Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.
Chaos. That was the only way to explain the next few minutes.
The world erupted in a deafening explosion, a violent shockwave slamming Vivienne back against a metal pole. Her body collided with brutal force, igniting a blaze of pain that stole her breath. Stunned and disoriented, she gasped for breath, her lungs burning as they were flooded with acrid smoke. The world was a swirl of disarray, a nightmarish dance of fire and debris.
Through the haze, dim forms emerged - her companions, disarrayed and frantic. Atalanta, bloodied and wide-eyed, scrambled for cover while Thalia and Reyna dived down next to each other, their faces etched with shock. Panic and alarm radiated off them, mingling with the acrid scent of smoke and burning debris. Vivienne couldn't see well, but she was sure Thalia was clutching her ribs tight, while Atalanta was holding a bloody hand against her leg, lying on the floor.
"Everyone get in the car!" Reyna's voice rang out sharply.
"The car's exploded!" Thalia yelled, a guttural groan escaping her lips as she tried and failed to rise, her ribs protesting.
"Then get into a new one! We're sitting ducks like this." Reyna's eyes darted around. Determination etched lines on her face as she locked eyes with Phoebe. With a swift nod, Phoebe was already directing the others to an abandoned vehicle nearby. Sitting in the driver's seat, Thalia's hands moved nimbly, a skill honed in the crucible of survival, as she tried hotwiring the car with lightning speed. At the same time, Phoebe and Reyna strained to get Atalanta into the car, her anguished grimaces a testament to her wounds.
"Wait!" Atalanta suddenly yelled, wincing through the pain. "Where's… Where's Vivienne?" Her voice quavered, and it was obvious that the explosion had seriously wounded her. Wide-eyed glances exchanged between them, and Reyna's gaze darted frantically, scanning the smoky haze for any sign of her.
"Vivienne!" she yelled through the billowing fire.
"Vivienne, where are you!?" Phoebe joined in, rushing out of the car and looking around for her. Vivienne opened her mouth to reply, but all of a sudden, smoke rushed in and she broke into a coughing fit. Her eyes watered, a mix of pain and frustration clouding her gaze. Numbly, she heard Phoebe, or maybe it was Thalia yell, "She's there! Next to the gas meter!" The words seemed to echo in Vivienne's mind, and she struggled to respond, her throat constricted with smoke and pain.
"Vivienne!" Reyna's voice, a mix of relief and apprehension, pierced the chaos. She rushed to her side, extending a steadying hand. "We have to move, now!" Vivienne's voice was lost in another fit of ragged coughs, her attempts to communicate drowned in a sea of smoke and burning sensation. Reyna quickly helped her up, guiding her back to the car. She knew they were in a rush, but her back refused to cooperate, and Reyna ended up half-helping, half-dragging her poor body to the car. Then, as they were reaching the car, all of a sudden Phoebe's voice cut through the commotion, sharp as a blade.
"GET DOWN!"
She didn't need to be told twice. Vivienne's instincts took over, her body dropping to the ground just as an arrow whistled perilously close above her. Her heart drummed a frantic rhythm in her chest as she cowered on the unforgiving ground.
"GET HER IN THE CAR!" Phoebe roared, picking Vivienne's legs and pushing her into the rear seats. The next thing she knew, Reyna was sitting next to her as Phoebe scrambled into the front of the car.
"Thalia," Atalanta muttered through gritted teeth. "Now would be a really good time to start the car." Thalia rolled her eyes, her annoyance momentarily overshadowing the peril they were in.
"Oh, sure, let me just magically conjure it to life." Sarcasm dripped from her words as she shot Atalanta a pointed look. "Or do you want to give it a shot? Because I'm more than happy to let-" Reyna interrupted their bickering, her tone serious and concerned.
"Enough, both of you! Vivienne is hurt." Phoebe's attention snapped to Vivienne. She turned in her seat, concern etched upon her face.
"Vivienne, are you alright?" Vivienne squeezed her eyes shut, the pain radiating through her body making it hard to concentrate. Her response came out in halting stutters.
"M-my back... hurts." A worried hush fell over the car.. "Is-Is there something stuck in it?
"We'll deal with it later," Reyna muttered, avoiding the question. "Our priority now is getting out of here."
