❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝐼. 𝒲𝑒𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝐻𝒶𝓁𝓁

𝓩𝓸𝓮 woke up in the middle of December, packed and ready to fly to Main. She decided to leave a day early because Main was three hours ahead and the flight was almost eight hours. She was meeting Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy at Westover Hall, along with Grover who was already there. Zoe didn't know much other than there was an emergency and he needed help.

As soon as she heard, she made sure the jet had fuel and told her dad she needed to leave. Zoe, being fourteen years old, was not allowed to take the plane by herself, and Tony had an awards ceremony in a few days. He figured he'd leave with Zoe, make sure she got to Westover Hall safely, then head back to California for the ceremony.

Zoe reminded him that yes, Uncle Rhody was giving him the award and yes, Zoe did need to go on the retrieval mission, and yes, he did need to be there. She had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't be.

Tony drove up the winding road to the boarding school, asking, "Are you sure you can't come with me? You know I hate ceremonies. Rhody will be there."

"Exactly. Uncle Rhody will be there. And Obadiah. You'll have company. Plus, I hate ceremonies too, why would I willingly subject myself to that when I can help my friends and watch you suffer without me?" Zoe teasingly smirked at her dad as he put the car in park in front of Westover Hall.

The school looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

"Yeesh," Zoe shivered in her seat despite the heavy parka she was wearing and the warm air blowing from the vents. "Sure am glad I don't go there. What a disaster."

Tony laughed at his daughter's reaction to the building, turning up the radio as Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC came on. The duo joked and teased each other for a few more minutes as they waited for Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia to show up. Several minutes and two songs later, another car pulled up beside them.

"Be safe, okay?" Zoe said, leaning over the console to kiss her father on the cheek.

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Tony asked, ruffling her hair. Zoe swatted at his hands but laughed good naturedly.

"Please don't give Pepper too much of a headache while I'm gone. And be safe in Afghanistan. And make sure you're at the ceremony," Zoe rambled as she put on her gloves and ski cap.

"I got it, Supergirl. Kick some monster ass, okay?"

Zoe grinned and nodded, opening the door and stepping out into the sleet and snow. She turned around to grab her bag, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. Zoe fixed her cap and pulled at her gloves again.

"I love you 3000, dad," she said, leaning back in the car.

"I love you too, kiddo. 3000."

Zoe smiled and nodded, closing the door, and turning to face her friends who were all staring at the monster of a school. Tony drove away, quickly followed by Ms. Jackson's car.

"Your mom is so cool, Percy," Thalia said as Zoe was walking up to the trio.

"She's pretty okay," Percy nodded. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Thalia shot Percy a glare that had him taking an instinctive step back, making him bump right into Zoe.

"Oh! Hey, Zo-"

"If that was any of your business, Percy—" Thalia cut him off.

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting. Hi, Zoe."