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"This is way too creepy to be real," (Name) muttered.

Sun pierced through a single stained glass window, dust particles shifting around like little pixies. Hundreds of artefacts lay dormant in boxes. Jars of monster remains floated around in multiple different coloured liquids and yellow-stained scrolls sat beside each bottle, explaining why they were there and who had killed it. Pierre Seydoux 1986 — gargoyle hand. Christy Chambers 1974 — Kraken tentacle. And the most terrifying one she had found yet. Metembe Abioye 1991 — drakon tooth.

She shuddered. These guys should've been in the hall of fame. Being that brave was completely out of the ballpark for her. She kept moving, but her foot bumped into a piece of broken armour that had just been left on the floor. She picked it up and put it on the table, dusting it off as best as she could with her hands.

When she looked up, she noticed a creepy oil painting nailed to the back wall. Judging from their clothes they must've been a camper. Their face was heavily scarred and very serious. They were almost scowling. When she moved, their coal-like eyes followed.

The head of some sort of creature was glued to the furthest wall. But what immediately caught (Name)'s eye as she moved was the mummified woman sitting in a wooden summer chair near the window. She wore a floral dress and brown sandals. Her skin was shrivelled up to the consistency of leather and her mouth was puckered up like a fermented prune. Her eyes were hollow and her hair looked like it'd been glued to her head by kindergarten children.

Suddenly, the corpse's spine snapped up and they jolted in their seat. Their mouth opened and green gas started billowing from its mouth and filling the room. (Name) flinched and covered her face as the gas touched her skin, watching the girl's eyes glow a savage blue. She really hoped this stuff wasn't noxious.

I am the Spirit of Delphi, the voice said, Speaker of the Prophecies of Pheobus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.

Its voice was old and weary and sounded like nails on a chalkboard. (Name) took a step back, the hairs on her arms and neck standing up.

Approach seeker, and ask.

(Name) stood there for a moment, observing the creature, deciding whether or not it was some sort of cruel prank from the Stoll brothers. She waited for a little longer and nothing happened. Then she gathered up her courage and stepped forward.

"What is my destiny?"

The mummy reared back and its legs twisted, failing a pirouette. Its mouth then seized and opened again, more foul-smelling gas billowed from its lips like a steam train.

You shall travel the land to unravel the truth

To the world of curses, you must find proof

With the essence of time whispering in your ear

Comrades will battle in arms on the foreboding bier

Life and death balance on a rift

For your powers stay adrift

Blinking, the mummy unravelled and then all her muscles went from limp.

(Name) hadn't realised she'd been holding her breath until the green fog cleared.

It hadn't been as bad as she'd expected, but the riddle was something she was having a hard time deciphering. Stepping back and eyeing the Oracle carefully, she walked back to the hatch opening and popped it open. She climbed down, eager to get away from the attic and all it's creepy spoils of war.

"How'd it go?" A voice called

(Name) jumped so high she swore she slammed her head on the ceiling. Percy made a face in his effort to not laugh, but it only made her feel worse.

"Far-out Percy you almost scared me to death!" (Name) put a hand on his shoulder and let out a deep breath. "You demigods can't give me a break.

"Sorry about that," Percy rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Nice hair cut by the way!"

"Thanks, dumbass."

"Again with the dumbass thing..."

"Would you rather me call you something else?"

"Like what?"

"Hmm," she pretended to think. "Moron? Mouth breather? Idiot? Dense? Brainless? Obtuse? Pea-brained? What about an invertebrate half-baked imbecile?"

"Okay okay," Percy waved his hands at her. "I get it. I'm an idiot!"

(Name) nudged him. "Don't take me so seriously. Dumbass."

"I hate you."

Chiron cleared his throat as he entered the room, a triumphant smile on his face. Grover and Annabeth were at his side, both speed-walking to keep up with his powerful strides.

"Well?" He pushed.

(Name)'s ears were still tingling from her Oracle's reptilian voice. She told them what the Oracle had said.

