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The rough and obnoxious noises of clanking and clunking echoed in the clearing where Luke and Drea were battling in practice. Drea basically forced him to challenge her for better preparation on the quest.

"Nice parry..!-"

Drea cut him off after his compliment in her evasion of his attack, and made a quick attempt to unarm his sword. She aggressively swung her weapon back and forth while Luke seemed to struggle in using his sword as a shield against her.

Eventually, she made a swift advance at Luke by swiping mere inches away from his legs in order to frighten him. The method worked as he flinched backwards, leaving a second for her to completely fling his sword out of his grasp.

Luke stood there completely stunned but also impressed. Drea was smirking slightly while panting with her sword pointed at his chest. Luke happily raised his arms in defeat.

"That was a perfect feint."

Drea dropped her sword to side and read Luke's facial expression. She immediately recognized the look.

"You went easy on me."

"I did not, Drea."

"You totally did."

Luke scoffed, not surprised with her reaction. "You can't ever take a win, can you?"

"Not when it's not actually a win." Drea sighed.

"Jeez, you have to chill it with the practice." A voice emerged, appearing to be Owen as he emerged from behind some trees. "How'd you guys get out here? Kinda far from camp."

"By your standards anywhere 10 feet from your bed is far." Luke sneered.

Owen plainly rolled his eyes and ignored the comment to say, "They need you, Drea. You guys are leaving soon."

Drea let it all settle in. Finally leaving for a quest. She'd wanted it so badly for so long and now that it was here she couldn't even process it.

What if things went wrong?
What if any one of them got hurt?
What if she caused the quest to fail?

Oh gods.

The quest failing would be devastating. Drea was always so focused obtaining a quest she never thought of how things could get even worse if it had failed.

Her father would never see her, never love her.

Drea's silence spoke volumes to Luke as he noticed the specific look on her face.

"Hey, Owen, why don't you tell Chiron she'll be right there. We're gonna get one last round in."

Acknowledging that Luke planned to have a moment alone with her, he nodded and walked back into the forest.

Luke slowly stepped over to her and gently placed his hands onto her shoulders. In an attempt to relax her, he spoke, "Hey. Dee. You need to calm down."

Panicking a bit, she looked up to his calming gaze.

"You're going to be amazing. You're going to kick ass and I have no doubt about it."

Her breathing slowing, she slightly nodded, mostly because she wanted to convince herself of his words as well.

"..yeah. right."

"Now, come on. Your apparently incompetent quest mates need you because they can't get a thing done without you." He sarcastically sighed while sliding his arm around her shoulders to guide her out of their clearing.

ϟ

Grover, Percy, and Annabeth were beginning to walk towards the edge of the barrier, nearing Thalia.

There, huddled in a group, stood Drea surrounded by Owen, Sylvia, and Irene. They had all finished the standard but sappy 'goodbye's' and 'I love you's'.

"You have your deodorant, right?" Irene relaxed as Drea confirmed she did have it packed.

Owen turned to Drea and spoke with a grin, "Before you do anything too brave, remember it would fall on me to decorate your shroud."

"You know, I'll keep you mind while I plunge to my death."

"You can't die! Who else would let me braid their hair the way I like?" Sylvia whined.

"Syl, you can braid my hair however you want if I end up in a casket." She reassured her.

Sylvia pouted jokingly, understanding her humor.

Drea noticed how Irene had fallen quiet and looked to her. She didn't know the right things to say.

What could make any of what was happening right?

The only thing she could do was the only thing she knew how to do. Drown her in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm sorry."

"Drea.."

"I would never want to leave you, here, with them." She mumbled, referring to the pair of Luke and Daria. Luke may have congratulated her on the quest and helped her, but Daria never did.

Everytime she saw her in the pavilion or in a class, she would make sure her eyes never turned that way again for as long as she had to be there. She basically hid in her new-found cabin if she wasn't off somewhere in secret with Luke. All while Irene watched them.

She would never say it out loud but the love she has for Luke was immeasurable. Irene was so sure that they were destined because they had too much in common to not belong.

"..but.. this is your chance. You've never wanted anything more, I know." Irene held her tight in her arms, "I'm the older one. You shouldn't be babying me." Irene chuckled.

