What choice is there? Find some way out of here. I have an idea that will buy us some time."
Thalia looked like she didn't like it but pulled the others back.
When they were out of the line of fire, Danielle waved her wand over her head in great circles, torrents of flames coming out forming a ring around her. Everyone yelped and jumped back, unable to watch the great ten-foot ring of flames that rushed around the red headed hunter.
The skeleton warriors jumped back but three of them weren't lucky enough to avoid the fire. They caught a flame and turned to dust, blowing away from the wind caused by the circle of flames.
Danielle's face was beaded with sweat, this was tiring and she was running out of energy fast. She had heard that Dumbledore was capable of doing something like this but he was a full-grown adult. She was stuck with the body and magic of a thirteen-year-old girl.
While the tourists were running from the fire and the skeletons were trying to find a weak point in the ring of fire blocking their way, Percy was thinking. They were backed against the statues they had seen coming in.
Something shiny got Percy's attention, "whoa, their toes really are bright."
"Percy," said Thalia. "Now isn't the time!" She was watching as the torrents of flames were getting weaker but Danielle was still swinging her wand over her head, keeping the ring alive.
Percy was staring at the statues. Their bodies were weathered brown except for their toes, which were shining like new pennies from people rubbing them for good luck. Wait, good luck?
Good luck. The blessing of Zeus.
"Thalia, pray to your dad."
Thalia glared at him. "He never answers."
"Just this once," Percy pleaded. "I have a feeling that he will this time. I think the statues will give us some luck."
Several gun shots got their attention. Several skeletons had gotten of waiting and had fired. The bullets sailed toward Danielle but the fire was hot enough to slow and then melt them before they hit her.
"Do it!" Percy yelled.
"No!" yelled Thalia. "He won't answer me."
"This time is different!"
"Who says?"
Percy seemed to remember something. "Athena, I think."
Thalia frowned at him like he had gone crazy.
"Just try it!" yelled Grover.
Thalia closed her eyes, concentrating on sending a message to her dad. Percy was hoping that the tour guide lady from before was really Athena giving them help so they could save her daughter.
Nothing happened.
Danielle's fire was getting weaker, she was panting heavily. Finally she out a small burst of fire that staggered the skeletons back a few feet but it wasn't enough to stop them. Putting away her wand just in time, Danielle collapsed, slumping to the ground in front of them.
"Danielle!" Everyone got out their weapons. Zoe got out her bow and aimed at the skeletons that were now advancing on them, focusing on Percy instead of the passed out girl in front of them. Thalia got out her spear and shield while Percy uncapped Riptide.
A shadow suddenly fell over them all. Looking around they saw it was the shadow of an enormous bronze wing. The skeletons looked up too late and the remaining six skeletons were swept aside, their bones flying.
"Man, it feels good to stand up!" said the first angel. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't spoken in a while.
"Would you look at my toes!" said the other. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"
As stunned as they were from the statues coming to life, Percy was more interested in the danger they were in. Some of the skeletons were already coming back.
"Trouble!"
"Get us out of here!" yelled Thalia.
Both angels looked at her. "Zeus's kid?"
Thalia nodded.
"Can I get a please, Miss Zeus's kid?"
"Please!"
The angels looked at each other and shrugged.
"Could use a stretch," one said.
The next thing they knew, one of the statues grabbed Percy, Thalia and Danielle, who Zoe had handed to him, while the other grabbed her and Grover. They took off into the sky. The few skeletons that had managed to come back fired at them but the bullets just bounced off the statues' wings. They flew over the dam and river and headed for the mountains in the west.
"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight. The statues were holding them so it was impossible to fall, but Thalia was still holding onto the arm of the statue as if it was the most important thing in the world.
Danielle was still passed out next to her. They had been flying for maybe half an hour but she was still unconscious, like using that much magic had depleted her energy. The statue was holding onto her more securely than the others due to her dead weight.
"Everything's fine," Percy reassured Thalia.
"Are…are we very high?"
Percy looked down. Below them was a range of snowy mountains speeding by. Percy stretched down a little and managed to kick off some snow from one of the peaks.
"Nah, not that high."
"We are in the Sierras!" Zoe yelled at them. She and Grover were hanging onto the arms from the other statue. "I have gone hunting here before. At this rate, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."
"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said. "Yo Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! Those guys know how to party!"
"Oh, man, I am so there," said Chuck.
"You guys have visited San Francisco?" asked Percy.
"We automatons have to have some fun once in a while, right?" said his angel. "Those mechanics took us to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And-"
"Hank!" yelled Chuck. "They're kids, man!"
"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, than Hank definitely was. "Back to flying."
They sped up, which told them that the angels were excited. The mountains fell away to hills, then they were zipping across farmland, towns and highways.
Grover played on his pipes a little to pass the time. Zoe got bored and started shooting at random billboards as they flew by. Every time she saw a Target billboard or truck she would nail a perfect bulls eye as they were going around a hundred miles an hour. Percy started telling Thalia how he had wound up in the generator room at Hoover Dam and how he had managed to escape the skeletons that had chased him down there.
Thalia kept her eyes shut the entire way, muttering under her breath so she sounded like she was praying.
"You did good back there," said Percy. "Zeus listened." Thalia didn't open her eyes so it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
"Maybe," she was looking at Danielle's general direction since her eyes were closed. "How did you get away from those skeletons in the generator room? You said that they cornered you."
"Met some weird girl named Rachel," said Percy. "She sneezed at the wrong time and I tried to kill her with Riptide but the blade went right through her. Seeing that she was mortal, I was surprised when she told me that she could see the skeletons for what they were. It was like she could see through the Mist. She sent the skeletons in another direction so I could grab the elevator out of there."
He looked like Thalia was going to call him crazy but she surprised him by nodding.
"Yeah, some mortals are like that. They can see right through the Mist as if it wasn't there. I bet Danielle is like that Rachel girl, or maybe it's because she was born with magic, I don't know but no one knows why."
Suddenly Percy started to realize something. His mom was like that. She had seen the Minotaur for what it was at Half-blood hill before he could. She had also seen his half-brother Tyson as a Cyclops right away, which would explain how she wasn't surprised at all when he had told her. No wonder she was so afraid of various monsters when he was growing up, she had seen them all more clearly than he ever could.
"Well, the girl was annoying," said Percy, thinking about Rachel. "But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would have been bad."
Thalia nodded, "must be good to be a regular mortal."
She had said that as if she had given it a lot of thought.
A sudden movement got both of their attentions.
"Ugh, where are we?" Danielle had come to after about two hours of being out of it. "Why does my head hurt?"
"I think you used too much magic," said Percy. "You passed out but we're safe for now."
Danielle nodded, though it looked like it gave her a headache. "Good, where are…" she started focusing more on her surroundings. She was wedged between a metal arm and Thalia and was currently flying through the air. "Ahhhh! Where are we? What's going on?"
Percy couldn't help it, he started laughing a little, "relax, Thalia got us some help right after you passed out. We're on our way to San Francisco right now."
Danielle was now looking around frantically, her brain still running a little slow, before accepting what Percy had told her as the truth. Still breathing quickly, her heart rate going crazy, she managed to calm down a little.
"What happened?"
"Well," said Thalia. "You apparently used the last of your energy protecting us from the skeletons using fire magic. Percy got me to ask my dad for help and he brought the statues here to life. They're currently taking us to San Francisco."
Danielle nodded, her heart still beating frantically. She had used too much magic so her magical core was still recharging. It would take a while for her to use even basic magic. "How much longer until we get to San Francisco?"
Hank answered, "about two or three more hours. By the way, good to see you awake."
Stunned at seeing a talking statue, Danielle did the most responsible thing.
"Excuse me for a moment but I think I'm going to pass out again." Before anyone could say anything, she slumped in Hank's arms, totally asleep from everything that had happened recently.
Hank sighed, "well, it was nice while it lasted."
"Where you guys want to land?" asked Hank about two and a half hours later, waking both Percy and Danielle from their naps.
Percy looked down, "whoa."
San Francisco was below them in all its glory. In terms of city standards, it was like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan was surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay with ships, islands and sailboats in the water. The Golden Gate Bridge was in the distance, sticking up out of the fog.
"I have never gotten why the Golden Gate Bridge is red, not gold," Danielle mused. "Crazy Americans."
"There," said Zoe, stopping Percy and Thalia from yelling at Danielle for her comment. "The Embarcadero building."
"Good thinking, Chuck and I can blend in with the pigeons."
Everyone looked at him.
"What, metal statues can't have a sense of humor?"
As it turned out, they didn't need much blending in. It was early morning and there were very few people around. They freaked out a homeless guy on the docks though, him yelling about metal men from Mars.
They said good-bye to the angels, who looked like they wanted to go party with some female statues.
Danielle smiled; they were at the west coast. Lady Artemis was somewhere around this city. It was the last day to rescue her, the next day was the twenty-first, the winter solstice, they needed to save the goddess soon. Tentatively, she tried her magic and found herself running on empty. Shrugging, she figured she did deserve it. That trick with the fire ring was for a fully-grown adult, not a forever thirteen-year-old girl. It would take a few days of rest and full meals before she was back to normal.
"So, what now?" asked Percy.
"Now we need to know what monster lady Artemis was hunting," said Zoe. "Once we know that, the better prepared we are."
"But how?" asked Percy.
"Nereus," said Grover.
Percy looked at him, "what?"
"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"
Percy nodded, "yeah, the old man of the sea. I'm supposed to find him and make him tell us what he knows. But where is he?"
Zoe made a face, "old Nereus eh?"
"You know him?" asked Thalia.
Zoe nodded, "my mother was a sea goddess, yes I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Danielle, not happy by how that sounded.
"Come," said Zoe with no enthusiasm. "I will show thee."
Ten minutes later, Zoe had found a Goodwill drop box and rummaged for something in it. Dragging Percy away from the others, they worked for about five minutes until Zoe seemed to find herself satisfied. Zoe had dressed Percy in a ragged flannel shirt, jeans about three sizes too big for him, bright red sneakers and a large floppy rainbow hat.
"Oh, yeah," said Grover, who was clearly trying not to burst out laughing. "You look really inconspicuous now."
Zoe looked proud of herself, "a typical male vagrant."
Danielle and Thalia were now holding onto each other to keep themselves from falling down laughing. Percy looked so bad, that it reminded Danielle of the last time she had seen witches and wizards try to blend in with Muggles. They had no clue. She had even seen an old man wearing a nightgown in broad daylight and that was one of the better ones.
Percy looked disgruntled, "great, why am I wearing this again?"
"I told thee. To blend in."
With eyes gleaming with obvious mirth, like she was enjoying herself way too much, Zoe led the way back to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching for the docks, Zoe finally stopped. She pointed toward a pier where lines of homeless guys huddled in blankets were waiting for their lunch from a soup kitchen.
"He will be down there," said Zoe. "He never goes very far away from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."
"How do I know which one is him?"
"Sneak up on him," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell…different."
"Great," Percy didn't seem very enthusiastic about the plan. "And once I find him?"
"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell you about the monster."
"We've got your back," said Thalia. She then picked up a huge clump of fuzz from the back of his shirt that came from who-knows-where. "Eww, on second thought, I don't got your back. But we're be rooting for you."
Grover gave him a thumbs-up.
Percy grumbled something about having such wonderful, super powerful friends before walking off.
When Percy was out of earshot, Danielle laughed softly. "You were enjoying yourself way too much Zoe."
Zoe grinned, "I must have some fun every now and then."
They watched Percy from a distance as he approached the various homeless guys waiting in line. One guy was their homeless friend from before that was probably telling them about an upcoming alien invasion.
A couple of grimy guys were wearing plastic bags for hats but didn't seem weird in any other sense.
One lady had crazy shocked hair with several pink plastic flamingos in a grocery cart. She glared at Percy, like he was trying to steal her birds, before he moved on.
At the end of the pier was a guy that looked like he was about a million years old. He had shocking yellow-white hair and beard, and was wearing what seemed to be pajamas and a bathrobe that used to be white. He was fat and Percy seemed to wince a little at his smell.
Danielle cocked her head to the side, "is that the dark side of Santa?" The man did look like a grubby homeless version of Santa Claus.
Zoe shook her head, smiling. "I think Percy found him."
They watched as Percy tried to act causally, sitting with Santa/Nereus and trying to blend in. The old guy seemed to be sleeping but it turned out to be an act when they both grabbed onto each other. Santa seemed to be winning.
"Help, help me!" said Santa as he was strangling Percy.
