Hey Guys!
I own a pg on fb named Percabeth Forever in my heart. In case you own an account on fb (I am sure most of you do!)Don't forget to go like it!
Anyways,
Look at the characters:-
Bianca Charlotte Jackson- 15 years old
Luke Peter Jackson-13 years old
Charles Edmund Jackson-10 years old
Zoe Sylvia Jackson-4 years old
These are the kids of Percabeth, from eldest to youngest.
Let's start!
It was a Sunday morning. The Jacksons, who lived in Manhattan, were getting ready to make the day a memorable one for their eldest child, Bianca, as it was her 15th birthday. Though the sky was gray, with a black tinge, indicating that there could be a heavy downpour, nothing could stop them from going on a quest- a mock quest for the birthday girl, so that she could get to know how to save herself from the nasty monsters inhabiting the Earth.
"Wise Girl!" Percy bellowed, waiting in front of their blue car, along with Luke and Zoe, stomping his foot, annoyed. They were to go to any place, to fight monsters and his wise girl was wasting time. This is very unwise and very much unlike her. Annabeth was (still is, though!) the daughter of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war craft. So, Annabeth was supposed to be very wise. Then, with a slight pang of guilt, he realised that probably she was indulged in some important work, and that's why she was delaying. He felt bad for calling her, which would make her rush up and mess up things. Waste of time, again. Curse ADHD!
"Coming! Charlie thinks Zozo should come along with us as well!" Annabeth shouted back, who almost spent fifteen minutes in convincing Charlie that Zozo can't accompany them. Zozo was their pet dog, gifted to Charles Edmund Jackson on his sixth birthday. Bianca took Zozo into her arms, as Charlie cried- "No!"
"Bianca! Go hand Zozo to the Milsons!" Annabeth ordered, offering Charlie a blue cookie. Charlie's eyes suddenly widened, he quickly grabbed it from his mother's hands and began eating it, elated. Annabeth rolled her eyes, partly relieved because he forgot Zozo and partly irritated because she had to go and refill her bag with blue cookies.
Whatever happened, blue food was the solution for the whole family- maybe except for Mrs. Jackson.
"What's wrong, mom?" Luke, his green eyes filled with concern, asked her, walking into the room. Luke hated it if he saw a line of sadness on his mother's face. She is a daughter of the mighty Athena, he would think. Nothing is tough for her. Then, his chest would puff up with pride. Annabeth even told him that his fatal flaw is hubris, just like hers.
Basically, Luke and Bianca were more like Annabeth while Charlie and Zoe resembled Percy, by traits. Talking about their appearances, Luke had blonde hair and green eyes, just like Charlie while the girls had dark hair like Percy's and gray eyes, like their mother's. It's weird how genes work!
"Nothing. You better go sit in the car along with dad and Zoe. We'll join you." She told him, dragging Charlie. Bianca followed them; secretly hoping that nothing should ruin her 15th birthday.
So, the Jacksons; the brave and wise Jacksons headed out to – they themselves didn't know where, to teach the younger ones, what monsters in reality were and how to kill them.
"Purposely seeking out the monsters to kill them... God, that's the perfect definition of fun!" Luke muttered, helping himself with a blue cookie.
"The best part, we don't even know where we are going! Very much like a descendant of Athena!" Luke muttered to himself. Bianca nodded her head, sitting beside him. Luke glanced at his elder sister, his eyes full of malice. His eyebrows formed an arch, and his thin lips were straight, which Bianca interpreted as his 'ready-to-mess-up-things' look. Bianca deeply inhaled, and exhaled. She was flummoxed with her brother's behaviour, constantly trying to play a prank on her. Does he get any medal for annoying me? She thought, mournfully.
"Luke!"
"Yes?" His voice quavered a little bit, which was insignificant for anyone except for her.
"You're planning something wicked, aren't you?" Bianca asked, the fear she was experiencing quite palpable.
"No!" Luke answered calmly, his eyes fixated on his fingers. Suddenly, Bianca realised, he was interested in his body parts. She shifted uncomfortably on the seat, her face frigid. Since she was seated in between Charlie and Luke, she turned towards her left and looked at Charlie, searching for any information she didn't have, on his face. Charlie's face was stoic, and Bianca was assured that Luke planned a solo mission- to ruin her birthday.
Percy was sitting in the front, in the driving seat, beside Annabeth, with Zoe on her lap. Annabeth didn't like driving, so it was Mr. Jackson who always drove to places. (Annabeth had more fun in glaring at their children, to see to it that they didn't destroy the car by shooting each other with water).
Percy started the car, and, with the music from the radio preventing any sort of communication among the family, they started. They removed packets of chips, cookies and their bottles of coke from their respective bags and began feeding themselves with the food. Bianca, quite nervously, munched on the chips, sitting straight, as if getting ready to protect herself from Luke, the prankster of the family. He smiled a bit, feeling bad for Bianca. He had made this plans aeons ago, when their dad announced that they would go for a random 'slay-monsters' trip on Bianca's birthday. Nothing, not even Bianca's pale face would make him relent. He smiled again, sipping from the coke bottle.
