WHITE NOISE , percy jackson [1]

NINE

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

For once, the four heroes actually had a peaceful experience on the quest. They spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past America's iconic amber waves of grain. Milan realized how little of America he'd actually seen, so he was surprisingly attentive as he stared out the train window.

They weren't attacked once, and while his companions remained tense, Milan decided to relax and just let himself enjoy the train ride. He knew that the instant they got to St. Louis, he would probably have something else to worry about again.

     They only got tickets as far as Denver, since that was all they could afford at the moment. They were forced to sleep in their seats, which was a rather difficult arrangement. Milan sat right next to Percy, absently listening to the occasional words Percy would say in his sleep. He could tell that Annabeth, from the row in front of them, could also hear.

     Eventually, Grover's snoring and bleating woke Percy up. That was when Milan decided to question him about his dreams. "You were clearly dreaming," he said. "Who wants your help?"

     "What?" Percy said, a little startled. "How do you—,"

     "You talk in your sleep," Milan reminded him. "You kept saying, 'I won't help you.' Who were you talking to?"

     Percy then started explaining that he'd heard some evil voice from a deep pit, which vaguely reminded Milan of his own dreams. Frustratingly, he was just as clueless as Percy. All he knew was, after seeing Hades in a dream, the voice probably wasn't Hades.

     So he voiced that. "I, ah, saw Hades in a dream once. Unimportant. So I don't think the voice was Hades. He's too... pretentious to ever just manifest himself as a voice in a pit."

     "He offered my mother in trade," Percy said. "Who else could do that?"

     Milan didn't have an answer for that one. So he said, "Annabeth, help us figure out Percy's dream." He recounted the conversation to her, and her brow immediately furrowed in thought.

     "Maybe if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld." If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?" Annabeth said.

     Percy shook his head, lost in thought.

     Annabeth just readjusted Grover's hat, but she looked at Percy critically, trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He's deceitful, heartless, and greedy. I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time—"

     "This time?" Percy asked, and Milan found himself intrigued, too. He knew next to nothing about Annabeth's past. "You mean you've run into them before?"

     Annabeth's hand drifted up to her necklace, and she traced her finger over a glazed white bead with the image of a pine tree on it. Milan realized that Annabeth had come to camp with Thalia, which meant... yeah, that definitely hadn't gone well. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom," Annabeth said.

     "What would you do if it was your dad?" Percy replied.

     "That's easy," she said. "I'd leave him to rot."