Disclaimer: Percy Jackson © Rick Riordan
Rating: T for mild violence and language.

Story Notes:Set after the first series, does not include content from second series. No Roman myths inclinations are within the content of this story.

AN: I LIIIIIIIIVE! Now tell me which stories need updating, you just say the word and I'm there! (Conspiracy) Now let me finish here, if anyone be thinking my account is dead. Vengeance will be MINE! *grrrr* (CONSPIRACY!) Ok, enough with the Disney references and lets get into the story. Nothing special but I hope you enjoy the sarcastic little sh!t for a main character. Without further stalling...


The Forgotten: Denise Gilroy


Chapter 1: Madness


This is madness, and at the risk of triggering off several pop culture references, I would like to state for the record; I know madness. This particular brand of madness that I'd been thrown into was fresh off the shelf, genuine 'Insanity with a pinch of WTF'. And still, with all this grand knowledge on the topic, I was caught off guard by the strange nature this all occurred within. I should probably mention this whole insane situation started with my kidnapping.

You know I was pretty certain there were some laws against stuff like that, but considering the circumstance, maybe my lawsuit could wait until after we destroyed whatever was chasing us.

"You got her, Fae?"

"Acquired Ace,"


I was just walking down the road, minding my own business, listening to some music. I had wanted to visit The Store, a small collection of shops my neighbourhood had affectionately titled as such, and with the dulcet tones of A Static Lullaby bouncing throughout my skull I had only as many cares as any angst riddled teenager could manage. I hadn't assumed the worst of the day, yet, as I was on my way to possible part time employment. Hospitality was one of the few things I could do right, providing I wasn't having one of those bad days. Everyone has them I hear, but I can guarantee there's no pity party quite like my own. I'd waved my aunt off and she questioned whether I needed to dress so alternative for the interview. Thanks to my 'teenage phase' I found solace in dressing within punk fashion. I glanced the fishnet over shirt in the mirror, bringing in the royal purple tank top, down to black straight leg jeans. Muted amethyst Vans knock-offs poked out of the bottom folds and with a joking pop of my hip, the chains hanging off clacked tackily against my backside, "But don't you think the chains bring out my eyes?" I could practically hear my aunt shiver at the shrill tone I used.

"Fine, wear what you want, just don't talk like that again." I chuckled from the front door, slinging a small Legend of Zelda backpack over my shoulder. My aunt was an amazing gal, always had my best interests at heart.

"I'll see you later,"

Too bad that didn't seem like it was going to happen. Just a heads up; I can't vouch for my memory; it rarely plays back in chronological order. So the chance of this story even making any remote sense is very low. Don't say I didn't warn you. Anyway, back to almost getting KO-ed by a car. Wait, was I up to that? Yeah, well, without getting too poetic or anything…

I was waiting for every commuter's favourite green gentleman to appear against the traffic lights. The only traffic light in existence within this place and it was directly in front of The Store. It illuminated a wonderful emerald but as I was listening to music I had the wits to at least check both sides of the road before crossing. They were clear; I tapped my way across the pavement, almost reaching the other side when a black dot crisscrossed in and out of my peripheral vision. I turned to face the car in question, raising a thin, blonde eyebrow. My brow quickly scrunched as it careened closer without any signs of slowing down. I was going to be hit by a car, and my limbs didn't think they should do anything important at that moment, like maybe, move. My stomach churned and my breath hiccuped as the black Ute slid closer. Brakes squealed over my music.

With a taste of your lips,
I'm on a ride.

I waited, but I could still hear the screaming of the chorus.

You're toxic,
I'm slipping under.
With a taste of your poison paradise,

I glanced up as a person, a female, in time with the music stood up and leant a foot against the rail of the back. The glare of the noon sun blasted her into silhouette; I couldn't make out much detail.

I'm addicted to you,
Don't you know that you're toxic.

I let out the breath I was unwillingly holding and blinked my eyes back to the car; it had stopped within my arm's reach. Considering I was a shortie at five foot two, I was none too pleased with this close call. Despite my tolerance with the world, it had decided to throw me a bad day today. How grand. I was jolted from my reverie as a fist slammed down against the driver's window. I practically leapt into the air.

"You could have hit her!" The angry tennis player screamed. Or, well, I couldn't be sure she was a tennis player, but the white fitness shirt and skirt combo, the tied back sun-bleached hair, and physique forced my mind to assume. The only thing that knocked off the image where the large, rounded glasses that perched her thin nose.

"Sorry there darl," The driver poked his head out the window, striking a county bumpkin smile. The accent helped the assumption and, oh dear, and there was a cowboy hat involved here. His blue and grey plaid shirt seemed mussed and possibly burnt in one area. I didn't know who the hell these two were but my brain had decided maybe they weren't the kind of crowd to hang around. It could have been biased however, considering they'd just almost hit me with their car.

