Saving Thalia Part Two: Hard Decisions (Thalia, Inferno)

The trip to Philadelphia took a couple of hours, but that wasn't the problem. What really worried him was that monsters hadn't attacked them in a while. Which had to mean that they were waiting for them in Philly. Just great, Odie said to himself, another city to deal with.

No sooner had they gotten out, Odie was looking around. He felt very confused, because no matter where he looked there was nothing. He walked over to Samuel, and said,"Look, Sam, we have a problem. Do you notice anything out of the ordinary, happening here? We are five very powerful half bloods and yet there are no monsters. This doesn't make any sense at all. It's almost as if every monster emptied out like they knew we were coming and tried to avoid us."

Kyle looked up from his map, and said, still very not himself,"It looks like they are waiting for us along the way. It will probably get much more dangerous as we get closer to Mount Othrys."

He stepped forward and put his map away. He sighed, and pulled his bag out of the compartment overhead. He took out his double bladed battle ax, and walked into the terminal. He was feeling absolutely miserable. He really like Solania, but he knew that there was no future with her. She didn't like him, and even if she did, he couldn't be with her because he served Lord Kronos. The Titan Lord would never allow it. Especially, since she had betrayed him for her friends, Kyle's friends as well.

He had a decision to make, but he still couldn't decide.

"It's no surprise that Kronos knows we're coming," Samuel replied to Odie. "See, this is why Brandon, Magnus and I do not see the point in following age restrictions in prophecies. We'd be much better equipped to handle the horde of monsters undoubtedly lying in wait if there were twenty of us and if we could insert by helicopter. You know what I mean?"
He gestured at his backpack. "Think about it. If we had eight light machine guns, twelve assault rifles, a few grenade launchers and two gunships on our side, we could rip through every monster in our way. Our only concern would be the Titans."

I laughed and patted Sam on the back. "I like your way of thinking." I smiled at Odie and stepped out. "Thalia always liked to fight with swords. She saw it as if you win by sword, it was your victory. Not your weapon's victory." I looked down and a tear slipped down my cheek. "I miss her."

I walked out and plopped down on the ground. "I, for one, am grateful that no monsters have attacked."

Samuel snorted. "And if this weren't wartime, I would agree. It's easier to aim and fire a gun than it is to take a bigger, stronger enemy down with a melee weapon. But this is wartime. We can't afford sentimentality or honour. The only thing that matters is winning, killing off as many monsters as we can and getting the job done."
The son of Morpheus took a look around the bus terminal. "So what now?"

OOC: Nice new name, Exelsior.

"Let's get going."

I sighed. I am coming for you Thalia. I will bring you back. I took a step and blacked out. I fell to the ground and hit my head. I know about your little crush, Solania. Thalia will suffer because of your stupid love. , I heard a deep voice say. Then I heard Thalia scream.

OOC: Thanks.

Samuel dropped to Solania's side and checked her pulse. He found it steady. Then he looked at her forehead. Probing her mind, the son of Morpheus detected another entity already there.
"She's fine, just unconscious," Samuel said. "But I think she may be having some kind of artificial dream. Odie, what do you think?"

Odysseus sighed, and said,"Even in wartime, there is still honor over your foe. It doesn't matter if your opponent follows the same laws of combat, or not. I hate projectile weaponry. Give me a spear, shield, sword, and my armor any day over a gun of any kind. There is more to battle than winning, and it is easier to win in a phalanx formation than an army of soldiers with guns any day."

He paused, and sighed,"Look, you have your own style of fighting, and that is well enough, but I will always fight with honor, even if it becomes the death of me. You do what you wish."

He walked off to pick up a map at a nearby kiosk.

Coming back, he looked at Solania, and said,"I know. We all miss her, but don't worry. I will get her back, even if it is the end of my life. So, let's grab your boyfriend, and get out of here."

He said the last part with a mischievous wink, and turned to get Kyle, who was studying something in his leather bound book.

Kyle was looking at the map of Philadelphia, when Odie walked up to him. He jumped up, and said, quite back to normal,"Hey buddy, we ready to go? I found a store down the street where we can stock up on supplies. If you want I can go down there with someone. Perhaps, we should hurry and get going."

