CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I Fight A Fire-Breathing Chihuahua

I don't own Percy Jackson.

They spent two days on the train, zipping past hills, rivers, and golden fields of grain. Percy joked that the wheat looked like Will. He didn't find it as funny as her.

Somehow, they weren't attacked once, but Percy didn't relax. She knew that she was being watched at least from above, especially after that stunt with Medusa she had pulled. Looking back on it now, it had been a dumb move, and might've angered the only god on her side (Medusa, after all, had been her father's lover), but then again, Percy hadn't done it just to shock the gods. She had done it partially for Medusa too—to shove her head in their faces and shout, Look what you did to someone! She wanted them to feel some sort of regret, at least, for what they did.

Still, Percy sometimes kept a wary eye on the ground whenever she paced the length of the train. Between both Hades and that strange voice from the pit, Percy wasn't sure if she trusted the land beneath her either. But it seemed she had enemies everywhere, because one night, she found a discarded newspaper with her face on it—the Trenton Register-News had put her on the front page, a photo of when she had been lugged off the bus by Will and Grover. Her sword was a metallic blur in her hands and there was a wild look in her eyes.

The picture's caption read:

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of her mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where she accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the girl may be traveling with two teenage accomplices. Her stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to her capture.

Percy had brought it back into the cabin, hands shaking, only half-conscious of what she was doing. It had taken her almost an hour to read, and Grover had seized it, reading it out loud to Will who had asked what it said. Will assured Percy that mortal police could never find them, but they both knew that wasn't true. After all, Percy was just a girl, even if she were half-god. The police could easily catch them if they wanted.

Percy found herself often staring out windows whenever Will and Grover were sleeping, too paranoid to leave them in case some monster came, but also too bored to simply sit still in her seat. Besides, looking out the window meant that the other passengers couldn't see her face, and that meant less of a chance someone would turn her over to the police.

The reward money they had gotten for returning Gladiola had only been enough to take them to Denver, and Jefferson City if they got the sleeper berths, so they ended up just dozing off in their seats. Nobody ended up sitting next to Grover, so he ended up just curling up on both seats and using the backpack as a pillow as he slept. Will and Percy, on the other hand, were sitting next to each other, and often, they fell asleep on each other.

Once, as Percy gazed out the window, careful not to move too much because Will was napping on her shoulder, she spotted a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch. The little boy centaur, who was the size of a second-grader on a pony, caught her eye and waved. Percy blinked in surprise, and glanced around, but nobody else seemed to notice. The adult riders all had their faces buried in laptop computers or magazines.

Another time, Will had shaken her awake; eyes blurry, Percy barely made out Will's excited face as he pointed out the window. She looked out with bleary eyes. She could've sworn it was a lion, except she was fairly sure there weren't wild lions in America, and this thing was huge, fur glinting gold in the dying sun. Then it leapt through the trees and disappeared.

"The Nemean Lion," Will whispered in awe, but Percy had been too tired to even care. Instead, she just fell back onto Will's lap, having been using that as a pillow before, and went promptly back to sleep.

Most of the time, though, Percy passed time by talking to Will, figuring that, if she was going to be on a death quest with him, the two of them might as well become better acquainted.

"William Andrew Solace," Will told her when she asked what his full name was. "You?"

"Um… Persephone Elita Jackson. Birthday?"

"August twenty-third. You?"

"August eighteenth."

And that was how much of their conversations went, simply learning the little details about each other. Percy learned that he had been born in Texas, and, when he was younger, had a dreadful Texan accent—he made himself unlearn it, but sometimes, when he got upset or emotional, it came barging through again. Percy, of course, had always had a New York accent, but after the last year in Yancy, having been surrounded by rich kids from all over the country, it had faded a bit.

Finally, Percy asked about his first day. Will's expression darkened.

"I came the year after Thalia," he said reluctantly. "My father was Apollo, one of the most powerful Olympians, second to only the Big Three—monsters were after me almost as early as they were after you. My mother, of course, knew that I was a demigod—my father told her everything before. But it wasn't really the monster attacks that made her send me away. It was Axel." Will scowled. "He was always yelling at me, criticizing me, making me feel inferior—I hated living there. My father offered me a way out. He warned me of the dangers, but promised me he would protect me. So I took his offer. I left. I was eight.

"You'll hear a lot of things about Apollo, but he's honestly as great a father as a god can be. He guided me as best as he could, usually bending the Ancient Laws to do so, and kept me safe from monsters. A couple weeks after I left, I met—" Will stopped short, swallowing thickly, and then continued "—I met Alder—my father had sent word to Camp Half-Blood and asked Chiron to send a satyr to come and get me. It took him a while to find me, but after he did, we took the fastest route we could. But then we ran into another demigod. Her… her name was Jane."