He lifted his right hand into the air and quickly slipped it into Charlie's packet, and without him noticing, grabbed a cookie. Charlie, who saw Luke's hand in the air, caught him red-handedly and frowned.
"Luke just took a cookie from my pack!" Charlie cried, as Percy turned the car to the left. Bianca took a cookie from her pack and dropped it in Charlie's, earning a vengeful look from Luke. 'Thank god', Bianca exclaimed to herself, 'mom didn't get to know what actually happened'. Then, she turned towards Luke, glaring daggers at him.
"No Luke, No way! I ain't letting you ruin my birthday present. The last time we fought, well, my room was drenched with water. I do not want the car to get messy on my birthday!" Bianca told Luke, with a stern look. Bianca's face seemed to gain its usual pallor, but, she still was scared of Luke and the mischief he would end up managing. He definitely was crossing the limits...
"You call this a birthday present? Are you kidding me? This is an absolutely personal-suicide mission."
"What do you mean by personal-suicide mission? Suicide itself is killing oneself personally" Bianca snapped, as Luke made awful faces at her. Bianca noticed him smiling to himself randomly, and she got even more scared. Luke was pretty famous for playing pranks on people, and she was sure that he would fool her, by playing a prank on her. Her fears were confirmed. She has to stay awake and scrutinize each and every move of his.
"Alright! Alright! No more fighting!" Annabeth waved her hand, as she saw Bianca mouthing something to Luke and turned off the radio. The looks on their faces conveyed to her that they had been fighting. She was vexed with their kiddish behaviour. Then, she was reminded of her half brothers, Bobby and Matthew, and the way they used to fight. She resolved that nothing could prevent them from fighting against each other.
She began feeding the little Zoe with a blue cookie. Zoe Sylvia Jackson, promptly bit it, beckoning her mother to let her take a sip from her coke bottle.
"These children are useless!" Annabeth murmured, glaring at her husband. Percy shrugged, or, tried to shrug, with an evil smirk on his face.
"Can't help it, can I?" He said, pressing his foot on the accelerator. "They got your wits and the girls your eyes; the boys, your hair." He smiled, turning the car to the left, again. Annabeth couldn't help but smile back to this darling of hers who declined immortality and fell into hell for her. She indeed was very lucky to have him. She never admitted this in front of him, but, that was the plain truth. She tried to feel the gray streak on her hair they shared, but, put her hand down when she realised that they no more had it.
"It's gone. Didn't you realise that, ages ago?" He teased her, glancing at her with mockery dancing in his eyes. He quickly turned away his gaze, focusing it on the road ahead of them. He sensed something wrong, as if they were moving away from the civilisation into the fresh, unaltered nature that existed before humans were born. As a reply, Annabeth smiled, sadly. She missed the gray streak on her hair. She felt as if a memory of hers went missing. But, with Percy aside her, every moment they spent together would be a golden memory she would treasure.
Annabeth turned back, to check if the three musketeers were up to something, again. Just then, Luke was about to throw his pack of chips on Bianca's head. Charlie looked at his mother and was about to warn Luke, when Annabeth shouted at them.
"Luke! No!" Annabeth shouted. Luke retreated, glaring at his sister, unable to glare at his mother. 'Damn it' he thought, bitterly. Bianca exhaled, relieved. She was expecting a bigger prank, like, Luke pouring coke on her shirt, maybe? Then, things would go badly wrong. Hoping that that was the end to his misbehaviour, she loosened her body, relaxed.
Mr. Stoll told Luke that to play a prank on his sister, all he needed was a perfect timing where there was no scope for suspicion. He failed at fooling her, again, he thought, sadly. However, Annabeth had other plans which were more important than scolding Luke.
"Perseus Jackson! Where are we going to?" Annabeth asked him, stroking Zoe's hair.
"Well... we're going to fight monsters, no?" Charlie interrupted. Annabeth glared at their son, and he bit his lip. The kids tried their level best not to irritate their mother- a glare from her was equal to a dagger sticking in their hearts. Bianca nudged him with her shoulder, and he went back to eating his snacks, staring at his mother from the corner of his eyes, to make sure she still wasn't glaring at him.
"Well... This educational "fighting monsters in front of the kids so that they can do the same as well" is your idea. I suggested that we could throw a party, at the behest of both the camps" Percy complained, halting the car beside a tree on the road. The road was stunningly empty, with no cars or any such vehicles travelling on it. It was aligned with trees on both the sides; it was almost like a garden.
Percy was surprised because he didn't remember this road at all and they've been living in this area since 17 years. He usually knew places in and around Manhattan. This place was hardly a few kilometres away from the city and he wondered whether he took a wrong turn. He remembered a mall standing in the place of the trees, to his left. He decided not to mention this to Annabeth, because, according to him, she would use her brain too much and declare that they were trapped. That was the last thing he needed, especially when it was his daughter Bianca's birthday.
"Where are we?" Annabeth asked, getting out of the car. Zoe stepped down as well. Percy walked towards the engine of the car, to check if something was wrong.
