Lying across a row of empty seats, Ashe hummed a tune he'd heard the Apollo cabin sing some nights.

It had only been a minute since they boarded the bus, but Grover was constantly sniffing the air, increasing the already high anxiety of Annabeth and Percy.

It didn't take long for the two to realize why.

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse.

Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Nearly identical, they had the same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

They sat in the front row, with two crossing their legs to indicate causally that no one would pass. Annabeth quickly smacked Ashe's leg to alert him of the danger as quietly as possible.

He sat up and leaned out into the aisle, staring at the wrinkly women with a frown. "This is the threat? Grannies on their way home from their book club?"

"Idiot, they're Kindly Ones! The Furies, the worst monsters from the Underworld. Why do I have to keep explaining this- we'll slip out of the windows...!"

Grover tried them, but they didn't open. "Nope..."

"A back exit?"

Grover gestured to them being in the very back, "Uh, no..."

It was far too late to make an escape regardless, since the bus was on the move. It was soon barreling down Ninth Avenue and heading towards Lincoln Tunnel.

"They're not gonna attack with witnesses, right...?" Percy wondered, fidgeting with the pen in his pocket.

"Mortals don't have good eyes... well, normally- but they can only process what they see through the Mist."

"So three hags are gonna maim us in broad daylight? Very poetic prophecy, huh, guys?" Ashe was bored with this charade already, but that was until they had entered the darkness of Lincoln Tunnel.

The lights running down the train made the situation far more ominous than Ashe had allowed with his humor. The brief flashes of light allowed the four to anxiously stare at the old women with caution.

"I need to use the restroom," one announced loud enough for passengers to hear. "So do I," their sisters followed along.

"Percy, take my hat, sneak past, and escape. Ashe go with him so you can mask his scent further." Ashe wasn't so sure about leaving the two with three of the Underworld's most dangerous punishers.

Percy felt the same way, but decided to speak out on it, "We can't just leave y-"

"Don't worry about us, go ahead!" Grover quickly took Annabeth's Yankees cap and shoved it on his head.

Percy disappeared before their eyes, but tapped Ashe's shoulder to let him know to lead the way.

Ashe got up and lead him down the aisle very carefully as the Furies paced towards them. He pretended to be unaware, trudging up to them before feeling Percy brush by and into an empty set of seats. Ashe followed his lead, moving aside for the three elderly women to pass.

They did, but their menacingly stern glares never left. Ashe removed himself and continued to the front with Percy in tow, but he and many others suddenly heard a piercing wail.

The two turned around as they reached the front to see that the three Furies had revealed their forms, evident by the screams of the public. They weren't certain what the passengers saw, but it surely had to be as frightening as the leathery gargoyle like creatures that had become.

Their handbags had formed into fiery whips, making Percy panic even more than before. So much so that as Ashe rushed forward to help, he decided that he would impulsively grab the wheel of the bus and jerk it to the left.

As he was lunging forward, Ashe's body suddenly felt weightless as the bus swerved and crashed into the wall of the tunnel. As it scrapped against it, many passengers were jerked to their right, crashing into windows.

The furies flew into each other and the window, clawing around and screeching.

The driver screamed in confusion and shock, beginning to wrestle with the invisible Percy for the wheel, causing for a distinct lack of footing.

The bus shot out of the tunnel with sparks and scrap metal trailing behind it. By this point, everyone was being thrown around in someway as the driver tried to gain sense of the road again.

He eventually found the first exit he could maneuver to without hitting another vehicle, and barreled down a rural New Jersey road.

With the constant storm brought by the Gods' fighting, the bus swerved no matter how well the driver seemed to adjust. Percy slammed his foot against the emergency break, further adding to the tipsy carnage as the bus began to slide against the road, turning in a full 360 before crashing into several trees just across the road next to the Hudson River.

The lights flickered out and flashing red ones turned on in response. The door had long since flung off after the crash, and the driver scrambled out of the bus and called for the passengers to follow.

Percy quickly ducked into the driver's seat and allowed them all to pass, but watched the Furies rise again and fling their whips at Grover and Annabeth.