"That's a lot of pressure," Grover said.

"Foreboding bier isn't too great either," Annabeth told her.

"What does that even mean?"

"A bier is something people are carried on when they die."

Percy paled. "Oh."

"Listen," Annabeth said in a stern voice. "I know this quest is important, but I'm not putting my neck out on the line for someone that can't even fight. I value my life enough to know this isn't going to work."

"Annabeth! (Name)'s our friend, we have to help her!" Grover exclaimed, skipping from one foot to the other.

"Grover, as you've said a million times: the Underworld and satyrs don't mix," Annabeth shot back.

(Name) rubbed her arm, feeling very guilty all-of-a-sudden. She was dragging her only friends (If she could even count Annabeth as that) on a very confusing and no doubt dangerous quest that most likely wouldn't end well.

"Thank you, Grover, but Annabeth's right, you shouldn't have to risk your lives for me."

Annabeth nodded in agreement, but she didn't seem all that smug.

"It's the right thing to do!" He insisted. "Furies attacked you and Percy yesterday. You're going to need our help. I've been to the Underworld before, I can do it again."

(Name) wasn't sure if Grover knew he was eating pinochle cards or not, but she wasn't about to stop him.

"She's a friend," Percy said, putting a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. Her eyes widened slightly and she grumbled under her breath. "We have to help her."

"I don't understand why I have to go and talk to Hades. Why can't some other God go do it on our behalf? Wouldn't that solve this mess?"

"You have a delicate history with Hades. Gods cannot go into each other's territory unless invited. But heroes can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do so."

"Describing anyone but me," she muttered.

Chiron smiled sadly. (Name) got the feeling he knew more about her than he let on, but why he was holding back on telling her about it she didn't know. Maybe she was better off not knowing. After all, she hadn't told anyone about her mystery talks with the dude in her head and Chiron had somehow had the sense to check in on her with the Hypnos kid. And that wasn't even mentioning the random-ass power surge she had a couple days ago.

"So let's just lay down the facts, " (Name) said. "Somehow make it to the Underworld by yet-to-be-determined means."

"Check," Grover mumbled.

"Confront Hades."

Annabeth frowned. "Check."

"Get him to un-curse me. And that will then somehow save Camp from some unknown threat?"

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Maine is very nice this time of year, am I right?" Grover muttered.

Chiron smiled, amused.

(Name) patted Grover on the back. "Nice try my dude but you're stuck with me."

Grover swallowed uneasily and shot her a sheepish smile.

"I'd been honoured if you guys helped me with my quest," (Name) said.

"I'll go," Percy cut in quickly, smiling.

"Me too." Annabeth snapped. "If you're going to save Camp. I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

"Wow. Thanks." (Name) pretended to be shocked by her ego. She was happy that Annabeth had decided to help though.

"I assume you have a plan, Wise-Girl?"

