•as the world caves in•

•the land without rain•

After however many miles, the boar dropped us off at Gila Claw, Arizona. At first glance, you'd see a ton of hills, but upon further inspection, it was a junkyard that seemed to never end.

Grover tossed his acorns on the ground, and although he couldn't smell monsters, he knew there was trouble. We decided to camp out for the night so we wouldn't have to go through the junkyard while it was dark.

I could finally see the Milky Way. I'd seen it faintly, but light pollution was still an issue, even at Camp.

Zoë looked at peace, for just a moment. "In the old days, there were more. Constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"Sometimes you speak like you're not human," Percy said.

Zoë raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places, can the same be said for thee?"

This then started the daily argument between Zoë and Thalia over how to say stuff. Zoë mentioned Las Vegas, and Bianca freaked.

"No! Nico and I stayed there, I don't remember much, but it's bad."

I looked to Percy, who's color had drained from him. "Bianca, did you stay at the Lotus Hotel?"

She looked to me. "How could you know that?"

Thalia looked between us. "What's this Hotel?"

"A cooper of years ago, Grover, Annabeth, Percy and I got trapped there. It's made so you never want to leave. We thought we were there for an hour, but it was five days. It makes time speed up so quickly, and when you try to leave, they lure you back in."

Zoë leaned forwards. "Bianca, you said DC had changed, there wasn't a subway."

"Yeah," Bianca nodded.

"Bianca," Zoë sighed. "Who's the President?" Bianca answered. "Who was before that?"

"Roosevelt."

"Theodore or Franklin?"

"Franklin, FDR."

"Like the street?" Percy asked.

I shoved him. "You need some serious history lessons. He was President during World War Two, he served four terms because he helped with the Great Depression, and than the War happened, so the people kept voting him in."

"I thought presidents could only do two terms."

"Did you listen to anything I just said? We were in a War and just got out of a horrible economic state."

Zoë glanced between us. "Bianca, that was about seventy years ago."

Bianca stared at her hands. "I'm not that old! It's impossible!"

Before we could ask anything more, we were flashed in a a blazing light. Headlights of a limo stopped right besides up. I wished it was Apollo, but a sword stuck out of the open door against Percy's neck.

Ares.

Percy and the god got into a very heated conversation before they shoved us to a random taco place.

I watched from the shop as Percy sat in the limo and Ares stood watch, who was he talking to? It seemed like ages before he walked out and when he did, the taco shop and the limo disappeared.

Percy looked at me. "I met your mom."

My shoulders slumped. "She didn't want to see me?"

His cheeks were painted red. "She said she couldn't tell you somethings, that it would have to wait. She does say hi though."

I bit my cheek. "Yeah, whatever."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "We cannot trust Aphrodite."

Thalia nodded. "I agree, for once. She leads heroes astray."

I wanted to say something, hit them, bash their parents, do something, but all I did was let my nails stab into my palms.

We wandered through the junkyard of the gods; although it couldn't really be a junkyard with how much gold there was.

"You look a lot like your mom." Percy said.

I snorted. "She looks like whoever you think is pretty, Percy. You trying to tell me something?"

"No!" He stammered. "Wait not like that! Unless you want me to?"

I smiled and looked up at him. When we first met we were the same height, but now I had to really strain my neck to look at him.

As we started to make our way out, but a large foot blocked our path, which was connected to a large body. Talos, but he was too small.

Zoë looked around, before glaring at Percy. "Someone took something, who took something?"

Percy shook his head. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Before we could discuss, Talos took a step towards us, causing us to scramble.

The giant chased after Grover, and Thalia tried to shoot some bolts, but it didn't do much. I was stuck by Zoë as she shot arrows, but it was almost useless.

I peaked around the corner, getting ready to try to stab it's giant feet with Lepída when I saw Percy get thrown into the air. I was struck with the upmost fear as the giant made its way towards him.

Adrenaline came over me as I sprinted towards Percy, holding my sword out to stab its leg, and I did, which only made Talos turn on me.

I got knocked down, adrenaline already fading as I yelped in pain shooting through my ribs, I watched that giant and his stupid sword come down towards me before it suddenly jerked upright.

I watched in a mixture of shock and confusion, but Percy picked me up and ran with me to the highway. I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself steady. "What's happening?"

"Bianca might've gone in Talos." Percy said, sheepish smile on his face.

I watched as it came apart, arms falling, frantically trying to protest against it's inevitable doom. Bianca was doing that.

Zoë tan by us back towards Talos as it collapsed, and it looked as though her eyes were brimmed with tears.

•.•.•.•

We searched for Bianca, Zoë wept and Grover looked at us. "We won't find her."

"It's light out," Percy said. "We'll find her."

"No," Grover shook his head. "It happened just as it was supposed to. One shall be lost in the land without rain."

I gasped as the realization hit me. Bianca di Angelo was gone, and Nico di Angelo was alone, although he didn't know it just yet.