"In the labyrinth of fate, every step is a gamble, every decision a potential disaster. It is in the midst of chaos that true strategy reveals itself."
Initially, I had a bit of doubt on whether or not we'd come out of this entire quest unscathed. I had made all the necessary calculations and used my foresight in order to attempt to look ahead of the enemy's steps.
Yet, how could I have ever accounted for this?
"Zoe calm down!" Bianca cried as she held onto her seatbelt for dear life. Zoe spun the wheel and the van swerved sharply, barely missing the curb as she pulled onto the next street.
"You suck at this." Thalia commented with a small mocking 'heh' from beside me, but her white knuckles were a clear testament to her discomfort.
I couldn't blame her though, I was scared for my life as well.
"Quiet! I've been driving for a long time!" Zoe commented as she spun the wheel once again, swerving into the next street before she slammed her foot on the gas pedal like a crazy driver.
"Driving and riding are two different things." I commented as calmly as I could.
Zoe glared at me from the rear view mirror and suddenly swerved once again before I could react, causing me to slam into the door.
How immature.
"We're gonna die before the quest even starts…" Grover muttered as he clung to his seat, his body shaking in fear.
Hasn't the quest basically started already?
"I think we should've let Argus drive." Thalia commented, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance as she spoke.
Argus could drive?
Then why didn't we have him do it instead? Was it because he wasn't part of the quest or something? Were we not going to return the car back or something? He could drive us and then drive back no?
Oh well, not my problem.
"Quiet! I need to focus." Zoe scolded, her eyes fixated on the road before us as she swerved through traffic with a determined expression on her face.
The van zigzagged dangerously on the road, and at any moment it seemed we were about to crash and lose our lives. Fortunately for us, just before tragedy could strike, Zoe would swerve out of the way.
I noted the surprised, shocked and fearful faces of the bystanders who watched the van get dangerously close to costing the lives of they themselves and others time and time again, just for nothing to happen in the end.
The power of suspense was not to be trifled with, just the mere thought of a tragedy happening was more than enough to cause unrest in the hearts of others.
Maybe some of those in the nearby cars have already had a heart attack from fear.
May they rest in peace.
"I get that you're excited, but it'd all be for naught if we died before we could actually do what we left camp for." I pointed out.
"Nonsense, I'm not excited. We need to make haste, and I am fully capable of driving this automobile." Zoe stated, glaring at me once again through the rear view mirror.
Her gaze was sharp and I felt chills go down my spine each time. Thank the heav—I mean Olympus? For my poker face and ability to keep cool, who knows how many more times she'd glare at me if she was aware it affected me?
Oh, thank sister Griselda as well too.
"Eyes of the road!" Thalia screamed, pointing at the street before us. Zoe quickly turned her eyes back to the road and quickly spun the wheel, swerving the car to the left. We just narrowly dodged a car that had suddenly slowed down in front of us.
"Fully capable? Was that satire?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.
The van suddenly came to a screeching halt, and fortunately, it wasn't because Zoe wanted to attack me for my words, but because we had reached a red light. The sudden stop threw everyone forward, but it was our seatbelts that deserved the title of modern heroes as they saved our lives time and again and prevented us from becoming one with the van's dashboard and street beyond.
"Uh… Zoe…. Maybe you could drive a bit more cautiously?" Bianca suggested in a low and pleading tone as she gave Zoe a small smile while she struggled to catch her breath.
Zoe looked at Bianca and her expression softened slightly. Had I been the one to suggest driving cautiously, she probably would've driven even faster, red light be damned.
"Very well, I shall moderate my driving." She relented, her hands relaxing on the steering wheel.
I'd like to thank the gods but neither was I feeling it, nor did they deserve it.
Thanks Bianca.
"Where are we even headed? West? Where West?" I asked as I relaxed comfortably on my seat.
"Shush wolf! Satyr, start tracking." Zoe ordered, placing a finger on her pink lips.
"Pfft!" Bianca snickered at the nickname I was given. She quickly covered her mouth in an attempt to hold back but it was clearly not working so she opted to turn away from me, focusing her gaze on the buildings and people outside of the window.
Thalia snorted but quickly folded her arms and looked away as I turned to her, her body shaking with withheld laughter.
It wouldn't be surprising if this entire quest ended with me being depressed, would it?
"Alright!" Grover reached out towards a bag he had tied around his waist. From it, he pulled out about five acorns before he reached for the other side of his waist and took out a flute he had strapped there.
Huh?
"What are you about to do?" I asked him curiously.
Grove smiled as he looked at me with a confident expression on his face, something I hadn't once seen ever since the very first day I saw him at the cliff.
"A time-honored tracking spell. Don't worry too much about it, leave it to me." Grover said before he began to blow into his pipe, his fingers moving masterfully as he blew an ever changing tune which carried a certain rhythm to it.
It sounded and felt like he was chanting a spell to initiate magic. It's been a while since I last chanted to cast spells since chanting was only ever used for visualization and in some cases complete and potent manifestations. It's much easier to speak your desire into reality than pull it out of your mind silently and create it. I only ever chanted for spells when I had just learnt them. I'd do so for the first, second and sometimes third time. After that, I never needed chants to initiate the spell.
I also opted to use less chants because I'd rather surprise my enemies.
The downside though, was that I had a reduction in potency as a result of increasing the speed for manifestation.
Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder why things had to be so balanced.
Grover suddenly jolted up as if he was finally beginning to find something substantial as the acorns began to glow a golden greenish hue. His action gathered mine and Thalia's attentions.
"Okay! I—"
Zoe slammed the gas pedal before Grover could finish. The car pushed forward harshly and the act shattered Grover's concentration and magic causing his acorns to lose their glow and fly everywhere while Thalia and I sunk into our seats.
What happened to moderating her driving?
Bianca, call her out!