"Yeah, that's a crime," said one of the homeless guys. "Kid rolling an old man like that."
Thalia groaned, "Great, Nereus is altering the Mist to help himself."
They nodded as Percy and Santa rolled off the pier and into a post. Wincing as Percy's head collided with the post, Santa tried to run for it but Percy tackled him from behind.
"I don't have any money!" yelled Santa as Percy pinned his arms behind his back.
"I don't want any money," said Percy. "I'm a half-blood, I want information!"
That only made Santa struggle harder. They wrestled harder, Santa trying to shake Percy off, when they both fell off the pier and into the water below.
The others ran after them, trying to keep them in sight but the water was too murky to see anything.
Thalia shrugged, "at least Percy's a kid of the sea god. Bet Nereus didn't count on that."
Zoe nodded, "true, Percy should win this."
The water suddenly bubbled and Percy came shooting out of the water, holding onto the dorsal fin of a huge killer whale.
The tourists all took pictures and shouted, "whoa!"
Percy just waved back like, "yeah, we do this all the time in San Francisco."
Thalia grumbled as Percy fell back into the sea, "great, thanks dad, why don't I have cool powers like that?"
They laughed lightly as Percy apparently won the fight as Nereus fell onto the boat dock, completely winded.
"You got him!" yelled Zoe as if she was surprised he managed to do it.
"You don't have to be so shocked," said Percy, looking full of energy as he walked out of the ocean.
Nereus realized that they weren't alone. "Great, witnesses for my humiliation. The normal deal? You let me go in exchange for answering your question?"
"We have a few more than just one question," said Percy.
"Only one question per capture. That's the rule."
Percy looked at them all.
Danielle remembered that he had apparently only come on this quest in the first place to rescue his friend Annabeth. That was why Aphrodite had come to talk to him, to talk to him about his friend.
Percy looked conflicted about which question to ask. Should he ask about the quest or about Annabeth? Personally, Danielle was sure that wherever lady Artemis was, Annabeth was too. But they needed to know what monster they were up against the most.
Percy sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me about the monster that could bring about the end of the gods. The one that Artemis was hunting."
The old man of the sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.
"Oh, that is just too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."
He pointed at the water at Percy's feet.
"Where?" asked Percy.
"The deal is complete." Nereus turned into a goldfish with a pop and did a black flip into the water.
"You tricked me!" yelled Percy.
"Wait," said Thalia, looking where Nereus had told them. "What is that?"
"MOOOOOO!"
They looked down and Danielle saw the strangest monster she had ever seen. It had the front half of a cow, a calf to be exact, and the back half of a serpent. The front half had black fur, big sad brown eyes and a white muzzle. The snake half was long, eel like, and had long fins.
The cow serpent was nuzzling Percy's leg, looking at him with its big brown eyes.
"Ah Bessie, not now," said Percy.
"Mooo!"
Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."
Percy looked at him, "you can understand her… err, him?"
Grover nodded, "it's a very old form of animal speech. He says that his name is the Ophiotaurus."
"The Ophio-what?"
"It means bull serpent in Ancient Greek," said Thalia. "But what is it doing here?"
Danielle looked confused; this was one ancient myth she didn't know.
"Mooooooo!"
"He says that Percy is his protector," said Grover. "And he's running from bad people. He says that they're close."
How the heck did Grover get all of that from a single moo? Danielle decided to put that thought away for now, she had been a parseltounge at one point, and could talk to snakes. What was the power to talk to cows in comparison?
"Wait," said Zoe, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"
Percy looked impatient but nodded. "Yeah, just before this quest I got a call about a baby monster getting caught in a fisherman's net. I managed to free it from the net and I guess he's been following me ever since. He appeared at Hoover Dam as well as here."
Thalia shook her head, "and you just forgot to mention any of this before?"
"Well…yeah." In retrospect, the idea of a baby cow serpent did pale in comparison to saving a goddess from her Titan enslavers.
"I am such a fool!" Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"
"What story?" asked Danielle. She knew so many stories of Greek Mythology that not knowing this one was bugging her.
"From the war of the Titans," she said. "My…my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are searching for."
Everyone looked at Bessie, who was giving everyone the big cow eyes. "Bessie?" asked Percy. "He's too cute to destroy the world."
Zoe shook her head, "and that is how we were wrong. We've been anticipating a large, dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus doesn't bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."
"MMMMM," said Bessie in a low tone.
"I don't think he likes the s-word," said Grover.
Percy scratched Bessie on the head and behind the ear. He looked better, but was still shaking.
"Who would want to hurt Bessie? He's harmless."
Danielle suddenly got a flashback, a memory from Hogwarts that might help them. "Always the innocent are the first victims," she muttered. She looked at them, "there is a great power in sacrificing the innocent isn't there?" She would have to thank the Hogwarts centaurs for that lesson.
Zoe nodded, "terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotuarus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would gain the power to overthrow the gods."
"MMMMMM!"
"Um, I think we should avoid talking about entrails too," said Grover.
Thalia looked at Bessie with wonder. "The power to overthrow the gods…how? I mean, what would happen?"
Zoe shook her head, "no one knows. The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was killed by a giant ally of the Titans. But thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails before it could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus has been reborn."
Thalia sat down on the dock, reaching her hand out to Bessie. Bessie gladly went up to her. She patted his head. Bessie shivered.
Danielle didn't like the look on Thalia's face. It seemed almost…hungry.
"We have to protect him," said Percy. "If Luke gets his hands on Bessie-"
"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow the Olympus. That's…huge."
"Yes it is, my dear," said a voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."
The Ophiotaurus whimpered and submerged in the water.
Everyone turned around, they had been standing in one spot for so long that they had allowed themselves to be ambushed.
Standing behind them, his two colored eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.
Dr. Thorn took in the moment to stare at them all. "Oh, this is just pairrr-fect," he gloated.
He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically, he didn't look much better than the guys at the soup kitchen.
"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food at the edge of the world, hiding in forests, feeding on insignificant human farmers for my meals. I didn't get to fight any great heroes. I was not feared or admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans will honor me and I shall feast on the flesh of Half-Bloods."
On either side of him stood two armed security guards, more of the mercenaries they had seen in D.C. Two more stood on the next dock over, just in case they tried to escape that way. There were tourists everywhere- shopping in the various stores on the pier- though they knew that that wouldn't stop Dr. Thorn from attacking.
"Where…where are the skeletons?" asked Percy.
Dr. Thorn sneered, "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"
Danielle was thinking quickly. Her magic meter was still on empty, though it was slowly refilling, it wasn't enough to help in this fight. Percy could escape with Bessie, but that would leave the rest of them. The only way out was to fight and she didn't like their chances.
"We beat you once before," said Percy.
"Hah! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side! And alas…that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."
Zoe and Danielle each notched an arrow, aiming right at the manticore for talking about lady Artemis like that. The guards on either side of Thorn each took out their handguns.
"Wait," said Percy. "Zoe, Danielle, don't!"
The manticore smiled, "the boy is right, Zoe Nightshade and Danielle No-Name. Put away your bows. It would be a shame to kill you both before you could witness Thalia's great victory."
"What are you talking about?" asked Thalia, her spear and shield ready.
"Surely it is clear," said the manticore. "This is your moment. This is why Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."
No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the big three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like in the prophecy that the gods liked to talk about, particularly Apollo, when they wanted to tick off every non-god out there. Danielle didn't know the whole prophecy but she knew enough from Apollo that she got the gist of it. Doomsday was coming.
Everyone waited for Thalia to shout at the manticore, to threaten him, or something. When they turned to look at her though, they saw that she was completely stunned.
"You know it is the right choice," said the manticore. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world with the auspices the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot as they deserve. Call the beast. It will come to you. Use your spear."
"Thalia! Snap out of it!" yelled Percy.
She looked at Percy strangely; dazed, uncertain, and confused. It was almost as if she didn't know him. "I…I don't-"
"Your father helped you," said Percy. "He sent the metal angels to protect us. He turned you into a pine tree to preserve you."
Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.
Percy looked at Grover desperately. Luckily, he seemed to know what Percy wanted. He pulled out his pipes and played a quick riff.
The manitcore yelled, "stop them!"
The guards had been targeting Zoe and Danielle, and before they could tell that the kid with the pipes was the bigger threat, the wooden planks they were standing on grew new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe and Danielle each fired two arrows each at the guards, releasing clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows!
The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in their direction but they bounced harmlessly off of Percy's lion fur coat.
"Grover," said Percy. "Tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down."
"Moooo," Grover translated. Hoping that Bessie got the message, Thalia seemed to come out of the trance she was in.
"The, the cow…" muttered Thalia.
"Come on!" Percy yelled, dragging her up the stairs to the shopping center of the pier. Dashing around the corner of the closest store, they could hear the manticore yelling at his minions, "Get them!" Tourists started screaming as the guards started firing randomly.
They scrambled to the end of the pier, hiding behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals-wind chimes and dream catchers and the like, glittering in the sunlight. There was a fountain next to them. Down below, a group of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay was spread out below them, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture perfect moment, except they were about to die and the world was going to end.
"Go over the side," said Zoe to Percy. "You can escape in the sea. Call on your father for help, maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."
Percy looked determined and shook his head, "I won't leave you guys. We fight together."
"You have to get word to camp," said Grover. "At least let them know what's going on."
Danielle realized the answer, "Iris Message!"
Percy understood immediately and uncapped Riptide. He slashed the top of the fountain, making water burst out of the pipe and all over them.
Thalia gasped as the water hit her, like it had shaken off the last of her trance. "Percy!"
Grover had pulled out a golden drachma and threw it through the rainbow created by the mist. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept our offering."
The coin vanished.
"Camp Half-Blood!" said Percy.
Shining in the mist was the last person they wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard skin jogging suit and rummaging through a refrigerator.
He looked up lazily, "do you mind?"
"Where's Chiron?" Percy shouted.
"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"
"Hello," said Percy sarcastically. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"
Mr. D seemed to consider that. Everyone seemed to want to scream at him to hurry up and tell them anything but knew it wouldn't do anything but make him want to cut the connection entirely.
'How did a god of wine get on the Council?' thought Danielle. 'What possible purpose could wine bring to the Olympians?'
While Mr. D was still thinking of whether or not he should help them, the Manticore was getting closer, barking orders.
"About to die," Mr. D mused, as if he didn't care at all, which he probably didn't. "How exciting. Chiron is not here at the moment. Would you like me to take a message?"
Percy looked at them, "we're dead."
Thalia gripped her spear shaft tight, looking like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."
"How noble," said Mr. D, who was stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem exactly?"
Percy rolled his eyes, "fine, we got the Ophiotaurus here that needs to get to Olympus or somewhere away from the west coast."
"Hmm," Mr. D was now looking through the refrigerator, looking through the contents. "So that's it. I see."
Percy looked ready to kill him. "You don't even care!" he screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"
"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."
Before anyone could do anything, like try to strangle the lazy god through the Iris Message, there was a sudden shout. The manticore screamed, "There they are!" They were surrounded. Two of the guards were standing on either side of the manticore while the other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above them. The manticore threw off his coat to reveal his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poisonous barbs.
"Excellent," he said. He then looked at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."
"You could ask for help," said Mr. D, as if it was an amusing thought. "You could say please."
'Since when do gods ask us to beg for help?' wondered Danielle. They were pinned down and the thought of asking Mr. D for help of all people, when he would probably just laugh at them anyway, wasn't an appealing thought.
She and Zoe got out their bows and readied arrows. Grover got out his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, it took a moment but Percy thought he saw a tear on Thalia's face. He then realized that she had gone through this once before, on Half-Blood Hill, trying to save Luke and Annabeth.
Danielle didn't like their chances. Their backs were to the wall, the manticore was too powerful for any of them to take alone while the mortals had guns. She had no energy to cast any kind of spell that could help. She missed Percy whisper something through the Iris Message.
The manticore grinned, "spare the daughter of Zeus, she will join us soon enough. Kill the others."
The men raised their guns. Suddenly a strange feeling came over all of them. Kind of like the feeling of all the blood rushing to their heads, like hanging upside down for a long time then going right side up too quickly. With the sound of something rushing around them with a mighty sigh, the sunlight was tinted purple for a moment. The sudden smell of grapes overcame them, and something more sour-wine.
SNAP!
It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his gun between his teeth like it was a bone and started barking. Two more dropped their weapons and started waltzing. One man instantly started doing what could pass as an Irish Clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.
