Hello there, gods, half-bloods and friends. Welcome to the next chapter of The God Hunter.
Sorry for being late, but I had internet troubles on my end. Anyways, hope you enjoy and now on to the reviews.
Nightmare Omega: Finally, someone got the references! They are pretty good guesses.
RedHood001: No worries about the lateness, figured it was something with the mail. Happy you liked it. I like writing Matt as a sarcastic and a bit trollish.
Now story time.
It didn't take long for Matt to pack. All he had was an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack.
They got one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions, whatever that meant. He gave Matt, Percy and Annabeth each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if they were seriously hurt. It would cure them of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn them up, literally.
Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told Matt had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve.
Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human, along with a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's 'So Yesterday', both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.
They waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude who according to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so only the extra peepers on his hands, face and neck could be seen.
"This is Argus." Chiron told them, "He will drive you into the city, and, well, keep an eye on things."
Matt turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. It was Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.
"Hey!" he panted, "Glad I caught you."
Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.
"Just wanted to say good luck." Luke told Matt, "And I thought... um, maybe you could use these."
He handed him the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.
Luke said, "Maia!" and white bird's wings sprouted out of the heels. The shoes flapped around until the wings folded up and disappeared.
"Awesome!" Grover said with a smile.
Luke grinned, "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad." he said, "Of course, I don't use them much these days...", his expression turned rather sad.
"Hey, Luke." Matt said, "Thanks."
"Listen, Matt... A lot of hopes are riding on you." Luke said as he looked uncomfortable, "So just... kill some monsters for me, okay?"
Matt gave him a nod. He shook hands with Percy, patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.
After Luke was gone, Matt turned to her, "Are you alright?" he said with fake concern, "You look very red."
"Am not."
"You are." Matt said with a grin.
She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.
"Yo, Grover." Matt said, getting his attention, "Catch.", before throwing the pair of sneakers towards him.
"What?" Grover said in disbelieve.
"Now we all have a magic item." Matt said as he watched Chiron give Percy a ballpoint back which could turn into a sword.
"Then..." Grover said, "What item do you have?"
"Oh, right." Matt said, holding out his hand and in a flash of white fire his sword appeared, "I forgot you haven't seen Theosjager."
When they got to the bottom of the hill, Matt looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute.
Argus drove them out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, with Percy, Annabeth and Grover as if this groups were normal carpoolers.
"So far so good." Percy said, "Ten miles and not a single monster."
She gave him an irritated look, "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."
"Remind me again... Percy said, "Why do you hate me so much?"
"I don't hate you." she told him.
"Could've fooled me." Percy muttered.
She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look... we're just not supposed to get along, okay?" she told him, "Our parents are rivals."
"What does that having to do with anything?" Matt said with a raised eyebrow, "You don't like someone because of who his parents are? How stupid is that."
"How stupid?" Annabeth repeated with a scoff, "One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. His dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."
"...And that's your reason for not liking him?" Matt said, "Guess Athena's smarts and wisdom didn't pass down to you."
"How dare you..." Annabeth said through her teeth.
"Yes, I dare." Matt challenged her, "What of it?"
In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at Matt.
Traffic slowed them down in Queens. By the time they got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped them at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side.
It was there he spotted a soggy flyer tapped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with a picture of Percy on it: Have you seen this boy?
Matt ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice before throwing it into the trash can. Argus unloaded the bags, made sure they got the bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch then as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Waiting on the bus, they played some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever.
Matt wasn't about to let her beat him, after all he hated to lose.
The game ended when Matt tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, the Hacky Sack disappeared. Core, stem, and all. Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Matt, Percy and Annabeth were too busy cracking up.
Finally the bus came. As they stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite food.
"What is it?" Matt whispered to him.
"I don't know." he said tensely, "Maybe it's nothing."
"Right, let's stay on guard." Matt said as he got on the bus.
They found seats together in the back of the bus. Backpacks stowed away. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.
As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto Matt's knee to signal him.
An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered.
Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like the first. Same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.
The bus pulled out of the station, and they headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.
"She didn't stay dead long." Percy said, "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"I said if you're lucky." Annabeth said, "You're obviously not."
"All three of them." Grover whimpered, "Di immortales!"
"It's okay." Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard, "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."
"They don't open." Matt noted.
"A back exit?" she suggested.
