Life was ironic sometimes, at least for Thalia. For almost killing the thief, she had been taking off of missions. As soon as her father learned that her ID card had been stolen, she was now allowed to go to city hall and investigate it with the Olympians. Although, it was probably just an excuse for everyone to keep an eye on her. If there was one thing Thalia didn't need, it was a babysitter.
Thalia sighed and glanced at the corner of the room. Minerva and Jupiter were huddled in the corner of the room and looking down at a laptop. They had managed to find a small apartment that belonged to the dead thief. Mars went to investigate but didn't find the AI. He did find a notebook full of addresses. Everyone, except for Thalia, was given addresses to investigate.
Everyone also had an earpiece to keep up communication and let the Olympians know if they found anything. So far, it had been a lot of disappointment. Thalia looked away from her father and looked at the various monitors in front of her. One of the city hall workers was pulling up the footage from when Thalia's ID card was swiped.
Thalia watched the monitors fill with the view of one camera. She leaned back and stared at the scene in front of her. It was one of the outside cameras, near the front door. The image was grainy, but she could see a hooded figure. They walked towards the front door and swiped a badge.
The monitors switched to follow the figure throughout city hall. They were using a flashlight but also walked like they knew the area. Thalia frowned. She thought that the stealing of the AI was an inside job, but she was wrong. It was Mnemosyne going through the memories of one of Vulcan's workers. It seemed like she also went through the memories of someone who worked through city hall. How else would she know where to go?
"It's not her," Minerva stated. Thalia turned her head and frowned. Minerva was studying the video. "They are shorter than Mnemosyne and too muscular. Did she hire another thief?"
"If she did, there will be a trail," Jupiter stated. He joined their side. "Our injured thief states that he talk to a woman, and they were suppose to exchange the AI for money. I doubt they were able to make the exchange, or Mnemosyne tricked them."
"The other was killed in a mugging," Minerva said. Thalia looked back at the cameras and watched the hooded figure walk towards Chiron's desk. They pulled out a small item, like a flash drive, and put it in the computer. The figure looked right up at the camera, and if it wasn't for the fact that their face was completely covered, Thalia would have sworn they were smiling. Their eyes were impossible to see, as they wore sunglasses.
The hooded figure looked back down at the laptop and seemed to type into it. After a minute, Jupiter practically jabbed his finger into one of the screens and spoke, "Pause it."
The video paused, and Thalia leaned in closer. She could see that the hooded figure had their head titled just enough for the computer screen to reflect off of their sunglasses. Minerva spoke, "Can you zoom in on that?"
"I can try," the city hall worker said. Thalia almost let out a relieved sigh. They were finally catching some kind of break, even if it was just learning what the person had broken into city hall for. What was Mnemosyne's plan? She had gone through hoops just to get to this point, so what was the end goal for the Titan?
"They copied all of the files that were on the mayor's laptop," the worker stated. "They only opened one file but did not delete anything off of the computer. Everything that was on the computer can now be accessed by them."
"What's on the computer?" Thalia asked. No one answered, but the reactions of the Olympians told the story. Minerva closed her eyes and seemed to mutter a prayer. A scowl came to Jupiter's face, and he forced his knuckles into the wooden table. "That bad?"
The city hall worker nodded to himself and pressed a button. He quickly stood and hurried towards a printer. The worker grabbed the picture that he had printed out and handed it to Jupiter. If the worker was intimidated by three masked heroes ordering him around, he didn't show it. Granted, most of the workers were used to seeing the heroes appear there every other day. How would they react knowing who was actually under the mask?
"It says vault," Jupiter said. Minerva quickly looked at him and grabbed the paper. She studied the paper and swore. Thalia jumped in surprise. She had never heard Minerva swear before, and it almost seemed like the woman was just allergic to foul language. "How could she know?"
"Vault," Thalia repeated. It wasn't a question though. She knew that they Olympians had a secure vault just right outside of Olympian Plains. It held weapons, gear, and equipment from all of the villains that the Olympians had locked away. They kept the items so Vulcan could research them, and it had been under constant guard.
Finding the vault was hard enough. It was hidden beneath an old warehouse, and there was only one elevator that led down towards it. One would need the ID card of an Olympian just to use the elevator, and after that, guards would be keeping an eye on the elevator and vault. The final step was for three Olympians to use their fingerprints to get inside the main vault. There had been zero attempts to break in, and there was no way Mnemosyne would have a successful attempt.
"Get the others on this. Now," Jupiter ordered. Minerva frowned, but after a moment, she turned away. Thalia wanted to ask who the others were. Her friends wouldn't have a way to get inside the vault, but they could be kept on guard duty outside. Was Jupiter just talking about the Olympians? Minerva walked towards her laptop and grabbed her phone. Apparently, it took a mind reader to know what Jupiter was talking about.
