A/N
Well this chapter and maybe the next will be a little shorter than I'd like due to where I need it to end for the next chapter to be in the POV that it will be.
Apologies for this chapter coming out when it did, I have been having issues with my internet the past few weeks, so the chapter was pushed back.
Zoè
Zoè and Phoebe drew their bows, Luke pulled out his sword, Thalia her spear and Aegis, and Grover grabbed his reed pipes.
The back door of the limo opened in front of them and a large man stepped out, his long brown hair braided down the back of his head. A black leather biker jacket over a tight white shirt, black cargo jeans, and combat boots. Wrap-around shades hid his eyes, and his body radiated Godly energy.
"Lord Ares," Zoè spoke before anyone else. "We were not expecting to see you until the summit."
The war god glanced at the group in front of him with boredom, "At ease people." Snapping his fingers and everyone's weapons fell to the ground. "This is a friendly meeting and while I'd enjoy taking any of your heads as a trophy, someone wants to see one of you. And I never behead someone in front of a lady."
"What lady?" Thalia asked.
Ares looked over, focusing on someone for the first time since stepping out of the limo. "Well, well, well. I heard you were back, got bored of being a tree?" He chuckled at his own joke like he was pleased with himself. "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. You're not hanging out with the best company are you little sister?"
"What's your business Ares?" She said, "Who's in the car?"
Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Will only take Nightshade a few minutes."
"Why would we leave Zoè alone with you, Lord Ares?" Phoebe spoke respectfully of a male as she could.
"Besides," Grover managed to squeak out, "The taco place is closed."
"Ahh, Hunters. As respectful as expected, my older sister always made sure her hunters kept their disdain for males to the mortals and not us gods. Anyways." Ares snapped his fingers again, the lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?"
"Go one," Zoè spoke, trying to sound confident. "I'll handle this."
"You heard the girl," Ares said. "She's got things under control."
The group reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant. Ares then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur. "Inside you go. And mind your manners, she's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."
When Zoè got in the limo to say she was surprised would be an understatement. Sitting across from the Hunter was the Goddess of love herself, Aphrodite.
"Ah, there you are, Zoè Nightshade, it is nice to meet you." The goddess spoke in an eloquent tone. "I am Aphrodite, as you should remember. You have seen me before, when I visited your lady a few hundred years ago."
"Of course Lady Aphrodite. It is good to see you again." As Zoè looked at the goddess in front of her she couldn't help but notice that for a split second she saw a familiar long jet black hair, and a silver eye. But the image was so short that she swore she imagined it.
She smiled, "Aren't you sweet. Tell me, do you know why you are here?"
"Lady Artemis has been captured, we were given a quest to rescue her."
Aphrodite chuckled to herself. "Oh sweetie, you miss understand me. I was more referring to why you are sitting here with me, although, that is a good question. Why are you on the quest, I think we both know you would much rather be off tracking that monster with your Lieutenant."
"Of course I want to be with Persephone, we have hunted together for centuries. But the quest was given to me, I had to come. And I have no idea why you decided to speak to me."
"Sure, I think you believe the first part more than you want to admit. Though you could have easily played it off like the stupid mummy was looking at the other Hunter you are running around with. Maybe you knew that even if you did, Persephone would have ordered you to go with the quest anyways. You knew that she would go off on her own, you just hoped she wouldn't."
Zoè felt extremely uncomfortable knowing that the Goddess not only knew what happened but knew what she was thinking at the time, like she read through her memories.
Aphrodite laughed out loud, letting Zoè know she was in fact listening to her thoughts. "Tell me Zoè, do you know how often I pay attention to any of Artemis's hunters?"
"No." Zoè truly didn't have another answer, there hadn't been one historical instance of Aphrodite taking an interest in the Hunt.
