"Ten miles in and not a single monster," Percy mentioned. "That's a good thing, right?"

Annabeth turned to look at him. "No, it's not," she said. "It's bad luck to talk that way, Seaweed Brain."

Percy gave her a look. "Remind me again why you hate me."

"I don't hate you."

"Could've fooled me."

I stared out of the window, trying to tune out the conversation.

"We aren't supposed to get along," Annabeth said. "Our parents are rivals."

"Why?"

"What more reason do you need?" Annabeth asked him. "Once Poseidon brought his mistress into her temple and another time they were fighting over who would gain the love of the people of the city of Athens. Poseidon gave them this horse and this salt water spring while Athena gave them an olive tree. They liked her gift more so they chose to name it after her."

"Huh," Percy hummed. "They must really like olives."

"Forget it," Annabeth groaned.

"But why olives? Now, if she invented pizza, that I would understand."

"I said forget it!"

Annabeth snapped open her book and started ignoring everyone.

I scoffed. "What a drama queen," I muttered under my breath.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Like you're so much better."

"At least I don't snap over every little convenience."

"So you don't remember that backpack?"

"You stole from me."

"And I apologized. You tried to kill me."

"I was retaliating."

"That is not how you retaliate."

"That sleeping bag incident says otherwise."

Percy interrupted our fight. "That backpack thing was weeks ago, why do you guys still hate each other?"

I huffed. Leaning back in my seat. "Well for one she's annoying, she doesn't respect boundaries, and she doesn't like it when people don't fit her standards of what they're supposed to be to her."

Annabeth turned towards me. "Oh, like you're any better. You're stuck up, you're mean, and you're so fake it's disgusting."

"I am not fake."

"Tell that to someone who'll be dumb enough to believe you."

Percy looked at me. "Do you hate me?" he asked.

I looked at him for a minute. "No," I said before turning around to the window. "You're tolerable."

"Is that supposed to be a good thing in your eyes?"

"Kind of."

"I'll take it."

Annabeth scoffed before glaring at me. "You are a horrible influence."

"Of course I am."

Annabeth turned around in her seat. After that we just stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. Argus dropped us of at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side. We waited as the head of security unloaded out bags. We gave him our bus tickets and everything else and once we were done, we were off on our own. Argus drove away, his extra eyes making sure we were okay until he turned the corner and was gone from our sight.

The rain poured down on us and we tried to find something to keep us dry. Once we done that Annabeth, Percy, and Grover started playing Hacky Sack with an apple.

Percy wasn't bad per se. Annabeth looked like she played in her sleep. And Grover was pretty good until the apple came way too close to his face and he ate it all in one bite.

Grover tried to apologize, but he was tuned out by the sounds of Annabeth and Percy laughing. I groaned, trying to tune them out the best I could before the bus arrived.

Thankfully, it did come just a few minutes later. As we were standing in line to board, I paused a a chill went up my spine. I looked at Grover who was sniffing the air.

"Sense something?" I asked, silently hoping for some confrontation.

"I don't know," he replied. "It was probably nothing."

I sighed. It's too early in the quest. Of course we're not going to have any monsters now.

We all slid into the back of the bus. I watched the front of the bus carefully, hoping my suspicions were correct.

Just then, one elderly lady came onto the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face. She also carried a big paisley purse. She lifted her head and showed black eyes.

My eyes narrowed as Percy scrunched down in his seat.

Maybe we might have a confrontation?

Two more old ladies came onto the bus, completely identical to the first except for their hats: one was green and the other was purple.

Monster triplets? We will have a confrontation. Yes!

They sat right behind the driver, making a large X in front of the walkway. A sign that no one leaves.

"Okay," I muttered. "This is getting interesting."

Annabeth glared at me as Percy spoke.

"She didn't stay dead long," Percy spoke to Annabeth. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said I you're lucky," Annabeth said back. "You're obviously not."

"Who cares about luck?" I asked. "Let's just kill them and get it over with."

"Not everything can be solved with fighting." Annabeth told me.

"Tell that to them."

"Di Immortales," Grover muttered, his teeth clattering together.

"Okay, it's fine," Annabeth muttered. "It's just Kindly ones–"

"Just say Furies."

"--The three most dangerous monsters from the Underworld," she continued. "No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the window."

"Oh, great plan, not like they're gonna follow us as soon as we escape. Let's just kill them."

"They don't open," Grover announced as he tried opening the window.

I grabbed a dagger. Annabeth grabbed my wrist.

"A back exit?" she suggested.

"None," Grover said.

"Let go of my wrist." I said before yanking my wrist from her hold. "There is obviously no way out of here, so let's just fight them head on. These mortals won't be suspicious."

"They won't attack us with witnesses around will they?" Percy asked.

"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth told him. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"So they'll probably see three old ladies killing us?"

I tied my hair up in a ponytail. "Either that or they'll see us killing them. Or see us killing some large birds. Hard to say."

I caught the eye of one of the furies. The one in the green hat stared at me from the driver's mirror. We stared at each other as we hit the Lincoln tunnel. Everything became pitch black aside from the lights going down the aisle.

