Return of the Dead King
This chapter is going up to the end of the arch.
Chapter 7
The Quest Has Been Fun
Annabeth looked at Percy Jackson son of Nemesis warily. She barely knew him but had to admit he looked very handsome. With a perfect tan, pearly white teeth and packed with muscle, but not too much. And his eyes, oh my gods they are a beautiful greenish, blue, a turquoise color eye that she had never seen anyone ever have. And it irked her.
And for what she previously remembered was Percy and Thalia had never even talked to each other before. now the two were talking to each other like they had known each other forever. And they never included her in their conversation and it angered her to no end. Also Thalia chose this son of Nemesis, over Luke who was a son of Hermes. Not only was he way more skilled with a blade than Percy but he had many more talents. Stealing, immense speed and he was also a part of their family.
Thalia didn't even seem to care that she left Luke out to dry. Luke could actually gain success and glory on this quest since he failed the other one. But no, she chose some weak son of Nemesis. The minor goddess of Revenge. What could he do?
She interrupted Thalia and Percy talking. "So Thalia, care to tell me why you chose a son of Nemesis over Luke?" She hissed with an undertone of anger towards the daughter of Zeus.
Thalia rolled her electric blue eyes. "I chose Percy because he cared, Luke has changed since his quest and sulked and hasn't even talked to me since he failed. But Percy has been there for me and I wanted him to come. He is very skilled." Annabeth rolled her grey eyes.
"Luke is way more skilled than Percy, he is the son of a major god. Percy is only a son of Nemesis a minor goddess. Luke would be way more helpful." Percy's turquoise eyes flared in anger and hatred at the daughter of Athena.
"Shut up, daughter of Athena." He spat with such ferocity that both girls flinched. "You are a daughter of Athena, a wisdom goddess. Now act like it. You think you are so high and mighty, so smart that you are judging me based on my parentage. And listen to this. My mother is the daughter of a Primordial goddess. Nyx her self. One of the most powerful Primordial' to exist so think and use your wisdom before you let such blasphemy come from your mouth." He snarled.
Annabeth's face turned red from anger. She gripped her dagger so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Don't you speak to me like that. I am a daughter of the wisdom goddess and she will strike you down. I am also one of the leaders of this quest and I order you to shut up." She said with seniority lacing her tone.
"First things first your mother wouldn't, she wouldn't break the ancient laws just to spite you. Oh wait yes she will. Let's see Medusa, and Arachne, she was jealous of them, because they were better than her. Second thing you aren't a leader none of us are, we are all an equal part of this quest." He snarled at her. Annabeth drew her dagger.
"Never speak of my mother like that." She growled. Percy let out a hearty laugh.
"Why not? Why do you defend your mother when she doesn't do the same for you?" He asked. She froze completely. He was right. Her mother had done nothing for her. Why did she care? Why defend her mother when she doesn't do the same.
"Because she's a goddess." Percy let out a booming laugh that caused her to jump back.
"You know the only gods and goddesses that would ever care for their children are Hades, and the two virgin goddesses Hestia and Artemis." He growled. Annabeth was literally steaming.
"My mother is a virgin goddess." Percy laughed again.
"That's a load of complete bull shit." He hissed. She faltered and lowered her knife. While she was distracted Percy smacked the knife out of her hand. The knife hit the window of the bus and it cracked. "Sit. Now, we are done talking of this nonsense and about your stupid pride." He snarled. "We are on a quest and should not fight a meaningless feud with each other." He said suddenly calm.
Percy said before relaxing and putting his head on Thalia's lap. She jumped because she wasn't expecting it. "Thals, your lap is like a pillow." He said. Thalia blushed and Annabeth giggled as Percy quickly removed the tension from the bus. Suddenly the bus screeched to a halt. The doors squeaked open and three old men walked in and sat in a row of seats. Percy sat up in alarm and put a hand to his raven locks, when he remembered his blade was in a sheathe to his right.