"All of the Olympians head towards our vault. We believe that Mnemosyne will be heading there soon. The rest of you stay on your path and report back to me as soon as you hear something," Minerva said into her phone. She hung up, and Thalia felt her phone vibrate. She grabbed her phone and deleted the message that Minerva had sent to all of them. Her attention turned back to the video.
Thalia glanced at the city hall worker, who seemed more interested in looking at social media than the video. She pressed play and heard him protest, but she ignored it. Thalia watched the hooded figure look back down at the computer. For the next few minutes, they stood there and stared down at the screen. They didn't press anything or do anything else.
Were they reading about the vault? If so, why were they copying all of the files? Thalia watched the figure finally pull the flash drive from the laptop and look up. For a few moments, they looked directly at the camera. Then, they turned and left the room.
"Follow them," Thalia ordered. The city hall worker gave her a look but did. Thalia watched the hooded figure leave city hall using the exact path they had used to enter. When they made it outside, they just walked down the street. "Maybe a business owner saw them leave."
"Police already asked. No one saw anything," the city hall worker said. Thalia nodded and leaned back in her chair. She heard a phone ring and looked back towards Minerva and Jupiter. After a moment, Minerva grabbed her phone and spoke, "What is it?"
Thalia stood and walked towards Minerva's side. She tried to focus on the voice on the other end of the phone. It sounded like Annabeth, but she couldn't quite make out the words. Minerva listened silently. Then, she spoke, "Stay where you are. I'm coming."
"No," Jupiter interrupted. He was right next to Minerva's side and had his ear pressed against the phone. "I need you to help with the vault. I will look at Chiron's computer, and you stay here. They should have their cameras. Keep an eye on them that way."
"They should not investigate on their own," Minerva began. Jupiter gave her a look, and they seemed to have a silent argument, or just a mental one. Minerva finally shook her head and gripped her phone. "Make sure your camera is turned on and head in. Be very careful."
Minerva hung up her phone and gave Jupiter a look. Jupiter returned the look. Thalia slowly pushed her chair towards the laptop and glanced back at her father. She wanted to ask who was investigating, but since the two were still glaring at each other, she decided to just go through and click on each of the heroes' cameras until she found one that was active. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to find Annabeth's.
Thalia heard movement next to her, and Minerva sat by her. Minerva put on headphones and connected them to the laptop, which meant Thalia was cut out from any audio. A scowl came to Thalia's face. She was forced to sit there and watch what was happening.
Annabeth's camera gave her a perfect view of Nico and Bianca. The two were standing a couple of feet apart and had their arms crossed. Thalia knew the two were still having their argument, and it was really awkward. Neither of them were wearing masks, and Annabeth wouldn't be either. There was no need to draw attention by wearing their uniforms while investigating the addresses. One member of the groups had a camera on them, to be able to record anything that they needed.
Thalia looked away from the laptop and down at her phone. She mindlessly scrolled through the website that she had been on for the past few days. Ever since she watched the trial of Pluto on Iris' website, she had been trying to find what else the website had on it. The biggest question was what didn't the website have on it.
Thalia found archives of newspapers all the way back to the founding of the city. Anything that had been made public before was on the website, even if it couldn't be found anywhere else. There was a few articles that the Olympians had removed from the internet and newspapers, like ones that speculated on their secret identities, but Iris' website had all of them. How?
From what Thalia had heard, Venus was making every attempt she could to shut down the website. Every single attempt had been shut down, and if rumors were correct, Iris was threatening to get the federal government involved. Venus tried going to her husband Mars, and when he couldn't do anything, the two had a huge argument. They argued every month though. It was always about the stupidest things too. Sometimes, Mars didn't watch Venus' show. Other times, Venus didn't compliment Mars enough. Thalia found the entire thing beyond dumb, and she felt bad that Piper had to stay in the same house as all of the arguing.
"Venus will freak out if she sees you on there," Minerva commented. Thalia glanced up. Minerva was looking down at her phone. There was no judgment on her face. "She has been complaining that Iris is stealing all of her viewers. I told her that if she decided to use facts for once, her views would rise."
"I don't think Venus knows how to use facts," Thalia muttered. "She likes to sensationalize everything."
"Venus thinks it keeps everyone from focusing on their own problems," Minerva stated. "If I had the patience, I would have made my own news show. It would be just like Iris'. No emotions. Just facts."
"Why does Iris have things on her website that I can't find anywhere else?" Thalia asked. She looked up at Minerva. "I found Pluto's trial on there. I found articles about police brutality that Mars was accused of. Venus has multiple scandals that have been hidden away."
"The Olympians are not perfect, no matter how much we want to be," Minerva stated. She looked down at her laptop. "We tried to hide our flaws, but we also do things to protect our home. When you grow older Thalia, you will understand."