He stood up, and saw Solania fall and hit her head. He felt Kronos speaking, and he seethed with anger. Kronos laughed, You didn't think I knew, did you? Perhaps, you are not fit to be the leader of armies that I thought you were. You belong to me, and you will never leave my service, ever. I will give you a choice, Kyle, you can continue to serve me or you can betray me, and I will kill Thalia. It is that simple.

Kyle rushed over to Solania. "Solania, are you okay? Please tell me you will be okay. I can't bear to see anything happen to you. Please, Solania, wake up. Wake, up."

He knelt by her side with a look of panic on his face. He didn't know what to do.

Odie rushed over to Solania, when he saw Kyle rush over to Solania, and he immediately pulled out a small pillow and put it under her head, he said,"We need to keep her head off the ground just in case she has seizures. Some people do whenever they hit there heads as hard as she did. Sam, go with Kyle and pick up some supplies at a store Kyle found down the street from here. We will need food. We might have to end up camping at some point, so better to be prepared. Zoey, and I will watch Solania, and get her out of here so the mortals cannot see her."

Samuel turned to go, but before he did he took hold of Odie's shoulder.
"First off, if you're a son of Athena, you should be smart enough to figure out that guns beat swords. Bullets go faster than blades, and they can penetrate all types of standard armour and shields. Second, this is not about you, nor is it about honour. Never has been. This is about saving the human race. We are the only soldiers on the planet that can fight monsters and Titans effectively, but if we in general adopt your kind of sentimental, outdated approach, we will lose."

The son of Morpheus took a breath. "Our enemy outnumbers us greatly, so we have to even the playing field with the best weapons available--and those are guns. If 'fighting with honour' means adopting an M.O that disadvantages us against our opponents, it won't just be your death--it'll be the death of our allies, friends, and innocent people who rely on our protection without knowing it. So smarten up and suck it up. Victory takes priority over all else."

Odie looked at him, angrily, and said,"So, my thinking is outdated, then why are you three the only ones who use projectile weaponry? I respect the way you do things, so I expect you to do the same, but since you cannot, then maybe you four can try to fight a Titan Lord that you cannot possibly defeat, by yourselves. I am out, and secondly, I have smartened up. I never said that you couldn't use your weapons. I can't believe I trusted you to help me. You know what, I'll save Thalia myself."

He paused and then, added,"If you don't respect my strategies, then why don't you lead my quest. You know, since you have such better ideas. I'm no son of Athena. I'm no strategist. So, find your own way to Mount Tam. I am leaving this quest, and going on my own."

He tossed some medication to Sam, and said,"Here, you'll need this if Solania has a seizure. Stick it in her mouth, and let it dissolve. It prevents permanent brain damage."

Taking some sleeping bags out of his bag, as well, he threw them down. "Here, just in case you are out in an area that doesn't have shelter around. Oh, by the way, defending your friends and family takes priority over victory. I would rather die defending you guys if it meant giving you a chance to live. The Titans couldn't care less about the mortals. They only want to destroy us and the gods, so think about that."

He ran out of the building and down the street seething with anger. He pulled out his map, and looked for the train station. He was going to save Solania on his own, since no one respected him as a leader.

Kyle looked up at Samuel, and said,"Way to go, Sam. All you can think about is yourself. You guys should be worried about Solania's health, not who has the better idea for weapons. It's not about your point of view. In fact, if I remember right, you, Brandon, and Magnus are the only ones who use projectile weaponry. It's not about killing the most. Odie had the right idea, that's why he is a strategist and you are not. If you kill the leader, then you leave the army in disarray. They will flee. Now, I will take care of Solania. You go get the supplies."

He paused, and then looked back at Solania. He sighed. "Come on, Solania, you have to make it. I can't lose you. I...I like you, and I need you to live."

She was still unconscious so she hadn't heard him say it. Stupid Kronos, he hated him.

Samuel opened his mouth to retort, but he realized Kyle had a point. It didn't matter whose philosophy on combat was right--they had already set out with just five people and four guns between them. It was times like these that Samuel's temper and stubborn streak overrode his logic. Often he just couldn't drop an argument.
Yeah, well the least Odie can do is thicken his skin a little. If he can't handle a disagreeable teammate, how the hell's he gonna save Thalia from Mount Tam by himself? Samuel thought. It was a last act of stubbornness before he focused on the task at hand.
Checking the load on his pistols, the son of Morpheus donned a pair of sunglasses. He tossed the meds to Kyle. "I'll be back soon. Make sure she doesn't die." Samuel turned and set out for the convenience store at a good jog.

