บท 60: Chapter 57: We bring Chaos to Washington
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The helicopters began to fire at us, even though we were flying above the city.
Machine Guns attached to the sides of the helicopters rattled and tried to hit us.
They hit buildings around us, and the streets below us, luckily could not shoot at us without hitting each other.
However, Washington was not so lucky, buildings were being destroyed underneath us and pedestrians were hit by the helicopter's machine guns who continuously kept missing us.
"What are they doing?" I yelled, "They are shooting the mortals."
Nyx rolled her eyes, though I had the idea she was worried as well, "Because that's their goal remember? They are followers of the Fear dude. They like burning down the city and spreading fear."
"We need to get out of this. They are after us." Thalia said, "If we go away they'll leave the mortals alone."
"What do you want to do? Jump out of a flying helicopter?" Bianca shouted.
"We take the metro." I said, "they can't follow us underneath the city."
Zoë nodded, "Next question how to get out of this helicopter?"
Before we could choose a question our helicopter was hit, we tumbled through the back as a screeching filled the air.
Maybe it was the sound of bullets tearing apart our helicopter, or maybe it was me screaming.
I had no idea what hit us or what happened all I knew was that we suddenly we're spinning out of control and the ground came closer.
With one glance I saw we were about to crash down in a park.
'It's a traffic circle.' Chaos corrected my thought.
'Great, now I know at least where I will crash down and die, thanks.' I said sarcastically, or I tried to but it was hard to keep my mind straight when you're crashing down.
'I don't need to do anything.' Chaos said.
I simply screamed, luckily I wasn't the only one.
We were thrown from wall to wall, at this point there was no one in control of the helicopter. Michael had passed out so even if there was an emergency plan for crashing helicopters, we would not get to know it.
As we crashed down the traffic circle, I heard the whistling sound of a firework, followed by more whistling.
However, there were no explosions following the whistling sound.
For a short second I thought we were dead.
"We stopped falling." Nyx noticed.
I looked outside the windshield and saw, nothing.
A veil of grayish silver covered the entire windshield.
We were no longer falling, or at least it felt like it.
I tried to look outside but all windows were surrounded by what I know recognized as strings.
"What the Hades?" Thalia said then she began to puke on the floor.
"It seems like we are in a net." Zoë said thoughtfully, her expression went from relief to worry, "We need to get out of this."
"Good plan." Bianca said, and she stumbled towards the door.
She slid the door open, only to find more woven strings blocking our sight.
"Okay, we are trapped." I said.
Zoë flinched but nodded, "We need to cut them."
I uncapped Riptide and saw Zoë look at it and mumbled something along the lines of, "Another one."
I frowned but nonetheless I made my way over to the door and cut all the strings of the net in front of the door.
Somewhere I realized the helicopter might crash down if I cut down the net but I was to far with it to stop.
Within a minute I had cut away all the strings and we had could see what had happened.
One by one we leaped out of the helicopter and landed on the traffic circle next to a fountain.
"This is weird." Nyx said looking up.
"Indeed." Bianca said.
Even my cat agreed this was weird.
We were standing in the middle of the Dupont Circle Park.
The park was built in the middle of a traffic circle like Chaos told said. It was split in six different parts like a pizza and separated by paths that led to a circular square where a fountain was placed.
Our helicopter hung 16 foot above the fountain.
How?
A giant net was woven over the park, strings and wires went from to tree to tree and crossed the park, covering the entire middle of the park with a net.
Our helicopter was wrapped in the same silver strings and it reminded me of a bug trapped in cobwebs.
"Who did this?" I asked.
Zoë shook her head, "I don't know." she said, but I had the idea she was lying.
"Whoever did this saved our lives." Thalia said grateful.
We saw the helicopters flying in the distance, but they were no longer shooting at things, instead they were flying in circles.
Probably because they were looking for us.
Thalia followed my gaze, "Isn't it weird they haven't seen us fall down in that net?" she wondered.
"The mist." Nyx said, "This entire net is drained in mist."
That explained why no one was bothered to take it away, yet I felt uneasy.
Someone had followed us, seen us fall from the sky and placed a net within a second to prevent us from dying.
This was unsettling.
"We need to run." Zoë said.
"Why?" Nyx wondered, "We are fine."
"No, we are not." Zoë sneered, "Those helicopters will find us again if we stay on the surface, we need to go underground."
I glanced at our helicopter and the silver net that was covering the park, "Do we need to clean up our own mess?"
...
As we bought tickets, I was worried about my dream. Commodus was being serious when he said he would try to kill us.
He was literally killing mortals to get to us.
"We take the southbound train." Thalia said waking me up from my thoughts.
She noticed me looking worried and said, "A bit crazy isn't it?"
