Chapter Eleven

Nostalgia Isn't Always Sweet

"Monster Donut? Isn't that, you know, a bit on the nose?" Magnus asked.

It was, I had to agree.

"Well, you know how those mortals are," I said. "They just think its just a large donut chain. It never occurs to them."

Alex scratched behind her ear.

"So, it's literally a store exclusively for monsters? Why have I never heard of it?"

"Uh, probably because it's a store exclusively for monsters," I retorted. Alex glared at me.

"I can stand Magnus most of the time, but two smart asses are annoying," she grumbled.

Magnus rubbed her shoulder, smiling to himself.

"The only problem is," I said, "is that I don't know where this Monster Donut is. I've really only ever been to one, and it was at the Sea of Monsters. . . Oh, Styx."

This was going to be bad.

"What?" Alex demanded.

Why hadn't I seen this before? Although, it made me feel better that Annabeth hadn't thought of it either.

"Grendel! He's going everywhere to gain power. He's not just going to kill the gods; he's going to kill monsters, too. He's at the Sea of Monsters. He can kill Scylla, Charybdis, any of them. These are huge monsters! He's taking everything the slow way."

Magnus widened his eyes.

"Are you saying that he's killing monsters first? Then, he's going for the gods?"

I shook my head.

"Not initially. He's going to absorb the monsters and then take us on. Once he kills us, then he's going for the gods. Now, that's assuming that there are any gods left, seeing as they're all about to fight each other."

Alex cursed. "Great. We couldn't even fight him before he had all these extra powers. We're screwed. Might as well kill ourselves now and get it over with, because this is a damn suicide mission."

I churned ideas around in my head. Alex had a point. This was almost pointless. But I knew better than to cheat a Prophecy.

"We need to get to the Sea of Monsters," I decided. "I can get us there by boat. It'll be the fastest way."

"What about flying?" Alex asked. "Oh, wait, you don't do that. What about your Pegasus, though?"

"Well, I don't really want to bring anything or anyone else into this fight unnecessarily. Plus, I don't know if I could get back there on land. I kind of have this thing where I can navigate the Sea without really thinking about it. I just know the coordinates."

"Well, then, by boat it is." Magnus announced.

We searched for the nearest pier for about thirty minutes, until we found a sail boat. It took a lot of convincing for Alex to think that this was our best option. I had tried to control a motor boat before, and it just wasn't the same. The boat didn't react the same way. I could easily control the sail boat with my powers. Also, we wouldn't have to worry about gas this way.

"Okay, guys, I'll be honest with you. After we get there, I might be really tired. Controlling the water for that long is going to drain me. I know a safe house we can stay at."

Alex regarded me like I had just ruined her trip. Maybe she was still mad about the whole Olympus thing. But, I mean, I did it for her partially. I ignored her expression and prepared the ship. We set sail and I gazed into the glistening waters as we chugged along. I brushed my fingertips across the surface.

Dad?

No response.

Hey, Dad, if you're still there, we're gonna need some help fighting this Grendel guy.

I don't exactly know what I was expecting, but I know I didn't get it. I sighed, turning my body to survey the endless blue in front of our vessel. Alex and Magnus held hands It was kind of romantic. I was jealous that they had each other. I chewed my lip. I felt a vibration in the waves. I paused. Another vibration sent a large ripple through the ocean.

"Dad?" I asked aloud. Magnus turned towards me.

"Is that Poseidon?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. Presently, we got our answer. A figure rose from the foam, water cascading down. It was a woman, her entire body made of liquid.

"Who are you?" I demanded

"I am Ran!" She cried indignantly.

I pursed my lips.

"Uh, I thought Ran was a dude? Didn't you tell me Ran was a dude, Magnus?"

"Man, I thought he was!"

Ran cried out in anguish.

"Damn you humans! Everyone always thinks I am a man. They confuse me with my husband Aegir! I will never understand the mortal mind. They remember my name, but my husband's deeds. Damn them! I blame the Norsemen. My name means thief. Doesn't have anything to do with the sea. That's why there's confusion. All because of those foolish bastards."

I gulped. I had to make sure not to anger the goddess even more. One, she was supposed to battle my dad at some point. I had a sinking feeling that maybe she already had. And two, we might need her help to defeat Grendel at some point. Ran continued to throw a temper tantrum, shaking water all over the boat. It was at this moment where I realized that we had stopped moving.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Ran snapped. "Heroes always think they are better than the gods and, perhaps morally, they are. But you are not stronger than the gods."

"Okay, maybe, maybe not," I interjected. "Anyways, what do you want from us?"

