I made it over to the air and space museum and quickly found Zoë , Thalia, and Grover eating at a table on the second floor, "We need to leave now" I panted, as I reached them

"Can't we finish eating first" Thalia and Grover asked

"No we need to go before it's too late" I said

"We should go. Little scares my little brother to this extent" Zoë stated

It was too late however, shortly after she finished a mighty roar was heard, and I figured out what Atlas, decided to send to keep us distracted. It was the nemean lion.

We rushed to the balcony railing only to find my suspicions true. "Look mommy a kitty" some poor little kid said. And that was all it took to set the mortals off into a panic.

"Thalia you with me, distract it with your powers this time, and I do mean powers, if it get to close yes you can attempt to use your weapons. Zoë you know what to do. get the high ground advantage" I said.

"what about me"

"help Thalia and I if we need it" I said, jumping over the railing land on the first floor. Thalia however took the nearby stairs. "Here kitty. Who's a nice little kitty" I stated as mortals were running out the exits in a panic.

The nemean lion apparently does not like compliments, or being asked if he's a nice kitty. It roared again before lunging at me.

I just had time to activate my shield, and deflect the claws, before they maimed me. After he landed, he seemed to notice the shield and jumped away just as quickly as he attacked.

Huh, who knew that even monsters were scared of Medusa's head, well it probably wouldn't work with her sisters, but ehh that shouldn't be a problem. Thalia came down and summoned her shield and readied her spear.

The nemean lion was getting annoyed with the occasional arrow that hit it from Zoë, but he was more focused on Thalia and myself, carefully eyeing our shields. We started advancing slowly planning to pincer the Nemean Lion using a corner for help.

The lion seemingly recognized this and started going after Thalia. She was holding him back now with lightning, and only occasionally needing to involve her spear or shield, but the spear would just bounce off each time Thalia used it. I even attacked a few times but my spear also was deflected.

"Nothing is working" Zoë shouted

"Ya think we don't know that" Thalia yelled back, as I took a stab at the lion's eye, but before it struck he closed. The lion looked like it was about to roar again but thought better of it.

"We need to get it to open its mouth" I stated, "Only it's pelt is invulnerable"

Zoë seemed to get what I was saying, wait and shoot it in the mouth when he opens it. The only problem the nemean lion didn't open its mouth again after that , and had its eyes squinted.

I began to think of a work around when it hit, or better I hit it, as the lion swiped me and sent me flying into a rack of these silver packets labeled space food.

"Grover Help Thalia" I yelled and he immediately charged down playing tunes that was only slightly better than Apollo's poetry. I however, picked up as much of this space food as possible.

I hope that it taste bad so the lion starts to choke or cough it up giving Zoë enough time. I ended up with an arm full of the food, before I joined my friends again.

"Hey Kitty want a snack" I said and threw a packet of the space food at the nemean lion who caught and ate the packet. I kept throwing the food at it and got down to the last packet I had, which was label freeze dried strawberry parfait. welp hopefully this works, I thought as I threw the last packet at the nemean lion who ate it happily.

A few seconds latter though the nemean lion seemingly began regretting his decision to eat all the packets I threw, and began dry heaving to get the terrible tase or overload of food out. Which was perfect for Zoë as it gave her the perfect opening to shoot the Nemean lion down the throat killing it.

She then jumped down to join us, as we were just looking at the pelt. Zoë noticed where we were looking, and saw the pelt. She grew a look of disgust, but only for a second before she picked it up "It was your plan brother. the pelt is yours" she said throwing the pelt over my shoulders.

"We should still get going the general is here" I said, causing Zoë to have a slight moment of panic before she agreed and we began dragging the other two out of the museum.

So I'll be honest. We never made it back to the camp van, as the spartoi started chasing us and a bunch of mortal mercenaries. We ended up hijacking a car but were quickly picked up again. Which lead to us entering a parking garage connected to the local subway network and hopping on and off lines eventually ending up in an industrial district with a freight train yard.

