A/N: I'm back late, I know. My progress wiped a few times, and it drained me.
I don't own Percy Jackson.
Percy slowly opened his eyes to see four girls staring down at him with varying expressions. Naomi sighed in relief when he opened his eyes. Phoebe gave him an amused smirk. Zoe looked at him in what he had to guess was sympathy. All three hunters had snacks in their hands.
Percy frowned. Why was Zoe looking at him with sympathy?
Percy received his answer when he locked eyes with Thalia, who was glaring at him. He felt a squeak erupt from the back of his throat.
The daughter of Zeus grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a sitting position. She glared as she joggled him, "what the hell was that? How can you control water like that?"
Phoebe backed up and snickered at Percy's expense. Naomi followed the larger girl as she sent an apologetic smile at the boy. Zoe stood to the side as she watched for any of the spartoi. The son of Poseidon looked to the other three for help but found that none looked to assist him. He could not get a word in as Thalia ranted about keeping secrets from friends, but his eyes pleaded for their intervention.
Phoebe grinned at him and shrugged, "she deserves an explanation, Jackson."
Thalia had finished her rant while Phoebe spoke and stared at Percy with an expectantly. The teen sighed and wished he had friends who would help him in his time of need, just as he did for them.
Percy winced and gripped her wrists with his hands, trying to pry them off to no avail. His throat burned from being dehydrated, which he found odd as he was literally at the center of a large amount of water earlier. He coughed and gave her a sheepish smile, "can we talk about this while we run from spartoi?"
Thalia's eyes narrowed as she stared him down. Percy regretted ever suggesting anything. To his surprise, the girl's grip on his shirt loosened, and she stood with a small nod. She held out her hand to help pull him up.
Percy grinned and reached out, only for her to drop him as soon as he grabbed her hand. He let out a yelp as his backside smacked onto the floor soundly. Phoebe did not hide her laughter, Naomi tried to hold in her giggles, and Zoe shook her head in exasperation. Percy grumbled as he stood and rubbed his butt.
"Friends, is this what I think it is?" Naomi said from off to the side suddenly. The four looked at her to see her raising what looked like a glittering lion's pelt. Percy saw Zoe's eyes widen in recognition, though he did not understand why.
"That's the Nemean Lion's pelt," Phoebe said, sounding mildly impressed.
"What do we do with it?" Naomi asked as she looked the pelt up and down.
"It is a spoil of war. Perseus can take it," Zoe spoke up with a slightly disgusted look on her face.
"Why? I didn't kill it, I just held its mouth open," Percy said with a frown.
"We would not have been able to strike it in its maw without your plan, Perseus," Zoe replied, gesturing for him to take it.
Percy slowly nodded and reached out to take it from Naomi when he suddenly saw flashes of a gigantic man wearing the pelt. The man ignored the girl that tried to hold onto him as he walked away from her. Percy felt like the girl was familiar, but couldn't get a good enough look at her face. He felt pity for the girl for a reason he couldn't quite place.
Percy shook his head as he cleared his throat, getting his attention back in the real world. He grabbed the pelt and walked over to a kiosk that looked like it was flammable. He laid it across the surface and stepped back.
He turned and looked at Thalia seriously, "light the kiosk on fire."
"What?" Thalia said as her eyes widened. The other members of the quest mirrored her surprise, but none more surprised than Zoe.
"I'm offering it to Artemis. Wherever she is, if she's in chains, then she needs it more than I do," Percy replied as he crossed his arms.
"The pelt is impenetrable, Percy," Phoebe said, looking at him as if he had grown another head. "It could be useful to us."
The son of Poseidon did not respond and continued to stare at Thalia. With a sigh, the daughter of Zeus walked over to the kiosk and aimed her spear at it. She winced as blue electricity shot out from the tip of her weapon and struck the structure, lighting it on fire.
"For Lady Artemis," Percy muttered. The other members of the quest did the same. They stood and watched as the kiosk burned for a few moments before they all turned to look at each other.
"Where do we go from here?" Thalia asked Zoe, who turned to look at Percy.
Percy looked surprised that the rest of the quest was now looking at him expectantly. "Uh, Zoe said something about a train, right?"
Zoe nodded with a slight frown on her face, "that was the plan, but the station is distant. We might not make it in time."
"Well, we can't take the van," Percy said as he grabbed his sword from the ground.
"They know what it looks like by now, " Phoebe finished Percy's sentence, prompting the boy to nod. "We can't lose them in the van."
Percy nodded and sighed, gesturing at the exit. "We might as well just head outside. Give me time to think of something and keep a lookout for the spartoi. They have gray skin and gold eyes. You'll know it's them when you see them."
He received nods in response. He spun his sword in his hand once to transform it and pocketed the blade in its phone form. He went to retrieve his duffel bag on the upper level but found that the lion's rampage caused a large amount of debris to fall around the museum. He couldn't find his duffel bag without digging through rubble.
Percy groaned and made for the exits with a frown on his face. "There goes my chance at a change of underwear," he mumbled to himself.
He overestimated his distance from the other quest members and looked embarrassed, as Thalia snickered and Phoebe gagged.
They all made their way out of the museum and crossed the Potomac. Percy told them to keep their faces concealed and their heads low as they walked. "It won't help much, but just in case the General sent any monsters our way, stay scarce. They'll be after my scent, but they'll kill anyone who gets in their way. Stay alert."
The girls nodded quietly and ducked their heads. Thalia pulled up her shirt to hide her mouth, and Naomi manipulated the mist to make her look like she had a facemask on.
"They knew we were here, didn't they Percy?" Thalia whispered to him a few moments later. Percy nodded, and he saw the girl's eyes darken as she frowned.
"Do you think it's a spy?" Thalia asked. "It's the only way they would've known about us being here."