Percy put a hand on the hilt of Riptide. He could clearly see the lame disguise that was shrouded in mist, while Thalia and Annabeth sat there confused to his look of alarm. Don't they teach them anything at that Camp. "What is it?" Thalia whispered in Percy's ear.
"Thalia, those men that just boarded, are Cyclopes in disguise. Probably sent by Poseidon." He whispered back.
"But why? Isn't Hades the one trying to kill me?" Percy smirked, while Annabeth listened to their conversation without them knowing.
"I have a feeling Hades won't try to harm you anymore." He said knowingly. Thalia looked at him confused but he just smiled at her.
Annabeth's suspicion was starting to grow, the son of Nemesis seemed to know about the treacherous god. Was Percy a traitor to? He could be the way he speaks of the gods and her mother proved he had no love for them.
Suddenly the three disguised cyclopes stood from their seats and started walking towards the back. Where they were. Percy grinned and slammed his elbow into the cracked window. The window shattered loudly and the passengers screamed. But Percy seemed unaffected. The bus driver slammed on his brakes. The three cyclopes flew down on the ground. "Jump out the window I'll hold them off." Percy said. Annabeth nodded not really caring if the son of Nemesis got hurt. She casually jumped out the window, which was about six feet up.
Thalia quickly followed and landed behind her. They saw the bus passengers filing out of the door. They tried to look at what was happening between the cyclopes and Percy but the windows were tinted to dark.
Percy rushed forward and drove Anaklusmos into one of the cyclopes skulls. The stupid monster dissolved into dust. The other two rose from the bus aisle floor faster than Percy could expect. One swung their fist catching the powerful god in the chest. Percy flew back slammed into one of the bus seats and flipped over it and landed upside down in that seat.
Percy rolled aside as the club smashed into the seat, crushing it like aluminum foil. Percy landed in the aisle and rolled backwards again. Dodging the other cyclopes club. Percy pulled a knife from his belt and threw it. The knife stuck hilt deep into the monster's chest and it roared in pain.
Percy slammed it's fist into the other cyclopes jaw so hard that the beast slammed into the buses roof so hard it broke into dust. The golden sprinkled from the ceiling. Percy drove his bronze blade into the cyclopes heart and it dissolved into dust as well. Percy looked out the window and could see a huge storm now brewing, like to rapidly. The hairs on his neck stood up and before he could react lightning arced down from the sky and hit the bus, the bus exploded into into fragments.
"Percy." Thalia screamed at the deafening blast that was ringing in her ears. Annabeth grabbed her arm and pulled her into the forest. The noise died down and Thalia glared at the daughter of Athena. "We have to go back. Percy's back there." Thalia said.
Annabeth rolled her grey eyes. "No one could have survived that, and please let's be real, we would do better without him." Thalia smacked her across the face. Annabeth's jaw dropped and she held a hand to her red cheek.
"What the hell is wrong with you, a human just died you selfish bitch. He fought the cyclopes while you ran away because you were scared." She snarled. Annabeth glared at Thalia with a look of betrayal and sprinted towards the lights up ahead that they started to see in the night.
Thalia rushed after her blonde friend who was pissing her off. She rushed through the rest of the forest and saw a bright neon red sign that nearly blinded the daughter of Zeus.
Thalia couldn't read the sign but she was extremely worried. A building in the middle of nowhere with a sing that was murder for her eyes. That didn't say suspicion or what?
She grabbed Annabeth's arm and stopped her. She just glared at Thalia and roughly pulled away and sprinted towards the doors of the building. "Annabeth, stop being an idiot." She snarled and chased after her.
Once she walked through the doors her stomach grumbled loudly as an aroma of foods filled her nose. She could smell a perfectly cooked burger, fries and so many other interesting and delicious smells.
Her eyes glazed over and she failed to notice the statue's eyes following her and the looks of horror on their faces that were basically telling her to run. She sat next to Annabeth on the bench. To see a middle aged middle eastern woman who had her head and eyes covered by a black shawl. She could hear the faint scent of hissing in the background but she ignored it as she stuffed her face full of the foods.
