"The line between logic and recklessness is razor-thin, yet survival often demands we walk it—even at the cost of trust."
The world was a mess of cacophony and silence. My ears rang, a piercing, relentless sound that drowned out everything else. I blinked, my vision swimming as my surroundings struggled to come into focus. The air was thick with debris, particles of dust floating like a ghostly mist in the dim light. Fire licked at the remnants of the shattered walls, casting flickering shadows across the chaotic scene.
Pain pulsed through my body—sharp, relentless reminders of the gamble I had just made. I drew shallow breaths at timed intervals, there was no need to strain myself due to my broken bones. Ever inhale brought the acrid stench of smoke and charred metal. I laid quiet, my body pressed against the soft blades of grass that filled the lawn. I first tried to move my legs, they were fine. Then my arms, they were mostly fine, but I had issues with feeling my left hand. Probably broken. Lifting my right hand, I brought the remaining ambrosia I seized from Bianca's hand when I pushed her away from me and bit into it.
I exhaled, my body slowly mending itself together as I chewed and swallowed the food of the gods. I was unaware of how much time had passed, but looking into the sky, noting the position of the sun, and comparing it to the latest sighting I had in memory gave me my answer. Not too much time had passed, perhaps minutes, but not up to an hour.
As I continued to chew the ambrosia, I began to circulate what little magical energy I had left, looking for any internal injuries or anything similar in case the pain was going through was preventing me from finding any.
Fortunately for me, I didn't have any severe injuries. What I had was completely manageable in my opinion. Once the remaining ambrosia was finished, I began to slowly lift myself from the ground, careful not to aggravate my strained body. The entire area was surrounded by flames that licked the surrounding debris and walls. My opponents who were at the center of the explosion had completely vanished, leaving nothing but a pool of blood from Luke Castellan I presumed.
I took a deep breath and exhaled before I turned my head from side to side. I was looking to see if there was anyone around me, either friend or foe. I looked towards the entrance of the private room and noted that it had been completely blocked by fallen debris. I wondered what happened to Percy and the others, but I was sure they were safe. After all, given their feats I doubted that an explosion of this magnitude would've killed them.
On that note however…. Where was Bianca?
I couldn't help but sigh. When the explosion occurred, I pushed her away from me. I needed her separated from me at all costs. Although, I didn't want to gamble carelessly with the oath of the Styx I made, after all she could've died. As such, I had placed a barrier on her.
Could I sense her through it?
No.
I couldn't find the barrier. Likely because it's dissipated already. It didn't help that I didn't have much magical energy by the time I made it anyways, and with my level of precision, the prospect of tracking her through residue couldn't even be considered.
It was unfortunate, but she was lost.
Suddenly, I felt it. A faint pulse of my own magical energy. It was moving, towards me, from my right instead of the inside of the museum. I exhaled, I wasn't worried. If Percy Jackson was headed my way so soon, then based on his personality there was a high chance everyone on that end was fine. That means there weren't any unintended casualties.
Now about Bianca….
No, I'll think of her later. For now, I need to draw Percy towards me.
"AIDEN! BIANCA!" I heard his shout from afar, followed by several others.
"BIANCA!" Only Zoe called Bianca's name alone. Well I wouldn't blame her, she would certainly punch me in the face if she found me. Maybe death was a better option.
I released a sigh from my mouth and focused on my magical energy, using my finger to mimic a tugging motion as I sought to pull Percy towards me.
"Huh? What's with my shoulder?" Percy said confused. He wasn't far from me, and certainly he should've seen me in this open lawn but there was smoke and debris everywhere. I couldn't blame him. Still, I continued to tug at my magical energy.
"Weird." He said but I could hear the sound of his footsteps as he walked towards my direction. I continued the motion, until finally Percy walked through the smoke and his eyes landed on mine.
"There you are! Guys! I found Aiden!" He rushed to me, his form crouching to my side and slinging my arm over his shoulder as he slowly lifted me up. Once we were stable, I turned my head towards him and thanked him before I decided to ask about the others.
"Everyone's fine?" I asked.
Percy looked solemn for a moment and shook his head, his grip on my side tightening slightly from slight frustration.
"No, Zoe, Thalia, Grover and I are okay. We were surprisingly largely unaffected since we were by the door. Wind just blasted us out. Though I think Grover's hooves had small singes on them but that's about it. The wind didn't affect me at all though since I got this fur coat from killing the Nemean Lion but that's it… you are… yeah you need help. But Bianca… we haven't found her yet." Percy muttered. They faced the Nemean Lion? I was curious as to how they killed it, but I thought of asking such later.
I turned my head away from him and nodded, taking a moment to look at my clothes to see the damage done. My pants and hoodie were unfortunately marred with burns, their edges singed in a rather unique style. My shoes were fine, luckily only covered in soot.
Percy helped me walk out of the smoky lawn, and before I knew it my collar was grabbed and I was dragged away from Percy, my feet floating slightly off the ground. Didn't need to think much to know who this was.
"Hey… Zoe." I said calmly, my unfazed eyes meeting hers which were consumed in a fiery anger that I couldn't deem unnecessary.
"What the hell was that?!" She spat, her hold on my collar tightening as she lifted me further into the air. Percy for one looked completely baffled by the unfolding situation and tried to stop her.
"Zoe! What are you doing?! He's injured, let him down!" Percy grabbed her hand and began to pull down. Surprisingly, he was actually pulling me down, slowly but surely of course. I didn't know Percy had the physical might to contend with Zoe. Though they weren't equal, I couldn't say their difference was as bad as mine was with her.
Zoe's eyes snapped towards him, but before she could say anything I heard Thalia's voice as she and Grover approached us.
"What are you doing?!" She hissed. "Put him down!" Thalia as well grabbed Zoe's hand and both she and Percy successfully pulled me back to the ground. Zoe grit her teeth, her fingers seemingly unwilling to let go of my collar before she threw me to the ground and walked a few ways from the group.
