XIII
"This is a great idea." Percy said immediately.
"I know!" Annabeth beamed with pride. "We have a location, we have a mission… Chiron, I can do this."
They were at the meeting room. Annabeth had dragged Percy and Chiron over the moment they had their free time, and told them everything about the Athena Parthenos, and about how it could possibly be the only way for peace.
Chiron paused, taking a deep breath as he considered everything she said. There was a moment of tense silence. Annabeth could almost see the gears whirring in his head as he weighed the risks: sending an experienced fighter who was also a member of the leaderboard off on a mission that may end in devastating failure, but in exchange for a possible chance of peace between two incredibly powerful groups…
"Yes," Chiron said at last. "Go, but be safe."
Percy nodded. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."
"We?" Annabeth paused.
"Yeah," Percy shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm coming along too."
"No, it's too dangerous." Annabeth said.
Percy snorted. "Says the girl who's going on the dangerous quest all by herself. Don't worry about me, I got this. Admit it, we're going to get things done a whole lot faster when there's a team."
"No," Annabeth shook her head. "Percy, the camp needs you."
"The camp needs us to stop the war." Percy countered.
"You don't get it." Annabeth growled. "Experienced leaders are dropping like flies. Beckendorf, Silena, Luke…" Annabeth felt her voice catch at the last one, but she plowed right ahead. "We're one of the last leaders left, Percy! If you go, the camp's going to fall into ruins."
"We still have Katie, Will…"
"Percy." Annabeth glared at him. "If you die, the camp dies. Chiron might be the leader of the group, I might be the brains, but you are the heart. If the heart dies, the entire system dies. If you die, the camp won't fight back anymore. They'll just let themselves be taken over. So you need to stay here!"
Something in Percy's eyes cracked, and Annabeth felt a twinge of guilt.
"I don't care." Percy said gruffly. "I'm coming."
Annabeth let out a furious growl, and stormed out of the room. Yes, she probably looked like some stupid, spoiled brat trying to claim all of the glory, but she didn't care. Yes, the camp did need Percy, but mostly… Annabeth just didn't want Percy hurt. It was very selfish of her, but anything could happen on that quest, and if Percy died… watching him die, with her unable to do anything to help… like Luke…
That night, dinner was a very solemn affair. Percy seemed subdued, picking at his food. The camp was also very silent, maybe from the shock of battle, or maybe because the 'heart' was unhappy. Oh well.
Annabeth wasn't hungry, but she forced herself to eat everything on her plate. Then, she placed the dish away, and headed to her room. She picked up her backpack and stuffed some clothes in, some extra weapons, a book, and a few other necessities. She lay in bed and pretended to sleep as her roommates stumbled sleepily in.
Annabeth waited for hours. It didn't take long for her roommates to hit the snooze button, but she did wait for an extra hour for the camp to fall asleep. Once silence shrouded the hallways and rooms, Annabeth got up soundlessly, grabbed her bags, and left.
το κυνήγι
The Athena Parthenos was in Rome.
Annabeth snuck out of the camp, careful to stay out of sight as she scurried onto the surface. She slipped past the Romans, and grabbed a cab heading towards the airport. She cracked the window of the car open, and a cool night breeze washed into the stuffy interior, chasing away the stench of cigarettes and stale tobacco. She watched as the familiar shack faded away into the distance. Would this be the last time she would ever see her home again?
The ride took way longer than it should have. When Annabeth finally arrived, the price was incredible. And after seeing the greedy glint in the driver's eyes, Annabeth was sure that the driver took the long way there.
Reluctantly, Annabeth handed the wad of cash over. She had barely slammed the door shut when the cab rushed away, leaving her choking in the smoke. Mortals, always so rude.
So, without further ado, Annabeth entered the airport.
It was a rather large place, and several snoozing receptionists occupied the front desks. A few drooping plants were arranged around the entrance, meant to look welcoming, but it really just made everything seem a teeny bit pitiful. Faded posters hung from the walls, advertising clothes that made even the photo-shopped models look like hobos. There were a few napping people sitting on the benches lining against the wall, waiting for their flight.
Annabeth walked up to the front desk. The receptionist had her head on the counter, and was snoring quietly.
"Hello?" Annabeth said.
The receptionist continued snoring.
Annabeth rapped her knuckles against the marble surface. "Hello?"
The receptionist looked up blearily. "Hi, how can I help you?"
Annabeth took out her wallet and flashed a credit card. "When is the next flight to Rome? If I did my research correctly, it's in two hours, right?"
"Yeah, it is." The receptionist yawned. Annabeth honestly tried not to cringe as a wave of coffee-breath blasted her right in the face. "But it's too late to buy a ticket now."
"Really?" Annabeth said. She placed the credit card temptingly on the desk, along with a fifty. "I'm willing to pay twice the cost for just one ticket. It doesn't even have to be a seat. As long as I'm on that plane, I'm fine. Plus, you get a tip." Annabeth nudged the cash.
The receptionist was awake now, and she was staring at the money. Annabeth could practically see the gears whirring in her head as she weighed her options.
"Oh, don't worry about it." A voice appeared behind Annabeth. A deft hand swiped the card and cash off the counter. Annabeth whirled around, her hand automatically reaching for the dagger hidden under her shirt.
There was a small group of girls behind her, led by a tall, pretty girl with dark hair and an athletic figure. She wore a tank top and camouflage pants tucked into combat boots, and a hiking backpack was slung over a shoulder. A silvery band of metal was placed above her brow, almost like a tiara. The other girls were dressed similarly, but none of them seemed as confident as the lead girl.
The girl handed the card and cash back to Annabeth, but along with that, there was also a plane ticket for a flight to Rome.
"Who…?" Annabeth started.
The girl held out a hand. "I'm Zoe. We're the Hunters."
Annabeth's eyes widened, but she nodded slowly. "I'm Annabeth."
Zoe smiled. "We've heard about you. And your quest to find the Athena Parthenos."
"From who?" Annabeth asked.
Zoe's smile widened. "We have our sources."
"All right," Annabeth said. "I'm sorry if I sound mean or anything, but in this world, nothing can be trusted. Can you prove to me that you really are the Hunters?"
Zoe laughed, and picked something small and silver out of her pocket. Immediately, she was holding a gleaming bow in her hand, nocked with an arrow. Without hesitating, the arrow fired, landing right into the wall behind the poor receptionist, who was white with shock. A lone strand of hair fell almost delicately onto the countertop.
Zoe picked up a small silver device and clicked it. A spray of mist engulfed the receptionist, and when the mist cleared, the receptionist had her face on the glossy surface and was once more snoring her head off. And with the memory of the last ten minutes gone.
"Got it." Annabeth said.
Zoe grinned, and nodded towards the girls behind her. The girls nodded back, and left the airport.
"So, I'm guessing you'll be needing a bit of help." Zoe continued. "May I come along, if you don't mind?"
"But what about the rest of the Hunters?" Annabeth asked. "Will they need you to…?"
"Phoebe's taking care of the rest." Zoe said easily.
"Do you have everything packed? Do you need anything else…"
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I got everything I need."
Annabeth smiled weakly. Oh boy, she probably sounded like a worrywart or something.
"So," Zoe tipped her head towards the waiting room. "Let's get going, then."
Grinning, Annabeth followed.