❛010❜

AT THE EDGE of the dump, they found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. but the engine started, and it had a full tank of fuel, so they decided to borrow it.

thalia drove. she didn't seem as stunned as zoë, ivy, percy or grover.

"the skeletons are still out there," she reminded them. "we need to keep moving."

the daughter of zeus navigated them through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at it. zoë sat up front with thalia. ivy grover and percy sat in the back, leaning against the tow winch. the air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing bianca.

ivy could see percy's hand closing around the little figurine that had cost bianca her life. she still couldn't even tell what god it was supposed to be. nico would know.

oh, gods... nico. the sweet little boy lost his sister now. ivy had seen how affected nico had been when bianca joined the hunters. and now... now she was gone.

"it should've been me," percy said miserably. "i should've gone into the giant."

ivy shook her head from where it was buried in her arms. "i should have used my charmspeak on her to stop her. or– or push her out of the way.it should've– it would've been better had it been me."

this was the second time in her life that it happened. the second time ivy stood and did absolutely nothing as someone gave their life while fighting like a hero. first, her dad. now, bianca. both of them who she let die.

"don't say that!" grover panicked. "it's bad enough annabeth is gone, and now bianca. do you think i could stand it if..." he sniffled. "do you think anybody else but you guys would be my best friend?"

"ah, grover..." was all percy could say.

ivy's eyes softened, and she placed her head on grover's shoulder. "i'm sorry, grover," she whispered.

she wasn't sure what she was sorry for. letting bianca die? being a burden? not fighting hard enough?

the satyr wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy like he had war paint on. "i'm... i'm okay."

but he wasn't okay. ever since the encounter in new mexico – whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through – he seemed really fragile, even more emotional than usual.

but seeing her friend be more emotional than she was made ivy realize something. she couldn't stay depressed. she had to set aside thinking about bianca and keep them going forward, the way thalia was doing. she wondered what she and zoë were talking about in the front of the truck.

the tow truck ran out of fuel at the edge of a river canyon. that was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

thalia got out and slammed the door. immediately, one of the tyres blew. "fucking awesome. what now?"

ivy scanned the horizon. there wasn't much to see. desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. the canyon was the only thing interesting. the river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty metres across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. the rock cliffs dropped away below them.

"there's a path," grover said. "we could get to the river."

ivy tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face.

"that's a goat path," percy said.

"so?" the satyr asked.

"the rest of us aren't goats," the son of poseidon retorted.

"or any sort of hooved animal," ivy added for extra measure.

"we can make it," grover said. "i think."

ivy thought about that. she'd done enough cliffs to know she was capable, that didn't mean she liked them. gripping at the rock always made her nails chip and weak. then she looked over at thalia and saw how pale she'd got. exchanging a look with percy, ivy figured they were thinking the same thing. thalia's problem with heights... she'd never be able to do it.

"no," percy said. "i, uh, think we should go further upstream."

grover said, "but–"

"oh, come on," ivy linked her arm with grover's. "a walk would do us good after sitting in that truck."

she glanced at thalia. her eyes said a quick thank you.

they followed the river for about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. on the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but percy left a stack of golden drachma on the counter and a note saying i.o.u. two canoes. the stolls would be very disappointed.

"we need to go upstream," zoë said. it was the first time ivy had heard her speak since the junkyard, and she was worried about how bad she sounded, like somebody with the flu.

"the rapids are too swift," ivy's eyes flickered around the river in worry. she didn't want to end up drowning, again.

percy raised an eyebrow at her before scoffing. "leave that to me."

they put the canoes in the water. thalia pulled percy aside as they were getting the oars. ivy wasn't sure what the conversation was about, but she knew that they talked about her because thalia subtly jutted her head towards her.

thalia and grover took one canoe, the other occupied by zoë, percy, and ivy. she didn't mind who she sat with, really. but silently wondered why percy chose to sit with zoë if he didn't like her.

as it turned out, percy didn't even need to control the currents. as soon as they got in the river, ivy looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at percy.

they looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

they made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling. ivy wasn't sure. she didn't speak any language from the sea like percy, who seemed to be having a full on conversation in weird noises. the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing us up the river. they started so fast grover fell into his canoe with his hooves sticking up in the air.