The angry tennis girl squinted through her glasses, "You're not normal." It was silent for a moment as the next track switched over on my iPod. I stared at her. I let out an exasperated breath, a choked psychotic chuckle stirred at the back of my throat. A cracked smile streaked my chin.

"I'm not nor- oh wow. I'm not normal?" Great; I'm talking to the madmen; I should have been running away. I fished the purple iPod from my pocket –and yes, I own a lot of purple, funny tale about that colour but I'll get back to the story. Pausing the music I shot a look of disdain crossed with delirium. My stomach tickled with another laugh, "You lot. Really," I was incredulous, words had failed me. In fact, they should have sent that poet. "You almost hit me with your car, and then comment on how I'm not the normal one. I can not even." I turned away, pinching the bridge of my nose. Not only was this day happening, it was making an obnoxious tirade of it.

"Ace, we got one, what do we do?" I didn't care if she was talking to a third person or the driver; I simply jammed the tiny earphones back in and proceeded getting the hell away from them. I cut off all sound from the universe. Pro tip, don't do this within the vicinity of proved crazy people. Two hands grasped my shoulders and easily lifted me off the gravel. My legs hung lazily as I tried to fathom what was going on. Was I just picked up off the ground? My ass thumped ungracefully against the carpet in the back, having just been swung inside the confines of it. Was I just put inside the back of this car? There was a kick starting roar from the engine and soon The Store was chugging incrementally away from me. Was I just kidnapped?

"You got her Fae?" A static layered voice crackled.

"Acquired Ace,"

The light bulb flickered a little too late. I gripped the side of the car, shaking, was I just abducted. "Are you insane?" I bellowed, the blonde strands of my right whipped about as I twisted to face the tennis player, Fae. "Someone give me one damn good reason why I shouldn't leap off of this car right now!" A small child tapped my shoulder; she really couldn't have been older than ten.

She was snuck between a long cloth wrapped box and the wall of the truck. One chocolate eye was visible behind the mush of dark chocolate hair; and her milk chocolate skin reminded me of Cadbury. I would have grilled her for being in the back of a Ute like this if not for her pointing and revealing to my attention the hissing and growling of the nine headed reptilian thing tripping around the corner. A woman rode in front, leaping into large, rhythmic strides. Was she wearing roller blades to escape this thing? I felt the juices bubble in my stomach and I didn't need a mirror to know my face was blanching. "I think I'm gonna be sick." I mustered, leaning into myself.

"Ace, incoming."

Something whizzed over my head and I managed to notice a thin line pierce a round tray in the roller skater's hands. This Ace chick was nuts and carrying a garbage can lid for protection. A twang sounded next to my ear and I realized there was a rope attached to what Fae had fired.

"Perry, pull her in and tie her off." Tennis player ordered, handing the rope to the ten year old. That was it, my brain was done. It refused to function. Nine headed dragon things that should have only existed in my nightmares were gallivanting around, this eclectic band of people decide maybe I need a change of pace and just plonk me in the back of a car escaping this living nightmare. I wanted to hurl, my throat tickled, and my knuckles paled under the pressure I kept them gripped at. I tried to rile up something, anything to get my mind into gear but a roar from that thingchasing us dissipated all that I had gathered just as quickly. My tucked legs trembled under me.

"Come on Denise," I chanted to myself, "Come on, get angry first, freak out later." I peaked above the car, "Angry first, freak out later."

I couldn't believe people weren't already freaking out about this, it was ridiculous. A nine headed lizard was being fired at by an angry tennis player –with a bow and arrow no less- whilst chasing a girl on skates attached to the car by a rope stuck into a garbage can lid. Not to mention the fact that the driver was not abiding by anything close to the speed limit. Although with all of this noted; I was in an out-of-the-way town. The cops wouldn't believe something like this was happening until next week when they noticed the pot holes of dried burnt, bubbled cement. I wish I was joking. This thing was firing acid bombs now.

Excuse me, creator of all things? I'd like to report a bug; you've clearly made this monster too over powered. I had to stop talking to myself, I make pessimistic company. I rolled my eyes; I had definitely lost it. Strangely this back and forth somehow put me in better spirits.

"Wha-" My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and reminded myself, menacing, I'm angry right now, "What do you need?" I screamed over the wind. Tennis player's long bleach hair cascaded over her face at the mercy of the wind. I noted the notched, shimmering recurve bow she held between her slender fingers. She regarded me for a moment, she'd flicked up her glasses and storm blue eyes pierced me like the arrows she fired. I managed to stare back unflinchingly. With a quick size up she blinked back to her target and loosed another arrow. There was a hiss after it connected, I squinted in return but remained calm.