Percy and Thalia immediately walked to my side to check up on me.
"Are you alright?" They both asked me. For a while I thought of commenting on them being in sync, but due to the serious expressions on their faces, I decided against it. I gave them a nod in response.
"Yeah. Don't be mad at Zoe though… She isn't wrong to be mad at me." I said calmly as both of them helped me up with Percy slinging my arm over his shoulder once again. I turned to Grover who approached me with a somber look before he pulled out some ambrosia for me. I thanked him and grabbed it from his hand but didn't eat it. I wasn't sure if eating it now would be good since I'd eaten quite the amount before. I didn't need any urgent healing at the moment but I was exhausted. I would keep it for later.
"So…. What now?" Grover asked, his voice trembling as his eyes darted from person to person. Percy opened his mouth to speak but turned to the smoke and debris with resolute eyes.
"We go find Bianca." He stated firmly. Grover nodded in agreement, but it was clear he still had more to say.
"But… the prophecy. One shall be lost in the land without rain…" Grover muttered but his voice was loud enough for everyone around him to hear. Percy froze, Thalia's fists clenched and Zoe stiffened. I remained largely unaffected, merely blinking as one normally did.
Percy took a deep breath and turned to Grover, his determination was still there, the fire in his soul still burned brightly. But Grover's words had caused it to flicker ever so slightly, for the bright light to dim a little.
"Yeah, I get that… but Beckendorf said we should avoid deserts. This isn't a de—"
"It isn't. But that doesn't mean it's not a land without rain." Thalia cut him off sharply, but it lacked her usual biting tone which she had when she was annoyed. Instead, she seemed reluctant, harboring a hesitation that was out of character for the daughter of Zeus who radiated an air of power despite her inner insecurities. It was clear that she was unable to push that front given the current circumstances.
Zoe remained quiet, but her frustration was palpable.
"I get that… But Aiden was fine! That doesn't mean Bianca isn't! She could be covered in rubble, waiting for us to come save her or something, come on guys. We have to find her." Percy spoke without hesitation, but he didn't have the same conviction as before. His eyes darted from person to person, but nobody spoke and his will began to die down.
"We have to go… those monsters that were frozen in the museum could be free… and they're chasing after you, right? We don't… we don't have time." Thalia's voice cracked as she spoke. I, like Percy were momentarily stunned. The tears that flowed from her eyes were uncharacteristic of her, her body trembled as she struggled to hold herself together. No matter how many of her tears she wiped, more followed after.
"No but…"
"We have to move!" Thalia cut Percy's protest, her face now more resolute than before. She wiped her eyes and glared at him, pushing forward her strong persona as she sought to take control of the precarious situation as soon as possible. Percy wanted to argue, but he wasn't sure what to say to her, but I could see the horror on his face. He'd promised Nico to save Bianca, and he'd failed the moment the quest began.
This should be enough.
Yes, it should.
"Let's go." I spoke up, and Zoe's head immediately snapped towards me. That was when everyone noticed that she too had been crying, silently, in her own corner.
"You… you don't get to say anything after what you did!" Zoe spat. She was struggling to hold herself back from killing me, that much I could tell. I was aware that further escalation would be a terrible idea.
"What he did? What? What's going on?" Percy asked confused, his eyes darting between me and Zoe. Why did he ask that? Was he looking for a distraction from his failure?
"We can talk about this lat—"
"No! He caused the explosion! If Bianca's dead, it's on thee!" Zoe shouted, her voice laced with anger and venom as she pointed at me. She had half the mind to shoot an arrow through my skull, and I had to mentally commend her for her self control.
"What?" Thalia froze as the information reached her ears. Suddenly, I was the subject of focus as everyone turned towards me.
"I apologize, but, I had no choice. There was no way any of us could beat the General, I knew that first hand. You saw how I was when you walked into the room." I said.
"Well I did warn you not to go there. You said you had a plan." Percy pointed out, I couldn't tell whether he was angry at me or himself, but I didn't need to know at the moment.
"I did." I responded.
"Then what about it?! Was your plan worth Bianca dying?" Thalia questioned me in anger as she moved towards me with angry steps. I shook my head.
"No, it wasn't worth it." I said to her.
Thalia froze, her fists clenched firmly as she seemed to struggle with the thought of decking me in the face—hopefully limited to that. Whereas Zoe couldn't even look at me anymore in case she might kill me.
"What…. What was your plan?" Grover asked. He was trying to see if there was any good that had come from my actions. He clearly wanted to believe that Bianca didn't die for nothing.
"Before that, let's go." I said to him.
Zoe bit her lip so hard blood dripped from the side. Thalia looked solemn but steeled her resolve as she glared at me.
"This plan better have been useful… no. It doesn't matter if it was. Bianca's life was never a price to pay…. Let's go before the monsters come. We have to leave this place." Thalia said as she turned and began to walk away. Percy grimaced and also began to move.
"Not there. I meant let's go." I repeated cutting them all off as they stopped.
"Go where, idiot?" Thalia spat as she glared at me.
With my right hand I pointed behind me.
"To get Bianca."
Everyone froze at my words. Once again, I became the subject of the current situation as they all turned to me. Percy for one who was the closest looked absolutely shook. His lips were quivering as he spoke to me.
"What?" He asked.
I didn't turn towards him, keeping my gaze on Zoe Nightshade.
"I'm sorry. But I needed you all to think she was gone for the plan to work. This was the plan, Grover. We have to find Bianca now. I knew the direction in which she flew. She's likely at the other end of the lawn or a close room, but we should get to her before monsters have the opportunity to do so." I said. "Remember, I made an oath on the Styx, Zoe. I'm not so foolish as to risk someone's life like that. Bianca wasn't in my battle with Luke and the General. Even if the explosion knocked her out, Hunters of Artemis are immortal outside of battle. She may be injured, but she's not dead."