Just then, as Thalia wrestled with the car's ignition, the billowing fire began to subside, and for the first time, Vivienne got a glimpse of their attackers. Gargantuan giants loomed ahead, their hulking forms outlined against the backdrop of destruction. A monstrous creature, part lion, part serpent, its grotesque features twisted into a snarl, accompanied the giants. Vivienne's mind recoiled from the sight of it, her heart racing as she struggled to comprehend the horrors before her. Cyclopes lumbered among the chaos, their single eyes glaring with a malevolence that sent shivers down her spine. And then, amidst the sea of nightmarish creatures, a group of six figures stood, dressed and looking like normal mortals. Their presence was eerie, a stark difference to the chaos that surrounded them. Vivienne's breath caught in her throat as her mind raced to process the implications of this bizarre assembly. In total, there were roughly twelve monster-mortal things. Unfortunately, that was twelve more than she wanted.
"At this rate we're gonna become toast," Phoebe muttered. "Thalia, hurry up!" Taking matters into her own hand, Phoebe shattered the window beside her with her elbow, the glass tinkling like eerie chimes. Leaning out, she snatched her bow, an arrow already notched, and released it. Vivienne watched it whizzing through the air to find its mark on one of the towering giants. A fleeting sense of triumph fluttered in her chest, but it was quickly replaced by a chilling realisation as her attention snapped to another giant. However, this one had a ball in its hands, a bronze ball ,the size of a cannon ball, with fire bubbling out of the holes. Dread pooled in her stomach, a sick realisation gnawing at her.
Phoebe muttered something Vivienne couldn't hear. Reaching into her quiver, she pulled out another arrow, but this one was different. Instead of a pointy tip, it seemed to be round. Before Vivienne could ask what it was, the giant hurled its flaming ball at the car. Her reflexes fast, Phoebe let her arrow fly, and it met the ball mid-air. The explosion set the skyline on fire, an intense light erupting like a malevolent sun. Vivienne was momentarily blinded, her eyes seared by the brilliance as the shockwave surged towards them as the explosion reverberated through her very being.
Finally, amidst the echoes of destruction, the car's engine roared to life as Thalia finally succeeded.
"Got it!" she exclaimed, a surge of triumph colouring her words. Relieved, a collective breath was released by everyone, with Atalanta even smirking in joy.
"Thank the gods," Reyna muttered, her tension easing momentarily. She allowed herself a fleeting smile of gratitude. Even Vivienne was overjoyed, believing that escape was actually possible. However, Thalia's next words shattered their momentary calm.
"Uh, guys, I hate to be a party pooper, but I need to be honest. I can't exactly drive manual cars." Atalanta groaned loudly.
"Are you kidding Thalia!" she yelled.
"Why did we pick this car, then?" Reyna's voice dripped with frustration as she glared at the hunter.
"It was Phoebe's idea, not mine!" Thalia retorted.
"Ohh, and you didn't bother to check the gear-stick?" Reyna yelled.
"I didn't think we had to!" Thalia explained. "Manual cars went out of fashion hundreds of years ago!" Honestly, if looks could kill, Thalia would be finished with the glares Reyna was giving.
"Where's Phoebe?" she muttered. "I think she can drive manuals." Reyna spun in her seat, only to find an empty space where the huntress should have been. Her heart skipped a beat, as the realisation dawned upon her..
"Phoebe's outside," Thalia sighed with a hint of resignation. "I guess shooting monsters from inside the car was too boring for her." Leaping out of the car, the huntress opened Reyna's door. "You start the car up and try remembering how to drive it. I'll help Phoebe buy us some time. I am a hunter after all, and it's time I act like one. We've fought the Lastrygonian giant's hundreds of times before. This will be cake!"
Reyna slid into the driver's seat and stared down at the three pedals.
"I hate manuals," she grumbled. "I haven't driven one in so long. Automatic is so much easier." She shook her head, recognising the absurdity of their situation. Gently pressing the clutch, Reyna shifted into first gear, accelerating the car. She tried shifting into second gear, only for the car to abruptly stall.
"Oh my gods!" she muttered, a mix of annoyance and urgency, trying again. Vivienne's gaze flickered to the outside world again. Amidst the still billowing smoke, it was hard to get a good look, but she saw Thalia running circles around the giants, her form a blur, while Phoebe was fighting some other monsters head on. The mortal-like people she'd seen were chasing both hunters, but they were too quick for them. This was the first time Vivienne had seen them in action, and she was impressed. They certainly lived up to their reputation.
"Vivienne, you okay?" Reyna asked, checking in on her again.
