The subway was a regular subway as it turned out. No monsters attacked the questers, the questers didn't kill an innocent monster.
The passengers were talking with each other, overpowering the sound of the train's wheels moving across the train tracks.
"I saw that meme before!"
"It goes input and THEN output."
"I think I saw him crossing the street!"
I was sitting on a seat beside the questers and Percy. They were mostly trying to stay as normal, acting like they hated each other (Which some of them did).
Bianca started a conversation
"Good job, Grover, thinking of the Subway."
Grover ate a plastic wrapper. "Yeah, it was quick thinking."
"I was surprised there actually was a subway in DC,". Bianca said, rewarding her with the confused faces of the questers and Percy.
"That Subway was younger than 12?" Percy asked.
Zoë asked another question, "Bianca... What's the name of the current president?"
Bianca answered with the right one.
Zoë continued,"Who was the last one?"
"Roosevelt."
"Which one?" I put myself into the conversation.
She hesitated for a moment. "Franklin. Franklin D. Roosevelt."
Ah yes, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States and secret son of Athena.
"Bianca... that was over 70 years ago," Thalia said, also entering the conversation.
"What..." Bianca looked at her hands as if she were checking to see if they were wrinkled, "I can't be that old..."
Thalia seemed to show sympathy through her facial expressions which seemed very Un-Thalia like. Then again, she had been a pine cone for a few years. I guess she could recall how she felt when she realized just how long she'd been gone.
"Look Bianca, this is probably just a trick by some god. Don't worry." Thalia told her though I could tell from her eyes that she didn't believe her own words.
Bianca also didn't seem to be convinced due to the fact they she had a sullen face for the rest of the train ride.
We rode the several trains to the end of their lines. I'd hoped one of the lines would be on the East Coast but alas, we ended up in a warehouse that held exactly one Cargo train. The cargo in this case were luxury vehicles, fit for the rich who wanted to be on a train and car at the same time.
There was a homeless guy sitting near a garbage can which was filled with wood and being burned.
He smiled once he saw us, revealing shining teeth.
"You guys look cold. Stay as long as you want."
This guy was very obviously Apollo. The homeless guy vibe just wasn't in this dude. He seemed to radiate sunshine and warmth.
"Cut the act, Apollo." I said.
He turned to me. His infectious smile was staring to make me grin.
Then, his smile started disappearing, replaced with concern.
"What are you hiding, Kath? There's something about your mind..."
"You want to know the truth?" I asked him. I knew he would reply with a yes so I continued, "Hecate insulted your music skills."
Apollo was instantly triggered. "That.. That.. hideous, witch unworthy of my love is going to pay!"
His radiating sunshine started getting uncomfortably hot.
"I knew you'd be angry. That's why I kept it secret." I said.
"Ugh... your ride west is there," He to pointed to a Train called "Sun West Line".
"Now, if you'll excuse me..."
Apollo vanished without another a word. The garbage can's fire stopped burning.
Zoë raised her eyebrows at me. "It is dangerous to make a god angry right in front of you."
I shrugged. I'd had so many encounters with gods that their very presence was starting to get normal.
"Maybe, but at least we got his train without hearing one of his poems."
As it turned out, we didn't need a driver because the train was automatically activated when all of us were on board.
Bianca and Zoë found a Lexus to stay in. Thalia and Percy entered a Mercedes SLK. Grover got to pretend to drive a Lamborghini.
I figured Grover would be a bit lonely so I joined him in his Lamborghini.
"So, how old are you exactly?" He asked, probably trying to make conversation.
I figured that if I told him another vague true answer, he'd just ask more later. I scoured my brain for my oldest memories. Zeus being born?
But I could remember Hyas being born, my only brother. And he'd died before Zeus.
"When Zeus was born."
Grover's eyes lit up. "You remember Zeus being born?"
I nodded. "And the 10 years of pure terror when he declared war on... the Titans. I'd just been about to say us and reveal the secret.
"But you're mortal. You can't live that long."
I looked at my own hands. "I was the son of Atlas. Never knew my mother. Ever since I was born, I wasn't fully immortal nor mortal."
"Why?"
That was the question I'd had since I'd been born. 'Why?'. Why could I not die of old age? But every time I'd asked my father, he had avoided the question or gave a vague answer. 'Your mother was a special woman.'
My response was delayed when Percy Jackson opened the side door and sat silently, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place here.
I stared out at the rolling fields. America had been a chance to distance myself from Greece. From my past. So why was I now closer to the past then I ever was in Greece?