I glanced at Bianca and the girl was instead holding onto her seat for dear life. A reasonable reaction, but I still couldn't help but sigh.
"Zoe, you spoiled the tracking." I pointed out.
"Hmm? The Satyr can't track and move at the same time? Phoebe could." She said sarcastically.
Hmm? Is that how you want to play it?
"Then why isn't she here?" I fired back.
"Tch, disgusting. I don't talk to pets." Zoe scowled as she focused on the road.
A victory… but at what cost?
I sighed and turned to Thalia.
"While she's going crazy over there, can someone fill me in on the prophecy?" I asked. My gaze was fixed on her meaning I'd appreciate if she did especially.
"Huh? You came without even knowing the prophecy?" Grover looked at me stupefied while trying to gather his scattered acorns. There were probably not many people who'd find themselves on a quest without even knowing the main part of the quest or the quest as a whole.
"I didn't have a choice." I stated flatly.
"O-oh yeah…" He chuckled lightly, remembering my situation before he continued gathering his acorns.
"I'll tell you." Thalia smiled and I nodded in gratitude.
"Basically the prophecy is Five shall go West to the goddess in chains. One shall be lost in the land without rain. The bane of Olympus shows the trail. Campers and Hunters combined prevail. The Titan's curse must one withstand. And one shall perish by a parent's hand." Thalia explained, speaking as clearly as she could.
I took the information she provided silently, allowing my brain to match the prophecy's lines with what I had deduced based on the conversation yesterday.
And then, something struck me.
"Why do they rhyme?" I asked out loud mistakenly revealing my thoughts.
"That's what you got?" Grover raised a curious eyebrow as a small chuckle escaped his lips.
Thalia couldn't help but chuckle at my words while Zoe narrowed her eyes at me slightly from the rear view mirror.
Sheesh, did she always think I had some kind of hidden agenda?
Bianca on the other hand had a sudden look of realization before she turned to me with excited yet confused eyes.
"You know what? I was thinking the same thing too! Hehe, we might be cut from the same cloth, huh, Aiden?" She snickered, reaching out for a high five.
If I could smile I'd do it, but honestly, when was the last time I used my facial muscles for such an activity?
Regardless, I won't spoil the mood, I high fived Bianca seamlessly, and her already bright mood visibly brightened up further.
Zoe on the other hand looked like she wanted to spit on my face.
Thalia shook her head softly and shrugged.
"Well, that's just how Lord Apollo is." She chuckled lightly.
I see, so it was his fault, huh? I guess given his personality, I could see why the prophecies sounded the way they did. After all, he was also known as the god of prophecies.
Oh well, best to focus on more important things.
Zoe continued to drive for about two to three hours. During that time, I decided to talk strategy with Thalia, Grover, and Bianca without revealing too much about what I had already planned. For now, all we needed was basic strategy, not anything too complicated yet not too simple.
Zoe then stopped in front of a convenience store when Bianca begged her to so we could rest, take a moment to stretch our sore legs. Of course as a senior, she couldn't ignore the cries of her junior, so Zoe stopped in front of the convenience store and we all left the car and walked in.
As I stepped in, my gaze landed on the rows of neatly organized snacks, drinks, and other essentials. The air smelled of freshly brewed coffee and a friendly cashier greeted us from behind the counter as we walked in.
The place had just a few people aside from us, each minding their own business as they went from aisle to aisle, grabbing whatever they needed for themselves.
I took a moment to reflect on what I wanted and if I wanted anything, before I decided to get some chocolate for myself. Only then did I realize that I lacked adequate funds. With a sigh, I walked to Zoe, Thalia, Bianca and Grover who seemed to be getting ready to conjure his tracking magic again.
"Anyone have a dollar bill?" I asked, I really wanted to eat chocolate and I wasn't opposed to stealing if need be, but there would be no reason to go through with that if I could just get money from my quest mates.
Zoe ignored me, not even acknowledging my presence in the slightest while Grover at the very least quickly checked his pockets before he apologized and shook his head. Thalia on the other hand had a dollar bill and gave me one.
"Thank you." I said to her.
"No problem." She smiled at me before she went to look for something for herself.
Now wielding the overwhelming power of money in my hand, I decided to go and acquire the candy I sought for. With the curiosity of a child whose finally achieved freedom to buy anything below a dollar, I checked all the chocolate available and picked an adequate bar plus a few other smaller candies for myself.
Once I was done, I naturally went and paid for what I had taken like the good citizen I was.
Once I was done though, I noticed something outside, a faint signature of magical energy.
It was my own magical energy.
It seemed he really did follow us, success.
It was a little hard to maintain, but I planned this the moment I had talked to Percy before leaving. When I whispered into his ear, I left some of my magical energy on his shirt. I believed that if he wanted to follow us, he'd neither have time nor think about changing his shirt. Going back to his cabin would've increased the chances of getting caught by Chiron, and any time wasted also increased the risk of us getting too far for him to follow.
Regardless, I swiftly opened my chocolate bar, tearing apart its wrapper as the chocolate presented itself before my very eyes. I opened my mouth a took a small bite.
"Hmm…." I hummed as I savored the sweet flavor of my chocolate. I didn't expect it to taste this good honestly, candy was, after all, forbidden in the orphanage. For me anyways. But still, even after drinking hot chocolate yesterday and the day before, I hadn't expected chocolate to taste this good.
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to steal some.
Suddenly, I felt my magical energy approaching my person. I raised an eyebrow, what did he want?
"Aiden…" I heard a voice from beside me, it was as low as a whisper.
"Yeah, I know it's you Percy." If he walked up to me while remaining invisible, it meant he either had something to say or perhaps was just hiding in case the others saw him.
Or maybe he wanted to talk about his dream now since I technically had free time away from the others.
"Heh, I was gonna ask how you knew but… that'd probably be a stupid question." He chuckled lightly.
