Chapter 15
Percy watched as the lights of New Orleans glowed in the distance as he and Annabeth flew closer. The wind roared as the chariot slowly descended. Annabeth pressed a few buttons on the console while she guided the chariot in for landing, a digital map glowed on a screen next to her hand to show her where to land.
As they got lower, Percy couldn't help but wonder how not a single mortal seemed to notice the car-sized chariot roaring over their head. He figured the mist was doing its job perfectly but he still couldn't help but wonder what exactly could convince mortals to look the other way.
"Alright, there's an alleyway not far from us." Annabeth looked over at him, "But we'll have to be careful. The map says the crime rate around here is pretty high."
"Great." Percy groaned.
It was bad enough that they had to deal with monsters and Jason hunting them but now they had to deal with shady mortals too, it was quite a pain in the ass. He knew he could probably handle fighting a mortal if it came down to fists being thrown but he wasn't sure what he could do if someone pulled a gun on him.
Annabeth slowly throttled the chariot's engine down. Percy was sure Hephaestus did the best he could with making the chariot as comfortable as possible but he really wished he made it so it didn't feel like the chariot was falling out of the sky. Percy's stomach felt like it was rising into his chest, he nearly grabbed onto Annabeth out of fear.
The feeling of the chariot's wheels rolling over concrete sent bumps up Percy's spine. Annabeth used the flight stick to steer the chariot into an alleyway. He couldn't help but wonder how Annabeth knew what each button on the control console did since she was pressing them like she didn't care. To be fair, she also knew how to fly a helicopter so he shouldn't have been surprised.
"Woah there." Annabeth said as they rolled over a rather large bump.
Percy let out a sigh of relief as the chariot finally came to a stop. Annabeth pulled a lever, the sound of the brakes engaging sounded like angels singing to him. He trusted Hephaestus when it came to creating vehicles but they were not made for the cowardly at all, he thought they were about to fall out of the sky at any moment.
He was about to get out when he noticed Annabeth tapping the screen on the console. Her eyebrows furrowed as she eyed the screen with a concerned look.
"Something wrong?" He asked her.
Annabeth turned to him, "We're running low on fuel."
"Fuel?" Percy asked, "What kind of fuel do we need?"
Percy hadn't given any thought to the fuel system of the chariot. Most chariots he had ever driven were dragged by horses and he knew how to maintain the horses. He had no idea how the engine for this chariot worked, he doubted it was like a simple car engine.
Annabeth scratched the shell of her ear, "Looks like we'll need some water from the Styx to power the engine but we don't have that."
"What kind of engine needs Styx water?" Percy asked.
"It's not unheard of." Annabeth said, looking over at him, "The Argo II used some weird underworld river water mix to power it. We still have a day of fuel left and it says there's a lock up not far from here. We can drop the chariot off in the morning and find another way out of the city."
Percy didn't say or show it but he was more than happy with that. Flight wasn't really his thing, he preferred flying on a pegasus if he had to fly at all. He still remembered that flight when he took the master bolt back to Zeus, he hated flying ever since. It was obvious Zeus didn't want him in his realm and the feeling was mutual, Percy liked the sea more anyways.
When they both climbed out the chariot, Annabeth pressed a button on her side door to lock it. Percy watched as the switches to unlock the chariot disguised themselves as fuel caps. The disguise worked because Percy wouldn't have ever guessed the fuel caps were actually the switches to unlock the doors.
Annabeth stretched her legs next to him, "We should probably find a hotel or something."
Percy looked around the dark and wet alleyway they were in. It wasn't raining but the puddles on the ground were proof that it had rained earlier. The signature smell of wet asphalt filled Percy's nostrils. He ignored the smell of cheap alcohol and cigarettes, the smell was rather…unpleasant.
The green lights of the nearby buildings provided the only light in the area, the streetlamps were old and burned out, Percy figured they'd be stuck in the dark until the sun came up.
"I think we're good." Annabeth said as she looked around, "No weirdos or nasties around."
Percy saw the neon sign of a hotel up ahead, a few letters were burnt out so it read "H T L" instead. Looking around, he knew that was their only choice.
"This whole place is shady as shit." Percy told Annabeth as he walked with her to the hotel.
