They had found a tow truck. Quiet a fortunate find among all the rubble left out of the junk labyrinth.
Annabeth drove it. Zoe offered but Annabeth wanted to do something to keep her mind busy. Not sit down with her thought.
Zoe understood. Her sister in the Hunters at times would want to be left alone, or to be left busy so as not to think on their tragedies.
Grover sat next to Annabeth eating some empty cans. Percy sat on the back of the truck with Zoe. The small rectangle window he sat against showed the back of Annabeth's head.
They drove in silence for a while each contemplating what has happened, and what trials were to come.
Percy's question before they left burned in the mind of the campers, including Annabeth.
"Oh gods, what do we tell, Nico?" Percy had said, looking distraught and lost.
"I will tell him." Annabeth replied. She stopped Percy and Grover's protests, before they could begin. "I'm a Hunter of Artemis. Artemis... is the Protector of Children, and we failed him... So I will tell him. I will take whatever grudge or hatred he bares from this."
"Not alone, you're not." Percy had said immediately.
Zoe had wanted to tell her Hunt sister that she didn't need to carry or suffer any grudge. That the nature of a quest was dangers by itself, and Bianca's brother should understand that.
...But then, grief wasn't exactly a simple thing, now was it? She had lived long enough to see sadness turn to misplaced rage before. Bianca's brother... Nico, was his name, right? He was just a child. A babe of a demigods really. Not a man that could strike tragedy in his wrath.
Protector of Children... Yes, that is one of her goddess's title and duties. Zoe and her sister had lead many abandoned young boys to shelters that needed it. Girls as well if they were not eligible to join the Hunt.
Zoe remembered the young boys scared faces, which would then be superimposed by those of sacred girl that escape rape or abuse. She led those children to safety, girls or boys as was her duty. Yet sometimes he would wonder why the boys seemed scared more in her presence. They'd grow up to become men eventually. They would grow up to live in a world meant for their conveniences.
Although, Zoe would admit that many people, men and women both, of the current era have grow soft. Living on the fat of peace and comfort. They never realize the war happening under the Mist.
Regardless, mortal boys aren't something Zoe usually thinks about. They weren't a threat.
Demigod males however could be.
Still... Zoe thought, her gaze flickering to Percy. He looked lost in thought, head leaning against the truck's cab rear panel as he looked at the sky. Maybe the demigod boys of this era started to change. Or at least Percy is different? He's not looking at me with lust, even with the whore goddess's blessing.
Indeed, it was a surprise that even with Aphrodite's blessing, Percy has yet to use it even once. Although given Annabeth's estimation it would not work except after he's in a relationship.
"Plus, he's too dumb to know how to use it anyways."
"Oh, and you're the love expert, right, Wise Girl?"
"Shut up, Seaweed Brain!"
Zoe's lips twitched as she held back a snort. Those two seem like genuine friends, there was no intimate affection, so no need to worry about the oath to Artemis being broken. Yet looking at how Percy and Grover treated Annabeth, even after she became a Hunter, it felt like there's hope for males yet.
Even Grover, a satyr, being who are more likely to think with their loins then their head, as long as it doesn't involve their quest for Pan, didn't act bewitched with Annabeth's new aura as a Huntress.
"She's Annabeth. Yeah, she smelled better now, of nature, but she's still my friend."
"Excuse you?"
"You didn't smell bad before or anything, just that nature's better!"
Bianca seemed to enjoy the trio's antics too. She was a truly brave hero. She would have made a great Huntress.
"What do we do now?" Percy asked, breaking the silence. "What's the plan?"
Zoe blinked and gave that some thought.
"We'd need to find a river and call Bessie, otherwise our journey will be longer, and time is of the essence." Zoe outlined. Sometimes the best move is just the next step forward.
"Percy," Annabeth spoke. "In your dream you saw Luke trick Thalia into taking a heavy burden, like a giant ceiling. Later on, it was the same dream but Artemis willingly taking that burden, right?"
"Uh, yeah." Percy said, turning his head to the side a bit. "It looked like some kind of cave ceiling, but also not really? It was very difficult to see."