We looked around and noticed that we truly lost them, but I knew they somehow got ahold of our scent somehow, and one of us was condemned until Hades would feel merciful and take the spartoi back to where they belong.

"it's so cold out" Thalia said shivering, besides me.

"here" I said, opening up the pelt with one of my arms so she could walk next to me and hopefully get warmth from both it and myself.

"How do we get west now" grover asked

"Hop in a train boy what do you think" Zoë stated, annoyed at that, but grover quickly shut up, though I knew he wanted to ask how we would know what train to get on.

We were wondering around for a bit, and we ended up coming up on a homeless guy with dirty blonde hair, ragged clothes, and sky blue eyes, just like Apollo's, huddling close to a fire. You know, maybe athena needs to teach him a little bit on disguises or I just need to be more oblivious to godly disguises.

"Would you mind sharing the fire for a bit mister" I asked, since I could still feel Thalia's shivering.

"No problem the name's Fred" Fred said, well Apollo actually.

Zoë looked annoyed but reluctantly joined us around the fire. "You know of any lines heading west" grover asked

Fred nodded and pointed to his left, "yeah that one right there, leaves in about ten" Fred said

"The Sun West Line" Thalia asked suspiciously

"Yup, that's the one. Anyway I'm heading south strangers" Fred said walking away from the fire.

We spent the next five minutes warming up by the fire, and when Thalia was good they started heading off to the train.

"Percy you coming" Zoë asked

I was looking into the fire and thought of something, "Yeah give me a minute" I said, taking the pelt off my shoulders.

"To mom and annabeth" I whispered tossing the pelt on to the fire, to the much horrified gasp, of Thalia, Zoë and grover, "We are coming and will be there shortly. Use this to provide you strength and protection" I finished, before the pelt disappeared into a silver smoke, showing that mom accepted my offering.

I rushed over to the train and hopped on joining them. "Why did you do that? Do you know how powerful that pelt is" Grover shrieked

"It was an offering" I stated simply, "To help mom and Annabeth"

Thalia looked close to tear after hearing that, and just hugged me for a while until the train started moving. "Hey go get a car, and get some rest while we can"

Thalia went to a black Mercedes, where as Grover went to a Lamborghini. Zoë was about to walk off and get into a car of her own but I stopped her. "The spartoi" I said simply

"Yes" Zoë asked

"He planned on using your scent. I don't know if he got it, but I took at least one sample" I said pulling the silver piece of fabric out of my pocket.

"thanks brother. Anything else useful that you found out" She asked

"Luke's troops will be there by the solstice, they are seeking a monster, probably the same one mom was after, and Luke is weakened heavily from carrying the sky" I said

Zoë hummed in thought, "That's not all is it"

"No, Annabeth is slated to be killed either on the equinox, if she doesn't join them. The solstice if she doesn't leave mom by then" I said Zoë then hugged me.

"I promised you and Thalia we will get her back. I intend on keeping that promise even if it kills me" She stated

"You know I won't let you die easily" I said, "you're still my sister"

"yeah I am, and you're my little brother" she gloated a little

"anyway what was up with apollo wanting to be called Fred" I asked

"You noticed it was him to" she stated

"Hey Hey quiet down, you both no the rules of interference" Apolloi whisper yelled

"HI the god named Fred" I joked

"By chaos you two are never going to let me live this down" Apollo exasperated to Zoë's and my own laughter.

"Anyways uncle, where do you plan on dropping us off. we know you want to help mom as best you can without getting in too much trouble" I said

"Hopefully all the way there, but the sun is setting and it is looking like you all will be getting off at Cloudcroft, New Mexico. But I'll allow you all to rest here. Just get in a car and fall asleep. You'll both need your rest" he said disappearing

I sighed and went to the Silver F430 ferrari while Zoë walked off to a Lexus. As soon as I sat in the driver's seat I was practically out for the count and fell into a deep