I stood and ran after Odie. Once I caught up to him, I kissed him. "Calm down. Maybe we should just go home. Me and you. They can save the little brute."

I saw Thalia and reached out to her. I actually touched her. I felt someone behind me and saw the boy Jake. I am going to make you watch every slash she gets. Make you watch her new boyfriend beat her to death. You should have been more careful with your heart. I watched as the Jake boy flipped a whip and she screamed in agony. He hit her over and over again until she finally blacked out. My eyes shot open and I screamed. "Thalia!!"

Odie turned to Zoey, pushed away from her before she could succeed in kissing him, and said,"No, I will find Thalia, even if I have to die. She needs me, and I need her. I know the truth Zoey. I tried to avoid telling you this, but you are not my girlfriend. I've known it for a while, now. Sam and I have suspected you to be a spy for the Lord of Time since Thalia's disappearance. If you care for me any at all, Zoey, you will go back and rejoin the others. They need you, and I have to get going. I am doing this quest alone."

Without waiting for an answer, he headed started running, again.

Kyle jumped when Solania woke up screaming. He calmed down, and instantly began calming her. "Shh, Solania, it's okay. I'm here. You don't have to worry, everything is going to be alright. Just rest easy, I'm getting your health back up. Just lay your head down on the pillow, I need you to take this."

He handed her a pill, and a glass of water. "Here, take this. It will make you feel better."

He put a cool rag on her forehead, and then, asked,"Are you okay? What happened?"

"No! Thalia is in trouble. It's my fault. Jake.....Jake is killing her. Jake is her boyfriend." I looked at Kyle with worry. "Where is Odie and Zoey?" I stood up and looked around. I started crying.

I looked at Odie with hatred. "You jerk. Do you think she is just waiting on you? Huh?" I heard Kronos' voice and listened. Provoke him, Zoey. Tell him she is dying. Tell him her boyfriend is killing her., he said. "She is dying, Odie. Her new boyfriend is killing her." I smiled evily.

Odie was hurt, but that only fueled his strength. He forced the pain out of his eyes, and said, with rage,"Well, then, I hope the Titan Pallas is ready to meet his death. Your words will not stop me, I am gaining my memory back, and I believe I know who I need to thank for that. I will save her, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

He paused, then calming himself, he said,"Zoey, you don't have to serve Kronos. Don't be a pawn and a slave of the Lord of Time. You can help us stop Pallas and slow the Titan Lord for a time. He may be immortal, but he needs an army, just like the gods need heroes. Zoey, I may not like you, but I would be a fool not to admit that we need you. We do need you, and I know that in your heart, you need us. Sure, you have exchanged places in my heart with Thalia, but there are other fish in the sea. That was what the prophecy meant, Zoey, that I would remember Thalia, and she would become my heart. You changed places, but that doesn't mean we don't have to be friends."

He turned, and said,"You have a hard decision to make, Zoey, I only hope that you can make the right one when the time comes, just like I know that Kyle will." He turned and ran off, leaving Zoey to make a choice friendship, or service. He needed to get to the train depot, and fast.

"Look, Solania, if you don't take this pill, we won't be able to help Thalia, okay? Just take the damn pill, and it will calm you down. We have to wait for Sam, anyways. He went to get us some supplies at a nearby store I sent him too. We were nearly out."

Kyle paused when she asked where Odie was, he was afraid to tell her. In fact, he was a bit jealous. It seemed all she was ever asking was where that son of Athena was. Why couldn't she care for him the way she cared about Odie. It wasn't that Chris kid that Solania liked, it was Odie. Didn't she know he already had a girlfriend? Was she going to become another Zoey?

He shook his head, and got up to comfort her. "Hey, Solania, it's okay. I am here to help you. You really need to calm down. I promise you that we are going to save your best friend. Even, if it means risking my life to betray..." He broke off. He couldn't tell her, not yet, anyway. He had to delay her hating him, just a little longer.

He changed the subject, and said,"While you were out, Sam insulted Odie. Odie left the quest. I think he might be trying to save her by himself, and well I guess I should tell you that Zoey went after him. She was probably trying to convince him to go back to camp, if I know her. She has always been jealous of Thalia, I only hope that we can change her heart before the end comes. I hate watching other demigods die, especially when they don't have to."

