Chapter 19: I Make a Pegasus a Promise
"Can I just please have six Big Mac meals please?" Percy asked the teenager behind the desk.
The teenager sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration, "As I've told you countless times now, you need to order from one of the ordering stations."
"But it keeps talking to me and it's freaking me out."
"It's asking for your order! It's where you submit your order! And then, when we've made it, I'm going to call out your number and you can come pick it up."
"But it keeps offering me extras that I don't want and the order gets so confusing, why can't I just order from you like the good old days?"
"The good old days," she asked frowning, "What are you 50?"
"38," he replied, to which the girl rolled her eyes and mouthed 'crackhead'.
"I can't take your order," she reaffirmed, "So please order from our ordering stations, or I'm going to have to ask you to leave since you're loitering."
Percy facepalmed, "I'm trying to order but you won't let me!"
Scarlett walked up and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the ordering station, "Come on grandpa, let me introduce you to the 21st Century."
"I'm from the 21st Century," he argued.
"Yeah, well act like it," she said, walking up to the electronic interface and hitting a button to get started, "See, it's very intuitive."
"IPad kids have ruined society," Percy muttered under his breath, and Scarlett shot him a glare.
"I grew up in a cave and then camp. I never had an IPad. I'm just not a dumbass."
Percy pouted but watched Scarlett attentively as she began to input their order. "I'm adding nuggets, you want some?" she asked, to which Percy nodded.
"What drinks would you like with your order?" A voice buzzed out. Scarlett turned to Percy with a raised eyebrow.
"Diet Coke for me and Thalia, get yourself whatever you want. And then get three grape Fantas for the pegasi."
"Grape Fanta?" Scarlett asked, scrunching up her nose in disgust.
Percy shrugged, "It's what they asked for."
"Pegasi are weird," Scarlett sighed, turning back to the screen and ordering a Sprite, "You want a McFlurry?"
"What flavours do they have?"
"We have a number of McFlurry flavours. Would you like a complete list?"
"Yes?" Percy said, more of a question than a statement.
"In stock we currently have Raspberry Cheesecake Delight, Tropical Island Dream, Caramel Pretzel Crunch, Espresso Brownie Blast, Lemon Blueberry Bliss, Mint Chocolate Oreo Swirl, Chai Spiced Delight, Maple Pecan Indulgence, Cherry Almond Fusion, Cookies 'n' Cream Caramel Swirl, Lavender Honey Serenity, and Banana Walnut Streusel."
Percy's jaw almost hit the floor. "I love the future," he muttered, drool gathering at the corners of his mouth.
"I'll have the Tropical Island Dream," Scarlett said, and without her clicking anything it was added to the cart. She looked back at Percy, "Decided yet?"
"Is the Lemon Blueberry Bliss blue?" Percy asked, frowning.
"The Lemon Blueberry Bliss McFlurry is blue in colour," the machine responded.
"I'll take it," Percy exclaimed with a grin, "Thalias a basic bitch so just get her the Cookies 'n' Cream one."
The two McFlurrys were added to the order. "Do you think the Pegasi will want one?" Scarlett asked.
Percy rolled his eyes, "I'm not made of money…wait a minute I don't have any mortal money how am I supposed to pay?"
"No payment detected. Should I cancel the order?" The machine beeped.
"I'll pay," Scarlett said with a sigh.
"With what money?"
"I'm the daughter of the god of wealth…I'll manage," she answered, fishing a black credit card out of her pocket and tapping it against the machine.
"Order Confirmed. Would you like to join our Ronald McDonald Rewards Program? Save 10% off future orders by giving us your name, address, date of birth, and social security number."
"No," Scarlett said aloud, turning on her heel and walking over to where Thalia and the three Pegasi were sitting. They had pulled out three of the chairs to allow the Pegasi to sit across the demigods. If any of the New Yorkers were faced by having the three mythical creatures in a McDonalds in the middle of downtown they didn't say anything, but that was part of why Percy loved the city. Besides, to the mortals they probably just looked like big dogs.
"Thanks for this Boss," Blackjack said as they approached, "I've been fiending for some Maccas."
"Glad I could help. Thanks for the lift."
"He's just as cool as in the stories, BJ," the grey pegasus to Blackjack's left said.
"Yeah," the white spotted pegasus to his right chimed in, "Is it true you guys fought off Dionysus?"
Percy raised an eyebrow at his trusty steed, but decided to save him from embarrassment, "Something like that."