Thalia didn't respond. She focused on her phone and found the news story she had been scared to look for ever since finding the website. Thalia barely stopped from taking a shaky breath. She clicked on the video and watched Otrera trying to interview Amazon. A hand grabbed Thalia's phone and gently took it from her.
"Don't," Minerva warned. "That wound is still too raw. You are not ready to go there, not yet."
"It's my fault," Thalia said. She closed her eyes. "I told Kronos to kill her."
"No. Kronos pretended that he presented a choice. He knew that you would protect your father," Minerva stated. Thalia shook her head but felt a hand gently grabbed her shoulder. "Every single move that Kronos makes is calculated. He knew there was no way you would choose for your father to die, and even if you had said Jupiter's name, I have no doubt that Kronos would have still put a bullet through Reyna's skull. His plans failed, and he wanted to send a message to everyone."
"Killing my father would have sent a message," Thalia muttered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Minerva kneel next to her.
"No. Your father would have died a hero. He would have gotten a statue in his name, and the city would have mourned. They would have moved on though," Minerva stated. "Many people still saw Reyna as a villain, and most would not disagree with Kronos' comment of taking out the trash. Kronos is trying to attack the very foundation of the Olympian's values."
"To never kill anyone. No matter what they do," Thalia stated. "I know many people don't agree with that."
"Not all of the Olympians did either," Minerva said. She sighed sadly. "Most of us were able to come to an agreement, but as you know, Pluto was the one that we weren't able to convince. He believes that mercy towards villains could only end in a body count. He murdered many people, and some would argue that the streets became safer. Safety should never be secured by bloodshed though."
"After Kronos killed Reyna, most people saw it as a villain off of the streets. They want to know why we don't do the same things to the Titans. Kronos wants to cause mistrust, confusion, and chaos. He has been successful in that so far," Minerva stated. "Many people saw what he did and remember what he did before. If they were not there, they heard stories. Many are calling for him to face the death penalty and for harsher punishments for other villains."
"Maybe, Kronos deserves death," Thalia stated. She met Minerva's eyes. "Who is he to take a life and not face any consequences?"
"Pluto thought the same thing," Minerva stated. A frown suddenly came to her face, and she placed a hand to her headphones. Thalia looked at the laptop and studied the scene in front of her. The camera showed a table that was filled with writing, and Annabeth seemed to be going through all of them. "Do you see anything?"
Minerva moved closer to Thalia and seemed to turn the volume up on the laptop. Thalia moved closer so she could hear properly. Her phone was forgotten as she slipped it back into her pocket.
"No," Annabeth answered. "It looks like someone was living here, but there is no clue on who it could be. Hold on."
Thalia watched the camera whirl around to reveal a bed. Annabeth hurried towards a door and peeked out. The hallway light was flickering, but there was someone standing at the far edge of the hallway. They turned around, and a gun flashed in their hands.
"Annabeth Chase," Mnemosyne stated. She aimed the gun at Annabeth. "I was hoping to find your mother here, but you will have to do."
Thalia stared at the camera. Minerva had gone pale and was frozen in shock. It was a new look for her. She was always so calm and in control, but it looked like the thought of her daughter in danger was more than she could comprehend. Thalia grabbed the headphones from Minerva. Before she could say anything, a door in front of Annabeth opened, and Bianca stepped out into the hallway.
"I found it," Bianca began. Her gaze was focused on Annabeth, but she slowly turned her head to look at Mnemosyne. A small smile came to the Titan's face.
"Nico, can you hear me?" Thalia asked into the headset. She stared at the laptop. "Bianca and Annabeth are in some kind of hallway. Mnemosyne is there with a gun. Help them. Annabeth, keep her talking. Ask why she broke into city hall and why she took the AI."
"Why did you take the AI?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was calm and not full of the fear that she probably felt. Thalia felt Minerva grip her arm tightly, but she just stayed focused on the laptop. They were going to get Annabeth and Bianca out of there safe. She just wasn't sure how.
"I went through your mother's memories," Mnemosyne stated. She smiled coldly. "I know the importance of the AI, and I also know that if it was set loose in the city, the Olympians would be blamed. It would buy me enough time for my next plan."
"Ask her if she means the Olympian's vault," Thalia said. She wanted nothing more than to yell for Nico to help, but she needed to keep calm. Thalia knew that Nico had heard her, so hopefully, he would be there soon.
"Are you trying to distract the Olympian's while you break into their vault?" Annabeth asked. Instead of answering, Mnemosyne just smiled wider. Then, she fired the gun multiple times. Thalia watched a blur slam into Bianca, knocking her to the side. The camera cracked a moment later and cut out, like it had taken a bullet.
"Annabeth?" Thalia asked quietly. She couldn't hear any sounds from any of the earpieces, but a finger had to be pressed to the earpiece to activate it. A lack of response didn't mean they were dead. It couldn't. "Bianca, are you hit? Nico, can you hear me? Report. Someone give me a fucking report!"