Chapter 9
Percy and Annabeth spun around, both of them reaching for their weapons. Annabeth drew her bone sword, the pointy tip and jagged edges looked ominous, even in a library. Percy uncapped Riptide and held it out in front of him, ready to block anything that tried to hurt him or Annabeth.
Percy lowered his sword while his eyebrows raised in confusion. Standing in front of them was a woman who looked like she was in her early to mid-thirties. Her walnut brown hair was tied in a bun while a pencil was perched behind one of her ears. She wore a brown business skirt and jacket along with black high heels that made her look almost as tall as Percy.
Percy didn't say anything, but she was actually kind of pretty. Something about her was familiar, he just wasn't sure what. She had a air of authority around her, Percy felt like he should really listen to anything she said.
"Don't you two know the library is closed?" She asked.
Annabeth came to the rescue, "We're studying, ma'am."
The lady raised her eyebrows, "Studying by entering one of my son's hidden chambers?"
Percy and Annabeth looked at one another. He was confused, he always thought Daedalus' mom was Athena. Then his eyes widened as he looked over towards the woman again. She wore a small smile as they turned to look at her.
"It's good to see you, Annabeth." Athena said in a motherly tone.
"Mom?" Annabeth asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to offer you a quest." She said, "If you'll accept it."
"What's it about?" Percy asked.
Athena sighed, "I need you two to retrieve Demeter's staff and Ares's shield. You two are the only reliable options we have."
"Then why didn't you call us up to Olympus?"
"Because I'm not supposed to even be here." Athena said, "Zeus wants everything handled between the gods, he doesn't trust the half-bloods at camp, hence the restriction on anyone leaving."
Percy and Annabeth sheathed their weapons before walking over to the table next to Athena and taking their seats.
Athena sat in front of them, "You two have the highest chance of retrieving the stolen items. Neither of you are restricted by Zeus's decree. No one besides me knows that you have left camp."
"Why not go to Jason, he's leading camp right now." Annabeth suggested.
A flash of emotion flickered in Athena's eyes, "I do not trust the Roman. I trust him less than you, Percy."
"Great." He murmured, not sure if that was a good thing or not.
"You two have the opportunity to retrieve the stolen items before the situation gets worse, this is the best course of action." She said, "It will not be easy but it is the only way this situation will be resolved with as minimal damage as possible."
"Mom, we don't even know where the items are." Annabeth said.
"I am aware." Athena replied, "Which is why I am here. Seek Proteus, he will tell you everything you need to know."
"Proteus?" Percy asked.
"Old sea god." Athena clarified, "He's known for knowing the answer to every question he is asked but be warned, he will not willingly answer you. To learn where the items are, you must capture him. This will not be easy."
"How are we supposed to capture a sea god?" Annabeth asked, "Can't he just blast us?"
"Proteus is not violent." Athena said, "He uses his powers of shapeshifting in order to escape capture. However, there is something out there that I am certain will help you."
"What is it?" Percy asked.
"There's a ring in Aphrodite's possession. It suppresses all godly powers when worn. It used to belong to her daughter as a way to hide her demigod scent but after Zeus learned of its true power, he ordered Aphrodite to confiscate it."
"Then how are we supposed to get it?" Percy asked, "It's on Olympus, isn't it?"
"No." Athena shook her head before reaching into her jacket and pulling out a map, "This map has the location of two of Aphrodite's caches as well as Proteus's home. They'll be identifiable by Aphrodite's name underneath one of her marks, the golden dove."
"Is there anything we need to worry about in these caches?" Annabeth asked as she took the map.
"Yes." Athena said, "One location is known for being surrounded by monsters and the other is guarded by Eros, the god of lust. If you let him shoot you with one of his arrows, you will never leave. Avoid being detected at all costs."
"Wait, so you want us to go and find this ring in one of Aphrodite's hidden spots and use it to interrogate some old sea god?" Percy asked, "Then you want us to go and get the missing items."
"Am I asking too much?" Athena questioned.
Percy looked over at Annabeth. She nodded her head at him. He turned to Athena and said, "We'll do it."
Ω
Percy followed Annabeth into the secret chamber, "Well, that was interesting." He said.
Athena had left shortly after giving them the map to Aphrodite's secret caches. He wasn't too happy about the fact that she had given them a quest, but at the same time, that quest just might be what he needed to clear his name at camp. He wasn't anywhere near forgiving them for how they'd treated him, not fully anyways. A small part of him desperately wanted to go back, to try to get things back to normal.
Annabeth didn't look too pleased about the quest either, at least, judging from the tense look on her face. She had started fidgeting with her camp necklace, a sign she was nervous of the things ahead. He didn't blame her.
"Yeah, I didn't think that she'd know we were here." Annabeth said, "I didn't tell her we were leaving."
Percy figured she must've known they were there since it was a library and technically, it would be considered her domain. Libraries were knowledge hubs, which meant Athena was bound to be around. It also didn't help that she knew about the secret chamber.
"I hope you don't mind me saying this but your mom is terrifying." Percy said.
Annabeth smirked at him, "I already knew that."
Percy looked around the chamber and was surprised by how comfortable and luxurious it was. He was expecting a cold metal bunker but instead, he was treated to the sight of a two-floor loft style bunker.
The first floor contained a living area, complete with a TV and a rug with white and gold designs. The couch was made of some sort of leather that reminded Percy of Drakon skin. A oak wood coffee table sat in front of the couch, a stack of old books sat on top of it. Two lamps surrounded the TV, giving the living area a slight yellow color.
On the other side was a kitchen area bathed in white light. It was complete with a refrigerator and countertops. He didn't see a stove or microwave though, the only thing that he could see them using to cook was a lone coffee machine in the corner, its lights were off and the chord was wrapped around it. Percy didn't drink coffee but he could probably make hot chocolate or something.
Annabeth whistled, "Daedalus definitely knew what he was doing."
Percy pointed to the kitchen, "How do you think the kitchen works? I don't see a oven or anything else we can use to cook."
Annabeth tilted her head only for her confused look to change into one of understanding, "It must be like the galley on the Argo II. Just think of what you want and it'll be in the fridge."
Percy remembered the galley working like that. He always thought it was awesome.
"Come on, let's go upstairs." Annabeth grabbed his hand and started leading him towards the staircase.
If there was one complaint that Percy had about the bunker, it was the temperature. It was way too cold, even for his standards and New York could get pretty cold.
When they reached the second floor, Percy was surprised by how small the room was in front of him. The second floor was just the bedroom and a door that Percy figured led to a bathroom. Even Daedalus probably had to use the restroom despite his animatronic bodies.
The bedroom wasn't anything special, just a queen-sized bed wrapped in white sheets, a oak dresser, a walk-in closet, and a mirror mounted on the wall above the dresser. The only thing that stuck out was a fake window that was actually a screen that showed the city skyline outside in real time. The only light in the room came from the window and a small light above the bed.
Annabeth looked at him then the bed, "There's only one bed."
"Yeah, um, I can sleep on the couch if you want me—Ouch!" He yelped as Annabeth slugged his arm, "What was that for?!"
"Just sleep with me, Seaweed Brain." She rolled her eyes, "It's not like we haven't slept together before."
Percy knew she was right but that didn't stop him from blushing. He remembered sleeping with her in the stables of the Argo II but that was more of a accident than anything. Then there was Damasen's bed in Tartarus, now that was definitely not his idea. He remembered waking up utterly confused and slightly worried that maybe they'd done something. Annabeth getting pregnant in Tartarus was the last thing they needed then.
"Um, sure, we can do that!" He nodded rapidly.
"Percy, if you don't want to, then we don't have to." She said, "I just figured that maybe since we've done it before, it really wouldn't be that bad."
Percy knew it wouldn't be that bad. He was just nervous about being in the same bed with Annabeth, the same girl who hated his guts when they first met. It always amazed him that the Annabeth in front of him was the same Annabeth that used to hate him. At least, that's how it felt at the time. He had just learned recently about her secret crush on him back then.
"No, it's fine." He said.
He walked over to the bed and set his hand on the sheets. They were smooth and free of dust, despite the fact that he was certain no one had been in the bunker for years.
Annabeth walked on the other side and started getting undressed. He averted his eyes mainly out of politeness. He heard her getting changed.
"Gods, Percy, stop being so crude!" She snapped at him, reaching across the bed and lowering his hand.
Percy was surprised to find her wearing a camp shirt and a pair of black and gray athletic shorts. Her bag was set against the wall, her sword and breastplate resting next to her backpack. Her laptop bag sat in front of her backpack.
"Seriously, do you think I go to sleep naked or something?!"
