Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

~Of the Night~

~Chapter 12: Darkness Ahead~

"Well, this looks promising," Luke said as they sat inside the bus station. "No monsters yet, and we haven't been randomly killed either, at least."

Percy shot him a glare, and he grinned sheepishly at her in reply. Argus had driven them to the Greyhound station on the upper east side of Manhattan, not far from the apartment she and Salus had. Twice, she had seen a flier that the police had made, advertising the same Christmas picture that that newspaper had shown. Careful of overly curious eyes, she had put on her jacket and brought up the hood, and kept her sunglasses on inside. Still, she found that she was restless, and kept on tapping her fingers against her thigh nervously.

When Luke got tired of waiting for the bus, he grabbed one of Grover's apples and began to play Hacky-Sack with it. He did it effortlessly, getting it to hop from his knee to his elbow, shoulder, and just about everywhere else. Percy wasn't too bad, either, but seeing him show off like that wasn't very comforting, and by his cocky grin, he knew he was getting her ticked off. However, the game ended when the son of Hermes tossed the apple towards Grover, who swallowed the apple whole in one bite. The satyr blushed and tried to explain, but she and Luke only cracked up in response and laughed until their sides hurt.

By the time they settled down, the bus had arrived, and quickly the three of them got up and in line to board it. Grover then began looking around, sniffing the air, which reminded Percy of enchiladas day back at Yancy. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe it's nothing, but it's…"

He didn't continue to elaborate, instead choosing to look behind his shoulder worriedly. The noirette followed his gaze, but she didn't see anything interesting in particular—just the other passengers, and a boy yelling in some language, perhaps modern-day Greek or Italian, as he chased after a woman with wavy black hair. Suddenly, she felt sick to her stomach, and quickly boarded the bus, trying to not look at the duo again as they found seats in the very back of the bus.

"Percy," Luke suddenly said as the last passengers got on board. Looking up, the sick feeling in her stomach returned, and she sunk into her seat worriedly.

An old lady had just boarded, wearing a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat. Her black eyes gleamed with an evil tinge to them, and Percy's heart skipped a beat. Because no matter how much older she looked, it was still Mrs. Dodds. "What do we know about the Kindly Ones?" she asked the son of Hermes, raising an eyebrow as she took off her jacket and tried to hide her face from view with it.

"Shit," he cursed, while Grover began to whimper. "All three of them are on here. But, they're one of the many kids of Erebus and Nyx, and servants of Hades, too, so he must really want us dead."

Percy rolled her eyes and muttered into her jacket, "Not helping."

As the bus pulled out of the station and into the darkness of the Lincoln Tunnel, the daughter of Nyx looked up. The three old ladies sat in the front row just behind the driver, and the two in the aisle crossed their legs in an X. Nobody leaves. Sea green eyes looked away and towards the windows, though she knew they wouldn't open, and there was no back exit, either.

They were royally screwed.

Luke sucked in a breath, and the suddenness of it caused Percy to turn to him. "What?" she hissed.

"Your eyes," he replied quietly. "Have they ever flashed indigo before?"

"What?"

But there was no time to take their conversation any further, as at the front of the bus, Mrs. Dodds stood up and said in a monotonous voice, "I need to the use the restroom."

Her two sisters both agreed, and the trio began to walk towards them at the back of the bus. Luke ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, before grabbing Annabeth's hat and putting it on Percy. "Go up the aisle," he whispered urgently. "Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"What about you?" she questioned.

He grinned, and gestured to his sword, which was hidden in the bag lying at his feet. "I'll be fine," he promised. "Be safe, sugar."

Percy decided it was a good thing that she was invisible, because her cheeks were so hot she swore she would've looked like a ghost. Nevertheless, she stood, and for good luck's measure she stepped on Luke's leg as she jumped over him. He winced, though covered it up by snickering slightly. Her heart pounded as she got farther and farther away from the back of the bus, and she managed to slip into an empty seat just before the Furies-disguised-as-old-ladies could run into her. Mrs. Dodds froze in place and frowned, sniffing the air, though after a few moments she and her sisters passed, and Percy was free to make her escape.

