Some Olympians (5/24/20)

Annabeth stood in front of a mirror where she was studying her reflection. She had been through a lot more than most 18-year-olds-monster slaying, battling wars, traveling to the depths of hell and back-all of this had left her scared and toughened. Yet she wore 18 well, and she was still beautiful. She was wearing her favorite red t-shirt and some cut-off jeans.

She was looking at her eyes which appeared to her more like the eyes of a woman much older than herself. The California sun had done wonders for her skin, and her tan made her look more her age. But her eyes still looked as if she had lived several life times. She wondered how she could cover this up; she wanted to look good. She spent a long time in front of that mirror meticulously applying her make-up until she had gotten the perfect look about her eyes. Now they almost looked normal, as if she was any teenage girl in San Francisco going on a date.

She had curled her blond hair and let it hang down both sides. The whole look was very un-Annabeth: she normally had her hair tied back to keep it from obstructing her view, this tee and shorts left a lot of skin exposed to poisonous bites and rusty blades, and all this make-up made her face feel hot. But today Percy was coming on the train to spend his last spring break with her. There would be no time for fighting monsters or saving the world. This time was to be spent together.

She finally stepped away from the mirror and made her way downstairs. Her father was sitting in the living watching TV.

"Okay, dad, I'm headed to the station," said Annabeth.

Without looking away from the TV, he said "alright, see you in a bit."

Annabeth was thankful her father didn't get a look at her. It was likely he would have commented on this dolled-up Annabeth and she did not want to be a part of that conversation. She got in her dad's car and drove to the station.

Traffic was busier than usual, but she made it to the station ten minutes before Percy's train was scheduled to arrive. She got out and made her way towards a bench facing the tracks. She sat down and waited. Then she thought: Will he recognize me like this? She pulled out her pocket mirror and gave herself a once over.

Her makeup was fine, but she didn't really look like her. And what if something does attack? She looked around and gripped her charmed bracelet. The charm of course could turn into a celestial bronze knife when detached. She spotted nothing out of the ordinary, no monster disguising itself in the mist or pretending to be some tourist from Japan. She did spy a young man that she recognized.

Standing beside a ticket booth was none other that Jason Grace and a teenage boy next to him. Jason was surveying the platform as if looking for someone. Then his eyes met Annabeth's and he chuckled. Annabeth remained seated as the two approached her.

"Hello, Annabeth," Jason said smiling. "I almost didn't recognize you."

Annabeth replied, "Hello, Jason. What brings you here?"

"Well, Percy told me he was coming to town, and I was at Camp Jupiter, so I thought we'd stop by just in case something happened, you know," said Jason. "Oh, this is Davis by the way."

"Hey," said Davis.

"Well," said Jason, "I can see that you must be looking forward to seeing Percy more than me, so I think we'll just hang out of sight. We'll stay a while just in case we hear anything, but we can say hi to Percy some other day, perhaps if you two make it to Camp Jupiter."

Up until that point Annabeth was giving her best fake smile, as she didn't want to talk to Jason right now. But after he said that, she gave a genuine smile. Jason was so understanding.

"Thank you, Jason," said Annabeth. "I'll see you around."

Jason walked away, and she waited a few more minutes. Then the 4:40 pm train pulled into the station. As passengers started to unboard, Annabeth stood up trying to find Percy in the crowd. The last of the passengers had come off, but she hadn't seen Percy. She walked closer to the train and weaved about the crowd. She kept looking but she couldn't find him. Then she heard a voice close by call out, "Annabeth?"

She turned, and there was Percy. He had a couple bags in his hands and was wearing a brown leather jacket. He dropped his bags and they rushed into each others embrace. His kiss was sweeter than fresh strawberries from the fields of Camp Half-blood, and he smelled like a cool sea breeze, as always. She hadn't seen Percy for months, and now it was just her and her boyfriend, at last.

They pulled apart and Percy stood back to take a better look at her.

"Annabeth, you look gorgeous," said Percy.

Annabeth was getting a full look at Percy as well. He had a green t-shirt on underneath his jacket and frayed blue jeans. He looked pale, as if he hadn't been outside in a while. He had also let his hair grow out and now it was getting into his eyes.

She pushed the hair out of his eyes. "You need a haircut, Seaweed brain," she said. She picked up one of his bags and they walked toward the car.

"So is this your spring break too?" asked Percy.

"Yep, my last one," she replied. "Hopefully it's your last one too."

"Hey, I'm set to walk at graduation this May. I just might need to take one class in the summer afterwords, and then I officially get my diploma."