Annabeth was able to deflect what came her way with her celestial bronze knife, but its lack of range could spell her end.

Ashe lunged from over the seats, slamming his fist into a Furies back before grabbing a set of their wings and slamming them into a window.

Grover rummaged through their belongings and found something newly gifted to Ashe for this quest.

In the form of a key ring, Grover tossed Ashe his long sword now coated in Celestial Bronze. Chiron made it very apparent that he'd be unable to conceal his normal blade, so he had the Hephaestus Cabin work with his previous sword to turn into a magic item.

Catching the key ring, holding a single rose gold key, Ashe summoned his longsword and slashed a wing off the Fury he pinned to the window.

A ear piercing screech erupted from the creature as it bucked Ashe back and sent him crashing into the opposing window.

Percy threw off the Yankees cap and pocket it, pulling out his pen and drawing his own sword.

Feeling the strength of his presence, the middle Fury focused on only Percy, pacing down the aisle with hatred.

"Perseus Jackson. You have offended the Gods. You shall die." The Fury said in a thick accent far southern than Florida.

"Liked you better as a math teacher," Percy replied with a smirk.

"Math teacher? You think she'd know how to count her odds!" Ashe shouted, kicking the Fury he faced down the aisle and into her sister.

While he unfortunately left Percy to handle two at a time, he could see that Annabeth and Grover weren't prepared to face such creatures with how ill-equipped. Annabeth yelped as the fiery whip slapped her armed hand, but grew relieved seeing Ashe cleave the Fury in two and turn it to dust and sand.

He nodded to the two, before rushing down the aisle to help Percy finish the others.

Percy winced as his sword hand was wrapped in the fiery whip, forced to dodge a claw aimed to slash through his neck.

He tugged the whip, twisting his wrist to cut through the whip and plunge his sword into the first Fury's chest. It erupted into a puff of dust and sand in time for him to see Ashe tear through the last one with ease.

Percy was glad that Chiron allowed him to come. He was the most experienced fighter among all the campers, having helped kill the Minotaur, and supposedly killing a Griffin, all with a normal sword.

What they failed to realize, was that as it was dying, it muttered the curses of Zeus and Hades. A static hum graced their ears as the last Fury faded into dust and sand, but Annabeth knew exactly what it meant.

"Get out, get out! Now!" Annabeth rushed faster than any of them had ever seen down the aisle. She grabbed Percy and Grover shoved Ashe along after them.

Just as they leapt off the bus, a bolt of lightning struck down sending the vehicle up in flames and shrapnel.

The four were sent flying far into the forest with soot, ash, and smoke following them.

Landing on his stomach, Ashe was glad that the Wood Nymphs had treated his prior wounds so attentively. If the strength of that divine intervention was any consolation of how much Zeus wanted their heads, Ashe realized that this Master Bolt matter was much bigger than him.

Spitting out grass and dirt, Ashe quickly rose to his feet and looked for his friends. They weren't far, with Percy and Annabeth already up. Grover was stammering over his words in fright, leading Ashe to yank him to his feet so they could get as far away as possible.

The four continued on their way down the Hudson River...

~•~

Trudging through the forest with Ashe in the back, Percy and Annabeth in the front, and Grover in between, they continued on their journey in uncomfortable silence.

"All our money was back there..." Percy groaned.

"Maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-"

"And let you two get killed?"

"You didn't need to protect us, we would've been fine." Ashe gave a very doubtful look, but flinched seeing her leer back in annoyance.

"We were going to get sliced like sandwich bread-"

"Quiet, goat-boy." Annabeth spat in annoyance, shoving her hands into her coat as the cold of the night grew stronger.

Grover complained about the waste of cans, so Ashe pulled a sharp piece of metal out of his leather shoulder armor and tossed it to him.

"Look, I... I'm sorry," Annabeth sighed, her tone defeated. "I appreciate you two coming back for us. It was brave."

"Well, we're a team, right?" Percy smiled at her, and she returned it, albeit weakly.

"Just... if you die, aside from the fact that'd really suck, it would mean that the quest is over. This is likely my only chance to see the real world."

