Authors Note: hi, F here. I don't own any characters from the HoO or the PJO series really appreciate reviews.

Casper's POV~

The car flew through the air. It felt like I was being hosed down and burned at the same time. And the next thing I knew, I was laying on my back on the road. I struggled to my feet, all of my body ached and burned.

I could see that the car was upside down in the bushes, but wasn't on fire. I didn't see what had thrown the car, but I didn't particularly care at the moment. I scrambled over. Nobody was hurt badly, but Annabeth's legs were stuck under the dashboard. It took Ella and I working together to pull her out.

"What threw us?" Nico asked. He had to lean on Percy for support because he'd hit his head.

"I don't know." I reached under the collar of my shirt and pulled out the golden chain necklace my father had given me last summer. On it was four charms, one for a sword, one for a spear, on for a shield, and one for a dagger. I pulled on the shield, and a golden circle spiraled out from my hand. It had runes and symbols carved onto it. "But something did."

"We did." A raspy voice came from the road. I turned. From nowhere, ten skeletal figures had appeared. Some of them were dressed in british soldier uniforms, and others looked more like gladiators. I spotted two Marines and a badly scorched fighter plane pilot holding a machine gun. The one in front wore a confederate uniform and held a rifle. He was the one that had spoken. "Hands in the air, or we will not hesitate to attack."

"Machine gun. Machine gun. Anyone else see the machine gun." Ella said nervously.

"See it. See it. See the machine gun. Putting up hands slowly." Biron said, just as nervously.

"Nico, can you make them go away?" Percy asked hopefully.

"I'm trying. They won't listen." Nico scowled in concentration. "Its not working." He sounded really frustrated, and concentrated so hard as to cross his eyes a little.

"We have no choice." I said, gritting my teeth.

"Oh no we don't. Just remembered." Biron said. He had reached in his bag and pulled out a small vial. It was full of green liquid, that I remembered Leo Valdez, a friend from camp, had explained was called Greek fire. Confusion was still on Percy and Ella's faces, so I took it upon myself to keep them from getting flame-broiled when Biron threw that vial.

"Get down!" I shouted. Several things happened at the same time. I grabbed Percy and Annabeth and dragged them down with me. Nico fell when Percy did. Biron threw the vial and dropped at the same time, practically tackling Ella. Annabeth, Percy, Nico, Biron, Ella, and I all landed in a pile.

"Are we alive?" Biron croaked. "Ow."

"Not for much longer unless you get off me." Ella's muffled voice came from underneath her brother. We all struggled to our feet.

"Why didn't that work?" Nico grimaced, still a little unsteady on his feet. "Normally I have some control over spirits, but those guys were totally immune."

"Maybe its because of the missing helm." Annabeth said. "Its what gave Hades control over ghosts, so now that gift isn't yours either until Hades gets the helm back." Nico didn't look happy, but there was no more time to chat.

"We need a ride." Ella said. "And the car is totally totaled." Biron had to bite his lip to keep from a snort, but Ella pretended not to notice.

"Hitchhike?" I asked.

"No." Annabeth said firmly. "Bad idea."

"Bus?"

"None out here."

"Walk?" We all glanced at Nico.

"I'll be fine." Nico insisted. "I'll be fine." But we could all see that he was practically swaying on his feet. Percy was holding him up, and we could all see that he was in no state to walk. There was a huge purple bruise forming over his left eyebrow, and his voice was ever so slightly slurred.

"No, your not. Maybe we should find a place to get some rest." Biron said. "I'm no medic, but you're about to fall over dude."

"Theres some boulders in the trees over there." I pointed. "Shelter. I think its going to rain soon." It was true: large clouds were gathering above us, stretching off in either direction all the way to the horizon.

The others agreed and we started off. Percy helped Nico along. I was getting worried about the son of Hades. I hate to say it, but he creeped me out. It was hard to think of him as Hazels brother, the two were so different. Despite that, I was worried about him. He looked dazed, and the bruise on his head from the crash was getting worse.

Rain started to fall lightly. We found a boulder a few feet from a huge fallen tree. Percy and I draped some tree limbs between the two for a makeshift roof. Even with that, huge drops fell through onto our heads as the rain came down harder.

"Percy can you-" Annabeth started.

"On it." He raised one hand and the raindrops diverted around our shelter.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Annabeth and Percy curled up with their backs to the tree together, Annabeth holding Percy's free hand, her head on his shoulder.

"Where to now?" I asked. "No car, we need another ride. If we find a car, could you, you know…?" I glanced at Ella. She nodded.

"Sure. Its not like its hard."

"Huh?" Nico asked.

"Um, duh, daughter of Hermes." She waved a hand in front of his nose. "Stealing things is what I do, and I have a way with cars."

"Nico, your head is getting worse." I said. "I have some ambrosia, just a sec." I pulled out a square of ambrosia from a plastic baggie in my backpack and gave him some. "Eat that and try to get some sleep." Nico looked too tired to protest. He ate the ambrosia and lay down. He was snoring in two seconds flat.

"So I get us a car, then...where?" Ella asked. I shrugged.

"Don't know." Suddenly I was hit with a wave of exhaustion. "I think I'm gonna take a nap too." I lay down with my backpack as a pillow.

I had a dream. I was in a large city, in a park. I realized that it was chicago, from the large fountain, Buckingham Fountain, that I had seen once on a postcard. I heard a gravelly voice behind me, and I turned. It was Tartarus. Thirty feet tall, black and muscular, wearing a loincloth. Instead of a face he had a sucking void that seemed to pull on my vision.

Standing next to him was a fat ten foot tall woman with a squashed face and covered in scales. Echidna. I suddenly remembered what Hermes had said before we had met with the gods. "Why are you here? Your quest against Echidna?" This must be her. It was her who had spoken.

"Come come little hero." Tartarus chuckled. "You have done well so far, but many challenges await you still. Lets see how many more you can face before you break." Echidna gave a gravelly chuckle and then spoke again.

"Cas wake up, we need to move." It wasn't Echidna, it was Ella.

"I'm getting up." I said, sitting up. "Hey, is it just me or is it snowing?"

"Its not just you. Its snowing." White flakes swirled to the ground around us. Nico was up, and everyone were zipping up jackets and rubbing their hands together.

"I know where we need to go." I told them all about my dream. Tartarus and Echidna were in Chicago. We walked back through the woods to the road. Nico was much better. The bruise had faded to barely noticeable. We walked along the road until darkness fell again. And then we kept walking until we found a small farmhouse. We slept in their empty barn loft and when we woke up the next morning, there was three feet of snow on the ground. Still, we walked on, trudging on through the thick snow, even as more began to fall.

"We're going to freeze to death out here." I had on only my denim jacket, and Ella had only her hoodie. We were going to freeze.

"Theres a town up ahead." Annabeth said. "We can get warm clothes there."

"Right." I pointed at a sign. "Only three miles to go."