"Something's wrong! The car's malfunctioned!" He announced, with a scowl on his face. Annabeth sighed, walking towards the car, to retrieve her sword. Her drakon bone sword reminded her of Damasen, and she tried not to cry. Memories from Tartarus still tormented them, but, the time she spent with Bob and Damasen was probably one of her best memories and she prayed to Hypnos, to get the same dream every day, as compensation to Bob and Damasen, who saved their lives by risking theirs.
Zoe beckoned her siblings to get off the car. They did, as she wished, with sullen and grave faces, as if they were attending a funeral.
"Daddy thinks the car got spoilt!" Zoe told her siblings, walking towards them. Bianca opened her arms wide for her sister and lifted her into the air, with a sad look in her eyes. Zoe was the youngest child of the family; so, the other three often played with her and treated her as if she were a baby doll.
"That's impossible!" Percy spat, hitting the tyre with his leg. "I got the car checked recently. How could this have happened?" He placed his right hand on his right temple, massaging on it, as if he were suffering from headache.
"Well, Seaweed Brain! God knows, perhaps the mechanic guy cheated or something."Annabeth guessed, recovering from the painful memory of the eternal pit.
"The mechanic was Leo!" Percy told her. Annabeth shrugged, placing her hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it, hard, as if assuring him that nothing was wrong. But, something was wrong. Though he wasn't a son of Athena, he did have a good memory of places and this sudden appearance of this random silent road actually freaked him out. But, his journey to Tartarus made him treat other dangerous places as playgrounds where people could get hurt. Badly. This place was definitely something... important. Were some gods trying to isolate him from other places so that they could make him do his bidding?! Exasperated, he threw his hands into the air. He hated being a demigod. He wished he were a mortal, with Annabeth beside him. Without Annabeth... well, he couldn't imagine life. He never will.
Annabeth, on the other hand, was clueless; she didn't know what to do and hated it when she didn't know what to do. She always had a backup plan for a backup plan for a backup plan.
How did she not make a backup plan for this one?
Something was definitely fishy...
"I don't know. We could as well Iris- message Leo. But, there's no water around us!" Percy wailed, staring at the car, disappointed.
"Does that mean our trip is cancelled?" Bianca cried, looking at her parents' face, for information.
Percy looked at Annabeth, as if asking her if they could contradict her. Annabeth looked at the ground, not able to meet the kids' eyes. Bianca tightened her grip on Zoe's shoulders. Luke and Charles weren't really paying attention. They were looking at the road, with anticipation.
They could see a red colored dot approaching them with speed.
"Dad! Mom! Here comes a car! Can't we ask them to drop us off at some random monster-fighting place?" Luke asked them, excited. Percy looked at Annabeth and she, reluctantly, nodded her head, in approval. Charlie jumped, in excitement.
"Yaay!" Bianca beamed, tightening her grip on Zoe again.
"Ouch!" Zoe cried, "I am never standing near Bianca again. She presses on people's shoulders too much!"
Annabeth walked a bit forward, hoping to stop the car, to ask them if they could help them. Percy leaned on their car, in deep thought. They were in deep trouble, he concluded. He was breaking his head on how to save his family from the unknown threat that was nearer.
"Excuse me!" Annabeth shouted, waving her hands in the air, with the four kids waiting, beside her. The people in the car, which now looked like a little less blurred dot, obviously couldn't hear her.
"Quick! Grab something red!" Bianca shouted at Charlie. He rummaged for a red scarf from his bag and gave it to Annabeth. She took it from his hand and began waving it in the air. Percy walked towards them, to stand beside her, secretly praying to his dad, to stop the car.
"It was Zozo's favourite." Charlie added, throwing all his packets into the bag and closing the zip.
Poseidon heard his prayers.
The car was a Lamborghini, which was Percy's favourite. It halted just in front of them. The owner of the car walked towards them, briskly, with a smile on his face which made him look very childish. He was wearing tattered jeans and a faded orange T-shirt. His hair was golden, and looked no more than 17.
"Welcome! Welcome! The handsome man over here, yes, you can sit beside me, with the little girl on your lap. You, madam, please sit at the back, with these wonderful, smart kids as your company." The boy said, strutting towards his driver seat. Percy made Zoe sit on his lap, and turned behind, while Annabeth, along with the children, tried to ensconce herself.
" You Okay?" Percy mouthed. Annabeth slowly nodded her head, trying to quiet the kids.
"Umm! Sir!" Zoe called the driver. Annabeth wanted to know who the boy was, but, she failed to do so. Luke whispered something to Bianca and she shrugged, irritated. They were probably trying to guess who the person was.
"Yes?" He asked Zoe.
"Is this yours?" Bianca and Luke looked at him, eagerly.
"Yes! Of Course." The boy replied, as he started the car. Bianca, Luke and Charlie widened their eyes, envying him for his car. Annabeth felt relief wash over her. The boy was not at all hostile, but, the way Percy looked at him... Was she supposed to know him?
"Fred?" Percy asked him, stoically. The boy beamed, revealing all his teeth. His teeth emitted out so much light, Annabeth thought it was as if she was standing right in front of the sun.
"How many days can I live with the same incognito name? Call me George." He corrected Percy, smiling to himself. Annabeth felt as if a piece of information was missing.