"A burden it crushes and immobilizes anyone who carries it. It can only be take by someone willingly taking it from you, what does that reminds you off?" Annabeth said. Zoe smiled as the young Hunter easily deduced the answer. Truly, the daughter of Athena has a great future as a Huntress.
"Atlas!" Grover exclaimed, happy to figure it out, yet immediately his face paled at the information. "Di immortales, we're fighting a titan!"
"One thing at a time." Annabeth said, stopping the satyr's panic. "We need to find the Garden of the Hesperides first."
"Aren't those the nymphs guarding the golden apple tree?" Percy asked.
"Not them specifically, but Ladon, a hundred headed dragon with poisonous breath." Annabeth nodded, eyes still on the road.
"I'm afraid it is far worse than mere poison." Zoe added. "Ladon's breath carries the concept of entropy, all who are inflicted with it inevitably die, without divine intervention."
"Oh boy," Percy sighed, looking dejected.
"Good news is, at least I will be able to lead us inside the Garden once we find where it lays now." Zoe said.
"Why is there a trick to getting in there?" Percy asked with that head tilt that reminds Zoe of an adorably confused dog.
"The door to the garden only appears at sunset." Zoe said.
"Because the Hesperides are the nymphs of sunset." Annabeth added.
Zoe frowned at not being given the chance to answer, but let it be, her sister is trying to keep herself engaged.
"Oh," Percy nodded. "Okay."
Silence continued for a while longer.
"...Zoe?" Annabeth spoke up.
"Yes?" Zoe replied, finding Annabeth sudden timidness to be odd.
"How did you know that we need to reach the garden at sunset to enter? I don't remember reading that somewhere before? Or rather, it's easy to deduce, but you sound too sure to have guessed it."
Zoe grew quiet for a moment, thinking of ignoring the question, but at this point, she was too mentally drained to care. Besides, it's not like its a secret really.
"Because I was not a demigod before I became a Hunter." Zoe said.
"You were? Wait, were you just a mortal?" Percy asked wide-eyed.
Zoe shook her head.
"No. I'm... was a Hesperide." She said.
"Wait, what?" Percy asked, thrown off.
Before Zoe could answer or put an end to the conversation, Annabeth spoke up.
"Guys, we're here."
The questers have reach a body of water. A river.
The Ophiotaurus didn't show up.
Percy said it felt like it was struggling to get where they were, but should be able to do so soon.
The four questers took two canoes down the river, hoping that eventually Bessie would turn up, if they stay close to water.
The group was divided in Percy and Zoe, and Grover and Annabeth.
Percy originally wanted to be with Annabeth out of worry, but she insistent that she's be fine. Zoe suggested to give Annabeth some space, and to believe in her as she was a resilient girl.
Percy relented, but mentally promised himself to have a talk with Annabeth once they rest, to make sure she wasn't blaming herself.
"She-devils!" Zoe shouted as some of the naiads pushing their boat splashed her with water.
"Woah, woah! They're just playing." Percy raised his arms to placate her.
"Cursed water spirits! Even after all this time they still haven't forgiven me." Zoe hissed with a frown.
"For...give you for what? Leaving the garden and joining Artemis?" Percy wondered.
"No." She shook her head. "It's because of what caused me to be exiled from the garden. Not leave it."
Percy had a thoughtful look on his face, before he brought out a pen that filled her with bitter memories.
"I had a dream last night." Percy said. "That you helped someone out, and made Riptide." He presented the sword to her.
Hesitantly, she extended her hand and took the pen. Holding it again after all these millennia felt odd. It's touch burned, yet she missed it. It was a gift the held so much meaning to her once. Before He... Before he tainted it.
"It's not mine anymore." Zoe shook her head. "Anaklusmos belongs to thee now, Percy." She took his hand into her own, and placed the pen in it.
Percy held the pen like it held a new weight now, before he put it away.
"Who was it?" He asked. "The guy you helped."
"You should know who that hero is," Zoe said with a bitter smile. "Every young boy wishes to grow up to be him."
For Percy, usually he wouldn't have understood her reference. Yet, given that Annabeth just talked about Atlas, Ladon the dragon guarding the tree of golden apples, and the Hesperides, it click in his head. Percy's eyes widened at the realization.