Annabeth couldn't believe they were going to graduate from high school. Many demigods don't make it to this age with all the monsters and rouge gods out to get them. Watching Percy walk through the station, she couldn't help but think how much older he looked. Everything they had been through had aged him as well, and although he still very much had the demeanor and body of a teenager, his face looked more like he was in his late twenties.

"I shouldn't have worn this jacket off the train," said Percy. "I didn't know it was going to be this hot here."

Once they reached the car he took off his jacket.. They put his bags in the trunk and hopped in the front.

"Where do you want to go to eat?" asked Annabeth. "You must be starving."

"You know me, I'm a sucker for a good diner."

"You did not come all the way to San Francisco just to eat at some diner. I'll pick."

The ate a lovely dinner at an upscale restaurant, and afterwards they went to the movies. They hadn't really planned to go, but neither of them wanted to go straight back to her dad's apartment. They picked some horror film with a monster so they both could enjoy a good laugh. They sat in the back of a sparsely filled theater, and once the film started, Annabeth's heart started racing. She and Percy were nestled up holding hands. After about twenty minutes into the movie (which they had no interest in) had gone by, she looked at Percy. Percy turned and looked back at her.

To her, it was if they were in a room alone; it was just her and Percy. They kissed and kissed again. Minutes passed, but the lovers' attention was only for each other. Percy's hands played about her back, and then he moved his lips down her neck.

Then a light was shined in Annabeth's face. She opened her eyes and dread filled her veins. An usher was standing over them with his flashlight pointed in her face.

"Excuse me, but I'm gonna have to ask you two to follow me, please," he said.

Percy and Annabeth withdrew and followed the usher out shamefully. He led them past the main exit and through a door that said employee's only.

Now Annabeth was really starting to feel nervous. What was going to happen to them now? They went down the hall and stopped at a door which didn't look like it belonged in the theater. All the doors were smooth and red and had big handles, but this door looked old and was made out of wood planks and had a brass knob.

Percy turned and looked at Annabeth, perplexed, as the usher opened the door. He waved them in, and they both felt another force other than their own walk them through the door.

They found themselves in a large room with marble tiles. It was very warm and humid, and a front desk sat in front of them. They were in a lobby area, of what Annabeth didn't know, but they approached the desk together. Behind it sat a little women in a silk robe.

"Welcome," said the woman. "Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase, I presume? You are both on time for your 8 o'clock meeting with the Lady."

Two servants, a man and a woman in similar robes, approached from around the corner.

"Percy, you may follow Garret to the left, and Annabeth you may follow Doris to the right."

Annabeth knew right away that this place wasn't part of the theater and had to have been the work of some god or other immortal that they were going to meet soon. Hopefully it wasn't going to be Aphrodite to tell her everything she was doing wrong just five minutes ago. Percy and Annabeth followed their servants, who lead them down opposite hallways. Annabeth followed the woman named Doris into what looked like a locker room.

"Before we enter the baths, you will have to dis-robe and then be scrubbed before you can see the Lady," said Doris.

Annabeth was not pleased by this turn of events, and it showed on her face.

"Do not worry, miss. Your possessions will be kept in safe keeping."

Reluctantly, Annabeth took off her clothes and set them neatly on the bench. Doris was waiting nearby holding a gray cotton robe up that Annabeth thankfully slipped on. Doris picked up her things and set them on a counter where another woman took them back to a cupboard. Doris led her further into a shower area seperate from the locker. Another servant woman was there with a couple buckets of water and some soap and brushes.

She bowed, and said, "Greetings, miss. Is this water to your liking?" She held up the bucket and Annabeth dipper her fingers in. It was warm, but not too hot. Annabeth nodded in approval.

"We will need you to remove your robe so that you may be scrubbed clean," said Doris. Annabeth was reluctantly unbelted her robe and Doris slipped it off of her shoulders. The other woman stood on a step stool and slowly poured the water on Annabeth's head. The warm water washed over her and calmed her. She stood there as Doris lathered her with soap and scrubbed from head to toe with a brush as soft as satin.

The experience was relaxing much like a visit to the spa. After a few more buckets, Annabeth was soaked. Her makeup had come off effortlessly with the brush, and she felt squeaky clean. The women dabbed her a little with a towel, and then Doris draped her in a silky, white robe. Her hair was then tied back into a ponytail and Doris led her out the door and into another room.

They walked into a large, steamy bath house with a high vaulted ceiling. Several candles and braziers illuminated the fine tile. In the floor were many pools filled with steamy, soapy water. Some were long and others were round and they all had benches on the sides. There were some patrons, men and women, soaking in their baths and servants could be seens standing nearby.

