Disclaimer: So most of the characters in this story are by me, well at least the youngest one... as for the older I owned everything to Rick Riordan. Lots of love.
Author's notes: I think I got who is the villian in this story, still working in a lot of details. Don't worry. I have my entire down with the flu, so I haven't been able to sit down and write in the last couple of days. Still, I am way ahead at what I'm publishing. Don't worry. I won't go on hiatus or something like that. 1,900+ views. Great!
The Aquarium
The trip to the harbor was uneventful. Once inside the little boat, we barely fitted. Thalia and Taylor rowed slowly avoiding making big splashes and noises in general. Em had a tight grip in my arm as she tried to hold her seasickness. She really looked so pale and ill. I wanted to get her down and walk the 20 miles.
"It's okay. I can take it" she whispered now and then.
For the next 2 hours, we travelled quietly. We found nothing except for some sea spirits really far staring at us. I didn't know if they were guarding us, keeping us company or waiting for a large monster to eat us. I hoped for Poseidon really listened to Lana and the sea spirits were escorting us.
We reached Coney Island just a midnight. I was tired and I wanted to sleep for 2 days now. We climbed down of the little boat and walked with our swords at hand. We moved slowly and carefully for the sand and boardwalk until we reached the aquarium.
The whole place looked haunted. Some streetlights weren't working properly as they went on and off every random few seconds. I felt like in a zombie videogame, like in any second, the light would go off and on, and then monsters would appear. The pale green metallic entrance portrayed at underwater scene.
We walked the path passing the theater and soon we were standing in front of the building where the water tanks were. Taylor checked the door and it was locked of course.
"What now?" said Em.
"We need a Hermes kid here to open the lock" I said.
"Thanks Gods, I'm the second best thing" said Taylor smiling and took out some tools of his backpack opening the lock in no time. Taylor opened the door and held it for us to pass through.
Thalia looked at the lock and nodded saying "Really smooth, even better than Luke in his best days"
"Who is Luke?" asked Em.
"A good friend" said Thalia and nothing else. It sounded weird for a hunter to have a male friend. They are supposed to hate men to the core. Anyway, Thalia moved to the front with her sword and her shield ready.
We walked by the fish talks. Those were huge and impressive. I definitely wanted to visit here in daylight. I felt really underwater. Em grabbed my arm still feeling seasick, I guess. As we walked, I could hear undecipherable whispers around me. I looked around and I felt all the fish's and other sea creatures' eyes on me.
"Do you listen that?" I said.
"What?" said Thalia as she stopped and turned to see me.
"Whispers" I said and everybody stared at me.
"Are you sure it is not the humming of the machines?" said Taylor.
"It's not a humming noise" I said hotly.
"What are they saying?" asked Em.
"I don't understand. It's like thousand voices at once" I said and I looked at the tanks and the sea creatures were no longer staring at me. That was weird.
"Maybe you are just tired" said Thalia like it was the most plausible explanation.
"Where are we exactly anyway?" said Taylor changing the conversation.
"Glovers Reef. It says over there" said Em pointing to a sign.
"Do you think we are in the right place?" said Taylor.
"I am not sure" I said and the whispers started to rise again. It was enough to make me deaf and I couldn't understand a single word. I covered my ears and I yelled "Stop". I just couldn't take it anymore.
"What? Why?" said Thalia.
"Sorry. I wasn't talking to you. The whispers" I said and I realized that the whispers listened to me and stopped.
"Don't worry, Theo. They mean no harm" said Thalia and her eyes sparked in the semi-darkness.
"Do you know who they are?" asked Em.
"They are my hunter sisters, Theo… When a hunter is alone, our decease sisters are always with us. I had no idea why you are listening to them" said Thalia.
"Oh!" I said "Call me TJ, nobody calls me Theo anymore"
"Annabeth?" asked Thalia as she obvioulsy knew what I meant. My mom was the one who called me that.
"Yes" I whispered. Thalia hugged me. I wasn't expecting her but I welcomed.
"I know it's not the time to say it, but Annabeth didn't go by choice. She would never leave any of you" said Thalia and I was shocked by her words. She was frank. Nobody had ever said that aloud. I knew it but I really needed to hear it, that my mom didn't abandon us but she was taken away.
"Are you saying that someone or something took her?" said Em.
"I think so" said Thalia.
"Who?" asked Taylor.
"I wish I knew. I have been looking for clues, as well as everybody" said Thalia "We will talk about this later. Grover will hate me, but I will tell you everything I know… later, ok?"
"Thanks" I said and I felt hope that finally I would get some answers.
"Let's find the favorite son" said Thalia taking the lead. We followed her to the next Conservation hall.
Once again, the whispers started to rise and I didn't pay attention to them now. I had to finish this quest and talk to Thalia. I have something to look forward.
We exited the building and we were in the middle of aquarium, in the open. The moonlight illuminated also some streetlights.
"Where now? This feels like a waste of time" snorted Taylor.
"We could check the walrus, the penguins, the sea otter and sea lions or the… aquatheater?" said Em reading the signs in front of us.