"Heracles?" He said excitedly. "You met Heracles?"
Zoe's heart burned with wroth at that adulation.
"Yes, I met the famed Heracles." She smiled with gritted teeth, making Percy blink and lean away from her. "I helped him in his quest, one of his Labors of Redemption to get a Golden Apple. And when he failed against Ladon, I gave him the idea on how to one, how to trick my father." Her expression turned to bitter neutrality. "And in return I was exiled by my family, shunned by all nymphs and erased from any records. My existence blotted and forgotten. Heracles made sure of that by taking all the credit."
After Zoe finished her rant, she waited for it. The denial, the rejection, the excuses.
And yet, Percy Jackson just grew quiet, intropective. He seemed lost in thought at the revelation. Zoe supposed she must have broken his heart. She scoffed at the thought. How typical of a male—
"I never really thought about it." Percy said, making Zoe raise an eyebrow at him. "About what kind of person he was." He shrugged. "It's just that... Heracles is always thought of as The Hero. The guy who did cool, badass stuff, help and saved people." Percy frowned. "I never thought... if he was actually a good person or not."
"I assure you, anyone he saved was completely coincidental, rather than intentionally. To be a hero is to acquire glory after all." She said dismissively.
"That's not what a hero means." Percy said with a firm tone. Zoe blinked as she found herself entranced by the determination in Percy's sea green eyes. "Nowadays at least. Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves, Winston Churchill fighting the Nazis," a small fond smile that seem to make Percy more handsome came to his face. "My mom, who... sacrificed so much to make sure monsters don't come after me, even knowing about everything horrible that will happen due to me being the son of Poseidon." He looked up meeting Zoe's eyes, causing her breath to get caught up in her through for a moment. "Those are heroes. People who did the right thing no matter how tough, even when the world was against them."
"...Those sound more like saints rather than heroes." Zoe looked away, feeling her face burn a bit. Must be the sun.
"Then isn't that a good thing? The standards for what a hero is, are a lot higher now." Percy grinned cheekily. "Not every bozo with a sword can kill a monster and call themselves one."
Zoe huffed, yet shouldn't help but smile. Her heart feeling lighter after this talk.
Eventually the quester reached a dam. The Hoover Dam. Percy suggested that they go there for lunch before continuing on.
The group silently walked toward the entrance. To Zoe's confusion, Percy and Grover were looking at Annabeth expectantly, yet the Hunter was quietly heading toward the dam with focus.
"The Hoover Dam." Percy sudden spoke up. "Seven hundred feet tall. Build in the 1930s." He said with a expectant smile.
Grover seeing what Percy was doing, grinned as well, and continued.
"The largest construction project in the United States." Grover said.
"..." Annabeth said nothing, just looking at them annoyed.
Grover looked at Percy lost at Annabeth not chiming in, and shrugged in confusion on what to do now.
"One point three million cubic acres of water." Percy said with a cheeky grin.
"It's five million cubic acres of water, Seaweed Brain and you know that!" Annabeth said before she could stop herself. Upon seeing the boys stupid grin, she crossed her arms and pouted, looking away. Yet they could still see she was beginning to smile. "Also, it stands 726 feet tall and is 1,244 feet long, it cost $49 million to build and took five years to finish. The construction began in 1931, not the 1930s. The second implies it began somewhere in the middle."
"It ended in the middle, so that counts." Percy said without a care.
"It totally does not count!" Annabeth protested, as she spouted facts about the dam, and Percy would misremember something that she would then correct him on.
Zoe found their interaction odd, memorizing these random facts, but it seemed to have cheered Annabeth up.
"Why do you all know so much about the Hoover Damn?" Zoe asked Grover.
"Annabeth loves architecture, specially monuments. Doesn't ever stop spouting facts about them." Grover said with a content smile. "So annoying." He sighed, shaking his head as he let out a chuckle.
Zoe smiled, feeling like the burden upon her group was lighter now that everyone's spirit was lifted a bit. Morale was better, and they will need all the spirit they can get for the hardship to come.
Along with food in their bellies first.