Laughter broke into his mind, and he shuddered. You mean like yourself, if you do not leave this ridiculous quest, and return to my service. Kyle, you have pledged yourself to me, and I do not forget. Maybe nothing has happened to your little girlfriend now, but something will very soon. Don't forget that I still remember her little betrayal, what do you think will happen if I let slip that you were the commander she had been giving information to while in my service? You see, she doesn't know it because I never willed it, before, but I could always change my mind...

Kyle broke in with, No please, I'll do anything. Just let me tell her. I'll leave the quest, but just give me a little bit more time, please.

I will give you until tomorrow night. By then, you will have reached the shores of Table Rock Lake. I look forward to hearing you explain, yourself, then.

I sighed and looked down. I walked back to Kyle and cleared my thoat. "Odie knows who Thalia is now. "

I turned and hugged Kyle. Tears formed in my eyes. Why was he mad? I took the pill and hugged him again. I suddenly felt jealousy. "What are you jealous of? I can feel it. Tell me. I can help you."

"It's nothing," he said quickly, I will be fine. "I have something important to tell you, but the time is not right. There is nothing you can do, but I promise if you will wait just a bit longer, I promise I will explain everything."

He saw Zoey returning, and said,"I will be right back."

Walking over to Zoey, he listened to her, and when she finished, he said,"So, what will you do? You have difficult choice to make. I have already made my decision, now I have to live with the consequences." Leaving Zoey to think it over, he turned back to Solania.

He paused, and looked down at Solania,"Why are you crying? Are you okay? What happened when you were screaming earlier, I felt a Titan Lord's presence?"

He knew who it was, and he wanted to protect Solania from the Lord of Time. He had made up his mind. He would tell Solania the truth, then he would leave and return to Mount Othrys to serve Lord Kronos as his chief commander under Lord Pallas. He would kill the demigod that so much as dared to touch Thalia, his best friend's girlfriend. He couldn't stay knowing that when Solania found out the spy commander she had been giving the information to all this time was him, she would hate him. He would never win her heart, even if he tried. Not after this.

Odie made it to the train station, and stood outside looking into the yard for a cargo train. After finding out which trains were headed west, he sneaked onto the nearest cargo car and headed west. He didn't know why he chose the one headed to Missouri, but little did he know that there would be someone important waiting for him at that destination.

I didn't want him to know I was crying over him. I had almost forgotten he liked someone else. "Kronos' is killing Thalia. I can feel every slash Jake gives her." Then it all made sense to me. "Thalia remembers me. We have an empathy link! That's why I see things that Kronos' doesn't want me to!" I looked up at Kyle, relization glittering in my eyes.

I chose my side. I didn't have to like Thalia to be on her side. Wrong choice, Little One. Kronos' spoke in my head. I ignored him and listend to Solania. My eyes went wide when I heard that she knew that Thalia was dying. They got even wider when I heard about the empathy link.

"You have an empathy link! No! That means that if she dies, you die, and I cannot have you die, because you are...you are important to this quest. We need you. Kronos needs her more than you or I know. He won't kill her, but he will knocker within an inch of her life. He needs you to feel like you've done something wrong especially when he wants to use you for his own gain, even when you have done nothing wrong. He rules by fear, and he uses others because he probably wants us to leave the quest alone." He was going to say that she was important to him, but thought better about it. She had feelings for someone else, and there was nothing he could do about it, not since he was leaving the quest.

Leaving Solania was going to be one of the hardest things he ever did, but they had to get going, so he said,"We need to get going, you two. Let's head over to wait for Sam at the store. We need to see what is taking him so long." The sooner they got to that Table Rock Lake in Missouri, the better it was going to be for everyone else.

Odie watched as the scenery passed by. He sighed, and thought about all the things he'd been through the past few weeks. He wondered, silently, why he'd chosen the train he did.

Right at that moment, Samuel arrived. He nodded to Solania and Kyle, ignoring Zoey like he usually did.
"I got us some extra outdoor clothes, flashlights, batteries, enough water and non-perishable food to last us a good month provided we ration," the son of Morpheus said, gesturing to the magic backpack that was now weighed down by an abundance of extra supplies. "If we need anything else, I'll go back and get it. If not, let's move."

