We Wreck a Perfectly Good Car

I was sandwiched in between Percy and Leo. Leo had done the classic "Ladies first" move after shoving Percy in so he could sit next to me. "Any idea where you want me to take you folks?" the driver had asked.

I frowned. Nico's letter didn't say anything about location. I took it out of my pocket just to make sure.

Rhode Island

Those were the only two words written there. "Rhode Island," I answered calmly. The man nodded and revved the engine before speeding off for the double we were promising to pay him.

Leo yawned with a stretch and put his arm around me. I grinned because now that I had admitted to Annabeth that I liked Leo, it just seemed more… real. I liked Leo. Percy was laughing quietly to himself. Annabeth must have told him. I shot him a look that said, "I will kill you." He stopped laughing.

"So… What's in Rhode Island?" Leo asked probably just to break the silence. I shrugged.

"Well, Nico… I mean… Chiron! Yeah that's it. He told me to. He did… This paper isn't magic or anything!" I stuttered, forgetting that my brother may be… dead.

Leo nodded as Percy raised an eyebrow. "You're not sure what's in Rhode Island? Than we may as well be running into a giant around the next corner if 'you're not sure.' Yeesh, Bianca!" Percy said.

I started muttering a bunch of curses to Percy and me. How could I have been so frickin' stupid? "LOOK, DUDE! It's not her fault! They're keeping her in the shadows! I think that there's something bigger behind this whole Gaea and Bianca picture. That's what you have seemed to overlook!" Leo shouted at Percy in my defense.

"L-Leo, that's brilliant! There is something odd about this entire situation," I exclaimed. Leo blushed.

"You… You think I'm brilliant?" he asked stupidly. I rolled my eyes. He could be so ignorant sometimes.

"Of course I do- but," I told him before getting cut off again in a little "woohoo" moment. "But look at the big picture! There's something more about this… Something odd… What were you guys doing in the desert anyway? Why were you in Arizona and particularly in the spot where I... died?" There was a pause where Percy and Leo exchanged glances.

"We were doing some research. We kind of need Nico more than you think in the next stage of the war," Percy answered. I cocked my head in confusion. "He needs to help us stop Gaea, and now since he's hanging with her, he has some valuable information," he explained. I shook my head in wonder.

"That's a load of crap, dude," I said to him. "What the hell is going on? You and I both know that what you just said is not true," I continued. Percy glared at me, but Leo was the one to speak next.

"Bianca, it's really complicated right now. All we know is that Nico said you chose to begin another life. We believed that," he said delicately. That triggered a nerve. I felt my face go red in fury.

"STOP CHANGING THE FRICKIN' SUBJECT, GUYS!" I screamed into the car, making the tires squeal. I hated not being included in something, especially if it had to do with my brother because he was the only family I had left. I didn't want to lose him.

It was so aggravating that I barely noticed that the car had squealed to a stop. Leo was looking at Percy in confusion. "Hey dude! What's with the hold-up?" he called into the driver's seat. There was no answer. My anger slowly melted away in the storm of confusion that had just come upon me.

Suddenly, the vehicle rocked back and forth, sending me on Leo's lap. Despite his obvious fear and confusion, he blushed and let out and breathy laugh.

Percy was cursing like a sailor. We climbed through the cracked window and discovered that the car was on its side. Three monsters that I couldn't place weren't on the other side of it. We all crouched down. I heard the shattering pf glass. "They're not in here, boss!" one of them said, clearly shocked.

"Idiots! You've let them escape! Gaea will punish both of you gravely. You heard her orders, 'Get me the son of Poseidon,'" another one screeched.

There was a pause when Percy looked at me with an expression that suggested he was terrified at the moment. "Search! Find them!" the same one commanded. Now was the time to fight or run for our lives. A glance at my friends told me to beat them to death. I reached for my arrows. Percy leaped over the car, screaming a sort of battle cry with his sword raised.