"Order 68!" The teenager at the counter called out, and Percy headed back over.
Thalia sighed. "We were this close to peak comedy," she said, holding her fingers up and pinching them together.
Percy approached the counter and the girl handed him bags of food and a large container full of the McFlurrys. "Here you go, and good on you for spending your money on food instead of crack."
Percy groaned, "I'm not a crackhead,"
"Thank god, you're too hot to be a crackhead,"
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen," she replied, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
Percy, having had enough encounters with under age girls today to last him a lifetime, spun around and walked back to the table, leaving the girl at the counter pouting.
"Okay," he said as he approached, "Two Big Mac meals to Roger, two to Blackjack, and two to Steve-o. Nuggets for me and Scarlett. Diet Coke for me and Thalia. Sprite for Scarlett. And then a McFlurry each."
Thalia glared at him, "I asked for Dr. Pepper and nuggets."
"I got flustered at the machine,"
"You're a moron," she exclaimed, reaching over and snatching his nuggets away. Percy pouted and sat down, deciding he had to settle for his Diet Coke and McFlurry. The Pegasi began devouring their meals while Thalia and Scarlett began working on their nuggets. He took a tentative mouthful of his blue-coloured McFlurry and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. It was zesty lemon-flavoured ice cream with blueberries and lemon cookie crumbles. It was tangy and refreshing and his devastating loss of nuggets was quickly forgotten.
"So are we gonna talk about the prophecy?" Thalia asked between mouthfuls.
"Didn't your mother teach you to close your mouth when you were eating?" Percy replied.
"I ran away from home, must've missed that lesson," she shot back, "Now stop dodging the question. That King of Kings line has you stressed out, but we need to analyse the rest of it."
Percy sighed, "To the call, each nation rise…"
"Like countries?" Scarlett asked.
"I doubt it," Thalia mused, "Since when have the governments of countries gotten involved in demigod affairs."
"I think it means us," Percy said, and when the two girls looked at him in confusion he elaborated, "We're the nation of Greece, we represent the Greeks. We're going to Egypt in Brooklyn, Rome is Camp Jupiter, and there are the Norse in Boston."
"That makes the next line less fun," Thalia sighed, and Percy couldn't help but agree.
"Send forth your soldiers to their demise…sounds optimistic," he muttered.
"Prophecies can be ambiguous," Thalia offered.
"Thanks Apollo," he replied, to which she rolled her eyes.
"Hey I'm just trying to lighten the mood. The fallen son shall pave the way…"
"...But the forgotten one is he who'll pay," Percy finished.
"So who is the fallen and who is the forgotten?" Thalia muttered.
"Maybe Lucifer is the fallen son," Scarlett offered.
Percy scrunched his nose, "Doubtful. The King of Kings line makes me think the prophecy is talking about Enlil and the Annunaki. The problem is we don't know enough about Annunaki mythology or history to know who would be the fallen son and who would be the forgotten one. It's times like this that I miss Annabeth."
Thalia looked over at him with a somber face, but Percy didn't appreciate the pity. There was no use getting angry or upset at the thought of a woman who had moved on from him a long time ago, even if for him it felt like it had happened in the space of a week. The fact that it had only been a week still bit at him though, and he would be lying if he said the hole in his stomach had disappeared. The events of the past couple of days had taken his mind off of it, but in moments of peace it would slowly gnaw its way back into his conscious mind.
"Who is Annabeth?" Scarlett asked innocently, unaware of the dagger she was twisting in Percy's chest.
Thalia and Percy went silent, Percy staring off into space while Thalia read Percy's expression, looking for any sort of reaction.
"She was an old friend…" Thalia started slowly, "She went on quests with us before Percy went into the ice. We were really close and-"
"She was my girlfriend," Percy cut her off, "She was the love of my life…and then time and fate snatched her away from me."
The room went silent, minus the steady munching of the pegasi on their Big Macs, but even they seemed to eat a little slower as the weight of the tension in the air spread to even them. Scarlett looked embarrassed at bringing it up, but Thalia offered a reassuring smile and the daughter of Hades' shoulders relaxed. They ate in silence for a few minutes, Percy lost in his thoughts and neither of the two girls wanted to bring up any more painful memories. Blackjack was whispering something to Roger and Steve-o, but then let out a very audible gulp as he finished his second Big Mac and began slurping on his grape Fanta.