"We should split" said Taylor "to cover more terrain quickly"
"Bad horror movie idea" I said "We will go together"
"He is right, son of Demeter" said Thalia and she leaded us to the closest animal: the sea lions.
The sea lions were sleeping in a fake rocky structure in their habitat. All except for one who was swimming fast around the tank. The sea lion took out its head and stared at us. Its eyes were fixed on me like it knew me. I moved to the side and the other, and its eyes followed me intensely.
"I think he likes you" said Taylor teasingly.
"I think is a she" corrected Em.
"I think this is nonsense" interrupted Thalia "There is nothing here. Let's go to the next"
We walked to the walrus and they were all sleeping. I sighed and we walked to the sea otters and they were sleeping too swimming in the water holding hands.
"That's so cute" said Em looking at the sea otters holding hands.
"Yeah, you call that cute…They are baby seal molesters too. Do you think that's cute too?" said Taylor and Em glared at him and walked to Thalia. I looked at Taylor and he just shrugged.
The last exhibition on this side of the aquarium was the penguins. Most of them were sleeping.
"What now?" said Taylor a little angry.
"We are only missing the aqua… what?" said Thalia trying to read the sign.
"Aquatheater" I said.
"Silly name if you ask me" snorted Thalia trying to hide her embarrassment. Most demigods are self-conscious about their dyslexia.
"The entrance is over there" said Em pointing to the other side.
We walked carefully. If this was the right place, we would find trouble in there. Taylor once again opened the lock with his tools and we walked into another open area with cement benches and some litter in the ground. The place was eerie silent and empty except for us.
"What do you think, Thalia?" asked Em.
"I have been a hunter long enough to know there is something wrong here" said Thalia.
"It's a trap" I said.
There was brochure lying on the floor and I took it by instinct. I didn't know why. It just felt important. I shoved into my back pocket.
Then the lights were turned on into blinding white spots. I couldn't see a single thing until my eyes adjusted to the brightness.
Once I could see again, I realized we weren't alone but surrounded by 3 manticores, face of man, body of lion and tail of scorpion, really deathly.
"You!" said Thalia pointing to one of the manticores.
"Thalia Grace" said the manticore with a diabolical teasing voice "It's been like 20 years. You haven't age, well, me neither"
"I will kill you this time" said Thalia taking a step closer to him.
"You brought the spawn. Thanks" said the manticore and the other 3 nodded "Our master will be glad"
"Who?" said Em looking at us. I had the same question. Who they wanted: Taylor, Em or I?
"Where is the favorite son?" I said bravely with my sword aiming to the closest manticore to my right.
"He was here. Can you smell his saltiness?" said the main manticore and the others giggled.
"A son of Poseidon or Neptune" whispered Em "That's explains a lot"
"I figured out myself too" I whispered to Em.
"So Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis. Surrender or die?" said the main manticore.
"We fight" said Thalia and whistled a low frequency sound like a dog whistle.
Suddenly, a small pack of 5 girls and 4 wolves came running to us surrounding us. The manticores looked ready to attack as they were trapped. The main one just smiled at us like he knew something.
"You are not the only one with backup" said the main manticore and from the water a dozen of dog-seal monsters called the teleknines appeared with spears and tridents in their hands.
"Hunters!" yelled Thalia and rushed to the main manticore.
A group of teleknines came to me as Em and Taylor fought a manticore. The telekhines were strong but I was just slightly better. I finished with the last one of the group and from behind a sneaky telekhine buried his spear on my ribcage. I felt the metallic tip piercing my organs. A hunter came to my aid and fought the sneaky telekhine. I felt on my knees as the pain was blinding me. I felt weak and angry. My back was wet by my blood and it already reached my pants. I was bleeding out fast.
I felt angry for being hurt, just in rage. I stood up ready to fight anything in my way. I had to prove I wasn't useless.
From the salt water pool, jets of water started to attack the remaining telekhines sending them to the sea outside the aquarium. The hunters yelled in victory and the remaining manticores were in deep trouble.
"You won't win" said the main manticore who was still fighting Thalia.
The other 5 hunters were fighting 2 manticores while Em and Taylor fought the remaining one. Em looked at me and wanted to run at my side. The manticore saw the opportunity and threw its scorpion sting hitting Em in the shoulder. I heard her yelling in pain. Manticore poison was extremely painful. Taylor was enraged and attacked more viciously to the manticore.
Thalia turned at us and shoved the main manticore with her shield until it felt on the water. Thalia ran at me and gave me 3 pearls.
"Take this and leave" she said "We will hold them"
"What's this?" I said looking at the glowing blue round objects.
"A way out. Just stomp it" said Thalia and hugged me fast.
The main manticore came out of the pool ready to fight again. The other hunters were entertaining the other manticores so I could get to Em and Taylor. Em was breathing fast and she was running a high fever. She was barely standing.
"Taylor, get here!" I yelled and Taylor didn't move or listen. He was still fighting. He wanted revenge.
"Em, take this and smash it" I said placing the pearl on her hand. She nodded and did it. She disappeared in puddle of water. I ran to Taylor and shoved the pearl on his hand.
"What are you doing?" he said confused.
"Stomp it" I said and I did it. I felt my whole body liquid and I left the aquarium.