"No!" shouted the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"
His tail bristled, but the planks of wood under his paws shuddered and grew grape vines, which instantly began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting leaves and clusters of grapes that ripened in seconds, as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally, the vines stopped shivering and they got the feeling that the manticore was no longer with them.
"Well, that was fun," said Mr. D as he closed the door to the refrigerator.
Everyone looked at him horrified. "Mr. D, how could you…how did you-"
"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it, too much paperwork if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to father."
He stared resentfully at Thalia, "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"
Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.
"Mr. D," said Grover in amazement. "You…you just saved us."
"Mmm, don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson, I bought you a few hours at most."
"The Ophiotaurus," said Percy. "Can you get it to camp?"
Mr. D sniffed, "I don't transport livestock. That's your problem."
"But where do we go?"
Dionysus looked at Zoe, "oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sundown today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."
"Mr. D," said Percy.
Mr. D raised an eyebrow.
"You called me by my real name. You called me Percy Jackson."
"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"
He cut the connection as he waved his hand through the mist.
All around them, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One had found their homeless friend from before and was discussing the situation with the metal angels from Mars. The other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and trying to steal their shoes.
Percy looked at Zoe, "What did he mean…'you know where to go'?"
Danielle looked at Zoe, concerned. Zoe's face was the color of fog, looking out over the Golden Gate Bridge. In the distance, a single mountain rose above the cloud layer.
"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."
Danielle gulped, "Zoe, are you sure about this?"
Zoe shook herself, "I, I will be fine. Let us go."
They quickly ran down to the beachfront and started running along the coast to avoid the tourists. Zoe was frustrated, "we will never make it. We are moving too slowly. And we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."
"Mooo," said Bessie as he swam along as they jogged. They were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge but it was a lot farther away than they had thought at first. The sun was already dipping in the sky.
"I don't get it," said Percy. "Why do we have to be there by sunset?"
Zoe didn't seem to be up to answering so Danielle did so. "We're going to the garden of the Hesperides. The guardians of the golden apple and the nymphs of sunset; because of that, we can only enter the garden as day turns to night."
"What happens if we miss it?"
"We would have to wait until tomorrow night but by then the winter solstice and the meeting would be over. Lady Artemis must be there for the meeting so we have to save her tonight."
Percy grew silent, lost in his own thoughts.
"We need a car," said Thalia.
"But what about Bessie," said Percy, looking at him.
Grover stopped in his tracks. "I got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"
Percy nodded, "well, yeah. First he appeared in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped up at Hoover Dam and now he's here."
"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," said Grover. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."
"But he was following me," said Percy. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"
"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.
"I…I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him."
Percy stared at him. Grover had some bad memories about water and the ocean.
"It makes sense," said Grover, determined. "I'm the only one that can communicate with him."
He bent down and whispered something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented lowing sound.
"The blessing of the wild," said Grover. "That should grant him safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad too, maybe he could get him safe passage through the seas as well."
Percy shrugged and walked close to the water, closing his eyes as if he was focusing on the waves. "Dad, help us get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."
"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," said Thalia. "Something big."
Percy seemed to think about that for a moment, before taking off his lion coat.
"Percy," said Grover. "Are you sure? That lion skin…it's pretty helpful. Hercules used it!"
Danielle scowled, thinking of that hero turned minor god. Hercules was the one of the few heroes that she wouldn't mind shooting an arrow through. He had used Zoe, cast her aside as if she was a broken tool, and made her lose her faith in mankind for a while. She herself didn't hate all men but Hercules and Orion were exceptions, she hated them both.
Zoe herself was looking at Percy carefully. Percy sighed, "If we are going to win this, it won't be because of a lion-skin coat. I'm not Hercules."
He threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a full lion's pelt, flashing in the sun. Then it began to sink into the water, dissolving into the sunlight on the water.
The sea breeze seemed to pick up.
Grover took in a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."
He jumped into the water, sinking immediately. Bessie swam over and supported Grover in the water.
"Be careful," said Percy.
"We will," Grover turned to Bessie. "Okay, um…Bessie? We're going to Long Island Sound."
"Moo?"
"Yes. Long Island. Well, it's an island, and…it's long, Oh let's just start."
"Moo!"
Bessie launched forward, Grover holding onto his neck. He started to submerge when Grover yelled, "oh yeah, I can't breath underwater! Just thought I'd mention-" Glub!
Under they went. Danielle hoped that Poseidon remembered that Grover needed to breath underwater.
"Well, that is one problem addressed," said Zoe. "But how are we supposed to get to my sister's garden before sunset?"
Percy sighed, "Thalia's right, we need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, ahem, borrow one."
He looked uncomfortable with the idea, as was everyone else. The fate of western civilization was more important but stealing a car to do it just sounded wrong. Besides, doing so would warrant attention on them, the last thing they needed.
"Wait," Thalia said. She started rummaging in her backpack for something. "There is someone here that could help us. I've got the address here somewhere."
"Who?" asked Percy.
Thalia pulled out a battered and crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase, Annabeth's dad."
No had a better idea and since they were close to the address on the paper anyway, they decided to at least try. Danielle had to wonder what sort of guy Athena would like. Some sort of genius that could challenge her intellectually in certain areas, no doubt. Of course, this was also the same guy that made a small seven-year-old want to run away when she could easily have been eaten by a monster. Not exactly father of the year.
After only a twenty-minute walk, they found the right address. It was a simple two-story home with a small front yard. What Danielle was not expecting was Professor Chase to be wearing an aviator's cap and goggles. He looked so weird, with his eyes bugging through his glasses that they all took a step back.
"Hello," he said in a friendly voice. "Are you delivering my airplanes?"
That would explain the aviator garb. They all looked at each other warily.
"Um, no sir," said Zoe.
"Drat," he said. "I need three more Sopwith Camels."
Danielle figured he might be some sort of World War One fanatic, focusing on the air force of that time period. She also figured that Athena was looking for the mad scientist look when she met him.
"Right," said Percy. "We're friends with Annabeth."
"Annabeth?" He suddenly straightened, as if he was given an electric shock. "What happened? Is she okay?"
None of them answered but the looks on their faces probably gave away enough. Professor Chase sighed and took off his aviator's hat, revealing his sandy blond hair. He looked to be in his late thirties, early forties, and hadn't shaved for a few days. His shirt was also buttoned wrong, like he was so busy with research that he neglected his personal appearance.
"You'd better come in."
The moment Danielle entered the house she felt a pang of jealously for Annabeth. The modest home was the complete opposite of Potter Manor with its fancy one of a kind furniture and almost sterile like environment. The Chase home looked comfortable, lived in, and slightly chaotic. There were LEGO robots on the stairs and a couple of cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled of chocolate-chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. It seemed like a messy, happy kind of home- the kind Danielle had never had.
"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"
"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "Don't take apart your brother's robots."
"I'm Bobby," said the little boy. "He's Matthew!"
"Matthew," called Dr. Chase. "Don't take apart your brother's robots!"
"Okay, Dad!"
Dr. Chase turned to them; "we'll go upstairs into my study. This way."
"Honey?" a woman called. She must have been Annabeth's stepmother as she walked into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel. She was a pretty Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied in a bun.
"Who are our guests?" she asked.
"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is…"
He stared at them blankly.
"Frederick," she chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"
They introduced themselves a little uneasily, but Mrs. Chase seemed really nice. Danielle thought that she and Mrs. Weasley would have gotten along pretty well if the latter was more concerned about everyone's welfare instead of just people she approved of. Mrs. Chase asked them if they were hungry and promised to bring up sandwiches, cookies and sodas.
"Dear," said Dr. Chase. "They came about Annabeth."
From what little Danielle was able to get from Percy; she figured that Mrs. Chase would have started shrieking like a banshee at the mention of her stepdaughter. Instead, she pursed her lips and looked concerned. "Alright, you go up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She smiled at Percy. "Nice to meet you Percy. I've heard a lot about you."
After Percy was done blushing, Dr. Chase led them up the stairs. Once the door to the study opened, everyone's eyes widened, "whoa."
The room was wall-to-wall books but what caught everyone's attention were the war toys. There was a huge table with little German soldiers and miniature tanks along a blue painted river, with hills and fake trees and stuff. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceiling, tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight.
Dr. Chase smiled a little crazily. "Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much bigger role than they are given credit for."
He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making little engine noises as he knocked down the little German soldiers.
It was at that point that Danielle figured that he was a mad genius. Brilliant, but almost completely out of his mind. She could see what Athena had seen in him.
Zoe came over and studied the battlefield. "The German lines were farther down the river."
Dr. Chase stared at her, "how do you know that?"
"I was there," she said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."
Danielle nodded, "that sounds like lady Artemis."
Dr. Chase opened his mouth in shock. "You-"
"She's a Hunter, sir," said Thalia. "But that's not why we're here. We need-"
"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" asked Dr. Chase eagerly, staring at Zoe as if she was a great treasure. "How many were there? What formations did they fly?"
"Sir," said Thalia again. "Annabeth is in danger."
That got his attention. Dr. Chase reluctantly put the biplane down.
"Of course," he said. "Tell me everything."
It wasn't easy, but they tried. Meanwhile, the afternoon sun was starting to fade. They were running out of time.
When they'd finished, Dr. Chase collapsed into his leather recliner. He laced his hands. "My poor brave Annabeth. We must hurry."
"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamalpais," Zoe said. "And we need it immediately."
"I'll drive you. Hmm, it would be faster to fly over in my Camel, but it only seats two."
"Whoa, you have an actual biplane?" asked Percy in shock.
"Down at Crissy field," said Dr. Chase proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the greatest World War I artifacts in the world. He let me restore the Sopwith Camel-"
"Sir," said Thalia. "Just a car would be great. And it might be better to go without you. It's too dangerous."
Dr. Chase frowned uncomfortably. "Now wait a minute, young lady. Annabeth is my daughter. Dangerous or not, I…I can't just-"
"Snacks," said Mrs. Chase as she pushed a tray through the door full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Cokes, and cookies fresh from the oven, the chocolate chips still gooey. Danielle suddenly realized how hungry she was after draining her magical core and almost dove for the sandwiches while Percy and Thalia inhaled the cookies.
Zoe spoke to Dr. Chase, "I can drive sir. I'm not as young as I look. I promise not to destroy your car."
Mrs. Chase knit her eyebrows. "What's this about?"
"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them…but it's apparently no place for mortals."
Danielle frowned with slight guilt as she finished her second sandwich. Dr. Chase seemed to really feel useless about the whole situation and wanted to help anyway he could.
Mrs. Chase nodded, "then they'd better get going."
"Right!" Dr. Chase sprang to his feet and started digging in his pockets. "My keys…"
His wife sighed. "Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped in your aviator's hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."
"Right!" Dr. Chase said.
Zoe grabbed a sandwich. "Thank you both, we should go. Now!"
They hustled out the door and down the stairs, the Chases right behind them.
"Percy," Mrs. Chase called as they were almost out the door. "Tell Annabeth…Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that."
Danielle's eyes started to sting, how often had she wished for her parents to tell her something like that? She eyed the LEGO robots and the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air. 'Not a bad place to live,' she thought before heading out the door to the yellow VW convertible parked in the driveway. The sun was going down fast now, they probably only had about an hour to get into the garden now.
Zoe got into the driver's seat while Danielle managed to get shotgun. Percy and Thalia got the backseat.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded.
Zoe glared at her, "I cannot control traffic."
"You both sound like my mother," said Percy.
"Shut up!" they both yelled in unison.
Danielle sighed. She remembered the car trip they had had at the start of this quest, it seemed like ages ago. "Thalia, we'll get there when we get there, calm down." She knew that saying that to an ADHD demigod was pointless but she had to try.
Thalia growled at her for a moment before settling for looking out the window with a huff.
Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking in the horizon when they finally got to Maine Country and exited the highway.
The roads were narrow, winding through forests and woodland, up steep hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.
"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" asked Percy out of nowhere.
"Eucalyptus," Zoe pointed to the large trees all around them.
"The stuff koala bears eat?"
"And monsters," she answered. "They love chewing on the leaves, especially dragons."
"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"
"Believe me," said Zoe. "If you had dragon breath, you would too."
Danielle couldn't keep quiet anymore, "Zoe, are you sure you want to go?"
Zoe frowned at the road, "I will be fine. Stop questioning me."
Danielle slumped a little in her seat, "fine. Just remember that you're my sister and nothing will change that."
Zoe nodded, looking like she was determined not to cry and focused on driving.
Danielle was lost in thought for a moment. Zoe knew something about this quest that the others didn't know. Something that would require trying to train Bianca to take over as the second in command in the Hunt. 'What is she thinking? It's not like she's going to die.'
