New York City, a crazy place packed full of bright lights and people, with secrets that lie hidden right under the surface. To the average person we probably looked like two girls, sisters even, who had just gotten out of school for summer holiday and were getting to spend their daddy's money in the big city. How wrong they were.
"Come on Annabeth! They are this way, trust me." I said, dragging my blonde friend with me by her arm. We were by Madison Square Garden, a huge arena that was quickly filling with people going to a concert. "How can you be sure Felicity? We have been searching for hours, going on nothing more than a dream and your 'gut feeling'. This is hopeless!" Annabeth's gray eyes studied me intently, like she was trying to make me admit that this was nothing more than a wild goose chase. I was about to admit that she was right when I locked eyes with a beautiful girl who was waiting in line for a concert. She shot me a dangerous look and her three friends turned to glare at me, licking their lips intently. I nudged Annabeth with my elbow, "Empousa," I hissed. She looked at me and knew that I was right; the five we were looking for must be close if they were attracting monsters. We snuck around the side of the arena we had been standing by and slipped into line with a bunch of excited girls. "Where are your tickets? No passes, no meeting the boys," a burly man told us. Annabeth and I exchanged a look, having no idea what the man was taking about. I recovered myself and snapped my fingers in front of his face, manipulating the Mist. "Our passes are right here, and you are going to let us in and forget that you ever saw us." The man blinked, his eyes a few times looking dazed, then he ushered us into the building. We quickly made our way into the building, following the group of girls ahead of us.
Security guards led us down a hallway, and a man dressed jeans and a button down shirt met us in a sitting area. "Now ladies, I know that you are all excited to meet One Direction, but you can only go in small groups so you will have to wait your turn." This was met with a collection of groans from the girls, while Annabeth nudged me and mouthed, "One who?" I only shook my head, the name ringing a slight bell in the back of my head. The man, who had introduced himself as Paul kept gazing at us intently, like he was trying to remember something. Paul made his way over to us, and looked us up and down. "I was expecting something more when Chiron said that he was sending demigods to help protect the boys." Annabeth glowered at him, "I have no idea what you are talking about." "Don't play stupid with me girl, I know a couple of demigods when I see them. Now tell me, where is the protection that Chiron promised to send?"
"What were you expecting? A few sons of Ares armed with swords? That's hardly inconspicuous." Annabeth exploded. Before Paul could bite back, I tensed, feeling cold shivers run down my back. I turned around and saw the girls from earlier walking into the sitting room. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Before anyone could stop me, I walked out of the room, hoping that the Empousa would follow me. As I left I heard Paul say, "She's crazy, that daughter of Aphrodite is going to get herself killed." And Annabeth retorted, "She is hardly a daughter of Aphrodite, she knows what she is doing… I hope."
I went down the hallway and into the restroom, praying to the gods that they would follow me, and lucky or not, they did. Minutes later the bathroom door open and two Empousa entered. The first was tall and thin, with long red hair, while the other was shorter with brown hair. They both smiled at me, looking both beautiful and menacing at the same time. They first one laughed, circling around me like a lion about to attack its prey. "I can't tell if you are brave, or just plain foolish silly girl. Do you really think a child like yourself can take on two Empousa like us?" Her manicured fingers ran through my long, wavy blonde hair. Ocean blue eyes met red eyes as the Empousa began to reveal her true form. Before she could act, I drew my sword and sliced her in half. A loud scream was heard as she disintegrated into dust like all monsters do. Her friend snarled at me, "Megan was young and naïve, I will not be so easily defeated, young half-blood. Let me show you, daughter of the sea, what a true Empousa is." Where the girl once stood was now a monster with flaming hair, one leg that belonged to a donkey, and one that was made of celestial bronze. I was backed into a corner as she advanced, bearing her pointed teeth. I raised my sword and prepared for her first strike, which came hard and fast. The bathroom was full of the sound of clashing bronze, and cries of pain when a blade found its mark. We were well matched, but she had the advantage and I was beginning to tire. Knowing that I had to act fast, I felt the familiar tug in my gut as the water in the pipes obeyed my command. Water exploded out of the pipes, drenching us both. The Empousa snarled at me, trying to fight through the torment of water that I was sending at her. With one well-aimed slice, she exploded into dust, and I dropped to the floor surrounded by water. Blood was dripping down my cheek from her claws and I was tired, but I knew that there were still two more Empousa for me to fight.