"You don't have to tell me," Percy said, frowning at the pained look on his face.

"No, it's… it's okay." It clearly wasn't, but he forged on, "Jane was the daughter of Iris, and we became best friends—not that it was hard to be. But with all of us together, our scent became more overpowering. We ran into our first monster about a mile away from Camp Half-Blood. It was past midnight and we had been running all night, but Alder pushed us to keep going. We were so close. But it caught up at the foot of the hill. I'll never forget the first time I saw a hellhound.

"Alder had drawn his sword and told us to run. He said he could fight it. If we could just make it past the tree—Thalia's tree—we would be safe. The monsters wouldn't be able to get past. I felt like a coward, but what could I do? I had no combat experience, and even if I did, I didn't have a weapon. My powers weren't developed either, and both Jane and I's powers were weakened at night. So we ran. We were going to get help, but…" He swallowed. "But we were too late. Alder was overwhelmed. And then… and then… two feet from the border, Jane screamed. I looked back. The hellhound had… it had caught her. And it was…"

Will's voice broke, but Percy had a pretty good idea of what happened.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, unsure of what to even say.

Will stared out the window, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "They're the reason I became a healer. Sometimes satyrs and demigods don't make it past the hill, or they're brought to me, badly wounded, and I can't save them. I see Alder and Jane in all of them."

Percy didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter—Will brought his knees up to his chest as the two of them sat in silence until they both fell asleep on each other, though Percy didn't mention the tears that dripped down Will's cheeks as he slept.

It was midnight when someone shook her shoulder.

"Percy, wake up!" they whispered.

Percy's eyes snapped open. Will was hovering over her, looking concerned.

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare," he said.

In truth, after having actually woken up, the dream didn't bother her so much. The crushing pressure and terror had been lifted off her chest. Percy sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"'M okay," she mumbled. "Just a dream."

"Who wants your help?"

"What?"

"You were mumbling, 'I won't help you.' What were you talking about?"

Percy turned red, and then she glanced away, biting her lip. It had been the second time she dreamed about the evil voice from the pit, and instead of jumping into the pit (though she had still been seriously considering it) this time, she had taken to yelling that she wouldn't help him (it had sounded like a him anyway). Yet the feeling the voice gave her…

"There was a voice asking me to help him rise," she said reluctantly. "Against the gods, that is, and to bring him the bolt. I couldn't see him, and there was a pit, and there was a lot of laughing." She shook her head. "It sounds silly when I say it out loud—"

"No, it doesn't." Will was frowning. "You'll learn that half-bloods rarely get normal dreams, and especially if you're the daughter of Poseidon. Someone's trying to contact you, but it doesn't sound like Hades. You would see him on a throne and he doesn't usually laugh."

"But he offered my mother in trade."

"I know. But he was asking for the bolt, right? Why would he ask for it if we're going to the Underworld to retrieve it?"

"That's the other thing," Percy admitted. "I don't think Hades is trying to take over. There's something wrong. I know the prophecy said to go west where some god has turned, and Hades is in the west, but aren't there, like, a thousand other gods who are also in the west? What if they're the god that went bad?"

"Percy," Will said, "we're betting everything that the bolt is in the Underworld. If we're wrong, we don't have time to correct our mistake."

"But you believe me, right?"

Will was quiet for a moment. "I don't think Hades would be foolish enough to take the bolt, and even if he was… Chiron should interrogate every camper who went to the winter solstice meeting. I know it's morally bad and whatever but that's the fastest way to get results. But either way, I still don't think it's Hades. Why would he want to start a war now? Even with the master bolt, he wouldn't be well-versed enough with it by the summer solstice to actually fight off all the Olympians."

"You think it's Luke." It wasn't a question.

Will sighed, twisting the diamond pendant on his necklace. "Look, Percy, you'd have to be invisible to actually get the bolt. Hades' helm is one possibility, but gods can't steal each others' symbols of power, and Hades would never let a mortal touch it. That means someone had to have used Annabeth's hat. But Annabeth would never do that. I know her. But you know who would? Luke. And Annabeth would've let him use her cap without hesitation. You don't have to believe me, but at least just promise me you'll be careful around him, okay?"

"You really think he's all that bad?"

"Positive."

Percy thought back to what the Oracle said. You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

"Will," she said slowly, "there's something about the prophecy… something funny… I didn't—"

A horrible screeching sound and a sudden stop had Percy and Will almost flying out of their seats. Percy's hand was already reaching for Riptide as Will tapped his watch, but thankfully, the two of them were prevented from actually activating their weapons when Grover, who had been sitting across from them, literally flew into them as he bleated in surprise and the three of them went down, hard.