I spoke with a resolute voice. I didn't know whether I conveyed determination through my voice, but with every tone I could feel my voice rising. Did I hope Bianca was alive? Did I want to further interact with her? Did I feel terrible at Zoe's distrust?
"I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm asking you to trust the oath of the Styx I made in front of the two of you yesterday. Let's go." I said to her. Zoe gripped her sleeve, her mind filled with turmoil as she considered the validity of my words. If Bianca was harmed then I'd broken my oath, or not, it depended. I did say I wouldn't harm either of them willingly, but it would be stupid for me to think that I would blow up a room with Bianca in it and she'd come out unscathed, hence I put a barrier on her.
Aside from that, Zoe knew of the plan, but she assumed I would be the one lost.
And so, she didn't have an issue with it initially. I wasn't too worried about her anyways when I caused the explosion. She was far away from Atlas and beside the door.
"You better not be lying." Zoe said, her eyes locked onto mine. She had no faith in me, but she wanted to desperately believe that Bianca Di Angelo was alive. I couldn't help but wonder if she was facing her own turmoil on the fact that she brought her to this quest, not me.
"Let's hurry then." Thalia's voice cut through the tension. "Take us to Bianca, Aiden. After that you have to explain. Everything." Thalia said, her voice leaving no room for argument. I nodded and turned to Percy.
"Let's go. Back in the direction you found me." I said to him. Percy nodded his head and turned. I stabilized myself using his shoulder and walked at the same pace as he did despite the limp I suffered from due to my injuries. The others followed behind as I tried to guess the area where Bianca could've landed. I replayed my memories from the explosion again and again and began a flurry of mental calculations. I replayed the scene in slow motion as I continued to give Percy instructions.
I swept my gaze across the lawn for a moment and then glanced towards the wall where the two of us had burst out from. I tried to look at our positions in my mind with a bird's eye view. Using appropriate calculations and a few assumptions, I traced my path using my end point and starting point. Given that I pushed Bianca to the side, she definitely ended up in the direction I'm guiding the others to.
For a moment, I wondered what if I was wrong. What if Bianca had truly died from the plan I concocted. How would I feel? How would the others react? This plan hinged on my understanding of the oath of Artemis, an oath I didn't even study much at all. Perhaps I wasn't worried because I knew deep down that if someone were to die, it wouldn't be me.
Yes, regardless of whether Bianca lived or die, this plan relayed to me a core aspect of my person.
I was a terrible person.
Nevertheless, my eyes locked onto a sleeping figure slightly hidden by the smoke. They were unmoving, and debris littered the area around them, but that could be Bianca.
"There." I nodded towards the figure. I could feel Percy's heart race faster as we slowly approached the area. He was hopeful, but he didn't seem to want to hope too much as we approached the figure of who I believed to be Bianca Di Angelo. When we finally walked past the smoke, Percy let out an audible gasp.
"Guys… she's…. she's fine." A tear escaped the son of Poseidon's eye as he spoke, a small hopeful smile forming on his face. Zoe blurred past me and grabbed Bianca, holding her in her arms as she quickly checked her pulse. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped her eyes and lifted Bianca up like a princess.
"She's fine… just unconscious." She muttered as she looked at the sleeping Bianca happily. I glanced at Thalia and Grover, both of whom had relieved smiles on their faces before Thalia suddenly straightened up.
"We got Bianca. We gotta go back to the van, now! Let's leave." She said quickly. This time there were no protests, everyone turned and followed her as she led the group back to the area where Zoe had parked the van. Took us a while to get there, especially with my limp, but we got there anyways. Percy helped me in and I sat at the back, Bianca was laid beside me. Percy, and Grover took the middle seats while Thalia and Zoe took the front seats. Zoe quickly turned the engine on and slammed her foot on the accelerator and drove away from the mall.
"Now then." Thalia turned towards me, her eyes completely unamused as her gaze bore into my soul.
"Explain your plan. In detail." Thalia demanded. I met eyes with Zoe who looked at me through the mirror, while Percy and Grover also turned towards me. Bianca, who was unconscious, moved as Zoe turned to the next street and her head fell onto my shoulder. I fixed my posture, and laid her head on my lap, deciding to repay her with a comfortable rest.
"Okay. I will explain. But first I am sorry to all of you for not telling you. But I needed you all to not know. This plan specifically hinged on everyone's lack of awareness." I began. The others remained quiet, and I saw it as an opportunity to continued.
"When Zoe was driving earlier, I noticed a black sedan following us. I thought maybe it was a coincidence at first, then I checked again, and again after we turned to different streets and still spotted the same car with the same plate. Then, when we stopped at the convenience store and Percy approached me, I told him to look out for it when he's following us." I began, turning to Percy who nodded in confirmation. Thalia raised an eyebrow at me.
"You knew he was following us? And why am I only hearing about this black sedan now?" She asked me, she was both surprised, shocked and angry at my action. I gave her a nod before I opened my mouth to continue.
"Yes, I knew. And I'm sure you know Percy is pretty stubborn. I haven't known him long but I think we can both agree that I couldn't have stopped him if I told him not to follow us." I said.
"Hey, I'm not stubbo—" Percy stopped himself when Thalia gave him a sharp look. He cleared his throat and relaxed on his seat, turning back towards me as if saying "carry on".
I nodded and continued.
"On the note of the black sedan, I didn't know if we were really being followed. By the time I confirmed it, like 100%, we were at the Smithsonian and Percy was the one who told me." I said to her. Thalia narrowed her eyes at my explanation but gave me a nod, a sign to continue.
"When Grover told us to head to Washington, I though of the possibility that his tracking magic could've been tempered with, just like tracking marks could be when hunting. I thought, what if we were walking into an ambush, especially since the black sedan was following us, you know? Turns out we were walking into one, and I tried to plan against it just in case. I wondered how could I make use of the possible ambush in a way that benefitted the group? Then I came up with an idea." I said.