They were nearing the end of the Lincoln Tunnel, she realized with a start as she was about to press the emergency stop button. Silently cursing, she turned back to look at Luke and Grover, but also saw three Furies leaning over them, their bodies having changed and looking even more hideous than before. "Where is it?" they demanded, lashing their handbags-turned-fiery-whips. "Where?"

As light was shed onto the bus via the windows, the other passengers came quick to realize that there was something horrible on there with them, and cowered and screamed in their fright. Luke drew his sword and something else—it took her a moment to realize that it was the whip that she'd taken from Mrs. Dodds when she had first faced the Kindly One. How he managed to grab it from her jacket's pocket without her noticing, she hadn't the faintest idea. Grover, on the other hand, was holding a tin can, which in comparison seemed to be absolutely ridiculous.

"What the hell?" the driver muttered, trying to see what was going on through the rearview mirror.

It had to be a mixture of adrenaline and ADHD that caused Percy to snap around and grab onto the wheel, throwing them all to the left, and hopefully causing some Furies to crash into each other. The driver started to project a long line of obscenities from his mouth—even some that the noirette didn't know, which she decided to save for later usage—and tried to twist the bus around again, but to no avail. She could hear the sparks coming from the metal as the bus's side went up against the tunnel, but thankfully they were out of the tunnel a few seconds after that.

Somehow, the bus driver wasn't able to notice an invisible twelve-year-old girl moving the wheel, and with a bit of struggle, she was able to veer them off the highway, though she winced as they passed through what had to be several traffic lights before finally, finally landing on a New Jersey rural road. Panting from the effort, Percy let go of the wheel, and the driver cursed some more as he steadied out his control of the bus. Her wide, sea green eyes then caught something that would, quite possibly, make the situation going on quite a bit easier: the emergency brake.

The bus wailed in protest as she pulled on it as hard as she could, slightly exhausted from the entire situation altogether. Nevertheless, they spun in a full circle before they came to a halt on the wet asphalt. The emergency lights immediately flickered on as the door flew open, and Percy noted with mild disgust that the driver was the first person out, though she had to move so she wouldn't be trampled over by passengers.

Feeling for her pen in her jeans' pocket – and now suddenly glad that she had put it there – Percy turned around, just as the Furies regained their balance. Luke held his sword and the whip calmly in both hands, though it was clear that he most likely stood no match when it was three to his one. Silently, the daughter of Nyx moved down the aisle, before she was about four feet away from the Furies. In one, fluid motion that seemed to go by way too slowly, she uncapped the pen, which once again turned into Riptide, and threw off Annabeth's cap.

The Fury shrieked as she sliced through it, before moving onto her sister and doing the same. "Face it, Mrs. Dodds," she said with a satisfied smirk. "You're no match for me." At the same time, she and Luke thrusted their swords into the monster, who vanished into golden dust with one, final scream.

Panting, Luke turned to her. "You really do have luck with taking them on, don't you?" he asked breathlessly. Then, he said the best statement that the noirette had possibly heard all day, "We need to get out of here."

Quickly, they stumbled out of the bus, while thunder shook in the sky. The other passengers were screaming and running around, and overall looking utterly useless, save for one. A Hawaiian-shirted tourist grabbed his camera and snapped a photograph of her. Then, things only got weirder when he winked, of all things, and said cheerfully, "Sorry, cousin, but I have to do my job."

And then he was gone.

Percy's legs gave out beneath her, whether from shock or exhaustion, she didn't know. Luke was quick to catch her, however, and readjusted her so that she was sitting comfortably. Rain, once again, fell down from the heavens, and began to soak them. "Our bags," Grover exclaimed as he moved towards the bus. "We forgot them –!"

BOOM! All of them looked on in shock as the bus's windows exploded in a fiery, almost movie-like scene. Lightning had left a huge crater on the roof, and for several moments, there was silence, none of them most likely unknowing of what to say or do. Then, out of nowhere, came a voice, "Those three ladies were terrorists!" And the mortals once again became hysterical.

Well, she thought mildly, if one person goes crazy, then the entire village goes crazy.

Grover whimpered, but Luke heaved her up bridal-style once again, and turned to the satyr. "C'mon, it's best if we get out of here now, before the police arrive," and with that, the son of Hermes ran towards the woods, rain still pelting them, as their friend followed, nothing but fire behind them and darkness ahead. Too soon for her liking, Percy's vision faded, and everything became black.