One of the ladies got up. Alecto. She called out in a flat voice like she rehearsed it a billion times:

"I need to use the restroom."

"So do I," the second sister said.

"So do I," called the third sister.

The three started coming down the aisle. Towards us.

I smirked. "A fight already? Let's go."

Annabeth shot me a look before looking at Percy. "Percy, take my hat."

"What?" Percy asked her.

"You're the one they want," Annabeth protested. "Turn invisible and let them pass you. If you get far enough maybe you can get away."

"But what about–"

"Don't worry about us. There's an outside chance they might not notice us. Since you're a son of the Big Three, your smell is more overpowering than mine. And they're not going to hurt Heather since they're minions for her dad."

"As much as I hate to admit it," I muttered.

"I can't just leave you."

"Don't worry about us, just go!" Grover told him.

Annabeth shoved the cap onto Percy's head and he disappeared just as quickly. I ignored him as he brushed past me, staring at the furies as they came closer to us.

The furies paused, sniffing the air. After a minute, they continued forward, their bodies changing into ones with tons of wrinkles and bat wings and claws. Their bags transformed into whips.

They surrounded us, baring their teeth. "Where is it?" they hissed. "Where?"

I turned my dagger into three and I placed one in my other hand.

"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"

"I don't think they're talking about Percy, Annabeth," I told her.

Annabeth took out a bronze knife while Grover got out a tin can.

One of the furies, Megaera, kept her eyes on me, her grin widening as she recognised me.

"Long time, no see, Heather," she said. "The years have been long since we've first encountered. Say, how's your mother?"

Something in me broke. Before I did anything, the bus jerked forward. I almost got thrown into Megaera before I caught myself on one of the railings and steadied myself.

The bus driver screamed as he lost control of the steering wheel. The wheel started turning every which way, slamming into the sides of the tunnels and creating sparks.

I knew it was Percy's doing but why is he doing it he's supposed to be gone.

The bus went out of the tunnel and back into the rain where it went through every single twist and turn until it finally came to a stop near some woods.

Once the door opened, the bus driver as well as the people on the bus ran off the bus, scared for their lives.

At least they could leave.

The furies locked eyes with each other like a silent agreement was passed between them. Once they looked away from each other, Megaera came towards me while Alecto and Tisiphone made their way towards Annabeth and Grover.

Megaera immediately tried whipping me with her whip, but I dodged it and managed to jump around the seats to get behind her.

As I looked at the Fury, memories I didn't know I had started appearing to me. Megaera stood in front of me, like she was now, but she looked huge compared to me. The sky was grey and there was fire and dead bodies everywhere I looked. I was in the middle of something I wasn't supposed to be, and she knew it.

I was snapped back into the present. I didn't have time to recover as she lunged at me. She threw me to the ground, her hands pinning mine to the ground.

"I am going to end you once and for all, demigod," she hissed.

I grunted. "I-isn't it wrong for you to hurt the child of you boss?"

Megaera grinned. "You don't think of you as his, do you? I have all the permission I want. And I am going to finish what I started."

I kicked her in the stomach, throwing her backwards over my head. I quickly got back up and so did she.

I swung one of my daggers, managing to hit her shoulder, but it do as much damage as I thought it would.

Behind her, I saw something shimmering to life before Percy appeared, Riptide in hand.

"Hey!" he shouted, making all the furies turn to him. I took their distraction as a chance to kill Megaera while Annabeth killed Tisiphone. Only Alecto was left.

But she didn't care for Me, Annabeth, nor Grover. She kept looking at Percy. "Perseus Jackson, you have offended the gods. You shall die."

"I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy said, making her growl at him.

"Submit," she yelled. "And you won't suffer eternal torment!"

"Nice try!" he shouted before swiping the sword at Alecto.

Alecto took out her whip and lashed it at Percy. He dodged it and managed to kick her in the chest. Grover tried to grab the whip from Alecto's hand and succeeded.

"Oh, oh, hot! Hot!" he yelped.

Annabeth tried to slice at Alecto but she was just tossed aside. I threw a dagger at her and it pierced her shoulder but didn't make her disintegrate. I then grabbed the whip from Grover and used it to hit her when she was distracted. I tied her legs together while Annabeth kicked her down.

Alecto tried to get up but her wings wouldn't give her any room to fly so she stayed down.

"Hades will have your soul!" she yelled.

"Braccas means vescimini!" he shouted back. I gave him a confused look. Pretty sure that means eat my pants.

Thunder sounded outside, and it sounded like it was going to be bad for us.

"Get out, now!" Annabeth yelled.

I pulled Percy with me as we all ran out of the bus and stopped towards the entrance of the woods.

I let go of Percy before I collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

"Our bags," Grover said in realization. "We left our–"

As he was about to finish, thunder struck the bus, causing it to go up in flames. The screams of Alecto was heard from the flames, letting us know she was still alive.

"She's calling reinforcements," Annabeth told us. "We should go."

I backed away slowly before we all walked into the woods, the darkness engulfing us completely.