Zoe and Annabeth had been the first one to notice them. The undead soldiers, skeletons with ectoplasm covering them instead of muscle and skin.
They immediately went to warn the boys, so they'd prepare to fight.
"No!" Annabeth said right away. "Those are spartoi, warriors made from dragon teeth using magic, they can't be killed by mortal hands. We have to split up, get them to chase us in different groups then meet back up here again." She instructed.
The four questers did so.
Zoe easily evaded the skeleton warriors. Same for Annabeth and Percy. Grover had some trouble, and had to use his woodland magic on some plastic plants that worked to trip up the spartoi, stalling them for a bit.
Once they regrouped with four skeleton soldier groups converging at them, Annabeth struck.
"What now!?" Grover said in a panic.
"I hope you know doing, Wise Girl." Percy said in a low voice, sword out ready to fight to the end.
"Trust me, I know." Annabeth whispered back. "Woah, woah, woah! All of you stop!" She shouted with her arms spread out, palms out at two grounds to her left and right.
To everyone's surprise the skeleton soldiers stopped.
"Are you all really just gonna work together and take us, just to the one person who deliver us to your boss ends up taking all the credit?" Annabeth said, and the skeleton soldiers all froze still before looking at one another. "Shouldn't the best group, or rather the real spartoi among you be the one to drag our bodies to your boss? I mean," She said with a sly smile. "Unless you're all fine with doing all the work, and for one person to take the credit."
Zoe couldn't believe it.
Like a charm, the skeleton warriors began fighting against themselves.
And this time once they were injured and defeated they didn't get up.
The questers used that time to escape, running along the dam trying to find an exit when...
"Mooooo!"
A loud moo got their attention.
"BESSIE!" Percy exclaimed in loud joy.
All too quickly, the group reached their canoes, all four shuffled into one, with Percy at the front, grabbing the Ophiotaurus' tail. Zoe was forced to have Grover on her lap.
"Tell anyone and no one will find your body." Zoe hissed.
"Y-Y-Yes ma-baa-aaa-aaam!" Grover bleated in fright.
"Go, Bessie! Go!" Percy urged as they questers saw the skeleton group left, made up of five spartoi was running up to the shore.
Bessie swam and the world turned into a blur around them.
"I don't think we're gonna make it today." Percy said as the sun set upon San Francisco city.
Now that they were in the city where the garden was located, Bessie was a determent than an asset.
Grover had to be the one to take the Ophiotaurus back to came.
Thus it was the three questers left, Percy, Annabeth and Zoe, that have to head to the Mountain of Despair on their own.
"We'll need to find shelter for the night and wait till tomorrow. There's still time until the winter solstice. We need to plan accordingly and prepare to free and sneak Lady Artemis out." Zoe said.
"...I know a place we can go." Annabeth said with great determination. Zoe wondered if her Hunt sister was about to face a monster from her past.
The group found themselves in front of lawn of an simple two story house.
Annabeth with great trepidation went and rang the doorbell.
"Ah, yes, are you here with my Sopwith Camel model—"
He looked like middle aged man. He wore a aviator's cap and goggles, and looked utter ridiculous.
Zoe could also see his reaction upon seeing Annabeth, freezing and his eyes widened, as a slow smile of joy and affection started to spread upon his face. She could see the resemblance of Annabeth's face in his.
What? Zoe blinked at that. It wasn't the reaction she expected given how Annabeth talked about her family life.
"Hey, dad." Annabeth barely got the words out, before she was pulled into a bear hug. A hug she eagerly returned as well.
"You're home!" Dr. Frederick Chase exclaimed, before he pulled back. "Honey, Annabeth is here!" He called back into the house. "Are you okay? Everything alright?" He said before finally taking in Percy and Zoe. "So did you leave Camp early? Did you come to visit or..." He said, as he slowly grew nervous at the hesitant looks from Percy and Zoe.
"Dad," Annabeth said with a smile. "It's about a quest. It's to save Artemis and potentially the world. Can we crash here for today and tomorrow?"
"Of course, of course, come on in!" Dr. Chase happily welcomed them.