She finished and looked at the woman. She was getting sleepy and she could see Annabeth's eyes drooping as well. "You two are so beautiful, I was very pretty like you years ago, but an old grudge with another one who was jealous of me ruined my looks. Can I have a picture for you to show my future customers of your beauty."
They blushed from her praises. They smiled eagerly and looked at her, because they wanted to show off their looks. The women stood in front of them and looked at them. She raised her hands to take off her shawl when Thalia interrupted, the drowsiness was slowly disappearing. "You don't have a camera."
She smiled at the two. "I just need to line it up and the shawl blocks my vision from taking a good picture." She said as she went to pull it down. Just before she could a figure in the shadow slammed into her. Knocking the woman to the floor. Her shawl fell to the ground. "Don't look, it's Medusa." A familiar voice said and Annabeth's mind nearly exploded, how could he have survived?
"Foolish demigod, you cannot face me." Medusa snarled. She looked at him in the eye and the 'demigod' looked right back at her. Not moving and not turning to stone. She gasped in disbelief. "How?" She screeched. Her claws started to grow longer and she sprinted at the son of Nemesis. Percy's bronze blade flashed in the light.
Percy rolled aside and threw his blade. Riptide sailed through the air right threw Medusa's chest, right where her monster heart would be. She growled in pain and fell to her knees. She then grinned evilly. "Foolish demigod, that can't kill me." She said.
Percy smirked. "I know." Percy grabbed the blade and pulled, wrenching the blade free before spinning and swinging, severing the gorgon's head from it's body. Percy smirked and placed the shawl over Medusa's severed head. "You guys can look now." Percy called to Annabeth and Thalia.
Thalia's eyes snapped open and she looked at Percy. She was shocked ad hoped he wasn't to badly damaged. But his skin was black with soot and from electrical burns, but other than that the god disguised as a demigod was alright. "Percy are you okay?" Thalia asked concerned.
Percy merely nodded and looked at them. Thalia grabbed a towel off the ground and handed it to him. "You should clean yourself, your kind of covered with soot." Thalia looked at the burns. "My father did this." She touched one of the burns. Percy winced a little but he shook his head.
"No it wasn't your father." He said solemnly. Thalia looked at him confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"It was Poseidon." Thalia gave him a completely blank look.
"Poseidon can't control lightning though." She said confused.
Percy chuckled. "Think about his titles, the storm that whipped up before the lightning, Poseidon is known as the storm bringer. Which means he also has control over lightning as well when the contents are within a storm." Thalia nodded, finally realizing the answer.
Percy looked at Annabeth who was still staring at him. Completely unable to form a likely logical answer as too how it was possible he was even alive. "You done yet." Percy's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "A train station isn't that far from here. The train is going west all the way to Denver in eight hours." Percy said looking at the sun starting to rise in the sky.
"How do you know? We don't even have any money." Annabeth said. Percy smirked.
"You let me worry about the money. k?" He said looking at them. Annabeth nodded, not even realizing he didn't answer the first question.
Percy walked out of the old abandoned building. Thalia and Annabeth trailing behind.
Eight hours later they were standing in line to board the train. They walked up to the train man. "Tickets?" He said in a gruff demanding tone. Percy rolled his eyes at the man. He snapped his fingers in front of the big man. The mist thickened around the mortal addling his brain.
"Us three." Percy said gesturing to Thalia and Annabeth. "Have already given you are tickets." The guy nodded and motioned for them to board the train.
"What did you do?" Thalia asked Percy and Annabeth looked at him curiously as well. Percy smirked.
"I altered the mist, don't they teach you guys that at camp?" He asked the two demigoddesses. Thalia shrugged and followed him aboard. But Annabeth caught on to something he said.
Percy spoke as if he wasn't a part of camp. What if he used the mist to alter the minds of everyone at camp and sneak in to destroy them? She did not like the son of Nemesis. He was hiding to much stuff he should tell them. Reluctantly she followed.