"You're not wrong." She agreed, "We should really get inside before someone robs us."
Percy didn't protest at all. He and Annabeth made their way to the hotel doors and walked in, only to be disappointed but not surprised by the rundown state of the lobby. Aside from the worn-down wooden flooring and peeling wallpaper, the lobby reeked of beer. The smell reminded Percy of Smelly Gabe. The dim green light above the front desk revealed a scrawny old guy who was half-asleep.
Percy and Annabeth looked at one another. He raised his eyebrow at her, he was hoping she'd have a better idea than staying in this grungy hotel but when she nodded her head towards the desk, he knew he was out of luck.
"What do you kids want?" The clerk asked, his words slurring.
Percy eyed the clerk, he could tell the guy was out of it. The smell of whiskey came from the clerk, telling Percy that the clerk was drunk, he could probably hand him Monopoly money and he'd take it.
"We would like a room." Annabeth said politely.
The old man grunted and chucked a key onto the desk, "That'll be five bucks."
Percy didn't say anything about the cheap price. He figured this place would be cheap.
Annabeth slid a five-dollar bill on the desk and took the key. Percy followed her through a door and down a dark hallway. He made sure to watch his step, the darkness made it almost impossible to see. They walked past rooms that were either quiet or filled with suspicious noises that made Percy glad the doors were locked.
When they found their room, Annabeth recoiled.
"What?" He asked.
"Look!" She pointed at the door.
Percy stared at the door or rather, the handprint on the door seemed to be a warning to him.
"No wonder it was only five dollars to get in." Percy said.
"Right." Annabeth said, opening the door and peering inside.
Fortunately, the inside of the room seemed clean enough. The blue carpet was devoid of blood and alcohol. The white sheets of the bed seemed just fine to Percy.
Annabeth shut the door and locked it, "We should get some sleep, we're going to have to find the ring tomorrow. We'll need to be at our best."
Percy nodded and trudged over to the bed and examined it. The sheets were devoid of vomit and blood, thankfully. He made sure to check for bedbugs as well, he'd heard of how bad bedbug bites were. Once he was certain the bed was clear, he laid down. As soon as his bed hit the pillow, he passed out.
Ω
The second Percy saw the familiar campground of Camp Half-Blood, he knew he was dreaming. There was no way he'd go back there until he was certain that everyone knew he was innocent and that the person who had framed him was caught.
The sound of someone yelling caught his attention, causing him to turn to look at where it was coming from. His eyes landed on Piper and Jason standing outside cabin one and judging from what he saw, they were in the middle of a heated argument. Piper's face was red with anger while Jason grew increasingly frustrated as he argued with her.
Percy stepped closer to listen to the argument.
"I checked your phone, Jason!" Piper snapped, "You're a disgusting pig!"
Jason's blue eyes were filled with confusion and anger, "I don't know what you're even talking about, I didn't do anything!"
"Oh, you didn't do anything?" Piper asked rhetorically, "Then explain this!"
She yanked his phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and showed him the message. Percy couldn't see the message but he was certain he knew which one it was.
Jason grabbed his phone and read the message. His eyes widened before he looked up, "Piper, I swear I didn't send this."
"Save it for someone who'll believe your shit!" Piper yelled, "How dare you treat Percy like shit while talking about his girlfriend like this. You know how much Annabeth means to him. It's no wonder you drove him out of camp."
"I don't like Annabeth that way!" Jason exclaimed, "She's like a sister to me! I don't like her!"
Piper shook her head, "I can't believe you. Maybe this was why Percy was acting up because he knew you were trying to steal Annabeth away from him. He trusted you, Jason, he was your friend. The fact that you backstabbed him like this is disgusting."
"I wouldn't do this to Percy," Jason said, "You're right, he is my friend, that's exactly why I wouldn't do this."
"Then explain the text message!"
"I didn't send this!"
"It's on your phone!"
Jason stomped his foot, "Why won't you believe me?!"
Piper crossed her arms, "Because you know full well that the only people who know your password are me, Leo, and yourself. Leo has been too busy with Calypso to pull a stupid prank and I obviously wouldn't send something this disgusting."