"Fred? George? Who are you?" Annabeth asked him. He sort of did look more familiar. Then it struck her.
"Definitely not a Weasley!" Bianca muttered to herself. Luke looked at her, puzzled. He wondered how she could think of Harry Potter always.
"Oh please! Wait. This is Apollo, Annabeth. Kids, meet THE Apollo, the Sun God. Else, he would've introduced him by reciting an awful haiku." Percy wailed. He was reminded of Apollo's awful haikus and decided that it would be better if he didn't recite one. Ah! Those Good old days...
"Haiku?! No! I got bored of it!" Apollo muttered.
"Thank god! I mean, Thank You!" Percy exclaimed, relieved.
Annabeth smiled a little and continued to stare into the void, thinking of a backup plan. The kids, however, were totally shocked. They had never met a god in person. And meeting a cool god like Apollo in a cool car... Bianca thought it was the best birthday gift she could ever ask for.
Luke, however, had other plans. He was thinking of ways to irritate his friend, Joshua Wilkins, a son of Apollo, who had never seen his father or met him in person. Charlie didn't say anything either, he was searching for George and Martha; getting confused between Apollo and Hermes. Look at the child' knowledge in Greek mythology!
"Hello, sir. Nice to meet you." Zoe, the only one to acknowledge his presence, said. She guessed that he was supposed to be the father of many of her siblings' friends in the camp and wondered why this man was so young.
"Hmm... So, you're off to find trouble?" The god asked cheerfully.
"Yeah. You could say that." Percy admitted.
"Hmm...Where to, exactly?" He asked, as if he were singing a song. Luke realised why Josh loved singing and why his voice was wonderful.
"We don't know!" Percy replied. "Any place where we could find monsters and kill them. This is a mock quest for our kids."
"Hmm... Mock Quest, I see?" Apollo asked. "I can tell you only one thing. Your family will gain one and lose another, forever."
Silence followed. A wave of dread hit Percy. No, he thought, my kids and wife won't suffer anymore. My list of sacrifices has ended with the Giant War. So, he was correct. They were in trouble.
He was again praying to his dad, to see to it that he is the one who is lost by the family.
"Er... My Lord? Losing doesn't mean dying, now, does it?" Annabeth posed him a question.
"Ah mighty Annabeth Chase Jackson, that, is something I can't tell you and won't tell you. Have fun!" He said, stopping the car. "Besides, respecting me won't change the future, now, will it?"
"Why have we stopped?" Bianca asked him, with a tone of annoyance. Charlie wondered why she was speaking to him in such a harsh tone, since he was a GOD.
"You have reached the right spot. Where else will you find a perfect place to fight monsters? Open area, unlimited amount of grass, a dozen hellhounds-" Apollo didn't seem to be offended. Thank god, Charlie thought, else, either George or Martha would have bit her...
"Doggies? Like Mrs. O'Leary?" Zoe interrupted. Zoe loved to spend time with Mrs. O'Leary, which now lived with Nico and Will.
"Th-These are like her, but wilder." Charlie clarified her doubt. Zoe nodded her head, as if approving of his statement.
"Good Luck!" Apollo said, gesturing at them to leave. Luke wanted to punch him in the face, for the concern he didn't have for them. Then, he realised Apollo might blast him off with a ball of fire, since he was the sun god. Or worse, sing a sad song and make him cry. Gods, he thought, were so weird.
"But, why did you help us?" Annabeth asked, her face as straight as possible. She didn't want to show any emotion; fear or sadness.
"I don't really deliver to heroes glimpses of the future. When I do, I make sure they aren't really important ones." He said.
Percy looked at Annabeth.
After the six people got down the car, Apollo drove off, without even saying a goodbye.
"Not really important?" Bianca spat. "One of us is going to get lost and he's saying it ain't important?" The car sped away, as if it never carried the Jacksons
Annabeth almost forgot the presence of the kids. She went back to those good old days where she was a teenager. An active demigod, ready to fight the monsters; a teenage girl who was dating a teenage boy, looking forward to spend more time with him and their teeny tiny children.
Annabeth actually missed being a carefree teenager, where four children and a careless husband didn't depend upon her.
Percy wasn't exactly careless, but, Annabeth was much more responsible than him, making her the deciding factor in their family. She still wondered how she was able to manage these five people, without snapping.
"ANNABETH!" Percy shouted, jolting her back to the present situation."What do we do now?"
"What?" Annabeth blurted, becoming more conscious of herself as she sensed five pairs of eager eyes staring at her.
"This was your idea. You tell us what to do next."
"Are you blaming me for this?" Annabeth fired, placing her hands on her hips, "You think it's my fault we're going to lose one of us permanently?" Her gray eyes looked so dangerous, Luke suddenly wanted to run away, or do anything, except for getting stared at by those pair of eyes.
The rest of the children widened their eyes, scared of their mother's sudden outburst.
