Back To Black | Luke Castellan

09

Nadia walked along the docks to try and spot Percy. She looked for over ten minutes. She thought about jumping into the river but it would be of use. She wouldn't be able to swim and spot Percy.

And it was Poseidons domain. She wouldn't do safe. She walked even more and heard her name being called. She turned around to see the three of them.

She ran up to them. "Where were you?" Annabeth asked her. "Trying to look for this dumbass." She said, pointing at Percy.

Nadia put her hand down. "I saw you fall and saw you land in the river and so I looked for you but they found you first."

"So where are we going now?" She asked.

"Santa Monica but we have to walk because the cops are after us." Percy said and she nodded. "Great. I should have brought different shoes then." Nadia said and they look down to see her in black doc martens.

The four of the started walking along a road. Grover and Nadia were closest to the road where Percy and Annabeth were closest to the grass.

"Hey, guys. I think this quest might be harder than we thought." Percy said. Nadia light scoffed. "Really? What gave it away?" She asked, turning her head to him.

He looked at her and looked back at the road. "I've been thinking. I didn't steal the master bolt. You guys didn't steal the master bolt. We're pretty sure Hades has the mast bolt but he couldn't have stolen it himself." He said.

"I mean, we don't even know who actually stole the thing, or why, or how deep this goes." Percy said and the three looked at him and he noticed.

"I'm the last person to realize this, aren't I?"

"Yeah." Annabeth said to him. "Okay. So, maybe when we started, my head wasn't fully in this, but since the river... it all feels different somehow. He save me. My dad. I guess I just really never thought that's something he'd do for me."

He looked at them. "So maybe I gotta take things more seriously now." He said. They turned their heads at the sound of an engine reviving. "Car." Grover said.

"That's not a car, it's a bike. Just let it pass. Come on." Annabeth said as they walked to the side and ducked behind a barrier and sat down.

"I'm saying, we're not just trying to retrieve a thing. I think we might need to be detectives here, too." Percy said.

"Yeah." Annabeth muttered and Percy looked at her. "Why are you being so weird with me again? I thought we weren't doing that again."

"I'm not being weird." She said. "Yes, you are. You've been weird since we left the arch." He said and looked at her. "Oh... I get it. It doesn't have to be a thing, you know. That you hugged me."

Nadia leaned forward and turned her head to him. Annabeth sighed in annoyance. "Oh, boy."

"I mean, we're like friends now. That seems like a things friends do. As least I think they do." Percy said. "I saw the fates." She said.

"Back at the arch, I saw the three fates, and I saw Atropos cut a piece of thread." Annabeth said, looking over at them.

"And that's bad or...?"

"Fates weave the life strand of every living thing. When you see a string cut." Grover started. "It means one of us is going to die." Nadia finished.

"We're all going to die eventually." Percy said. "Soon. It's a warning. An omen." Annabeth told him.

Percy sighed. "Okay. Guys, we need to talk about this while fate thing. Three old ladies with a ball of yarn can't know what's gonna happen." He said and they heard a motorcycle coming to a stop.

"What I choose to do changes what's gonna happen, and I can choose to do anything I... want." Percy said.

"Need some help?" A man asked and the four of them looked at each other. Percy, Annabeth, and Gorver popped their heads over the barrier while Nadia stayed hidden and pulled out a dagger just in case.

"Beg pardon?" Grover asked. "I asked if you could use some help." He said. Nadia saw Grover look over at the two.

"Nope. No. We're—we're good. Appreciate you asking, though. So long." Grover said as the three of them ducked down.

"You don't seem to good." The man's voice was heard. "We don't want anything from you." Annabeth told him.

"You sure? Because you guys are so behind schedule." He said. The four of them stood up and Nadia kept her dagger hidden in her sleeve.

"I mean, summer solstice is just a few days away. And as much as I'd love to see a good war pop off, as your big cousin, I feel like, maybe, I wanna give you a hand." He said.

"Cousin?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked at him. "Ares."

"You must be Athena's kid. Always gotta be the wisest one in the bunch." He said looking at her. Ares turned to Nadia.

"You can put the dagger away." He said and she took it out and put it back in her bag. "Why would you help us? How do you even know about what we're doing out here?" Annabeth asked.

"Because I'm doing exactly the same thing as you. Zeus sent all of his kids out looking for the master bolt, too." He said.

"Listen, dummies. I'm hungry. There's a halfway decent dinner up the road. If you want my help, you'll meet me there. But don't dawdle. Won't wait forever." Ares said putting his sunglasses on.

He started his engine, smiling at them and driving off. "Thats my cousin?" Percy asked.

"What kind of family is this?" He asked. "A mess up one." Nadia said patting his shoulder. "Come on." Annabeth said and they started walking.

"Do I have to go in?" Nadia asked and Annabeth looked at her. "Yes, you do." She said and she sighed. "He's an asshole."

"Language." Grover said and she merely looked at him. "Fine. I'll go in but if he says something I don't like, I'm leaving. Because my anger issues are not going to stand for him and I don't need another enemy on my side." She said.

"And I don't need him to take me to Zeus." Nadia added as they continued to walk down the road.