Kyle shook his head, and said,"No, we are fine Sam. Thank you, I'm pretty sure it won't take us a month, but good thinking. You just never know. Now, we need to get to the train station, and sneak onto a train. We do not want to be caught by monsters, it will make us look bad to the mortals. Okay, let's go."

He walked out just as the city bus was pulling over at a bus stop just down the street from the bus depot. He walked over, and put some money in for the four of them. He told the bus driver where he wanted to go, and sat in the back away from the others. He needed to think.

He watched as the others climbed into the bus and took their seats. It could be a while, and he needed to think about what he was going to do. He was hurting inside, but he knew what he had to do.

Once I took my seat, I looked back at Kyle. I turned back around but not before he saw a tear slip down my cheek. What broke my heart was that he liked someone else. And he seemed to hate me now. It hurt. Tears were rolling down my cheeks.

I watched as tears rolled down Solania's cheeks. I didn't like her but I felt sorry for her. I saw her look back at Kyle. I instantly knew he had done something. I walked back to Kyle. "Alright, what did you do to Solania?" I said with a tired voice.

Kyle looked at Zoey, and said,"I didn't do anything. She won't tell me why she is crying. Apparently, she has an empathy link with Thalia. She tells me it's because she saw Thalia being killed, but I keep having a feeling that there is more to it than that, but I don't know what." He sighed. He hated seeing her like this, and wondered why she kept looking at him and tearing up. He stood up, and sneaked over to her.

He sat down in the empty seat beside her, and pushing away the pain in his voice for what he was about to do in the near future, he said,"Alright, tell me what's really wrong. Why do you keep looking at me and crying. You are killing me, because it really sucks seeing you cry."

He wiped a tear from her cheek, and forced a smile. He had grown to love her, but he knew that she didn't feel the same way about him. He waited for her answer.

Samuel looked out the window at the scenery as it passed by. Mostly he was paying attention to any signs of monsters in the area, but as far as he could see, there was nothing out of the ordinary. He listened silently to the conversation the other three were having, storing vital information.

Possible empathy link between Thalia and Solania? That could provide some usable intel. Possible romantic feelings between Kyle and Solania? Samuel couldn't care less what became of that, but he did care about two things. First, whether or not these feelings could convince Kyle to stop serving the Titans. If so, that was one less goon to worry about. Second, whether or not these feelings would impede either or both of those two during the quest.
It better not, for their sakes, Samuel thought, disgusted at the possibility. If they can't rise above it, I'll make them, one way or the other.

While the others were traveling to the train depot, Odysseus was nearing Indianapolis. So, far his trip was mostly uneventful, but he had managed to be found by a few monsters that just so happened to be in his freight car. Lucky me, he thought.

First of all, there were the dracaenae. Then there were hellhounds, a couple of empousa, and a Laestrygonian. It wasn't like there were a lot of them or anything, but it was just the fact that out of all the freight cars he had chosen, he had chosen the ones with the monsters. He sighed, and put his helmet on. Since he was in close quarters, he withdrew Redemption instead of his spear. He took his shield off his back and leveled his sword. He rushed into the fray.

Using his shield as a defensive weapon, he slashed and stabbed causing monsters. The dracaenae were the first to go, probably because their strategies were the worst. They lunged at him directly, and he parried and rolled into their guards vaporizing them within seconds. The biggest problem was going to be the hellhounds. They were working together, surrounding him, and causing him to have to focus on them rather than the other monsters.

He sliced through the first two hellhounds, but as he turned his shield was knocked aside and he was knocked down by a third. As the other monsters were closing in on him, he dodged the attack from the first empousa and sliced right through her. As she vaporized, he took out the last empousa and a hellhound with one fluid strike. He dodged the next hellhound's lunge, and slid for his shield.

Grabbing the shield, he slung it like a disc taking out three more hellhounds. He turned just as he got tackled by a hellhound, and just was about to kill him, but the Laestrygonian knocked the beast out of the way and was just about to slam his club down when he randomly exploded into dust. He looked up, and couldn't believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was his mother, Athena, goddess of wisdom.

I sighed happily when he swiped away one of my tears. "I like yo-........... I mean, you seem mad at me. It makes me really sad." I looked at Sam. I could feel something from him. "You don't like me very much, do you Sam?"

I layed back across a seat and fell asleep.