Her mind screeched to a halt at that thought. She couldn't lose Zoe; she was the big sister she had never had. But the look on her face when she had said that Bianca could replace her as the lieutenant, that was the look of someone who had accepted her fate and tried to do the best she could.
In front of them was Mount Tamapalis, In terms of mountains; it wasn't that large, there were plenty of larger mountains. But it seemed that there was a small sense of danger that was growing larger the closer they came to it.
"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" asked Percy.
"Yes," said Zoe tightly.
"Why do they call it that?"
Zoe was silent for about a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos' right-hand man, the general of his armed forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."
"The General," muttered Percy. Clouds were swirling around the peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top. "What's going on up there? A storm?"
Zoe didn't answer but Danielle could. "I don't like it but I can literally feel the dark magic gathering up there. Like it's gathering for something big."
"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here."
"The magical kind or the normal kind?" asked Percy.
"Both."
The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain now, and they kept driving right toward them. They were out of the forest now, into wide-open spaces of cliffs, fog, grass and rocks.
As they turned around a scenic curve around a cliff with a perfect ocean view below, Percy shouted, "Look!"
His shout startled everyone but the car went around a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.
"What?" Thalia asked.
"A big white ship," said Percy. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."
Danielle got a bad feeling; she had heard that Kronos had gotten a ship like that.
Thalia's eyes widened, "Luke's ship?"
They were silent for a moment. If it was that demon cruise ship, they would have a lot of fighting to do.
"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly. "Kronos's army."
Before anyone could say anything, the hairs on the back of their necks stood up. Thalia shouted, "stop the car. NOW!"
Zoe sensed that something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.
"OUT!" Thalia opened her door and pushed Percy hard. Danielle and Zoe both jumped out as well and all four of them rolled onto the pavement. The next second: BOOOM!
Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. Thalia pulled out her shield and protected herself and Percy from raining shrapnel while Danielle had recovered enough to put up a barrier around herself and Zoe. Luckily for her, the rain of falling metal was over quickly and she dropped her shield before she ran out of energy again. When the smoke cleared, they saw that part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The still smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.
Zoe picked herself up and gave Danielle a hand, who was panting from using magic again so soon after her core was drained. Giving Zoe a look of gratitude, they made it to the others.
Thalia was looking stunned and angry. "One shall perish by a parent's hand," she muttered. "Curse him. He would destroy me? Me?"
"Calm down Thalia," said Danielle, still looking a little green. "I'm sure that others can use lightning."
Percy nodded, "yeah. That couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way."
"Whose then?" Thalia demanded.
"I don't know," said Percy. "Zoe said Kronos's name, maybe he-"
Thalia shook her head angrily. "No. That wasn't it."
"We will figure it out later," said Zoe, clearly trying to calm Thalia down. "We need to move."
"You mean we're here?" asked Percy.
"Very close," she said. "Follow me."
Sheets of fog were drifting over the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. The other three looked at each other.
"Concentrate on Zoe," Danielle advised. "Just walk straight through the fog and focus on following her. Keep that in mind."
Before they could move, Percy held Thalia back. "Wait, Thalia. About what happened back on the pier…I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice-"
"I don't want to talk about it." Thalia looked uncomfortable and still angry about the lightning bolt.
"You wouldn't actually have…you know?"
She hesitated. "I was just shocked. That's all."
"Zeus didn't send that lightning bolt at the car. It was Kronos. He's trying to manipulate you, make you angry at your dad."
She took a deep breath. "Percy, I know you're trying to make me feel better. Thanks. But come on. We need to go."
Danielle, feeling like an outsider after their bonding moment, stepped into the fog, into the Mist first.
When the fog cleared, she was still on the side of a mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of them. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the Garden of twilight.
If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place Danielle had ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping-stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples. She had no idea why but Danielle knew that one bite of one those apples would have been the most delicious thing she might ever taste.
"The apples of immortality," said Thalia. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."
Danielle had to wonder about that. She had a hard time imagining Hera, queen of the gods, coming here to relax when it was so close to Mount Orthys. The dragon itself was also a deterrent.
The dragon Ladon was probably the scariest dragon she had ever seen, and she had seen Norbert. The serpent's body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had one hundred heads, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass; all of the eyes were closed.
Then the shadows in front of them began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. Percy reached for Riptide but Zoe stopped him. Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek Chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. It was strange, but Danielle had gotten so used to Zoe that she never realized how good she looked until she saw her siblings, the Hesperides. They looked just like Zoe- gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.
"Sisters," Zoe said.
"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see two half-bloods and two Hunters. All of whom shall soon die."
"You've got it wrong," said Percy as he stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."
The girls studied him. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.
"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.
"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he is a threat."
"Who said I was a threat?"
The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee, they are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."
She pointed at Thalia.
"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."
"There are no friends here daughter of Zeus," the girl said, "only enemies. Go back."
"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said.
"And Artemis," Danielle added. "We need to get to the summit."
"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."
"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."
The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."
"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.
"No? And what about thy so-called friends or disgraced sister?"
Danielle had to admit that that had hurt slightly. She could feel Percy and Thalia looking at her questioningly but they shook it off as unimportant for the moment. Then Zoe did the last thing she expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"
The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain shimmering bronze Knuts. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "are you mad?"
"You never had any courage sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."
The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.
"Zoe, don't," Danielle, said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."
"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the Mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."
"Should," said Percy. "Not exactly reassuring."
"It is the only way," she said. "Even the four of us together cannot fight him."
Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down Danielle's back, and that was before his breath hit her. The smell was like acid. It made her eyes burn, her skin crawl, and her hair stand on end. She remembered the Basilisk back in her second year at Hogwarts and the stench of the Chamber of Secrets. But this stench was a hundred times stronger, all mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus. She would never look at another koala bear the same way again.
She wanted to draw her bow or wand. But her magic, while still slowly coming back, was still on empty for now. Hercules, the jerk, had tried and failed with a frontal assault. She decided to trust Zoe's judgment.
She and Thalia went left, Percy went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.
"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."
Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."
"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"
The dragon's eyes glinted.
The other three were about halfway across the garden. Ahead, was a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.
They'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. Danielle felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe Ladon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.
Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in their direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.
Percy drew Riptide and Danielle her bow.
"NO!" Zoe panted. "RUN!"
The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoe cried out. Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe sprinted past them up the mountain, making them follow.
Ladon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but he was well trained to guard the tree. He wasn't going to be lured off, even by the tasty prospect of eating some heroes.
As they ran up the mountain, the Hesperides resumed their song behind them. The music didn't sound so beautiful anymore- more like the sound track for a funeral.
At the top of the mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.
"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.
"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."
"What's Mount Othrys?" asked Percy.
"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoe said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was-" She winced and held her side.
"Zoe!" Danielle pulled out her wand. "You're hurt, let me see-"
"No! It is nothing. I was saying…in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces."
"But…how is it here?" asked Percy.
Thalia looked around cautiously as they picked there way though the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good."
"This is Atlas's mountain," said Danielle, realizing this for the first time. "Of course, the Hesperides, they're all children of Atlas."
Zoe nodded, "yes, where Atlas holds-" she froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."
They had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountain's top, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis; her legs were bound to the rock with Celestrial bronze chains. Artemis was holding the sky, the roof of the world.
"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, Danielle not far behind.
Artemis shook her head furiously, "stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."
Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. Danielle's heart almost broke at the sight. She had never seen her lady in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for her.
Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests and tugged at the chains.
A booming voice spoke behind them: "Ah, how touching."
They turned, Danielle seeing this General for the first time. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit. He had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. She felt like she was looking at a living statue. It was amazing that he could move at all.
At the General's side was a demigod who looked like he had seen better days. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray but his eyes showed how angry he was. He also had a scar that ran down the side of his face that made him look crueler.
Beside them both were about half a dozen dracaenae, snake women, bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. A blonde girl stood by the demigod's side but she had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and a sword pointed at her throat.
Danielle recognized that blonde girl, Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena that Percy, Thalia, and Grover loved. That meant that the guy holding her at sword point must be Luke.
"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."
Luke's smile was weak and pale, like he didn't want to do this but was determined to make it happen. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."
Thalia spat at him.
The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."
"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."
"Wait a second, " Percy said. "You're Atlas?"
The General glanced at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."
"You're not going to hurt Zoe," said Percy as he and Danielle moved in between Atlas and Zoe. "We won't let you."
The General sneered. "Neither of you have the right to interfere, little heroes. This is a family matter."
Percy frowned. "A family matter?"
"Percy," said Danielle. "I just said that the Hesperides were daughters of Atlas."
"Yes," said Zoe bleakly. "Atlas is my father."
Danielle had to admit, there were worse fathers than her own. James hadn't liked her, he even threw her out of the house, but he had never tried to kill her.
"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.
Atlas walked closer to the goddess of the hunt. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."
Zoe opened her mouth to speak but Artemis beat her to it. "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."
Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.
"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of the palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."
Percy looked at Annabeth. She was trying desperately to tell them something. She motioned her head toward Luke. Now that they could see her clearly, they noticed that something had changed. Her blonde hair was now streaked with gray, something that had not been there when the manticore had taken her.
"From holding up the sky," muttered Thalia to them. "The weight should have killed her."
"I don't understand," said Percy. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"
Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."
He approached them, studying Percy, Thalia and Danielle. "So, these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge. One is even a pure mortal, not even a demigod."
"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."
"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity to even fight one of Hecate's precious magicals. I will have Luke crush you instead."
"So you're another coward," Percy said.
Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Danielle. "Danielle No-name, formerly Potter. Hecate joined Kronos. Join us, you are useful in a fight, and we could increase your powers beyond your wildest dreams. You could have your revenge on your parents, the ones who turned their backs on you."
Danielle glared at him.
Atlas shrugged and turned to Thalia.
"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."
"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If he wasn't trying to bring about the end of the world, Danielle might feel sorry about him. "Thalia, you can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"
He waved his hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.
"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."
"Luke…" Thalia's voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"
"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"
Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."
"If you join me." Luke promised, "It can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree…"
His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."
Danielle didn't know what he meant but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. Luke really was in danger. His life depended on Thalia joining his cause. The question was if Thalia would believe it too.
"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."
Luke waved his hand again and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at Camp Half-blood. A sacrificial flame.
Danielle put a hand on Thalia's shoulder. Percy was telling her no.
Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, Danielle saw images in the Mist all around them: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them, made of shadows and fear.
"We shall rise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."
He pointed toward the ocean and Danielle's heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where Luke's demon cruise ship was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hellhounds, harpies, and a whole lot of other things that Danielle didn't know the names for. The whole ship must have been emptied and they were marching right for them. They would be here in minutes.
"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."
For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes filled with pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."
"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me…don't make him destroy you."
There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed. Danielle saw Annabeth nod to Percy, like she knew it too and was prepared for it.
Danielle looked at Percy, Thalia, and Zoe. Figuring that if she was going to fight, it might as well be with people she had come to care about. Friends that she had found in a crazy world of gods and monsters, far away from her magical world she had been born in.
"Now," said Percy.
Together, they charged.
Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin when a rain of arrows from Danielle's bow turned them into dust, leaving Luke alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with a sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, a weird combination of celestrial bronze and mortal steel, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air around them with yellow tendrils of power.
While Thalia was battling Luke spear and shield on sword, Danielle grabbed Annabeth and pulled her to a safe spot away from the fighting.
"Let me go!"
Danielle glared at her, "and how do you plan on fighting without a weapon?" she hissed. When Annabeth was quiet, she pulled out her hunting knives and cut Annabeth's bonds free. Danielle then reached into her bag and pulled out some Ambrosia she always kept on her. She couldn't eat it herself, even with the blessing of Artemis, she wasn't a demigod, and gave it to the daughter of Athena.
Annabeth took it begrudgingly and some of her color came back. Danielle stood up, "wait here."
Before the girl could do more than stare at her, Danielle summoned her bow again and started firing at Atlas along with Zoe while Percy was stupid enough to attack him head on.
Percy swung his sword at Atlas, his silk suit now full Greek battle armor, and Atlas knocked Percy aside with the shaft of his javelin. Percy went flying and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't the Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick, it was becoming real.
"Fool!" Atlas screemed gleefully, as he swatted aside Zoe and Danielle's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"
Pushing aside the question of when Percy had challenged Ares of all people, Danielle kept firing arrows with Zoe, trying to find a chink in his armor. Percy shook off the daze he got from slamming into a brick wall and charged again, trying to get close to the pool of water.