"i hate naiads," zoë grumbled.

a stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit zoë in the face.

"she-devils!" zoë went for her bow. ivy placed her hand on hers to restrain her from attacking their free chauffeurs.

"whoa," percy said. "they're just playing."

ivy rolled her eyes, a bit of jealousy leaking in her insides. the naidads were pushing them upstream, but they were half stumbling into each other trying to get percy's attention. "with us? they're playing. with you? they're flirting."

"that's not true." percy shook his head, glancing at the naiads. "they're just... nice."

zoë – who had been too focused cursing the naiads to listen to their conversation – muttered, "cursed water spirits. they've never forgiven me."

"forgiven you for what?" ivy asked.

she slung her bow back over her shoulder. "it was a long time ago. never mind.'

they sped up the river, the cliffs looming up on either side of them. ivy tried not to glare at the naiads.

"what happened to bianca wasn't your fault," percy told zoë, but his eyes flickered to ivy. his words were meant for her, too. "it was my fault. i let her go."

ivy figured zoë would start yelling at percy. at least that might shake her out of feeling depressed.

instead, her shoulders slumped. "no, percy. i pushed her into going on the quest. i was too anxious. she was a powerful half-blood. she had a kind heart, as well. i– i thought she would be the next lieutenant, in case..." zoë trailed off.

"in case what?" percy asked.

the hunter looked between the two demigods and shook her head. "nothing. i know what is fated to be now."

"whatever the case is, you're the lieutenant, zoë," ivy said.

zoë gripped the strap of her quiver. she looked more tired than ivy had ever seen her. "nothing can last forever. over two thousand years i have led the hunt, and my wisdom has not improved. now artemis herself is in danger."

"look, you can't blame yourself for that," percy insisted.

"if i had insisted on going with her –" zoë continued.

"you wouldn't have been able to fight something powerful enough to kidnap artemis. there's nothing you could have done," ivy said.

zoë didn't answer.

the daughter of aphrodite was being a hypocrite, she knew that. telling herself that it was her fault but releasing others from the same guilt she was experiencing. but zoë hadn't just stood there, she had fought and did everything in her power to stop bianca's death. ivy hadn't done that.

she was, once again, phony hero.

the cliffs along the river were getting taller. long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright.

percy took riptide out of his pocket. zoë looked at the pen, and her expression was pained.

"you made this," percy said.

"who told thee?"

"i had a dream about it," ivy said.

percy nodded his head at her, not surprised to have shared a dream since it happened often while on quests. "i did, too."

"you two," zoë said. "are thy dreams the same often?"

ivy glanced at percy, before saying, "i mean, it's not rare. we mostly have them on quests, though."

zoë blinked at them, staying silent. there was a look in her eyes ivy had seen before, like she knew something they didn't. the hunter went on to study percy, she looked down at the pen. "it was a gift. and a mistake."

"who was the hero?" percy asked.

zoë shook her head. "do not make me say his name. i swore never to speak it again."

ivy bit down on her lip in thought, cursing hephaestus for not inventing the internet sooner. finding out who the hero was would've been as easy as a google search.

percy gripped at the pen. "you act like we should know him."

"i am sure you do. don't all you boys want to be just like him?" zoe's voice was so bitter, ivy decided not to ask what she meant.

she looked down at riptide in percy's hands. a jolt of fear shot through her, wondering if the blade was cursed.

"your mother was a water goddess?" percy asked the hunter.

"yes, pleoine. She had five daughters. my sisters and i. the hesperides."

ivy perked up in recognition. "the girls who live in a garden at the edge of the west. where hera's golden apple tree resides with the dragon guarding it."