"My back still hurts," she murmured. Whatever the explosion had done to it, it ached badly.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna get us out of here," Reyna promised, although it wasn't looking too good. She tried driving the car again, only for it to stall ten seconds later.
"Hang on, hang on." Gritting her teeth, Reyna gave it another shot. This time, luck was with them, because she finally drove it more than five feet without it stalling.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, a triumphant smile lighting up her face. She glanced around at the battle raging outside.
"Thalia, Phoebe, get in the car!" The hunters didn't hear her, too engrossed in the chaos. They were locked in their own fierce skirmishes with the monsters, far too busy to get into the car. Atalanta's voice cut through the fray.
"Reyna, just drive into that giant!" Reyna sighed loudly, but knowing they had little choice, revved the engine and aimed the car directly at the towering monstrosity. Vivienne braced herself, fully expecting the impact to send the giant crashing to the ground. However, reality proved crueller than her expectations. The giant stumbled back a few steps, but remained upright. Reyna's frustration materialised in a growl of disappointment.
"Get in the car!" she yelled again, her voice commanding. Thalia nodded, rushing towards the passenger seat. However, one of the mortal-like figures seemed undeterred, still chasing after Phoebe. Reacting swiftly, Reyna hurled a knife at them, sending them sprawling to the ground. With a sigh of relief, Phoebe slammed the car door shut just as Reyna stomped on the gas pedal, determined to get them moving. The car, however, stalled again, and Reyna looked like she was using every last bit of self control to stop her from destroying the car.
"Are you kidding me?" Thalia yelled. "I thought you'd figured out how to drive this!" Reyna's cheeks reddened.
"It's not my fault I keep forgetting I have to press the clutch. Why are there three pedals, why!?" With Thalia's help, she restarted the car, the engine roaring to life once more.
"I don't want to scare you," Atalanta heaved in a measured tone, "but we have a Lastrygonian right behind us." Reyna's grip tightened on the steering wheel as she muttered, "Just hold on." Carefully, she pressed down the clutch and shifted into second gear, before slamming her foot on the gas pedal, the car accelerating with a powerful roar. This time, they kept moving, and soon enough, the monsters outside turned into blurred streaks in the side mirror as they left the chaotic battleground behind. The open road stretched ahead, a path to safety and an escape from the nightmarish creatures that had just been after them..
Once they were finally out of harm's way, Reyna ordered Phoebe to check up on Vivienne and Atalanta.
"Alright, Vivienne," Phoebe sighed. "There's nothing in your back, but you've got a really deep gash running next to your spine. You should be okay, especially with some ambrosia and nectar, but if I were you, I'd limit the amount of walking you do over the next day or so. Let your body heal up. Here, eat this." She handed her a cube of ambrosia, which Vivienne gratefully took. The taste was a sweet solace, warmth spreading through her with each bite.. Carefully, Phoebe wrapped some bandages around her back before sitting her up.
"Better?" she asked, offering a smile.
"Better," Vivienne nodded. Happy with her work, Phoebe then turned to Atalanta. Before, Vivienne had only seen her clutching her leg, but now could she see just how bad it was. Some shrapnel from the car had found its way into her leg, and it was pretty deep. The blood was leaking down her leg, despite her efforts to stop it.
"I'd tell you what the situation with your leg is," Phoebe began, "but you're a much better healer than I am. You already know what we need to do." Atalanta nodded with a sigh.
"Just pull it out," she said, gritting her teeth. "I don't wanna baby my way out of this." Phoebe raised an eyebrow.
"Atalanta, are you sure?" she asked. "It's gonna sting."
"Thalia's spear stings, but it doesn't stop me from duelling her whenever we get a chance." Phoebe shrugged, as if to say, 'fair enough,' before leaning down. Gloveless hands reached down, and with slow movements, she began to extract the shrapnel. A sharp hiss of pain escaped Atalanta's lips as each piece was dislodged from her flesh, but despite this, her face remained as calm as possible for someone with a badly injured leg.
Vivienne watched in silence, her heart a mix of sympathy and awe as Phoebe carefully removed the shrapnel. To her, Atalanta's coping mechanism was impressive. Somehow, she was barely making any sounds. Once the last piece had been removed, Phoebe moved to the next step. Gauze was wrapped around Atalanta's leg, a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding.