Percy nodded, causing Thalia to curse. The son of Poseidon glanced around before whispering to her, "It has to be a spy, and it has to be someone that knew who the quest members were. I don't have a headcount on who could know, but I think you should let Chiron know once you get back to camp."
The daughter of Zeus nodded back even as she looked uncertain. They both walked ahead of the hunters in silence.
After a few more tense moments of walking, they heard gasps and shouts behind them. The group turned to see gray-skinned men making a beeline for them, bumping into people and knocking them down without sparing them a glance. Percy met their golden eyes with his sea-green ones and immediately began to jog away. "C'mon, we need to move. We can't fight them here."
The four girls nodded, and they all quickened their pace. Percy led them past multiple buildings, going in random directions before he stepped into an alleyway quickly. The girls looked confused but followed him.
Percy leaned on the building and peered from the corner, checking for the spartoi. When he saw none, he turned back to the girls with a wince.
"Our best bet is to head to the train station in two groups. Elaine lent me Blackjack for the quest so the hunters can take him there. I'll follow with Thalia," Percy said. The girls looked ready to protest when he held up a hand. "Look, I know it isn't the best idea to split up, but I don't think we have a choice. We need to get to the train station, and there's too many of us to fit on Blackjack's back. The spartoi will be after me and only me, so if ever anything happens to Thalia and me, then at least the three of you can still save Artemis. I promise I'll take care of Thalia."
Phoebe shook her head, "the prophecy said both campers and hunters need to be there to save her."
Percy frowned, "Thalia's light, and I can't touch any of the hunters for more than a few seconds at a time. Since we're separating, I'll be able to keep up better if I don't have to worry about that."
The hunters still looked uncertain, so Percy locked eyes with Thalia and gave her a pleading look. "C'mon, Thals. Back me up?"
Thalia stared into his eyes for a moment before she nodded. She turned back to the hunters with a determined look on her face, "you three need to go. Blackjack isn't huge, but he'll be able to hold you all. Percy and I will be fine."
Naomi glanced at her fellow hunters to see Zoe looking defeated and Phoebe frowning. She spoke for her sisters, "it looks like we don't have a choice. Where is the pegasus?"
Percy smiled at them with relief. "We need to get on top of this building. I'll call Blackjack for you guys when we get up there. I'll take Thalia to the station with me as soon as you guys are in the sky."
The hunters nodded and began to climb up the walls easily, leaping up and grabbing on to handholds smoothly. Percy made to follow them but turned when he felt Thalia grab his wrist. She looked sheepish as she glanced up at the tall building. "I'm not great with heights."
Percy blinked and turned around, kneeling and holding his arms out behind him as he spoke. "Get on my back."
"What?" Thalia said in surprise.
Percy sighed, "just get on my back and don't make this weird. We need to make sure they get in the air safely, and I don't like leaving you down here all alone."
He waited for a few moments when he felt Thalia slowly get on his back. "Don't get any funny ideas, Jackson," Thalia mumbled as she locked her arms around his neck.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Grace," Percy replied. He gulped as he tried to block out any thoughts on how soft Thalia's thighs were in his hands as he channeled Hermes' blessing. His black Converse shoes sprouted wings, and the two began to rise from the ground.
Percy felt Thalia's arms tighten around him as she placed her face in the crook of his neck and pulled her body closer to his. He felt a blush form on his face as he tapped her thigh, "loosen up, Thalia, you're gonna choke me!"
The girl immediately did as he asked and mumbled an apology. She still didn't look down and favored her position on his back. She didn't find the contact unpleasant at all, even if Percy smelled heavily of fountain water.
Percy stumbled onto the building's flat roof as soon as they were high enough, sending gravel and pebbles flying around. The hunters looked at them in confusion.
"Why is Thalia on your back?" Phoebe asked. The daughter of Zeus immediately jumped off Percy's back, looking embarrassed.
"It's not important," Thalia said hurriedly, prompting more confused looks from the hunters. Percy's eyes were closed as he tried to will away any teenage thoughts from his mind.
"Where's Blackjack?" Thalia asked, wanting to get away from the awkwardness of the situation. Percy opened his eyes at her words and found the hunters looking at him. He whistled loudly, and soon, the black pegasus soared down from the skies to land on the roof.
"Yo. You called?" Blackjack said as he looked around at the quest members. "On a quest with four women? Damn, boss-man, you are a stud!"
Percy winced and replied, "When did I become 'boss-man'? And shut up!"
The two continued to go back and forth, with Blackjack verbally assaulting Percy and the son of Poseidon firing back. The hunters admired Blackjack's form as they rarely ever saw pegasi, and Thalia did her best to get the blush of embarrassment off her face.
"Can we please do this later, Blackjack? Spartoi are chasing us, and we need your help," Percy pleaded to the pegasus. "I know Elaine doesn't let anyone else get on your back, but I'll pay you, I swear."
"I want donuts, boss-man. You owe me donuts." Blackjack said. Percy sighed and wondered if Elaine spoiled the pegasus too much.
"Alright, I'll get you donuts when this is all over. Now can you take the hunters here to the train station?" Percy asked as the three hunters began to strap their bags and bows tighter around their forms. Blackjack gave the son of Poseidon the pegasus equivalent of a shrug.
"Just ask them to tell me where it is, boss-man. I'm no compass," Blackjack said.
Percy sighed in relief and gestured for the hunters to get on the pegasus' back. Zoe mounted first, followed by Naomi, and Phoebe took up the rear. It wasn't as snug a fit as Percy thought it would be.
"Fly fast, Blackjack, but fly safe," Percy told the pegasus. He received a nod in response, and the pegasus promptly took to the skies. He heard Zoe gasp as they went, and Phoebe clamped her hand down on Naomi's mouth to stop the nymph from screaming.