"Unlike you all and maybe Zoe and Bianca, I don't know Luke. I though if we were heading into an ambush he'd be there. When Percy confirmed it to me, I left and went there. Luckily for me, he wa—"
"Skip the storytelling and just tell us the plan, Aiden." Thalia cut me off.
"Sorry?" I blinked.
"Look, I just asked for an explanation of the plan. Not whatever narration you were about to get into." She said plainly. Percy snorted and Grover looked away, likely hiding his own laughter but a single look from Thalia caused them to straighten up. Zoe was focusing on the road but I was sure she was listening.
"I see. I understand. I was trying to find a way to reinterpret the prophecy differently from how everyone interpreted it yesterday. "One shall be lost in a land without rain" I thought I could make use of the possible ambush in Washington since it wasn't raining here." I explained.
Thalia looked baffled.
"You were looking for a way to kill one of us?" She asked, blinking in confusion before her eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
"Uh, no?" I too was a bit confused as to why she would ask that so straightforwardly. What kind of question was that?
"I was looking to interpret the prophecy in a manner that kept everyone alive." I clarified.
For a moment, the van was quiet, the only sound coming from the radio that kept buzzing instead of actually playing anything. Zoe swiftly shut it off, and now the entire van was quiet. Even I could feel the sudden tension. Thanks a lot, Zoe.
"That's impossible." Grover was the first one to speak. "The prophecy said, "One shall be lost in the land without rain." Even if you considered DC a land without rain, none of you were lost."
"Well—"
"You gambled Bianca's life based on an interpretation? How was exploding the room supposed to do anything?" Thalia asked, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"If you think about it, I gambled my own life." I corrected. I felt Zoe's gaze on mine and looked at the mirror while she slowed down at a red light before turning towards me.
"Do not lie." She spat in disdain, her knuckled clenching the steering wheel to the point they turned white.
"Am I though? I told you didn't I, Zoe? We were the only ones awake in the van. I told you of the possibility of the black sedan being from the enemy. We just didn't have time to tell the others because everyone was asleep till we got to the Smithsonian. Of course I didn't tell you everything, you also had to remain unaware for the plan to be successful." I said.
"You told me that you were going to take a calculated risk on your own life. Not one of my hunters! Thee is not trustworthy! You're a liar!" Zoe shouted in anger, gritting her teeth as her body trembled. The rest of the van remained quiet, refraining from involving themselves in what looked to be a personal argument.
"I didn't lie, Zoe. Have none of you noticed that there isn't a single injury, or burn on Bianca or her clothes?" I said, causing Percy, Thalia and Grover to look at Bianca. Zoe as well turned to have a look. True to my words, Bianca was completely fine. No burns, nothing, she was just asleep.
"That should've been impossible given the explosion, yes? I'm not an idiot, Zoe. And I'm not a mindless brute. I didn't make an oath for the sake of it. Even the explosion I caused occurred behind the General's back. He was the perfect shield while Bianca and I had none. I used magic to cover her in a barrier, not me. Her. And she's a hunter of Artemis who wasn't in battle, she wouldn't have died. But just in case I took pre-emptive measures to make sure she lived. I took a gamble, yes. But it was on my own life." I explained. Of course I had reinforced my body and clothes with magical energy when I was launched in the air. It wasn't much, but I was certain I would live even if I ended up injured.
Zoe didn't argue, she remained quiet but nonetheless frustrated as the lights turned green and she continued driving.
"I don't like it." Thalia said, shaking her head.
"I don't like that you gambled with your life, or Bianca's even if you had countermeasures. That's not how we do things here. We work together, Aiden. This isn't the orphanage. You're not alone." Thalia said sadly, and yet her tone was still firm as she looked at me straight into my eyes.
"I understand. I'm sorry." I didn't argue, I merely bowed my head and accepted her words.
"I hope for your sake, you mean that. You gambled and we were lucky you both made it even though your plan failed." She said, leaning back into her seat.
"The plan didn't fail." I said.
"What?" Thalia and Grover spoke while Percy waited for me to elaborate.
"Did you know where Bianca was?" I asked Thalia.
"No." She shook her head.
"Me neither. Same for everyone here. She was lost. We didn't know where she was." I stated. For a moment, I could see the gears turning in their heads as they began to think on my words. Then, Grover spoke first.
"But… you were lost two. That's two instead of one, even if we found you first—"
"I wasn't lost. I had a way to find you." I pointed towards Percy with my right hand. "I left some magical energy on your shoulder. It acted like a beacon. I made it guide you towards me, and I could've found you the same way." I explained. Percy's eyes widened in recognition.
"Ah, so that's why my shoulder was tingling." He said, patting his shoulder slightly.
"Yes. So while you didn't know where I was, I knew where you were. The situation with Bianca is different. We didn't know, and she didn't know where we were either. It wasn't raining in Washington. This means that Bianca was effectively lost in a land without rain. She didn't need to die. We just didn't know where she was." I finished. "That, was my plan."
Thalia opened her mouth to speak, but now words came out. Grover as well remained quiet. What could they say? That's not how it's supposed to be? Someone was supposed to die? It was never stated that someone was supposed to die, that's in the second half of the prophecy. In this case, it was merely stated that one shall be lost in the land without rain. Washington was a land without rain.
"That's… insane." Grover finally found his voice, his first words were one of sheer incredulity.
"I don't like the plan…. But I can't refute this…. The prophecy didn't say someone would die… and it wasn't raining in Washington…." Thalia muttered, placing a hand on her chin.
"Woah, way to go, Aiden! Respect the idea even though the method was kinda… yeah." Percy pat me a little on the shoulder.
"I understand that my method was frowned upon. I'll endeavor to do better in the future. I'll share my plans with you all next time." I said to them.
