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chapter twelve ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
012. Deadly Disaster in the Desert

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Cassie had never been more confused. Her heard was pounding, just about ready to burst and her brain was running on overdrive.

Did she like Annabeth? As more than a friend? What was Aphrodite talking about? Why did the goddess look like Annabeth? Why does she keep thinking about Annabeth? Was that why she liked the ki—

"What did she want with you?" Bianca interrupted the daughter of Ares' moment of panic.

Cassie had managed to tell her friends about Aphrodite... barely.

"I— Uh... um, no clue. Just something about being careful in her husband's junkyard you know. Don't pick anything up." The flush of her face and stammer in her voice were a dead give away of the lie.

Zoë quirked an eyebrow. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Cassie—Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoë. You can't trust Aphrodite." Thalia nodded.

Percy only held a smirk on his face and Grover looked at him funny, being able to read his emotions. One look and Cassie knew Percy knew what Aphrodite had talked to her about.

"Mhm... anyways how do we get out of this trash heap?" The brunette mumbled, quick to change the subject.

"That way," Zoë directed, "That is west."

"How can you tell?" Percy asked.

It was pretty dim but the son of Poseidon could see Zoë roll her eyes due to the light of the full moon.

"Ursa Major is in the north, which means that must be west." She gestured a lot of directions which made Cassie dizzy. It was pretty hard to spot the constellation in the bright, star-filled sky.

"Oh, yeah. The bear thing." Percy dumbly stated his realization.

Zoë scoffed in offense. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real."

"Guys, look!" Grover blurted out.

They'd gotten to the top of a trash mountain. Piles of metal shone in the moonlight.

Cassie glanced disturbed at the broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, and smashed chariots. Her eyes lit up when she noticed the amount of weapons.

There was some modern stuff too like cars of gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

Bianca's eyes widened, "Whoa. That stuff... some of it looks like real gold."

"It is. Like Cass said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods." Thalia warned skeptically.

Grover mindlessly grabbed half of a broken crown of gold, silver, and jewels, holding it in his hands. "Junk? You call this junk?"

The satyr bit off one of the points, munching on it. "It's delicious!"

"What part of don't touch anything was not understood?!" Cassie whisper-shouted.

Thalia knocked the crown from his grasp. "We're serious!"

"Look!" Bianca shouted as she dashed down the hill. The girl stumbled over random pieces of junk before reaching for a silver bow shining in the moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!"

The huntress yelped as the bow shrank and a crescent moon hair clip took its place.

"It's just like Percy's sword!" She grinned. Cassie smiled at her excitement and snapped a photo with her camera.

Zoë pursed her lips. "Leave it, Bianca."

"But—"

"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective. Or cursed."

Bianca placed the hair clip back reluctantly.

"I don't like this place," Thalia admitted, tightening the grip on the shaft of her spear.

"You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" Percy sassed.

"I wish you were attacked by killer refrigerators," Cassie retorted, stifling a laugh but she stopped after receiving a fierce look from the daughter of Zeus.

Thalia gave Percy her own dirty glare, "Zoë is right, Percy. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on, let's get across the yard."

"That's the second time you've agreed with Zoe," The son of Poseidon mentioned.

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Cassie swore they'd never make it through the hills and valleys of garbage. The junk was never ending and if they hadn't been following the stars, no doubt they'd be lost. All the trash mounds looked exactly the same.

It would be lying to say they didn't touch anything. The amount of weapons Cassie saw and poof-ed into her hands was unthinkable. Percy had found an electric guitar that looked like an old form of Apollo's lyre. Grover picked up some golden birds from a broken metal tree.

At last the end of the junkyard was just half a mile away, the lights from a highway lit up that part of the desert.

Only problem was between them and the road...

"What is that?" Bianca questioned, squinting her eyes.

The hill ahead was much bigger and longer than the rest. It was humongous. At the end of the metal mesa was ten columns in a row, pressed together.

She tilted her head in confusion. "They look like—"

"Toes," Grover finished.

Bianca seemed to agree. "Really, really large toes."

Cassie watched Zoë and Thalia share an apprehensive look.

"Let's go around. Far around." The punk girl suggested.

"But the road is right over there," Percy complained. "Quicker to climb over."

"Lazy ass," Cassie playfully insulted.

Ping.

The girls visibly jumped. Thalia whipped around her spear, Zoë notched an arrow, and Cassie sword was in her hand. They glared once they realized it was just Grover.