"So Boss," he started, leaning back and rubbing his belly with a hoof, "Where are we off to next?"
"You've taken us as far as you need to Blackjack, we can get to where we need to go from here."
The pegasus frowned, "Are you sure? You just gave me my best meal in ages, I'm feeling unusually helpful."
Percy shook his head, indicating towards Scarlett "Don't thank me, Scarlett is the one who bought it for you.
Blackjack staggered to his feet and made his way over to Scarletts chair, bending down and bowing in front of her, "Thank you my queen, you have earnt my love and respect."
Scarlett giggled, running her hand through his mane, "What's he doing?"
"Thanking you," Percy answered, "And don't take his thanks too lightly. Blackjack is a great ally to have on your side."
Blackjack nodded in approval, "Fastest horse east of the Mississippi, and on every day that ends in y the fastest horse west of the Mississippi."
"Nah bro remember when you got schooled by that female pegasus…what was her name again?" the grey pegasus wondered out loud.
"Shut up Steve-o," Blackjack warned.
"Nah nah, let him cook," the white spotted pegasus, which Percy assumed was Roger, interrupted, "She smoked your ass."
"I have never been beaten, especially not by a girl," Blackjack argued, "I am him!"
"Cap!" Steve-o yelled.
Blackjack trotted towards his fellow pegasus, rearing slightly as he approached, "You wanna take this outside little bro. I'll show you what getting your ass smoked looks like."
Steve-o reared up as well, "Any time any place bitch!" and just like that the two began to playfully smack one another with their hooves.
"Actually," Percy interrupted, keen not to have them cause a scene as an idea popped into his head, "You could do me a favour."
Blackjack fell back onto all fours and turned his attention towards Percy, "Hit me with it."
"In the morning Argus is going to take Jett, Alice and Axel towards Brooklyn. I want you to follow them, stealthily, and then let me know everything that happens. If we're going to intercept them with the Egyptians I want to know what we're walking into."
Blackjack saluted with his hoof, "You got it Boss. We're the fastest, stealthiest, smartest pegasi on the planet. Consider it done."
"Didn't you ask me yesterday if clouds were Zeus' farts?" Roger wondered aloud.
"I will shove my hoof so far up your ass I will wear you like a horseshoe." Blackjack threatened.
"Thanks buddy. I'll owe you one after. A meal anywhere you want." Percy promised, immediately regretting it as the three pegasi turned to face him in unison, eyes wide.
"Anywhere?" Blackjack asked tentatively.
"Anywhere," Percy reaffirmed.
"Anywhere?" Roger pressed.
"Anywhere," Percy repeated, this time less confidently than the first.
"Anywhere?" Steve-o questioned, pressing his snout against Percy's face.
"Arnyweere," Percy managed to say without accidently kissing the pegasus.
Suddenly the three began to chant in unison, "ARBYS, ARBYS, ARBYS!"
"You guys were excited about Arbys?" Percy asked incredulously. Thalia gave him a look but he waved her questions away.
"Boss…they have the meats!" Blackjack said, unable to keep the sense of wonder out of his statement.
"THEY HAVE THE MEATS! THEY HAVE THE MEATS! THEY HAVE THE MEATS!" Roger and Steve-o began chanting.
"Okay, okay," Percy conceded, "They have the meats. I'll take you to Arbys."
The pegasi cheered and began dancing around one another, their previous competition forgotten and they celebrated the idea of getting to go to Arbys.
"Why are they so happy?" Thalia asked.
"I told them I would take them to Arbys,"
She frowned, "Why are they so excited about Arbys?"
Percy looked at her and couldn't keep the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, "Because Thalia…they have the meats."
Thalia looked like she was about to hit him, but clearly decided it wasn't worth it, turning back to her McFlurry. Blackjack was now leading the pegasi in a conga line towards the exit of the McDonalds.
"See ya in a bit Boss. Can't wait for Arbys!" he called back as he used his hooves to open the door.
"They have the meats! They have the meats! They have the meats!" Roger and Steve-o sang as they followed Blackjack out onto the bustling city streets. They conga lined down the sidewalk and around the building until they were out of sight.
Percy turned to Thalia with a grin, "I think I made them happy."
She rolled her eyes, "Men are so stupid."
"Preach sister," Scarlett sighed, and the two high-fived.
Percy pouted, "You're just jealous you've never made someone so happy they conga lined out of the building."
Thalia tilted her head in thought for a second before nodding, "Yeah, that must be it."