As soon as I left the bathroom, a clawed hand tangled in my hair and threw me to the ground. "You horrid girl! How you managed to defeat my sisters is beyond me, but I will end you!" I pushed myself off the ground and faced the newest Empousa, "Do your worst, donkey leg." She charged at me, and the dangerous dance began again, but this time I was loosing. I cried out in pain as she slashed her claws down my left arm, leaving nasty cuts. The Empousa threw me into a wall and raised her whip, ready to finish me off. I managed to roll out of the way and swung my sword blindly. With some stroke of lucky, I had managed to cut off her wrist, and she was sent back to Tartarus in a flurry of dust. Coughing, I struggled to my feet and inspected the demigod shaped dent in the wall. I slowly made my way back to the room hoping to find Annabeth, but she wasn't there. I could distinctly hear her voice behind a closed door, arguing with Paul. Before I went in, I looked at my reflection in a mirror. I was soaking wet, and covered in monster grime. My clothes were burned and ripped, and you could see the blood seeping through my cardigan. I groaned to myself, great way to meet a world famous boy band, Felicity, I thought to myself, you really know how to make a great first impression.
I pushed the door open and all conversation in the room stopped. I felt seven pairs of eyes on me, and self-consciously looked down at my sword, which I realized was still in my hand. "Who the bloody hell is that?" My head snapped up and my eyes locked with a pair of green eyes that belonged to a boy with curly hair. Before anyone could answer, Annabeth rushed over to me and began her scolding. "What in Hades name were you thinking Felicity? Taking on all those Empousa like that, you could have been killed!" She rambled on until she finally noticed that I was bleeding, "Oh gods Felicity your hurt!" Annabeth began fussing over me like I was a toddler, trying to take off my cardigan and make me sit down. "I'm fine, Annabeth, its only a scratch." I tried soothing her, but nothing seemed to work. Finally Paul came over and gently pushed her out of the way. He made me take off my cardigan and inspected my arm. "That's some scratch missy, I'll get you some ambrosia and bandages." The five boys had gotten out of their seats and came over to see what was going on. Their faces held expressions varying from confusion and disgust to curiosity. Finally, the curly haired boy's patience seemed to snap, "Would someone please explain what the hell is going on here! First Paul beings some girl in here who keeps going on about demigods and 'the five' and then another girl shows up soaking wet, covered in blood, and carrying a sword! Am I the only one who is confused by all this?"
Silence follows his outburst, and Annabeth, Paul, and I share a look. Knowing that someone has to start, Annabeth took a deep breath and began talking. "Do you guys know the story of the Greek gods and goddesses?" All the boys nod their heads so she continued. "Well, those aren't just stories, they really exist." "You have got to be joking me! Are we being punked?" A boy with black hair asked us. "They aren't lying," Said Paul. "The gods really exist, they are demigods, and so are you." "And what is a demigod exactly?" A boy with blonde hair and an Irish accent asked us. "A demigod," Annabeth answered, "Is a child of a human and a god. They have one godly parent and one human parent." "Who is your godly parent then?" The curly haired boy asked her with a sarcastic tone. "I guess it is time for proper introductions, then, "Paul said. "This is Harry, Louis, Liam, Niall, and Zayn." He pointed out each boy as he named him, and then gave us a pointed look at us. Annabeth answered first in a proud tone, "I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom." She turned to me, caught my hesitant look, and gave me an encouraging look. "I am Felicity Stone, daughter of Poseidon, the god of the sea." I braced myself for something bad to happen, you don't go around casually announcing that you are a child of the Big Three. Paul gave me an incredulous look, "How is that possible? You aren't supposed to exist! The Big Three made a pack years ago." I only nodded absent mindedly, "I get that a lot. Yet sadly, I'm still here, so someone must have missed the message. And I'm not the only child of the Big Three; the others fell off the wagon too." Paul only shook his head but before he could say anything else Liam interrupted us, "Wait, the Big Three. As in Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades?" I nodded; they seemed to be catching on pretty quickly. "Prove it, if all this demigod stuff is real, then show us." Harry was the only one who seemed willing to voice what the others were thinking. I looked down, as if the sword wasn't proof enough. I saw the glass of water next to him and raised my hand. The water responded, rising out of the glass. It twisted and kept moving until I dropped my hand, and the water spilled over his lap. "Is that proof enough?" I asked a fuming Harry, and he nodded his head indignantly.