Matt shook his head, "Wouldn't matter if it did.", gesturing to the front. Because by that time, they were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.
"They won't attack us with witnesses around." Percy said, "Will they?"
"Mortals don't have good eyes." Annabeth said, "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?" Percy said.
"That's not how I plan on going down." Matt said seriously, "Okay, we need a plan."
They hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
The one Percy had called Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."
"So do I." said the second sister.
"So do I." said the third sister.
They all started coming down the aisle.
"I've got it. Percy, take my hat." Annabeth said, "You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."
"But you guys." Percy protested, "I can't just leave you."
"Just do it." Matt said, "Worse comes to past, we'll fight our way out."
With trembling hands, he took the Yankees cap and put it on and Percy wasn't there anymore.
The three Furies walked closer, they were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now and just as sudden the old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.
The Furies surrounded Matt, Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"
"It?" Matt thought.
The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw something, all right.
"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled, "He's gone!"
The Furies raised their whips.
Annabeth drew her bronze knife, Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it.
Just as Matt sword appeared in his hand, everyone in the bus was thrown to the right when the bus suddenly turned. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind them.
Careening out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins.
The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.
The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.
One of the Fury's lunged at Matt, which he manage to evade before kicking her into one of the seats with a spin kick.
"Flock off bird face." Matt said, lunging forward and piercing the Fury with his sword.
As soon as the blade connected with her stomach, she screamed and exploded into dust.
Turning around he saw Annabeth getting the one Percy had called Mrs. Dodds in a wrestler's hold and yanking her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.
He threw out his hand and a burst of white flames shot out to knock the second Fury to the side, freeing the path so he could help the others but it wasn't needed.
Mrs. Dodds was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but Annabeth held on while Grover got Mrs. Dodds's legs tied up in her own whip. Finally they both shoved her backward into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down.
"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised, "Hades will have your soul!"
Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of Matt's neck.
"Get out!" Annabeth yelled, "Now!"
They rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!"
"Our bags!" Grover realized, "We left our..."
The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof.
"...They are not in the bus anymore." Matt said dryly as his sword disappeared in white flames, "Let's go."
They plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind them, and nothing but darkness ahead.
The four of them where walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck. But as a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.
So there they were, Matt, Percy, Annabeth and Grover, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind.
Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."
The explosion of bus windows still rang in Matt's ears as he walked in front of the group as Percy and Annabeth seemed to be arguing a few feet behind him.
"All our money was back there." Percy complained, "Our food and clothes. Everything."
"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight..." Annabeth told him.
"What did you want me to do?" Percy protested, "Let you get killed?"
"You didn't need to protect me, Percy." she said, "I would've been fine."
"Sliced like sandwich bread." Grover put in, "But fine."
"Shut up, Goat Boy." Annabeth said.
Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans... A perfectly good bag of tin cans."
"Can you three stop complaining and shut up already! Instead of bitching about losing our bags, focus on the fact we got out of it alive and unharmed!" Matt said annoyed, "Also your giving me a headache."
This seemed to shut them up as they sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.
After a few minutes of peaceful quiet, Annabeth sped up so she walked next to Matt. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered, "Your right."
"Hold on." Matt said with a grin, "I need a recording of that, for posterity."
"Don't be you for once." she told him annoyed.
"...You mean... Not be Matt?" he said, sounding just confused enough to make it unclear if he was serious or not.
Annabeth took a deep sigh before she continued, "It's just that if Percy dies... Aside from the fact that it would really suck for him, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."
The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind them, leaving almost total darkness.
"Your only chance?" Matt said, hands in his pockets, "You haven't been into the real world since you were seven?"
"No... Only short field trips." she said, shaking her head, "My dad... It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her, "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."
Matt notice that there was some doubt in her voice.
"If you ask me, Annabeth. You got what it takes." Matt said with a honest smile as he gave a pat against her shoulder, "Honestly, your the second best."
It was a bit difficult to see, but Matt knew she smiled a little. "Wait, second best? Then who's number one?"
"You would be the best, if only I wasn't around." Matt said with a laugh and he could have sworn, he heard a laugh coming from her as well.
However it was drowned out by a shrill toot-toot-toot, like the sound of an owl being tortured.
"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried, "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"
He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff.
"Yay us." Matt mumbled.
And there you go, hope you enjoyed.
Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite, or follows this story. And I see you people next time.