New Year's was a very quiet affair. I didn't bother making a New Year's resolution. Why, when I might not survive the next year? Coach and I sat on the porch watching the fireworks in the sky. My mom brought out Chris, thinking he might like some fresh air. He seemed fine but the moment he heard the explosions, he became a sniveling mess. We quickly took him back inside. It had almost been a month and we were making no progress in healing him. I felt a stab of pain every time he started muttering nonsense.
Finally, Chiron came down from New York to see Chris. He was in his wheelchair form.
"Hello, Ms. LaRue. It's a pleasure to see you again." My mom's face was stoic as she nodded.
"Likewise, Chiron. This way, we've been keeping him in the guest room." We made quite a group. My mom led the way to Chris' room with me rolling Chiron's wheelchair after him. "Even with my expertise in psychology, nothing I've tried has helped." She left us in the room alone. Chiron scratched his beard.
"Clarisse, I think it's time that we take your guest to camp," I grunted in agreement. I opened the door and froze. Chris was shaking and trembling on the bed like a leaf in autumn.
"String, Mary! Mary, NO! Terrible, terrible. The Earth keeps healing him! Terrible son of Poseidon! The terrible son of Poseidon!" I almost turned around, expecting to see Percy behind me.
"Chris, my boy, please calm yourself. Do you remember me?" Chiron asked. Chris continued babbling. I don't think that he could even understand us. Chiron sucked in a breath. I frowned at the old centaur.
"Do you understand what he is saying? Percy isn't even here." Chiron looked thoughtful and slightly worried.
"Is this all he says, child?" I glared at him for the name but nodded.
"That's about it." I decided to forego mentioning that he had also mentioned me. It didn't mean anything.
"Clarisse, didn't you say something about a maze?" I narrowed my eyes and nodded again. He paled again. What was it about a maze that made Chiron so afraid? Chiron began speaking again after a moment of silence.
"You say that some of the half-bloods-"
"Rebels, traitors." I interrupted. Chiron shot me an annoyed look.
"They were exploring this maze." I nodded. A shriek from the bed stopped me from answering. Chris was still writhing and squirming. "Have you tried feeding him ambrosia?"
"Yes but he would always begin choking so we stopped," I responded. Chiron hummed in deep thought.
"We'll continue with this at camp. Perhaps the Apollo campers will have more luck than us." He was turning to leave but I had had enough. Maybe I wasn't his precious Annabeth but I deserved some answers.
"No. What is so important about this maze?" I demanded. Chiron looked surprised as if he expected me to have the answers already. It made me want to punch him.
"Clarisse, remember your lessons. There is only one maze that has importance in greek mythology." I paused. My dreams were beginning to make sense.
"The labyrinth. Luke and his band of rebel traitors are exploring the labyrinth. But why?"
"I'm not sure yet Clarisse. But please, keep this to yourself. We will have to begin a more in-depth investigation once we get back to Camp. Now, where is Gleeson?"
The next few days were a rush. We had to arrange a way to get Chris to New York without arousing suspicion in the mortals. My mom had to pull a few strings but eventually, we were able to book a plane and say that Chris was one of my mom's patients and that Chiron was a specialist taking over his care. Finally, we were heading to the airport to go back to Camp Half-Blood. After spending almost a month back home in Arizona, I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.
"Clarisse! Can you come to the kitchen for a moment?" My mom called. I frowned at Chiron who was looking impatiently for the taxicab taking us to the airport. Hedge was already waiting for us at the airport and Chris was sitting on the porch, asleep. We had slipped him that sedative again for this trip. I walked by him quickly. My mom was waiting for me in the living room with a mug of tea. She wasn't looking at me.
"Are you sure you have everything?" I glared at her. Is that really what she called me in for?
"Yes, is this part of the new mother routine?" I expected her to give me an annoyed look but she still wouldn't so much as glance in my direction. She took in a shuddering breath.
"You'll Iris-Message me when you get there?" I frowned. What was going on with her?
"Of course."
"And after?" Could she not speak like the freaking Oracle of Delphi?
"Yeah, sure if you want me to? What's this about?" I asked, annoyed. Finally, she turned to face me.
"So you aren't going to forget about your mortal mother again?" Her tone was hard, emotionless and the words felt like a punch to the gut and I knew exactly what that felt like. Mark was a brat.
I didn't know how to deal with this. The Fates were laughing at me, I was sure. I was going to have to find them and decapitate them. "Um, of course, I'll um… "
I hated this. My mom seemed to realize how uncomfortable I was. She smirked slightly and opened her arms. I hugged her and tried to convey the words that I was unable to say.