"yes," zoë said wistfully. "ladon."

"but weren't there only four sisters?" ivy clearly remembered the tale reading as four sisters.

"there are now," zoë said. "i was exiled. forgotten. blotted out as if i never existed."

"why?" percy said.

zoë pointed to riptide. "because i betrayed my family and helped a hero. you won't find that in the legend either. he never spoke of me. after his direct assault on ladon failed, i gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but he took all the credit."

"but –"

the canoe was slowing down. looking ahead, ivy saw why. the river was blocked. a dam the size of a football stadium stood in our path.

"hoover dam," thalia said. "it's huge."

they stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. people were walking along the top of the dam. they were so tiny they looked like fleas.

the naiads had left with a lot of grumbling – of course, not in words ivy could understand, but it was obvious they hated this dam blocking up their nice river. their canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"over two hundred metres tall," ivy said.

"built in the 1930s," percy added.

"five million cubic acres of water," thalia said.

grover sighed. "largest construction project in the united states."

zoë stared at them. "how do you know all that?"

"annabeth," ivy said fondly. "she liked– likes architecture."

"she was nuts about monuments," thalia said.

percy pursed his lips. "it was one of her favorites."

"spouted facts all the time." grover sniffled. "so annoying."

"i wish she were here," ivy breathed out.

the others nodded. zoë was still looking at them strangely, but ivy didn't care. it seemed cruel that they've come to hoover dam and the most eager to see it wasn't here.

"we should go up there," percy suggested. "for her sake. just to say we've been."

"you are mad," zoë decided. "but that's where the road is." she pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "and so sightseeing it is."

they had to walk for almost an hour before they found a path that led up to the road. it came up on the east side of the river. then they straggled back towards the dam. it was cold and windy on top. on one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. on the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river more than two hundred meters below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.

thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. he didn't say anything, but ivy knew he smelled monsters.

"are they close?" ivy asked him.

he shook his head. "maybe not. the wind on the dam, the desert all around us... the scent can probably carry for miles. but it's coming from several directions. i don't like that."

ivy didn't either. It was already wednesday, only two days until winter solstice, and they still had a long way to go. they didn't need any more monsters.

"there's a snack bar in the visitor centre," thalia said.

"you've been here before?" percy asked.

"once. to see the guardians." she pointed to the far end of the dam. carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. they looked kind of like oscar statues with wings.

"they were dedicated to zeus when the dam was built," thalia said. "a gift from athena."

tourists were clustered all around them. they seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.

"what are they doing?" percy asked.

"rubbing the toes," thalia said. "they think it's good luck."

"why would anyone touch a toe? even if it's made of metal, it's gross." ivy wrinkled her nose.

the daughter of zeus shook her head. "mortals get crazy ideas. they don't know the statues are sacred to zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"when you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?" ivy asked.

thalia's expression darkened. ivy could tell that she'd come here before hoping for exactly that – some kind of sign from her dad. some connection. it's what all demigods craved for. "no. they don't do anything. they're just big metal statues."

ivy thought about the last big metal statue they'd run into. that hadn't gone so well. but she decided not to bring it up.

"let us find the dam snack bar," zoë said. "we should eat while we can."

grover cracked a smile. "the dam snack bar?"

zoë blinked. "yes. what is funny?"

"nothing," grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "i could use some dam french fries."

even thalia smiled at that. "and i need to use the dam restroom."

"get me to the dam souvenirs," iv's lips quivered from restraining her laughter.

maybe it was the fact that they were so tired and strung out emotionally, but percy started cracking up, and thalia, ivy, and grover joined in, while zoë just looked at them. "i do not understand."

"i want to use the dam water fountain," grover said.

"and..." thalia tried to catch her breath. "i want to buy a dam t-shirt."

ivy continued to laugh, and she probably could've, until she saw percy's smile melt off of his face. he looked around in confusion.

then, grover stopped laughing, too. "did i just hear a cow?"