Jason sighed, "I don't know what you want me to do. You won't believe me no matter what I say, there's literally no point in me even trying to convince you that I didn't send this."
Piper stared at him with a look that was a mixture of hurt and hate, "Just don't talk to me. I can't stand you right now."
"Wait, come back!" Jason pleaded as she turned on her heels and walked away from him, "Piper!"
Percy couldn't help but sympathize with Jason, he understood the pain of being accused of something he didn't do, especially when the person accusing you is someone you love. He'd been slashed by swords, bitten by monsters, and stung by venomous bugs yet this pain was an entirely different beast. This kind of pain had the ability to break someone's will, it had nearly broken his.
Jason punched the pillar of his cabin, "Fuck!" He looked down at his phone before looking back at camp.
"Now you know what it feels like." Percy said, though he knew Jason couldn't hear him.
That was when Percy's dream changed. This time, he was in some old apartment that he'd never seen before. The walls were a coffee tan, the ceiling fan above him spun sadly while one of the blades had been broken off completely. The floor was decorated with various different rugs, some looked like they were bought at the nearest convenience store while some looked like they were flown in from halfway across the world.
Percy looked around, wondering exactly whose apartment he had managed to manifest himself into. That's when he spotted a picture frame hanging off the wall, it was tilted slightly and was inched forward a little bit. A small amount of force would've sent it tumbling to the ground.
The picture was of a family. The father was a guy in a suit, his dark skin was covered in ceremonial tattoos from his neck to his hands. He wore a wide smile, like he'd won the lottery. Next to him was a woman. She had red hair, her ivory skin was devoid of any blemishes or markings, her dress was a mystic purple color, the same color as her eyes. In between the two of them was who Percy assumed to be their daughter. She had her mother's purple eyes.
The sound of someone walking made Percy turn around. Sure enough, the father from the photo walked into the room but he looked far worse. His hair was gray, his skin was wrinkled from old age, and he was missing a finger. In his hand was a dagger and in the other hand was a blood bag.
He moved one of the rugs aside to reveal some sort of ritualistic marking drawn in black ash.
Percy wasn't sure what he was watching but for some reason, a feeling of dread manifested in his stomach, he couldn't help but feel like something terrible was about to happen to this guy.
The guy knelt down and prayed in a language Percy couldn't understand or recognize. Then he straightened and started to chant, this time in Ancient Greek. Percy understood it perfectly and his eyes widened. He was chanting about the dark arts, Hecate, and sacrifices.
Just before he could finish however, a door slammed from outside the room. The guy cursed and threw the dagger and blood bag onto the couch where it wouldn't be seen from the doorway. He covered the marking with the rug and knelt down as if he was praying.
The girl from the photo appeared in the doorway, her backpack over her shoulders. She too was older but she looked better than her father. Her purple eyes looked less than impressed as she saw her father praying.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Zena?" He said, without looking at her.
Percy's eyes widened as he stared at the girl. This was Zena. This was the person those mysterious people in his other dreams were talking about.
"I thought you were supposed to be at a job interview today." Zena said, "Why are you still here?"
"I am offering a prayer to your mother." He said.
Zena slammed her fist against the doorway, "How many times do I have to tell you? She isn't coming back! Do you really believe she loved you? If she loved you, she would've looked you in the eyes before she left. She didn't even leave a damn note!"
"Do not speak ill of her, she is a goddess."
"Goddess or not, she is a whore!" Zena yelled.
"Enough!" The guy shouted, "You better leave now if you know what's good for you."
"You know, what? Fine." Zena said, "Stay here and starve for all I care. I'm sick of your shit anyways."
Percy watched as she stomped out of the doorway. He heard her stomp down the hall before he heard a door open and slam. The walls shook, the picture frame fell off the wall and shattered. Now the father was left in the room by himself. The curtains on the windows drifted sadly, barely letting any light in. Percy could hear the sound of raindrops softly splattering against the windows.
The father stood and retrieved the dagger and blood bag. He sat down and pulled the rug off the marking. He sighed and prayed aloud, "O' great goddess, please accept my humble offering. Please return to me, for our child."