The javelin's point came right at Percy and he blocked with Riptide. Percy's sword was positioned so that it could cut the javelin in half. Atlas was too strong though; it was impossible for Percy to do so.
The javelin caught Percy in the chest and he went flying like a rag doll again. He slammed into the ground, rolling in front of Artemis's feet.
Danielle didn't know what to do. Arrows didn't even seem to have an effect on Atlas. Close range with hunting knives wouldn't do anything with that armor he had on. As for magic, she had enough for one more minor spell at the moment. Not enough to do any kind of difference against a Titan.
Atlas wasn't even trying to get away from Zoe or Danielle, calmly walking toward Percy as if he had all the time in the world. Percy's sword was gone. It had skittered over the side of the cliff. It would return in pen form in a few seconds, but Percy didn't have that long. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackled around them. Annabeth trying to figure out a plan but without even her invisibility hat, she was having trouble doing anything herself.
"Die little hero," Atlas said.
He raised his javelin.
"NO!" Zoe and Danielle managed to shoot arrows into the armpit chinks in Atlas's armor. Silver arrows sprouting from the volley the two girls had shot.
"ARGH" He bellowed and turned to glare at Zoe.
Zoe and Danielle quickly dodged the javelin strikes that Atlas made in their direction. He was like fighting a mountain, Danielle decided. He was big, powerful, and seemed to have sacrificed speed for raw power. True, they had speed on their side, but with the unflinching stamina the Titan had, it wouldn't matter since he would win eventually.
What was Danielle supposed to do? She wanted to help and protect everyone but found that she couldn't. Every weapon she had was either useless or near so against Atlas. She could see Percy and Artemis talking in the distance but she was too busy simply dodging attacks to do anything about it. Zoe was doing the same as she was but she was getting slower, probably from her fight against Ladon before. All the time, the monster army was getting closer.
She got a small break when Atlas decided to focus on Zoe but that wasn't much better. Danielle started getting angry, like she always did when someone was attacking her friends but this was much worse. Atlas was attacking her sister. The Hunt had been her home, her family; Artemis was her mother figure while Zoe was like an older sister she had learned to rely on.
Her fists clenched, her breathing was angry and her eyes blazed. No one attacked her family and got away with it!
"What are you doing?" shouted Atlas. "Stop that!"
"Danielle?" asked Zoe, looking exhausted but well enough to keep going.
Danielle was glowing bright silver, like her blessing from Artemis was giving her a power boost. Her normal hazel eyes were blazing with a silver light and she felt stronger, both magically and physically. She felt great.
Bringing out her hunting knives, one in each hand, she smirked as she leaped forward with a speed that could compete with Artemis herself. Slashing her knives across his armor, she left deep cuts in the armor before spinning around him with amazing speed and jabbing him in the small of the back, making him stumble.
"What is this?" demanded Atlas.
"It is my full blessing," said Artemis, who was standing in her own battle position, knives out. "Only those who have fully accepted themselves, the Hunt, and their role in their new family can activate it under extreme stress. Even Zoe has never managed it."
That was the only explanation that Artemis gave as she leapt into battle herself. Together, the three Hunters pushed Atlas back. Artemis was showing why she was the best knife fighter on Olympus as she gave furious strikes. She even turned into various animals. One moment she was a bear, the next an eagle, a tiger, a dear, and a falcon. Zoe rained arrows down on Atlas while Danielle was slashing as much as she could with her new found speed.
"Enough!" Atlas yelled and finally got Danielle, making her go flying across the mountaintop, still glowing silver. Atlas then pressed Artemis harder than ever, even her speed could not stand up to his unyielding power. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened up in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back to where Percy had taken the sky from her.
"You fight well for a girl," Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."
He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his Javelin for the kill.
"NO!" Zoe screamed. She leapt in between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.
"ZOE!" Danielle was back and looked furious. Her silver glow shining even brighter in the darkness and in her anger. She brought out her wand and growled, "Lux Gladius." Even Atlas's eyes widened when a meter long bluish white blade made completely of light came out of the wand tip. Holding her new sword, Danielle rushed forward with the speed of the Hunt and swiped at Atlas.
Atlas brought out his javelin to block the strike but the weapon could barely hold against the burning light of Danielle's sword. Feeling full of magic, Danielle increased her speed with magic in addition to her blessing and started raining blows on Atlas, the Titan only barely dodging or blocking.
"What is this?" the Titan yelled as he found himself being pushed back. "You are a mere mortal!
"No," said Danielle as she swiped with her sword and burned his hand. "I AM A MAGICAL HUNTER!"
One well timed strike cut his burned javelin in half and made him stumble backward. On him in a flash, she burned him across the face with her blade as he went flying toward a now standing Artemis. Artemis, seeing what was happening, spun around Atlas and threw him toward Percy, who was now about to faint from exhaustion from holding up the sky.
Sending a message to Percy telepathically, Percy loosened his grip on the sky so Atlas slammed into him, knocking him out of the way as the sky feel onto Atlas's back. Atlas shifted so he was on his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But by then, it was too late.
"Nooooo!" He bellowed so loudly that it shook the mountain. "Not again!"
Atlas was trapped under his old burden.
Thalia meanwhile, had backed Luke up to the edge of a cliff, but they still fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody gash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.
He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but there was fear in his voice.
Thalia trembled in fury.
Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, coming out from behind her hiding place. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"
"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"
Neither Artemis nor Danielle cared about Luke at the moment. They both rushed off to where Zoe had fallen, Danielle's silver glow fading back to a normal Hunter's.
"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He…he'll be useful."
"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"
Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.
"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.
"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.
The demigods rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from Kronos's ship had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks. It seemed to be impossible he was still alive. The fall was fifty feet at last, and he wasn't moving.
One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"
Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Percy pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads. They ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as they passed.
"Artemis!" Percy yelled.
The goddess and Danielle looked up, their faces as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe lay in Artemis's arms, Danielle was holding her hand. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still…
"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.
"Atlas poisoned her?" Percy asked.
"It was Ladon you twit," Danielle almost yelled at him. Her eyes were full of unshed tears but she was losing her resolve. She looked at Zoe sadly, "you idiot. I don't have any more ambrosia and with the blessing worn off, I don't have enough magic to heal a bruise. Why would you go into battle like that?"
Zoe's wound was much worse than she had let on. No one could look at it easily but Zoe had charged into battle anyway.
Zoe coughed and struggled to draw breath. "My death was prophesized. I knew it from the start." She focused on the sky instead of them. "The stars, I cannot see them."
Danielle was about ready to cry while Artemis didn't seem much better. Lady Artemis seemed to be in shock. No one moved. Grief was heavy in the air; even amongst the demigods. They might have met their doom from Kronos's army when they heard a buzzing sound.
Just as the monster army was about to reach the top of the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped out of the sky.
"Get away from my daughter!" yelled Dr. Chase as he fired his machine guns, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the monster army into scattering.
"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.
Danielle was positive now. Dr. Chase was the coolest dad in the world. Too bad her sister was dying so she couldn't enjoy the moment.
"Run!" Dr. Chase called down. His voice getting fainter as the biplane swooped away.
His shout shook Artemis into action. She stared at the plane that was now coming around for another strafe.
"A brave man," Artemis said in a kind of grudging approval. "Come. We must get Zoe away from here."
She raised her hunting horn to her lips and made a clear sound that echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes fluttered.
Danielle grabbed one of Zoe's hands again, trying and failing to keep her tears from falling. She knew it was a fatal wound. She also knew that no one could do anything about it. "Don't die on me yet Zoe."
The Sopwith Camel came around for another pass. A few giants fired their javelins, and one went between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. The bullets must have been fashioned from celestrial bronze as the first row of snake women burst into a sulfurous yellow powder.
"That's…my dad!" Annabeth yelled in amazement.
There wasn't enough time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were getting back up, recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.
Just then, the moon brightened, and a silver chariot came down, from the sky, being driven by the most beautiful reindeer on the planet. It landed right next to them.
"Get in," said Artemis.
Annabeth helped Percy get Thalia on board while Danielle and Artemis got Zoe. Wrapping Zoe in a blanket as Artemis grabbed the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.
"Like Santa's sleigh," Percy muttered, still in pain from holding up the sky.
Artemis looked at him, "indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"
Seeing them away, Dr. Chase flew his biplane toward them and followed the chariot like an honor guard. It had to be one of the strangest sights ever: a reindeer pulled silver chariot being escorted by a Sopwith Camel.
Behind them, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was Atlas, bellowing insults against the gods as he struggled to hold up the sky.
They landed at Crissy Field after nightfall.
As soon as he got out of the Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to meet him and gave him a huge hug. "Dad! You flew…you shot…oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"
Dr. Chase blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose."
"But the celestrial bronze bullets! How did you get those?"
"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few demigod weapons behind in your room in Virginia, the last time you…left."
Annabeth looked down, embarrassed. He tried not to say the words ran away.
"I decided to melt some down to make bullet casings. Just a little experiment."
He said it like it was no big deal but everyone could see what Athena, goddess of Arts and Crafts, had seen in him all those years ago. He was a mad scientist at heart.
"Dad…" Annabeth's voice faltered.
"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. She was pointing to Danielle and Artemis who were kneeling at Zoe's side, binding up her wounds.
They ran up to her but it was obvious that there was nothing that could be done. None of them had any Ambrosia or Nectar. No regular mortal medicine would help and Danielle's magic was gone. It was dark but Zoe was clearly shivering, her silver aura that she always had was fading.
"Can't you heal her with magic?" Percy asked Artemis. "I mean…you're a goddess."
Artemis looked troubled. "Life is fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."
She tried to set her hand on Zoe's side, but Zoe grabbed her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes and some sort of understanding passed between them.
"Have I…served thee well?" Zoe whispered.
"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."
Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."
"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."
It wasn't just the poison killing her. It was her father's final blow that did it. She went on this quest knowing that she would probably die, and she went anyway. Ever since she had heard the Oracle: One shall perish by a parent's hand. She had chosen to save them all, and her father broke her inside.
"Zoe," Danielle whispered, still holding her hand. "You were my first friend, the closest thing I've known as a family. Without you, I wouldn't have even joined the Hunt and gained my new family. You are best older sister in the world." She wasn't even trying to hold her tears as they fell down her face. She would have kept talking but she was too choked up on emotions to continue.
Zoe gripped her hand, "and you were best younger sister. I am sorry for not telling you everything about this quest but I did not want to worry you. You are a true hunter Danielle."
Danielle nodded, unable to speak but gripped her hand tighter.
Zoe turned to Thalia and took her hand with her free one. "I am sorry we argued. We could have been sisters."
"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about men, heroes-everything."
"Perhaps not all men," Zoe smiled at Percy weakly. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"
Percy couldn't speak, but he brought out Riptide and put the pen in her hand. The blade that she had given to Hercules all those years ago and Percy had wound up with. She grasped it contentedly, "you spoke the truth, Perseus Jackson. You are nothing like...like Hercules. I am honored you carry this sword."
A sudden shudder ran through her body.
"Zoe-" said Percy.
"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, milady."
Artemis nodded, a tear trickling down her cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."
"Stars," she whispered again. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. Then she moved no more. Her silver aura gone.
Thalia lowered her head. Annabeth choked back a sob and her father put a hand on her shoulder. Danielle's tears wouldn't stop. Percy looked lost and depressed. Artemis cupped her hand over Zoe's mouth and said some words in Ancient Greek. A silvery whisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe's lips and was caught in the hand on the goddess. Zoe's body shimmered and vanished, leaving Danielle holding air.
Artemis stood, and giving a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust into the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up, Danielle saw that the stars were brighter than before. They made a new pattern-a gleaming constellation that looked like a girl's figure- a girl with a bow, running across the sky.
"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," said Artemis, who was now holding Danielle's hand. "Live forever in the stars."
It wasn't easy saying goodbye to everyone. The thunder and lightning from Mount Tamapais were boiling at this point in the north. Artemis's silver figure started flickering, like she might lose control of herself and vaporize anyone looking at her if she appeared in her fully divine form.
"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take all of you, but I will send help."
The goddess put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right."
She then looked quizzically at Thalia, as if not sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her and she held the goddess's eyes. Danielle didn't know what passed between the two of them but Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to Percy.
"You did well," she said. "For a man."
Danielle didn't smile but she did feel slightly amused when Percy looked indignant for a moment. Then he realized what she had said and who had said it and he calmed down, realizing it as the highest praise she would give him, ever.
Artemis then faced her, "Danielle, as a hunter, I can take you. Shall we go?"
