Heliophile - Apollo

1.10| Percy Plunges To His Death Like An Idiot

The group spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain. They didn't get attacked at all but Ana knew not to trust it, especially considering the amount of gods that thought of them as entertainment. That watched from above and maybe from below, that something was waiting for the right opportunity.

Ana sat with Luke on the train and stared out the window. She watched smiling as Luke and Percy stared at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. She gave it til the end of this quest before they at least kissed. She couldn't help but think that they would make a good couple.

"Kind of like us." The ever present voice of Apollo spoke in her mind.

"Yeah," Ana responded back. "Exactly like us, sunshine."

She heard Apollo chuckle which had quickly become one of her favorite sounds. She couldn't help but to laugh out loud. Luke looked at her knowingly "Apollo?"

Ana nodded "yeah," she then leaned in closer to him. "Talking about how obvious your crush on Percy is." Luke's eyes widened and he playfully punched me.

It was then that Ana saw something huge moving through the woods. It was like it was drawing Ana to it. It stood there and stared at her as she passed. Its fur glinted gold in the evening light. Then it leaped through the trees and was gone.

The reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver. They couldn't get berths in the sleeper car, so they dozed in their seats.

Ana was woken up by Percy who seemed to be having a nightmare. "So," Luke asked him, once he'd calmed down. "Who wants your help?"

He told the group of the evil voice in the pit. Ana immediately tensed along with Luke for different reasons. But both had a bad feeling that they knew who the voice was.

Ana then went over what had happened on the bus. She remembered that the Furies were screaming Where is it? Where?

Luke looked at Ana "they were not as aggressive." Ana nodded knowing the story. Percy was confused and wanted to ask what happened but he knew the memories were bad. 

The train pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told the demigods they'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver. Grover stretched. Before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."

"Come on, goat boy," Ana said. "Sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?" Luke, Percy and Grover all asked confused.

"The Gateway Arch," she elaborated. "I'm bored. Are you coming or not?" Grover, Luke and Percy exchanged looks.

Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar with-out monsters." The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in weren't that long.

The four threaded their way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk from the 1800s. Ana kept looking around, though, at the other people in line. "You smell anything?" she murmured to Grover.

He took his nose out of the jelly-bean bag long enough to sniff. "Underground," he said distastefully.

"Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything." But something felt wrong to Ana. She had a feeling they shouldn't be here.

Apparently, Percy was feeling the same way. "Guys," Percy said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

Luke and Ana both looked over. "Yeah?"

"Well, Hade—"

Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place.... You mean, our friend downstairs?"

Luke and Ana couldn't help but to snort at the description for Hades. Ana heard Apollo snort as well. She guessed he had been so bored that he had started listening. "Um, right," Percy said. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Luke said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there?" Percy asked.

Ana nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus—the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than Annabeth's invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true...."

"It allows him to become darkness," Luke confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"But then ... how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" Percy asked.

Anastasia, Luke, and Grover exchanged looks. Each feeling extremely uncomfortable. Well, not Ana mainly because she knew she could beat Hades. "We don't," Grover said.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," Percy said. They got shoehorned into the car with this big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar.

As the elevator kept going up, Ana constantly rubbed her bracelet as she glanced at the woman and her dog.

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded Ana of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other.

Percy steered Grover, Luke, and Ana toward the exit, loaded them into the elevator, and he was about to get in himself when he realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for him. The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."

"We'll get out," Luke said. "We'll wait with you."

But that was going to mess everybody up and take even more time, so Percy said, "Naw, it's okay. I'll see you guys at the bottom."

Grover, Luke, and Ana were all nervous, but they let the elevator door slide shut. Their car
disappeared down the ramp. When they got to the bottom and outside they looked up to see a hole in the arch.

Luke and Ana looked at each other in shock and disbelief. It then got even worse as they watched Percy fall. Luke screamed as Ana reached out her hand to control the water or the air to catch him. She hadn't decided which. When a column of water rose from the river and met Percy head on.

Luke looked at the blonde daughter of Phanes "was that you?"

Ana shook her head in disbelief "no, I think that was Poseidon." Both demigods stared in shock and disbelief as they tried to process what just happened.

A/N: So Apollo's an eavesdropper and Percy's an idiot. What else is new?