Then Zoe was treated to the sight of seeing Annabeth's younger sibling tackling her to hug her, and her stepmom welcoming her home with relief.
The stay at the Chase house was surprisingly more amicable than Zoe expected.
Annabeth's father seemed fascinated about Zoe's knowledge on the battle of Ypes from WWI, asking for as many details as possible. She helped him more accurately recreate the model of the battle. It was a surprisingly calming task, thinking intellectually upon the past.
Annabeth's half-brothers seem eager to hear stories about what adventures their big sister went on. And if Percy was her boyfriend. That one was easily shut down.
Annabeth had to explain becoming a Hunter of Artemis to her parents. It was a quiet affair, that Zoe had seen before, yet nearly always felt like she was intruding on something private.
"Will you be able to visit?" Mrs. Chase asked after a moment.
"When I can. When we pass by the state." Annabeth said. "It's... kinda like camp. Except I'll be moving around a lot, and we'll have a active goddess as back-up if anything happens, so... basically safer."
"Annabeth," her father spoke after a long while. "No matter what, please remember that you can call at any time with those gold coins."
"Drachma." Annabeth said, and Dr. Chase smiled.
"If you need anything come by and..." Frederick hesitated as he look lost for a moment, before finally meeting his daughter's gaze. "I'm sorry, if you ever thought for a moment that you were unwanted here. That this isn't your home. It is. And it will always will be." He said, as he place a hand on Annabeth's shoulder, and spoke with utmost sincerity. "You are my daughter and I love you. Please remember that no matter the years that are to come."
Dr. Chase hugged Annabeth. She hugged him back, having to remind herself not to sqeeze too hard as her dad was a mortal. Mrs. Chase join in the family hug as well, apologizing to Annabeth about her past words, and reaffirming Frederick's words.
Zoe left them alone, as she felt she wasn't needed her. Any questions Dr. Chase has could be answered later.
Before she went to sleep that day, Zoe couldn't help but wonder if the Hunters would really be beneficial to Annabeth.
They should have expected it.
The skeleton soldiers are relentless in their pursuits of their prey. They have modern convinces like airplanes to parachute down onto the Golden Gate bridge.
Zoe could only thank the gods for their good fortune, that they left the Chase household early to get ahead of the traffic.
Yet as the undying soldiers blocked their path and would stay down, nor fall for the in-fighting trick again, Zoe began to worry if they will lose their time window to get to the Hesperides garden.
"Undead beings, begone!"
Zoe, Percy and Annabeth froze.
A voice they could have never expected came. A voice of someone they thought long gone.
The ground under the skeleton soldiers opened up, pulling them to Hades and closed up behind them, making it seem like it never moved to begin with.
Behind where the undead creatures were, stood Bianca with a simply grin, and a giant hellhound by her side.
"Hey," she casually greeted. "Sorry, got lost in the junk labyrinth and couldn't find the way out."
""BIANCA!"" The questers shouted in joy as they ran and hugged their friend. For she was lost but now found.
With their leader back, truly nothing can stand in their way of rescuing Artemis now.
I should have expected this. Zoe thought. It was too good to be true.
Arriving to the top of Mount Tamalpais was almost too easy.
Getting past her sisters and Ladon didn't require any effort. Shadow the Hellhound easily went under Ladon's shadow and emerged away from it, and bolted too fast for the dragon to wake up and attack. They already were outside of its range by the time it did awaken.
Getting to Artemis? Simple.
Getting Artemis from under the sky? That they couldn't do as the Goddess of Maiden refused to relinquish her burden to any maiden no matter the cost to herself.
Thalia was there with Luke. Luke pleading for her to summon the Ophiotaurus, to gain the power to strike her father that abandoned her, and didn't even try and save her when she was kidnapped. He kept whispering poison into her ear, and it seemed after a three days, she was close to believing him. Only the sight of Annabeth, Percy and Zoe broke her out of that trance.
And with the help of Percy and Annabeth she was armed again and fighting Luke, all too viciously. Bianca joined Thalia, so they can take out Luke quickly and join Zoe and the rest.
Zoe confronted her father, Percy joining her side without a though, as did Annabeth when she couldn't make Artemis give up her burden.