Percy chuckled and heard Thalia walk to stand beside him. They both watched the pegasus fly away for a few moments before Thalia turned to the son of Poseidon with a curious look on her face.
"How do you plan on getting us to the station?" Thalia asked Percy. The latter turned to her with a smile. He was about to respond when they heard a loud growl come from the edge of the roof.
The two demigods looked to see one of the spartoi climb its way onto the roof slowly. Its golden eyes locked onto Percy as soon as they saw him. Thalia grabbed his wrist as the two backed up. One after the other, the spartoi made their way onto the roof and glared at the son of Poseidon.
Soon, they could no longer back up when they reached the edge of the building. Thalia stumbled and almost fell until Percy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the ledge.
Thalia grabbed her can of mace and looked ready to attack when Percy held her back. At her questioning look, he shook his head and said, "there's too many of them. We can't fight them like this."
"Then what do we do?" Thalia asked him. She stared down at the spartoi that were advancing.
Percy glanced at the ledge behind them and turned to her. "Do you trust me?"
Thalia's eyes widened as she glanced at him with uncertainty. Slowly, she nodded her head.
Percy grinned at her and grabbed her arm, dragging her towards the ledge.
"Hey, wait! Percy, what are you doing?" Thalia yelled as she tried to stop his attempts. No matter how hard she pulled his arm, he continued to pull her in the ledge's direction.
"Just jump, Thalia!" Percy yelled as he pulled her arm one last time, sending the two off the ledge.
The spartoi paused and stared at where the two had just jumped off. Suddenly, a scream ripped through the silence as Percy flew into view. Thalia continued to yell, clutching him tightly as they flew in the direction Blackjack had gone earlier.
"What the hell is your problem?" Thalia screamed as she pulled herself closer to the boy. They rocked in the air as she did, causing Percy to let out a yelp. One of his arms was underneath her legs, and the other was supporting her back. There was a small chance he would drop her, but he decided not to let her know there was any chance at all. He looked down to see his winged shoes working doubly hard to keep the two demigods afloat.
Percy grimaced as Thalia pulled her arms, which were around his neck, down to position herself better.
"You need to calm down, Thalia," Percy said in her ear. The girl stiffened in her attempt to relax. And it was enough for him. He tried to fly them forward faster, but Thalia tensed up immediately. He sighed and maintained a steady pace for her sake.
"You know," Percy said again, a slight smile on his lips, "I don't think I've ever heard of a daughter of Zeus who's scared of heights."
"Oh yeah? Well, this daughter of Zeus isn't afraid of beating your ass if you don't get us to that train station soon," Thalia growled back. The menacing look on her features wasn't as effective with her pale face and sweaty forehead.
"Don't get your panties in a twist, princess," Percy dryly replied as he narrowed his eyes to look at something in the distance. "I think I see them up ahead, so we'll be down soon. Just quit moving so much, will you?"
As Percy predicted, it only took them a few minutes to land in another alleyway near the train station. Phoebe stood guard as Zoe held back Naomi's hair. The nymph looked like she was about to throw up. When Percy asked the hunters what had happened, Phoebe and Zoe shrugged.
"She's not used to being off the ground," Phoebe supplied.
When Naomi finished retching, the quest members continued towards the train station, where they caught a train moving south. They continued to hop onto two more trains as per Zoe's suggestion, wanting to get as far away from the spartoi as possible. They took the time to talk to each other as they sat on the train; Zoe finally revealed the plan to get Percy on the quest to Naomi, Phoebe asked Thalia how it was like to be a tree, and Percy told Thalia most of his life story.
He told her about how Hermes found him and took him in. He told her about how Apollo and Artemis were his close friends and mentors and how his training took him almost everywhere around the country. He left out the part about his mother dying, though from the look Thalia gave him, he guessed she already assumed the worst about his home life. The daughter of Zeus took the news well, to Percy's surprise. She was initially upset about not being told earlier, but he understood. Percy thought it was just a Zeus thing to want to know everything about everyone. She forgave him after he 'let her' punch him hard in the shoulder.
After they left the second train, they found themselves in a snowy area with warehouses. It was oddly colder there, and Phoebe joked about wishing they'd kept the warm pelt for themselves.
"C'mon," Percy urged the group as he licked his dry lips. "We need to keep going."
"Where the hell do we go? We're at the end of the line," Thalia grumbled, hugging herself and rubbing her arms up and down. Percy could tell that girl was uncomfortable with the cold.
Zoe nodded as she frowned. Percy noticed that she and the other two hunters didn't even seem fazed by the weather. "It is strange," the lieutenant of the hunt said, "but I agree with Perseus. We must keep moving."
"Grace still has a point," Phoebe spoke up from the back of the group. "Where do we go from here? We have no idea where we are."
Percy sighed and shook his head, "not like we can contact camp, either. They won't be able to help us from there."
Naomi piped up from the middle of the group, "perhaps we can find a warm place for Thalia and Percy while we discuss our next course of action?"
She received quick affirmatives from the two campers, who looked about ready to fall over. They were suddenly called over by a man with a messy beard and missing teeth. He was warming his hands over a fire that burned bright despite the cold temperatures. "You all look like you need some warmth!"
The group shared uncertain glances before Percy shrugged, "what's the worst that could happen?"
Thalia grumbled about jinxing their luck but followed Percy towards the man by the fire. The hunters didn't feel as cold as the two demigods did, but appreciated the warmth nonetheless.
"So, what are you younglings doing here in the middle of nowhere?" The man asked. Percy stared at him long and hard, causing the other quest members to look at the boy strangely.
"We're just looking for a train west, sir. We're going on a spontaneous road trip," Thalia lied easily. Percy assumed that she had experience in dealing with mortals, even if the man they were talking to didn't feel like a mortal.
"Ah, a road trip! The youth of today are so lively!" The man exclaimed, raising his fist into the air.