"And what if it hinges on us not knowing anything again?" Zoe asked, immediately scrutinizing my words.
"Then I apologize in advance. I won't tell you a single thing." I said honestly. Zoe clicked her tongue and went back to focusing on the road.
"We're a team Aiden. I don't want to have to repeat myself. It's so frustrating to hear you say such a thing. Who do you think you are making decisions for us? If it's a plan that involves everyone you better freaking tell everyone. Ugh! I'd grab your collar and throw you out of the car if you could. This isn't about you! We were all worried sick!" Thalia shouted, glaring at me furiously.
"Hmpf. I was not." Zoe corrected, but Thalia ignored her.
"I understand… I'll do better next time, but you have to understand that this time in particular you had to be kept in the dark." I said.
Thalia took a deep breath before her eyes softened.
"I understand, Aiden. I also get that you're used to doing things alone. Are you sure this was the only way or was this the only way you understood?" Thalia questioned. I wanted to answer, but I didn't have an answer to that. Truthfully, those words struck me harder than I had expected, and for a moment, I was stunned.
"I… I get it. I'll try to be more open from now on." I said.
Thalia nodded her head.
"As you should. Your solo days are over, Aiden. Start moving forward from them, you're not alone anymore." Thalia said as she leaned into her seat once again.
My solo days are over huh… that is true, well said, Thalia. You truly were a natural leader. But unfortunately, I cannot simply trust you all in such a short time frame. While I am confident in my reading of your personalities, I cannot allow myself to let my guard down even among allies. Maybe one day I will, but that day is not today.
"Now for the second matter at hand… we're 6." Thalia said. Grover, her and I all turned to Percy who flinched and scratched the back of his head.
"You know, I was never good at math, honestly." He chuckled.
"This isn't a joke, Percy. The prophecy said 5, not 6. Someone has to go back to camp or we're playing games with the prophecy and we both know that's the number 1 thing not to do with the prophecy." Thalia hissed.
"Okay, okay… I… I'll head back." He raised his arms up in surrender, a wry smile forming on his face as he hesitated. He desperately wanted to save Annabeth, but he even he knew that playing with the prophecy was a no-go. He was tense, really struggling to hold back his words.
"No! I'll go back. I was here because of my tracking, but if Aiden's right then it was tempered with and we were led to an ambush. If anyone should go back, it's me." Grover said sadly but retained a smile on his face. None of us were fooled by his smile.
"I mean. Why don't we try reinterpreting things again?" I proposed.
"Aiden… that worked once, yes, but this was pretty clear. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. That's a clear number." Thalia said.
"But it also said Campers and Hunters must prevail." I added.
Thalia raised an eyebrow.
"Your point?" She asked.
"Ask yourself this. What makes a camper? A hunter of Artemis is clearly defined by their oath to the goddess, that much is clear. They stay in camp half blood during some of their travels but based on the prophecy they're not considered campers. Else there would be no need for a distinction." I explained.
Percy nodded his head in understanding.
"I get it. You're saying there might be conditions that makes someone to be considered a camper?" Percy asked.
"Yes, indeed. Is it having the camp shirt that makes you one? Is it being claimed? Is it staying there for a set period of time? Or is it personal loyalty? I don't have a camp shirt, I was claimed but that isn't even important to me. I was there only for one night and to be honest, I have no reason to be loyal to camp. Haven't even gotten used to it." I stated. It seemed my words were beginning to sync in, because Thalia suddenly had a "wait a minute" look on her face.
"Are you saying… you're not a camper?" She asked me.
"Perhaps. And even if I was considered one, what are your reasons for going to the West?" I asked her.
"To save Artemis, duh." She responded.
I turned to Grover and Percy who said the same thing though Percy was a bit hesitant. That was after all what the quest entailed. I didn't need to ask Bianca who was still asleep or Zoe as their answers would certainly be the same.
"Well, that's not my reason." I stated.
"Excuse me?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.
"Sure I don't think Artemis dying is good, but I'm not going to the West to save her. I'm going to save the only family I'm aware of." I clarified. "We're on the same path but have different goals. I might as well be some plus one who stumbled into your car. I'm not going to the goddess in chains, I'm looking for Annabeth Chase."
Percy who already knew of our shared goal nodded in understanding at my words, his eyes brimming with determination to save his crush. Should I say that out loud?
"I… see. Yeah, we need to save her too… but I don't know, this reinterpreting stuff. It rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it works, but what if it doesn't? I mean I know the alternatives aren't any better, but we can't keep banking on this." Thalia said, clearly conflicted. Her worries were natural, and they made sense. Banking on a reinterpretation of the prophecy and loopholes born from its vagueness wasn't something she was used to. Neither was I, this was my first time dealing with these things. Maybe that was why it was easy for me to scrutinize it instead of taking it like it was the word of a god.
"That's understandable, but the team can unfortunately not be broken. Grover's tracking may have been tempered with, but I doubt they'd do so more than once. Even then, we can't send a demigod back to camp, monsters will definitely be on the lookout. We have no choice but to continue." I reasoned.
Zoe sighed.
"Taking thee on the quest was a terrible idea. But I must accomplish milady's orders." Zoe commented as she moved onto another street.
I wasn't sure what to say, but a loud groan responded to Zoe's disdainful words. I felt Bianca who was on my lap move slightly, as her eyes began to open. She slowly lifted her head up and stretched her arms as she released a yawn from her mouth. Still yawning, she began to rub her eyes as she took in the scene before her.
"Why's everyone staring at me? Where are we anyways?" Bianca blinked as she looked around, noting that we were in the van. Nobody said anything for a few moments before she finally gasped, her eyes wide with horror.
"The explosion! You idiot!" She punched my already pained shoulder. Should I let out a cry to make her feel bad?
"Ow." I said, rubbing my shoulder.
"Damn right it should hurt. What the hell was that?" Bianca glared at me. My plan didn't work it seemed, so I stopped rubbing my shoulder.