"Here," Phoebe offered Atalanta a vial of nectar. "Drink this. It'll help." Atalanta took the vial, her grip steady as she brought it to her lips. Vivienne could almost see the effects taking hold, the nectar's magic knitting together the damage within Atalanta's body. As the hunter leaned back against the car's seat, a mixture of relief and exhaustion painted across her features, Vivienne marvelled at the strength and friendship between them. The hunters seemed closer than family: they were inseparable from each other, and loyal till their final breaths.
"Okay," Vivienne began, trying her best to not wince from the dull pain in her back. "Now that we're out of trouble, can someone explain to me what just happened? Who were those guys? What were they doing? And why were we so vulnerable to them? I thought hunters were meant to be the best warriors Olympus had ever seen."
"We are," Atalanta said sharply. "But when I have a bloody leg, when Reyna is trying to start a car, when Thalia's ribs are broken, and when you, Vivienne, are hurt, we can only do so much. Us hunters were the pride and joy of Olympus well before Camp Half-Blood existed, and arguably still are. We're very good, but we're not perfect. None of us saw that car exploding. If we did, I wouldn't have stood where I had and damaged my leg."
"Atalanta's right," Thalia chimed in. "None of us could've predicted that car exploding. We thought the car stalking us had disappeared."
"Well you could've fought them when they were chasing us," Vivienne protested. Reyna snorted.
"In the middle of the streets? Come on, Vivienne, everyone knows that rarely ends well. The last time Percy did something similar, he ended up wanted by the FBI." She was speechless. This Percy guy just kept surprising her.
"Percy did that?" she finally managed to utter. Thalia nodded.
"Yeah, on his first quest with Annabeth. I can't fully remember what happened, but he caused a bus explosion or something similar, then fought Echidna on top of the Gateway Arch, causing another explosion, and then fought Ares on a beach, where he nearly got accused of yet another explosion of police cars, along with a gunfight. Did I mention that he caused an explosion?" Yet again, Vivienne was at a loss for words.
"Uhh, wow," she said. Reyna smirked at her reaction, before straightening her face.
"Yep, Percy was a whirlwind of chaos, and he had a knack for explosive situations, unintentional as they might be-"
"St Helens-" Phoebe coughed.
"-But the point we're trying to make is that fighting monsters in public never goes well. Honestly, I wouldn't be too surprised if we're on the news tonight, about a gas station explosion." Vivienne sighed.
"Alright, I get it, but at least tell me who those monsters were, because some of them definitely didn't look like monsters, I'll tell you that much." Atalanta and Phoebe shared a look which made her feel uneasy. "W-Why are you guys giving looks like that?" Atalanta jerked her head at Phoebe as if to say, 'you tell her.' Phoebe gave her a dirty look, before turning to Vivienne.
"Well, the giants you saw are called Lastrygonian giants. And yes, they're as bad as they sound. They're big, they're man-eating, and they're generally not someone you'd invite to your pool party. They were the ones who shot the fireballs and who exploded our car."
"We don't know who exploded the car," Thalia interjected. "There could've somehow been a bomb on the car, they could've aimed for the gas station, or a hundred other things- Reyna STOP stalling the car!" Reyna gave her a glare.
"Do you wanna try driving a manual car after centuries without practice? These things are meant to be extinct! I'm sorry if I'm stalling every now and again, but believe me when I say you'd be no better." Phoebe rolled her eyes at the two.
"Anyway, as I was saying, there might have also been a Chimera, though I'm not too sure. It's usually with its mother, and through all the smoke, I couldn't see too well. There were some cyclops, but you must've recognised them."
"Yeah, I did," she agreed. "But what about those mortal-like people? They were dressed so casually it was weird." Another uneasy set of looks between the hunters, as if this was a shared secret or sorts.
"Most of the time," Thalia began, "us demigods need to watch out for monsters. But very rarely, every few decades or so, we run into a group of mortals that have an inexplicable hatred for us. Why? We have no idea, although Phoebe thinks it's because they don't… agree with our thoughts. Anyway, these mortals are the same ones we ran into last year, only they've managed to team up with monsters. Now, monsters are hard to fight, but they're usually pretty dumb. Mortals are the opposite."
"I could argue that there are some dumb mortals," Vivienne tried.