"That it would indeed." I agreed with him.
Luckily, I was able to maintain my facial expression effortlessly. Due to this, I could mask my talking as merely moving my lips while eating a chocolate bar in order to make it natural. This was so anyone passing by wouldn't notice anything weird about me like ever changing facial expressions that come as a result of conversing with someone.
Percy was invisible after all. If I was having a full on conversation without even having a phone around my ear, I'd just look crazy.
"What's up?" I asked him, wondering why he approached me.
"I just thought it'd be a good time to tell you about the dream." He said.
So that's what it was? Good, I've been curious about it since he first spoke to me about it earlier today.
I gave him a nod as I bit into my chocolate bar.
"But try to shorten it, the others will come out soon." I reminded him.
"Yeah…. Yeah sure." Percy responded softly. I could sense an emotional weight behind his voice. Whatever it was that he was about to say was surely something that deeply affected him. Because of this, I decided to pay more attention than usual, perhaps this dream in particular held more important information that the one he shared with Grover and me.
Percy then began to tell me about his dream. He emphasized greatly on Annabeth being used to force Artemis to carry a massive dark mass that resembled a pile of boulders on her head. He stated that whatever it was, was so heavy that Annabeth trembled underneath its weight and seemed too weak to even cry out in pain. He also told me about how Artemis was beaten and didn't seem able to escape the chains that bound her despite her godly status.
While he spoke, he also added information about the presence of Luke and how he's keeping Annabeth to use her as bait. The more Percy spoke, the more I could detect frustration and anger in his voice. He also mentioned that there was a possibility that she could die due to her injuries, this was where I stopped him.
"Calm down Percy." I whispered without turning to him. I kept my eyes on the people passing, going in and out of the store.
"S-Sorry… it's just… it pisses me off." He responded, his voice tinged with venom and frustration.
I understood his words and feelings quite well. Annabeth was not only his friend, but she was clearly a girl he crushed on. That very same girl was being treated akin to fish bait but much worse, she was being used as bait to bring in more of his friends in order to kill them. In addition to this, Luke Castellan was someone who had a history with Annabeth and not only did he trick her into carrying whatever that mass was, but he's acting like he cared for her after making her suffer.
I didn't share Percy's sentiment of anger and frustration, but I wasn't the type to undermine it.
Sister Griselda would've told him that his emotions would make him hasty, and when I was younger I would've definitely agreed with her. But now that I've gotten older, I've begun to open my eyes further.
Her teachings weren't right but neither were they wrong. They worked for specific scenarios alone and failed for others. Maybe Percy's hastiness is what could save Annabeth, and my calculated approach is what would end up costing her life.
If Percy was tasked with motivating people for battle or making friends out of enemies, he would best me 100 times out of 100 with the way I was.
There was no perfect strategy to adapt to every single possible scenario, being too emotional had its downsides, being less had its own, and even being in between wasn't exempt to its own set.
This was why people never remained constant and continued to adapt as times changed.
I had no right to undermine how he felt, and I wouldn't.
Even if I didn't feel how he felt.
"We'll save her. Don't worry about it and focus on surviving so we can save her." I told him. There wasn't really anything complex to Percy Jackson once you met him, and I haven't known him for long but I could already see it—no, in fact I had an idea from the very beginning.
A glaring weakness that came as a result of his personality.
But it was fine. I was on my own quest for discovery and had my own weaknesses, but this was the perfect moment to test it, whether I truly needed to change or not and if so, how much.
This was a quest with a death probability of at least 30%. So, let's see which approach saves more lives Percy Jackson, my cold calculation versus your intense attachment.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks man." Percy's voice was notably softer now.
"No problem…. Although one last thing." I said before I whispered something to Percy.
"Really?... alright." He said.
Then as if on queue, the others walked out of the store and Percy quickly distanced himself from me.
"Oh, you're here." Bianca noted as she walked towards me.
I gave her a nod before I took a final bite of my remaining chocolate and threw the empty wrapper into a nearby trash can.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked her as I pushed off the wall and walked towards her as well.
"Aiden, you missed." Bianca said suddenly.
I stopped, my mind blanking out in confusion.
"Sorry?" I asked, my mind seeking clarification to her words.
"You missed, your wrapper hit the opening and fell out." Bianca giggled as she pointed behind me. I turned around, and sure enough, the wrapper was on the ground, staring right back at me as if saying "didn't you claim to be a good citizen? You know what to do, don't you?"
"Thanks for pointing it out." I said before I looked around. After noticing that no one was watching, I conjured a bit of magic, using wind to carry the wrapper into the trash can.
"Anyways, back to what I was saying. What's the plan?" I said as I turned back to Bianca whose smile faded, moving to a more worried expression.
"Well…." She sighed and turned to the others who seemed to be arguing.
"I dislike this. We should go straight west. The prophecy said west." Zoe said sternly as Bianca and I approached them.
"So, care to fill me in?" I asked Bianca once again.
Bianca sighed before she finally spoke.
"Grover said he felt immense divine fluctuations in DC, and that it could give us a clue on our quest." She explained.
Divine fluctuations in DC? And how could he be sure that this would give us a clue on the quest? I didn't have a good feeling about this, especially after what Percy said about Annabeth being used as bait.
Could this be a trap set by Luke and the General?
It was possible, but I should wait and see.
"You challenge my skills? You scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter?" Zoe spoke harshly as she stepped towards Thalia who seemed unwilling to back down.
Scullion? What even was that?
"Oh, scullion. You're calling me a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?" Thalia questioned with a sharp glare towards Zoe.
"Whoa, you two. Not again please." Grover came in between them nervously, his eyes darting from one girl to another.
How courageous of him, not even I would've attempt that.
Regardless, it would be best if we got a move on. I'd rather not stay in the open here, who knew who could be watching us?
