Chapter 57 – An Unexpected Benefit
The morning sun was rising higher as the group hit the road after a solid night's sleep at the motel, the car humming along the highway toward the next mark on Persephone's map. The landscape blurred past rolling hills giving way to urban sprawl with the radio playing low in the background.
After a good night's sleep, all of them were on the road heading to the next location on the map.
Dante was resting his head comfortably on Annabeth's shoulder in the back seat, his eyes half-closed in lazy contentment. He said lazily to Grover, who was driving: "How much longer until we get to the destination? This is taking forever."
Grover said smiling, glancing in the rearview mirror: "We've already arrived, everyone just pulling into the city limits now."
Looking at the city entrance with its welcoming sign and bustling traffic ahead, Dante sighed tiredly, sitting up a bit: "Finally. I hate riding in cars feels like crawling compared to what I'm used to."
Percy said from the front passenger seat: "Why? It was a pretty cool trip scenery, snacks, no monsters chasing us for once."
Dante said stretching: "Well, when you get too used to using your powers for everything portals flight, whatever you end up getting impatient with everyday normal things like traffic and speed limits.
Percy said thoughtfully: "I get it. So being powerful has its disadvantages spoiled by convenience."
Dante smiled and said: "But nothing that comes close to the disadvantages of being weak—no options when things go wrong."
Percy said dryly: "Very funny."
Dante looked at him confused and said: "I wasn't talking about you specifically. After all, you're still a demigod and have strength that normal people can't even dream of superhuman reflexes, durability. So even if you're not at the top tier yet, you're definitely not weak."
Percy said with a somewhat strange smile, unsure how to take it: "Thanks. I don't know if I was complimented or insulted."
Annabeth said teasingly from beside Dante: "Well, you were both at the same time. It's a record Dante's specialty."
Grover stopped the car smoothly at a parking spot near the destination and said: "Everyone, we've arrived at the location indicated on the map the replica Parthenon."
They then got out of the car, stretching their legs on the pavement, and headed toward the grand replica Parthenon a tourist attraction with white columns soaring high and crowds milling about.
Dante thought as they walked the path lined with informational plaques: If I'm not mistaken, we're going to fight the hydra here the multi-headed beast. So will I be able to get regeneration power if I devour her completely? Well, it doesn't hurt to try. I won't lose anything by trying and might gain a useful upgrade.
Annabeth looked at thoughtful Dante walking beside her and asked softly: "What is it? You're very quiet something on your mind?"
Dante said casually: "Nothing major. I was just thinking about a possibility that might work out well for me."
Grover said eagerly as they approached the entrance: "Well, save the conversation for later. Let's get the focus mode."
They then entered the Parthenon replica a vast interior with marble floors echoing their footsteps and massive statues dominating the space.
Grover said in awe, looking up at the architecture: "How incredible this place is—feels like stepping back in time."
Annabeth then looked at the towering statue of her mother Athena, wisdom goddess in full armor, and paused, a mix of pride and longing on her face.
Dante, seeing that emotional moment, just held her hand gently, intertwining fingers, and smiled reassuringly and said: "You can relax about it. When we go look for the bolt after rescuing Percy's mom and find it, at the time of delivery to Olympus, I'll politely ask Zeus to let you talk for a while with your mom family time."
Dante thought with a smirk: He's not crazy enough to refuse my politeness in the form of a dragon roar if he tries.
Annabeth said softly, squeezing his hand: "Do you think she really looks like that majestic, perfect?"
Dante said smiling warmly: "Well, just wait and see. When you go talk to her face-to-face, you'll find out for sure, right? No more guessing from statues."
Annabeth smiled gratefully and said: "Yes can't wait."
Grover said apologetically: "Sorry to interrupt the lovebirds moment, but look at that over there up high."
They then approached the central display and looked up.
Percy then spotted the glowing pearl embedded in Athena's crown atop the massive statue.
Dante said shaking his head: "Seriously? Why is it always in these weird, inaccessible places? That's what I hate about Greek gods' quests. Everything has to involve some kind of elaborate challenge or puzzle to get the object never straightforward."
Grover said optimistically: "But it's easy, right? Just climb up and grab it."
Annabeth said realistically, scanning the crowds of tourists: "Easy? This place is packed with people guards, visitors everywhere. So how are we going to get it without causing a scene?"
Percy said strategically: "We'll come back at night, when everything here is closed and empty no witnesses."
At night, under cover of darkness with the building lights dimmed, they who had been hiding patiently in a maintenance bathroom to avoid detection came out stealthily.
Dante sighed depressed, brushing off dust from his clothes: "Me, a worthy black dragon king, had to hide in a bathroom like a common criminal to not get caught with humans. It's sad humiliating, really."
Annabeth said rolling her eyes but amused: "Stop complaining so much. You managed to sleep well all this time like a log while we waited for the time to pass for the plan to start no night
After a while of tense waiting in the shadows, they finally arrived at the statue location in the main hall, moonlight filtering through high windows.
Percy looked at the remaining night staff and said worriedly: "How are we going to get it with those people still there patrolling?"
Annabeth said confidently: "Relax. Leave it to me precision work."
She then took her mini crossbow discreetly and started shooting tranquilizer arrows with deadly accuracy, making the workers faint silently one by one without alarm.
Grover said, seeing her knock down the last man on the ground quietly: "You're crazy? Why did you kill them? That's murder!"
Annabeth said calmly: "They're not dead. Just unconscious from the darts. But it'll only last thirty minutes max. So let's go clock's ticking."
They then went in front of the statue, standing in the vast empty hall.
Grover said: "So who's going to get the pearl up there?"
Dante said firmly: "Well, look, I already helped big time with Medusa gave her peace. This quest, besides saving Percy's mom, is for you guys to get stronger and solve everything on your own when possible. After all, you're part of this world now and have to learn to fend for yourselves can't rely on me for every fight."
Percy said determined: "So there's no other way I'll do it."
He then started using the flying shoes Luke gave him, strapping them on carefully.
Percy said: "So I'm going to try this."
He then finished tying the sneakers securely.
He then looked at them and said: "How do you activate this thing? Button or something?"
Annabeth said: "Well, I don't know Hermes tech isn't my specialty."
Grover said: "No idea how it works."
Dante said practically: "Just by running, probably. I don't see another way to turn it on. After all, it's a shoe momentum-based magic."
Percy said: "Makes sense. I'll try."
He then ran across the hall and the shoes started running on their own, wings flapping, making the shoes start to fly unsteadily at first.
After almost hitting the ceiling with a wobble and crash avoidance, Percy climbed the statue skillfully despite the learning curve and finally got the pearl from the crown.
He then came down carefully, landing with a triumphant grin.
They then turned around suddenly and saw the security guards gathered in formation, eyes glowing unnaturally.
Grover said under his breath: "Damn. Well, now it's complicated something's wrong."
Percy said alert: "What's happening? They look possessed."
The men looked at Percy and said in eerie synchronized voice: "Percy Jackson, hand over the bolt. Just hand over the bolt and we'll let you go peacefully."
Percy said angrily: "How many times do I have to say I don't have that Master Bolt, idiot? I'm not the thief!"
One of them looked at Percy and spat a jet of fire from its mouth.
Grover, seeing that, said: "Damn, now it's complicated they're not human."
They then started melting grotesquely and fusing together into a massive form.
Annabeth, seeing that horrifying transformation, shouted: "Run! It's merging!"
The one in the middle the emerging hydra spat fire in a wide arc.
Dante saw them running in panic and sat on the ground calmly, leaning against a wall out of the way, and thought: Now it's up to them to solve it properly. I'll only move if they're going to die or Annabeth gets seriously hurt. After all, Percy we can throw in the washing machine regenerate and good as new.
He then looked at the fire coming toward him harmlessly and thought: Well, I really wanted a piece of meat to roast perfect timing.
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover hid behind the thick marble pillars for cover.
The hydra spat fire in sweeping blasts, trying to burn them alive, flames licking the stone.
Percy asked breathlessly: "Where's Dante? Did you see him in the chaos?"
Annabeth looked around desperately and saw Dante taking a casual nap in the middle of the hydra's fire, flames harmlessly washing over him.
She looked at that absurd sight and said angrily: "I'm going to kill him. What sense does it make what he said that we solve the problems ourselves But this is already too much he's napping!"
Percy and Grover looked and saw Dante lying relaxed in the fire.
Percy said incredulously: "Is this for real Man, we're fighting for our lives here and he's sleeping
Percy then got distracted by the sight and the fire hit him on the arm.
He then shook his hand frantically trying to put out the fire and ended up dropping the pearl, rolling it to the other side of the hall.
Percy, seeing that, went pale and said: "Damn pearl lost
He then took the shield and stuck it on his arm firmly and tried to attack the hydra's snapping heads with it, bashing one aside.
Annabeth also tried to pierce the eyes of the hydra heads that were lunging at her, dodging flames.
Percy then jumped high and started flying with the shoes, attacking the hydra with his sword in aerial strikes while defending from the fire roar with the shield raised.
He then dodged a blast and cut one of the hydra's heads clean off with a powerful swing.
Annabeth, seeing that, shouted desperately: "Percy, don't do that! Stop cutting heads!"
Percy ignored the warning in the heat of battle and continued cutting the hydra's heads one by one, sword flashing.