"…. What does that say?" she vaguely heard Luke saying. "Goddamn dyslexia!"

Percy's eyes fluttered open as the smell of hamburgers – dear Lord, hamburgers – and French fries washed over her, causing her stomach to rumble in hunger. It was dark now, and the clouds were gone, too, allowing her a sight of the beautiful sky above. Stars speckled the midnight blue, and the full moon appeared much closer, and had a yellow tinge to it. Supermoon, her mind immediately supplied, though she wasn't quite sure how she knew that.

"Where are we?" she groaned, rather pathetically. Her head throbbed painfully, and tenderly she brought a hand to her forehead.

Luke and Grover were both illuminated by neon lights. "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium," the satyr announced.

"Huh?" Turning around – and realizing that she was in Luke's arms again – Percy stood up on weak legs and surveyed the shops in front of her, across a deserted, two-lane street. There was a gas station that was closed and had obviously seen better days, a tattered billboard displaying an ad for a '90s movie, and the only open shop, which the neon lights and the smell of hamburgers came from. True to the name, she could see tons of picturesque lawn statues sitting in front of the main, warehouse building.

Her feet moved of their own accord, obviously in check with her stomach. Percy didn't really know how long she had been out, and the last time she had eaten any food whatsoever was before Argus dropped them off at the bus station, so saying she was hungry was not putting it bluntly enough. "Hey," Grover said as he trotted up to her.

"The lights are on," she replied. "Maybe it's open. We could stop and get a bite to eat before we continue, right?"

Her friend seemed unsure, but Luke was quick to add, "It would do us some good, Grove. We need our strength." Though he still didn't seem to think that it was a good idea, the satyr nodded, and together the trio walked onwards.

They went past the lawn statues, though one in particular caught Percy's eye – it was of a girl perhaps eight-years-old, except she wasn't smiling. Instead, she looked to be in pure terror, and her mouth was open as if she was screaming. However, the noirette simply decided that maybe it was a special commission or something like that, but then the sound of the door creaking open broke her train of thought.

Standing in front of them was a tall, Middle Eastern woman – at least, that was what Percy thought she was, because she recognized the black fabric that covered all but the woman's hands, and there was a thinner piece of fabric covering her eyes as well. She also carried an air around her, as if she had once been a rich, but kind woman. "Children," she said, her voice having a Middle Eastern lilt to it as well. "Surely it is too late to be out all alone, yes? Where are your parents?"

Neither Luke or Grover looked like they knew what to say, which meant the job fell to her. "We're runaways, ma'am," she said, putting on a hopefully convincing smile as well, though by the way they probably looked, that might be sound enough. "Our parents weren't very kind, you see."

The woman seemed to buy it. "Oh, that's horrible!" came the response. "You must be hungry, being runaways and all. Come inside, dearies, there's a dine-in area in back. I am Aunty Em, of course."

Relief washed over Percy as she walked in, while Luke raised an eyebrow at her, as there was so much difference in height between them, they couldn't really whisper. The daughter of Nyx merely grinned in response.

The warehouse was filled with more statues – people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits, and with different expressions on their faces. Though Percy wasn't a fan for sculptures or art in general, even she had to admit that the detail going into them was rather brilliant, especially because they were all so lifelike. However, though she might usually put some more thought into it, the noirette's stomach rumbled once again, reminding her of the fact that she was famished.

Sure enough, there was a dine-in area in the back. A fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser, like this wasn't just some side-road curio shop but a road stop as well. Percy's mouth immediately watered as Aunty Em gestured them to sit down at one of the steel picnic tables. All three of them obeyed, though Grover looked particularly nervous about it.

Aunty Em disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking, and the aroma of fried food was almost like ambrosia. Percy had forgotten the last time that she had had a hamburger and French fries, especially since the nymphs at Camp only served brisket or other healthy food. But junk food…just a nice plate of junk food sounded heavenly.