"Now that introductions are over, care to tell me how you found us, and why all these monsters are after us?" Paul asked, trying to steer this conversation in the right direction. I told them about the dream I had involving the five, and how Annabeth and I had asked Chiron for permission to find them. I explained my fight with the Empousa and everything else that had happened. "And with all the monsters, the best I can figure is that there was some protective blessing on the boys that finally wore off. Having five demigods together is dangerous. It also doesn't help that I'm here, I attract more monsters than the average demigod." I finished my story and took this opportunity to study the boys. I had to admit that they were all attractive, annoyingly so. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting with the five, but a world famous boy band hadn't been on the list; they weren't trained heroes, they were performers, singers. I sighed, but told myself not to judge them so quickly, who knows, I thought to myself, maybe with some training they will turn into real heroes.
"Do we know who their parents are?" Annabeth asked. Paul was about to answer when I gasped. Symbols began appearing above the boys' heads: a lyre above Harry and Louis, an owl above Liam, a caduceus above Niall, and a dove above Zayn. They all sat there in shock until Liam spoke up, "What do these mean?" Annabeth smiled, "You have been claimed. Hail Harry Styles son of Apollo, Louis Tomlinson son of Apollo, Liam Payne son of Athena, Niall Horan son of Hermes, and Zayn Malik son of Aphrodite." Harry and Louis high fived, "Does this mean we are brothers?" I laughed lightly, "Half brothers technically, but yes. And Liam, Annabeth is your half sister." I saw Liam give Annabeth a tentative smile, which she returned happily. Niall grinned at me, "Do you have any siblings?" "Yes, my half brother Percy, but we are practically twins. We have the same birthday and everything. And Tyson, but he's at the forges most of the time." "Camp?" Asked Zayn. "Camp Half Blood," Annabeth explained. "It is one of the few safe places for demigods." Zayn nodded, letting everything sink in, and it was a lot to process. Being told that the Greek gods and goddesses were alive and that one was your parent can really make you rethink things. "Wait a minute. Paul how do you know about all this? Are you a demigod too?" Liam asked. "No, I'm not a demigod, I'm a satyr. Half goat half human." He stated like it was the most normal thing in the world. Liam just looked at him, and considering everything that they had heard tonight, it wasn't really that hard to believe.
Paul looked at his watch and groaned, "Come on lads, I have to get you to Lou. You might have just learned that there are monsters hunting your every move, but you still have a concert to do." They all laughed, but I had to stop myself from groaning. Despite the ambrosia, I still felt like I had been hit by a truck and wanted a nap. I followed the others anyway, knowing that this night was far from over. Paul led us to another room filled with make up stations and racks of clothes. "Lou is in charge of the boys' hair and make up, she is also a daughter of Aphrodite." A woman walked into the room and gave all the boys hugs. She turned to us and gasped when she saw me, "Oh honey what happened?" Paul gave her a short version of what had happened in the last hour. "Go pick out something to wear and then I will fix you up." I went over to the clothing rack that she had pointed out and began to look through it. I grabbed a green Ireland football jersey and a black zip up sweatshirt and went and changed where Lou had told me. When I came out I saw Niall smirking at me, "What? Is this on backwards?" He started laughing, "No that's just one of my shirts, and I've been looking for it for days." I blushed, "Do you want it…" Niall just gave me a rather adorable smile, "Nah, keep it. It looks better on you." If I wasn't blushing before, I was positively red now.