Ran glared at me. I got that look a lot from people who want to kill me.

"I came as a courtesy, Percy Jackson. I go to fight your father now. I must warn you. If he loses, your father will begin to fade from your being. You will be my child. And I only help my children if I like them."

Ran floated down next to me, her watery form hovering in my face.

"I'd suggest you impress me on your pointless Quest. Or else you might find yourself at a loss of. . . ability."

She chose her last word carefully, as if it were a hint for something. She sprouted back above the sea. She waved her hand. Water spiraled at her command, creating a net.

"Off to battle!" She announced. "Heed my warning, Percy. Don't always count on your parents."

She dove down, leaving us drifting quietly. I slumped into my seat. My dad was about to die and so was I. Magnus shifted nervously in place.

"She's not necessarily going to win," Magnus offered.

He was trying to help but it was futile. I had a gut feeling that my dad wasn't going to be able to put up a fight. I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. You ever have those moments where you're upset and people try to help you but for whatever reason, you just want to stay upset? That was me. Just wanted to curl up in a ball and dream my nightmares in peace.

"We're almost there," I said, propelling the boat forward. "I've been moving us quick."

Alex just stared at me, like she was imagining how much she'd enjoy my funeral. She made me nervous. She was intimidating, like Thalia. (But don't tell Thalia I said that. It'll go to her head). I wondered if she liked me or not. Maybe I was just a valuable asset to her. Necessary for the quest, for the protection of the world, but not for anything else. Just another cog in the machine. (Did I use phrase right? Annabeth said it once. She sounded smart when she said it).

After another half hour or so, I guided us into the safe house on the outskirt of the Sea of Monsters. We didn't really have time to settle in. For all we know, Grendel had already torn apart the Monster Donut. We were just here to follow the trail. Now, you're probably wondering why we didn't use the shield like a T.V. and just watch his every move. That's because it's a magic item. And an item like that has its restrictions. We can only see a little bit at a time. It has a recharge time. And yeah, that sounds like some BS, and it is, but I don't write the rules of magic. Talk to the Greeks for that. Or the Egyptians. Or whoever it was that developed magic.

We hopped off the boat and gathered the gear that we needed. I led Magnus and Alex in the direction of the Donut shop. I started feeling nostalgia. I missed Annabeth and Tyson. They had both been with me last time I was at this safehouse. A hydra had attacked us then. I was not nostalgic for that. We crept up the hill that overlooked the donut shop. The store was abandoned. Not a single monster was in sight. We were too late. I groaned in disgust. We tromped down the hill to inspect the spot.

Monster Donut was in pristine condition. Elevator music played over loudspeakers. Who knew it was soothing to monsters? The entire inside of the building looked like a 1960's diner. It was pretty clear donuts wasn't the only thing they were selling. There was an ice cream machine, a grill that was still sizzling, bright red booths, ketchup and mustard bottles, the whole works. Magnus picked up a ketchup bottle.

"One hundred percent real sheep's blood," he read. I swallowed, growing sick. His face was pale, too, as he set it back down on the table.

"That's unsettling," Alex commented, even though she didn't look very bothered. I had to figure her out. I made a mental note to have a long talk with Magnus later. We continued to look around for clues, but found none. We exited, surveying the outside.

"I'll Iris Message Annabeth," I volunteered. "She might know what to do."

I made a spout of water and dug a drachma from my pocket. Momentarily, Annabeth's face appeared. It was red, blotchy, and distressed. My smile instantly fell. Annabeth had been crying. She never cries.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"Oh, gods, Percy. I can't find Sophia! She went missing shortly after you left, I've looked everywhere!"

Worry shook my body. I ran through the possibilities in my head. Best case, she was hiding somewhere in camp. Worst case, she was being tortured by some monster. The latter seemed more likely.

"It's okay, Annabeth, it's okay. You'll find her. She's. . . she's probably just hiding."

That for sure wasn't true. If Annabeth searched everywhere, by Zeus, she had searched everywhere. She nodded, trying to convince herself.

"Did you find Grendel? What are you doing now? Tell me everything." Annabeth said. She wanted a distraction. I started to tell her but at that moment, the spout of water disappeared. What the Hades? I tried to create another mist, but I couldn't. I concentrated, my face growing hot and strained.

"Woah, Percy, man, calm down. What's wrong?" Magnus cautioned, moving his hands in a "slow down" motion.

"I-I can't-" I sputtered. My powers weren't working.

"You can't?" Alex challenged, raising an eyebrow.

I stood, defeated. A wave crashed to the shore, a woman emerging onto the sand. Ran. In her hand, she held the trident of Poseidon.