Percy's eyes widened. "You can't be here!" He hissed to the man, who ignored him.
"This calls for a haiku!" The man said as he cleared his throat. "Five kids going west; assisted by a hobo; I am so awesome."
The hunters began to realize just who they were talking to and understood why Percy was surprised. Thalia remained none the wiser, even if she noticed the looks of the other quest members. She wanted to ask them what was going on but was interrupted by Percy. The demigod leaned in close to the man.
"What are you doing here, Apollo?" Percy hissed, looking at the god incredulously. "You shouldn't be here!"
"This is against the ancient laws, Lord Apollo," Naomi spoke up, looking confused at the man's presence. Zoe and Phoebe nodded in agreement.
Thalia's eyes widened as she stared at the homeless man and looked him up and down. "That's Apollo?"
"Shh!" Apollo said, holding a finger to his lips. "Fred. My name is Fred. And I'm here to help. I'll explain everything when it's safe."
"How are you going to help us?" Percy asked despite his worry for the man. He didn't want his mentor to get caught going against the rules to help them.
Instead of responding, 'Fred' pointed behind them with a grin. The quest members looked to where he was pointing and found a freight train with the words 'Sun West Line' on its side. Solid steel coated the train, and Percy could make out what looked like high-end cars inside.
When the group turned back around, the man and his fire were gone. Percy sighed, but he smiled widely, knowing that his mentors still had his back.
"C'mon," Percy said as he nudged Thalia with his shoulder. "We've got a new ride that I know they won't be able to follow."
Half an hour later and the quest found themselves lounging inside luxury cars as they traveled west. Phoebe called dibs on a red Ferrari almost immediately, and Zoe and Naomi decided to share a Lamborghini. When Percy asked them about their choice of car, both stared back at him blankly when he mentioned its brand. Thalia had gone and found herself a Benz to hotwire so that she could play her music.
Percy decided that he'd talk to Thalia before heading off to find a car to sleep in, as the hunters all went to sleep quickly. He knocked on the open passenger seat's door and gestured to the passenger seat. Thalia nodded, and he climbed in slowly.
The two sat and listened to her rock music for a few moments before she decided to turn it down. She turned to him with a curious look on her face, "do you know about the prophecy?"
Percy raised an eyebrow at her and leaned back in his seat. "Which one?"
"The great prophecy," she said, shifting in her place uncomfortably. "You know, the one about the child of the eldest gods or something."
Percy hummed and nodded as he continued to stare at the roof of the car. When he noticed the girl didn't elaborate, he spoke up, "What about it?"
"You're okay with it?" Thalia asked incredulously. "You're alright with possibly dying for the gods?"
Percy turned to face her with a sad look on his face. "Yeah. The truth is, I don't know where I'd be without Hermes. If he didn't give me a second chance in life, I probably would've died all those years ago. Apollo and Artemis trained me and made me feel like I had people I could trust. That means the world to me, and I'd gladly die for them."
Percy paused to gauge Thalia's reaction. He saw uncertainty in her eyes, but understanding as well. He continued, "I know you probably had a rough time before camp. I heard some stuff from the other campers about you and Luke and Annabeth, and I know it couldn't have been easy. I know you probably feel like you don't owe the gods anything, and I understand. I just want you to think about the good that the gods have done, even if it's hard to pinpoint the positives from the many, many negatives. I know I wouldn't be here if the gods weren't at least decent, so there's one positive for you."
Thalia nodded slowly and leaned back in her seat. Percy could tell she was mulling over his words.
"Do you think Luke's ever seen the good the gods have done? Do you think he still can?" Thalia asked after a few quiet moments. Her voice was soft, softer than he had ever heard before. Percy tilted his head up in thought and sighed.
"I don't know," he said with a slight shrug. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. All I know is that now, he's the number one supporter of Kronos, and I can't let him live. I can't risk trying to convince him to love the gods again."
Thalia frowned and turned away from him. He felt slightly guilty for being so frank with the girl, but Artemis had always told him he was just as blunt as Apollo.
"I'm sorry, Thalia," Percy said after a minute had passed. She did not look back at him even as he left her car.
Percy passed by the hunters' cars to make sure they were settling fine before he went off on his own to find a car. He eventually ended up settling down inside a yellow car with a spacious interior.
He closed his eyes after shifting around in the front seat and was about to doze off until someone spoke up behind him. "Well, aren't you quite the ladies' man?"
Percy jumped slightly, turning to see a grinning Apollo. He laid across the backseat lazily as he regarded the demigod happily.
"Don't do that," Percy frowned as he slowly relaxed back into his seat. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
Percy could almost hear the god roll his eyes. Apollo then tried to climb between the two front seats to sit beside the son of Poseidon. He struggled and forced Percy to move from his comfortable position as he crawled into the passenger seat. The demigod cursed at him.
Apollo happily sighed as he plopped down into the front seat, smiling at Percy. "I knew you'd find some way to go on this quest, but I didn't think you'd fly in on a pegasus. That is one very cool entrance, Percy. I've taught you well."
Percy shrugged, "Elaine let me borrow him. It was a lot quicker than just using my shoes."
"Hermes said it was a good decision," Apollo said, causing the demigod to smile. "He also told me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't be here. He would've been here with me if the quest didn't involve Luke. Zeus has him locked up in his palace just in case he tries to convince the traitor to come back."
Percy winced at Apollo's words. He agreed with Zeus' decision to keep Hermes on Olympus, if only for his mentor's wellbeing. "How is he doing? Is he okay?"
Apollo nodded, "he's worried about you, but he's doing alright. I keep him company when I can, and he visited the camp the other day. Zeus has been making me do some of his deliveries for him, which is uncool."
Percy laughed and shook his head, "I'll try to finish this quest sooner for you then."