"That's because I never have, you Hunters are generally not interesting to me. No Hunter has had any interesting affections for anyone. Well there was that one hunter who was a little interesting, and had a soft spot for her partner. But sweet Maia met an unfortunate fate before anything could progress." Aphrodite had started looking off into space, briefly being lost in a memory, before snapping back to the present at Zoè's next words.
"There was nothing between Maia and Phoebe, and there is nothing between Persephone and I."
"Ha, imagine telling the Goddess of love about matters pertaining to love. It's truly adorable."
"We are Hunters, we forswear love. Artemis would sense it, and she won't be happy about you trying to lead Hunters astray by causing them to fall in love"
"Artemis could never sense love, darling, that's my domain. And for your information, I don't cause people to fall in love, people just do. Let me give you a small lesson in how the universe works, there are a few immutable forces in this universe. There is time, life, death, and love. Now as gods we can alter them or affect them, but no one can create them, or destroy them. Love is natural and powerful, I'd say it is the most powerful force in existence, even Gods are affected by them, I can't make love grow where it doesn't want to, nor can I squash it once it does. Love is so powerful that you could wipe someone's memory of their entire life, and the love would still remain in their heart." Aphrodite, had at this point leaned to the side, her long legs splayed across the seat as she sipped from a wine glass, filled with a swirling gold and ruby red liquid.
"What does this have to do with anything?" Zoè spoke, gradually becoming more and more exasperated as the conversation went on.
"Nothing, you accused me of trying to lead Hunters astray, I was simply explaining that any Hunter that falls in love, does so because that's how love works. Not because I did something, this is something I've had to explain to many Gods and Goddesses for the past who knows how many centuries. Now, what I said about you and Persephone, that is quite possibly one of the most important things in existence." Aphrodite smiled at Zoè in a mischievous way, yet also maintained her aura of eloquence
"There is nothing between…" Zoè started to speak only to be cut off.
"Yes I know dear child, you say one thing but if there was one person you couldn't lie to about this, that would be me. But anyway it is fine, stay in denial all you want. If you truly believe what you say then it doesn't matter what I'm telling you, go on with your life how you have been. But I suggest you ask Phoebe about Maia, see what she tells you. It might change how you think about life." Aphrodite set down her now empty wine glass before sitting up and looking towards Zoè. "Now, you'd better go. And do be careful in my husband's territory, Zoè. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."
"Wait." Zoè spoke startled at the abrupt ending to the conversation. "That junkyard belongs to Hephaestus?"
But the limo door opened and Ares gestured to get out, with no other option Zoè stepped out before she could be removed by the God.
"You're lucky, Huntress." Ares nudged Zoè away from the limo. "Be grateful."
"For what?"
"Not many people ever get a face to face audience with the Goddess of Love, especially Hunters of Artemis. If I were you, I'd take her advice to heart." With that Ares snapped his fingers and in a puff of bright red dust, the limousine and Ares were gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone, the group of questers were suddenly standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.
"Who was in the car?" Thalia spoke as soon as Zoè walked over to the group.
"Strangely enough, Aphrodite." Zoè was still confused about why Aphrodite was taking such an interest in her and Persephone.
"What did she want with you?" Phoebe spoke in disgust.
"It was weird, she was talking about how her domain worked, and how it affects everyone including the Gods. Then she said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to take anything." Zoè lied, not planning to say exactly what the Goddess said to her with the entire group around her.
"The Goddess of Love would not make a special trip to tell you that. Be Careful Zoè, Aphrodite is well known for making heroes fall astray. With our lady captured, I fear what moves she may be attempting." Phoebe was looking at Zoè with a weird look on her face, clearly concerned with the way she was acting.
"Let's go." Zoè spoke changing the subject. "This way is west."
Thalia jerked her head towards her in surprise. "How can you tell?"
"Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west." She pointed west, then at the northern constellation, which was hard to make out because there were so many other stars.
"Oh, yeah," Thalia said. "The bear thing."
Zoè looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy hunt."