Percy and Ashe both were disappointed at the selfishness, but couldn't blame her completely.

"You don't get out much?" Ashe asked, earning a scoff.

"Only short field trips. Living with my dad didn't work out for me. Camp Half-Blood is my home. At camp you train and train, and that's cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

She sounded solemn, as if that's why she was out here to begin with. To prove herself.

"You're pretty good with that knife." Percy smirked.

"You think so?"

Just as the two were beginning to cheer one another up, Ashe spotted something glowing in the distance. He was about to speak up, but Grover suddenly began playing an unfamiliar tune on his reed pipes to comfort himself.

Ashe ignored it and pointed forward at what appeared to be a neon sign.

They walked out of the forest and beside a two-lane road. Across from the forest was an abandoned gas station, clearly lost to time itself, and a single business with the signature smell of greasy food.

Surprisingly, it wasn't a fast food restaurant like you'd think from such a pungent smell, but a trinket shop. The main building was a long, low warehouse of sorts surrounded by statuary of a random assortment of things.

"What's the sign say?" Percy wondered.

"I don't know." Annabeth shrugged.

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." Ashe announced, since he didn't have dyslexia.

Checking both ways, they crossed the street and followed the distinct scent of burgers and fries. As they reached the entrance, Grover flinched and began sniffing around.

"The lights are on, they've gotta be open."

"Snack bar?" Annabeth asked Percy.

"Snack bar." He nodded happily.

Ashe decided he'd take point since Grover was clearly suspicious of one thing or another about the location. Leading them to the door, where two weird garden gnome statues sat on both sides of the door.

Seen from the windows were cement statues of animals... children... and even a satyr playing their own reed pipes.

Before Ashe could comment about his own suspicions, the door slowly creaked opened and revealed a tall Middle Eastern woman. She wore a long black gown that covered all but her hands with a black veil over her head. Under the veil, they noticed black gauze over her eyes, but it was clear she could see through it by the distinct red glint in her eyes.

"Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?" Her voice was soft and mature, with a slight Middle Eastern accent as well.

"They're... um..." Annabeth stammered, unsure how to respond to such a direct question.

Ashe used her nervousness to their advantage to write a sob story, "We aren't sure. Our bus spiraled out of control before being struck by lightning. We haven't seen them since..." Ashe feigned a solemn tone, which earned a frown from the woman.

"Oh, my dears, you must come in. I'm sure that must have been traumatic. Please, allow me to make you all a meal."

Ashe had to admit, that his suspicions nearly washed away completely when a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, guiding them into the warehouse.

"I'm Aunt Em. Please, this way, I have a dining area."

They passed by a plethora of life sized statues, which only fueled Ashe and Grover's suspicions, but the aroma of food was stronger than their skepticism.

She led them to a small fast food counter in the back, where a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and even a nacho cheese dispenser resided.

"Please, sit. I'll whip up a house special." Aunty Em mused, shuffling behind the counter as everyone took a seat.

She was quick to get to work, making Grover's nervousness ease seeing she was surprisingly a very good cook.

However, Ashe ruined that.

"So, I'm sure we can assume we are dealing with a monster?"

"Yup." Annabeth, Percy and Grover nodded weakly.

"Dine and dash?"

They all gave him a form of disapproval, but with impressive speed, Aunty Em set down four trays of double cheeseburgers, vanilla milkshakes, and heaps of fries.

"No need, it's free of charge. I couldn't possibly charge lost children for a meal."

"Preciate it." Annabeth elbowed Ashe for his informal gratification and nodded her head. "Thank you, ma'am."

Percy and Ashe dug in with ease, tackling the double cheeseburger first. The two silently began racing to see who could finish it first, but Percy thought it'd be appropriate to at least strike conversation with the woman who had served them.

"So... Gnomes?" Percy wondered.

"Ah... well, animals and the like. Mainly custom orders. Statuary is rather popular among the wealthy."

Percy glanced behind him, seemingly having his attention pulled away, so Ashe followed up.

"Can't expect you get a lot of traction out here, though."

