Becoming a Hero

At the edge of the dump, we found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of fuel, so we decided to borrow it. Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as Zoe or Grover or Percy or me. "The skeletons are still out there," she reminded us. "We need to keep moving." She navigated us through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at it. Zoe and I sat up front with Thalia. Grover and Percy sat in the back. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca. Hearing Percy and Grover talk about Bianca in the back of the truck, I started thinking about what I had promised her. How would I protect Nico, if I wasn't at Camp most of the time? Would Lady Artemis allow me to visit Camp Half-Blood in order to make sure that Nico was ok? That Percy and Thalia were ok? As much as I hated to admit it, I had become rather attached to them over the course of our quest. I didn't want them to die.

The tow truck ran out of fuel at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended. Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?" I scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty metres across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below us.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

I tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. "That's a goat path," I said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think."

"No," Percy said. "I, uh, think we should go further upstream."

Grover said, "But -"

"Come on," Percy said. "A walk won't hurt us."

We followed the river for about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachma on the counter and a note saying I.O.U. two canoes. "We need to go upstream," Zoe said.

"The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. We put the canoes in the water. Thalia took Percy off to the side to have a conversation about something as we got the oars ready.

There seemed to be naiads in the river as Percy looked like he was telepathically communicating with someone and then our canoes jerked and we were off. We started so fast that Grover nearly fell into his canoe with his hooves sticking up in the air. I was sharing a canoe with Zoe and Percy and was sat behind Percy. "I hate naiads," Zoe grumbled. A stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit Zoe in the face. "She-devils!" Zoe went for her bow.

"Whoa," Percy said. "They're just playing."

"Cursed water spirits. They've never forgiven me."

"Forgiven you for what?"

She slung her bow back over her shoulder. "It was a long time ago. Never mind."

We sped up the river, the cliffs looming up on either side of us. "What happened to Bianca wasn't your fault," Percy told her. "It was my fault. I let her go." I nodded in agreement. It was definitely not Zoe's fault. I figured this would give Zoe an excuse to start yelling at Percy. At least that might shake her out of feeling depressed. Instead, her shoulders slumped. "No, Percy. I pushed her into going on the quest. I was too anxious. She was a powerful half-blood. She had a kind heart, as well. I...I thought she would be the next lieutenant."  I looked at Zoe in surprise. What?

"But you're the lieutenant," I said. Tears came to my eyes.

She gripped the strap of her quiver. She looked more tired than I'd ever seen her. "Nothing can last forever, Percy, Ruby. Over two thousand years I have led the Hunt, and my wisdom has not improved. Now Artemis herself is in danger."

"Look, you can't blame yourself for that."

"If I had insisted on going with her -"

"You think you could've fought something powerful enough to kidnap Artemis? There's nothing you could have done."

Zoe didn't answer. She had a point. I hated feeling useless, which was exactly how I felt knowing that there was nothing I could do about Bianca's death or Artemis' disappearance.

The cliffs along the river were getting taller. Long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright. Percy took out a pen. I knew that it was his sword in disguise. I wondered if it had a name. Zoe looked at the pen, and her expression was pained. "You made this," Percy said. Whatever I was expecting him to say, it was not that. This felt like a conversation that I wasn't supposed to participate in. But I was going to listen in anyway.

"Who told thee?"

"I had a dream about it." That explained it.

Zoe sighed. "It was a gift. And a mistake."

"Who was the hero?" Percy asked.

Zoe shook her head. "Do not make me say his name. I swore never to speak it again." Understandable.

"You act like I should know him."

"I am sure you do, hero. Don't all you boys want to be just like him?"

"Your mother was a water goddess?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Pleione. She had five daughters. My sisters and I. The Hesperides."

"Those were the girls who lived in a garden at the edge of the West. With the golden apple tree, and a dragon guarding it."

"Yes," Zoe said wistfully. "Ladon."

"But weren't there only four sisters?"

"There are now. I was exiled. Forgotten. Blotted out as if I never existed."

"Why?"

Zoe pointed to Percy's pen. "Because I betrayed my family and helped a hero. You won't find that in the legend either. He never spoke of me. After his direct assault on Ladon failed, I gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but he took all the credit."

"But -" Something interrupted Percy. I didn't know what it was. The canoe was slowing down. I looked ahead and could see why. This was as far as the naiads could take us. The river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in our path.

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge." We stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas. The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling - not in words I could understand, but it was obvious they hated this dam blocking up their nice river. Our canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Over two hundred metres tall," Percy said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Grover sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoe and I stared at them. "How do you know all that?" she asked.

"Annabeth," Percy said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she were here," Percy said. The others nodded. "We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoe decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so sightseeing it is."

We had to walk for almost an hour before we found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then we straggled back towards the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big black lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river more than two hundred metres below, and water that churned from the dam's vents. Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but I knew he smelled monsters. "There's a snack bar in the visitor centre," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings. "They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena." Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.

"What are they doing?" Percy asked.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?"

Thalia's expression darkened. I could tell that she'd come here before hoping for exactly that - some of sign from her dad. Some connection. I could relate to that. I wished that I could see or talk to my mother again. "No. They don't do anything. They're just big metal statues." I thought about the last big metal statue we'd run into. That hadn't gone so well, But I decided not to bring it up.

"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can." She sent a pointed glare my way as if knowing that I was about to protest.

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing," Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam French fries."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

Maybe it was the fact that we were so tired and strung out emotionally, but I started cracking up, and Thalia and Grover and Percy joined in, while Zoe just looked at us. "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," I said.

"And..." Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam t-shirt.

Percy and Grover stopped laughing. Grover was looking around confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

Zoe listened. "I hear nothing."

Thalia was looking at Percy. "Percy, are you ok?"

"Yeah," he said. "I...I just need a minute. To think." We hesitated to leave him, but decided to anyway.

The café was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour - the dam lunch. Thalia, Zoe, Grover and I were just sitting down with our food when Percy ran up to us. He was gasping for breath. "We need to leave," he gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look." The café windows wrapped all the way round the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us. I counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. But our immediate problem was a lot closer. Three skeleton warriors appeared on the stairs. They saw us from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. We bolted in that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. We were completely surrounded. Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea. "Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grenade at the nearest skeleton. Now if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. I'm not sure what the other kids in the café saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grenades whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as we burst outside. I didn't have a answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. We ran across the street to the plaza with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain. The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent round us. Their brethren from the café were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their ribcages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Five against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

"Thalia," Percy said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at him. "He never answers."

"Just this once," he pleaded. "Ask for help. I think...I think the statues can give us some luck." Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifteen metres away. Ten metres. "Do it!" he yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!"

"Who says?"

Percy hesitated. "Athena, I think."

Thalia scowled like she was sure Percy had gone crazy. He probably had gone crazy, to be honest. "Try it," Grover pleaded. Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. And nothing happened. The skeletons closed in. Percy raised his sword. Thalia held up her shield. Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head. I gripped my daggers. A shadow fell over me. I thought maybe it was the shadow of death. Then I realised it was the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. Percy raised his lion coat for protection, but he didn't need it. The bronze angels stepped in front of us and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outwards, and the skeletons went flying across the road. "Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?" As stunned as I was by the angels, I was more concerned with the skeletons. A few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"Trouble!" Percy said

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!" The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided. And the next thing I knew, one of them grabbed Thalia, Percy and me, the other grabbed Zoe and Grover, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains.