Author's Note: Oh My Giddy God Trousers! Fiery Brunette has written a new story! And seeing as I hardly ever ever do this, please do me a favor and read, yeah? You know that I'll totally send you a plate of virtual cookies if you do!
Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all characters, plot themes and other elements from the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I own nothing.
Spoilers: Basically all of the books. You've been warned.
Rating: T for language and references
"Chaos is like gravity. All it needs is a little push." -The Joker, The Dark Knight
You would think that I'd be almost used to near death experiences by now.
That by facing so many manyperilous dangers and conquering them all, that I've somehow gotten to the point where absolutely nothing can scare me, whether it means imminent destruction or not. But nope. Clearly, saving the world at least a dozen times over has done nothing whatsoever to improve my intuition skills, so that when…say…a monster tries to kill me while spending some time with my boyfriend I shouldn't be surprised in the least. But nope, not me. I remain, as always, the naive and unprepared Annabeth Chase when real catastrophe strikes. Not that I can't deal with it, but still, I'm never ready for it.
Of course.
It had started out as a normal Saturday afternoon. Normal enough for us, that is. We (that is, my boyfriend and I) came to the New York Aquarium, which—if you know us—is somewhat of an inside joke. We bought some ice cream and walked along the tanks and tanks of jellyfish and sharks. It was a perfectly nice afternoon. I wasn't expecting anything to go wrong whatsoever.
So imagine my surprise when a gigantic fist comes right out of nowhere and knocks the two of us over, also smashing several aquariums in the process and making everyone in the room and start screaming and running around.
And it's not like this sort of thing has never happened before, believe me. So, may I ask, how did I not see this coming?
I'm now standing up, blinking, trying to figure out what's going on, and what in the name of Hades just attacked us.
Clearly, ten consecutive summers spent at Camp Half Blood has done nothing for me whatsoever.
"Annabeth, to your left!" Percy now shouts at me, tucking and rolling forward on the other side of the aquarium we're standing at as he draws his sword out of his pocket.
Yes, I did say sword.
Now, yeah, to some of you normal kids, I have to consider that this whole ordeal of having a near-death experience while on a date may seem a bit…extreme to you.
Trust me, it's not.
In fact, can be all but a perfectly ordinary experience in your life. Especially when your boyfriend happens to be practically indestructible, and therefore a magnet to all blood thirsty beings looking for a good kill. Over the last ten months or so of dating Percy Jackson, we've probably been attacked all of fifty times while on dates. And I'm proud to say that every time we managed to get by without any major damage, quite the track record for us.
Percy shouts, grinning as he leaps after our assailant and attempts to stab him.
That's another thing about having an invincible boyfriend; when monsters attack you, it's actually kind of fun to fight them off.
Except for the small fact that I can still be killed.
But details are vastly overrated in this story, believe me.
I follow Percy's lead and duck behind the nearest glass aquarium just as the fist of a Lastrigonian Giant smashes the glass, sending poor little goldfish swimming over the entire floor. More people scream and run from the room. I merely grimace at the feeling of glass shard pricking in my shoulder. It hurts like hell, but there are certainly more important things to worry about.
Getting the Hades out of here alive sounds like a good place to start for the time being.
"Hey, Wisegirl," Percy grunts, meanwhile dodging several blows from our attacker, "Some help would be nice!"
Now, here's the part where I should start playing the part of the helpless girlfriend and start sobbing in terror while my boyfriend saves the day, right?
Wrong.
Within seconds my dagger is in hand, any hopes of having a 'normal' afternoon like a 'normal' teenager strewn about the wet floor with the goldfish.
But like I said, I really should have seen this coming.
"Go right!" I suddenly bark at Percy, whose eyes are flashing with both concentration and amusement as he bounds up to the right of the giant and pricks its left flank with a vicious stab. The giant wails, swiping at Percy and missing him as he all but skips out of his way. At the moment I can't help but feel jealous at Percy's easy agility. One little bath in the river of death and he is all but a damn ballerina dancer when in battle.