"We should stop arguing." I decided to join into the converaation.
"We're wasting time, if DC is where he thinks we should go, let's check it out first." I stated.
Bianca walked forward.
"Aiden and Grover are right, let's check DC. It might be our best bet." Bianca added.
Zoe bit her lip. She clearly looked unconvinced, but we didn't have time to waste on attempting to appeal to her, something she herself knew so she nodded.
"Very well. Let us keep moving." She relented before she turned towards the van.
"You're going to get us arrested with your driving and I look closer to sixteen than you do, I should take the wheel." Thalia grumbled.
Honestly, I'd rather they not switch drivers. I highly doubted Thalia would be a better driver than Zoe. Although, it wasn't like I knew exactly whether Thalia was good or not since I wasn't paying attention when she drove Apollo's flying bus. But that didn't change the fact that I'd rather Zoe continued driving since she seemed to know exactly where we needed to go. Of course, it wouldn't be fair too judge Thalia using her bus driving as a reference, it was in the air with no road at all so of course it must've been weird, but still.
Regardless, I found it hard to trust either of them with my life.
And I was also curious about something, extremely so. Zoe's driving was terrible and had lots of close calls but not once did I ever see a police officer. At first, I believed that perhaps there was some mist on the van that stopped others from seeing us, but the terrified expressions of bystanders was enough to hint that that wasn't the case.
Perhaps it was a memory thing? Maybe the moment we passed by them, they'd acknowledge us but once we were gone, they wouldn't?
Or was something else at play here?
"Perhaps. But I've been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go." Zoe said with a tone of finality as she walked to the van and confidently took the driver's seat.
The first ever automobile to have been created according to the history books I read was made on January 29th in 1886. Was Zoe saying she was at least over a hundred years old?
Guess that eternal youth was legit.
The rest of us followed quietly, well aside from Thalia who continued to grumble about Zoe.
"I want to sit at the front this time." I stated as I walked past Bianca and took the passenger seat immediately, much to the dismay of my driver neighbor who was completely against it.
"NO! I do not want to sit with you. Pets don't sit at the front." Zoe spat in disgust.
"Not sure why, but sure." Bianca shrugged as she entered the van, completely unfazed by my actions. It was just a seat after all, what was there to get offended by?
"Bianca says it's fine, so it is, no? Are you going to keep us here because you don't want me sitting here?" I questioned Zoe. Zoe's eyebrow twitched and her grip on the steering wheel tightened, she seemed damn near ready to break the thing.
"We don't have the whole day you know? We have a goddess to save." I reminded her. We really didn't have time to waste here. I wanted to reach wherever the enemy was as fast as possible and gather information so I could make adequate plans for the future. Staying in this random place was nothing but a poor usage of my time.
"You don't have to remind me." Zoe glared at me fiercely, her eyes clearly holding a promise of pain.
Not a warning, a promise.
"Then lea—"
Before Thalia could finish speaking Zoe slammed her foot on the gas pedal causing the car to jerk forward rapidly, and our road trip resumed.
While we drove, I couldn't help but feel a little curious about the road. I glanced at the rear view mirror to see if there was anyone behind us, and sure enough there was. Behind us was a black sedan whose driver was seemingly shrouded in a small veil of white?
Oh no wait, it was just the snow covering my view.
I sighed and muttered something under my breath, but once I was done I felt a gaze over me and turned to see Zoe looking at me from the side.
We said nothing for a moment, as if communicating with our eyes. Although, that sounded a tad bit too romantic for something someone like Zoe and I would be doing, but she immediately looked away in disgust, her eyes barely glancing past the rear view mirror.
How rude.
For the remainder of the ride, we merely continued to converse. We joked around a lot, well just Thalia, Grover, Bianca and I, Zoe chimed in from time to time but only ever to anger Thalia with sarcasm, diss me and discuss rather normally with Bianca.
Grover well… she only ordered him around, politely might I add.
At some point, Grover, Bianca and Thalia all decided to nap since we had the chance to rest, while I looked outside and decided to sightsee. I wasn't necessarily constricted in the orphanage, the nuns didn't really care where I went and sister Griselda rather encouraged me to go outside so I could constantly better my skills. She was the only one that knew of my magic, and yet she never really taught me anything aside from basic Greek Mythology and a few cryptic words of advice in order to make me develop my own skills on my own.
Wait, why did she teach me Greek Mythology?
Anyways.
Currently, the only people fully awake right now with no intention to sleep were Zoe and I. Because of this, I couldn't help but wonder whether it would be too much to attempt to strike a conversation with her. Of course, there was no way I would get anything fruitful about her or her past from a mere conversation, and did I really want to engage in some useless banter?
Of course not.
There was no such a thing as a completely useless conversation. Every conversation, even the most retarded ones, could teach you things about someone that you could use either in the future or to understand them further. If I talked to Zoe about her past, she'd dismiss me, a clear sign that she doesn't trust me and doesn't want to speak of her past with someone like me. Such a short conversation would seem rather useless since I'd fail at my task, but the way she'd react, the volume of her voice, whether she furrowed her eyebrows or not, the direction her eyes looked and the emotion they conveyed, that seemingly useless conversation would teach me how Zoe in particular felt about a subject which in this example would be her past.
With that, I'd be able to discern what type of past she had and try to build up her personality from there. I would have to then make use of all the factors I knew and even attribute hypothetical factors in some cases based on what was possible to increase my understanding of her. But the thing with Hunters of Artemis was that they were rather basic, at least from my experience.
Each of them had a hatred for men that could be exploited, well each of them aside from Bianca since she was still new and had no bad history with men.
With all of this information, it wouldn't be hard to create discussions that would subtly but certainly lower their defenses as time passed.
In fact, it was rather easy.