Danielle nodded and smiled at all of them before going to the chariot, which started to glow. With one last smile and wave, Artemis took the reins, and in a flash of silver, they were gone, now flying high over the United States toward Manhattan.
Danielle was sorry to say, she had spaced out for most of the trip to Olympus. It was her first visit to the home of the gods but after losing Zoe, her first friend and sister in all but blood, she didn't feel like she wanted to focus on anything.
Numb shock, that was the only thing she was feeling at the moment. She had watched Zoe die right in front of her, poisoned and hit hard enough by Atlas that she had broken several bones. If even lady Artemis couldn't heal her, than she had no chance. Even Apollo couldn't have done anything and that made it even worse.
For the entire ride in lady Artemis's chariot, she just looked blankly over the side. Looking but not seeing. What was she supposed to tell the hunt? Phoebe would be murderous. She was always the closest to Zoe and she herself felt like she had let the whole hunt down, not just Phoebe.
When she felt a little shake and she focused on her surroundings for the first time, she noticed that she was on the outskirts of a huge city. Even though it was supposed to be early morning, the sun was shining brightly like it was the middle of the afternoon.
The concept of winter didn't seem to exist here. Flowers and trees were everywhere while a warm summer breeze wafted through the streets. Nymphs, satyrs, Demigods and minor gods and goddess were walking around, shop keepers were selling their wares like Ambrosia on a stick and the latest replica of famous weapons shown on Hephaestus T.V. Fires of multiple different colors were blazing in braziers along the walkway. Music was coming from the many windows and onto the street.
On the top of it all, on the top of the mountain, was the throne room of the Olympian council.
"Are you alright?"
Danielle looked at lady Artemis, for the first time since they had left California she had taken in the goddess' looks. For the most part, the goddess looked the same as she had always known her, but it was clear she was taking the loss of her best friend hard, just like her.
Danielle shook herself slightly, "I'll be alright, milady. Not right now, but eventually."
Lady Artemis nodded, like she was going through the same thing, and made her way to the doors to the throne room, Danielle following behind.
"Is it okay if I go in? I'm not a demigod."
Artemis smiled at her, "as long as you are with me, it will be fine. Just bow to lord Zeus and be truthful about what has happened if they question you and no one will try anything,"
Danielle nodded, still nervous of meeting the Olympian council. How many witches could say that they had seen the twelve Olympians?
When lady Artemis opened the doors and led her inside, she had to gasp at the wondrous room. She had seen the Great Hall at Hogwarts and she had to say, this blew it out of the water entirely.
The room was huge and domed, the night sky was clearly visible and she felt a pang of sadness when she saw the constellation, the huntress, rising across the ceiling. Twelve thrones were arranged in a U shape, all but one being occupied, each had a fifteen-foot tall god or goddess sitting on them. When the doors opened, eleven Olympians all looked at them, making Danielle want to run at the feeling of power looking at her.
Lady Artemis walked into the room, growing to her full godly height and sat down on her throne made of solid silver with depictions of the hunt carved into the metal.
Danielle made her way into the room slowly, seeing that Grover was there and was about half way through the report of what had happened. He stopped when the doors had opened and waited for Danielle to come in.
Nervous, she did as lady Artemis had told her and walked to the center of the throne room, bowing to lord Zeus.
"Rise Hunter," said the lord of the sky. "Take your seat."
Rising, Danielle looked at lady Artemis's throne to see a collapsible chair had been set up for her. Knowing better to retort, she simply made her way to the chair, knowing that the twelve Olympians were watching her. She wished she could just disappear; the feeling of all these gods watching her was scary.
When she sat down, Grover started his report again, telling them how they had dealt with Talos.
Taking in a deep breath, she looked around the throne room. The first thing she saw was the Ophiotarus, the cow fish hybrid who was swimming in a large ball of water near Grover and next to the hearth. Bessie seemed to be pretty happy, moving in the water provided for him.
Because of that, she looked at Poseidon, Percy's dad, who was just sitting calmly in his throne, only looking interested when Grover mentioned his son's name. He was wearing Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and had his trident in the slot of the deep-sea fisherman's chair that he used as a throne. While looking bored, she could tell that he was an older version of Percy; his appearance itself said how much he was a fun guy to be around.
She couldn't see lady Artemis from where she was sitting but could tell that Apollo and Hermes were getting into the story, despite the ear buds coming from Apollo's ears and Hermes texting on his phone.
Lord Zeus and Lady Hera were at the head of the throne room. Zeus looked deep in concentration, though he did smile at the mentions of Thalia contributing to the quest. Hera looked disgruntled, though she hid it well. It was no secret she didn't really like demigods but even she knew the importance of rescuing lady Artemis. She noticed how often she glared at Zeus at the mentions of his daughter.
Hephaestus, Dionysus and Demeter looked bored. She couldn't blame them; the quest really didn't have anything to do with them. The god of blacksmiths did flinch a little when he found out how destroyed his Talos statue got though.
Aphrodite was glaring at her, but that didn't surprise her. She had to smile though when she realized that, like all hunters, she could see through the glamour's that the goddess of love put up. When anyone looked at Aphrodite, they saw the ones they loved the most. When a Hunter or lady Artemis saw her, they saw how she really looked like. To be honest, she was completely thrown off of how bad she looked. She looked like a skinny little runway model that was wearing way too much make up and needed a cheeseburger, fast.
Ares looked bored as well, only looking interested when a fight was going on. It might have been the grief of losing Zoe but she didn't feel any anger or resentment in his presence. Or maybe he was controlling his aura better during the meeting.
Lady Athena was looking at her with a calculating expression. She looked like an older version of Annabeth, with the blonde hair and gray eyes that looked intimidating, like she was figuring out the best way to take out an opponent.
Hades was there as it was the winter solstice, sitting on a guest throne made of black obsidian. She wasn't sure but he seemed to go through a myriad of emotions. Everything from shock and anger when Grover had told them about Bianca's death for some reason, to glancing at her with a curious look; nothing bad, just curious and she had no idea what that was about.
Standing off to the side, as if not wanting to be seen, was lady Hestia. She looked around eight years old and was wearing a simple plain brown dress. Unable to tend the hearth since Grover and Bessie were standing in her way, she was simply watching everyone like she was. When their eyes met, she smiled at her and gave her a reassuring nod. Something that she returned, glad to have at least two goddesses on her side.
When Grover stopped speaking, he knelt in front of Zeus' throne, almost afraid of looking up. The gods seemed satisfied and started talking in their minds, as if trying to determine something.
Twisting around to look at lady Artemis, Danielle could see the anger in the goddess's eyes at some of the other gods. They seemed to be arguing about something and lady Artemis was trying to get her point across. Finally, the auburn haired goddess smiled a little and relaxed into her throne again.
Just then, the doors opened to reveal Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth. It looked like they had just gotten there, three pegasi were flying away in the distance. Percy and Thalia looked the same as they had a few hours ago but more nervous as they walked into the throne room. Annabeth looked better, like a good sleep for a few hours had given her some more energy and was more alert.
Bessie started mooing happily when he saw the son of Poseidon and started to swim a little more happily.
When Grover saw them, he quickly leapt to his seat and ran toward them, "Percy!" He then realized what he had done, turning his back on Lord Zeus, and tried to apologize.
Zeus just waved his hand dismissingly, "go on." He was staring at his daughter, Thaila.
Grover nodded and hugged Percy in a bro hug. Then did the same with Annabeth and Thalia. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to talk to them, they can't do it!"
Danielle was confused, was Grover talking about something that happened before she got there? Before she could say anything, Lady Artemis slipped out of her throne and walked over, shrinking down to her thirteen year old form, completely at ease in the room full of gods. She lifted Danielle out of her seat, and pulled her toward the others.
"Heroes." She was referring to all of them, even Danielle who she had placed among the demigods. "The Council has been informed of your deeds. They know of Mount Othrys rising in the west. They know of Atlas's attempt at freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."
Danielle now knew what they had been discussing in their minds. She started to get nervous, especially when a few gods shuffled uneasily, as if not happy about the plan.
"At my Lord Zeus's command," Lady Artemis continued. "My brother Apollo and I shall hunt down the most powerful monsters, seeking them out before they can join the Titan's ranks. Lady Athena shall personally check on the various other Titan's prisons, making sure they haven't escaped. Lord Poseidon has been allowed to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. As for you, my heroes…"
She turned to face the other gods, "these heroes have done Olympus a great service. Would any of you deny that?"
She gave each god a look in the eyes. Poseidon gave Percy a look that said everything will be fine. A few of the gods sent them reassuring looks. Hermes gave them a wink and Apollo gave them a thumbs-up but Ares simply glared at Percy, sharpening a knife.
"I gotta say," said Apollo, predictably breaking the silence, "these kids did alright." He cleared his throat, 'heroes win Laurels-'"
"Um, yes, first class," said Hermes, obviously not wanting to hear another one of Apollo's poems. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"
A few of them raised their hands tentatively, Demeter and Aphrodite.
"Hang on!" Ares growled, "what about those two?" he pointed at Percy and Thalia. "Those two are dangerous! It would be much safer, now that we have them here-"
"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits!"
"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."
Thalia blushed and studied the floor. It was obvious that she had never really been complimented by her father before.
Lady Athena cleared her throat and sat forward in her throne. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk with the other three."
"Mother!" cried Annabeth. "How can you-"
Danielle felt bad as well. How could the goddess of wisdom think of her as a security risk?
Athena silenced her daughter with a calm but stern look. "While it is unfortunate that my father and uncle has broken the oath, which only lord Hades has kept his word. A fact that I find ironic. We know from the great prophecy that children born of the big three, such as Percy and Thalia, are dangerous. As thick headed as he is, Ares does have a point."
Ares fist pumped, "yeah, you darn right…hey! Who are callin-?"
Before Ares could get off of his throne to threaten Athena, grape vines rose out of nowhere that held the war god in his place.
"Oh please, Ares," said Dionysus, who was twirling a grapevine in his hand. "Save the fighting for later."
"I'll show you, you old drunk! You seriously want to defend these brats?"
Dionysus looked at them wearily, "I personally have no love for them. Lady Athena, do you really think it would be best to destroy them?"
"I do not pass judgment," said Athena. "I merely point out the risks to Olympus. I will wait for the council to decide."
Danielle took in a deep breath and raised her hand shakily, wanting to get someone's attention.
Lady Artemis was the one to notice, "Yes Danielle?"
Danielle took in another deep breath, "I'm sorry, but how am I a security risk, as Lady Athena pointed out?"
Athena looked at her, "you are not a demigod, true, but you are a witch. Hecate's world of magic is separate from the world of gods, but Hecate herself has joined Kronos in this war. You might be loyal to Artemis, but if you had to choose, which one would you join?"
Danielle's first reaction was to feel hurt and angry, she had followed lady Artemis for years and had no interest in betraying her or the Olympians. "Lord Zeus."
Zeus looked at her, grumbling as he did so but also curious of what she had to say. "Yes, young witch and hunter?"
"I swear on the river Styx to never turn my back on Olympus or the gods. I swear to never betray those on this council, to never join the Titans, and will fight for this council along with my sister hunters no matter what to my last dying breath."
A roll of thunder sealed the oath. Athena and Zeus looked satisfied while lady Artemis looked proud of her, making her smile at her mother figure. She and lady Artemis might look the same age but it was clear that she considered the goddess more her mother than she ever had with Lily Potter.
Artemis looked at the council, "I will not have these heroes punished for doing their jobs. I will have them rewarded. If we punish those who have helped us, than we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."
Apollo looked at his sister, "geez, calm down sis. You need to lighten up."
"Don't call me sis! I will see them rewarded!"
"Well," said Zeus, trying to bring the topic of conversation away from heroes. "The monster here must be destroyed, are we all in agreement on that?
There were a lot of nodding heads.
Danielle was sad that they wanted to destroy Bessie but couldn't deny that he was dangerous. Too bad, he was a cute monster and didn't mean any harm.
Percy seemed to figure it out as well, "Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?"
Poseidon frowned, "you have named the Ophiotuarus Bessie?"
"Dad," said Percy, "he's just a sea creature, a really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."
"Percy," said Poseidon, looking uneasy. "The monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or-"
"You can't," Percy looked right at Zeus. "Controlling prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Bess- the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. As wrong as…as Kronos eating his kids over something they might do. It's wrong!"
Zeus seemed to consider this, his gaze on Thalia. "And what of the risks? Kronos knows full well that if you sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we should let this possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."
"You have to trust them," said Annabeth. "Sir, you just have to trust them."