"You act like it was real."
"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!"
The group had reached the crest of a mountain of junk, piles of metal objects glittered in the moonlight. Bronze horses with broken heads, metal legs from human status, destroyed chariots, multiple tons of shields and swords, along with other weapons. Even modern stuff, like cars that seemed to shine gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and even computer monitors.
"Whoa," Luke said. "That stuff… some of it looks like real gold."
"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Zoè said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."
"Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It was broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown that looked to be made of gold, silver, and various jewels. It was spit in half, as if it had been cleaved by an axe. He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"
Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"
"Look!" Phoebe exclaimed as she raced down the hill, tripping over bronze coils and golden plates. She picked up a bow that glowed silver in moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!" She yelped in surprise as the bow began to shrink, and became a hair pin shaped like a crescent moon.
"Zoè, look, it's just like…" Thalia began before she was cut off by a grim-faced Zoè.
"Leave it, Phoebe. That's an order." At Zoè's words Phoebe dropped the hair pin before kicking it further down the hill to be lost in the pile. "It is here for a reason, anything thrown in this junkyard must stay here, they are defective or cursed."
Zoè kept facing forwards, refusing to look at the item that had drawn her fellow Hunter's attention. Refusing to think about those memories at a time like this. A nasty feeling swirled in her gut, she was forgetting something, something important.
"I don't like this place," Thalia said. She gripped the shaft of her spear.
"You think we're going to get attacked by refrigerators?" Luke asked.
Thalia gave him a fierce glare. "Zoè is right Luke, things get thrown away here for a reason. Come on, let's get across the yard."
"You've been agreeing with the Hunters a lot since we left camp." Luke muttered, but Thalia ignored him.
Picking their way through the hills and valleys of junk was easier said than done, the stuff seemed to go on forever, winding and turning left and right. If it wasn't for Ursa Major, they would have been lost multiple times over. Each different path they took looked the exact same. Occasionally they would pick something up to check it out before putting it down, each person making sure anyone who picked something up, put it back down.
Eventually the group arrived at the base of a hill much bigger and longer than the others, Like a metal mesa standing in a sea of earth. The length of a football field and as tall as goalposts, at one end there was a row of ten thick metal columns, wedged together.
Phoebe frowned. "They look like…"
"Toes," Grover finished.
Phoebe nodded. "Really, really large toes."
Zoè and Thalia shared a nervous look for a second. "Let's go around, far around."
"But the road is right over there," Luke pointed. "Quicker to climb over."
PING.
Thalia hefted her spear and Zoè drew her bow, but then everyone realized it was only Grover, who had thrown a small piece of metal at the columns and hit the closest one. The scrap metal made a deep echo, as if the column was hollow.
"Why did you do that?" Zoè demanded.
Grover cringed back, "I don't know. Was curious if it was, uh, hollow?"
"Come on." Thalia said looking forwards, her spear in her right hand. "Around." No one argued, everyone seemed to be uncomfortable standing around the weird metal columns.
After several minutes of walking, the group arrived just before a highway, an abandoned but well-lit stretch of black asphalt, cracked every couple feet.
"We made it, we are out." Zoè said. "Thank the gods."
Apparently the Gods were not in the mood to be thanked, right as Zoè made it to the boundary line and was about to step beyond it, in a flash of dark red smoke a small hair pin shaped like a crescent moon appeared in front of the group, outside the junkyard.
"Wait isn't that…" Phoebe's words died in her throat as a sound, that could only be described as a thousand trash compactors crushing metal at the same time, erupted from behind them.
In sync the entire group whirled around, looks of terror on everyone's face as they watched the scrap mountain. As the ground shook and cracked, the ten columns tilted forwards, slamming into the ground hard enough to shake everything around it. Legs followed shortly after, then the waist and torso. Rising up was a large robot, at least 200 feet tall, made of celestial bronze, wearing a full set of Greek battle armor except he didn't have a helm. Gleaming wickedly in the moonlight the giant looked down at them, revealing his deformed face. The lower left side was partially melted off, his joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest the words WASH ME, was written in the dust.