Then things went wrong.
The Nemean Lion appeared.
Then the Erymanthian Boar did as well crashing into it, and the two fought each other, as well as everyone else.
The battlefield became more chaotic.
The monsters coming up from the beach from the docked Princess Andromeda, was a ticking countdown before they are overrun with monsters.
Percy's sword grew heavy, his arms were like lead. Ares' petty curse striking when all could be lost.
Thus Percy did the bravest thing he could. He freed Artemis, took on the burden of the sky from her.
Luke was injured and slowed. Bianca left the fight, sure Thalia had it secured.
That's when Atlas showed how much he had been playing with them. How mighty a titan was, especially the Titan of Endurance, for he could outlast them all while they grew exhausted.
Bianca tried to help, but the Nemean Lion and the Erymanthian Boar kept getting in the way.
The two legendary monsters got into the middle of the battle between Atlas and Artemis. The titan did not care for their attacks. And the Goddess of the Wild could easily move between them.
The monster army grew closer.
Zoe took a hit from one of Atlas' punches. She lived. She didn't get up.
Annabeth and Bianca tried to help yet couldn't coordinate with Artemis, especially with the damn lion and boar getting in the way.
Bianca went to share the burden of the sky with Percy as it seemed like he as holding it for too long. Annabeth helped out too.
Three demigods held the sky. The burden lightened, but not for long. Eventually it would be too much.
The fighting kept going. Artemis tried to trick Atlas into falling back into taking his burden, yet the Nemean Lion almost seemed to sense her intention and got in the way. Artemis killed it with an arrow through the mouth, and that led Atlas to finally land a stike on her.
Or would have had the boar not crashed into him, throwing his aim off.
Atlas had enough and used his divine might to smash the boar to paste.
"Finally! Now to really end your miserable existence, goddess." Atlas sneered and engaged Artemis again. Spear versus claws, fangs, arrows and whatever animal or weapon Artemis could bring to bare.
The burden of the sky was becoming too much. Percy and Annabeth were dying.
Bianca noticing this, pushed them away, taking the sky by herself all along.
The Titan's curse must you withstand.
That's what the prophecy said, and that's the burden Bianca was meant to carry.
The monster army was halfway up the mountain, as Mount Orthys kept being rebuilt around them.
Bianca seemed to be praying. Muttering something. A name. A plead.
Zoe thought she was calling for her father, yet even Hades can't help her in this, and there was no sacrifice.
Zoe's eyes widened.
She saw the trophy of the Nemean Lion near here. Artemis had slain the beast, of course the trophy would be present.
"P..." Zoe forced herself to stand up. "Percy! Annabeth! Fire!" She shouted at them. She went up to the lion hide and grabbed it.
Annabeth understood and got one of the arrows that would lit on fire once drawn.
Zoe threw the lion hide toward Annabeth.
Annabeth shot the lion hide, striking true.
"Lord Hades!" Percy wheezed out a shout. "Please help us! Save Bianca!"
The lion hide vanished.
Bianca screamed.
"ASTERIOS!"
The water next to the Princess Andromeda exploded into a geyser.
And suddenly a whirlpool started next to Luke's boat as if the underworld itself was opening its gates.
"Truly, Lord Hades loves his daughter." Zoe whispered.
Then from the whirlpool something erupted. Multiple something.
All similar. All monsters.
All with a bull's head.
A loud roar echoed from the beach and reached all the way to the top of Mount Tam.
Atlas and Artemis paused in their fighting at this new development.
A flash of light beamed, like one of Apollo's arrows.
BOOM! BOOM!
"AAAAAAARGH!" The titan shouted in pain.
Atlas was hit directly by those arrows.
Arrows that turned out to be axes.
A few moments later, a giant figure was coming closer and closer. Zoe now noticing that minotaurs were appearing from behind him only to throw him. Repeating this as he rose in the air with speed, and fell upon the mountain top faster once he arched over it.
The giant warrior slammed into battlefield, and all saw him for what he truly was.
Their savior wasn't a hero sent by Hades. It was a monster.
Yet it was a monster with its sights set on the Titan of Endurance.
And roared challengingly.