Son of Fire

Twelve

"We just gotta get this thing across the country?" I asked as I held the golden eagle staff and Jason nodded.

"It's one of the staffs from the Jupiter cabin at the Roman camp. We had to head back anyway, but this is a good way for you to get your feet wet." He said and I smirked.

"And how dangerous is this quest?"

"Every quest is dangerous, Andy." Hazel said and I nodded.

"Then let's go." I said and she smiled.

"Argus will drive us to the city and we will go from there." She said and we shouldered our bags, going to Half-Blood Hill and seeing Argus, the guard Hera made with nothing but eyes. As we got into his car so he could drive us to the city, I noticed Frank looking at me and bumped him.

"Hey, don't feel bad about my head. Drew charmed you, you don't need to worry." I said and he nodded.

"Still feel bad, I put you in a basic coma." He said then I laughed.

"Man, I knew what I signed up for when I chose capture the flag over the climbing wall." I said and he smiled.

"We're almost to the city." Jason said and I nodded, the four of us getting out when we got there.

"How come we can't just take Leo's ship?" I asked and Jason snorted as we started walking, looking for the next demi-god safe transportation.

"Because, only Leo knows how to fly that thing and he's not being sent on this quest." He said and I nodded.

"Good point." I said then noticed a Pegasus on a bus sign.

"There, a Pegasus." I said and Hazel smiled.

"Nice catch, Andy. Let's get four tickets to San Francisco." She said then we went to the counter and Jason dropped four drachma.

"The price is eight." The woman behind the counter said, but she looked like she was part cyclops. She had one eye, but the rest of her was human.

"It was four-"

"Yeah, well, now it's eight." She said and leaned forwards.

"That's a long trip, son of Zeus." She said then I dropped for more drachma on the counter, making her look at me.

"Eight, now four tickets before I decide you're a full-blooded monster." I said and she looked scared, printing us four tickets. We went to the bus station then waited for the bus to pull up, but it was taking forever.

"Man, buses are a pain." Frank groaned then I snorted.

"Yeah? Try waiting for a plane." I said and they shook their heads.

"We don't do flying after the shit that happened with the Argo." Jason said and I laughed.

"That bad, sparky?" I asked and he nodded.

"Bad, bad." He said then the bus finally pulled up and we got on, getting our seats. I was next to Hazel, Frank and Jason behind us, but I sighed as I was tired again.

"Andy?" I looked at Hazel then saw her looking at my bag, which had come open to expose the mechanical horse inside.

"I'm bringing it to him. He can't just think he can run from me, it's not going to work." I said and she smirked.

"Persistent as always. Just like Leo." She said and I smiled.

"Must be a Hephaestus thing then." I said and she grinned, making me smile wider. I looked out the window then sighed, laying my head on the window and closing my eyes to try and get some sleep.

~*-*~

"Andy, wake up!" I jumped awake then looked up as someone came on the bus, staring at the monster that was walking down the aisle. As she laid eyes on us, I watched her nostrils flare and knew the harpy recognized us as demi-gods.

"Next stop is us." I whispered and the guys nodded. The next twenty miles down the highway were tense, but when we got there, we got off and went to the station. As we waited for the bus to drive off, I realized we had made a huge mistake. Surrounding us was minotaurs, centaurs, harpies, half-gorgons, and cyclopes.

"Oh shit." Jason whispered then I noticed that there were no civilians.

"Well, guess this guest just got tougher." I said and drew my sword as the monsters closed in.

"Hazel?" I questioned as Frank turned into an elephant then Hazel started to summon gems from the ground, glaring at them.

"Let's go." She said and I grinned, charging the first minotaur. When we were done at least an hour later, we were covered in monster blood, guts, and my muscles were screaming at me.

"We're only in West Virginia." I looked at Jason and nodded.

"That car over there, let's camp there and I'll mess with it." I said and we went to the old car, setting up camp as I worked at getting the thing to work.

"Andy, come eat." I set down the parts then went to the fire, sitting and eating my portion of dinner.

"You brought the horse?" I looked at Frank, who was eyeing my bag, and nodded.

"Yeah, I did." I said and kept eating.

"Do you think he'll be happy to see you?" I looked at Jason then shrugged.

"If he isn't, then I'll leave him be. All I want is to say my piece, actually give him the horse, and we'll go from there." I said and he nodded.

"And if he wants you to stay? Will you stay in the Roman camp?" He asked then I eyed him.

"Jason." I said and set my paper bowl down, focusing my full attention on him.

"I grew up without a place to call home, without somewhere to rest my head knowing I wouldn't be leaving the next day. I didn't have anyone I considered friends, and I sure as hell didn't have anyone I cared about. Camp Half-Blood is my home, the Hephaestus cabin is my safe place to rest my head, I have friends, and I have someone I care about who belongs in Camp Half-Blood. The Roman camp, Camp Jupiter or whatever it's called, that's not my home and it isn't Nico's home." I said, the first time I had even said his name since I woke up.

"That's not his home, his home is Camp Half-Blood, because his dad is Hades, not Pluto. I'm not staying in the Roman camp, but I can't make that decision for him. I'll give him the choice. Me, or that camp." I said and they seemed to understand how deep my feelings for him were suddenly.