CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
—stupid zoë

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  —JUDITH and Percy departed with Blackjack as soon as he got them to Washington D.C. Judith had spent a couple excruciating minutes arguing that it was a dumb move since they couldn't reveal themselves yet and he was their only ride. But of course, Percy felt too bad for the pegasus and didn't want him passing out midair.

  "And what do you suppose we do when they decide to drive to West Virginia next, doofus?" Judith asked as they watched Blackjack soar off.

  "I think I can pull a few strings with Annabeth's invisibility cap. Don't worry about it, Judy Moody." Percy clapped her on the back as he passed her. The girl gritted her teeth and followed after him.

  "Don't call me that. And don't touch me," she warned.

  "So touchy," he rolled his eyes.

  "You know, I regret my decision coming with you," she said as they started to follow far behind the quest group. They made sure to keep to the shadows just because they only had one invisibility cap, only proving their theories that they were the two shadows that were spoken about in the prophecy.

  "But you did, and now you're stuck with me," he said cheekily as he glanced back at her. He paused as he saw something over her shoulder. Judith looked over his concerned face once before following his gaze, seeing a man with a buzzcut climbing out of a black sedan.

  The scene wouldn't have bothered her that much, but she'd noticed the car back in New Jersey and the guy getting out of the car was covered head to toe in black and had shades over his eyes. He screamed suspicious.

  The two demigods scowled as he turned to look over his shoulder at the surrounding street, revealing a portion of his face.

  "Dr. Thorn," they both muttered.

  "I'm going after him." Percy changed his course and started to follow the man instead of the quest group as he trekked away. He placed Annabeth's hat on his head and disappeared.

  "Wait, I don't have one. I can't just go in there," Judith said, reaching out for where Percy had been but only swiped at air.

  A voice came from her right and she spun to it, her eyes searching for anything, but nothing even shimmered. "You keep an eye on our friends, and I'll follow Dr. Thorn. He's up to something."

  Judith grumbled about not having friends, but she still sensed his presence. "Whatever. Don't get caught."

  "I won't. I'll catch up with you."

  Then she felt a slight breeze signaling his departure. She would kill him if he got caught. She didn't want to have to deal with getting him out of trouble.

  Judith snuck up to the National Air and Space Museum, a subcategory of the Smithsonian. The girl couldn't be sure why the group was taking a pit stop at a tourist attraction, but she followed anyway, keeping to the edges of the exhibits and hiding amongst the crowds as she followed Grover's bright orange hat, the only thing that easily stood out among all the people.

  Luckily, all they were doing was moving up staircases to reach the top floor balcony. Unluckily, the crowds were mainly on the lower levels so Judith was running out of people to hide behind. She saw Zoë discreetly whisper something in Thalia's ear and they both nodded. They took a quick left into an empty hallway.

  Judith waited until they had turned the corner at the end before also walking down the hallway. She jumped when Zoë rolled into view at the end of the corridor with a notched arrow. And she jumped even higher when the immortal girl let the arrow fly the next instant.

  Judith didn't even register the pain at first. It was so sharp that it only felt like a sting. But then it worsened and started to burn and she crumpled to the ground, hissing in pain. She cradled her foot where the arrow had punctured. It had disappeared, just like all the arrows did and reappeared back in Zoë's quiver.

  "Oh my go —" Judith groaned out as they rushed over. "You shot me!" She rolled around on the ground, equating the pain to a cramp — only, ten times worse.

  "Oh my gods, you shot her," Grover squeaked, already getting out his ambrosia.

  "What were you doing following us?" Zoë said, her tone not sympathetic at all for what she had done. Judith could the feel the blood soaking her socks and that was probably the worst part ( she was wearing her favorite pair of nike socks ).

  The daughter of Ares choked down the ambrosia, feeling a warmth and tingling in her foot. She sighed at the hole that would be in her boots. "Not even a sorry?" Judith growled. "Ugh, Percy and I followed because we knew we had to be on this quest. We're going to get Annabeth back."

  The lead Hunter rolled her eyes. Bianca looked completely scarred as she stared at Judith's boot, the red seeping through the dark brown leather. Thalia was kneeling next to Judith, not really knowing what more she could do. Grover had got her ambrosia and was taking off her shoe in order to wrap up the wound in a bandage.

  "Annabeth is not the target of our quest. And where is thy foul boy you mentioned?" She spat, looking for him in the surrounding area.

  "He went off after Dr. Thorn, the manticore from Westover Hall," Judith said, using Thalia as support to get to her feet.

  "Dr. Thorn is following us?" Bianca asked, her grip tightening on her bow.

  Judith nodded. They were all cut off as an invisible force knocked Thalia and Judith right down to the ground again. Judith groaned in pain and held her foot for a moment more.

  "Percy, watch it next time!" She yelled.

  Zoë had her bow notched again, ready to shoot him, but he quickly took his hat off, revealing himself. The immortal girl rolled her eyes once more. "You're still alive. How dare you show thy face here?"