"Well, not since the highway was built. Makes me cherish every customer even more." She sounded proud of her craft, so Ashe smiled as he ate a few fries.

Meanwhile, Grover and Annabeth seemed to be catching on to the predicament they were wrapped up in. Grover wanted to address the low hissing he heard, but Ashe was eager to continue the conversation.

"Your attention to detail is impressive. Each one kinda looks like they had a story." Annabeth glanced at Ashe and wondered if he had caught on too, but she couldn't tell by his expression.

"Ah, someone who understands. The passion for such creations is... more of an accident. I just happened to stumble upon the hobby." Percy looked to Annabeth and Grover, having finally caught on as Ashe continued to create small talk.

"If this is a hobby, cooking has gotta be your day job. This food is great." He was like a totally different person, but they finally realized why he was talking so much.

He was trying to mask whatever god-like scent they may have with his presence.

"W-Why thank you. It's also a pass time, but I'm glad you enjoy it." He actually managed to make her flustered. Annabeth saw Ashe in an entirely different light.

'Is... he a womanizer?! How is he doing this?!' She glared at him in disbelief.

'Dang, he's good.' Percy thought much differently, nodding his head with respect.

'Man, I wanna eat the wax paper...' Grover was close to succumbing to his hunger, since the fries were too greasy for him.

Aunty Em sighed in despair, setting her head in her hands as she propped her elbow on the counter.

"I... appreciate your act, child. You've known since you've walked in," Aunty Em allowed for dozens of snakes to unravel themselves from under the veil. Annabeth was about to stand up and attack, but Ashe held both her and Percy back with his arms.

"It's the least I can do. The life you've lived wasn't the most fortunate. And besides, any woman who can make a meal like this earns a fan in me." Ashe smirked as he tipped his vanilla milkshake to Percy.

Percy awkwardly did it back, internally screaming at Ashe for how casually he was acting.

Aunty Em let out a pleased hum and smiled back to him. "If only you all could stay longer. Your company was very helpful, while it lasted that is. But you all must continue on your quest, yes?"

"According to all that prophecy nonsense, our best bet is looking into the Underworld. You know, the big hermit himself."

"Ah, speak no further. DOA Recording studios. It's in West Hollywood of California. I've recently sold the couple statues for their garden." Aunty Em placed a finger on her chin, trying to recall the kinds of statues they ordered, but shrugged it off since it wasn't relevant.

"And now we've got Point B. We truly can't thank you enough." Ashe was bold enough to look at her in her eyes, knowing that he'd never see them through the veil and gauze.

The three preteens were stunned into silence.

"Ah, but I'm sure you all will get hungry again, so take these," She placed several take-out containers on the counter. Before Ashe could begin, she slipped one last thing on the counter in front of him.

"Take this," it was an emerald gem encased in a stone amulet. There was a leather ring through it making it a rather stylish necklace. "A magic item. You don't live a life as long as mine without picking up a few things, as you can see."

Ashe swiftly slipped it on, smirking at it with new confidence. "It won't create any such issue as my curse, but it will briefly stun any who are caught under its glare."

Closing his eyes with a hum, Ashe could feel the magic she referred to. It was warm unlike anything he had ever felt before. It felt like an embrace. "Simply say, Pétra."

"Well, now I can thank you enough." Ashe joked, pouring his fries into a container as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover hesitantly did the same. "Thank you, Aunty Em."

"No, no, it's alright, you can call me Medusa." She solemnly watched as they packed their food and placed them in the grocery bags she had laid out.

With them all packed and ready to go, Ashe strut to the front with Medusa leading the way. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were wide-eyed in shock out how this played out. They were stunned much differently than they anticipated they would be.

"Be safe, children. I wish you the best." Medusa unlocked the door, which they hadn't realized was locked, and allowed them to leave.

Ashe left the others flow out, before waving to Medusa. "I'll be sure to stop by again, Aunty Em." He teased her, making her giggle as he followed after his companions.

She longingly watched them walk away, but couldn't help but smile. 'What an odd boy. The company he keeps is rather dangerous. I wonder how he'll fair.'

She returned to her store as her snakes hid themselves under the veil once more.