"You're uneasy." I spoke out loud and glanced at her for a mere moment before returning to gazing outside of my window.
I received no answer, but the sudden twitch of the right eyebrow of the only person who was awake aside from me meant that I was being heard by the right person.
"Are you worried, Zoe?" I continued speaking.
At first glance, my approach when dealing with someone like Zoe would naturally be considered wrong and stupid since she'd rather completely ignore me than listen to me. Unfortunately though, there was a fundamental weakness that I was making absolute use of in order to have her listen to me.
That weakness was Artemis's warning.
Zoe was smart, experienced, and cautious. Even if she seemed to not care what others thought or dismiss what other people would say, she would listen. The simple proof of this were the rebuttals she'd give to the voices of others. This meant that even if their words weren't acknowledged, she wasn't outright ignoring them but merely dismissing them in certain instances.
But Zoe couldn't dismiss my words because of a certain someone.
Artemis had done the right thing. She had told Zoe to keep watch over me and warned her about my abilities. The issue here lied in the fact that this warning came none other from Artemis herself. In Zoe's point of view, if Artemis herself had warned her, it meant that this was something she couldn't ignore and had to take as seriously as possible.
Because she had to though, Zoe had to actively listen to everything I said in order to discern certain things behind my words such as truth, authenticity, and much more in order to gauge how I used my intelligence and whether I could be an ally to the Olympians.
But because of this, Zoe also had to breakdown my words and actively try to understand the meaning behind them so she could gauge my intentions. Doing this inadvertently caused her to think about everything I say and regard it seriously. This was one of the reasons why I knew that the argument I had presented yesterday at the council would cause Zoe to falter. I knew she had no choice but to listen to me to complete the mission she was given and once she listened to me and tried to break down my words, she'd be forced to face the reality of everything I pointed out and she wouldn't be able to ignore the weight my words held. Artemis trusted her because not only was she the captain of the Hunters but also because she was the most mentally resilient Hunter of all her hunters.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop me.
After all, all her plan did was make it easier for me to influence Zoe.
I sighed.
"I know, I know. You don't want to talk to me but I'll tell you this." I took a pause and shifted my position into a more serious one. I relaxed on my seat, keeping my posture up and my gaze fixated on the road beyond.
"Do what you have to do, and I'll do same." I said to her.
At first, I wanted to tell her that she should keep her focus on Bianca and that I'd handle the rest, but I decided against such.
After all, I had a plan for Bianca… well, not necessarily her. It could honestly be anyone but me, but she was the best choice for this plan's success.
I'd been thinking about this plan for a while since yesterday, and only when I had gotten the full prophecy had I begun to finalize my plan.
Aside from that, there were also a few conclusions I had made by recalling every single piece of information I knew pertaining not only to Zoe Nightshade but to Artemis herself which gave me a rather nuanced understanding of Zoe Nightshade as a person.
And because of that, I could see through what Zoe Nightshade was trying to hide.
Zoe Nightshade and the General…
"You have a hidden agenda." Zoe narrowed her eyes. It didn't even take her a moment to discern the truth behind my words.
Not like I was hiding anything anyways.
"Yeah, I do." I answered honestly. From watching and understanding her, I concluded that the best way to confront Zoe Nightshade and garner her trust was by using the truth and only the truth.
Regardless, it's not like I'd lied to anyone this entire time.
Right?
Anyways, each time Zoe spoke back to me especially in scenarios where it seemed like I could leverage something, she already had a predetermined answer that I could give based on her question. It was surely nothing too profound, but I believed she'd use Artemis's warning as basis for my future responses in order to judge whether I was truthful or not.
If I told her I didn't have a hidden agenda, she wouldn't trust me and would in fact hate me more because those words don't align with what someone who Artemis's herself warned her about and doesn't trust would say.
In her eyes I was suspicious, but not in a way that I was evil. If I was evil to her, it was because I was a male and not because of the warning. The warning only made her less inclined to trust me but that was it.
So I had to keep up the agenda, the agenda that I was someone to be wary of.
At some point, her barrier would fall.
Sometime along this quest for sure.
I'll make sure of it.
Also, just because I indeed had a hidden agenda, didn't mean I had to say what it was and Zoe understood this.
Unbeknownst to Zoe Nightshade herself, her barrier had already began to weaken.
"Don't get in my way." Zoe said before she resumed her focus on driving.
I sighed and looked outside the window once again, my gaze fixated on the snow which peacefully rained down from the sky.
It was weird, the world seemed to continue peacefully regardless of what was happening in it. Look at us right now, two of us were headed to certain death without a clear definition on how the rest of us would fare.
Everyone here was acting casual, but I could tell no one was calm. That was especially true for both Bianca and Grover. They were both completely unsure of themselves, but certainly didn't want to trouble the rest of us with their worries, knowing fully well that we were all surely taking the seriousness of this quest to heart.
Distractions were unfounded, and we were already on our way. We could only move forward or else things would take an unprecedented route beyond our control.
It was best to act now, while we were certain of our capability to cause an impact.
I sighed. Unlike them though, I wasn't perturbed by this quest. Not in the slightest. After all, this wasn't the first time I'd found myself staring at death in the face.
And as per my current status, it was clear that death had failed to hold me each time.
After facing monsters for what? 10 years? With only a single base of operation being the orphanage, I was already used to the clear notion of possible death. It was incredibly dangerous, but I wasn't certain that I could survive elsewhere properly as I'd surely have to keep running away. I may not have liked that place but they gave me food and a place to sleep and it was familiar ground, I could outmaneuver monsters properly in that place and launch adequate surprise attacks.
Any monster that came there to find me entered my territory, not the other way around.
Another thing was that sister Griselda was there and she was pivotal in the honing of my mind and subsequently the development of my magic.
But I had to acknowledge that this wasn't the same as those moments, this was a quest, my very first quest and I was going into uncharted territory.