"Open area, I would like to lose it, but that's unlikely. I just need something away from people." She took a breath and notched another arrow, "We need to burn it."

"Turn left then."

"What?" She furrowed her brow in concentration, still trying to focus on keeping those heads away from her friend on skates.

"We're at the edges of farmland; there is a strawberry field east somewhere. At the intersection, you should turn left. Right and you'll just loop back to town."

"Perry." She stated simply. The small girl brought something to her lips, whispering into it, the car took an unnecessarily sharp turn in that direction. I skidded across the carpet, probably burning the arm I'd used to brace myself and knocked into Perry's hiding place. Tennis chick whacked her elbow against the back window and misfired towards skater girl, who only just seemed able to dodge the missile. I would have complained but the smell of strawberries hit my nose and I immediately felt a little calmer. I pulled myself off the other kid, "Sorry." I mumbled half dazed, drinking in the smell. My senses cleared, feeling returned to my fingers and toes as I breathed in entire gulps of sweet air.

"Perry, get ready."

The young brunette nodded, her hair flickered over her free eye and away. My lungs hiccuped; it seemed there was something metallic against her cheekbone and temple. Perry shot a blank look up at me and back down to her fingers where she played with an arrow. I kicked away and gave her space, returning to corner to hold onto the railing, there was nothing else I could do from here. My eyes were stinging with the wind thrashing against them and forcing hair about my face. Brushing a hand through blonde tendrils I forced it away for a moment and looked back at this behemoth chasing us. Trunks for two legs crashed against the bitumen, curled charcoal claws scarping up chunks of gravel and dirt. Triangular, razor teeth chomped inside scaled mouths, two heads collided as they tried to snap at skater girl and began fighting amongst each other. A nasty niggle played on me, a feeling of déjà vu if you will. But how in the hell could this situation by like any other?

"I hope this works." The driver's accented voice buzzed. It finally occurred to me that Fae and this little kid were communicating through walkie-talkie. I don't know why, but the thought of something as simple as walkie-talkies being used in between magical, mystical stuff plastered a stupid, broken grin on my face.

"Perry." Blondie tennis player demanded, holding out a slender hand. The silent girl passed over the arrow she had been working on, a coil of wires now frailly wrapped over the shaft. She broadened her shoulders, readying her weapon. "Brace yourselves." Perry flattened herself against the flooring. The arrow flew over and curiosity struck me in the fleeting moments as I propped myself behind the wall but craned my neck. Skater girl noticed Perry's action and had taken up strides to my left, towards her side of the car. The arrow sunk deeply into a chink at the base of the monsters' necks. For a moment nothing happened and I was worried they'd overplayed this option. I glanced back and tennis chick had knelt closer into herself, bow on the carpet, but her eyes fixed on the creature. Blinking to Perry, she was counting out something with her fingers; a countdown. She had three fingers up, then two; I stretched my back awkwardly and stared. Fire caught and spread, I let in a shallow breath; it circled and curled around the being's back and necks. Nine-face-lizard-dragon stopped dead in its tracks, writhing and crackling. Flames licked up its necks and the individual heads crashed into each other as they tried to flick it off.

"Woo!" The drive cheered, the sound cackling through the receiver against Perry's shirt. Tennis chick gestured to the skater person, she gave a thumbs-up in return, and I sat up in the car. I felt my breath slow, I knew my surroundings but they seemed so foreign now, as the creature shrank into perspective distance I knew something had changed today. The déjà vu ache I had felt in my stomach subsided and I shook the disturbing premonition away, rolling my shoulders and knitting my brow. The road switched out for more dirt, the ride suddenly got bumpier and I jerked back into reality and stared at the source of my problems; this band of misfits.

"Hold up!" I screamed, "What the hell is wrong with you people? And why the hell did you put me in this car?!" The blonde was putting her hair back up with a phoenix pin; its feather detailing glittered in her palm. She cleared her throat, retying her hair and adjusting her glasses. The second kid, Perry, was leaning over the side tugging at the security of the rope I would assume. "You." I pointed to the kid that reminded me of candy, "Stay sitting." She paused and glanced uncertainly at me but returned to her work.

"Excuse us, we didn't mean to incite panic for you." Tennis player spoke with a clear voice, I would assume from years at a grammar boarding school. We had one of those kind pass through the town once, parents wanted to try the country and dragged him along against his wishes. He skipped town the second he hit eighteen. I shook away the recollection and tried to maintain even breaths, I did not want my temper to flare. Odd things happened when I wasn't careful.

"Then, do you mind bringing me up to speed?" I managed, through detestable spits. "Seriously, don't do that. Sit in the car." I shot to Perry, she stopped her work to shoot another look at me and then shake her head and go back.