"Oh Annabeth! Don't be silly! Why are we going to lose one of us? That was a joke! Don't you remember Apollo calling us and telling us that he would play a prank on us on Bianca's birthday?" Percy laughed, tensed. Luke looked at Bianca, as if asking her to explain what was happening over there. Bianca shrugged, since she was as confused as he was. Charlie scratched his head, while Zoe stared at her father, her jaw dropped. The kids were profoundly confused. So was Annabeth. She kept on shifting her gaze from the kids and Percy. Percy stared at her, as if asking her to follow him.
"Yeah!" Annabeth relaxed, with a stifled laugh. "Yeah, you're right! C'mon children! Let's get ready to kill them off!" She raised her hand, as if asking them to move forward. Nobody moved, except for Zoe, who went forward to hug Percy.
Percy glared at Annabeth and she understood her fault. Her fatal flaw made her fire at Percy. She squinted her eyes and pouted her lips a bit, as if trying to say 'Sorry'
Percy slightly nodded his head, and turned it away, as if forgiving her.
"Guys!" Bianca called, "Doggies are coming!"
Annabeth, at once, assumed her role of a leader.
"Percy! Give Bianca her dagger. Luke, you hide with Charlie and Zoe. I don't want you guys to get indulged in the fight!"
Percy nodded his head, and gave Bianca a short, but pointy dagger made of Stygian iron. Bianca closed her eyes, gripping it. It was gifted to her by Mr. di Angelo. She exhaled, to get ready for a fight. When she opened her eyes, she saw Luke frowning. Despite her hatred for his behaviour, Bianca actually wished he could fight as well. She could already sense his feelings. Even she would've felt bad, if she were denied to fight.
"But, mum, I can fight! Besides, I am supposed to fight, remember?" Luke protested.
Annabeth saw that he had a point, and, since there was a prophecy that declared that one of them could be in grave danger, she didn't want to take any risk. As for Bianca, she was 15 and they needed a person to help them fight these huge hell hounds.
"Luke! Charlie and Zoe need help!" Percy said. "They would get scared if nobody were beside them"
Luke looked at Bianca, as if asking her to support him, and, she hung her head low, since she couldn't help him. She wanted to help him, but, she didn't want anything to happen to him on her birthday. Her parents didn't want her to fight, but, they have no other choice, since two people can't manage it alone. But Luke... They have a choice. They can save him, by not letting him fight. She realised how suddenly her mood changed from 'Can't-we-kill-this-boy' to 'We-have-to-save-this-boy'. Maybe that's what happens to all siblings.
Luke nodded his head, sadly. He shot a look at Bianca and beckoned his younger siblings to follow him. Bianca tried making an eye contact with him, but, he didn't meet her eyes. He walked away, with Zoe and Charlie following him. Bianca sighed, and decided that she would fight alone.
Charlie and Zoe followed their brother, excited. Charlie only fought a little bit in the camp, with his friends; a son of Iris and a daughter of Hecate. Since they were good friends, they wouldn't focus on winning. Whatever they fought was just for simple practice.
Zoe didn't even know half of the gods. She would go to the camp, only because her siblings went. Everybody in the camp was older than her, so, she would spend her time with Mr. D, playing cards with him. You could as well say that Zoe was way too excited when she found out that her parents are going to fight. She remembered Mr. D telling her that her parents could easily win a battle against Batman or Ironman or even Superman. Zoe would beam, as her cheeks flushed red. Her parents were super heroes and she would be one too! The 4 year old didn't know anything about her world...
"Listen up! I don't want us to see any of the fighting happening over here. Do you get my point?"
"Yeah." Charlie mused. He wished he were as tall as him, so that he could give orders instead of Luke.
"But, Luke! They're fighting! It would be amazing!" Zoe tried to plead him. Luke firmly shook his head, his eyes half-closed.
"No! Sorry!"
Luke further ordered them to remove their packets of chips from their bags, doing what he ordered them to do. They sat down, and began to eat the chips, while Luke was trying to explain to them the Greek Gods and their powers.
"Who was the god in the car?" Zoe asked, munching on some chips.
"Apollo!" Luke answered.
"Where was his staff? The two snakes?" Charlie asked his doubt, sincerely.
"That's Hermes! You oaf!" Luke shouted, amused by his misconception.
"Come on! Tell me the names of the gods and their powers!" Zoe said, sipping from the diet coke bottle.
"First, eat. Eating makes you feel better!"
So, Luke Peter Jackson, Charles Edmund Jackson and their younger sister, Zoe Sylvia Jackson, sat under a tree, facing away from the battlefield, pretending as if they were on a casual trip, bored of the concrete jungle surrounding them.
On the battlefield, Percy and Annabeth were holding their swords tightly, to get ready to kill them off. At least it was a battle field for Bianca, since it was the first actual fighting she would be doing. She stared as her parents transformed from sweet, gentle people to vicious, monster killing machines, shocked. Though people have told her how awesome they were in such stuff, she didn't believe it. Their team looked pretty strong. Bianca moved back from them, to fight alone. Though it was a stupid decision, Bianca didn't want her first battle to be spoon-fed to her by her parents. It looked to her as if her fatal flaw would make it difficult for her to survive...
"Ready?" Percy asked, not shifting his gaze from the hell hound charging towards them.
