Hi all! I'd like to start off by thanking you guys for all your support, and know your feedback is very much appreciated. Just a friendly reminder: when leaving reviews, please try to keep things courteous and constructive. This story has been getting some very rude comments recently. I totally get that this story isn't everybody's cup of tea, and while I am perfectly open to criticism, please try to limit the profanity. Both for my sake and for the sake of fellow readers who might be reading the reviews. Thanks.
Now, onto more light-hearted news. I decided I didn't want to keep you guys waiting another year for one chapter, so this chapter is shorter than usual. I'm going to try out shorter chapters for a while and see how things go. Let me know what you think. Anyway, on to the chapter! Please read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO. All rights go to Rick Riordan.
Suspicions
-:-:-:-
She was swimming. If she weren't so panicked, she might have enjoyed her surroundings. The oceans are a beautiful place, after all. But she didn't care right then.
She was swimming. Though, she didn't know where to. It was like the fish around her were leading her somewhere, so she followed. Suddenly, they reached a spot where the coral reefs arched up like an imposing portal to another world. Seeing the fish swim eagerly forward, she followed suit, heading through the coral arch. As she swam steadily, the untamed wilderness of the sea slowly receded to be replaced by what could only be called a manicured garden. In the distance, there loomed a grand palace, encrusted with coral and barnacles. At the entrance of the coral gateway, the fish escorts were replaced by armed mermen. She felt a sudden jolt of surprise.
"This is not a child of the sea," one guard said in Ancient Greek, scrutinizing her carefully. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"And yet, Our Lord Poseidon has demanded an audience," the other said, "We must make haste to the throne room." They swam forward, gesturing for her to follow and casting sympathetic looks at her over his shoulder.
-:-:-:-
Percy woke with a gasp, sitting up only to be attacked by an awful dizziness and queasiness. He felt a pair of hands hastily push him back down, and he opened his eyes. As the world swam back into focus, he noticed Grover hovering anxiously over him. Percy groaned, "Ugh, what happened?" He glanced around to find himself sprawled across the very back row of an unfamiliar van. Grover was leaning over from the middle row, looking at him with a strange mix of worry and alarm. "Bianca! Wait, is she okay? Did you guys find her? How did we escape the skeletons? Did she come back and kill them?"
"Woah Percy, slow down. You mean you don't remember?" Grover asked, the hint of alarm in his eyes morphing into slight fear.
Percy's head throbbed dully as he shook it in the negative. Grover gulped, glancing around as though somebody else could save him from his situation. "After Bianca, well, you know," he gestured vaguely with his hands. Percy felt that overwhelming feeling of grief and guilt crash into him once more. Grover must have seen the pain in his eyes because he quickly moved on with the narrative, "You dove in after her. You were under for a really long time, Perce. Then, you just suddenly materialized on land again. You were devastated, and I guess we all understood what happened to Bianca then. Suddenly, you just… I don't know how to describe it. It's like something took control of you. You went on this rampage. You shot that weird red light at the skeletons and destroyed them instantly. A-And your eyes…"
"Blood red," Zoe muttered. Her voice was hollow and flat. Percy felt a shiver go down his spine. I was like the Huntress felt nothing, not even grief. He would have preferred her yelling and cursing at him over the sheer defeat in her voice.
Grover swallowed nervously and nodded, "Y-Yeah. You took out all the skeletons and passed out. We couldn't carry you around with us, so Thals and Zoe went and rented another van while you were out. And here we are." Percy was trying to process everything he was hearing, but he just couldn't make any sense out of it. What was happening to him?
"What happened down in the river, Perce?" Grover asked gently.
Percy's eyes became haunted, and when he spoke, his voice sounded as hollow as Zoe's, "I couldn't find her. I was looking, then the Potomac River spirit stopped me and told me she was gone. He sent me back to shore. The end."
"That's it?" Thalia asked incredulously, speaking up for the first time.
Percy scoffed, "It doesn't rain at the bottom of a river, you know."
They fell into silence after that. There really wasn't anything more to say. They just drove on for hours without another word. Eventually, they passed a sign that read Pittsburgh, PA: 10 miles. Ten minutes later, they exited the interstate. Nobody said a thing.
"Percy, may I speak with you?" Zoe said as they walked to their motel rooms. Dinner had been a subdued affair, much like their drive. Zoe's question had been the longest sentence any of them had said since arriving in Pittsburgh.
Percy nodded wearily, too lost in thought to really pay attention as Zoe led him back to the van. He blinked in surprise as the Hunter pushed him down into the passenger seat and closed the door. Zoe climbed into the driver's seat, not meeting Percy's mildly curious gaze. They sat in silence for some time before Percy spoke up, "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
Zoe didn't answer immediately. She waited until Percy placed a hand on the car door to get out before answering with her own question, "What do you know about the myth of Perseus?"
Percy froze, sitting back in his seat. Zoe glanced up at him and saw an unreadable expression cross his face. His eyes clouded over as his mind worked to recall the information. "He was a hero, right? He slew Medusa and ended up with Princess Andromeda after saving her from the sea monster."
"Yes," Zoe nodded, "But I'm speaking of another Perseus. That Perseus' namesake, and your own." That piqued Percy's interest.
"The god," Percy said, "Why ask about him?"
"There is truth in names," Zoe said slowly, "More so than you or I may have realized. Where did you come from, Percy?"