Zeus scowled, "trust a hero?"
"Annabeth is right," said Artemis. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. But first, father Zeus, I must speak to you in private."
Zeus beckoned Artemis over and they started whispering. Danielle got uneasy and looked at Thalia, having a feeling of where this was going. She had no problem with her, she was a good friend, but would the rest of the Hunt accept her?
Percy and Annabeth started whispering furiously at each other, none of which Danielle could make out. Thalia just looked awkward, not sure what to do.
Finally, Artemis came back. "I shall have a new lieutenant, if she will accept."
Percy muttered something under his breath.
"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?"
Stunned silence filled the room. Everyone looked at Thalia. Annabeth squeezed her hand, as if she had been expecting this all along. Percy looked surprised but nodded in acceptance.
"I will," said Thalia firmly.
"Daughter, consider wisely," said Zeus, his eyes full of concern.
"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen and the prophecy will not be about me. I stand beside my sisters Artemis and Danielle. Kronos will never tempt me again."
Danielle felt a little better about the situation when Thalia told her she was a sister. Thalia knelt down before lady Artemis and recited the oath for all hunters. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."
After she was done and she got a new silvery glow, she did something that no one saw coming. Thalia walked over to Percy and gave him a big hug. Danielle and several of the gods had to smile at the stunned look on Percy's face.
When Thalia released him and held his shoulders, Percy looked confused, "um, aren't you not supposed to do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"
Danielle and lady Artemis looked at each other and smiled. As long as Thalia didn't have any romantic interests in Percy, than they didn't care.
"I'm honoring a friend," Thalia corrected him. "I must join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since…Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. You will a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."
Percy rolled his eyes, "thanks."
Thalia shook her head with a smile, "I'm proud to be your friend."
She hugged Annabeth, who looked like she was about to cry, then Grover, who looked like he was about to pass out. Like someone had given him an all-you-can-eat enchilada coupon.
Thalia then stood next to lady Artemis' side, right beside Danielle, who gave her hug as well.
"Now, for the Ophiotaurus," said lady Artemis.
"This boy is still dangerous," said Dionysus. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy-"
"No," said Percy, looking at all the gods. "Please, keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea where no one can get to it. Or have him build an aquarium here on Olympus. But you have to protect him."
"Why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.
"I'm only fourteen, if the prophecy is about me, that's not for another two years."
"Two more years for Kronos to deceive you," said Athena. "Much can change in two years, young hero."
"Mother!" yelled Annabeth, exasperated.
"I'm only telling the truth, child. Keeping the animal safe is bad strategy, or the boy."
Poseidon stood up, "I will not have a sea creature harmed if I can help it. And I can help it." With a glow, his trident shot into his hand and glowed with power. A full twenty-foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips at the end, glowing with a blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."
"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood up. "I won't let you have such a bargaining chip in your possession."
"Brother, please," said Poseidon, exasperated.
Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole throne room with the smell of ozone.
"Fine," said Poseidon. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor.
Zeus thought about this for a minute. "All in favor?"
To the hero's surprise, a lot of hands shot up. Dionysus abstained, as did Ares and Athena, but everyone else agreed.
"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes…I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"
Danielle had to admit, she had never gone to any real parties before, but an Olympian one pretty much blew the roof off the place. The nine muses brought the music and it became clear that everyone heard only the music that one wanted to hear. No whining, no complaining about changing the music, just requests to crank it up.
Golden plates and goblets filled with whatever food and drinks that one could ask for. Dionysus was given a temporary pardon from drinking and he was gladly dancing with his wife Ariadne, both of their faces brimming with happiness.
Grover was seen with a huge goblet filled with coffee and a large plate with enchiladas and tin cans on it, muttering about Pan. Percy was talking to various gods like his father and Athena. Annabeth was talking to some minor gods and Artemis was talking to Apollo and Thalia.
Danielle sighed, not really in a party mood after everything that had happened over the last twelve hours. Yes, it was a great victory for Olympus, but at the cost of two friends/sisters.
"Trouble's, Hunter?"
Turning around, she found herself face to face with the last goddess she expected to talk to her, Hera. Her chocolate brown hair was woven in silver and gold bands and fell over one of her shoulders. She was also wearing a dress that shimmered in a multitude of colors like a peacock.
Danielle suddenly bowed, "Lady Hera."
Hera smiled, "rise, I mean you no harm, I merely wanted to talk." Danielle rose but looked curious at why the goddess of family and marriage would want to talk to her of all people. Her family had thrown her out and she had no intentions of leaving the Hunt to marry.
Hera seemed to know what she was thinking. "I know you don't believe it, Danielle, but family is important to me. The idea of you being abandoned by yours is disheartening but are you sure you have no plans to reconcile?"
Danielle's first instinct was to tell her that she hated her family and never wanted to see them again, but she couldn't. Even after everything that she had been through, she couldn't say those words. "I'm…not sure, lady Hera. My parents threw me out for such a stupid reason, but I, I cannot hate them."
Hera slowly put a hand on her shoulder, making her look at her in surprise. The queen of the gods chuckled, "I'm sure you have heard that I hate demigods, but I have always had a soft spot for non godly heroes. Jason was one of my favorites. He was a hero but didn't have an ounce of godly blood, but he got by on his inventiveness and heroics."
"Didn't he betray the woman he married and was abandoned in disgrace?"
Hera made a face, "true. He left his wife Medea to pursue another lover and was caught. To be honest, I always thought that Medea was a little insane long before she met Jason. But Odysseus was another without a godly parent and he made it home after such a long trip using only his intelligence. Don't think that Athena was his only admirer here on Olympus."
Danielle took that in, and that Hera seemed to think that she might be next in great heroes without a godly parent. She had to ask the question that had bugged her for the last hour or so.
"Lady Hera, did Hecate go over to join Kronos?"
Hera sighed, "yes. The minor gods have started to choose sides and it seems that Hecate was one of the first to join Kronos. How many others, I don't know, but without them, Olympus would be almost defenseless in this war."
Danielle shook her head, "I meant what I said, lady Hera. I trust lady Artemis with my life. I won't betray Olympus even if Hecate threatened to take away my magic."
Hera smiled at her, "thank you. Though you don't have to worry about that. Even Hecate can't take away magic from someone. She might reduce your power levels but she can't take it away completely." She sighed, "Danielle, you do have the potential to be a great hero and Hunter but if you could do that with your family intact, I would appreciate it."
Danielle didn't know what to think. Should she forgive the Potters and reconcile? Could she let go of her hate and become one big family again? Even as she thought of it, she knew it would be hard, her parents and David had never approved of her at all or anything she did. Could she do it?
Yes, she might. MIGHT be able to, but it would take a long time for her to forgive them.
"Thank you lady Hera. I might still dislike them but they are my family. I will probably yell at them as soon as I see them though."
Hera nodded, "I would expect you to. Just try not to let your anger at them get in the way forever."
Danielle nodded as Hera left her to her thoughts. She knew it would take several years before she came close to giving the Potters another chance, if they even wanted to, but she would like the closure of making up with them.
She wasn't alone in her thoughts for long as two more gods wanted to talk to her. Just as she was thinking deeply about the situation she was in, Hermes and Apollo made there way to her.
"Hello Danielle," Apollo said slowly and loudly.
Danielle rolled her eyes and turned to face them. She had never seen Apollo looking so jubilant and slightly guilty at the same time.
"May I help you lord Apollo? Lord Hermes?"
Apollo and Hermes looked at each other and nodded before Hermes pulled out what looked like a silver charm bracelet. It was a simple silver band with a torch, the symbol of Hecate, in the center.
Danielle looked at the two gods, "thanks, but I don't accessorize well."
Hermes gave her a look of mock indignation, "well, I guess I'll just give this to a child of Hecate then. Not like you could use it, after all the trouble I went to, to get it."
Apollo shook his head, "and to think, we broke into Hecate's temple for something to give you and you all you say is, 'I don't accessorize well.' Really puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it Hermes?"
Hermes nodded, "it sure does Apollo, it sure does."
Danielle shook her head, "okay, I'm sorry, what does it do and why are you giving this to me?"
Apollo shrugged, "why not? Thalia has received gifts from her father, so has a lot of demigods, why shouldn't you?"
"Well, I'm not a demigod, aren't I?"
Hermes nodded, "true, but you managed just fine out there with just some magic, not bad. Anyway, Apollo convinced me to steal this for you. I am the god of thieves, after all, and Apollo was going on and on about you."
Apollo suddenly blushed, "not so loud!"
Danielle blushed as well but Hermes continued. "Anyway, Hecate joined Kronos so she pretty much abandoned her temple and I was just raiding through her stuff and I found this. She apparently made it in her spare time, you want it?"
Danielle looked at the bracelet, then back at the gods. "How I am supposed to know it won't turn me into a goldfish or something. What does it do?"
"According to Athena," said Apollo, "who analyzed it. The crystal in the bracelet should store magical energy for later use. Just picture it, you are down on magic, fighting for your life, but, you had stored some magic in this thing for later use and BOOM you can pull off one last spell to save the day."
Danielle was starting to get interested, then she remembered what these two gods do all the time. "You swear that this bracelet does what you say? That it won't make me fall in love with you or something?"
Apollo looked offended, "why, I never! Why would I do that to such a good Hunter of my sister."
"Apollo."
The god of the sun rolled his eyes, "fine. I swear on the River Styx that this trinket from Hecate is not cursed, does exactly what Hermes and I said it does, and will not make her fall in love with either of us."
Thunder boomed and since Apollo was still standing, he must have been telling the truth.
Danielle nodded and put the bracelet on her left wrist, watching as it shrunk and resized itself to fit her perfectly, it was as if she could barely feel it. Surprising them both, Danielle hugged Apollo and Hermes.
"Thanks. Hermes, I know we haven't really interacted but so far you are my favorite uncle."
Hermes looked pleased with himself.
"Apollo, you are pretty much the crazy older brother or cousin I could ask for."
The look on Apollo's face was priceless as he slumped to the floor, "NOOOOOOOOO! WHY!"
Hermes laughed, "Ooh, you got burned, Apollo. Ironic since you're the sun god."
Danielle shrugged and patted Apollo on the head, smiling. "Thanks Apollo, that was just what I needed after that quest."
Apollo just nodded, looking miserable that Danielle considered him family and nothing more. He had stopped trying to get with a lot of his sister's Hunters over the centuries but he had secretly hoped that this Hunter could change that. But if she considered him family…it was hopeless.
"APOLLO!"
Hermes recognized the voice that had yelled and burst into laughter again. Artemis was walking quickly, Thalia in tow, toward them and Apollo clearly didn't want to deal with her.
"Apollo, are you flirting with my Hunters again?"
Apollo just shook his head sadly.
Danielle couldn't help but pity him. "Don't worry lady Artemis. I just told him that I considered him an older brother or cousin."
Artemis took that in for a moment before both she and Thalia burst out laughing as well, which got even better seeing the devastated look on Apollo's face.
"Why won't anyone support me here?" Apollo whined.
Artemis let her laughter die down, "you don't need support. Now get out of here."
Apollo just nodded sadly and left in a burst of light.
Hermes chuckled a little, "you got a good hunter here Artemis. Sorry about cutting this meeting short but I have to run."
'Good, you've got about 117 messages from Demeter while you were talking,' said a voice from Hermes' pocket.
Hermes sighed and pulled out his cell phone, which had small twin snakes coiling around it. "Darn, that woman just won't get off my back about the flowers I have to deliver."
'You agreed to this when you became the messenger of the gods,' said the voice, which sounded female.
'But she never gives us rats,' said another voice that sounded male.
Hermes sighed, "George, Martha, just can it on the rats, already." He looked up at the three Hunters, "sorry but I have to run."
As he ran off, Danielle was sure that George was complaining, 'She's touching me.'
'For the last time, we're intertwined, we're always touching,' said Martha.
Artemis shook her head as Hermes ran off, "I don't know how he deals with those two."
Thalia smirked, "the same way you deal with us, milady."
The goddess of the hunt and moon had to agree with that. "Okay, I am going to transport us to the Hunter's camp. The hunt should be camping a little way outside of Manhattan."
Taking the twelve-year-old goddess's hands, they disappeared from the party in a bright silver light.
Sure enough, when they had reappeared on the ground, they saw that they were only a few yards away from the campsite. Unfortunately, Danielle's good mood left her. Now that she was back with the Hunt, what was she supposed to tell them about Zoe or Bianca? Hoping that lady Artemis would explain, she followed the goddess and Thalia to the others.
