Memories

In the Desert

This time, the transition between memories made me so dizzy I shut my eyes. If I hadn't done, I might have thrown up. I'm no brain scientist, but I'm pretty sure that having vomit in my brain probably wasn't good - it definitely didn't sound it.

When I opened them, I was in a junkyard in the middle of nowhere. I looked around me and the place seemed immediately familiar.

The word escaped my lips before I could stop it, "Bianca."

Nico slowly turned towards me. "Bianca? What about her?"

I couldn't answer him. My hands were shaking, and my mouth went inexplicably dry. I struggled to say, "This is... this is where... she... umm."

"This is where she died." Nico looked at the ground and clenched his jaw. I knew he was trying to school himself, to keep him calm.

"Gods no," Annabeth gasped, her hand shooting to her mouth.

"Nico, I'm so sorry," I said. "I didn't-"

But he cut me off. "It's okay - I just have to watch my sister die. Nothing to worry about." His voice was sharp as uce and he turned his back to Annabeth to me and began to stalk away. 

"Nico!" I shouted after him, and Annabeth placed her hand on my arm in warning.

"Don't Percy," she said. "He's not mad at you, just give him a moment to think."

It was at that moment, that I saw a group of kids dancing around a massive machine-robot-man. I saw the younger version of me at the same time Nico seemed to spot his sister, Bianca. The other version of me was stood by the younger version of Bianca, Riptide held tight in his right hand.

I gestured for Annabeth to follow me as I jogged over to the pair.

"Crazy-idea time," I heard the younger version of my say. 

Bianca looked at him nervously, "Anything."

As Young Percy quickly explained something about the maintenance hatch on the foot of the robot, Nico joined us, staring sadly at his deceased sister. His eyes seemed to gaze at her, though he didn't blink, as if he was trying to commit every movement of hers to memory.

Percy finished his explanation by saying, "There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something. I'm going to get inside."

From beside me, Annabeth's Athena side came out, "Good plan- but very reckless."

I ignored her and listened in to Bianca who was saying, "How? You'll have to stand under its foot. You'll be crushed."

"Distract it," Percy said. "I'll just have to time it right."

Bianca's jaw tightened. "No, I'll go."

"You can't. You're new at this! You'll die."

"It's my fault the monster came after us," she said. "It's my responsibility. Here." She picked up a little god statue and pressed it into Percy's hand. "If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him... tell him I'm sorry."

"Bianca, no!"

Nico stiffened and glared at me. "It was your plan?" He hesitated before adding, "But she picked that statue up for me." He seemed completely unsure of who to blame for her death.

Bianca had gotten right next to the giant's food, taking advantage of the brief moment that Thalia had the giant's attention.

"What are you doing?" Zoe, the huntress, yelled to Bianca. 

I don't even want to describe what the sight of them together did to my chest.

Zoe shot an arrow towards the monster's face and it flew straight into one nostril. The giant straightened and shook his head.