Apollo hummed and shifted in his seat, glancing at the Benz that Thalia occupied. "I also didn't expect you getting into Thalia Grace's pants."
Percy growled and smacked the god in the chest as he spoke, "Quit it! She's my friend and nothing more, Apollo!"
"It's Fred," Apollo corrected as he fended himself from the demigod's assault. "And I think you should be more grateful! You wouldn't be going west at all if it wasn't for me!"
Percy huffed and relented, acknowledging the sun god's rather timely assistance. "You're right," Percy admitted with a sigh. "We'd probably still be back there fighting off spartoi if it wasn't for you. Thanks, Fred."
Apollo waved him off with a grin, and the two sat in silence for a few moments. Percy spoke up and turned to Apollo with a curious look on his face. "So, how are you holding up?"
Apollo let out a breath and suddenly looked exhausted. He frowned as he folded his arms over his chest. "Well, I'm worried. It's been a while since Artemis was more than a flash away from me, and I don't even know where she is. Even with my seer powers, I can't see her. Every time I try, it's like there's a wall between us."
Percy pursed his lips, "I was kind of hoping you'd know where she was."
Apollo shook his head, "I wish I did. All I have are speculations, but I can't tell you anything. I'm already pushing it, just bringing you guys west. The Fates will punish us all if I say anything I'm not supposed to. But I do know who you can ask; just think of what I was wearing earlier."
Percy frowned in confusion, but nodded. He figured that was all Apollo could tell him, and a hint was better than nothing. The two once more retreated into silence.
"I'm glad you're on the quest, Percy," Apollo said after a while. Percy turned to him with a curious look on his face.
"You're on a quest with man-haters and a violent daughter of Zeus just to save my sister," Apollo chuckled, causing Percy to laugh too. "And we trained you. You're the most experienced demigod in Camp Half-Blood, and you want Artemis back just as much as the hunters do. I couldn't have picked a better demigod for the quest."
Despite the pride that welled up inside Percy at his words, he snorted, "you didn't pick me, Fred. I'm not even supposed to be here."
The god rolled his eyes and ruffled the son of Poseidon's hair. "Whatever kid," he said with a smile.
The two were quiet for a few moments before Percy glanced at Apollo, "I'm not gonna mess this up, am I?"
Apollo looked back to see Percy looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen him. He steeled himself, as he wasn't used to talking to the demigod about serious matters alone. Hermes usually did.
"Look, I get this is your first big quest, Percy, and it's new to you," Apollo began slowly. "Hell, I don't think you even thought about it before you left camp for this quest. But c'mon. You've always pulled through for the hunters before, and you'll pull through now. You'll do this right, and I know you will."
Percy smiled after a moment and nodded. "Okay. You're right."
Apollo laid a hand on Percy's head. "I know I'm right. So, quit being so mopey and get your head in the game. Get back my sister and make us proud, alright?"
Percy swatted away his hand with a grunt, but his face held a smile. "Promise."
Apollo grinned at him and flashed away a moment later.
To Percy's surprise, someone knocked on the passenger side almost as soon as Apollo left. He reached over and pushed open the door to find Zoe standing outside. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"May I talk to you, Perseus?" Zoe asked. Percy wanted to tell her that her tone sounded like she was ordering him to talk to her, but decided against getting her angry. The sooner she finished talking to him, the sooner he could sleep.
"Yeah. Hop in," Percy said with a shrug. The hunter slid into the seat quietly and closed the door behind her. A moment later, she wrinkled her face as she sniffed the air.
"Is that... cologne?" Zoe asked. She waved her hand in the air and opened up her car door. Percy inhaled once and followed her example almost immediately.
"That is strong cologne," Percy grumbled as the two stepped out of the car to air it out. They idly discussed some of the worst smells they'd encountered in the past. Both agreed that the cologne in the car was on their top 10s.
A few minutes later, they both got back inside the car. Zoe was the first to speak.
"I would just like to ask if you are certain we are heading west?" Zoe said, prompting Percy to smile.
"We both know who got us this train, Zoe. We're heading west for sure," Percy replied. Zoe nodded, agreeing that Apollo wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their quest. It was a quest for his sister, after all.
"Do you know where we will have to get off?" Zoe asked.
Percy shrugged and frowned, "realistically, we'll probably have to get off in the land without rain. Even if we want to avoid it, fate is fate. I don't think we can escape it."
Zoe hummed with a matching frown on her face. Both were nervous about the loss of one of their quest members.
The two were awkwardly silent for a few moments until Percy spoke up. "So, is that all you wanted to talk about?"
Zoe hesitated to speak for a moment before she replied. "Why did you offer the pelt to Artemis?"
Percy's eyes slightly widened before he shrugged. "I just thought Artemis needed it, that's all."
"Do not lie to me, Perseus," Zoe replied. Her tone wasn't rude at all, and Percy sighed.
"I saw a vision or something. I saw a man, big and tall, walking away from a girl. He was wearing the pelt, and the girl was trying to stop him from leaving. I don't know why, but it made me upset," Percy explained quietly. The images that flashed in his mind then still bothered him.
"You burned the Nemean Lion's pelt over a vision?" Zoe asked almost incredulously. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Percy sighed, "I know it sounds stupid and all, but yeah. It just didn't feel right to keep it."
Zoe stared at him quietly before she nodded back. "Thank you for your honesty, Perseus. You should rest."
Percy hummed back in response and watched her leave the car. She closed the door quietly when she left. He frowned as he shifted in his seat to get comfortable again. Soon, he drifted off to sleep.
In his dreams, Percy was in a grassy area with the scent of flowers in the air. It was dark, and the moon in the sky barely illuminated where he was.
"Hurry!" Percy heard a feminine voice pierce the silence. He turned his head and saw two figures rushing towards his direction. "He will find us!"
