50 GROWL
It took quite a while for Athos to pack, but once he was done, all his necessities were tucked in his watch, the additional items being the flasks of nectar, empty flasks, a Ziploc bag of ambrosia squares, the food of the Gods, given to him by Chiron and as many arrows he could get his hands on. He'd visited cabin nine for a bow upgrade and a simple bronze short sword was tucked into his backpack. The camp even loaned them fifty golden drachmas and a few hundred dollar bills of mortal currency.
"Ready?", Luke asked as Athos slipped his backpack on.
"Let's go"
The campers sent them off with a bang - a literal one. Clarisse 'accidentally' set off a landmine when they passed the Ares Cabin. It was far enough not to cause any damage but close enough to startle. He wanted to beat some sense into her but Jack and another beefy Ares kid clobbered her into the ground. It wasn't the worst send-off in history but it was a memorable one.
After one last wave, Luke and he hiked up Half-blood hill towards Thalia's tall pine tree, enjoying the picturesque view of the strawberry fields and the frothy ocean with its lazy waves. Chiron and a tall, muscular blonde dude, which he immediately recognized as Argus, waited for them at the top.
"You're here. Good. And Athos, this is Argus. It's the first time you both've met. He's the head of security", Chiron pointed at the man next to him. He looked normal enough, if not for the hundred blue eyes littered all around his body, every single one of them blinking at irregular intervals.
"So he keeps an eye on things?", Athos said.
"Yeah, he's quite eye-catching", Luke added, suppressing a chuckle.
"Eye don't know about that. He looks more cornea to me."
Argus rolled his eyes at them. All of them. It made him look as though he was swirling.
"He'll be driving you both into the city", Chiron continued as though nothing happened. "Oh! By the Gods - I almost forgot. Here, catch."
Chiron threw a pair of sneakers at Luke.
"What are these?", Luke asked in confusion as he inspected the sneakers that looked too normal.
Instead of answering, Chiron merely said, "Maia!"
White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Luke.
"Courtesy of your father, Luke. He does care for you", Chiron said gently.
A complicated light flashed in Luke's eyes and he wore them without a word. Athos stared at the shoes warily. It was the very shoes Luke would give Percy in the first book when he embarked on his first quest. It was not out of goodwill though - the shoes were cursed to drag the wearer into Tartarus when in its vicinity. Luke had turned to the Dark side by then.
"I wish you both the best of luck. Keep a clear head - falling prey to your emotions will spell your doom. These are troubled times, and all we can do is follow our destiny", Chiron continued.
Athos grinned at that. Destiny? Hah! He'd carve his own.
"May the Gods be with you."
When they got to the bottom of the hill, Athos looked back, finding Chiron saluting him by raising his bow while in his full horse-man form.
***
Athos and Luke comfortably sat at the back of a blue Toyota Camry as Argus drove them out of the countryside into western Long Island. Luke had his face pressed onto the window, watching normal people doing normal things. It'd been about three years since he'd stepped out of camp after all.
"We'll have to cross the entirety of the United States of America. San Francisco is really far away. Not to mention - it's risky even walking there", Athos said.
"Don't jinx the ride Athos", Luke answered and took a slight glance at Argus in the front before saying, "I don't think San Francisco will be all that threatening. Not after irisked my life reaching Camp Half-blood two years back."
Argus' eyebrow twitched but he continued driving.
Athos grinned, "I agree. Chiron taught us well. We're his pupils after all"
An eye on Argus' neck swivelled around, glaring at both of them.
"We'd better shut up. Eye think Argus may lash out."
*SCREECH*
The car came to a grinding halt and Argus slowly turned around, his every eye trained on them with near-murderous intent.
Perhaps they should stop with the puns.
***
Argus dropped them at the Greyhound Station on the upper east side - more like kicked them out. He didn't buy them any bus tickets either, merely driving away in a cloud of smoke, probably chuckling to himself all the way.
"I'll buy the bus tickets myself", Luke sighed.
