Yes, it's chapter seven! By the way, thank you for all your reviews!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Chapter 7

Percy insisted on staring at everything the car passed, even a McDonald's. It was really starting to annoy me. He acted like he never saw anything before in his life.

"So far so good," Percy told me after he finally turned away from the window. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

I glared at Percy. Did he want to jinx us? "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

"Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," I said.

"Could've fooled me."

"Look, we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?"

I sighed. "How many reasons do you want?" Stop asking so many stupid questions! "One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. You dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives," Percy remarked.

"Oh, forget it," I said.

"Now, if she'd invented pizza-that I could understand."

I was getting annoyed. "I said, forget it!" Pizza? How is pizza important? Boys. All they cared about were video games and food.

There was heavy traffic down in the Queens and slowed us down. By the time we got to Manhattan, it was sunset and it starting to rain. I wished we had gotten here two hours earlier while it was still very light and not raining.

Argus dropped us off at the Greyhound Station and helped unload our bags. He made sure we had our bus tickets and then drove away.

It took a long time for the bus to get here, so we played Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. I was awesome, if I do say so myself. I could bounce the apple off my knee, elbow, shoulder, or anywhere else I wanted to. But ouch, did those apples hurt! I pretended not to care, though. Percy wasn't that bad himself.

"Here, Grover. Why don't you try?" Percy asked and tossed the apple towards Grover. The apple got too close to his mouth and Grover jumped up and ate the whole apple in one bite.

Grover blushed. "Oops… sorry about that."

Percy and I were too busy cracking up to answer.

Finally, the bus came. While we were standing in line to board, Grover started looking around and sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Grover said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."

But I knew that as a satyr, Grover could sniff out if any monsters were near. I grew nervous. We boarded the bus and I kept slapping my cap nervously against my thigh.

I kept my gaze at the passengers getting on. When I saw the last passengers getting on, I clamped my hand onto Percy's knee. "Percy."

Getting on the bus were the Kindly Ones- and all THREE of them, even the one Percy dispelled!

Percy scrunched down in his seat. The Kindly Ones sat in the row behind the driver. The two in the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway and made an X, signaling for us not to leave. I started panicking.

"She didn't stay dead long enough," Percy complained as the bus pulled out of the station. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

Why are you blaming me? You're the one that didn't have the power to dispell her for a lifetime. "I said if you're lucky," I snapped. "You're obviously not."

Grover whimpered. "All three of them! Di immortales!"

I thought hard. "It's okay. The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem." There obviously was a problem. "We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," Grover moaned.

"A back exit?" I suggested.

"There isn't one."

"They won't attack us with witnesses around, will they?" Percy asked nervously.

"Mortals don't have good eyes," I explained. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"

I thought about it. I didn't exactly think so, but I didn't want Percy to be so panicked he wouldn't move. "Hard to say. But we can't count on the mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…?"

We rode through the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went completely dark except for the running lights down the aisle.

One of the Kindly Ones got up. She said in a flat voice that was loud enough for the whole bus to hear, "I need to use the restroom."

"So do I," The second sister said.

"So do I," The third sister said.

They all started coming down to the aisle towards us. With each step they took, my heart beated faster. They looked like they wanted to kill Percy. I started to worry for him.

"I've got it. Percy, take my hat," I commanded. I was surprised at what I said. I was giving my magical item to anyone, much less Percy, son of my mom's rival. But I couldn't take it back. I feared for Percy's safety. If he got killed, then there was no way Grover and I would be able to finish the quest alone. It was Percy's quest!

"What?" Percy looked shocked.

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys-" Percy protested.

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," I said. Yeah, like a millionth chance, but I didn't say it or else he'd refuse to leave. "You're a son of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you," Percy said.

"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

Percy put on the hat and disappeared.

Suddenly, the Kindly Ones were by our seat. They weren't human anymore. They had changed into the furies. They had bat's wings and claws. Their handbags changed into fiery whips. They looked deadly.

The Kindly Ones surrounded us and lashed their whips at us. "Where is it? Where?" They hissed at us.

It? I could see reasons that the Kindly Ones would call Percy an "it", but really, that was going a bit too far.

"He's not here!" I yelled and ducked a whip. "He's gone!"

People on the bus were screaming. They were glancing over at us, panicked. I didn't know what they were seeing, but I hoped they didn't think we were threatening three old ladies.

The Kindly Ones raised their whips. I drew out my knife and Grover grabbed a tin can from his bag, prepared to throw it, though I knew he didn't have the best aim. He would probably hit me instead. Or he'd eat it.