The two figures continued to run for a few more moments before they ducked down to hide behind a bush.
"There is no need to run," another voice said. Percy believed the voice to be the other figure's. It was deep and masculine. "I do not fear him. I have bested a thousand monsters with my bare hands."
The arrogance in his voice made Percy roll his eyes.
"Ladon is too strong. You cannot fight him head on," the girl replied. Percy raised his eyebrow, thinking about where he had seen the name before. He filed it away in the back of his head for when he had less to focus on.
"How will I accomplish my task?" The man asked. He didn't sound too pleased about encountering a monster he couldn't defeat.
"You will need to find another way up to my father. Circle the mountain instead," the girl answered. The concern in her voice touched Percy, and he wondered why she sounded so familiar.
"I do not trust your father," the man grumbled.
"Trick him," the girl responded quietly. Percy thought he heard some guilt in her voice. "You are right to not trust him. You cannot take your prize directly. You will die."
The man chuckled, "then why don't you help me, pretty one?"
The girl didn't speak for a few moments. Percy could tell she was hesitating. "I am afraid my sisters will find out and disown me."
The man hummed and slowly stood. He cracked his knuckles and spoke, "then there is no other way."
"Wait!" The girl almost shouted, grabbing on to his forearm to stop him. Once she was sure he wasn't going anywhere, she reached up and pulled a long hairpin from her hair. It glowed faintly in the night.
"If you insist on battling Ladon, then take this. It is from my mother Pleione, a daughter of the sea. The hairpin holds the power of the ocean within it," the girl said. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice that bother Percy.
"How will this hairpin help me slay him?" The man said as he stared down at her. Percy wanted to charge in and beat the man senseless for the humor in his tone.
"Please," the girl pleaded. "Take it."
The man took the hairpin from her hands, and moments later, the hairpin elongated into a bronze sword. Percy stared at it for a moment before realizing it to be the same sword Elaine used during their game against the hunters.
The man hummed and rolled the blade in his hand, "it is a well-balanced weapon. What shall I call it?"
"Anaklusmos," the girl replied with a sad tone. "It is the current that takes one by surprise. Before you know it, it sweeps you out to sea."
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and Percy could hear the grass crunch underneath the weight of something. A hissing noise filled the air.
"No!" The girl yelled, standing up in fright. Her action gave Percy a good look at her face, causing his eyes to widen in shock. "He is here!"
Suddenly, Percy bolted upright in his car. He was sweating, and he looked down to see he was gripping his thighs tightly. He took a few breaths to calm himself.
Zoe was the girl who he saw in his vision. She gave a man a weapon to defeat a monster, Ladon. If his vision was correct, the man then left her after he had won the battle. The hunter was probably disowned by her sisters, as she had predicted. The thought of it made Percy's blood boil.
A knock on his window tore him from his thoughts. Percy looked to see Thalia trying to peer through the tinted glass to look at him. He slowly pushed open the door to allow her to back up.
"Jeez, Percy," Thalia said as she looked at him. She looked concerned for him. "Why are you so sweaty?"
Percy shook his head quietly and pulled himself out of his car. He wiped his face with one of his hands and waved her off with his other. "Just nightmares."
Thalia seemed to think about his words and nodded a few moments later in understanding. He assumed she could relate; after all, she was a demigod too.
"Okay. Well, the train stopped a few minutes ago, and the others told me to come get you. We're heading out soon," Thalia said in a softer voice. She rubbed her arm as she looked him up and down. He didn't look too good.
"Okay. Thanks for waking me up. With Phoebe on the quest, I kinda expected to find out you all left me while I was out of it," Percy said with a smile on his face. Thalia snorted and chuckled as the two made their way back to the other members of the quest.
"Don't tempt me, Jackson," Thalia warned him jokingly. "We could still ditch you if you keep up your crazy, mortal-world-destroying stunts."
Percy laughed in response. He received a punch to the shoulder from Phoebe, as was her usual greeting. He and Naomi exchanged waves and smiles. Zoe nodded at him.
"Good," Zoe said as she raised an eyebrow at the strange look on his face when he looked at her. "You woke up. We worried you would sleep in again."
Percy frowned at her words, "I don't always sleep in."
"Yes, you do," Phoebe grunted back. She was sharpening her knives.
"Always," Naomi added as she wrapped a bandage around Phoebe's arm.
Zoe smirked at him in triumph.
Percy pouted.
"Anyway," Thalia interrupted them with an amused look on her face. "Has anyone peeked outside? Do we know where we are?"
Percy closed his eyes and focused. He answered her a few moments later, "New Mexico. We're in a ski town, I think."
The hunters nodded their heads while Thalia looked surprised. "How do you know we're in New Mexico?"
Percy shrugged, "blessing of Hermes. He's the god of roads and travel, so I kind of just know sometimes. I couldn't get a feel of anything while we were on the train because it was going too fast. Now that we're stopped, it's easier to find out."
Thalia's eyes widened as she nodded. She looked mildly impressed.
"Let's get this show on the road then, shall we?" Phoebe said as Naomi finished patching her up. Zoe nodded as she strapped on her bow, and Thalia tapped her fingers rhythmically on her can of mace to show she was ready. Percy yawned, stretched, and scratched his eyes as he nodded tiredly.
"Yeah. Sure," the son of Poseidon replied sleepily. He received eye rolls from all four girls, but he was too sleepy to care.
The four exited the train and found Percy's prediction to be correct. They were in a ski town called Cloudcroft in New Mexico. Tall pine trees littered the area, and snow covered most of the surfaces. Even if it was a sunny day, the trees cast long shadows over them.