I nodded, "Yeah, I never expected Kronos to send that many helicopters on our tail."
Thalia frowned, "That can't be Kronos."
"Why not?" I asked, 'Because it's Triumvirate holdings.' I thought sarcastically.
"Despina works for Kronos but she was surprised by the helicopter too." Thalia said thoughtfully.
"Maybe miscommunication." I suggested.
Thalia shook her head, "No, maybe once but twice? Whoever sends those helicopters they work separately from Kronos."
I considered her words for a second, she had already figured out that Kronos wasn't the only one who wanted our heads. Maybe I should tell her about Luke and the Romans.
'The train is ready." Nyx suddenly appeared next to us and touched us by the shoulder. Even though the train was just 10 feet away.
We were driving away from Washington dc, and I saw helicopters scouting the city.
"At least they stopped shooting." Bianca said following my gaze.
Nyx sat next to me and was playing with my cat on her lap.
"You are so cute Rebel." She said playing with its tail.
"It's not named Rebel." I protested.
Meow the cat not named Rebel said.
"What?" I asked.
"He wants fish." Zoë said.
"You speak cat?" I asked with awe.
She shook her head, "Of Course not, but everyone with a set of brains can guess that."
Nyx snickered, "She's pissed."
Zoë glared at her and me, "What did we do wrong?" I wondered.
"You led us to a trap." she said accusingly.
"Wait you mean the museum?" I asked, "That wasn't my fault."
"No, it had to do with a general guy and doctor John." Nyx protested.
"Doctor Thorn." I corrected her.
"We caused a mass terrorist attack in Washington, if your arrow had warned us it wouldn't have happened." Zoë said, and she looked out of the window.
2 helicopters were chasing the train.
"We need to change trains." Thalia noticed."
The next hour we changed trains at least four times, trying to avoid authorities and helicopters.
After a while it worked.
Unfortunately, when we finally got off the train, we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses, railway tracks and lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I was glad for my cold immunity.
To my surprise (totally not) we met a homeless guy after wandering the tracks for a few minutes.
I suppress the urge to say, "hi Apollo." and stood next to the homeless guy.
"It's getting late." Zoë shivered as she warmed herself with the heat of the flames.
"Rebel is getting hungry." Nyx said playing cat translator.
"Yeah, Percy, summon a shish kebab for me." Thalia joked.
"Buy." Zoë corrected her.
"You know," the homeless guy said, "The night is darkest just before the dawn."
I frowned while Fred winked at me.
"I don't like it." Nyx murmured, "It should be something like, whenever its dark. It will get darker."
"Thanks for the advice." Thalia said politely while glaring at Nyx.
"It's not just advice." Fred laughed, "You kids need to reach dawn?"
"What?" Bianca raised a brow.
Fred gestured towards the tracks.
Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.
We turned towards Fred who was now gone, he even took the flames.
"What…" Bianca muttered.
"The..." I continued.
"Hades." Thalia finished.
"I'll take the black Ferrari." Nyx yelled excitedly and she dissolved into the shadows, dropping Rebel, I mean my cat, to the ground.
We stepped onto the train and chose a car, it was pretty dark and I was getting tired.
I had summoned for everyone their favorite food and now we tried to relax.
Nyx was playing driver in a black Lexus, although she swore it was an Ferrari.
Thalia had hardwire a Mercedes and I decided to join her.
"Can I come in?" I asked.
Thalia scowled but nodded.
I climbed into the shotgun seat and summoned a herring and finally fed my cat.
"Nice cat." Thalia told me.
I smiled before I turned serious, "Thalia, I need you to tell something."
Thalia raised a brow, "What?"
"It's about Luke." I said.
The silence that followed was so painful I wished my cat would meow or something.
"What's up with Luke?" Thalia said with a lot of tension in her voice.
"He's not a traitor." I said.
The next half hour I spend explaining Thalia what Luke had done and how he was now spying for Kronos.
I explained her the fact that she had to make Luke fall of a cliff.
"What?" She asked hostile, "Why would I do that."
"Because he will survive, he knows this has to happen and agrees with it. Otherwise, it won't be a believable defeat." I said calmly.
Thalia sighed, "I have the feeling I know nothing."
'You do.' Chaos said.
"Don't worry, but seriously if the word got out Luke is in serious trouble." I said.
Thalia nodded, "I won't tell and play along with your stupid plan."
"It's not stupid." I wanted to protest, but I decided I could better not say that.
Thalia glanced out the windshield, "You know, when I woke up as a tree I found out that you had everything covered and changed camp and forced my father to respect demigods."
I stayed silent.
"And now I find out you've been hiding such an important detail too and that you just had it all planned out."
"It's not like that." I protested, "It's just being the prophecy child required me to do a lot."
Thalia's expression darkened, within a few days she would turn 16 and make a choice that could save or destroy Olympus.