Thalia sat by the window while Annabeth looked out the window from across the train cart. All while Percy was sleeping on the chair beside her, using her lap as a pillow. Of course, she knew that he wasn't in love with her or in search of a relationship of that kind, but it was more like how an older brother acts with her younger sister. She hoped Percy felt that way because that's how she felt.
Percy her super all powerful big brother. Well kind of weird at first but she didn't care. She was glad Percy's is closer to her. As she looked out the window she listened to the steady heartbeat and breathing of his while he slept. She could feel Annabeth's steady gaze upon her. But she just ignored it and looked out the window.
She almost gasped, outside the window was a lion, it's gold fur glittering in the sunlight. It was about the size of a giant hummer. It leaped away and Thalia lost sight of it.
"What's going on between you to?" Thalia's gaze snapped to Annabeth. Her electric blue eyes boring into her grey ones that she almost shivered. But Annabeth steeled her nerves. Thalia sighed.
"He's like my older brother, someone who cares deeply about me and would do anything to keep me safe. I love him but like a brother." Annabeth nodded in acceptance.
"So what about Luke, you hang out with Percy to get away from him?" She asked harshly. Thalia glared at the daughter of Athena.
"Quiet, I don't want to talk about Luke. Okay? So just sit and relax." Thalia said.
"You know Percy's being stupid. Relaxation is what get's you killed in our world and he's sleeping." Annabeth said. Thalia snarled quietly and glared at her.
"He's exhausted he was struck by lightning and saved us from being turned to stone by Medusa, he also fought her while we just looked away. He's saved our lives multiple times. Why don't you trust him?" She growled. Annabeth's face turned red from anger.
"He's hiding something, no I can't trust him because it isn't wise." Thalia snorted at her.
"He is completely trustworthy." Annabeth huffed. Thalia suddenly saw the St. Louis Arch. She mentally groaned. Now Annabeth was going to turn into super freaky genius and drive her and Percy insane.
Sure enough seconds later, the girl is literally nose pressed against the window, drooling at the sight of the Arch. Thalia rolled her eyes. Somethings never, ever change.
"Wake Percy up. We're going sightseeing." Annabeth said to her without looking back. Thalia tapped Percy on the forehead. Percy groaned and snuggled in deeper to her lap. He turned over, so his face was now staring at her stomach. He muttered something like a name. "Zoe." Thalia thought she heard him say. She put a finger on his arm and gave him a slight shock.
Percy's eyes snapped open and he rolled off of Thalia's lap and on the floor. He groaned and stood up. Dusting him self off. Percy looked around, when he noticed Thalia and Annabeth were fine he relaxed. "What?" He asked Thalia. Thalia smirked slyly.
"Were you thinking about a girl in your sleep. You were muttering her name." Percy immediately turned a violent shade of red. Which caused Thalia to chuckle and Percy to roll his eyes.
"Let's go sightseeing." Annabeth interrupted them. Percy looked at her increndously. But she kept on drooling out the window.
"What? We are on a mission to find the master bolt one of the most powerful weapons ever created and you want to go on that thing." He said, noticing Thalia immediately turn a very pale shade of white.
She only nodded. Minutes later the three entered the Arch. While Percy had to refrain from slicing his immortal head off from his body because the daughter of Athena was just spewing out useless facts that Percy didn't care for. Percy saw Thalia chuckling. "You'll get used to it in time." Thalia whispered in his ear. He nodded.
They finally stopped at an elevator. "Let's go up." Thalia immediately turned pale once again. Percy grabbed her hand. Sending a soft golden glow into her body. Spreading hope and soothing her fear. The color in her face returned and she shot Percy a grateful look.
Percy noticed the same old fat lady and her dog that had been following them were now in the same elevator as them. A dog on a leash. Percy was pretty sure he saw a no dogs allowed sign. So he was about 100 percent sure that they were monsters.
They got to the top and Annabeth looked over the side. Thalia paled again. Percy once again grabbed her hand and sent pulsating lights into her body, soothing her and calming her down.
