Our van ride took us into western Long Island. I watched as the scenery rolled by. My fingers constantly messed with the rings on my fingers, trying to distract my battle reflexes not allowing me to sit still. The sunlight glinted off the eyebrow studs I woke up with. They were unusual, but, I just rolled with it. "So far so good." Percy commented, "Ten miles and not a single monster."

"Don't jinx it, Jackson." I said, my eyes not leaving the window.

"It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain." Annabeth agreed.

"Remind me again, why do you hate me so much?" Percy asked.

"I don't hate you."

"Could've fooled me."

"Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?"

"How many reasons do you want?" Annabeth asked sarcastically. "One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives."

"Oh, forget it."

"Now, if she'd invented pizza-that I could understand."

"I said, forget it!" I smirked, and the rest of the ride went on in somewhat silence. The traffic slowed down when we got close to Queens, but by the time we got to Manhattan, the sun was setting and it was starting to rain. Just great. The four of us were dropped off on the Upper East Side at the Greyhound Station. Argus was such a fatherly creature. He unloaded our bags and stood with us while we got out tickets. He then drove off, one of his hand-eyes watching as he let the parking lot. I then sat around as I watched Percy and Annabeth hacky sack then with one of Grover's apples. However, the game ended when Percy passed it too close to Grover's mouth and the Saytr swallowed it in one go. The bus didn't come long after, and we all piled into the back seat. As more passengers got on, the hairs on my arms stood up, and I looked to the front of the bus. There were three old ladies, all wearing velvet dresses, had expensive-looking purses and wore a knitted hat. Above their heads read the words 'Fury' and above that showed their morality, which was deep in the red.

"Ok, yeah, that's new." I breathed. Percy ducked behind the seats in front of us. The trio of creatures sat in the very front row, crossing their legs so that no one could get through. The subtle gesture was not lost on my companions. The greyhound pulled out of the station and started it's trek through Manhattan.

"She didn't stay dead long." Percy commented, his voice wavering slightly. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said if you're lucky." Annabeth told him. "You're obviously not."

"You fought one of those things?" I questioned, "Man, you've got the worst luck ever."

"All three of them." Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"

"It's okay." Annabeth said, a crease forming in her eyebrows. I could see the gears turning in her brain. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open." I told her.

"A back exit?" She suggested.

"There is none." However, the bus had just gotten onto Ninth Avenue, and we were close to the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around, will they?" Percy asked.

"Mortals don't have good eyes." Annabeth reminded him. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"

"Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…?" That plan was thrown out the window when we entered the tunnel. The entire bus went dark save for the strip lighting up and down the aisle. One of the Furies stood, and with a flat, rehearsed voice, she spoke up.

"I need to use the rest-room." She said.

"So do I." Repeated the second Fury, standing as well.

"So do I." The third Fury added, joining her sisters. And with that, the three started to advance down the aisle.

"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."

"What?" Percy questioned.

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys-"

"Percy, you're the son of Poseidon." I muttered to him, pressing the button on my ring and letting my short spear form in my grasp. "A son of the Big Three. Grover's a Saytr, Annabeth is Athena's daughter and my mother is a minor Goddess, we'll be overlooked so just go!"

"I can't just leave you."

"Don't worry about us." Grover said. "Go!" Percy's hands shook as he took Annabeth's cap and shoved it on his head. Instantly, the boy disappeared. I couldn't see what was happening. However, when the Furies passed one of the empty seats, one of them turned and sniffed. She apparently didn't find anything and continued to come towards us. My eyes glanced to the window outside, we were almost out of Lincoln Tunnel. I looked back at the Furies, and my eyes narrowed as they transformed. Their faces were still the same, but their bodies had shrivelled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips. The three of the surrounded us, trying to intimate us. They hissed and growled at us.

"Where is it? Where?" They asked. I could vaguely hear the Mortals screaming and cowering in their seats. I don't know what they were seeing but I could tell it was bad.

"He's not here!" Annabeth shouted at them. "He's gone!" The Furies raised thair whips. I brandished my spear, Annabeth drew her knife and Grover lifted a tin can. Suddenly, the bus jerked sideways. I managed to stand my ground, and the bus scraped against the side of the tunnel, and the cars swerved to avoid the crazy bus. What on earth was Percy doing? We ended up in the side of the road in Ner Jersy with the Hudson River on our right. And then, the emergency brake was pulled. The bus spun out of control and crashed into the trees of the woods to our left. The Driver and the passengers ran out. The Furies managed to regain their balance. They lashed out, causing Annabeth to shout at them to get them to back off. I tried to skewer them with my spear, but they were just out of reach. Grover was tossing tin cans at them, but our efforts were all for naught as Percy ripped off the invisible cap and revealed himself.

"Hey!" He shouted. The Furies turned on him, baring their yellow teeth. One of them crept towards him, it's whip cackled with fire every time it moved. The other two jumped onto the seats and crawled towards Percy.

"Perseus Jackson." The middle Fury snarled. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."

"I liked you better as a math teacher." Annabeth, Grover and I advanced slowly as Percy uncapped a pen, allowing a sword to form in his hand. The furies paused.

"Submit now." The middle Fury hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try."

"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried. The Fury lashed out, and the whip wrapped around Percy's sword hand. I lept forward then, managing to swing on the handrails and get in front of the right-side Fury, my spear hand forward and my spear embedded itself into it's chest. The Fury exploded into dust. Annabeth was wrangling the middle fury as Percy dispatched of the one on the left. She then fell don, legs tangled in her own whip. She tried to get up, however, her wings were too large so she continued to fall.

"Zeus will destroy you!" The Fury promised. "Hades will have your soul!"

"Eat my pants!" Percy yelled. Thunder then rumbled outside, and I paled.

"Outside!" I cried, "Outside now!" I hurried to push everyone out of the bus. The other passengers were wailing about how they gonna die. Grover then wheeled around towards the bus.

"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence when the bus exploded. A lightning bolt slammed into the bus, leaving a crater in the bus. There was a wail from inside the bus, meaning the Fury as still alive.

"Run!" Annabeth ordered. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!" The four of us didn't hesitate, we threw ourselves into the woods as the rain pelted down. The bus was in flames behind us, but we ignored the cries as we continued into the darkness before us.