I'd better spend this peaceful time I had planning for the future.
After all, I could die on this quest if I wasn't careful.
I turned to Zoe and began to speak, initiating a one-sided conversation that was reserved just for us two.
After about an hour or so of driving, Zoe spoke up.
"Satyr! Wake up. We are approaching DC. Direct me." Zoe said. Grover woke up with a jolt from the sudden call. His sudden shake woke Thalia who was beside him and subsequently Bianca as well who yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"Wha….Are we there?" Thalia yawned as she stretched her arms and back as much as she could with the limited space she had.
I shook my head.
"Zoe wanted Grover awake so he could direct her on where we need to go." I explained, glancing at the backseat for a bit to which Thalia nodded and yawned before relaxing in her seat, her eyes going from exhausted to sharp in but a moment.
Despite having been awoken abruptly, Thalia seemed primed and ready for battle. Perhaps it had something to do with our demigod instincts, but normally once awoken, especially abruptly, one needed time to gather their bearings.
Perhaps that time was exceptionally little for demigods, or maybe it was because she was trained.
I glanced at Bianca who still seemed to be scratching her eyes, but she too seemed to gathering herself rather quickly.
"Satyr." Zoe called again.
"Y-yes! On it. That way!" Grover began directing as we entered Washington DC. I had no reason to listen to his directions, so I kept my gaze on the world outside and my mind elsewhere.
I ignored the bystanders and the vehicles, keeping my focus on the large buildings, larger than what I'd ever seen in Maine. It was nice being here. Despite the looming threat of my death, I felt as if I was on some kind of field trip, a tour.
My gaze landed on the Washington monument, something I had only ever seen in pictures. It was much bigger than I initially thought, and I couldn't help but be curious as to how long it took to build it.
My half-sister seemed to love Architecture, did she spend her time looking at infrastructures and admiring them? One day wishing to build a grand structure under her own name?
It wasn't a wish that resonated with me, but it was a wish, nonetheless.
That was if she even had such a wish.
I personally held no interest in architecture, so perhaps that was why I couldn't resonate with that wish in particular. Not everyone on the planet valued the same things, I might love or hate something that someone like Percy hates and love and vice versa.
Everyone had their values, everyone had their own wish, their own goal. Regardless of whether they knew it or not, they had something to do in this life of theirs. If one ever felt lost, then your goal was simple, find out why you're lost and ensure you don't feel that way anymore.
Not having a goal was impossible, it led to a boring life where nothing changed.
But then…
If that was the case, then what did I like?
What was I interested in?
What was my own wish?
My current goal was to find myself, but then what? What happened after that? Here I sat trying to find my place in this unfamiliar yet familiar world when in all honesty, I could just be another demigod in camp half blood, nothing more, nothing less.
But I don't want that.
Deep down, I foresaw a boring life if I decided to go through with that route. Living life as a normal demigod or like everyone else would do nothing but leave me unsatisfied, and therefore I didn't want it.
I didn't want to be like everyone else.
I wanted to be unique.
I felt the car slow down to a stop. Zoe parked at a curb and my gaze landed on a mall right beside us.
"It's here." Grover said as he opened the door and walked out. We all did same, there was no need to ask any questions. As we walked out, Grover pointed at a large building inside of the mall and we followed him as he led the group.
I took this moment to take in my surroundings. The air smelt fresher than I expected, the wind was cold but my winter jacket and constant circulation of magical energy provided enough warmth to avoid shivering. The mall was big, stretching out like a vast green corridor flanked by iconic landmarks and monumental buildings I'd never seen before.
Multiple lush trees bordered the expanse, and the pathways crisscrossed the lawns, as if guiding visitors between the various memorials and areas. The atmosphere was peaceful and lively, with people strolling, taking pictures and enjoying the open space.
As we walked past several people, I suddenly felt a rather heavy pressure of responsibility on my shoulders. The five of us—well six, were essentially tasked in doing something that would save the world. If we failed then the world might basically just end, and its inhabitants would be be none the wiser.
But I didn't pride myself a hero.
Nor did I ever admire any of the heroes in Greek Mythology. Herakles, Achilles, I couldn't care less about how they lived their lives, their ambitions, their achievements or how heroic their deaths may be.
Regardless of responsibility, I didn't feel the need to act on it.
It was basically just there.
"Here." Grover's voice garnered my attention, and I turned to where he was. He stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. I blinked, I had never been here.
I guess this really was like a tour.
"Alright." Thalia nodded and walked to the door. She opened it and looked inside, perhaps trying to find any enemies. We were all well aware of the possibility that this could be some sort of trap, but we trusted Grover's senses and also believed that we'd get a clue on where exactly we needed to go to save Artemis and Annabeth Chase.
I glanced at Zoe Nightshade, her posture was tense and her gaze was sharp and wary.
If anything happened to anyone here…
She'd probably feel guilty, wouldn't she?
Anyways.
Thalia turned back to us and nodded her head, motioning for us to follow her as she walked in. We followed after her, and the moment I walked, I was awestricken by the entire place. The interior was vast and open, with high ceilings and expansive exhibition halls. Aircrafts of all sizes hung from the ceiling, suspended by nearly invisible strings as if frozen mid flight.
I noticed the lightning was strategically placed to highlight each exhibit, making them even more eye catching than one would initially assume.
I turned, looking around with childlike curiosity. How many chances would I ever have to see such a sight again? I couldn't tell, after all, I could die today, tomorrow or even after tomorrow.
It was best to take in as much as I could whenever I could, yes?
My eyes landed on a particular section, it was titled "SPACE RACE EXHIBIT". It was mesmerizing display of what I recognized to be technological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, a rivalry that occurred during the era known as the Cold War.