"This is gonna be a long quest," Scarlett groaned.
"Hey, I got you McDonalds. Isn't that like most ten year olds' dreams?"
Scarlett frowned at him, "I paid stupid."
Percy rubbed his chin, "Good point…well presented."
"So," Thalia interrupted, putting her trash into one of the garbage cans off to the side, "Where is this psych ward that Piper is at?"
Percy pulled out the newspaper and looked over it again, "It says here that she turned herself in to the psych ward a few days ago, Whispering Hollows Psychiatric Facility. That doesn't sound creepy at all. It says that a number of doctors they have sent in so far have all left in fits of distress. Apparently everyone that comes into contact with her goes crazy."
"That could be her charmspeak," Thalia theorised, "Mortals wouldn't even understand what was happening to them."
"Police found her wife and daughter dead along with two unidentified men who they believed to have invaded the apartment. She was found holding her dead wife and daughter, the two unidentified men were found lying not far away. Cause of death: undetermined."
"For any of them?" Scarlett asked.
"That's what it says."
"Maybe they don't want to release it," Thalia mused, "Might have been gruesome."
"I hate to say it," Percy muttered, "But it looks like we're going to have to ask her. Are you guys ready?"
Thalia nodded and Scarlett slurped down the last of her McFlurry. Percy followed suit and then the three of them headed towards the exit. The girl behind the counter winked at him as he left but Percy did his best to pretend he didn't notice. The last thing he needed was to be arrested for chatting to an underage girl. Even though he was technically 18 and so it wasn't that weird, he was probably the same age as her parents, and that freaked him out a little bit. Damn, if he was going to get over Annabeth maybe that meant he was going to have to date older women. Maybe dating a goddess would solve that problem. That created a whole new host of problems though, and so he shook the thoughts away as he exited to McDonalds and was greeted by the nighttime traffic of New York City. The address for Whispering Hollows had been in the newspaper, and Percy remembered that it had been the location of a daycare before he had gone into the ice. He didn't know what had prompted the change, but at least it meant he knew where he was going as he led his two companions through the streets of his home city.
The three pegasi flew lazily through the air, riding the winds to conserve energy as the weight of their recent meal sat heavily in their stomachs. There was a comfortable silence between the three friends, and the clear night sky meant that none of them needed to pay particular attention to what was in front of them outside of the occasional bird. Blackjack led the group, but Roger flew up alongside him, analysing the older pegasus closely.
"Wanna tell me what that was about?" he asked.
Blackjack didn't look at his friend, his attention on the skies before them, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Steve-o flapped his wings, drawing level with the other two. "You know what he's talking about BJ. Conga line out of McDonalds singing the Arby's theme song. That has to be one of the weirdest things you've asked us to do."
The black pegasus didn't respond for a moment, gliding in silence and lost in thought. With a heavy sigh he swung his head from one friend to the other and began his explanation. "I've been friends with the Boss since he was a kid. He saved me almost thirty years ago. Didn't do it for any other reason than he had a good heart. I swore to myself on that day that I would always be there for him. Usually that meant being his fearless steed…but since he came back from his twenty years away he hasn't been the same. There's a sadness around him, especially when people mention Annabeth."
"That's the daughter of Athena right?" Roger asked, "I remember hearing about her in the stories."
Blackjack nodded, his voice somber, "I remember the way he used to look at her. Kid was hopelessly in love…then he came back and she was gone."
"That's why he was so sad at the restaurant," Steve-o thought aloud, "They were talking about her."
"The Boss is my best friend," Blackjack declared, "We've been through thick and thin together. If us singing the Arby's theme song and conga lining out of McDonalds brings a smile to his face…it's the least I can do."
The two younger pegasi shared a look as silence settled upon them once again. The lights of Camp Half-Blood began to appear on the horizon, and the three mythical creatures began angling themselves towards the ground.
"You're a good friend," Roger finally said, breaking the silence, "He's lucky to have you."
Blackjack shook his head, "No…I'm lucky to have him. Now come on, let's raid the kitchens before we head out tomorrow morning."
Whispering Hollows Psychiatric Facility was much bigger than Percy had expected it to be, but then again they had constructed the towering building on what had been a relatively small daycare that had sported a large park. Much of the original park was gone, and all that remained was the large oak tree beside the entrance. The building must have been about six stories tall, but only had windows on the first and second floors. The remaining four floors were completely featureless outside of one singular window on the sixth floor. Lights emanated from the lower two floors, but the top window was dark. The wind had picked up as they approached, and the temperature seemed to drop as they stood on the sidewalk across from it, not that it bothered Percy.