Before I could explain it to her, Percy called onto everyone's attention.
"Uh, guys." He pointed towards the front window. I followed the direction he was pointing at, and my eyes landed on what I immediately recognized as a sleek, black military helicopter, flying towards us with a dangerous pace. It resembled the one that had attacked us on the cliff, the one that worked with Thorn.
"We have to ditch the van! They know it!" Percy shouted. Zoe clicked her tongue and scanned the road as she began to weave through the traffic as much as she could with the van. Which in hindsight wasn't really much.
Bianca and I looked through the back mirror and noticed the helicopter was gaining at a frightening pace. I could see the turrets installed into it beginning to turn as it prepared to take us out. It seemed they didn't care about the innocent bystanders around us.
But who was I kidding?
Of course they didn't.
"It's gaining!" Bianca alerted.
"Uh… um…. Maybe the military would, you know, shoot it down?" Grover suggested but it was clear he himself didn't believe in the words he spoke out loud.
"Depends on if they think it's one of theirs. How come the General can use mortals anyways?" Percy questioned, his face scrunched up in worry and confusion.
"Mortals are like that. They will fight for any cause as long as there's money. They never change." Zoe gripped the steering wheel tighter, her frustration evident by the tone of her words and body language.
"I mean sure, but don't they see who they're working for? They don't notice all the monsters around them?" Percy said.
"Did you forget about the mist, Percy? Maybe they're not clearsighted at all. Or maybe the General manipulated the mist to make them see the monsters as their fellow soldiers or whatever those guys are." Thalia chimed in.
"Mercenaries. That is what they are. I believe it does not matter what they see. The truth doesn't negate the gains, the money. It is proof that mortals are sometimes far more horrible than the beings labelled as monsters." Zoe said as she swerved into another street.
I understood her words better than most. I'd seen a lot of mortals succumb to their temptations and desires and do things nobody would've expected them to do. Even the kindest people have weaknesses and desires, and sometimes it is only when they act upon them that one was able to witness the truth of the person in question.
"There, Zoe! The parking lot!" Bianca shouted as she pointed towards the parking lot at the other side of the street. Zoe shook her head.
"We'll be trapped." She stated.
Bianca looked at her through the mirror, her eyes shimmering with determination. For some reason, she was fully certain of her decision here.
"Trust me." She said.
Zoe looked at her through the mirror, both of them seemingly communicating with their eyes for a short, imperceptible moment before Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic with an undeniably high amount of skill. She drove straight into the mall parking lot and we all left the van.
Luckily for me, Percy was able to help me as we followed Bianca down a few steps until we reached a subway entrance.
"There. Let's go south. To Alexandria." Bianca stated. We all agreed with her and followed her to go buy tickets. Unfortunately I was broke, but Thalia wasted no time in paying for my own ticket before we quickly hopped onto the train and sat down all in the same booth. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, while Percy quickly looked outside the window.
"It's circling around the parking lot. Doesn't know we're here." He sighedas he relaxed onto his seat. I pulled out the ambrosia Grover had given me from my pocket and bit into it. Just a bit to help with my current condition ever so slightly. I was thinking of using magical energy to realign my bones in order to do half of the healing agent's work, but I was currently running low and using the remainders to keep myself warm due to having singed clothes with a few holes on them. Fortunately for me, it wasn't so bad that it looked suspicious, just custom made.
"Nice job thinking of the subway, Bianca. That was some great quick thinking." Grover praised. Bianca smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
"Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't there when we used to live in DC." She explained. Her words caused everyone but me to frown, their faces scrunched up in thought as they took in her words.
"New? The station looked pretty worn out and old though." Grover pointed out. Bianca nodded, a small solemn smile forming on her face. I recalled our conversation before the battle in the Smithsonian, she was confused and scared when she looked at all the exhibits, showing dates that didn't align with her own beliefs of how much time had passed.
I didn't know whether her memories were tempered with to make her believe she'd been alive for over 70 years, but this was clearly just a 12 year old to me, to all of us, including herself.
"I guess… But trust me. When we lived here as little kids, there was no subway." Bianca explained.
Now it was Thalia's turn to voice out her confusion.
"Wait, no subway at all? Are you sure?" She questioned.
Bianca nodded her head, firmly believing her own words.
"Bianca…. How long ago…" Zoe's voice faltered as we all heard the sound of the helicopter blades closing in on us. I sighed, could they not leave us alone? They were rather persistent. Just how much was the General paying them? Or had he really tricked them with the mist?
"We need to change trains." Percy pointed out the obvious. The moment the train stopped we all bolted out of it and bought tickets to the next one. I was doing better than before, but my limp was still noticeable. Thalia helped me out this time.
I was beginning to act like a liability, slowing the group down with my injuries. What an unfortunate situation I'd ended up in. But I had no room to complain, after all it was a life or death plan anyways, and it was mine for that matter.
When we got into the next train, while everyone caught their breath, I bit into the ambrosia cube once again and focused my magical energy around the damaged bones. They weren't many, and I was lucky I hadn't aggravated them much. Nevertheless, I focused on using magical energy to slowly align them in their rightful places.
I did have my own method of healing, which was why I lacked scar tissue over my body despite my experiences. I was again running low on magical energy though, but I couldn't continue to count on the others to carry me around. Slowing the group down was a terrible idea since we were being chased by a helicopter.
I shouldn't be withholding energy to spare.
I began to slowly heal myself.
We changed trains once again soon after as Thalia noticed the helicopter following us once again. I had no idea where we were headed, but our main goal was escaping the sight of the helicopter, everything else was secondary. After a while, we were fortunate enough to lose the helicopter and we all breathed a sigh of relief. I decided to focus once again on my healing without biting into any ambrosia.