Suddenly, the bus jerked to the left and everyone was thrown to the right. The Kindly Ones were smashed to the window and wailed. Grover and I were thrown headfirst towards them. OUCH! I had a feeling Percy was behind this. The bus continued slamming around and we were tossed around inside the bus. People screamed, "We're going to die! We're going to die! What is wrong with the bus driver?"

What's wrong? He's a 12-year-old kid with ADHD.

Then, the bus came to a screeching stop. The emergency lights came on and the door flew open. Everyone looked eager to get out.

The Kindly Ones and Grover and I were the only ones left on the bus. Or so I thought. A voice called from the front of the bus. "Hey!"

I turned and saw Percy standing in the front of the bus. No! He wasn't supposed to come back! That wasn't part of the plan! Oh great, now he could get killed.

"Perseus Jackson, you have offended the gods. You shall die," one of the Kindly Ones said.

"I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy said. Oh, it was "Mrs. Dodds".

I motioned for Grover to follow me, and we moved up behind the Furies cautiously, looking for an opening to attack.

Percy took a pen out from his pocket.

Seriously? Is he that much of a seaweed brain that he uses a pen as a weapon? Does he think throwing a pen at the Kindly Ones will knock them out and kill them?

Percy uncapped the pen and it changed a sword.

Oh, never mind.

The Kindly Ones hesitated. "Submit now and you will not suffer eternal torment," Mrs. Dodds hissed.

"Nice try," Percy said.

I saw Mrs. Dodds getting ready to whip Percy and the other Furies on the other sides of him. "Percy, look out!" I screamed.

Percy fought off the other two Kindly Ones while I got a hold of Mrs. Dodds and yanked her backwards, giving Grover time to rip the whip out of her hands.

"Ow! Ow! Hot! Hot!" Grover yelled.

Mrs. Dodds tried to shake me off her back, but I kept a strong hold on her. It was really hard. She kept bucking around like one of those buffalos at the rodeo. Grover tied Mrs. Dodd's legs up with the whip he snatched from her. Then we shoved her backwards into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she kept falling down.

"Zeus will destroy you!" she said. "Hades will have your soul!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled. Eat my pants? That was so random, and not exactly a good death threat, I might add.

Thunder shook the bus. I sensed danger if we stayed on the bus. "Get out! Now!" I yelled.

Percy, Grover, and I ran out of the bus and onto the street where the other passengers were. Someone was shouting, "We're going to die!" If it weren't such a serious matter, I would have found it funny.

A tourist took a picture of Percy holding his sword.

"Our bags!" Grover shouted. "We left our-"

KABOOOOOOOM!

The bus exploded and we ran for cover, but not before hearing an angry wail telling us the Kindly Ones were unfortunately still alive.

"Run!" I cried. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"

We ran into the woods and didn't stop running until we were sure we were safe.

Grover was still shivering. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once," He whimpered.

Grover and Percy were being slow. I urged them forward. "Come on! The farther away we get, the better!" If the Kindly Ones caught up, we would be dead.

"All our money was back there," Percy whined. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

Do you think I don't know that? I was getting seriously annoyed. "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-" I snapped.

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" Percy asked.

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine," I argued.

I was actually annoyed at the fact Percy had come back. I know he was trying to be nice and protect us, but it scared me to think that if he died, it would be all over.

"Sliced like sandwich bread, but fine," Grover added.

"Shut up, goat boy," I muttered.

Grover mourned. "Tin cans… a perfectly good bag of tin cans." I arched an eyebrow. We just narrowly escaped the Kindly Ones and Grover has to complain about his tin cans? I knew I was being mean. I was just really paranoid from the attack. I tried to be nicer as I urged Percy and Grover on.

We continued making our way through the woods. After a few minutes, I told Percy, "Look, I… I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave." As much as I hate to admit it, Grover and I might have died in there if it had not been for Percy.

"We're a team, right?" Percy asked.

I was silent. "It's just that if you died, aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."

The rain finally let up.

"You haven't left Camp Half Blood since you were seven?" Percy asked.

"No… only short field trips. My dad-"

"The history professor."

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home. At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's were you learn whether you're any good or not."

"You're pretty good with that knife," Percy said.

"You think so?" I asked, fingering my knife.

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."

I smiled. For a son of Poseidon, Percy wasn't all that bad.

Yay! End of chapter seven! I hope you liked it! Please take the time to review!