Chapter 25
(AN: I'm skipping the whole chase and run from the museum so to sum it up it happened basically the same way as before except with Tomas, Annabeth's boyfriend, instead of Percy.)
Zoe POV
"You don't have a say you shouldn't even be here!" I yelled at the brown hair stowaway.
"She's my girlfriend!" Tomas yelled back.
"Regardless thou needs to have a clear mind which ye obviously do not." I said as smoothly as I could. After barely a day with this boy I already disliked him. He comes out of nowhere and nearly gets us killed, all so he could come on a quest he wasn't supposed to. The only reason I even allowed him to stay was because we were short one quest member. I would have prefered Percy but he left camp to day's ago, and now we're in a frozen backwater town.
"Tomas and Bianca you two go get coffee Grover, Thalia, and I will see if we can get supplies from that store." I said "Meet back here in ten".
"What do you mean 'see if we can get supplies' this isn't the dark ages where you have to barter for things." Thalia said.
I bit my lip and refused to look back at her, why she could get under my skin so well was beyond me. The store itself was obscenely outdated, paint was peeling from the walls and the 'goods' looked better suited to a military camp in the 1930's.
"Ah coffee!" Grover exclaimed practically prancing with joy as Tomas and Bianca returned.
"What took you guy's so long?" Thalia asked "You should have been back before us."
"I think half the town was really craving starbucks today, the shop had a line out the door." Tomas said.
I nodded and took a sip of my drink enjoying the warmth it brought. "The cashier at the store mentioned there was a bus that took you farther down the mountain. When it shows up in an hour we need to be ready." I said looking at each one in turn. Grover much to my disappointment fainted.
I was about to grumble about how useless boy's were when I heard an odd clicking noise behind me. 'no' I spun around to see the skeletons from D.C. behind us dressed in Police gear. I dragged Thalia and Grover behind a wall of snow while covered Bianca with his body just as they fired their guns. "Paaan" the satyr groaned.
"Stay with Grover." I said shifting so I was on my knee. Fast as a heartbeat I fired three arrows disabling as many guns while Bianca and Tomas divided at the other two. Tomas cut off the front of a gun which I think was foolish unlike Bianca who slid her knife between her opponent's ribs. I nearly dropped my bow when said skeleton burst into ashes.
Suddenly Grover grabbed my arm "It's coming, a gift from the wild."
"Tomas, Bianca becareful Grover said something's coming." I yelled. Before either could acknowledge what I said a loud squeal pierced the air. Tomas appeared to get the idea and practically through Bianca our way leaving himself to cover our escape. My new sister in the hunt had barely made it ten feet when the Erymanthian Boar burst threw a snow drift dragging a small car impaled on one of its tusks.
The Boar plowed through the skeletons breaking and crushing their bones. In the back of my mind I was happy that it would take longer for them to reform. My main focus however was on the fact it was getting ready to charge us. Tomas, who was on our far right, picked a chunk of ice or a rock and threw it at the Boar. Having sufficiently gathered the beast's attention the boy ran like the fates themselves were after him.
"Follow him." I called going after Tomas. I have to admit Tomas' speed surprised me, even at top speed I could barely catch glimpses of him or the boar, I mostly just followed the trail of destruction. Finally after exiting a tunnel on the edge of town I found Tomas sitting on top Erymanthian Boar which was buried in almost 5 feet of snow.
"Hey guy's I think I found us a ride" Tomas called once he noticed us standing there.
"Get off that animal you fool it'll kill you." I shouted back
"Grover remember that prank we pulled on the Aphrodite Cabin." Tomas called again. Grover and Thalia shared a dark grin before bounding off for the Boar. I sighed and waved Bianca after them since it was clear they weren't going to listen.
Climbing on I hear Grover playing a song on his pipes then an apple began to float in front of the Boar. Slowly but surely the Erymanthian Boar began to free itself from the snowdrift and chased after the apple that was always at least three feet away. "So what is this prank thy was talking about." I said to Tomas.
The boy grinned back at me "We used this same spell to make half the Aphrodite cabin into run into the lake while they were trying to get their stuff back."
Tomas POV
The ride on the Erymanthian Boar was painful to say the least. When the Boar finally stop at the edge of some desert I gladly jumped off. Grover walked up to the Boar's head and rubbed it slightly "Sorry guy's but I don't think he'll be able to take us any farther."
"Thank Zeus." I groaned, I awkwardly walked away from the Erymanthian Boar and took a quick look around. To the North, East, and South all I could see was more desert, however to the west was a junkyard of sorts and an old taco shop.
I was about to ask Zoe what she thought we should do when there was a loud rev of a car which scared the Boar off. 'what's a car doing all the way out here?' I thought, my mouth dropped when I saw the car was in fact a ridiculously long limo. 'who revs a limo!'. A man dressed in a limo drivers outfit stepped out of the car and Grover whimpered.
"It's Ares." Grover squeaked.
The newly revealed war god pointed at me "Get over here kid Aphrodite wants a word with you."
I was about to say something like 'why should I' when Zoe came up next to me. "Just do it." She whispered "We're better off just giving them what they want." I nodded and walked over to him.
Ares opened the door to the limo and practically shoved me in "Oh good you agreed to take my offer." Aphrodite said in an overly sweet tone "Would you mind holding this mirror for me?". In the back of my mind I wanted to scream at her for calling me here just to hold up a mirror. Yet I found myself doing as she asked, I couldn't help it, she kept changing her form first to Annabeth then to a classmate I once had a crush on.
"So I was wondering why did you come on this quest." Aphrodite said as she tried to fix some microscopic problem with her make up.
"I came for Annabeth." I said simply.