He decided to throw a piece of metal at the toes, resulting in the echo sound.

"Why did you do that?" Zoë stomped her foot.

Grover scrunched his face. "I don't know. I, uh, don't like fake feet?"

"Come on. Around." Thalia ordered and began to walk in the right direction.

Percy didn't reason time to argue, starting to get creeped out by the metal toes too.

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After walking for a few minutes Cassie was already tired and sure her legs would give out any second. She let her mind wander back to Aphrodite's words.

'And think about your true feelings for your 'friend' Annabeth.' Whats that's supposed to mean? What feelings? There was no way in Tartarus that Cassie had feelings for Annabeth. Right?

Annabeth was just a really good friend. But why did that feel so wrong. Whatever Cassie felt for the blonde couldn't be classified as friendly. Just friends don't make her feel the way the daughter of Athena did.

Was it possible that maybe Cassie liked—

"We made it out. Thank the gods." Zoë sighed relieved.

The gods weren't in the mood to be thanked. Instead a loud crunching sound came from behind them. Cassie bit her cheek to keep from cursing.

The group turned quickly, watching as the once trash mountain rose. The toes looked like toes because they were toes. The metal monster was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor.

He was taller than a skyscraper, and his limbs were shining in the moonlight. The shadows cast an evil look across his features.

The giant looked down and the demigods noticed his messed up face. Part of the left side was melted and his joints creaked with every movement he made. Cassie narrowed her eyes and read the dusty words WASH ME on the monster's chest plate.

"Talos!" Zoë gasped in horror.

"Who—who's Talos?" Percy managed through stuttering.

"One of Hephaestus's creations. But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model." Thalia informed.

Defective probably wasn't the best word choice. Talos drew his sword and a hideous metal screech came from the weapon. The blade was at least a hundred feet long, all rusty and dull.

"Someone took something. Who took something?" Zoë was first to stare at Percy accusingly.

The son of Poseidon denied. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Bianca remained quiet, avoiding their eyes guiltily. No one had time to say much since Talos stepped forward and shook the ground like an earthquake. He closed half the distance in one step.

"Run!" Grover cried out.

Good plan if they weren't facing a giant monster. He'd easily catch up no matter where they ran. So the group split up.

Thalia held her shield high as she ran down the highway. Talos swung his sword and missed terribly, knocking out a row of power lines.

Zoë fired arrow after arrow at the creature but it had no effect. Grover scampered up a metal mountain and Cassie hid behind a broken car part.

Bianca and Percy ended up behind a broken chariot together.

"You took something. That bow." Percy accused.

"No!"

"Give it back! Throw it down!"

"I... I didn't take the bow! Besides, it's too late." Bianca responded as a certain daughter of Ares appeared beside them.

"Uh guys—"

"What did you take?" The son of Poseidon demanded.

Bianca opened her mouth to answer but the sky darkened as a shadow appeared from above them. The creaking of metal gave away the reason.

"Move!" Percy shouted, dragging Cassie by the arm.

They sprinted away and looked back to find a giant crater in the ground where they had just been.

"Hey, Talos!" Grover tried to gain the monster's attention, but it stayed staring at the trio.

The satyr blew harshly into his pipes and the downed power lines on the highway swayed. One of the poles used its power lines to wrap around Talos' calf. Shocks of electricity ran up the monster's back.

He whirled around, tweaking and sparking. Grover had bought them some seconds of time.

"Come on!" The son of Poseidon urged them on.

The huntress remained still. She took out a small metal figurine, a statue of a god.

"It... it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have." Bianca admitted sorrowfully.

"How can you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" Percy gaped. Tears welled in the huntress' eyes.

Cassie elbowed him and brought Bianca into a side hug. "There's no time for lecturing. Throw it down. Maybe it will get the giant to stop."

It fell from Bianca's grasp but had no effect. Talos kept advancing towards Grover. The satyr was almost stabbed by his metal sword. Instead the weapon hit a trash heap and caused the junk to avalanche on top of Grover.

"No!" Thalia yelled before she shot lighting from her spear at the monster's rusty knee. He buckled and collapsed, but rose without a problem.

It was hard to tell its emotions or if it even had any. Cassie grimaced at its half-melted face in a bit of sympathy.

Though the pity vanished as the giant lifted his foot to stomp again. Instead it was replaced with curiosity. The brunette watched inquisitively before her eyes lit with an idea.