As Annabeth walked out her door she spotted Percy walking out a door on the opposite side led by his servant. They were both walked towards the back and met up at the entrance to an area that was partitioned off the central room. Percy was wearing a silky, silver robe very similar in style to Annabeth's. She guessed that he had been given a similar treatment, and they had even tied his hair back in a high pony tail to keep it out of his face. It looked rather silly to Annaebth.

She smiled at him and he blushed. They made their way past the partition and found a gorgeous, small, round pool raised above the floor. A busty, naked woman was sitting in the bath. She had her head tilted back into a small basin and two servants were washing her long hair.

They stopped in front of the bath. Percy's servant stepped forward and bowed. "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have arrived, my lady," he said.

She lifted her head slightly, but kept her eyes shut. "Oh, wonderful. Hello, my dears. Please, join me," she said, gesturing to the bath. It was the size of a large hot tub and could compensate many more than three, but Annabeth was hesitant. She walked up the steps and unbelted her robe at the top. Doris was behind her, and lifted the robe from her shoulders as she stepped down into the tub.

The soapy water was very warm and smelled like lilac; it was soothing and Annabeth felt comfortable as she seated herself. After her came Percy, she looked the other way as he entered the bath. He sat on the other side of the steps from her so that the three were all space out from one another.

The woman wiped the soap from her forehead and looked at them. For a moment she didn't say a thing, she just looked as if she was inspecting them.

"It is pleasure to finally meet the Heroes of Olympus," she said. Then she lifted herself out of the water a little bit and rested her elbows on the side so that the servants washing her hair could reach it better.

Annabeth averted her eyes from the woman as she did this, exposing herself. Annabeth caught sight of Percy who had not, and instead was gazing at her with wide open eyes. Annabeth tried to give him a stern look, but he kept his eyes forward.

"And, may we ask, what is your name?" asked Annabeth turning back towards her.

"I am Hygea, goddess of cleanliness and sanitation, and I need your help," said Hygea.

Percy grinned. "So, draggin' us out of the movie-you weren't trying to clean up our act?" said Percy.

"No, my dear. That was mere coincidence," said Hygea. "I need you two to find my golden hairbrush. I've lost it."

"So, find the brush, and bring it back," Annabeth said succinctly.

"Patience, my dear, patience," Hygea replied. "Now, some monster or other from the sewers must have stolen it because their was sludge all over my fine tile floors in my chambers."

Percy and Annabeth were ushered out from the bath house and back to their changing rooms were they got dressed. The were then escorted to the exit, which lead them to an alley in the city.

"A sewer monster, great" said Percy. "Any ideas what it could be?"

"Not a clue," said Annabeth.

The next day, Annabeth woke up in her bed in her dad's apartment. She walked to the living room and kicked a sleeping Percy on the couch.

"You got some old clothes?" said Annabeth.

"Huh?" said Percy, still half asleep.

"Do you have clothes to wear into the sewer?"

"Yeah, I'll root around, find some pants I like the least.

Annabeth had stayed up for hours the previous night searching for diagrams of the Bay Area sewer system, parsing out where the best place for a monster's lair might be. She had picked out an overflow drain access on the Bay.

Annabeth and Percy made the trek wearing the oldest, most torn up shoes they had. When they arrived, Annabeth knew she had picked the right place. The access was broken, and it had distinct claw teeth marks.

They entered the cave, and turned their flashlights on. It was dark and the pipes were dry-as it was an overflow pipe, this was to be expected. That did not however, stop the pipes from smelling. Rats scooted by here and there, amongst the piles of trash that had accumulated. Further and further they went. The darkness enclosed them with a buckling weight.

"Hold on Percy, I think I see something," Annabeth said. She crouched down to examine the odd pile below her.

"That's the biggest hair ball I've ever seen," said Percy.

"This has to be monster hair," said Annabeth. She grabbed a stick and rooted around through it.

"Gross, Annabeth," Percy moaned.

"This hair is long, too long for a rat or any other small animal. And you're right, it looks like a hair ball. Maybe the creature grooms itself."

"Like a cat?"

"Exactly."

The ventured further into the cavernous pipes, spotting giant hair balls that must have been leading them to their destination.

"Do you think the monster stole the hairbrush to groom itself?" Percy asked.

"That seems highly likely," said Annabeth.

Then they heard a noise. A guttural groan. It was distant, but it echoed through the pipe loudly.

"Sounds big," said Percy.

"Yeah," said Annabeth. She pulled out her knife and held it fast in her free hand.

They crept into a large chamber where, sitting on a pile of rat bones, was a profusely hairy creature about the size of a brown bear. It had four legs and no neck, and had hair that flowed from it's body onto large shaggy swaths that draped over the floor.