"I don't think you need to", Athos retorted.
"Huh? How else are we-
"See those?", Athos interrupted Luke, pointing at the car park.
"We can't steal cars!"
"Why not?"
"I..it's wrong"
"What's more important to you? Some poor sod or proving yourself to the gods?", Athos said calmly.
"Haah! Fine. I can open a locked car but I can't drive it. Never learned", Luke conceded.
"I've got that covered", Athos grinned, dragging Luke over to a red Honda civic.
Luke managed to open the car using whatever innate skill the Sons of Hermes possessed and they hopped in.
A few minutes later.
"Are you sure you got this?"
"Positive"
"Are. You. Sure?"
"Course I am!", Athos answered as he manoeuvred the vehicle at speeds a tad higher than legally allowed.
"How do you even know how to drive?!", Luke said gripping the seat so hard that his knuckles turned white.
"I never knew I could", Athos grinned.
"WHAT!"
***
San Francisco was a forty-five-hour drive away from Long Island and merely five hours had passed. They had to stop for the night, but before they could do that, there was a quick detour to make. He looked to his side finding Luke passed out on the passenger seat.
He could kill him now. Slitting his throat and draining him of his blood would be all too easy now. He'd even brought multiple empty canteens just in case, but killing him now would be detrimental. The road to San Fransico was treacherous, and having the best swordsman in the past three hundred years at his side would help.
He pulled up beside a closed fast food joint called - THE CORN FACTORY, with its mascot being a lion chomping down on a bowl of corn.
He glanced at his watch which read 12: 00 pm. It was the perfect time to do some sneaking about, there was not a soul in sight.
"Huh...where are we?", Luke sat up groggily, wiping the drool off his face.
"Washington DC", Athos replied.
"What? How long have you been driving?"
"Five hours."
"Shit! You need rest. Go on, sleep. I'll take watch", Luke said hurriedly a hint of guilt appearing in his eyes.
"Yeah, about tha-
"Hey! Lion!", Luke interrupted Athos pointing out the window.
"It's weird I know. Why corn of all things? Lions are carnivo-
"NO! LION!", Luke yelled grabbing the sword next to his seat.
"What?!", Athos said and turned around finding something moving toward them in the side mirror. Something fast. Something golden.
*BOOM*
The world spun as an immense force slammed into the car. Athos felt momentarily weightless as his head was smashed against the steering wheel, but thankfully, Perastos morphed from a black jumper and pants into full-body armour that covered himself from head to toe and the blue half-mask materialized boosting his resilience. Luke wasn't all that lucky.
"Fuck", he muttered as he peeled his head from the half-pulverised steering wheel. Thankfully, the car hadn't exploded. The trunk had been hit so hard that it merged into the body of the car. The roof had slightly caved in from being slammed into what probably was a wall and they were now tilted sideways.
He looked to his right, at Luke who was now knocked unconscious from the impact. The airbags had deployed on time else he'd be a goner.
"So much for being useful", Athos muttered.
He had no time to do a check-up. Whatever monster attacked them could always do so again. He kicked open the side door, crawled out and tumbled onto the sidewalk. Perastos morphed into a suit and his half-mask turned into a full mask on instinct, turning him invisible. His eyes narrowed and he looked around warily for the monster, but he found nothing.
'What in the flying fu-
His thought was interrupted by a deep, guttural growl. It was one of pure savagery. One that could freeze the blood of the boldest of warriors and wet the brows of the strongest of men. It was the growl of a lion.
Athos whirled around, Leviathan appearing in his hands, to find a lion the size of a pick-up truck glaring at the car he'd just hopped out of. Its thick fur and mane were golden - it's lustrous, aurous almost metallic coat in stark contrast to the night sky. Silvery shiny claws stuck out from its gigantic paws and its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.
It was a monster he was all too familiar with.
A monster whose skin his father wore with pride.
A monster invincible to all weapons forged.
The Neamen Lion.
***
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