The rest of the passengers fared about as well as them. Hot coffee spilled over a few of them and bags went rolling down the train. As everybody got up grumbling and groaning, the intercom crackled.

"Sorry about that, folks," the speaker apologized, "but there seems to be a blockage on the tracks."

"Seemed to be?" Grover yelled, picking himself up. "We could've died!"

"Grover," Will muttered with clenched teeth, throwing a glance toward the adults, clearly trying to tell Grover to stop drawing so much attention to them. "It's okay. We'll just wait."

Percy peered out the window.

They had stopped in what looked like a beautiful forest, the trees and grass swaying in the wind. After seeing that park in New Jersey, she found herself hungrily devouring the pretty sight, sure it would be a long time until she would get to see another forest, mostly untouched by humans.

"It's pretty," she said offhandedly, nose still pressed to the glass.

Will pulled her away, claiming something about infections and dirt, but Grover was right beside her, looking out wistfully too. "If only we could visit. How long is the wait?"

"Two hours, or something," Will said. "And we can look, if you really want. If only for a bit. Besides, I think fresh air would do us some good."

"Yeah, but if you hadn't noticed, we're on a train," Percy said.

"And you can just unlock the door, right?"

Before Percy could explain to him that unlocking train doors without permission or there being an emergency was usually frowned upon, Will had already marched to the door and forced it open, ignoring the gaping glances of everyone else, including Percy and Will.

"What?"

"You can't just bust open doors," Percy muttered, hoping that nobody would connect the law-breaking to her. "That's like, against the law. Aren't we trying to keep a low profile?"

"It's a door."

"Yes, but some doors aren't supposed to be opened by some people, and some doors are supposed to only be opened at some times," Grover said helpfully, and then he admitted, "but the air is nice."

It truly was. Putting aside Will's disregard for mortal laws, Percy had to admit that the view was beautiful. It reminded her a little of the forest in Camp Half-Blood, though these woods had a less… sinister feel. At camp, she knew that the woods were stocked with monsters if she ever wanted to test herself, but here… While she knew there probably were monsters in this forest too, it wasn't confirmed. Besides, it might've also been to do with the fact it was in the mortal realm. She was tired of Greek mythology.

"So?" Will prompted. "Let's go."

He went to leave, but Percy grabbed his arm before he could. "Okay, Will, breaking open a door is one thing, but actually leaving through it? People are going to think… they're going to think we killed someone here or something."

Will gave her a deadpanned look. "I didn't say anything when you did that thing with… you know." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Medusa."

"Thanks for making it look like we're serial killers," she grumbled. "Fine."

"Besides," Will continued, "Chiron taught me a trick. Come on."

"What trick?"

Will didn't respond. He just jumped out of the train, and Percy and Grover shared a weary glance before following him. As soon as the three of them were out, Will snapped his fingers. A sort of wind rippled across the area, stirring the leaves and trees. Percy frowned, glancing backwards, and was startled to see a sort of dazed look in the rest of the passengers' eyes as they went to doing what they were doing before.

"How did you do that?"

"I told you. A trick Chiron taught me. I'm sure he'll teach you later too."

He didn't elaborate, and Percy found herself too tired to try and ask. Getting answers from anyone in the mythological world was far too much like pulling teeth, she found. She just had to hope that eventually everything would make sense.

As they trekked forward, Percy asked, "Grover, you smell anything?"

He sniffed the air, and then shrugged. "Forests always smell like monsters. So does underground air. They could be a mile away, though. The wind blows the scent everywhere."

Yet something felt wrong to her. She had a feeling they shouldn't have been there, and that was putting aside the little law-breaking she had just endorsed in.

"You know the gods' symbols of power?" she asked. "Doesn't Hades have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"The Helm of Darkness," Will said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting. But his helm is a lot more powerful than Annabeth's hat."

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover said, probably seeing the look on Percy's face. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"Oh," Percy said, and then trying for some humor, she joked, "So I guess people aren't scared of being alone in the dark. They're afraid of not being alone in the dark."

Unsurprisingly, it fell flat, and both Grover and Will gave her unimpressed looks, though there was a spark of worry in their eyes. And then Percy realized what they were trying to say without saying it: Hades could've been watching them, right there and then, and they wouldn't have had any clue. He could've decided to make their quest a thousand times more difficult if he wanted to.

"Maybe we shouldn't be here," Percy suggested weakly. "Maybe it'd be better if we went back to the train…"

"Yeah," Will agreed warily, stopping in his tracks. "Maybe we should."