"a dam cow?" thalia laughed.

"no," grover said. "i'm serious."

ivy's ears searched for a cow mooing, but she heard nothing of the sort.

"i hear nothing," zoë said.

the daughter of aphrodite noticed percy with an upset look on his face. "perce, you okay?"

"yeah," he breathed out. percy pushed her forward softly. "you guys go ahead. i'll be right in."

AFTER ABOUT TEN minutes of percy being gone, ivy started to get worried fo the boy. it wasn't smart to separate like that when they had monsters on their tail constantly.

"i'm gonna go look for percy," ivy announced as she got up from the table her friends sat at. "i'll be right back."

just when she stepped foot in the aisle between the multiple tables that littered the café, percy barreled into her.

"ow!" she exclaimed as she was accidentally pushed into a nearby chair.

"sorry, princess," percy said hurriedly, his eyes wide in alarm. "we need to leave, now!"

"but we just got our burritos!" thalia protested.

zoë stood up, muttering an ancient greek curse. "he's right! look."

the café windows wrapped all the way round the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them. insta worthy, lydia would say.

ivy counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to arizona. three more on the west side, guarding nevada. all of them were armed with batons and pistols.

but their immediate problem was a lot closer. the three skeleton warriors appeared on the stairs. they saw percy from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"elevator!" grover said. they bolted in that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. every warrior was accounted for, minus the one bianca had blasted to flames in new mexico. they were completely surrounded.

then grover had a brilliant, totally grover-like idea. and ivy loved him for it.

"burrito fight!" the satyr yelled, and flung his guacamole grande at the nearest skeleton.

ivy considered herself lucky because she has never been hit by a flying burrito. given that in terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. ivy wasn't sure what the other kids in the café saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.

"oh, grover, i could kiss you!" ivy dogged a burrito as she watched the massacre happening.

grover laughed, he avoided a nacho tray at the face.

"kiss him?" percy asked. "why would you kiss him?"

ivy and grover looked at percy like he was crazy. "it was a joke," ivy said simply.

"oh."

the skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.

in the chaos, thalia and percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. then they all raced downstairs, guacamole grandes whizzing past their heads.

"what now?" grover asked as they burst outside.

ivy didn't have an answer. the warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. they ran across the street to the plaza with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain.

the skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent round them. their brethren from the café were running up to join them. one was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. another was covered in ketchup and mustard. two more had burritos lodged in their ribcages. they didn't look happy about it. they drew batons and advanced.

"four against eleven," zoë muttered. "and they cannot die."'

"it's been nice adventuring with you guys," grover said, his voice trembling.

ivy gritted her teeth, once again, she was useless against a force that was threatening her friends. no, she told herself, nobody dies.

ivy lifted her palm open in front of the nearest skeleton. pink light bended at her will, twisting and shimmering as it grabbed the skeleton by the neck. lifting it off of its feet into the air, the pink light turned hot pink. she covered the warrior completely in the raw solar energy, she squeezed and squeezed until the skeleton was only the size of a chihuahua. then she turned her fist and in a 360.

snap!

all remains of the skeleton exploded, pieces of zombie-flesh went flying everywhere. ivy flicked her wrist and a thin wall of raw energy acted as a shield to avoid the gross substance.

she stumbled backwards, dazed from the high usage of power.

"how in the–" thalia said.

while all her friends watch her in astonishment. the other skeletons kept advancing, focused more on killing them than ivy being a threat to their existence.

"dunno," she mumbled lazily. ivy could stay on her feet, but she definitely couldn't do it again if she wanted to avoid passing out. "can't do it again, though."

"those toes really are bright," percy said dumbly.

"percy!" thalia said. "this isn't the time."

the son of poseidon stared at the metallic toes.

"thalis," percy snapped out of his trance. "pray to your dad."

thalia glared at him. "he never answers."