"Athena always has a plan."

~~~

"Planes are a no-go because of Percy's issue with Zeus. So will have to bus it straight to Los Angeles without getting into too much trouble," Annabeth said as she flicked through the map pamphlet she'd taken from one of the new stands.

"So what happens after that? How do we get to the Underworld?"

Annabeth pondered. "The last time we went to the Underworld a lot went wrong. We didn't really have a solid plan. Lots of monsters got in the way, including Furies. There was Echidna, the Chimera and a rollercoaster ride full of spiders," she shuddered at the thought. "The entrance is really the problem. It's the exit that worries me."

"A Nereid helped us get out of the Underworld with my dad's pearls," Percy said. "Otherwise there isn't really a way to get out."

"So unless we find another minor sea goddess to give us some magic jewellery. We have no escape plan?" (Name) summarised.

"Maybe Hades will let us go?" Grover said.

The group turned to stare at him blankly.

"Okay. Maybe not then."

"This is Hades we're talking about," Percy reminded him. "He sits on a throne of skulls and wears dark robes all day."

"He probably has a scary dungeon too," (Name) added.

Percy laughed and flicked his ballpoint between his fingers before putting it back in his pocket. Beside him, Annabeth kept touching the clip of her belt where she'd hung her Yankee's cap. Both of them were so fidgety. It was honestly a little ridiculous that (Name) hadn't noticed how uncomfortable they were until now. They hated standing still, probably more than they hated waiting for this stupid bus.

(Name) checked her backpack again, feeling a little paranoid. Chiron had given them a sealed bags of cash, zip locks of golden drachmas and some ambrosia. Her sword was strapped to the back of it, which added to the majority of its weight. She was honestly terrified to use it. She barely knew how.

When the bus arrived they took the seats right up the back. (Name) sat next to Grover and listened the to crackly radio play the Carpenters for hours, Grover snoring on her shoulder. Annabeth sat next to Percy and they chatted randomly for the most part. She couldn't help but feel pissed by the seating arrangement, which she knew was stupid.

They spent two days hopping on and off buses, adding in the occasional toilet break and lunch stop into their tight regime. (Name) was having a lot of trouble sleeping with the angry man whispering in her mind, giving her nightmares.

They passed through hills, went over rivers and still headed west. Annabeth estimated that if they breezed through the trip without any unfortunate stops, they'd get there in a couple of days.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" Grover asked.

(Name) blinked at him slowly. She felt like a sloth more and more as the days passed.

"Nightmares."

Annabeth frowned. "Hades is infecting your thoughts, at this rate you'll be no use to us when we get to LA."

Percy snapped his head up from devouring his cheeseburger. "How is it her fault the God of the Underworld wants to kill her? Lay off."

Annabeth's lips thinned into a straight line and she turned away, clearly pissed.

"He might be watching you," Grover warned.

(Name) raised an eyebrow. "How could Hades we watching me?" She scrunched up her paper wrapper and threw it into the metal rubbish bin. It swished a bit and bounced on its mesh rim before going. Percy grinned.

"The Helm of Darkness," Annabeth interrupted, giving her a sour look. "It allows Hades to melt into shadows and pass through walls. While wearing it he can't be touched, seen, or heard, and he can radiate fear so intense that it can easily drive a person insane or stop their heart."

"Why do almost all creatures fear the dark?" Grover said, shivering as he finished his tin can.

"So, Hades is infecting my thoughts through darkness?"

Percy finished his cheeseburger and tossed his wrapper into the bin. She nudged him in appreciation for the shot but her mood was ruined when she noticed two familiar faces walking across the park, noses flared.

Three old ladies were floating across the park benches, they were turning left and right, searching for something and then suddenly they weren't old ladies anymore. Their faces stayed the same and (Name) doubted they could get any uglier than they already were. After all, they were called Furies for a reason. Their bodies shrivelled down into leathery brown hags with bat wings. Their bags had now turned to fiery crackling whips.

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Uh. Furies." She pointed.

Percy cursed and reached inside his jacket pocket. Annabeth clasped her hand around his wrist and her eyes turned stern. "Wait a second. They're following the scent of a person. That's practically impossible considering (Name)'s human."

"Monsters don't care about mortals. They ignore them." Grover said.

"Maybe they're following you guys? They knew someone had to come with me on this quest."

"And they saw you with Percy," Grover added.

"True."

"So now it's our fault?" Annabeth snapped. "It's your stupid quest."

"That definitely wasn't what I was saying, but props for completely misinterpreting it."