Typical.
"How the Hades did this thing even find us?" Percy yells amidst the giant's howls of pain as I slip under its legs and slice along its left thigh. Skidding to a halt, I grab the iron rail of the handicap ramp and use my momentum to swing myself around and meet up with my boyfriend. We sneak into the corner of the room and take refuge behind the nearest cardboard cutout of Wally the Whale, encouraging kids not to pollute the oceans with trash and oil, breathing hard and feeling slightly annoyed that our attempts at a normal date have been foiled yet again.
I glance dubiously at my boyfriend, who is looking hassled but slightly entertained as he wipes giant blood off of his sword. His hair is sticking up on one side and there is a bruise on his head (from where the giant first hit him all of five minutes ago), and I sort of want to smile, because in all of his disheveled glory, he's still sort of cute.
Sort of.
"I don't know how it got in here or how it found us." I snap, my mind racing to make calculations, computations to figure this out. Chiron had even said that we were more likely to fall into one of the glass tanks of fish than to get attacked by a monster here in the aquarium. Monsters didn't tend to show up in underground buildings unless they were really hungry. And since Percy and I had personally overseen the ass-kicking of Kronos and all the ugly minions that came with him, I wasn't really expecting to get attacked by a monster. I mean, yeah, so every date over the last year with Percy had ended up with us fighting off a monster, but who was to say that it would happen again?
Well, it did. And I have to say that I am sufficiently more pissed than I was on the other dates.
"Well, we better figure it out soon, cause we've got company. Looks like ugly-face wants another rumble." Percy gestures over to the corner of the room, where the giant is shoving his bulbous nose into the now empty fish tank, sniffing for us.
The New York Aquarium we had been walking in before so rudely interrupted was now devoid of any people besides Percy and I. They'd pretty much freaked and ran out after the part where the giant smashed the first fish tank. Though I hardly think what they saw looked anything like a giant. The Mist—thankfully—fixed any signs of magic that might have been visible. Tourists probably saw what looked like a big fat terrorist attacking two kids out on a date. Alarming enough to anyone, but really, it's nothing New York hasn't seen before.
I would know.
"You take right I take left?" I offer with a small smile, shrugging my shoulders.
Percy's returned smile confirms my question and, pointing forward, we creep out from behind our hiding place, only to find that the giant is not in the room anymore.
Great.
"Crap." I mutter, looking around the wreckage of the room for any signs of where it might have gone. "Where the Hades did it go?"
Percy doesn't answer me, as per usual when I ask questions that don't have easy answers. He is pacing the water around our feet, a puzzled expression on his face. I can tell from the small crinkle in his eyebrow that he is attempting to assemble a plan for us, when he really shouldn't bother. Assembling plans is and has always been my field of experience on this team. His is doing what I tell him to do. It usually works, this system of ours. Except for the many times where he decides that I have no clue what I'm doing and does what he thinks is best.
Which hardly ever ends prettily, but I digress.
We probably could stand here all day trying to figure out what to do next. I am about to just tell Percy that we are going this way when our direction is pointed out right before us.
Pointed out by the blood curdling scream coming from the floor above us, that is.
After sharing a quick glance Percy and I bolt up one, two, three flights of stairs to the main ground level of the aquarium. I am aware that chaos seems to be reining upstairs, judging by the sounds of more screams and footfalls above our heads, accompanied by a few choice crashes of course.
Suddenly, we've reached the main level and it is—as predicted—in chaos. Souvenir stuffed walruses and dolphins are strewn about the floor and tile are smashed and glass is shattered everywhere. It takes all of a second for Percy and I to locate the giant and all his smelly unattractive beauty, facing a corner. And though there is no particular reason for the giant to be facing the corner, my suspicion is immediately pricked.
Another muffled scream comes from directly where the giant is.
I am about to turn to turn to Percy and make a plan with him. You know, regroup, assemble our wits, and then charge headfirst into battle? But by the time I look over next to me, Percy is already dashing across the room, straight for the giant, sword in hand.