Scarlett shuddered, clutching her jacket closer to her.
"What's wrong?" Thalia asked, putting her arm around the younger girl's shoulders. Percy was surprised at how quickly Thalia had warmed to her, but figured that the daughter of Zeus had a lot of experience with girls Scarletts age from the Hunt.
"Something horrible happened here," Scarlett whispered, her face turning pale, "There's so much death."
Percy felt his blood run cold. This was a girl that had demons living in her head, but the look on her face as she stared at the psychiatric facility was one of unmistakable fear. He turned back to the facility, scanning the exterior and noticing a large plaque on one of the iron fences that ringed the outer edge of the building. He checked for oncoming traffic, one can never be too careful, and slipped across the street, leaving Thalia and Scarlett watching him from the other side.
The plaque was written in an unusual font, which made Percy reading it incredibly difficult with his dyslexia, but after rereading it five or six times he managed to piece together what it said.
In loving memory of the victims of the Sunshine Hollow Daycare Disaster, the City of New York dedicates the remains of the daycare to be used to help those in need, and be repurposed in the form of a mental health facility.
Sunshine Hollow Daycare Disaster? Sunshine Hollow Daycare had been the name of it when Percy was a kid, so it explained not only why the daycare was no longer here, but also why Scarlett sensed so much death. He hurried back over to the demigoddesses and reported his findings.
"The city decided to build a mental health facility on top of a place where a bunch of kids died?" Thalia mused, "That's local government for you."
"They're still here…" Scarlett murmured.
Thalia and Percy looked at her warily. "What do you mean still here?" Thalia asked.
"They haven't found peace," the daughter of Hades continued, "I can hear them crying."
The elder demigods shared a look. "That's not terrifying at all," Percy noted.
Thalia frowned, "Why would Piper come to a place like this?"
"We have no idea what kind of mental state she's in," Percy warned, "Her wife and daughter just died, and she's turning doctors mad. We need to be careful."
"I've got a bad feeling about this place," Thalia sighed.
"Was that before or after you found out children died on the site where the city is hosting a bunch of crazy people?"
Thalia shot him a look, "Okay smartass. How about you go in first since you're our fearless leader?"
Percy winced, "Why doesn't Scarlett go first?"
"Because I'm ten!" She exclaimed.
"Oh so when you don't want to lead us into a mental asylum you're ten, but when you want to go on a dangerous, life threatening quest to prevent the rise of a being as powerful as primordials, all of a sudden you're a fearless daughter of Hades who controls demons."
Scarlett smiled, "Sounds about right,"
Percy rolled his eyes, "You guys suck…but fine."
He begrudgingly began trudging towards the entrance of the facility, his companions in tow. The shadow of the large oak in front of the building added an extra layer of foreboding to what lay beyond. As Percy approached the entrance, he couldn't help but notice the sharp contrast between its sleek, modern facade and the uneasy feeling that was settling in his chest. The building's exterior was clean, and the windows on the bottom two floors were large, giving it a very modern feeling. However, there was something off-putting about the way it loomed over him, almost like an imposing fortress.
Pushing open the heavy glass door, Percy stepped inside and was immediately greeted by a bright and clean interior, in contrast to the dark and dirty streets outside. The walls were painted in cold, clinical white, and the floors were a pristine, polished marble. The scent of disinfectant filled the air, and Percy was reminded of childhood visits to the doctor or dentist when he was younger.
Walking down the polished hallway, he noticed the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, adding to his sense of unease. The entrance hallway was bare, and the waiting room immediately in front of him was empty. The place seemed quiet and strangely deserted, with a single receptionist the sole occupant of the room. Thalia and Scarlett followed after him, and based on the looks on their faces neither of them were at ease. Scarlett was shaking gently, and Thalia pulled her closer as they approached the reception desk.
"Welcome to Whispering Hollow Psychiatric Facility," the receptionist announced with enthusiasm, grinning at them as they approached, "How may I assist you?"
"I'm here to see my friend," Percy replied, caught off guard by her bubbly attitude, "She was admitted recently. Piper McLean"
The receptionist typed away on the computer, her nails clicking on the keys echoing across the empty room, "Ah, yes. Piper McLean," she said, glancing up at Percy with a curious gleam in her eyes, "Are you the latest doctor they've sent?"
