The Mariana Trench (Arc One: The Rise of Aero Jackson)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Minotaur reaps what he sows

"Finally! You're awake!" Sighed Percy in relief before he picked up his pace in aiding their mother.

The lightning seemed to be cracking open the sky, flashes rapid and hurting his eyes just to look at as booming sounds of thunder followed, it was like there was a drum in the sky, and someone was really banging on it loudly. The rain fell, and it was not the typical drizzle, it was a full on massacre of water, almost like a thick sheet of it falling down all at once.

"Aero! Thank the gods you're awake, come on, go to the car Grover has-" Sally enthusiastically greeted despite the rain before she was cut off.

Aero's mind was in shambles, he didn't say anything else other than a few, stuttered out words, "wh- what's going on? What's happening?"

"NO time for questions, brother!" Percy did an imitation of someone Aero didn't know, "we gotta go!"

With that, Aero was dragged out of the cabin and into the pouring rain outside.

Aero stumbled through the wet sand, it seeping into his shoes, making him bleach in disgust if not for the fact that his mother and Percy were both in a panic mode, and Grover was running on his hooves, as Percy informed him.

"Get in the van, both of you!" Grover hollered, fighting against the sound of the pouring rain, "it's following us!"

"What's following us?" Aero asked his mother, his palms sweaty from carrying their luggage.

"Don't know, don't care, step on the pedal, Grover," His brother whispered with such a threatening tone he had ever heard him do so, the temperature seemingly dropped a few degrees with them, getting a small yelp from Grover.

"Yes! Hold on!"

The van was driving a hundred miles per hour at this point, swerving away from fallen trees or skidding to a complete stop at times to avoid sliding onto an iced over section of the road, it probably froze overnight, but it was summer.

Roads did not ice over in summer. And neither would their breathes be visible.

It was quiet, save for the frantic tapping of Grover's feet as he drove onwards, a hill appearing in the distance.

Sally didn't look all that better, her face darkened and stormy, which matched the occasional lightning outside.

"So... you and my mom know each other?" Aero asked his friend who currently seemed to be breaking all his concepts of reality.

His eyes flickered onto the side mirror, a practice often but strange as there were no cars behind the group of four.

"Not exactly, she knew that I was watching you though," replied Grover, his frantic pace upping with each glance for the side mirror.

"Yeah you mean stalking me?" Aero drawled out the words with such spite even Percy flinched.

"No, keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily, "I am your friend."

"Ugh, so what are you exactly then?"

"That doesn't need to matter right now actually," Grover cut off the question quickly.

"Okay- okay you donkey hybrid," Aero rolled his eyes.

"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover nearly fell off of his seat in surprise.

Percy shot him a confused glance. Turns out his nervous laugh was more like an irritated bleat.

"Oh!" Percy's eyes lit up.