Never Leave Family Behind (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

The Underworld was weird. There were ghosts everywhere, which I guess I should have see coming. They spoke in odd scratchy tones that I couldn't understand.

I avoided looking at them because the whispers would start pestering me.

The grass was yellow. It made funny crunching noises when you stepped on it. There were odd trees scattered around the place. They were tall and black while looking like someone had bending them back for fun.

"What sort of trees are those?" I ask.

"I believe they were poplar trees. But being in the Underworld made them twisted," Nico explained.

I nodded as silence fell between the group again.

Eventually Percy spoke up. He was always filling awkward silences. "Did Persephone seem kind of uptight?" he asked.

"She always acts that way when I'm around," Nico explains. "She hates me."

"Then why did she include you in the quest?" Percy asked.

"Probably my dad's idea," Nico replied.

I felt his muscles tense so I gave his hand a squeeze.

"He's handy with zombie crowds," Thalia says to Percy. Nico and I were leading the group, his sword scared the ghosts and they easily let us pass. "Think I'll take him along next time I go to the mall."

I giggled. That would never work.

People, usually women, were always asking us where our parents were.

"So..." Percy started. "How's immortality treating you?"

This girl was immortal? I wonder how old she really way.

"It's not total immortality, Percy. You know that. We can still die in combat. It's just... we don't ever age or get sick, so we live forever assuming we don't get sliced up by monsters," Thalia responded.

"Always a danger," Percy commented.

"Always."

I found myself nodded along with the girl.

Silence fell again and I decided it was now or never.

"Hi, I'm Harley what's your name."

"You can speak?" Percy asked me.

"Of course she can Percy," the girl said punching him on the shoulder. "I'm Thalia, Thalia Grace."

"Okay. What's with the magic flower?"

"It's leading us to the person who stole Hades sword," Thalia explain looking at the flower in Percy's arms disdainfully.

"Oooooh, so towards Sisyphus?"

There was silence at that and everyone stopped and turned to look at me. I fidgeted under the stares.

"Sissy who?" Percy asked.

"Sisyphus. The number-one expert on cheating death," Nico said.

I shrugged.

A petal fell off the flower and everyone's attention turned to it instead.

Nico agreed to shadow-travel us all to Sisyphus.

When we got there there was an odd man. He screamed like Dudley throwing a temper tantrum kicking a giant rock twice his size.

"I won't!" he yelled. "No, no, no!"

I didn't hear much more when Nico decided to cover my ears.