Children of the Big Three Book 4: Battle of the Labyrinth

Chapter Two: What Are We?

"How's the prosthetic treating you, Perce?" Thalia asked, as she did her best to keep her eyes on the road. Percy was not gonna ask where she got this truck, cause he felt like the answer was going to be the same as the last seven times she miraculously got a truck. Percy sighed.

"Eh, you know how it is. Hurts when I pick my nose, but other then that it's pretty good."

"Perce.." Thalia prompted sharply.

"No, really! Beckendorf did a great job. You can't even tell that I.." Percy paused, and looked at his hand. It was true, it was nearly impossible to see the difference between what was left of his palm and the prosthetic. But he could feel it. Where his hand stopped being flesh and blood, and started being metal and wires. He clenched and unclenched his hand, but it just wasn't right, there was no way else to describe it.

"Percy.." Thalia prompted once more, softer this time.

"It's nothing, Thals."

"Nobody says that when it's nothing, fish lips."

"Oh yeah, what do they say then?"

"They say what's bothering them."

Huh. Percy couldn't help but feel the oddest sense of deja vu. Percy sighed, part of him really wanted to talk to her, spill his guts like he used to. But he was fifteen now, and he started to notice something. Guys really weren't suppose to share their negative feelings, were they? Hell, Nico did that with Juniper; and their first fight and she brought all of his baggage out in it. Man wasn't alright for at least a day. The Son of Poseidon looked at Thalia. He trusted her, of course he trusted her. He'd sacrifice his life for her, and he didn't doubt it was a two way street. But Thalia was rather scary when she was mad, and that was only with his base fears. The ammo she would had if she had all the new insecurities and fears he'd been developing over the years..

"No, really Thals. It's just.. Jet-lag. That's all."

Thalia raised an eyebrow, and held back the urge to punch Percy in his stupid face. He was obviously lying, but Thalia didn't want to pry. But she also really wanted to pry. She didn't want to join sit here and drive while Percy was feeling all fucked up inside. Gods she wished she could just demand an answer out of him like she used to, but she couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. Maybe it was because she was getting older and was realized that wasn't very cool, or maybe she didn't want to yell at Percy in general. Gods she was getting soft. Was that a bad thing?

"Yeah, okay." Thalia muttered, defeated. She took a hand off the steering wheel, and put it open palm onto the arm bar to the right of her. "Hold my hand."

"Wha-"

"Just humor me." Percy exhaled through his nose, but did as she said. His left, prosthetic hand touching hers. "What do you feel?"

"I think it's an alligator." Percy muttered with a chuckle, trying to break all this new found tension.

"Serious answers only, Perce."

Percy took a second to think, and wondered what would happen if he said the wrong thing. "Well, my palm feels another palm." Thalia raised her eyebrow once again. "Your palm."

"You wanna know what I feel?"

"Metal? Wiring? An artificial heating system?" Percy answered, with a dark sense of humor evident.

"I feel.. Like you jumped in the way of a Titan to save someone who was going to die."

"You feel a prosthetic."

"I feel like you took the brunt of the sky so a Goddess could help us in our fight."

"That's-"

"I feel like you wanted to fight Luke instead of me because you didn't want me to fight my friend."

"Well-"

"When I hold your hand, I don't feel cold metal-"

"Course not, there's an automated heating system."

"I feel you, Percy Jackson. I don't care if you have a robot hand, I just care that it's you."

Percy couldn't help but feel a smile tug upon his lips. How was he suppose to resist a pep talk like that from his.. His.. Well shit, what were they exactly? Percy's cheeks flared at the thought. Sure they had kissed, but that didn't mean they were dating. Hell, Zoë kissed him; but he was pretty sure it was just a gesture of respect. Or a goodbye back in her days. She'd probably castrate him if he said she liked him. He shrugged, no time like the present. "Ey, Thalia?"

"Yeah?" That's when his masterful plan fell apart. Was that a question he even wanted answered? What if he didn't like the answer? What was the answer he wanted? My lord this was so confusing! He couldn't just say nothing now, could he? No. That'd be really weird. So, he decided to improvise.

"You remember that zoo transport truck thingy we were on back on our first quest?"

"I even remember how shitty it smelled, why?"

"Things were.. A lot simpler back then."

"I know what you mean. Back then we just said whatever was on our mind, I mean.. Who does that?" Thalia chuckled, but Percy's expression told her that it wasn't exactly the time to go making jokes.

"Me and Nico were just kids, doing whatever the gods said because we didn't have anything better to do. You were this figure, this.. Everything that I'm not. Brave, heroic, fearless.."

"But now?"

"Now you're Thalia Grace: Daughter of Zeus. And Nico is Nico Di Angelo: Son of Hades. And I'm still just.. Percy Jackson, result of Poseidon not using protection."

"We're no more special then you are, Perce."

"Really? Say that to The Titan of Strength."

"Man, your pity party gets a little annoying sometimes." Thalia snapped at Percy. "You've got a case of the 'poor mes' my friend. You've fought the Minotaur, Scylla, Hecate, and fucking Medusa! You're Percy fucking Jackson!"

"I survived. I didn't conquer, like how you fight or-"

"The world has enough conquerors, Percy."

"The worlds gonna need them for what's coming."

That's when Thalia slammed on the brakes, and Percy, not wearing his seatbelt like a proper shotgun seater, smacked his face against the window. "We're here. I'm gonna go check in with Annabeth."

"Annie's still here? I thought she would have run off with the Hunters first chance she got."

"She thought about it. But then someone mentioned a certain someone and it changed her mind pretty quick."

"Oh, romance? Give me the deets."

"You're a fuckin idiot." She muttered, and hopped out of the truck.