Of course she would not do that, but she did not know that.
"You know, I wished you could be the prophecy child." she murmured and then closed her eyes.
I thought she was thinking of something to say but then she began snoring.
I glanced outside and saw it was night.
I left the car and choose a Lamborghini as a sleeping place.
I closed my eyes wondering what type of disturbing dreams I would get.
"Don't worry about dreams Percy." A voice next to me said.
I opened my eyes, "Oh hi Apollo."
The homeless Gods sat next to me in the shotgun seat.
"You know, dreams mean something. They prove there's more than the present and where we are right now." Apollo said.
I scowled, "What?"
Apollo coughed, "I feel a Haiku coming up.
"Dreams show me the truth
This is not a joke, she's gone,
I really was born first."
I stared blankly at Apollo.
"Is that a Haiku about Artemis's disappearance?" I asked and Apollo grinned.
"I'm Fred." he said.
I blinked, "Uhh...okay."
'That's why I don't like Apollo, he's so dumb.' Hemera said.
"So are you here to help us?"
Apollo shook his head, "I can't help you, Zeus is really clear about interfering with Mortal quest. We can only help behind the scenes."
"We?" I asked.
"Besides your sitting in my train." he pointed downwards.
"Beside, how can Despina, a goddess, attack us. Aren't there things like ancient laws?" I asked.
Apollo's expression turned dark, "That's different."then his expression brightened, "But I know you and the others will get this quest done."
"That's why you demanded I would come too?" I asked thinking back to the golden arrow.
"Yup, to be honest. I don't trust my sisters followers enough to let them do the quest. I wanted someone with style and humor on this quest." Apollo said.
"Well, I've been pretty useless this quest." I muttered, "I failed two battles and caused mass panic in Washington."
Apollo patted me on the shoulder, "Don't worry buddy. As a sun goddess I can tell that the greatest power lies in stepping back when it's necessary."
I frowned, "What?"
"Anyway, I need to get going." he said, "One last advice, Artemis is not the only sister who needs help."
"What's wrong with Bianca?" I asked.
"Oh and good luck with the birds." he said.
"Birds?"
Apollo disappeared in a white flash.
"What birds? What's wrong with Bianca?" I shouted but he did not react.
However, the birds question solved itself.
The sounds of wings flapping filled the air, the sound was so loud there must have been hundreds of birds.
Yet it was too dark to see where they came from, how far away they were from us or what kind of birds it were.
Zoë slammed the door open and yelled, "Come quickly."
I did not hesitate for a moment. I grabbed Rebel by the neck and followed Zoë to a red spider.
She slung the door at the back open and pushed me inside.
She slammed the door and opened the shotgun door and went inside the car herself.
Inside I saw Nyx and Thalia sitting on the backseat. Nyx looked tired and the same for Thalia. Bianca sat in the front seat, yawning heavily, and Zoë sat in the shotgun seat.
Zoë and I had entered just in time, suddenly the entire car went dark except for Nyx's glowing eyes and I could not see a thing. The sounds of birds flapping died down, and it was entirely silent.
Nyx shrieked, and I realized she could see in the dark.
"What's it?" I asked but she did not respond.
I opened the palm of my hand and summoned a small ball of fire.
The moment the car was lit a deafening screeching sound filled our ears. Screeching and the sounds of metal clanking filled the air and for one moment all we heard were the terrible sounds.
"Ieeks!" Bianca shrieked, and I saw why she shrieked.
Through the windshield I saw hundreds of birds flying around the car.
Black birds with shiny beaks were screeching, flapping their wings and trying to break to the glass with their glinting beaks.
They slammed their heads against the glass and scratching the doors with their claws.
At all sides we were surrounded by screaming birds.
They were spiraling around the car like a car forming a black tornado.
Their eyes were filled with madness, and their only goal was to eat our flesh, the only thing that kept them from eating us till the bone was the car.
"What are those?" Thalia yelled.
"Dim the light." Nyx ordered and I closed my hand.
Immediately it turned dark again.
The sounds subsided, and we were sitting in darkness caused by demonic birds covering our car.
"What are those?" Bianca whispered trying not to wake up the birds.
"Stymphalian birds, Hercules faced them." I said, to late I realized this, not something Zoë would like to hear.
"Birds?" Bianca asked.
"Those birds will eat you till the bone within a second." Nyx said excited.
"So we are trapped?" Thalia asked.
"Nyx you shadow travel us outside the car?"
"I can't shadow travel to a moving thing or from a moving thing. Especially not if I am not familiar with my surroundings."
"Maybe they'll go away." Thalia said hopefully.
"We can't get out to fight them. They'll rip us apart the second we get out." Zoë said miserable.
"So we are stuck." I said.
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