It was five minutes into the film, and Bianca's eyes began to close of their own will. Ten minutes, and her head was dropping. Fifteen, and she gave up.
It wasn't that the film as boring, per se-okay, it was totally because the film was boring. Bianca was aware of the world from the 1930s, and fairy tales, well, they aren't real. Even if every other scene was a beheading scene, true love wasn't something Bianca wanted to watch. Especially if it was love between satyrs and nymphs, which often turned out not to be love so much as a 'really bad decision'.
In her dream, Bianca stepped into a...boxing arena? It was like the ones she had seen in the TVs, all sharp shades and flashy lights, only in color. Confused, Bianca frowned and look to the wrestlers. It was strange, but she couldn't catch a clear glimpse of either of them. The one on the left was surrounded by crackles and flashes, which distorted his image at any given moment. The one to her right was covered by shadows, and seemed taller and like he was standing through platform.
A low chuckle formed from static, and the announcer began. "In the right corner, we have Mr. Paranoia, reigning champion of the Olympic Rings. In the left corner is his challenger, the esteemed Mr. Gloom! Let's begin!"
Instantly, the two were at each other's throat, hissing and scratching, shouting, "Give it back!" and punching all at once. Bewildered, Bianca tried to run away, only to turn right into another figure. This one had a microphone in his hand, and Bianca realized this was the announcer.
His bright eyes shimmered at her, and the his mouth formed silent words.
"Just like children, no?"
And Bianca sat up, eyes blinking as the film went through its 17th beheading scene. Underwater.
She needed to get to Chiron.
The atmosphere was tense, and Chiron was glancing nervously back and forth between the four Big Three children. Next to him, Annabeth was frowning (she was about to have an architectural design class!), hands crossed over her chest while Luke tried to cheer her up with his stinky sock puppets.
Thalia slammed her hands down. "Look," she gritted out. "I think we all know who stole the thunderbolt."
"No," Bianca interjected. "No, no you don't." Beside her, Nico slammed two action figures together.
Jason furrowed his brows. "Of course it was your father! You confirmed it in your dream!"
"That means nothing-"
"Children," Chiron cut in. "Let's not fight." Then he sighed. "Okay, what are the facts?"
Annabeth helpfully raised her hands, scowl still on her face. "The Masterbolt is missing, as is the Helm of Darkness. Lord Zeus and Lord Hades are about to engage in a conflict." she continued, ticking it off with her fingers. "The Solstice is in a month, and if no one returns the symbols of power, we'll all die."
"Thank you, Annabeth." Chiron sighed exasperatedly, and the little girl's face beamed before quickly resuming an angry countenance. "So," he prompted, fixing a stare on all the Big Three children. "who has the most to gain from this type of conflict? Two of the Big Three Gods are fighting?"
Luke paused in his sock puppetry, pointing a stinky, clothed hand at Bianca. "What about that other guy in your dream? You said he had bright eyes? What color?"
Bianca shook her head, "I can't remember. But it, it kind of...glowed, I guess."
"Glowing eyes!" Nico chirped, taking his hands and forming binoculars around his eyes. "Like Green Lantern!" Everyone ignored him.
Annabeth snapped her fingers. "Mr. Chiron, I think it would be Poseidon." At Mr. Chiron's approving nod and everyone else's blank stares, she gestured frantically. "You know? God of the Sea? King of Barnacles?" She took Nico's offered Poseidon action figure and shook it. "This guy?"
Jason opened his mouth to speak, before snapping it shut.
"That's right," Thalia tasted the words on her tongue. "If two people are fighting, a third party can swoop in and knock them both out."
Chiron clasped his fingers together. "While most would agree blatant thievery is not Poseidon's thing, he does seem to be the most likely option right now." He looked around expectantly. "Thalia, Jason, Bianca and Nico. You will be setting off in a week towards the sea. Please get all the training you can in this time. You are dismissed."
They nodded and left, Bianca holding Nico by the hand and other two splitting off. Luke tugged at Annabeth's hand, but she wouldn't budge. Instead, she stalked up to the centaur, Luke stumbling into a run after her.
"Why am I not going?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
Chiron paused in his trot, looking back to Annabeth. "Child," he said, tiredly, "it would be too dangerous. The Big Three children would attract many monsters, but their godly parents would ensure a greater chance of survival."
"But I was the most helpful! Make Nico stay behind."
"You were, Annabeth, but your mother, Athena, does not have quite the same pull with monsters. She is intimidating, of course, but it pales to the King of the Gods and the God of the Underworld."
"That's horsesh-" Annabeth was about to say, before Luke slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Haha. You know how kids are, Chiron," Luke laughed, ignoring the voice in the back of his head telling him he was a child himself. "Me and Annabeth will be going now, so have a nice day!" He then dragged her off, ignoring her muffled cries of "Annabeth and I!"
For the rest of week, the children of Zeus and Hades tore through the campground.
Thalia took up the bow, shooting the targets she could hit and zapping the ones she couldn't. If she wasn't practicing archery, she was sparring in the wrestling ring with Clarisse. As strange as it was, Clarisse acted almost amiable to her. When Thalia questioned this, Clarisse merely shrugged.
"You'll be leaving soon," she explained, "I don't want the last thing I ever called you to be bitch." And Thalia agreed, making a note not to insult Clarisse until after she was back from the quest.
Bianca, on the other hand, was training with a spear. Instead of slashing, she jabbed. She even learned to twirl the spear a few times after she defeated an opponent. A Stoll (she couldn't tell which one) jokingly called her "Bian-jutsu." It was ninja reference, apparently. But just in case it had negative connotations, Bianca threw the spear after him. Just to be sure.
Jason grabbed a sword, and hasn't let go of it since. And Luke, being the nice, older brother he proclaimed himself to be, dutifully helped Jason out with his techniques. He might regret it though, especially after the fourth night he was called out at two in the morning to practice parrying.
Annabeth and Nico were shunted off on their own, and, after a quick nod at each other, began terrorizing the close combat trainers. It didn't take long for the Ares kid to cave in (though it might have taken some calculus and skulls), but soon, the two were outfitted in clunky armour and shiny knives. They helped each other, though Nico noticed Annabeth was often looking toward Chiron, as if seeking approval. He brushed the idea out of his mind, and began another flurry of attacks, chattering as he did so.
Then the end of the week came.
As the four demigods got farther and farther away, Luke and Annabeth never stopped waving. Even Chiron simply rested on the hill until the questers were out of sight.
Luke felt a slight pull on his shirt, and looked down questioningly at Annabeth. She was fisting her hands in his shirt, and her face was petulant. "I wanted to go." she muttered. Luke said nothing, and Annabeth repeated. "I wanted to go. I wanted to be with Thalia. And Jason."
"It's not fair."
Luke just patted her back, trying to communicate that he was still there.
That night, for the first time in forever, Luke abandoned his hatred for his father, his disgust of his mother, his juicy grapes, and prayed.
I know, Luke thought feverously, I know I'm kind of a brat. But I'll change, I promise. All I ask is that you give me a quest I can bring Annabeth on.
He then threw in a slab of meat. Please.
It might have just been him imagining things, like people think they see Jesus on their toast, but he almost saw a small, winged shoe in the fire.
Fin.