It was still freezing cold for Percy and Thalia, who shivered as they walked through the town. The two campers walked ahead of the other quest members in an effort to keep warm with their constant movement. Naomi walked behind them at a leisurely pace, while Phoebe and Zoe walked together behind the nymph. They stopped somewhere in the middle of the town, where they could see all the different shops that Cloudcroft offered.
"Not to worry everyone, but I didn't see a single bus station while we were walking," Thalia said, turning to the other quest members. She rubbed both of her arms as she spoke. "No cars either. I don't think there's a way out of here."
"I saw a coffee shop. Maybe we can ask them for some directions," Percy suggested. His teeth chattered. "I'd try to use Hermes' blessing but the spartoi shouldn't be that far off. I might tip them off earlier about where we are."
"Coffee is good," Phoebe spoke up. "I think we should split up and ask more stores instead. If we have no choice, then we'll use Percy's powers."
Naomi made a comment about Phoebe's unhealthy addiction to caffeine, but the large hunter ignored her. Percy snorted.
Zoe hummed in thought before nodding, "I agree. It would be best for us to get more information quickly by separating into groups."
"Well, alright then. I'll take Percy here to the coffee shop and we'll get you all some food. We can meet back here in 15 minutes. Sound good?" Thalia said, eager to go anywhere warm. Everyone agreed and split up, with Percy and Thalia heading to the coffee shop and the hunters heading towards a grocery store.
Percy had ordered a blueberry muffin and hot chocolate. Thalia ordered coffee and bread for the rest of the quest members. She did her best not to glare at the clerk who looked very interested in Percy. The look the girl behind the counter was giving him annoyed the daughter of Zeus.
"Any idea where we can get a ride from here?" Thalia asked the clerk. It took the girl a few moments to answer as she had to tear her eyes away from an oblivious Percy.
"Oh! Unfortunately, you'll have to head down the mountain for a ride. That should take about half an hour. The rides aren't too cheap either," the girl replied. She returned to sending Percy flirtatious glances as she handed over their food.
"Thanks, uh," Percy said as he leaned closer to the girl, peering down at her nametag, "Mia. You helped us a bunch."
The girl had frozen when Percy had leaned closer and swooned when he smiled. Thalia held back a gag and sent the clerk a forced smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Mia."
Thalia roughly dragged Percy away from the girl and out of the shop, surprising the son of Poseidon.
"Jeez, Thalia, relax! That hurts!" Percy whined as he struggled to hold on to all the food and keep pace with the irate girl.
The quest members all returned to the town center and agreed that they were in trouble. The nearest ride was half an hour away and for some reason, Naomi had a rubber rat in her hands.
"I find it cute," the nymph had told the two campers. Zoe and Phoebe both looked exasperated.
"They were selling some in the store," Phoebe explained. "She would've bought more if Zoe didn't get us out of there."
The five decided to settle down for a few minutes and eat while Percy would try to look for the quickest route out of the town. They barely had any time to relax, however, as Naomi spotted one of the spartoi from a distance. They pulled Percy out of his trance as they stood, leaving their food on the table they ate on.
"We should at least get away from the town," Thalia suggested. Naomi quickly agreed with her decision.
"I saw them with mortal guns," the nymph said with a frown. "I believe they can harm mortals."
"Then we need to go. Which street takes us out of the town the quickest?" Phoebe asked. They all turned to Percy They all stayed alert as he closed his eyes to focus, knowing that the spartoi weren't far away. As predicted, Naomi spotted two translucent gray men walking towards them from an empty street a minute later. Instead of their old outfits, they wore what looked like police uniforms.
"They are here," the nymph warned the rest. Zoe and Phoebe followed her line of sight and gripped their weapons tightly.
"There's more down that street," Thalia pointed at another road. The two spartoi were talking into their walkie-talkies, but to the hunters' enhanced senses, all they heard was the sound of bones clicking together repeatedly.
"They are calling for the rest of the spartoi," Zoe growled. "There will be more."
"They split up to look for us," Thalia assumed, and received a nod from the hunter. "Then we have some time before we need to run."
"Damn it, Jackson, hurry! We don't have all day!" Phoebe said as she stood and twirled her daggers in her hands.
"Working on it," Percy mumbled. His brow was furrowed as his eyes shifted underneath his eyelids. "I think I'm getting there."
"We will keep them at bay for as long as possible," Zoe ordered the three. She was already aiming at one of the spartoi, kneeling on one knee. Naomi and Thalia both stood and nodded. "Do not let them get to Perseus."
Thalia's shield sprung to life on her wrist and her spear appeared in her hand a moment later. Zoe and Naomi readied their bows and Phoebe looked ready to pounce with her knives.
"Remember," Zoe warned, "they are not normal monsters. They will not disappear until they have killed their target. Do not let up. They only take seconds to heal."
"We just need to buy Percy time," Thalia said to herself. She sounded slightly worried. "Easy as pie."
"Let's do this!" Phoebe growled after glancing at the other quest members. She sprinted forward and engaged a spartoi, who drew its gun on her. She knocked the firearm away with one of her knives and slashed down hard, cutting off one of its arms at the shoulder. It barely began to heal when Phoebe slashed again, tearing away one of its legs. She continued to pressure the spartoi, never giving it enough time to retaliate.
Zoe and Naomi both shot arrows into the bodies of another two spartoi, who were slowed because of the accuracy of the strikes. They would aim at the knees and heads, trying to hinder their progress towards Percy. They continued to slow down the charge of the spartoi with well-aimed arrows, but were less efficient than Phoebe.
Thalia found that her shield had no effect on the spartoi, but her spear was good at keeping it at bay. She would slice off their legs and use her shield to push it back. She was doing rather well, especially as her attacks were fueled by her anger at the thought of them killing Percy.