I walked back over to a smirking Annabeth and before she could make a smart comment I told her, "Shut it, Wise Girl. You are dating my brother." That shut her up nicely. By some miracle, Lou made me look like I hadn't just gotten into a fight with three Empousa. My hair was brushed and shiny, looking blonder and wavier than normal. She had accented my ocean eyes with some makeup that also complemented my natural tan. She even gave me a bag full of hair and makeup products and explained how to use them. "Oh honey," she sighed. "You have so much natural potential that you are just letting go to waste. Trust me, just a few minor touches every day and the boys will be lining up at your door." "So I've been told. Sorry I've been to busy trying not to die every day since I was twelve to care about make up." I grumbled. I was being harsh, I know that she had good intentions, but I was tired and was not in the mood to hear it. I heard Annabeth snicker and I glowered at her. Before I could threaten her, the boys rejoined us. After a few cheeky comments about me wearing Niall's clothes and a few curses from the Irish boy, we were ready to go. Annabeth and I wished them all luck with their concert, and Paul took us to the front row to watch.
I hate to admit it, but they were pretty good. After being forced to listen to their music and hear about how hot they were during a few unfortunate Aphrodite makeovers, I had sworn off the boy band. But Annabeth and I actually enjoyed our selves during the concert. We laughed, danced, and sang along like the other fans in the crowd. It was also pretty cool to look up and see one of the lads wave to you and wink, or sometimes they even sang to us. After they were finished, me met the back stage. We made our way to a tour bus, but when we were about to leave the arena, it started raining. Not some light spring rain, but a proper thunderstorm. Lightning struck and it was pouring, only feeding the uneasy feeling I had. I backed away from the door, not being particularly fond of lightning. Suddenly the lights went out and a distinctive howl could be heard in the distance. Hellhound, I thought to myself. "Everybody run to the bus now!" I yelled. Thankfully everyone listened, and we pushed our way out of the building and into the storm.
Annabeth and I drew our weapons and kept alert as everyone else filed onto the bus. Just as she was about to get aboard, a hellhound tackled Annabeth to the ground. "No!" I screamed, racing toward her. I managed to get the creature's attention just long enough for Annabeth to get onto the tour bus. Good news was she and everyone else was safely on the bus; bad news was I was trapped fighting a hellhound in a storm. My mind was racing as my ADHD kicked into full battle mode. The water was giving me strength and I was ready for this. The tank sized hellhound tensed and lunged at me, and I dove out of its way at the last moment. When it landed I did a baseball slide under it and stabbed it in the stomach, destroying it. I saw Annabeth about to get off the bus and yelled at her to stay on, something wasn't right. That was too easy; I thought to myself, something is missing. That was when I heard a horrible voice pierce the air. "Valliant effort, daughter of Poseidon. You are a tough one, that much I remember. It took ages to make you scream in Tartarus, and even longer to break you, but break you did." I knew that voice, and it took me back to my most painful memories, a place I never wanted to go again. Tartarus, hell itself. She advanced on me, her steps uneven, and her flaming whip dragging on the ground. "Oh yes, remember me. We had so much fun together, and you had to ruin it. You went and escaped before I could finish you off, but don't worry, you wont get so lucky again." The Empousa was now very close to me, and I had yet to move. Her words froze me, making old wounds hurt again with fresh pain.
I could hear everyone one the bus banging on the doors and windows trying to get out, but they were stuck. She let out an evil laugh, and I knew that I would be fighting her alone. I raised my sword and gathered every last drop of strength and courage I had in my body as I prepared to fight her. Her whip cracked, catching my wrist and setting me off balance. I parried her next strike with my sword and kicked her in the gut. We continued in this pattern for what felt like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes. She had managed to reopen the cuts on my arms and with one lucky swipe; I had gotten a matching set down my ribs and across my stomach. I was now hunched over, gasping for air. The Empousa sent me flying with one kick into the bus, where I laid crumpled on the ground. Blood was running down my neck from where my skull had hit the bus. She wore a victorious smile as she towered over me, about to finish me off. Please dad, help me find the strength to finish her and protect the others, I prayed to my father. He must have heard me, for strength coursed through my veins. Water exploded from the fire hydrant near the Empousa and sent her flying back. I staggered to my feet and squared my shoulders as she advanced on me. I pulled out my dagger, prayed to the gods, and threw it. A shriek that could have been heard in Olympus rang through the parking lot as my dagger impaled itself in her forehead. As quickly as it had come, the strength left me, and I fell to my knees. I heard someone shout, and then strong arms picked me up and I was carried to the bus.