Hey guys I hope you enjoy this chapter, a lil bit of action- and Percy deciding that yeah, Zoe's not so bad these days.

Soon enough they were on the road. Zoe and Bianca were sat in the front of the car, while Percy, Annabeth and Thalia were huddled up into the back of the yellow VW convertible, Annabeth curled up close to Percy, head resting on her shoulder as Percy played with her hair while they drove, Zoe gripping the wheel tightly, her brows furrowed as she watched the world speed by, though she resisted the urge to laugh when Thalia leaned forward between the front seats to ask Zoe, "Can't this thing go any faster?"

She didn't manage to resist the urge when Zoe glanced back at Thalia with a glare, "I cannot control the traffic-"

"You guys both sound like my mom-"

"Shut up!"

The three younger girls burst out laughing at Thalia and Zoe's in sync response and both of the older girls glared at them.

Still, it broke the tension somewhat as Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when they finally got into Marin County and exited the highway. The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all, though she did seem to be able to handle the drive at least-they didn't seem to be about to careen into a ravine or anything.

After a while Percy shifted slightly, nose scrunching up, "Is it just me or does it smell like cough drops?"

"Eucalyptus." Zoe pointed to the huge trees all around us.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"And monsters," she said. "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me," Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

Percy didn't question her, biting her lip as she stared out of the car window. Ahead of them loomed Mount Tamalpais. It probably wasn't that tall of a mountain but it certainly seemed to loom above them-and Annabeth squeezed her hand gently.

"What are you thinking Seaweed brain?"

"That we're about to face Alabaster and Atlas." Percy muttered, "That we're totally crazy."

"True." Annabeth let out a weak laugh.

"And.. and that my mom and Leo are up there."

"We'll save them. I don't know how but we will."

"Annabeth's right." Bianca's voice was soft, "We'll save your mother and Leo, and we'll save Lady Artemis."

"We will." Zoe nodded firmly, a grim look on her face-and of course she looked grim, she was going to be seeing her father again-she was probably terrified.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia after a long moment. "The Mist is really strong here."

"Great." Percy muttered, "Alabaster's gonna be in his element."

"We can take him." Annabeth declared, "I know we can."

Percy gave a small nod, staring out of the window again as they drove straight towards the thick white clouds swirling over the mountain-out of the forest into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

She shuddered, eyes flicking down towards the ocean-a usually comforting sight for her-and she let out a startled gasp.

"What?" Annabeth was leaning forward instantly to look out of the window-but they had turned a corner and the ocean had disappeared from sight. "What is it."

"A ship. I saw a cruise ship." Percy met Annabeth's worried gaze, "It has to be-"

"The Princess Andromeda."

"We will have company, then," Zoe spoke up. "Kronos's army."

"Just what we need." Percy scowled fiercely, "This is a literal nightmare you know-" she froze-the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end-and even if she could barely remember the incident itself she'd felt something like it once before, and Thalia was screaming.

"Stop the car! Now!" and Annabeth was already opening the door and shoving them both out even as the car was still moving-Percy watched in shock as it spun twice-Zoe had slammed on the breaks- Bianca was out during the first spin and almost crawling away, Zoe and Thalia bursting out, Thalia raising Aegis as the lightning struck the car, which exploded like a canary-yellow grenade. Thalia and Zoe, the closest to the car would have been killed if it wasn't for the shield.

There was a sound like metal ram and when Percy could see again, blinking rapidly-the bright light having hurt her eyes there was wreckage all around. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

Percy was scrambling to her feet quickly, ignoring the fact that she had scraped arms and knees-she did not want to look at her clothes right now, they'd be ripped from jumping out of the car she was sure.

"Thalia, Zoe- Oh gods Bianca!" and for a moment Percy thought the worse because Bianca was led flat, hands over her head, but she lifted her head after a moment, shaking violently, her eyes blown wide as Percy sprinted over, dropping to her knees in front of the younger girl, "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm okay." Bianca was shaking as Percy gently grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet, Annabeth reaching them a moment later, "W-was that-"

"Lightning-shockingly enough not my first time." Percy hugged the other girl tightly, "You're okay- Thalia, Zoe are you both okay?"

"Yes." Zoe nodded, "Thanks to Thalia."

"Lightning-"

"No- no Thalia-" Annabeth shook her head, "It can't have been-"

"Does he know?" Thalia's voice was shaking, "Did he just try and kill me?"

"No." Annabeth darted over to Thalia, laying her hands on the older girls shoulders, "It can't have been your father-"

"Now isn't the time for that." Zoe's voice cut over Annabeth's reassurances. "We must be quiet, or do you want to wake Ladon?"

"We're here?" Percy swallowed hard, "We made it?"

"We are very close," she said. "Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. Percy kept one arm wrapped around Bianca's shoulder-still shaken from the moment she'd believed that the daughter of Hades was dead-because Bianca was all that was left of Nico now and by the gods Percy was going to protect her with everything she had.

Then Percy was moving forward into the fog, not glancing back, she trusted Annabeth and Thalia to follow.

When the fog cleared, they were still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of them. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like Percy had seen in her dream.

If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples.

Percy glanced to the side, focusing on Zoe, who gave her a very faint smile and a small nod.

Ladons body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than Percy could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

Then the shadows in front of them began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. Percy reached up, flicking her locket open to let her armour form around her before she reached for Riptide, but Zoe stopped her, grabbing her wrist.

Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders.

"Sisters," Zoe said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see two hunters and a half-blood. All of whom shall soon die."

"Not happening." Percy's voice was low.

The girls gazes focused on Percy- they were unnerving and glassy and Percy pulled Bianca closer protectively.

"Persephone Jackson." One of them spoke up, "I do not see why she is so special."

"Oh, let me guess, Alabaster's mentioned me."

"Often."

"How sweet." Percy rolled her eyes before glancing back as Annabeth and Thalia stepped through the mist. A part of Percy wanted to ask why they'd taken so long-but she didn't think it was the right time for that. At least Thalia looked better than she had.

"And there are more of you." another one said. "You five should leave now, before it is too late for you."

"Not without the people we came here for." Percy said firmly, "Not without my mom, Leo and Lady Artemis."

Zoe nodded, "We must approach the mountain." You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoe did the last thing Percy expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "Are you mad?"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."

Percy let out a burst of laughter despite herself, "Y'know Zoe I don't know why I ever disliked you-" and Zoe gave her a rare genuine smile.

"Nor I you Persephone."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should doesn't mean will." Annabeth pointed out, "Zoe-"

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the five of us together cannot fight him-not if we wish to be able to rescue Lady Artemis."

"I-" Percy swallowed hard, "Fine."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down Percy's spine, and that was before his breath hit her. The smell was like acid. It made her eyes burn, her skin crawl, and her hair stand on end. It smelt almost like rotting animals mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus.

Percy forced down the urge to heave as she and Bianca went left while Annabeth and Thalia went right.

Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

They were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, Percy could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.

They'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. Percy felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath, and Bianca was crying out, tearing her arm free from Percy's grip, a wall of shadows rising from the ground just in front of Zoe, a physical wall that cut the monster off from the hunter.

And Zoe was turning and sprinting towards them, helping Percy grab Bianca when her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, the two of them grabbing an arm each and dragging Bianca until they were safely far enough away that Ladon wouldn't pursue them, at which point they stopped, lowering Bianca to the ground as Annabeth and Thalia joined them quickly.

"Oh gods." Thalia was pale, "Is she-"

"She's alive it's exhaustion-happened to Nico too." Percy said quickly, glancing up at the mountain, her mind racing-then her gaze flicked back to Zoe, who was clutching her side, and she made a decision.