Suddenly, Percy's eyes snapped open, and he yelled, "got it! I think–"
He was interrupted by the sound of more spartoi making their way towards them. They burst through the treeline, heading straight for Percy. Phoebe shoved back the spartoi she was fighting, and Thalia did the same to hers. They all made a protective circle around Percy, who took out his harpe in preparation. The spartoi surrounded them in a larger circle, eyeing the son of Poseidon with golden eyes.
"Hey, guys?" Percy spoke up as he looked around in anxiety. He made eye contact with almost every spartoi.
"This better be good, Percy," Thalia growled, forcing electricity into the tip of her spear.
"If it isn't a plan, I don't wanna hear it!" Phoebe yelled as
"I just want you all to know that you're the best quest members a guy could ever ask for," Percy said as the spartoi looked ready to run.
"Oh, jeez," Phoebe mumbled. Zoe tried to hide her smile behind a glare, while Thalia snorted. Naomi looked like her anxiety lessened thanks to his words.
Just as the spartoi took their first step forward, a roar erupted from somewhere in the trees. A single, enormous rottweiler head peeked out of the trees and looked around. Everyone, even the spartoi, froze at the sight. Suddenly, the rottweiler's head was joined by two more, and it crashed into the road where they were facing off. One head leaned down and chomped on a spartoi's top half, and the other heads followed suit. It ran around and slammed into the spartoi that were too slow to run from it. Percy noticed that it would go back to attack whichever spartoi had healed.
"Is that... Cerberus?" Thalia said in shock. All the quest members had loosened their stances in their surprise. "I'm not hallucinating, right? It's not hypothermia getting to my brain?"
"Hypothermia doesn't work like that," Phoebe mumbled idly. She stared at the monster of a dog as it mowed down the spartoi over and over again.
"It is... enjoying itself," Naomi piped up. "It is smiling and drooling. Why is it enjoying itself?"
No one answered the nymph's question, and it didn't seem like she was expecting one.
"We need to go," Zoe said after a few more moments. "Let it continue its rampage. We can use it to run."
Percy pointed at the guardian of the gates of the Underworld as the other quest members turned to run away. "But... that's Cerberus!"
The quest members ran up a hill through trees, just in case any spartoi followed them. Percy had said there were train tracks covered in snow in that direction. They quickened their pace when they looked back to see Cerberus following them with spartoi bones hanging from its mouths. It smashed into trees losing no momentum and it stared directly at Percy.
"Why's it staring at me?!" Percy screamed as he sped up. "Why does everyone stare at me?!"
Percy soon found the rails and led the quest members along them as Cerberus began to gain on them. They sprinted as fast as they could, the loud barks of the three-headed dog motivating them to keep moving.
"Through the tunnel!" Phoebe yelled, "I see a bridge on the other side!"
The quest members ran down the tunnel and soon came to see a bridge that would allow them to cross a gorge. The very sight of the drop from the bridge to the bottom of the gorge made Thalia pale significantly, which forced everyone to stop just at the edge of the bridge.
"Thalia, we need to cross!" Percy yelled, grabbing her arm. She pulled back and shook her head quickly, glancing between the charging Cerberus and the gorge.
"I can't do it," she mumbled in fear. Phoebe turned to sprint across the bridge ahead of the rest and hold the bridge down from the other end, but stopped when the bridge began to fall apart. The stomps of the Cerberus shook the earth and broke the old bridge.
"Oh, shit!" Phoebe yelled as she grit her teeth. "Great! The bridge fell apart!"
The quest members turned from watching the Cerberus charge to see that the hunter was right. The sight caused them all to shift nervously.
"Where do we go from here, Perseus?" Zoe urged him. She was sweating nervously.
"There aren't any roads branching out from here! It's the only way, and we obviously can't go back and look for another!" Percy said back. His voice cracked as he spoke, showing the rest just how scared he was.
"We will need to jump down the gorge," Naomi yelled as the barks of the Cerberus got deafening. "The snow will let us slide down safely. I do not think it will follow us down."
"Watch what I do!" Phoebe yelled as she turned and leaped, landing and sliding down the snow smoothly. She looked slightly shaky as she went, but it proved to the others it was possible. Naomi followed suit, and her descent was much more graceful and controlled. Zoe gave Percy a determined nod and followed the nymph.
Percy turned back from watching the hunters to look at Thalia, who was frozen in place. He growled and scooped her up in his arms as he did before and began to run away from the Cerberus.
"Wait! Percy, no, please! I can't–" Thalia's pleas were cut off as he jumped. She screamed, not noticing Percy grab at her shield. He maneuvered their position, so he cradled on top of him with her shield on his back. He grunted in pain as they slammed into the snow, the grooves of the shield digging into his back. The two slid down the snow faster than the hunters did, and as they looked up, they saw that Cerberus didn't follow them down the slope. It stared at them with tilted heads.
Percy and Thalia slowed to a stop near the hunters, who were picking themselves off the ground. Their uniforms were ruffled and their was all types of debris in their hair, but they all looked extremely relieved to be alive. Naomi reached down to help the terrified daughter of Zeus off of Percy, who groaned in pain as Phoebe and Zoe pulled him up. They all took a few moments to glance up at Cerberus and right themselves.
Soon, Cerberus gave them all a sad whine and turned, stomping back into the tunnel where Percy assumed it returned to the underworld. He felt slightly guilty when it whined but decided that even if it wanted to play with them, it would probably hurt.
"Where do we go from here?" Zoe asked. Her voice was tired, and she looked like she would collapse at any moment.
"I sensed another town a few miles away. We just need to head there and find something to ride west," Percy replied before slowly sitting down in the snow. He laid on his back and closed his eyes.
"I'll lead you guys there, don't worry. Just give me a bit to rest..." Percy mumbled, shifting in place. He was roughly pulled up by Thalia and Phoebe, who shoved him forward. After sending them glares, Percy grudgingly made his way to the town he had sensed earlier, taking an irate group of women with him.