"I should be babying you." She finished.

"In my eyes we'll always be babies." Drea released Irene to look at her.

"I don't need protection, Drea. It's thoughtful of you, like how I know you are. But you need to do this. I want you to do this."

Drea's head turned to admire her other friends standing with her. It seemed crazy how they had all watched her develop this dream and then achieve it so many years later.

Knowing there wasn't one correct way to say goodbye to them all, Drea spent a moment lovingly looking at all 3 before quickly turning to stomp up the hill. It felt awkward knowing her 3 best friends were staring at her from behind, but she knew there was nothing but love waiting for her the moment she came back.

After charging up to stand besides Grover, all of them watched as Annabeth watched back from the trunk of the large tree that protected camp.

"The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter's life.. was to turn her into a tree?" Percy's voice squeaked. Drea cringed at his crazily insensitive words.

"She was the bravest demigod I ever knew. She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate."

"She met a pinecone's fate."

Drea was lost for words. They hadn't even left yet and Percy was already running his mouth. Grover gave him a shrug and annoyed look of 'seriously?'

"And I bet you'd still be surprised if I pulled a joke about your mom." Drea rolled her eyes so far back she partially hoped they'd get stuck so she wouldn't have to look she knew Percy was already giving her.

"Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even Thalia."

Percy shrugged, confused of what her point was.

"And you are not Thalia. Do exactly as we say, and maybe you survive this. Are we clear?" She paused for a moment, not even bothering to stay long enough for Percy to answer.

"Who put you three in charge?" Percy whined.

"Oh, she didn't mean me." Grover looked down in anticipation which he was granted when Drea finished, "She meant me, bubble brain."

Passing the boys, she caught up with Annabeth.

"And I thought monsters would be the thing to kill me on this trip." Annabeth grimaced.

Drea couldn't help but snort in laughter, catching Percy's attention from behind. She turned back to look at him for moment, only to catch him staring right into her eyes. She quickly turned to face back towards the way they were walking.

ϟ

After the group made their way into the city, they got into a taxi and were able to make it into the main stream part of New York City. Finding their way to a bus station and buying 4 tickets, they boarded the bus and occupied both of the very back rows.

"There is no way this is what sacred smells like." Percy complained as a man who had just finished up in the bathroom scooted by him, wafting a nasty scent his way.

Drea couldn't hide her smirk at his distain.

"We're soldiers on a mission, it's not a vacation." Annabeth clarified.

"Thank you for clearing that up." Percy sarcastically replied. Drea slightly scowled at him.

"But if this is so important, why didn't Chiron spring for plane tickets? This seems kind of low priority, doesn't it?"

"Sorry, I assumed someone had told you."

"Tell me what?"

Grover explained why he couldn't travel through air and he seemed upset that nobody had cleared that with him. Drea didn't care to tap into their conversation anymore.

Wasn't it common sense that Zeus wouldn't like him?

She kept trying to sympathize with Percy, knowing that he hasn't had very long at all to process his new life and that things would come slower to him than everyone else. But wow, she didn't know just how slow he'd be.

The bus had reached a stop at a gas station and other passengers had begun to get off to quickly grab some things inside. Annabeth decided they could use a short rest stop too.

"Okay, I'm gonna go get us some snacks."

"I'll come with you." Percy jumped at the chance to leave the bus.

"No, you'll stay right there."

"Why? It smells terrible back here." Percy frowned.

"Monsters can't smell you through that, so that's where I want you." Annabeth calmly explained to him.

But, still, Percy insisted. "I wanna vote."

"Who thinks that we should all go get to breathe fresh air and buy our own snacks?" He smiled and raised his own hand.

Drea had to hide the huff she released in an attempt to not get so annoyed.

"There's no voting. Chips and sodas okay for you guys?"

"Ooo! Can you get me skittles? The berry flavored ones." Drea asked Annabeth.

"I don't think you should just get to decide we don't vote."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I wanna vote on whether you get to decide we don't vote."

Oh my gods.

"Nobody cares about your stupid voting. Didn't you hear her say why you can't get off the bus? You wanna die to some monster inside because you wanted to buy your own..." Drea began but stopped at the sound of distinct clapping coming from Grover.