"You are insufferable."

"At least we have something in common then."

Annabeth turned to her, seething.

"There isn't the time to be fighting amongst ourselves," Grover. "We should be making a bee-line for the bus."

"How can the others not see that?" (Name) asked, trying to keep up with Percy's strides. She couldn't, so he wrapped his hand around her arm and started dragging her toward the bus.

"Mortals can only see what they process through the mist," he explained, "you are a bit of a mystery in that department though."

"Good to know. At least I can see what's about to kill me."

The Furies hastened their pace.

"There! There! Get the girl!"

Percy cursed, shoving (Name) aside.

"We have to lead them away. Get on the bus now!" Annabeth yelled and she drew her bronze dagger.

They lashed their whips out at her, but she managed to roll sideways. The mortals started screaming and running for cover. (Name) wondered what they had deciphered out of this fiasco. She lept up the bus steps and reached behind the driver's metal safety bar to close the door. She felt like a coward hiding behind a sheet of cheap glass, but what else could she do? She'd just get in their way if she tried to fight.

Percy ducked as one lashed out with their whip. It still managed to graze his forearm though. They tried again, and this time Alecto managed to wrap her whip around Percy's sword. Not good, (Name) thought. But Percy pulled back on it, sending the Fury flying into the dirt. It was hard to watch it crash land, and even harder to watch Percy slash both of its wings. He was ruthless in the field. Deadly even. Alecto looked a lot like a pigeon with a broken wing, tossing around in the grass in a panic. Percy seemed mostly unbothered by her screeching and grimacing. The tip of his sword pierced Alecto's eye and she howled so loudly that the ground shook. Her arms and legs flailed, desperately trying to get away before it turned into a plume of gold dust.

Something rattled against the bus door and (Name) jumped back, heart jumping into her throat. Tisiphone was banging on the glass door with her clawed hands. The thing rattled violently and (Name) raced up to the top of the steps, watching in disbelief as the Fury started to pry the door off with its bare hands.

"The girl," she cried. "Give us the girl!"

"(Name)!" Percy called, running to her aid. The Fury's wings started to beat against the glass, creating tiny little fissures. (Name) wasn't really sure what to do, but she untied her sword from the back of her bag and hefted it forward. Tisiphone laughed when she saw it, her fingers sinking through the glass with a sickening crack.

(Name) reeled back in alarm. The door whined in protest, and then it snapped open. (Name) could only describe the feeling of a dormouse being cornered by a cat. Her hands started to shake. She was terrified.

"Come with us, you must! You must. YOU MUST!"

Percy, in the nick of time, impaled Tisiphone through the back of her collarbone and she screeched, exploding into dust. (Name) stiffened in shock. Tears started to stream down her face. Had she really been about to die? Stuck in place, with her heart in her throat, completely and utterly useless?

She felt so ashamed. Her knees gave out and she folded into a heap on the stairs. A pathetic breath trembled out of her lips. Her fingers wouldn't relax around the hilt of her sword. She couldn't believe it. She was a coward, through and through.

Percy climbed up the steps and wrapped his arm around her side, pulling her to her feet. She was still trembling uncontrollably, but the touch of a friend calmed her down a bit. Percy eased her into the front seat and took the spot beside her.

She blinked hard and tears started to fall again. She felt so stupid.

"You okay?" He asked gently.

"I don't think so," she whispered. "I...I c-can't let go of my sword."

He smoothed his hand over her fingers. "Here. Let me."

He squeezed her fingers, and they instantly sprung open. He gently glided the sword from her hands and propped it up against the seat. (Name)'s heart was still thundering, but the crying had stopped.

"That was really scary."

"It always is."

"Really? You were scared?"

Percy snorted. "Yeah. Every time I fight I'm scared."

"So...so why did you agree to help me? Why go on this quest?"

"So I could do what I just did," he smiled. "The thought of my friends dying in my place scares me way more than any monster could."

"That..." she sniffled. "That was such a cool answer."

Percy laughed and shook his head, leaning into (Name) the slightest bit.

Annabeth climbed up the steps and stopped when she noticed them. Her eyes drifted from (Name)'s sword to her puffy red eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Her voice was surprisingly subdued.

(Name) quickly rubbed her eyes. "Yep. Just being pathetic."

Annabeth nodded solemnly. There was silence for a moment.

"You did well. For a mortal, anyway."

She went back down the bus steps.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Hey, take it or leave, she never compliments me!"

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