"Perhaps," Thalia nodded. "But these mortals are unfortunately very smart, and don't like us very much. They must've been driving the car, though I still have no idea how we missed the Lastrygonian giants. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's done is done. Now, we need to make sure nothing like that happens again, got it guys?" A murmur of agreement ran throughout the car, but Vivienne was still suspicious. Thalia's explanation of the mortals had been very vague, and if anything, had left Vivienne with more questions than before. Just how did the hunt run into these mortals, and why did they hate the hunt so much? Not to mention how they even managed to find them, and how they managed to find monsters and group up with them. Chiron had said something about the mist, and how it stops mortals from seeing what us demigods and gods can see.
"Now, Vivienne," Phoebe said. "I think it's time you told us that message Percy had."
"Uhh…" All eyes were on her now, even Reyna, who was looking at her through the rearview mirror, making her extremely uncomfortable.
"Well?" she persisted.
"Percy's told us not to come searching for him," she said with a defeated sigh. "He says it's not worth it, and that he's not gonna change his mind and that it'll be a complete waste of time." Thalia's attention shifted to Reyna.
"Reyna," she began. "What do you think of Percy's message? Are you gonna stop looking for him just because he said you should?" A hint of a smile flickered on her lips.
"No I won't. Thalia, are you gonna stop looking for him because he doesn't know what's good for himself and thinks he's better off in isolation, even though we know that's not true?"
"Of course not," the huntress grinned. "To us, he's family. We're going to find him, no matter how many cryptic messages he sends. What about you two?"
"Huh?" was Atalanta's reply. It was obvious that she was drifting in and out of conversation, and Vivienne didn't blame her,
"Percy," Thalia sighed, rolling her eyes. "He's saying to Vivienne that we shouldn't come for him because it'd be a waste of our time." Atalanta snorted.
"Like I'm listening to him! I'm going to get Percy no matter what message he brings through dreams, and when I find him, I'm dragging him all the way back to Camp if need be."
"Same here!" Phoebe chimed in. "Percy's been missing for too long. It's high time for him to be… un-missing?"
"I don't think 'un-missing' is an actual word, but sure," Thalia retorted, rolling her eyes.
In the ensuing silence within the car, Vivienne debated whether she should speak up. Finally, she decided to break the quiet.
"There's one more thing," she began hesitantly..
"Do tell," Thalia said. Vivienne took a deep breath.
"In the dream, Percy mentioned something about a war growing," she confessed, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "And he said you were all hiding it from me." The car's atmosphere shifted, a tension settling over them. The silence was heavy, the quiet so profound that even the hum of the engine seemed muted.
"And you believed him?" Reyna asked after a while. Vivienne's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead.
"I didn't think of Percy as a liar," she shrugged. Reyna's retort was swift and logical.
"Percy's just trying to make sure that none of us find him. He's trying to create chaos and arguments among us so that we don't succeed." Vivienne gave a small nod.
"I know, I know, it's just... he sounded very sincere." Thalia decided to speak up.
"You're talking about a man who's chosen isolation for hundreds of years. He's a master at hiding his emotions." Vivienne sighed, her fingers tapping nervously against her leg.
"Is there something you can swear on then maybe? Something that would confirm whether he's telling the truth? Perhaps a holy item or river in Greek mythology?" Reyna's eyes narrowed in thought.
"There's the River Acheron," she said slowly. "It's a river in the Underworld. Swearing on it means you're bound by your oath." Vivienne frowned, trying to recall something.
"Are you sure? I thought the river for oaths was something else… something beginning with an 'S'...?" Reyna shook her head.
"No, trust me, it's the Acheron. That's the river for oaths."
As they waited for the traffic lights to change, Reyna suddenly turned to face Vivienne, her eyes locked onto hers.
"Vivienne," she said firmly. "I swear on the River Acheron that there's no secret war growing." Vivienne met Reyna's gaze, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. Relief flooded through her, and she nodded gratefully.
"Thank you." Reyna just waved it away.
As the traffic light turned green, and Reyna returned her focus to the road again, her grip on the steering wheel steady. Vivienne knew that Reyna swearing on the River Acheron was meant to comfort her… To show her that there was no war, and that she shouldn't need to worry…
…So why did she still feel so skeptical about the whole situation?
Bet no one expected that! Also, I do want to clear up that the hunt aren't weak or anything, they were just surprised, and were injured before they could fight back. And the hunt can't predict exploding cars, so yeah, just trying to be realistic. They'll show their real strength in fighting soon enough. Anyways, pleeeaaassseee do leave a review if you enjoyed this : ) People said they preferred the longer chapters, so I'll try write more of those!