Jason Grace and the Lightning thief

Chapter 8- I don't like cheeseburgers

"THE BOY FROM NEW YORK WAS LAST SEEN WITH THREE PEOPLE, TWO OF HIS AGE AND ONE ADULT AT A RESTAURANT IN DENVER. POLICE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR HIM" stated the news at the airport.

That was the last I heard before heading over to Café.

"Three cheeseburgers here" said Ashley

"How much time it's going to take? The whole checking stuff...." I asked

"Don't know, man. I just hope there isn't anything wrong."

Mark said "By the way what were you dreaming of?"

I said "I-uh...saw- heard a voice from a dark pit."

Ashley said with a smile "Someone fell into a manhole, huh?"

'Fell into a manhole'. I remembered my previous encounter with the voice it had called me- grandson. Why didn't I think of this before? That voice belongs to SATURN, the father of the big three, the ruler of the golden age (if you consider mass killing, torture, genocide... golden). Jupiter overthrew Saturn and cut him into a million pieces and threw him into Tartarus the so called endless pit.

The waitress served the cheeseburgers but I had lost my appetite. Ashley straight away got engrossed in his burger.

Mark said "Eat up, kid. You will need your strength for when we reach New York."

I picked up the burger, took a bite... but my taste buds had stopped working. All I could think of was Thalia; had she really died or was Saturn lying? All these thoughts filled me with so much angst that I had to spit out the burger and started crying.

Mark put a protective hand over me, Ashley looked worried.

Mark said "It's all right bro. We are here."

Ashley said "Don't worry, man I will get you something else to eat if you don't like cheeseburgers."

I couldn't help but smile.

Ashley remarked "Atta boy!"

Later I filled them up on all the details while I had a chocolate brownie, it wasn't as good as back at the camp but still bon appetit.

Mark said "That's daunting."

Ashley said "So what you're saying is that Saturn is back."

I said "At least his voice is."

Mark said "And the fact that he can slow down time, again."

Ashley said "So Neptune isn't the lightning thief after all. Saturn wants them to destroy each other. But what's Pluto's role? Is he going to take a side?"

I said "Not likely. I think we should head east. Minerva said someone's taking care of Pluto so we needn't worry about it, we should head east as the prophecy states."

Mark said, frustrated "And do what? Pray to Neptune-"

"That would be nice" said a man and took a seat across me.

He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts and a pair of casual slippers, just the opposite thing you would wear to the airport.

Ashley said "And you would be..."

The man replied "You would know me by my name Neptune."

Mark gasped. We all started to kneel but Neptune stopped us.

Neptune said "No. Don't. It would look like we are some crazy cult or something."

I said "Uh... I don't mean to....but are you here to return the bolt..."

Neptune said "Huh? You think me a thief."

I said "Not me. But my father does... And he has sent me to retrieve it."

Neptune said "Listen, my dear nephew, I haven't stolen that thunder prickle."

I said "But we have a prophecy, we must go underneath the sea..."

Neptune said "Yes, you need to and I am going to help you. I don't have much time just reach the shore and pray, perhaps make an offering."

Suddenly a cool breeze flew by and Neptune was gone.

Ashley exclaimed "What the hell? He wants to help us infiltrate his palace-"

Mark said "Well, not really."

I said getting up "I am just gonna go and have some iced tea..."

When I came back, Mark and Ashley were jotting down something on a napkin.

Ashley said "Jas, come have a look. Jupiter got his bolt stolen and he suspects Neptune and hands out a task for us to go and retrieve the bolt from Neptune's domain. With me?"

I said "I think so."

Ashley said "Okay. Then Neptune comes by and says that he hasn't stolen the bolt. Now if he hasn't stolen the bolt why does he want us to enter his domain and also help us?"

I said "Uh... maybe he just wants to prove his innocence."

Mark said "That can be true but I don't think it is gonna be enough to convince Jupiter and Neptune knows it. There is going to be a war and we are going to be right between it."

Ashley said "The weather's worsening, storms hitting many areas. The gods are warming up."

I said "Can Neptune really defeat Jupiter if he has the bolt?"

Mark said "Neptune will have the upper hand with Jupiter not having his most powerful weapon at his disposal but Jupiter's going to have some powerful support. The war is going to be a big one..."

I said "Let's not let that happen. Pluto is being managed, maybe they have sent some other demigod or god and there is pretty big chance that they can retrieve the bolt. But we need to focus on the Neptune's perspective and cover our side. There are going to be Jupiter's forces searching like hell..."

Ashley said "Let's try to understand the prophecy... To the east, underneath the sea, lies the sea's reign..."

Mark said "We need to head east and enter Neptune's realm."

Ashley continued "Lying in the depth, child of lightning shall crave for breath..."

I said "I guess that's me... Am gonna lie on the sea bed craving for breath, it's the next line that worries me more though- Seeing death as a necessary end, inferno be released from underlying bane..."

Mark continued said "Sons of Rome shall tread on the path, reclaiming what was stolen from fore-lying death."

Ashley said "Jason, you need to be careful as we reach east. The good thing is that we shall find the stolen object hopefully the bolt..."

THE GATE FOR FLIGHT GOING TO NEW YORK FROM SAN FRANCISCO IS OPEN NOW... boomed the speakers.

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