I was well versed with history, both America's and the world at large. Sister Griselda always had me read multiple history books, especially those that had wars such as this one, the First/second world war, the Peloponnesian war, Vietnam war and much more.
She said they'd help me foster my mind better, and they certainly did.
Continuing to look around, I found myself staring at models of rockets, space capsules and satellites, each arranged in a manner that told the story of humanity's quest to reach beyond the confines of our planet.
My gaze landed on a particular exhibit and I couldn't help but walk towards it. As I approached it, my eyes were glued onto the model before me. According to the placard, its name is the "Terra Satellite". It was launched in 1999 as part of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). It was a vital part of a series of satellites aimed at monitoring and understanding the Earth's climate and environmental changes.
The Terra Satellite carried five key instruments, each designed to study different aspects of the Earth's system, including the atmosphere, land, and oceans.
The exhibit highlighted its importance in providing comprehensive data that improved weather forecasting, climate research, and our overall understanding of global environmental changes. It mentioned how two of its instruments known as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer(MISR), were crucial for observing and analyzing various environmental phenomena.
I had no idea what a Spectroradiometer was, but I was nothing short of impressed. The human mind really has gone further than I initially thought.
As I stood there and read the exhibit, I couldn't help but wonder how the person who came up with this did so. Perhaps it was because I wasn't focused on such, but as of now, I couldn't see myself creating what this person has.
Was this person a demigod maybe? Another child of Athena? Someone with interest in creating something akin to Annabeth Chase's love for infrastructure?
At that moment, I couldn't help but recall Beckendorf's words from yesterday.
"Yeah, you're getting it, you better come back safe so I can teach you more, you're a quick learner. Know that not all successful blacksmiths were children of Hephaestus, even normal mortals were extremely successful when it came to blacksmithing."
His words rang in my mind, and I couldn't help but curse myself for that level of shallow thinking. Who said demigods were the only ones who could do significant things?
Before me was proof of the power of the human mind. Even though they might be a demigod, there was no reason to believe that they were. All that would mean was that I was looking down on normal mortals.
Such an outlook on life was nothing short of arrogant.
It was distasteful.
"I've never seen a place like this…." Bianca muttered as she stood beside me, reading the exhibit alongside me. I raised an eyebrow and turned to her.
"Never been here huh? Me neither." I said to her. Bianca's eyes narrowed and her fists were clenched. Her body reaction was evident of frustration but her eyes showed confusion.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked her, glancing away from her for a bit to see the others looking around the museum with Grover taking the lead as he seemingly tried to pinpoint where the divine fluctuation was.
"I don't recognize any of these things Aiden… this mall, this building. Nico and I stayed at a hotel for a few months after moving to DC. When we left, I couldn't recognize Washington at all. The subway, the buildings, it was like I was in a different place." Bianca said, her voice tinged with confusion and frustration.
I wasn't sure what she was talking about, perhaps she had lost her memories? That was the only way I could explain her suddenly becoming unfamiliar with the place she claimed to live in. Did she never go outside of her hotel for those months?
Or was there something else I wasn't seeing here?
"Huh?" Bianca's voice garnered my attention and I turned to her, noticing that her eyes were glued on a particular part of the exhibit's placard.
"1999?" She muttered in confusion.
I on the other hand, narrowed my eyes.
Why was she confused about the year 1999? Was there something I was missing here? It's currently 2007, and from what she said, she didn't recognize any of the things around her. I decided to think once again on her words.
She left her hotel and couldn't recognize DC anymore.
Subways tend to take years to make. If she had only stayed in the hotel for months, then there's no reason why she should be surprised by the subway systems no? Did she honestly never leave the hotel, not once in those months?
1999… there was something that had to do with years here that I was missing.
"Bianca, what year were you born in?" I asked curiously.
I wasn't sure what I was missing, but this was the simplest question I could begin with.
"Year? I was born in 1930, why?" Bianca responded casually yet was confused by my question.
For a moment, my entire mind blanked.
What?
1930?
That's… about 77 years ago?
Huh?
"We—"
It was sudden and quick, but I felt it.
My magical energy was moving rapidly.
Percy must've been noticed or worse, caught.
It's time to move.
"I have to go to the bathroom, please tell Zoe it's really bad." I cut our conversation short, deciding to continue with this discovery later. I had more important things to do at the moment.
I moved away from the confused Bianca and ran towards the doors of the museum.
"Huh? Aiden!" Thalia shouted after me but I spent no energy attempting to respond to her. I dodged the little number of people in my way and pushed past the door. I landed seamlessly with a roll before I kicked off the ground and ran in the direction of my magical energy.
I wasn't sure what was happening, but I had told Percy to follow the black sedan that had been following the van throughout our entire journey. There were times that they were covered by other cars, and times that they weren't even on the same street as us but I was certain we were being followed.
That's why I asked our second follower to do some extra following.
I exhaled and fixed my posture to ensure I ran at my top speed, piercing through the air seamlessly as I dodged and weaved the people that were in my way. I sure hoped no one followed me, it would make things more complicated, but I didn't have time to explain.
I wasn't sure how well my bathroom excuse would work—
No, I was certain it would.
As long as Bianca told Zoe that I needed to go to the bathroom and that it was bad, then it would work.
She'd know what I meant.
My eyes landed on the building titled MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, and I quickly rushed in, ignoring the looks of wonder from those around me. I stopped and turned, quickly attempting to pinpoint my magical energy until I finally noticed it.
It was right beside m—
An invisible force slammed into me, causing whatever it was and I to tumble onto the ground carelessly until we slowed to a stop near a wall.
"Ow….what the—oh! Aiden!" The voice was rather familiar, it was clearly that of Percy Jackson.
He took off the invisible cap and I could finally see him. He had a cheeky smile on his face but a worried look nonetheless as he reached out to me.
