Family Ties (Percy Jackson and the Avengers)

Chapter 3

A Prius speeds down a lonely country road with only two occupants and a very quiet radio. They keep the windows rolled up and speak only occasionally to each other, both thinking about the trip ahead of them. They head south, away from all that's familiar, to South Carolina where they will get a row boat, in which they will cross the Atlantic.

A rowboat may seem to imply that the couple is ignorant and reckless, something like that cannot cross an ocean. However the driver of the car, an eighteen year old boy with black hairand sea green eyes just happens to be the son of the sea god himself. 

Alicia leans back in her seat, watching the scenery zip by outside the window. Perhaps if they weren't going eighty she would get the chance to see more than blurs of browns and greens. She isn't worried that her boyfriend is speeding. She only worries that some nosy cop will come along to hinder their progress. 

Percy doesn't want her on this quest. It's not because he doesn't like her, he certainly does, but that he doesn't like even the idea of her going anywhere near danger. It's why she let him convince her not to seek help from any of ther others. However she wasn't just going to sit around, waiting for someone who may or may not come back. It's better that she goes along just to make sure he makes it alive.

She looks over at him. His shoulders are tense and he stares straight ahead at the road. There are bags under his eyes that make her worry. She can sense that sagging effect of his fatigue. Things have been going well lately. Percy's life seems to be back on track, but he is still plagued by worry and his dreams are haunted by nightmares that may never go away. Since the event towards the end of the summer, just before his birthday, with Director Fury he has collapsed twice in exhaustion and Al fears that one of these times he won't get back up after a little sleep.

"What are you looking at?" Percy asks, wtihout looking away from the road.

She reaches out and clasps his hand. "You're tired. It's time for you to rest. Let me drive for a little while."

He looks like he wants to argue, but after a moment he nods and pulls over to the side. They switch places and start up again, going no than before. Percy lays the seat back and lays on his side, facing Alicia. He watches her quietly until his eyes droop and he falls asleep. 

She never actually answered his question.

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Manhattan seems to bustle more feverishly than before. Hermes watches the activity from atop a small four story building. He's wearing a jogging suit as always and has a small silver phone clutched tightly in one hand. His eyes flick continuously back to one group of people in particular. Four high school students stand huddled outside of Percy Jackson's apartment building talking in low, rapid tones. They are Alicia's infamous les amis. They worry for their friend who recently took an unannounced trip to who-knows-where. 

Well Hermes knows where, he is the god of travelers after all, but he is not inclined to tell them. They aren't involved in any of what's going on as they are mortals. They still managed to have pretty good theories and the mischievous messenger has a feeling that they may eventually find themselves with the truth.

Still as amusing as this is, he has more pressing matters. He doesn't normally interfere with the lives of heroes, but this particular incident has sparked his concern. His half brother, Apollo, has a foreboding and Hermes fears it is because Percy has set forth with only one companion and he has yet to learn to rely on his family too sometimes. Apollo warned that if things continue this way that the world may loose someone very dear and important, the stubborn glue that unites so much that is otherwise at conflict.