"Yep, Husband!" Annabeth answered. The hell hound was just a few inches away from them, when Annabeth struck her sword. The hell hound fell on the ground, "BOOM!"
"Hey! I was about to kill it!" Percy complained. Annabeth smirked, blowing the hair falling on her face. Percy slashed another hell hound, which fell on another hell hound and both of them fell on the ground.
BOOM! BOOM!
"We make a brilliant team!" Annabeth said, cheerfully. Percy nodded his head, folding up his sleeves to kill off another.
Bianca, poor Bianca, was having a tough time in killing them off. This is the first time she was actually doing some demigod stuff, she realised, as she saw her father kill one hell hound.
She decided that she has to fight well, to prove to her parents that she is as capable of doing heroic stuff as them. Just as a hell hound was about to attack her, she struck her dagger in its neck. She pulled off the dagger, as some drops of blood fell on her face, giving her a very dangerous look.
"Don't you think we should help Bianca?" Percy asked, fighting with a hell hound.
"Nah. Let her have her time." Annabeth said. "She wants to prove that she, Bianca Charlotte Jackson, is no lesser than her mighty parents. Her pride will prevent us from helping her."
"How do you know?" Percy asked, jumping on its top. He ensconced himself over there. He was trying to irritate it, since he needed to talk to Annabeth. Percy was actually bored of fighting with these creatures since they weren't so dangerous and they reminded him of the friendly hell hound gifted to him by Daedulus. Mrs O'Leary is now with Nico and Will. He discovered that he could pass some time by annoying the creature. The creature would get infuriated and lose its ability to think. Then, it would be easier for Percy to demolish the demon.
"Our fatal flaws! They're hubris!" She replied. Percy nodded his head, randomly causing wounds on its back, agitating it even more. The poor creature didn't know what to do, since its attacker was sitting on top of it. Percy felt bad for it, but, it could as well harm one of his family members and he forgot his pity for it. He saw blood gushing out of its body, and continued stabbing it even more.
Annabeth was randomly sticking her sword into the creatures' bodies, making them injured. Percy was sticking his sword in the same place, as if digging through its body. If it howled too loudly, he would pause for a moment and continue his 'game'. Percy was so bored of killing monsters; he found this 'game' very entertaining, even though blood was surrounding him.
"Bianca!" He roared, trying to tickle it, now, since it howled way too loudly, "Good Job! Kill more of these nasty buggers!"
"Yep!" She answered, blushing. She penetrated her dagger into a hell hound's nose. It shook its head and the dagger fell down. Bianca quickly lunged towards it, and on grabbing her dagger, rolled to the other side, without getting smashed by her enemy.
"Ola!" They heard someone call out for them. For once, the couple lifted their heads, only to see Thalia Grace, their good old friend riding towards them. Percy for once stuck his Riptide into its body and got down, retrieving it from the dead hell hound's body. Percy was actually shocked, because, he might've as well looked like her father.
"Right in time?" She asked, killing off a hell hound on her way.
"Totally!" Percy answered, waiting to formally welcome her. She ran towards him and ruffled his hair, as Percy bent and she hugged Annabeth tightly. Annabeth and Percy looked much older than her, but to Thalia, they still were kids who were always supposed to die.
The hunters of Artemis are here, Bianca realised with delight. Her mood got lightened up and she swiftly cut off another hell hound's leg, the one which was about to attack her mother, as she was looking at her friend.
Thalia Grace and her team began to kill the creatures, as if they were their bitter enemies. The way these maidens dealt with the hell hounds surprised Bianca. Taking them as her inspiration, she began slaying more in number. Bianca saw Thalia, once or twice, and always admired her. She loved the way these women lived without the companionship of men and defied the male chauvinistic society. She didn't treat men as if they were vermin, but, didn't think men are superior to women, either. Pushing those thoughts aside, she began to kill these monsters, alone.
_#########_
"Luke!" Zoe called, putting down her packet of chips for the first time since they arrived. "I think we can help them." They got up, and dusted their clothes off the chips' powder that fell on their clothes.
"Help?" Luke echoed, as if it were a new word to him.
"Take your sword. Go help them. We'll stay over here!" Charlie advised.
"Thank you!"Luke screamed, joyously, pecking Zoe on her forehead. She wiped her forehead, annoyed. He bumped his fists with Charlie's and turned, to run towards Bianca, to help her.
Both the Jacksons stood over there for some time.
"Charlie! I'm scared!" Zoe said, running to hug him. Charlie found Zoe trembling, much to his dismay. Actually, even he was scared. But, he had to remain strong, for Zoe. He tightened his grip on her.
Not loosening his grip on her, he turned, to face the battlefield. Astonishingly, he saw his parents fighting alongside a young girl, probably of Bianca's age. Charlie wondered who she was, since she certainly wasn't Bianca. Bianca and Luke were fighting alongside each other and they seemed to make a wonderful team. He also spotted a few groups of young girls, fighting the humongous creatures, shouting like mad ladies.
"Charlie!?" Zoe's voice was muffled, since her head was buried into his stomach.
"Yeah, Zoe?"
"What's happening?!"