"Here, my bad." He said and I nodded as I grabbed his hand. The moment I did so, I noticed several things. Percy was extremely tense, he also had an unfamiliar silver scarf hung on his shoulder and a part of his left sleeve had been torn off.
"You look worse for wear." I said as I stood up with his help.
Percy raised an eyebrow and glanced at his sleeve for a moment before he chuckled a bit, some of the tension in his body fading away with that release.
"I didn't take you as one for jokes, Aiden." Percy grinned.
"My mom's domain's versatile. I am therefore a guy of many talents after all." I said.
"Hehe like a—oh wait! Now's not the time for this." Percy shook his head and regarded me with a serious gaze.
"The General is here. We have to warn the others. Luke's here too and they have monsters on their side and they said they're sending some sort of playmate." Percy said seriously.
"Is that so? Where are they?" I asked him curiously as I took in his words.
"Upstairs, there's a big door that's closed for private events. That's where I followed Dr. Thorn to. You were right, you guys were being followed and it was Dr. Thorn who was in the black Sedan." Percy said.
I nodded my head, forming a quick edit of the plan I had in mind. I hadn't expected the General to have been here. Sure enough, I had thought that perhaps the divine fluctuation was forced by someone well versed in the divine but I hadn't thought the so called General would be here himself.
Regardless, this was an opportunity.
"Alright. You go warn the others, I'll hold them off." I said as I pocketed my hands and walked past him.
"Wait what? What part of they have monsters on their side, and that the General, Thorn and Luke are there don't you get? " Percy shouted, clearly not in favor of what I was about to do.
"We don't have time Percy. There's something I'm trying to avoid and the opportunity presented to us is a risky but good one." I explained to him.
"I know we haven't known each other for long but I need you to trust me on this, hurry and go to the others and warn them. Once you're done, come find me." I added it as I turned to him.
"But…. Why? There's no reason to take this much of a risk, let's just go together." Percy said.
There was nothing I could do to make him agree with what I wanted to do aside from letting him know the full extent of my thoughts. As long as he remained in the dark, he would forever question this seemingly suicidal act of mine.
As long as he remained unaware, he might just remain too stubborn to let me go.
But I too could prove to be just as stubborn. I refuse to let him know the full extent of the plan because he might disagree to it, and even if he didn't, him knowing about it would cause the plan to fail because of how risky it is.
Even if I did feel the need to explain the plan, there was simply no time.
"Trust me, Percy. Our goal together is to save Annabeth. I won't die. Not before I can at least apologize for not being able to stop her from falling down that cliff. I'm not a hero like you, I won't go sacrificing myself for others, but don't make light of my resolve to save my sister." I said as I turned away from him.
It was unfortunate that I had to resort to this, but I hadn't had enough time to build enough trust with Percy Jackson to avoid needing to use such tactics when undertaking questionable actions.
"Aiden, you…." Percy muttered my name, still not in favor of what I was about to do, but somehow, he couldn't help but understand the "guilt" that we both shared when it came to Annabeth's situation.
Suddenly, I felt a chill go down my spine and turned towards the stairs instinctively, my gaze landing on what seemed to be several men with dull gray skin, and yellow eyes. They wore gray muscle shirts, camo pants and combat boots.
To the untrained eye they seemed human, but for someone like me, I could tell they were nothing close to one.
"It seems we're out of time, hurry." I ushered for Percy to leave and his gaze landed on the approaching warriors as well. He looked back at me, then towards them and finally towards the door.
"Alright! I'll be right back with the others alright?!" Percy shouted as he turned and rushed outside towards the door.
"Right." I said without turning to him. All of the men's gazes followed Percy's leaving figure and some of them turned towards his direction as if preparing to follow him while the rest turned back towards me and focused on my person.
I took my hands out of my pockets.
Twelve men, each of them clearly not human. It meant that I had no reason to hold back, but close combat with their numbers was nothing short of stupid. Even if only two or three of them remained while the rest left after Percy, it would still be worse than fighting a mere one on one.
I had no reason to hold back and therefore I wouldn't.
Luckily for me, it was already cold.
"Freeze." I released an abundance of magical energy, mirroring the feeling of the cold wind of the outside and my experience with snow and ice.
The already cold area turned frigid as my magical energy changed color from purple to light blue in an instant, dyeing the interior of the museum with a light blue hue. In a mere moment, the temperature plummeted severely, the chill biting deeper into my skin with each passing second.
It was as if winter had been unleased within the confines of the walls of the museum.
Frost spread across the floor, leading straight to the stairs, encasing everything in a crystalline embrace. The men before me began to slow down, their movements becoming sluggish as ice formed on their skin and clothes.
Their eyes were wide and their mouth agape, but there was little to nothing they could do. It was already too late.
In mere moments, the already plummeting temperature once again plummeted further, and the men were all immobilized. They were encased in thick ice, frozen in place like statues in a macabre display.
The room was silent, save for the soft creaking of the slowly expanding ice. I exhaled, and rapidly circulated my magical energy even more to warm myself up as I struggled to feel my fingers. I wasn't one to use potent magic, the repercussions were sometimes unnecessary, but for such a situation, I believed it was better to not hold back.
After all, I had no idea what monsters these men were or their abilities. So I opted to freeze them altogether instantly.
I pocketed my hands and began to walk towards the stairs without a care. When I had ran in here, people were already beginning to leave. By the time I unleashed my magic, I was alone in this place.
I exhaled, watching my breath form with the cool air.
It was time to enact the first part of my plan.
I struggled with this chapter a lot because I'd never once been to the Smithsonian. Had no idea what was in it. Hopefully, I was able to work around that effectively. Been a while since I wrote Aiden as well honestly, so feel free to point out any discrepancies in his character. I tried to add a bit more humor to give the chapters a less somber and ever so slightly more lively feel. Regardless, please enjoy and leave any criticism if you feel like it.