"You were changing!" He defended himself.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's not like you haven't seen it all before." She grumbled while walking towards her backpack. She took out her toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste before saying, "I'm going to brush my teeth. You do whatever you need to do then you can use the bathroom after me, got it?"
"Okay." He said.
Technically, she was right. Aside from the…romantic activities they got up to behind closed doors, he'd had to treat some of her wounds that were in some rather inconvenient places. He still remembered the one time she made him cut open her shirt to help patch up a scratch left by a hellhound.
Ten minutes later, he was laying in the bed with Annabeth snuggled up next to him. Now that they were actually sleeping next to each other, he was already forgetting why he was so nervous. Yeah, sure, she was laying her head on his chest but he wasn't really uncomfortable or anything. He actually liked the warmth that came with sleeping next to someone, it was oddly comforting knowing he wasn't alone.
"Goodnight, Percy." Annabeth murmured.
Percy pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Goodnight, Annabeth."
Yet Annabeth's warmth wouldn't stop the dream that was coming.
Ω
Percy's dream led him to a cave. He recognized the cave, it was one that he had used during capture the flag. What a lot of people didn't know was that there was extensive cave network underneath the forest at camp. There was a manmade network made by the Demeter cabins the but the one underneath the forest was all natural.
Usually that cave was empty, even some of the veteran campers stayed clear of the cave simply due to the fact that no one really knew what lurked in the darkness. Percy only stuck to the parts he knew, there were some parts that even he wouldn't go.
This time, the cave was occupied. Two figures were looking out of the cave into the forest. The afternoon sun shined on their orange camp shirts. Both of them were guys from what Percy could see, but he couldn't see their faces since they were looking away from where he was. One of them had a sword that looked oddly familiar to Percy strapped to his side while the other played with a dagger.
"So, Jackson's gone." The swordsman said, "He didn't leave the way I planned but that's okay. I had a feeling this was going to happen."
"What now?" The dagger wielder asked, "He didn't blow up like we planned. Hell, no one else around camp even knows that he's gone."
"That's okay, actually, that's perfect." The swordsman said with a gleeful voice, "Once good old lightning boy finds out that he disappeared into the night, he'll have to report it to Olympus. Then Zeus will order him to capture Percy because he broke the no-exit policy. Then Zena will be free to start her siege."
"Why are we waiting? Can't she just do it now?"
The swordsman sighed, "She can, but if she attacks now, there's nothing stopping Camp Half-Blood from riding over and opening up a second front. Zena's smart but she's not perfect, she'll lose that fight, but if everything turns out how I think it'll be, not a single Greek will dare to defy Zeus. They'll hunt Percy down even if Rome burns behind them."
Percy desperately wanted to wake up so he could warn camp about what he was hearing and seeing but at the same time, he wasn't sure if it would work. For one, he ran away and now someone knew he'd left, if they managed to prove to Jason that he'd left, he'd be in a tough spot. There was also no guarantee that Jason would even believe him.
"What if Zena loses?" The other half-blood asked, "I mean, you heard about the Romans tearing apart the defensive lines near Mount Othrys and that was when they were weak."
"You give them too much credit." The swordsman dismissed, "The Romans have always been good at fighting a structured battle, like the battle for Mount Othrys but they are weak when it comes to asymmetrical warfare. Zena knows she risks losing in a stand up fight, that's why she won't let them get her into that position. As long as she doesn't do something stupid, we'll be seeing New Rome in flames by the end of the year."
There it was again, the name Zena. Percy really needed to find out who that was but first, he wanted to know who these half-bloods were. From what he could tell, they were the ones truly responsible for driving him out.
However, if there was one thing Percy knew now, it was that he and Annabeth were now on a time limit.
Ω
The next morning went about as well as Percy expected, which meant it didn't go well at all. For starters, he hadn't really rested much while he slept, so he woke up woke up groggy and tired.
Then as if that wasn't already bad enough, he was too busy thinking about his dream that he ended up sauntering into the bathroom, where Annabeth was showering. She wasn't expecting it, so of course that meant she nearly decapitated him with a roundhouse kick. He would never understand how she didn't slip.
After that mishap, he did eventually manage to join Annabeth for breakfast in the kitchen of the bunker. She wasn't mad at him for earlier thankfully.