Remember when I mentioned earlier that Percy tends to have these moments where he just doesn't listen?
Well, this is one of those.
Of course. Of course. Leave it to my boyfriend to be the impulsive stupid one who forgets me in his eagerness to let his testosterone take control of his actions. How nice.
I sigh exasperatedly and began trudging over to Percy, who is busy leaping on the giant's back and bludgeoning the its head with the hilt of his sword, and glance over at the corner where the giant (who is currently roaring in pain as he tries and tries to claw Percy off of his back) had previously been standing. What I see stops me short.
Oh, so that's who'd been screaming.
The mortal girl huddled in the corner is about my age, maybe a year younger. Her face is utterly riddled with fear and streaked with dirt and tears. She looks like she's been on the run for weeks, months even. Probably one of those homeless teens in revolt of society. Yet despite the exhausted look in her eyes and the grime on her skin, she is naturally and innocently beautiful, like she isn't even trying to be so. Her chestnut brown hair is strewn about her shoulders and her ocean blue eyes blink up at me as if not sure I am real.
But hey, I'm not one to point fingers. If I was a mortal who'd just been attacked by a giant ugly monster (and probably seen it as a big fat terrorist because of the Mist), I wouldn't exactly know what was real or not either. But maybe that's just me.
"Here," I hold my hand out, hoping to sound kind without sounding too sappy. I'm not particularly cheery when I'm in such a mood as I'm in now, "Let's get you up. It's going to be okay."
The girl stands fluidly, not even taking my offered hand, and then blinks at me. "Thank you. That giant would have killed me were it not for you."
Now it's myturn to stare. This girl can see the giant. See it as it actually is. She isn't a mere mortal. My mind starts racing, because that can only mean one thing. How did she get here? Is she a demi-god? Why isn't she at camp?
It's typical to just stumble on another demi-god walking down the street. Not at this age, at least. Thanks to Percy telling the gods what for last year, all demi-gods around the world have been popping up at camp half-blood by the age of eleven or so. But this girl--whoever she actually was--had to be much older than eleven.
Suddenly, a strangled yell sounds from behind me. Torn away from my current brain puzzle, I whip around as the giant (who seems to have finally managed to get together enough brain cells to figure out that its assailant is on his back) tears Percy off and flings him against the nearest wall, his lower back whacking sharply against the concrete. I watch in horrified silence as Percy crumples to the ground with a groan, practically incapacitated. His lower back (at least a very small portion of it) is the only part that is vulnerable in his whole body. He hits that, he's pretty much useless for the next day or so.
Which, considering our situation, really could be done without.
Groaning, because I know how grumpy Percy can get when he actually doesn't kill whatever monster he's after, I turn to the girl again and ask politely, "Would you um…excuse me for a minute?"
Not even waiting for an answer, I take a running leap onto the giant's back, driving my dagger into its skull and ignoring its roaring and flailing hands as I kill it. Meanwhile, amidst the flailing and roaring, I'm trying to figure out what to do after this. After I get Percy up from his lovely collision with the wall and grab the girl, where to? The answer is unavoidable, despite the fact that I'm unwilling to embrace it.
I hadn't planned on returning to Camp Half Blood for another month or so, but it looks like what I planned on doesn't matter much any more.
Dodging another blow from the giant and stabbing it once more, I realize that I'll end up having to drive us all down there. The notion that I actually have to be the one who does the chaperoning on this particular field trip makes me more irritated than anything else.
The giant finally topples over, and I leap (albeit a little clumsily) off its back, landing on the floor and stumbling just a bit as the giant disintegrates in a puff of putrid yellow smoke.
Well, now that that's done with...
Wiping my palms on my jeans and smiling satisfyingly to myself, I turn on my heel to my boyfriend, who is lying on the floor and groaning still, eyes closed. My eyes slide from him to the girl who is no longer standing where she was.
In a second I find myself wishing she'd just stayed there.
She's sitting next to Percy, with his head in her lap, dabbing the blood off his forehead with her sleeve.
