Enjoy the fruits of my uberly boring car trip (cue music *I'm highway to hell, I'm on the highway to hell), how ironic this is about a bus trip. I also want to ask for you guys' thoughts and prayers, a little boy on my track team passed away the other day and hope you guys will keep his family in mind. Now on to the chapter!

I sat down on the bus stop bench as Grover and Percy started a conversation and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible.

I listened as they talked about Percy's stepdad, Gabe. I could understand why Percy hated him, I had no love for my stepmother either, but at least Percy had a parent who loved him. She only stayed with Gabe to keep Percy safe.

My father did nothing as he watched her yell at me and kick me out of the house. He just watched on from a corner.

We were lucky that we were sheltered, it was pouring outside. This ominous weather wasn't a good sign; Zeus was in a awful mood, which meant worse luck and more summoned monsters for us. He was getting impatient.

Eventually we got so sick of waiting for the bus that we started playing hacky sack. I don't mean to brag but I have quite the knack for hackysack. I was completely dominating; it's all about coordination. It was going great until Grover swallowed it whole.

Percy and I were laughing so hard I could barely breathe. As I was holding my sides I tried to remember the last time I had laughed so hard. Probably not since I was traveling with Luke and Thalia. It felt good.

After what felt like hours the bus finally arrived. Grover took a whiff of the air and crinkled his nose. I was familiar with that look; Grover had smelt a monster.

I didn't stop looking over my shoulder until we were on the bus, but even then I was still on edge. I sub-consciously hit my Yankees cap against my thigh.

I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the final three passengers board the bus. Three leathery old ladies wearing frumpy old velvet dresses were walking down the aisle examining each passenger as they went.

Next to me I felt Percy give a startled jump and slouched down.

"She didn't stay dead long," he said in a whisper. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a life-time."

"I said if you're lucky," I hissed. "You're obviously not."

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"

"It's okay," I said, trying to figure out a plan to get us out of here. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," Grover moaned.

"The back exit?" I suggest going over a list in my head of every possibility.

By then it was no use, we were nearly in the Lincoln tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around, " Percy said with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Will they?"

I wish. "Mortals don't have good eyes," I reminded Percy. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist.

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, wont they?"

"Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…"

Then we entered the Lincoln tunnel. Everything seemed quieter. The only light that entered the bus was those from the lights on the side of the tunnel.

Then one Fury stood up and said in a flat, monotone voice, "I need to use the restroom."

"So do I," chorused the others.

Then as they started parading down the aisle, something finally came to me there was no way my first quest was ending when it had barely started.

"I've got it, Percy, take my hat," I said urgently.

"What?"

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys-"

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," I said. Now was no time to be a martyr. "You're a son of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you."

"Don't worry about us, Go!" said Grover.

I could tell he was still hesitant, but put the cap on and slowly started for the front.

The whole time I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

When Furies finally reached us they started screeching and hissing, "Where is it? Where?"

The Furies started to raise their whips.

I drew my knife and Grover had started to pull a tin can from his bag when the bus lurched to the side.

We were out of control and were hurtling through the streets when all of the sudden we all were launched forward and the doors flew open. The passengers started flooding out the doors while the Furies started lashing out with their flaming whips.

We were losing the fight, me yelling curses in Greek and Grover throwing cans weren't much of a match for three of the most powerful monsters, when Percy decides it's a perfect time to yell, "Hey!" and take off the invisibility cap.

One Fury stalked down the aisle towards Percy. He drew his blade and she hesitated for a moment. "Submit now, and you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try," he said.

"Percy look out," I yelled as I watched the Fury's arm tense up and lash out towards him with whip in hand.

Percy took down two Furies but not before the whip had wrapped around his hand.

I put Mrs. Dodds in a wrestlers hold while Grover took the whip form her hand. "Ow! Ow! Hot! Hot!"

"Zeus will destroy you! Hades will have your soul!" screeched the remaining Fury.

"Braccas meas vescimin!" yelled Percy, which is Latin for eat my pants (most curses translate more offensively).

Thunder rumbled in the sky. "Get out! Now!" I yelled. We quickly evacuated the bus and saw that the outside was in chaos. A man in a touristy Hawaiian shirt snapped our picture as we exited.

"Our bags! We left our-," Grover said.

Not before we were fifty feet away, a bolt of lighting blasted a crater in the roof. The Fury's screech from inside the bus filled me with dread.

"Run! She's calling for reinforcements we have to get out of here!" I screamed.

We headed off into the woods and were plunged into darkness.

After what felt like an eternity of silence I heard Grover say, "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."

I was determined to keep this going; I had now appointed myself the motivator of this quest.

"Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

"All our money was back there, our food and clothes. Everything," he said.

Trust me, I know. "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-," I said.

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" Percy said.

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine," I said angrily, my pride had been wounded.

"Sliced like sandwich like bread, but fine," said Grover.

"Shut up, goat boy," I said.

"Tin cans . . . a perfectly good bag of tin cans," said Grover. Leave it to him to bee concerned about his food.

After a few more minutes of the only sound being the sound of our feet sloshing against the muddy ground, I fell in line next to Percy.

"Look, I . . ." My voice got stuck in my throat; apologies didn't come easy for me. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?"

I paused. "It's just that if you died . . . aside from the fact that it would really suck fro you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."

The rain had slowed to a drizzle and the forest got even darker than before.

I'm done. Please review! I need feedback.