Percy nearly shouted for him to stop but was too late as the guy plunged the dagger into the bag, sending blood all over the marking. The feeling of dread in Percy's stomach morphed and transformed into a feeling of pure terror. He wasn't sure why, nothing had happened aside from the guy making a mess.
Then everything went silent. It got to the point where Percy couldn't even hear himself breathing.
A bright red flash emitted from the marking and the smell of smoke and rotten eggs filled the room. The father fell on his back as he crawled backwards away from the marking. Horror was plastered on his face as he stared at the red light.
The light faded into a woman. Her dress was as red as the blood on the floor. Her eyes were cruel and also red, far from the purple color of Hecate's eyes. She let out a hum of amusement as she eyed the man in the room.
"You forgot to say Hecate's name." She said, "Your lover didn't respond but I did."
"W-who are you?" The guy stammered.
The woman gave him a wicked grin, "You may call me Oizys or mistress. Goddess of misery, depression, and misfortune."
"No…"
"Yes." She said as she stepped forward, "You're mine now."
Ω
Percy shot up in bed, his skin damp with sweat as he looked around frantically, expecting to see that cruel goddess watching him. He'd seen some scary shit before but usually gods and goddesses didn't scare him.
Annabeth stirred next to him, her eyes slowly drifting open as she woke up. She glanced at Percy before putting a hand on his arm.
Percy jumped before letting out a relieved sigh, "It's just you."
Annabeth sat up, "Bad dream?"
Percy wished that he could chalk everything up to being just a bad dream, but something told him that it was no dream, what he'd seen actually happened. That guy's ritual worked and it blew up in his face.
"I don't think this was a dream, Annabeth." He said.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.
Percy nodded, he was sort of glad Annabeth asked. After Tartarus, she usually gave him space after nightmares.
"Well, first things first, I think Piper and Jason just broke up." He said.
"What?!" Annabeth asked, "What happened?"
Percy sighed, he couldn't lie to her about this.
"Before I say anything else, promise me you won't get mad." He said.
"I promise." She said.
"Okay, so a few weeks back, Hektor showed me a text message he got from Jason. Jason said that you had a rocking body and that he would've smashed if you hadn't hung around me so much."
Annabeth's eyes turned dark. "Why didn't you tell me this?" She asked quietly.
"I'm getting to that. I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure if it was real, for some reason, something about it feels off." He admitted.
"I still would've liked to know!" Annabeth said.
"I'm sorry for not telling you but you have to understand why I didn't tell you. If it ended up ruining Jason's relationship with Piper and it turned out to be fake, he'd never forgive me. I needed to see if it was actually real."
Annabeth sighed, "Fine, I see your point. I'm guessing Piper found it?"
He nodded, "Yeah and she wasn't happy. The thing is, Jason denied the whole thing. I don't know why but something about him felt sincere, like he genuinely didn't know that was even a thing."
"Percy, what makes you think he didn't send that?" She asked.
"Because every time I asked about how things were going with Piper, he wouldn't shut up about how awesome she was. I didn't see anything that made me think that he wasn't happy in their relationship." He said, "But that wasn't the part that scared me."
Annabeth stared at him and motioned for him to go on.
"You know that Zena chick I was telling you about?" He asked.
"Yeah, the one that those shadow guys in your dream were talking about." She said, "What about her?"
"Well, I think I saw what happened to her dad. From what I saw, she's a daughter of Hecate but apparently Hecate left her dad."
Annabeth frowned, "Gods and goddesses always leave their mortal partners, this isn't anything new."
"Yeah but her dad tried bringing Hecate back by summoning her. Something went wrong and he ended up summoning some goddess named Oizys." He said.
Percy had never heard of Oizys before. At the same time, he wasn't surprised that a goddess like her existed, the Olympians weren't the only gods and goddesses out there.
"I've heard her name but I don't think I've actually researched her." Annabeth admitted, "What was so bad about her?"
"Annabeth, she's the goddess of misery and misfortune. She said it herself." Percy said, "I don't know what she did to Zena's dad but whatever it was, I have a feeling it wasn't good."
"Is that it?" Annabeth asked.
"Yeah." He nodded.
She patted him on the back before looking at the bedside clock. She yawned and laid back down, "We still have a few hours before we have to get up. You should try to get some sleep."