As soon as they reached the camp, huge cheers rose up from the Hunters to find their Mistress safe from her prison. The next half hour was lost in applause as the Hunters celebrated.
Artemis smiled once the welcome back calmed down, "it is good to see all of you again as well. The quest to save me was a success and I promise to not leave you behind again for a long, long time."
The Hunters smiled, it was good to have her back. Phoebe stepped forward, "Milady, what happened? And where is Zoe?"
Danielle and Thalia flinched at the questions, especially the last one.
Artemis sighed, "That is quite the story."
For the next few hours, the three of them told them the story of what happened. Meeting up with Percy, taking down the boar and the skeleton warriors, facing off against Talos, Bianca's sacrifice to save them all, the battle against Atlas, Zoe's death, and finally Thalia becoming the new lieutenant.
To say the Hunters were shocked would have been an understatement. Zoe had been like the older sister many of them had never had.
"She's gone?" asked Phoebe angrily.
Danielle nodded sadly, "I wish she wasn't."
To the surprise of many, Phoebe yelled in fury. "Damn that Jackson! Bet it was his fault!"
Both Danielle and Thalia tried to defend Percy when Artemis beat them to it. "Enough!" Everyone stared at her in shock.
Phoebe glared at everyone, "milady, he got Zoe killed!"
Artemis shook her head sadly, "no, he didn't Phoebe. I would never blame anyone, male or otherwise, for Zoe's death. The prophecy showed her death and she knew it from the beginning. 'One shall perish by a parents' hand' was Atlas attacking his daughter, Zoe. If anyone is to blame it is Atlas but do not disgrace Zoe's memory by blaming it on someone else who doesn't deserve it. Zoe died a hero's death, let her have it Phoebe."
Phoebe winced at the thought of being disrespectful of her best friend and calmed down, still looking angry.
Lady Artemis took in a deep breath, "girls, Thalia is the new lieutenant of the hunt. She proved herself worthy of the title after the quest to save me. As my new second, she is the one that shall look after the day-to-day running of the camp here.
"For now, we rest and in a few days we leave for another hunt. Lord Zeus would like us to hunt down the more dangerous monsters before they can join Kronos. We leave in two days."
Lady Artemis bade them farewell and went to her tent to focus on what they should hunt next, leaving Danielle and Thalia to the mercy of the other hunters who wanted more details of what had happened.
It wasn't until lunchtime when they finally stopped asking questions long enough for them to eat.
(The next day)
Through the trees of the hunter camp stood the only member of the hunt to come back alive from the quest to save lady Artemis. Danielle was leaning against a tree about a half-mile from the camp, staring at a small stream and trying to figure out how she felt about everything that had happened.
Bianca and Zoe, gone. She still felt like crying at the loss of her first friend and the beginning of a new one. Zoe had been the one to find her, befriended her, and warned her about Apollo, now she was gone.
She wished it was nighttime so she could see the new constellation that Artemis had put up in the sky but it was the middle of the afternoon.
A sound got her attention and she got her bow out, but it was only Thalia, their new lieutenant. Thalia was nice and had been a good leader so far, but she had only gotten the job the previous day so it was hard to be sure if she was really ready for this. On the other hand, Thalia had only just joined and she was already the second in command, which did get her some resentment from a few of the hunters.
Technically speaking, Phoebe should have taken over as lieutenant. She had been second in charge under Zoe after all. But Danielle figured that Thaia's position of being Artemis's half-sister might have made a difference. It was probably for the best as Phoebe hated guys to a level where she wouldn't even think clearly if she came across one, beating them to a pulp is they so much as looked at her funny. That kind of attitude was what made her the muscle in the Hunt, but not so much in the ways of leadership.
As for herself?
While Danielle could lead, and a few girls had asked Artemis why she wasn't lieutenant already, she wasn't ready to lead full time. Having that kind of responsibility was a full time job and while she might be ready for it in a few decades or centuries, that time was not today.
"About time I found you."
Danielle smiled as much as she was able before turning back to the stream, "didn't know you were looking for me."
Thalia smirked, "so far, you're my only friend in the camp. Of course I would seek you out."
The red head sighed, "great." She looked and saw that Thalia was looking depressed. Sighing again, she turned to face her, "sorry, but we just lost Zoe and with you taking her spot…"
Thalia sighed herself and stood next to her, "not like I wanted the job." She referred to the tiara on her head, "I just didn't want to be the one in the prophecy. No thanks but I don't want a cursed blade reaping my soul anytime soon."
Danielle managed a smile, "good to know you have such loyalty to the Hunt." She let out a breath, "I just…miss Zoe, my first friend and sister."
Thalia nodded like she understood and they stood in silence for a while. Danielle looked up suddenly and groaned, "Why lord Zeus, what did I do to you?"
Before Thalia could ask what she meant, a burst of fire appeared about ten feet away and revealed a scarlet and gold bird, the same one as a week previous.
"Has it been a week already?" Danielle mused to herself before walking over to the bird. "Fawkes, did the old man seem determined about this?"
Fawkes trilled and bobbed his head up and down. Rolling her eyes, Danielle took the letter from his legs. "I'm thinking of talking to him and nipping this in the bud right now."
Thalia looked interested, "talking to this old man? What if he tries to make you leave the Hunt?"
Danielle smiled at her while fishing in her pockets, "not likely, but glad to know you care."
She found what she was looking for and pulled out her wand. Using a weak water spell, a stream of mist came out of the tip and created a rainbow through the sunlight. Tossing in a drachma from her pocket, she said, "oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering."
The drachma vanished through the rainbow, "show me Albus Dumbledore."
The air around the rainbow shimmered, and the head of Dumbledore came into view, unfortunately, he wasn't alone. The image only showed the back of his head, but it also showed two people that Danielle never wanted to see again, even after her talk with Hera. The man had unruly black hair and glasses, hazel eyes and fancy looking black robes. The woman had deep red hair, exactly the same as hers, and emerald green eyes. She was also wearing fancy green robes.
Danielle caught on to the fact that Dumbledore was talking. "Lily, I keep telling you that I don't know where Danielle is. I have Fawkes looking for her so I should hear from her quickly. She needs training if she is going to defeat Voldemort."
Lily looked tearful, "Albus, she is still my baby, we can't just train her for war."
That statement from Lily Potter of all people couldn't stop Danielle from bursting out laughing, a cold one with no humor behind it. The noise made the three jump and turned to look at her, Lily only needed a moment before she recognized the person who had laughed.
"Danielle! Oh, I'm so sorry for what happened all those years ago! Please come back to us! I swear I'll be a better parent and-"
Danielle cut her off, "oh, so you want to be a mother to me again? Well, that is news to me." Her voice was icy and words sharp, "the last time I was around, you were never a mother to me at all."
Lily flinched and reeled back. James's eyes were wide, "Danielle, uh, great to see you again."
Danielle gave him a deadpan expression, "really James? The last thing I remember you telling me all those years ago was for me to 'never darken our doorstep again' and 'you are a disgrace on the family.'"
James flinched as well, "I was stupid! You are my daughter and I-"
"And you wasted that!" yelled out Danielle, now fully furious. "I was thirteen and you punished me for things that were beyond my control! Who were the ones that yelled at me if I so much as sneezed in David's general direction? Who were the ones that shouted at me for 'daring' to be a Hufflepuff instead of the majesty of Gryffindor? Who were the ones that disowned me for merely getting better grades that my idiot of a brother?"
Danielle was panting, all the years of neglect were coming out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I was raised by house-elves who took pity on me instead of my own parents! David turned everyone against me from the beginning and you did nothing to stop him! Hades! You even encouraged him, following through on his plans to deprive me of everything!"
Lily and James were aging by the second, never guessing what it was like from their daughters point of view.
Dumbledore came into the image, "Miss Potter-"
Danielle cut him off, "didn't you hear old man? I'm no longer a Potter; these two took my last name as well. My name is Danielle and that is it."
Dumbledore sighed but nodded, "of course. Danielle, it is imperative that you come back to Britain as soon as possible. There is a war going on and-"
"And that is your problem," said Danielle, not missing a beat. "I'm involved in my own war at the moment and I think it trumps yours in comparison. I think that the fate of Western Civilization is more important than the UK headmaster."
Dumbledore seemed surprised, "you would doom all of magical Britain for another war? You were born and raised here."
Danielle snorted, "and I found a home and a family here. These two," gesturing to Lily and James, "are not my family. They are my parents and that is it, there is no connection between us and there will never be any." She had promised to Hera that she would try to connect to them again, but this needed to be said; it was a long time coming.
Lily was openly crying now while James looked grim, comforting her. Dumbledore looked grave, "what kind of family is that, Danielle?"
Danielle gave a nasty smile, "wouldn't you like to know. Don't worry, I'm not going dark or whatever you call it, I just have new sister figures and even a mother figure that puts Lily to shame. As for magical Britain, it could burn to the ground for all I care, what has it done for me? I had no friends at Hogwarts, David had seen to that, none of the professors wanted anything to do with me. You yourself headmaster always brushed me to the side when I wanted to talk about something important or at least intellectually stimulating."
Dumbledore looked sick, Fawkes trilled sadly on Danielle's shoulder. "I know Fawkes, I'm disappointed in the old man too. I thought that he would come up with a good reason for me to go back, but I guess I was wrong."
Unlike Dumbledore, the phoenix had actually liked the girl that was petting him. The old man had constantly gone on and on about the chosen one defeating Voldemort but had been blind in assuming that the boy was the hero. Fawkes had met David multiple times had been…underwhelmed.
While he was Dumbledore's familiar, he had been a great man years ago; he still had a mind of his own. All the scarlet and gold bird could think of at this moment was refusing to follow Dumbledore's plan on flashing Danielle to Britain if it looked like she wouldn't come back. Essentially kidnapping a teenage girl against her will wasn't the 'light' thing to do.
Dumbledore looked taken aback at how Danielle had talked to his familiar, "isn't there anyone that you would fight for here?"
Danielle took in a deep breath, "aside from Mad-Eye Moody who gave me some training in how to use magic without a wand, no. Like I said before, dark wizards could burn the whole society down to ashes and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it."
Thalia looked uneasy, "Danielle, if there is a maniac running loose in Britain, shouldn't we try to stop it?"
Danielle rolled her eyes, "Thalia. The wizarding word in Britain is pretty large. Even if Voldemort is back, he only has a few dozen followers and a large army that couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Normal witches and wizards vastly outnumber them, a hundred to one at least, and they don't do anything. The magical world is lazy and simply waits for their chosen heroes to save them. That is not a society that I want to try to save."
Dumbledore seemed to notice the other girl for the first time, "ah, Miss…"
Thalia looked at the old man coldly, "Thalia. I recently went on an adventure with Danielle here and she didn't have anything positive to say about any of you. I personally don't care but I didn't have a good relationship with my mother either so I can relate. I ran away from home when I was nine and I never looked back and my life is pretty good now. I'm sorry sir but unless you appeal to something Danielle cares about there, you won't be seeing her there again."
Dumbledore looked somber but seemed to take what she said to heart. "Very well, just know that you have a home here Danielle."
Danielle glared at him, "my home is not in the UK headmaster. If Voldemort is back then it is time for you to defeat him, it's not my job."
Lily seemed to see that the call was about to end so she interceded, "you're the chosen one! Voldemort attacked you that night!"
That made Danielle hesitate, then she burst out laughing again. Recovering, she gave a cold smile, "ironic. You treated David like the ultimate hero in the universe and me like dirt on your shoe. Now you want my help when I couldn't care less. You reap what you sow, hope you enjoy defeating your dork lord without me."
Danielle waved her hand through the rainbow and cut the connection.
She closed her eyes and counted to twenty before opening them again. "Fawkes, I think you better go back."
The phoenix trilled sadly again before flying off her shoulder; a few moments later, there was a flash of flames, and he was gone.
Whew, long chapter. And now we are done with Titans Curse. The next chapter will probably be some filler before The Last Olympian. I already wrote out a lot of it but it's not done yet so be patient.
I gave Danielle the power boost to defeat Atlas because I was tired of them not being able to do ANYTHING against him. The full blessing thing was the only thing I could think of. It was a one time thing and will never show up again, don't worry.
I fully admit that I did cry a bit when I wrote out Zoe's death scene. I wish she hadn't have died but it was just the way the story went and her death was foretold and I couldn't have changed that.
Danielle's bracelet will also be a big thing coming up. It won't be a game changer, but it will help and it was created by the one who made the magical world in the first place so it should help.
Thank you for reading and until next time.