  Grover seemed relieved with his presence, though. "Percy!" He bleated. "Thank goodness." Zoë glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

  "Luke," Percy said, trying to catch his breath. "He's here."

  The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

  "He's in the National History Museum. He's there with the General of Kronos' army and they were raising the dead out of the ground with teeth!"

  "The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

  "Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors —"

  "What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

  "Twelve," He said. "And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

  Thalia and Grover exchanged looks. Judith just threw her head back in exasperation. She couldn't fight with her foot yet. Percy looked down at it and widened his eyes. He quickly realized what had happened as Judith was glaring at Zoë every chance she got.

  He looked at the immortal girl in shock. "You shot her!" Zoë didn't answer and he saw Judith scoff.

  The words 'two groups conjoin when one endures pain' rang in Judith's head. It totally sucked that it had to be her.

  "We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent ... She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

  "Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General —"

  "It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

  "Illusions don't crack marble floors," He told her.

  Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible ... We must leave now."

  "Good idea," Percy said.

  "I was not including thee, boy," Zoë said. "You two are not part of this quest. Judith Sloane ... she will hinder us with her injury."

  "Hey, I'm trying to save your lives! You owe it to her, you shot her in the foot! And where she goes," he pointed at Judith, "I go!"

  "You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."

  "That is not thy decision!" Zoë snapped.

  Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoë. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little brat!"

  "You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoë growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

  Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoë with all the force she could muster when everyone froze. There was a large and rumbling growl resonating around the room, vibrating their bones. Below the group, a few adults screamed in fright and a little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

  Something enormous bounded up the wheelchair access ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur.

  "The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

  The lion roared so loud that Judith gripped her ears. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel and the girl had no doubt that it felt the same too.

  "Separate on my mark," Zoë said. "Try to keep it distracted. Judith, stay with Grover."

  Grover nodded and placed one of her arms over his shoulders and she scowled. "I can walk!"

  He let her go but kept her near. "But you shouldn't. It could stunt the healing process."

  They took cover behind a wall. "The healing can wait until after we kill this monster." She took off her belt and let it form into a sword by her side. Judith wished she could run in there and help more than she was, but her foot was screaming at her to not place weight on it. She stood by Grover as he played a nasty tune on his reed pipes. She would protect him. She could do that.

  Nothing the others were sending at the lion was working. The arrows just clanged against its steel hide and bounced off and Percy's sword and Thalia's spear didn't do any damage either. Judith knew she wouldn't be much help even if she wasn't injured and it made her angry. "Stop hitting its freaking back!" She shouted at them.

  Percy looked at her for a moment. "She's right. Target its mouth!"

  But after he said that, he ran off to the gift shop. She scowled at his retreating back. "What a coward," she said to herself.

  But he came back out only a moment later, reminding her of the time him, Tyson, and Annabeth had gone off to retrieve the record player during the chariot races. She knew she should have had more faith in him this time, but it really did look like he was running away. Percy threw some of the freeze-dried food packets he grabbed into the lion's mouth. It gagged and started to hack. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from Percy.

  "Now!" He yelled.

  Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw — two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still.

  Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on.

  Judith hobbled over to Percy's side sheathing her sword in her belt loops and stared at the giant cat. "Uh, nice work with the food."

  He caught his breath and looked at her. "Um, thanks." He eyed her foot. "You good?"

  Judith sneered as Zoë and Bianca jumped from the balcony to reach the two. "Yeah, I'm good."

  Grover was leading Thalia over to them as well as they convened over the lion as it started melting away into the floor.

  Zoë eyed Percy cautiously. "That was ... an interesting strategy."

  "Hey, it worked."

  She didn't argue, surprisingly.

  The lion seeped into the floor until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

  "Take it," Zoë told Percy.

  He stared at her. "What, the lion's fur? Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

  "It is a spoil of war," she explained. "It is rightly thine."

  "You killed it," He said.

  She shook her head, almost smiling. "I think thy ice-cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur."

  Judith rolled her eyes at the back and forth and pushed Percy forward. "Just take the stupid pelt."

  He lifted it up and the fur shifted and changed into a coat — a full-length golden-brown duster.

  "Not exactly my style," he murmured uncomfortably.

  "We have to get out of here," Grover said. "The security guards won't stay confused for long."

  The guards in question were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, scrambling to find something and running into walls all the while.

  "You did that?" Percy asked Grover.

  He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it'll only last a few seconds."

  "The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoë said. "Look."

  Through the glass walls of the museum, Judith could make out gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were stalking closer and had their sights set on Percy.

  "Go," He said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

  "No," Zoë said. "We go together."

  Everyone looked at her strangely, especially Percy who had a gaping mouth. "But, you said —"

  "You are part of this quest now," Zoë said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the other group we are meant to combine with. And we are not leaving anyone behind."

NOTES;

edited : 07 / 12 / 2020