As soon as their hostess brought out the food – plastic trays heaped with hamburgers (though there was no cheese on it, and once again she was too hungry to wonder how the lady knew she didn't like cheese on hers), vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of fries – the daughter of Nyx immediately inhaled her food, and so did Luke. Grover still looked a tad too nervous to eat, but nevertheless he slowly ate the fries, and eyed the waxing paper, too. Aunty Em sat with her fingers interlaced, watching them intently.

"You have such lovely eyes, child," the older woman said to her suddenly, causing her to jump.

Grover froze and looked at the woman warily. "Oh," Percy replied, "Uh, thank you, ma'am." When Aunty Em did not speak, she added, "So, uh, you sell gnomes?"

"Oh yes. And animals and people – anything that catches my inspiration, really, and anything for the garden or custom orders. Statuary is quite popular, you know."

"A lot of business on the road?"

Aunty Em sighed wistfully. "Not anymore, no. Since the highway was built…most cars, they don't go this way now. But every once in a while, a person will come, and I must cherish every customer I get."

Now that she had had some food in her stomach, Percy had a feeling that something about the entire situation was wrong. Turning around to look at all the statues, one in particular caught her attention. It was of a girl holding an Easter basket, except she looked terrified, not happy. "Ah, you see, Percy," Aunty Em began, although she had no idea just to how the woman knew her name, "Some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred, and because of this, they do not sell. The face is hardest to get right, always the face. A long time ago, it was much easier, for my two sisters helped me. But they have passed on, and Aunty Em is on her own, with only her creations to keep her company."

Two sisters…where on earth had she heard about three sisters and statues before? And then, it truly hit her. The Gorgons. Three sisters who were cursed by Athena to have snakes for hair, all because one of them, Medusa, had been caught with Poseidon in the goddess's temple. And if her two sisters had passed on, that meant that Aunty Em was…

"You have such lovely eyes, my dear," the woman told her, almost affectionately. "Almost like the sea."

Percy, terrified, turned to look at Luke and Grover, trying her best not to show what she felt like. Grover was now eating the wax paper, while Luke looked tired, as if he could have a long, nice nap. "Now, can you do me a favor?" Aunty Em asked sweetly. "You are such lovely children, and it would be nice to take a photograph of you, so I could use it as a base for my next statues? I so rarely get to be with children, after all."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," she apologized, "But we really should be going – don't want the police finding us, you see –"

"Oh, but it wouldn't take long," if she could've been able to see the woman's face, Percy had no doubt that she would be smiling.

Especially since the photograph meant that they were going to be turned into statues. Medusa, the daughter of Nyx thought fearfully, Who's gaze can turn anyone into stone.

A/N: Okay, so a few things I should probably clear up with this chapter: One is that whenever you see somebody speaking in bold-italics, it's either acting like italics or it's because they're speaking in the ancient primordial language (which Percy naturally knows, kind of like Greek and Latin among the demigods). Secondly, I don't think I ever actually stated the heights of the characters. So, in case you were wondering, Percy stands at a measly 4"11 (she hasn't hit her growth spurts yet), Luke stands at 6"1, and Annie is around 5"3 (they don't really state Grover's height, so I'm going with 5"5.).

Now, onto the actual chapter. Luke's nickname for Percy came out of nowhere, may I say that loud and clear. My muse just told me to do that, and I did. Oh, and the saying "If one goes crazy, they all do" comes from an episode of Midsomer Murders, for those of you that are wondering. As for the guy in the Hawaiian shirt, yep, the primordials just love to play with their new, baby cousin – keep in mind they're several thousand years old by now, and so having another person in the relative family (not including the titans or their children) is rather amazing. You'll be meeting another one in the very near future, and that's all I'm saying. =)

Well, that's really all I have, besides the fact that an interlude may or may not be coming up. I haven't really decided on that yet.

Reviews:

SomewhereAlone: Thanks, that means a lot. =) Still having a lot of pain attacks, but those come naturally because of the summer. And don't worry, I'm bound to update this story some time or another. It's my baby. As for Percy, she's a fiery little thing, perhaps too much for her own good. And, to be honest, Lukercy is my OTP too! Thanks for the review!

Dogbiscuit1967: Eh, we're getting there. Slowly. Thanks!

Jeff: Errr….Not quite sure how to reply to this one…

See ya'll next chapter!