I loaded my bow and took out the one who had checked the car easily. Percy stabbed the leader in its state of shock and it turned to dust. Leo had been slower, bumping his head on the side mirror and having to rub at a bump. The third one who looked to be like some sort of snake creature lunged at me. I didn't have a knife or anything so there was nothing I could do to deflect the bite. Pain erupted in my shoulder because I didn't register the fact that I was being attacked quickly enough. Leo's head popped up.

His hands were on fire. I didn't realized that my knees had buckled and I was clutching the bite. The snake reared back to attack me again. "You need to have sssome sssense, girl!" she hissed before launching herself at me. I was too dazed to move so she sunk her venomous teeth into my right thigh. I groaned through gritted teeth. Percy had come out of his initial shock and began to run towards the snake when it dropped down and turned to dust. Leo triumphantly stood over it with a grin.

I moaned. Percy's eyes locked with mine as I curled up into a ball on the asphalt. I already lay in a small pool of blood. Then they were both pouring nectar and ambrosia onto my shoulder and thigh. I sighed in the bliss of my wound healing and hopefully getting the poison out of it. I let my eyes close and I think I slipped into unconsciousness because when I opened them again I was laying on a bed of moss.

As far as I could tell, I was alone in the woods. Where were Percy and Leo? I tried to sit up, but my aching shoulder made that impossible. How long had I been out? Just as I began to panic, I saw Percy leisurely striding towards me. "Percy," I croaked, finding out my voice was raw.

"Hey Bianca. How's your thigh and shoulder?" he asked gently. I shrugged. This made me groan through my gritted teeth. "Not good... Uh... Leo's going to be here soon with donuts and like medical stuff for you," he continued.

I love donuts. "How... How long have I been out?" I stuttered. Percy looked up as if in thought. He let out a sigh.

"About two days now... We're in Connecticut now. Should be in Rhode Island tomorrow... if we're lucky. See, there's been quite a lot of monsters lately. It's kind of odd that those dudes stayed down," he explained.

My head still felt fuzzy, so it was a blessing when I saw a glimpse of Leo through the trees. "Leo!" I called.

"Oh gods! Bianca! You're awake!" he yelled and started running towards our little camp. "Hey, dude," he panted to Percy once he had arrived. "I gots the donuts! Like twelve of them for three people. Ha ha ha!" he added. I desperately needed one. I tried to reach for a cinnamon one with my uninjured arm, but it didn't work. I had to sit up.

They both saw my predicament, and started to work me so that I was leaning against the tree. Leo stopped every time I groaned, so basically, it was just Percy. Once it was done my face was coated in sweat. "Hand me that cinnamon, will you?" I asked. Leo gave me it. I took a bite, and it tasted heavenly. I also realized I hadn't eaten in days. Next, he passed me a cup of coffee. I added sugar by using my teeth and setting down the cup. I was quite resourceful.

Leo treated the bites with medicine and then wrapped them in bandages. It helped, but after I already saw they were turning red. That was not very reassuring. Percy cringed for me and we all devoured our donuts. I took out the paper and found it blank. I was becoming used to the pain emanating from my shoulder and thigh. "Oh gods! Seriously! OMG! Chiron sent us a message! Percy read it! OMG! You're going to freak," Leo exclaimed as he finished his last donut. Percy's expression didn't change as he took out a note.

He cleared his throat. "Bianca. I am sorry I was a bit sketchy on the details of your quest the other day, but I have been suffering from great stress. It is with great regret that I have concluded, you do not exist, but Hades is sending an apparition of you to mount even higher on my stress. I am sending this letter to Percy and Leo in hopes that they will come back to Camp Half Blood. I'm sorry you died, Bianca. It was all my fault for telling the junkyard monster to crush whoever is brave enough. I'm so, so sorry. -Chiron."

We were all silent for a moment as that sank in. " I EXIST!" I shouted, making my head spin. Percy nodded and I think there were actual tears in his eyes.

"Bianca, the question is: do you really exist? We've all been very-" he was cut off as his terrified expression abruptly turned to something beyond me. Then, the brave, legendary Percy Jackson's eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out.