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We Attend a Funeral

Theo's POV

Losing Percy finally made me realize that demigods can never have a happy life. Shit will always hit the fan no matter how much you try to avoid it.

Before Camp Half-Blood, I only had one friend, Eric Hayes, who I didn't realize was a satyr. When I learned that he was, he soon died saving my life.

The second I saw him die, I felt like I had just lost my brother. And then I met Percy, and soon, I felt like he was my brother.

Now, I had two brothers.

I sniffled as Annabeth, Zoe, and I separated.

Theo: Come on. We should get back to Hephaestus.

Zoe wiped her cheeks and nodded while Annabeth activated the spider, which started to scuttle ahead into the darkness of the Labyrinth.

We followed the spider all the way back to the workshop and met Hephaestus, who was delighted (at least, I think he was) to hear that we destroyed the forge.

When we told him that Percy was caught in the blast, the god huffed.

Hephaestus: Damn. His father is going to be very upset.

Theo: Sir, we need to get back to camp.

Hephaestus hummed and grabbed the chassis of one of the cars before placing it on the ground. Suddenly, the vehicle sprung to life, turning into a dark blue Chevrolet Cobalt SS that looked like it had just left the showroom.

Hephaestus: This car will take you to wherever you need to go. Consider it a thank you for your friend clearing the forge.

He waved his hand, signaling us to leave.

I opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat before closing the door behind me. Annabeth took the passenger seat, while Zoe took the back seat.

Theo: (sighs) Camp Half-Blood.

The car hummed to life and suddenly, the windows became a gateway to the blur that was the outside world.

I thought about the prophecy. Percy is dead, and Thalia became a Hunter, rendering her immortal before she turned 16. So now Nico is the one who would determine Olympus' fate.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about everything we had been through together. The fights, the adventures, the jokes we shared...

I looked next to me and saw Annabeth tearing up in the passenger seat. I placed my hand on her thigh, and she looked at me with a sad smile on her face.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Zoe looking out the window with a blank expression on her face.

Theo: I'm sorry, Zoe.

Zoe looked at me.

Zoe: It's not your fault, Theo. I shouldn't have said that.

Theo: It wasn't your fault, either.

Zoe: Maybe if I had—

Theo: Don't. Do you think Percy would want you to blame yourself? He did this for you, for us, for the good of the camp. If anyone's to blame for his death, it's Kronos.

Zoe nodded. I knew she heard me, but I could tell that she wasn't listening. She already blamed herself for Bianca's death, and now she believes that Percy's blood was on her hands.

We rode in silence the rest of the way to camp.

Timeskip

Eventually, the car came to a stop, right at the base of Half-Blood Hill. It was a sad, quiet trudge to the top. We had no idea about Grover or Tyson, and honestly? That felt better because knowing was worse.