Charlie didn't answer. If he told her how viciously they were killing off the monsters, Zoe would get scared. If he didn't, she would begin to imagine grave things, and get scared, again.
Whatever happened, getting scared was something inevitable.
"Umm... The hunters of Artemis are over here!" He said, as he realised why there were no men fighting over there except for Luke and his dad.
"Who are they, now?" she sounded a little bit irritated.
"Amazing women." He didn't have time to explain to her the whole thing...
"Like me?"
"Nopes " Charlie answered.
"Why?"
"You're amazing. They're amazing-er! Look at the way Luke is fighting!" Charlie squeaked, as he saw Luke jump and poke one hell hound in its eye.
"Really? Can I see?"
"N-no!" He stammered.
For the first time, he wondered why there were so many hell hounds reappearing from nowhere.
"Bianca?" Zoe asked.
"Umm-"He paused. Just then, Bianca was kicked by one hell hound. Bianca fell on the ground. Luke quickly ran to her assistance and tried to wake her up. She took his support and slowly got up, as Luke tried to defend her from a hell hound.
"She-She..."
"What?"
"She just killed two doggies!" He managed. He inhaled for some fresh air. "She killed them with her bare hands." He put his hands on his head, as if trying to straighten his hair. Bianca was in trouble and he couldn't do anything to save her!
"Whoa! Are her hands red with blood?" Zoe asked, excited.
"No! Why did you even get that doubt?!" Charlie tried to laugh, but, sadness took over him.
Apollo's words were ringing in his ears and for a frightful second, he thought that Bianca was dead, but, when he saw her chest rising and falling, he felt relieved. She was hurt a little bit, he tried to assure himself. He turned his attention to Zoe, who now was relieved as well. She stopped trembling. Charlie didn't try to update her with the happenings and neither did Zoe ask him for more. Both of them had a mutual understanding. Charlie's role was now a protective brother, he had to see to it that Zoe didn't get scared. Zoe accepted his leadership and played accordingly.
_################_
"Percy! Have you even wondered from where such a huge number of hell hounds have come?" Annabeth wondered, trying to evade a hell hound. Percy seemed to be tired as well; He wasn't attacking; he was defending. Thalia and her forces were aggressive; but they weren't as aggressive as they usually were.
"We need help!" Thalia grunted, as one of her companions fought with one wild, untamed hell hound.
"How?!" Annabeth asked.
Just then, they heard a screechy sound, a very screechy sound, which made Thalia, Percy and Annabeth shut their ears. Luke shut his ears as well, but, Bianca couldn't since she was lying on the floor. When the sound ended, she felt as if the world around her was spinning. But, the best part, all the hellhounds collapsed, due to the horrible sound. It seemed to be a taxicab whistle.
"Bianca!" Luke called, after recovering from the awful sound. Bianca answered back a very feeble 'yes', but, it was clear that she was not at all well.
"Where did that come from?" Thalia asked, scanning the place around them. Percy, on seeing Luke beside Bianca ran to them, with Annabeth behind them.
"Luke!" Annabeth called. "Did you fight!?"
Charlie and Zoe ran to them with pieces of ambrosia in their hands. Charlie fed Bianca with a piece of ambrosia. Zoe sat down, looking at a very weak Bianca, who had trouble in swallowing the ambrosia. She drank a little bit of nectar as well, but, there didn't seem to be any change in her condition.
"Yes, mom." Luke confessed. "If it weren't for me, Bianca would have d-"
"No!" Annabeth interrupted. "You don't dare say that word!"
"Sorry." Luke cried, choking on the word. Thalia, along with few of her hunters, came forward.
"Leave it to Ash. She can take care of it!" Thalia said, her hand on Annabeth's shoulders.
"Hey! Ain't I a better healer?" They heard a voice.
"Will!?" Percy spat, confused. "Nico!?"
"Hello!" Nico managed, his eyes on the unconscious Bianca.
"How-"
"Wait." Will said, silencing Thalia. "You met my dad right, Percy?"
"Yeah." Percy said.
"I found out. So, we followed you, to save you."
"How-"
"That, Brainy Face is something I don't wanna talk about, since I have other things to think about first." Will said, walking towards Bianca. He placed his hand on Bianca's forehead and muttered some prayers, to his dad.
"Percy! Don't worry. Will is amazing at such jobs!" Nico tried to assure his once-upon-a-time crush. Percy nodded his head, sadly. "Besides, she is my sister, right?! I will make sure Will heals her!"
"Thalia! How did you know we were here?" Annabeth asked, not trying to think about Bianca. She realized Bianca would be lost. Forever. She tried to mask off the grief with a stern look.
"We sensed too much monster activity over here. Lady Artemis marched, along with some of our other hunters to another spot. So... Yeah!"
"Hmm..."
Annabeth nodded, trying to focus on what was happening. Luke, Charlie and Zoe were staring at their unconscious sister, their faces very sad. Percy felt very bad, looking at his kids in such a horrible state. He wanted to strangle Apollo for reciting such a horrible prophecy. But, that was something the Fates did. Lives of demigods never ended happily.