Grover wasn't listening, though. He had bounded forward, a sort of dreamy look in his eyes… and then a giggling nymph popped out of the side of the tree, startling Percy. Oh, right. A dryad. She had seen them around at camp before, but it was a jarring feeling, realizing that there were nature spirits all around them, even in the mortal realm.

"We should go," Will muttered, glancing around uneasily. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I guess I was just excited about seeing an actual national park… I shouldn't have been so stupid."

"No, it's okay. We're all going crazy from sitting in a train."

He closed his eyes, sighing, and Percy realized that, in the sun's rays, he seemed to almost be… glowing. She had almost forgotten about that trait that apparently Apollo kids had, but considering the weather… It was the first time, in quite a long time, that the weather was so nice. Most of the time, it was raining or cloudy. She supposed that the glowing part of the package only happened when it was sunny.

A sudden yelp snapped her from her thoughts.

Will had already drawn his blade and Percy was already flicking off the cap off her pen as the dryad disappeared back into her tree, leaving Grover to stumble forward and glance around desperately. And then his ears twitched and he tensed, slowly walking backwards to the two, eyes focused straight ahead of him.

"Voices," he said lowly. "People are coming. And it smells like monsters."

"I thought you said everywhere in a forest smells like monsters."

"Better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"Guys!" Will interrupted, his own eyes trained where Grover's was. "We'll figure it out. If they're mortals, great. If not… it's been a while since we've last stretched."

The two of them crept forward, Grover's tin can half crumpling in his death grip. Percy could hear the voices now—they certainly sounded human, but after Mrs Dodds and Medusa, she had learned to stay wary of anyone.

"Hey, you kids lost?"

It was a group of six—all hippie-looking, reminding Percy a lot of nomads, yet they still somehow looked like the stereotypical hiking family—boots, hats, those pointy sticks that were supposed to help with walking though Percy didn't know how. It was a strange combination. Their smiles seemed friendly enough, but Percy didn't relax until Grover took a large sniff and his shoulders dropped in relief.

"No, we aren't," Grover said. "We're just… uh… deciding to not conform to society's rules by going on the paths."

"I get you," another man said. "We don't need to bow to society's rules, you know? Live freely."

"Right," Will said awkwardly. He looked like he would've rather jumped off the Saint Louis Arch than be there.

"Well, why don't you come with us?" another asked. "In and out—no sweat. We're going to see the Mississippi River."

"Yes," Percy said before she really knew what she was saying.

Will shot her a look of surprise, but before he could argue, the first man said cheerfully, "Well, let's go!"

"Percy, what are you doing?" Grover whispered.

"It's the Mississippi River," she whispered back, making sure to keep out of hearing range from the hikers. "I'm the daughter of Poseidon. When am I ever going to get the chance to see the longest river in America? We'll go, I'll look, and then we'll come right back."

Will didn't look entirely convinced, but there was little he could do. He just reluctantly followed Percy, who, for the first time in days, found a little skip in her step—she truly was the sea's daughter, it seemed.

Fifteen minutes later, Percy whispered, "Wow."

It was huge—the swift currents were music to her ears. Her eyes were shining, something Will didn't miss. The hippie hikers oohed and aahed over the river, but they were nothing compared to Percy. She half-ran toward the river, already reaching down and dipped her hands in the river, closing her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was the first time she had felt such a strong source of power—true, she always did keep her pouch of water on her, but that was nothing to the rushing calm that the river brought.

"Hi."

All of them whirled around.

Behind them stood a very pretty girl who was wringing her hands nervously, her skin tinted green. A dryad.

"I was just wondering… well, I've had it for weeks…"

"What do you need?" Will asked, as kind as ever.

"Well, I need help with my tree," the dryad admitted. "There's been an infestation and it's eating my roots. I was hoping… well, surely a satyr can help…"

"Sure!" Grover said, eager as ever. "Where's your tree?"

"It's over here… maybe the son of Apollo might want to help? It's a healing process, I don't know if—"

But Will's eyes were already shining. "I've never tried healing a tree before. I doubt anybody's ever tried to heal a tree before. I'd be delighted." And then he frowned, turning back to Percy. "But I don't want to leave Percy here alone…"

"It's okay," she said, only half-hearing him. "I have all this water. I'll yell if I need help."

Will still looked wary, but Grover dragged him away, perhaps eager to flirt with the dryad a little more. Percy didn't even pay attention to them. Instead, she just closed her eyes and listened to the melodious rush of the river, knowing that she would probably never get this chance again. Sure, it probably hadn't been the best idea to just leave Grover and Will, but she was enjoying the river too much and she knew Will loved knowledge—trying to heal a tree would've been the perfect learning experience for him.