"Ah how refreshing, most of the time I have to coax the truth out people. It's rather nice just to have someone admit it from the start." She said giggling at the last part. "To be honest I was kinda hoping for Annabeth and Percy to be a couple. I always loved the tale of Romeo and Juliet, but now I'm taking a liking to you two. The beautiful princess falling for the strong and just peasant, I love it!" she squeaked and had I have control over my body I would have been cowering in a ball by the door. The love goddess took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Now for why I actually came here, right outside is my husband's junkyard and as tempting as it may be don't try to take anything out of there. We gods don't usually throw things away for no good reason." She said in a dark tone. I nodded in understanding before Ares dragged me out of the seat. The others seeing I was back walked over and I gave them the short version of what happened, a.k.a the junkyard and nothing else.
We decided to sleep outside that night instead of trying to cross in the dark. The next morning we had a quick breakfast and set out "Remember guys don't touch anything it's probably cursed." Thalia said. Our little march through the gods junkyard was anything but boring, there was so many jewels here the Aphrodite cabin would have a field day.
"Um guys is it just me or are the toes over there." Bianca said.
"A..All in favor of going around." Grover said.
"I think that would be wi.." Zoe's comment was cut off by the groaning of gears. Off to our left a sixty foot statue rose out of the ground. "Everybody run it's the Talos prototype!" Zoe called. Seconds after those words left her mouth the fist of Talos impacted the ground sending debris every where and separating Bianca and I from the others.
I did my best to shield Bianca but we both got pretty scraped up and a nasty bump on my head. For a few minutes I couldn't stop the world from spinning, when everything finally came into focus Grover was shouting about a hole in the bottom of the machines foot. 'Where's Bianca' I thought. A bolt of lightning, most likely from Thalia, cause Talos to stumble back and briefly illuminated the form of Bianca in his shadow.
I nearly had a heart attack when she disappeared under the Giant's foot. The second Talos took off after Thalia I ran to where she disappeared 'thank goodness' I thought when I found no remains. Moments later Talos started punching himself in the face "Go Bianca!" I shouted before he stepped on a telephone wire.
"NOOOO!" Zoe shouted as the giant simply fell apart. I couldn't believe it. She couldn't be dead. And to my horror Talos started pulling himself back together. Just as Hephaestus' terrifying creation stood up the streaks of black light danced through the air and completely disintegrated the giant. "What the-" Zoe started, up until that moment I hadn't realized she and Thalia were right behind me.
"Sorry that would be me." A man in an old seafarers coat said.
Thalia's mouth open and closed several times before she finally said "Who the Hades are you and where is Bianca."
The man reached up and scratched the back of his head nervously and in doing so moved his hat so I could see his face. "Percy?" I breathed trying to get my head around how he had grown two feet in the last five days. Actually the more I looked at him the more differences I noticed. He had a short scar on his cheek and his eye's were sky blue rather than sea green.
"Sorry but I believe you have me mistaken for my brother Poseidon's son. But you can call me Uncle P. for now." The man said with an awkward laugh "Now as for your friend I sent her away before the lightning got her."
Zoe seemed to be having a war with her innerself and said. "Thank you for saving our companion but where did you send her."
"Again sorry but I can't tell you that otherwise the prophecy would demand another to be lost in the land without rain, but I promise you she is in good hands." He said placing a hand on Thalia's shoulder and flashing her away with him.
"Back to back" Zoe shouted "and keep your weapons ready we don't know what he wants."
"I see them." Grover said "They're on that hill over there and their...talking?". I looked where he was pointing and sure enough the two of them were just talking but I couldn't hear a word of it. After a minute or so Uncle P. flashed back with Thalia and took me instead.
"What is it you want." I said backing up a bit.
"To give you some advise your going to need that's all." Uncle P. said. "You and Thalia have some rough times ahead and want to make sure you're ready." He said dropping to a knee so we were eye to eye. Taking a deep breath he said "As you know a demigod is only ever told his parentage by his godly parent even if other gods may know as well. Normally I'd be appalled at breaking that unspoken agreement but for you I feel I must because you'll never know otherwise.".
"Why not?" I asked.
P. gave me a said smile "Because Zeus forced her to swear an oath never to claim you as her own and in exchange he'd let you live, he forced her to trade your life for hers, now she is trapped in her prison again."
"Who is she!" I yelled
"Your mother is Hera Queen of the Heavens and the goddess of Marriage. 15 years ago she and Zeus agreed to divorce one another while he was in a drunken state instantly ending the marriage. A few months later she fell for your father and you were conceived. However when Zeus realized what he had done he did everything he could to get her back. You see losing Hera would weaken his position on Olympus so once he learned of you a simple threat made her cave." Uncle P. took another deep breath "I know this is a lot to process but you need to focus, as Hera's son you have a lot of potential and your going to need every bit of it."
"But what can I do." I screamed "Even if your telling the truth what power could I possibly have."
Uncle P. smiled broadly "Are you already forgetting your mother is queen of the Heavens. One thing you must remember is no title or sacred animal is ever given to a god lightly. Your mother and possible yourself can summon the winds and powerful illusions why else would she favor the Peacock so much. Now go back to your friends I have to be going else where."
Another flash and I was back with the others "Are you alright Tomas" Zoe asked and I honestly didn't know.
Third Person POV
Out on a hill in southern Nevada Percy sat at the top surrounded by dozens of fallen monsters. 'I hope I don't regret letting that last one go.' Percy thought 'but atleast he told me where Artemis and Annabeth are, now where is mount Tam. Out of nowhere shadows appeared leaving behind the unconscious form of Bianca Di Angilo. "What the Hades." Percy said.