Percy shook his head, "Family. I'm her cousin."
The receptionist frowned, "Hmm, I was told she didn't have a family. Can I see some proof of a relationship?"
Now it was Percy's turn to frown, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
Thalia sighed and pushed Percy aside, snapping her fingers as she did so, "We are the doctors that were sent. Can you tell us what room she is in?"
Percy had seen her do that trick before, manipulating the mist years ago at West Hall when they had gone to rescue Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. Ironic that it would come in handy again as they rescued another demigod a couple decades later. The receptionist, however, didn't seem fazed.
"You just told me you were family. I'm afraid I don't understand the sass with the snapping and the lying."
Thalia's face fell. She turned to Percy and mouthed 'clear sighted?'. This time it was Percy's turn to push Thalia aside. "We heard that she just went through a tragedy and enrolled herself at this facility. We're sorry for lying, we just really want to see our cousin."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow, "No identification, no visit. Please return with the proper identification."
"Fire…" a voice whispered behind him, and Percy turned to see Scarlett staring at the receptionist in fear, backing away from the desk.
The receptionist's head snapped to the daughter of Hades, "What did you say?" she hissed.
Scarlett's eyes widened and she backed up until she bumped into one of the waiting room chairs. Her breath caught in her throat and Percy felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Whatever was happening right now was making him really uncomfortable, and the look the receptionist was giving Scarlett caused every instinct in his body to scream that they were in danger.
"Scarlett…" Thalia said slowly, "What do you mean fire?"
Scarlett's face turned white, and she didn't reply. It was as if the receptionist's stare was piercing through her, reading her thoughts, her fears, and her vulnerabilities. The tension in the room was building, and Percy was suddenly keenly aware of his heart pounding against his chest. He didn't know what was happening, but he was determined to get away from the receptionist sooner rather than later.
"So," he started defiantly, "What kind of documents would prove my relationship?"
The receptionist peeled her eyes away from Scarlett, focusing back on the son of Poseidon that was now towering above the desk. "I don't know," she answered slowly, "What kind of identification do demigods usually carry with them?"
Percy's blood ran cold, and his hand slipped into his pocket, curling around his trusty fountain pen. He glanced to his left to see Thalia's eyes sparking, she was just as on edge as he was.
"How do you know we're demigods?" Thalia asked, eyes narrowing.
The receptionist smirked, "You just told me." She typed something into the computer and then stood abruptly, almost causing Percy to jump out of his skin. But she didn't attack them, instead she walked over to where a line of keys were hanging and fished one of them off the hook. Attached to what looked like an old fashioned key was a plain white key card. "The keycard will give you access to the elevator, and the key is to the daughter of Aphrodite's room. She is on the fourth floor, please enjoy your stay."
She then sat back down and returned to typing away at the computer, suddenly ignorant of their presence. Percy and Thalia shared an uneasy look but began backing towards the elevator, keeping the receptionist in their line of sight. Thalia grabbed Scarlett's hand while Percy tapped on the button to signal the elevator. The tension that a moment ago had been sky high was slowly dissipating, but Percy couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Whatever Piper was doing here, they needed to get her out.
As the elevator doors closed to separate them from the receptionist Percy let out a sigh he didn't know he had been holding. Thalia slumped against the wall and let out a deep breath as well.
"What in Hades was that?" she asked, looking up at Percy.
Percy turned to Scarlett, "What did you mean when you said fire?"
Scarlett was actively shaking now, and in a move that surprised Percy she stepped forward and hugged him, burying her face in his stomach. Thalia ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed the keys off of Percy, swiping it against a scanner and aggressively slamming the button for the fourth floor.
Percy wrapped his arms around Scarlett and held her close. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but clearly her interaction with the receptionist had shaken her up more than he had initially thought.
"Scarlett," he whispered, "What's wrong?"
The low hum of the elevator's machinery announced their slow ascent upwards, and as it did so Scarlett pulled away and began wiping away the tears in the corner of her eyes.
"They were warning me about her," she finally managed, "They were telling me she was one of the ones who started the fire."
Percy would have said the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, but he was fairly sure they had been standing at attention since he walked into the building. "Who was warning you?" he asked, but he already knew the answer.