"What?" Percy asked confused.
"Where are you from? New York? Somewhere else?"
"I've always lived in New York," Percy said, furrowing his brow in thought, "As long as I can remember, anyways."
"And how long is that?" Zoe prodded.
"Since I was a baby, really," Percy shrugged, "I lived with my mom and my disgusting stepdad. Why do you ask?" He looked over at Zoe and was alarmed to see her staring at him in dismay. "What?"
"This is not how I expected this to go," Zoe muttered, more to herself than for Percy, "Perhaps I was wrong."
"About what? What's going on?" Percy asked.
"What you did today was not normal," Zoe said, "Far beyond what a son of Lord Poseidon should be able to do."
"Okay," Percy muttered, confused, "I'm sure sons of Poseidon aren't all the same. Maybe that is my own special ability or something."
"No, no," Zoe said, pushing open the car door, "I've seen this power in only one god before. I just cannot explain how you came into possession of it." She headed back to the motel, leaving Percy looking on in confusion and frustration.
Percy was once again underwater, but this time he wasn't following mermen anymore. No, it was even weirder. He was following a cow-serpent thing, and that cow-serpent thing led him to a god. His father, to be exact. As the sea god paced around his throne room, deep in thought, the cute bovine creature began happily swimming behind him. Percy, confused and not knowing whether his father could see him or not, decided to follow along as well.
At long last, Poseidon stopped and chuckled, "Percy, I can see you."
Percy immediately stopped dead in his tracks and bowed, "Dad! I'm so sorry, I wasn't sure whether you could see me or not."
Poseidon laughed, "Well, no one ever did say that my son wasn't interesting. I actually initiated our little meeting tonight. I have some very important information for you. Listen very closely because we don't have much time. In the morning, stop by the Sun Stop gas station about a mile down the road. You will need gas for your van. Also, don't worry about the Bane of Olympus in the prophecy. It has been dealt with." At this point, Poseidon winked conspiratorially at the creature beside him, which mooed happily back. Percy didn't bother questioning it. He knew his father was just as "interesting" as he was. "Any questions, son?" Poseidon asked.
"What? That's all you're going to tell me?" Percy asked incredulously.
"Yes," Poseidon said, "It's very important."
"Get gas," Percy repeated slowly, "And isn't the Bane of Olympus supposed to show the way? How will it do that if I didn't even see it?"
"You followed my little friend here to me, right?" the god asked.
Percy nodded, "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything," Poseidon said sagely, "Our time is up. Don't forget to go to Sun Stop! Love you, son."
"Wait! Dad!" Percy called, but the scene was already fading.
The next morning, the group once again piled into the van. As per Percy's unusual request, Thalia had stopped by the Sun Stop to refuel, when another customer walked around the pump to approach her. It was a young man with golden blond hair and sky blue eyes. The questers could recognize him anywhere. Apollo.
"You!" Thalia hissed as he revealed himself. Percy cracked open the car door to listen in.
"Me," Apollo smirked, "Glad to see me, huh? You look like you need my help. I'm here to provide it." He bowed with a flourish after his horrendous haiku.
"You had six syllables in the third line, you know," Thalia pointed out drily.
Apollo pretended not to have heard her, turning his attention to the occupants of the van. "Perce! Just the guy I was hoping to see! Follow me. I want to buy some Capri Suns, and I need you to be my wingman."
"What?" Percy managed to splutter confusedly before Apollo practically dragged him out of the car and into the gas station store. They walked over to the food-filled shelves, and Apollo snapped his fingers, manipulating the Mist around them. The god then turned to Percy, who was somewhat alarmed to see the total seriousness on his face.
"Percy, do you guys know where you are supposed to be going?" Apollo asked bluntly.
"No," Percy answered him straight, "No one told us anything besides 'go west.'"
At the bitterness in Percy's voice, Apollo flinched slightly and hung his head, "I'm sorry."
Percy's eyes widened. He didn't think Apollo was the kind of god to apologize. Especially when there wasn't even a reason for him to do so. "What about?"
The god sighed, "It was my Oracle's prophecy that led you out here in the first place. It didn't even give you enough information to scrape by. Please go help your friend and my sister. I want you to reach them as soon as possible, and you would have been out wandering for days if I leave you be."
"And why should we care about your sister?" Percy snapped suddenly. Apollo's head shot up in alarm, but Percy ignored him. All his grief, frustration, and anger came pouring out, and Percy did nothing to rein it in. "You didn't care at all that Bianca died, but now you have the guts to come demanding we go save your sister? Do you know what Nico will feel when we tell him his sister died on a mission we all assured him would be relatively safe? Do you know what it's like to truly lose someone? Of course you don't. You're a god. You don't care enough about us mortals to give a damn about what happens to us."
Apollo frowned, "I care more than you think, Percy. But rules are rules, and rules for the gods are the strictest of all. Go to Mount Tamalpais in San Francisco. You'll find your friend there. Give the baddies hell for me, yeah?" Before Percy could react, Apollo shoved something into his hands, grabbed a box of Capri Suns, and left for the checkout counter.
Glancing down, Percy saw four train tickets to San Francisco resting in his palm.
There you have it, folks! The plot's rolling along at a nice pace. We'll likely be seeing Artemis again in the next chapter (the big battle scene!). Until next time!