They sat across from one another on the chairs surrounding the kitchen counter. Percy took a bite out of his cereal while Annabeth was busy enjoying some pancakes. She never said it, but her taste in food was similar to his. He was certain that he'd gotten her hooked on some blue candy a while back, despite how fervently she denied it.
"Wait, so run me through this again." Annabeth said as she set her fork down.
"Which part?" He asked, "The part where there's people at camp who plotted getting me thrown out or the part where I think everything that's happening is connected?"
"Both." Annabeth said.
"Alright, like I said, there were these two guys in a cave. I've been to that cave before, it's somewhere in the forests around camp." Percy explained, "One of them is really familiar, if I could just get a look at his face then I'd know for sure."
"Okay, so we have two guys in a cave." Annabeth said while picking up her fork, "Go on."
"Well, they were both talking about how I left. Apparently, they wanted me to blow up in front of everyone so they'd kick me out that way." He said.
"But you didn't blow up." Annabeth said, "In fact, you would've disappeared without a trace if it weren't for the fact that I knew something was wrong that night."
"Yeah, but that didn't really do anything to their plan," Percy said with a dejected look, "They kept mentioning someone called Zena."
Annabeth bit her lip before shaking her head, "Never heard of her before."
"Me neither."
Annabeth swallowed a piece of her pancake, "You said you thought all this stuff was connected, why?"
"Well, I had a dream a while back about the same two guys talking about some fakes they planted." He said in a conspiratorial tone, "Remember when Chiron said that Demeter and Ares didn't know their stuff was missing."
"Yeah, because someone replaced them with fakes." Annabeth's face changed almost instantly as soon as it hit her, "Oh shit."
"Exactly." Percy said with a nod, "You know what this means, right?"
Annabeth set her fork down and sighed, "This is bad. This is Luke's level of betrayal bad. Actually, this is worse."
"I don't know, I mean Luke did try to kill me." Percy pointed out.
"Yeah, but he didn't plant fakes like these guys you're talking about." Annabeth said.
Percy had to admit, she was right there. Luke's plan had the element of surprise but he messed up. These guys had managed to use manipulation and forgery to their advantage. Never in a million years did Percy think that it would be possible to make fake copies of a god's symbol of power.
At the same time, it wasn't impossible. He remembered that Chiron said something back when he had first arrived to camp, something about Zeus being worried about Poseidon making illegal copies of his bolt. From what Chiron said this time around, the fakes didn't have the powers of the real items but they felt similar.
"I think I remember them saying that this Zena chick is the one who made the fakes." He said.
Annabeth had her thinking face on, "Well, that narrows it down. It has to be someone talented in metalworking, magic, and forgery."
"But wouldn't it take years for someone to get good at those?" Percy asked.
"Yeah, if their parent doesn't have any domains in those fields." Annabeth confirmed, then her eyes lit up, "Actually, I might be wrong. Maybe Zena doesn't have to be good at metalworking or forgery, magic can do both of those things."
"How?"
"Lou Helen was telling me a few months back about how they'd managed to create spells that enhanced blacksmithing and work ethic, they said that it allowed them to work on their own weapons instead of having to take them to cabin nine for repairs."
"So Zena is a daughter of Hecate then." Percy said, "But we never had a Zena at camp."
"She might've never been at camp," Annabeth pointed out, "Remember Alabaster Torrington?"
"No," Percy said, "What the hell kind of name is Alabaster? That sounds like a Pokémon."
Annabeth sighed but smiled at him, "Alabaster was the leader of the demigod branch of Kronos's army. He was sort of like the opposite of you, well, actually it was more like he was my opposite since your opposite was Kronos, you know, me basically being your second in command and all."
"Right." Percy said.
"Well, Alabaster was never allowed to come to camp, he got exiled before he could." She went on, "Hecate had to exile him because he wanted to keep fighting the war and the gods were going to destroy him."
Percy always wondered where the demigods who didn't surrender went. He knew not everyone surrendered, but he wasn't sure where they went. He doubted they could actually put up a meaningful resistance, unless what was happening now was their resistance.
"You think he's still around?" Percy asked.
"Probably." Annabeth shrugged, "But I bet you would beat him. He's not a threat and we really shouldn't look for him. Our goal right now is to find this ring that Aphrodite's hiding and get the missing items back. You can tell the gods about this Zena chick."
"Right, about the ring," Percy said, "Where's the first spot at?"
Annabeth had a grim look in her eyes, "Chicago."