history of man // percy jackson & the olympians

12 | journey to the center of the underworld

THE SOUND OF OCEAN WAVES CRASHING AGAINST THE PIER AND RAIN HITTING THE TAXI provided a rhythmic backdrop as andie, grover, and annabeth sat in the taxi, waiting for percy to return from his meeting with his father. grover, his memory fully restored, turned to andie with curiosity in his eyes.

"hey, andie, about that song you sang back there," grover began, "where did it come from? it seemed... powerful."

andie sighed, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "it's an old enchantment song, a gift from apollo." she explained to him. " i didn't even realize i remembered it until i was up there on that stage."

an undertone of tension filled the taxi, mostly emanating from the older girl. annabeth, never one to beat around the bush, spoke up, "andie, is everything okay?"

andie hesitated, resisting the urge to open up, but truly, she couldn't hold it in any longer. "it's zeus." she admitted with a sigh. "everything terrible in my life somehow leads back to him. he doesn't deserve to be king of the gods or have his precious master bolt returned."

the blunt confession unnerved both annabeth and grover. they shared a glance, their eyes wide, but were careful to keep their mouths closed.

but the girl couldn't stop, her voice carrying the weight of years of frustration and anger, "i've felt the wrath of his arrogance my entire life, but here i am, doing everything in my power to give him exactly what he wants."

annabeth and grover remained silent, absorbing the revelation. grover found himself wrestling with conflicting emotions, torn between his loyalty to andie and his broader understanding of the gods' realm. annabeth, known for her straightforward nature, searched for words that could offer solace or understanding.

the taxi idled on the santa monica pier, and the tension inside was as palpable as the salt in the air. grover, fully aware of his responsibilities as percy's protector and now grappling with the resurgence of his memories, pressed on.

"andie, i get it. the gods can be real jerks sometimes." he started. "but...you can't just write off the king of the gods." grover said tentatively, a hint of unease in his voice.

andie's jaw clenched, her eyes staring out into the darkening sea. "you don't know what it's like, grover. you haven't lived with his decisions hanging over your life."

annabeth, never one to shy away from the truth, interjected, "are you forgetting about thalia?" she snapped. "we have to live with the things he's done, too." the young girl sighed, shaking her head. "this is bigger than personal grudges. we're talking about the balance of the entire world. zeus might be insufferable, but taking away his power could have catastrophic consequences."

andie's frustration flared, her hands gripping the edges of the seat. "don't talk to me about consequences, annabeth." she told the girl. "why should i care about the balance of his world when he obviously doesn't care about the balance of mine?"

the tension in the car escalated, each word seemingly pulling them further away from one another. grover's concern for andie battled against his loyalty to percy and the fate of the quest. annabeth, with her strategic mind, struggled to reconcile the personal vendetta andie harbored with the greater mission.

annabeth glanced at grover, a silent plea for guidance. the satyr, choosing his words carefully, spoke, "andie, i get that you're angry." he said with a sigh. "but we can't let personal vendettas jeopardize the quest. the fate of the world is at stake."