When we were all settled in and had calmed down now that we were safe, Percy, Grover and Thalia went to look for a bathroom, leaving Zoe, Bianca and I in an awkward silence. I wondered if I should break the ice, but I decided to just focus on my own situation. Bianca though, wasn't having it.
"So, are you going to explain what the explosion was for? The last thing I remember was you apologizing in advance." She said. I didn't dare sigh with the way she looked at me. Bianca was kind, but she wasn't stupid. If I didn't choose my words carefully, then I risked losing all the growth our relationship had.
I explained everything to her. Unlike Thalia, she didn't tell me to cut the story short. She listened to everything, my reasoning, my logic, my deductions, my planning, everything. She took it all in, and I could tell Zoe was doing same. Bianca folded her arms, a contemplative look forming on her face as she digested my words.
"Are you sure… this will work?" She asked me.
"No, I can never be certain of anything. But if there's anything that could work, that was it. Unless the prophecy is more rigid than I anticipated, we've successfully worked through the first "death" and ensured it didn't happen. Again, I apologize for putting you in harms way." I answered.
Bianca exhaled, her breaths becoming slightly shallow as her fingers trembled.
"I was scared… very much. It all came out of nowhere. I walk into the room and you look near dead. One second I'm feeding you ambrosia then the next you apologize and an explosion happens. I was scared out of mind, Aiden! Not just for me, but for you." Her lips quivered as she spoke. "I saw the barrier you put over me… thank you for that. But I didn't see any on you. You could've died!" Bianca shouted at me.
It seemed she was far more worried for me, than she was herself. Was it this attitude that allowed her to take care of Nico Di Angelo for as long as she did? Even when she left him, she felt guilty. Though it was clear she left because she believed he'd found a safe haven in camp half blood, while she could embrace her freedom and be more than her brother's keeper.
Still, I couldn't deny being touched by her concern.
"Thank you." I said to her.
Bianca blinked, confused by my words before she flushed in embarrassment. Maybe she had expected an apology from me, but it was clear to me that my scope was far narrower than I initially ever expected. The people from camp half blood—no, the peopled I've met since I left…. were undeniably nice.
"W-whatever. Just rest or something. And no more plans like that!" She said before she leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes. I nodded my head, and leaned back into my seat, closing my eyes in turn while Zoe Nightshade remained silent in the background.
I wondered if she had something to say to me. Whatever it was, she kept it to herself for the remainder of the train ride. Percy, Thalia and Grover returned, and we all as a group talked about whatever came to mind. Grover played some of his music, some of which were good, others, not so much. My magical energy was slowly replenishing itself, and Zoe had planted herself firmly beside me, following through with her lady's mission.
She hadn't moved a single inch since she sat down.
As the train ride finally came to a stop, we found ourselves in essentially the middle of nowhere. We were lost in an industrial area with mere railway tracks and industrial homes. The sky was filled with smoke, pumping out of the ceiling of the multiple factories at a constant rate without any fluctuation. The air around was heavy and clearly filled with impurities, so much so that Grover began to cough whenever we walked past a factory.
Despite this, it was far colder around these parts for some reason. My magical energy worked without stoppage as it warmed up my body with every passing moment. As we walked along the railway yard, Percy spotted a homeless man who was standing at a trash-can fire. He wore ragged, torn, and baggy clothes as his scuffed hands hovered above the dancing flames to keep himself warm.
The moment I saw him, I immediately noticed the powerful aura radiating from him. I knew for a fact that a random homeless man being around here was utterly suspicious. It didn't help that the moment he saw us, he gave us a toothless grin.
"Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!" He invited us, waving us towards his flaming trash-can. Nobody protested, what could we even say? We were all cold. We walked to his trash can and joined him, surrounding it like a circle as we all hovered our arms above the flames.
"This is g-g-great… soothing…." Thalia shivered as she moved slightly closer to the fire. Percy seemed to be doing better than the rest of us, looks like his Nemean Lion coat also worked like an insulator.
"My hooves are frozen." Grover complained, shivering as much as Thalia was.
"Feet." Percy quickly corrected. I wasn't sure why he did so, what sane human corrected someone on something like that? If he was trying to ensure no suspicion fell on us then he made things worse.
Nevertheless, it wasn't like it was necessary for the homeless man beside us. He was a god after all. I just wasn't sure which one. After all, I still couldn't differentiate between gods, but I had a feeling I'd met this one before.
"Shouldn't we try to contact camp? Chiron could—"
"No. Chiron cannot help us anymore than this. We must finish this ourselves." Zoe cut her off. Both her and Bianca were perfectly suited up to handle this cold due to their Hunter outfits.
"You know. You're never completely without friends. You need a train going west?" The homeless man suddenly said. I didn't even bother questioning his intentions. Clearly a god was involving themselves into our quest, else how would they know we were headed west?
Now, which god has anything to do with this quest? As long as all the information I know of is enough and correct, I could guess the homeless guy must be Apollo. If not, then there may be another god with some stakes in this quest alongside him.
"Yes sir. Do you know of any?" Percy asked him. The homeless man gave him a toothless grin and pointed a greasy hand towards the tracks. We all turned, and our gazes immediately landed on a freight train that not only gleamed but was completely free from snow. It was a large train with multiple decks stacked with cars in them. Its sides were completely enclosed but the back of the train was completely open, giving a glimpse at the multiple, expensive cars that littered its insides. On its side was a large sign that said SUN WEST LINE.
"That's… awfully convenient." Thalia said before she turned to thank the homeless man. "Thanks uh…"
But he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he had never been there to begin with. Not wasting any time though, Zoe told all of us to quickly move to the train to which we did without any hesitation. Grover was practically gleaming as we approached the cars, Percy and I weren't all that excited and simply wanted to get out of the cold. Thalia walked with a burning determination while Zoe and Bianca were looking around as if wanting to pick the perfect resting spot.
As we climbed onto the train, Zoe turned to me.