"Clarisse, the cab is here!" I quickly unentangled myself.
"Goodbye, Clarisse. Take care of yourself." I gave my mom a small awkward smile.
"You too." I tried not to look back at the house as I entered the car.
The ride to the airport was silent. Chiron was in deep thought and I had no desire to speak to him. I amused myself by sharpening my dagger. It was enjoyable to see our driver's eyes glance at the knife in my hand, to me, and back to the road again. I smiled wickedly. Getting past security was also very simple. Chiron manipulated the mist so we could bypass the lines. We decided to transport Chris in a wheelchair as he slept. We also strapped him down; just to be safe.
Hedge was waiting for us in a lounge and he hadn't destroyed anyone or anything. Our plane was on time and we boarded with no problems. As a person seasoned in the demigod world, I was patiently waiting for something to go wrong. Well not patiently. I had been tapping my knife against my thigh, waiting for the opportunity to throw it at something. This is the first and last time you will hear this but I wish that I never got the chance to fight something.
The flight was smooth for the first few hours. Coach was much better behaved with Chiron being here with us. Chris has woken up, startled by the liftoff but Chiron had used the Mist to make him believe that he was still at my house, in bed. Every time the wily old centaur did his little magic tricks, I scowled. Didn't Chris have enough problems with his head?
Then the entire plane shook. Chiron and I exchanged glances. Was that turbulence or -? Hedge looked like a little boy on Christmas, excited for a fight. For once I didn't share his enthusiasm. I peeked at Chris. The mist was still doing his work but for how long? The turbulence passed and after a moment I settled down in my seat, thinking the trouble was over. Perhaps the gods decided to give me a break. The idea was laughable. Hardly a second later, 2 stewardesses came forth. My hands immediately went to my hidden spear. The nice, sweet, kind, helpful, pretty ones were always the worst monsters. She approached Chiron, smiling innocently. Hedge's eyes followed her movements and he tensed as if he was about to spring up and whack her on the head.
"Sir," She purred. "We did not see your passport." Chiron repositioned himself. The airplane roof was too low for him to go into centaur mode, leaving me wondering how he was going to fight.
"I showed it back at the airport." His tone was polite but clipped.
"No, you didn't." The other flight attendant insisted. "We are going to have to ssss-search you." I wasn't even surprised they were the snake women. (If you want technical names go to the Athena Cabin). The other passengers were sitting like nothing was happening. The mist was simultaneously a curse and a blessing.
The two monsters reached for Chiron but his legs shot out of the wheelchair, kicking them and sending them flying straight into Coach's club. He whacked the life out of them, literally. Their dying screeches definitely got people's attention. Three more flight attendants came out.
"Sssuch a ssshame. You will have to be thrown out!" One of them cried. Were all the employees, on this freaking plane, monsters? I flipped out my spear and Hedge hefted his club. Together we charged.
Ever try fighting on a plane full of mortals, screaming, and panicking? Challenging and not fun. It reminded me of when I was taking the fleece back to Camp Half-Blood. Idly I wondered how Chiron was doing and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was kicking out at the monsters like a crazy man. For all his faults, you couldn't say that the centaur wasn't an excellent fighter.
"Clarisse! We need to -Argh," Chiron paused to head-butt a snake lady in the face. "We need to end this. He won't be able to - gods!" He went back to focusing on fighting. What was he talking about? Then I heard it. Wailing, screaming and whimpering almost inaudible due to the mortals' panicking alarm. Chris was hugging his knees and cowering against the wall, tears were streaming down his face. How could I have been so stupid?
"Chris." He didn't seem to hear me. "Chris, please." I took a step towards him and he went crazy.
"NO, NO! Mary! Mary, the string! Run, RUN, RUN!" I felt my heart shatter.
"Die, die, die!" Hedge didn't seem to get the message. He was still mashing his club into things even though the monsters were all golden dust. Normally his excessive violence was a great source of amusement for me but now, well do I need to spell it out?
"Hedge, Coach! Stop! You need to stop!" I yelled at him. Chris was still a mess, crying against the wall.
"Gleeson! Enough!" Chiron shouted. He didn't raise his voice often so when he did. Everyone listened. Hedge calmed down and looked at Chris. His face paled slightly.
"Oh." He said, ever so eloquently. I looked around the airplane. It was completely trashed. It was honestly even a miracle that we were still in the air though I doubted we would be allowed back. Chiron pinched his nose.
"Wonderful, just wonderful." The plane fell mostly silent aside from the whispers of the other passengers and Chris's whimpers.