"By the gods, it's Talos!" Zoè gasped.
"What in gods' names is a Talos." Luke shouted in surprise.
"One of Hephaestus's creations," Thalia said. "But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype maybe. A defective model."
Talos moved his hand to his sword belt and drew out a massive xiphos, the size of a battleship. It was dull and covered in rust, but everyone knew a single hit would kill them.
"Did someone take something? Why is it after us?" Thalia asked everyone while her shield sprang to life on her wrist, the Medusa head shining in the moonlight.
"I don't think anyone did, that hair pin from earlier just appeared in front of us before Talos activated. This is an attack from the enemy, using one of Hephaestus's machines. SCATTER!" At Zoè's words the group split into 3 groups, Phoebe and Zoè went left while Luke and Grover went down a path to the right, and Thalia ran directly at the giant, lightning flying from the sky to her spear before slamming into the giant's chest. Talos swung his sword around, knocking down power lines, making them explode in a shower of sparks and fall in Thalia's path.
As Thalia leapt over the downed power lines, the electricity arcked from the cables to the demigod, being absorbed into her skin. Running up a small hill covered in trash and junk, Thalia jumped into the air, jamming her spear into the side of Talos's left knee, unleashing all the electricity stored in her body into the joint. She almost got past the giant unscathed, until the left leg buckled and she slammed into its foot mid air. Thalia slammed into the ground on her side rolling until her back hit a fridge laying on its side, Luke was by her side moments later rolling her onto her back to make sure she was alright. Pulling her to her feet, she and Luke began a game of stabbing and slashing to the feet of the giant, staying close just long enough to deal some damage however minor it was before backing out of range before it could squash them with its massive foot.
Zoè and Phoebe were firing arrows that whistled through the air, before shattering harmlessly against its metal face. To say Zoè was getting frustrated would be an understatement, nothing was really hurting this thing, it had been a few minutes since she had seen Grover, Luke or Thalia and her arrows were not even a distraction.
"Phoebe!. Go find a car, we will outrun it." Zoè yelled as she took off after Talos, who was now walking after one of the others, swinging his sword and sending large amounts of debris and wreckage flying. Continuously shooting arrows towards the giant, she got a single arrow in Talos's ear, momentarily stunning it before it continued like nothing had happened. A tendril of electricity went from the opposite side of the giant, at the same time a car went flying into the air, both slamming into the giant's left knee bringing it down to a kneeling position. Moments later, Luke and Grover came running around the pile of junk in front of Zoè.
"RUN! Talos is coming down. We need to get out of here." Mere moments after Zoè started running, followed behind by the two boys. Storm clouds gathered above and a massive bolt of lightning came crashing down on the giant's head, before a large explosion could be seen and felt right where Talos's head was. Zoè was able to glance up and see that the head was no longer there, before the entire giant started to fall. First the knees hit the ground sending dust and sand everywhere, as the giant fell it started breaking up into pieces as the metal strained with all the rust and the damage from the lightning.
The giant's left hand hit a mountain of scrap, and as she was running, Zoè was hit with a flying piece of debris sending her flying forwards and knocking her out briefly. As she came to, all she could see was the cracked and splintered inside of what appeared to be a refrigerator door, before it was lifted off of her. She could barely see the face of Grover due to the amount of sand and smoke in the air. Grabbing his hand, she was pulled to her feet and started looking around to make sure no one else needed help. She could see Luke digging in a massive pile of scrap near where Talos had collapsed, frantically calling Thalia's name. It was then that it clicked in Zoè's mind what exactly she had forgotten, falling down to her knees she could only think about how she could have missed it. 'One shall be lost in the land without rain', they were in the desert, the land without rain, and Thalia Grace was lost.