Walk With the Shadows [ Percy Jackson OC ]

FIFTY-TWO | Alex

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, Alex felt relief at the stench of a hot day in New York City. He knew these streets. Alex wasn't even sure how he knew them. But the path to the Empire State Building stayed in his mind as clear as if it had been marked for him.

The Mist must've hid them from the New Yorkers. If anyone had seen their true forms, broken, bleeding bodies and shredded, ash covered clothes, they would've been stopped by police. But no one stopped them.

Alex put one foot in front of the other. He ignored every ache, every stab of pain. He ignored the way tingling pain spread from the wound Ophelia had healed. And though it took almost all his concentration, he ignored the nausea building up in him as lack of food, drink, and overwhelming pain crashed into his body.

The only time Alex faltered was when the shadow of the Empire State Building fell over him out in front of the lobby. Wave after wave of memory hit him as he stood there, eyeing the pale stonework and glass doors. So much blood had been spilt here. Alex had thought he was going to die outside these doors, side by side with Connor and Travis.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. He felt blood trickling down forehead. All the exertion must've reopened some of the smaller cuts. Sweat stung the open wounds. He could still hear Ophelia and Kitty behind him. But this part, this was his to do.

Tourists and security guards roamed about the lobby. Flashes of memory of dying Half-Bloods scrambling for ambrosia and the healers blinded him briefly. When he recovered his senses, he located the only security guard in the entire lobby whose wide eyes were trained on them. The tall, pale skinned man with graying hair straightened when they locked eyes.

Alex strode forward. He could almost taste the end. He just had to get there first. And he had to hope they had gotten here in time.

"600th floor." He didn't have time to play games. "Do it."

The security guard didn't protest. He hadn't taken his eyes off them or the Lyre. Only when Alex had the Olympus key card in hand and disappeared into the elevator with Kitty and Ophelia was he free from the man's gaze.

"There's no 600th floor," Kitty said.

He couldn't think about Kitty right now. He couldn't handle that. His body ached too much already. He couldn't take his soul aching too.

Alex slid the key card into the slot. Almost immediately, a red button appeared on the panel. He pressed it.

They took the elevator in silence. He didn't know what was running through Ophelia's mind. The important thing was that she had rejected Eris in the end. She'd come back to the mortal world. They could deal with other stuff later. Alex tried to ignore the tingling numbness in his abdomen.

The elevator door opened. Alex stared out at the white tiled bridge that had been renovated after the battle. So close. They were so close.

His feet knew where to go even as his mind shut off. Everything just hurt so much. He needed ambrosia. He needed water and food. He needed a nap for a month.