Thalia shot Percy another grateful look.
After Annabeth stopped her yapping as Percy called it, which made Thalia laugh. They went towards the elevator. The elevator was full as a husband, wife and their kid went into the elevator.
As soon as the doors closed Percy drew Riptide, the blade waiting to destroy some more monsters. Thalia and Annabeth deciding to trust Percy's judgement and drew their weapons.
Suddenly the monsters shifted forms. The little dog changed, growing to a gigantic size and looked like a giant rottweiler. With a serpent's tail and flames roaring from his mouth. The fat lady morphed into a monster that was even scarier. It sent shivers down the spines of Thalia and Annabeth. "I'll take the bitch, you take the dog." They both nodded quickly.
Percy charged the giant monster. He rolled aside from her giant talons. "You believe you can fight me son of Nemesis." The monster laughed. "I rarely get a chance to test heroes these day and was sent by Poseidon to kill the daughter of Zeus. So I might as well kill you quickly. I am Echidna, mother of all monsters little demigod, now come forward and face your death like a man." She snarled.
Percy snarled and lunged forward. Rolling under the mother of all monsters claws and drove Riptide through it's gut. The monsters eyes widened and she backhanded him in the chest, sending her flying into the Arch's glass. Thankfully it didn't shatter.
Percy rolled aside from the claws that would have split him into two. He jumped up and slashed at her neck. The monster immediately dissolved into dust as the head was cut off.
Percy looked over to see a horrid sight.
Thalia rolled aside from the dog's flames. But the heat singed her jacket sleeves. She jabbed her spear at the dog's side. The spear merely bounced off of the fur. She forgot about the serpent as it sank it's fangs into her thigh. She screamed in pain as she felt the serpent's poison enter her veins. She stumbled backwards.
She grabbed the melting glass that barely kept her from falling. She was about to die and she knew it. She watched in horror as Annabeth charged the beast, knife in hand to draw it's attention. The serpent slammed into her chest with it's head. Annabeth flew back and hit the elevator doors. The Chimera lunged at her. She took a step back forgetting she was on a ledge and she tumbled off the Arch.
Percy's eyes widened as he watched Thalia fall. He snapped his fingers and time stopped around the Chimera. He drove his blade into the monsters maw and watched it dissolve into golden dust.
Percy then took a deep breath and swanned dived off the Arch. Percy tucked his arms in, making him shoot downward much faster towards the Mississippi river. He caught up to Thalia quickly and wrapped her arms around her. Thalia tried to buck and slammed the back of her head into his nose.
"Ow." She shrieked and at his voice he calmed. Percy rolled his eyes and just before they could be flattened on impact with the water they dissolved into shadows. They reappeared on the shore of the river. Thalia was panting and hyperventilating. Percy however was laying on the ground next to her, sending comforting thoughts.
She smiled at him weakly and groaned. "No more monuments or any of that crap. Boring stuff get's us killed." Thalia said. Percy nodded and smiled. "Where's Annabeth?" She asked Percy. He grinned and raised up three fingers, two one.
"Thalia, Percy." Annabeth's voice screeched as she came over to the shore. Percy smiled smugly at Thalia while she rolled her eyes.
"How are you guys alive? That shouldn't be possible?" Annabeth said, looking at them in confusion. Percy smirked while Thalia paled, unable to see a way of getting out of this one.
"Oh my gods, Annabeth you should have seen it. Thalia was all super woman and was flying. She lightly brought us to the ground. It was amazing. I guess being a daughter of Zeus gets you some perks, huh." Annabeth narrowed her eyes, then she shrugged and accepted his answer. Thalia sighed in relief.
Percy smirked at them. "Yes, Thals is pretty cool. But no more education it will get us killed." Thalia nodded in agreement and Annabeth huffed in frustration.
Yay. Longest chapter for this story. I deeply thank you if you read this. Please review and tell me. The good? Bad? Or Awful?
Kay, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for Reading