Dante opened his eyes lazily seeing that and thought: Lack of knowledge and intelligence is really fatal. This idiot is cutting a hydra's heads classic mistake. How much intelligence does he have?
Percy then cut the last visible head with a final overhead strike, making it dizzy and the massive body fall to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Percy then came down celebrating victory, pumping his fist.
He then went to them breathless but proud and said: "So? I did great, didn't I? Took it down!"
Grover said excited, high-fiving: "Yes, man. You were awesome total hero mode!"
Annabeth said horrified: "Do you have any idea what you did That was the worst possible move!"
Percy said confused: "Yes, I killed that thing ended the fight."
Annabeth shouted: "Killed You made everything worse way worse!"
Dante, who was quiet until then, looked at Percy and said calmly: "Percy, do you remember the example of the fire monster I gave at the pool that night?"
Percy said confused: "I remember. Why bring it up now?"
Dante said smiling faintly: "Look behind you slowly."
Percy then looked back with difficulty over his shoulder and saw the monster regenerating rapidly stumps bubbling as new heads sprouted, twice as many.
Annabeth said urgently: "That's what happens if you cut a hydra's head: two more grow in its place stronger and angrier!"
Seeing the hydra prepare to spit fire with renewed fury, multiple heads hissing, Annabeth shouted: "Hide now!"
They then jumped behind the pillars just as fire took over the place in a massive inferno blast.
Percy said panting: "Well, I'll get the pearl back. You guys distract that thing buy me time."
Annabeth said: "Alright. But go quick, understood Don't play hero too long."
Percy said: "Yes on it."
He then ran toward the pearl across the hall while Annabeth started shooting arrows rapidly to distract the hydra and some deliberately at Dante out of anger for his inaction.
Dante, seeing that, just sighed and thought: After all, even though we agreed I wouldn't act unless necessary, she's still mad and venting with arrows. It's hard, man women.
Dante then looked and saw her hit an arrow precisely in one hydra eye, making it roar in pain and thrash blindly.
Dante said with pity: "What a weak monster overall. Even a normal human arrow managed to hurt it badly. Pathetic barely a challenge."
On the other side, Percy took advantage of the opening created by the blinded head and ran toward the pearl desperately.
But when he finally grabbed it triumphantly, the hydra turned its remaining heads' attention to him, multiple mouths opening to spit converging fire blasts.
Percy, in desperation with flames closing in, used his power instinctively to control the water from the building's internal pipes bursting them open and created a swirling water barrier shield around himself, steam exploding everywhere.
He then shouted over the roar: "Run, everyone get out now!"
They then ran out to the door in a sprint while the hydra slipped and thrashed on the sudden flood of water covering the floor.
When they were about to push the door hard in panic, a portal suddenly opened right in front of them, and Annabeth, Grover, and Percy fell through it, tumbling out and ending up safely outside the building on the grass.
The portal then closed with a snap behind them.
Annabeth looked around dazed: "We got out Just like that?"
Percy, seeing they are outside the building under the night sky, said confused: "How did we end up here so fast?"
Annabeth, realizing, said: "Well, looks like Dante acted after all saved us. But where is he now?"
She looked around searching for him in the darkness.
Grover pointed back inside the building through a window and said: "Did he decide to stay in there and finish it solo?"
Annabeth said calmly: "Well, then let's wait for him to finish his things and come out he knows what he's doing."
Percy said surprised: "You're not worried about him at all? After all, he's your boyfriend in the middle of that mess."
Annabeth said smiling confidently: "That's why I know him better than you and know I don't need to worry about anything inside that building. The hydra should be the one worried."
The hydra that was furious at losing its targets, roaring deafeningly and charging toward the door in rage.
When it suddenly stops dead, unable to move forward, it then looks back in confusion and sees Dante casually holding its massive tail with one hand, unmoved.
Dante smiled at it mockingly and said: Where does my meal think it's going
Dante enters full dragon transformation in a burst of dark energy, scales and wings erupting as he grows massive, and attacks it ferociously, jaws clamping down and devouring it piece by piece in a brutal display.
Outside, only the terrifying roars of pain and fear from the hydra could be heard echoing through the night, shaking the windows.
After a while of intense struggle sounds, it finally stopped silence falling.
Dante, who had just devoured it completely, smiled satisfied and looked at the palm of his hand thoughtfully.
He then took his claws and deliberately made a deep cut on his chest to test.
But before it even started bleeding properly, the wound closed at high speed, flesh knitting perfectly.
Dante, seeing that incredible healing, smiled broadly and said: "At least I got some benefit from this journey. Super regeneration. Not bad at all useful upgrade."
He then opened a portal calmly to meet Percy, Annabeth, and Grover outside.