A dart of annoyance flashes across my stomach but I ignore it, dismissing it as post-battle jitters. I walk over, my ears picking up the far off sounds of Police sirens. It won't be long until we've got company. Bending down next to Percy and the girl, I subtly lift the back of his shirt and press my fingers lightly to his Achilles heel (or...Achilles back, I guess you could call it), recoiling when he hisses in pain. It's probably just a bruise to the skin, no bleeding or anything, but it's enough to mortally wound Percy.
Relieved that he's okay--or will be, once he stops moaning and groaning--I round on him, ignoring the fact that there's a witness to my wrath. Let the girl watch all she wants.
"What in the name of Poseidon's pajama's where you thinking, Seaweed Brain?" I ask through clenched teeth, placing well-practiced hands on my hips and towering over him. I'm hoping that I look plenty scary, even though he isn't even looking at me. "Jumping on its back without even consulting with me? Of all the stupid, immature things to do..."
Percy, whose eyes are closed as he groans and moans about his headache, frowns at me. "In case you were wondering, Wise Girl, we didn't exactly have a plan, nor time to make one."
The sound of sirens became closer and I swear out loud. We need to get out of here now, and he wants to discuss specifics.
Resisting the urge to haul off and punch him, I bend down again and start to stand Percy up. "C'mon, moron, we're getting out of here."
"And here I was thinking we were going to wait around and have a chat with the cops." Percy winces, leaning heavily against me.
Helping Percy stand up turns out to be more of a chore than I'd wished it to be, and I can tell he isn't going to get any lighter as we struggle to get to the nearest emergency exit. I figure that if we can just get down to my car, we'll be fine, I rationalize, grunting as Percy's weight continues to bear down on me. We can get back to Camp Half Blood and figure the situation out there.
"Here," the girl suddenly appears at my shoulder and I realize I've practically forgotten about her. She comes up behind his other shoulder and tries to help carry him. I say try to help, because she didn't really help, because once she tried to pick up Percy he just fell right back down to the ground again like a puddle of Jell-O.
"Ugh..." He groans again. I ignore it.
"Great." I mutter, holding back a Greek curse that would make any sailor blush. The situation is notimproving. I can tell you that in minutes cops and EMT's will be swarming the place, and it won't look very good on our behalf if we were still in here, covered in monster blood and trying to escape. "Just great."
I realize slowly that while I stand there overlooking the entire situation and trying to figure out what the heck to do, that the girl is bending over Percy again, brushing more blood and sweat off his brow and smiling at him. Why is she smiling at him like that? My stomach lurches again and I grit my teeth. This girl, with all her innocent beauty and helpful attitude, is really starting to irk me. I'm about to tell the girl to knock it off with the Percy-preening when said Percy gasps out loud. I glance worriedly at him, but am confused to not find him in agonizing pain. In fact, the look on his face shows what he's feeling is anything but that. He's staring at the girl, wide eyed, as if her head had recently sprouted snakes.
I can't help wishing it had.
I look from one to the other my jaw dropping as the girl blushes prettily and lowers her eyes to her lap, whispering softly. "Hello, Percy."
And hey, I may not be one of the most intuitive people in the world, but I happen to know when two people are familiar with each other. Really familiar. Like 'Hey-I-know-your-name-and-it's-been-so-long' familiar. I watch the girl with narrowed eyes and ask rather petulantly, "Um, do you know her?"
I'm hoping one of them will say 'No, we don't know eachother', or that her knowing his name was a lucky guess. But I can tell, from the way he's suddenly smiling, and the way she's blushing, that there is definitely something here I'm missing.
Something that I never knew about before.
I watch with masked horror as Percy's face takes on an expression of recognition, almost glee, as he stares at the girl with the cerulean blue eyes.
And then he utters the one word that soon begins the unraveling my very own sanity:
"Calypso?"
A/N: Yeah, I know that's sort of a cliffie there. Please don't kill me. Please just review and back away slowly. And yes, this is a chapter story. I promise I'll update soon. :)