"Percy," she smacked his arm repeatedly, "Look!"

On the bottom of the giant's foot at his heel was a huge manhole with the words: FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY painted in a red circle of letters around it.

"Crazy-idea time," Percy informed the huntress.

Bianca glanced between them warily but nodded. "Anything."

Cassie told her about the maintenance hatch. "There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something."

"I'm going to get inside." Percy volunteered.

"Since when did we agree on that?!" Cassie muttered angrily.

"How? You'll have to stand under its foot! You'll be crushed." Bianca agreed in concern.

"Distract it. I'll just have to time it right."

"Yeah time your death right," Cassie snapped.

Bianca's clenched her jaw. "No. I'll go."

"You can't. You're new at this! You'll die." Percy protested.

"It's my fault the monster came after us. It's my responsibility. Here." She placed the statue that got them into this mess in Cassie's hand. "If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him... tell him I'm sorry."

"Bianca, no!" The daughter of Ares shouted, reaching out for the girl's shoulder.

But she was already on her way, charging at Talos' left foot.

Thalia was keeping its focus on her. After a moment of realization she noticed the monster was big but slow. If you stayed close and don't get smushed, you had the chance to run around it and stay alive.

So far so good.

Bianca perched right below the metal monster's foot, managing to keep balance as it swayed and shifted.

Zoë stared confused, "What are you doing?"

"Get it to raise its foot!" Bianca ordered.

Zoë's attempt managed to make the giant shake its head as one of her arrow's flew right up its nostril.

"Hey, Junk Boy! Down here." Percy waved his arms around to get its attention. He stabbed its big toe with Riptide and left a gash in the metal.

The plan worked and the metal monster raised his foot. Percy ran but was kicked into the air when the foot came down.

Cassie watched the son of Poseidon smack into a fridge and she rushed over with Grover. The satyr blew into his pipes and the music made power lines attack once again.

Talos stopped from almost killing Percy and raised his sword to Grover and Cassie. The satyr took two steps before collapsing and never getting up. Cassie scowled raising her sword which glowed red.

Her father's blessing would come in handy if she really needed it.

"Grover! Cassie!" Thalia and Percy called, sprinting their direction but there was no use.

Cassie braced for impact but it never came. The giants held fell to be side and he began to move weirdly. Then he punched his own face.

"Go, Bianca!" Percy cheered.

Zoë had a look of what could only be described as horror. "She is inside?"

The monster swayed to keep from falling. Percy and Thalia took Grover from Cassie's arms and they ran to the highway. Zoë was already in front.

"How will Bianca get out?" The lieutenant questioned.

The giant hit himself and dropped his sword, it almost fell and began to stroll toward the power lines.

"Look out!" Percy tried to warn, but it was too late.

The giant was shocked by electricity and Cassie prayed to the gods that the inside was insulated. She hoped Bianca was okay in there.

Talos stumbled back into the junkyard and lost his right hand. CLANG. His left arm came too. CLANG. He was falling apart at the joints, so he ran.

"Wait!" Zoë called. The group chased after him and stopped every once in a while when a metal body part blocked their path.

It finally collapsed starting from the top. First his head, then chest, then legs. The five scoured the wreck for any sign of Bianca. They check everywhere and found nothing even when the sun rose.

Zoë sat down and let tears stream from her eyes. Percy was stunned to see her crying.

Thalia shouted in anger and imapled her sword through the giant's smushed face.

Cassie kicked its head and fell to the ground as sobs wracked her body.

"We can keep searching. It's light now. We'll find her." Percy tried to encourage them to get up.

"No we won't. It happened just as it was supposed to." Grover bleated through tears.

"What are you talking about?" Percy sassed.

The satry's wide, damp eyes met sea-green ones. "The prophecy. One shall be lost in the land without rain."

Cassie gripped her hair in frustration. Why had she let Bianca go? She should've known. Aphrodite literally warned her.

But now they were still in the desert and Bianca di Angelo was gone.

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ author's note

so um... well i don't rlly know what to say, this chapter's depressing

now i know Cassie and Bianca were never really close because my girl's a Nico sympathizer like me, but still

though i am proud with the little moments of panic our daughter of Ares is having!! she's realizing people, slowly but surely

but that's that, hope you enjoyed as best you could! thanks for reading <3

— Just Another Overthinker