"The children," she sobbed, "The children at the daycare that died"
Percy felt his chest tighten, and all of a sudden he was both incredibly grateful and incredibly terrified of having the daughter of Hades with them. He had known they were in danger, but he was now keenly aware that they were now deep in the belly of a beast they didn't quite understand. He dropped to his knees and cupped Scarlett's face in his hands.
"Scarlett," he said quietly, "I need you to be incredibly brave right now, because I can't do this without you. You asked to come on this quest, and that meant throwing yourself into the face of danger. I promise I will protect you, Thalia will protect you, Belial and the others will protect you. You are not alone right now, but I need you to be strong for me okay?"
Her dark eyes scanned his bright ones, and then she took a deep breath before nodding. "What do you need me to do?" she asked shakily.
"I need you to tell me what the children are telling you. Everything you think I need to know."
She nodded again and closed her eyes, taking another deep breath and she listened intently to the voices of the dead. "They were just there to visit… looking to buy the property… the owner didn't want to sell… they came back with gasoline… they say that one of them cackled as the daycare burnt down… the owner died with them and they bought the property at auction," Her eyes shot open, her face a mask of terror, "Wait Percy the children aren't-"
A ding indicated the elevator doors were opening and cut her off, revealing that standing in front of the door were two nurses in pristine white outfits, one blonde the other brunette. The blonde one smiled, revealing a row of perfect teeth.
"Guests," she exclaimed happily, "It's not often we get guests."
She stepped aside and motioned for them to exit the elevator. Percy wanted to hear what Scarlett had to say, but didn't want her to say it in front of the nurses. So against his better judgement he gripped Scarlett's hand and stepped out into a long corridor with closed doors lining both sides. The silence was heavy, almost oppressive.
Thalia stepped out behind him, and knowing the daughter of Zeus had his back gave him a small degree of comfort. As terrifying as the environment was, he was thankful he wasn't alone.
"Please follow us," the blonde nurse said, turning on her heel and marching down the corridor. Percy didn't want to follow, every fibre of his being was screaming not to, but if Piper was here he needed to get her out. Giving Scarlett's hand a squeeze of reassurance he set off after the nurse, with Thalia behind him and the brunette nurse behind her.
The hallway was silent outside of the heavy footsteps against the floor as they made their way down the corridor. Each door was plain, with a number next to it and a frosted glass window in the centre. Percy tried to look through each one, but the style of glass prevented him from getting a good look into any of the rooms.
As they neared the end of the hall though suddenly a dark figure slammed itself against one of the doors wailing. The glass obscured them, but it was clear that they were in distress. "It's not what you think!" they shrieked, "They're not helping us. It's all a facade."
If Percy wasn't terrified before, he was now. He appreciated the warning, but he had already figured that this was no ordinary psychiatric ward. With one occupant screaming, others joined in, creating a chorus of wails and shrieks that filled the previously silent hallway.
The blonde nurse sighed, turning back to look at them but not dropping the smile, "I'm so sorry about this. Our patients are very unwell. The fourth floor is for some of our worst patients. I will take you to Ms. McLean while my associate here helps calm them down."
The brunette nurse stopped walking and waved them off, sporting the same creepy smile that her fellow nurse had. Percy had no idea what calming the patients down entailed, but he doubted it was anything good. He fought the urge to brandish Riptide. He needed to make sure Piper was safe before he acted too rashly. He didn't know where the sense of calm calculation had come from, but it had been with him since he had activated his Ice Kingdom. Scarlett moved closer to him as they turned a corner following the blonde nurse. He might be invulnerable, but Scarlett and Thalia didn't possess the same power. He had to make sure they were safe before he started swinging.
They came to an abrupt stop in front of one of the rooms, seemingly no different than any of the others they had passed. Room 424 was printed clearly next to the door, and the nurse waved towards it.
"Ms. Mclean will be delighted to see you," she announced, her grin seemingly carved into her face.
Percy turned back to Thalia and she handed him the keys. As she did so she squeezed his hand. It was subtle, but Percy knew what it meant. She was ready when he was. He turned back to the door and slipped the old key into the lock, hearing a solid click as he turned it. With a deep breath he steeled his nerves and swung the door open.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, I actually had the shit scared out of me this chapter. I was writing one of the creepier scenes and someone had walked into the room without me noticing. When I saw them I think my heart jumped out of my chest.
What do you think Scarlett was trying to warn Percy about? Leave a review with your thoughts and if you enjoyed the chapter.
I'll try and have the next chapter out sooner rather than later, but remember: More reviews means more time I invest into writing.