A/N- I haven't been on in so long! I am so so so so so sorry guys! School has been a bit of a handful lately. Enjoy.
Annabeth
Leo was pretty useful to have on a quest, not only could he hotwire a cars, he can also drive one. He just placed his hand on the bonnet and reckoned he could drive it. This was pretty cool even by Annabeth’s standards.
Though, Annabeth didn’t like the idea of stealing a car, they needed to catch Chase Endicott before he made it to Mimas. He was the giant with fire powers, the bane of Hephaestus, which wouldn’t go down well with anyone, especially Leo.
So after Leo had finished the hotwire, they borrowed the car and got on their way. Annabeth knew how to drive, her dad had taught her, but Leo insisted. Though she didn’t know how a fifteen year old who looked about twelve years old was going to get away with driving all the way to San Diego.
Driving through the night really gave Annabeth time to bond with Jackie. I would be quite awkward if they weren’t friendly considering that Annabeth was dating her brother. Percy and Leo sat in the front talking about who knows what boys business but that left Annabeth to talk to Jackie.
Annabeth found it a bit ironic that both the couples got to go on the quest, but it was a good thing, because they whole group worked well with each other. Annabeth realised that when they stopped Thetis.
Jackie’s voice awoke Annabeth from her daydream, “So when did you start to date Percy?”
Annabeth smiled, it had taken Percy five years for him to realise she liked him. Last summer she had kissed him finally, but the campers tossed them into the lake, which was fine by Percy considering that was their second kiss.
“Last summer, after the Titan War.”
Jackie nodded and looked out the window, Annabeth knew what she was thinking about, it was about eleven o’clock and she had two days left to find Hephaestus’ hammer, the deadline was looming.
“Worried about the deadline?”
Jackie turned to look at her, Annabeth’s grey eyes met Jackie’s green. “Yeah. Leo saved me from Zeus and I’m pretty sure he won’t be able to save me again.”
Annabeth gave her a smile, “You’ll be fine Jackie. We’ve just got to find Chase. And then we can go home.”
Jackie smiled at her, “Isn’t it weird that Zeus had lain off me for a while, I haven’t been sensing any lightening for the past few days.”
Annabeth realised she was right, Zeus hadn’t done anything lately, “Maybe he’s giving you time to prove yourself. Like when we return the hammer.”
“Yeah maybe…”
Jackie out her earphones back in and hummed the lyrics to the song.
“I’m a machine! Couple screws loose but I’m running smoothly. Know what I mean, got an upgrade now I’m more unruly…”
Pretty ironic how much that song describes Leo. Annabeth watched Jackie hum until she noticed some brown marks on Jackie’s wrists, they looked like fingers, burn marks. Valdez had burned her somehow.
“Leo! You do know that your girlfriend has burn marks!” Annabeth called out to him.
Leo cursed in Spanish, “Jackie! Why didn’t you tell me? Did I hurt you?”
Jackie looked really embarrassed, did she speak Spanish? “I didn’t want to upset you Leo, I’m fine. They don’t hurt, you just left a mark.”
Percy whispered something to Leo and Leo sighed. He got back to the wheel, but he looked miserable. Probably because he thought he had hurt Jackie, Annabeth assumed.
Jackie smiled at her shyly, Annabeth smiled back but she heard her stomach rumble. She grumbled.
“Hey Leo.”
“Huh?” He said, he turned quickly to face Annabeth before getting his eyes back on the road.
“Can we stop at that diner in about a hundred metres? I’m hungry.”
Leo shrugged, “I guess, we didn’t get breakfast this morning.”
Leo pulled over and parked the car. They were at an old diner. It reminded Annabeth of when Ares had payed a waitress for food for Annabeth, Percy and Grover at a diner when they were on another quest to find another godly weapon.
The sign read, ‘Jessie Belles’ Arizona Pancake House. Since ‘55’
He stomach grumbled. Percy took Annabeth’s hand and they walked closer to the diner, the place seemed deserted except for a couple of cars.
“What did you say to him?” Annabeth asked.
Percy smiled his goofy smile at her, “I told him that she didn’t care whether she had burn marks because she likes him so much.”
Annabeth smiled, “So you’re okay that their dating?”
Percy shrugged, “They make a great couple and they make a good team.”
Annabeth glanced at them, Leo took Jackie’s hand and they approached the cars checking them for stuff.
“Just like us.” Annabeth smiled giving Percy a kiss. But soon enough they had to break apart and Annabeth noticed Leo and Jackie peering into cars.
“Or partners in crime…” Annabeth muttered. “What are you doing?”
Leo turned to face her and Percy, “I sense something in one of these cars.”
Jackie looked into a black car with dark windows. “Oh my gods. There it is.”
Percy and Annabeth sprinted over to the car. Annabeth peered into the window. There it was, a set of beautiful armour and Hephaestus’ forge hammer, which was so hot it was burning a hole into the seat. With the armour was a shield about the size of a kite sitting in the back of the Ute. Leo snatched it and put it back into their car and locked the vehicle.
“We almost have it.” Jackie cried.
“That means that Chase is in the diner.”
Percy already had the idea. He stalked into the diner and sat down in one of the booths. Jackie and Leo did the same and Annabeth joined them.