It continued as he spoke, "I really don't wanna be a tie breaker... I have a better idea."

Percy, Annabeth, and Drea were still as they were confused.

"Oh, golly, the road's gettin' bumpy 'cause I got me some friends who just can't get along." He repeated in rhythm of the claps.

Drea looked down at her seat to stifle her laugh while he went on, "Oh dear! When the team's gettin' grumpy, the trick to gettin' through it, is singin' this song.."

Percy cut him off, "Dude, what are you doing?"

Grover paused for a second, "It's the consensus song. Verse two encourages us to say nice things about each other."

In the heat of a tiny argument, Drea could appreciate Grover's attempt at calming them in the way he knew.

"You get a few rounds in and you'd be amazed at how disagreements just kind of..." He noticed the look upon Percy and Annabeth's face that said
'oh really?'.

"...fade away."

"..chips and sodas okay for you guys?" Annabeth reiterated.

"Yes, please."

"Whatever."

Drea turned to see Percy as he sassily replied to Annabeth.

"Thank you." She exaggerated. Annabeth walked out of the bus as Percy mumbled something to Grover.

As much as she would enjoy the silence away from Percy's commentary, Drea couldn't help it as she asked "What's the big deal about not getting off the bus for some food? Annabeth literally told you this was not a vacation."

Turning to face her in the row where she sat against the window, "Yeah, but, I just don't understand why she won't ease up a little."

"Because even the littlest thing could get us all killed. Why doesn't that click in your head?"

"How would getting snacks at a gas station get us killed?"

"Just how you a fury of Hades can disguise as your math teacher to stalk you down."

Percy stared at her, confused as to how she knew that detail. Before he could ask, she clarified, "Camp full of teenagers. People talk."

"Monsters can't be avoided entirely." Grover warned.

"They're more common than you think. The trick is to spot them first because they spot you. It's true they are more likely to sense a more powerful demigod. A child of the Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, is at the most extreme risk."

Being on a quest was already a reason to be cautious, but Percy's mere scent of his father would draw in more than double the creatures any other half-blood would.

"But it isn't your power exactly, that draws them. It's more complicated than that."

"They smell fear."

"..that's bees."

"Gods.."

Drea watched Annabeth board the bus again, walking at a slower pace than normal. Halfway down the aisle, Annabeth stopped in her tracks and made eye contact with her. She pulled out her cap and disappeared once she put it on. Drea immediately understood what was happening and shushed the boys.

If something was happening, if some monster was near, Annabeth would sniff it out and warn them.
It was a minute or two before she reappeared in front of them, panicked and raising her voice.

"Guys, you need to open that window. Now!"

Not hesitating to follow Annabeth's directions, Drea stood and forced her weight onto the window to bust it open.

"I don't think these windows are supposed to-"

The slithery noise of a monster shrieking could be heard emerging from a seat. The Fury had stood from her seat and was slowly making her way to the back of bus where they were sat. Soon enough both Grover and Percy were also panicking and rushed to help Drea with the window.

The moment the window had fallen through and broken, the driver instructed for the passengers to evacuate the vehicle. As soon as it shattered, Drea made her way back to Annabeth to rush her through the window but she eyed the Fury that had already made her way through the aisle as all the people began to exit the bus.

The Fury made a move to grab at Annabeth, but Drea pushed her into one of the rows to leave Alecto empty handed. Within a second, she had reached down into her shoe and pulled out a dagger, small but powerful.

Face to face with Alecto, she pulled back her arm that held her dagger to give it some momentum, and forced it into Alecto's chest. The Fury's eyes fired with raged as she had been impaled and began to disintegrate into dust.

Drea retracted the dagger, only to turn around and find another Fury forcing their way in through the now broken window. The landing shook the entire bus as it banged into the other window.

Annabeth was now stood and pulled out her weapon, calling for attention, and then launching it from afar at the Fury. It struck the Fury right in the chest and it slowly disappeared into ashes.

The girls rushed back to end of the bus and as Annabeth retrieved her golden dagger from the floor, she stated,

"We're done here. Let's go."

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Ellie Speaks!

this one took a little longer to come out cus i was studying all week for a math final and i had clinical writers block

p.s. drea's dagger will be making many appearances in different ways 😊