There was also another reason too—the river seemed to be calling to her. At Camp Half-Blood, there was always a tug toward the lake, as was expected, but this… this was a whole other feeling.

She was just about to dive into the water mindlessly when a yap snapped her out of her trance.

She turned around in surprise. A big fat lady stood behind her, holding the leash to a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. She had beady eyes; pointy, coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much she looked like a blue-jean blimp.

"Now now sonny," she said. "Behave."

"No," the lady told her.

She smiled, as if that cleared everything up. Percy was starting to feel a little uneasy. The woman wasn't even dressed for a hike, not to mention the Chihuahua; she found herself edging closer to the river, hoping for a backup if things went south, though she'd probably have better luck using her sword.

When the Chihuahua started growling and yapping again, the woman sighed. "Well, I was hoping for a conversation, but if you insist, son."

If stomachs could magically disappear, Percy's just did. "Um, did you call that Chihuahua your son?"

"Chimera, dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."

She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, Percy saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's. Percy was too frozen to even think about pulling out her sword, or even shout for Will and Grover like she had said she would.

The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Dobermann, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.

The Chimera was now so tall its back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a three-metre-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA – RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS - IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS - EXT. 954.

The snake lady made a hissing noise that might've been laughter. "Be honoured, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

Percy stared at her. All she could think to say was: "Isn't that a kind of anteater?"

She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"

When the Chimera charged, Percy's instincts leapt into action. She managed to leap aside and dodge its gnashing teeth, but that was the least of her worries. Riptide had rolled into the river, and she had to dive back onto the ground, praying she didn't get barbecued in the next few seconds. Thankfully, she wasn't, though it surely wasn't thanks to the gods—Percy didn't forget Echidna's words: Lord Zeus allowed me to do this.

If kicking a god in the place where the sun didn't shine wasn't basically illegal, Percy would've done it to Zeus a thousand times.

Grabbing the pen that had reappeared in her pocket, Percy flicked off the cap and faced the Chimera, just to nearly get torched by its fire breath. Somehow, she managed to duck, and while the Chimera was recovering, she slashed at its neck.

Big mistake.

The sword glanced harmlessly off the collar she had somehow forgotten about, and while she stumbled from the unexpected shield, the Chimera took advantage of her weakness. The serpent tail whipped around and sank its fangs into her recently-healed leg.

It felt just as bad as the Fury's whip. Her entire leg was on fire—she tried to strike with Riptide again, but her entire vision was red, the world cartwheeling before her; when the Chimera slammed into her and sent her blade flying into the river, she knew she had lost. She was weaponless. Even if Riptide appeared in her pocket again, she wouldn't even be able to use it. She could feel the deadly poison racing to her heart. Her breathing was slowly. Her strength was fading. She didn't even know if Will's healing abilities would be enough to save her.

She was going to die.

As if Echidna knew what percy was thinking, she stalked forward, forked tongue flickering between her teeth as she laughed, the Chimera advancing, growling, smoke curling from its lips.

"They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?"

They walked with ease, knowing she was beaten and there was no way she could defend herself. They were in no hurry.

"If you are the true daughter of Poseidon," Echidna continued in her drawling hiss, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Control it and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline."

Yeah, right, she thought through the pain. She knew what Echidna was goading her to do—to actually plunge into the river. But the river was swift—too swift. If she entered, she would be swept away in a second, away from her friends, and that was the least of her problems. How would she breathe? How would she survive?

The Chimera's mouth glowed red, heating up for another blast.

"You have no faith," Echidna told her. "You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart."

She was right: Percy was dying. Nobody could save her, not even the gods.

Yet when she looked at the rushing waters, she remembered the warm glow of her father's smile. He must have seen her, must have visited her when she was a baby. He had found his way back home, just like she had to do if she jumped.

"Die, faithless one," Echidna rasped, and the Chimera sent a column of flame towards her face.

"Father, help me," she prayed.

And with her clothes on fire, poison coursing through her veins, she fell backwards, into the river.

I realized only toward the fight with Echidna that without the drama and the uncertainty of falling off the Saint Louis Arch, there really was no reason for Percy to not just jump in the river, so my reasons aren't the best. I just really didn't want them to go there, though, because they honestly don't really have a reason.

The next chapter, as far as I remember, is incredibly short, so it shouldn't be long until it's up.

Also, some of Will's backstory! And Percy trusting Will a lot. I don't know why, but their trust in each other is cute. Also, the idea of Percy breaking divine laws and Will breaking mortal laws while the other freaks out is hilarious. I don't know why.

As always, thank you to readers, and reviews are appreciated!