"just this once," he pleaded. "ask for help. i think... i think the statues can give us some luck."

five skeletons raised their guns. the other five came forward with batons. fifteen meters away. ten meters.

"do it!" percy yelled.

"no!" thalia said. "he won't answer me."

"this time is different!"

"who says?"

percy hesitated. "athena, i think."

thalia scowled like she was sure percy had gone crazy.

ivy felt the dizziness in her head intensify. yes, definitely did more than she could chew.

"just try," the brunette pleaded.

thalia closed her eyes. her lips moved in a silent prayer. ivy put in my own prayer to annabeth's mom, hoping percy was right about her aid.

and nothing happened.

the skeletons closed in. ivy held her arms up, pushing the worries of overextending herself out of the window. percy raised riptide, trying to tug ivy behind him but she stayed planted on her feet. thalia held up her shield. zoë pushed grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

a shadow fell over her. ivy thought maybe it was the shadow of death. then she realized it was the shadow of an enormous wing. the skeletons looked up too late. a flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

the other skeletons opened fire. percy raised his lion coat in front of ivy, but neither of them needed it. the bronze angels stepped in front of them and folded their wings like shields. bullets pinged off them like rain off a corrugated roof. both angels slashed outwards, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. his voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "holy zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

as stunned as ivy was by the angels, she was more concerned with the skeletons. a few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"trouble!" percy said.

"get us out of here!" thalia yelled.

both angels looked down at her. "zeus's kid?"

"yes!"

'could i get a please, miss zeus's kid?" an angel asked.

"please!"

the angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"could use a stretch," one decided.

"we can only take two each, so one's gotta stay!"

"no! we're not leaving anyone behind," thalia protested.

"i can't fly with more than two, miss zeus's kid!" the first one said.

a line of the prophecy resonated in her head, without the wielder you must sail. this was how it was supposed to be. she was the one to be left behind all along.

"take them," ivy told the angels, she put all her charmspeak in her words. "take the other, leave me."

"no! fitzy!" percy protested.

in a trance, one angel grabbed thalia and percy, who both wrestled against its grip but it was futile. the other grabbed zoë and grover, they tried to fight off the angels too. just like she commanded, they flew straight up at incredible speed. away from her doom.

"princess!" percy screamed from a distance.

ivy turned her back on where the angels had departed with her friends. coming face to face with all ten skeletons. they aimed their guns at her, and she brought her hands.

fired opened, ivy threw a shield of raw energy around her. her head pounded almost immediately, she had already used much of her fuel.

ivy gritted her teeth in effort, the bullets seemed endless as they bounced off of the energy shield. no, she thought. she was going to fight until her last breath, she wasn't just going to do nothing for her own life. as much as she looked like it, she was no princess in distress. ivy fitzgerald would be a hero, her own hero. a hero who gave one hell of a fight.

she screamed, the shield around her broke. bringing her arms up, raw energy covered all 10 skeletons in a hot pink dome. the ten soldiers were trapped in a prison of their own making, the raw energy that enclosed them burned so high the smell of burning travelled through the air. in front of her, ivy brought her arms together, the dome simultaneously getting smaller and smaller to fit all ten warriors.

bam!

ivy brought her hands down, breathing heavily as the skeletons blew up into millions of hundreds of pieces. she fell to her knees in exhaustion, swaying and eyes half closed. the brunette thought she was going to fall unconscious on the hoover dam floor.

beep beep!

as she fell on her side, a plush pillow appeared to stop the impact of her head on the floor. with her blurry vision, ivy watched as someone got out of a limousine and strutted towards wearing christian louboutin so kate 120 in black.

"oh, my baby! i'm so proud of you!"

and everything went black.

a speaks!

i got tired of the heart oops
anyway i dont hate this chapter wow
look at the changed theme in the very first chapter! i changed the whole thing along w ivy's faceclaim:)
i also finally decided the name for the next book (botl & tlo) i am proud of myself