"Bianca is regaining her consciousness!" Will announced, moving towards the conference held by the hunters and Percy, Annabeth and Nico. He actually felt bad after looking at the kids' faces. He wished their future was less painful.
"Mom!" Bianca called, trying to lift her head.
Annabeth ran towards her, her face very serious.
"I-I realized what the prophecy says!" She said, looking very weak.
"What?!" She asked, trying to control herself from breaking down, after looking at her daughter.
"Miss Grace..." She called.
Annabeth looked at her, as Thalia walked towards the girl. She beckoned the Hunter to bend towards her and muttered something in her ears.
"Its decided. This young maiden wishes to join the Hunt." Thalia announced.
"What?! No Bianca! You can't do this!" Percy cried, stupefied.
"Bianca!" Luke cried. He ran towards his sister, as tears rolled down his cheeks. Thalia moved as Luke sat in front of her. She smiled a bit, which made him feel very bad.
"I am sorry Luke! You won't have anyone to fool! Zoe? Charlie? Spare them for some time!" She said, coughing.
"Bianca! No! Please!" Luke sobbed, wanting to kill her sister for making such a stupid decision.
"No Luke! This is my destiny!" She said.
"Bu-"
"No Luke! Don't make her change her decision." Thalia said. She put her hand on his shoulder.
"Remove your hand."
"What?"
"DONT TAKE MY SISTER AWAY FROM ME! I HATE YOU!" Luke bellowed. He ran towards his father and began to cry very loudly, burying himself in his father's stomach.
Thalia felt bad, but, they needed recruitments. Bianca looked very promising. She couldn't afford to lose her, just because she was her friends' daughter.
Percy slowly stroked his hair, trying to calm him down, but, it was pretty useless. He didn't seem to pause for a breath as well.
Annabeth was suddenly reminded of the way they fought in the car and felt happy, since they cared for each other.
"Bianca! Are you sure?" Charlie asked.
Bianca looked up at Thalia, as if asking her to explain.
"Bianca is one of mine, now!" Thalia said. She summoned a few of her hunters, and they tried carrying Bianca on their shoulders. They walked towards the other hunters waiting for them.
"Bianca!" Nico shouted. The hunters, who had already reached their hunters, turned back.
"Bianca! Please think about it again!" He cried.
Percy realized how Nico must've felt, since she had his sister's name.
"No! I have thought about it! Thank you for your concern!" She said.
They walked away towards the hunters, as Bianca didn't even bid them a final goodbye.
"Dad!" Zoe cried.
The three kids kept on sobbing.
"Percy!" Nico called, as Will and Annabeth tried to calm down the kids.
"Yes?"
"What was the second part of the prophecy?"
"Gain another one!" He replied, wiping the tears.
"Don't worry. She is brave!" Nico said, patting him on his back.
"Wait!" Annabeth said, standing up.
"We need to search for someone. Some thing!" She said, as the kids, Percy, Nico and Will stared at her, wondering how she could think even in such a distressed situation.
"Something is fishy!" She muttered, as they walked towards the car.
"Will and I shall shadow-travel!" Nico said.
"No more underworldy stuff. Doctor's orders!" Will shut him up.
"I think the gods want us to do something." She said, as the weather surrounding them became cooler.
Nico suddenly smelled something very pleasant. Percy felt like he wanted to kiss Annabeth.
"Aphrodite!" Will said, as a figure walked towards them.
"What?!" The others yelled.
The kids gaped at the elders, not uttering a single word.
"Well... Well..." She said, as doves fluttered around, which, Nico found very creepy.
"Well Nico! Will is your one true love!" She announced. Nico blushed, as Will stared at him.
"Why did you come here?" Percy asked.
"Ohh! I actually made Apollo say a random prophecy. It doesn't exist!" She squealed, as she handed Annabeth something.
When Annabeth saw what the goddess gave her, she was stunned. It was a baby girl, with lovely kaleidoscopic eyes and red hair. Her cheeks were red and she looked really cute.
"A baby!" Annabeth whispered, as the baby tried to kick her.
"What?" Nico asked
"Well... This one is my new baby, fathered by this guy called Ryan Wellbeloved." She squealed.
"Why're you giving her to us?!" Percy asked.
"Her father died." She said. "An accident."
Annabeth felt really sorry for the baby girl. She already began to like her.
"What shall we name her?" Zoe asked.
"Name her after your hunter daughter. Gah! How sad! I was planning for a love triangle!" She said.
"Bianca!" Zoe cried.
"Yeah! Bianca is back!" Nico said.
"What was the 'Will is your true love' part?" Will asked, eyeing his man suspiciously.
"Nico had some counts. I clarified his doubts." She said.
"Aphrodite!" Annabeth called her.
"Yes, darling?"
"Apollo's prophecy is true. When you asked him to say a random prophecy, you actually made it true!" She said, looking at baby Bianca.
"Annabeth! I have a feeling she'll make us proud one day!" Percy said, as they walked towards their car.
Annabeth didn't listen for anything except for the baby's squeals.
Life is so weird! It gives you one thing, as you lose one.
Though life isn't fair. Sometimes it seems to be.