The three goddesses quickly packed and left before Percy and the others did. Selean knew that they were going to take a bus first, so went ahead to schedule the ride. When they got to Greyhound Station Selean noticed a paper taped to a mailbox. When she got a closer look she saw that it was a picture of Percy and the authorities were looking for him.

"Well look here. Percy got some mortal troubles as well," Selean said, smirking while stroking Catcher's feathers on her shoulder.

Alex and jay came over and both chuckled.

"This is going to be more fun than we thought," Jay said happily.

Selean then noticed Argus pulling up with Percy and them.

"Quickly, hide!" Selean said, and the three disappeared.

While the three questers were waiting for the bus in very heavy rain the goddesses were putting on their disguises for the bus. Finally the bus came, and the six stood in line to board. The questers sat in the back while Selean, Jay, and Alex sat near the front. To any one on the bus, they were just three helpless old ladies who were enjoying a ride on a bus. Then another three old ladies came on and Selean cursed under her breath.

"The Furies." Alex breathed, confirming Selean's pervious thought.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway. The message clear: No one leaves. After a while they hit Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark, except for the running lights down the aisle. One of the Furies got up then the next two followed. Selean saw Percy disappear but then saw his fuzzy form working its way up the aisle. There was a moment where one of the Furies look directly at him but move forward.

The Furies transformed. Their bodies shriveled up into leathery brown hag bodies with bat wings and gargoyle hands and feet. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips. They surrounded Grover and Annabeth, demanding to know where it is. Other people started screaming, cowering in their seats. The Furies raised their whips.

"Now this here driver is terrible. Someone else should take the wheel right about now." Selean said off-handily as Percy pasted them.

Percy turned to the old lady curiously and was surprised when she looked right at him briefly before turning away.

Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can and aimed to throw. Suddenly everyone was thrown to the right and Selean saw Percy struggling with the driver for the wheel.

The bus swirled and exited the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed aside, cars plowed away like bowling pins. The bus shot off the highway, through six traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey roads. Woods on the left, the Hudson River on the right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward then river.

The bus suddenly wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The doors flew open. The driver was out first, the passengers yelling after him. Only six remained on that bus while Selean lead her partners out yelling so they didn't blow their cover. However once a safe distance away they transformed themselves back into their original forms before turning themselves invisible to sneak back to the bus.

They came back to see that Percy had taken off his cap and was holding up Riptide while Annabeth and Grover were a little ways from the Furies waiting for a chance.

"Submit now," one of them hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try." Percy said.

Jay saw the Furies about to attack and started raising.

"Should we—?"

"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.

The middle Furie lashed her whip out at Percy around his sword hand while the other two on either side lunged. Percy, managing to not drop Riptide, struck the Fury on the left with his hilt, sending her toppling backward into a seat. Percy then turned and sliced the one on his right, who screamed before exploding into dust. Annabeth got the third Fury in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.

"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"

The fury who was hilt slammed came at Percy again, talons ready, but he swung and she broke open like a piñata. The last Fury was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed, and bit but Annabeth held on while Grover got her legs tied up in her own whip. Finally they both shoved her backward into the aisle. The Fury tied to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her wings, so she kept falling down.

"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your souls!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled.

Jay burst out laughing and Alex slapped her hand over her mouth though she had a huge smile on her face.

Thunder shook the bus and the three quickly backed away.

"Get out!" Annabeth yelled. "Now!"

The three rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera took a picture of Percy before he could recap his sword.

"Our bag!" Grover realized. "We left our—"

BOOOOOOM!

The windows of the bus exploded as passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof but an angry wail was heard from inside and Jay let out a giggle. Selean had the other two joined her in transforming back as the three old ladies just as Annabeth yelled, "Run!" and the three questers took off running.

But as he ran, Percy glanced back and saw the three old ladies from earlier and saw the one in the middle—the one who gave him the indirect advice—smile directly at him while raising her arm to wave goodbye before winking. Shocked Percy turned forward and raced to catch up with Annabeth and Grover.