"Bianca and I are headed to the top. I have picked a car. You will stay with us." She stated, her tone leaving no room for argument or defiance. Bianca helped me climb up to the top of the deck, and Zoe pulled out her hair pin and lockpicked the car with the skill of a well trained thief. I could lockpick cars with ease as well, but I had to commend her centuries of experience.
Zoe entered the driver's seat, Bianca taking the empty front passenger seat while I sat at the back in the middle like a single child. Zoe hotwired the car and turned it on, turning the heater on as she and Bianca breathed sighs of relief. We all relaxed onto our seats, enjoying this short moment of peace as the train took us to who knew where.
Yet even in this peaceful atmosphere, my mind refused to take a breather. I was still weary, no I was still thinking. This was supposed to be downtime for myself, but I felt the need to do a few things now that I was alone with Zoe and Bianca. It would've been better if Bianca was asleep, but I couldn't force her to sleep anytime soon. Neither could I hope that she would fall asleep and Zoe wouldn't.
That was just wishful thinking.
"Zoe. Are you… mad at me?" I asked her.
Zoe tensed, but she said nothing. Bianca glanced at her but didn't push for an answer. She could tell that Zoe worried for her, and that she didn't like what I had done in the slightest.
"Yes." Zoe finally said.
"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" I asked.
"No." She responded.
"Alright." I gave up.
Bianca looked at me confused.
"You're just giving up… like that?" She asked me with a raised eyebrow.
I shrugged.
"There's not much you can do to earn forgiveness if the other isn't willing to forgive in the first place. Nevertheless, I'd like you to listen to my next statement, Zoe Nightshade." I said, turning back towards her.
"And what if I do not?" She said, turning towards the window as she leaned her head on her seat and readied herself to sleep.
"Then that is your right. But that does not mean I won't say what I have in mind." I said. This time, Zoe gave me no response, but I didn't need one anyways. I opened my mouth and said the words I kept stuck on my tongue this entire time.
"I don't want you to die." I said to her.
Zoe's eyes snapped open, whereas Bianca looked at me confused and utterly worried.
"What? Die? Why would Zoe die? Is it the prophecy? The perish by a parent's hand? Or is it something else?" Bianca questioned frantically, her eyes darting between Zoe and I. Zoe got off from her seat and turned towards me with pure fury in her eyes. She knew that I knew the truth, and she didn't like that.
Not in the slightest.
"You… what game are you playing now?" Zoe clenched her seat in fury. I shook my head as I looked her straight in the eye, unfazed.
"No games, I was just thinking about the kind of person you were." I said. Zoe laughed but it was clear she didn't find any part of my words funny.
"Oh really? What kind of person am I?" Zoe questioned.
I exhaled.
"You're a kind person beneath that rough exterior. I don't know what happened in your past, but it's clear that it affects you even till today. You've found family in the Hunters, and you love taking care of them. You're someone who portrays the façade of a realist but deep down you have a bit of optimism in you. You didn't trust me, but you wanted to believe Bianca was alive when I spoke of searching for her. You were angry at me, but also angry at yourself. You knew that Phoebe would be ready to lay her life down for the quest. One shall be lost in the land without rain. I'm sure you and Phoebe came to an agreement of some kind, you wouldn't be the type to sacrifice a hunter and you're not heartless enough to kill an innocent camper. You hoped Bianca would survive and you were blaming not only me but yourself when you thought she died." I stated.
"But there's still one more fated "death" isn't there? One shall perish by a parent's hand. Should I tell Bianca or will you tell her yourself?" I challenged. Zoe's hands shot towards me and grabbed my collar pulling me towards her furious face. Her eyes bore into mine and I could feel her breath against my face.
"Tell me what? What's going on, guys?! Please calm down!" Bianca cried but none of us listened to her. Zoe was furious, rightfully so, I was striking at her barrier, hammering it relentlessly without trying to break it. I merely needed to shake her psyche. The prospect of slow and steady wins the race was my first plan in breaking down Zoe's defenses. But there was no time, our adventure was merely a week. And not only that, we could die anytime.
I didn't want to incur her wrath, but the person before me was suicidal, knew it and carried it on her shoulders as if she were alone. You're strong Zoe Nightshade. I need you to ensure my survival, I cannot allow you to die so soon.
Zoe punched me in the face sending my head into the backseat of the car. I was certain I had a bruise. She let me go but was still so mad she broke the steering wheel. Bianca froze and said nothing, clearly afraid by what was happening around her. Zoe who noticed how shook she was began to calm down.
"I apologize for my outburst." Zoe said in a hushed tone before she opened the door and walked out of the car. Perhaps I had pushed too much, but this was necessary. Zoe Nightshade would've never opened up if someone didn't challenge her in a way that forced her to. Unfortunately no one aside from me would ever dare attempt such a thing.
"Aiden… I don't know what's going on but I've never seen Zoe like that. I don't know what you did…. But it wasn't right." Bianca said to me, her worried gaze fixed on the driver seat's door.
"I know. But Zoe is planning to die. I have no right to judge. But I don't want her to, and neither do you." I said to her. Bianca nodded, relaxing back into her seat but her mind was clearly full of turmoil.
I looked away from her towards the direction Zoe went. It was cold, and her clothes were perfectly suited for this temperature, but mine were not. Going outside in this cold was nothing but detrimental. Zoe Nightshade also clearly needed space to cool off.
Me showing up would be nothing but a terrible idea.
And yet, I walked out of the car.
Not gonna lie, this one was a bit of a struggle. I know I take a long time to pull out these chapters, went through some severe writer's block. Nevertheless I'd like to know if things are progressing too quickly or too slowly or if there are things I should fix or rectify. I'm planning to add more Percy in the future, and I do have a bit of a problem with fast paced writing like the Titan's curse book actually has and tend to stretch stuff out because that's just how Aiden is. I'd appreciate any comments or questions, I'd like to write the next chapter better. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, thank you!