"It wouldn't be wise at the moment. Please, can you wait for an explanation?" She asked. Her eyes shone with sincerity and apology but I was miffed enough to happily ignore it. Puppy eyes were not going to work.

"You're gonna need something better than, 'it's a secret we can't say it in the open it's taboo'." I mocked. Her eyebrows tweaked with interest before hardening, a small smirk graced her thin, oval face. She opened her mouth to retort when the wheel spun against the pebbles of rock and jerked. Tennis chick latched onto the side, I lowered my body and forced myself against the tray while Perry... her space was empty, she was over the back.

"Perry!"

"Idiot!" I placed the underside of my Vans knock-offs against the railing and kicked, reaching out to the stupid child. It then occurred to me, as I wrapped my arms around Perry and flipped through the air, I was no longer attached to the car. In fact, I was flying through the air. I lost feeling in my face, the blood rushed away and I tightened my grip against her.

Do you ever remember doing something incredibly dumb? Time seems to slow and your brain takes in every millisecond of your screw up and in those moments it just repeatedly says, 'Well done genius, now look what you've put us in.' As the car flew further and further away from us I could sense that very thing happening to me. This was going to sting something awful.

"Catch us, something, catch us. I'll do anything, just catch us." I pressed my eyes shut and muttered those lines, hoping for something. Anything, really. Thin lines constricted against my bag and shoulders, we had hit something? They grew tight and continued to slow us down and I felt a twinge of happiness before the snapping noise reached my ears. "Way to get my hopes up universe." I growled. I curled in readying myself for the hit. The backpack I still wore braced us, but we skidded across the rocky road uncomfortably. The fabric caught and we rolled, finally landing on my back in the dirt for the finish. I remained still, simply sighing out the pain and wondering… had anyone thought to record that for YouTube fails of the week? "Let's never do that again." I released dryly, stiffly relinquishing Perry from my bear hug. My head dipped back against the dust and I slowly drew in another breath with pursed lips. My head thumped something fierce and I closed my eyes, trying to numb the pain with focus breathing.

"Perry! Other kid!" I guess skater girl reached us first. Her run scraped to a halt and I could hear her kneel. Opening my eyes a crack I faintly watched as she patted Perry down several times in a flurry of first aid checks. I coughed and rolled onto my side closing my eyes again, no sense in taking this too fast. I was injured, no way to escape that. "Don't move too much, ok kid? What a wild card we caught." She had the same accent as the driver. "A kid of Demeter? That's something! You're lucky you're in your home ground." A hand caringly patted my shoulder, "Thank you for Perry."

"It wasn't intentional." I mumbled. I tried to assess the damage, I didn't feel anything wrong with my back or neck, stiff, but nothing extreme. My arms were most probably scraped and bleeding, "I totally ripped my ripped jeans though." I wisecracked.

"I saw you leap out of that car, and you were quick to wrap your arms around her. I'm surprised you don't have whiplash." The older girl chuckled before stopping just as quickly, "Wait, ripped jeans?" She shook her head, flicking light brown strands off her face, "Can you sit up?"

With some help and heavy breathing, I was upright. It caused my head to spin and my body to ache but I was up. I stared at my palms in my lap, my fingers twitched with dying adrenaline, whatever I wasn't feeling now I was going to feel soon. "You're a grand gal." Skater chick beamed. Now that I could get a closer look at her she seemed harmless enough, although somewhat sly, she had a presence that said, 'You can trust me, what's your bank details?'. My shoulders shuddered and I coughed another breath. The others had backtracked and parked, now stepping their way over. I kept my head low, the longer hair on my right side shading my eyes from the sun.

"We need to get her help." Skater chick, I guessed she was Ace, informed the two.

"I'm not going anywhere with you lot." I growled, "What was that thing?!" I felt the sickness boil in my stomach again and my head lightened, I rocked back but stopped myself. My lungs exhaled harshly and I stiffened my back, a hard thing to do with your muscles simultaneously trying to relax from a rush. Tennis chick knelt next to me and nodded solemnly.

"We'll explain in a moment." Her arm reached around my neck and I felt my lungs constrict. I couldn't get any air. I weakly swung at her face but with little energy I didn't last long against her grip. My eyes wavered and in a final moment of panic my sight turned black. I felt the breath enter my lungs again but after that; nothing.


101: *yawns and continues clicking at computer*
233, zipping by: Hey 101 I found Internet, ok bye.

101: *glances left and right* Hello?
337: *bursts into room* 233, come back here! *Iron Man outs... almost literally as flames spurt from her palms*
101: ...I suppose I shouldn't have expected a normal hello anyway. *stares at you* Glad to be back folks!